When The Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, The City if
Charlotte was desperate to get another franchise in The National
Basketball Association. As a result The Charlotte Bobcats came into
existence in 2004 and have yet to give fans in The Tar Heel State
something to rejoice about. The Bobcats have only had one winning season
and this year has only seen them record seven victories. The Bobcats
have multiple double-digit losing streaks this season which makes you
wonder if this is the worst team in NBA history?
With the exception or rookie guard Kemba Walker and point guard D.J.
Augustin, The Bobcats lack talent on their roster. The Bobcats have
never had an All-Star and this current team would struggle to win an
intrasquad game. Forward Corey Maggette is the team’s leading scorer
this season with 15 points per game and his best years are in the rear
view mirror. Only three players that The Bobcats have ever drafted are
currently on the team. Plain and simple this team lacks star power.
As great as Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was as a NBA player, that
success has not translated over to his tenure as an executive. In 2000,
Jordan took over as President of Basketball Operations for The
Washington Wizards. Jordan’s brief stint in D.C. will always be
remembered for drafting center Kwame Brown with the first overall pick
in The 2001 NBA Draft and trading shooting guard Richard Hamilton to The
Detroit Pistons in 2002. Hamilton would go on to become a key piece in
The Pistons winning The NBA Championship in 2004 while Jordan was
relieved of his duties with The Wizards in 2003.
Jordan became a minority owner of The Bobcats in 2006. That year saw
The Bobcats draft forward Adam Morrison with the third overall
selection. Morrison is no longer in The NBA while Charlotte passed on
Rudy Gay and J.J. Redick. Jordan made a big mistake when he dismissed
Larry Brown as head coach of The Bobcats in 2010. Brown was the only
head coach to lead Charlotte to the postseason. 2010 also saw point
guard Raymond Felton walk away as a free agent.
As Jordan is now the majority owner his team continues to sink into
the abyss of bad franchises. Jordan has come under criticism by former
NBA player Charles Barkley for his inability to develop a winning team.
Barkley has criticized Jordan for not hiring enough people in the front
office that he will listen to. Last month on “The Waddle & Silvy
Show” Barkley said, “One thing about being famous is the people around
you, pay all of their bills so they very rarely disagree with you
because they want you to pick up the check. They want to fly around on
your private jet so they never disagree with you. I don’t think Michael
has hired enough people around him who will disagree.”
Jordan’s lack of bringing in top tier talent has set this franchise
back as they now rank with some of the worst teams in The NBA. If The
Bobcats win the first selection in The NBA Draft Lottery it could
hopefully be a start in the right direction. Kentucky Wildcats forward
Anthony Davis would be a step in the right direction as he would be an
interior presence, but this team needs a superstar. Jordan did not make
many friends during The NBA Lockout as he was one of the owners that
stood a firm ground in demanding that the players reduce the amount of
basketball-related income that they receive. Many current players who
grew up idolizing Jordan saw him in a new light as Jordan showed his
strength as a businessman. You have to wonder if this will impede Jordan
and The Bobcats chances of luring big name free agents going forward?
If that is the case it will be more important than ever for The Bobcats
to develop a team through the draft. If this trend continues in
Charlotte, The Bobcats will be looked at as an easy win for opposing NBA
teams while Jordan will be looked at as one of the worst executives in
NBA history.
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