The Charlotte Hornets, fresh off a disappointing play-in tournament exit, addressed their glaring need for physicality and bench scoring in the first round of the NBA Draft. With the 14th overall pick, Charlotte selected Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-10 bruiser from Germany who played one season at Washington. Just four picks later, at 18th overall, the Hornets doubled down on offensive talent, drafting 6-foot-1 Christian Anderson Jr., a confident shooter out of Texas Tech.
Steinbach immediately fills a void for a Hornets team that was "bullied, browbeaten and blown out by 31 points" in their recent play-in loss. He led Division I in rebounding with 11.8 boards per game in his lone college season. Anderson declared himself "the best shooter in the draft" and played a key role in a Texas Tech comeback win against Duke last season, leading the charge as the Red Raiders overcame a 17-point deficit.
These picks signal a clear direction for the Hornets under Jeff Peterson: fortify the frontcourt with a legitimate presence and inject more reliable shooting into the backcourt rotation. Steinbach's rebounding prowess and robust frame offer a much-needed interior anchor, a type of player Charlotte has lacked. Anderson is an offensive threat and can be a plug-and-play offensive weapon for the second unit.
Peterson stated Steinbach "fits us from a DNA standpoint," emphasizing the team's desire for skilled, high-IQ players. Steinbach is close to 250 pounds, and his father played alongside Dirk Nowitzki. Everyone noted on draft night that his hands are huge.
Neither Steinbach nor Anderson are expected to immediately crack the starting five, as the Hornets are not in a full-rebuild. Their immediate impact will likely come off the bench, with Steinbach providing grit and rebounding, and Anderson offering a scoring punch. Anderson could assume an even bigger role scoring off the bench if Coby White departs in free agency.
These two selections, particularly the physical presence of Steinbach, represent a tangible effort to move past the kind of pushover performance that ended their last season, aiming for a more resilient identity.
Charlotte Hornets 
