Chapel Hill South
Posted June 28, 2005, 9:40 PM ET

The Bobcats selected a pair of UNC stars with their first two picks of the 2005 NBA Draft.

On the surface, it looks like a solid combination of picks for Charlotte. I know many people wanted to see the Bobcats move up and find a way to select another Tar Heel, Marvin Williams...but that possibilty never materialized.

Time will tell how good Felton or May will be in the NBA, but the Bobcats should feel an immediate impact at the ticket office...and trust me, that's important for a franchise that needs to create a buzz heading into a brand new arena.

Last season, the inaugural season for the Bobcats, was lost for the most part in the Charlotte sports landscape. Many fans have turned off the NBA for numerous reasons, and the Bobcats had to inherit a number of headaches that were left behind by the previous ownership group.

But with Emeka Okafor in the middle and semi-established as the NBA Rookie-of-the-Year, and a pair of national champion Tar Heels...all of a sudden the Bobcats have something to work with when it comes to creating a stir in the marketplace.

I've had the chance to take two personal tours of the new arena...and the place is awesome. Of course, for $280 million bucks...the place should be impressive. But Charlotte should give the new product and new arena a try when the 2005-06 NBA season gets cranked up in November.

The Bobcats have done a very nice job getting acclimated to the community and trying to find their niche in the market. If they can build upon a decent start as a franchise program and continue to get local favorites that can play...who knows...maybe the NBA can thrive again in Charlotte.

It will be fun to watch how the city embraces Felton and May...In years past, once a kid leaves college to go to the NBA, they are perceived as "thugs" or "bad guys"...I have a funny feeling that won't be the case for the Bobcats' newest members.

The only question I have now...will Bob Johnson change the name of his team to the "Tar Cats"?