Future is bright in Charlotte

With the fifth overall pick in the draft, Charlotte selected North Carolina point guard Raymond Felton. Just eight picks later, the Bobcats, who had acquired the pick from Cleveland, grabbed another former Tar Heel Sean May.

The Bobcats, who played their games at Charlotte Coliseum during their inaugural season, are scheduled to begin play at the new Charlotte Arena in the 2005-06 season. By selecting two hometown heroes, the Bobcats have raised the excitement level of the fans. One other key point is that Felton and May are both pretty good basketball players.

Emeka Okafor, who averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in 73 games during his rookie campaign, was the 2005 Rookie of the Year. The Connecticut product, who was selected by Charlotte with the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, proved that he has a solid career ahead of him. With Okafor already on board, the second-year franchise already had one piece of the puzzle in place.

By drafting Felton, the Bobcats are hopeful that they have found their starting lead guard for the next 10-plus years. The 6-1 Felton is a pure point guard who thinks pass first and shot second. He is very quick and is excellent at finding his teammates when they are open.

Felton was instrumental in helping North Carolina capture the 2005 National Championship. He showed a lot of poise and proved that he has strong leadership skills. What can he bring to the next level?

"The same attitude," said Felton at the press conference to introduce him and May. "I’m the same guy. I’m the same player, so I’m going to bring the same attitude. I love to help my teammates out. I’d rather pass the ball before I shoot. I think my teammates will love to play with me, because I don’t think about myself. I think about what is good for the team, whether that’s me scoring a lot or passing the ball. I’ll do what’s best for the team."

May should fit in well next to Okafor. The 6-8 forward had an unbelievable showing in the NCAA Tournament, helping raise his stock tremendously for the draft. Okafor will have to play in the middle when he is on the court with May, which could take away some of his effectiveness. However, both players excel on the inside and should be able to hold their down low against the tough big men in the NBA.

The Bobcats two draft picks have experienced winning on the college level. They were major factors in North Carolina’s championship run. Both players come from a great basketball tradition and will add a winning attitude to the Charlotte franchise.

Did playing for North Carolina prepare them for the rigors of life in the NBA?

"I think so because what we did at North Carolina was run," said May. "Then, in the tournament, everybody stops you, and that’s when you really see the true side of a team. We didn’t run a whole lot once we got to the tournament because people found a way to defend us. So being able to play both styles of basketball — walking it up and running — will help us both benefit because we both know how to do it. In the NBA, there’s times when it’s real high-paced and times when the scoring is low and you walk it up possession-by-possession. I think that’s where we benefit by going to North Carolina, because we did both."

Charlotte’s fans are excited with what the Bobcats did on draft night. Felton and May are two players that the fans are going to want to go and see. The fans have already made the two newest Bobcats feel welcome.

"It’s been incredible," said May about the response he and Felton have gotten from the fans. "We knew we would get a lot, but I didn’t think it would be like this. When all of these people come up here and show up at a press conference, it’s exciting. We went over to the new arena today, and this year we expect it to be a great atmosphere in Charlotte. Hopefully there will be a lot more business here because two Carolina guys are coming in, and that will help the economics of the city of Charlotte. I’m extremely thankful, and we are truly blessed just to have people that want to come out, support us and see us work."

Yes, it’s true that the decision to select a pair of North Carolina products was a very wise move for a franchise that is going to start playing in a new arena. But the fact remains that Charlotte added two players that can help its franchise win games for many years to come.

The additions of Felton and May have helped make the future of basketball in Charlotte that much brighter.