LaMelo Ball, Scoot Henderson Can Coexist as Hornets’ Future Backcourt

LaMelo Ball and Scoot Henderson will work just fine as Charlotte's backcourt of the future.

When the Hornets saw their card pulled second to last on 2023 NBA Draft Lottery night on Tuesday, both despair and elation rang out from Charlotte.

Despair, due to the fact they wouldn’t be landing 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is set to don the black and silver in San Antonio. But elation that they’d likely get their hands on hopefully the second-best talent in the draft.

But after a few seconds of thought, many realized the choice isn’t as easy as it seems.

Scoot Henderson, a feisty 6-foot-3 point guard, has long been thought of to be the second best draft prospect in this cycle. And in many other years, he’d likely be a top selection.

But at first glance, his fit next to star Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball is a murky one. And Alabama’s Brandon Miller, a 6-foot-9 forward who took college basketball by storm with his 3-point sharpshooting and ability to handle the rock, likely fits better on paper.

I’m here to tell you: Henderson’s fit next to Ball is not only fine, they could have the potential to thrive as one of the more dynamic backcourt in all of basketball.

A high-flying dynamo with a knack for mid-range jumpers and steely slams, Henderson is the next in line of hyper-athletic point guards in the mold of Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant.

Ball, despite having the ability to generate slams of his own on occasion, is a much more silky, contortionist style of player. Both have premier passing ability, though Ball is out well ahead on that front.

And while they both play technically the same position, their pairing would work for several reasons. The first being they’re both simply too talented to not shine through whatever issues may present themselves.

Secondly, Ball’s ability to space the floor will be a game-changer for their dynamic. Hitting on 38 percent of his career 3-pointers, which comes out to 7.5 per game, Ball is one of the better star 3-point shooters in the entire league. His ability to play off Henderson, who will be able to generate paint touches at will via his innate speed and athleticism, will be key.

There’s no issue with having multiple do-it-all ball-handlers on the court at the same time. Several teams are already phasing towards that with the way the NBA is trending, and it appears to be an integral part to how basketball will be played soon.

Both Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole were vital to the Warriors 2022 title run and played together often. The Celtics and Lakers, two of the four remaining playoff teams, have a variety of players who could technically be labeled a point guard that play together.

Even more, Charlotte simply isn’t in position to worry about fit at the present moment. Without any real direction, taking the best player available, regardless of their fit with the current configuration, has to be done.

When you’re in position to hit the ball, take the swing.

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