Why the Charlotte Hornets selected Sion James

The Charlotte Hornets have a type.

After selecting two players in the first round that can impact winning basketball without the rock in their hands, the Hornets opted to select a couple more with their pair of early second round picks. With the 33rd overall pick, the first of back-to-back selections, Jeff Peterson selected another Duke University product, Sion James.

Measuring in at 6'4.5 with a 6'6.5" wingspan at the NBA Combine, James boasts an NBA ready frame with the game to match. At his best, James is a pesky on-ball defender that makes life supremely difficult for opposing ball handlers as his impressive lateral agility and strength frustrates ones and twos at the point of attack.

Sion James plays defense like Jalen Ramsey played defensive back at his peak. Tough, physical, in-your-face coverage that mirrors his matchup like he's making the movements for them.

Like the rest of his Duke teammates, James is an impressive team defender that is unafraid to bark out coverages and rectify mismatches by directing his teammates. Outside of Josh Green, the Charlotte don't employ a player like James, and if he sticks on the roster, he'll have a role as a primary guard defender early in his NBA career.

On offense, James has some projectable strengths. He chose to spend his senior season at Duke alongside Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach, knowing that he wasn't going to operate with the ball in his hands. With that in mind, James impacted games with smart, connective passing, well-timed cuts, and a steady jumper.

All of those things, especially the willingness to do the dirty work without the ball, will translate to the next level. James cuts hard, makes the sensible pass, gets out in transition, and thrives as the type of connective piece that Charles Lee covets in his role players.

Following the first round of the NBA Draft, Jeff Peterson said that Charlotte '...always wants competitors: we value positional size, shooting, IQ, those are the core tenants we look for relative to position.'

Sion James meets the criteria.

Although there are legitimate question marks surrounding his handle, finishing through and around contact, and the overall self-creation package, those concerns are outweighed by the defensive potential and the off-court intel. Folks who spent time around the Duke program rave about James as a human, something that Peterson and Lee clearly value in their draft targets.

During his post-draft media availability, James was asked about charity work he's already done in the Charlotte community. His game and his mindset put him on the fast track to becoming a fan favorite in the Queen City, no matter the local's preferred college.

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