• Selected D.J. Augustin 9th overall.

• Selected Alexis Ajinca 20th overall, with the pick acquired from Denver before hand in exchange for a future protected first round draft pick.

• Selected Kyle Weaver 38th overall.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that D.J. Augustin is a terrific talent, and more than worthy of a lottery selection. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he was the right fit for Charlotte at #9. The Bobcats passed on Brook Lopez, who could have filled a significant hole at center, at this spot… and for a backup point guard. Unless Raymond Felton is eventually dealt for frontcourt help, this selection makes little sense despite Augustin’s talent.

2008 “workout warrior” Alexis Ajinca could end up being a productive NBA player, as the 7’1’’ Frenchmen is blessed with excellent athletic ability, a beautiful shooting touch, and a great deal of long-term upside. Long-term is the definitive key of that statement, however. Ajinca is listed at just 225 lbs. and is absolutely rail-thin. His skills are there, but they’re very raw. Look for Ajinca to be stashed overseas for a year or two before Charlotte decides to bring him over to the big leagues.

Kyle Weaver was a terrific value pick at #38. Weaver, an experienced four-year senior, was the catalyst to one of the top defensive programs in the country at Washington State, and showed versatility on the offensive end as well. The athletic 6’6’’ guard can put the ball on the floor, finish at the rim, get out in transition, and handle the ball as somewhat of a combo guard if need be. His shot needs improvement and he could get a bit stronger, but he’s a savvy perimeter player and one of the best defenders in this draft. A definite Larry Brown kind of guy.

Grade: C+

Matt Rochinski and Malinda Murray of Bobcats.com have put together a report on day one of Charlotte’s pre-draft workout process.

Charlotte’s preparation for the 2008 NBA Draft began Wednesday at the Presbyterian Hospital Training Center at Time Warner Cable Arena with Duke’s DeMarcus Nelson, Virginia’s Sean Singletary, Mississippi State’s Jamont Gordon, Florida State’s Jason Rich, Oregon’s Malik Hairston and Eastern Tennessee State University’s Courtney Pigram all participating in new Head Coach Larry Brown’s first predraft workouts with the Bobcats.

DeMarcus Nelson was a two-time captain for the Blue Devils and finished his career ranked 33rd all-time in scoring (1,336 points), 28th in rebounds (606), 14th in three-pointers made (124), 13th in three-point percentage (.373) and 21st in steals (145). He is one of only six players in school history to record 1,300 points, 600 rebounds, 200 assists and 125 steals. Nelson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC First Team and ACC Coaches’ All-Defensive Team in his senior season. Named to the ACC All-Tournament Second Team after leading Duke with 15.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals.

Sean Singletary played four years at Virginia is the only player in ACC history with 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals. A three time All-Atlantic Coast Conference First Team selection, Singletary was also a three-time co-captain for the Cavaliers. As a Bob Cousy Award finalist in 2007-08, he scored in double figures in all 33 games, closing a streak in which he tallied double figures in 55 straight contests – a Virginia record. Ranked second in the ACC in assists (6.1), third in scoring (19.8 points), fourth in free throw percentage (.851), sixth in steals (1.82) and minutes played (34.0 mpg), and ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.58).

Jamont Gordon is an early entrant for the 2008 NBA Draft after being named First Team All-SEC as junior at Mississippi State in 2007-08. He ranked second on the team in scoring (17.2 points, ranked seventh in the SEC) and third in rebounding (6.6), while leading the squad in assists (4.9, third). Gordon also scored 20 or more points 16 times and currently ranks seventh on Mississippi State’s all-time scoring list with 1,558 career points.

Jason Rich finished his four-year career at Florida State ranked in the Top 25 in 10 different statistical categories, including 17th in scoring (1,315 points), tied for 15th in steals (133), 16th in career field goals made (510) and 23rd in assists (224). He averaged a career-high 14.5 points (second on the team), 2.1 assists (second on team), 4.4 rebounds (third) and 1.2 steals (third) while shooting .446 from the field and .772 from the free throw line.

Malik Hairston finished his four-year career at Oregon tied for sixth with Stan Love and Fred Jones on Oregon’s all-time scoring list with 1,644 points. He also ranks seventh all-time in field goals made (612), sixth in blocked shots (71), 10th in three-point field goal percentage (.395) and 12th in three-point field goals made (145). Averaged a team-high 16.3 points (ranked ninth in the Pac-10) and 4.8 rebounds in his senior season and also ranked fifth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.433).

Courtney Pigram is an early entrant for the 2008 NBA Draft after having scored 1,445 points in his three-year career at Eastern Tennessee State University. He finished first on the team with 15.8 points and sixth in the Atlantic Sun Conference with 3.4 assists. Pigram won A-Sun Player of the Year honors in his sophomore season in 2006-07 after finishing second in the league with an average of 18.1 points. He led the team in scoring that season and led the conference with 86 3-pointers made.

Bobcats head coach Larry Brown offered his thoughts as well:

(On his first time getting back on the floor and coaching)
I loved it. It was fun. It was hard coaching a Duke guy. No, I’m kidding. It was a lot fun. They were a great group. I know how important this is to these kids, so I don’t take it lightly. Hopefully we taught them a little bit. I think we got an opportunity to assess what talent they are.

(On how involved he is in the workouts)
I know how important it is to them. I think if the head coach can be out here working with them, I feel like they appreciate that. I realize we’re not going to be able to draft all of these kids, but you hope that it’s a positive experience for them and someday you might be in a position to bring them on your team. I want to be a part of it and I want to feel like we’re here to help them.

(On what he’s looking for during the workouts)
I want them to have fun. It seems like there’s a lot of pressure on them. A lot of them are going from here to seven, eight, nine, 10 other places. I want to see guys that accept coaching. I think that’s real important. I think athleticism is a big thing in our league. We need kids that are pretty good athletes and kids that have a chance to get better. You draft them so young now, everyone’s not a finished product. You’ve got to coach them up and if we see that a kid has the potential to improve, that’s a big factor when you assess them.

(On if any of the players stood out)
They all did. I think they were real attentive, real competitive. They helped one another. It was fun. I told all of these kids that it might not happen right away, the way they planned it and the way they hoped, but there is an opportunity for all these kids to make it to our league. They just have to try to do the very best they can in all of these workouts and hope somebody recognizes their talent.

(On if you can tell how coachable a player is during an hour and a half workout)
You can to some degree. I’m a basketball nut, so I watched a lot of games the last few years. I watched the way people coached kids and I saw how kids respond to coaching and how they handle situations. I went to Orlando and I went to a lot of college practice. A lot of these kids, I feel like I know a great deal about, but being with them on the court is important. This hour and a half helped. We went to dinner with them last night ,which was kind of neat. The more you spend time with them, the better feel you have for them.

(On if being away from coaching for two years gave him a different perspective)
I didn’t like the way it ended. I didn’t like the job I did with New York. I thought I used the two years productively watching other people coach. I learned a lot. I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to learn if I would have been working. I realized how lucky I am to be part of this game when I was away from it. I just feel real fortunate I have this opportunity and hopefully I will do better.

(On DeMarcus Nelson)
He’s a pretty remarkable kid. He had an unbelievable career and I can understand that. He’s a great kid. He’s well coached. He’s unbelievably competitive and he’s a terrific athlete. He’s going to be in our league. I don’t know where and I don’t know when, but he’s going to be in our league. He’ll just find a way to make a team better. He certainly has the size and strength to compete on this level. He was much more skilled than I thought, so I was real excited about him.

(On if the Bobcats will fulfill a need or take the best player with the ninth pick)
I think Michael’s (Jordan) certainly going to make the call, but talking to him, he thinks we have to fulfill a need, but he also doesn’t want to pass up the best player. I think if we have a need and there are two guys that are pretty similar, we would go for that need. If there’s a clear cut guy that’s better, I always hate to pass up that.

(On the Bobcats need for big men and point guards)
I think if you ask every team in the league, they’d tell you that. Those two positions are so difficult to fill. I think there are going to be a lot of bigs out there and I think there are going to be some points as well. I think it’s pretty accurate. It’s so hard to find big people. Whether we do that in the draft, trade or free agency, I don’t know. The same thing with point guards. It’s so difficult. You see the affect that young point guards have had on our league. It’s remarkable. (Tony) Parker, (Deron) Williams and Chris Paul and (Steve) Nash, they’ve changed the whole game. The two years I’ve been away, it’s changed dramatically just because of the emergence of kids like this. You have to have people that can keep guards in front of them without fouling. It’s unbelievably important now and you have to have guys that can penetrate and play pick and roll and get other people involved. I’m excited about Raymond (Felton) in that regard because I think Raymond can do both those things.

(On if the Bobcats would trade the ninth pick for a veteran player)
Depends on the player. If you have a guy that fits a need and is already established and can help the growth of our young players, I don’t have any problem with that. If you look at this draft, it’s incredibly deep. I look at some of the guys who might be there a number nine and they could turn out to be as good as number two or three in the draft. I’m excited about that. Then when you talk about point guards and big guys, I look at the draft and it’s deep at both those positions with kids that have a chance to grow and get better. That’s exciting.

Click here to watch Bobcats.com’s video coverage from day one of the workout process.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports:

Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown wants Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Eric Snow on his staff, once Snow’s injury retirement becomes official.

But there’s a complication for Snow; an informed source says the Chicago Bulls want to interview him to be their head coach.

Snow has a long relationship with Brown from his time as a Philadelphia 76er. Snow’s family is in Atlanta, so moving to Charlotte would get him closer to home. Although an opening on the Hawks’ staff also could complicate things.

Injured much of this season, Snow has to resolve his contract situation with the Cavaliers. He is owed about $7.3 million next season, though he appears physically done because of injuries.

Snow has widely been considered a future coach for years, as his unique combination of poise, leadership, and basketball IQ is not something you see every day. Not to mention, the experience factor.

Whether he ends up in Charlotte, Chicago, or somewhere else, it’s tough to imagine Snow failing as a coach.

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

With that came change and more change is certain to follow. The change so far, maybe most important of all that can and will be done, was the changing of coach’s. Now the Bobcats will learn to play the right way, with Larry Brown as the new coach. He is the only person in history to have ever won the NCAA title, and an NBA title, so his credentials for coaching are definately there. Now we just speculate what will happen.

First thing we need to do, is have a look at the team and how it will fit Larry Brown as a coach. In that, I must say this is a team for him, a team that can match what his Pistons team was like. Tough, gritty, has defense around it, and will play the right way. Downlow he has his anchor, who in my opinion is a top 3 or 4 low post defensive player in the NBA, Emeka Okafor. With him, he will have his Dikembe Mutumbo/Ben Wallace type defensive presence to make this as good of a defense as possible. On the wings he will have Gerald Wallace, who can play solid defense and bother shots. This team has the defensive pieces to make this a team for him to like.

 Then offensively, he has the guys that can hit the three, that can drive to the rim, and that can score downlow. He will have the balance and versatility to make this a team he will love even more. Most of all offensively though, he has a point guard that knows how to play the right way, and he can continue to teach him to play the right way. Felton is as willing and able of a passer as young players can get, with that University North Carolina background. I really believe Larry Brown will love having Felton to coach, and this is a team built for him.

However, the places aren’t finished yet. They need more to make Larry Brown happy. A big man that can play the 5 as a starter is very well needed. Emeka Okafor is a natural power forward, and will play much better there. Getting a center to go next to him would be amazing. They need Sean May, who is their best scoring big man healthy. They also need a defensive presence on the perimeter to come off the bench. Right now the only defensive presence they have is Gerald Wallace. Having someone to come in and keep playing solid defense will be a must, if Larry Brown is to stay happy.

First and foremost is making sure to re-sign restricted free agent Emeka Okafor, the centerpiece of their defense. Then the question becomes who could be good to have for them? I think a stab at Trevor Ariza or Maurice Evans who will be a free agent would help to continue that defensive presence off the bench for them. Both are solid defensively, both are active, and both have played in an offense that teach’s the back door cuts so they will be helpful offensively. Both are great additions to the bench for them. For the big man, they should be looking in the draft, if they are low enough. If high enough Brook Lopez, if lower, Roy Hibbert shouldn’t be gone. Adding him would really help. If they could add that big in the draft, and then piece together either Ariza or Evans, this is a team that can already compete for a playoff spot. Then it just takes some tinkering, and playing together before this team becomes a stud team.

Overall, this is a team that should mesh with Larry Brown, and Brown should mesh with them back. They are cut out for each other, everyone plays the right way, and I see Larry Brown being very happy with this team provided they make some smart money decisions. In the future I am excited to see where they head with Brown as the coach and Jordan as the president.

Hopefully Sean May uses this time to drop a few pounds so he can stop getting injured all of the time.

If Sean May can keep conditioned, and stay away from being injured so much, that he can have a very good upcoming season. Sean May has been poorly conditioned and a little bit overweight for for a few seasons, and I think that is a reason for him being so injury prone. This is the season that I think he slims down, and puts together a good season.

I honestly feel that J Rich is going to make more of an impact on this team then a lot of people think.  The Bobcats have lacked a true #1 scorer for…well forever.  Maving J-Rich to that spot, means allowing other guys to take a bit of a lesser role and become great 2nd and 3rd options instead.
The team has great depth this year and a COMPLETE starting lineup with Felton, J Rich, Gerald Wallace, Okafor and Sean May.

This team will no doubt be in the playoffs next year, and competing for titles in 2-3 years.  The Bobcats no doubt made the right moves!

The Bobcats, though, will have more than enough cap room should they decide to protect their own.

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

David Lee won the game for the New York Knicks by tipping in an extremely long inbound pass as time expired, giving the Knicks the 111-110 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Knicks had to play the game, still missing 3 players from the suspensions due to the brawl with Denver, and starters Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson were also out with injuries. Going into the game it seemed the Bobcats would win due to the disadvantage the Knicks were facing. The Bobcats had a 19 point lead at one point and it all seemed over for the New York Knicks. When asked about the play that ended the game, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford said, “I’ve never seen a play like that and it worked to perfection.”

The Bobcats were lead in scoring by Gerald Wallace’s 28 and Primoz Brezec put up 21 in the losing effort. Raymond Felton, Adam Morrison, Matt Carroll and Emeka Okafor all put up 10+ points for the Bobcats as well, but it just wasn’t enough. “When you’re a team like we are, things tend to happen the wrong way for us,” Gerald Wallace said. “Their luck tonight, our bad luck.”

Well the first quarter definately showed something out of sorts…Tim Duncan missed 3 dunks with Emeka Okafor guarding him. Okafor did not block these, but forced Duncan in strange positions. Duncan quickly snapped out of this drought though, as he finished with 25 in the Spurs 96-76 win over the Bobcats.

Brevin Knight picked up a 2nd technical foul and was thrown out of the game in the 4th quarter and losing a verteran player like that is never good, no matter how  long he’s gone. Adam Morrison continued to struggle, as he only scored 2 points for the second straight game. Sean May put up 18 points, Gerald Wallace chipped in with 15, and Raymond Felton added 13 in the losing effort.

Guard Matt Carroll sat out in the Bobcats loss, and is expected to miss 5-10 days with a sprained right elbow. Matt may have helped the Bobcats off the bench in this game, but it probably would not have changed the outcome. The Spurs simply outplayed the Bobcats in this game in a well-earned victory.