Michael Jordan couldn't find his shot.
His jumpers kept clanging off the rim yesterday morning after he finished supervising the Charlotte Bobcats' final pre-draft workout.
Jordan can only hope it didn't foreshadow another draft-night brick.
Seeking to distance himself from the embarrassing choices of Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, Jordan will make the final call tonight in his fourth draft with the Bobcats, and his second paired with Coach Larry Brown.
While Jordan kept to his routine and shunned reporters, Brown was confident they'll be prepared for all possibilities -- including trading the 12th pick -- to help the Bobcats get closer to their first playoff berth.
"We've seen everybody and we have a pretty good idea of who the best players are," Brown said. "I don't think everybody agrees exactly on the order, but I think we're pretty consistent on the top 15 guys.
"I would hope we would consider how we play. Style of play, that's critical."
While Jordan holds the final say on all personnel decisions as part owner, it's clear after Charlotte used an NBA-high 24 players last season that Brown holds considerable sway. Charlotte's three in-season trades were to bring in players that Brown was more comfortable with.
Now, after Brown watched workouts involving more than 50 players, including a second look at James Johnson of Wake Forest yesterday, he'll try to reach a consensus with Jordan and General Manager Rod Higgins on what to do.
"We're all over the board as far as keeping, trading the pick, tweaking our roster," Higgins said.
It gives Jordan another shot to change the view that he's a suspect executive.
His time running the Washington Wizards was plagued by the decision to select Kwame Brown No. 1 overall in 2001. His first decision after buying into the Bobcats in 2006 was to take Morrison at No. 3.
Both turned out to be disappointments, and Brown pushed for the trade last season that sent Morrison to the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Jordan's commitment to his job has been questioned -- he was present only for two of Charlotte's pre-draft workouts this month -- his recent draft moves haven't been that bad.
Jordan in 2007 traded the eighth pick, Brandan Wright, to Golden State for Jason Richardson. He became Charlotte's top scorer until he was traded to Phoenix last season for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw, two starters who fit Brown's style.
With Brown on board last year, the Bobcats took point guard D.J. Augustin with the ninth pick. He had a solid, if unspectacular, rookie season as Raymond Felton's backup. But the Bobcats also traded a future first-round choice to Denver so they could draft 7-foot project Alexis Ajinca of France, who appears a long way from contributing.
This year the Bobcats need help at shooting guard. There is little depth behind Bell, who turns 33 this year.
Charlotte twice brought in Duke's Gerald Henderson and Terrence Williams of Louisville for workouts, and they are strong candidates for the 12th pick.
After deciding not to extend a qualifying offer to Sean May, the Bobcats also need help at power forward behind Diaw.
But the strength of the draft is at point guard, an area that the Bobcats have plenty of depth in after deciding to make a qualifying offer to Felton. It's put Charlotte in trade discussions that could mean moving back in the draft or giving up the 12th pick for a veteran.
"I don't think you're ever hurt if you get the right type of veteran," Higgins said. "Sometimes it's a flip of the coin drafting a young player if he's going to come in and help your team right away.
"Where we're drafting, it's hard to say at No. 12 if you can get an impact player."
Brown said that it's unlikely that the Bobcats would trade up in the draft because it would likely require giving up a core player.
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