Victor Wembanyama will almost definitely hear his name called at No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but it’s unclear who goes at No. 2 overall.
Scoot Henderson was long considered the second-best prospect in this class, and Wembanyama has said that the G League Ignite star would be the NBA’s top prospect in any other class. Henderson thrived when he suited up as a pro, even during two thrilling exhibition matchups against Wembanyama.
However, despite a poor performance for Alabama during March Madness, some analysts believe that freshman forward Brandon Miller may actually hear his name called with the No. 2 overall pick when the Charlotte Hornets are on the clock.
Mitch Kupchak, the president of basketball operations for the Hornets, was asked if Charlotte would still select a guard even though they already have LaMelo Ball.
I asked #Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak if they would still draft a guard, basically says they would but they are in a better spot to be picky towards position over talent now. pic.twitter.com/CYtjiQrbEZ
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) May 17, 2023
“We’re getting a lot more advanced at putting this team together. I think three years ago or even two years ago, I would have said without question that we are going to take the best available player. That’s been our decision for the last three or four years when we’re trying to accumulate talent. I don’t think we’re where we need to be from a talent level but we’ve got a lot more talent now than we did two or three years ago. So I think we can be a little bit picky and take into consideration not only the overall talent but also position.”
Kupchak suggested that they will take a player’s position into consideration, which is important to note considering Charlotte has such a high-usage guard on the roster. Ball’s usage rate (32.1 percent) ranked 89th percentile among all point guards last season, per Cleaning The Glass.
Ball finished 41.0 percent of his offensive finishes as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll sets, per Synergy Sports. An additional 10.1 percent were as the ball-handler in transition and 7.4 percent were in isolation.
So what would it look like to have Henderson on the roster as well?
When considering the hypothetical Scoot Henderson-LaMelo Ball: for his career LaMelo is 41 3P% on catch-and-shoot 3PA (25% of his FGA on c&s 3PA)
Scoot, with his ability to run pick-and-roll, turn the corner, beat switches and get a piece of the paint, unlocks those looks pic.twitter.com/UKsIgDC2ez
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) May 17, 2023
There are some elements that could work fairly smoothly, like Henderson’s ability to find Ball for easy catch-and-shoot looks.
Henderson had the highest usage rate (26.8 percent) of anyone on the G League Ignite, and he maximizes his talent with the ball in his hands. He looked to score more often than pass during pick-and-roll sets, and he is someone who you want as a primary initiator on offense.
43.7 percent of Henderson’s offensive finishes were as the ball-handler in pick and roll. An additional 12.4 percent were as the ball-handler in transition and 5.9 percent were against his man one-on-one in isolation.
Effectively, last season, both players finished with the ball in their hands on approximately 60 percent of their possessions. If they’re in the same lineup, one of them would have to sacrifice some touches.
| NAME | PnR (Ball Handler) | Transition (Ball Handler) | Isolation |
| LaMelo Ball | 41.0 percent | 10.1 percent | 7.4 percent |
| Scoot Henderson | 43.7 percent | 12.4 percent | 5.9 percent |
According to Jake Fischer, executives believe Henderson and Ball would have a “suboptimal fit” in Charlotte (via Yahoo Sports):
“Charlotte jumping to the second pick, up from the fourth-best odds, brings an interesting dilemma and what some league personnel consider a suboptimal fit between Henderson and incumbent All-Star guard LaMelo Ball.”
They can absolutely play alongside one another, but will you get the best version you’re going to get from either of them if you take the ball out of their hands?
Perhaps pairing Ball with Henderson would work if they also had great spacing and both were elite shooters from beyond the arc. Henderson, however, shot just 27.5 percent on 3-pointers last season in the G League.
Neither Ball nor Henderson is known for making a tremendous defensive impact, but Miller is a 6-foot-9 wing who has good size for his position. Miller, a consensus All-American and SEC Player of the Year, also made 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers during the regular season for Alabama.
First real debate for the draft is whether Charlotte opts to pair LaMelo with another ball-handler in Scoot or sees Brandon Miller's wing scoring and fit too ideal
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 17, 2023
Next to the 6-foot-7 Ball, he would give Charlotte impressive length and scoring on the perimeter. He can create his own shot off the bounce in the pick and roll and in isolation, too, but he is also productive when the offense doesn’t run through him.
While at Alabama, he also scored well on spot-up possessions and when using off-ball screens and dribble handoffs. His jumper was efficient off the catch and he can develop into a pick-and-pop threat with Ball as well.
Miller’s shooting gravity could help expand Ball’s offensive prowess and pass creation.
Charlotte had the second-worst 3-point percentage and the fourth-worst 3-pointers made last season. With one of the best jumpers in the class, Miller could immediately bolster that next season.
