How Long Should Michael Jordan Give Mike Dunlap to Fix Bobcats' Awful Franchise?

As the greatest basketball player of all time, a man who won six championships over the course of his career and set countless records, Michael Jordan is used to getting what he wants and getting it almost immediately. When he wanted something, he went out and got it done. 

However, when it comes to running a team, particularly an inept franchise like the Charlotte Bobcats, patience is indeed a virtue. When MJ thinks about the team he controls, he must remember the early stages of his career, during which he had to constantly work to get better and overcome the hurdle that was the Detroit Pistons. 

Jordan's coaching search for the Bobcats has come to a conclusion, and now that he has settled on Mike Dunlap, he must exhibit patience and give his hand-selected clipboard holder time to fix this team. This is especially true since there aren't many great pieces to work with at the moment. 

Dunlap was the de facto head coach for St. John's last year after Steve Lavin had prostate cancer surgery, so although he's never technically been a high-level head coach, he does have some experience. 

The new Bobcats play-caller has also had some experience in the NBA, serving as George Karl's assistant with the Denver Nuggets. Obviously he did a good job, as Karl has nothing but good things to say about him: 

"

Mike Dunlap absolutely elevates every player and team he comes in contact with. He takes you from good to great. Name every top-level, elite coach in the game—the only difference between Mike and them is their addresses. There is absolutely no one better.

"

Since this is indeed Jordan's hand-picked man for the job, he needs to actually give Dunlap an opportunity to succeed. That opportunity isn't there if the former Chicago Bulls star looks at the standings at the end of the 2012-2013 season and pulls the plug on the Dunlap experiment after just one year. 

The Charlotte rehaul is going to take a while. Kemba Walker, D.J. Augustin (a restricted free agent), Gerald Henderson, Byron Mullens and Bismack Biyombo are all intriguing players, but there isn't a franchise player among them. The rookie they draft at No. 2 isn't going to suddenly turn them into contenders either.

Rebuilding takes time, especially when the Bobcats are coming off a record-setting season in terms of regular-season futility.

Jordan reportedly gave Dunlap a two-year guaranteed contract with at least one option, and now he needs to make sure that Dunlap is in position to serve out every second of that time period.

Expect a lot of struggles during year one as the talent-deprived roster struggles to adjust to Dunlap's new system. They should start winning at a slightly higher rate as the first year of the Dunlap program draws to a close.

Then, Dunlap will have an offseason to remedy the problems he's found, and the second season under his watch should go much more smoothly. The younger players will be more experienced, and the head coach will have had a chance not only to customize the playbook, but also to customize the roster.

Jordan should also plan on picking up the option unless things go even further south. It's during the third season that he should plan on evaluating his head coach fully and seeing if he was the right call in the first place.

It will be tough when the losses start to pile up yet again, but patience is crucial.