Lottery vs. 8th seed...

[TattoodCats4life]

Looking at where we are in the season and our record and our players...I just want to sart a very FRIENDLY discussion on if its better to make the 8th seed or end up about where we are now and hope for the best in the lottery. I know our 2009 pick is protected, so if we're in the upper half we wont have to lose it quite yet. If things were over today we'd be in our oh so typical 8th spot...so if we don't win a top 3 pick I don't know what we'd end up doing to try and get more talent/depth. That said, I don't see what making the playoffs by the skin of our teeth and hoping for the unlikely second round etc would do for us other than some confidence and the "we made the playoffs" monkey off our back.

[Alex]

Lottery.

It's not a choice we have either, this team is not good enough to make the playoffs, let's please stop kidding ourselves.

[docend24]

I think we will have our pick baring a miracle happens. As it is Bobcats tradition we will surely have a winning streak in March or April to make it clear it won't be a TOP 10 pick. Luckily we have a tough schedule in this months so there is a hope it won't be that bad.

[TheBeagle]

Yeah, no chance with the playoffs. Depending on future trades and injuries it's highly likely we'll finish with less wins than the previous year and maybe occupy the 4th slot or so (unless we get screwed.....again).

When the Bobcats and playoffs are in the same discussion, cue up Jim Mora for at least another year!

[RELAXTV]

Obviously the lotto

No need to crawl into the 8th seed, and then get whipped out, and lose our draft pick at the same time.

I'd rather we get a lotto pick, draft a 4 or 2, then make a trade or two, and build our way up next year.

Who knows? Maybe Alexis might make leaps and bounds?

[ohara831]

I would want to make the Playoffs, at least to be able to say we got that monkey off our back. But this team, barring any trades, is not going to make the Playoffs. We had that run shortly after the trade and won something like 4/5, but since then we have not looked good. I prefer this order:
1. Make the Playoffs and play respectable games, even if we end up being swept.
2. Make the Lottery, and by some minor miracle we get a Top 3 pick.
3. End up somewhere in our mediocre spot of pick #7-#9, and just hope that LB sees something that others dont, and gets us an All Star in the making.

*Would it be too much to ask for the Steinbrenner's to buy the Bobcats. Hell, they dont fear any Luxury Taxes the way they throw money at players. They would just pay Kobe, Wade and Bosh ungodly amounts of money to come to Charlotte and buy a Championship. I'm for it; anyone else?

[ziggy]

Given a choice, I would rather have the #8 seed in the playoffs. I feel like just making it in could really change the mindset of this franchise and help grow the fan base. Look at the Atlanta Hawks, they carry themselves differently and are perceived differently by the media after making it to the playoffs last year.

[bing!]

I say, play your best... and say no to http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr138/ch_bing/tank11.jpging

[krazyrumpshaker]

Given a choice, I would rather have the #8 seed in the playoffs. I feel like just making it in could really change the mindset of this franchise and help grow the fan base. Look at the Atlanta Hawks, they carry themselves differently and are perceived differently by the media after making it to the playoffs last year.


Well said, the Hawks came to mind immediatly. We need to make the playoffs and have a good showing even though we would lose in the first round. Last year, Atlanta had a terrible attendance record for the regular season, then they were packed for the playoffs and have been well supported all this season i believe.

Maybe we make another trade that catapults us into playoff contention. I dont think this years draft is very deep anyways, so i say make the playoffs.

[LB4President]

I would rather make the playoffs. This is a weak draft so I would rather lose this pick than one in a draft with more talent. I really don't see a player in the bottom of the lottery who can really help us out. Plus even if we did get swept in the playoffs we would earn some respect for getting there for the first time.

[Ryan The Ryan]

I thought we traded next years draft pick to get Alexis.

[Ghost Kat]

How bad does our record have to be to get us into the top 10 in the draft??

I'd don't want us to pull a Celtic's and tank games and not get a worthwhile pick for it. We already play hard and lose no need to tank to games. You wont have any fans left.

[G-Force for MVP]

if we make the playoffs the fanbase would definetly grow and people would go to more games. even if they don't win in the playoffs people would realize they are a decent team and more people would go to more games the year after.

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

I think with some good luck Blake Griffin would be a good consolation prize for not making the playoffs this year. I agree that we are not good enough to make them unless we have another bickerstaff hot streak towards the end of the year.

[ALong13]

The class is not that strong this year, and I'd love just to say we made the playoffs, I think it would help the fanbase and attendance much more than another draft pick...8th pick is going to be hard to get with our lack of depth, I think our top 6 are playoff caliber (Felton, DJ, Bell, Wallace, Diaw, Okafor) but beyond that we have no depth...Morrison, Caroll, and Nazr wouldn't be more than a 9th or 10th guy on most team, May and Hollins probably wouldn't even be on the roster, Shannon Brown is decent at times, but is not a 6th or 7th guy....our depth is what kills us, not our starting line-up

[ALuhrs704]

the bobcats need the playoffs....... then it would put faith in the people of charlotte and it would create a situation like the hawks last year. You guys know if we played boston or cle 1st rd, time warner cable arena would be NUTS. BUt if we can put a little winning streak together we wont make it. and we'll end up with the lottery, and god knows what that will give us.

[krazyrumpshaker]

I thought we traded next years draft pick to get Alexis.

The pick is lottery protected for a few years. Dont know the specifics, but as long as we dont make the playoffs we keep our pick this year.

[Ghost Kat]

We need to make the playoffs, Maybe a couple trades now or in a offseason for some VETS. We don't need more fresh meat from the draft this team is young enough. Plus our draft history sucks.

[TattoodCats4life]

We need to make the playoffs, Maybe a couple trades now or in a offseason for some VETS. We don't need more fresh meat from the draft this team is young enough. Plus our draft history sucks.


This trade = playoffs I think for sure...LOTS of depth for us for not alot..May have to give picks for it though...

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=2753~2776~568~2987~3249~635&teams=28~28~28~30~30~30&te=&cash=


WOOT 100 posts since Christmas!

[BRNC]

I think with some good luck Blake Griffin would be a good consolation prize for not making the playoffs this year. I agree that we are not good enough to make them unless we have another bickerstaff hot streak towards the end of the year.

I think he will be long gone before we draft...I'd rather make the playoffs since it would certainly build character for the team and help build the fan base...not a particularly strong draft either...so we pay Denver our pick this year and get it over with...

[JamieMcNeill]

At this point with us only 3 games out of the 8th spot i had an epiphany..
Everyone has been talking about how weak this upcoming draft is so..
if we make the playoffs this year we go ahead and give up our pick and get that over with so that in the coming years IF there is a good draft class we will have a pick.
Im just saying it may be better to get it over with unless we get close to the top 3 worst record the draft probably wont be worth it.

[TattoodCats4life]

I'm beginning to see a team capable of getting not only to the playoffs, but with the (at least 1 more) move I expect to see any day now, if we get 7th seed and take the Celts, we might be able to finish what Atlanta started last year. Surely we'd get tossed in round 2, but woah, to make round 2 on our first run, after a ham biscuit season last year :)

[playoffs...PLAYOFFS?]

this is not even a question that i consider, my expectation is for us to make it the playoffs every year,

it's crucial that we get to them soon in order to get more involvement

but, while we are close to a .500 record since the diaw trade, the earlier losses make it really difficult for us to put on a winning streak and get to .500. don't see it happening, but still hoping for a run to the playoffs