Michael Jordan hoped that it wouldn’t come to this. He truly
needs a game-changer to turn his woeful Charlotte Bobcats franchise around
which may be why he had his team tank the season in order to acquire the first
pick in the draft and the right to draft Anthony Davis.
Acquiring the number one pick would have made Jordan’s life
so much easier because unlike the 2001 draft when Jordan was with the
Washington Wizards, there is a clear consensus on who the first pick should be
this year. Even Jordan couldn’t have screwed this year’s top pick up.
But fate would never make things that easy for Mr. Jordan.
Despite having the greatest odds at receiving the number one overall pick, the
Bobcats will be picking second overall instead.
And therein lies the problem for Jordan. There is plenty of
talent in this draft after Davis but no player with the ability to impact a franchise
the way Davis is expected to.
The prospects that most draft
experts expect to go with the picks immediately following Davis are Michael
Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond and Harrison Barnes.
Each one of these guys brings something different to the table but neither guy
looks to be the type of player to build a team around.
Kidd-Gilchrist and Robinson are
high-motor type players that will infuse a team with their vibrant energy but
both are sorely lacking in the skill department. Kidd-Gilchrist who played for Kentucky has major
short-comings on the offensive side of the ball but he has shown the ability to
be a defensive specialist.
If he were a tall rebounder and
shot-blocker like Davis then that wouldn’t be an issue but you can’t build
around a 6’7” defensive specialist.
Robinson who played for Kansas, showed
flashes of a developing jump shot during the NCAA tournament but he is still
challenged offensively. On top of that, he also lacks height to play the power
forward position.
Bradley Beal played at Florida and is considered to be one of the
best shooters in the draft but he is a little on the short side for a shooting guard.
While he is listed at 6’4”, most believe he is actually an inch shorter. Beal
has been compared to Eric Gordon but he doesn’t possess Gordon’s athleticism or
ability to create off the dribble.
Harrison Barnes who played for North Carolina is another jump
shooter who lacks athleticism. He is much taller at 6’8” and has a high
basketball I.Q. but many doubt he will make a big impact with any ball club. If
anything it is possible that he will have a long career in the league though.
Drummond has the athleticism and ability
to make the biggest impact of all the players that will be drafted in the top
five picks of the draft. Drummond who played at the University of Connecticut, is a legitimate 6’10” and weighs in around 270
pounds. He’s strong, fast and has shown the ability to score facing the basket
and with his back to the basket.
Drummond’s problem is a perceived
lack of motivation.
Despite his immense talent,
Drummond didn’t put up the kind of stats you would expect from a player with
all of his ability. Drummond could end up being the best player from this draft
or another Kwame Brown-type bust which would just add to Jordan’s poor draft
history.
So instead of taking the easy
route that would have come with acquiring the first pick, Jordan will be forced
to show that he has learned from his past draft failures. Can he hit a homerun
with the second pick or will he strike out once again? We’ll find out soon
enough.
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Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at sportmentalist@yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
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