2020 Hornets prospect scouting report: Devon Dotson

The Charlotte Hornets need a backup point guard. Devonte’ Graham and Terry Rozier split the duties last season, but as the season went on, it became apparent that Terry Rozier functions best as a two guard. The Hornets have no one on the roster to fill that extra point guard spot. They could find that by going back to the Kansas well in the second round and selecting hometown kid Devon Dotson.

Measurements

Height: 6’2”
Wingspan: 6’3.25”
Weight: 179 pounds

Strengths: Defense, quickness, offensive production

Devon Dotson was one of the best defending guards in college basketball season, and we know that’s a trait that Mitch Kupchak and company value in draft prospects. Dotson is a menace in passing lanes and shows tremendous awareness as a help defender against pick and rolls and dump offs. He uses his quickness to jump simple swing passes and turns those steals into easy transition buckets. He averaged 2.4 steals per 40 minutes and finished the season with an elite defensive box plus-minus. He spearheaded a Kansas defense that finished the season fourth in defensive rating.

Dotson is also adept at utilizing his quickness on the offensive end. He has nasty hesitation and left to right crossover moves that get him going downhill and past his defenders. He’s very right hand dominant, but he’s quick enough to get by defenders anyway, and he does show some craft going left when need be. He has the ball on a string and can get to anywhere on the floor in the half court.

That quickness and ball handling provides a strong foundation for Dotson’s offensive production. He led the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game. He’s a craft finisher around the basket in both the half court and in transition. His outside shot needs some work, but his 80.8% career free throw percentage suggests that will come in time.

Dotson only averaged 4.6 assists per 40 minutes as a sophomore, but that doesn’t quite do enough justice to his ability as a facilitator. He’s a good lob thrower and shows terrific vision, especially in transition. He should have no problem running an offense when surrounded by NBA teammates.

Question marks: Size, transferability of scoring prowess

Dotson is a little on the small side for an NBA guard, which may hamper him on both ends of the court. He needs to bulk up a little bit to avoid being bullied by bigger NBA guards and to hold up on switches.

Dotson was a terrific scorer in college, but there is reason to question how well that’ll translate to the NBA. He relies heavily on his quickness to blow by college defenders. That won’t be as easy in the NBA. He needs add to some refinement to his finishing around the basket to help him score over bigger and more athletic defenders.

Overview

Dotson checks all the boxes that the Hornets front office has been scouting for in their recent draft picks. He plays with toughness on both ends of the floor and can do a little bit of everything well. Plus Dotson is from Charlotte and went to Providence Day High School. It’d be cool for the Hornets to keep him at home.