Yahoo Sports is Saying Stephen Jackson is Gone...

yup. they're gonna suck like the sonics did in order to get draft picks for the future. it really worked out well for seattle and their ownership group.

 

you guys are all over it

 

i was being sarcastic, actually. sure, the thunder are doing great. and the sonics are no more.

 

A full scale rebuild is what this team needed. If we had kept the nucleus of the team together then it might have developed into something but when they started letting pieces go it was time to start over. I still think a line up of

1. Felton / DJ
2. Stephen Jackson / Henderson
3. Gerald Wallace
4. Diaw /Thomas
5. Okafor or a healthy Chandler

would have been a playoff team when healthy but it was never going to be a contender.

They have a lot of potential on the team now with a lot of young players. It is not going to be pretty for a while but they should be able to build a winner with some luck.

 

sure, this move is absolutely in line with the rest of the moves recently. i just don't get it. how many years are the bobcats going to throw away in the hopes of building a new team? if you're trying to emulate the thunder, you'll need 3 years in a row of top 5 picks (they picked 2nd, 4th, and 3rd). so that's, what, 4 years from now? are fans suppose to just show up and watch them suck in the meantime?

 

I am sure they are hoping it will not take that long but it is necessary to shed payroll when starting over. I am not too sure they are done messing with the roster. If the potential lock out is avoided then I expect them to make some more trades and maybe move Diaw and Magette.

 

Replicating OKC would be a great idea provided we get one of the best young players in the last 30 years, but I don't see that guy on the roster.

 

This really comes down to whether you think it's better to battle for the 6th seed in the playoffs every year or you want more. To get more long term, you've got to settle for less short term.

 

what payroll did they shed? magette's contract is as long as jackson's and worth slightly more.

livingston's contract expires next year and it's only 3.5 million with a team option for another year at 3.5. he's played much better than that contract, honestly.

dumping salary for the bobcats doesn't really mean much other than it saves jordan some cash. of course, he's gonna lose his shirt when fans don't come to see the crappy team he puts on the floor.

 

but it's not like you just stand in line and somebody hands you a championship. i'd say let the team land in the playoffs a few years before you poo poo the 6th seed. a playoff push means people are interested in the team in feb-may instead of tuning out by the allstar break when it's clear they suck. it means at least a couple more home games and some national exposure. it illustrates a commitment to winning. how many free agents are banging down the door to sign with the clippers? it ain't the weather they don't like, it's the lack of post season play...

i think jordan's name could counter the small town boredom that might plague charlotte in terms of attracting free agents, but if he is pinning his hopes on cheaping his way into the lottery so he can fuck up a #1 overall pick, nobody is going to want to play for him...