Face It - The Cats Are Lottery Bound

[Bassman]

Maybe I'm just tired. Tired of seeing the same situation repeat itself over and over.

I'm speaking of every round of rumor concerning a trade to bring us a power forward. When it's all said and done, we still have nothing from these discussions. And let's be clear, there ARE discussions going on with teams. Problem is we have nothing of value they want in order to get what we need.

So the Bobcats are left to scrape along for whatever wins we can get with our 3 leg dog until that player arrives. By that time we will either:

A - Be out of the playoff hunt anyway and make a deal at the deadline that helps someone else even more.
B - Wait for yet another draft night lottery pick and hope they don't screw it up.

I do believe Larry Brown is helping this team. The sad part is how much better we would have been by now if we had a legit PF. McMay is a total bust, and I cannot wait to see him find another city to tap for lap dances and midnight buffets. Ajinca would still be better off getting minutes in the NBDL....he's got too much to learn and needs to grow muscle to become productive as a 5 (his true position in this league if he ever sticks).

So face it, we are lottery bound, again.

[BigSlam]

You know there's still 61 games to play..............right?

[Paydro70]

Playoff odds sit at 12% now. It's not exactly over, but....

[Felton for Pres]

We need to win a few games that we aren't supposed to. I'd feel much better if we can take 2 of the next 3. I fear that is too much to ask with 2 of them on the road and all of them against over .500 teams.

[Rich4114]

The problem is that even if we play well, we're out-matched and can barely win. So far the only time I've ever seen anyone go superstar on this team has been Ammo the year before last vs the T-Wolves and maybe Felton vs the Cavs that time. Can we show those guys those tapes and ask them to just do that all of the time?

We have good players, but nobody that's all-star worthy to take the pressure off of everyone else. In the NBA, you need a Wade, Bosh, Lebron, Chris Paul ( ), Duncan, etc. in order to win. The only team I've ever seen win without that has been Detroit but they still had a bunch of borderline guys with experience. We're like Detroit light which means we won't win right now.

[Felton for Pres]

I agree, to win the whole thing we need one of those guys. I don't think anyone here realistically expects us to challenge for a title, at least I hope not. However, you can be DET lite (I like that phrase) and make the playoffs as a 7/8 seed. I really don't think us contending for a playoff spot is too much to ask or even expect.

I don't think we are often out-matched, outside of both CLE games this year. For example, we played against Wade last night without Crash and against the refs and we lost by 4. With a respectable PF we should have a shot in 90% of the games. I'm not saying we should win 90%, just that we should be able to compete and be "in" the game. At some point, if you hang around, you're going to start to pull a few of those off. We should be able to do that.

[SteveMorrison15]

Derek Anderson!

WE NEED YOU!!!

[BigSlam]

So we owe our 2009 pick to the Nuggets from the Lex pick if it falls outside of the lottery, but if we land in the lottery, are we able to trade the pick to another team?

Eg: If we have the 10th pick, can we trade it to someone or do the Nuggets have first rights to it?

[spectre_]

So we owe our 2009 pick to the Nuggets from the Lex pick if it falls outside of the lottery, but if we land in the lottery, are we able to trade the pick to another team?

Eg: If we have the 10th pick, can we trade it to someone or do the Nuggets have first rights to it?

I don't think we can. The rules say we can't deal 2 consecutive 1st round picks, or basically deal one now with another outstanding that could be going next year.

[BigSlam]

I don't think we can. The rules say we can't deal 2 consecutive 1st round picks, or basically deal one now with another outstanding that could be going next year.

Thanks Spectre.

Can we make the trade after the draft? Eg: We trade the player we are told to draft by team "x" for someone on their roster or are we basically stuck with the pick next summer no matter what if we are in the lottery?

[W_HAMILTON]

I think you can trade picks once you "have" them. You just can't trade away future picks. So, if we end up in the lottery this year and own our pick, we can trade away the pick if we want. We most likely would just make the selection for another team, then trade them the player we drafted, since the pick wouldn't be considered a "future" pick anymore.

[spectre_]

I don't think we can. The rules say we can't deal 2 consecutive 1st round picks, or basically deal one now with another outstanding that could be going next year.

Thanks Spectre.

Can we make the trade after the draft? Eg: We trade the player we are told to draft by team "x" for someone on their roster or are we basically stuck with the pick next summer no matter what if we are in the lottery?

Sure, but you want to be careful trying to get around the rules so far as a deal agreed on beforehand...just ask the T'wolves about Joe Smith. There's a time limit before you can trade rookies after they're inked. That might be December 15th as well, but I'm not positive on that. I think you can trade them right after the draft before they sign a contract though.

[spectre_]

I think you can trade picks once you "have" them. You just can't trade away future picks. So, if we end up in the lottery this year and own our pick, we can trade away the pick if we want. We most likely would just make the selection for another team, then trade them the player we drafted, since the pick wouldn't be considered a "future" pick anymore.

This could be right. I do know we could (theoretically) trade this year's right before the draft, next year's right before that draft...and so on as they're aren't "future draft picks".

That legalese crap makes it kind of gray (which is what they intended of course).

So at best we can trade it after the lottery.

[BigSlam]

Sure, but you want to be careful trying to get around the rules so far as a deal agreed on beforehand...just ask the T'wolves about Joe Smith. There's a time limit before you can trade rookies after they're inked. That might be December 15th as well, but I'm not positive on that. I think you can trade them right after the draft before they sign a contract though.

I think it might be 30 days. Donte Greene was traded as a part of the Artest package from Houston to Sac Town.

[BigSlam]

We most likely would just make the selection for another team, then trade them the player we drafted, since the pick wouldn't be considered a "future" pick anymore.

Thats' what I was thinking - of course salaries and matching them would have to come into consideration then - right?

[spectre_]

Trading Future Consecutive Picks

The question wasn't exactly like yours, but I thought this post might be relevant:

my understanding is that the Jazz cannot trade their 2008 pick, since there's a shot they won't have a 2009 pick. The Knicks, for instance, are in the same situation. They can't trade their 2008 pick, since there's a chance the 2009 pick will go to the Jazz (even though most likely, it won't). If the Knicks were to acquire a 2009 conditional pick, I still don't see how that changes anything, since there's still a shot it won't be conveyed in 2009

So to answer your question, the Jazz can't trade their 2008 pick

If there is a chance we won't have our '10 we can't trade our '09. The only way around that is to acquire another 1st.

So I'm back to "I don't think so".

[Bassman]

If we're in the lottery (which we will be) we must use that pick due to the trade made for our wonderful, coveted choice from this year (French Bean). It's just amazing how poorly we used that pick given the circumstances surrounding this team and the needs we have for more immediate frontcourt help.

If this front office is being honest about betting on Sean May's return to man the 4, they are truly unworthy to run a team.

[Rich4114]

We can't do anything with that pick until it's a definite we actually will own the pick. If the pick is inside the lottery for sure (so basically after the season ends) we should be able to do what we want with that pick.

We'll most likely be in the lottery so Denver won't get crap this season. I just wish we could catch a damn break in the lottery and land a dominating rookie.

[spectre_]

We can't do anything with that pick until it's a definite we actually will own the pick. If the pick is inside the lottery for sure (so basically after the season ends) we should be able to do what we want with that pick.

We'll most likely be in the lottery so Denver won't get crap this season. I just wish we could catch a damn break in the lottery and land a dominating rookie.

And even after we "know" it's ours we still can't trade it.

We could trade the player we draft tho.

[Dexmor]

To bad Michael Jordan doesn't know what the hell he is doing.
Draft Morrison and pass on Lopez and now this trade.
Time to go MJ.