Charlotte Bobcats Pick Two Big Board
Feb 16, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Kelly Olynyk (13) during the first half against the San Francisco Dons at War Memorial Gym. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The other day Roberto Gato went over what the Charlotte Bobcats should make their big board look like.
Today, we look at what they should do with what would right now be the 14th pick in the 2013 NBA draft.
The Bobcats own Portland’s pick this year, as long it doesn’t end up being a top 12 selection.
Here is what the Charlotte Bobcats second pick big board should look like right now. The following top five is based off need, talent, and potential (in that order. Also, realistic availability… No Cody Zeller or Ben McLemore with pick 14, guys).
1. Glenn Robinson III
This kid is nothing short of a college star. He could turn into an NBA star, too. He’s 6-6 220 lbs and he can play small forward and shooting guard. Robinson is averaging almost 12 points on 57 percent shooting, and 38 percent three-point shooting. He’s also averaging 5.6 boards per game. His most impressive stat, though, is a combination of his offensive rating and usage rate. Robinson’s O-rating (points produced per 100 possessions) is a blistering 132. His usage rate (percentage of team plays used by a player while he’s on the floor) is just 16. That means he can be very productive offensively without dominating the ball, and that’s a great sign since he’s just a freshman.
2. Kelly Olynyk
Yes, the Bobcats once drafted a Gonzaga Bulldog in what has gone down as one of the worst draft decisions of all time. But Olynyk will at the very least be a solid rotation player in the NBA, and that’s more than can be said for many players that will be taken in the teens and 20s of this (or any) draft. The junior is averaging 18 points and seven rebounds on a mind-numbingly efficient 65 percent shooting. He’s also got range out to the three-point line; Olynyk is shooting threes at a 36 percent clip this season. He’s a legit seven-footer and at 238 pounds, he’ll be able to bang with most low-post players as a rookie next season.
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
I almost put this guy first on this list, but something held me up. I’m not sure what it is, because he’s basically the only reason the University of Georgia isn’t battling my South Carolina Gamecocks to stay out of the SEC’s basement this year. The sophomore is averaging 17.7 points, and 6.6 rebounds. He’s not a wildly efficient shooter, but at 45 percent FG% and 37 percent 3pt%, Caldwell-Pope certainly isn’t a horrible shooter, either. He’s big, too, at 6-5 205 lbs, and if it weren’t for the fact that he plays for the Dawgs, he’d probably be considered a lottery pick right now. Consider Caldwell-Pope my way-too-early “steal of the draft”.
4. Isaiah Austin
The Baylor Bear is one of the hardest players to figure out in this year’s draft. He’s 7-2, 220 lbs, and he’s averaging close to a double-double at 13.6 points and 9.2 rebounds, but he’s shooting just 47 percent. For a center, that’s not too good. He’s also a horrible free-throw shooter. Austin isn’t a guy the ‘Cats should absolutely pull the trigger on, but he’s better than a lot of players they could take with 14th pick this year.
5. Mason Plumlee
This guy might be a long-shot at 14, but that’s not a bad thing for Charlotte. It’s not that I don’t think he’ll have a decent NBA career, it’s that I really think he’ll only have a decent NBA career. In Plumlee I see a guy who’s going to come into the league as a 10 pt, five rebound guy off the bench, and maybe only have one or two season better than that. There are so many other players the ‘Cats could take with this pick that have more room to grow than Plumlee, but, then again, drafting any of those guys is a lot riskier than taking Plumlee.
Stick with Roberto Gato as the season goes on for updates on this (the 14th, right now) draft pick. Portland looks like they’re going to have to give this one up, but there’s plenty of season left for them to either tank, or rocket up the rankings and leave the Bobcats with an undesirable second pick somewhere in the early 20s. Also, who’s to say the ‘Cats aren’t trying to package this pick with Gerald Henderson or Gana Diop’s expiring contract before the deadline to get some NBA ready talent on their roster now?