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After signing Ramon Sessions today and with Bonnell reporting that we a re-engaging ourselves in talks with the Nets for Kris Humphries, it looks like we are finally starting to build our roster with free agents. Our roster now could potentially look like this:

Kemba, Sessions, Higgins
Hendo, Gordon, Reggie Williams, Carroll
MKG, Jeff Taylor, Derrick Brown?
Humphries, Tyrus, Jamison?
Bismack, Mullens, Diop

Who knows what we would give up for Humphries. Most likely Tyrus, Diop, Carroll, or Williams would be sent to the Nets, or maybe even a draft pick. It would be great to get Tyrus' contract of the books. Humphries backup could become Antwan Jamison if he signs, or possibly Derrick Brown or Mullens.

When looking at our starters and 2nd string backups, I begin to think about how our roster stacks up against the other teams' rosters. We could potentially be better than the Raptors, Magic (If they trade Dwight), Suns, Jazz, Trailblazers, and Rockets. If we finished better than these teams during the season, that would leave us with the best chance at the 7th pick. While that is still a fairly high pick, it might not be high enough for the Bobcats' direction of acquiring stars through the draft. Sessions is on board for two years, and Humphries would want a multi-year deal. This roster and draft position would not just last for this year, but also would likely extend into the following year. Unless Cho engineered a trade to move up in the draft, we would miss out on players like Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel. We blew up the roster to acquire potential stars through the draft in the mold of OKC's rebuilding plan. This semi-mediocrity would ruin that plan. I do not want to go through rebuilding mode again in the near future because our team became mediocre once more.

Thoughts?

Sessions and Hump does not clearly take us away from being one of the 3 worst teams. We're still gonna lose a lot, just get blown out much less.

We've got:
A rookie head coach
A rookie starting at SF, his backup probably also a rookie (MKG/Taylor)
An still very young and raw Biz at PF/C
Mullens logging major minutes with his awful D
A very streaky Gordon who also sucks at D
Possibly (but hopefully not) a broken shot from Kemba
3 (and counting) FAs so chemistry is going to be pretty bad probably
Tyrus the Stomach Virus

I hope we are still bad enough to get another top 5 pick, and then go for it all in the 2013-14 season.

BrotherDave wrote:Tyrus the Stomach Virus

that's brilliant!

I was against BrotherDave on this at first because of the OP very concerns. I have sense come around. Hump and Sessions ARE both nice pieces. But they are not guys that will really contribute to a huge win total difference without other key guys around them. Fact of the matter is, we don't have those key guys yet.

Kemba is still learning to play PG. MKG will be a rookie, and very raw at that. Biz is still developing as a player. Our coach is coaching his first NBA team. I think with those variables, it would still set us up to be in the top 5. And, as we all know, history shows you don't want to finish worst in the NBA if you want that top pick....

I think Sessions/Hump and/or Haywood are guys that will provide excitement and energy for fans. I'm just no convinced they are guys that will immediately affect our win total by very much. Don't see us winning over 20 games even with Hump/Haywood (and there's no promise we get either).

MKG2 wrote:

BrotherDave wrote:Tyrus the Stomach Virus

that's brilliant!

co-sign that is the most awesome thing I have read in quite some time!

I don't look at it as we're building our roster with free agents. I see us trying to acquire as many assets as possible this season in order to give us more flexibility going forward. Signing free agents is a very easy way to acquire a good asset without having to give up something. (other than cap space which in our case is not an issue right now) They can always be shipped away at the trade deadline for first round picks depending on how our season is going. Or maybe they become part of the building blocks here. Nobody knows at this point in time.

Battery wrote:I don't look at it as we're building our roster with free agents. I see us trying to acquire as many assets as possible this season in order to give us more flexibility going forward. Signing free agents is a very easy way to acquire a good asset without having to give up something. (other than cap space which in our case is not an issue right now) They can always be shipped away at the trade deadline for first round picks depending on how our season is going. Or maybe they become part of the building blocks here. Nobody knows at this point in time.

hell yeah they can. you have to imagine sessions would look super valuable to the knicks if Lin gets injured, for example. Or if Deron and Joe Johnson's backups can't cut it.

yeah but we were 13 games behind the 2nd worst team...Adding all of those players you mentioned will not get us 30 wins..Its between the Bobcats, Orlando, and Houston for the top 3 picks.. Washington and New Orleans instantly improved. Cleveland added a piece plus Kyrie is going to get better. The teams..

We should add the complimentary picks now...still get a top 3 choice + those portland/detroit picks..and maybe have cap room to sign or trade for a star

dre4bobcats wrote:yeah but we were 13 games behind the 2nd worst team...Adding all of those players you mentioned will not get us 30 wins..Its between the Bobcats, Orlando, and Houston for the top 3 picks.. Washington and New Orleans instantly improved. Cleveland added a piece plus Kyrie is going to get better. The teams..

We should add the complimentary picks now...still get a top 3 choice + those portland/detroit picks..and maybe have cap room to sign or trade for a star

That's a key point you make. We were 13 games BEHIND the 2nd worst team. Obviously this is a different season, but adding Sessions/Hump/Haywood (if it even happens) is not going to make us 20 wins better. In fact, I almost doubt it even makes us more more than 13 wins better. We would still be in the bottom, and the teams that were in the bottom with us this year will likely be better. NO is way improved. Cleveland may be in the playoffs. Washington added vets to try and make the playoffs. Not to mention, I would rather be the 2nd or 3rd worst team going into the lottery as it seemingly gives you a better chance at winning it (according to past history). Still don't put more than a 20 game max win total even with Sessions/Haywood/Hump. 20 wins will still be good for bottom 5.

We're still going to be terrible which is OK. I want us to be terrible and have lots of high draft picks and cap space to build around heading into next summer when we can begin making big splashes.

I'd rather we don't sign Humphries to be honest. $8m/year is steep for a guy like that if you ask me.

I really dont understand our plans...are we trying to be decent or are we trying to be terrible because everytime i think we are trying to be terrible i hear rumors that we are making a play for hump and lopez. you doing offer a max deal to lopez if your trying to be awful next season. this flip flopping back and forth shows a lack of patiences with the slow build.

countryboi wrote:I really dont understand our plans...are we trying to be decent or are we trying to be terrible because everytime i think we are trying to be terrible i hear rumors that we are making a play for hump and lopez. you doing offer a max deal to lopez if your trying to be awful next season. this flip flopping back and forth shows a lack of patiences with the slow build.

Just keep in mind one thing. Offering Lopez a max deal was likely nothing more than a power play in the Dwight Howard trade talks. EVERY team KNEW that the Nets would match any offer anyway. No team that was talking about Lopez realistically thought they would get him.

As far as Hump goes, he is NOT a player that is going to prevent us from being terrible next year. Not 7 win terrible, but still 20 win terrible. Hell, even just adding Lopez, that's not going to make us decent unless you consider 25 wins decent. We are still set to be terrible, these are just pieces that can be used after the next draft when it is time to start trying to be good (more intentionally at least).

There is no flip flopping. If there was a true lack of patience for the plan then Gay would be here already, we wouldn't have MKG. Not only would Gay be here, but we would had been offering BIG money to Dragic (something he couldn't turn down), we would had offered bigger money to Hump. We would had amnestied Thomas. We wouldn't had hired Dunlap. I mean the plan is still clearly in tact. You still need a team on the floor though, and adding a solid piece now that can still be there in the future isn't a bad play. Only player they could add that would make this team anything but a top 5 pick team is a superstar.

We're improving from being the worst team ever. Signing a couple of vet FAs isn't going to make us so much better that we're out of contention for a top pick in the 2013 draft. We simply are making it so the team can be competitive most nights, which was not the case last season. I continue to believe in the slow build of the Chotime Bobcats.

Walt Cronkite wrote:We're improving from being the worst team ever. Signing a couple of vet FAs isn't going to make us so much better that we're out of contention for a top pick in the 2013 draft. We simply are making it so the team can be competitive most nights, which was not the case last season. I continue to believe in the slow build of the Chotime Bobcats.

This team is shaping nicely. People are saying Shabazz, but I really want one of the bigs next summer Zeller or Noel. Then this team would be ready to start looking to gain playoff experience.

Kemba, Sessions (resigned)
Jeff Tayor, Hendo
Kidd, Taylor
Humpheries, Biz
Noel, Biz, Mullens

DJQuick wrote:

Walt Cronkite wrote:We're improving from being the worst team ever. Signing a couple of vet FAs isn't going to make us so much better that we're out of contention for a top pick in the 2013 draft. We simply are making it so the team can be competitive most nights, which was not the case last season. I continue to believe in the slow build of the Chotime Bobcats.

This team is shaping nicely. People are saying Shabazz, but I really want one of the bigs next summer Zeller or Noel. Then this team would be ready to start looking to gain playoff experience.

Kemba, Sessions (resigned)
Jeff Tayor, Hendo
Kidd, Taylor
Humpheries, Biz
Noel, Biz, Mullens

Really? You suck at gauging talent bro.

I haven't at all been impressed by Noel, and while Zeller is a good player, he doesn't have the strength to handle playing as a full time C and has a serious care of TRex Arms.

SWedd523 wrote:I haven't at all been impressed by Noel, and while Zeller is a good player, he doesn't have the strength to handle playing as a full time C and has a serious care of TRex Arms.

I'm with you on Noel, but word on the street is that Zeller has gotten a lot bigger, legit C size now. He still might have T-rex arms but so did Yao. *shrug*

If he can bulk up while still maintaining his end-to-end speed then we can talk, but I'll have to wait until I see it live. He's definitely the best of the big lot, but that's not really saying much as I'm not really digging any of the other popular bigs (Gobert, McAdoo, Austin).


I'm most interested in the Michigan trio of Burke/Hardaway/Robinson. Probably won't be looking to draft any of them unless we decide to move on from Hendo or slide MKG to the 2, but I still can't wait to see them play.

I also want to see Muhammad, Adonis Thomas, UNC's Hairston/Bullock, and UK's Goodwin/Poythress

I know its just been one game, but Taylor already looks like a better passer/shooter than Hendo and roughly as good a defender... Hendo is looking VERY expendable right now.