Reality: We were all about winning this year

[Bassman]

I've figured this thing out folks.

The Okafor trade, the multiple trades to get us Jax and some role players. It was all about this season. Not next season.

The Bobcats were in a fan freefall and the team was for sale. To stop the bleeding, they had to reach the playoffs and get some excitement and focus on this team. The trades were designed to shave salary, obtain some key talent neeed to get us over the hump, and sell tickets. MJ and the FO succeeded! But don't pretend this is going anywhere.

MJ said himself that this is the team we've got for a while. We have no draft picks. We will certainly allow Hughes, Theo, to walk this summer (maybe Felton if he wants too much $). We hope to trade poor performers like Diaw and pray we can retain a guy like Thomas at a decent price. We play out next season with bloated contracts (perhaps getting in the playoffs, perhaps not) then await our real opportunity in 2012.

It really was quite masterfully done if you ask me. But don't say I didn't warn you. Way back when this was all going down, I predicted we would make the post-season and die a quick death, all while sacrificing our 1st round pick in a deep draft. I am enjoying the show (except for the horrible play) and hope for a victory or 2 at home. Just don't count on much more next season.

[BigSlam]

Golly gosh you are fun to be around sometimes Bass.

Glad to see you are enjoying the playoffs............

[W_HAMILTON]

If it's all about winning this year, you don't trade Okafor for Chandler.

There has been absolutely no upside to that trade this season.

The only indirect benefit is that it helped us suck so much early in the season that it forced us to shake things up and trade for Jackson, even though -- to be honest -- if this organization wouldn't pull the trigger on injured Bell + Radmanovic for Jackson, they are pretty stupid to begin with.

[BigSlam]

You should just copy that post to your hard drive W_Hamilton and then just paste it rather than continually re-type it or variations of it.

Might make it easier for you?

[Rich4114]

lol, see what happens when they have 3 days in between games? We resort to talking arguing about Felton and Okafor vs Chandler. I'm waiting for Brevin Knight to make a cameo.

[doc.end]

Kevin Burleson anyone?

[SteveMorrison15]

Adam Morrison?

[Stun704]

Tyson Chandler and Nazr Mohammed are both expiring contracts next season, we can parlay both players to a stephen jackson t ype impact player for the team, it is def possible we would be an even better team next season

[e4Nf6]

I don't think it's fair to say that the Bobcats have no room to improve. Augustin, Thomas, Henderson, Brown, and Ajinça all have room to improve. As for the draft pick trades, I think they were probably good value. Tyrus Thomas is definitely a better value than the standard 15th or 16th pick so I don't mind that at all if we resign him at a reasonable price. Ajinça is about par for the course for a the 16th pick we traded for him. (a little better IMO, but we'll see)

Of course somebody in the next few years picked between 10 and 25 will end up being a decent player and somebody around here will scream " we could have had player x!" which disregards the other 20 or 30 guys that we probably would have picked that didn't amount to so much.

There is definitely the possibility that the deals go bad. i.e. We struggle in the next few years and the Tyrus Thomas pick ends up being a lot better than we thought, or Thomas signs with somebody else. But that's the name of the game, there are no sure things in life....

[fatlever]

i am excited to see what we can do with the ton of expiring deals we will have for next season. we could easily add an all-star level player from a team looking to rebuild and shed salary.

[Walt Cronkite]

I'm waiting for Brevin Knight to make a cameo.

I was about to create a "We did Brevin Knight dirty" topic, but I guess now I shouldn't.

[fatlever]

so when i got the upgrades the other night.... brevin walked past me about 10 times, then i walked next to him in the tunnel back to the backcourt clud. dude is my size.

you guys know he does the color announcing on the radio broadcast, right?

[hhvo]

so when i got the upgrades the other night.... brevin walked past me about 10 times, then i walked next to him in the tunnel back to the backcourt clud. dude is my size.

you guys know he does the color announcing on the radio broadcast, right?

I forgot to ask how you were able to get the seat upgrade? Does that happen often?

[fatlever]

we were just sitting there in the nosebleeds when a lady in a suit came over and asked us if we wanted to move downstairs. thats the 3rd time (i think) in 4 years its happened. the other two times the seats were in the corners of the lower bowl.

[Bassman]

Golly gosh you are fun to be around sometimes Bass.

Glad to see you are enjoying the playoffs............

Sorry Slam..I was in a gray mood today relative to the Cats and I just felt the need to mourn the possibility of next season being a downer.

Believe it or not I am enjoying the playoffs. It's great getting to root for your team (finally) again. Amazing how we are reminded just how intense the playoffs are and how completely they expose your team for what it is and isn't. So let me say how proud I am of Crash, who has proven he is every bit the all-star. I'm enjoying having Jax on my team, as he brings the legit scorer and player we've needed on this squad. While I still see much more room for improvement, I must say DJ is looking better, and gives me some hope that he could still become our PG of tomorrow. Chandler is playing hard, and yes he fouls too much. But he brings a defensive intensity and fire that I didn't see in Okafor. Thomas has some moments here and there but he looks like he's forcing things (not getting enough PT to get in the flow). These are things I've enjoyed so far.