What Impact Will Kai Jones Have? The Hornets drafted Kai Jones with the No. 19 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Jones played at Texas for two seasons and averaged 8.8 points 4.8 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field and 38.2% from three. Jones is a big-time athlete and incredibly long as he is 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. Truthfully, Jones is a perfect fit alongside LaMelo Ball as Ball is an elite pick-and-roll maestro and lob-thrower. Jones may not start immediately, but as he develops and adapts to the NBA game, he should become an excellent role player for the Charlotte Hornets. Who Will Start For The Hornets This Year? While the starting lineup is constantly changing due to injuries, chemistry development, or roster movements, it is fair to expect LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Miles Bridges, Terry Rozier, and Mason Plumlee will be the starters. Plumlee may not start the whole year, but he will likely start on opening night for the Hornets. The other starters are virtually locked into the lineup as long as they are healthy. The Hornets have made great strides since drafting LaMelo Ball, which should continue as they build around him. Who Did The Hornets Draft This Year? Charlotte was very busy on draft night. The Hornets drafted James Bouknight, Kai Jones, J.T. Thor, and Scottie Lewis in the 2021 NBA Draft. Bouknight is an elite scorer on and off the ball with an exceptional shooting ability. He will be a terrific addition to the Hornets’ offense as they build around LaMelo. Kai Jones is an uber-athletic center out of Texas who will provide meaningful minutes from Day 1 as the Hornets look to get him experience. He will eventually start over Plumlee, but that will not happen immediately. J.T Thor is a rangy, long forward with terrific upside and Scottie Lewis is an explosive guard out of Florida. Those two guys may not get minutes immediately but have solid potential and should work their way into the rotation.
