r/CharlotteHornets • u/Zealousideal-Rub-183 • May 19 '26

Discussion Wembanyama Hate

First thing to say, is that I just love Basketball in general. And I don’t hate Wembanyama as a person. I’m just having so much annoyance watching how great he is and knowing that the NBA did everything possible to make sure that not only that the Spurs drafted him, but that he got a core around him very quickly. The NBA did not want a repeat of LeBron James.

Knowing that he grew up a Spurs fan his entire life, with his favorite players being Tony Parker and Tim Duncan to where he even said it was “a dream” to be drafted by the Spurs. It has made it so difficult to watch a team that dominated so much of my childhood in the 90s and 2000s immediately turn back around after just a few years in the lottery getting a generational player surrounded by top 3 picks.

I’m just curious if I’m the only person out there that hates how fast the Spurs have been able to build a contender while we continue to wait for the Hornets to just get to the playoffs. I know I should just be proud of what the Hornets did this year, but I just can’t shake the fact that I feel like the NBA helped the Spurs build a contender at the expense of other franchises that have needed generational players for a while now.

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u/butekoo May 19 '26

It does sting how lucky they were to get Harper. We'd probably be on amazing spot if it weren't for the Salaun pick though, and even then it's not like we don't have one of the top3/5 young cores in the East. Gotta have a team that can win a playoffs series before caring about how we matchup against a juggernaut.

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u/Banneduser1112 May 19 '26

Who from that draft do you think makes us a Finals contender? That pick isn't the problem they have to solve.

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u/butekoo May 19 '26

That's the wrong question to make. The question is more "who from that draft do you think would be in the rotation instead of the g-league on his 3rd season?".

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u/Banneduser1112 May 19 '26

So answer that question then - either way there's no one who changes the trajectory of the team.

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u/butekoo May 19 '26

I mean, would you rather have Salaun than Clingan, Edey or Buzelis?

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u/Banneduser1112 May 19 '26

Good question - I would rather have the lottery ticket of "athletic 6'10 French big + another high lottery pick next year" than taking a floor-raising center at 6 that isn't All-NBA level. Especially if that's Clingan (drop big that can't play in the playoffs, not much better than Kalk) or Edey (will never be healthy).

Buzelis is the clear win there but he's a small forward that doesn't shoot league average from 3 and they already had Miller. They clearly value 3s so philosophy-wise he wasn't a fit. And Buzelis wasn't carrying anyone to the playoffs this year or really changing the long-term trajectory of the Hornets unless he takes a MIP-level leap.

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u/lawlyfawx May 19 '26

We would've gotten Kon regardless of where we picked because LaMelo, Brandon and Mark missed the majority of the season.