Bobcats Movin and Shakin

It may be Friday, but while Cleet and I were occupied by Sporcle the Bobcats front office was wheeling and dealing. Just a month past their last deal, the Cats have dealt Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins to the Mavericks for defensive specialist DeSagana Diop. The move clears out yet another wing scorer making room for Adam Morrison to get more minutes and they add another shot-blocking presence at the center position to backup Emeka Okafor. This move carries with it a very important message to Bobcat fans...

This team is trying to win sooner than later. Diop's contract runs just as long as Carrol's, but while Carrol's cap number decreases, Diop's escalates to $7.3 million (player option) during the 2012/2013 contract. Adding a long-term contract at the increase of nearly $4 million and trading away a younger player in Hollins points to a team trying to win sooner rather than later.

Diop was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the eighth pick in the project-era 2001 draft (aka the Kwame draft). Early in his career he was plagued with foot problems, both in the form of fractures and inflamation. Diop has also played for the Nets, where he was sent as part of the Jason Kidd/Devin Harris trade. Diop was pursued by the Bobcats during the offseason befoer re-signing with the Mavericks. His best season was the 05-06 season when he started 45 games for the Mavericks. He's never averaged more than nineteen minutes per game in a season but averages over a block per game. One concern for the Cats is the addition of another woeful free throw shooter, where Diop is a career 50% shooter. As adept as he is on the defensive end, he's equally as limited on the offensive end, making only one shot away from the rim this season.

The Cats lose a capable wing shooter in Carrol, but he struggled to adjust to Larry Brown's system and often saw action only in the closing seconds of periods or not at all. Dallas hopes he can regain his shooting touch to eleviate some of the pressure on Dirk and Jason Terry, the team's two primary threats from the perimeter. Hollins, an athletic 7-footer had also seen his playing time with Charlotte diminish and as an expiring contract (the trade would've worked withut his salary) he provides Dallas with a low-risk opportunity to get some young energy in the fold.

This trade doesn't feel like the last move for the Cats, as either Raymond Felton or Gerald Wallace could well still be on the move. Most importantly, the Bobcats have their first player deemed song-worthy by the YouTubers: