Changes continue to be made in Charlotte, as the Hornets recently hired Ryan Lambert as Director of Amateur Scouting, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Lambert has been with the Oklahoma City Thunder for ten years and has continued to climb the career ladder in the scouting department. He started as a basketball operations assistant in 2012 and served in that role for two seasons before being promoted to college scout. He has been the organization’s senior amateur scout since 2020.

This may seem like a small step at first glance, but it could prove to be one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for the Charlotte Hornets. The Thunder have done an excellent job of identifying talent in the draft, regardless of where in the draft order they select. The Hornets had some luck and got in a position to get LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, but otherwise they have had several misses.

For a small-market organization, the Hornets have to rely on recruiting and developing talent from within their own ranks. As much as they would love to acquire high-profile free agents, their time and resources are better spent developing guys from their own building.

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