Trade Idea

[Walt Cronkite]

Part of the reason we're nigh unbeatable when Felton scores 20+ is because it meant he had an effective night. I did a study on this on RGM, I'll google search and try and find the post. It's a totally empty stat to reference. I'm one of the biggest Okafor supporters you'll find, but he's not an offensive big man threat like, say, Carlos Boozer.

Boozer averaged 20/10 as a premiere player on a playoff team for two seasons in a row. Wallace averaged 19/6 and 16/8 on a lottery team. Despite the fact they get their points totally different ways, you don't see a difference there? You prove my point for me in mentioning that Boris only had 2 "superstar level" games, he was unable or unwilling to do what is necessary to carry a team on offense.

Finally, it's unlikely that we'd acquire Boozer. It's even more so that we'd acquire him as a one year rental, but if it were to happen, I don't think we'd be in as bad of a situation as you paint it out to be. We're not a lock for the playoffs as is, so it's no lock we'd be any better or worse in the fan base department. Mek is already a borderline franchise player for us and we actually would have a little bit of cap space because we'd be out of Raja and Gerald's contracts with Radman and Mohammed being valuable players because of their expiring status the season after.

You keep saying all this stuff about LB, where are you getting it from? Do you really think he took the job in Charlotte because he wanted to win? The dude wants to teach the game of basketball and better the sport, listen to his french nt video, it explains perfectly why he's in Charlotte.

[Walt Cronkite]

Now what I disagree with...

Boris is too slow for the 3 spot. No matter what the stats say I've seen him iso'd on the perimeter against opposing SFs and he looked like a little girl among men. He just doesn't have the lateral footspeed to keep up with those guys. Using his weight he can compensate for that in the paint a lot better and use his smarts to defend his man.

We just need a stronger bench. Give Crash & Raja some rest and maybe they won't get injured so much. Give Felton more rest and maybe he won't fall off the reservation quite so much with those "WTF" moments.

Unfortunately for me, the stats back up what everyone has been saying, Diaw has always (well, since he was traded to the Suns) been most effective as a 4 on offense and defense. Still, I have to wonder about them since it was D'Antoni ball. I think LB could make it work against most teams. We'd struggle against teams that spread the floor like Orlando, but is Diaw that much less athletic than Kirilenko?

If we HAVE to do Boozer for Wallace, I think it'd be worth it to do. If it's Diaw for Boozer, sure, that seems like a better fit for us at least. Would it be so bad to have to package Diaw because he didn't fit with Boozer?

[teej]

You keep saying all this stuff about LB, where are you getting it from? Do you really think he took the job in Charlotte because he wanted to win? The dude wants to teach the game of basketball and better the sport, listen to his french nt video, it explains perfectly why he's in Charlotte.

He has said in several press conferences that if the team goes through another rebuilding stage, he's out. Yes, he wants to teach, but he wants to teach so that his teams win. At this point in his life, with his health issues, being away from his family, and being over 70, he's not going to waste his time rebuilding.

Would you if you were in his situation?

Also, You say the situation isn't as bad as we paint it to be as far as the fans. I'm not saying your wrong, but 1) how many games have you been to, 2) where do you live, and 3) how many people talk about the bobcats in person?

[Walt Cronkite]

He has said in several press conferences that if the team goes through another rebuilding stage, he's out. Yes, he wants to teach, but he wants to teach so that his teams win. At this point in his life, with his health issues, being away from his family, and being over 70, he's not going to waste his time rebuilding.

Would you if you were in his situation?

Also, You say the situation isn't as bad as we paint it to be as far as the fans. I'm not saying your wrong, but 1) how many games have you been to, 2) where do you live, and 3) how many people talk about the bobcats in person?

Maybe it'd be helpful if you defined "rebuilding"? We literally have 4 guys on the roster right now that were here before LB arrived. I can't fathom how the change of Boozer from Diaw/Wallace leads to some drastic w's or l's. It's almost a lateral move where we get the far more talented player, Utah just doesn't need him because they want Millsap going forward and want to get something for him before they lose him for nothing.

Now define "win". The Bobcats are not going to be a championship contender anytime soon. The East is stacked, we're a recent expansion team and we haven't made a lot of positive moves. You acquire talent and figure it out as you go... at least that's what worked for us last year.

If I'm LB, I move my family to the place I want to live and get a basketball job there. Who doesn't give him a job? A job, singular, anything. Some team does. The French NT is doing backflips that he's involved, Vincent Collet was practically giddy in that news conference.

I live in Raleigh. I didn't make it to a single game last year, but had season tickets for the two seasons before that and made it to 20ish games a season. Fucking nobody talks about the Bobcats in Raleigh, not in the social circle I deal with. I've had slightly more conversations about them as I've had with people that are like "We have a pro team?"

[teej]

Maybe it'd be helpful if you defined "rebuilding"? We literally have 4 guys on the roster right now that were here before LB arrived. I can't fathom how the change of Boozer from Diaw/Wallace leads to some drastic w's or l's. It's almost a lateral move where we get the far more talented player, Utah just doesn't need him because they want Millsap going forward and want to get something for him before they lose him for nothing.

And when Boozer leaves US for nothing, we'll enter a rebuilding phase, which means we'll be in the lottery mining talent for the next few years, trading talent away for potential.

Now define "win". The Bobcats are not going to be a championship contender anytime soon. The East is stacked, we're a recent expansion team and we haven't made a lot of positive moves. You acquire talent and figure it out as you go... at least that's what worked for us last year.

Win is getting into the playoffs and being a contender every year.

If I'm LB, I move my family to the place I want to live and get a basketball job there. Who doesn't give him a job? A job, singular, anything. Some team does. The French NT is doing backflips that he's involved, Vincent Collet was practically giddy in that news conference.

He's over 70, and from what I read has a teenage son in high school back in Philly (age difference is big, yes, but that's what I read). His fam. is happy there, and if/when you have a family, you'll realize that just packing up and moving isn't that easy, especially when there's a woman invovled. Or a transatlantic move.

I live in Raleigh. I didn't make it to a single game last year, but had season tickets for the two seasons before that and made it to 20ish games a season. Fucking nobody talks about the Bobcats in Raleigh, not in the social circle I deal with. As often as I have slightly more conversations about them as I have with people that are like "We have a pro team?"

My point exactly. I can't think of another team with as little of a fan base, and 75% of that fan base is built on Gerald Wallace and/or Emeka Okafor. And LB has said Boris is smarter than any player or coach he knows, including himself. I doubt we're trading those three unless we get a lot better. Doing otherwise is financial suicide.

[Walt Cronkite]

I think Boozer would be happy to accept a deal for us, especially if things went well. NC is like his second home, his brother played hs ball in Raleigh the same time I was in hs. Look at the situation in Denver with Billups. Chauncey left, had success, came back... and now he's like a deity. If Boozer comes in and wins, he'll be embraced. If Boozer comes in and the team does worse than it would've with Wallace or Diaw, then I don't think it was very well constructed in the first place.

If winning is being a contender every year, then I have not a damn clue why LB moved to Philly if that's what he wants. He'll be 80 by the time that's happening at this rate.

Yes, our team has a pathetic fan base. Bob Johnson has made a lot of mistakes, Bernie Bickerstaff made a bunch of mistakes, yada yada yada. The UNC angle, the Ammo angle, all drastic failures. You know what didn't fail? Winning. The Cable Box was doing just fine filling it's capacity when we were a playoff hopeful team on a hot streak. I think Boozer is the very best player of these 3 and gives LB, the FO and the fans the best maneuverability in regard to what they all want--winning.

[davcbow]

I can't think of another team with as little of a fan base, and 75% of that fan base is built on Gerald Wallace and/or Emeka Okafor. And LB has said Boris is smarter than any player or coach he knows, including himself. I doubt we're trading those three unless we get a lot better. Doing otherwise is financial suicide.

Its like this most of my friends still are like, "oh yeah I heard Charlotte had another team, whats their name "the cougars" or something like that"..... and then I have other friends that use the Hornets moving away as a reason they dont care about the Bobcats.... on top of that some other friends didnt even realize that Charlotte had a basketball team until I told them. Word of mouth gets more advertising than the airwaves..... BJ has done nothing to advertise the Bobcats in this area unless its on pay tv on a game being broadcast on AM radio....So we do need something to get possible fans excited to go to Charlotte and watch the Bobcats play....

[GOBOBCATS24]

We can't trade Gerald. we just can't. hes the man. now i wouldn't be so opposed to trading Diaw for Boozer "skrate up". then If we signed AI we would be legit with two big boys down low who can dominate the boards. Boozer is a great player. What player on our team has come to Charlotte and doesn't like it here? Nobody. Its impossible not to love a place where you are so appreciated by your fans in a "small" market area. I think he would like it here. Who can't love NC its the greatest!!

[SWedd523]

Walt, let me reiterate that the issue is WHO we're trading for Boozer. Trade Diaw by all means but Crash (at this point) means too much to this team and the city to be traded.

I honestly think we're an elite SG or PF away from being a great team. Our PG situation is set, our Center situation is just fine. Crash could use a backup but I think UPS will fill that role along with Radman.

If we can get a SG that will put up 25 (or so) ppg then we're a top 5 team in the East. If we get a PF that can put up 20 and close to 10 then we're also golden. Boozer would fit that criteria.

But he's not worth Crash!

[teej]

Explain to me, Swedd or Walt, where our offense will generate if we trade Diaw

I love what he does, yes, but even an impartial person will tell you that he's much more valuable than his points, rebounds, and assists, unlike Boozer.

Remember when we had J-Rich, before Raja and Boris came? That's what we'd be like with Boozer. Ray's good, but he's not THAT good.