Throughout the Carolinas a nagging question hangs over the stench that is Charlotte Bobcats basketball.
For fans of the worst team in the NBA (sorry Washington, Sacramento and New Jersey; the ‘Cats play at such a low level that your die-hards can only have nightmares about it), a common theme of “what the hell is Paul Silas thinking” binds them together.
There is a rookie who was selected in the lottery of this past year’s draft trapped on the confines of Charlotte’s rotting bench. He’s 6’9″ but has the wingspan of a true center. At just 19 years old, he has the potential to blossom into a star, or at the very least, become nothing short of a solid piece in the Bobcats’ future front-court.
His name is Bismack Biyombo, and, for some godforsaken reason, he plays just 12.6 minutes per game.
Biyombo wears the number zero, which might as well be a black hole attached to his jersey, sucking more and more potential out of him with every minute he wastes away on the bench.
How, in this lockout shortened season, what with it’s lack of practice time and poorly scheduled back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-backs, is a rookie supposed to get better without playing? (The question is rhetorical, Mr. Silas).
I knew Biyombo could ball when I first found out about the physical specimen from Lubumbashi, Congo. Anyone could see that after watching this:
Biyombo at the \’11 Hoops Summit
“He’s pretty good,” I told my roommate, Scott, who showed me the video.
“He’s 18,” Scott said.
“…………..,” I responded. My mind was but dust from a just-set-off explosion.
I came-to after Scott sprinkled some water on my face, and immediately searched the web for everything I could find on this “Biyombo Character” as I then referred to him.
It was true (EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET IS TRUE), the kid really was just 18. Scott and I developed a mutual affection that bordered on obsession for Biyombo.
As a diehard Knicks fan, I knew my team needed this guy. We were weak in every aspect of the game that Biyombo thrives on. Then I found out he was sure to be a lottery selection.
My heart was shattered. Until, that is, I remembered something about an organization resembling an NBA franchise that called Charlotte home.
“My God!” I thought, “Charlotte isn’t too far away from Columbia, SC (where I live), maybe Michael Jordan can snag this guy and I’ll be able to watch him play in person!”
When draft night came my hopes were momentarily dashed once more; The Kings had selected Biyombo with the seventh overall pick.
I turned off the TV and headed for my bedroom, but was stopped dead in my tracks by a primordial scream that burst from the second floor of my home.
“We got him!” Scott bellowed. “WE GOT HIM!”
I dove at the couch, flipped the TV back on and learned that Charlotte had acquired Biyombo from Sacramento. All was right once more.
Then came the debate about his Spanish contract buy-out. Would he pay it? Would the Bobcats? Would he stay another year in Spain?
Well, Biyombo paid 1.5 million dollars to get out of Europe and into The Tar Heel State and I was all kinds of ready to see him in action.
The lockout extended my wait, and now it seems that Silas is either determined to slow Biyombo’s development or waging war with me for something I did to him in a previous life.
What other reason can there be not to play the only person on his team with a defensive rating less than 104?
Biyombo might be “raw”, as the experts like to say, but dammit, he plays hard every time he’s on the floor.
For a rookie, his per 36 numbers of 8.8 points, 4.3 blocks and 9.6 rebounds are more than solid. He doesn’t actually need to play that much, but those stats show just how well he could do if given more time.
The Bobcats are going nowhere this year. Any group of players that loses twice to this season’s Washington Wizards might as well get that through their heads. So, why not give Biyombo 20 minutes a game. The ‘Cats are already horrible on offense, and he certainly wouldn’t hurt them defensively.
Kemba Walker, Charlotte’s other lottery pick, is learning on the fly this year; Because of injuries and a thin Bobcats’ backcourt, the former UConn star has played 27 minutes per game in which he’s averaged 12 points, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steal and four rebounds. Because of the increase in time, Walker has been able to work on his weaknesses like shot selection and decision making.
With such limited minutes, Biyombo won’t have the same luxury of working on his game’s deficiencies.
For a fan base in desperate need of something to cheer for, the teenager might be Charlotte’s last viable option. It would be nice to watch the Queen City’s two rookies hustling, running and gunning and giving it their all together. At the very least it would give some people hope.
Walker has already shown that he’ll give 100 percent night in and night out. In his limited minutes, Biyombo looks like he’d give the same effort.
So, without further adieu, Mr. Silas, I’m sorry for whatever I did to you in some former level of my existence that makes you want me to have the worst possible experience watching Charlotte basketball. Perhaps I led a Roman legion against your quaint, helpless, Greek village. Maybe, as a 14th century English judge, I sentenced you to a harsh flogging for harboring a Catholic in your home. Either way, you shouldn’t take it out on Biyombo.
Let him play. Free him from the sticky grip of your ever adhesive bench. Help him develop. Let Bobcats fans see why the team took a chance on a three-way trade to land him.
#FreeBismack.
Excellent points, there is no doubt we need a lot, a LOT more Bismack. You can just see from watching him that this is a guy not only with incredible talent, but with an incredible drive to be the best that he can be. On a team that at times seems to simply give up, you always know that Bismack is a guy who always cares. He wants to win, he wants to do the best he can possibly do every time he’s allowed onto the court. It’s such a mystery as to why he isn’t allowed to play more, between the fact that he was our #1 draft pick and obviously needs minutes to develop, and the fact that he is already a pretty high quality player, albeit limited offensively. All we needed was some good defense to beat Washington the other night, defense that Biyombo would’ve provided if given the chance, which he was not. Of course at this point in the season one loss isn’t a very big deal, but losing to Washington is an embarassment to any team, even ours. Please free Bismack, let him get out there and learn from experience. Kemba and Bismack can’t be the next Kobe and Shaq if Biyombo is on the bench all the time! Its great to see Kemba getting so much playing time, and making the most of it. I hope that soon we will see Biyombo given a similar number of minutes.
Again, in a 30+ point loss, Biyombo sees just 14 minutes. Granted, he wasn’t that effective, but if those were 14 minutes in a row instead of spread out over four quarters, I bet you a pretty penny he’d have played better. #FreeBismack
In my office I have hanging a picture of bismack biyombo and me the very day he landed in charlotte. I became obsessed the day I saw him on the lottery radar and the week leading up to the draft I needed him to be a bobcat. So I was pumped that he joined our squad.
Unfortunately he isn’t getting the minutes that I’d like to see. Here’s my theory why this is.
I think the Bobcats are definitely playing for the future right now. From that statement you could reply “SO WHY NOT PLAY BIYOMBO AND DEVELOP HIS SKILLSET?” Which I would reply: Maybe they are not limiting Bismack’s court time, but instead increasing the court time of our (excess) of pfs and centers in order to develop these assets as trade pieces. That’s the only thing I keep telling myself. That the front office realizes that it would be absurd to draft a big man in the lottery this year (which will probably happen b/c of that drummond/davis things)onto our squad of Diop/Thomas/Brown/Diaw/Bismack/Mullin/White/Whoever without trading some of our existing players. And so if you’re going to get rid of some of those players it makes the most sense to jack their stats up as much as possible so you can get the best value for them – whether that means picks/players/cash/whatever.
And so you have to look at the future and decide whether there is a greater benefit to the team if bismack gets 15+ more minutes a game (which I really want to see) or if you want to give those extra minutes to players which will ultimately be used for trades. Maybe the front office thinks that Biyombo is already way ahead in his development compared to what they thought they were getting, and so since they are ahead of the game in that aspect they can afford to not play him as much as they’d like.
Seriously, this is what I have to keep telling myself b/c otherwise I’m going to shed a tear for Biyombo’s unrealized potential. It’s obvious to me that he’s going to be a serious defensive threat in the NBA. I don’t even think he’s been on an american diet for 6 months or on any sort of advanced workout program. I think he’s going to get huger and faster and more learned in the game – it’s obvious from his recent profile in the charlotte observer that he’s extremely motivated to improve himself and it seems that he not only has the drive but also the ability to do so.
What I’d be interested in seeing is a list of the NBA’s defensive player of the year winner for the past 25 years and then look at how many minutes they were averaging early in their career. (was rodman or ben wallace a full fledged starter, was dikembe?) I almost assume they weren’t b/c they all were also very raw. So I don’t know if the limited minutes in a shortened season are really going to hurt Bismack’s long term development. After all, he is the youngest player in the NBA. So in my eyes we’re already playing w/ house money.
#freebismack
Your theory makes sense. I doubt Thomas is going to be on the team next year, and I’m sure the ‘Cats would much rather trade him than amnesty him. The Bobcats have a ton of PFs but no true center, so if Davis is available when they’re drafting, I bet that’s who they take (I want them to draft Barnes and get a solid SF to play alongside Hendo).