Hornets select James Bouknight with No. 11 pick
With the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected UConn guard James Bouknight.
An elbow injury limited Bouknight to just 15 appearances last season, but he made the most of his time on the court. Bouknight averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 boards, and 1.1 steals en route to All-Big East first-team honors. The Huskies star was also one of 20 players on the late-season Wooden Award watch list.
Bouknight entered the 2020-21 campaign with heightened expectations as UConn's undisputed No. 1 option. He had no problems adjusting to the new role, scoring 20 points or more on seven occasions, including a 40-point explosion against Creighton.
Bio
Position: G
School: UConn
College experience: Sophomore
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 190 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-8
Max vertical: N/A
Strengths
- Excellent shot-creating ability
- Quick first step allows him to easily penetrate the paint and get to the charity stripe often
- Acrobatic finisher around the rim
- Threat off the ball as a cutter
- Keeps defenders off balance with his ability to change directions and speeds
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve his playmaking skills
- Shot just 29.3% from deep last season, though he put on an impressive shooting display at his pro day
- A bit turnover-prone; he registered more turnovers (92) than assists (63) over two years at UConn
- Defensive intensity fluctuated from game to game