by David Truesdale

The NBA Finals are here. This year, three of the premier players in the league are on the world stage, playing for a World Championship. Dwyane Wade and Lebron James of the Miami Heat hope to redeem their Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks from a year ago, while Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is playing in his first Finals.

As I watched Game 1 Tuesday night, I started to think: what if the Bobcats had an athlete that could capture an audience like Durant, Wade, or James? What if we had a player that put the team on his back in the fourth quarter and seemed to will his team to victory? Well with the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, the Bobcats have a chance to secure that game changer that we’ve needed. All signs point towards Anthony Davis, last year’s AP Player of the Year from Kentucky, as the lock down first pick for the New Orleans Hornets. With Davis off the board, the Bobcats could go one of many directions with the second pick. If the goal is to draft a big man, Andre Drummond from Connecticut is a 7-Footer that brings a significant interior presence. Whether Drummond can have the explosive impact the team needs remains to be seen. Two very talented Small Forwards that stand out in this year’s draft are Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes. Kidd-Gilchrist was an integral part of Kentucky’s National Championship run, and Barnes was a solid college player at UNC, but the question mark is how their skill sets will translate to the professional level. Thomas Robinson, a Power Forward from Kansas has flashes of greatness and seems to have the physical tools, but will look to improve on the offensive end of the floor. Somewhere in this year’s draft is a spark that could potentially change the look of next season’s team – the Bobcats just have to find it.

Another new face for the Bobcats next season will be at Head Coach, after former Coach Paul Silas’ contract was not renewed following one and a half seasons at the helm. The coaching candidates have been narrowed to three: former Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, LA Lakers Assistant Coach Quin Snyder, and Indiana Pacers Assistant Coach Brian Shaw. Any of the three could bring the Bobcats back into playoff contention, but with Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan’s track record, he appears to be the clear favorite.

I recently saw a promotion the Bobcats were running - buy one, get one free deal on Bobcats season tickets. Buy 2012-2013 season tickets, get 2013-2014 season’s free. Is it worth it? Many believe so. I’d say picking up a Hall of Fame coach and a talented No. 2 draft pick is certainly a good place to start.

Read more about the upcoming draft here: espn.go.com/nba/draft.

Stay updated on the Bobcats Head Coaching search here: www.nba.com/bobcats.