Next Step in the Rebuilding Project...

[OchoNueve]

After another grueling NBA season, the offseason is among us with the Rookie draft coming up in a few months.  Many fans are clamoring for the Bobcats to use salary cap space (we will have a lot) to land a big name free agent to pair with our soon to be top-3 draft pick and cross our fingers that we have then created a "core group" of players that we will lead us to multiple playoff berths for years to come...

 

Although I would be excited to see a much improved team next year, I am conflicted in believing that one more miserable year would help us more for the future than trying to compete immediately next year.  For instance, if we improve too much (tough to fathom), we will lose our 1st round draft pick in 2014. 

 

The Bobcats traded a conditional pick to the Bulls as part of the Tyrus Thomas deal.  If we finish next year's record better than the bottom 10 in the league, we lose a draft pick in the 10-20 range to the Bulls.  Assuming we will finally gain the Blazers conditional pick in 2014 from the Gerald Wallace trade and can potentially get the Pistons conditional pick from the same trade, I think it would greatly bolster our rebuiliding effort to have three 1st round picks next year.

 

If we played next season out similar to this last (painful) season and only signed veteran free agents to one-year deals and chug along with our current roster... After next season we could potentially own:

 

- The Bobcats 1st round draft pick (top-10 protected)

- The Blazers 1st round draft pick (top-12 protected)

- The Pistons 1st round draft pick (top-8 protected)

- The most salary cap in the NBA to lure one max-level player, and a second mid-level complimentary player. (assuming we amnesty Tyrus Thomas)

 

I know the idea of tanking the 2014 season is not appealing to anyone, but with the status of our rebuilding project, I think it allows us to create a deeper, longer sustaining, core group of players with championship goals in their sights, than it would to try to improve right now and be a team fighting for the 8th seed for the next 6-8 years.

 

... For the record, I am not discounting the possibility that we can put together a good, competitive team by adding some free agents and drafting well this off season, I am only making the point that another bad year for the Bobcats may finally give us the number of assets we need to finish rebuilding and become a contender. 

 

Thoughts?

[SOJA]

I don't think we are going to have to worry about being bottom ten again in league next year, also in the NBA (unless you are the Celtics, or Lakers) you absolutely have to bottom out to create a championship caliber team. See the Thunder

[chknwing]

no, we do not tank intentionally next season. fug that poo. Charlotte brings in a couple free agents this year and takes their chances with losing a lottery pick. You dont tank 82 games for a fuging draft pick.  The only way to change the direction of this franchise is to change the way you think.  If you believe you are a lottery team, thats all you will be. 

[carolina-chuck]

I have no problem tanking

[carolina-chuck]

no, we do not tank intentionally next season. fug that poo. Charlotte brings in a couple free agents this year and takes their chances with losing a lottery pick. You dont tank 82 games for a fuging draft pick. The only way to change the direction of this franchise is to change the way you think. If you believe you are a lottery team, thats all you will be.

Is there a kid named Andrew Wiggins in next year draft?? If the answer is "yes" then YOU FUGGN TANK A 82 gms season!!!

Just bc you have a lot of money doesn't mean for you to go out and spend it like a dumb@ss. Who would really come to Charlotte also??? We will only be "mediocre" which will set us back in the future. 3 yrs later, we'll have to rebuild top to bottom again.

We're in the right path, TANK the damn season! Have a hand in a better draft class in a long while. Wiggins, Parker, or Randle will improve this team in the long run more than signing mediocre guys that will cry like a bit(h midway through the season bc they can't handle being on a young team that can't win much.

You really think that we would be any much better than a Milwaukee, Portland, or Toronto team who can't even contend much in the league by spending money on a guy like Millsap and whoever else???? If it ain't CP3, Lebron, Carmelo, or a guy close to their level, I don't want. The NBA isnt like the NFL where a bad team can beat a very good team any given Sunday. You need 3-4 "super stars" to make a run at the Championship or else you'll be watching from the couch after the 82 gms season. Even a team like the Heat with James, Wade, and Bosh still struggle to win in this league. What makes you think we can just sign a couple guys here and there and turn the season overnight?

The only way to change the direction of this team is to quit being mediocre!

[Zaximus]

Well a Detroit Pistons team won with relative nobodies (minus Rasheed right?) but I know that's a one time exception.

 

While it might very well be in our best long-term interests to tank, I'm not sure the team can survive that.  What I mean is, they need fans in their seats NOW.  MJ is losing a ton of money.  I'm not sure this team can survive another 2-3 years rebuilding before it's sold and moved somewhere else.   It has been a joke for a decade.

 

We need a entertaining team, and signing someone like Jefferson or Millsap, etc, could at least make this team watchable and somewhat respectable.  If we change to the Hornets that may bring people to the games for a bit but winning SOME and having a FUN team needs to be paired with that.

 

So for those reasons, we may need to bring in some excitement.

[bLACKpANTHER]

Well a Detroit Pistons team won with relative nobodies (minus Rasheed right?) but I know that's a one time exception.

 

While it might very well be in our best long-term interests to tank, I'm not sure the team can survive that.  What I mean is, they need fans in their seats NOW.  MJ is losing a ton of money.  I'm not sure this team can survive another 2-3 years rebuilding before it's sold and moved somewhere else.   It has been a joke for a decade.

 

We need a entertaining team, and signing someone like Jefferson or Millsap, etc, could at least make this team watchable and somewhat respectable.  If we change to the Hornets that may bring people to the games for a bit but winning SOME and having a FUN team needs to be paired with that.

 

So for those reasons, we may need to bring in some excitement.

 

Ben Wallace was like the DMVP for three years in there.. Rip Hamilton was one of the best pure shooters in the game at the time.. Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups.. Sheed of corse and a young Tayshaun Prince.. Memhet Okur & Lindsay Hunter were coming off the bench

 

by todays standards- a lot of role players, no Kobe or LeBron so i get your point.. but lets not fool ourselves into thinking they did it with "relatively" nobodies...

[thatlookseasy]

You dont tank 82 games for a fuging draft pick.

Well, I've got some bad news about the last 82 games for you...

[MrBubba]

Look at this way you have to pay off the bulls at some point; do it next year and maybe still have two first round picks. Otherwise you might go into 2015 with no picks.

[carolina-chuck]

Well a Detroit Pistons team won with relative nobodies (minus Rasheed right?) but I know that's a one time exception.

While it might very well be in our best long-term interests to tank, I'm not sure the team can survive that. What I mean is, they need fans in their seats NOW. MJ is losing a ton of money. I'm not sure this team can survive another 2-3 years rebuilding before it's sold and moved somewhere else. It has been a joke for a decade.

We need a entertaining team, and signing someone like Jefferson or Millsap, etc, could at least make this team watchable and somewhat respectable. If we change to the Hornets that may bring people to the games for a bit but winning SOME and having a FUN team needs to be paired with that.

So for those reasons, we may need to bring in some excitement.

The Pistons team at the time had no namers but it turned out later that they had some of the best players. Rip, Billups, Prince, and the two Wallaces are some big names now.

If MJ wants to get people on the seats and be competitive for the future than mediocre, he better (1st) rebrand the Hornets and (2nd) tank another season. Fans will forget how bad the "hornets" are and still come cheer for the team just to see the logo, unis, and colors. If we can land one of the three top prospects in 2014, I don't see how we can't contend.

MJ can add Millsap and no one will come bc it's still the damn old losing Bobcats.

[carolina-chuck]

Look at this way you have to pay off the bulls at some point; do it next year and maybe still have two first round picks. Otherwise you might go into 2015 with no picks.

I don't think you want to pay the Bulls in 2014 with a great a class that is.

[carolina-chuck]

I think they have gotten away from mediocre for the past couple of years. Draft picks do not guarantee good players. If they did we would not be in the mess we are now.

We're very mediocre. I think what you want to say is we've gotten away from "terrible". Remember those ugly orange jerseys with Felton, May, Okafor, Brevin Knight, and Keith Bogans? Yea don't ever wanna go there again.

The draft never gurantee you good players, but you can't blame that on the draft. Blame it on MJ for setting us back. We choose mediocre guys over guys like Lopez, Noah, Roy, and Jrue Holiday. The good thing is we have Cho now.

Adding a guy like Millsap will only put us in the range of the 09' team with Wallace and Captain Jax. We won't be much different or possibly worse.

We need to add a player as close to a super star as we can in Wiggins, Parker or Randle with our 2013 pick. Then we can fill the rest in FA. That's how you build a championship team in a small market. We're just not going attract any stars, let's face it. Unless we want to be mediocre with guys like Millsap and Kris Humphries, just to gain 100 more people in the Arena, go ahead. I still won't go by just adding a player like Millsap.

[carolina-chuck]

I meant that we are less than mediocre, we pretty much suck. Struggling to win 20 games in less than mediocre in my book.

That I agree with

[carolina-chuck]

Tanking the season is not bad. It doesn't make you weak or a bad fan. Some fans wanna be that popular football star in high school who has that "machismo" attitude or the don't lose approach.

Sometimes, when you're this bad, the best thing is to lose a few years. We're not far from being a competitive team. We're two draft classes away from being a contender. Stick to the plan and let things work itself out. Don't do anything stupid that will set you back.