I'm thinking of posting this article in both the draft thread and the Hornets thread, since I'm not sure which audience is best. With the top prospects and overall pick order still up in the air, there are many questions and unknowns about this upcoming class. Many teams nearing the top lottery odds have unique team situations that don't naturally gel with the highest rated prospects. Detroit and Washington especially are in a team-building situation where there isn't an obvious home run use of their pick. San Antonio, while much more certain of their team building plan, will have to deal with their so-so lottery odds and still must identify how they want to support Wembanyama roster-wise. Portland has an odd combination of youth talents and older, expensive veterans that isn't easy to fix, not to mention the questions about if Chauncey Billups is the right coach. Toronto has a franchise player, depth, and a good coach, but questions remain about what needs to happen draft-wise for them to progress. For most of these teams looking to pick within the top 5-ish, there are no perfect fits.

There is, however, one prospect and team match that I think would be a perfect fit, top to bottom: Alex Sarr and the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets are a team with lots of young talent but several questions about team structure and coaching philosophy. With Steve Clifford stepping down, this is obviously a chance to really define the team, and come back with a fully healthy roster and new sense of team identity. LaMelo is an all-star, Brandon Miller looks special, and they have a handful of good role players/supporting cast members like Grant Williams, Tre Mann, Mark Williams, and Nick Richards, all of whom have been asked to take on an unreasonably large role on the team due to the overall injuries. At full health, don't underestimate the talent level of this team. With the right draft pick, the Charlotte Hornets have a chance to transform from just a team with young talent, into concrete solid young core with a real basketball identity.

Enter Alex Sarr. This 7'1 defensive-upside prospect can be thought of as a stronger and more explosive Evan Mobley. He is a great rim protector and has shown much promise guarding in space. His offensive skills are raw, but he is proficient around the rim and as play-finisher, and he has shown to potential to develop a mid-to-long range jumpshot. With his size, agility, and versatility, he's an excellent two-way center that can generate so much edge and advantage for the right team.

Sarr's strengths and weaknesses work so, so well with this Charlotte squad. Putting him next to LaMelo is an absolute no brainer, and their two-man game would be a supercharged battery for the offense. LaMelo is a well-rounded scorer and elite passer, and Sarr is a dynamic and effective screener who can punish on the Pop or the Roll. This alone is an excellent offensive fit, but simply the gravity of that two-man game will open up so many shots for Brandon Miller and the other shooters on the team. Defensively, the team struggles with consistent POA defense, and having Sarr play center field would remedy several of the team's issues. Charlotte ranks extremely low, near league-worst in fact, in blocks per game, points in the paint allowed per game, and opponent shooting percentage within the arc. Putting Sarr in the paint would directly impact these areas, while also allowing their guards/wings (some of whom are good individual defenders to begin with!) to play more aggressively in space knowing a legitimate rim protector is staying home. That's a lot of basketball specifics, but my main point is if Charlotte finds a way to draft Alex Sarr, their gameplay just becomes SO much simpler, and so much more effective. LaMelo, Miller, and Sarr is a bread and butter core, and the rest of the depth chart really does provide the right kind of support.

Now addressing some issues of minutes and roster fit: their current bigs, Nick Richards and Mark Williams are both good players, I am actually quite a fan of both. Firstly, they are not good enough pieces to influence decision making on a top draft pick, but more importantly, they would be absolute studs getting minutes around the second unit. Imagine Richards and Williams getting more minutes against opposing bench lineups! That's a very favorable match up for the most part!

And now, the real amazing thing about the draft- Charlotte has a number of ways to possibly land him! First of all, they have their own odds to outright win the first overall pick, so there's that. Secondly, as I mentioned before, the other teams competing for the top pick may not even pick Sarr themselves! Arguments will definitely be had, but you are nuts if you're telling me Sarr is a no-brainer for a team like Detroit, or Washington, or Portland. San Antonio obviously won't pick him either. Because of this, Charlotte has so many possible lottery combinations that could land them in range to take Sarr.

Yeah, I don't know what else to say. I just had an epiphany about Sarr's fit on the Hornets and it had me so excited. Hornets. Go. Get. This. Kid.

Thanks for reading!