With two of the first four picks in the second round, landing a projected first-round talent that slipped seems a likely probability for the Charlotte Hornets. The end of the first round is extremely tough to predict, and likely some players who were expected to go early round two jump up, and players expected to go late round one fall.
Nonetheless, there are still some players projected around the first half of the second round that should be in consideration for the Hornets. One of them being Australian forward Alex Toohey.
For those unfamiliar, Toohey is a 6 ‘7 forward who has spent the last two years playing for the Sydney Kings of Australia’s NBL. He’s 21-years-old, making him one of the older prospects projected in next week’s draft, but also one of the more experienced.
The Hornets have a history of selecting players out of the NBL, most notably taking LaMelo Ball five years ago. Toohey, however, is a significantly different prospect than the Hornets franchise star.
The Australian prospect plays similarly to Georges Niang and fellow Australian Joe Ingles.
He’s a fantastic defender who can guard nearly everywhere, with a 6’11 wingspan that gives him the versatility to guard 1-5. He averaged 1.4 steals per game last season in Sydney, while adding 0.8 blocks a night as well. That being said, his ability to guard bigs in the paint is still limited, as he is lighter for someone his height (225 lbs).
On offense, his game is extremely streaky. Toohey projects to be a capable shooter in the league, though, only shot 28% from three in his two years with the Kings. He’s a fantastic catch and shoot player, though, hitting 63.1% of his C&S shots. Toohey needs to be playing in a role similar to Niang and Ingles, where the ball is not in his hands much. He was a below average pick and role player, a below average isolation player, and could not create off the dribble.
His shot selection may be strong overall, but it is because he relied heavily on the catch and shoot game. His handle is not NBA ready yet, though, he is still a smart player. He averaged less than a turnover a game, and has great ball security. That being said, having LaMelo Ball as your point guard may help cover this up, and could find Toohey more catch and shoot attempts than he has ever received. Toohey is an elite off-ball player, and could be a perfect prospect to throw next to Ball.
The Hornets need a catch and shoot player next to LaMelo Ball. Toohey is that player. He’s a great cutter, off-ball player, defender, and most importantly, one of the best catch and shoot players in the class.
When building a team around LaMelo Ball, shooters are needed. Badly. The Hornets had the third worst three point percentage in the league last season, and need to bring in players to help fix it. With the amount of double teams Ball and Brandon Miller receive, the Hornets need shooting around them. With Toohey’s catch and shoot numbers being so high, he may be the best possible fit next to them.
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