One of the top draft analysts, Kevin O’Connor with The Ringer, released his first mock draft on Monday. While the site released a more collective mock draft, O’Connor’s personal mock draft saw Ball land No. 3 with the Charlotte Hornets.
“Don’t let Devonte’ Graham’s presence or Terry Rozier’s contract fool you. The Hornets are a blank canvas. Ball would immediately give them an identity as an up-tempo team with his flashy playmaking. That said, it’s a risk since Ball needs to prove he can shoot efficiently and put in effort on defense. He may lack some foundational skills, but his upside is clear.”
For the most part, O’Connor’s mock draft fell into line with many others but with one notable exception. While most admit that the top three prospects are poor fits in Golden State with the No. 2 pick, few are willing to mock anyone else to the Warriors.
O’Connor, though, slotted wing Deni Avdija to go second overall. After predicting Anthony Edwards to go No. 1 to Minnesota, that left James Wiseman to fall to No. 4 to the Chicago Bulls.
Back to Ball, though, O’Connor brings up a good point that hasn’t been mentioned before in that he would give Charlotte an identity they haven’t had in years. He would also bring them more publicity and national attention than potentially at any time in their franchise’s history.
