Michael Jordan defends deadline trade

[WrxErik]

You are completely rewriting history bro. They didn't completely blow it up, then land the solid draft pick. They played out the entire season with Ray and Lewis, finished with 31 wins, and lucked up in the lottery to #2. They didnt blow up their team, aka trading Ray Allen, until draft night AFTER getting Durant IIRC

My bad I should have looked into it a bit more. At the same time this helps prove my point that the trades we made were about saving money because we could have waited until the end of this year or next and did exactly what the sonics did.

Also we had our chance before this season started to have a "contender" but what changed between then and now? This is what I mean MJ has proven he has no true direction and is just spouting BS to make the fans and his wallet happy.

[CatNation]

the comparisons are bs most of the time, the same site that made that comparison says wilson chandler would become the next joey graham

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/wilson-chandler

or acie law would be the next chauncey billups

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/acie-law

scouts were saying Barnes would be the next Kobe Bryant before the beginning of the season. IMO he will be the next harrison barnes.

honestly I didn't even read the draft.net comparison, I haven't used that site since I discovered draftexpress however many years ago it was. He literally just looks exactly like Deng, same body, same average athleticism, same lack of ability to create offense and minimal driving ability. At this point he looks like Julius Hodge add 30 pounds and subtract 50% of the killer instinct.

[CatNation]

My bad I should have looked into it a bit more. At the same time this helps prove my point that the trades we made were about saving money because we could have waited until the end of this year or next and did exactly what the sonics did.

Also we had our chance before this season started to have a "contender" but what changed between then and now? This is what I mean MJ has proven he has no true direction and is just spouting BS to make the fans and his wallet happy.

what was our chance before this season to have a contender?

[ohara831]

The Sonics also lucked into Durant when Portland took Oden instead. Kinda the reverse for us when Orlando opted for Howard and left us Okafor.

Seems like the majority of people MJ needs to "defend" this move with are some of the posters here. Looks like the majority of people I read both here and at RGM seem to feel the deal was the right thing to do and will work to the benefit of the Bobcats. But time will prove it out. I dont think anyone's mind will be changed over the rest of this season. We will just have to see what happens as Hendo starts, see who we end up getting with the draft picks obtained and then see if the trade was good or bad. We really wont know a true final answer until we see the 2013 draft and if Portland's pick is near Lottery or late in the 1st. But by then, we should already have a pretty good idea about how this trade panned out. And I for what dont need MJ defending it to me. I agreed with it.

[SWedd523]

Cat, as long as you understand that you don't build a franchise off of one #20 pick in a shit draft and one future #20 pick then we're cool.

[Proudiddy]

Cat, as long as you understand that you don't build a franchise off of one #20 pick in a shit draft and one future #20 pick then we're cool.

This. My biggest problem with the trade and any optimism surrounding them (besides not getting obvious talented youth back from other teams). I've said before, after the Top 10, the draft value drops off significantly. You're just as likely to hit on a player signing him undrafted as you are making one of these picks.

[ohara831]

You may not find many Grade A Superstars from #20 and back, but you can find some very good players in the last 1/3 of the 1st round who can become very important starters and bench players that give you a chance at being a contender in the East. Some from the last 10 years taken from #20 and back in the 1st round:
2008 - Nicolas Batum
2007 - Jared Dudley, Wilson Chandler, Rudy Fernandez, Aaron Brooks
2006 - Rhondo
2005 - Petro, Maxiell, David Lee
2004 - Kevin Martin, Jameer Nelson
2003 - Kendrick Perkins, Josh Howard
2002 - Crash, Tony Parker
2001 - Darren Collison, Taj Gibson

I know that the vast majority of players taken in that time frame are players who come off the bench or are minor starters, but the teams who are good year after year always seem to find quality late in the 1st round. So the players are there. It just takes the right people to evaluate and recognize the talent and then help the potential become reality. Granted, the Bobcats history in this has been spotty at best. It is not a fair and accurate representation to say that the 1st rounder will be an awesome player just because he is drafted in the bottom 1/3 of the 1st round, but it is also not fair to assume they will be a crap player. The players are there. It is just up to the team to find them. The players we take in 2011 and 2013 draft may not be superstars, but they can certainly prove to be a huge factor in our future success. So why not wait and see before you decide to sh-t all over them.

[SWedd523]

Never once did I dispute the fact that talent can be taken that late. The point I need to continuously make, however, is that you don't build a franchise with any of those players. Not if you want to be a contender. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?

[BRNC]

Never once did I dispute the fact that talent can be taken that late. The point I need to continuously make, however, is that you don't build a franchise with any of those players. Not if you want to be a contender. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?

The only yhing I see for those picks is the ability to combine them and move up...use them for a team wanting to bail down...that's really the best mileage we could get...if we can't do that then they are what they are...darts thrown at the universe of luck...

[SWedd523]

The only yhing I see for those picks is the ability to combine them and move up...use them for a team wanting to bail down...that's really the best mileage we could get...if we can't do that then they are what they are...darts thrown at the universe of luck...

Exactly. And not that it's a bad thing, it's just a little silly to expect them to make us something special unless we get supah dupah lucky.


I'd be all for packaging both of them to get our pick back from Chicago so we aren't held in limbo. One lottery pick is more valuable than two #20s.