Serious question for the "optimistic" fans

[WrxErik]

One thing that keeps getting brought up is why do you care about making the playoffs if you are a perennial bottom seed. Imo making the playoffs is making the playoffs I don't care what seed you are. When the playoffs start it is a new season and anything can happen.

Since we are such a young team making the playoffs is huge for us.

So let me ask you this. What is the difference between the 8 seed Bobcats, or someone like the Mavericks, the cavs when they had lebron, the hawks, and really any other playoff teams besides Boston, SaS, and LaL. Every other team once in the playoffs has about a 5% chance to win it all . That is why in the NBA there are so many repeat champions because it is the way the league is set up.

So please enlighten me with what makes these teams any different.

[Adam42R]

One thing that keeps getting brought up is why do you care about making the playoffs if you are a perennial bottom seed. Imo making the playoffs is making the playoffs I don't care what seed you are. When the playoffs start it is a new season and anything can happen.

Since we are such a young team making the playoffs is huge for us.

So let me ask you this. What is the difference between the 8 seed Bobcats, or someone like the Mavericks, the cavs when they had lebron, the hawks, and really any other playoff teams besides Boston, SaS, and LaL. Every other team once in the playoffs has about a 5% chance to win it all . That is why in the NBA there are so many repeat champions because it is the way the league is set up.

So please enlighten me with what makes these teams any different.

Absolutely nothing IMO. I am with you, sneaking into the playoffs winning the last game to make the 8th seed and assured you have a one-way series is fine by me. I really felt that we had a chance to make the playoffs two years ago and we came close ... but that was realized the next year. I really thought we could win one game against Orl last year (in the playoffs) but that didn't happen ... but I hoped that was to be realized this year.

I don't know if it's cynicism or something else that has so many feeling that if you can't "win it all" then there's no point in playing. That's b.s. imo - competing and making it just one step further next time than you did the last is all I think you need do. It seems like the best way to build a long term success.

But having said that - and I am crushed by losing Crash - I am not convinced that we have no chance to run down Indiana this year.

[Plowright]

I think getting to the play offs gets you more respect than anything. Nobody has restpect for us, until last year, it shows that you are making progress. I think if we get in the play offs its good for your fans, they associate the franchise with success. Not getting in does hurt.

[Marvel]

I was hoping we'd get back a young player with star potential in return for our franchise player. At least someone who can help carry us to the playoffs this year and build momentum heading into the future. MJ and co failed to do that so i'm hoping a return to the playoffs in 2014......maybe.

[DY_nasty]

Anything past the top 5 picks in this year's draft is a complete toss up. Makes the entire lottery a wash just about... Since we're so far behind the tank wagon, we're looking at a less than 5% chance of getting into the top 5. Even if we just quit playing games altogether, we'd never 'catch up' to the Raptors, Wolves, Cavs, and Wizards.

If the guys can make the playoffs and get some experience playing some big games, it definitely won't hurt anything.

[The Prodigy]

At this point, im not sure making the playoffs helps us. If we make the playoffs, chances are we are going to draft 15th. If we dont, we probably draft 10th, with a small chance of getting a much better pick. At this point, we need to get lucky.

If we keep getting the 8th seed, I dont know if we will ever improve. We may not ever improve if we keep getting top 10 picks either, but I like our chances of drafting a good player with our pick as opposed to our chances of beating a #1 or #2 seed.

I mean, we all know how poorly MJ has drafted even with the great picks. I dont need to remind you of Morrison and Brown, but I will. lol. If we are getting mid round picks, I cant imagine us EVER drafting a good player. Granted, Henderson is looking promising at the moment, but he is more of an outlier than a trend.

I mean dont get me wrong, making the playoffs is by no means a BAD thing. Experience for the young guys is great, and like you said, anything is possible. But if it were up to me, I would rather try and luck out with a good pick than hope we can upset a stacked team, especially without Gerald.

[teej]

I mean, we all know how poorly MJ has drafted even with the great picks. I dont need to remind you of Morrison and Brown, but I will. lol. If we are getting mid round picks, I cant imagine us EVER drafting a good player. Granted, Henderson is looking promising at the moment, but he is more of an outlier than a trend.

Morrison WAS NOT MJ's pick.

And go find a better pick for MJ to have made in '01 that was considered worthy of the top pick. I'll be waiting.

[DY_nasty]

At this point, im not sure making the playoffs helps us. If we make the playoffs, chances are we are going to draft 15th. If we dont, we probably draft 10th, with a small chance of getting a much better pick. At this point, we need to get lucky.

With the way this draft class is looking, anything past the top 5 is a toss up all the way to the 2nd round. Unless we can package all 3 picks and move up to the top 5, then there's really no point (and that top 5 is weak as hell). May as well just roll the dice on the back end - I find it really, really hard to believe that this draft will be worse than last years though.

Either way, keep drafting, develop talent for once (ie create value), and maintain flexibility should a great opportunity emerge. Even if some team did want to trade with us or if a big FA wanted to sign, we would've never even been able to...

[The Prodigy]

Morrison WAS NOT MJ's pick.

And go find a better pick for MJ to have made in '01 that was considered worthy of the top pick. I'll be waiting.

If Morrison wasnt MJs call, then thats my bad. I wasnt aware. But I would have to imagine he had to have had SOME say in it. I could be wrong again though.

And I know hindsight is 20/20, but Pau Gasol would have been a better pick than Kwame. I cant remember the Wizards exact situation back then, but Kwame was just coming out of high school and that is pretty risky. Granted, LBJ has done pretty well, but I know I dont think I would draft a kid just coming out of high school.

I guess there is some risk involved when drafting foreign players too, but I think its fair to say Pau would have been a much better pick.

[teej]

If Morrison wasnt MJs call, then thats my bad. I wasnt aware. But I would have to imagine he had to have had SOME say in it. I could be wrong again though.

And I know hindsight is 20/20, but Pau Gasol would have been a better pick than Kwame. I cant remember the Wizards exact situation back then, but Kwame was just coming out of high school and that is pretty risky. Granted, LBJ has done pretty well, but I know I dont think I would draft a kid just coming out of high school.

I guess there is some risk involved when drafting foreign players too, but I think its fair to say Pau would have been a much better pick.

Pau would've been a major reach at #1. He was only picked as high as he was because of the trade that went down between ATL and Memphis with Abdur-Rahim. No way he was a target at #1. Plus, at that point, Dirk was the only Euro big with any success.

As far as AmMo, MJ took over as head of Basketball Ops in April, so he was way too late to do scouting. Bickerstaff ran the workouts and that draft, then he was removed for Rod Higgins at the end of the 06-07 season.