Bobcats Mock Draft Version 3.0
By Editorial Staff
The Bobcats have updated their mock draft aggregate on their website. Then I remembered we haven’t looked at the mocks in almost a month. I’m really getting anxious about this whole deal. Has Rich Cho had enough time with the Bobcats to make a difference? Will there be any trades? I am overvaluing mid-level guys just in hopes of something working out that has no shot in the first place? Just get it over with and we can shake it out after.
I think Rich hit it right on the head in his initial interview with Rick Bonnell: “I think we need some shooting and another big man.” There aren’t big men, outside of Enes Kanter and the Lithuanians Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas. We all know how I feel about European big men. Another name that’s climbing and falling and climbing again is Bismack Biyombo. This guy has had more profiles than a police lineup when they say “turn to the left.” I get that he’s something different, raw, talented, a great story, no one knows how old he is. Just sort of a marvel to scouts and wanna-be GM’s. He’s 6’9″ but his hands must be touching his knees or calves when he is standing. He blocks shots but he apparently embarrassed himself in that “1 on none drill and he lost,” at this past week’s adidas Eurocamp.
As for that crop of big guys, you can add Tristan Thompson and the Morris twins to that group as well, I don’t see one of them making me want to take that leap at #9. None of DraftExpress’s top 7 Big Men really appeal to me, but then again, what do I know? I haven’t watched film on any of them, haven’t watched any games with any of those guys. I guess my ignorance sort of precludes my opinion but my ignorance is also telling in that these guys don’t have a huge body of work from which to pull.
I believe shooters are what are needed. Not slashers or just scorers, shooters. Jack is a slasher/scorer, especially since he dropped the weight. Same with DJ Augustin and Gerald Henderson, except Henderson is known more for his defense than anything. Tyrus Thomas is Mr. Midrange and put back. The scoring wasn’t completely lacking after Paul Silas took over for Larry Brown just before Christmas. Shooters will keep opposing defenses honest for the slashers to be more effective. It’s hard to find a guy with a consistent jumper, especially coming out of the NCAA. The only ones you can say are consistently good, all year were Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette. When you look at NBADraft.net’s rankings by position you see maybe another name that jumps out as a shooter: Klay Thompson.
With Kemba likely off the board long before #9 and reports today that the Bobcats do not want to take Jimmer Fredette, you have to look at Thompson or Leonard at #9. I wouldn’t take Fredette at #9, if he falls to #19 for some reason I definitely would. Although that article I linked to is by Scott Fowler of the Observer, a columnist, not a reporter, and is completely steeped in his own misgivings about the AP Player of the Year, I tend to agree that you don’t reach for the Jimmer there.
I am really looking at #9 right now. 10 picks later, a lot would have gone down to that point, so we shall see what falls to the Bobcats there, it’s not so much a decision as taking who is left. Like the process of elimination is taken care of for you at the #19 spot. I have said it before but I’ll say it again here: this team doesn’t have any golden calves. No one is sacred. If you are in the lottery, you have more than one or two holes to be filled. So here’s what the experts are showing us at this point:
Here is the initial list I compiled:
SITE Original Pick (5/3) (5/19) Today (6/20)
NBADraft.net Alec Burks (G) Colorado Tristan Thompson (PF) Texas Marcus Morris (PF)Kansas
ESPN.com (Ford) Terrance Jones (SF) Kentucky Bismack Biyombo (PF) Congo Marcus Morris (PF)Kansas
FirstRegime.com Marcus Morris (PF) Kansas (Unchanged)
DraftSite.com Bismack Biyombo (PF) Congo Tristan Thompson (PF)Texas
HoopsAddict.com Jan Vesely (SF) Czech Marcus Morris (PF) Kansas Marcus Morris (PF)Kansas
NBADraftRoom.com Marcus Morris (PF) Kansas Bismack Biyombo (PF) Congo Jan Vesely (PF)Czech
DraftExpress.com Donatas Motiejunas (PF/C) Lithuania (Unchanged) Kawhi Leonard (SF)San Diego St.
WalterFootball.com Jonas Valanciunas (PF/C) Lithuania (Unchanged)
MyNBADraft.com Terrence Jones (SF) Kentucky Jonas Valanciunas (PF/C) Lithuania Kemba Walker (PG)UConn
Then in the 2.0 I went to these:
SITE (5/19) Today (6/20)
DraftAmerica.com Donatas Motiejunas (PF/C) Lith Bismack Biyombo (PF) Congo
theBigLead.com Klay Thompson (SG) Washington St Kemba Walker (PG) UConn
MockDraftMania.com Tristan Thompson (PF) Texas Alec Burks (SG) Colorado
DraftTek.com Jordan Hamilton (SG) Texas (Unchanged)
SI.com Kawhi Leonard (SF) San Diego State Marcus Morris (PF) Kansas
DraftEmpire.com Brandon Knight (PG) Kentucky Bismack Biyombo (PF) Congo
CollegeHoopsUpdate.com Tristan Thompson (PF) Texas Jordan Hamilton (G/F) Texas
Just noticed that College Hoops Update calls the team the Hornets again….awesome! So, tallying it up, if we’re look at it like votes and not the way the Bobcats site is looking at it (aggregate or average) that’s 3 votes for Marcus Morris, 2 for Kemba Walker, 2 votes for Bismack Biyombo, 2 for Jordan Hamilton and then there is Alec Burks, Kawhi Leonard and Jan Vesely with one vote each.
One thing I take away from this exercise: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NO, NO, NO, NO AND NO! to Marcus Morris. I don’t like Biyombo either. I just don’t think, with the deluge of power forwards already on the team that the Bobcats need to use the #9 pick to take another. Tyrus Thomas, DJ White, Boris Diaw, throw Najera in that group, the Bobcats just don’t need Marcus Morris or Biyombo and there are, or should be much better players available at that point.
I’m starting to wonder if I’m not getting a little punchy just thinking about it. I think my time put into looking at these mock drafts and the profiles and comparisons and whatever else I’m looking at is making me want the draft to just be tomorrow and we’ll figure it all out after. Sadly though, it’s not until Thursday and there is so much to go over between now and then. So interesting and intriguing, these prospects, beyond about 5 and before say, 40 are so sort of good but not earth-shaking, that any of them could contribute right away and maybe build into a really nice player, I just want it narrowed down for me. Biyombo and Marcus Morris however, they get chucked out of my reasoning right off the bat…ack! Mock Drafts!