Thoughts on the Draft

[adam187]

Sorry guys if this thread is redundant, I just wasn't able to watch the draft or come to the chat and I just wanted to hear people's opinions and state my own (mods feel free to lock, delete, or merge this).

I was excited about moving up to 7 and 9, but also had my reservations, I think mostly because the talent for this draft was supposedly equal from about those areas to 19, where we were originally picking, with the benefit of 19 being lower expectations and less guaranteed money.

I considered the picks a little strange once I saw them, I guess because I see both Biyombo and Kemba as high risk (one is no offense, the other lacks true PG skills and NBA size), without exactly high reward. Regardless, I will cheer for these guys and they will supposedly play at 2 of our weaker but more important positions (although each figures to be a little out of place, BB is sometimes seen mostly as a PF, Kemba as a small SG).

I was a little disappointed realizing we could have had a draft of Knight and Leonard. Both of those guys have the athleticism and size that the NBA seems to demand nowadays. Only time will tell if we missed out (Leonard dropped pretty far, at first making me wonder if I was missing something, but then, by being traded to the Spurs, he is almost guaranteed "how did we miss out on that prospect" status).

At 19, we took Tobias Harris, who is going to the Bucks now, a player I was deeply interested in (you can find the thread I started on him in the Draft section) and who may prove to be a great player.

We sold away 39, Jeremy Tyler, which really depressed me. I don't think it would have been that big of a deal to take a flyer on this kid, who probably could have challenged BB for playing time. I'm tired of selling away assets for money.

But, on the bright side, if you remember how the day started, and told me that at 9 and 19, we would get Bismack and Kemba and that S-Jax would be basically swapped for Maggette, and that all we'd really lose is Livingston, that would have seemed like a pretty fair deal.

I guess I'm just wondering how others feel, since I wasn't in the chat for the immediate responses. I'd love to know what others think.

And I guess, for now, go Bismack and Kemba.

[DwiLLL]

i honestly could not of been happier one bit. I said before the draft I wanted Bismack/Kemba or Leonard/Kemba. I think this is the best draft the bobcats have ever had and I think Kemba will have a chance to have a ROY season here. Biyombo is as exciting as a prospect can get. For once I love the future of the Bobcats.

[Lextron]

I guess I like it. I dont think there is really any way to know how either of these guys will be, or even how they will be used. I am under the assumption we are in complete dismantle mode. Not only is Kemba a project but I would say a multi year project. Combine that with our "who the fuck knows" attitude at point guard and the lack of a real scorer my conclusion is that MJ/Cho are going to be going HARD at spending some $$ in FA next year on at least 1 of the big 2. Combine all that (lots of math) with the fact we will have a top 3 lottery pick and Portlands pick (Chicagos pick poofs also) = this team has the chance to be baller in 3 years. (oh and I didnt even throw in the "cash considerations from the 39th pick - i really dont know wtf that is though - but it sounds like an addition to the rebuilding war chest)

I think a lot of people were hoping for the "fix" to happen this year with 3 of the first 40 picks, but we are easily 2 years from starting to compete given the moves in front of us.

With all those assumptions and predictions I think this was a good draft.

I just want to hear Cho say something to that effect because if they think they got 2 immediate starters and we will be a .500 team within a year I will kill someone. If we are stashing picks/cash and taking some boom or busts (at a relatively low cost) I will watch intently and pray for their success.

The next 2 years will be very interesting. It just sucks this off season will really only become clear until after next offseason imo.


edit: Whats Maggette's contract after next year? I know he's at about 10 right now but if we can slash him next year that lends its self to the theory on all of the b cats moves leaning toward a big FA splash with youth a plenty around.

[ohara831]

I loved it. Love Kemba and Biyombo to be, with Hendo, the face of this franchise for years to come. I have always liked DJ, but he does not do well when challenged, either by Ray or Flip Murray in the past. he is not a leader. Last night, we drafted 2 young men who will be leaders of this team for the next decade. We bought Jax low, and we sold high. Just what you are supposed to do.

[Lextron]

just read that the 39th pick was sold for around 2mil.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=draftbreakdown-110624

3rd from last paragraph/bullet point

[Chef]

bb: low risk, high reward: this draft sucked as far as stars go. leonard at best is gerald wallace, klay thompson is not special. brandon knight and BB were the only two high potential guys left. i truly think we have something cooking with cp3 through FA or else we go knight. if we get cp3 we are set at point. IF (big if) BB is 18 and is growing and can squeeze out another 1 or 1.5 inches, we have a defensive player on the level of howard. if BB is a bust he is at worst Diop on a rookie deal, an asset (big men always are) and like i said i don't think we passed up anything better outside of knight.

kemba: high name recognition which we desperately need, hard worker, good player. at worst i think he is jason terry at best he is allen iverson light. if we get cp3 he is in the perfect situation coming off the bench. if he is our long term plan at starting pg he will fail. we find out what he is this year as he will start sometimes and play alot all the time. if he is cream he will rise if not we will know exactly what he is.

i was most impressed with our trade. it is the first time we have ever clearly gotten the best part of the deal. essentially we traded #19 and livingston's waste of a contract for #7. i have hope that we have a plan and have a gm who can execute that plan.

[dnbman]

just read that the 39th pick was sold for around 2mil.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=draftbreakdown-110624

3rd from last paragraph/bullet point

That's $12M less that I was hoping, but it's o.k.

Before I talk about the draft, I think this is our situation: we are a very expensive mediocre team. Before yesterday, we would have had to taken on a lot more salary in order to get better, as none of our guys are the types of talent that carry you to a championship. We didn't have the right players for a Pistons-esque team model for success. Couple all of that with the team losing money, and clearly something had to change. So, this would seem to be the mission:

1. Move existing contracts to clear cap space and add flexibility.
2. Acquire assets, which is often youth with perceived upside. Doesn't matter if those assets are on our playoff team. They may be the chips that get us the right player.
3. Create a cost effective existence so that we're not hemorrhaging money while we rebuild.

To that extent, we clearly began moving in the direction of rebuilding. Overall, I like our approach.

A. We move Jackson, who would not have wanted to be part of a rebuilding unit, in order to turn the 19th in the 7th. That's a great trade, even if it doesn't help our salary situation too much.
B. We take Biyombo, a player that will likely display a lot of talent even if he displays a lot of decencies. Guys like that maintain their value for a long time, as plenty of teams are willing to take a risk that they can turn him into a real player. He seems to have the right attitude to get better. While there are plenty of questions about the guy, I think it was an o.k. pick to go after a potential defensive anchor that's very young. If he ends up like a young Theo Ratliff with more athleticism and less polish, I feel great about this pick.

C. We take Kemba. I have plenty of questions about the guy and don't necessarily like taking players because they're winners. (So were Okafor, Felton, May, and Morrison.) However, this guy looks like he has a place on the NBA court. At the minimum, I think he can be a Bobby Jackson type guy who provides instant offense off the bench and is a fourth quarter player. At best, he becomes a light version of AI. As long as he has some big nights and doesn't have a bad attitude, he'll maintain his value, as he's still a pretty young guy.

D. Selling the second rounder. Don't like that idea, as there were a few guys that were worth grooming at that pick. However, $2M is real money, even if it seems like a drop in the billions of NBA dollars, and I can see why the Bobcats may be more interested in cash than trying to spend time and resources on grooming a player that may never pan out. Tyler seemed like he was worth the gamble, but I get it.

Overall, I think we have a better future now, but we'll be pretty next season. That being said, as Beagle and a few others agree, next year should be much more entertaining to watch.

At some point, we're going to see a line-up of DJ, Kemba, Henderson, TT, and BB. That line-up is going to look like a tornado out on the court, for better or worse. I know I'm ready to witness a new energy on the court.
2.

[dnbman]

bb: low risk, high reward: this draft sucked as far as stars go. leonard at best is gerald wallace, klay thompson is not special. brandon knight and BB were the only two high potential guys left. i truly think we have something cooking with cp3 through FA or else we go knight. if we get cp3 we are set at point. IF (big if) BB is 18 and is growing and can squeeze out another 1 or 1.5 inches, we have a defensive player on the level of howard. if BB is a bust he is at worst Diop on a rookie deal, an asset (big men always are) and like i said i don't think we passed up anything better outside of knight.

kemba: high name recognition which we desperately need, hard worker, good player. at worst i think he is jason terry at best he is allen iverson light. if we get cp3 he is in the perfect situation coming off the bench. if he is our long term plan at starting pg he will fail. we find out what he is this year as he will start sometimes and play alot all the time. if he is cream he will rise if not we will know exactly what he is.

i was most impressed with our trade. it is the first time we have ever clearly gotten the best part of the deal. essentially we traded #19 and livingston's waste of a contract for #7. i have hope that we have a plan and have a gm who can execute that plan.

If I would have waited a few more minutes, I wouldn't have had to post.

[Chef]

If I would have waited a few more minutes, I wouldn't have had to post.

it just reinforces the fact you know what you are talking about. anyone who agrees with me is obviously a genius.

[ohara831]

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_nba/2011/06/wow-its-late-and-yet-i-blog.html

I think Bonnell id dead right about the dynamic with DJ and Kemba. I like DJ and could live with him as my starting PG. But Kemba will not be stopped in my opinion. He will work to become a leader, fight like hell for the starting PG role, and I dont know that DJ is strong enough to withstand that assault on the starting job.

[adam187]

A lot of great points. I completely discounted the leadership qualities of these two guys, something this team is sorely lacking. As time passes, I'm starting to feel more excited and that hopefully this franchise has a good plan and we're executing it.

[ohara831]

I also agree with the FO that it was best not to trade Diaw now for another 2011 pick. We had a really good start to our rebuilding in last nights draft. We accumulated pieces. I was wanting to trade him last night for another pick. But we will not be a Playoff contender next season. So wait until the next Trade Deadline and a team who is in playoff contention will want him for his skills and his expiring Contract. That is when we trade him for their 2012 1st round pick. Maybe it want be a pick before #20, but in the 2012 Draft, that will still be a good pick. And combine that with what will be our own 2012 Lottery pick, and we will go a long ways towards completing what we started last night.

[polarcat]

Overall, I'm happy with the draft. I like the potential of Biyombo, though I'd rather have Knight than Walker, but Walker will have a shot to be the man here as well, so we'll see. I'm hoping we ship Diaw and DJ out for another young player..... maybe a SF or back-up taller PG. I'm going to miss Jack, but at his age, it didn't make sense for him here. Maggette isn't the same, but production wise and age, I feel like it's a lateral move that got us Biyombo. Since Vucevic, Singleton, Hamilton and Burks were gone, nobody at 19 would've impressed me, so kudos to Cho. As for our 2nd rounder, I would've liked to have us develop Tyler, but I'm guessing the money that we received from GS is going to go towards Biyombo's buyout in order to bring him over next year. We aren't competing for a few years, but we are pretty much wiping the slate clean, going crazy-young, and hopefully we can lock down the #1 pick next year. Harrison Barnes..... come on down to the QC.

Walker
Henderson
Barnes
Thomas
Biyombo

I like it!

[dnbman]

I'd rather have Knight than Walker

Agreed, but if the true end game is Paul, Walker makes more sense. He could coexist with Paul better and be a better potential trading chip.

[bes628]

At first I was kind of pissed with Bismack Biyombo pick, mostly cause I felt with Knight on the board we should of went in that direction, but the more I learned about Biyombo, the more I like the pick and its kind of what we need right now. Yes we do have some bigs, but none of which are really great rebounders or shot blockers outside of TT. As for his offensive skill-set, I kept hearing that he has none (basically) but you know...he can make layups and dunks...thats good enough for me, If we are lucky he will take the Dwight Howard approach to his development and visit with a few vets to learn some moves. I can't wait to see how he physically matures (I promise...not gay) if he really is 18.

Kemba Walker will start for us at the 1, and will be a 20 PPG guy. Thats just how I feel about it, he's that good imo...and he's clutch. With that said, DJ is gonna get pushed to either the bench or out of town (more likely imo), so we should probably find a back up at some point. The main thing to watch with Kemba will be, can he be that 20 and 10 guy. Thats the PG we need to compete, it will remain to be seen.

All in all I grade this draft a B, it was the best we could have done with who was available. Now im interested to see who we pursue in Free Agency and if the FO is really willing to tank this season. If they are...come on down Harrison Barnes !

[dav7z]

Love all the moves last night . Looks like a team with direction now.Remember you heard the SMACK pick from me first . i even started that thread. Would love to give up DJ and Diaw to another bad team and get another 2012 loto pick. I was kinda of thinking Diaw to MINNY for Beasley and next years first unprotected . They get a vet presance they need badly . And a expiring contract. We get another loto pick .and may be a core piece in Beasley . Could you imagine two loto picks next season. Dj would be a good fit with the Heat Miller and a 2012 first round pick .

I think we have a top three pick locked up . plus a low 20tys pick. Add two more first would be crazy good.
Look at this list of studs coming out next season. Austin Rivers 11th Henson 23rd . jam packed .....
http://www.nbadraft.net/2012mock_draft

[SWedd523]

BB is the ultimate high risk high reward player. We're due for at least one draft pick to pan out so Let's hope we got one piece of our future front court.

I think Kemba is going to take the starting spot from DJ before long. He has too much competitive fire to have a wet weiney like DJ keep him on the bench. Hopefully that competition makes both of them much better and we can ship one out for another pick next year or another wing.

Would've liked to keep Tyler, but at $2mil, he just paid for Kwame's new contract this year.

[bes628]

Would've liked to keep Tyler, but at $2mil, he just paid for Kwame's new contract this year.

Or Biyombo's spain contract buyout.

[LiquidWayno]

Best draft we've ever had. Not saying much, but I like the instant offense Kemba can bring (he'll make love to pressure) & the instant D of Biyombo. If the Tyler money helps bail out Biyombo & resign Kwame then that was a beautiful move.

[SWedd523]

Or Biyombo's spain contract buyout.
there is no buyout. He's a Free Agent.




Q. There seems to be some confusion as to whether there's a buyout problem with your Spanish team. Are you going to be able to play in the NBA next season?
BISMACK BIYOMBO: Yeah, I'm going to play in the NBA next season. I'll a free agent right now, you know, after I leave the team, going to the Hoop Summitt, they didn't want to let me go. There was something happened with the team, and we break the contract, so I'm a free agent and next year I'm going to be in the NBA.

[WAM9]

I agree for the most part with the excellent breakdowns that have already been stated.

In summary though, I too think this is probably the best draft we have had ever had. This is especially true from the front office. Great deals and great picks. Excellent day overall.

Someone else had already said this in another thread but I thought it was particularly true..."We actually drafted like we have a plan and direction".

Go Bobcats!