Dec 29, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

ESPN and the Charlotte Observer reported earlier that the Charlotte Bobcats have slimmed their coaching search down to three candidates: Jerry Sloan, Brian Shaw and Quin Snyder.

Shaw, currently an assistant with Indiana (formerly with the Lakers) and Snyder, currently an assistant with the Lakers (formerly head coach of Missouri and in the D-League) will be interviewed for a second time, so they have a chance to interract with Michael Jordan. Sloan already had that opportunity, because Jordan was part of a Bobcats team that interviewed him in Salt Lake City, Utah when he was first interviewed.

Bobcats beat writer Rick Bonnell did a solid job explaining what Shaw and Snyder would bring to the table:

“If Shaw gets the job, he’d likely install the Triangle offense he learned while playing and coaching for Phil Jackson… Snyder… is a bit of a wild card in this process, as he’s not currently lead assistant with the Lakers. However, he’s a high-intellect guy who’s known to be an innovator offensively.”

If Sloan is willing to commit for more than a few years, he’s got to be the guy Charlotte goes with here. He’ll bring instant credibility to a franchise which basically has none right now. He worked with one of the greatest point guards ever and one of the best big men ever in John Stockton and Karl Malone, and before he left the Jazz, he was the longest tenured coach in the NBA.

With Shaw and Snyder getting a second round of interviews, I think it’s their job to win Sloan’s to lose.

Dec 03, 2011; Lexington, KY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes (40) dribbles the ball against Kentucky Wildcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) during the first half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated North Carolina 73-72. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-US PRESSWIRE

Why? There are various reasons why each player will be selected by the Charlotte Bobcats. Thomas Robinson has the size of an NBA power forward. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is an excellent defender, and Harrison Barnes has the capability to put up 40 points any given night. However, the #2 pick is going to be a lot bigger than someone who is ready to contribute. The #2 pick is going to possibly be the cornerstone of the Bobcats’ franchise, or a corner piece within the Bobcats’ organization. In the following paragraphs, I am going to make a case for why Michael Jordan should draft each of these players, then I will give my choice and why.

Thomas Robinson had a stellar season for the Kansas Jayhawks. In his junior season, T-Rob went from being the 6^th man during his sophomore season to “the man” during his junior season. Robinson looked like a man among boys in a lot of games last season. At 6’10” 230 lbs, T-Rob is going to play power forward in the NBA; however, he will see time at the center position against some teams. Is T-Rob worthy of the #2 pick? Yes. Is T-Rob what the Bobcats need? Yes. Will he get drafted by the Bobcats? Possibly. The problem with Robinson is that the Bobcats have several players that play the same position as Robinson. The Bobcats lack a scoring threat, and a consistent perimeter. I think that the Bobcats can make the playoffs in 2013 if they satisfy both of these needs because there are decent power forwards and centers on the roster. This is why I think MJ will overlook TR at the #2 pick. It has nothing to do with T-Rob’s talent, though.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (aka MKG) was arguably the second best freshman in the nation behind Anthony Davis. He was the Robin to Anthony Davis’ Batman. He was the Kobe to Anthony Davis’ Shaq. In my opinion, the premiere game of the 2012 season took place in Rupp Arena with the North Carolina Tar Heels played the Kentucky Wildcats. This game consisted of nine players who could be selected in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft. Although all eyes were on Anthony Davis, MKG stole the show. MKG was the deciding factor in the game. He tallied 14 points and 11 rebounds from the small forward position. MKG single-handedly outplayed Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller. Heck! You could argue that he outplayed his teammate, Anthony Davis. Many people (including myself) thought that this game was a prelude to the 2012 NCAA National Championship game in April. As we all know, it didn’t happen. However, the Wildcats were still crowned the champions and MKG was a huge reason why. He is an excellent defender. He reminds me of Shawn Marion because he is a power forward trapped in the body of a small forward. MKG can guard four positions. In addition, MKG has already signed with NIKE, a step in the right direction. With NIKE backing him and a National Championship under his belt, this kid is on top of the world. He may not the deadly perimeter assassin like Doron Lamb is, but he is average from the three-point line. You can’t knock his hustle (Reasonable Doubt plug, ya heard). If I was MJ, I would strongly consider MKG as my #2 pick.

Last but not least, Harrison Michael Bryce-Jordan Barnes, born May 30^th, 1992. On his 20^th birthday, the young man who was named after Michael Jordan AND attended the same alma mater as Michael Jordan may possibly be drafted by, no other than, Michael Jordan. Harrison is a scorer. The kid can flat out play. Sure, he didn’t perform well in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. He had a few games where he struggled. Boo hoo, that’s life. It gets on my nerves when people sum up this young man’s college career with his worse games. The same player who disappeared some games also hit many big shots during his two year career at Carolina. A lot of people had high expectations for Harrison Barnes, better known as the Black Falcon. Were some of these expectations warranted? Yes and no. I think some people expected TBF to walk on water. We are talking about someone who averaged 18 points a game, on a loaded team. He didn’t average close to 20 points on a team where he was the only good player. John Henson and Tyler Zeller were first team all-ACC along with Barnes. Kendall Marshall, the Bob Cousy award winner as the top point guard in 2012, also average nine points to go along with nine assists. In addition, there were three other players (Dexter Strickland, Reggie Bullock, and James McAdoo) who averaged between six to nine points. Bottom line: Harrison Barnes did well! He did what he was supposed to do. He can shoot the 3 with ease. He can create his own shot. He is 6’8” 215 lbs., and I think he will probably play the small forward position. However, if I’m MJ I draft Harrison to be my starting shooting guard. Many people will criticize the Black Falcon for his dribble-drive game. Yes, it needs work. However, we are talking about Michael Jordan’s protégé, here. Harrison Barnes just fell into MJ’s lap. Most people will lean towards Thomas Robinson or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the #2 pick, but not me. I’m looking at the big picture. Remember, what I said earlier. On his 20^th birthday, the young man who was named after Michael Jordan AND attended the same alma mater as Michael Jordan may possibly be drafted by, no other than, Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan will invest in Harrison Barnes, the way that Sonny Vaccaro invested in Michael Jordan. Jordan will groom Barnes to be a dominant scorer, and to excel at defending the opposition. In addition, Michael Jordan will mentor Harrison Barnes on how to market himself. MJ epitomizes the Jay-Z quote, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” MJ is re-tired, and still a hot commodity.

So, when you have this discussion in your barbershops, hair salons, ciphers, PlayStation Network, at school, on the blacktop, or with your boo over breakfast, remember to look at the big picture. Michael Jordan drafting Harrison Barnes is reminiscent of Jay-Z backing Kanye West. Kanye West became the rap icon that he is because he was supported by the top rapper in the hip hop industry. These two are inseparable, now. In this case, MJ is Jay-Z (don’t taze me bro on this analogy) and Harrison is Kanye. Believe me, they will ball so hard next season if MJ makes the Black Falcon his #2 pick. I could be wrong here, but as an avid Tar Heel basketball fan AND Tar Heel alum, I study the Tar Heels very closely. Tar Heels look out for one another. They support each other. Check the various coaching trees in the NBA and NCAA. The Carolina Family sticks together for the most part, unless you have a big mouth (feel in the blank here). Although I discussed Jay-Z a lot, he actually isn’t my favorite rapper; however, I do recognize exceptional talent and skill when I see it, hence, why I mentioned him. As for Harrison Barnes, I would go against the grain and pick him as my #2 pick. However, this would come after flipping a coin in the air because MKG is the Matrix 2.0 reloaded (aka Shawn Marion for those of you who are not up-to-par on NBA players’ nicknames) and possibly the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year. On June 28^th, 2012, we will see.

Dec 29, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Back during the late 80s when I played basketball at Reid Ross Junior High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Coach McMillan ran the Flex offense. Although I had been playing basketball for years, this marked a time when my basketball IQ increased by learning how to play basketball without the actual ball in my hands. This was the first time that I actually learned and ran basketball plays. I had the privilege of playing with current Duke assistant coach Jeff Capel, and current Western Carolina assistant coach Anguell McCollum during these years. I was a student of the game, in the truest sense. During this past week, Michael Jordan met with the former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Jerry Sloan ran a variation of the Flex offense for years. He had a great deal of success with it. Sloan’s Jazz faced the Chicago Bulls in consecutive NBA championships in 1997 and 1998. As we all know, the Bulls were victorious in both meetings. There could be a possible union between the coach of those Jazz teams, and the star player of Bulls’ teams.

The Flex offense is an offensive strategy in basketball developed in the 1970s. It is a patterned offense relying on cuts across the key (called a “flex cut”) and down screens to create a “pick-the-picker” action. This offense is most effective against a man-to-man defense, though some ambitious coaches have used it against odd front zones. It is the favored offense of many high school programs because it requires players to be in constant motion and the patterns of screens and cuts are easy to remember. If the Michael Jordan hires Jerry Sloan to coach the Bobcats, then the Flex offense will most likely be implemented.

The flex is a type of continuity offense, similar to (and in fact derived from) the earlier shuffle offense. The basic premise behind the Flex offense is that all players are interchangeable. None of the players have a traditional role. The point guard advances the ball up the court to start the offense, while other players set screens to create openings. Typically, the point guard sets the offense on the same side as a low-post player positioned at the right block. The point guard passes opposite to a high-post at the top of the key while a wing player cuts off a screen by the low post player towards the ball to receive a pass from the high post player. The point guard screens down to the low post player who moves to the top of the key to receive a pass from the high post player. The same cut occurs on the other side of the ball and the offense begins its continuous cycle. Variations of the flex include the 5 man flex, utilizing all 5 players in the cutting and screening action and the 4 man flex, which utilizes 4 players. Since this offense is classified as a continuity offense, in which players repeat specific actions, some teams will build in options within the offense to keep defenses from anticipating a particular cut or screen.

The Bobcats can succeed with Jerry Sloan and the Flex offense. Kemba Walker will be running the offense. Signing a reliable low-post player should definitely be an option. I would like to see MJ make a trade for Utah’s Paul Millsap. Millsap excelled under Sloan during his first few years with the Jazz. He performed Carlos Boozer, who actually started during that time. Here is the list of restricted free agents that will be available this summer: Roy Hibbert, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Ryan Anderson, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lin, George Hill, Aaron Brooks, Robin Lopez, Omer Asik, D.J. Augustin, JaVale McGee, Brandon Rush, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Marreese Speights, Darrell Arthur, and Landry Field. The Bobcats’ roster is going to be new and improved in my opinion. There was always a plan for the Bobcats. The sooner people come to terms with this, the sooner they will realize that change is on the horizon.