Great Grantland article on future of Cats

[bLACKpANTHER]

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9562293/al-jefferson-michael-kidd-gilchrist-charlotte-bobcats-plan

 

The Bobcats were getting worse on purpose, just as Boston and San Antonio did in the lead-up to the Tim Duncan lottery, just as the Sixers and Jazz are doing now, and just as other teams will do as long as the league uses a reverse-order lottery to determine draft order. It's a choice for which the organization won't apologize. "Our players then were only so good," says Rod Higgins, the team's president of basketball operations. "We went to the playoffs, and we were swept four straight. We had to move on."

 

...

 

Charlotte, in other words, patiently pursued a "one step back, two steps forward" strategy, but lost patience with it right before the draft class that represented pay dirt. That may be wrong in the eyes of the calculating strategist thinking about those 55 wins, but not every franchise approaches team-building that way — at least not on every step of the team-building journey. Owners can lose patience if things still look bleak after two years of rebuilding; Michael Jordan, the team's majority owner, is famously competitive and impatient, and executives around the league still aren't sure who makes the final calls among Jordan, Higgins, and Rich Cho, the team's GM. Multiple lotteries might fail to produce a franchise-level star, damn near a must-have for any true title contender, an unfillable hole that leaves a franchise in a non-glamour market like Charlotte with a question: continue to go all-out in pursuit of one, or see if we can build to something "pretty good" over the long haul?

 

...

 

Those 55 wins recede further into the distance if Charlotte wins just enough games this season to fall outside the top five in the 2014 draft. Depending on health, luck, and player development, sticking within that range might be tight. Orlando and Philly are gunning for the top of the draft; Utah and Phoenix are in similar developmental stages; Sacramento is always a good bet to malfunction; and Boston wants a shot at a high pick. Toss in one or two injury- or trade-ravaged disappointments, and the Bobcats could suddenly be looking at a pick in the lower half of the top 10. And they won't seem to care.

 

 

 

 

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Great article, thanks for sharing.

[Eazy-E]

To bad they don't mention that even if we drop out of the top of the draft, we may end up with 3 first round picks.

[IamSoClutch]

To bad they don't mention that even if we drop out of the top of the draft, we may end up with 3 first round picks.

please explain

[teeray]

I am clearly a blind homer, but I think some people underestimate our young core.

We may not have a superstar, but with several future draft picks we have the ability to develop into a Pacers type team where we have no stars but with great talent deep into our bench.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

I am clearly a blind homer, but I think some people underestimate our young core.

We may not have a superstar, but with several future draft picks we have the ability to develop into a Pacers type team where we have no stars but with great talent deep into our bench.

I agree, I actually think that we could sneak into the playoffs with this team if everyone plays up to their potential.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

I am clearly a blind homer, but I think some people underestimate our young core.

We may not have a superstar, but with several future draft picks we have the ability to develop into a Pacers type team where we have no stars but with great talent deep into our bench.

I agree, I actually think that we could sneak into the playoffs with this team if everyone plays up to their potential.

[ckad79]

I think after failing to land the #1 pick these past two drafts when they were in a prime position to do so, the organization realized that the system is rigged against them and maybe it's best to just move on than keep tanking for these stupid lottery balls that somehow miraculously bounce for certain teams at convenient times.

[CCS]

I would prefer to tank one more time and get one of the big three. Cashing in the chips at this point just seems stupid.

[Eazy-E]

please explain

We have Detroit and Portland's first round picks as long as both team don't suck it up completely. Looking at their roster we should end up with both picks for this draft leaving the cats with 3 first rounders in a very nice draft.

[CarolinaNCSU]

To bad they don't mention that even if we drop out of the top of the draft, we may end up with 3 first round picks.

 

It was mentioned?

 

(The Bobcats could potentially receive low lottery or mid-first-round picks from both Portland and Detroit in the 2014 draft, though both picks might not come until 2015 or later if Detroit and Portland struggle.)

 

 

As for the team, the discussion of which direction to go has been had many times here, and while I would've preferred all-out tanking this year, we're still going to be bad IMO unless EVERYTHING falls right. With the potential of there being as many as 8 All-Stars in this draft (ESPN's number), I'm confident we land someone worthy of helping carry this franchise. 

 

Someone out of Wiggins, Randle, Parker, Smart, Exum, Gordon, or Harrison would potentially give us one hell of a future when added to Kemba, MKG, Zeller and cap space. Although I'd imagine Kemba would be sent packing if Exum, Smart, or Harrison were the pick for us. 

[IamSoClutch]

We have Detroit and Portland's first round picks as long as both team don't suck it up completely. Looking at their roster we should end up with both picks for this draft leaving the cats with 3 first rounders in a very nice draft.

ok I knew that already. I feel like we need our own top 5 pick. we should use there's for possible trade bait