Michael and I talk about the week that was, reminisce about one of the worst basketball games they’ve ever seen, and then Michael brings up just how often players drafted by their own team get a second contract from that team. The answer will surprise you. I know I was.
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19 responses to “In the NO Podcast Episode 63: Charlotte, AFA and drafting a keeper”
Yes, I was surprised by Kevin’s new look
I agree with the view of draft picks discussed in this podcast relative to their actualization rate.
From my study of Dell, which was mostly done from afar, but not entirely, the dude is about trades because that’s when he has control. My assumptions are that ‘tanking’ does not suit his strategy and that once he has a pick or two in hand, unless he can get his guy, he’ll deal that pick on draft night or that player within a year for an asset he selected from the large pool of known quantities using the trade system he’s proven to be skilled at.
Completely agree.
Let’s hope for more days like these.
Question about your “guys taken in 2007 are still on their same team” figure: is that guys that, as of today, are still on their same team, or guys that signed an extension with the team that drafted them?
For example you were using 2005 and 2006 as examples too, but Monta Ellis was drafted in 2005 and signed his second contract with the Warriors and played most of that contract out before just recently being traded. That’s different than something like Ben Gordon playing his rookie contract in Chicago then signing with Detroit via free agency
We are 6-3 with Gordon in the lineup, with our games being against LAC, HOU, MEM, UTA, MIN, SAS, DEN, PHI, and PHX. Most of these games were played without Okafor (I believe all but PHI and PHX) and Jack. I like Okafor and was impressed by his offensive progress this year, but if you can go 6-3 against that set of teams (although Min was weakened and 6/9 were home games) without someone that will be paid 28 mill over the next two years, you need to give him the axe.
When we traded for Gordon, I knew he was a rising star, but I simply didn’t know how good he was. His crossover is deadly, he fights through picks on defense, and he’s an excellent finisher at the cup. His step-back jumper (a shot I hate) at least has some control to it. Until he came back, I had forgotten what it was like to watch someone make offense look effortless. CP3 spoiled us with his ability to just take over whenever he needed to.
Given this team’s performance with Gordon, I am very excited about what we can do with this draft. I’ve never been a fan of handing a rookie the keys to a team, unless he’s just that good (like Irving or Paul). I think players like Derrick Favors, guys with high upsides but with much development needed, tend to do much better when they are a part of a good team that doesn’t need incredible production every night. I want our rookie(s) to earn his/their stripes. So having Gordon healthy and a winning environment could allow us to take a high risk/reward guy that could really benefit us later.
All I have to say is next year is definitely gonna be our year to rise to the top again. W/a new owner, two possible (if not traded) draft picks, you know a trade is coming, & we still got free Agents to sign. Our team should triump ova other teams if we make not only the right choices but the best ones
2 hours?? You need to break that into 2 or 3 segments.
Never mind… During the download, it indicated 125 minutes.
Sometimes it shows as twice as long if you fiddle with the controls before the download is complete. Odd, agreed.
I think the biggest reason draft picks with high expectations sometimes fail until they go into a new system is because most teams draft the best player available no matter what the need, however most trades occur because of need, not to collect the best player available. For example, if SAC won the draft I bet they would pick Davis even though they already have Cousins. They’d then “make it work.” As a result the team is constructed poorly and Davis will have a more difficult transition and the team might not succeed. However, if a trade was prepared that brought SAC a decent PF like Boozer or Milsap, they would decline the trade because they have Cousins at that position and instead would look to trade for a center or PG. While this may not be 100% the reason why alot of draft picks fail or why teams don’t improve from year to year after a high draft selection, I feel it is a big part of the problem.
If the new charges against Loomis prove true would this put a hitch on NBA BofG approval on selling the team to Benson?? Or would they, the BofG, not hold it up unless they had specific evidence that Benson was implicated?? Or will they decide to delay sale of the team to see if the FBI/Louisiana State Police investigation turns up anything??
My guess is no considering that there is no judgment or anything really mature here (no grand jury), and it’d be way harder to implicate Benson. Also, Prokhorov admitted to bribing officials, and he got approved.
Thanks Jason; I was curious because it occured to me that Loomis will never see, obviously, another job in the NFL if this proves true (he’d be a felon after all) but I was wondering if there would be any NBA reprecussions for ownership … or NFL for that matter. But billionaires are pretty good at taking care of each other after all.
It’s reasonable to wonder, and anything can happen. This particular thing seems like it will hard pressed to derail this in the coming weeks.
To you guys’ point about the team a player lands on having a huge impact on a player’s potential being fully realized, Henry Abbott and David Thorpe did a really good podcast a couple of weeks ago where they discussed the idea in depth. Definitely worth a listen: http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=7755610
good find
Hello,
This text is part of BRAZILIAN HORNET blog. Through it, the brazilian Hornets fans expressed their total dismay with the Hornets rebrand.
THE HORNETS’ MURDER
Friday, April 13, 2012. The purchase of the New Orleans Hornets by billionaire Tom Benson filled the Hornets fans of optimism for the future of our beloved team. Since then, the news has been the best possible: the franchise will remain in Louisiana, New Orleans Arena will be renovated, the NBA All-Star Weekend 2014 will take place in the city, there will be investment to a strong and competitive team… Wow! The future tends to be very promising, is not it? Now, take these wonderful stories and imagine that the Hornets franchise will not be alive in time to enjoy them … That’s right, my friends. Along with Tom Benson and his package of promises came the idea of changing the name, logo and colors of the Hornets! The famous rebrand as they like to say in US. And what’s worse: the local fans, in New Orleans, support this plan with tremendous enthusiasm and already plan names, logos and uniforms for the “new team” that will arise in the land of jazz. The justification for this rebrand is: Benson doesn’t like the “Hornets” name and he want one name that has more to do with the New Orleans city. Such thoughts lead me to a very saddening realization: it is unbelievable that some owners of NBA franchises still enxerguem their teams as something merely local. They restrict their own business and they don’t understand that have in hands a thing that arouses passions of worldwide fans. The Hornets have an international dimension, and it is very unfortunate that Tom Benson doesn’t see it. This naive and obtuse view will be responsible for the bee’ murder!
I will not use this post to be telling the long journey that I have as an international Hornets fan, but it is important to emphasize that this team wasn’t born yesterday. It’s almost two and a half decades of road, and the franchise stay in Louisiana for almost one decade. And ten years aren’t ten days. Before thinking of ending it all which made me follow this team, history should be considered. As far as I know, besides Brazil, the Hornets have fans in countries such as Australia, Italy, Argentina, Switzerland, China, Portugal, Spain, Mexico and Germany. And there must be many others around the globe. Longtime fans, who always followed the team over the years, whether he was in Charlotte or New Orleans. Fans who pay League Pass, who order jerseys and other official products, which gather money to travel and watch the games in US, or simply turn night cheering in front of the TV or computer. And now they want to tear it from us. They want to kill one of our passions under the preposterous claim that the Hornets have nothing to do with New Orleans. How not? And the almost ten years in which the Hornets’ colors honored this city? This doesn’t mean anything? And the fact that the “Jazz” name have everything to do with New Orleans? Prevented that the franchise was moved to Utah in the distant ’70s and remained there until now? Yeah…
I could stay here citing another examples that would make this rebrand idea such a tremendous crap, sorry about the term. But what’s the point? Apparently, Tom Benson is determined to change the name of our team, and I think the NBA will not make much opposition to it. It may be within one year, two years, or something… But it seems that the same will happen. With the New Orleans Hornets’ fading, raises the hypothesis that the Charlotte Bobcats – a franchise that hasn’t scored – to adopt the “Hornets” name. Then we would have again the Charlotte Hornets, is not a beauty? But wait … That would really be the real Hornets? Or would the Bobcats dressed as Hornets? Where would our history? In Charlotte, with the “new” Hornets, or there in New Orleans? Have you thought about it? You, who are a longtime Hornets fan, would follow the disguised Bobcats?
Since Tom Benson bought the franchise (in a suggestive Friday 13) and said that would change the team name (how about New Orleans Jasons or New Orleans Blackcats?), that rebrand’ issue gained a great impact worldwide. The vast majority of international Hornets fans (and I include myself here) doesn’t like it one little bit of the idea and will certainly stand (or has already positioned itself) in many different ways, if the rebrand actually materializes. We’ll have those hardcore fans who will cheer for another NBA team or simply cease to follow the league. There will also be those who “return” to cheer for the Charlotte Hornets, if the Bobcats solve the “masquerade”. And finally, some people will follow cheering for the New Orleans team, no matter what name or colors that the franchise adopt. And you? In which group do you fit?
Well, I confess I’ve been thinking about all these situations. At first I was angry and followed the hardcore group: “they were ended with the Hornets, the NBA died for me”. Then I tried a workaround and passed to the “BobHornets” class, but no much conviction. The fact is that I still had not made a concrete decision and did not know what to do about the likely end of my beloved team. It’s just hard to imagine that the Hornets may disappear from the map or appear in another team that, honestly, isn’t the real Hornets. Why must it be so? Oh, Tom Benson … So, after much reflection, I ended up taking my decision (provisional): ENJOY WHILE THE HORNETS EXIST AND AVOID TALKING ABOUT REBRAND UNTIL THE MURDER IS FINISHED. I stopped thinking about the end and I think the legacy. And looking from this angle, I realized that the Hornets’ history will not die (sorry, Tom Benson). I look at Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Glen Rice, Vlade Divac, Eddie Jones, Paul Silas, Baron Davis, Jamal Mashburn, PJ Brown, David West, Byron Scott, Chris Paul… This is what it is. So let’s just go ahead. It’s the best thing to do at the moment, trust me.
http://brazilianhornet.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/o-assassinato-dos-zangoes/
Lucas Ottoni, 31, journalist, BHFC (Brazilian Hornets fans community) leader
lottoni81@gmail.com
br_hornet@hotmail.com
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