The Bobcats. Oh the Charlotte Bobcats. The epitome
of bad management in the NBA. The bobcats are quite frankly, for lack of
a better word, a mess. Bad draft picks and free agent signings since
their introduction to the league as an expansion team in 2004 have
placed them into dead last in the league. In fact, last year they
finished with the worst record (by percentage) in NBA history.
The man making all the final basketball decisions for the Bobcats is the one and only Michael Jordan. As the team's president of basketball operations, Jordan has final say on all the moves and transactions his home town team makes (Jordan is originally from North Carolina). Unfortunately for the franchise, Jordan's success as a player has not translated to his career as a manager. Not. At. All.
The Bobcat's young history is a long list of bad contracts to underachieving players on top of misguided draft picks. Their best finish was getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs three years ago, other than that, zero playoff appearances. As I said in my last post, I believe that if I were to take over the "Cats" I would have them as a consistent playoff team in three to four seasons.
It has been a very long time since the Bobcats made a smart signing. For this reason, a headline I recently saw on the basketball news website "RealGM" was very discouraging. The Bobcats were considering signing Tracy McGrady. McGrady was a great player in his heyday in the early 2000's but is currently what people in basketball like to say nicely as past his prime. He had abysmal averages for the Atlanta Hawks last year and besides bringing veteran leadership, I can see no reason why the Bobcats would ever sign him. Much like the other moves the bobcats have made, It makes no sense. This summer the team traded the expiring contract of one aging player, which would have given them free salary cap space to sign free agents after this season, for a larger and longer contract of an equally aging veteran. Why?! Why not let the player play out the season and get the contract off the books. Why not use McGrady's roster spot on a young player who has the potential to be a star? You know what you're getting with McGrady. He won't improve your team. A young player with a breakout season could be beneficial now and into the future.
Many of the Bobcats moves lack common sense. When I say I truly think I could turn them around, I am not trying to be arrogant. I truly believe that a general manager with common sense and solid basketball knowledge would do wonders for the Bobcats. Its inexcusable how consistently bad they have been with high draft selections every year. The only good basketball decision the Bobcats have made in recent years was the drafting of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a promising rookie from the University of Kentucky that could blossom into a star. No one will know if this was a good pick for several years, and that's the best the Bobcats have done in almost a decade. If I were in charge, young, promising players would be signed and drafted. They would be allowed to grow together with low paid veteran players mixed in to guide them. The goal would be to build a championship contender, and with smart and savvy basketball moves, that goal could definitely be accomplished.
Put me in charge of the Bobcats and watch the results. After all, the only way to go is up.
The man making all the final basketball decisions for the Bobcats is the one and only Michael Jordan. As the team's president of basketball operations, Jordan has final say on all the moves and transactions his home town team makes (Jordan is originally from North Carolina). Unfortunately for the franchise, Jordan's success as a player has not translated to his career as a manager. Not. At. All.
The Bobcat's young history is a long list of bad contracts to underachieving players on top of misguided draft picks. Their best finish was getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs three years ago, other than that, zero playoff appearances. As I said in my last post, I believe that if I were to take over the "Cats" I would have them as a consistent playoff team in three to four seasons.
It has been a very long time since the Bobcats made a smart signing. For this reason, a headline I recently saw on the basketball news website "RealGM" was very discouraging. The Bobcats were considering signing Tracy McGrady. McGrady was a great player in his heyday in the early 2000's but is currently what people in basketball like to say nicely as past his prime. He had abysmal averages for the Atlanta Hawks last year and besides bringing veteran leadership, I can see no reason why the Bobcats would ever sign him. Much like the other moves the bobcats have made, It makes no sense. This summer the team traded the expiring contract of one aging player, which would have given them free salary cap space to sign free agents after this season, for a larger and longer contract of an equally aging veteran. Why?! Why not let the player play out the season and get the contract off the books. Why not use McGrady's roster spot on a young player who has the potential to be a star? You know what you're getting with McGrady. He won't improve your team. A young player with a breakout season could be beneficial now and into the future.
Many of the Bobcats moves lack common sense. When I say I truly think I could turn them around, I am not trying to be arrogant. I truly believe that a general manager with common sense and solid basketball knowledge would do wonders for the Bobcats. Its inexcusable how consistently bad they have been with high draft selections every year. The only good basketball decision the Bobcats have made in recent years was the drafting of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a promising rookie from the University of Kentucky that could blossom into a star. No one will know if this was a good pick for several years, and that's the best the Bobcats have done in almost a decade. If I were in charge, young, promising players would be signed and drafted. They would be allowed to grow together with low paid veteran players mixed in to guide them. The goal would be to build a championship contender, and with smart and savvy basketball moves, that goal could definitely be accomplished.
Put me in charge of the Bobcats and watch the results. After all, the only way to go is up.
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