I have an extra ticket for the Bobcats vs Bulls game at 7 pm tonight. If you don't mind sitting with total strangers (myself, my brother in law and his brother), then feel free. You will also get a $5.00 coupon for concessions.

No charge, just don't want the seat to go to waste. It's a $25.00 ticket in not the greatest of spots, but is a sideline section seat. Section 208, Row Q.

If you're interested, please call my call 336 609 1680 - first come, first serve. If I am able to, I'll post on here if I have a winner lol.

Whoever it is, I do ask that they be over 18 because I don't want to be responsible for any minors.

If this belongs in a different section, I'm sorry.

Thanks,

Adam C.

Rather than creating another thread that gives members of the community a prime forum to take shots at current players on our squad, I figured I'd create one that would give members a chance to pick which players they think will fit into the roster when we are ready to sign free agents in 2013.

Poll

Would my theoretical team be a contender?

• Yes
• No

  42 votes | Results

Continue reading this post »

(Ben - from the FanPosts)

What's Pure Point Rating, you ask? Well, interestingly enough, I didn't know about it before I was handily linked over to the recent 10-day contract primer on SB Nation's NBA page. But it is a John Hollinger-designed "Sabermetric" state which attempts to measure a point guard's ability to play as a point guard should (by maximizing assists and minimizing turnovers through good decision-making, vision, and ballhandling.) Below the jump, we'll outline the formula and take a look at some of the NBA's leaders in the statistic.

Continue reading this post »

This season has been woeful. It's been hard to stomach, even. Injuries, a lock-out shortened season, lack of training camp and simply having subpar talent have sent us careening to the worst record in the NBA and staring down what may be one of the all time worst seasons in NBA history. It's bad, folks. But there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

We all know the Bobcats are in rebuilding mode and most of us knew we were looking at a high lottery pick coming into the 2012 draft. We didn't know that we'd be getting blown out by twenty plus points on a regular basis. In all honesty, were it not for injuries, we probably wouldn't be.

Which brings us to our first reason to be optimistic about the Bobcats:

with a healthy roster, our lineup doesn't look so terrible on paper.

DJ Augustin/Kemba Walker/Corey Higgins

Gerald Henderson/Reggie Williams/Matt Carroll

Corey Maggette/Tyrus Thomas/Derek Brown

Boris Diaw/DJ White/Tyrus again

Bismack Biyombo, Byron Mullens, DeSagana Diop

That's a lineup that should never get blown out and could compete on a nightly basis. That's more like a 10 win team at this point, not a 3 win team. I don't know when we'll have all our players healthy again, but it certaintly can't happen soon enough. Maybe the last two months of the season will be watchable basketball.

The second reason to be optimistic is the reason most everyone is looking past this season and it's the 2012 NBA draft. We're assured a top 4 pick with the worst record, which is good, because the top 4 picks look like they might be franchise players. Really, the top 8 picks all look like future all-stars, so we're in a pretty good position. I want us to draft Anthony Davis if we pick first, but there are plenty of players we can have if we're not picking at the top of the lottery.

Why else should we be optimistic? Well, after this season, 17.5 million come off the books. Even more if we're able to amnesty someone (Tyrus!) With the new CBA rules, 17.5 million is a whole heckuva lot. 2012 and 2013 both bring a cornucopia of quality free agents and the Bobcats have a shot at several of them. After looking around at other teams cap situations, it looks like the Celtics, Nets, Pacers and Raptors will be working with 15 million under the cap. The Mavs and Spurs will probably have no problem venturing into luxury tax land and Orlando will need to go over the cap to sign a marquee player if they can't retain Howard and/or rid themselves of Hedo.

Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Nic Batum, Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGhee, Roy Hibbert, OJ Mayo and a few others are all players we should be looking at. Or, if Dwight and Deron both decide to excersize their options, then we can simply sign one free agent and then work on clearing even more space for the even more lucrative 2013 draft. This is actually the best situation for us because there will be so many more elite free agents, Howard and Williams included, that we'll benefit simply by the trickle down effect. Either way, outside of Dwight and Deron, none of the 2012 free agents I listed can make more than 9 million dollars unless their teams excersize their Bird rights in a sign and trade.

The biggest reason to be optimistic, though? In two years, Boris Diaw, DeSagana Diop, Matt Carroll and Eduardo Najera will no longer be Charlotte Bobcats. If that isn't reason to be hopeful about the future, I don't know what is.

After reading this terrific piece by Scott Schroeder, I started thinking about Cory Higgins. Early in the season, I didn't really care. I mean, cool, there's some nepotism going on, but it's not that big a deal. I also didn't care about Cory Higgins at all until just a little while ago. However, once it was brought to my attention he was on a unguaranteed contract, I started actually using my brain. What exactly does Cory Higgins bring to our team? As I thought about all I've seen from him, I decided he brings absolutely nothing to our team. He has nearly no upside and his current game isn't exactly racks on racks on racks. So now the nepotism gets a little grating. On a team so devoid of talent, why should he be given a chance over guys like Manny Harris or Ben Uzoh? I'm under no impression these guys are ever going to be very good NBA players. I just don't see it. But I am under the impression I'd be far more inclined to give them a chance to be good NBA players than Cory Higgins, because I don't see him ever being part of our future. Right now, my Higgins anger is at a 6, mainly because in the end it's probably never going to matter and I have more important things to be worried about. However, c'mon FO, please cut Cory Higgins before his contract becomes guaranteed make it a revolving door for 10 day contracts. If you do this, our collective health as a fan base will be much better.

If for some reason the FO doesn't, I don't want to hear about it. I swear to God if someone feels the need to bring it up every time we talk about our FO I will probably get way angrier than I have any right to get. Sure, it's pretty obvious neptotism, but in the grand scheme of things, Cory Higgins not getting cut isn't going to make or break this franchise.

Poll

Should Cory Higgins be cut?

• Yes
• No
• Nepotism is cool

  79 votes | Results

Timberwolves trade Derrick Williams/Brad Miller/Wesley Johnson/Wayne Ellington
Gets Kevin Martin/Gerald Hendersonl/rights to swap Bobcats 2015 1st
Bobcats trade Boris Diaw/Gerald Henderson/Bismark Biyombio/2013 Portland pick
Gets Derrick Williams/Terrance Williams/Wes Johnson/Brad Miller/
Rockets trade Kevin Martin/Terrance Williams
Gets Boris Diaw/Bismark Biyombio/2013 Portland pick/Wayne Eliington

Continue reading this post »

Rookie PF/C Bismack Biyombo has come under fire in recent weeks and has begun to be looked at by some, even supporters, as a wasted pick and a bust. Everyone knows how I feel about Biyombo, so I won't spend the time this thread deflecting every criticism thrown his way, because I do myself recognize his flaws. This will be an unbiased look at a couple of videos of him earlier in the year compared to now. Using my perspective as a basketball player, and not as a Bobcat fan, here are some pros and cons out of the 7th pick of the draft.

Poll

Bismack Biyombo, boom or bust?

• Boom
• Bust

  60 votes | Results

Continue reading this post »

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.

Didn't we get an extra pick from Portland? are there stipulations to it- i.e. protected?

If we can grab two people from this draft to help us next year, it would be great.. anybody have any info on the other pick we got from them?

I cant wait to see what a lineup of:

Kemba/ Hendo/ Williams/ Bismack/ Drummond

Maybe we can trade our expirings to gain a little move value- i.e. Mags/ Najera/ Carroll/ Diaw

It was tough to watch the Bobcats lose to the Wizards on January 28th. However, it was worth the price of admission to see Kemba Walker get a triple double, Byron Mullens score a career high 23 points, and watch the worst free throw in the history of the NBA.

DeSagana Diop worst free throw ever! (Jan 28, 2012) (via thehoopscene)

Gana Diop shooting a Free Throw during the 2nd Half of the Charlotte Bobcats / Washington Wizards Game on January 28th. The unusually large crowd was laughing for several minutes after seeing this.