Hornets at the draft combine: What Charlotte fans should know

Are you getting excited, Charlotte Hornets fans? The NBA draft lottery is on Sunday, and a top-ten pick is all but guaranteed. If Charlotte gets really lucky, a top-three pick isn't inconceivable. And in the buildup to the unveiling of this year's draft order, most of the incoming rookies are in Chicago to get to know their prospective employers at the draft combine.

The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell has ten storylines to know headed into the combine, but the most important thing for Hornets fans is simple: Who is Charlotte going to take? Bonnell offers a couple of thoughts on the question:

"As many as five Kentucky players might be first-round candidates including guard Devin Booker, who could be a target for the Hornets," Bonnell writes. "He’s the kind of shooter the Hornets need and he figures to be available at No. 9, the slot where the Hornets will most likely pick."

And if Charlotte instead looks overseas, there's a name to know: "One other intriguing wing player to consider: Croatian shooting guard-small forward Mario Hezonja. He’s 6-foot-8, highly athletic and made 38 percent of his 3-pointers in Euroleague games."

The long and the short of it is that the Hornets could really use some outside shooting, and there should be available talent to provide that skill set when it's Charlotte's turn to pick.

(h/t Charlotte Observer)

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