Another letter to Michael Jordan

Dear Mr. Jordan,

Before I begin I would like to emphasize that this season I decided not to renew my season tickets. At the time, it was more because I wasn't sure how the lockout would run its course, but man am I glad I decided not to take the refund offer you guys were shilling. I would've made one of the worst investments in my life. Perhaps the ghost of Adam Morrison's career was smiling down upon me that day.

Obviously, the point I'm making is that your team is terrible. Not just terrible, all-time terrible. Last year you sent me (all of us) a nice letter about how you're trying to make moves for our future in your half-hearted attempt to explain why you traded Gerald Wallace to save yourself a few million dollars out of pocket. Let me ask you, how has that trade worked out for us so far? We got a decent power forward with a sweet mid-range jumper, but can't seem to stay out of foul trouble or away from Boris Diaw's pre-game snack tray (read: seven course meal). We got a young, undersized combo gaurd who is pretending to play point gaurd, but doesn't have the slightest idea how to direct an offense. Finally, we got the youngest player in the NBA who is an imposing physical speciman with a high ceiling, who unfortunatley has the basketball IQ of a courtside trophy wife.

How has that trade worked out, Michael? It's gotten us two underwhelming draft picks and the league's worst record. We just got blown out by the Lakers and Gerald Wal - I mean, the Blazers, respectively. 112-68 - let that sink in for a moment. On March 28, 1990, you scored 69 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Does that put things in perspective? 13 professional basketball players couldn't manage to score more points than you put up in a single game. Believe me, this isn't about stroking your massive ego, either. I can't fathom how the greatest basketball player of all time, reknowned for being the most competitive person on the court at any given time, can be ok with a team he owns, a team he should have pride in, scoring 68 points and allowing 112.

Your fan base doesn't care about the Bobcats. Why should they? No one should care about ineptitude. You sell more tickets based on who the Bobcats are playing. Carolinians come from all over North and South Carolina to see if Lebron will drop 40 on the lowly Bobcats. If the Blazers beat the Bobcats by 40+, imagine what Chris Paul and the Clippers are going to do?

Aaah, Chris Paul. A North Carolina native. I watched him play live a few times at Wake Forest and even have attented his charity bowling tournament. He's a great guy with great ties to the community. He's a competitor, too. I hope you've had a chance to watch that game he had against Utah. The way he played in the fourth quarter was almost Jordan-esque. Everytime I think of Chris Paul, I think of how there's no reason he shouldn't be in a Bobcats uniform. Then I'm reminded of how terrible you've been as a GM and owner. As good as you were as a player, that's almost as bad as you've been in the front office.

By now you're probably wondering what is the point of this letter and why you're still reading. Maybe you're not. Hopefully you are, because this is where I finally get to the root of what I'm trying to tell you.

As bad as the Bobcats are, it is still not too late to turn things around. You just can't let your own ego get in the way. Michael, I can forgive you for trading Gerald Wallace and drafting two mediocre players who have been billed as franchise players. I can forgive you if you put aside your own arrogance, suck it up, and start over... again. Blow it up, Michael. Tear everything down.

You have the unique opportunity of being able to have a high lottery pick in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Supposedly, you had that oppurtunity last year, but I digress. Going into next season, we're going to have a considerable amount of cap space. If we stay the course, going into 2013 we're going to have buttloads of cap space. Michael, you need to do something drastic and you need to do it now.

First, you have to trade DJ Augustin before his value depreciates to the point where he's not worth a second rounder. Do something and do it soon. I can live with you signing him to an extension, even, just as long as he doesn't leave for absolutely nothing. How'd that turn out the FIRST time you let our starting PG leave for nothing?

Second, and maybe this will solve itself through the first if we're lucky, figure out some way to get a second first rounder this year, preferably lottery pick. I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but there has to be some team out there interested in Boris' expiring, or maybe someone is willing to take Tyrus Thomas. As much as it pains me to say this, even Gerald Henderson is worth letting go for the right pick. Hell, call up New Orleans and send them Kemba Walker for their first round draft pick. REALLY start over. You have a terriffic player evaluator in Rich Cho. Let him do his job. I simply can't imagine Rich Cho was in your ear saying let's take a young, unproven player with possibly a high ceiling with the 7th pick in the NBA draft, when you needed someone to come in and make an immediate impact, not a project. Maybe he was. If so, maybe we've all overestimated Rich Cho.

Next, make a splash, NOW. Do something immediately to keep your fanbase interested. When the looming free agency comes, no player is going to want to come to an empty arena. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are on the market. We're not going anywhere this season anyway and acquiring them will only give us more cap room at the end of the season. It doesn't have to be them, either, there are plenty of veterans out there on the last year of their contract. No one player is going to keep us out of the top of the lottery. God knows, if you're not going to send Bizmack Biyombo to the D-League, at least Kevin Garnett is competitive enough to want to show him a thing or two.

I honestly think that's the biggest problem with this team. As competitive as you were, you simply lack the vision necessary to see drive in other players. This team is content with losing. Certainly, everyone expected them to lose, but even I didn't expect them to give up. To get blown out. To lose games at tip-offs. They ignore Paul Silas, meander around on the court and collect a pay check. A pay check many of them certainly don't deserve based on skills and production.

Seriously, Michael, you have to do something. Do it now. Before it's too late.