That’s the point I was getting at - we were all up in arms about not having the #1 overall pick, but franchises for the most part over the years don’t achieve anything memorable with that #1 guy.
The report about Brandon Miller being the only untouchable player I am fully behind. We can’t just only rely on lottery luck to get better. Our pro scouting department hopefully highlights some players who can breakout with an opportunity in Coach Lee’s structure.
I’ve never advocated for us to all out tank, like just coming into the season with that as the goal. I don’t think we have done that. The injuries and suspension have ravaged us and since we weren’t going anywhere in those seasons I preferred that we seize the opportunity to get the best odds possible at a high draft pick. I’m glad it has at least resulted in B Miller (and hopefully Ace or VJ this year).
I do think for a small market team in particular, having high (even if not #1) draft picks is the best way to build a foundation. You have to admire what Indiana has done but we can’t pretend that OKC hasn’t been a tanking team. They sold out all their talent for future 1sts, knowing it would make them garbage, bottom out and have high picks of their own. It’s how they got Chet. Houston and Detroit have been heavy tankers as well.
But you just can’t rely on that alone. It comes a point where you have to use your assets and add vets and the right role players. I hope we’re at that point now with some nice foundational pieces. But I feel like we have traditionally fell in love with the role players, squeezing every win we could out of them which inevitably wasn’t good enough and landed us in the late lottery no man’s land. When we needed to be focusing on finding foundational stars to build around and the best way for us to get that I believe was with high draft picks.
Someone did some sleuthing and LaMelo hasn’t followed the team for a long time so that pos was fake news pretty much
The draft is two days? That’s insanely dumb. The back half of the first round is pretty lackluster not to mention the back half of the second being completely irrelevant.
Not that there aren’t good players coming from those positions but at draft time, it certainly isn’t exciting
They took it from the NFL draft format. In a world where everything has to be monetized to the last cent, this is why. Agree, it’s dumb as hell
Should probably add a 3rd round then!
They should because all of us would complain and then watch it! Anyway, it makes 100% perfect sense as another revenue generator.
I can assure you I will not watch the 2nd round
My guess is that you can’t resist ESPECIALLY if we go into the second round w two picks. Let’s face it, we will all show up on the 2nd day.
At least we’re early in the second. If they keep the picks, we won’t have to watch very long.
If they’re at all competent those two pics will be used to move back into the first.
https://x.com/MilesBridges/status/1929699815975182409
Love how half of the replies are people laughing their asses off or suggesting he’ll be on a different team… 
Thank you for posting this! It is good that y’all follow the players on social media!
I see this as excellent news directly from the locker room. For Miles to go public w such a bold
proclamation means that he’s confident in what he has seen so far this short off season.
Here are a couple things that could be safely inferred from his positivity:
Here is my wild @ss non safe inferences from his post:
To have a guy willing to go public w his optimism for next year should put us all on notice! This year could be very different.
Hell no we don’t need Porzingus
No but an expiring contract for zinger is re-movable.
The first this year + the 2 2nds should get the hornets into the top 18 picks this year
There is a 2027 1st
Zinger can’t possibly be any more injury prone than Mark.
Guys the grass is not always greener on the other side:
| Date | Injury |
|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | Illness |
| March 22, 2025 | Illness |
| Feburary 28, 2025 | Illness |
| Feburary 25, 2025 | Illness |
| February 8, 2025 | Illness |
| January 22, 2025 | Illness |
| January 18, 2025 | Ankle |
| December 25, 2024 | Ankle |
| December 18, 2024 | Heel |
| December 5, 2024 | Leg |
| December 2, 2024 | Return From Injury Management |
| November 11, 2024 | Knee |
| June 25, 2024 | Foot |
| June 16, 2024 | Leg |
| June 11, 2024 | Leg |
| April 30, 2024 | Soleus |
| April 12, 2024 | Rest |
| April 8, 2024 | Hamstring |
| March 31, 2024 | Hamstring |
| March 23, 2024 | Hamstring |
| March 21, 2024 | Hamstring |
| March 9, 2024 | Hamstring |
| March 2, 2024 | Quad |
| February 14, 2024 | Ankle |
| February 12, 2024 | Back |
| January 26, 2024 | Ankle |
| January 22, 2024 | Knee |
| January 16, 2024 | Knee |
| January 9, 2024 | Knee |
| January 7, 2024 | Eye |
| December 29, 2023 | Calf |
| December 22, 2023 | Ankle |
| December 18, 2023 | Calf |
| December 15, 2023 | Calf |
| November 25, 2023 | Calf |
| November 14, 2023 | Knee |
| August 16, 2023 | Foot |
| March 31, 2023 | Illness |
| March 18, 2023 | Illness |
| February 25, 2023 | Knee |
| January 21, 2023 | Ankle |
| January 10, 2023 | Ribs |
| December 20, 2022 | Illness |
| December 13, 2022 | Back |
| December 8, 2022 | Ankle |
| November 10, 2022 | Groin |
| February 12, 2022 | Knee |
| January 29, 2022 | Knee |
| January 3, 2022 | Health and safety protocols |
| January 1, 2022 | Rest |
| December 20, 2021 | Toe |
| December 2, 2021 | Knee |
| November 29, 2021 | Ankle |
| October 27, 2021 | Back |
| April 29, 2021 | Knee |
| April 22, 2021 | Ankle |
| April 12, 2021 | Rest |
| April 4, 2021 | Wrist |
| April 3, 2021 | Rest |
| March 27, 2021 | Injury Recovery |
| March 11, 2021 | Injury management |
| February 28, 2021 | Back |
| February 22, 2021 | Back |
| January 23, 2021 | Injury Recovery |
| January 16, 2021 | Ankle |
| January 14, 2021 | Ankle |
| January 12, 2021 | Knee |
| October 9, 2020 | Knee |
| August 23, 2020 | Knee |
| August 22, 2020 | Heel |
| August 20, 2020 | Heel |
| August 18, 2020 | Knee |
| August 12, 2020 | Heel |
| August 9, 2020 | Knee |
| March 11, 2020 | Knee |
| February 8, 2020 | Knee |
| February 5, 2020 | Nose |
| February 1, 2020 | Knee |
| January 1, 2020 | Knee |
| February 6, 2018 | Torn ACL |
| February 6, 2018 | Knee |
| January 23, 2018 | Left knee irritation |
| December 14, 2017 | Sore left knee |
| November 29, 2017 | Sore ankle |
| November 25, 2017 | Low back tightness |
| November 8, 2017 | Sprained left ankle |
| November 2, 2017 | Illness |
Source: Kristaps Porzingis’ Injury History: Key Injuries & Recoveries
Chef - how about running it back one more time w VJ, a more committed Mark, suitable back-up PG/C (from the draft), a clearly more mature Miles, a healthier Melo and a team commitment to playing defense.
Porzingis would be perfect here because he stays injured. Would fit right in and be able to join his teammates in whatever they do all the time instead of actually being on a basketball court.
Edit: Oops I see that ncborn already covered this.
No thanks. 5 years of injury plagued and half hearted melo is enough. I am only interested in zinger to clear the salary and pick up draft picks
This is a great point and this is the method I prefer. I’m not opposed to trades, but I prefer trading talent for talent. I’m less concerned about acquiring picks and expiring deals. It was annoying that the old Hornets were always turning the roster over, but by turning LJ and Zo into Rice and Mason, and then eventually Rice into Eddie Jones and Elden, we maintained a competitive roster.
So I’m fine with trading Lamelo, but not for an old James Harden + middling picks and cap relief type deal. But if we could use him as the centerpiece of deal that could get us into the Giannis sweepstakes, or basically any other player that maintains or enhances our talent base, that’s what I’d want to see. I’m just not a fan of the burn it to the ground, hard reset approach, especially since our issue has more to do with availability than a total void of talent.
