Some possible Hornets 2nd round targets

quote:

---

Jordan Williams C/PF-Maryland- Will likely play PF in the NBA. Averaged 17/12 this season.

---

Not sure what to think of him. Scouts seemed to love him when he first arrived at the combine, but now they are sort of second guessing his body fat, weight, short reach, etc.

I watch some of his drills today and he looked behind a lot of the other players. The good thing is he could possibly slip down to the Hornets in the 2nd round. The bad thing is all of these questions the scouts are now asking could end up being problems for him in the future.

dude all scouts see is potential. they see athleticism, reach, and size but what they fail to see is what they accomplish on floor. A lot of scouts had marvin williams as the best player in the nba draft in 06 and look how that turned out. Thats jmho though.

I doubt Benson will be available

quote:

---

I think he's a 1st rounder now.

---

Yeah. Wouldve been nice to get a 2 guard with that type of scoring ability. He has a crazy wingspan. About 6'5" with a 7'1" wingspan

I like him. I think he could be an Ariza-type player in the league

I think the first instinct is take a player at a position of need but what's the point? If Thornton's offensive abilities and Pondexter's defensive abilities weren't enough to earn playing time for Monty, what are the chances that any non lottery player drafted actually earns a rotation spot? To me Demps needs to go BPA and rely on Free Agency to plug the holes in the roster. I wouldn't mind doing what Portland has been doing and stockpiling young talent. Instead of roster spots 11-15 going to guys like Mbenga and Andersen, get some projects in here that will either help down the line or be flippable. This draft is short on star power but looks to have quite a few role players so we can either buy more picks or maybe even get some guys as UDFAs.

HoopsWorld has an article up this morning on draft sleepers

quote:

---

#5 – Chandler Parsons, SF, Florida – It's been proven time and again that there's room for a guy like Parsons in the NBA. Mike Miller and Kyle Korver have sort of paved the way for players like him, and he seems like the kind of player who could find himself a nice bench role with a competitive team. He'll be a second round pick, and by no means will he be a star, but he could have himself a long NBA career, and that's all you can ask of a guy getting picked where he's likely to be picked.

#4 – Greg Smith, C, Fresno State – At 6'9", Smith isn't going to play center at the NBA level, but his giant hands (some of the biggest in Draft Combine history), likeable disposition, and array of post moves means he's likely got a spot on some NBA team, at least as a camp invite. He's been preparing for this draft longer than almost anybody, and if drafted (not everyone is convinced he will be) he could be exactly the sort of freaky physical specimen that thrives on the next level.

#3 – Malcolm Lee, PG, UCLA – Lee might benefit from the recent success of UCLA point guards like Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, and Jrue Holiday (to say nothing of Baron Davis, Jordan Farmar, and Arron Afflalo), and when one considers how well they've all performed on the NBA level, Lee seems like a reasonable gamble, too. As a junior he's got a little more experience than some of the younger point guards in the draft, and at 6'5" he's more than tall enough to the combo guard thing on the NBA level. He's a good kid, too, and some team right on the first round/second round bubble is going to cash in on his talent and versatility.

#2 – Nolan Smith, PG, Duke – This is a very point-guard-heavy draft, and while some (Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker) have higher potential to be great, Smith is a proven commodity that can come in and contribute right away. He's probably destined for a career as a back-up point guard, but late in the first round that's not a bad guy to pick up. The reward might not be as high as other point guard prospects, but at least with Smith you know he won't miss. He'll play in the NBA for a while.

#1 – Josh Selby, SG, Kansas – Most people we've talked to think Selby's a few years away, and that combined with injury are what have him projected in the late first round. He is one of the more naturally talented players in this draft, however, and if he ever does heal up and come into his own, he could prove to be a steal that late in the draft. Few late picks have more potential for star power than Selby, but there's a lot of "what if's" that need to be answered before he gets there.

---

LINK

Here's a video of Lee
LINK
the highlights start at 1:03

HoopsWorld's latest Mock Draft has the Hornets taking Greg Smith, one of the players from the draft sleepers post above. He's only 6'9 but has a 7'2 wing span and "his hands are one-foot wide, easily the top mark we've seen since the combine began measuring hands."

quote:

---

Perhaps the most ridiculous spectacle we saw all week came in Smith's post drills. Dwarfing most of the players here with his size, Smith also has exceptionally large hands, and on a number of occasions, simply snatched the entry passes directed his way out of midair, palming the ball away from his body as if it were a grapefruit. A prime example of what we're talking about comes just after the 1:00 mark in our workout video below.

---

LINK /

He's only 20 and even though he's short for a post player, he's thick/sturdy and has ginourmous hands so he still could end up being a pretty effective player down low.