Charlotte Bobcats
2008-09 Record: 35-47
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- D.J. Augustin
SG- Raja Bell
SF- Gerald Wallace
PF- Boris Diaw
C- Tyson Chandler
Key Reserves: Raymond Felton (unsigned RFA), Gerald Henderson, Vlad Radmanovic, Sagana Diop
Biggest Strength: Defense
Larry Brown teams play defense. This team however actually has some defenders to execute pretty well. Bell is a career defender, Wallace is an athletic wing defender, all Chandler does is defense and rebound and rookie Gerald Henderson will play tough defense as well. This is there key to winning any games.
By swapping Okafor for Chandler you got much worse offensively from an individual standpoint in the front court. Both Okafor and Chandler shoot about the same from the field and line but Chandler needs gift wrapped passes at the rim to score whereas Okafor can get you a basket himself.
That just puts even more emphasis on playing tough, consistent defense.
Biggest Weakness: No dominant player
I have no idea who the leader on this team is or who gets the ball at the end of games. Do you? Who would you even want to give the ball when you need a basket?
Unless Augustin turns into a dynamic playmaker and not just another scoring point guard this team will struggle to score in a big way.
Key Player: Not applicable
Sorry I really don’t think there is a real game changer on this team at all. I mean even if Wallace or Diaw or Felton have a career year or Augustin improves drastically this team isn’t doing much.
Biggest Question: Is there any sort of long-term strategy here?
Since entering the league in 2004 – the Bobcats have had the following draft picks: 2, 5, 3, 8, 9 and 12. The number of potential franchise players they’ve landed? 0. The number of those 6 still with the team? 3, with one on his way out (Felton). So what is the plan here? Right now this a Larry Brown team, with a bunch of complimentary pieces on good teams playing together on one bad one. Is there anyone on this squad you would get excited about as a fan? Not really. How about a team of the players they passed up or traded? Okafor, Granger, Roy and Thad Young? Maybe MJ should stick to golf – or maybe he already is.
Best Individual Season of All-Time: Gerald Wallace, 2006-07
18.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.0 bpg
Obviously with only a couple seasons under their belt – the Bobcats aren’t going to have many great seasons. The best is Wallace, who broke out with a great all around season in 06-07. Only Wallace, Shawn Marion, LeBron James and Caron Butler have put up 18 ppg, 7 rpg and 2 spg since 2000.
Pete’s 2010 Outlook: 5th place, Southeast division / 15th place, Eastern conference / 30th place, NBA
I liked what the Bobcats were doing in drafting accomplished college players – but it turned out they were picking the wrong ones. Now – after putting Larry Brown and Michael Jordan in charge, they have the least exciting and least talented roster in the league. The most recent puzzling move came when they traded solid center, and face of the franchise, Emeka Okafor for the oft injured Tyson Chandler. Look for the Bobcats to have the most lottery balls next year, but of course the likely #1 overall pick, John Wall, plays a position they are already set at.
Dannie’s 2010 Outlook: 5th place, Southeast division / 15th place, Eastern conference / 29th place, NBA
The Bobcats will be contributing a lot of wins to other teams this season. It’s a Larry Brown team so they will scrap, play pretty hard and play up to the competition like they did in beating the Lakers both times last year. They very well may take 3 of 4 from the Sixers again as well. But that’s about all you can expect. Like Pete said this team is playing for another chance at the lottery with the hope they get it right.
For fun: Here is the process MJ should take when making drafting decisions. Bring the kids in for workouts and they have to play one on one vs. Jordan. It doesn’t matter if the players win or lose (if they win by the way Jordan will make them play him until he beats them) but to allow him to see the type of competitor they are, if they have a killer instinct. Basically giving him first hand experience of their intangibles.
They could have them play straight up one on one, two man games, 3 on 3 etc like they always do in workouts with each prospect having to play against and with Jordan in a competitive environment. All the coaches and talent evaluators are there doing their scouting as usual. Then when it comes time to make a decision Jordan won’t be making just gut decisions he will have played with these kids gotten to know them as well as having the input from the basketball people.
Oh and everything is recorded and sent to me for my enjoyment!
See all 2010 NBA team previews
Loading ...
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think not putting Lopez next to Okafor will haunt this franchise for years, especially when you had a solid young p.g., Felton, here already. The Chandler trade baffles me when they finally found a good match next to Emeka ,Diaw, a guy who can create scoring oppurtunities for him.
Dannie -
I don’t have their record in front of me but these guys, like you said, play defense, and defense wins. I don’t expect 45 wins out of this team, but 35-38 is possible and in the east, that makes you a playoff threat.
They were 35-47 last season 10th in the East. Only 3 games separated 10th and 14th. Only 4 games from 10th to 8th.
The problem though for the Bobcats is they not only didn’t get better, they didn’t even remain flat! They got worse by swapping Chandler for Okafor and didn’t draft high enough to get a real impact player.
On top of that internally they have to deal with the fact that the worst team in the conference (Washington) will be MUCH better and positioned for a Heat like turnaround. The Raptors were 2 games back last season and added Turk and Derozen. And the Nets (got worse losing Carter) and Bucks (might have got worse but do get Redd back) were only 1 game back of Charlotte last season.
I can’t see at all how Charlotte will be a playoff threat.
Biggest strength(s):
- Home court (It’s never a cakewalk over there!!)
-Larry Brown (playing the right way + NC connection)
-Athleticism
-Great team when healthy!!
-They play their butts off!!
Biggest weakness(es):
-Health
-Unproven bench, but with potential
-Larry Brown’s negatives (neglecting certain young players)
- Road Woes
They are a hard working team and it is hard to evaluate the Bobcats for sure. Injuries have affected their progress that’s for sure. You guys have certainly nailed it when talking about the Bobcats.
Health is the KEY. They are not going to make the playoffs, but they could suprise people for sure!!
I say the Bobcats will be 5th in the Southeast, 13th in the East. (Don’t be fooled by their record or their standings, they play hard!!!)
(On a side note, the Sixers will split the series (2-2) with each team winning both of their games on their respective floors.)