Last season Charlotte Bobcats starting power forward Byron
Mullins averaged 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and half a block a game. Normally, teams want their big men to play at
or around the block to generate high percentage shots, open up the perimeter
for wing players and to rebound. As the
NBA Finals has shown, small ball is becoming more than just a trend; it is
becoming the norm for many teams, and at minimum a set teams must be able to
turn to in a crunch. Mullins fits the
mold of a stretch-4, think Chris Bosh or Dirk, in theory, but not in
practice. Why? BJ Mullins is not good. He is, in fact, awful. I told a friend (and future contributor to
this blog, Gene) last year that Mullins was probably the worst regular starter
in the NBA, and I challenge our reader to prove me wrong. Mullins loves to shot from the perimeter, doesn’t
really mix it up in the post and rebounds when convenient. Mullins is 7 feet tall and only shot
.385/.317/.646 (fg%,3pt%,ft%). To put
this in perspective, noted Knicks gunner J.R. Smith, a guy who has never had a
bad look at the hoop, shot .393 from the floor and .371 from three in his WORST
season. The Charlotte Bobcats have to
improve in the post or they will continue to be the Houston Astros of the
NBA. When Byron Mullins is your team’s
best big man, your team is terrible. (I
am not going to discuss Bismack Biyombo in this space right now – his verdict
is still out. He will end up somewhere
between a rich man’s Alexis
Ajinca and Serge Ibaka.)
Why did I mention any of this? Well, the two most likely candidates for the Bobcats
in Thursday’s draft are both big men, so it seems likely the ‘cats will address
their most dire need. Alex Len is a 7-foot
center out of Maryland, and Anthony Bennett is a 6-7ish combo forward who
reminds me of my favorite childhood Hornet, Larry Johnson.
We’ll go with Len first.
I watch a lot of ACC basketball and saw plenty of Len over the last two
years. He can score around the basket
and protect the rim. Even though he did
not necessarily dominate games, you always knew where he was on the court. Another plus for Len is his gymnastics
background and that it’s possible he is a Ukrainian spy. The guy isn’t a stiff and is a player who
should get better over time. On the
other hand Len is still raw, regularly got in foul trouble, and will have a
very tough time scoring in the NBA.
Another question mark is the stress fracture in his ankle. Len will not be able to participate in the summer
league and will not likely be ready to contribute from day 1.
I have been a big fan of Anthony Bennett for the entire
draft season until recently when I heard some devastating commentary out of
Charlotte: Bennett has a little Sean May
in him. Typically being compared to a
formed Final Four MVP and lottery pick is a good thing, but not when that
player ate his way out of the NBA and now make a living in Europe and is more
known for his twitter commentary than his game (follow him @BigMay42). The rumor is that Bennett has put on a good
bit of weight since his rotator cuff injury.
Weight problems or not, Bennett was an animal during his one year at
UNLV. He can rebound, shoot, mix it up
in the post, dribble, and is a powerful force on D. Bennett also has “tremendous
upside potential.”
If I were in the room with Rich Cho before he calls MJ on
the golf course to let him know who the Bobcats draft, I’d make the case for
Bennett. He has a skill set the Bobcats
do not have, plus Len’s ankle scares me.
Both of these players fit the Bobcats biggest need and either would be a
welcome asset to the team. However,
given all the players who may be available, there is someone else I like more
than both of these players and his review is coming up next.
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