The Bobcats have selected

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Choosing an assortment of players with mostly low profiles and low salaries, the Charlotte Bobcats began stocking their roster Tuesday night by selecting 19 players in the expansion draft.  Jahidi White of Phoenix, Marcus Fizer of Chicago, Gerald Wallace of Sacramento and Predrag Drobnjak of the Los Angeles Clippers were the most experienced players among the Bobcats' selections from the other 29 NBA franchises.
White, a six-year veteran, will have the highest salary of any Bobcats player -- $5.88 million. But the Bobcats received $3 million and a future first-round pick from Phoenix for agreeing to take White, who has one year remaining on his contract.
The Bobcats also selected Utah guard Aleksandar Pavlovic, who will be dealt to Cleveland for a future first-round draft pick. Pavlovic will give the Cavs a shooter to replace Jason Kapono, who was one of just four guards chosen by the Bobcats.
"What we want is players who need an opportunity to show they can play. Players talk all the time, they want PT -- playing time -- and they want to know their role. We can guarantee both," Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said.
About 500 fans turned out for the "selection show" and greeted most of the picks with silence. Only Fizer, Wallace and White drew some applause.
But the Bobcats knew going into the draft that few of their selections would be household names. Preferring youth to star power, Charlotte is trying to slowly build a team around players with long-term potential.
A big name will be added in Thursday night's NBA draft when the Bobcats select either Emeka Okafor or high school phenom Dwight Howard.
Charlotte traded the No. 4 pick to the Clippers to move up and make a run at Okafor.
Other selections by the Bobcats were: Indiana center Primoz Brezec, Lakers forward Jamal Sampson, Orlando forward Zaza Pachulia, Boston forward Brandon Hunter and Memphis forward Theron Smith.
"We think this young man is the sleeper of this election," Bickerstaff said of Smith, who appeared in 20 games for Memphis last season and averaged 2.2 points.
Each NBA team could protect up to eight players but had to make at least one player available.
The Bobcats drafted nine restricted free agents, thereby making them unrestricted free agents. They included Seattle guard Richie Frahm, Miami center Loren Woods, Nets forward Tamar Slay, Nuggets guard Jeff Trepagnier, Washington forward Lonnie Baxter, Golden State guard J.R. Bremer, Fizer, New Orleans guard Maurice Carter and Portland swingman Desmond Ferguson.



One glaring omission from the expansion draft was a point guard, which Bickerstaff said he'd try to get through free agency.
"We must find a point guard," Bickerstaff said. "We would look for a veteran point guard to mentor the younger guys, but it is the young guys' game. A veteran will be here to give us respect with the referees and professionalism in the locker room."


Jahidi White of Phoenix
Marcus Fizer of Chicago
Gerald Wallace of Sacramento
Predrag Drobnjak of the Los Angeles Clippers
Utah guard Aleksandar Pavlovic
Jason Kapono of Cleveland
Indiana center Primoz Brezec
Lakers forward Jamal Sampson
Orlando forward Zaza Pachulia
Boston forward Brandon Hunter
Memphis forward Theron Smith.
Seattle guard Richie Frahm
Miami center Loren Woods
Nets forward Tamar Slay
Nuggets guard Jeff Trepagnier
Washington forward Lonnie Baxter
Golden State guard J.R. Bremer
New Orleans guard Maurice Carter
Portland swingman Desmond Ferguson.

 

[westkoast]

Oh man...Sucks to be Sampson, hes a local guy I know a few girls who are going to be mad hes leaving.  Hes got too much Orange County pumping in his veins to enjoy it down south.  I guess he wont be poppin up at any more Mater Dei parties in his nice white escalade.

Kapono is a nice pick up for Char. tho...hes a decent player.  Gerald Wallace is also a nice pick up.  Seriously tho, do we really need anymore teams in the league?

[WayOutWest]

Decent:

Fizer
Wallace
Berzec

The rest are fodder, but who knows, maybe one of them will break out.  I think Wallace will be the best of the bunch.

[Joe Vancil]

Okay, obviously no one wants to say it, so I will.

Man, the Bobcats are going to suck!  These were some AWFUL choices!

Only Kapono - if you believe in his upside - and Wallace - if you believe in his potential - and Drobnjak - if you are just grasping at straws - are the kind of players who might get playing time of the non-free- agents.  Pavlovic is rumored to be gone already.

None of the free agents Charlotte selected should command as much as the MLE, which means every team in the league could potentially sign them.  If they actually wanted any of these guys, they'd have been better off trying to trade for them.

This is done to "shake loose" young talent by forcing the other teams to keep their bad contracts?  This strategy sounds fundamentally flawed.

There should have been a Kerry Kittles or an Eddie Jones or someone with at least some proven track record selected - even if just only one of them.

Unless there are *MAJOR* trades in the works, I see this as being completely awful.  As it stands, the roster is the worst roster I've ever seen in my 25 years of following pro basketball.

 

[Lurker]

Yes this roster possibly sucks but then they are building for the future.  And I'm not so sure that it sucks any worse than the Bulls, Hawks or Wizards.

Pachulia could develop....he was highly regarded in last year's draft.   Kopono showed some potential in limited playing time last year.  Many of these players will be in their second or third seasons without having been able to get court time to prove themselves.

They drafted 9 restricted free agents that THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP OR PAY.  They traded away another player for a future 1st rounder.  They received a future first rounder from Phoenix for taking Jahidi.  

So they have to only PAY 9 of the players they drafted....even if they subsequently release them.  They have the #2 draft pick.  They will need to sign a couple free agents to complete the roster.   Look at the number of physical bangers they got.  Then look at the division they play in....Washington, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami.  They could end up with a better record than Atlanta, Orlando & Washington.

[westkoast]

Okay, obviously no one wants to say it, so I will.

Man, the Bobcats are going to suck!  These were some AWFUL choices!

Only Kapono - if you believe in his upside - and Wallace - if you believe in his potential - and Drobnjak - if you are just grasping at straws - are the kind of players who might get playing time of the non-free- agents.  Pavlovic is rumored to be gone already.

None of the free agents Charlotte selected should command as much as the MLE, which means every team in the league could potentially sign them.  If they actually wanted any of these guys, they'd have been better off trying to trade for them.

This is done to "shake loose" young talent by forcing the other teams to keep their bad contracts?  This strategy sounds fundamentally flawed.

There should have been a Kerry Kittles or an Eddie Jones or someone with at least some proven track record selected - even if just only one of them.

Unless there are *MAJOR* trades in the works, I see this as being completely awful.  As it stands, the roster is the worst roster I've ever seen in my 25 years of following pro basketball.

Good think Char is just dying to have any kind of basketball back in the city.  You do have to wonder how long they will get away with this roster tho.

[Joe Vancil]

Yes this roster possibly sucks but then they are building for the future. And I'm not so sure that it sucks any worse than the Bulls, Hawks or Wizards.

I can't believe you're saying that, Lurker!

Atlanta has Bobby Sura, Jason Terry, Jacque Vaughn, Wesley Person, and a promising young Boris Diaw.  Any one of those guys would start for Charlotte.

Chicago has Antonio Davis, Jerome Williams, Kendall Gill, Eddy Curry, and Tyson Chandler.  And as bad as their point guards - Jamal Crawford and Kirk Hinrich - are compared to the rest of the league, both would start for Charlotte.

The Wizards have Larry Hughes, Gilbert Arenas, Jerry Stackhouse, Juan Dixon, and Steve Blake - any of which would start for the Bobcats in the backcourt.  And Kwame Brown, fiasco that he's been, is still more promising than any of the Bobcat players.

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

[Lurker]

But as Detroit showed us....hustle & team play can win out over raw talent.  A new team full of motivated players with an experienced coach may play better than a collection of better athletes.  The Bulls, Wizards & Hawks for all that "better" talent didn't impress me much at all this past season.  And I don't see any reason to be optimistic that they will turn it around in the coming season (except maybe Wizards due to injuries last season).  I wouldn't be surprised if any of those three teams ended up with worse records than Charlotte.

[jn]

Joe believe me I recognize a bad expansion team when I see.  A few weeks ago I mentioned I actually PITIED the fans of Charlotte.   Watching the Wolves the first few years was just awful.  I think it will be especially hard for Charlotte fans because they had good team, attended faithfully, and then had the team run into the ground and moved by a rapist owner.  

[ziggy]

Okay, obviously no one wants to say it, so I will.

Man, the Bobcats are going to suck!  These were some AWFUL choices!

Only Kapono - if you believe in his upside - and Wallace - if you believe in his potential - and Drobnjak - if you are just grasping at straws - are the kind of players who might get playing time of the non-free- agents.  Pavlovic is rumored to be gone already.

None of the free agents Charlotte selected should command as much as the MLE, which means every team in the league could potentially sign them.  If they actually wanted any of these guys, they'd have been better off trying to trade for them.

This is done to "shake loose" young talent by forcing the other teams to keep their bad contracts?  This strategy sounds fundamentally flawed.

There should have been a Kerry Kittles or an Eddie Jones or someone with at least some proven track record selected - even if just only one of them.

Unless there are *MAJOR* trades in the works, I see this as being completely awful.  As it stands, the roster is the worst roster I've ever seen in my 25 years of following pro basketball.

I am with you Joe.  Charlotte was in the cat bird seat here, and they blew it.  Thye could have done a number of deals, getting cash and draft picks, to take bad contracts of decent players.  They didn't and they will be lucky to win 9 games.
Bernie Bickerstaff is and always has been a complete idiot.  There is a reason he hasn't been a major player in the NBA for a decade.  They need to bring in Dick Vercase to coach and that will guarantee they are the worst team in history.

[westkoast]

But as Detroit showed us....hustle & team play can win out over raw talent.  A new team full of motivated players with an experienced coach may play better than a collection of better athletes.  The Bulls, Wizards & Hawks for all that "better" talent didn't impress me much at all this past season.  And I don't see any reason to be optimistic that they will turn it around in the coming season (except maybe Wizards due to injuries last season).  I wouldn't be surprised if any of those three teams ended up with worse records than Charlotte.

Uhh...no one on this team looks like they have the talent that Sheed, Rip, or Chauncey have.

[Lurker]

But as Detroit showed us....hustle & team play can win out over raw talent.  A new team full of motivated players with an experienced coach may play better than a collection of better athletes.  The Bulls, Wizards & Hawks for all that "better" talent didn't impress me much at all this past season.  And I don't see any reason to be optimistic that they will turn it around in the coming season (except maybe Wizards due to injuries last season).  I wouldn't be surprised if any of those three teams ended up with worse records than Charlotte.

Uhh...no one on this team looks like they have the talent that Sheed, Rip, or Chauncey have.

But I'm not claiming they will compete with the elite of the NBA.  I am claiming that with the same STYLE of play....teamwork & hustle....that they will compete with the worse of last year's lottery teams.  And that is a far cry from the worse record ever.

[Derek Bodner]

Thye could have done a number of deals, getting cash and draft picks, to take bad contracts of decent players

they actually acquired a number of picks yesterday, and didn't have to take on bad contracts either.

In fact, they got 2 future first round picks yesterday.

For taking on Jahidi White's 1 remaining year on his contract, the Bobcats got a future first round pick and $3 million cash, which is over half his contract.  Essentially, they just got a free first round pick so Phx could make more of a run for Kobe.  And White's deal expires after this year.

They moved up in the draft to get a potential superstar.  They draft pavlovic and sent him to Cleveland for the Toronto first round pick Toronto owes cleveland.  That will end up being a good pick.  Once again, future first round pick, no long term contracts.

They added 2 1st round draft picks.  They got some nice young potential contributors.  They didn't hamstring themselves with any long term contracts in future years and they remained a viable player in this years free agency market.  In all, I think they did a damn fine job.

This may not help them out in putting fans in the seat this year, but they helped out their future tremendously.  When you're starting a team from scratch, taking on a bad contract for a declining player like eddie jones so you can win 30 games rather than 25 isn't a very good move for the future.