Charlotte Bobcats a Sight...For Eyes

After years of failing to draft well, budget cuts, company losses and then the public's fallout with the NBA after the departure of the Charlotte Hornets, the Charlotte Bobcats didn't seem to have the necessary firepower or star power to command much attention in an even powerful Eastern Conference, and it was a valid early assessment for the 2008-2009 regular season. The franchise's face, Michael Jordan, a hometown favorite having been raised in nearby Wilmington, had already possessed a reputation of being virtually a horrible talent assessor with past picks Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison being busts; the team's North Carolina Tar Heel darlings, Raymond Felton and Sean May, had failed to do anything of great significance outside of showing promise; the team's owner, Bob Johnson, was focused on cutting payroll and saving his billions; and what was seemingly the kicker, head coach Larry Brown was running the team, the same coach who had been previously fired from UCLA, the New Jersey Nets, Kansas University, the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks--all of whom did so because he was exasperating his players and co-workers while simultaneously looking for the next job (in Detroit, he did so the season after winning a championship in 2004). Things weren't looking great for the year.

The season started as usual, with brief glimpses of team cohesion and smart play amidst a glut of poor execution and the lack of fight, but things slowly changes as Brown commanded the change of the roster. Out were promising center Ryan Hollins and shooter Matt Carroll to the Dallas Mavericks and in came DeSagana Diop, a notable post defender. Out was the high-flying Jason Richardson and young forward Jason Dudley to the Phoenix Suns, and in came the versatile Boris Diaw (pronounced "jaw", not "dee-OW") and the smooth, savvy Raja Bell. Out was the previously acquired Shannon Brown (who has shown he was given up on too quickly in Cleveland, Chicago and Charlotte) and the former college legend in Morrison to the L.A. Lakers, and in came 6'10" outside bomber Vladimir "Space Cadet" Radmanovic.

Top-ten 2008 pick D.J. Augustin started to play with Felton, despite both only standing 5'11" barefoot; May was told to sit down until he was totally healthy; and the team's top all-around player, Gerald Wallace, helped to gel the group even in recovery from car injury-worthy injuries like his having suffered a punctured lung from a nasty fall in midseason, and the team pushed for a legitimate playoff spot through the final few weeks of the regular season, losing out to the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers.

There is much promise under Brown's leadership, but there is also much to be improved. Unfortunately, the team overpaid for Emeka Okafor, the franchise's first-ever draft choice, chosen second in the 2004 NBA Draft; though a solid post player, Okafor has largely been a disappointment as an offensive player, and besides providing post presence as a rebounder, he does little else, so trading him for a more efficient power player would be ideal.

Also ideal would be the further seasoning of May as a healthy reserve scorer at power forward, if he ever fully recovers from microfracture surgery, while additional, productive depth at the wing positions would help to make the Bobcats even more competitive in the near future. Most importantly, with the team in the draft lottery again for the sixth consecutive year (and maybe the last consecutive year, if they get make the playoffs in 2010), Jordan and Brown will need to make a competent and wise talent evaluation for the best draft choice possible. Needing premier production at the swingman and power forwards slots, if Charlotte can acquire the likes of Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry or even Tyreke Evans, it will be another successful step in the Bobcats' path.