By Brett
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Tyrus Thomas, PF 21 MIN | 4-8 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 9 PTS | -10Meh. |
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Byron Mullens, C 19 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 5 PTS | -12It’s nice that you’re extending your range, Byron – but don’t fall in love with the 3. |
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Bismack Biyombo, C 25 MIN | 2-3 FG | 1-4 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 5 PTS | -11Several nice blocks from Bismack – but weak on the boards and still gets lost on defense too often. |
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Gerald Henderson, G 37 MIN | 7-12 FG | 7-10 FT | 7 REB | 4 AST | 21 PTS | -20Really strong game for Henderson – looks like he wants to convince the Bobcats not to draft Beal if they don’t get the first overall pick. |
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D.J. Augustin, PG 32 MIN | 5-15 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 7 AST | 12 PTS | -8Solid creation – just couldn’t make many of his own attempts. |
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DeSagana Diop, C 20 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS | -1Slow getting back on defense, didn’t box out, didn’t rebound. |
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Jamario Moon, SF 23 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 4 PTS | -12Still don’t understand why the Bobcats didn’t sign someone from the D-League who was under 30. |
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D.J. White, PF 28 MIN | 5-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 7 REB | 2 AST | 11 PTS | -10After a good shooting first half, D.J. was a bit quick on the trigger a couple of times when he got back in during the second half, rushed some shots and helped the Knicks build their eventual winning margin. |
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Kemba Walker, PG 25 MIN | 4-12 FG | 3-6 FT | 2 REB | 4 AST | 13 PTS | -16Continues to miss open jumpers once he loses his defender. A real area for focus in the off-season. |
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Four Things We Saw
- The Bobcats paired Kemba and D.J. a little more often in the backcourt again, with mixed results. It helps to have two players on the floor who can create for themselves, but defensively, the Knicks were able to take advantage, especially when Shumpert and Smith were paired in the backcourt.
- The Bobcats kept this one interesting for a while – but Amare Stoudemire had a big third quarter to give the Knicks a decent size cushion heading into the fourth and the Bobcats couldn’t make a run.
- It’s official – worst winning percentage in NBA history. History was made last night.
- It’s now the off-season. It’s over. It’s finally over.
By Spencer
 The 2011-2012 Charlotte Bobcats have certainly been a team that will forever be remembered by their own fan base, but tonight is a chance for this team to avoid being remembered by basketball fans everywhere as the worst to ever take an NBA floor.
“Nobody in here is used to losing like we have lost this year,” commented Gerald Henderson after the Bobcats loss in Orlando last night.
“It’s a learning process and hopefully we will come out with a win tomorrow,” added Hendo.
Charlotte certainly showed signs of life last night against the Magic and actually outscored Orlando in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, before fading late in the final period. The ball was moving on the offensive end of the floor, Bobcats players were reacting and rotating defensively like they haven’t all season and the overall high energy of the team was definitely noticeable by anyone who watches this team on a nightly basis. Question is, will Charlotte be able to bring that same energy tonight? You would certainly like to believe so. Yesterday, the Larry Brown/Michael Jordan media fiasco is what put the Charlotte franchise in the news and as suggested by some, the team seemed to respond to all of the criticism. Who knows if that’s really what inspired Charlotte’s effort last night, but you would think that it certainly didn’t hurt the temperament of the Bobcats.
On a bad note for Charlotte, Derrick Brown seemed to have badly sprained his left ankle, at the very least, and will be out tonight.
Tonight, New York comes to the Queen City with slight playoff implications on the line. The Knicks currently are 7th in the east, but with a loss tonight and a Philadelphia win in Detroit, the Knicks would fall into the 8th seed and play Chicago in the first round. Reports out of New York after the Knicks win against the Clippers last night suggest that they’re not too concerned with their playoff seeding and don’t mind whether they end up playing Miami or Chicago. Carmelo Anthony said last night that he probably won’t play tonight in Charlotte and as for the rest of the Knicks key players, I think Tyson Chandler gave away New York’s strategy tonight.
“You want to go into the playoffs healthy,” said Chandler after the Knicks defeated the Clippers.
So, there’s a few notes for what to look forward to tonight in what could be a historical game in the ‘Cable Box’ for all the wrong reasons. Mathew Lewis, Jenn Kimbal and I play 3-on-3 to give you some different views on tonight and what it could mean.
 1- Knicks need a win tonight to lock up the number 7 seed in eastern conference. How much will Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire & Tyson Chandler play tonight for New York since they don’t seem to be too concerned as to who they play in the first round of the playoffs (Miami or Chicago)?
Spencer: According to Melo, he’s not going to play at all. I’d be surprised if Stoudemire sees the floor considering he’s just coming back from injury and Chandler may play the 1st quarter, but no more than that. Personally, I think the Knicks matchup better with Miami because of the fact that Heat don’t rotate nearly as well as Chicago on the defensive end and with the way New York spaces the floor, you have to. That being said, I’d be making sure I won tonight if I were Mike Woodson.
Jenn: Woodson has turned things around for the Knicks since taking over for D’antoni in March, but if Woodson wants to stay with the Knicks long term, he needs a solid playoff performance from his squad. The Knicks might actually fare better in the playoffs against the injury-laden, top seed Bulls. That said, I don’t expect to see significant playing time from Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler.
Mathew: I think Coach Woodson will cut their minutes, though he probably hopes it takes care of itself in the way of the Knicks holding a comfortable lead by halftime. The Knicks are still trying to integrate Amare back into the lineup though, which may be reason to play the starters more minutes than otherwise thought.
2- Derrick Brown came down on his left ankle in last night’s game in Orlando and I can’t imagine he’s playing tonight, but no report to his status is official yet. Who gives Charlotte the best chance to start in his place? D.J. White, Jamario Moon or Tyrus Thomas.
Spencer: Moon. Tyrus and White have absolutely no chance at playing SF. Silas experimented with Tyrus at 3 earlier in the season and needless to say it was a disaster. Wouldn’t be surprised if Silas starts Tyrus there after his performance last night, but I’d think that the coaches understand that Moon is their best option for a player that best suits the SF position.
Jenn: D.J. White. It’s still unclear what kind of a contribution Moon can make for the team and Thomas is far too inconsistent. White, on the other hand, is a steady force, with a PER of 12.72 (hoopdata.com).
Mathew: Tyrus Thomas. Thomas may have played his best game of the season last night, so if I’m Coach Silas I’m giving him the opportunity to build on that. You’d also like to see how a guy like Thomas competes with all that’s on the line tonight.
3- This will be the Bobcats first nationally televised game of the season that isn’t aired to a limited audience (like NBAtv). It’s ironic that it’s also the one Charlotte game of the season that may draw national attention due to the fact that the Bobcats are trying to avoid NBA history. The only shot Charlotte seems to have lies in the hands of Mike Woodson and how much he decides to rest his starters. Pick it, Bobcats or Knicks?
Spencer: Bobcats. Laugh all you want, but I refuse to accept that this team is the worst team in NBA history until evidence actually is provided in numbers. Until the buzzer sounds tonight and the Bobcats officially have the worst winning percentage in NBA history, I’m going to pretend like they’re winning this one. Mike Woodson, please don’t play any starters. Thanks.
Jenn: Bobcats. Wouldn’t it be bittersweet to see the Cats pull out a win tonight? A competitive game last night against the Magic gives a semblance of hope that Charlotte could get the W. The Knicks might not mind losing this game either if it means they don’t have to face the Heat.
Mathew: Knicks. I really want to pick the Bobcats, but I’ll have to side with my head over my heart. I think the effort will be there given the national stage and the aforementioned potential be labeled the League’s all-time worst team; however, with the loss of Brown an already thin Bobcats roster is now anorexic (if it wasn’t already). The Knicks win the finale tonight in Charlotte.
By Spencer
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Derrick Brown, F 28 MIN | 6-11 FG | 4-4 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 16 PTS | -6
Brown played a solid game tonight and was active everywhere on the floor, but it all ended in a disappointing fashion. Brown came down on his left ankle late in the 4th quarter and had to be helped to the locker room by his teammates. No official report on the injury as of yet, but it looked like it’s a bad sprain at the very least.
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Byron Mullens, C 25 MIN | 4-11 FG | 2-4 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 11 PTS | -11
Couldn’t get it going tonight from the field, but he wasn’t hesitating to fire away when he caught the ball as he had been as of late. 1 rebound is inexcusable in 25 minutes.
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Bismack Biyombo, C 30 MIN | 2-3 FG | 1-2 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 5 PTS | -1
Biz was aggressive on the glass tonight. I also thought about something that I’ve failed to mention all season long, but if he had better hands he’d get 12+ boards a night, easily. I can’t tell you how many balls he gets his hands on coming off the rim, but just can’t corral them in. He played within himself tonight and I also thought he did a good job being in position defensively, consistently. Though, that is one of his strengths at this point in his progression as a rookie.
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Gerald Henderson, G 40 MIN | 5-9 FG | 7-7 FT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 17 PTS | +7
The Magic keyed in on Hendo tonight and he didn’t get many open looks at all, but I think it’s fair to say he made the most of it. Augustin took some of the offensive load off his shoulders as well. Overall, very good intensity and effort tonight.
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D.J. Augustin, PG 37 MIN | 8-17 FG | 5-5 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 23 PTS | -6
Really great to see Augustin have a performance like this. The offense was certainly playing through him tonight and when Kemba was on the floor at the same time as D.J. it opened up the floor in order for him to get open shots. I still think the Augustin/Kemba lineup could be successful, but you need a true inside threat to be able to throw the ball into.
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Matt Carroll, SG 6 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 3 PTS | -7
Was just happy to see Carroll knock down a 3-ball tonight. I know it probably felt like a 1000 lb. weight was lifted off his shoulders. The shot he hit was an extremely important one to keep the Bobcats close in the 4th quarter out of a timeout.
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Tyrus Thomas, PF 23 MIN | 2-4 FG | 9-10 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 13 PTS | +4
Boy, I was very impressed by TT’s performance tonight. He looked very under control and when he drove towards the rim it didn’t look like that guy that you play pickup basketball with and yell ‘slow down, slow down’ every time he puts the ball on the floor. And to be clear, that’s exactly what Tyrus has looked like most of the season. I’m certainly not ready to come off my Amnesty stoop about this guy, because I truly believe it’s the right move for Charlotte long term. That being said, you have to applaud his effort and performance tonight after the season he’s endured.
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Kemba Walker, PG 30 MIN | 2-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 9 REB | 5 AST | 4 PTS | 0
Kemba always has that hustle stat (9 REB) in his stat line that saves him from an F, but it was very discouraging to see how uncomfortable he was on the offensive end tonight. Kemba is shooting 30.2% from the field and 10.5% from behind the arc is his past 5 games.
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Three Things We Saw
- EFFORT. Maybe this team did come into tonight with some pride after their owner and franchise were ripped throughout the national media due to Larry Brown’s comments on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ this morning.
- ONE MORE CHANCE. The Bobcats will face the Knicks tomorrow in Charlotte and there is plenty at stake for both teams. If New York wins they will clinch the 7th seed in the eastern conference playoffs and face Miami in the first round. If somehow the Bobcats were to upset New York then they would avert finishing the regular season with the worst winning percentage of all time and put the Knicks in jeopardy of falling into the 8th seed. In order for New York to fall to the 8 seed, Philadelphia will have to win in Detroit tomorrow night to go along with a Knicks loss.
- Derrick Brown is surely not going to play tomorrow and I’d expect Tyrus Thomas to replace him in the starting lineup.
By Spencer
 The news surrounding this Bobcats team today had less to do with the on-court issues and more to do with a disgruntled ex-head coach. Larry Brown came on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ this morning and expressed his feeling towards Jordan and the Bobcats front office by describing that it makes him “sick”.
Shortly after Brown came out with his comments, Jordan did an interview with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer to defend himself, his front office and the decisions for the franchise. Here’s the link to that interview (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/04/25/3198262/michael-jordan-defends-bobcats.html) where Jordan consistently insist that his front office staff is not full of ‘yes men’, or only people who are afraid to tell him what they believe is right for the team.
Now, that’s just a short synopsis of the morning and what unveiled itself after Larry Brown fired the first shots on radio. You would certainly hope that this group of players in the Charlotte locker room could take some pride from all of this and leave it all on the floor for their team, owner and franchise that has taken an absolute beating by the national media today and in the previous weeks. Something in my brain also makes me think otherwise, though.
The Bobcats will get an Orlando team tonight that is currently on a 3-game losing streak. The Bobcats also defeated the Magic at home earlier in the season 100-84. Dwight Howard is now out for the season and Orlando has many question marks of their own to answer. The Magic only need to win one of their final two games in order to lock themselves into the number three seed in the eastern conference and avoid a matchup with Miami in the first round. I would dare to say they’ve got tonight’s game circled as one they should come away with as winners.
Brett Hainline, Mathew Lewis, Jenn Kimbal & guest Eddy Rivera from ‘Magic Basketball’ take on some questions, 3-on-3 style, leading up to tonight’s matchup.
1- MATCHUP. Paul Silas has vowed that he’d play Biyombo against more PF’s as the season winds down, but when considering the style of game that Ryan Anderson has, stretching defenders far away from the basket, is it likely Silas will look to a quicker rotation player to draw the assignment?
Brett Hainline: I’d prefer for him to challenge Bismack by having him defend against Anderson – it certainly seems preferable to Mullens attempting to check him on the perimeter (and losing sight of him for easy baskets).
Mathew Lewis: Yes. Coach Silas may very well want to expose Biyombo to more PF”s, but I doubt he goes that waytonight in the matchup against Anderson. Sure, Anderson plays PF for the Magic and rebounds relatively well, but his game is based predominately outside. I don’t know if it’s ever going to be advantageous strategically for the Bobcats to be play a great shot blocker such as Biyombo away from the basket.
Jenn Kimbal: As the season rapidly winds down, it is more important to give Biyombo experience playing against someone like Anderson than to worry about creating an ideal matchup at the PF position. Further, there’s not a great option behind Biyombo to take on this challenge.
2- OPINION. The Dwight Howard saga has taken a tole on everyone associated with the Magic organization and I feel as if I’ve heard every opinion there is to hear, but in the absence of Howard Glen Davis has been huge for Orlando. ‘Big Baby’ has averaged 33.5 MPG, 17.7 PPG & 9.5 RPG in the eleven games in the month of April. Should Davis be a starting PF in this league?
Brett: I remember hoping that Davis would fall to the Bobcats in the second round the year he came out, but instead CLT wound up with Jermareo Davidson as Davis went a pick ahead. And I’d still take him on the Bobcats. But I don’t see him as a full-time starter (well, he would be on CLT, but that’s different). This has been a nice run for Davis offensively, but he is still a bit lacking defensively and think he’d be better as the first big off the bench.
Eddy Rivera (Magic Basketball): No. Davis is better served as a starting center, though that comes with one major drawback defensively — his height. The Magic are experiencing those pains all too well right now. Even though Davis is best utilized at the center position, his inability to protect the rim (due to his height and limited athleticism) really puts Orlando’s defense in a bind.
Mathew: No. At least not on a competitor. Davis is not a strong defender, though he does have skills on the offensive end that make you consider his value. I see Davis’ best use as an off the bench guy who can score 8-12 points and give you some energy, much in the way the Celtics utilized him over the past few years.
3- PICK IT. Orlando needs one win to clinch the 6th seed in the eastern conference playoffs while Charlotte needs one win to avoid being dubbed the worst team in NBA history.
Brett: Orlando. After the Bobcats’ last two games, pride does not seem to be enough motivation.
Mathew: Magic. If you really think the Bobcats are going to win then put your money where your mouth is. I haven’t checked the line but I believe you would be compensated mightily for such a bold pick.
Jenn: Sorry Cats, but I think the Magic want and need this one more. Even if the Bobcats do pull out a win, that doesn’t take them out of the qualitative discussion of the worst team in NBA history.
By Spencer
 “You know I love the guy, think he’s brilliant, but he’s around people who don’t have a clue. And they won’t challenge him. And the more you challenge him, the more you get from him,” commented Larry Brown to the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ about Michael Jordan and the struggle this franchise is suffering.
Brown certainly didn’t hesitate or hold back in his interview with Dan Patrick. In fact, Brown hasn’t held back with hardly any of his opinions since his search to re-enter coaching (now hired by SMU). Brown also has been quoted saying that he believes whatever team lands Anthony Davis in the June draft will “win 50 games next season.”
Brown went on to tell the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ much more about what he believes the problem is in Charlotte. Larry Brown was fired by Jordan and the Bobcats in December 2010, after a slow start to the season.
“It’s one thing for me to get fired, but I have four or five assistants and they’re out there not able to work,” added Brown. “And when your hero fires you…I just couldn’t believe it.”
Brown acknowledged the fact that Jordan probably takes the brunt of all the criticism too much, at times, and that he knows the game as well as anyone. Brown, again cited the other problems he believes exist within the Bobcats front office.
“When I was able to visit with him (Jordan) and pick his brain, he knows, but he’s got people around him that make you sick,” said Brown.
Without diving too much into speculation of who Brown could be talking about, it only makes sense to think about the current President of Basketball Operations and former General Manager in Charlotte, Rod Higgins. Higgins has also been a target for much of the criticism with Charlotte throughout the league.
“He (Jordan) has all these other people that will get in the way and you can’t do it like that,” added Brown about Jordan and his front office staff.
Make what you will of Brown’s comments, but for a guy that is as well respected as he is among the league as a coach, it’s certainly bothersome. To me, it’s not surprising at all that Brown is being critical of the people around Jordan (likely- Rod Higgins) because that’s always been a rumor. The rumblings about people in the Charlotte front office making many of the decisions, not being Jordan, that have led to this embarrassment isn’t new news.
With all this said, Bobcats fans and people that want to be critical of Charlotte must also realize that one of the hopeful solutions to this problem was the hiring of Rich Cho. From everything that I’ve been able to gather about what Cho is in Charlotte to do, it’s to make the majority of the personnel decisions and put this franchise back on track. Evidence- Bobcats trading on draft day to get Bismack Biyombo and ultimately two lottery picks. Blowing up and building through the draft with youth. That’s the plan, and it’s a Cho plan. The same way he helped resurrect the Oklahoma City franchise.
So again, make what you will of Brown’s comments, but also understand that there is at least a direction under Cho. Can’t say the same about the days that Larry Brown is citing.
By Spencer
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Derrick Brown, F 26 MIN | 4-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 8 PTS | -5
Midway through the 1st quarter Brown was 4-5 from the field for 8 points. Then, he ran and hid.
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Byron Mullens, C 28 MIN | 3-7 FG | 3-3 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | +1
You know, Mullens did show more effort and understanding on the defensive end than I’ve seen from him in awhile. There, somehow I was able to force a positive out.
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Bismack Biyombo, C 30 MIN | 1-4 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | -11
Don’t know what’s happened to Biz. Offensively, he resembles George Muresan and defensively Nene just made him look silly in every aspect of the game. Looked identical to what Biz experienced against Cousins last night.
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Gerald Henderson, G 32 MIN | 5-12 FG | 9-11 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 19 PTS | -12
11 FTA is awesome. Hendo knows that if he doesn’t get attempts around the rim, nobody else on this team is going to and the Bobcats probably don’t get to 60 on a nightly basis. The 4 turnovers isn’t very attractive, but when you’ve got the ball in your hands as much as Hendo does and are forced into trying to bail your team out, I understand.
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D.J. Augustin, PG 30 MIN | 4-13 FG | 4-5 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 15 PTS | -9
Augustin had the stroke from outside tonight and understands the concept of stopping the ball in the open floor. Problem is, Wall is probably the quickest PG in the league and anyone has a tough time staying in front of him. Kind of hope Augustin is back in Charlotte next season for the right price considering how badly Kemba is struggling, but I’m still a believer that some team will overpay for his services.
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Tyrus Thomas, PF 3 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS | -10
Didn’t believe that the Tyrus elbow was worthy of a flagrant 2 ejection, but, nonetheless, AMNESTY.
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Kemba Walker, PG 14 MIN | 2-9 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS | -11
@Truth_About_It Kemba Walker dribbles like it’s chicken soup for his Bobcat soul.
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One Thing We Saw
- Same stuff. Another team shoots above 50% from the field. Yet again, Bobcats give up 50+ points in the paint. Bobcats turn the ball over 20+ times. Bobcats are doubled up in fast break points. Bobcats are out-rebounded. The list goes on. To summarize the long list- Another EPIC FAIL.
By Spencer
 Kyle Weidie, from ESPN TrueHoop Network’s ‘Truth About It’ blog stops by and we discuss some of the debate surroundings these two teams and also try to nail down how the final game of this season series will play out tonight in Washington.
Not that I had any hope for Charlotte tonight, but when I started crunching some Wizards numbers I was surprised to run across these front line statistics for Washington. The Wizards now have Nene healthy and will likely have him in the lineup for the rest of the season. In the 8 games that Nene has played since coming over from Denver in the JaVale McGee, Nick Young 3-team trade, he’s averaged 14.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG. On the other side of Washington’s front line, Kevin Seraphin is putting up the best numbers of his career is his past 10 games- 16.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG. Yep, you’re probably thinking what I am. A whole bunch of points in the paint for the Wizards and another long night for Biyombo and Mullens on the defensive end.
Kyle and I waited around in the gym for enough bodies for 3-on-3, but then just settled for a friendly one-on-one matchup to try and figure out Bobcats-Wizards.
1- Who would you rather have moving forward: Jordan Crawford or Gerald Henderson?
Kyle Weidie (Truth About It)- If we’re strictly throwing our hat in the ring for non-Duke basketball players who dunked on LeBron James in a ‘confiscate that tape’ kind of way before entering the NBA, Jordan Crawford it is. Basketball-speaking, I still take Crawford. While Henderson has the edge on eFG% in this his third season over Crawford in his second (46.5% to 44.9%), I opt for Crawford’s ability to pass — his Assist Percentage is 19.1 compared to Henderson’s 12.9. Plus, I think Crawford is the better driver and 3-point shooter (29.5% for Crawford from deep, 23.9% for Henderson). Henderson might have the longer NBA career, but J-Craw, partially due to his swagger, has a higher ceiling.
Spencer Percy: I’m taking Henderson. I like the way that Crawford can score, but let’s be serious, a guy that is as self-consumed as Crawford and literally only worries about ‘getting his’ doesn’t have an extremely high ceiling. At least that’s the way I view it. I like Henderson a lot as a long-term, on the ball defender in this league and Hendo has just begun to scratch the surface of what he’s capable of on the offensive end with his slight emergence this season. Jordan Crawford’s ceiling is Jamal Crawford, to me, while I see Hendo’s potential compared to a Grant Hill type of game.
2- Javale McGee, Nick Young and Andray Blatche are no more in Washington and the Wizards have looked like a new an improved team as the season winds down. Does the departure of these players have the major hand in Washington’s improvement, or is their something larger at work in their transformation?
Kyle: Nope, it’s pretty much completely the departure of those players. Well, a big hand was replacing them with an unselfish center like Nene, along with guys like Cartier Martin, Roger Mason and Mo Evans — smart, unselfish players filing in for Nick Young’s lost time. The fact that Andray Blatche missed the entire month of February with a sudden calf injury only to come back for nine piss-pore games before being pronounced out for the rest of the season due to “conditioning” (essentially… a time period was never given, but he will end up missing the final 22 games), says all you need to know about how much team management wanted Blatche away from the other players. Now, without those three knuckleheads, the franchise can finally move on to this rebuilding project they keep mentioning.
Spencer: I agree with Kyle here, somewhat. The Wizards had been built with numerous self-consuming personalities in the past few years and this season management finally sought their opportunity to undo some of that. The success they’re seeing on the court now seems like a move in the right direction, but I’m still a little bit skeptical about getting rid of a young player such as McGee. His selfishness could’ve been as much a product of the coaching environment in Washington as it was him and I say this because he’ll likely flourish under George Karl in Denver now. In exchange for him the Wizards got a great player in Nene, but also own him $63 million over the 5-years and his value decreases every year.
3- Washington, like Sacramento ranks in the top third of the league in the PACE category. The Kings had their way with easy, transition baskets last night. Wizards on the verge of expericing the same success tonight and getting an easy victory?
Kyle: The Wizards have won three in a row for the first time all season, beating Chicago on the road, Milwaukee at home, and the Heat in Miami last Saturday. Sure, those games were without Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, but still… Pace or not, the Wizards have been playing more together lately, and with Nene back over the last two games after missing 10 in a row, Washington has two very solid post scoring threats in the Brazilian and Kevin Seraphin. There’s no way Charlotte can compete tonight with BJ Mullens and Bismack Biyombo going against what the Wizards have to offer.
Spencer: If nothing else, I would just like to see the Bobcats play some spirited defense and take some pride at not getting beat back down the floor consistently. Trust me, I have no hope Charlotte can win this game tonight, just want to see a good effort.
By Spencer
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Derrick Brown, F 25 MIN | 5-8 FG | 3-4 FT | 7 REB | 3 AST | 13 PTS | -20
Brown is trying to attack the rim, but again, he’s got to develop some crisper footwork/moves to hang his hat on. Defensively, he looked just about like every other Bobcat on the floor. Bad.
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Byron Mullens, C 30 MIN | 6-11 FG | 1-2 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 13 PTS | -17
Don’t get me started defensively. Mullens made Jason Thompson look like an all-star. Mullens was again active on the glass with 6 rebounds at half, but faded late.
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Bismack Biyombo, C 35 MIN | 4-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 8 PTS | -28
Biyombo was doing his best to be extra physical with Cousins, but he also learned that won’t work against guys who have evolved their offensive game far beyond the post. Cousins received the ball away from the basket numerous times and just went right around Biyombo for layups. As scary as it sounds, it actually looks like Biz has degressed, as the season winds down, with his offensive post growth.
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Gerald Henderson, G 27 MIN | 3-11 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | -19
Henderson didn’t come close to playing with the intensity he had in the game before against Memphis, which is quite disappointing considering this game was a great opportunity for Charlotte to end the losing streak. He turned it over 3 times last night, but Sacramento should be credited to sticking right him, hardly letting Hendo breathe. Hendo just looked like the confused/inconsistent guy that we had come accustomed to in mid-season.
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Kemba Walker, PG 33 MIN | 6-16 FG | 1-4 FT | 5 REB | 11 AST | 13 PTS | -18
Kemba was 6-11 finishing 2FGA and attacked the rim well at times, but he finished 0-5 from behind the arc. 11 assist looks nice, but I have trouble remembering half of them because of how painful this game was to watch. The debate about whether or not he’s a true PG hasn’t even come close to being settled this season, so Charlotte will move forward with Kemba being the plan at PG and attempt to put better players around him.
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Jamario Moon, SF 14 MIN | 3-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 7 PTS | -3
Hey, look who scored. Even hit a 3.
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Matt Carroll, SG 21 MIN | 1-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 3 PTS | -7
Carroll’s struggles shooting the ball are about as close to an anomaly as it gets. Carroll is a 41.3% shooter for his career, this season he’s 33.6%. He’s a 38.4% 3FG shooter for his career and this season he’s 17.5%.
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Tyrus Thomas, PF 12 MIN | 5-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 10 PTS | +4
AMNESTY. It’s as close to official as it can possibly be. Thomas threw a pass that would have decapitated Matt Carroll tonight if it had met his head and also tossed one into the fourth row. I feel embarrassed for Tyrus at times.
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One Thing We Saw
- Preclusion. The Bobcats made it impossible to convince anyone, including themselves, they have a chance to even compete in any of their remaining three games. All in advance with the loss tonight. Go ahead and sketch the 2011-2012 Charlotte Bobcats in the record books as the worst team to ever play in the NBA.
By Spencer
As the dark depths of the NBA record books stare Charlotte down directly in the face, the Bobcats have reached what could quite possibly be their last chance to avert being the worst of all-time. Sacramento travels east tonight and the road hasn’t been kind to the Kings this season. Sacramento is 5-26 on the road this season, ahead of only the Bobcats.
The Kings come into tonight ranked only in front of Charlotte for defensive efficiency. The Kings allow 107.1 points/100 possessions while the Bobcats allow 107.6. Needless to say, open looks and high percentage opportunities around the basket should come in mass quantities for both squads in this game. Where the Bobcats will really have their hands full is in trying to slow Sacramento down. The Kings lead the league in the PACE category and use 97.3 possessions/game.
D.J. Augustin will likely be OUT again tonight for the Bobcats, but both Tyrus Thomas and Gana Diop participated at shoot around this morning and should both see the floor tonight. Charlotte will also get Reggie Williams back from his concussion tonight and this should limit Matt Carroll’s minutes.
Jonathan Santiago, from ESPN TrueHoop network’s ‘Cowbell Kingdom’ blog stops by to help us tackle some of the questions leading up to the game.
1- Sacramento leads the league in the PACE category (97.3 possessions/game). How can the Bobcats counter the Kings ability to get out into the open floor?
Jonathan Santiago (Cowbell Kingdom): Take care of the ball and limit turnovers. Head Coach Keith Smart likes to track deflections. If the Kings are disrupting passing lanes, they’re likely forcing turnovers that allow them to get in transition. The Bobcats have a shot at slowing the Kings down if they force Sacramento to beat them in the half court.
Spencer Percy: Definitely limit the turnovers, for starters. Charlotte still has to be aggressive on the offensive glass because of the fact that they’re one of the worst rebounding teams in the league and need all the second chances they can get. The Bobcats will also have to be patient in the half court, run their sets and try their best to get high quality looks around the basket in an attempt to avoid bad jumpers that lead to long, run-out rebounds. If their is a night I’d really like to see the ball entered into the post every time down the floor it’s tonight. Hendo will also need to be extra aggressive going to the rim.
Mathew Lewis: Forget crashing the offensive boards. In addition to limiting turnovers (as Jonathan pointed out), the Bobcats should concentrate on getting back on defense instead of challenging Sacramento for offensive rebounds. Charlotte is a poor rebounding team, so it makes sense to pass on the handful of potential second shot opportunities they would otherwise gain in exchange for getting back on defense and limiting the Kings’ transition buckets.
2- Who would you rather have moving forward with a franchise. Jimmer Fredette or Kemba Walker?
Jonathan: I haven’t gotten a chance to watch much of Kemba this year, but I did like that he spent some time after his pre-draft workout in Sacramento speaking with legendary coach Pete Carril. That shows me that he’s willing to listen and soak up as much wisdom he can in order to become a good player. I think Jimmer is going to succeed too, but I don’t know if that happens in Sacramento. They’ve got a glut of talent at the guard position and Jimmer may wind up the odd man out. At this point, I think it’s more likely that Kemba is a Bobcat longer than Jimmer is a King.
Spencer: Kemba. There are two reasons I say that. Jimmer has been beaten out for the PG position in Sacramento by 2nd round pick Isaiah Thomas and I’m less convinced Fredette will be a PG in this league than I am of Kemba. In Charlotte, it’s likely going to be Kemba’s show moving forward as I’m a believer that Augustin is on his way out of town after this season- he’ll be a restricted FA.
Mathew: The Jimmer. I have an unhealthy love for Jimmer so I’m probably the wrong person to answer this question. I believe both will have productive NBA careers, though in my opinion Kemba faces more hurdles given his size and lack of pure PG skills. Jimmer struggles on the defensive end, but has a knock down jumper and the ability to create his own shot. I like Kemba’s upside, but I’ll almost always side with a player that has a sure fire NBA skill. Jimmer’s ability to shoot the ball is just that.
3- This is the Bobcats last game that they have a realistic shot at winning, so take your pick. Does Charlotte avoid the worst winning percentage of all-time with a win tonight or do the Kings further cement the Bobacts fate of the worst ever?
Jonathan: I think the Kings come away with a win. Like Charlotte, this could be the last game Sacramento wins the rest of the season (their last two games are against the Lakers and Thunder). The Kings are a much more talented team than the Bobcats and that alone should be enough to cement a victory.
Spencer: I consider myself to be an optimistic person and although I know there isn’t anything left to be optimistic about with this team, I’m going with Charlotte. Solely because I don’t want this team to be remembered as the worst. I don’t have any good reason for you that the Bobcats will win tonight other than there is that slight ray of hope.
Mathew: Kings. Despite all of Sacramento’s shortcomings, they simply have much more talent than the Bobcats. Demarcus Cousins could go off for 40 and 20, while the Bobcats will struggle to score points just like every other night. I’m afraid I don’t think this one will even be close.
By Spencer
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Derrick Brown, F 39 MIN | 5-15 FG | 1-1 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 11 PTS | +2
Had bright moments tonight and had bad moments. Brown has been forced to be an important part of the offense with all the injuries this team has suffered and the bottom line is that this guy is still trying to figure out his game on the offensive end of the floor. I like the fact that he’s attacking the basket as much as he can and the only way he knows how, but he’s got to have some go to moves.
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Byron Mullens, C 40 MIN | 4-13 FG | 3-4 FT | 11 REB | 2 AST | 11 PTS | -2
Very aggressive on the glass early on. Mullens had 8 rebounds after the 1st quarter, but just couldn’t keep pounding in the paint. Another struggle from the field and especially with the jumper. The positive in what his struggles consist of is in the fact the he’s trying to cut out all the long jumpers from his game and develop more of a post game, but it’s certainly going to be a long, painful process. Again, this kid shows spurts of high potential, but continues to be extremely inconsistent.
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Bismack Biyombo, C 41 MIN | 3-4 FG | 1-4 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 7 PTS | 0
Biz was energetic for all 41 minutes that he played tonight and that’s just about all you can ask from a 19-year old. The staple of the game for Biyombo was getting in Rudy Gay’s face when things got testy in the 4th quarter. If your reading this and haven’t listened to me about Biyombo before, I can promise you that he’s got as much, if not more, heart as anyone in this league, wants to be a team guy and goes through his progression as a player in all the right ways.
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Gerald Henderson, G 40 MIN | 12-24 FG | 6-6 FT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 32 PTS | 0
Hendo made it clear that he really doesn’t want to be associated with the worst team in NBA history with his performance tonight. Above all else, Hendo seems like he’s becoming more comfortable with the 3-point shot. That’s encouraging for one reason- it’s the one aspect of his offensive game that needs improvement in order for him to become a consistent 15 point/game type of player in this league.
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Kemba Walker, PG 36 MIN | 5-15 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 5 AST | 11 PTS | +1
7 turnovers tonight. Growing pains. I don’t know how else to say it. Kemba has got more expectations than any other rookie on this team because of the fact that he’s a PG and expected the be the guy directing traffic on the offensive end. I’m definitely not sold on whether or not he’s going to end up being a good PG in this league, but he’s a fierce competitor and that trait always has a place on the basketball court.
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Jamario Moon, SF 9 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | -7
Still hasn’t scored in a Bobcats uniform…
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Three Things We Saw
- Competitive. The Bobcats played like the game meant something to them tonight. In the 1st quarter when guys were crashing the offensive glass like their lives were on the line explained it all. No, Memphis didn’t play very hard early on tonight, but don’t take the effort away from Charlotte.
- Turnovers. Bryan Wendland pointed it out in the game preview. The Bobcats turned the ball over 22 times and it led to 27 Memphis points. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, turned it over 19 times, but it only led to 13 Bobcats points.
- One more opportunity to avoid being the worst of all time. On Sunday night the Bobcats will face a Sacramento, which will likely be their last winnable contest. Charlotte finishes the season @ Washington, @ Orlando and vs New York.
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