| 30 Teams, 30 Days: Charlotte Bobcats (8th) Authored by Jason M. Williams - May 31, 2007 - 11:39 pm
2006-2007 Finish: 33-49
Draft Picks: 8th, 22nd
What they do well
Arguably, the two best players on the Charlotte Bobcats are at center and point guard, which coincidentally are the two positions that are most difficult to fill. Emeka Okafor enjoyed a breakout season, not only with 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds, but also 2.57 blocks per game. His presence in the paint made penetrating guards throughout the league think twice before entering his domain. Raymond Felton also busted out this year with career highs across the board including 14 points and 7 assists per game.
The other top `Cat on this Charlotte squad is entering an off-season where he can opt out of his contract to seek the salary he is now demanding with his elevated play. Gerald Wallace put up his second consecutive stellar year as a versatile wingman with unparalleled athleticism. Despite being only 24 until July 25, he put up 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds, while netting 2 steals and a block per game. His high-flying act and defensive abilities will make him one of the most sought after free agents of this off-season. The Bobcats need to determine whether or not they want to bring him back with a long term deal.
Aside from their leading trio, the Bobcats are stacked with young untapped talent that needs some veteran leadership to guide them through the development process into a winning organization. Rookie Adam Morrison showed a ton of promise in many games this past season, but he also put up shooting performances in others that made fans mirror his emotional discretion at the end of his final collegiate game.
While Sean May was limited to only 35 games due to injury this season and only 58 over the past two, he has demonstrated his importance to the team by putting up 19.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per 40 minutes, along with a career high Hollinger Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 19.22 (league average is 15.00).
Matt Carroll emerged from journeyman obscurity to provide a deadly attack from downtown and averaged 12.1 points on 42% three-point shooting. He also finished second in the NBA in free throw shooting, sinking 90.4% of his attempts.
The 27 year-old Argentinean rookie Walter Herrmann also came out of nowhere and averaged 19.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the final month of the season.
Where do they need improvement?
Charlotte has plenty of young guns at nearly every position, but that's exactly their problem: they're too young. The top eight in the Bobcat rotation sport an average age of 24.4 years-old and the team has two very important assets leading into this pivotal off-season: tons of cap room to play with and two first round picks in this loaded draft. Whether or not they decide to bring back Gerald Wallace, they must address their lack of depth at the small and power forward positions. Armed with only Wallace, injury-plagued Sean May, and the wily Walter Herrmann, the Bobcats must look to address the forward position, especially with the amount of available talent at this juncture in the Draft.
Who should they target?
- Jeff Green, SF - Georgetown:
Green may be their best option as a multi-talented wing player. He is a very physical player who can pull down rebounds and create shots for his teammates on offense. This former Hoya will be able to use his extensive vision during penetration to set up the excellent Bobcat spot shooters in Matt Carroll and Adam Morrison. His 6-9, 235 lb frame enables him to play physical around the hoop and would be a strong compliment to Wallace at the forward position if they decide to keep him. He was also the leader of the Georgetown team that reached the Final Four and he averaged a healthy 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists during his junior season.
- Julian Wright, SF - Kansas:
Wright is a tremendous athlete who can play multiple positions on both offense and defense. He has the ability to either take his man off the dribble to create his own shot or spread the ball around the court to set up even his stiffest of teammates for an easy bucket. His deficiencies shooting the three-ball would be hidden by the outside scoring prowess demonstrated by Carroll and Morrison. The diverse skill he displays makes him a high-risk high-reward type of pick. His tenacity on defense rivals that of any other wingmen in this draft and would allow Charlotte to sleep easier even if Gerald Wallace demands a cost too high for this growing franchise to mortgage. The upside that comes along with Julian Wright might be too much for the Bobcats to pass on with this selection.
- Joakim Noah, PF - Florida:
Selecting Joakim Noah would allow Bernie Bickerstaff to follow suit by selecting his fourth former NCAA national champion in the past four Drafts. Noah is an energy guy who can grab rebounds, push the ball on the break, and literally annoy opposing players in the paint. If Brandan Wright and Yi Jianlian are already off the board, Joakim Noah is their best option to compliment the games of Sean May and Emeka Okafor. He would bring a competitive fire to the huddle and he only cares about winning, something the Bobcats would love to add to their young team.
Picks since 2000
This section should really be titled “Picks since the start of the franchise.” This will be the fourth Draft since the Bobcats entered the league and thus far they have done a great job picking experienced college leaders. Their first pick ever was NCAA national champion Emeka Okafor of the University of Connecticut. Their two picks the following year were both from the national champion North Carolina Tar Heels, and last year's first selection was the nation's leading scorer, Adam Morrison, from the perennial tournament crasher Gonzaga. They have done a solid job building the foundation of the franchise through the Draft.
2006
Adam Morrison, 3rd
Ryan Hollins, 50th
2005
Raymond Felton, 5th
Sean May, 13th
2004
Emeka Okafor, 2nd
Bernard Robinson, 46th
Who do you want the Bobcats to draft at number 8? Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions. |
