Bogg

Biyombo isn't good enough to be influencing who you draft going forward. If you just don't like Drummond at the second pick that's totally legitimate, but don't pass on him just because you already have Biyombo. Bismack is a project, but you're hoping he turns into a role player, not a star, Drummond might be a borderline franchise guy(or Kwame Brown, who knows).

RollWithEm

Here's a quote from Chad Ford's latest mock draft. It's not exactly ground-breaking, but it is one insider's opinion.

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But that's just me.

Najee

Who would you pick as your head coach?

My choices would be Nate McMillan or Brian Shaw.

Who would you consider the Bobcats core players at this time?

Gerald Henderson is the closest thing to a keeper, but he is an average shooting guard, IMO. I'll give Bismack Biyombo the benefit of development. Neither has trade value to offer them to another team, but could continue to evolve.

How would you instill a winning culture?

1.) It may sound superficial, but the first thing I would do is change the nickname from "Bobcats," which derisively is associated with former owner Bob Johnson. In addition to sounding like the name of a junior-high team, it is suspected the name was chosen as a double entendre of Johnson naming the team after himself.

I would change the nickname of the team to "Cougars." That was the name of the ABA team that played in several North Carolina cities 9including Charlotte) from 1969 to 1974, so there is some connection to its basketball past. It is also a cat-themed nickname, meaning the current logo only has to be modified slightly.

2.) The Bobcats need to define a style of play and build a team with that style of play. McMillan is considered a players' coach and shown he can coach to his personnel -- he coached a perimeter-oriented Seattle team to 52 wins in 2004-05 and led halfcourt-oriented Portland teams to 54, 50 and 48 wins despite injury woes. Shaw is presumably cut in the mode of Phil Jackson, which could translate into someone who can run complex offenses.

What would you do with the 2nd and 31st picks?

Charlotte has holes all over the place and I don't see a player projected at No. 2 overall who can cover a good portion of them. I would do a trade with Portland, picking Connecticut's Andre Drummond and trading his rights and Corey Maggette's expiring contract for the No. 6 and No. 11 picks.

What trades would you make?

I would use the amnesty clause on Tyrus Thomas. If a team makes an offer to DJ Augustin, I would not match it. Most of the players are available, including Kemba Walker.

How would you approach free agency?

Nicholas Batum, Goran Dragic and Michael Beasley would be my biggest targets, though I would not overpay for them.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.

Da Grinch

1. hire bill cartwright , he's very good with big men and counsel him to get a screamer/motivational guy as an asst. coach

2 bismak biyombo, BJ, and kemba...tyrus for now but if he continues to suck give him away.

3. change the team name , trade everyone for as many picks as possible , fill roster with hardworking team oriented players, if they are nbdl players fine , the purpose is to surround the core guys with upbeat guys happy to be in the league and to further their core guys development, guys who don't help in this regard are to be cast aside.

4. andre drummond , draymond green.

5. trade down to draft drummond , pick up additional picks

6. sign gerald green , he's a relatively efficient scorer who is athletic and now hungry to a long term deal....wont cost too much.

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Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb deciding what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.

RollWithEm

This is the first time I've heard Dragic's name mentioned for this team. I think that's not a bad idea. He's the type that could step in and really be a leader... and they still wouldn't be in any danger of leaving the cellar of the thing in the short term.

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But that's just me.

Najee

Goran Dragic would be my first choice as a free agent. He's a tall point guard, a creative passer and scorer and he can kick-start Charlotte's offense in transition -- all valuable needs for a team as horrible as Charlotte's offense is. Moreover, he just turned 26 so Drgic is a player with experience but who can be with the team for some time.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.

Dean the Master

Really though, Dragic is going to be hard to get because he is the Rockets' only point guard right now as Kyle Lowry is demanding a trade. As a Rockets guy, I really hope Goran stays with the Rockets.

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Najee

I can see Houston using one of its first-round picks on a point guard, particularly if Kendall Marshall of North Carolina is available. Houston cannot be surprised by Kyle Lowry's trade demands, given that he was rumored to be on the block during the season.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.

RollWithEm

Isn't Dragic unrestricted, though? How much is he worth to Houston?

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But that's just me.

Najee

Houston is going to start either Kyle Lowry or Goran Dragic at point guard. Rockets coach Kevin McHale is saying he would like to keep both, but he could be hedging his bets to keep Lowry's trade value from dropping or in case Dragic leaves as an unrestricted free agent. It's unreasonable to think both guys will be there next season.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.

Dornado

Is it worth it to amnesty Tyrus Thomas when you have so little committed to salaries right now? You're going to be paying him either way... unless it is the difference between you being over the cap or not you might as well pay him to play basketball. Unless we think FAs would really sign in Charlotte with that cap space.

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RollWithEm

Look here: http://www.basketballforum.com/6864915-post68.html

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But that's just me.

Najee

The second-highest paid player on your team is a 'tweener forward who plays spot minutes on a team that had the worst single-season winning percentage in NBA history. Not to mention he shot .367 from the field despite being more of a power forward type with absolutely no game outside of putbacks. And to top it off, his notable accomplishment was getting jacked up by a 70-year-old coach.

Tyrus Thomas has no trade value and he is due $26 million for the next three seasons. The amnesty clause would be worth it just to get this mental midget off the team, and send the message that this is no longer a D-League franchise.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.

Bogg

I mean, Dragic is good and all, but somebody's going to pay him, and you don't want to kill your cap space in the middle of a rebuild(or the start of one, depending on how you view the talent on the roster) by getting into a bidding war for someone who's, at best, a third option. They might as well give Kemba a try-out as the full-time starting point guard and focus on getting a really good swingman and/or a legitimate center. I'm actually cooling on Drummond as time goes on, but I continue to think that a two-year plan involving a high pick this year and next and loads of cap space next season is their best bet.


EDIT: Again, the distractions that Thomas brings, combined with his limited production, actually results in him having negative value. The team's easier to coach with him gone.

Najee

I said in my initial post that I would pursue Goran Dragic as a free agent, but I would not overpay for his services. He is a very good foundation but I agree this is not Chris Paul or Deron Williams we're discussing here.

However, Dragic is a much better player than Kemba Walker, a guy who is not a point guard in any form outside of being 6-feet tall. Walker is a small shooting guard who is a volume scorer with no inclination on leading an offense.

If the tea leaves show that Dragic is going to command a huge paycheck, I would have -- in my envisioned world -- Portland's two lottery picks after trading the No. 2 pick. Dragic is the type of point guard I want, but I could pick one in the draft.

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And when the groove is dead and gone, you know that love survives and we'll rock forever.