MKG preseason thoughts?

[mrknowitall215]

Even Hendo is shooting 37 percent

[Eoghan]

Splitter, Diamantidis, Millsap, and/or Blair. If that's not a recipe for treadmill town and empty seats than I don't know what is.

[pickIBL]

The bobcats have a .358% record all-time and are 0-4 in the playoffs. So I'm not sure what you mean by a receipe for disaster as if those players added to the roster would be such a let down.

Plus from 04 to 12 the Bobcats have never managed to draft a major impact "star" talent. Baby steps... sign some assests and get it right in the next draft.

[mrknowitall215]

I don't know about Splitter & Milsap, but I'd take a serious look at Blair to see what he can produce. I'm sure he can't demand over $6-7 million per year due to his knee problems no matter how great he look on the court for a full season in a 'Cats uniform. That's what I'd call value.

[Eoghan]

We tried this with Larry Brown. It got us an incredibly expensive payroll for a team that couldn't win a playoff game.

We're a small market team, there are no baby steps in the "do a little better each year" formula you're advocating. All that gets us is being a farm team for the big markets and a futile chase for the 8th seed.

True, we've never drafted a "star" talent but we only just got a GM worth a damn in Cho last year. We've also been bad luck away from drafting a "star" talent many times.

2004: 2nd overall - Emeka Okafor (Narrowly missed out on D12); 46th overall - Bernard Robinson (scrub)
2005: 5th overall - Raymond Felton (Narrowly missed out on DWIll and CP3); 13th overall - Sean May (injury; bust)
2006: 3rd overall - Adam Morrison (ACL injuries/bust); 50th overall - Ryan Holilns (scrub)
2007: 8th overall - Brandan Wright (traded for J RIch); 22nd overall - Jared Dudley (decent pick)
2008: 9th overall - DJ Augustin (not a good pick in retrospect); 20th overall - Alexis Ajinca (scrub); 38th overall - Kyle Weaver (who?)
2009: 12th overall - Gerald Henderson (decent pick); 40th overall - Derrick Brown (decent pick)*
2010: No picks
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2011: 7th overall - Bismack Biyombo; 9th overall - Kemba Walker; 39th overall - Jeremy Tyler (sold for cash)
2012: 2nd overall - MKG; 31st overall - Jeffery Taylor

*Byron Mullens was drafted 21st overall in this draft and obtained with a 2nd rd pick thanks to Cho

[HornetJail]

Small correction: Hollins was drafted in 06 and was literally the best player available. Had we drafted that late in 07, we could've drafted none other than Ramon Sessions, and we would've been two picks shy of drafting Marc Gasol. In 06, we were three picks too late to draft Paul Millsap.

Edit: Actually, your entire timetable is shifted one season late. Augustin was drafted in 08 and everything should shifted a year back.

[UcanUwill]

Oh, Bobcats nation, you guys are desperate. Look, I love Diamantidis, he is one of the great European players, but he is not exactly NBA type, and he passed his prime.
Tiago Splitter on the other hand is the player to get. That guy could be a real force.

[Eoghan]

Small correction: Hollins was drafted in 06 and was literally the best player available. Had we drafted that late in 07, we could've drafted none other than Ramon Sessions, and we would've been two picks shy of drafting Marc Gasol. In 06, we were three picks too late to draft Paul Millsap.

Edit: Actually, your entire timetable is shifted one season late. Augustin was drafted in 08 and everything should shifted a year back.

Thanks for the catch. Fixed I think.

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The question I'm wondering, is how devoted to MKG at SF are we going to be if this time next year or the year after the clear BPA/transcendent star is a SF? Like what if Poythress goes off and it looks like Poythress:MKG::Derrick Rose:John Wall?

I'm pretty sure MKG's learning curve is going to be the slow and steady route b/c he's a project. A good project, but a project nonetheless.

[BigSlam]

So it's pretty clear that in the next draft we go for that dynamic scorer. It will be our biggest need and I can't see us targeting anything else in our next draft.

I hope you are right but I hope it's the year after and that between now and then Wiggins becomes a cross between Kobe and Durant and we are sitting top of the lottery ready to snag him.

You have the option to take one of Shabazz, Jabari, or Wiggins. Who do you take?

I've only ever seen Shabazz and Wiggins play - so I can't tell just yet. I do worry that Shabazz might bve a little too much like MKG though (and I am hoping like HELL that MKG is a serious keeper). Wiggins would compliment MKG really well.

I am very interested in Parker though. Move MKG to the starting SG spot, Parker at the starting SF? That might work. Need to see Parker play though.

[pickIBL]

I suppose you could do that... but then you'd have to change the name of the shooting guard position to something else not related to shooting... and that would just lead to confusion

[SWedd523]

Dwyane Wade can't shoot, he does remarkable well as a SG.


MKG could succeed as either a 2/3 alongsside any of Shabazz/Parker/Wiggins as a 2/3.


I have no problem trotting out two 6"7"-6'8" SFs, not when they're as talented as these guys

[HornetJail]

Dwyane Wade can't shoot, he does remarkable well as a SG.

Because he's amazing at literally everything else. Rondo's in the same boat. He'd be the second or third best player in the league with a consistent jump shot. If you're going to be a jumper-less SG, you better be able to slash to the rim at will and be a premier defender as well.

[SWedd523]

If you're going to be a jumper-less SG, you better be able to slash to the rim at will and be a premier defender as well.

So then, MKG's fine

[Eoghan]

MKG ain't there yet, bro. Hopefully he will be. And Wade's shot is miles better than MKG's. The only guy that had a worse shot than MKG in this draft that I saw was Tony Wroten.

[SWedd523]

Of course he does, bro. He's over 30 years old. I'm not saying MKG is an all-star or all-pro. Only that he'll work just fine next to any of the next-next great SFs

[freakon0mics]

For a young player, let alone a rookie, what I like about him so far is that he doesn't force it as much as you think a young player would. From what I see, he will take some time to adjust to playing at this level. He seems to be just taking a back seat and watching how the game is played and the pace it is at this level. However, I can see him within 2-3 months getting caught up to the speed of the pro game. He's not only talented and athletic but he seems to be a very smart player.

[Eoghan]

Of course he does, bro. He's over 30 years old. I'm not saying MKG is an all-star or all-pro. Only that he'll work just fine next to any of the next-next great SFs

Rodger dodger.

Really, the only concern is if one of the next-next great SFs/Sgs we draft can't shoot either. Then things start approaching not ideal.

[SWedd523]

^Now we're on to something. Good thing is that Jabari is going to be a fine shooter and Wiggins looks pretty good in his own right. Shabazz is more of a bruiser and I haven't really seen him need to shoot from deep too much, but his form looks fine and he should be able to do it pretty well

[pillowmint]

Dudes need to chill,

Preseason is the worst way to judge a team/player. Coaches often try and work out new systems, plays, and generally to see what they've got to work with. MKG is going to be a stud, I have 0 doubt. He can put up a lot of different stats, he's a team player, to me he's a Battier type player. He may not be dropping 40pts every night, but I'll bet you he'll be killing the +/- stat line

Diamond in the rough!