Biggest Team Personnel Need?

August Us Seazr · Post #1 » by **August Us Seazr** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:57 pm

Simple question, guys. What is our most pressing team need this summer? Of course, maybe these things can happen prior to trade deadline, but maybe not. What is your opinion?

Post #2 » by **BigSlam** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:00 am

We need a quality pg and a quality big added to the roster.

If we can get those two things then we will find out if we do in fact need a new head coach.

Post #3 » by **Walt Cronkite** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:03 am

Agree with Slam 100%

August Us Seazr · Post #4 » by **August Us Seazr** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:10 am

Slam, I agree that both are needed. Where I get bogged down is which one is the biggest priority. After watching the Lakers/Cavs game, and seeing Big Z foul out with about 6 mins. left, I want a big. But I look at our pitiful PG lineup (after Ray we have zero "pun intended"). We actually might need 2 PG's if we keep Vincent, and he INSISTS on using Ray as a SG. I just do not want to see the Bobcats struggle in 08-09. I hope that Buzz Peterson and Rod Higgins are looking out for us.

Post #5 » by **BigSlam** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:50 am

I see what you are saying now Seazr.

If that is the case then I say a PG is our greatest need. Nazzy is a servicable big (if used the right way) so he can hold the fort there for a year or so and even if he misses games we can cover the loss by playing Crash as the 4 and going with the small ball line up.

If Felts goes down though we are stuck with McMinus running the show and someone like Crash playing as the back up point - which is just crazy.

Based on the depth chart (or lack of) I think that PG is the greatest need.

Post #6 » by **fatlever** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:26 pm

you made it too easy with that last option.

i'd say pg, then big man, then coach.... assuming sam doesnt lose the team before then.

Vanderbilt_Grad · Post #7 » by **Vanderbilt_Grad** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:19 pm

Coach. PG. Big Man. In that order. Coach is biggest need though.

DaBassSource · Post #8 » by **DaBassSource** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:32 pm

If Mek plays with energy night in and night out.... I would say...
PG and Coach...I think we could have ok big men. If he would just use them at least for their fouls...

watchoutdernow · Post #9 » by **watchoutdernow** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:33 am

Definitely another coach. Any coach with a clue would never play his only two PGs at the same time. If you start Felton and bring McInnis off the bench, I don't think we need another PG. D. Anderson can be the reserve/3rd PG.

Post #10 » by **Paydro70** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:34 am

Until you replace McInnis, the biggest problem with the team has not been resolved. Getting another big would be nice, but the coach would have to rank above that as well.

GoBobcats · Post #11 » by **GoBobcats** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:25 pm

Replace Mcinus with a good PG

Coach

PF

The crazy Thing is we are only 1 Game out of the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!

Post #12 » by **floppymoose** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 12:17 pm

watchoutdernow wrote:Definitely another coach. Any coach with a clue would never play his only two PGs at the same time.

You don't want Don Nelson then. He's been playing 3 at a time quite frequently. Yes, 3.

We have a joke on the Warriors board:
Q: Why did Nellie play a 3 PG lineup against {insert team here}?
A: Because he doesn't have a 4th PG on the roster.

August Us Seazr · Post #13 » by **August Us Seazr** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:07 pm

Thanks for the input, everyone. I left things vague enough when starting this that we could go a bunch of ways with it. But mostly, I wanted to see what pushes our buttons when it comes to the .400 record (or thereabouts) we have experienced this year. True, we might be one game out of the playoffs, but look at the number of teams currently in reverse. It's kind of like the tanking has started all over again. (Hope not, getting Oden sure made an impact on the NBA this year, didn't it. :nod:

)

Please, no flames, but something for thought. With the way the point guard situation was set up on the roster, could we be tanking while trying to win, simply by having a subpar backup at the point? Or have I got the wrong idea about what tanking is?

Claw on Cats!

Post #14 » by **fatlever** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:35 pm

i think sam v is doing everything he can to get wins.... on the other hand, i dont thing the FO is doing every they can to give sam the best roster possible this season... they still have at least one eye fixed on the future.

maybe the FO knew this team was still 2-3 years away from truely competing with the top teams and decided to hold off until then before trying to bring a big name coach in here, rather than bringing in that guy now, only to see him have marginal success and possibly lose the team's focus at the time the team is ready to compete with the elite teams. coaches can only do so much. the best coach on the planet would probably be lucky to get 5 more wins out of this team right now. so maybe the best coach on the planet gets us to the 5th seed in the playoffs, but still nowhere near detroit, boston or another 8 teams out west. whats the point, thinks MJ? let a young coach come in here and get the team to playoff level (or more lottery picks), get the team some experience together etc... and then once the core hits their prime in 2-3 years you bring in the perfect veteran coach that can push them into elite status. and if along the way you find the next avery or sam mitchell, all the better, if not, no major harm done, except to mj's perceived credibility as a gm, which i doubt he really cares about.

just a thought.

Post #15 » by **Walt Cronkite** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:00 am

This is what I was trying to convey, you typed it out much better though.

watchoutdernow · Post #16 » by **watchoutdernow** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:22 am

floppymoose wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

You don't want Don Nelson then. He's been playing 3 at a time quite frequently. Yes, 3.

We have a joke on the Warriors board:
Q: Why did Nellie play a 3 PG lineup against {insert team here}?
A: Because he doesn't have a 4th PG on the roster.

I definitely don't want Nellie. But is he starting all 3 pgs? If the answer is no, then he's still not up to par with our idiot coach.

Post #17 » by **BigSlam** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:18 am

So V is just a sacfricial lamb?

Post #18 » by **Paydro70** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:03 am

The difference this year, August, is that we can actually make the playoffs as a result of this tanking. For this franchise, that's much more valuable than the lottery pick. If I were the Nets, sure, I'd get out the dynamite. But for us, we have a very real chance to make it.

Our competitors:
Indiana - This team is horrible. They got out to a hot start that made no sense to me, but they've quieted down and have been sliding down for weeks.
New Jersey - Trading JKidd and tanking.
Chicago - They're really, really bad. I can't believe they even have 18 wins with the way they've been playing..
Milwaukee & Philly - Both of these teams are semi-competent, and I could see them pushing. On the other hand, they're both fairly young and could certainly decide that another lotto pick is better, especially in Philly's case. If they trade Andre Miller, they're done.
Atlanta - This is the only team I see not considering trading away pieces and continuing to try hard the rest of the season. I don't know if we'll come out on top in a race with them, but they're in a similar situation.

So it's quite possible this becomes a 2-team race.

Bowens · Post #19 » by **Bowens** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:51 pm

Paydro70 wrote:The difference this year, August, is that we can actually make the playoffs as a result of this tanking. For this franchise, that's much more valuable than the lottery pick. If I were the Nets, sure, I'd get out the dynamite. But for us, we have a very real chance to make it.

Our competitors:
Indiana - This team is horrible. They got out to a hot start that made no sense to me, but they've quieted down and have been sliding down for weeks.
New Jersey - Trading JKidd and tanking.
Chicago - They're really, really bad. I can't believe they even have 18 wins with the way they've been playing..
Milwaukee & Philly - Both of these teams are semi-competent, and I could see them pushing. On the other hand, they're both fairly young and could certainly decide that another lotto pick is better, especially in Philly's case. If they trade Andre Miller, they're done.
Atlanta - This is the only team I see not considering trading away pieces and continuing to try hard the rest of the season. I don't know if we'll come out on top in a race with them, but they're in a similar situation.

So it's quite possible this becomes a 2-team race.

Sorry to burst your bubble Paydro, we're not making the playoffs. Why you ask? Well for starters, we play almost every game on the road, where we stink. Secondly, our lack of depth and main guys playing lots of minutes every game, (except Jokafor) is going to come back and bite us, especially when we have to go all out in these road games. Third, we play no defense. No defense means inconsistent basketball, unless of course we have Steve Nash, Amare and Marion...unfortunately we don't have those players. Lastly, our lack of a true PG forces McMinus into playing more minutes when we all know he shouldn't even be in the NBA.

The only way we make the playoffs is if we make a trade, cause we're not making it with the way our team is now. And I do want to make the playoffs, but the team we have now would just get swept. We play no defense, our PG play is spotty at best and we're a bad rebounding team. That is a recipe for playoff disaster.

Therefore, the only way I want to make the playoffs is if we make a trade and our level of play and consistency goes up immensely. Otherwise, I'd much rather have the lottery pick then see us go 4 and out.

Oh and Magic Johnson says the Knicks will make the playoffs, so that means there will only be one spot open. :eek1:

Post #20 » by **Paydro70** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:35 pm

The bit about defense isn't really true, we're exactly equally ranked on offense and defense (21st). It's been that way for weeks. We haven't been very good, period, for about half a season now, it's not any bigger a problem on one side of the ball than another.

I think the depth thing is overrated. Look at the Suns, last year they really only went 6-deep, they only rested their starters when they were blowing teams out. They played a far faster pace than us as well, and I don't think Wallace, JRich, and Felton are any less ready to play 35+ mins than Marion, Bell, and Nash (if anything they're in better shape).

Obviously we'd get swept, or maybe win one game at best; but for the sake of the franchise, making the playoffs would be very important. What difference does picking 15th-16th instead of 12th-13th make? I certainly don't care about a late lottery instead of mid-first. Normally I'm on board for tanking for a better lottery pick, but in this case, even if we lose every single game, we're looking at no better than 6th or 7th. Realistically, the worst we're going to fall to is 10th or 11th.

So I don't care how well we play in the playoffs, being able to say we made it there to free agents, having that confidence for our team, would be enough. I suppose that means Vincent would come back, but he probably is anyway, so I don't see that as motivation to fail.

Based on the way we've played so far, we have a 10% chance of making the playoffs. That includes ALL of our play, including those horrible early months where we had no hope whatsoever. The team is playing dramatically better in the last 10-15 games than it did earlier. If some of the teams we're dealing with fall off by trading away their PGs (76ers and Nets) or just returning to earth (Indiana) then I would say our odds are much better. I'm not saying we will, but it's certainly possible.

The Bobcats' biggest personnel need this summer is: