Bobcats Finally Draft Winners...?

[Dpantherman]

That remains to be seen, because we haven't seen in the NBA, but for right now it appears so. Here is what they are saying:

...Prior to the start of Thursday's draft, Charlotte sent Stephen Jackson to the Milwaukee Bucks in return for swingman Corey Maggette as part of a three-way deal with the Sacramento Kings which landed the Bobcats the No.7 and No. 9 picks in the draft, which were used on used to select Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo.

Walker, who led Connecticut to a national championship as a junior this season, showcased his ability to score the basketball and use his quickness and ball-handling ability to get to any spot on the basketball court. Walker plays much bigger than his six foot frame might suggest and his ability to create space between himself and his defender is undeniable.

A pass-first point guard during his first two seasons under Huskies' Coach Jim Calhoun, Walker has proven that he can run a basketball team but is also an extremely talented scorer and a fierce competitor.

Biyombo is a 6-9 power forward/center who seemingly came out of nowhere over the last year to emerge as a legitimate lottery selection. With a 7-7 wingspan, spectacular athleticism, a non-stop motor and ridiculous shot-blocking ability, the Congolese big man should be able to step in an immediately make an impact on the defensive end of the floor, although he is extremely raw offensively.

... Walker and Biyombo give the Bobcats a polished and experienced lead guard as well as perhaps the most intriguing big man in the draft

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?STORY_ID=20250

In a day, the Bobcats transformed Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, the No.9 and No.19 into Corey Maggette, Bismack Biyombo, and Kemba Walker. That's a great haul. I've never been big on either of the Bobcats' draft picks, but when you consider the balance between an athletic super-freak who is unrefined and an established winner with limited upside, the Bobcats managed to grab two of the most hyped players in the draft. Biyombo provides length and athleticism to pair with Tyrus Thomas. Walker creates a complication at point guard with D.J. Augustin already being an undersized point guard. But Augustin has never won over the Bobcats organization and Walker will be given every chance to compete for the starting role. If his size issues aren't as much a concern as they've been made out to be, and if his shot creation translates to the next level, the Bobcats have just instantly created their foundation for the future while ditching one of their biggest contracts. A great start for the Cho era in Charlotte.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/30222126

Charlotte was able to cross off some major objectives on their offseason checklist. First, they were able get younger with two players they had targeted, acquiring the No. 7 pick from the Kings and keeping their No. 9 pick. That allowed them to take big man Bismack Biyombo, a guy who, with forward Tyrus Thomas, gives them two very active shot-blockers. Second, they were also able to take polished Connecticut guard Kemba Walker, who will compete with D.J. Augustin at point guard, and will certainly be on the court with him at times. Third, they were able to get bigger, essentially swapping a veteran guard (Stephen Jackson) with Milwaukee for a veteran who can play both forward spots (Corey Maggette).

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/feed/2011-03/2011-nba-draft/story/breaking-down-the-winners-and-losing-of-the-2011-nba-draft#ixzz1QCPfMfIV

[GotSwag?]

I think we will eventually see DJ and Diaw traded. I just think we have a bright future now with:

Kemba - big time scorer for a PG.

Henderson - very good defender, good mid range game

Thomas - good young player..shot blocker/rebounder

Biyombo - same mold as Thomas

Just hold onto these guys and build around them.

[CarolinaNut]

i thought yesterday was an outstanding day for the bobcats from the trade to the draft

big props to cho!

anybody know when they will have the introductory press conference with kemba and bismack?

[Dpantherman]

Ric Bucher, Andy Katz, and Skip Bayless are going to debate the Bobcats draft this morning on First Take, ESPNews. Should be like in the next 5-10 minutes or so.

[cdandi1]

i thought yesterday was an outstanding day for the bobcats from the trade to the draft

big props to cho!

anybody know when they will have the introductory press conference with kemba and bismack?

I think the press conference (according to WFNZ this morning) is today around 12:30. Kemba was on the Mac Attack this morning and I think Biyombo is already in charlotte as well.

[tarheelpride]

Can I get a recap....won't be near a tv until well after 7 this evening

[CarolinaNut]

Ric Bucher, Andy Katz, and Skip Bayless are going to debate the Bobcats draft this morning on First Take, ESPNews. Should be like in the next 5-10 minutes or so.

i can just hear bayless hating

[Dpantherman]

Paraphrasing here:

Ric- Kemba and Bismack don't really fit together. MJ is looking for the player that has his own instincts, etc and ends up letting himself down. Kemba > Jimmer. Still gave us a D.

Andy- No to Bismack, yes to Kemba, but hes concerned about what kind of help Kemba has. C-

Skip- MJ is the classic example of why great players rarely make great coaches or GMs. He unbuilt the Bobcats into the worst team in the NBA. He gives it a D at best. Respects kemba's heart, but hes a scoring PG that can't really score in the NBa. Poor mans Eric Gordon, not a starter. He basically pooted on the draft.

Honestly, I think this is more of an MJ being GM thing than anything, because they all mentioned it. Reminiscent of Darin Gantt's critiques from last night.

[cbarrier90]

D, D, and C-

That being said, the Lakers' segment is coming up, and they'll call their four second-round picks slam dunks, even though I never heard of any of them outside of Goudelock.

I hate ESPN...

[CarolinaNut]

idiots...that's all that needs to be said!

[GotSwag?]

Other than a few, Ive seen tons of guys give Bobcats mad props for this draft. It was a great trade for Charlotte regardless of what those bozos say.

[cbarrier90]

The biggest issue I had with their analysis was that they were being completely short-sighted, saying that we had basically cleaned house and had turned the team into perhaps the worst in the NBA.

In the short-term, yes, that was an awful trade and doesn't give us the best chance to win next season, but the intention for this draft was never to draft to be an immediate contender in the first place. In fact, one could argue that the purpose was to, in fact, get worse.

It's sad that two draft "experts" like Bucher and Katz couldn't even look at this draft in terms of a two to three-year process.

[CarolinaNut]

The biggest issue I had with their analysis was that they were being completely short-sighted, saying that we had basically cleaned house and had turned the team into perhaps the worst in the NBA.

In the short-term, yes, that was an awful trade and doesn't give us the best chance to win next season, but the intention for this draft was never to draft to be an immediate contender in the first place. In fact, one could argue that the purpose was to, in fact, get worse.

It's sad that two draft "experts" like Bucher and Katz couldn't even look at this draft in terms of a two to three-year process.

ric bucher and andy katz are not draft experts

[Mvp2014]

Love it