By now most of you avid NBA fanatics are quite familiar with all the potential draft picks coming out this year. Even if youve never seen them play, the dedicated crew here at DraftExpress has analyzed and dissected every potential draftee down to the finest point. But, now that the players are in place and the board is set you may be asking yourself how a particular player may fit into the rotation your team will put on the floor next season. We are going to attempt to do just that.
Charlotte Bobcats
Depth Chart: How the Team Stacks Up
Our first team up for analysis is Charlotte. Lets take a look at the current roster and see just how that 5th and 13th pick will best serve David Sterns newest member of the NBA family.
C- Primoz Brezec/Melvin Ely
PF-Emeka Okafor/Malik Allen
SF-Gerald Wallace/Jason Kapono
SG- Keith Bogans/Kareem Rush
PG-Brevin Knight/Jason Hart
Charlottes frontcourt is probably its greatest strength, in no small part thanks to the presence of Emeka Okafor. The 2nd year big man is a force on both ends of the court. Already known as a defensive wizard back in Connecticut, Okafor showed a surprising offensive arsenal when he arrived to the show and by mid season was putting up 20/10 games with regularity.
Primoz Brezec was also a nice surprise as the 2 years spent sitting on Indianas bench obviously paid dividends. Brezec has a nice face-up game that really opens up the interior for Okafor to attack the basket. A solid rebounder and smart decision maker, Brezec corrals just about every rebound that Okafor doesnt get his hands on. Together they make a terrific tandem.
Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, and Brevin Knight make up the rest of the Bobcats starting rotation. Wallace is a super-athletic slashing forward whos stellar defense and ability to finish more than make up for his shaky jump-shot.
Bogans and Knight are also solid players, though the limitations in their game often leave the Bobcats short when it matters most. Neither player is a particularly reliable threat from the perimeter. While Bogans can catch, fire and knock jumpers down with a fury, too often his shot will leave him and his team in the lurch. Knight has no jumper at all. In fact, its a credit to his court vision that he was able to finish second in the league in assists when no defender had to respect his shot whatsoever.
These are the two positions that must be improved if Charlotte is to make significant progress in their quest to reach the playoffs.
and with the 5th pick in the 2005 NBA draft
First and foremost Charlotte needs a point guard to run the show. Fortunately for them this years class is rife with highly talented point guards who should all be long time NBA players. What the draft is short on this year is shooting guards, which is surprising because thats a position that typically is considered dime a dozen.
If we decide to forget about free agent speculation and focus solely on the draft, it then becomes necessary for Charlotte to grab an off-guard with their first pick. Depending on whether or not the Trailblazers decide to trade their pick, Gerald Green could end up being available at #5 if a team moving into the third spot takes Chris Paul and Deron Williams goes fourth as expected. Green is considered to be the best high school prospect and has been compared to Tracy McGrady by some observers.
While that comparison may be questionable, there is no question that Green is a tremendous athlete who brings a solid skill-set to the table. Green is gifted on both ends of the court and could form a very nice defensive combo with swing-mate Gerald Wallace. In fact, Greens athleticism reminds me very much of Wallace and will certainly provide for many high-flying high jinks that are sure to pump up both his teammates and the Charlotte faithful.
Greens greatest contribution offensively will be his deadly jumper. With teams focusing so much attention on Okafor down on the box, Green should be able to wreak havoc on opponents by sliding around the perimeter and waiting for the kick out. His defender will be forced to respect Greens shot and this should allow him to ball fake his way into the lane, at that point his options will be innumerable as the opposing defenders will be completely out of position.
While his strength must improve, Green should be able to get playing time right away because he brings more to the shooting guard position than anyone currently on the Bobcats team. Look for 15-20 minutes per game out of him early in the season with an expanding role as he gets more comfortable on the court. Id say his progress will be very similar to that of JR Smith from last year, definitely ready to contribute right off the bat.
and with the 13th pick in the 2005 NBA draft
This is an enviable position to be in for the Bobcats. Thanks to some shrewd front office maneuvering, the Bobcats were able to snag Clevelands first round pick and will have the ability to fill another team need.
As currently projected Charlotte should be looking at Jarrett Jack. While the ramblin wreck may not be as flashy as Raymond Felton or Chris Paul, he is by far the largest, strongest and most authoritative point guard of this draft. For some reason he reminds me very much of a young Mark Jackson, always with his head up and ever aware of the situation on the court. Jack is a much better shooter than Jackson was at this stage in their careers, thanks to a tireless work-ethic, and will provide a very solid perimeter shooting option when the ball swings around to him.
Offense shouldnt be a priority for Jack on this Bobcats team either. With Okafor, Green, Brezec and Wallace all on the court with him at any given time Jack should fit in nicely as the fifth option where he can focus mainly on his role as facilitator and true pass-first floor general, a role hes ideally suited for, as opposed to the one he was forced into at Georgia Tech.
Jacks greatest impact will be on the defensive end. The Bobcats are projecting to be an extremely solid defensive team, maybe even a top 10 club. Okafor is as good an intimidator as there is and both he and Brezec will control the glass and hit the outlet man without hesitation. The brothers Gerald, Green and Wallace, are both plus perimeter defenders with shot-blocking and steal capability as well as solid rebounding instincts.
As the head of this attack, Jack should be able to bump, shove, knee, and flat-out intimidate his man from three-quarter court all the way into the half-court set. With the type of strength and pressure Jack exerts on the ball handler there will be significantly less time on the shot clock for the opposing team to get into its offensive sets. With the two Geralds guarding their men closely and the ominous presence of Okafor lurking under the basket no one will look forward to facing this team.
Jack should be the starter from day one. I cant imagine either Knight or Hart beating him out in training camp. After carrying a talent-weak Georgia Tech squad for the better part of the last three years Jack should feel like a kid in a candy store with the options he has now. Jack is ideally suited for playing on a team with a dominant big man as he wont be asked to create offense for himself off the dribble and will be able to focus on setting the table. Id look for 30 minutes per game out of Jack within a month of the seasons beginning.