Can you feel the anticipation building, gathering steam with such force that you can’t stop thinking about it and wish the days flew by until then?
No, we’re not talking about the official start of summer, when the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere arrives, triggering backyard barbecues and trips to Lake Norman.
This is regarding the event that usually has intrigue and signals the true commencement of month-long flurry of activity that sets social media and the airwaves ablaze.
That’s now the collective focus for a majority of the league, except for the four teams still alive in the chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and the three searching for a new head coach — with former Charlotte Hornets coach and current New Orleans lead assistant James Borrego among the choices.
But for these Hornets, once the ping-pong balls were done flying around the hopper inside a closed ballroom in Chicago earlier this month, the focus shifted toward the NBA’s annual draft on June 26-27.
“Yeah, disappointed but I also think it’s a good draft to have the sixth pick,” Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall told The Observer in the aftermath.
“So, I think we are going to be fine. We just talked to our guys and we are excited about having the sixth pick.
Disappointing, but we are confident we are going to find a good player.”
