Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats now have their work cut out for them.
The Bobcats had expected to go for the No. 1 pick as the NBA lottery was being drawn. They seemed safe as No. 2.
Instead, they slipped down to the No. 4 spot, which probably means they won’t get the players considered as the top-two prospects in Ben McLemore at guard and Nerlens Noel at center. They’re both expected to be gone probably by the third pick.
If one of them is still available, Jordan will probably make that choice.
But now the Bobcats have until June 27 to discuss their options.
They may want to strongly consider the national player of the year, Trey Burke of Michigan.
Burke has a potentially solid NBA career ahead of him. By the time they pick No. 4, the Bobcats are likely to have lost one of their preferred players. But Burke, who led Michigan to the national title game, is likely to still be around. If he is, that’s who Jordan and his team should select.
A new coach coming is going to look for someone to lead this team in the future. It might now be Burke right away, but sometime down the road, the job will probably be his.
Burke had a great freshman season for Michigan and was sensational as a sophomore, during which time he led the Big Ten in assists and set the school’s single season assist record.
The Bobcats haven’t had a player like Burke to lead the way. Provided Noel and McLemore are no longer around, he’d be the best player to fulfill some of their needs. Jordan doesn’t have a tough choice to make. It’s been laid out for him.
