Congratulations are in store for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who somehow landed the top pick in the NBA Draft for the second time in three seasons (rigged!). While that should leave a warm, fuzzy feeling in the heart’s of many a Cavaliers fan, Charlotte Bobcats fans are left disappointed and disgusted.

Once again, despite having one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Bobcats are stuck with something other than the number one overall selection. In fact, the closest to the top spot they’ve ever gotten was #2, where they had to settle for Emeka Okafor after missing out on Dwight Howard, who went #1 overall to the Orlando Magic.

And here we go again.

With Oklahoma State star guard Marcus Smart dropping out of the 2013 NBA Draft, the crop of elite prospects for the Charlotte Bobcats to snag this year just got lighter. However, on the bright side, Smart no longer being in this year’s draft class makes it much more likely Charlotte won’t be foolish and draft a guard with what figures to be a very high lottery pick.

Anthony Bennett’s Strengths

They could still surprise us, but the odds are good that the Bobcats try to get bigger, stronger and more talented down low. With that line of thinking in place, we’re moving on to yet another big man that could interest the Bobcats come June. UNLV’s Anthony Bennett has been sky-rocketing up draft boards, and could be a serious threat to be a top-five pick if all goes well.

Let’s take a closer look at his strengths and weaknesses and decide whether or not he’s a good fit for the Bobcats:

An offensive dynamo. Has imposing well on the blocks and is extremely efficient inside. Has excellent range on his jumper – extending out to the NBA three. Has really nice athleticism for the NBA 4. Rises over defenders with ease and finishes strong around the rim. Very good ball handler for his position. Smart player who knows angles and can draw fouls and charges with the best of them. Takes care of the ball and is very much a team player. In just one season of college ball he’s displayed a great feel for the game and a ton of upside. There is a lot of untapped potential here.

We’re six NBA prospects in, but the possibilities remain endless for the Charlotte Bobcats heading into the 2013 NBA Draft. We’ll eventually cover all the bases by even scouting a guy Charlotte probably doesn’t necessarily “need” in Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart, but for now we’re trying to nail down the main big name prospects that make the most sense.

The Bobcats will likely have to get a tad screwed in the lottery to fall far enough to pick up Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk, but after taking a look at him, I’m starting to think that will only be the immediate popular knee-jerk reaction, and not the eventual reality. Let’s find out why:

We get it, the Spurs are the better team. The much, much better team. They’ve won won nine straight now and their record (37-11) basically is a mirror image of the Charlotte Bobcats’s record (11-34). But that doesn’t excuse a sorry offensive effort that saw just three Charlotte players score in double figures, and a guy off the bench (Ramon Sessions) leading the way with 22 points.

Plain and simple: the Bobcats stunk on Wednesday night. I should probably be used to it by now, but I just don’t understand still how one guy in the starting five can top 10 points. In fact, Kemba Walker only scored 16 points, and no one else in the starting lineup could muster up more than seven.

That’s pathetic.

The Charlotte Bobcats have another chance to start a winning streak. It took overtime to get their ninth win of the year over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, but Kemba Walker and co. got it done and now sit at 9-24 as they prepare for a home date with the Utah Jazz.

While it was just Charlotte’s second win in their last 21 games following a terrible 18-game losing streak, it’s a stepping stone away from a horrible December. In fact, the Bobcats are now at .500 in the new year (1-1), while January offers them a brand new platform to try to get back to a competitive state.

They’ll need more nights like this. The scoring was there for the second straight game, as Kemba Walker paced Charlotte with 20 points and seven dimes, while Ben Gordon was hot off the bench with 18 points of his own.

Charlotte overcame a solid night from Detroit big man Greg Monroe, who had little difficulty doing as he pleased for much of the game, on his way to 18 points, 14 boards and six assists. Considering how close the game was and the fact that Monroe was never in foul trouble, it’s a wonder why the Pistons didn’t go to him more (just 10 shot attempts).