2 starters from 7 lottery picks since 2011: Why Hornets' poor draft history must change

The Charlotte Hornets have been good traders. I’d say that’s been this franchise’s strength in roster building. Free agency has been limited, but what the Hornets have done hasn’t hurt them.

Drafting? That’s been a weakness, certainly so on the watch of recently-departed general manager Rich Cho, who was replaced by Mitch Kupchak. Cho arrived shortly before the 2011 draft, sharing front-office authority with Rod Higgins until Higgins left in June of 2014.

Since 2011, the Hornets have made seven picks in the top 11 (the selection of Bismack Biyombo was technically by the Sacramento Kings, but that was in a deal arranged before the draft). The results are less than scintillating:

There's one…