If the playoffs started today...

[TattoodCats4life]

To make a 6th-8th seed spot in the playoffs the bobcats have to run 60% from here. The schedule doesn't exclude it, but we need to get our road wins up big time as for at least the foreseeable future the bobcats have a heavy home game load early and mostly road games late because of arena obligations in feb/march. (Jumper classic, college ball games etc). I'm 100% sure that there is at least one more move needed, and I'm thinking felton and 2 bench players (or more) for a strong veteran who cant play the 1 for 36+ min any more to split time with DJ and help him learn, and get us a strong second 2 and maybe another 4/5 (or some expiring so we can get some free agents next year). Doable, just not sure how willing to swap we are yet.

[Scottley Crue]

Well, as Kevin Garnett put it, anything is possible. The playoffs are not a far-fetched idea for sure, but more help is needed. Specifically, the bench (and rebounding). More specifically, bench scoring (and rebounding). Especially if we trade Felton and make DJ the starter. While I do like Caroll, he does need alot of minutes to be productive, which isn't always a luxury a bench player is going to have. Having someone who can give Emeka rest without us giving up rebouds would be very helpful, too. Getting people who can be productive in those short bench minutes is something I think this team will need to be more sure of advancing to the playoffs.

[tamburello]

3.5 games doesn't seem like much but in reality it's a lot right now. To take the 8th spot from the team that holds it would mean leapfroging 6 teams. 3.5 is 12% of the games played so far by the bobcats. Do you realistically think that the Bobcats will be 12% better over the next 53 games? Do you think that the other 6 teams to be jumped will be 12% worse? Or stay the same and the Bobcats will be 25% better? It's not a lost cause at all, just looking at the numbers here....Maybe it's not a question of better but a question of wins, simply wins. Most of the Bobcats losses come by 5 or less (10 of 19) and the average loss is by less than 9 (5 of the 19 by 15+ throwing off the average).

These are what I exactly wanted to say. 3.5 games are nothing, but there are so much teams fighting for the last spot, and there would be no difference at all between grabbing the 8th spot and grabbing the 14th spot. Since we're the last in the road games played until now (we've played only 11) and considering our horrific record on road (2-9), I don't see any realistic chances at all.

[BRNC]

I'd say maybe since no one really knows if the trades have stopped or not...no more trades I would tend to yes...more trades means more time needed by new players=doubtful...

[TattoodCats4life]

I'd say maybe since no one really knows if the trades have stopped or not...no more trades I would tend to yes...more trades means more time needed by new players=doubtful...

I'll agree with you 100% on that. We are pretty sure to see another trade or two come down, I mean at minimum someone (I'd say nets, knicks, denver maybe too) is going to want to have some expiring contracts and we've got May who is cheap this year and gone next, and as sad as it is, some teams may even call Felton an expiring (I'm thinking lakers, they need a PG to put next to Fish, but when the healing's done, he's gone).

Needless to say, it takes most players time after a trade to learn what they are doing, unless we get someone who has started for larry or is still playing a larry system (think T. Prince or Rip Hamilton) we're not going to get anyone who is going to make a difference the day after physicals...Even Raja is taking time to get warm, and he played for larry before. The year is far from done, but we're either going to seed 7/8 or we're going to seed 9/14 because its that close. Even last year with the Ham Biscuit we *almost* made the playoffs when they were calling things in Feb/March (I think we were 2 games out of 8th around the trade deadline).

Uck, 150 min to tipoff

[ohara831]

We just leap frogged Indiana, and we are now 3 games out of the #8 spot. And we have a chance to gain more ground at home tomorrow against NJ again. WhooHoo! And the Knicks come to town right after NJ! My goodness, we can start to make something happen if our guys dont start believing the hype and just stay focused.

[ALong13]

I honestly think our starting line-up (Felton, Bell, Wallace, Diaw, Okafor) is playoff caliber, I think our depth is our weakness...

I believe our SG/SF is our weakness despite our overload there...Hollins, Nazr, Ajinca I think can handle the PF/C job and do well with it, Augustin & Singletary can definitely handle the PG spot...but the I'm not too confident Carroll and Morrison fit well with Larry Brown and I think those are the two spots that needed upgrade more-so. I'd rather get rid of Matt's contract than anyones, but I don't believe Morrison is going to be the player we hoped or started being earlier on in the season at one point...

[ohara831]

I honestly think our starting line-up (Felton, Bell, Wallace, Diaw, Okafor) is playoff caliber, I think our depth is our weakness...

I believe our SG/SF is our weakness despite our overload there...Hollins, Nazr, Ajinca I think can handle the PF/C job and do well with it, Augustin & Singletary can definitely handle the PG spot...but the I'm not too confident Carroll and Morrison fit well with Larry Brown and I think those are the two spots that needed upgrade more-so. I'd rather get rid of Matt's contract than anyones, but I don't believe Morrison is going to be the player we hoped or started being earlier on in the season at one point...

Agreed. If we can find a way to trade Carroll and Morrison for someone who can at least contribute 15-20 minutes per game and fit into the LB type of gameplan, then I would love it. But those two dont seem to be capable of bring much of a return I'm afraid. But I trust LB to make a move IF he feels it will help us.

[davcbow]

With our win tonight over NJ we have won 4 out of the last 5 games, in those 5 games we are averaging 100 - 90.3 in those games so those NJ announcers should put that stat in their hats and smoke on it a while.....

[WarioVsMooChicken]

I'm fine with Carrol playing SG. But he's playing at the 3 and that just doesnt work for him usually.

If we can get Adam to be mobile instead of just standing there in the corner, maybe he could fit in well.

Shannon Brown needs more minutes IMO. I think brown isnt giving him much PT because he is sort of a ballhog, but if he fixes that, I think he could be great.