Instant Grade: Evaluating the Hornets' Christian Anderson Selection

Just a few moments after taking Washington big man Hannes Steinbach, the Charlotte Hornets turned right around and took Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr., whom he played with on the German youth national teams.

Our grades for the selection of Anderson:

Schuyler Callihan: A

I really wanted to give this an A+, but it's hard for me to give a perfect grade at this stage of the draft. Regardless, Anderson is exactly what the Hornets needed. He can shoot the three-ball at a high clip and, more importantly, create for himself. Charlotte already has some prolific three-point shooters, but aside from LaMelo Ball, they all have their struggles getting separation consistently. Anderson can not only create for himself, but for others, as we saw this past season with his Big 12-leading 244 assists. It may take some time, but I've got a gut feeling this is going to be a sneaky good addition.

Zach Roberts: B+

Again, great pick by Jeff Peterson. After nailing the big, they had to get a guard, and Christian Anderson is as good as anyone on the board. There’s value in getting Anderson here, and he averaged over seven assists a game last year. That kind of creation is very valuable to the Hornets off the bench, even if they bring Coby White back. Cheers to never seeing Sion James run the point ever again.

Mike Lacett: B+

“Another guard?” is what some might think initially, but I like this pick for a number of reasons. It’s a good backup plan if Coby doesn't come back. If he does, Charlotte still adds depth and shooting. Why wouldn't you like that?

Evan Campos: B+

Wow, this is a fun one. Charlotte adds even more shooting and ball-screen playmaking with Christian Anderson. It is hard to overstate just how great a shooter Anderson is and how dynamic he can be offensively.

I have always been of the opinion that you can never have too many initiators on your team, and Anderson gives Charlotte some insurance if Coby White walks in free agency. Even if White stays, there is still plenty of value in adding another player who can create offense and space the floor at a high level.

It will be an uphill battle defensively because of Anderson’s size, no doubt, but overall, I like the pick.