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Auburn basketball: 5 takeaways from Sharife Cooper and JT Thor’s 2021 NBA Draft

By Andrew Hughes

Auburn basketballFeb 2, 2021; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard K.D. Johnson (0) makes a pass around Auburn Tigers guard Sharife Cooper (2) and forward JT Thor (10) during the second half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn basketballFeb 2, 2021; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard K.D. Johnson (0) makes a pass around Auburn Tigers guard Sharife Cooper (2) and forward JT Thor (10) during the second half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Auburn basketball Mandatory Credit: Julie Bennett-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn basketball Mandatory Credit: Julie Bennett-USA TODAY Sports /

JT Thor could compete for minutes right away

The Charlotte Hornets made several moves to shore up their frontcourt on Thursday night. Not only did they land JT Thor, but they also traded for Mason Plumlee from the Detroit Pistons in the same deal that landed the #35 pick they used on Thor.

Despite the presence of P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges, Plumlee, and Jalen McDaniels, Thor has a chance to get minutes early for a few reasons.

The first is the franchise’s likely desire to have role players grow alongside LaMelo Ball. The Ball-Thor pairing has endless lob potential between the two. The second is the potential for a deal involving either Washington or Bridges. After Charlotte fell out of the postseason picture last season, there could be changes coming to maximize the time Gordon Hayward is under contract, and clearing out the big man rotation only benefits Thor.

Sharife Cooper’s minutes depend on Lou Williams decision

Whereas JT Thor is more of a plug-and-play option, Sharife Cooper may take more time to develop into an NBA player due to his defense, which needs work, and propensity to turn the ball over, which needs a ton of work.

Cooper isn’t a radical departure from Trae Young with his playmaking and ability to dictate the pace of a game, but he probably isn’t NBA ready for a Hawks team looking to replicate their 2020-21 success…unless Atlanta loses Lou Williams to free agency or retirement.

In that case, Cooper could be in line for minutes.

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