What are the chances that at the end of this season Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the player that is awarded the 2013 NBA rookie of the year award. I think it is much, much better than people realize for a number of reasons.

• His energetic style of play is a style that will catch the voters’ eye
• The small forward position is wide open for him. He should get all the minutes that he can handle from day one
• Mike Dunlap’s defensive minded approach should fit him perfectly
• The Charlotte Bobcats have the biggest room for improvement. A 20+ jump in the win column is not something that is very far fetched. In fact even if they could improve by 25 wins they would still only go 32-50.

Wow! It’s been a long time coming.  That’s probably the most excited I’ve been watching a Bobcat’s game in like 2-3 years.  And to think it was for a late night, Friday the 13th summer league game.

Wait, we don't cut the nets for Summer League?

First, I do realize its just summer league, and any great performances you see here by either a player or team don’t normally translate to the regular season.  Who knows, maybe next game they get throttled by 30 and we go back to our nice warm spot as the league’s laughingstock.  But I do believe there are bits and pieces, signs and symptoms here which definitely are cause for hope.

Here’s what I took from the main cast of characters tonight.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – What a start!! I loved how he had that slight injury/tweak to his knee at the beginning of the game and didn’t require a wheelchair, he just brushed it off like nothing happened. As advertised, he relentlessly attacked on offense and defense. I noticed on a couple of his power drives that he jumped off the wrong foot, to maybe throw off the defender’s timing and avoid the block. Definitely a veteran move. As for his handle, while it seemed a little loose at times, you could obviously tell he knows how to make a move off the dribble to beat his man.  Natural instincts are good to see more than technique right now.  Just tighten that up, and nobody will be able to stay in front of him with his incredible first step.

Also showed good court vision and passing. Defensively, he is afraid of nothing, even taking on big burly Thomas Robinson head-to-head a couple times – and winning! He played free safety perfectly in the middle, collecting any and every loose ball that traversed his path.  And maybe most impressive, besides scoring 18 points, grabbing 8 boards, dishing 5 assists, and gathering 4 steals in about 20 minutes, was that none of his offense was forced, as most rookies do when trying to make an impression. Everything came within the flow of the game, and yet he still had a tremendous impact on both sides of the ball. Can’t wait to see more.

1.  New Orleans Hornets Anthony Davis (6’10″ PF, Freshman, Kentucky)

2.  Cleveland Cavaliers Bradley Beal (6’5″ SG, Freshman, Florida)

3.  Washington Wizards Harrison Barnes (6’8″ SF, North Carolina, Sophomore)

4.  Charlotte Bobcats Thomas Robinson (6’9″ PF, Junior, Kansas)

The Draft Team has compiled a Big Board, or hierarchical ranking, or where we think the players stack up for each of our picks.  Anthony Davis is obviously out of the question, so we have listed the top 5 players available for the Second pick and the top 5 players for the Thirty-first pick.  This list does not factor in the draft combine so please keep that in mind while reading through.

1.  Thomas Robinson (6’9″ PF, Kansas, Junior)

PPG: 17.7

RPG:  11.9

FG%: 50.5

FT%: 68.2

Strengths: Physically mature, high motor, great character moves well with and without the ball, natural scorer and is an amazing rebounder.

Weaknesses:  What is his true size on the court for a PF (possibly undersized), inconsistent shot selection, double teams.

How he would fit the ‘Cats:  At 21 years of age, Robinson’s chiseled physique and mental stability is already NBA ready.  He is always around the ball and knows how to get the ball in the basket in a variety of ways.  His frame is able to bang down low (not necessarily in a post game, but physical enough to hang), yet he is athletic enough to step out on the perimeter and drain shots with ease.  Robinson is a beast on the boards and is an ideal player at running the pick and roll game.  Size is the biggest knock on Robinson due to the fact that he has been measured between 6’8’’ – 6’10’’.  If he measures well at the pre-draft camps, and can hit that 6’10” measurement, Thomas Robinson should be the ‘Cats pick at #2.

2.  Andre Drummond  (6’11″ PF/C, Connecticut, Freshman)

PPG:  10.0

RPG:   7.6

BPG:   2.7

FG%:  53.8

FT%:  29.5

Strengths:  Very athletic and strong for his size, defensive stalwart, great rebounder and shot blocker, highest ceiling.

Weaknesses:  Limited offensive game, work ethic and desire is questionable, disappears too often.

How he would fit the ‘Cats:  Andre Drummond is about as frustrating a player as you will find in this draft.  On paper and high school videos, he appears to be the next Dwight Howard.  Then, you flip on his games at UConn, and you see a much different player.  If Andre Drummond can discover a passion for the game of basketball, he could dominate in the NBA.  He is an athletic freak with a 7’5” wingspan, and runs the court like a guard.  Drummond’s presence in the paint is noticeable as he alters shots defensively and is always crashing rebounds.  His upside and potential is what will sell an owner on Andre Drummond because if he can flip the switch, he will be a franchise center.

The Draft Team has put together the second official BCP mock draft hot off receiving the second pick in the lottery.  This mock was compiled based on draft stock following the NCAA Championship game and off-season hype, and before any official combine measurements have been tallied, so please keep that in mind when viewing.

Also, this mock is not compiled according to what teams are rumored to be thinking, but more along the lines of what we think they should do.  Don’t hesitate to jump into the comment section below with your thoughts.

1.  New Orleans Hornets Anthony Davis (6’10″ PF, Kentucky, Freshman)

Breakdown:  The people in New Orleans are rejoicing at winning the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes.  There really isn’t much that needs to be said here as he’s the clear #1 guy in the draft.  If Eric Gordon stays, they all of a sudden have a scary duo that is the great starting point for the future.  They also have the 10^th pick, so they could still add another talent on the wing or at the point to help them out.  A guy like Kendall Marshall, for example, would really look nice playing next to Davis and Gordon.  Weakness:  lack of ideal bulk to consistently bang with NBA big men

2.  Charlotte Bobcats Thomas Robinson (6’9″ PF, Kansas, Junior)

Reasoning:  The Bobcats and Bobcats fans were bummed to miss out on Anthony Davis, but the addition of Thomas Robinson will still result in a great improvement to the worst roster in the NBA. The Bobcats need help at basically every position so they are free to take BPA without worry. Robinson is a physical specimen that plays with heart and hustle. Robinson should start from day 1 and immediately help the NBA’s 2^nd worst rebounding team. The only concern with Robinson is his height, if he measures a legit 6’ 9” or 6’10” at the Chicago combine, I believe the #2 pick is his to lose.

3.  Washington Wizards Bradley Beal (6’4″ SG, Florida, Freshman)

Reasoning:  John Wall and the Wizards desperately need a guy like Beal to help space the floor.  They could also do well with his leadership and toughness as the Wizards have been floundering for a long time now.  His relative lack of height is mitigated by the size and athleticism of Wall, and they could potentially have the best young backcourt in the league.  Weakness:  Does he have the height or length to consistently get his shot off?

4.  Cleveland Cavaliers Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (6’7″ SF, Kentucky, Freshman)

Reasoning:  The Cavs are thrilled to see MKG still available. Kidd-Gilchrist is both strong and athletic and plays with boundless energy. MKG has future All Defensive Team SF written all over him, he has both the ability and the desire to be a shutdown perimeter defender. With Kyrie Irving running the break and MKG finishing the Cavs have the chance to create some Top 10 Highlight Moments this season. Weakness: Doesn’t have a natural shooting motion and his jumpshoot will most likely be broken down and reconstructed by a shooting coach.