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Odds are in on Hornets' chances for No. 1 pick in NBA draft. Who could they select?

Roderick Boone, The Charlotte Observer on

Published in Basketball

Although he needs polishing offensively, he’s a shot creator and a playmaker, making him a possible threat in various positions on the floor.

Ron Holland, G League Ignite, SF, 6-7

Initially projected as the No. 1 pick months ago, he spent this past season fine-tuning his game after decommitting from the Texas Longhorns last spring. In averaging 19.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals, he showed his versatility before rupturing a tendon in his right thumb in February, ending his season prematurely.

But he still finished as the second-leading scorer in the Ignite’s four-year history.

Shooting, however, is an area he has to improve dramatically and his ball-handling skills supposedly aren’t great. Strength could also be an issue, and he’ll have to get in the weight room to bulk up and address it so he can handle some of the bigger players on the perimeter instead of getting bowled over.

Zaccharie Risacher, France, SF, 6-9

 

Considered the best wing in this class, he’s been a steady riser up the board and some pundits have him being selected No. 1 overall. NBA coaches and executives really value players at his position, and are especially enamored with those at his size who can shoot.

And that’s supposed to be one of Risacher’s specialties. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 steals in 51 games across all leagues, shooting 46.3% from the floor and 39.1% behind the arc.

Defensively, although he is said to have the ability to defend either guard position along with small forward, the word is he’s not overly adept and could be susceptible to getting beat off the dribble by quicker opponents. One of the knocks is he’s not great at creating his own shot or being a playmaker and he doesn’t boast explosiveness.

But he does have basketball in his genes. His father, Stephane, is a former EuroLeague player and also a former Olympian.

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