If you want to rosterbate further after yesterday's craziness, please create a FanPost or link somewhere in a FanShot.
Shaun Livingston is a Hardwood Paroxysm favorite, and a favorite of mine, which is why I'm excited the Bobcats got him. The past couple years, the Cats have been the place where mediocre point guards go to get jobs when no one else will have them: Brevin Knight, Earl Boykins, Jeff McMinus (shudder). But Livingston is different.
He'll have an opportunity to start over D.J. Augustin because he's quite possibly the tallest PG in the league at 6-6 without shoes, giving him great wingspan and, thus, a solid defensive reputation. If he's merely an adequate ballhandler, getting the ball into the frontcourt and facilitating offense -- not even creating it -- he'll be fulfilling the Raymond Felton role on offense.
On defense, he can hope to replicate Felton's impact, too. Think about it. With Livingston starting, that's four guys on the floor between 6-6 and 6-9: Livingston, Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, and Tyrus Thomas. Jay Bilas wouldn't be able to contain himself looking at all that length.
Let's imagine, for a moment, that we don't have images of Chris Paul dancing in our heads. According to their M.O. the past few years, what would the Bobcats do? They'd waive Dampier to ensure they're under the luxury tax threshold, and then use some of that money to add depth with two, or three, lesser players who, nonetheless, can play. It's the same mentality that brought in Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. They thought Jared Dudley was filler, so in their minds, they traded Jason Richardson for Bell and Diaw. Larry Brown won a title with Detroit, a team that went five deep and didn't have a "top dog", and he's trying to re-create that here.
The last word? Last season, in admittedly far fewer minutes, so fluky variation is possible, Livingston had the same Adjusted Plus-Minus that Felton had over the past two years. So, combine Bad Felton with Good Felton, find the midpoint, and that's Livingston. Not bad for replacement-level money.