The Hornets and the 2014 NBA Draft

As the Carolina Panthers lost their 2nd game of the 2013 season, it serves as a potent reminder that professional sports in Charlotte, North Carolina are not at their apex (hopefully). The Panthers and the Hornets are both winning less than local fans wish and definitely less than we had hoped for over the past few years. Local sports radio had mostly pegged the Panthers as a .500 team, and at this point, they are going to have a hard time reaching that record. This depressing beginning to the football season has turned my thoughts toward the Charlotte Bobcat/Hornets!

Confession time: I was born and raised an Indiana Hoosier. Basketball is in my blood, and is by far my favorite sport. I was beyond excited to move to the Queen City and be close to a professional team. Therefore, when you combine the local professional team with my favorite player from back home, Cody Zeller, my excitement level shot through the roof! However, I think we know that the Bobcats are not much further along in their franchise development that the Panthers, and may actually be far behind. This is a team without an identity, a team without a star player, a team without a winning culture. So, since we know that we will be in it, I would like to take a look at the next step in the Bobcats development, the 2014 NBA Draft.

First, to establish the fact that the Bobcats will in fact be one of the 14 worst teams in the NBA. Here is the list of teams that COULD be worse than Charlotte in the 2013-2014 NBA regular season: Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76’ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings. 7 teams. Even if the Bobcats out performed every team that I just listed, we would still land firmly in the top 14 picks. We just are not close to playoff contention yet. A terrible defense and inexperienced offense will assure that we get a high pick.

Second, I want to talk about why I am so excited about the 2014 Draft. It is well documented among NBA blogging circles that the 2014 draft class is one of the most talented in the last decade, and maybe the deepest draft in terms of top to bottom talent in the last 20 years. This draft is loaded. So, lets look at some of the players that could fall into the Bobcat’s lap as they transition back to the Charlotte Hornets!

Andrew Wiggins

Julius Randle

Dante Exum

Jabari Parker

Aaron Gordon

Marcus Smart

Joel Embiid

Andrew Harrison

Wayne Selden

Montrezl Harrell

Gary Harris

Dario Saric

Chris Walker

Those are 13 players. Out of those 13, there is not a single one that I would not be excited about if the Bobcats drafted them. Now, lets take a closer look at the 5 most likely picks if the Bobcats finish with their projected 4th worst record (ESPN.com)

1. Dante Exum:

Exum is a 6’6” scoring point guard from Australia. His draft stock has dramatically risen since the FIBA U19 contest, where he dominated opponents and led an overachieving team to the semifinals. The Bobcats would love a player of his ilk to play both on and off the ball, completing their backcourt of the future with Kemba Walker and MKG.

2. Jabari Parker

Parker is one of the new class of over-analyzed American high school stars. He has been a known commodity in the recruiting world for several years, and only slipped from #1 in his class when Andrew Wiggins reclassified and Julius Randle exploded. Parker is an incredibly sound small forward. He can shoot, create for others, rebound, and get to the rim. He is not an otherworldy athlete, but he is still certainly athletically gifted. The Bobcats would plug him in at the 3 and not miss a beat, whether he started over MKG or came off the bench.

3. Aaron Gordon

Blake Griffin lite will be attempting to become a small forward at Arizona this college basketball season. Gordon is incredibly bouncy, and a full effort player. His only limitation is that he is an inch or so shorter than preferable for a power forward. His shot is not a finished product, but he can dunk on the entire world at once, and would contribute to a blue-collar culture that Cody Zeller brings to the Bobcats. If he proves to be a capable 3, Gordon could be a top 3 player in this class.

4. Marcus Smart/Andrew Harrison

I mention these two only because it isn’t smart to pass on talent. Sometimes you simply grab the best player available and work with it. Kemba Walker blossomed as a sophomore, and should cement himself as a top 15 point guard this year (said as a fan!). But if choices 1, 2, and 3 are gone, Smart and Harrison are both rugged point guards who possess more natural physical talent than Walker. Both can defend point guards or shooting guards, both need to work on their jumpshots, and Smart has proven himself to have the same kind of winning mindset that Bobcats fans have come to love in Kemba Walker.

5. Joel Embiid

Rick Pitino loves this kid, and there is a lot to like. He is an athletic, 7 foot teenager who likes to dunk on people and block shots. However, I chose him to be last on my list because the Bobcats drafted one of those guys 2 years ago named Bismack Biyombo who hasn’t quite developed as hoped yet. Embiid is very gifted athletically, but he lacks and consistent offensive game. If the Bobcats drafted him, there would need to be a ton of work to develop Embiid into a consistent offensive contributor.

Those are the 5 players that I think the Bobcats are most likely to draft, unless David Stern decides to stop screwing us and give us the #1 pick overall. That would be nice.

Again, there are 13+ players in this draft that I love! The Bobcats are going to get quality with their first round pick, and possibly with the pick that we are owed from the Pistons as well. There is a lot to be excited for in #BuzzCity!

One man's trash...

Hi. I am going to write this, you are going to ignore it, but my creative needs for the next 2-3 years will have been met.

Michael Beasley: One of the best college freshman in the last 30 years, 2nd overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat...and that seems to be where the good news stops. Beasley was traded in 2010 to the Minnesota Timberwolves to clear cap room for Lebron James. In Minnesota he managed to put up good scoring numbers, but was unable to consistent in any other facet of the game. In 2012, Beasley scored a 3 year deal with the Phoenix Suns. He was subsequently cut earlier this month by the Suns for 4th (or 5th, depending on how you read the news) instance with marijuana. The Phoenix front office said that they cared for Beasley, but they needed to maintain the professional standards of the Suns. Last week, Michael Beasley resigned with the Heat with a non-guaranteed deal. Meaning, if he makes the team, they will honor the contract.

All of that background information brings me to this question: Is it a good idea for a General Manager to take a chance on a player who is a chronic headache? Beasley has been berated for poor defensive effort, shoddy fundamentals, and poor focus on the game at every stop he has made. Is Pat Riley making a mistake by signing him, even if it is to a non-guaranteed deal? A few points:

• Michael Beasley is incredibly talented

You don’t get chosen 2nd overall in the NBA Draft unless you have some serious skills. Beasley is Lamar Odom 2.0 (without the pills). He is versatile, agile, athletic, and a skilled shooter. If he makes the Heat, he could theoretically bring a skillset that the team would otherwise not have. 

• The Heat are different than when he left

When Beasley was traded in 2010, the Heat replaced him with Chris Bosh, Lebron James, and eventually Shane Battier. If those three, with Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley, can’t put Michael Beasley on the straight and narrow, then I don’t think anyone could. The team structure and climate is so strong in Miami that players can’t help but behave. Lebron and Co. will not accept any less than Beasley’s best in training camp. 

• Again, non-guaranteed contract.

If Beasley doesn’t show up to training camp in great shape, if he doesn’t work hard every single rep during camp, or if he has a single authority issue, just cut him. Easy as pie.

I think Pat Riley made a wise decision as he tries to extend the Heat’s title window. Reclamation projects like Greg Oden and Michael Beasley cost the team little money, don’t threaten the Heat’s locker room (because of the strong leaders already there), and give the team an unexpected bonus if they pan out. Here’s hoping!