The Charlotte Hornets add big man depth + Ky Carlin on Elton Brand as a Hornets GM candidate

The Charlotte Hornets add big man depth + Ky Carlin on Elton Brand as a Hornets GM candidate

The Hornets add some big man death as they get ready for post Allstar break then we welcome Kai Carin of the Philadelphia 76ers beat to talk about Elton brand as potential general manager all today on locked on Hornets you are locked on Hornets your daily Charlotte Hornets podcast part of the locked on

Podcast Network your team every day in a minute cuz we live it’s locked on it’s part of the lock on podcast Network it’s your team every day thanks for making us your first listen we’re free and available anywhere you get your podcast and that includes YouTube there’s Doug Branson

You can find his work on his substack every Hornets boox score.com and I’m Walker mail you can listen to me on WFNZ every weekday from 12: to 3M Via West and Walker this episode is brought to you by prize piic it’s the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy

Sports you can go to prize.com SL lockon NBA and use code all lowercase locked on NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 we’ll talk about Elton brand a little bit later Doug had a conversation with Kai Carlin on the 76ers beat works for USA Today We had

The interview with Evan damarell of locked on Cavs about Mike ganzy so we’re trying to keep you up to date on all the potential candidates who could be that next shot CER for the Charlotte Hornets elen BR could be that guy so we’ll give you the low down Doug is smiling though

And as we often do we have to go to Doug before we really dig into the content and ask what is on Doug’s brain that is making him laugh and or smile before the start of the show uh you just said shot caller which made me think baller shot

Caller that’s what I was smiling about it’s a great it’s a great phrase I’m not a baller I’m a shot caller it’s it’s such a good phrase and we’ll see who that guy is going to be of the Hornets whoever the shot caller is right now I I

Guess is this Mitch cup che’s real Parting Gift To Us doug because if Mitch Cub is still technically the general manager before they hire whoever is going to be that guy permanently then I guess the last move isn’t going to be trading for these first round picks it’s

Going to be signing Marcus Balon to a 10 day no all you had to do was just chill and that was going to be your Everlasting last move but now they added some big man de Charlotte Hornets earlier this morning they signed Marcus Balden former Duke Blue Devil by the way

To attend contract to add some depth to the center position don’t know what this means for Nathan Minah don’t don’t know really what this means for any of those guys that are behind Nick Richards and Mark Williams of course if he comes back what do you have to say about Marcus

Balden now being the latest acquisition uh just another and a long line of dukies who are being connected to the Charlotte Hornet I think you know if I’m putting my tinf foil hat on there might be a shadow Langdon government that is uh pulling pulling the strings calling the shots

In Charlotte bringing all these dookies on board Marcus Balden just another one but look I like this move I I would like it more than going after nerland where you’re going to have to commit a little bit more money this is a 10day this is a

Tryy out this is a guy that got waved by Milwaukee who had which is a good team that has plenty of depth at that position they don’t need the services of Balden this is a chance for you to go rough hunting for some diamonds and Marquez Balin could be one of the those

Diamonds because guess what guess what Marcus Balden can do Walker that no other Charlotte Hornet big currently employed can do guess what he can do he can rebound well he can do that too but guess what else he can do what I was thinking I was so sure that was going to

Be right what can he do I don’t even know if he can rebound honestly he can shoot he can shoot the ball he can shoot a three-point shot I saw him do it in the preseason against uh Chicago uh he’s done it in stops in Cleveland and with

This Wisconsin herd g-league team he doesn’t put a ton up but you wouldn’t expect a guy his size to put a ton up but when he does he’s somewhat efficient at knocking down three-point shots so if he does get some time on this 10-day contract it will be exciting it will be

Revelatory to see a center that can actually put up an outside shot and I hope he’s not afraid to the reason I said I think he can rebound is because right now or at least at the end of the six game winning streak that he had for the G leagues

Wisconsin herd he was averaging 17 points 13.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks over a six game winning streak and so I was like okay that’s maybe a little harsh for Nick Richards but he’s more of the offensive rebounder same thing with Mark Williams when he comes back but that’s

Right maybe Bolton can help them shoot a little bit you know the Nathan Mah experiment I I hate it because it just it wasn’t anything that was his fault he was never supposed to have this type of responsibility whatsoever whatsoever in fact honestly I mean you might not even

Want him getting those types of minutes in the G League you know and that’s that’s not anything to his fault right the Charlotte Hornets were in a bad way when Mark Williams went down and we could not get him healthy whatsoever still were a couple weeks out before

Mitch cup told you that he might return and Nick Richards has been a guy that’s actually been in and out a little bit more they never signed anybody this off season to help them at the big man position and so Nathan minid gets thrust in there and started playing 20 minutes

A game there were some games where I thought he showed some nice effort but it’s really tough to compete at that level and so here they bring in Marcus Balden who is contributing quite a bit to the Wisconsin herd before he comes over to the Charlotte Hornets and so

Menah probably going to the G league and then we’ll see what else they decide to do with that Center position but you’re right Doug you know they they are trying to uh especially with the New Orleans Noel conversation that we had where they were maybe going to trade for him they

They wanted some big man depth pretty badly and I guess we’ll see if they have it here only a 10-day contract so who knows what happens yeah effort was never a question with uh Mena and and I thought he gave good effort every time he stepped on the floor and I thought he

Made some improvements uh during that time but he he’s not an NBA level Center I mean that’s just that’s just the fact of the matter and so it’s nice to see that the Hornets got a little bit of a taste of Victory and now uh the one

Thing that they didn’t address over the trade deadline was this uh de they they addressed the point guard depth they addressed some Wing defense a little bit and now they’ve gone and they’re they’re at least attempting here with this balen signing to address the other issues I’m

Telling you Walker they’re going to make a run at this playin thing we talked about it a few episodes ago that the math is not totally out of their favor yet I think they are they are sniffing something maybe glue maybe blood in the water I don’t know what they’re sniffing

You’re sniffing glue that’s what you’re doing I’m crazy I’m a sicko fruit salad yummy yummy you are you’re the one that’s sniffing the Elmer just put it on down buddy twist That Thing Up and put it away but we should talk about what this means you know in terms of Mark

Williams still out not a ton of word other than like we’re not going to know for what I think uh Mitch cup Che said four weeks uh an update on Mark Williams’s back injury it looks like it’s going to be a while before we see

Him and this is just another sign in and you know if you’re reading tea leafes here Bowden is a big old Tea Leaf that says don’t expect Mark Williams anytime soon well the the thing that does comfort me a little bit is the fact that

This is a 10day I I think it would be more of an indictment if you traded for nerland Noel to have him just as a insurance policy for the rest of the season and so you can do whatever you want like you can just let this contract

Roll on out and say hey thanks Marcus we appreciate the time Mark Williams is expected to be back and so if we follow the Mitch cup Che timeline once he spoke to Media after the trade deadline he told us that we’re probably expecting him back anywhere around four weeks it’s

Been two weeks since that press conference so in two weeks if Mark William isn’t ramping up then we can start to worry a little bit more but we’ll see I mean again as I’ve mentioned a million times we never get good news I just hope within the next two weeks we

Get good news about Mark Williams and you and I were discussing pre-show whether we should do a segment maybe we will tomorrow or something about how much of what we saw over those past three games is fake or a mirage and how much of it is real I would say that them

Going out and exploring 10day contracts for for a Balden tells me that the franchise at least feels like what they saw over those three games is very very real very sustainable and worth continuing to invest in because I think this was their final roster spot in the

Hornets are not they have not as a franchise always been willing especially in a season where you’ve only won 13 games and you’ve lost you know 40 plus now like it’s that’s not typically uh a time when they invest in the final roster spot so obviously they see something here or they’re sniffing

Something here final thing about Marcus Balden I didn’t realize I had this take until I started watching him a little bit more too but like Marcus Balden kudos to him for undergoing a pretty decent sized body transformation if you’ll remember him a Duke he’s a big dude beefy dude

And Marcus was kind of thought as this underwhelming player after being a highquality prospect going to the Blue Devils program now you watch him be a little bit of a shooter as you mentioned you know be athletic enough to go after 14 rebounds which a lot of time coaches

Will tell you rebounding is one to it’s getting position it’s fighting and it’s want to here he is grabbing 14 17 points like honestly this is a success story just within itself having watched where he came from and so that that’s that’s an uplifting story to see him and and

Hopefully just for his own sake he can find a way to stick with this roster who does need some big man depth or go so somewhere else and Thrive or just be even a role player and get a contract that is longer than 10day but like it it

Is cool to see this guy if you’re an ACC fan to watch him transform into a player that’s actually pretty useful right now and NBA teams are taking a chance on him like he was at Duke a few years ago this has been a long fight for him so cool

For him totally and a big thing for him and it’s been this way since he came out of Duke is feel for the game knowing where to be and and when to move and when not to move and what to do like all of those things that are instinct didn’t

Come to him naturally he’s had to develop those over time and so the big question will be how much of that for him has developed I think fortunately for him he’s coming on to a Hornets team that is fundamentally different when it comes to playmaking when it comes to

Moving the basketball so at least offensively you know it won’t I mean that’s part of the reason why I feel bad for Mena is that he was on a disaster of a team it’s not even like he could hide a little bit some of his deficiencies because no lamelo no no playmaking ball

Wasn’t moving defense was a disaster top to bottom not much room for him to succeed there’s going to be room for Balden if if if he’s willing and this will be an opportunity for him by the way just like it was an opportunity for Trey man just like it this is an

Opportunity for meic and you see what those guys have done with the opportunity I think balton’s going to feel the same way he was buried in Milwaukee now he gets an opportunity to showcase himself that guy’s going to come out with a fire under his bleep yeah did like big big rebounding

Shooters you know like Brook Lopez exactly what you have there Bobby poris can shoot I like it I like it we’ll see what happens I talked myself into a 10day sniffing the glue we’re sniffing the glue baby we should disclaimer don’t don’t do that oh yeah yeah don’t do what we did

Don’t do that coming up next on the lockdown Hornets podcast don’t go to sleep on the Hornets just yet we sniff more no I’m playing don’t do that the joke’s over the joke’s over we’re going to move on from it uh Doug had a conversation with Kai Carlin of USA

Today covering the Philadelphia 76ers to discuss what Elton brand might be like as the charlot Hornets GM is there even a chance that he leaves Philadelphia is the criticism Fair because this was the guy we liked the least to be in charge of the Hornets roster so Kai Carlin will

Give you all of that with Doug in just a moment this episode is brought to you by prize pick prize pick is America’s number one fantasy sports app with over three million members it’s the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports it’s just you against the

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Lockon NBA use code lockon NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 priz pic.com lockon NBA use code locked on NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 more lockon Hornets ahead back here on the lockon Hornets podcast and we’re continuing to talk about the search for

New general manager possibly a new Executive Vice President of basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets yesterday we talked to Evan damarell of the lock on Cavaliers podcast about the possibility of bringing on Mike ganzy uh in one of those roles and now we turn our attention uh to a name that you

Might find interesting in Elton brand of the Philadelphia 76ers interesting because it seems like maybe he’s already taken his name out of the hat but we still wanted to learn a little bit about a name that has been floated for that job so we turn now to Kai Carlin of

Sixers wireusa today and former host of the locked on Sixers podcast So a family member here Kai thanks for joining us what’s going on Doug thank you for having me absolutely um so let’s talk about Elton brand and first I I want before we get into kind of his

Background and you know sort of the the vibe towards him and Philadelphia the vibe towards him and Charlotte I I want to ask why you think that Elton seemingly has taken his name out of the Hat in this conversation before we talk about maybe him putting his name back in the

Hat see that kind of surprised me initially when um the the reports came out that he took his name out of the Hat just for the fact that it kind of seemed like a really big opportunity for Elton to take over his own team kind of

Similarly to the way uh he was running the Sixers in you know when he initially took the job until the team hired darl Mory and then once Mory was hired my obviously uh and and with Mory and bran it’s a collaborative effort in here in Philly but obviously Daryl does seem to

Have the final say unlike a lot of these basketball related decisions it’s not Elton anymore so it kind of was a little surprising that Elton um pulled his name out of the hat but another reason that maybe he did pull his name out of the Hat was because there’s familiarity in

Philadelphia he’s already kind of settled here he may not want to move you know like there are like different factors like not even just outside of basketball that like maybe Elton like decided you know what like it’s really not worth it for me to kind of uproot

Everything and and go to Charlotte you know like there are a lot of different reasons for it but at I think you just kind of you and I talked about a little bit before this doesn’t mean that like maybe he changes his mind down the road

Or or something and all of a sudden like he’s the new gm/ president basketball operations for the Charlotte Hornets know that there’s always that possibility no doubt moving stinks okay I mean you got to find a reputable moving company that’s always difficult they’re going to break something like you don’t know what

It is but they are going to even the best and this is not even me like maligning moving companies they are just going to naturally when they take your stuff that they don’t care about really and they are going to break something and so you’ve got to deal with that you

Got to find boxes it’s a whole thing so I totally understand if he doesn’t want to move um but I want to go to a natural question off of what you just said because the Sixers hire Daryl Mory it seems like he has the final say Elton

Brand used to be that guy it’s kind of a unique situation where they hire someone to take your job but they don’t fire you so take us kind of through that history why did why was Elton bran the man and then all of a sudden he became the The

Man Behind the man or the man under the man I think you know when you look at what Elton did when he was making those final basketball decisions he made big moves like you know he orchestrated Jimmy Butler deal um he then orchestrated the Tobias Harris deal

Um and and you know that was the year of the Sixers they were one kawhai Leonard bounce away from getting probably getting to the Eastern Conference Finals and then the finals you know what I mean so that that like that was probably their best year out of this run that

They’ve had with Joel embiid and then uh I think what did him in was the was the following off season giving Tobias Harris uh the max contract and then bringing in Al Horford and you know losing Butler to you know for Josh Richardson Sig and trade with Miami so I

Think th those moves look good on paper but then obviously that was such a disaster of a season uh they were the number six seed going into the playoffs and the bubble got swept and then once darl Murray became available it just kind of it made sense to just bring

Daryl in and and really ever ever since Daryl has been here uh Sixers were the number one seed um they were then the four seed and they were then last year I believe they were the three seed so it’s one of those things where just like they just once Daryl became available in

The history he has it just it made sense to bring him in well and take us through that that offseason that you talk about that that people have well I don’t know I’ll ask you do you think that that off season was fairly or unfairly malign

Because I mean just looking at when the news broke that elton’s name was in the Hat before he took it out of the Hat uh you you could scroll along the Twitter timeline and it seemed like a lot of people in Philadelphia would offer him a

Ride to the airport like it doesn’t it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of love in the City of Brotherly Love for Elton brand do you think that that off season was fairly or unfairly maligned well good thing for everybody Philadelphia sports fans are they’re they’re just naturally re you know they

They understand just they’re just a group of understanding people but they’re they’re very rational um I don’t know the 2019 offseason just really tough just because Butler you know once he left for Miami you had no choice but to also resign Tobias Harris because you couldn’t lose both right like if you

Look back at that trade deadline um and you give up what you gave up to the Clippers to get Tobias you couldn’t let him walk and Tobias has Tobias has been a really good player you know just unfortunately he’s being paid like a superstar and a superstar he is not but

He’s a really really good player so people were upset over that uh and then you brought in Al Horford um who on paper and in theory it it sounded like a really good addition but that didn’t work um so a lot of people were just upset mainly because of the Horford

Edition and uh the Tobias contract so uh I think it’s a little unfair to just to give him to you know kind of judge him so harshly like like on these types of moves but unfortunately when you look at what happened in the 201920 season it it

Just it was such a disaster uh here in Philly that that that off season is going to be the one that’s going to get red underlined red circled and and unfortunately that that’s falls under Elon br’s hand you know right and it kind of gets locked in right because

They don’t allow him an opportunity to unwind you know some of those bad decisions or course corre he didn’t really even get an opportunity to course correct all that much because as you said myy became available and they wanted to to strike and and get that opportunity while it was there so it

Sort of kind of locks in all of that but he does stay with the organization and that’s what I’m probably most curious about is that his decision to stay with the organization and the organization’s decision despite hiring myy to keep him in the front office and and that sort of

Leads me to like relationships cuz so much of General management or front office is about building relationships within the team but also building relationships outside of the team and and making sure you have good connections across the league when you’re trying to make these deals whether it’s agents or or Executives

With other teams you’ve got to have good relationships people have to like you I think it was a problem under the rich Cho era is that he wasn’t much of a people person in Charlotte and so it it hurt his relationship with the team and

It hurt his ability to go out there and make deals happen talk to me about that how was he able to kind of despite them hiring my he hangs around what’s his relationship like uh in in in sort of the team Dynamic and then across the

League as far as I know Elton is very well liked by the players you know as as far as I know um so even to that point like if if Charlotte if Charlotte were to bring Elton in and he changes his mind on on on everything about the

Position that he would have a great relationship with the players in Charlotte I think think it’s because Elton was a former player Elton played in the league for so long he had and despite all the injuries he that he unfortunately had a battle through he was he was an multiple time Allstar did

A lot of really good things with the Clippers so that relays into now this new transitional role that he’s in that that helps with the relationships of these players and I think I think that like that’s part of the reason why he’s still in Philly because he’s able to

Talk to these guys like you know maybe in a way Daryl isn’t able to so I think that’s why Elton is still around here great that’s Kai Carlin you can check out his work on Sixers wire uh for USA Today Kai thank you so much for joining

Us and sharing that insight into brand thank you so much for having me on guys I appreciate it a lot don’t go to sleep on the Hornets just yet good stuff from Kai Carlin we can talk a little bit more about how we would feel if Elton brand

Was the next general manager and then we’ll get to ticket prices going up I know we’re excited about the Charlotte Hornets but now it feels like the Hornets themselves are getting a little too excited we’ll get to that in just a moment last segment of lockdown Hornets this episode is brought to you

By better help sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off of our chest big or small certain things can really start to get to you it’s important to let that out especially to someone who’s unbiased in your life and so today I want to tell you to have that

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Can visit betterhelp.com loock on NBA to get 10% off your first month that’s betterhelp HP betterhelp.com loock on NBA more lock on Hornets ahead before we get to ticket prices Doug did want to recap a little of what Kai had to say about Elton brand did he

Ease some of your concerns if you were to just take the word of one Kai Carlin on how Elon brand would do as the decision maker did he ease any of those concerns what was noteworthy to you from that interview I think somewhat I I always I’ve always found it interesting that

Elden bran kept the job and this is a relationship business and so you you know I think the worst thing that you can do is hire a general manager who can’t form great relationships within your organization or or outside of the NBA because it’s all going to blow up

Eventually like you could be the uh you know best capologist in the world and you could even be the best Scout in the world and no player Talent but if nobody likes you then you’re not going to succeed in this business and so the fact that Elton brand is liked you can scoff

At that if you want but that is that is something and I think he wasn’t ever fully given the opportunity in Philadelphia to figure out those one or two bad decisions that he made with the Harris and the Horford contract and so we just don’t there there is a big

Unknown sitting there of like what would have happened had they not hired more he would he have turned things around because like k said I mean this is a guy in Elton that shephered a team that was a sniff away from the NBA Finals I mean

You have to give him some credit for that even if Philadelphia won’t and I know that Kai was also talking about the player relationships as you mentioned I know you talked about that a little bit but it it does matter and especially from somebody that played in the NBA at

A high level like I I wonder how much that matters when Mike gany former D1 player former good D1 player UND drafted NBA player got hurt with Miami and so never even really got to the regular season but stayed in the NBA somehow some way forever how much does it matter

That Mike gansy was it number one overall pick baller Allstar Elton brand at that top you know we can go to Michael Jordan like I Michael I mean was a good play on his own right I mean right yeah so you know there there’s different levels to this no one viewed

Him that way you know you’re going to view langon you know his fellow his players will view langon as like in a way that I don’t think they would cup because Cup played in such a different era that’s right that’s right so we we’ll see who who it ends up being I I

Do have I wonder just how long this is going to take like what the rules even are for because you’re going after player or you’re going after people that currently have a position I mean it it’s not even that some of these guys are just out there on the open market and so

There has to be rules to this I I I guess I don’t know the rules of hiring some people that are currently acting as sitting general manager or sitting assistant GM but you you were right Doug when you talked about you have to feel like these guys with a plan and Plotkin

And schn would have somebody made up by now or their mind made up already and they you know maybe they just can’t hire that guy yeah but I mean to me this is the offseason for general managers right you’re post deadline you’re Scouting For the draft but you’re not quite in like

Ramp it all up mode so like you you really you don’t want to hire a GM during the actual NBA off season because that’s when that’s when things are heating up so this would if there’s going to be a time to make a move this

Would be the time and it’s not like a coach or anything like that where you’re going well that’s a playoff team they can’t they can’t like lose their coach right before they go to the playoffs it doesn’t matter if the GM moves on and a

Lot of these guys too are not EVPs of basketball operations they’re not even the head guy that they’re looking at so it would not be you know I think a a enormous loss for for the team that they’re taking them from all right let’s go to ticket price conversation here

Doug because Gabe Plotkin Rick schn they completed a series of meetings with ticket holders who will be affected by upcoming Renovations at Spectrum Center and so attendees including holder included holders of 920 seats whose ticket prices will go up by an average of nearly 80% next season with either

Improvements to existing private club ACCESS allinclusive food soda beer wine and parking or as part of their seats now being included in the club and allinclusive seating areas for the first time and so completing that series of meetings it leaves some fans I would imagine not exactly thrilled that

They’re going to be paying 80% more even if you have better amenities that are coming with those prices Doug what do you have to say about Gaye Plotkin Rick schn who are trying to put their fingerprints all over over this organization in a positive way renovations to Spectrum Center even a

Positive way towards the onc court product but they’re also asking you to pay for it just a little bit sounds like they’re trying to put their fingerprints on your wallet taking your money uh here’s what I think about this um the timing is terrible this is a shame like

You know the Hornets have not made the playoffs since 2016 they haven’t won a playoff series since 2002 uh they they’ve been bad for for a couple of Seasons now not a lot to watch and so you’re going to the people that are your generally you know other than sort of

The brokers who just buy tickets to sell them although I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would do that for the Charlotte Hornets but you’re going to your most dedicated fans and saying we need you to pay more now um to subsidize everything else that we’re doing in

Terms of and they’re selling it as oh we’re upgrading and one of the more obsurd sales I saw and this was sent to me from uh someone that reads every Hornets box score and they have uh they have one of the sections that’s closer to the court and the the cell was hey

We’re adding more seeds and it’s like well that doesn’t benefit me right you adding more seats it’s a math but in that respect it’s a math equation right you add if you double the number of seats that are closer to the court all you have to do is keep half of the

People that were there to begin with and you’re still fine you can lose 50% of the people that were already paying and you’ll still come out even and if you get one more to buy one of the new seats then you’ll come out ahead here’s the

Thing this is a reality of a team whose valuation skyrocketed when Michael Jordan sold the team okay you’ve got a group of people that had to come in and none of them as far as I know are billionaires with a B they might be multi-millionaires with two M’s but none

Of these guys are ishbia or these sort of Top Class you know Fortune 500 billionaire type Scrooge McDuck diving through the The Money Pit these are guys that kind of had to scrap together the means to buy this team and now you’re seeing where the scrapping is happening

They’re going to go and try to say all right how do we pay for X Y and Z uh when when it comes to all of this and so I think this is not entirely unexpected this is not surprising they want to build a practice facility all the stuff

About the arena that was already baked in and I think the city is paying for a lot of that as part of the like a lease agreement none of that as a sales pitch makes any sense to me yeah and it’s through their tourist funds I think

That’s where it’s coming from Mostly as far as what the city is paying for so you’re getting double tax so that’s what I’m saying like as a fan if you live in Charlotte and you pay for season tickets you’re getting double taxed but they want to pay for you know practice

Facility or whatever right and maybe I need to do more on this I I I think it’s more so tourist funds like hotels I think that’s right more so than the actual citizens of Charlotte having to pay for this okay here but here’s the thing money that goes into a pot can be

Used for a it could be used for more tourism or it could be used for schools or it could be used for Road you’re getting you’re you might not money might not be coming out of your pocket but money that could be used to fund things that you need to

Live are being taken and moved and listen we’ve already had that discussion that money is already been distributed there’s no reason to argue about that anymore but you don’t use that as a sales pitch that’s not a sales pitch to take more of my money is what I’m saying

Oh no it’s it’s absolutely not I just wanted to make sure like that’s what the people knew about but yes you’re right it could be it’s it’s the whole David terer asking for money to pay for a new stadium getting rid of Bank of America Stadium it’s here we are saying well

He’s like I could pay for a third PSL owners could pay for a third and then here we are paying taxes for a new stadium that David terer could pay for when in reality we could be using that money for infrastructure you know education anything like that as you just

Mentioned that’s totally true it’s just it’s a little bit of a different level talking about Renovations compared to a new football stadium and so still it’s in the same neighborhood last thing I did want to tell you a little bit more of the information because according to Eric spanberg of the Charlotte Business

Journal does a great job he said a small number of tickets in the lower level that were previously excluded from private club membership and other amenities 38 seats in the first two rows of the Baseline will have to pay a whopping 225% 225% more to retain their seats and the

Team how much of a sicko are you that’s the question that they’re asking 225% is saying how sick are you Hospital sick or you just I’m staying home from work sick the team confirmed those changes to Charlotte Business Journal as well as an overall average pricee hike of 15% for

Allseason Ticket buyers last thing that it’s exactly the point I wanted to hit on so they’re banking on people that already own those seats and the Hornets have been bad since I don’t know the Inception of the second iteration so if you are there having already understood the history of what this team

Is with platkin and schn wanting this to not be there anymore they’re like hey you’ve already paid for it when it was a bad product we’re not going to be bad we’re gonna be good it’s me and rich rich snob handling business so go ahead and give me more

Money because you’re GNA be able to come out on the other side of this and you’re still going to pay for the money for a good product and we know about the Hornets fans they show up for a good product they’ve shown up at times for

Bad products so if there is a good one then you know the Hornets are going to be there cheering Hornets fans are going to be cheering let’s go Hornets well you just hit on something you said that that Rick schnall and gay Plotkin are basically saying hey we’re going to be

Good but that’s not a given it’s not it is not but I would say but I would say this hike they better retool they better not go through a rebuild where you’re going to be bad bad for like four or five years cuz how sustainable could

That be if you’re asking people to pay that much more and locking that in not for just the the people that have been there before but the people that will come next how can you expect them to sustain that kind of investment through bad basketball I think it signals to me

That this organization actually is going to retool and try to get this team into contention sooner rather than later short term I think this can have some negative effects if people do walk away that just that’s going to mean more away fans that’s going to mean less of a

Great home experience uh than we’ve already seen which has not been very good um it means the resale Market is only look if tickets go up if even if you retain those tickets and you try to sell the Warriors game or the Lakers game um it just means that the one

Person that had that is a Lakers fan that has disposable income they’re going to be the ones that can afford to go to that game not the people um that that are actual fans of this team so some short-term effects there one final thing from me a little nugget in this spanberg

Article uh that hadn’t seen previously reported is that Michael Jordan retained a 5% share of the Hornets so that’s the percentage there that’s being reported 5% not a lot not much not much at all in fact it feels like we would have guessed the over on that right oh for sure if it

Was if it was at five and a half we would have said oh we’ll take the easy over and here it is only at 5% I mean that goes to show you like he just wanted just a tiny bit of that passive income and he didn’t I who knows an eon

Play right it’s a money play that 5% is a money play 5% is not I want to be you know making decisions or having say I mean he might get to hang around you know in certain circles or or be invited to certain things but like I mean that

To me like that’s this is schal and plotkin’s game if it’s only 5% that’s the point that’s the point all right pay a lot more money we promise we’re not going to hike up pric on you we’re not going to do that for you we’re still free anywhere you get your podcast we’re

Still free if you want to check us out on YouTube free baby you just got to watch a few ads every now and then but you don’t have to pay a say don’t don’t think about it don’t go may we should raise our prices May okay here’s what

I’ll do here’s what I’ll do I will um get a nice haircut I will uh invest in some suits so you’ll your eyes if you watch on YouTube your eyes uh will be pleased a little bit more uh maybe if I don’t wear the suit they’ll be pleased a

Little bit more I’m going to think about this I’m going to raise I think we should raise the prices a little bit all right Doug just talked himself into wearing a suit it’s just his birthday suit for you guys on YouTube so hopefully we don’t see him wear that

Whatsoever in fact I would pay more for you to wear exactly what you’re wearing right now I would do that as your co-host I would contribute if you do want to pay just a little bit then you can subscribe to Doug Branson’s subtext you can find that information on his substack every

Hornets boox score.com for more of his sniffing glue depraved Hornet’s thoughts and you can listen to me Walker mail on WFNZ every weekday also free from 12:00 to 300 p.m. 927 FM have a great rest of your day we’ll be back with you tomorrow

With the Charlotte Hornets signing Marques Bolden to a 10-day contract, Walker and Doug discuss what it means for the center position going forward. Could he help a part of the rotation? Doug sits down with Ky Carlin from USA Today to find out more about Elton Brand as a decision maker. Finally, the guys hit the story on raised ticket prices.

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