Why am I so excited about the draft?

[Edrow]

There is something very special about this draft. Something unique from the previous ones in the Bobcats' short history. Let me bore you with a little background of what I'm talking about. I'm only 24, so I grew up watching the NBA during the period when Shaq was drafted, Jordan was murdering teams, and Stockton was playing hot potato with the basketball. EA Sports was developing their NBA Live franchise, and the All-Star Slam Dunk competition caused many of us to break furniture at home with our nerf hoops attached to doors. After the decline of the Charlotte Hornets, I turned my back on basketball. It pains me to say that, but I can't lie. I felt betrayed by my team and my devil of an owner George Shinn (Are you listening to this, NHL?). When the Bobcats became a franchise I paid attention, but like the stubborn sports fan that I am, created a fictional "two year probationary period" clause for the team. This clause was simple. When asked if I was a Bocats fan, I had a pre-rehearsed reply: "I am a Bobcats fan, but I will not be a real fan until their third year". So last fall there I was. I got my Felton jersey, I started researching like hell about who we had on the team, and I even got to catch a few games (I lived in Miami for those three years, so my live-Bobcats time is limited). I was back, and the NBA and Bobcats organization welcomed me with open arms.

On to my point. This draft has done something that I haven't seen in years. ESPN is going crazy about the draft. The Observer is half-assed going crazy about the draft. Even my Dad is going crazy about the draft. Tomorrow night has all the makeup of a prize fight. The guts of the hype includes trades, free agency, and one mean looking center whose chances are dominating are, to quote "Meet The Parents", strong to...quite strong. The tension rises each day the draft gets closer. Phones are ringing with opinions about who we will draft. Trash talk is being spit left and right. I feel like the Panthers are getting ready to play the Cowboys in the playoffs or something. Bottom line is this folks, I don't care about what the Nielson (sp?) ratings say, the NBA and the Bobcats are heading in the right direction. I'm proud to say that I'll be there for the ride.

-Edrow

P.S.- I got a call from the Bobcats yesterday. They were promoting their Party on the Plaza draft party tomorrow night. Imagine the response I got when I told the representative that I would be attending a message board chat because of post-drafting Noah safety reasons

[Dead_Real]

Good read man but yea I agree with you're statement about the draft wholeheartedly. The road to the draft is always an exciting time more so then ever this year because I have no clue what we are going to do stay whether it be staying put (the 8th pick), trade down or up etc. and of course who we are going to draft.

[dav7z]

Edrow great read and i agree with you about this being a special draft. I have no clue as to what we going to do. Good read lets try to up your rep

[dnbman]

I know what you mean about the draft.

One of the announcers on ESPN mentioned the other day that this is the first draft in a while where there have been a lot of good prospects that people have actually seen play. Two years ago, the draft was riddled with high school prospects and foreign players that most of us never saw play prior to the draft.

This year only Yi is a real question mark. Even the foreign guys like Fernandez, Splitter and Belinelli we've seen in the world championships.

We were talking on another board how several of us are actually more excited about the second pick than we are the first. For the most part, that first pick is pretty safe, even if we make the dubious Noah pick. But that second pick could be boom or bust. Plus, there are so many good options and so many different directions we can go in with the second pick.

It's definitely going to be an exciting draft. I think I've hit the refresh button on my NBA info sites about 200 times a day for the last week. The next 24 hours should be pretty exciting. I'm just hoping it doesn't turn into the mid-season trade deadline this past year, where 100 different probably scenarios are discussed and nobody of significance gets traded.

[timang]

edrow, i highly suggest you blog for bobcatsplanet. great read.

i think what's really special about this draft is because of it's uncertainty. the more we don't know on what the NBA teams are going to do, the more it generates excitement, and i do hope we do good on this draft. go bobcats!

[dvdbumpus]

Excellent post, let's up your rep.

I was a Hornet's fan too, but turned my back on all sports until the beginning of the Bobcats. Once the bobcats came about, I had my team to know and love - and I would not be a bandwagoneer! It was my own team, from day 1. I watched the draft, jumping in excitement from drafting Okafor instead of Howard, being stoked about the stud Felton, being bummed out about May instead of Gerald Green, and being so so on Morrison. This years draft has had such a buzz on it like I've never experienced. Other than 1 and 2, who the HELL knows what anyone is going to do.

There has never been so much confusion as long as I have watched.