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Charlotte Bobcats (Last Year: 35-47)
Live 2009 NBA Draft Grades:
12. Gerald Henderson, SG, Duke
I had Henderson to Charlotte until Terrence Williams jumped him on their big board. Since T-Will was taken at 11, Henderson was the next best option since the Bobcats need a two-guard with Raja Bell in the final year of his contract. (Pick Grade: Makes Sense)
40. Derrick Brown, F, Xavier
Any time you snag first-round talent in the second round, it has to be considered a success. I’m not sure how he will fit on a Bobcat team that has a lot of forwards, but he should find a spot on their roster. (Pick Grade: LOVE IT)
54. Robert Vaden, SG, UAB
Vaden’s rights were sold to Oklahoma City for cash. The Bobcats could have used another point guard in case Raymond Felton left via free agency. (Pick Grade: Meh)
2009 NBA Offseason Transactions:
2008-09 Season Summary:
The Bobcats were a playoff contender for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference until they lost seven of their final eight games. Still, Charlotte showed some signs of life, finishing with their best record in their short five-year history. They made some aggressive moves during the season to try and improve their roster, trading for veterans Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Nazr Mohammed while at the same limiting whatever cap space they may have this off-season. First year head coach Larry Brown brought the best out of this group and leaves a positive outlook for the future.
2009-10 Projected Depth Chart:
C: Tyson Chandler/DeSagana Diop/Nazr Mohammed
PF: Boris Diaw/Alexis Ajinca
SF: Gerald Wallace/Vladimir Radmanovic/Derrick Brown
SG: Gerald Henderson/Raja Bell/Flip Murray
PG: Raymond Felton/D.J. Augustin
NBA Free Agents:
SF-Cartier Martin (UFA)
SG-Dontell Jefferson (UFA)
PG-Sean Singletary (UFA)
2009-10 Team Salary: Approximately $60.6 million
2009-10 Expected League Salary Cap: $57.3 million
NBA Offseason Needs:
1. A scorer – Charlotte finished dead last in the league in points per game in ’08-’09. They have some versatility with their scorers; their top six guys averaged between 11 and 17 points, but lack that go-to player. At times, Raymond Felton showed flashes of filling that role, but shot just 41% from the field. Drafting a player like Stephen Curry would make a lot of sense with their lottery pick.
2. Who’s the point guard? – Felton has been the subject of numerous trade rumors since Charlotte drafted D.J. Augustin last off-season. Augustin had a solid rookie year and the two spent a lot of time playing in the same backcourt. While it is a luxury for any coach to have two solid point guards, the Felton/Augustin duo likely is not an ideal long-term situation and one of them, probably Felton who is in the final year of his rookie contract, could be dealt for some other valuable pieces.
3. Part ways with Sean May – The oft-injured May has not played more than 35 games in any of his three seasons with the Bobcats. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and is not worth the risk of re-signing. Charlotte should let him walk this off-season or try trading him and getting something, anything in return. I think we can officially declare him a bust.
Written by Paul Banks of NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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