2007 NBA Charlotte Bobcats
Carolina's Pro Basketball Team Has Talent to Make Playoffs in Future
Feb 6, 2007
Unlike the NFL, expansion teams do not fare well in their early years in the NBA. The Charlotte Bobcats are no exception to this rule of form as they have struggled to this, the midway point of their third season as a franchise with a combined 62 wins during that entire span. They at least project to breaking the 30 win mark this go-round, and more importantly have assembled a young roster of potential NBA studs. The key word here is "potential", because it wouldn't take much in the way of adversity, such as serious injury or bad trades by management to throw the whole enterprise under the bus.
There's much to be up about with this NBA franchise. It has the first majority African-American owner in major sports (Robert Johnson), and some of his minority partners in the business include the rapper Nelly and (more excitingly for a hoops junkie) Michael Jordan. The club is still trying to find its bearings, but recent developments are indeed promising.
Taking the optimistic view, here are some suggestions to maximize these good vibes. First and most important on the list is to not trade away any of the key pieces that will give the Cats a fighting chance to succeed beginning next season. This should be the final year that they're lottery eligible, and that last piece they add to the Wallace/Okafor/May/Felton/Morrison matrix might be the most critical - they need minutes and productivity out of the coming 1st round pick.
Emeka Okafor is the real deal - he rebounds like Ben Wallace, blocks shots like Mutumbo, and is getting better steadily with his low-post moves. Is .536 from the field, 11+ boards any good? Keep, keep, keep! Gerald Wallace frustrates with his poor shot selection, miserable 3 point %, and sub .600 mark from the foul line, yet he's one of the people on this NBA team that can create his own shot and at times looks like the second coming of Michael Redd. Keep, keep. Adam Morrison is a rook and looks like one too much on the court, but the critics of his erratic shooting should wait 'til year 5 and be amazed - they'll see an undersized Larry Bird clone. Keep and 1/2. Sean May and Raymond Felton may have been home grown picks to satisfy the fan base, but both have proven they belong in the league, and May in particular with his wide body rates these guys a Keep. Matt Caroll can singe the nets, but his game is too much a copy of Morrison's so the call here would be a qualified Keep as a three point specialist only.
Primoz Brezec is making paint drying a popular spectator sport again with his ponderous work in the post; his presence only slows down the uptempo efforts and robs May of vital minutes. Cut, cut, cut. The remainder of the bench, Derek Anderson, Jake Voskuhl and company, are there cause you gotta have twelve, but the productivity isn't there, so set them loose on the other bench end's of the NBA and try some readily available alternatives. The McInnis trade doesn't make sense and probably will be a one-season deal only. The exception to this mandate is one Walter Herrman, an 27 year old rookie Argentine who in very limited minutes has shown a willingness to get dirty in the paint, something the team overall lacks.
As for the coaching *sigh*, or more specifically the lack thereof, Bernie Bickerstaff's era should come to an end soon. His style isn't so much out of time as that he plays it too safe and doesn't go for the bold move that could win some of these close games that this NBA club is becoming more frequently involved with. Charlotte is a surprising 5-5 in their last ten, and this trend could continue upward if the subtle tweaks are accomplished.
It's a long climb for expansion teams in pro basketball, but the Charlotte Bobcats are ready to spin their web across the NBA, with a little help from a lucky lottery slot and a good coaching hire.
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