Unquestionably, each team in the league saw its own form of success in the 2025 NBA Draft and Summer League. However, the success the Charlotte Hornets saw during both events arguably leaves them as the team who are the biggest winner of the draft. Not only did they add immensely talented players who possess the skills to be perfect fits next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but they also brought in a crop of rookies who can bring a winning mentality to Charlotte. Here are three reasons why the Charlotte Hornets won the 2025 NBA Draft.
3 Reasons Why The Charlotte Hornets Won The 2025 NBA Draft
#1: Prioritizing Winning Players
Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner all bring something to the table that the Hornets have lacked for most of their existence. That is a winning mentality. For the first time in this era of Charlotte basketball, the team has prioritized acquiring winning players. Their crop of rookies this year has all played a role in their previous teams’ seeing success. Each of them knows what it takes for a team to find sustained excellence. Specifically, each rookie has consistently demonstrated their ability to make winning plays time and again.
Both Knueppel and James played significant roles in Duke’s success last season alongside Cooper Flagg. Furthermore, McNeeley also played a supporting role around Flagg on their incredibly successful high school team. As for Kalkbrenner, he played a major role in Creighton’s multiple NCAA Tournament runs. All of them, collectively, can help the Hornets shift toward a winning culture and make the team a serious threat in the East.
#2: Improved Charlotte’s Overall Floor Spacing
The Hornets also made improvements to their floor spacing. Specifically, the additions of Knueppel, McNeeley, and James can all help the team fix their shooting issues. In particular, Charlotte was the third-worst shooting team in the league. With the addition of two of the best shooters in the class, they have undoubtedly improved their spacing. Knueppel and McNeeley will thrive playing next to Ball, who has the vision to find them from anywhere on the court. While James isn’t on the same shooting caliber as those two, he can still be a threat from three-point range. Even Kalkbrenner has shown potential to shoot from distance. Not only will the Hornets improve their shooting numbers, but their offense will also be smoother due to improved spacing.
#3: Gaining Additional Versatility On The Roster
Finally, the rookies make the team more versatile. Knueppel, McNeeley, and James are all capable of playing various roles. For example, all three of them can handle the ball to a certain extent. Additionally, they are all good passers who can make the right reads to keep the ball moving. For Knueppel specifically, he can be a secondary creator next to the stars and excel in that role. Even defensively, those three have the size and basketball IQ to defend multiple positions. While Kalkbrenner isn’t as individually versatile as the others, he can bring a different look to the center position due to his defensive abilities at the rim. Overall, the level of versatility provided by the rookies will make the Hornets a far more dynamic team than they were before.
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