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Following the worst season in NBA history in terms of win percentage, the Charlotte Bobcats could only go up from the depths of despair their fans suffered through. Everyone wondered what direction the Bobcats would go in, including both the draft and offseason moves. Michael Jordan was under much scrutiny considering his past failures with draft picks. However, this year there were no surprises as he took what most thought was the right choice.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a solid draft choice that can contribute in several different ways. His offensive game is still developing, but he is by no means raw, all the while being a great defender.
There is nothing questionable about this pick. The Bobcats knew the talent level he had and knew he was definitely NBA ready. He should be a key contributor for Charlotte come day one for Michael Jordan and co.
Although the Bobcats did lose two key contributors in Corey Maggette and D.J Augustin, they acquired Ben Gordon from Detroit while picking up Ramon Sessions in free agency. With the addition of Gordon, Charlotte now has a reliable shooter, particularly from outside. Ramon Sessions, on the other hand will take some of the pressure off Kemba Walker, which will allow him to open up his game. Acquiring these two players will put some experience in the locker room and increase the talent level for Charlotte.
Despite still being a below-average team, Charlotte will be somewhat more competitive than last year. Don’t read into this too much, because I still know they will be well below .500. However, with the talent level increasing, along with upper management continuing to make key acquisitions and draft picks, Charlotte could greatly improve over the next few years.
This team still has a long way to go, but I like what they have done this offseason. Adding some more scoring in Ben Gordon, and a veteran point guard who can help run the floor in Ramon Sessions, will help create more balance with this team. Charlotte can only go up from what they did last year, and this is the attitude they need to bring going into the season.
Michael Jordan and the Bobcats organization should be happy with the roster moves they have made this offseason. They have done a solid job with what little they had to work with. For this, I grade their offseason a:
C+
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