Preview from..guess who...ESPN.

[spectre]

ESPN - Bill Simmons' Revised Prediction

I think I hate this guy.

15. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Preseason prediction: 28 wins (14th)
Revised prediction: 26 wins


Who says an unproductive player can't turn down a $55 million contract?
The Bobcats actually aren't terrible, which brings us to this season's most important theme: The NBA hasn't had this much overall talent since the early-'90s, and even then, the contenders could always rely on easy matchups with bottom-feeders such as the Clippers, Magic, T-Wolves, Hornets, Kings, Bullets and Heat. You couldn't call any bottom-feeder "atrocious" or even "lousy" in 2007, so there won't be any easy road games until injuries start piling up. Personally, I think we're headed for a symmetrical season in which six or seven contenders (Boston, Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and possibly Denver) finish somewhere above 50 wins, five or six teams (Charlotte, Washington, Philly, Minnesota, Seattle and possibly Memphis) settle somewhere below 30 wins, and everyone else settles into that 35- to 45-win range.

Anyway, here's my problem with the Bobcats: They have two high-lottery picks (Emeka Okafor and Ray Felton), two missing lottery picks (Sean May and Adam Morrison, both out for the season), one high-profile veteran acquisition (Jason Richardson, acquired for the No. 8 pick last summer), and $81 million worth of re-signed small forwards (Gerald Wallace and Matt Carroll). That's their nucleus for now, and every move was defensible except for the absurd Carroll contract. Well, do you see a Go-To Guy anywhere in that group? Me neither. Trailing the Rockets by one Sunday night, they isolated Wallace for their final possession against T-Mac. Even before the play unfolded, I was sitting there thinking, "All right, this has a zero percent chance of working." Wallace drove right, got swallowed up by T-Mac, threw up an off-balance brick and got called for an offensive foul to boot. Get ready for about 15 moments like that this season, Bobcats fans. If you even exist.

Reason No. 12,743 why I love the NBA: Okafor turning down Charlotte's $55 million extension when he has played in 166 of a possible 266 games over the past three seasons. I'm not one of the best 10 power forwards in the league. I can't stay on the court, and I don't have any low-post moves. Guys, the bidding starts at $70 million! The NBA needs to work this saga into its "Where Amazing Happens" campaign: "Where Emeka Okafor Does Nothing For Three Years And Turns Down $55 Million Happens."

Reason No. 12,744 why I love the NBA: The Cats spent a No. 3 pick on Morrison and $81 million on Carroll and Wallace ... and yet, I like Jared Dudley more than all of them. Please, Lord, lemme have one billionaire reader buy an NBA team and make me a GM before I die. I don't ask for much.

This is only a small piece of the whole article, and it's not "insider".

[Muttley]

I read this too. Another example of a well-paid prick who's gonna take cheap shots when he gets them because they make his job easier. His article starts off good with the first sentence, but then he crescendos into a huge slam on Emeka.

Here's a real gem:

"Where Emeka Okafor Does Nothing For Three Years And Turns Down $55 Million Happens."

Do you think he's talking about 2004-2005 Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor? Or do you think he's talking about 11/game for his career Emeka Okafor (admittedly that is .7, .6, and .4 less than D. Howard, Shaq, and KG respectively)? It's probably none of those, Billy's probably just a cruel bastard who's referring to the One-Million-African-Lives Emeka Okafor (after all, that probably did nothing to improve his basketball playing abilities)!

[Muttley]

In other news, John Hollinger has already labeled Crash and Rich as "Disappointments":

Gerald Wallace, Bobcats
Last season, Wallace started incredibly slowly too, although he had a better excuse after an early-season concussion knocked him woozy. This season? I'm not sure what the problem is, but his numbers are unusually modest (15.5 points, 5.1 boards, 39.3 percent shooting) even though he's getting more shots than last season, and he's committing nearly four turnovers a game. And shockingly, the high-flying Wallace has only two blocks in the first six games. I've been championing him as the league's most underrated player for two years now, but he's not exactly helping out my case here.


Jason Richardson, Bobcats
Just what Sam Vincent needed to start his coaching career -- his two best offensive players are struggling. In addition to Wallace's troubles above, Richardson's move East has been more trying than expected. So far he's at 35.9 percent from the floor, has been allergic to the free-throw line (just 16 tries in six games) and has more than twice as many turnovers as assists. Somehow, the Bobcats are 3-3 anyway, but it won't last if these two don't pick it up.

[Keetch]

Hollinger makes good points, but maybe somehow we're 3-3 because of Reason Number 12,743 EMEKA OKAFOR and Reason Number 12,744 MATT CARROLL, not to mention RAYMOND FELTON

Asshole.

How can he single out Okafor and NOT F&*king PRIMOZ BREZAC?

Enough.

This is all harps back to the basic disrespect issue that we're all so painfully aware of. WIN GAMES.

[davcbow]

I only watch ESPN to see what the days scores were anyway. I could care less about their opinions and their spin they put on everything Bobcats.....

Go Bobcats!!!!!!

[ReesieNCPantherCatfan1]

I actually used to like some of Bill Simmons work until he started writing that the Bobcats and Hawks should be eliminated from the league. He was always pretty funny, but he is nothing more than a Boston homer writing for a national magazine.

It seems like quite alot of these "journalists" just rehash old opinions withouth doing the homework it takes to get it right. If Douchebag Simmons would look at some of the teams he compared us with he would see:
Charlotte 3-3
Memphis 1-4
Washington 1-5
Minn 0-5
Seattle 0-7

Am I the only one that sees a disparity there? I know its only 6 games, but come on!
This is written today and he dropped his estimated win total from 28 to 26. He is saying form this point out we will go 23-53 the rest of the way!

Simmons rip on Mek is also absurd, I bet he hasn't seen Mek play more than 3 times since he was at Uconn. I think alot of the big market writers are in there own world and since Charlotte doesn't get enough media coverage they rehash the same drivel. If he did his homework he would see our record from last year with Mek and without him. If Mek stays healthy we make the playoffs Last Year! Also 3-3 is good considering we have don't have Crash and J-Rich playing at their A level yet. Anyway I feel better now that ive vented. I guess the proof is in the pudding, and I look forward to the day the Bobcats start getting the respect they deserve.

ESPN - Bill Simmons' Revised Prediction

I think I hate this guy.

15. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Preseason prediction: 28 wins (14th)
Revised prediction: 26 wins


Who says an unproductive player can't turn down a $55 million contract?
The Bobcats actually aren't terrible, which brings us to this season's most important theme: The NBA hasn't had this much overall talent since the early-'90s, and even then, the contenders could always rely on easy matchups with bottom-feeders such as the Clippers, Magic, T-Wolves, Hornets, Kings, Bullets and Heat. You couldn't call any bottom-feeder "atrocious" or even "lousy" in 2007, so there won't be any easy road games until injuries start piling up. Personally, I think we're headed for a symmetrical season in which six or seven contenders (Boston, Detroit, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and possibly Denver) finish somewhere above 50 wins, five or six teams (Charlotte, Washington, Philly, Minnesota, Seattle and possibly Memphis) settle somewhere below 30 wins, and everyone else settles into that 35- to 45-win range.

Anyway, here's my problem with the Bobcats: They have two high-lottery picks (Emeka Okafor and Ray Felton), two missing lottery picks (Sean May and Adam Morrison, both out for the season), one high-profile veteran acquisition (Jason Richardson, acquired for the No. 8 pick last summer), and $81 million worth of re-signed small forwards (Gerald Wallace and Matt Carroll). That's their nucleus for now, and every move was defensible except for the absurd Carroll contract. Well, do you see a Go-To Guy anywhere in that group? Me neither. Trailing the Rockets by one Sunday night, they isolated Wallace for their final possession against T-Mac. Even before the play unfolded, I was sitting there thinking, "All right, this has a zero percent chance of working." Wallace drove right, got swallowed up by T-Mac, threw up an off-balance brick and got called for an offensive foul to boot. Get ready for about 15 moments like that this season, Bobcats fans. If you even exist.

Reason No. 12,743 why I love the NBA: Okafor turning down Charlotte's $55 million extension when he has played in 166 of a possible 266 games over the past three seasons. I'm not one of the best 10 power forwards in the league. I can't stay on the court, and I don't have any low-post moves. Guys, the bidding starts at $70 million! The NBA needs to work this saga into its "Where Amazing Happens" campaign: "Where Emeka Okafor Does Nothing For Three Years And Turns Down $55 Million Happens."

Reason No. 12,744 why I love the NBA: The Cats spent a No. 3 pick on Morrison and $81 million on Carroll and Wallace ... and yet, I like Jared Dudley more than all of them. Please, Lord, lemme have one billionaire reader buy an NBA team and make me a GM before I die. I don't ask for much.

This is only a small piece of the whole article, and it's not "insider".

[Muttley]

Hollinger makes good points, but maybe somehow we're 3-3 because of Reason Number 12,743 EMEKA OKAFOR and Reason Number 12,744 MATT CARROLL, not to mention RAYMOND FELTON

Asshole.

How can he single out Okafor and NOT F&*king PRIMOZ BREZAC?

Enough.

This is all harps back to the basic disrespect issue that we're all so painfully aware of. WIN GAMES.

Word.

[ziggy]

The comical thing about these "experts" is that when the end of the season rolls around and the Bobcats are in the playoffs, they will try to claim that they knew that the Bobcats were going to be good all along.

[Alex]

Simmons dissed the hell out of us in the his latest column. I e-mailed him stating how his clearly ego centric view this season is getting in the way of his intelligence and told him how stupid he would look when we're sitting around 5th in the east around the all star break.

[Keetch]

I emailed him too and let him know how absurd his comments were regarding Okafor and Carroll. Told him if he'd look up he'd see that those are actually 2 guys that truly DO make the NBA great. He's actually suggesting Okafor's choice is based on greed. He has no idea, because he's ignorant.