June 27, 2025 • 26 mins
After adding 2nd round selections Sion James and Ryan Kalkbrenner to the mix, the Charlotte Hornets have completed their 2025 NBA Draft class! Hear from the picks themselves, and Hornets President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson as Sam Farber and Sam Perley review the Hornets 2025 draft class.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Hornets Hoodcast, presented by Charlotte I ear
nosen Throat Associates, the official I ear nosen throatcare provider
of the Charlotte Hornets. Here's your host, Sam Farber.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to another edition of the Hornet Podcast, Your Hornets
podcast with all the notes, quotes, san daily buzz around
your favorite NBA team. I'm Sam Farber and it is
a pleasure and a privileged have you with us here
once again on the Hornets Time Cast, brought to you
by SENTA Charlotte I ear nosen throat Associates, the official
I hear nosen throatcare provider of the Charlotte Hornets. The
twenty twenty five NBA Draft is in the books. Hornets
(00:36):
end up taking four players in total. Of course, we
had our post Round one podcast available yesterday fourth overall
selection Conkainipple, as well as twenty ninth overall selection Liam
McNeely heading to the Queen's City. And then in Round two,
the Hornets with two very early picks and they make
them both see on James the Guard slash Wing Premium
(00:59):
defender out of Duke with one and Ryan kulk Brenner
the Center out of Creighton with the other we will
break down the picks, let you hear from President of
Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson, as well as the picks themselves.
And it wouldn't be a Draft Night podcast series without
having our special guest here with us today. That would be,
of course, Sam Purley, senior writer from Hornets dot Com. Sam,
(01:21):
thanks so much for joining me. Thank you so much
for having me. So let's start off with the picks themselves,
and we'll begin with the thirty third overall selection. See
on James. What do you see from him coming out
of Duke? What does he bring here to Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's an exciting pick. What stands out, obviously is a
five year player, played his first four years at Tulane,
started this past season at Duke with kan Ka Nipple.
And I've been trying to figure out the last time
the Hornets drafted two teammates from the same college in
the same season, and I believe it was two thousand
and five with Shawn May and Raymond Felton, who were
both to think top twelve picks. So that was my
(01:55):
first thought. But obviously, big bodied defender can play multiple positions.
Took on a much different role. I think they said
on the broadcast. He was much more of a scorer
his last year at Tulane in twenty three twenty four.
This past year at Duke he's playing a little bit
more of a complimentary glue guy role. Obviously took a
big jump on the defensive end. Something that you look
at his career that really stood out to me is
(02:16):
his first three years at Tulane, he shot I think
around thirty two percent from three point range in between
his junior and senior year. So his third year at Tulane,
in his fourth year at TWU Lane, he jumped from well,
he was thirty two percent as a junior, next year
he was thirty eight percent from three, and then this
past season at Duke he was forty one percent on
one point nine three point attempts per game. So obviously
(02:38):
the offense is taking a big jump, at least from
perimeter scoring. Seems to be a good rebounder, good facilitator,
seems to be able to do a little bit of everything.
But defensively that seems to be kind of his calling card.
He can switch on to different bodies, guard one to three,
one to four maybe, and he's got size, very good frame,
obviously older, a little bit more mature and experience. So
(02:58):
it's certainly a guy that understands his role as flexible
as adaptable, and I think wherever the Hornets choose to
use him, I think he's gonna, you know, fit in seamlessly.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, he hit a lot of the high notes I
had there on him. I'll chime in on this on
a moment, but first up here is Hornet's president of
basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson on what he saw in Seon
and what made him a player he wanted to pick
for the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
You know, really really intrigued with his versatility on both
ends of the court. You know, he can play multiple positions.
On the offensive end, he's a connector knows the game,
instincts are really really good. And then defensively, he can
guard multiple positions. So I think, you know, obviously, if
you're a fan of the NBA and you see some
of these matchups and guys been able to slide up
and down the lineups in terms of guarding, we feel
(03:45):
like Seon can give us out.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
There's Jeff Peterson, president of Basketball Operations, on his three
third overall pick in the twenty twenty five NBA draft.
But for me, the things that stand out a lot
of the same stuff you touched on Sam. He's got
a chance to be a really, really good defensive minded
guard in the NBA. He's got that kind of skill set,
that athleticism, that build. I'm thinking maybe a daity On
(04:07):
Mitchell type where he's ready to play, ready to contribute
as a defensive stopper. He can make open shots, but
he doesn't have to score to be effective. I mean,
this is a guy who might lead Summer League and
plus minus if the Hornets have the right kind of
run in Las Vegas, and if he can make enough
shots to keep people honest. The NBA, he'll find minutes
there as well. And that's not necessarily a huge if.
(04:29):
Obviously you have to prove it. But as you mentioned,
and his last year at Tulane, he was a thirty
eight percent three point shooter forty one percent from three
in his loan year at Duke, and most importantly there
he's playing with quality players. He played in a deep
group at Duke. That shows that you can play off
the ball, you can play without being the focal point,
(04:50):
which is one of the first things you got approved
when you come into the NBA. So as you join
a roster that's got his old teammate at Duke, Kanka Nipple,
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Guys that are maybe going to
attract more of the defensive attention, give you open shots.
He's someone who's shown he can knock them down. Here's
what Sion had to say post draft about what it's
like playing with other stars.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
I love playing with great players. I feel like it
challenges you and makes me better playing at that group
of Duke. I love those guys and formed a really
close bond and I'm glad I get to continue to
play with con and with the rest of the class
moving forward to get to meet them when I head
up to Charlotte. Really, we can just continue to grow
this thing. I mean, we all have the right Mindsember's
ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sion Mitchell coming to the Queens City once again. Had
a great run with Duke in the ACC tournament. Hopefully
he has the same winning percentage for the rest of
his life. Inside Spectrum Center, which will be batting a thousand.
That would be perfect. Hornets. We're still on the clock
at thirty four overall, they take Ryan Kulkbrenner, who is
a superstar defensively from Creighton. Four time Big East Defensive
(05:52):
Player of the Year, Sam, what is your take on
the center joining the Hornets ranks?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, definitely if you're a college basketball fan. It's a
guy that is certainly racked up the accolades at Creighton.
He's been around for a while in college, used all
five years. I want to say Creighton got to the
tournament all five years as well, and I think almost
made the Final four maybe like twenty twenty three. I
think they got to made an elite eight run. But
like you said, four time Big East Defensive Player of
(06:18):
the Year, Jeff Peterson, I think said he was the
first to do that since Patrick Ewing was also the
Nasmith Defensive Player of the Year this past year, Kareem
Abdul Jabbar Award winner, which I think is for best
center in the league or all of Division one basketball,
you know, all American. I mean, it's just a guy
that has certainly taken another jump. You know, he spent
he used all five years, so it's obviously something has
in common with Seon James, both five year college players,
(06:40):
and you know, for Kalkbrenner. He you know, he led
the big East and field goal percentage of the last
four years, and his three point shooting again is something
that he has gradually improved on, just like Seon James.
You know, his freshman year he in twenty twenty dashed
twenty one. He was zero for two from three and
then then you know, kind of perpetually working his way up,
and this past year he's twenty one of sixty one
from three point point. Again, not a huge sample size,
(07:01):
but that's thirty four percent, and he got better as
his you know, career transpired. So obviously very good rebounder,
he played a lot and drop coverage, great rim protector,
good floater two just a really all around good guy.
He's seven to one, seems to be do a little
bit of everything. He's got that floor spacing, big man
potential that I think the Hornets have been looking for
or trying to add a little bit more to the offense.
(07:24):
But he's also got the size of somebody to do
that who can also if you want to downsize, So
if you want to downsize and play small ball, they
have options to do that. If you want to stay big,
He's also, can you know a guy that can space
the floor and you can play bigger lions with him.
So he's a guy that I think similar to Seon
James from the defensive side. He just gives you another
option in terms of a different lineup to run. You
can you know you can get away with having a
(07:45):
bigger lineup out there that's not going to necessarily struggle
to get points up on the board because he can
space the floor a little bit. Again, we don't think
he's going to be knocking down five, six, seven, three's
a game, but if you can get him out to
the three point line, he can go to a four
one three, I mean that'll be just enough to kind
of keep posing defenses on us. So I think this
is somebody that is gonna again, he's experienced, he's mature,
(08:08):
he's been around the block. I think again, wherever the
Hornets decide to use him on day one, I think
he's gonna slot in perfectly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I like especially what you said there at the end
talking about his shooting keeps them honest. That's the target.
I mean, if we're choosing, should LaMelo Ball take a
three or Ryan Kulkbrant take a three? LaMelo Ball should
probably take the three. But if they're doubling LaMelo or
they're not respecting Ryan Kulkbrinner, please take it and knock
it down. He definitely has that ability. What are the
abilities that Jeff Peterson, Prison of Basketball Operations like, will
let you hear from the man himself. Here's Jeff Peterson.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Ryan, Again, I'll start with his just his competitiveness and
the intangibles. But four time defense Player of the Year
in the Big East, which I believe that maybe the
first time that's been done since maybe Patrick Ewling something
like that. But just his presence around the rim of
course rim protection. He can shoot a little bit, and
he's smart, competes. So those are some things that we,
you know, our scouting group and analytics team have identified
(08:57):
in Ryan. So we're really really excited to have him.
And he also comes from a great program. Coach McDermott
does a great job with those guys and teaches them
the game, just the fundamentals. So again excited to have
him with us.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
So, Sam, here's the thing I like about Ryan Kulkbrennan.
And I'm going to throw in a bold prediction here.
My bold prediction I think caulk Brenner overall for the
entire draft, is the second round pick most likely to
make all rookie Now, these things mean absolutely nothing. A
lot of the major publications put them out similar timing,
and they're inevitably wrong. So maybe it's bad that I'm
(09:29):
trying to speak this one into it existence. But there's
a couple of reasons for one battle tested five year
college player. He's got all the defensive honors you could
ask for coming from the college ranks. If anyone is
ready to step in at center in the NBA, and
few rookies are, I'll grant that, But if there's anyone
they could or should be ready, it would be Caulkbrenner. Furthermore,
I think he's got a chance in a serious competition
(09:52):
to earn some playing time. He's not blocked by a
recent first rounder or an established star at the position.
There's an opportunity to be had for him to take on.
And while there are some really high profile centers that
come from this draft class, a lot of them are
coming in very raw. Now there is more ceiling for
caug Branner to reach for. He touched on that, but
I think if he starts fast and takes advantage of
(10:16):
the opportunities in front of him. We might be looking
at an all rookie selection in addition to maybe a
couple others here for Charlotte for sure.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
And you know, you look at the all rookie it's
never the top ten picks. You know, there's two teams
that make it, two teams of five. But you know,
how rare is it that it's all lottery picks or
all guys that are in the top twenty. A lot
of us is based on like you said, it's opportunity.
It's pathways to playing time, pathways to taking advantage of opportunities.
And you know, the environment plays such a big role
in that kind of stuff. So I think it's certainly
(10:44):
possible because, like you said, I think he's going to
have a good opportunity. This is a position that the
Hornets have continuously been trying to address for the past
few years. And it's a tough position. You know, it's
filling a center position. It's it's difficult. There are not
a ton of seven foot human beings walking around on
the planet, you know, to develop centers and to get
them in there, or when other teams get these guys,
(11:04):
they don't really let them go. So getting your own
kind of stable of centers that can play and play
effectively and do different things on the court, it's challenging.
And the Hornet's not the only team that's necessarily dealing
with this. There's a lot of teams that are constantly
looking for front court depth. So I really like that prediction.
I think it's certainly if you look at some of
those all rookie teams, there's a couple top picks, there's
a couple lottery picks, and then there's a couple guys
(11:24):
like Jalen Wells this past year. I think he was
thirty eighth to thirty ninth pick and he ended up
I believe his first team All Rookie. There's going to
be someone that kind of slips the cracks that gets
into one of those all rookie teams that was maybe
barely a top forty or top thirty pick. So I'm
in favor of that prediction. I like it a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
There you go, samsu on board. He's already ready for
rookie ladders come the start of the season. I can
see it in his eyes. He's so ready for more
of those segments here on the Hornet's side cast. Coming
up next the class as a whole twenty twenty five
draft class in the books. What do we think about
the overall group that's next here on the hornet side cast.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Yeah, it's going to be a really fun ride. Four
guys so far and you know, all really really good players.
Like you said, we played Liam McNeely. He's a really
good dude. Torched us at our place. You know, I
think like forty points in Omaha. Cohn obviously a really
really good player. He's in my agency as well. I
know him just a little bit. I'm really excited to
(12:21):
play with him. And then sig On you know, obviously
playing at Duke it's a high, high level team, he's
a high level player. So you know, this class has
a chance to be really really good and contributing in
a lot of ways to his team. So I'm looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
That's Ryan Kulchbrenner talking about the overall draft class, and
he had it in this nugget here about Liam McNeely,
probably the fellow member of the draft class that he
is most familiar with. Kul Brenner, having played at Creighton,
he played Yukon three times. Here's what he said specifically
about going head to head with one of the Hornet's
first round picks.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
I'm looking forward to not having to guard him anymore.
He's a heck of a player and I'm glad he's
on my team because, man, he was a headache to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
As difficult as it might have been, he did have
the upper hand creating one two of the three head
to head meetings with Yukon, something that's very hard to
do in this current iteration of the Yukon Huskies program.
So Kulk, Brenner, McNeely, James, and of course Canipple all
coming here to the Queen City as part of the
twenty twenty five draft class. Sam Farbar, Sam Purley to
(13:20):
Sam's episode of the HC Here for You the Hornets
Ive cast post the twenty twenty five draft, Sam, we
didn't hear from you after round one. We have you.
Now give me your thoughts on Conk Nipple, the fourth
overall pick, Liam McNeely being acquired in a trade which
is not yet final but will be finalized in the
coming days, and the overall group that we have now
(13:41):
coming here to the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Yeah, it's a big draft. Tall I mean, even time
you're bringing in four rookies, it's obviously a big infusion
of youth. I definitely see some parallels obviously between Con
and Liam, both first round picks, both obviously wing shooters.
I think Liam's a little bit taller, can maybe guard
a little bit higher up, as Jeff said, whereas Con
maybe can you know, down guard a little bit more.
I think kind of looking at sort of the pre
(14:03):
draft projections and everything, you know, Liam McNeely was not
necessarily somebody that I thought was going to be in
the Hornets arrange. Necessarily is probably maybe in that middle
first round to kind of in between where they were
going to be projected to be picking with that fourth
pick and then early in the second round, at least initially.
So the fact that he was still available and you know,
and the Hornets obviously we're excited to get him. And
(14:24):
this past he was a you know, McDonald's all American,
and he started off the season really well at Yukon,
and it seemed to be a kind of pretty bad
ankle injury in the middle of his season and missed
a month and shooting splits kind of went the other
way a little bit, and he was playing a little
bit of a different role than maybe he was used
to at Yukon this past season. So I think if
you go look back at his high school, you know,
his forty two forty three percent three point shooter, I mean,
(14:47):
I think he's someone that's really really going to help
the Hornets, and he's got the size and length to
be a three and D kind of guy. Same with Nipple,
obviously really like his his shot making is obviously elite.
Did a lot of pick and roll ball handling at
Duke or more so then I think maybe people were
expecting or are a privy to necessarily just you know,
watching a little bit of his highlights, he's so patient,
he's so timely with his approach. You can tell that
(15:10):
he's smart, he makes the right plays, he can kind
of dissect things. He never really forces, didn't really look
to get sped up too much. And like you said,
and same with seon two. I mean, playing next to
Cooper Flag and too common malawatch, and you had so
many stars on that Duke team, it's sometimes it's hard
to kind of find your fit if you're you know,
a big time transfer like Sion James was, you're a
big time incoming high school American like kN Kin Nipple was.
(15:33):
So I think that adaptability and flexibility is going to
be key for those guys. And just again overall, you know,
it's it's interesting you went to kind of one and
done freshman on day one and then two fifth year
seniors on day two, and you added a lot of shooting,
You've hadded a lot of defense, You've add a lot
of versatility. So overall, really good draft haul. I think
that the Hornets touched on a number of key areas
(15:54):
with these picks. And you know, you can kind of
tell now that Jeff Peterson has done a second draft
with this team, the intangibles and things that he's looking for,
you see, you know, the stuff that he was looking
for last year, you know, in free agency and things
like that. You're seeing more so of those intangiles again
as they continue to bring in more of these rookies.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, I think when you look at the overall draft class,
some of the commonalities the similarities throughout the group, to me,
it seems more of a coincidence that it's two to
one and Dons in the first round and two fifth
year seniors, because I think they're all really mature players
who have reached a point where they're ready to contribute
in the NBA game. They're ready for that challenge. Kan Ka,
(16:33):
Nipple and Liam McNeely were kind of destined to be
one and done given the kind of athletes they are,
the pedigree they bring, the talent that they have, and
what they've been able to put on tape. They've succeeded
in a huge way in college. They're ready for this,
and Calt Brenner and James maybe they would not have
been ready as one and done's, but clearly their body
(16:54):
of work shows that they're ready for this challenge right now.
The time is right for them all to move to
the NBA. You're not guessing something that's three four years
off in the future, so that maturity plays a big role.
I also think shooting key for all of them. With
Kank Nippole, it's a little bit more shooting off the
dribble shooting in playmaking situations, But for all of them,
they all have plenty of evidence behind them that says
(17:17):
they're going to knock down shots if they're open, and
that's the first ability really in the NBA. When you're
looking at the NBA level and we get caught up
in this on the draft, what's everyone ceiling? What could
they be if they peak? I said this yesterday with
Rob I'll say it again here. One hundred percent of
the league first job is to establish yourself upon entry
as someone who can make a team better without being
(17:37):
the focal point. You're not getting handed the ball as
a rookie in the NBA. Maybe it's ninety nine point nine.
Maybe Victor wembin Yama and Lebron they kind of get
the ball to start with, but almost everybody else. You
got to prove to your coaches, You got to prove
to your teammates that you're worthy of being in that
position compared to all the grown men, all of the
(17:58):
elite players all over the world who want the spot,
want that responsibility. And then once you do establish that
you can do it. Ninety five percent of the players
in the league, they don't leave that zone. They're not
the star. They don't have the ball in their hands
all the time, so they continue to be out there
trying to be a star of a role player, not
necessarily trying to be the superstar that has the ball
(18:20):
all the time. So to get four guys who are
all winners, all winners within roles, all play well with
other elite players, make their teams better. That's something that's
an unknown for so many players entering the NBA where
they were the best player in their high school team
and the best player on their college team, and they
never had anyone challenge them to take the ball out
of their hands and they got to commandeer everything about
(18:40):
their game. A lot of times, you don't know how
those guys are going to make the adjustment to the NBA.
With this group, I feel like we do.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, And you look specifically, I think that's a really
good point. You know so much success. Like I said
in a previous point, with the NBA, it's about opportunity.
It's about environment and taking advantage of the opportunity that's
given to you. And like you said, most of these
guys you come in as a rookie, you're not necessarily
going to be getting, especially if you're one of these
late first, early second, mid second kind of round picks.
You're not gonna be getting fifteen shots a game. So
(19:07):
you got to find other ways to contribute. Other ways
you're not going to play. And I think it's interesting
when you look at Sion and Ryan in particular, Seon
James first year at Tulane, played twenty three games, started
seventeen of them, and averaged five point eight points per
game and took four shots a game at TWU Lane,
which is in I guess you'd call it a maybe
a mid major program. I think it's in the American
Athletic Conference, but not a traditional basketball powerhouse necessarily. But
(19:29):
worked his way up, got to the point where he
had the opportunity to transfer to Duke and you know,
obviously a huge step forward in terms of basketball hierarchy,
and took advantage of his opportunity even though it was
an entirely different role than what he had grown accustomed
to at Tulane. You're saying at Ryan Kolkbrenner, you know,
you look at all the accolades he's accomplished or accumulated
in the last couple of years. His first year at Creighton,
(19:49):
he didn't start a single game, and he averaged five
point nine points and played thirteen minutes a game and
only took four shots a game, And by a senior year,
he was up to twelve, he's shooting three. So these
guys have been in that situation before and have recognized
that it's almost like you're starting over again. Like it's
freshman year at Tulane, it's freshman year at Creighton. You know,
you look at someone like Liam McNeely, you know, kind
(20:11):
of came in and dealt with a little bit of
adversity his year at Yukon. He's coming off two NCAA
championships and they hit a little bit of a speed bump.
I guess this year, you could say, and you know,
he got hurt and had to come back and was
taking on different roles. So I think these guys and
again Conk Nipple too, I'm sure in high school, I
think he was thirty and oh and got as many
shots as he wanted and was mister Wisconsin basketball. And
(20:32):
then you go to Duke and you're you're one of
four or five five star freshmen coming in. So I
think it's interesting too, And you could just tell like
kind of hearing all these guys talk, is they understand
that they're not coming in to be the star of
the franchise. They're coming into play a role. They've got
an opportunity and they're going to work as hard as
they can to take advantage of it. And I think
you definitely see some similarities. I think these guys all
(20:54):
bring something different, but there's also a lot of similarities
between them in terms of backgrounds and different roles taken
an adjustments. And you know, they all come to from
pretty big time programs as well too. I think that's
part of it as well. So it's quite a draft class.
It's definitely an interesting one and I'm excited about it.
I know you are too, But I can't wait to
see these guys kind of get rolling in a few
(21:14):
weeks as you get ready for Summer League.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Can't come soon enough for me. I'm excited to see
the group together both in Summer league what can they
do with one another, and especially for October when we
reopen the newly reimagined Spectrum Center and get started for
the twenty five to twenty six season. One more segment
to go here on the AHHC. What's next for Charlotte.
We'll talk about it with Sam Perley from Hornets dot
Com after this here on the Hornets, I've cast.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
From the onset of me interviewing for this job right,
just being aligned with the ownership and you know, Charles Lee,
of course in terms of we're not going to skip steps.
You know, the goal right is to have a sustainable contender.
I've said it before. There's no interest in getting to
the playoffs one year, the playing one year, and then
we're back out. And so in order to do that right,
we got to lay the foundation and continue to be
(22:02):
disciplined and see what we got and continue to move
forward from that standpoint.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
That's Jeff Peterson, President of Basketball Operations, talking about laying
the foundation for the future. That future got a lot brighter,
I think with the additions made in the twenty twenty
five draft class, Conka Nipple fourth overall, Liam McNeely coming
to Charlotte being acquired in a trade which is not
yet final but will be finalized in the coming days,
and then you add on two more second round picks
(22:28):
see On James out of Duke and Ryan Kulkbrenner from Creighton.
Two guys with really elite accolades when it comes to
the defensive side of the ball, particularly caulk Brenner, a
four time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. But
James holding his own very much so for the Duke
Blue Devil's team that was number one of the nation
for a good stretch of the season. Sam Perley, before
we put a bow on this draft post draft episode
(22:51):
of the AJC, your thoughts on the future. One thing
Jeff Peterson talked about is not skipping steps building a
sustained winner. How much close sure is Charlotte now to that,
keeping in mind that a third of the roster now
has been drafted by the new regime. It happens fast
in the NBA. It feels like just yesterday Jeff Peterson
and company took over. But the reality is a third
(23:13):
of this roster is now at least in draft status
of his own picking.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah, that's a really good point, and you're starting to
kind of see a little bit of that build up
of the you know, the last couple of years of
trading for future picks, trading for future picks, and okay,
here it is. Now you've got four picks at once,
and they're all within the top thirty four. So even
next year there's an incoming first round pick. But you're
starting to see you know, he said the word foundation,
and now that you know you've had basically two drafts
(23:38):
and a trade deadline as well in there to kind
of really lay the foundation. I mean, it does take time,
I know. I guess short term, you want to win
as soon as possible because winning it's fun. It's it's
obviously been a tough three seasons, but you always have
to constantly remind yourself and kind of take the long
term view that you do have to go slow and
take a measured approach, because we can look at teams
(23:59):
around the lead right now that have not had that
same approach and are just kind of trying to fix
stuff on the fly and you know, or you know,
make one mistake and then you go out and compound
it by making another mistake and you never really find
your footing. So you know, it's it's it's exciting. I mean,
you're you're seeing kind of you know, you look at
some of the roster and oh, there's a Jeff guy.
It's Jeff Jeff Jeff. You know, it's all these guys
(24:21):
that he and his scouting team are bringing in. So
it's definitely exciting because I think once you kind of
get the style they want to play and the guys
they want to bring in, the intangibles they're looking for,
and you can fill an entire roster with that and
get everybody on the same page. Then you can really
start to formulate an identity. And when you have an
identity and you can start playing the same way every
single night, no matter who is on the court or
(24:43):
who's available, that's when I think you've really got something special.
And you've seen that with the top teams. You've seen
that with Oklahoma City, that regardless of who's available, they're
going to go out and defend and do these things.
You've seen that with the Knicks, you saw that with
Indiana and the playoffs. So that's what makes me most
excited is you have this commonality between all the guys
he's bringing in, is that they can get an identity formed,
(25:05):
because that's when they can take another serious, big step.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, I'm with you, I think you know, echoing with
Jeff Peterson said what you said. It's about building the
foundation first. If the foundation's not right, bringing in the
shiny toya, things can topple over and you get sent
back to square one, so to speak. But you look
at Oklahoma City, they set the foundation, then they bring
in Hartenstein. You look at Indiana. They set the foundation
of star power there, and then they bring in Siakam.
(25:29):
You look at Boston, they set the foundation there, and
then they bring in a Drew Holiday. These guys aren't
necessarily the superstar, but they are stars of their roles
and maybe put those franchises over the top, hopefully with
an outstanding Hall. In the twenty twenty five draft class,
the Hornets have taken one step closer t having that
foundation set and putting the Queen City on that winning path.
(25:50):
In the coming days, we're gonna hear from Jeff Peterson.
We look forward to having a one on one sit
down with him to bring to all our fans here
on the Hornets I've cast, and soon enough it'll be
time for Summer League. Will of course be pre viewing
and reviewing all the games, introducing you to all the
draft picks. Lots of fun stuff coming up over the
summer here on the Hornets Hodcast, So look forward to
speaking with all of you on those future episodes. Sam Purley,
good to have you back back to your summer hibernation.
(26:12):
We'll talk to you again when we get closer to
Summer League.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Of course, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Thanks to our producer Rob Longo for out and put
this podcast together. Most of all, to all of you
for tuning in. For all of us here, I'm Sam
Farber saying it's been a pleasure and privilege having you along.
We will talk to you next time right here on
the Hornets Hoodcast.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Thank you for listening to The Hornets Podcast, brought to
you by Santa, the official i ear nosen throad care
provider of the Charlotte Hornets. For more coverage, visit Hornets
dot com.
Welcome to the Hornets Hoodcast, presented by Charlotte I ear
nosen Throat Associates, the official I ear nosen throatcare provider
of the Charlotte Hornets. Here's your host, Sam Farber.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to another edition of the Hornet Podcast, Your Hornets
podcast with all the notes, quotes, san daily buzz around
your favorite NBA team. I'm Sam Farber and it is
a pleasure and a privileged have you with us here
once again on the Hornets Time Cast, brought to you
by SENTA Charlotte I ear nosen throat Associates, the official
I hear nosen throatcare provider of the Charlotte Hornets. The
twenty twenty five NBA Draft is in the books. Hornets
(00:36):
end up taking four players in total. Of course, we
had our post Round one podcast available yesterday fourth overall
selection Conkainipple, as well as twenty ninth overall selection Liam
McNeely heading to the Queen's City. And then in Round two,
the Hornets with two very early picks and they make
them both see on James the Guard slash Wing Premium
(00:59):
defender out of Duke with one and Ryan kulk Brenner
the Center out of Creighton with the other we will
break down the picks, let you hear from President of
Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson, as well as the picks themselves.
And it wouldn't be a Draft Night podcast series without
having our special guest here with us today. That would be,
of course, Sam Purley, senior writer from Hornets dot Com. Sam,
(01:21):
thanks so much for joining me. Thank you so much
for having me. So let's start off with the picks themselves,
and we'll begin with the thirty third overall selection. See
on James. What do you see from him coming out
of Duke? What does he bring here to Charlotte.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
It's an exciting pick. What stands out, obviously is a
five year player, played his first four years at Tulane,
started this past season at Duke with kan Ka Nipple.
And I've been trying to figure out the last time
the Hornets drafted two teammates from the same college in
the same season, and I believe it was two thousand
and five with Shawn May and Raymond Felton, who were
both to think top twelve picks. So that was my
(01:55):
first thought. But obviously, big bodied defender can play multiple positions.
Took on a much different role. I think they said
on the broadcast. He was much more of a scorer
his last year at Tulane in twenty three twenty four.
This past year at Duke he's playing a little bit
more of a complimentary glue guy role. Obviously took a
big jump on the defensive end. Something that you look
at his career that really stood out to me is
(02:16):
his first three years at Tulane, he shot I think
around thirty two percent from three point range in between
his junior and senior year. So his third year at Tulane,
in his fourth year at TWU Lane, he jumped from well,
he was thirty two percent as a junior, next year
he was thirty eight percent from three, and then this
past season at Duke he was forty one percent on
one point nine three point attempts per game. So obviously
(02:38):
the offense is taking a big jump, at least from
perimeter scoring. Seems to be a good rebounder, good facilitator,
seems to be able to do a little bit of everything.
But defensively that seems to be kind of his calling card.
He can switch on to different bodies, guard one to three,
one to four maybe, and he's got size, very good frame,
obviously older, a little bit more mature and experience. So
(02:58):
it's certainly a guy that understands his role as flexible
as adaptable, and I think wherever the Hornets choose to
use him, I think he's gonna, you know, fit in seamlessly.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, he hit a lot of the high notes I
had there on him. I'll chime in on this on
a moment, but first up here is Hornet's president of
basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson on what he saw in Seon
and what made him a player he wanted to pick
for the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
You know, really really intrigued with his versatility on both
ends of the court. You know, he can play multiple positions.
On the offensive end, he's a connector knows the game,
instincts are really really good. And then defensively, he can
guard multiple positions. So I think, you know, obviously, if
you're a fan of the NBA and you see some
of these matchups and guys been able to slide up
and down the lineups in terms of guarding, we feel
(03:45):
like Seon can give us out.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
There's Jeff Peterson, president of Basketball Operations, on his three
third overall pick in the twenty twenty five NBA draft.
But for me, the things that stand out a lot
of the same stuff you touched on Sam. He's got
a chance to be a really, really good defensive minded
guard in the NBA. He's got that kind of skill set,
that athleticism, that build. I'm thinking maybe a daity On
(04:07):
Mitchell type where he's ready to play, ready to contribute
as a defensive stopper. He can make open shots, but
he doesn't have to score to be effective. I mean,
this is a guy who might lead Summer League and
plus minus if the Hornets have the right kind of
run in Las Vegas, and if he can make enough
shots to keep people honest. The NBA, he'll find minutes
there as well. And that's not necessarily a huge if.
(04:29):
Obviously you have to prove it. But as you mentioned,
and his last year at Tulane, he was a thirty
eight percent three point shooter forty one percent from three
in his loan year at Duke, and most importantly there
he's playing with quality players. He played in a deep
group at Duke. That shows that you can play off
the ball, you can play without being the focal point,
(04:50):
which is one of the first things you got approved
when you come into the NBA. So as you join
a roster that's got his old teammate at Duke, Kanka Nipple,
LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Guys that are maybe going to
attract more of the defensive attention, give you open shots.
He's someone who's shown he can knock them down. Here's
what Sion had to say post draft about what it's
like playing with other stars.
Speaker 5 (05:09):
I love playing with great players. I feel like it
challenges you and makes me better playing at that group
of Duke. I love those guys and formed a really
close bond and I'm glad I get to continue to
play with con and with the rest of the class
moving forward to get to meet them when I head
up to Charlotte. Really, we can just continue to grow
this thing. I mean, we all have the right Mindsember's
ready to go.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sion Mitchell coming to the Queens City once again. Had
a great run with Duke in the ACC tournament. Hopefully
he has the same winning percentage for the rest of
his life. Inside Spectrum Center, which will be batting a thousand.
That would be perfect. Hornets. We're still on the clock
at thirty four overall, they take Ryan Kulkbrenner, who is
a superstar defensively from Creighton. Four time Big East Defensive
(05:52):
Player of the Year, Sam, what is your take on
the center joining the Hornets ranks?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, definitely if you're a college basketball fan. It's a
guy that is certainly racked up the accolades at Creighton.
He's been around for a while in college, used all
five years. I want to say Creighton got to the
tournament all five years as well, and I think almost
made the Final four maybe like twenty twenty three. I
think they got to made an elite eight run. But
like you said, four time Big East Defensive Player of
(06:18):
the Year, Jeff Peterson, I think said he was the
first to do that since Patrick Ewing was also the
Nasmith Defensive Player of the Year this past year, Kareem
Abdul Jabbar Award winner, which I think is for best
center in the league or all of Division one basketball,
you know, all American. I mean, it's just a guy
that has certainly taken another jump. You know, he spent
he used all five years, so it's obviously something has
in common with Seon James, both five year college players,
(06:40):
and you know, for Kalkbrenner. He you know, he led
the big East and field goal percentage of the last
four years, and his three point shooting again is something
that he has gradually improved on, just like Seon James.
You know, his freshman year he in twenty twenty dashed
twenty one. He was zero for two from three and
then then you know, kind of perpetually working his way up,
and this past year he's twenty one of sixty one
from three point point. Again, not a huge sample size,
(07:01):
but that's thirty four percent, and he got better as
his you know, career transpired. So obviously very good rebounder,
he played a lot and drop coverage, great rim protector,
good floater two just a really all around good guy.
He's seven to one, seems to be do a little
bit of everything. He's got that floor spacing, big man
potential that I think the Hornets have been looking for
or trying to add a little bit more to the offense.
(07:24):
But he's also got the size of somebody to do
that who can also if you want to downsize, So
if you want to downsize and play small ball, they
have options to do that. If you want to stay big,
He's also, can you know a guy that can space
the floor and you can play bigger lions with him.
So he's a guy that I think similar to Seon
James from the defensive side. He just gives you another
option in terms of a different lineup to run. You
can you know you can get away with having a
(07:45):
bigger lineup out there that's not going to necessarily struggle
to get points up on the board because he can
space the floor a little bit. Again, we don't think
he's going to be knocking down five, six, seven, three's
a game, but if you can get him out to
the three point line, he can go to a four
one three, I mean that'll be just enough to kind
of keep posing defenses on us. So I think this
is somebody that is gonna again, he's experienced, he's mature,
(08:08):
he's been around the block. I think again, wherever the
Hornets decide to use him on day one, I think
he's gonna slot in perfectly.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I like especially what you said there at the end
talking about his shooting keeps them honest. That's the target.
I mean, if we're choosing, should LaMelo Ball take a
three or Ryan Kulkbrant take a three? LaMelo Ball should
probably take the three. But if they're doubling LaMelo or
they're not respecting Ryan Kulkbrinner, please take it and knock
it down. He definitely has that ability. What are the
abilities that Jeff Peterson, Prison of Basketball Operations like, will
let you hear from the man himself. Here's Jeff Peterson.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Ryan, Again, I'll start with his just his competitiveness and
the intangibles. But four time defense Player of the Year
in the Big East, which I believe that maybe the
first time that's been done since maybe Patrick Ewling something
like that. But just his presence around the rim of
course rim protection. He can shoot a little bit, and
he's smart, competes. So those are some things that we,
you know, our scouting group and analytics team have identified
(08:57):
in Ryan. So we're really really excited to have him.
And he also comes from a great program. Coach McDermott
does a great job with those guys and teaches them
the game, just the fundamentals. So again excited to have
him with us.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
So, Sam, here's the thing I like about Ryan Kulkbrennan.
And I'm going to throw in a bold prediction here.
My bold prediction I think caulk Brenner overall for the
entire draft, is the second round pick most likely to
make all rookie Now, these things mean absolutely nothing. A
lot of the major publications put them out similar timing,
and they're inevitably wrong. So maybe it's bad that I'm
(09:29):
trying to speak this one into it existence. But there's
a couple of reasons for one battle tested five year
college player. He's got all the defensive honors you could
ask for coming from the college ranks. If anyone is
ready to step in at center in the NBA, and
few rookies are, I'll grant that, But if there's anyone
they could or should be ready, it would be Caulkbrenner. Furthermore,
I think he's got a chance in a serious competition
(09:52):
to earn some playing time. He's not blocked by a
recent first rounder or an established star at the position.
There's an opportunity to be had for him to take on.
And while there are some really high profile centers that
come from this draft class, a lot of them are
coming in very raw. Now there is more ceiling for
caug Branner to reach for. He touched on that, but
I think if he starts fast and takes advantage of
(10:16):
the opportunities in front of him. We might be looking
at an all rookie selection in addition to maybe a
couple others here for Charlotte for sure.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
And you know, you look at the all rookie it's
never the top ten picks. You know, there's two teams
that make it, two teams of five. But you know,
how rare is it that it's all lottery picks or
all guys that are in the top twenty. A lot
of us is based on like you said, it's opportunity.
It's pathways to playing time, pathways to taking advantage of opportunities.
And you know, the environment plays such a big role
in that kind of stuff. So I think it's certainly
(10:44):
possible because, like you said, I think he's going to
have a good opportunity. This is a position that the
Hornets have continuously been trying to address for the past
few years. And it's a tough position. You know, it's
filling a center position. It's it's difficult. There are not
a ton of seven foot human beings walking around on
the planet, you know, to develop centers and to get
them in there, or when other teams get these guys,
(11:04):
they don't really let them go. So getting your own
kind of stable of centers that can play and play
effectively and do different things on the court, it's challenging.
And the Hornet's not the only team that's necessarily dealing
with this. There's a lot of teams that are constantly
looking for front court depth. So I really like that prediction.
I think it's certainly if you look at some of
those all rookie teams, there's a couple top picks, there's
a couple lottery picks, and then there's a couple guys
(11:24):
like Jalen Wells this past year. I think he was
thirty eighth to thirty ninth pick and he ended up
I believe his first team All Rookie. There's going to
be someone that kind of slips the cracks that gets
into one of those all rookie teams that was maybe
barely a top forty or top thirty pick. So I'm
in favor of that prediction. I like it a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
There you go, samsu on board. He's already ready for
rookie ladders come the start of the season. I can
see it in his eyes. He's so ready for more
of those segments here on the Hornet's side cast. Coming
up next the class as a whole twenty twenty five
draft class in the books. What do we think about
the overall group that's next here on the hornet side cast.
Speaker 6 (12:00):
Yeah, it's going to be a really fun ride. Four
guys so far and you know, all really really good players.
Like you said, we played Liam McNeely. He's a really
good dude. Torched us at our place. You know, I
think like forty points in Omaha. Cohn obviously a really
really good player. He's in my agency as well. I
know him just a little bit. I'm really excited to
(12:21):
play with him. And then sig On you know, obviously
playing at Duke it's a high, high level team, he's
a high level player. So you know, this class has
a chance to be really really good and contributing in
a lot of ways to his team. So I'm looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
That's Ryan Kulchbrenner talking about the overall draft class, and
he had it in this nugget here about Liam McNeely,
probably the fellow member of the draft class that he
is most familiar with. Kul Brenner, having played at Creighton,
he played Yukon three times. Here's what he said specifically
about going head to head with one of the Hornet's
first round picks.
Speaker 6 (12:52):
I'm looking forward to not having to guard him anymore.
He's a heck of a player and I'm glad he's
on my team because, man, he was a headache to
deal with.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
As difficult as it might have been, he did have
the upper hand creating one two of the three head
to head meetings with Yukon, something that's very hard to
do in this current iteration of the Yukon Huskies program.
So Kulk, Brenner, McNeely, James, and of course Canipple all
coming here to the Queen City as part of the
twenty twenty five draft class. Sam Farbar, Sam Purley to
(13:20):
Sam's episode of the HC Here for You the Hornets
Ive cast post the twenty twenty five draft, Sam, we
didn't hear from you after round one. We have you.
Now give me your thoughts on Conk Nipple, the fourth
overall pick, Liam McNeely being acquired in a trade which
is not yet final but will be finalized in the
coming days, and the overall group that we have now
(13:41):
coming here to the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Yeah, it's a big draft. Tall I mean, even time
you're bringing in four rookies, it's obviously a big infusion
of youth. I definitely see some parallels obviously between Con
and Liam, both first round picks, both obviously wing shooters.
I think Liam's a little bit taller, can maybe guard
a little bit higher up, as Jeff said, whereas Con
maybe can you know, down guard a little bit more.
I think kind of looking at sort of the pre
(14:03):
draft projections and everything, you know, Liam McNeely was not
necessarily somebody that I thought was going to be in
the Hornets arrange. Necessarily is probably maybe in that middle
first round to kind of in between where they were
going to be projected to be picking with that fourth
pick and then early in the second round, at least initially.
So the fact that he was still available and you know,
and the Hornets obviously we're excited to get him. And
(14:24):
this past he was a you know, McDonald's all American,
and he started off the season really well at Yukon,
and it seemed to be a kind of pretty bad
ankle injury in the middle of his season and missed
a month and shooting splits kind of went the other
way a little bit, and he was playing a little
bit of a different role than maybe he was used
to at Yukon this past season. So I think if
you go look back at his high school, you know,
his forty two forty three percent three point shooter, I mean,
(14:47):
I think he's someone that's really really going to help
the Hornets, and he's got the size and length to
be a three and D kind of guy. Same with Nipple,
obviously really like his his shot making is obviously elite.
Did a lot of pick and roll ball handling at
Duke or more so then I think maybe people were
expecting or are a privy to necessarily just you know,
watching a little bit of his highlights, he's so patient,
he's so timely with his approach. You can tell that
(15:10):
he's smart, he makes the right plays, he can kind
of dissect things. He never really forces, didn't really look
to get sped up too much. And like you said,
and same with seon two. I mean, playing next to
Cooper Flag and too common malawatch, and you had so
many stars on that Duke team, it's sometimes it's hard
to kind of find your fit if you're you know,
a big time transfer like Sion James was, you're a
big time incoming high school American like kN Kin Nipple was.
(15:33):
So I think that adaptability and flexibility is going to
be key for those guys. And just again overall, you know,
it's it's interesting you went to kind of one and
done freshman on day one and then two fifth year
seniors on day two, and you added a lot of shooting,
You've hadded a lot of defense, You've add a lot
of versatility. So overall, really good draft haul. I think
that the Hornets touched on a number of key areas
(15:54):
with these picks. And you know, you can kind of
tell now that Jeff Peterson has done a second draft
with this team, the intangibles and things that he's looking for,
you see, you know, the stuff that he was looking
for last year, you know, in free agency and things
like that. You're seeing more so of those intangiles again
as they continue to bring in more of these rookies.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yeah, I think when you look at the overall draft class,
some of the commonalities the similarities throughout the group, to me,
it seems more of a coincidence that it's two to
one and Dons in the first round and two fifth
year seniors, because I think they're all really mature players
who have reached a point where they're ready to contribute
in the NBA game. They're ready for that challenge. Kan Ka,
(16:33):
Nipple and Liam McNeely were kind of destined to be
one and done given the kind of athletes they are,
the pedigree they bring, the talent that they have, and
what they've been able to put on tape. They've succeeded
in a huge way in college. They're ready for this,
and Calt Brenner and James maybe they would not have
been ready as one and done's, but clearly their body
(16:54):
of work shows that they're ready for this challenge right now.
The time is right for them all to move to
the NBA. You're not guessing something that's three four years
off in the future, so that maturity plays a big role.
I also think shooting key for all of them. With
Kank Nippole, it's a little bit more shooting off the
dribble shooting in playmaking situations, But for all of them,
they all have plenty of evidence behind them that says
(17:17):
they're going to knock down shots if they're open, and
that's the first ability really in the NBA. When you're
looking at the NBA level and we get caught up
in this on the draft, what's everyone ceiling? What could
they be if they peak? I said this yesterday with
Rob I'll say it again here. One hundred percent of
the league first job is to establish yourself upon entry
as someone who can make a team better without being
(17:37):
the focal point. You're not getting handed the ball as
a rookie in the NBA. Maybe it's ninety nine point nine.
Maybe Victor wembin Yama and Lebron they kind of get
the ball to start with, but almost everybody else. You
got to prove to your coaches, You got to prove
to your teammates that you're worthy of being in that
position compared to all the grown men, all of the
(17:58):
elite players all over the world who want the spot,
want that responsibility. And then once you do establish that
you can do it. Ninety five percent of the players
in the league, they don't leave that zone. They're not
the star. They don't have the ball in their hands
all the time, so they continue to be out there
trying to be a star of a role player, not
necessarily trying to be the superstar that has the ball
(18:20):
all the time. So to get four guys who are
all winners, all winners within roles, all play well with
other elite players, make their teams better. That's something that's
an unknown for so many players entering the NBA where
they were the best player in their high school team
and the best player on their college team, and they
never had anyone challenge them to take the ball out
of their hands and they got to commandeer everything about
(18:40):
their game. A lot of times, you don't know how
those guys are going to make the adjustment to the NBA.
With this group, I feel like we do.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Yeah, And you look specifically, I think that's a really
good point. You know so much success. Like I said
in a previous point, with the NBA, it's about opportunity.
It's about environment and taking advantage of the opportunity that's
given to you. And like you said, most of these
guys you come in as a rookie, you're not necessarily
going to be getting, especially if you're one of these
late first, early second, mid second kind of round picks.
You're not gonna be getting fifteen shots a game. So
(19:07):
you got to find other ways to contribute. Other ways
you're not going to play. And I think it's interesting
when you look at Sion and Ryan in particular, Seon
James first year at Tulane, played twenty three games, started
seventeen of them, and averaged five point eight points per
game and took four shots a game at TWU Lane,
which is in I guess you'd call it a maybe
a mid major program. I think it's in the American
Athletic Conference, but not a traditional basketball powerhouse necessarily. But
(19:29):
worked his way up, got to the point where he
had the opportunity to transfer to Duke and you know,
obviously a huge step forward in terms of basketball hierarchy,
and took advantage of his opportunity even though it was
an entirely different role than what he had grown accustomed
to at Tulane. You're saying at Ryan Kolkbrenner, you know,
you look at all the accolades he's accomplished or accumulated
in the last couple of years. His first year at Creighton,
(19:49):
he didn't start a single game, and he averaged five
point nine points and played thirteen minutes a game and
only took four shots a game, And by a senior year,
he was up to twelve, he's shooting three. So these
guys have been in that situation before and have recognized
that it's almost like you're starting over again. Like it's
freshman year at Tulane, it's freshman year at Creighton. You know,
you look at someone like Liam McNeely, you know, kind
(20:11):
of came in and dealt with a little bit of
adversity his year at Yukon. He's coming off two NCAA
championships and they hit a little bit of a speed bump.
I guess this year, you could say, and you know,
he got hurt and had to come back and was
taking on different roles. So I think these guys and
again Conk Nipple too, I'm sure in high school, I
think he was thirty and oh and got as many
shots as he wanted and was mister Wisconsin basketball. And
(20:32):
then you go to Duke and you're you're one of
four or five five star freshmen coming in. So I
think it's interesting too, And you could just tell like
kind of hearing all these guys talk, is they understand
that they're not coming in to be the star of
the franchise. They're coming into play a role. They've got
an opportunity and they're going to work as hard as
they can to take advantage of it. And I think
you definitely see some similarities. I think these guys all
(20:54):
bring something different, but there's also a lot of similarities
between them in terms of backgrounds and different roles taken
an adjustments. And you know, they all come to from
pretty big time programs as well too. I think that's
part of it as well. So it's quite a draft class.
It's definitely an interesting one and I'm excited about it.
I know you are too, But I can't wait to
see these guys kind of get rolling in a few
(21:14):
weeks as you get ready for Summer League.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Can't come soon enough for me. I'm excited to see
the group together both in Summer league what can they
do with one another, and especially for October when we
reopen the newly reimagined Spectrum Center and get started for
the twenty five to twenty six season. One more segment
to go here on the AHHC. What's next for Charlotte.
We'll talk about it with Sam Perley from Hornets dot
Com after this here on the Hornets, I've cast.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
From the onset of me interviewing for this job right,
just being aligned with the ownership and you know, Charles Lee,
of course in terms of we're not going to skip steps.
You know, the goal right is to have a sustainable contender.
I've said it before. There's no interest in getting to
the playoffs one year, the playing one year, and then
we're back out. And so in order to do that right,
we got to lay the foundation and continue to be
(22:02):
disciplined and see what we got and continue to move
forward from that standpoint.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
That's Jeff Peterson, President of Basketball Operations, talking about laying
the foundation for the future. That future got a lot brighter,
I think with the additions made in the twenty twenty
five draft class, Conka Nipple fourth overall, Liam McNeely coming
to Charlotte being acquired in a trade which is not
yet final but will be finalized in the coming days,
and then you add on two more second round picks
(22:28):
see On James out of Duke and Ryan Kulkbrenner from Creighton.
Two guys with really elite accolades when it comes to
the defensive side of the ball, particularly caulk Brenner, a
four time Big East Defensive Player of the Year. But
James holding his own very much so for the Duke
Blue Devil's team that was number one of the nation
for a good stretch of the season. Sam Perley, before
we put a bow on this draft post draft episode
(22:51):
of the AJC, your thoughts on the future. One thing
Jeff Peterson talked about is not skipping steps building a
sustained winner. How much close sure is Charlotte now to that,
keeping in mind that a third of the roster now
has been drafted by the new regime. It happens fast
in the NBA. It feels like just yesterday Jeff Peterson
and company took over. But the reality is a third
(23:13):
of this roster is now at least in draft status
of his own picking.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah, that's a really good point, and you're starting to
kind of see a little bit of that build up
of the you know, the last couple of years of
trading for future picks, trading for future picks, and okay,
here it is. Now you've got four picks at once,
and they're all within the top thirty four. So even
next year there's an incoming first round pick. But you're
starting to see you know, he said the word foundation,
and now that you know you've had basically two drafts
(23:38):
and a trade deadline as well in there to kind
of really lay the foundation. I mean, it does take time,
I know. I guess short term, you want to win
as soon as possible because winning it's fun. It's it's
obviously been a tough three seasons, but you always have
to constantly remind yourself and kind of take the long
term view that you do have to go slow and
take a measured approach, because we can look at teams
(23:59):
around the lead right now that have not had that
same approach and are just kind of trying to fix
stuff on the fly and you know, or you know,
make one mistake and then you go out and compound
it by making another mistake and you never really find
your footing. So you know, it's it's it's exciting. I mean,
you're you're seeing kind of you know, you look at
some of the roster and oh, there's a Jeff guy.
It's Jeff Jeff Jeff. You know, it's all these guys
(24:21):
that he and his scouting team are bringing in. So
it's definitely exciting because I think once you kind of
get the style they want to play and the guys
they want to bring in, the intangibles they're looking for,
and you can fill an entire roster with that and
get everybody on the same page. Then you can really
start to formulate an identity. And when you have an
identity and you can start playing the same way every
single night, no matter who is on the court or
(24:43):
who's available, that's when I think you've really got something special.
And you've seen that with the top teams. You've seen
that with Oklahoma City, that regardless of who's available, they're
going to go out and defend and do these things.
You've seen that with the Knicks, you saw that with
Indiana and the playoffs. So that's what makes me most
excited is you have this commonality between all the guys
he's bringing in, is that they can get an identity formed,
(25:05):
because that's when they can take another serious, big step.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, I'm with you, I think you know, echoing with
Jeff Peterson said what you said. It's about building the
foundation first. If the foundation's not right, bringing in the
shiny toya, things can topple over and you get sent
back to square one, so to speak. But you look
at Oklahoma City, they set the foundation, then they bring
in Hartenstein. You look at Indiana. They set the foundation
of star power there, and then they bring in Siakam.
(25:29):
You look at Boston, they set the foundation there, and
then they bring in a Drew Holiday. These guys aren't
necessarily the superstar, but they are stars of their roles
and maybe put those franchises over the top, hopefully with
an outstanding Hall. In the twenty twenty five draft class,
the Hornets have taken one step closer t having that
foundation set and putting the Queen City on that winning path.
(25:50):
In the coming days, we're gonna hear from Jeff Peterson.
We look forward to having a one on one sit
down with him to bring to all our fans here
on the Hornets I've cast, and soon enough it'll be
time for Summer League. Will of course be pre viewing
and reviewing all the games, introducing you to all the
draft picks. Lots of fun stuff coming up over the
summer here on the Hornets Hodcast, So look forward to
speaking with all of you on those future episodes. Sam Purley,
good to have you back back to your summer hibernation.
(26:12):
We'll talk to you again when we get closer to
Summer League.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Of course, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
Thanks to our producer Rob Longo for out and put
this podcast together. Most of all, to all of you
for tuning in. For all of us here, I'm Sam
Farber saying it's been a pleasure and privilege having you along.
We will talk to you next time right here on
the Hornets Hoodcast.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Thank you for listening to The Hornets Podcast, brought to
you by Santa, the official i ear nosen throad care
provider of the Charlotte Hornets. For more coverage, visit Hornets
dot com.
Hosts And Creators
Sam Farber
Rob Longo
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