Pondering the Bobcats loss

Lets ponder last night’s game for a few moments.

The Charlotte Bobcats lost last night to the Dallas Mavericks 101-86 and in that loss there were a few things that were well worth some deeper thought.

We allowed the 53 year old Jason Kidd  to abuse our defense all night and dish out 18 assists? To quote The Miz “really… Really”? I understand that Jason Kidd is Jason Kidd but dammit this is not 1992. We should not allow a guy as elderly as Kidd to run wild on us the way that he did. In drastic contrast to Kidd’s numbers, Our point guards had a combined 8 points and 8 assists and shot 2-12 from the field…. I wonder how Devin Harris is doing today?

Ahh, it is upon us!  The tip-off to the 2010-2011 NBA Regular Season!  This is an exciting time to be a fan, probably the only few weeks all the “major” sports are running.  Baseball wrapping up whatever it is before the pitchers and catchers are called in for training in 3 weeks, NASCAR wrapping things up with the Chase for the Cup and Jock.  NFL in full swing with Brett Favre drama, does that ever actually end?  Hockey, College Football, MLS, it’s all happening but what we all really love, the sport with probably the most drama, NBA basketball tips off for 6 teams on Tuesday night.  Watching Boston and Miami as I type…meaningful basketball!  Love it.

The Bobcats open their campaign on the road against the only team they have yet to beat:  The Dallas Mavericks.  So many easy, lame jokes can be made about them, most of which have something to do with the republican presidential nominees last go-round and their bombastic owner Mark Cuban.  Talk about more money than sense…dude wanted to buy the Rangers!  What’s that?  Umm, This just in to BigCat, the Rangers are in the World Series…Congrats to them.

The first thing I’ve read about this game opens like this:  ”Despite posting at least 50 wins in each of the last 10 seasons, the Dallas Mavericks are still trying to secure the franchise’s first NBA title.”  HA!  50 wins is pretty substantial but 4 of those 10 years they were bounced in the first round.  I feel bad for anybody who can’t make it out of the fir…What’s that?  Umm, this just in…YOUR Charlotte Bobcats made their first playoff appearance last year and were summarilly bounced by Orlando.  Win some lose some, either way I don’t like Dallas.

If this is your first time reading one of my posts, let me give you a rundown of things I don’t like:  Bill Simmons, Charlotte Observer Sports Department, LeBron James, frontrunner fans which includes but is not limited to:  (formerly) Cleveland Fans, Orlando Fans, Heat Fans (seriously, unless you have a Rony Seikaly jersey don’t mention it to me), Boston Fans, People who think Kobe is as good as MJ, Boston Fans, away team’s fans standing up and popping jerseys, Boston Fans (especially Bill Simmons), Loud-Mouth Owners and finally, fans of the Boston Celtics.

The Charlotte Bobcats announced today that they have traded centers Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca for former Bobcat guard Matt Carroll, forward Eduardo Najera and center Erick Dampier, along with cash considerations.

Carroll started 81 games for the Bobcats over his 289 game career in the Queen City, and still holds the team record for Free Throw Percentage at .849%. He played parts of the last two seasons in Dallas after being traded in January 2009 along with Ryan Hollins for DeSagana Diop. Carroll has just below 12 million dollars left on his contract over the next three years, though that amount is front loaded.

Najera is a 6’8 forward who will make the Bobcats his fifth team in 11 seasons. A second round pick in 2000, he started his career in Dallas, and made stops in Golden State, Denver, and New Jersey before being sent back to Dallas this past season. He has 5.6 million owed to him over the next two seasons, and like Carroll his contract is decreasing.

Dampier is a 6’11 center who has played for Indiana, Golden State and Dallas in his 14 seasons. He likely will not play for the Bobcats as his 13 million dollar contract is not guaranteed, meaning he can be waived at any time prior to the season with no penalty to the ‘Cats.

General Manager Rod Higgins said after the trade was announced that “Our main goal this offseason was finding a way to reshape this roster and continue the momentum we have established. While it’s always difficult to give up key pieces of your team, we believe this deal will give financial flexibility and the ability to improve our team at the same time.”

Chandler was acquired last summer for Emeka Okafor, and missed much of last winter with foot and ankle problems. He averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 50 games with the Bobcats. Ajinca, the 20th overall pick of the 2008 draft, played just 37 games with the team, spending much of his time in the D-League.

What this means for Bobcats fans is that there is likely another move on the way. Dampier’s contract situation allows the team to pursue a player like Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, or Andris Beidrins, among others reportedly available. While this move will place the Bobcats over the luxury tax for the moment, it’s highly unlikely the team will remain around that figure. If you don’t know how to bet on the NBA then I suggest you sign up for a top NBA handicapper. Were the team to be unable to find a suitor for Dampier, he could be waived to allow the team a chance at free agents such as Flip Murray, Shaquille O’Neal, or Will Bynum.

As far as Carroll and Najera are concerned, this shores up the second unit for the ‘Cats. Carroll is an excellent long-range shooter and provides a third man at the Shooting Guard position behind Stephen Jackson and Gerald Henderson. Najera likely will back up the newly re-signed Tyrus Thomas, and shows that Boris Diaw is almost assuredly on his way out of town.

Also, it’s worth noting that the rumored trade of Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Reggie Evans and Jose Calderon is now dead, as Najera is very similar to Evans and a Diaw/Calderon swap makes little sense value wise for the ‘Cats.

The Mavericks vs. the Bobcats 3/1/10

The Bobcats led at the half, (53-43), giving hope that the stranglehold the Mavericks have had on the Bobcats would finally be released. Yet again, that did not happen. The energy and team play of the first half was replaced by turn-overs, empty possessions, and bad shots in the second half. Boris Diaw faced early foul trouble, a little more than six minutes into the game, and sat out the remainder of the half. His replacement, Tyrus Thomas, had a solid effort, (16 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocked-shots). The problem for the Bobcats were turnovers, six in the fourth quarter alone, making it difficult to beat a solid Dallas team. Every Bobcat player that saw court time, except Derrick Brown, turned the ball over for Charlotte. Stephen Jackson led that team effort with six turn-overs. Jackson also led the ‘Cats scorers with (20) points.

Dallas came to town for the second night of back-to-back games. This is a team that the ‘Cats have never beaten, but the ‘Cats jumping out to a ten point first-half lead, gave hope (to Bobcat faithful) that tonight would end the Mavs ownership. When you shoot an anemic (39.7%) from the field it is almost impossible to be a very talented opponent. Dallas had a seven game winning streak at the start of the game and stretched that to a season high eight games. The loss leaves the ‘Cats as the ninth-placed Eastern Conference team and two games under the .500 mark. This game was (literally) thrown away with poor passes, poor shots, and poor second-half play.

The Good:

Tyrus Thomas double-double.

The first-half.

The Bad:

Boris Diaw continues to have early foul trouble.

The Ugly:

Turn-overs (20).

The second half.

Next game for the Bobcats: Wednesday 3/3/10 7:30pm at Boston Celtics

In the Carolinas, much of the basketball discussion has drifted from NCAA tournament glory for the Tar Heels, NBA playoff failure for the Cavs, and the rise of Dwight Howard, to the revalation that the much maligned Bob Johnson is selling his majority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats. On the message boards for Rick Bonnell’s Inside the NBA, which is normally a rat’s nest of complaints, there was a joy like I have never seen before. Nearly everyone on Bobcatsplanet seemed shocked with excitement. About the only person who isn’t on Cloud 9 is our beloved coach, Larry Brown, who is worried the next owners might cut out Michael Jordan. But what if, just what if the next ownership group was led by Michael Jordan? That’s where the title comes into play here.

When Mark Cuban took over the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, they hadn’t had a winning season since 1989-1990 and acheived their first playoff berth in 11 years. He created a party atmosphere at the team’s arena, and became the most hands-on owner in all of sports. While he was initially rejected, he has done more for basketball since coming into the legue than any other owner, and probably more than David Stern. He listened to fans suggestions and improved the fan experience, making his team one of the most visible not only in the NBA, but in all of sports. When one thinks of Dallas sports, behind the obvious Cowboys, the Mavs are right there. Before Cuban took over, they were just an afterthought, much like the Bobcats are today. He put them into the forefront of playoff discussion every year, and they’ve made the playoffs the last 9 years, each season Cuban has been there. He has marketed his star Dirk Nowitzki, and when he lost semi-star Steve Nash, he quickly eliminated any backlash through his blog by telling the whole truth and nothing but it. While some would argue his brash style and multitude of incidents (which has him holding the record for fines in NBA history) is what caused the horrible officiating in the Heat-Mavs finals, considering what he did to get his team there I don’t think you can complain too much if you’re a Dallas fan. His twitter, mcuban, has a huge following and he has casual fans watching his team’s games just because he’s Mark Cuban.

There are some eerie similarities in this storyline. If MJ were to buy the Bobcats, the team would have the same take-charge style owner who isn’t afraid to get down on the first row and scream at the officials with every word in the book (which any Bobcats fan will tell you has happened more than once). This team has the pieces to make the playoffs this coming year, and with a little help could go farther than anyone outside of the Charlotte metro area expects. MJ would likely bring back the Hornets-style atmosphere that many long for where the season ticket holders know each other and walk-up single game tickets are a rarity. MJ brings credibility within the local area, and his drive to win is unparalled in anyone I’ve ever seen in sports. I can only compare it to Peyton Manning, and it’s better than that. He is the only person I know who took being inducted to the Hall of Fame as a slight, and becoming an owner would likely reignite that fire, especially with his good friend Larry Brown on the bench. He’d put the Bobcats right up next to the Panthers, he’d make sure their tv deal got fixed, and I doubt Larry brown would have to complain about bad officiating anymore. At least, that’s if MJ is the same guy I remember. I don’t know if he is, but if he’s anything close to the guy Larry Brown says he is, then this team needs him in the worst way. He has good relationships with most if not all of the players, and he could likely save the team a few bucks in contract negotiations just like Cuban has.

Now I don’t know how much money he has, or if the rumor about him putting a $250 million dollar offer in is true, but if it is, then I’m begging Bob Johnson to accept it and cut his losses. Or to go golfing with MJ, and we can give Bob some kids clubs. Just as long as MJ gets the team, because I can’t think of anyone else who would take this team where it needs to be right now. But as always, I’m open to suggestions.

Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins are on their way to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center Desagana Diop.

The general reaction in our forums is relief that we didn’t have to give up Raymond Felton in order to add Diop to the roster. With Felton not involved, this is a trade that is much easier to live with.

Both Matt and Ryan were quality guys that were great with the fans and the community and they will be missed, but neither one was making much of an impact on the court this season.

What we hope to see from Diop is a player that can give us strong rebounding and defense as a dependable backup to Emeka Okafor at center. If he can give us that then this deal is a win for the Bobcats.

So what do you guys think? Was this a good deal or a bad deal for the Bobcats?