Ranking top 4 options for Charlotte Hornets with No. 11 pick in 2021 NBA Draft

Charlotte Hornets
NBA Analysis Network
James Bouknight, UCONN, 2021 NBA Draft
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

#3 James Bouknight – Guard – UConn

James Bouknight is one of the “high-risers” in this year’s draft class and he is going to wind up being one of the first shooting guards off the board. While he only played in 15 games with UConn this past year, Bouknight averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and shot 44.7% from the floor, cementing himself as one of the best finishers and scorers at the guard position in this draft class.

The first thing you think of when you see James Bouknight out on the court is how long he is for a guard and how well he creates opportunities not just for himself, but for others as well. Offense is scoring is what you get with this guy and plenty of teams in the first-round will be monitoring him heading into the draft.

At the NBA Draft Combine, James Bouknight measured in at just under 6’5” and he measured a 6’8.25” wingspan. He did not play in any of the scrimmages, nor participate in any of the agility/strength drills, but the 20-year-old guard has seemed to lock-in his spot in the mid first-round range because of his play at UConn.

The best part of Bouknight’s game besides his ability to score is his ability to crash the offensive glass. He averaged 1.5 offensive boards per game this past season and while that does not seem like a lot, he created plenty of second-chance points for his team.

READ MORE: NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Is There A Late Shakeup In The Top Five?

The Charlotte Hornets are one of several teams watching James Bouknight throughout the pre-draft process and they even hosted him for a workout on July 2. The Hornets as a whole had a breakout season and now, they will be looking for ways to surround LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward with more production on the offensive-end of the floor.

With Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk being free agents this offseason and the possibility of Charlotte still looking to trade Terry Rozier, they could easily wind up with an immediate hole to fill in their backcourt. Adding James Bouknight would solve a lot of these issues and give the Hornets a valuable young scorer.

Creating a backcourt duo of Ball and Bouknight could be really beneficial to the Hornets not only because they are both athletic and versatile guards, but because they could play with one another for at least the next decade.

READ MORE: NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Is There A Late Shakeup In The Top Five?

Charlotte needs guys who can create on their own and guys who are able to create second-chance opportunities and that is exactly the kind of player James Bouknight is. One of his “specialities” in college was his ability to attack the offensive glass and in Charlotte, he would absolutely be a factor with guys like Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington to help control the glass.

You know what you are getting with a guy like James Bouknight, which is why he could definitely be of value to the Charlotte Hornets. That shooting guard position could become a question mark for them if Monk and Rozier move on, which is why Bouknight with the 11th overall pick would be a very solid choice for Charlotte. 

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