Mitch Stringer – USA Today Sports Images
One of the biggest areas that the Charlotte Bobcats need to address in the 2013 NBA Draft is their frontcourt. Though they have other areas of need, primarily adding elite shooters on the wing and adding players that will improve their overall defensive effort, adding quality players to their frontcourt is their primary concern.
The Bobcats’ frontcourt was inefficient and lacked production offensively in the paint last season and played poor post-defense as well, which resulted in them getting outscored in the paint by an average of 5.3 points per game. Charlotte will obviously be looking to improve that next season by adding new talent.
Though Anthony Bennett is projected by many to be the second big man off the board in the draft after Nerlens Noel, there has been noise that the Bobcats could potentially take Maryland center Alex Len with the fourth overall pick. However, that wouldn’t be a wise move if the Bobcats are seriously trying to bolster up their frontcourt this off-season and in the draft.
The 19-year-old Len played two years in college and never really wowed anyone with his numbers. Last season, he played 26.4 minutes and averaged only 11.9 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting, but did also average 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Len is a big body, standing at 7-foot-1 and weighing 255 pounds and has an impressive 7-foot-3.5 wingspan, but he lacks strength and was sometimes pushed around by stronger guys in the post, which doesn’t translate well to the NBA.
However, the biggest concern with Len has to be the ankle injury that he’s currently recovering from. Though he seems to be rehabbing and returning to health at a normal rate, lower body issues for a guy his size, especially at his age, are a major issue. Greg Oden and Andrew Bynum, as well as many others, will testify to the fact that lower body issues for big men are often chronic problems. That’s not something that the Bobcats need to deal with as they try to rebuild their franchise.
There are several attractive options for the Bobcats in the 2013 NBA Draft and, if healthy, Len certainly has promise and solid skills. However, with the Bobcats in their current state, they can’t afford to take risks on players with injury concerns, especially lower body injuries for a big man. The smart move for Charlotte would have to be to steer clear of Len.
Cody Williams is an NBA Blogger with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.
