2007-2008 NBA Season Preview: Charlotte Bobcats

After another disappointing, losing season and the first one with Michael Jordan handling primary player management duties, the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats have much to look toward and forward to for the betterment of their future.

While Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Emeka Okafor enjoyed very solid seasons in the orange and blue, other veterans for the Charlotte organization struggled. Where a pass was made, struggling rookie Adam Morrison would often fail to convert on a jumper; where a fast break was started second-year forward Sean May usually was the last to make the full-court trip (before ending up on the inactive list); even Wallace had a time at converting on occasions when he wasn't injured from dunk attempts with reckless abandon.

Aside from that, the lack of general leadership on the floor from absent steely vets made the Bobcats somewhat vulnerable. With late-season momentum from Derek Anderson and re-signed point guard Jeff McInnis, the Bobcats have still sought for more. Enter the upcoming 2007-08 season.

The draft day trade of Bobcat draftee Brandan Wright from North Carolina yielded in return breakout shooting guard Jason Richardson from the Golden State Warriors, who will pair with Wallace to give Charlotte the explosiveness at the wing positions that the Bobcats have lacked ever since their initial season in 2004. 2007 first round pick Jared Dudley will bring additional size and collegiate seasoning to the small forward position, creating a bit of a competition for minutes with Morrison; the re-signing of former Notre Dame shooting guard Matt Carroll will also sure up a long-distance threat from the floor to give Charlotte an advantage off of the bench.

With moves having been made and expectations to rise, the Bobcats must be able to properly manage minutes, now that the roster has been upgraded with enough talent and experience to fairly compete for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The biggest concerns are whether Felton and Okafor can take their play up a notch from the previous 2007 season. Felton has shown more than enough to prove he has All-Star ability, but with the approaching season and more options, his job will be to keep his teammates happy and keep defenses honest with his outside shooting. Okafor was oft-injured in his second year, after gaining about 30 lbs. of muscle, with contributed to his breakdown; while he enjoyed a good comeback from injuries in 2006-07, he must prove that he can keep his game developing on the offensive end. Wallace, the high-flying swingman, enjoyed a great season in the previous year, but because he was outmatched by bigger players when having to play at power forward, his 6'7", 225 lb. frame was not resistant to the rigors of punishment that traditional post players suffer; he will have to re-adapt to the perimeter game of the small forward position without losing his gusto.

The wild card in all of the Bobcats plans, though, is the Jumpman himself-Jordan must be able to prove to Bobcat fans and the rest of the NBA that he can efficiently and wisely manage the player development and movement of the roster, without botching the long-term future for short-term gains-exclusive shoe deals with Wallace or Derek Anderson is going to make the team reminiscent of his famous Chicago Bulls (also known as "The Jordanaires").

If nothing else, expect Bobcat blue, orange and silver to rip through many a TV highlight show - with firepower nothing less than aeronautics and a 40-win season.