CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets made the predictible choice Wednesday night when they took Larry Johnson as the first pick in the NBA draft, then expressed optimism that the power forward would lead the team to its first winning season.
The Nevada-Las Vegas product is expected to bring an inside scoring force and rebounding skills to a Charlotte team that finished last in the NBA in shooting and rebounding last season.
The 6-foot-5 Johnson shot 64 percent from the floor and averaged more than 11 rebounds per game during his two years with the Runnin' Rebels.
But Johnson's toughness and drive may be his biggest contributions to the Hornets. Allen Bristow, the club's vice president of basketball operations, said that was the biggest selling point on Johnson.
'Larry Johnson is a quality player, a competitor and a guy with a tough mentality, which separated him from the rest of the candidates,' Bristow said. 'Most of all, he is a winner.'
Charlotte, after compiling a 64-181 record in its first three years, had placed a priority on finding a player with Johnson's combination of skills and killer instinct.
'I'm going to come to Charlotte and work my heart out and help make Charlotte a winning team,' Johnson said in an interview broadcast into the Charlotte Coliseum. 'We can win. Anybody can win if they want to bad enough.'
There is some question as to where Johnson will fit into the Hornets' lineup, but Coach Gene Littles left no doubts about Johnson's expected impact next year.
'It will be up to Larry whether he starts or sits on the bench,' Littles said. 'I think he is very capable of starting. He'll find his own position and his own minutes.'
The crowd dwindled to a handful by the time the Hornets took Kevin Lynch, a 6-foot-5 guard from Minnesota, with the first pick of the second round.
'We felt Lynch was the best player left in the draft,' Bristow said. 'Here's a guy who hopefully can have a career in the NBA.'
Together, Johnson and Lynch should help improve a Hornets' defense that gave up the sixth-most points in the league per game.
'I think the team is much stronger,' Littles said. 'Our two picks should help us be a much better team.'
In his post-draft remarks, Bristow put to rest the trade rumors that had been circulating all day.
'We did not choose Kevin Lynch or Larry Johnson to trade them,' he said. 'We took guys who were the best players available and could help the Hornets the most.'
Charlotte does have the talent to improve -- the team's roster includes four top 10 picks from the last four drafts. The Hornets also get ravenous fan support, having claimed the league attendance title in two of its first three years.
