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**Coatesvillain** · 06-29-2005, 11:12 PM

Quote:

CHARLOTTE - If you were expecting the Charlotte Bobcats to be a prime player in the free agent market this summer, guess again.

Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff wants to get his 2005-06 roster in shape quickly in the coming weeks, but he says he won't do it by paying out a huge free agent contract to someone from another team.

"I don't think that we're ready for that," Bickerstaff said Wednesday after the team officially introduced Tuesday first-round draft picks Raymond Felton and Sean May. "That's a move you make when you think you're ready to take off. I don't think we're at that level as a basketball team right now."

That would eliminate any notion of the team pursuing top free agents like Seattle's Ray Allen, Phoenix's Joe Johnson or Washington's Larry Huges.

LINK

**kamego** · 06-29-2005, 11:28 PM

I didn't see the word "trade" at all so maybe he will trade for a big gun lol Either way they had a very solid offseason already.

AussieWarriorFan! · 06-30-2005, 03:09 AM

Why not sign a free agent, then trade him for future picks and/or young prospects he likes?

Pacers Fan · 06-30-2005, 03:18 AM

Maybe it's just a nicer way of saying that no big name Free Agent wants to come to Charlotte?

AussieWarriorFan! · 06-30-2005, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacers Fan

Maybe it's just a nicer way of saying that no big name Free Agent wants to come to Charlotte?

Or that!

But there is always somebody who would take the highest offer, no matter the team!

Jond4414 · 06-30-2005, 08:50 AM

Im sure that a big name free agent will want to come here whenever we are ready to pursue one. Players see that the bobcats are forming a very solid young team that has all sorts of potential and if they throw a lot of money at a guy... i believe that player will definetly consider it.

Drewbs · 06-30-2005, 10:32 AM

If a big name player like Joe Johnson, or Ray Allen could come to Charlotte the team would really take off. Last season, we were a bit short on rebounding (outside of Okafor, no one knows how to secure a rebound which doesn't help at all when the entire opposing team makes an effort to boxes him out), and scoring (Brevin Knight is nice and all, but its hard to get somewhere when your a PG who can't score). This season, we draft Raymond Felton, who is terrific if this team favors a more uptempo style, and Sean May, who really helps our frontline on the boards. Felton is a better scorer, than Knight and he is a good defender who will not hesitate to get up on someone's grill. May improves interior defense, where Primoz Brezec was just... Primoz Brezec. You put May there who can guard a man, play good help defense, Okafor can come off his man and block more shots and be more of an intimidator, the more I think of it, the more I think this draft is pretty good. With this team, I could easily see it doubling it's win total from last season. And if it seems that hard to draw free agents because the Bobcats suck, it doesn't seem that hard anymore. Felton is a good PG who can destroy teams with his uptempo and aggressive style, the team is good defensively, with a coach who really got the best out of his palyers last season, an experienced player who can score and bring leadership might be able to put this team in position to compete for a playoff spot. We lost 16 games by 3 or less points last season, due to not having a go-to scorer, Okafor was always doubled, and inexperience.

Pistolballer · 06-30-2005, 04:15 PM

I remember seeing at stat on draft night that was something along the lines of: "The Bobcats lost 14 games the past season by 3 or less."
C'mon, the 'Cats have definately added atleast 3ppg more, regardless of the defence...

**Coatesvillain** · 07-01-2005, 12:55 AM

Some people have constantly criticized Bernie Bickerstaff for how he put the team together, but I think the man has done a great job so far. Instead of being like other teams and using the expansion draft as a way to sell tickets (and in the process end in cap trouble with bad contracts) he used it to try out a bunch of players and see if any of them would be capable of contributing to the team. On top of that, you can't fault his drafting, I think it's been superb.

I just wonder how long he'll be the head coach of this team. I mean wasn't the original plan of his to help develop the players, and then when it was time for them to take the next step for him to pass the job off to Sam Mitchell?

Greg Ostertag! · 07-01-2005, 02:40 AM

You should be looking at Bobby Simmons and Vladimir Radmanovich at about 6mil and 8mil per respectively. Those guys would shore up the wings rather nicely. Young guys who would revel in forging a young team's identity.

Felton/Knight
Simmons/Bogan
Radmanovich/Wallace
Okafor/May
Brezec/Ely

Could be an exciting team.

AussieWarriorFan! · 07-01-2005, 03:06 AM

Being a casual Bobcats fan, i'd like to give Brezec and Wallace another year of being starts and see if they continue to improve, as Wallace is only just turned 23 and Brezec is 25, they're relatively young players, and considering Brezec has only started getting some gametime last season, i reckon he would improve a fair bit next season!

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