Charlotte Bobcats

As we come down the stretch to the end of the NBA season, as do we come to the beginning of the offseason. The NBA draft is less than a week away, and the Cats seem to have their sights set firmly on two distinct front court prospects. On one side you have the Ukrainian 7 footer Alex Len, whose measurables and game show a high ceiling, but whose lack of any distinct strength raises large questions about how low his floor could be. On the other side, you have the explosive, under-sized Anthony Bennett, who (despite questions about being a tweener) is a clear PF at the next level, with the strength and athleticism needed to excel inside at the next level. While having a terrific face up game along with a good jumper, questions room about his hustle and motor on defense, which was certainly lacking in his lone season at UNLV. Barring a surprising Len selection by Cleveland at No1 or Washington fulfilling Wall's wishes at No3, it seems likely that they'll both be available when it's our turn to pick. So now, I ask you, who do you pick in this spot? The explosive scoring PF or the physically appealing C prospect? In my last FanPost,I had a poll up regarding who should be drafted at No4. Anthony Bennett won handily with 40% of the 74 votes, and while Len wasn't one of the options, "Other" only managed 5% of the votes. It'll be interesting to see how much ground the intriguing C prospect has made up in the last month. As we come down the stretch to the end of the NBA season, as do we come to the beginning of the offseason. The NBA draft is less than a week away, and the Cats seem to have their sights set firmly on two distinct front court prospects. On one side you have the Ukrainian 7 footer Alex Len, whose measurables and game show a high ceiling, but whose lack of any distinct strength raises large questions about how low his floor could be. On the other side, you have the explosive, under-sized Anthony Bennett, who (despite questions about being a tweener) is a clear PF at the next level, with the strength and athleticism needed to excel inside at the next level. While having a terrific face up game along with a good jumper, questions room about his hustle and motor on defense, which was certainly lacking in his lone season at UNLV. Barring a surprising Len selection by Cleveland at No1 or Washington fulfilling Wall's wishes at No3, it seems likely that they'll both be available when it's our turn to pick. So now, I ask you, who do you pick in this spot? The explosive scoring PF or the physically appealing C prospect? In my last FanPost,I had a poll up regarding who should be drafted at No4. Anthony Bennett won handily with 40% of the 74 votes, and while Len wasn't one of the options, "Other" only managed 5% of the votes. It'll be interesting to see how much ground the intriguing C prospect has made up in the last month. Poll Who should the Bobcats select at pick number 4? Anthony Bennett Alex Len 1 votes | Results

2013 NBA Draft Prospect Cody Zeller was in Charlotte to workout and sat down with the media on June 19, 2013 to discuss the upcoming draft.

Cleveland - Alex Len Owner Dan Gilbert said it's "likely" they draft Len 1st overall Orlando - Victor Oladipo They need a point guard but don't think Burke is worthy of a number one pick. Oladipo better than McLemore Washington - Otto Porter Solid and established player who fits the team need of a small forward Charlotte - Nerlens Noel Who would have thought the day after the lottery that we had the slimmest chance at Noel at 4? We just have to. Yeah there's the risk, but he's pretty damn athletic. Phoenix - Ben McLemore He simply falls to them. Too much of a talent to pass up. New Orleans - Trey Burke They need a scorer. Bennett could go here but they need point guard more than a stretch 3 because Greveis Vazquez is clearly not a point guard that can run a playoff team. Sacramento - Michael Carter-Williams They need a floor general. His height helps him with that. Detroit - CJ McCollum Their probably going to abandon the Brandon Knight Project and let CJ start by the middle of the year. Minnesota - Shabazz Muhammed I don't know about you, but I'd take a lineup of Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammed, Andrei Kirilenko, Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. Healthy, this team is the 5 seed in the west, maybe higher considering chris paul might leave. Shabazz would add a scoring option from the two they haven't seen in a while and he has size. Portland - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope They need a center so they might go Steven Adams or Cody Zeller with this pick, but once again I think the talent is two good to pass up. Kentavious worked out well with several teams including Portland. Philadelphia - Cody Zeller He's a good fit. They need a big. He runs the floor and has an offensive game. Oklahoma CIty - Lucas Nogueira He's a really athletic center who can protect and finish at the rim. He's kind of like a more skilled and lets hope smarter version of Javale McGee. A full upgrade from Kendrick Perkins. Dallas - Dennis Schroeder He can score efficiently and distribute. They need a point guard because Darren Collison didn't exactly live up to the expectations of him. Utah - Shane Larkin They are in desperate need of a point guard. With Schroeder, McCollum, Carter-Williams, and Burke of the board, Larkin is the point available till the late 1st. Cleveland - Alex Len Owner Dan Gilbert said it's "likely" they draft Len 1st overall Orlando - Victor Oladipo They need a point guard but don't think Burke is worthy of a number one pick. Oladipo better than McLemore Washington - Otto Porter Solid and established player who fits the team need of a small forward Charlotte - Nerlens Noel Who would have thought the day after the lottery that we had the slimmest chance at Noel at 4? We just have to. Yeah there's the risk, but he's pretty damn athletic. Phoenix - Ben McLemore He simply falls to them. Too much of a talent to pass up. New Orleans - Trey Burke They need a scorer. Bennett could go here but they need point guard more than a stretch 3 because Greveis Vazquez is clearly not a point guard that can run a playoff team. Sacramento - Michael Carter-Williams They need a floor general. His height helps him with that. Detroit - CJ McCollum Their probably going to abandon the Brandon Knight Project and let CJ start by the middle of the year. Minnesota - Shabazz Muhammed I don't know about you, but I'd take a lineup of Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammed, Andrei Kirilenko, Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. Healthy, this team is the 5 seed in the west, maybe higher considering chris paul might leave. Shabazz would add a scoring option from the two they haven't seen in a while and he has size. Portland - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope They need a center so they might go Steven Adams or Cody Zeller with this pick, but once again I think the talent is two good to pass up. Kentavious worked out well with several teams including Portland. Philadelphia - Cody Zeller He's a good fit. They need a big. He runs the floor and has an offensiv

There hasn't been much news out of Charlotte lately, even with the draft only a mere nine days away. Pretty much every team reports their workouts with prospects for media availability, but the Bobcats have been noticeably quiet. It's been an odd silence from a team that has the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, it's fourth top-10 pick in three years. What seems to be the case is that they just haven't been scheduling many workouts. With three of the top big men prospects injured and unable to display their skills, the Bobcats short list of players must have gotten shorter for pre-draft viewings. Still, in the past the team has had loaded schedules with player workouts. Because Charlotte dealt their second round pick to the Thunder, limiting themselves to a single pick in the draft looks to remain the plan. By not scheduling even the lesser-hyped late-first, early-second round prospects, the Bobcats seems to be completely satisfied not acquiring another late pick, which some could interpret as the team not doing its due diligence in looking at the prospects flying under the radar. Anyway, there is some news from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, as scarce as the scene is. ICYMI: Thoughts on Alex Len as he meets with the Charlotte Bobcats today: http://t.co/k5FfadACGw — Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 18, 2013 As far as Len's injury goes, he expects to be back running in August and fully ready for training camp in October. Alex Len has been one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft. He already has the base for being a serviceable big man, with good agility, solid athleticism, size, shotblocking skills and decent touch around the rim with either hand. Mainly the concern with Len is his foot injury (stress fracture) and developing his offense to an NBA level. Due to the Bobcats severe lack of talent in the frontcourt, they will have to seriously evaluate Len's possible impact and whether he'd be their best pick at No. 4. In other frontcourt prospect news, apparently Cody Zeller is coming to visit the Bobcats Wednesday, though no other top picks will be there. I hear Indiana's Cody Zeller coming in for a workout with the Bobcats Wednesday. Don't anticipate any other 4th-pick candidates Wednesday. — Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) June 18, 2013 Zeller is another highly touted big man like Len, but Zeller is much more polished. Coming out of Indiana, Cody Zeller made his name as solid jump-shooter with good scoring instincts, nice touch around the rim, NBA-ready size and a good repertoire of offensive moves in the post. The main concerns with Zeller are his length and his ability to maintain position in the post. With a wingspan and standing reach well shorter than the average measurements of players his height, he could have some issues on defense in trying to defend entry passes, obstructing passing lanes and views of the court, or on offense finishing over big men, or being able to be a good rebounder. Though he's 7 feet tall, Zeller struggles to not get pushed around in the paint at times and he'll need to add on some more bulk to help that. The Bobcats certainly are looking at a frontcourt player for their No. 4 pick, but I wouldn't count out much of anything. I'm not sure anyone outside the organization has an idea who they're going to take.

2013 NBA Draft Prospect Alex Len was in Charlotte and sat down with the media on June 18, 2013. Len, a 7-1 center out of Maryland averaged 11.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in his sophomore season.

PG - Kemba Walker, Ramon SessionsSG - Gerald Henderson, Ben Gordon, Seth CurrySF - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeffery TaylorPF - Josh McRoberts, Thomas RobinsonC - Alex Len, Bismack Biyombo, Brendan HaywoodAssumptions (from easist to toughest to pull off):-Let Byron Mullens walk-Amnesty Tyrus Thomas-Draft Len-Resign Henderson and McRoberts-Sign Curry as an undrafted free agent-Trade next years second rounder for RobinsonI guess we could resign Mullens or another big man if the Robinson deal (which is far-fetched) didn't happen.Thoughts?PG - Kemba Walker, Ramon Sessions SG - Gerald Henderson, Ben Gordon, Seth Curry SF - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeffery Taylor PF - Josh McRoberts, Thomas Robinson C - Alex Len, Bismack Biyombo, Brendan Haywood Assumptions (from easist to toughest to pull off): -Let Byron Mullens walk -Amnesty Tyrus Thomas -Draft Len -Resign Henderson and McRoberts -Sign Curry as an undrafted free agent -Trade next years second rounder for Robinson I guess we could resign Mullens or another big man if the Robinson deal (which is far-fetched) didn't happen. Thoughts?

The draft is just 10 days away — we’re just as anxious as you at this point, so Greg, Mathew and I took some time to give our thoughts as to what’s going to play out  leading up to + on June 27th. 1- PLAY GM: Who do you take with the #4 pick? We’re going to assume that Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore & Otto Porter go in top-3. Spencer: Victor Oladipo. I really like Anthony Bennett + Alex Len upside is undeniable, but Oladipo is going to impact the game is more ways than Bennett & Len — that makes him the safest pick. It’s tough, because Charlotte needs the assets that all three of these players bring to the table — that also tells you what kind of shape this roster is in right now. I’m really big on character. I’m even bigger on character within a very young locker room — exactly why I think a player like DeMarcus Cousins is an awful fit for a franchise like Charlotte, but that’s for another day. Oladipo has a killer charisma to him + almost every source out of the Big 10 and college basketball has vouched for this. The biggest knock on Oladipo is his skeptical ability to knock down the outside shot consistently + make plays off the dribble. He shot 60% from the field last season + jumped to 44% 3FG from his 20.8% in 2011-12. I understand that these are really big jumps in shooting efficiency, so yes, this could be somewhat of an outlier — that being said, when you factor in that Oladipo is as hard of a worker as they come then, to me, there’s a direct correlation to the improvement and hard work being put in. Taking Oladipo would likely mean that Gerald Henderson is gone, but I believe the franchise is already leaning in that direction anyways. Hendo is likely going to get an offer for greater than his qualifying deal and good for him. Charlotte not going to waste their time chasing. What bothers me about Bennett is his inability to stay in-tuned on the defensive end of the floor + his lackluster effort on occasion. He can score in a multitude of ways and is probably the most versatile offensive player in the entire draft, but again, this franchise needs to be thinking about acquiring players with the ability to impact the game in just about every way + is going to bring the positive attitude/effort combination. Len is now being rumored to be the favorite to go #1 overall to Cleveland because of the fact that Dan Gilbert wants the Cavs to win now and it’s not appearing as if Nerlens Noel is even going to play next season (knee injury). Greg: If that’s how the first three picks play out, it’s basically a decision between Victor Oladipo, Anthony Bennett and Alex Len. I’ve already written a little bit about why I’m scared of picking Bennett, though David Thorpe does make a compelling argument for the Bobcats to take him in this Insider article. Picking between Oladipo and Len comes down to taking the best player available, full stop, or making a choice that takes team fit into consideration. I don’t think either strategy is necessarily wrong. In the abstract, the best player available is always the correct decision — but real life is a lot messier, even on a team with as little talent as the Bobcats. Most pundits would probably rank Oladipo as the better prospect; for what it’s worth, Chad Ford lists Oladipo as the second-best player in the draft and Len at fifth. But taking Oladipo almost definitely means giving up on Gerald Henderson — in addition to their similar style of play, there just wouldn’t be enough minutes for the two of them. Wing minutes were already hard to balance last year, and keeping both players would have Oladipo, Henderson, Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions, Jeff Taylor, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all competing for time at shooting guard and small forward. Ditching Henderson is definitely an option, but swapping him for Oladipo is likely a lateral move at best in the short-term and a question m

With the draft a little over a week away and Free Agency to follow shortly after, it's time to put out your summer wish list. These are your hopes for THIS Summer only. Draft Bennett Amnesty TT Pray Ben Gordon walks (threaten to move him to Milwaukee if he signs his player option) Resign Hendo ($30M over 4 years tops) Resign McBob ($7.5M over 2 years) Renounce Mullens, Adrien, Williams, and (with great sadness) Diop Aquire a lightly seasoned Big. (Asik comes to mind - Houston will want future draft picks to free up cap space to sign CP3 & Howard) Find a spot-up shooter (Redick? - open to suggestions) Sign Shawn Livingston Potential Roster: Kemba/Sessions/Livingston Hendo/Redick MKG/Taylor Bennett/McBob Asik/Biz/Haywood Not too shabby, and keeps us moving in a nice upward trend while shedding some cancer off our roster. I think the 2nd unit becomes a strength. I'd love to hear what you guys would like to see happen, or if this scenario could even work under the current CBA. With the draft a little over a week away and Free Agency to follow shortly after, it's time to put out your summer wish list. These are your hopes for THIS Summer only. Draft Bennett Amnesty TT Pray Ben Gordon walks (threaten to move him to Milwaukee if he signs his player option) Resign Hendo ($30M over 4 years tops) Resign McBob ($7.5M over 2 years) Renounce Mullens, Adrien, Williams, and (with great sadness) Diop Aquire a lightly seasoned Big. (Asik comes to mind - Houston will want future draft picks to free up cap space to sign CP3 & Howard) Find a spot-up shooter (Redick? - open to suggestions) Sign Shawn Livingston Potential Roster: Kemba/Sessions/Livingston Hendo/Redick MKG/Taylor Bennett/McBob Asik/Biz/Haywood Not too shabby, and keeps us moving in a nice upward trend while shedding some cancer off our roster. I think the 2nd unit becomes a strength. I'd love to hear what you guys would like to see happen, or if this scenario could even work under the current CBA. Poll Would you like to see this roster in 2013-14? Oh please make this happen! We can do better Sucks, dude 0 votes | Results

Rock Bottom In May of 2010, the Charlotte Bobcats made their first ever Playoff appearance. The series wasn’t competitive – they were swept by the Orlando Magic in four games – but young franchises traditionally celebrate their initial break-throughs into the post-season, toasting their efforts as the first of many appearances to come. But this wasn’t the case with the Bobcats at all. In fact, the appearance signaled the beginnings of a very dark time in Queen City hoops history. A time the franchise is still mired in today. In order to achieve their lone Playoff cameo, Michael Jordan and Rod Higgins had sacrificed the franchise’s future with short-sighted, cap-killing trades and draft pick give-aways while handing over whatever talent that was left to a senile phony of a head coach primed for sabotage. Suddenly, all of the franchise’s past blunders would collide, setting them on a collision course with rock bottom. The 2010 Draft: No Pick. How It Played Out: Want to know how the Charlotte Bobcats became the national laughingstock they are today? Let’s take a short detour back to the year 2010 and see how Jordan & Higgins demolished the franchise’s future in Four Easy Steps… STEP ONE: The Bobcats didn’t have a first round draft pick that year because they had traded it two seasons earlier for Alexis Ajinca. STEP TWO: The team traded ANOTHER future first round pick at the Trade Deadline for Tyrus Thomas. And since you can’t trade a future first round pick for a restricted free agent then have him walk, MJ and Higgins promptly signed Thomas to a 5-year $40 million contract that July. STEP THREE: The Tyrus contract was bad news for 2005′s fifth overall pick (and starting point guard) Raymond Felton. The team was in major cap trouble and had another Lottery point guard (D.J. Augustin) already on the payroll. Just five years earlier the team had choosen the Felton/Sean May combination over Chris Paul and now both were gone via free agency netting zero compensation in return. STEP FOUR: Having dedicated over half of their cap space to the legendary likes of Gana Diop, Nazr Mohammed, Boris Diaw and the noveau riche Tyrus Thomas, Jordan & Higgins decided to make a final major move to trim salary. Their solution: Trade Tyson Chandler to Dallas for the instant cap relief of Erick Dampier’s unguaranteed contract and over $20 million worth of Matt Carroll and Eduardo Najera. The trade was ridiculed from the moment it happened and only looks worse with time. Let’s break it down: Jordan & Higgins had painted themselves into such an unnecessary salary corner over the years that they had to choose Diop and Mohammed over future Defensive Player of the Year Chandler. That’s a tragically terrible move on its own but IN ADDITION to this devestation, they were somehow talked into taking on three more years of dead-weight, end-of-the-bench salary in the forms of Carroll and Najera. The trade was so lopsided that it actually swung an NBA Championship ten months later. It was simply the worst transaction in franchise history (which is no small feat) and possibly the league’s worst trade since Boston’s McHale/Parish heist of Golden State thirty-five years earlier. Now back to the 2010 Draft… How It Should Have Played Out: Had the Bobcats not traded their pick, they would have selected 16th overall. Kevin Seraphin, Eric Bledsoe and Avery Bradley were picks 17, 18 and 19 respectively. None are likely to be All-Stars but each is a bonafide rotation player and are drastically more talented and valuable than Alexis Ajinca ever will be. Between his lowly Drafts, questionable trades and a blatant display of nepotism (wasting a roster spot on his son Cory over two seasons), it is absolutely ASTOUNDING that Rod Higgins still has a job in the league – with the same team no less! All I can say is, those compromising photos of MJ better be worth hiding. GRADE:

Alex Len is literally everything you want in a big and the Bobcats are in desperate need of one. He can post up, face up, hit the bank, hit a long range 2, pass out of the double team INCREDIBLY well, likes to finish strong at the rim, and can protect the rim. If you watch the DraftExpress video on him right here you see what he brings to the table. Alex Len 2013 NBA Draft Scouting Report Video (via DraftExpress) One of the three things that impress me the most is his ability to create from the post. He uses jab steps, ball fakes and anything it takes to get to the rim. His post game is so versatile in that he knows how to get past his defender and get an easy shot. Many times in this video he gets past his defender and dunks with flare. I saw two very difficult reverse dunks out of the POST. The second of the three things is his ability to draw the double and pass it to the right guy. He created looks for shooters that we didnt see all season last year with the Cats. He passes it quickly out of the double too, making him more effective. The third has kinda already been said but there is almost not downside to this kid. Grouped with a coach like Steve Clifford, who has a lot of experience with bigs (Dwight Howard on the Magic), and playmakers like Kemba Walker and MKG, and shooters like Gordon and maybe someone from free agency we are going to be a team that can compete nightly in the NBA. Alex Len is literally everything you want in a big and the Bobcats are in desperate need of one. He can post up, face up, hit the bank, hit a long range 2, pass out of the double team INCREDIBLY well, likes to finish strong at the rim, and can protect the rim. If you watch the DraftExpress video on him right here you see what he brings to the table. Alex Len 2013 NBA Draft Scouting Report Video (via DraftExpress) One of the three things that impress me the most is his ability to create from the post. He uses jab steps, ball fakes and anything it takes to get to the rim. His post game is so versatile in that he knows how to get past his defender and get an easy shot. Many times in this video he gets past his defender and dunks with flare. I saw two very difficult reverse dunks out of the POST. The second of the three things is his ability to draw the double and pass it to the right guy. He created looks for shooters that we didnt see all season last year with the Cats. He passes it quickly out of the double too, making him more effective. The third has kinda already been said but there is almost not downside to this kid. Grouped with a coach like Steve Clifford, who has a lot of experience with bigs (Dwight Howard on the Magic), and playmakers like Kemba Walker and MKG, and shooters like Gordon and maybe someone from free agency we are going to be a team that can compete nightly in the NBA. Poll Should we draft Len at the fourth pick? Yes No 5 votes | Results