I say Jason Collier and/or Joaquin Hawkins from the Rockets ends up playing for Charlotte. In fact, I would be suprised if Collier does not end up in Charlotte.
Glen Rice, Vlade Divac, Dell Curry, Muggsy Bouges, Matt Bullard, P.J. Brown, Elden Campbell, Eddie Jones, oh wait, didn't they all play for Charlotte at one point in there careers? Ok, now it's time for: BAD JOKE OF THE YEAR!!! "You know Larry Bird was mad as a Hornet when he was denied the new Charlotte franchise." Ouch. Okay, I'll stay away from the one liners from now on...
I think it can be only ONE player from each team that is allowed to be taken. Some some of the deeper teams won't be pillaged such as Sacramento. Players that will be Free Agents that summer can't be included on the list. So for the Rockets for example that would be Glen Rice. I think the Rockets will leave Mo Taylor off our protected list. I think the Rockets can protect 8 players. That would be Yao Francis Griffin Mobley Posey Cato Nachbar T. Morris or Moochie So Mo would be left unprotected and I can see Moochie being left unprotected (over T-Mo) if they want to dump his salary. Moochie might be a nice fit for Charlotte since his salary is not nearly as large as Mo's is and Mooch is not coming off an injury. That's my take on the Rockets and the Expansion draft. Chris
IMHO the Rockets are not likely to protect Nachbar or Morris, because there isn't a huge risk of either being taken. They probably would keep Taylor on the list (even if we wouldn't), because he has the capability to be an offensive sparkplug. I think they would also try to protect Rice, because his expiring contract could be very valuable in trade. Why give up that potential commodity for nothing? Unfortunately, I think you're right about them leaving Moochie protected, much to my great great disappointment
Launch Pad, They CANT protect Rice because he will be a FREE AGENT (as I outlined in my initial post)! This Expansion draft is not this offseason but NEXT offseason when Rice will be a FA. He can't be protected, period. The Rockets will let his contract expire and the new team can then sign him if they want but it will be via FA and not via Expansion Draft. As for your assesment of Nachbar... He was a first round draft pick for the Rockets this season. No WAY is he left unprotected. No way you just give him away like that! Now, Morris I could see left unprotected. That would not surprise me. I have to believe that Mo Taylor would be unprotected. He is WAY overpaid and the Rockets would LOVE to get him off of their books and use his money for a more productive player. I would be SHOCKED if he was protected. He would have to improve his game greatly over the rest of this season and next season to be protected. Cato at one time would have been another candidate but even though his contract is huge (but not that huge in comparisson to other centers in the league) his game play have drastically improved enough that he is a commodity that we just can't let go for nothing. Chris
There isn't a huge risk of Nachbar being taken, why is that, he seems like he would be prime bait for the Charlotte team.
Hey Deuce, Yeah, for some reason I had it in my head that Rice's contract expired the year after the expansion draft (we should definitely try and trade him before the trade deadline next year while his value is highest, but that's a different discussion). As for Nachbar, unless he has a break-out year next year (that could be possible with enough playing time), he will be looked at by the expansion team as a bust (1st round pick or not) and thus, it will be safe to leave him off the protected list. In other words, we won't lose him, if they don't pick him. If he does get the chance to play and does well for us, however, you are definitely right that he will be protected. Finally, Taylor is beginning to show signs of coming to life in the last few weeks. If he can continue to regain his offensive form, then yes, the Rockets will protect his overpaid, no-rebounding @$$, causing many of us hardcore fans to grit our teeth and shake our heads. The only factor that might change that is if Griffin finally has a break out year, and we aquire a good back-up PF via trade. If that happens, buh-bye Taylor.
Nachbar won't be looked at as a bust if he doesnt break out big time next year. Give the guy a couple years. Im sure the GM's know about him.
dear god, protect nachbar, because you sure as crap know that no team in their right mind would choose cato.
"dear god, protect nachbar, because you sure as crap know that no team in their right mind would choose cato." Are you kidding? Cato has played great this year and even when he wasn't playing great he was still probably among the top half of centers in the league just from natural ability alone. That's not saying much since there are so few decent centers in the league, but even still, I imagine an expansion team would jump at the chance for a center like Cato. I can gauruntee he's the best back up center in the league... Also, I don't know why everybody is so set on protecting Nachbar, even over a guy like Morris who is giving us great minutes now. I haven't written Nachbar off entirely yet but I won't be shedding tears if they leave him unprotected (unless of course he has a great year next year). I mean somebody has to be unprotected and it might as well be somebody who hasn't given us anything. Also, I keep seeing Posey protected when it isn't at all gaurunteed he's even going to be with the Rockets at that time. He's played well enough we all hope to see him resigned, but there is no gauruntee when it comes to free agency.....
Boki and Morris should be protected because they are young and on cheap contracts which are attactive commodities for a new expansion team. While Rice, Cato and Moochie can be left unprotected because they are unlikely to be taken anyway due to their age and big contracts. No new expansion team are gonna take on veteran players with big contracts. They would want cap room to sign free agents.
the hornets easily have one on the worse bench rosters ever in nba history. i wouldnt be surprised if the hornet's starting lineup play all 12 minute quarters without subsititutuion.
