Bobcats Baseline: 2012 Draft Preview, Part I
“You don’t understand, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a winner!” – People on the Internet
Great! But why stop with MKG? Maybe the Bobcats should draft Michael Phelps or Tom Brady. What’s Ivan Lendl up to these days? Meryl Streep? She’s as decorated as they come. If I’ve learned one thing in my twenty-plus years of ring-less fandom, it is that THERE IS NO CORRELATION BETWEEN preprofessional and post-professional success. Period.
- Emeka Okafor was a WINNER.
- Raymond Felton and Sean “Crab Bread” May were WINNERS.
- Kemba Walker was a WINNER.
Strange that the Bobcats have had all of these winners in their brief existence yet have lost so many games. Quick look at the stars currently playing for a title: Lebron, DWade, Pierce, Garnett, Rondo, Harden, Durant, Westbrook, Duncan, Ginobli, Parker. ZERO NCAA Championships total. Conclusion: IT DOESN’T EFFING MATTER.
“MKG has a motor that doesn’t stop!!!” – People on the Internet
So does a Honda Civic but you won’t see it on the track at Le Mans. Reggie Evans, Kenneth Faried, Cory Brewer, Matt Barnes and Tony Allen all give 110% every minute but if I was coming off the worst season in NBA history, I’m not sure I’d spend the Number Two Overall Pick on a non-game changing Energy Guy.
Oh yeah, and then there’s that thing about how Kidd-Gilchrist CAN’T SHOOT. Or create offense for himself. That’s gonna go over real well on a team already LOADED with offensive threats, right?
If Bobcats GM Rich Cho is 15% as smart as the internet gives him credit for, he ain’t gonna take MKG anyway so I don’t even know why we’re talking about him. If the team KEEPS the pick, they’ll almost certainly choose between the following three players (in no particular order):
1.) Thomas Robinson, PF Kansas
PROS: The Safe Pick. He’ll probably never beat Chris Bosh or Al Horford out of a starting All-Star gig but he’ll slide in nicely next to Biyombo to eventually form one of the East’s better, if undersized, frontcourts. His rebounding will be an instant godsend as will his ability to successfully execute any sort of offense within four feet of the basket.
CONS: Power Forward is hands down the easiest position in the NBA to fill right now. Aside from the top 5-6 guys, there’s not much separating the Carlos Boozers from the Drew Goodens. Not to mention the fact that Tyrus Thomas’s off year on the runway model diet may prove to be a fluke. Add to that the availability either via Free Agency or Trade of some solid starters (Paul Milsap, Ersan Illyasova, Brandon Wright, Josh Smith, Carl Landry) and it might not make sense to spend Number Two on a Glorified Replacement Player.
POTENTIAL TOP FIVE AT POSITION? No.
2.) Andre Drummond, C UCONN
PROS: The Vegas Pick. There just aren’t many dudes with Drummond’s combination of size and athleticism. He’s almost as HUGE as Bynum and Howard today at nineteen. His offense needs work and he’ll surely be a foul magnet and therefore a non-factor early in his career but if both parties invest heavily in his development, he may one day challenge Anthony Davis as the best big man in the 2012 Draft class. Pair him with Biyombo and they could form the most fearsome defensive frontcourt in the league for a decade.
CONS: Kwame 2, Electric Boogaloo. If he’s not serious about the game or his career he could single-handily set the franchise back at least another year. But for a team already playing from so far behind, that might not matter.
POTENTIAL TOP FIVE AT POSITION? Yes.
3.) Bradley Beal, SG Florida
PROS: The Cam Newton Pick. Lost in the now universal worship of Cam is the fact that most draft analysts initially had him pegged somewhere between a mid-first rounder to an early second round pick. Panthers GM Marty Hurney rightfully shut out the experts and picked the guy who was right for the team and situation, regardless of draft position. It paid off big.
Beal is this draft’s Newton. He does precisely the things the Bobcats desperately need: SHOOTING + DYNAMIC SCORING. Put him in a three guard rotation with Gerald Henderson and Kemba Walker and the Bobcats backcourt is a big point guard away from being good for a long while.
CONS: “But Gerald Henderson is our best player!!!” -People on the Internet – Do I even have to acknowledge this? I like Henderson. He’s fine but he’s probably the 19th best shooting guard in the league. Plus Beal can play some point. Like a rich man’s Sefolosha in OKC, there will be plenty of minutes available for Gerald, Jr.
“You can’t draft an undersized SG at number two!” – Traditional Draft Experts – It’s a small-ball league now and has been for some time. Beal’s shooting and ability to get to the line will help the team in their dire most area of need. Instantly. If Rich Cho is 4% as smart as I think he is, look for Beal to be swishing threes next season in orange and blue.
POTENTIAL TOP FIVE AT POSITION? Yes.
-ASChin (@baselinebuzz)
COMING SOON: OFFSEASON PLANS BASED ON THE POTENTIAL PICKS
POLL : What Should They Do with Pick #2? Total Voters: 190
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Your MKG hate is making me suspicious that you didn’t watch the NCAA tournament much. Guy is really dynamic. Even without the outside shot he got 12ppg last year on a loaded team. Goes to the basket relentlessly, gets to the free thrown line a lot, where he converts at 75%. There is some offense with MKG, it’s just like Gerald Wallace offense.
Overall, there are good arguments for and against all four guys. I don’t envy Rich Cho.
Ideally, Cats would work out Beal vs. MKG, and T. Rob vs. Drummond. Would be fierce workouts for the right to be #2. Probably won’t happen, though.
I wouldn’t call it “hate”. He’s a fine player but collegiate success does not translate to the pro game. Did you happen to see how Kyrie Irving lit up the ACC last year? Me neither. But he’s a much better PG prospect than national champ Kemba Walker. We have to stop with this “winner” in college nonsense.
I think the obvious choice here is Drummond. While I like his talent, Biyombo is no where near large enough to be a legit center in this league. Pair him with a big body, wide butt like Drummond and we have a future frontcourt (think Perkins, Ibaka) especially if we are trying to follow the OKC model. WORST Case scenario he is Kwame Brown, and after last year, that would be a HUGE upgrade. Long term, we get a high draft pick next year and try to land a superstar.
I don’t understand why, but the Cats always seem to draft players who are small for their position; I just don’t get it. When you look back on all the Bigs we passed on all I can do is smh. Rich Cho, good luck brotha!
Won’t get any arguments from me – though I wonder if Cho & Co would find it more palatable to trade down a few spots to select Drummond instead.
Why would Charlotte go near Drummond with a 10 foot pole? Beyond his size, what makes anyone think that he’s a good player. His size/athleticism combination gives him potential, but there’s nothing to suggest that he’s a game changer. I think the time is right for Charlotte to take the best player available, not the may be capable of contributing 3 years from now player.
Anyone who watched Biyombo play against Dwight wouldn’t think Biyombo is undersized. Keep in mind that this was Biz’s rookie season. He’ll only get stronger from here. His standing reach is on par with other bigs, so what more do we need to dispel the myth that Biyombo is undersized?
Biyombo just happens to match up well with Howard, but keep in mind, there are 28 other starting centers in the NBA. Don’t get me wrong I think he is going to be a good player, but I can’t count how many times he was left on his A$$ last year. While physically gifted, he just does not have a solid base. He is better suited as a athletic pf given his quickness, closing out on shooters and giving help from the weak side.
I like the idea of trading down for Drummond, whatever it takes. He is a young guy, he will get minutes and gain confidence being the #1 post option. There are not many bigs with his combination of size, hands and athleticism. Its time to roll the dice, and go big WITH SOME TALENT and build.
MKG is gonna be good but defensive minded 6’6, 6’7 sf’s are a dime a dozen. Another one will come along next year, hopefully we can snag em in the second round. Or pick up Corey Brewer in free agency, whatever.
We are not gonna be good anytime soon. Time to develop the talent and shed some cap room. OKC’s victory tonight goes to show how it should be done, lets go!
Solid points DonJuan. Have a gut feeling team will either take Beal second or trade down with Portland for Drummond & Whoever. Really like the idea of a Biyombo Drummond front court if he pans out. Bismack gives you everything he’s got but it’s unfair for him to go against guys 3-4 inches taller and 40+lbs heavier every night.
I definitely think MKG could be a contributor for a quality NBA club. Considering the circumstances, the Bobcats aren’t in a good spot to let this guy develop his strengths to form a skill set that would give him many accomplishments over his career.
MKG would do best going to a club like the Celtics or Mavs, that could let him come off of the bench for 2 years while learning the system, expectations, and intricacies of the game. The Bobcats would throw him to the wolves and let opposing defenses break him down before he ever gets a chance to develop his offensive skills. Well, the Cats would probably push him to go all “Kemba” and jack up shots at an unhealthy, and undisciplined rate just… and we know how well that did for NCAA Champion, Kemba Walker.
Of course, the Cats’ pick will need to learn on the job. But, they can’t select a kid and put him in a situation that’s gonna be detrimental to his development. Which makes me pose the question – What are the chances that a #2 pick decides to hold out and go to Europe, rather than play for an organization in such bad shape?
Zero.
Agree with Dr. E, don’t think there will be any holdout. Hell, Anthony Davis himself is on record as saying he’s bummed about not coming to Charlotte.
You pretty much summarized my issue with MKG to CLT. He’s a decent enough prospect but on a team lacking scoring, his development will take a major hit. The Bobcats need to put up points – look for them to go ready-made scorer in the draft (Beal/Barnes) or via trade/FA.
You just said Brandon Wright is a solid starter. Wow. Otherwise not bad but I just don’t believe Robinson, Drummon or Beal have seperated themselves from Kidd-Gilchrist yet as a #2 pick and I want not part of a plan that puts us competing for a #8 spot in the playoffs again. The Bobcats need more than anything, two more years of top 5 picks with next year preferably being a #1.
Hey, I’m talking Bobcats here. Is Brandon Wright better than a 180 pound Tyrus Thomas? Yes. DJ White? Yes.
We disagree on MKG — watch the leadup to the draft closely though, could see his stock falling fast.
MKG’s draft status certainly did not fall fast. Plus, I disagree with any notion that the Bobcats should be pairing draft picks with current players and talking about all-NBA future tandems (Biyombo and Drummond!) (Kemba and Beal!). I do not think anyone would fear a Drummond/Biyombo backcourt for anywhere close to a decade. The last thing the Bobcats need to do is to draft by position or fit. The situation is entirely divorced from the Panthers when they drafted Cam Newton, as they already had one of the best WRs in the league. I can guarantee you that Rich Cho drafted the best available and looked toward 2018 more than 2013. MKG was the proper pick.