Second Round Sleeper: Oso Ighodaro

Who should the Charlotte Hornets target in the second round?

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

While everybody is talking about who the Hornets should select at six in the upcoming draft, there has been very little conversation on Charlotte’s second-round pick, and understandably so. A high lottery pick can be used to fill a larger need, selection 42 will rarely turn into anything more than a solid rotational player. Coincidentally, two of the better 42nd picks in NBA history are with the Hornets as of today. Both Davis Bertans and Nick Richards have turned themselves into valuable pieces since entering the league.

In this series of articles, I will be evaluating which second round sleepers be a good fit for the Hornets and follow in Richards and Bertans footsteps. First up, former golden eagle and three-star recruit, Oso Ighodaro.

Oso Ighodaro – Age 21.97 – C/PF – Marquette - Height 6'10.75'' - Wingspan 6'11 - Weight 222 lbs

Strengths

Ighodaro is not your typical big man, possessing a unique skill set on offense. The 21-year-old is a good finisher at the rim with a multitude of post moves. Despite his slight frame, he can absorb a contact and uses his vertical athleticsm to help make up for his lack of strength. He has extremely quick feet for a big and a prolific push shot, which uses to finish over much taller defenders.

Ighodaro has the potential to be used as an offensive playmaking hub, running lots of DHOs for Marquette, similar to Domantas Sabonis in Sacramento. In general, Ighodaro is a willing passer, just as much in the open court as he is out of post-ups. That does lead to some careless mishaps, but an Assist to Turnover Ratio of 1.64 considering his usage shows potential in this area.

Weaknesses

Due to his build, the Marquette graduate will never be a great defender and found himself often being moved on the interior by opposing bigs. He uses what size and strength he has well, but untill he adds more muscle and strength he will struggle battling on the interior with NBA calibre bigs.

As variable as his offense is, Ighodalo’s game lacks a jump shot. He only took two total three-pointers in his college career and his free throw percentage of 62.3% doesn’t suggest there’s a big improvement coming soon.

Fit With the Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte has a very limited center room playstyle-wise. Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and even draftee James Nnaji all have somewhat similar skill sets. At the very least, adding Oso Ighodaro would provide Charles Lee with a different type of big to experiment with. It would also mean that the Hornets would have to mix up their offense, to get the most out of him. Last year Charlotte finished 24th in Handoffs per game, while the Boston Celtics, where Lee served as an assistant coach, finished 28th.