Charlotte Wildcats Dynasty

[propthink]

I would just like to make a few notes before I get started:

[1] I have noticed that there are already a couple of Charlotte Bobcat dynasties floating around out there, so hopefully I am not stepping on anybody's toes.

[2] I have also noticed that many people have elected to use the actual team names/logos instead of the modified team names/logos that come default with the game (i.e., using "Charlotte Bobcats" instead of "Charlotte Wildcats," etc.) I have decided to use the modified information that comes default with the game because I find it easier that way and, should I decide to do so at some point, it will allow me to include pictures while still preserving continuity.

[3] I apologize in advance for the irregularity in verb tense; I tend to switch between past-tense (when writing narrative) and present-tense (when analyzing players and statistics). If it becomes too much of a bother I can always afford a rewrite.

[4] I do follow basketball with some regularity in real life, but I am by no means an expert. I am basically flying by the seat of my pants, so feel free to ridicule my ridiculousness.

[propthink]

Having endured a devastating 7-59 record during the previous season, the Charlotte Wildcats were in dire need of a fresh start heading into 2012/2013. An empty coaching staff and lack of significant talent meant that the road ahead would be plagued with growing pains, but I am of the opinion that patience could bring a championship to Charlotte someday. I have been given the responsibilities of both a general manager and a head coach, and as such, the future success or failure of this franchise rests firmly in my hands.

Before I even had a chance to take a seat in my office and review the team roster, I received a call from the team owner, “Jordan Michaels:”

“Hello Joe, I thought I would call and we could have a quick chat about the upcoming season. So tell me, how is the team going to fare this season?”

It was no great secret that the Wildcats were in a bad place, and I held no illusions about the long road ahead. “Terrible. It’s a complete rebuild year.”

Michaels replied, “I’m a patient man, but I’m not that patient. I don’t want to hear the word rebuild around here.” It was disconcerting to know that the owner and I seemed to be on separate pages. I assured him that I would make the best of the resources that were available to me, but it was difficult to promise much coming off the worst season in league history.

He continued, “What’s it going to cost to at least make us competitive?”

“Right about at the cap.” Ideally I wanted to hover well below the salary cap and reserve some cap space for signing big talent down the road, but it would have been unwise of me not to petition for the full cap. “I’m OK with that. Good luck this season.”

Although I spent the rest of the afternoon mulling over the team roster, I knew that a preliminary assessment of the talent would have to wait until after I filled out my coaching staff.

[propthink]

Although I had been given the head coaching position, I was still responsible for hiring three assistant coaches to fill out the rest of the coaching staff. The two leading candidates for First Assistant were Frank Hamblen and Sam Mitchell. While Sam Mitchell was younger and boasted a slightly higher winning percentage, Frank Hamblen had the benefit of experience and was a slightly better coach on paper, for a slightly lower price. Hamblen was given an offer of $1,318,140 over two years.

T. R. Dunn might not have been my first choice for Second Assistant, but his personality and abilities provided a nice complement to Hamblen and afforded a sense of balance throughout the coaching staff. As such, he was given an offer of $651,780 over two years.

I wanted a relatively younger coach to fill the Third Assistant position, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim (the youngest coach available at the age of 35) demonstrated a great deal of knowledge and talent despite his inexperience. He was offered $856,650 over three years.

The following day, all three coaches accepted their respective offers and joined my coaching staff.

[propthink]

After scheduling a meeting with the owner and coaching staff to discuss the future of the franchise, I began to make a preliminary assessment of the team roster (please note that the brackets indicate the player’s [current overall rating/potential overall rating], and that an asterisk indicates that the player is a free agent. The dollar amount refers to their 2012/2013 salary).

PG Kemba Walker [3.0/4.5] $2,532,960
PG D.J. Augustin* [2.5/3.0] $6,472,938

SG Gerald Henderson [3.0/3.5] $3,101,326
SG Ben Gordon [2.5/2.5] $12,400,000
SG Matt Carroll [1.0/1.0] $3,500,000

SF Derrick Brown* [2.5/2.5] $1,281,538
SF Reggie Williams* [2.5/2.5] $3,750,000
SF Jamario Moon* [1.5/1.5] $111,214

PF Tyrus Thomas [2.5/2.5] $8,000,000
PF D.J. White* [2.5/2.5] $4,002,334
PF Eduardo Najera* [1.5/1.5] $3,900,000

C Bismack Biyombo [2.5/3.5] $3,007,920
C Byron Mullens [2.5/3.0] $2,253,061
C DeSagana Diop [1.0/1.0] $7,372,200

Point Guard
Kemba Walker has the potential to develop into an elite point guard, and even now, he appears to be one of the brightest spots on an otherwise dismal roster. His scoring ability is phenomenal, his defensive skills are outstanding, and he demonstrates the ability to distribute the ball with authority. His consistency, durability, and personality leave a little something to be desired, and his skills will need time to become developed and refined, but with a year of experience under his belt there is little reason not to entrust him with the starting position. D.J. Augustin has proven himself to be a somewhat reliable player, but his skills are serviceable at best and, given that Walker has been given the starting position, it is difficult to justify his contract when we have so many needs elsewhere. He will not be given a qualifying offer.

Shooting Guard
Neither Gerald Henderson nor Ben Gordon is the future of the Charlotte Wildcats, but they will be competing for the starting position during the 2012/2013 season. Ideally, I would be able to build my roster around an elite shooting guard capable of taking a high volume of shots, but it seems unlikely that I could land one in the draft this year, and unlikelier yet that I could acquire one through a trade or free agency. It would seem that my vision will have to wait until the next off-season, barring an unlikely acquisition. In the meantime, Henderson and Gordon both offer serviceable options at the shooting guard position. Matt Carroll is grossly overpaid and will probably end up on the trading block sooner rather than later.

Small Forward
Going into the draft, a starting small forward is one of my most urgent needs. Either Derrick Brown or Reggie Williams would make acceptable placeholders at second or third string, but I cannot afford to keep both. Jamario Moon’s contract is ridiculously cheap but I just do not have a place for him on this team, and as such he will not be given a qualifying offer.

Power Forward
My other most urgent need is a starting power forward. Tyrus Thomas is a solid player but his contract is ridiculously high. However, D.J. White and Eduardo Najera are also ridiculously overpaid and, given that they are eligible for free agency, I can drop their contracts free of charge. Given that Thomas has three years remaining on his contract, I am open to trading him away, but I will not be actively looking to get rid of him because of our needs at the power forward position (although Thomas is a second string player at best).

Center
Despite his atrocious free throw ability (or rather his lack thereof) and relatively low overall rating, Bismack Biyombo demonstrates dominance in the paint, solid defensive ability, above-average rebounding skills, and has the potential to develop into an elite shot blocker. His future with the team is uncertain, but for the time being he seems to be the best choice for the position. Byron Mullens is a talented player, and certainly a better shooter than Biyombo, but I rely on my center to block shots and collect rebounds and I value those attributes above scoring ability; Biyombo’s skill set is a better fit. DeSagana Diop’s contract is purely toxic and hopefully I will be able to drop him from the roster for that reason alone.

I emerged from my contemplations with a much clearer vision of the work ahead of me; while our roster was not completely without talent, I knew that we had gaping holes at the forward positions and that we desperately needed more talent coming off the bench. My meeting with the owner and coaching staff was scheduled for the next day, and I was ready to begin planning for the future of the franchise.

[PointGuard]

Good luck with your team and dealing with the team's owner.

[propthink]

The first order of business was the upcoming draft. We held the second overall pick, and it was already generally accepted that the New Orleans Wasps would be taking power forward Anthony Davis with the first overall pick. Out of the remaining draftees, we decided that the leading candidates were small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and power forward Thomas Robinson. Team owner Jordan Michaels was high on Robinson, citing his 17.7 PPG and 11.9 RPG, but I insisted that Kidd-Gilchrist was the second most complete player in the entire draft next only to Anthony Davis, and I was quick to point out that Kidd-Gilchrist was the only player aside from Davis that was given a five-star rating from the scouts. The debate continued for some time, but ultimately we could only agree to disagree, leaving the decision for a later date once we had the opportunity to run our pre-draft workouts.

The second order of business was making the final decisions as to who would be put on the trading block. During these discussions, it was decided that we should actively seek to trade for a starting small forward or power forward, depending on whichever need we decided to fulfill with our second overall pick in the upcoming draft. This would allow us to address all of our needs at the starting positions and allow us to fill in the bench through free agency. However, we would have to wait until after the pre-draft workouts until we could start to shop around.

[propthink]

During the pre-draft workouts, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson both performed extremely well, and neither I nor Jordan Michaels were ready to reach an agreement. We also invited shooting guard Bradley Beal, center Andre Drummond, power forwards John Henson, Jared Sullinger and Arnette Moultrie, and small forwards Harrison Barnes and Moe Harkless. While each player demonstrated a great deal of talent, the choice at the second overall pick was still an obvious decision between Robinson and Kidd-Gilchrist. Additionally, we held the second-to-last pick in the second round of the draft, and although we hoped that the likes of point guard Kendall Marshall, power forward JaMychal Green, or center Meyers Leonard would fall to us, we realized that they would never fall that low. We invited the likes of small forward Draymond Green, power forward Bernard James, and point guard Maalik Wayns for consideration, but ultimately we were unsure about who we would take with our second pick and remained open to the possibility of using it as trade bait.

[propthink]

In the days leading up to the draft, I grew increasingly anxious as we had yet to come to a consensus about who we would be selecting with the second overall pick. Debates echoed through meeting halls and down corridors, but the entire franchise itself seemed to be divided between Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Worst yet, our indecision was also delaying a possible trade for a valuable starting position. While owner Jordan Michaels and I could not come to an agreement, it was becoming increasingly obvious that we were both becoming very fed up with the whole controversy. On the day before the draft, he approached me in my office.

“I may not agree with your decision, but there is a reason that I hired you as the general manager, and for the sake of actually getting something accomplished I am going to trust your instincts and give you the final say in this whole mess. With that said, keep in mind that the future consequences of this decision will be an immediate reflection of your credibility as a general manager. So be sure you are making the right choice.”

As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. I was left to contemplate what bearing this decision would have on my future with the franchise. Nevertheless, I was convinced that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the right choice. Meanwhile, I had a long night ahead of me as I tried to line up a trade for a potential starter at the power forward position.

[propthink]

Well into the loneliest hours of the night, I combed through miles of rosters and depth charts looking for seeds of talent that could be developed and refined by myself and my coaching staff. My criteria demanded relatively younger players at the power forward position with impressive defensive prowess, a complement to the scoring talent developing elsewhere in the team. Eventually, a list of five potential candidates emerged:

1. Kevin Seraphin (Washington Americans)[3.0/4.0](23)[$1,797,600]
2. Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Knights)[3.0/3.5](20)[$4,006,080]
3. Ekpe Udoh (Milwaukee Moose)[2.5/3.5](26)[$3,524,880]
4. Amir Johnson (Toronto Dinos)[3.0/3.0](25)[$6,000,000]
5. Markieff Morris (Phoenix Beams)[2.5/3.0](22)[2,063,040]

Arguably the most physically talented candidate in consideration, Kevin Seraphin has the potential to develop into a dominating force on defense, all while maintaining a healthy offensive repertoire. However, his relatively low ratings in consistency, durability, and personality are major red flags.

Tristan Thompson is an extremely aggressive scorer, and his ability to dominate inside the paint, coupled with his extreme proficiency at offensive rebounding, makes him a serious threat on the offensive side of the ball. Likewise, his above-average defensive abilities also make him a serious threat on the defensive side of the ball. These impressive physical skills are highlighted by high levels of consistency, work ethic, and personal character.

Ekpe Udoh is already in his mid-twenties and still very rough around the edges, but still has the potential to evolve into a monster on the defensive side of the ball while maintaining excellent shooting abilities and a serviceable scoring ability. His consistency and durability leave something to be desired, but all things considered he seems like a very fitting option.

Amir Johnson’s phenomenal shooting abilities and relatively low scoring ability seem to indicate that he should be expected to take a lower volume of accurate shots. I am more than willing to sacrifice raw scoring production for heightened accuracy, especially when I will be expecting my backcourt and small forward to produce the most points. Furthermore, Johnson demonstrates solid rebounding and defensive skills. However, less-than-desirable ratings in consistency, durability, and personality have led to some character concerns.

Of the five candidates, Markieff Morris is certainly the most talented scorer, but this fact in itself casts doubt upon whether or not Morris’s skill set is the right fit for this team. Morris is certainly more dependent on his offensive abilities, and would be put in a position that would require a great deal of defensive prowess. However, his impressive upside and admirable character are extremely valuable assets.

As dawn approached, I came to the realization that Tristan Thomas and Ekpe Udoh would be my most realistic options. Kevin Seraphin and Amir Johnson demonstrated legitimate character concerns, while Markieff Morris could not be expected to adequately adjust to our system given his skill set. However, the final decision would remain to be seen as draft day was upon us and I was simply out of time.

[propthink]

In the moments leading up to the official start of the 2012 draft, a calm fell over me. I knew very well that the day ahead of me would have implications that would ripple throughout my entire career, and perhaps my entire lifetime, but my emotions were not those of panic or anxiety, rather a neural cocktail of readiness and acceptance. The draft began, and a representative from the New Orleans Wasps approached the podium to state the obvious:

“With the first overall pick in the 2012 draft, the New Orleans Wasps select Anthony Davis from Kentucky.” Davis approached the podium and some proceedings were held, but I remained preoccupied by the trade that lied ahead of me. However, I knew that it would have to wait until after I announced our selection. When my time came, I approached the stage and cleared the tension in my throat:

“With the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Charlotte Wildcats select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from Kentucky.” My announcement was met with a roar of applause and I felt relieved that, at least on that basis alone, I had made a wise decision. Kidd-Gilchrist approached the stage and graciously accepted his draft-day jersey. For perhaps the first time, I was genuinely starting to become excited about the future of the organization. However, I knew that there was plenty of work left to be done.

I returned to my seat to discover that something very interesting had happened while I was away.