Where are we?

[lightsout]

Very simple question for each of you: where are you on this team? I'm cautiously skeptic. I want to say we're a competitive team, or at least starting to become one. We're a big man away from being very good, IMO. Once our core of Walker, MKG, and Haywood really gel and become the scoring machine that, thus far, they've show they can be offensively, and as long as our post play just does it's job, we'll be competitive as is. We get a Zeller-type player in the draft next year and we could be talking a playoff berth.

One note: We HAVE to get better at the free-throw line. 18-28 tonight. We got rebounds off some of those misses, but we can't rely on that every week and expect to win. Get the easy points when they are there.

As of now, I see us floating around .500 this season. Maybe a bit above it, maybe a bit below. I see us knocking off a playoff team as well (hell, the Mavs may end up making it once Dirk comes back, but I mean ANOTHER playoff team).

What say you?

[Password is Taco]

I love the nucleus of this team.

Draft Cody Zeller (Indiana) and Gorgui Dieng (Louisville) and we are set at the 5 for a long time.

[Sapper]

Optimistic about the future for certain. This year is already infinitely better than last year - probably 25+ wins or so. I'd be ecstatic if we teetered around .500 but don't see it Hendo's absence shows his worth on defense alone and we really need to sign him to an extension. We also need to extend Gordon's contract after he exercises his PO next year. He still has 6th man of the year material.

I won't sweat the draft until lottery selection day.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

Optimistic about the future for certain. This year is already infinitely better than last year - probably 25+ wins or so. I'd be ecstatic if we teetered around .500 but don't see it Hendo's absence shows his worth on defense alone and we really need to sign him to an extension. We also need to extend Gordon's contract after he exercises his PO next year. He still has 6th man of the year material.

I won't sweat the draft until lottery selection day.

I don't know about that. Jeff Taylor has locked down pretty much everybody that he has guarded.

[YoungPanthers89]

Id kill for a .500 record

[carolina-chuck]

I think based from how they been playing from the start of the season that we're clearly aren't the worst team. And I think we're out of the Top3-4 pick. We're better than Detriot, Washington, Toronto, and Sac.

As much as I want to land a top4 pick for a Zeller, Noel, Shabazz or McAdoo, gotta say goodbye to them. And I hate it!

But I guess I'll take a Tony Mitchell (SF/PF), Steven Adams C, Alex Poythress (SF/PF), Rudy Gobert C, or Isaiah Austin (PF/C).

[MrBubba]

It appears to be a young and right now competitive team. Which is a huge step in the right direction compared to last years disaster. I'm just happy for a team that doesn't pack it it before the tip; like last year.

[thatlookseasy]

Missing out on a top 5 pick this year would be a huge set back for this team. Cho knows this, so I have a sneaking suspicion that we will suffer a few "injuries" to our best players in the last month or 2 and end up with around 20-25 wins

[carolina-chuck]

Missing out on a top 5 pick this year would be a huge set back for this team. Cho knows this, so I have a sneaking suspicion that we will suffer a few "injuries" to our best players in the last month or 2 and end up with around 20-25 wins

Yea I really hope so. But maybe Cho is brighter than that and is Lookin toward the future, future. That is, the "2014 Draft". Lol

Say we take someone like Austin or Gobert next year and play our cards right to get an impact player like an Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Julius Randle.

[carolina-chuck]

I found out Desagana Diop has a lil brother name Ilimane Diop!

nbadraft.net has us mocked to take him in 2014. Wow!!!

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/ilimane-diop

[Wanderlai]

In nice shape actually for a young team. Kemba and MKG are keepers. If we can land a top 3 pick in both of the next 2 drafts then were golden. This year maybe add a Zeller, JMM, or Noel then follow that up with Wiggins, Parker, or Randle......:)

[x djdrew x]

tbh, I really have enjoyed watching the hustle that this team brings but two things kill it for me:

Henderson's 18foot jumper to nowhere routine.

Mullens Brick-it-from-Deep routine.

Taking contested long 2s with plenty of time on the shot clock or Mullens just taking 3s in general really grind my gears. There are at least 5 plays a game where I want to throw something through my TV to hit Byron in the head....he's just not a very smart basketball player...but he has greatly improved his hustle on the boards....which has paid big dividends in our two wins up to this point. My frustration with the 3s is really because we are so much weaker down low and we have a 7 footer who wants to be reggie miller...lol

IMO, Hendo is an unnecessary cog to this team and doesn't add much if Taylor can step up and hit some timely 3s as he seems more than capable of playing as good or better D at this point.

Again, just my opinion, but I like overall where they are headed, even though it is an inevitable top 5 pick again this year...

[Niner National]

I think with a solid draft next year we could potentially sneak into the playoffs.

I don't have high hopes for this year, but I do like what I see from Kemba and MKG.

Biyombo was a waste of a pick.

[carolina-chuck]

tbh, I really have enjoyed watching the hustle that this team brings but two things kill it for me:

Henderson's 18foot jumper to nowhere routine.

Mullens Brick-it-from-Deep routine.

Taking contested long 2s with plenty of time on the shot clock or Mullens just taking 3s in general really grind my gears. There are at least 5 plays a game where I want to throw something through my TV to hit Byron in the head....he's just not a very smart basketball player...but he has greatly improved his hustle on the boards....which has paid big dividends in our two wins up to this point. My frustration with the 3s is really because we are so much weaker down low and we have a 7 footer who wants to be reggie miller...lol

IMO, Hendo is an unnecessary cog to this team and doesn't add much if Taylor can step up and hit some timely 3s as he seems more than capable of playing as good or better D at this point.

Again, just my opinion, but I like overall where they are headed, even though it is an inevitable top 5 pick again this year...

I have been tough on Hendo but he has improved. Still I believe he's a better fit for a team like the Lakers coming off the bench. Hendo is not going to be the face of this Franchise. Maybe we could trade him?