Hornets Media Reveal Their Top Draft Choice For Charlotte at Six

Select media ranked 11 prospects in contention for the Hornets at six from best to worst

Mar 9, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence Friars guard Devin Carter (22) shoots over Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Since 2021, I have asked Charlotte Hornets media members each year to rank their favorite players for the Hornets to draft. This year, I gave them a list of 11 prospects who the Hornets could draft at six to choose from.

Thank you to all those who submitted rankings; Walker Mehl, Nata Edwards, Brian Geisinger, Josh Balta, Eric Barnes, Chase Whitney, Matt Alquiza, Darian Thomas, Carson Knudson, Dylan Jackson

Hornets Consensus Media Prospect Rankings / @British_Buzz

Result Analysis

- Unsurprisingly, Stephon Castle is the clear front runner ranking as the top consensus prospect in a tier of his own. Only two of eleven voters had Castle outside of their top two rankings. This isn't a surprise, as Castle has long been touted as the best combination of fit and upside with the Hornets.

- Devin Carter finished a distant second, perhaps surprisingly as his stock appears to be lower than at least three other players on the list. Carter's clear and obvious fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, combined with his point of attack defense and outstanding work ethic seem to have made him a popular choice.

- Buzelis, Holland, Sheppard and Clingan are all closely clustered together finishing within .4 of each other, every player received at least one 1st place vote. Sheppard being ranked 5th despite being the highest projected player on mock drafts suggests Hornets media aren't as excited with the idea of adding the combo guard. Holland being ranked so high, despite his projected range being 10-18 might raise some eyebrows.

Ron Holland is one of the most divisive prospects of the draft cycle.

I broke down his strengths, weaknesses and most importantly his fit with the Charlotte Hornets ⬇️https://t.co/ARiiCSftOw

— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) June 12, 2024

- There is a clear tier drop after the first six prospects, with Knecht, Williams, Topic and Dillingham all scoring in a similar range. The recent reports connecting Knecht to Charlotte at six likely won't be well received by the majority of voters.

- Salaun finishes last in a tier of his own. The Frenchman is projected to be selected between 8-12, suggesting the Hornets media as a whole are lower on him.