30 replies to this topic

[ItsPantone278]

Theres always the group who gets super pumped up about a bad team after the draft right? Well Ill tell you why I've gone from hopeful to optimistic to now confident that the Bobcats are taking their first real steps towards relevance in the their now 8 year history. I'll preface this write up by saying, thank goodness I'm not the President of Operations or GM. I would not have had the foresight to draft with the focus on the long term as the Bobcats did on Thursday night. For obvious reasons the organization has become a laughing stock. Posting the worst winning percentage in the history of the league will leave many questioning the leadership in the organization, but let me say the Bobcats long term goals are became more clear with the selection of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the 2012 draft. The media is all about Jordan and how he is a terrible front office guy, but I truly believe he is letting Cho and Higgins do their work and the results are starting to show if you pay close attention to detail.

Whether you love or hate the pick, and experts and fans alike seem to be pretty split, the Cats' have made a commitment to being an aggressive defensive team that plays the full court. If you watched any of this past years NBA playoffs you know that this is what the game is. The Bobcats have two players under the age of 20 that I believe could've made an impact defensively in this past years ultra athletic NBA Finals. The two players have a few things in common. They are long rangy top tier athletes. They have the bodies and athletic ability to match up in the NBA.

If you question Biyambo's upside and potential, refer to his performance in the Nike Hoop Summit 2 years ago.



The question now is will that translate to the next level. I think the most promise was shown when Biyambo matched up with the consensus 1# NBA big Dwight Howard.



Biyambo is an NBA great in the making in my opinion. As he matures and grows in confidence he will be able to use those physical tools to dominate in the interior.

MKG has been discussed a lot lately. Obviously not everyone was going to be pleased with the pick initially regardless of who we drafted. I myself wanted either Beal or Barnes going into the draft. But as I said before, reflecting on the pick in its reality I was able to realize MKG was the best pick with focus on the long term. He was the second best combination of size and physical ability in the draft behind Anthony Davis.

As we discuss MKG I want to continue to nip one thing in the bud. This is not just some high energy defensive player with a big time work ethic. Though all of those things are true there is a lot more in the package. This kid has some of the quickest feet at 6'7+ of any active player in the NBA. That combined with his above average end to end speed make him an unbelievably dynamic player on both ends of the floor. Look for him to be a competitor regardless of the competition, he is that physically gifted. With all of those great attributes, possibly his greatest attribute of all is his leadership skills. Mind you he was on a loaded team, but not many 17-18 yo kids can be the undisputed leader of a national championship team. Even as a die hard fan of UNC it was impossible not to admire the kid for his on court persona. Truly excited about this kid being the corner stone of the franchise.

When the Bobcats hired Mike Dunlap of St. John's many including myself we're perplexed by the hire. Why would the one of worst NBA team in the history of the league take a gamble on a coach with no NBA head coaching experience? The laughing stock of the NBA lost even more respect from the casual fan by hiring a college assistant from a mediocre to bad Big East basketball program. As uneasy as I was about the hire, I had to do some research. I came across this outline of a workout that Coach Dunlap dates 2004 which I posted in a thread that seemed to get very little attention. I found the outline very interesting as it foreshadowed what I would find to be in my opinion the ultimate reason for hiring Mike Dunlap. He is renowned though every level of basketball for being a great teacher of the transition basketball game. The best way for Charlotte to show case these athletes that they are adding to their team.

Here are a few examples of the type of work Coach Dunlap did before accepting a head coaching position with the Bobcats. Again a lot of this stuff has been posted before, but seemingly ignored considering the mindset of a lot of the people who post on this forum.







Coach Dunlap's points of emphasis in his conversations with the media have been consistent with his background and the moves to this point have been consistent with that. As far as game day coaching we will have to hope that an impressive 248-50 career record on the division II collegiate level can translate. But he is here to develop and teach. Something that these young players are sorely in need of.


Whats next?

Free agency starts in a few hours. And though the pool is a bit shallow, the Bobcats have to be involved. They obviously won't want to get tied up with an big contracts, but it is important that they add some veteran leadership to ensure the development of the team. The time to start competing is now, and the team has obvious needs that should be addressed. Keep in mind the Bobcats will likely maintain this long term approach, so when I say its time to start competing, I am not saying treat free agency like a team trying to make a push for the playoffs. The Bobcats need players who have NBA experience and can be leaders in camps, the locker rooms and in practices. There aren't an abundance of these players in the free agency pool so don't be surprised to see the Bobcats make moves to take on more players in Ben Gordon's situation. Again, its not about adding star power, its about getting quality players that can help rebuild the teams image and can fit the new style/attitude of play.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the team out right attempt to retain DJ Augustin. The key is if there is an NBA team out there that believes he is a starting caliber PG. There may be a few teams out there that would be interested in taking a risk on having him run their team and will be willing to pay him. If not, he is still very valuable to us. A young PG with years of NBA starter experience. He is truly an asset that I believe would be worth the 4 something million he be due next year if he doesn't land a big contract with a team hoping he's the piece to push them into contention.

Filling out the rest of the staff will be another interesting thing to follow this off-season. With his involvement in the pre draft workouts, it would appear that Coach Stephen Silas will be retained. He's known for being a great teacher. Other names have been thrown around, but nothing really concrete to this point.

If you took the time to read any of this you understand why I believe the 'Cats' have taken the infant and toddler steps to not only becoming a competitive NBA team, but they are laying the framework for a contender. I look forward to the team continuing to build through the draft, developing young players, and forming an identity on the court.

[ItsPantone278]

Been posted everywhere, but I love this video and is a must watch if you haven't already viewed it.

[koolkatluke]

Great write up 278.

[GotSwag?]

Im very optimistic about the direction we are headed. The goal was to build a team that will compete for titles. We are a long way away from that but we are starting this off right.

Kemba - Might not be a starting PG in the NBA, time will tell, but he could very well become a Jason Terry type guy off the bench.
Biyombo - This kid has a ton of potential. Shut down defender.
Mullens - A big man who can shoot/score. The potential is there.
MKG - All-Star player. All-Star defender. If he ever gets a consistent jumper, he will be a top 15 player in the league.
Taylor - What a steal. A great guy to come off the bench when its all said and done but I guarantee you after he developes his game more, he could start on a lot of teams.

These are the most notable additions/draft selections in the Cho area and the core of this team. We are a long way away but we are headed in the right direction. YOUNG guys with potential. Stay Patient.

[ItsPantone278]

One point I left out in the whats next is the Tyrus Thomas contract and the amnesty option. I wouldn't waste it. Try him out in the new system, see if he can contribute to the team, its not like he's making that much. He's over paid, but its not that big of a deal right now. Who knows, he could play somewhere near his value next season with a new system.

[cavic7585]

Very good writeup, and I am also very excited about where we are heading. I have not forgot about bismack or kemba although it seems that bismack has a higher ceiling then kemba. Both showed flashes last year. Hendo is another guy not to forget, dont think he will get that much better but he is already pretty good, he just hasnt had the talent/coaching he needs.

My dream would be for us to get Machado, then try to package Augustine with a future pick. That little guy can ball and only dropped because he wasnt a prototypical NBA guard. Kevin Jones would be another great pickup.

Next year we will be bad, but with a new style and a good young core I believe we will be fun to watch. Dunlap wants to play a uptempo/pressure defense next year.

I have full confidence we are heading in the right direction.

[Sapper]

On phone, but looking forward to reading this when I'm back on my PC.

[MadHatter]

I still worry about this team's ability to score next season. Unless they do something in FA to bring in a scorer, it will be anemic.

[GotSwag?]

I still worry about this team's ability to score next season. Unless they do something in FA to bring in a scorer, it will be anemic.

Probably so, but that was probably the plan. Get another top 3 pick next season(Shabazz) and then go all out in free agency for some scorers.

Our plan should be get an early lead and watch a lineup of Walker, Henderson, MKG, Thomas, Bismack shut down the other team. LOL.

[chknwing]

I still worry about this team's ability to score next season. Unless they do something in FA to bring in a scorer, it will be anemic.

well if the defense is good enough, maybe we will only have to score 70 points a game. And I think Biyombo will become more of a scorer.

[ItsPantone278]

I still worry about this team's ability to score next season. Unless they do something in FA to bring in a scorer, it will be anemic.

Scoring when we need points will be an issue until we find a "go-to" scorer. Not many NBA teams have one of those. But I expect this team to improve scoring and defending in transition. I would expect deep rotations of young guys pushing the tempo of the game as often as possible.

Walker, Henderson, Mullens and Thomas(if he stays) have to respond well to the transition. They are young players other than MKG and Biyambo that will have to prove capable of being parts of the future plans. Adding Gordon and Taylor could prove helpful as well. Would love to add some interior scoring.

[thatlookseasy]

Ben Gordon is going to surprise some people, he is a very natural scorer who can really fill it up if you give him a lot of shots (and he will absolutely have the green light here). I'd be surprised if he averages less than 20 a game

[MadHatter]

Scoring when we need points will be an issue until we find a "go-to" scorer. Not many NBA teams have one of those. But I expect this team to improve scoring and defending in transition. I would expect deep rotations of young guys pushing the tempo of the game as often as possible.

Walker, Henderson, Mullens and Thomas(if he stays) have to respond well to the transition. They are young players other than MKG and Biyambo that will have to prove capable of being parts of the future plans. Adding Gordon and Taylor could prove helpful as well. Would love to add some interior scoring.

I do believe this team will be better in defense. Not hard to do as we were God Awful defensively last year. But, we will struggle to score 80. I don't think wevwill be good enough defensively Di win many 75-70 games.

But, we will have to wait and see.

[DaCityKats]

would love to have a michael beasley on this team.even jordan hill and i just seen eric gordon might make a visit.

[MadHatter]

I am holding out hope that Cho has at least one surprise FA move to give this team a little offensive punch.