By Spencer
In the absence of Ramon Sessions, who is expected to be out 2-4 weeks, and in an effort to maintain Kemba Walker’s minutes, the Bobcats have decided they will sign journeyman Jannero Pargo to a 10-day contract.
Pargo has been with Washington and Atlanta already this season and 7 teams, total, over his 8-year career in the NBA. Pargo is currently 33 years old. This signing is further evidence that Ramon Sessions may be done for the year with a sprained MCL. Charlotte has Sessions under contract for one more season, so there really is no sense in rushing him back this season and risking further injury.
Pargo will likely eat into the minutes that Reggie Williams has seen at the PG position since Sessions injury. Williams has looked decent in Sessions absence at the PG slot, but his below average work ethic is likely what has earned him a spot on the end of Dunlap’s bench for most of the season. Considering the fact that Williams contract is expiring at the end of the season and Dunlap would rather not play him at PG if he doesn’t have to, the idea of bringing in an experienced PG to fill the backup spot and see if he’s worthy of a training camp invite next year probably isn’t a bad idea.
Jannero Pargo is 38.8% from the field for his career and 35% from behind the arc. Pargo averaged 5 points and 2.7 assist in 7 games with Atlanta, his most recent stop, earlier this season.
By Brett
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Josh McRoberts, PF 31 MIN | 5-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 10 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 13 PTS | +21
McRoberts provided a strong presence on the glass and a bit of unexpected offense, chipping in 13 points on just 6 attempts. Great possession in the 4th: McRoberts grabbed an offensive rebound to reset the shot clock, then attacked the glass again on the Bobcats’ next attempt, forcing Boston to bobble the rebound out of bounds. The Bobcats wound up not scoring on the possession – but it wasted a chunk of clock and was emblematic of the Bobcats’ energy throughout the game.
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 32 MIN | 4-8 FG | 1-4 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | +12
Good, but not great game for MKG. Love the rebounds and the blocks – wouldn’t mind a couple more attempts from the field and a couple of more makes at the charity stripe. But still – good energy and effort.
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Kemba Walker, PG 34 MIN | 4-11 FG | 2-4 FT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 10 PTS | +16
Kind of like MKG, decent game for Kemba, without being dominant offensively. Kemba shot poorly from the field, but turned in a balanced score sheet with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.
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Gerald Henderson, SG 37 MIN | 11-19 FG | 12-12 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 5 TO | 35 PTS | +17
Gerald Jr. gets an A+ in setting his career high with 35 points. Henderson was in the paint all game, attacking the Celtics’ lack of shot blockers and getting to the line.
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Jeff Adrien, SF 13 MIN | 3-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 8 PTS | +13
Though the bulk of Adrien’s stats were compiled once the game was in hand – he gets the A for his follow dunk in the closing minutes of the game. If someone would turn that into a gif, I’d greatly appreciate it.
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Byron Mullens, C 11 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | 0
Byron played limited minutes before leaving with a lower back strain. Considering Byron has also been nursing an issue with his knee, the Bobcats may not see much of him before the end of the season.
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Ben Gordon, SG 22 MIN | 5-13 FG | 4-4 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 17 PTS | +20
A couple of forced shots – wait, we’re talking about Ben Gordon. Of course there were a couple of questionable attempts. But between making a few threes and getting 4 at the stripe, Ben had an efficient scoring night and that’s what he’s out there for.
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Three Things We Saw
- Wow – I didn’t see that coming. Great job by the Bobcats in controlling this game, particularly the second half. Charlotte was active on the glass and on defense, getting their hands on passes and making life difficult for the Celtics (it fields pretty strange to type that).
- McRoberts’ strong game tonight gives the Bobcats some reason for optimism if Mullens does have to miss time. While Mullens struggles on defense and his offense is hit or miss – the Bobcats don’t have much depth in the post, so if McBob can provide solid rebounding and a few baskets a night, it would be a big help.
- Reggie Williams looked all right running the point in limited minutes tonight, creating a few open looks for teammates. While not overly quick, Reggie did a good job using his crossover and screens to get past his man and then finding an open teammate. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up that mindset while Sessions is out.
By Spencer
Who: Charlotte Bobcats vs Boston Celtics
What: NBA Basketball – Bobcats Home Game
When: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Charlotte |
13-50 |
97.2 (29) |
109.3 (30) |
94.3 (14) |
| Boston |
34-28 |
100.2 (22) |
99.2 (5) |
93.7 (19) |
Previous Meetings:
2013/01/14 – 89-100 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Charlotte: Ramon Sessions (OUT)
Boston: Rajon Rondo (OUT), Jared Sullinger (OUT)
Starting Lineups
 1- STATS: Generally, the Bobcats play better against teams that slow down the PACE like Boston. The Celtics are 19th in PACE (93.7) and just 22nd in Offensive Efficiency (100.2). Is Kemba due for a big game against a Celtics team will attempt to corral him in the half court?
Spencer: Avery Bradley has done wonders for the Celtics defensive since the Rondo injury, so my inclination is to say no. That being said, I do believe the Cats’ can get out in transition and generate some easy offense against Boston- it’s the strategy you must have against a stingy half court defense when you have a speedy PG like Kemba. Easiest way to beat a good half court defense is to not allow them to get set. Kemba isn’t shy to the idea of pushing the tempo and I believe that’ll be his main priority tonight. I’m going out on a limb and declaring that Kemba will get the better of Bradley tonight, posting a 20 point & 8 assist performance.
Greg: It probably depends on where his shots come from: if he’s taking it to the rack as opposed to settling for jumpers, he should do fine. Boston allows the lowest FG% in the league on mid-range shots, at 35.5%, but on shots in the restricted area, they’re around the middle of the pack. That’s likely where Kemba will need to focus if he wants to have the biggest impact.
Mathew: No. Two words. Avery Bradley. Since Rajon Rondo went down with his season-ending injury the Celtics have posted a 14-5 record. Much of their success has been due to defensive improvements, which Avery Bradley has contributed to significantly. Kemba may find it difficult to get into the lane tonight, which could in turn result in an ugly offensive performance for the Bobcats.
2- MISSING SESSIONS: In two games against Boston this season, one of which Ramon won with a jumper in the final seconds, he averaged 17.5 PPG on 50% from the field. How much will his absence be felt tonight?
Spencer: Ramon was good to have against the Celtics in the half court because of the fact that he was so willing to just put his head down and sprint at the rim, looking to draw contact. On the season Sessions has averaged 5.7 FTA/game, but in two games against Boston he was averaging 7 FTA/game. Executing offensively in the half court is going to be tougher against a defense like Boston without Sessions, for sure.
Greg: Ramon’s ability to draw fouls is useful against slow-paced, defense-focused teams, so they’ll definitely miss him in Boston. The team had 30 free throw attempts in their win against the Celtics, and eight of those came from Ramon. They’ll need agressive inside play from their guards if they hope to make up his production.
Mathew: Largely. Ramon is arguably the best offensive player on the Bobcats so his absence is certainly going to be felt. Ben Gordon will continue to attempt and fill the void but we all know how well that has gone this season. Get well soon, Ramon.
3- PICK IT: Celtics or Bobcats? History tells us this is a winnable game, as Charlotte has already defeated Boston once this season in the ‘Cable Box’.
Spencer: Celtics. Boston is now rolling without Rondo in the lineup and Doc Rivers seems to believe it’s because they are sharing the ball so much more. The Bobcats are a lost club. At this point in the season and Coach Dunlap still has no idea about his rotation- that’s a bad sign. 100-85 Celtics.
Greg: Celtics. As encouraging as that last win was, it featured Byron Mullens going off for 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting and grabbing 18 rebounds. They’ll be lucky if their entire frontcourt combines for that kind of production tonight.
Mathew: Celtics. The Bobcats are amidst a 10-game slide in which they’ve been outscored by a combined 215 points. Not good. The team historically gets up for big games at home but I’m going to side with recent events over past performance. We just witnessed what OKC did to the Bobcats at home this past Friday night.
By Greg
The week in brief:
Five blowouts in a seven-day period probably add up to the worst week in Bobcats history.
Sunday, March 3: Charlotte Bobcats 83, Sacramento Kings 119
This one set the template for the games to follow this week. Charlotte was competitive in the first quarter, and their play looked encouraging: Byron Mullens’ hit a few jumpers, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was aggressive, ball movement was crisp. But things soured quickly, as they were outscored by 38 points over the second and third quarters. The major culprits were the defense and rebounding; they lost the rebounding battle, 60-31, while only grabbing four offensive boards to Sacramento’s 18.
Monday, March 4: Charlotte Bobcats 105, Portland Trail Blazers 122
A sign of how bad the week was: this was Charlotte’s most competitive loss, a 17-point blowout. This game kicked off the other trend of the week, Byron Mullens’ vanishing minutes. After tweaking his knee, Mullens only played for three minutes and didn’t record a single stat. Despite giving more minutes to Gana Diop, Jeff Adrien and Josh McRoberts, the defense didn’t see an uptick. The Trail Blazers still shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range.
Wednesday, March 6: Brooklyn Nets 99, Charlotte Bobcats 78
A relatively competitive first half was squandered by an abysmal nine-point third quarter. Looking at the stats, it’s hard to see how this game was ever close at all: the Bobcats shot under 40 percent, and grabbed only 29 rebounds. The only real bright spot was the Nets’ 24 turnovers. MKG also had a solid game, with 17 points on 8-0f-13 shooting.
Friday, March 8: Oklahoma City Thunder 116, Charlotte Bobcats 94
OKC shot 57 percent from the floor. It’s hard to win when that happens.
Saturday, March 9: Charlotte Bobcats 87, Washington Wizards 104
Dunlap threw a little bit of a curveball in this one, starting Josh McRoberts and bringing Byron Mullens off the bench. It didn’t change much. Kemba Walker had 29 points, but the Bobcats let another team shoot over 50 percent from the floor.
Links of note:
— Ramon Sessions sprained the MCL in his left knee and will miss between 2-4 weeks. The Bobcats will definitely miss him, especially his scoring, but it’ll be interesting to see how the team adjusts its lineups with less of a logjam at the guard position. Early returns are not very promising.
In the meantime, signing a D-League point guard to a ten-day contract might be a good idea. Kemba Walker played 44 minutes in Saturday’s game against the Wizards, despite that game not being particularly competitive. That can’t go on very long.
— Rick Bonnell at The Charlotte Observer wrote about MKG’s path back from his concussion in February, and how its affected his game. Kidd-Gilchrist has had a bit of a bounce-back in March, shooting 50 percent in six games so far.
— Chad Ford’s Lottery Mock Draft has gone live, if you feel like scouting the upcoming draft and/or compulsively clicking buttons.
Final thought:
As disappointing as this week was, it really was a brutal bit of scheduling. Six games in eight nights, four of them on the road, will exhaust any team.
The Bobcats already have a razor-thin margin of error, and they rely on their youth and energy to even keep things close. When they don’t have that, you see the kind of discouraging play they had this week.
By Spencer
Who: Washington Wizards vs Charlotte Bobcats
What: NBA Basketball – Wizards Home Game
When: 8:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Verizon Center
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Washington |
19-41 |
95.8 (30) |
99.7(6) |
94.4 (13) |
| Charlotte |
13-49 |
97.3 (29) |
109.2 (30) |
94.3 (14) |
Previous Meetings:
2012/11/13 – 76-92 – Recap – Boxscore
2012/11/24 – 104-108 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Washington : Bradley Beal (Questionable)
Charlotte: Ramon Sessions (OUT)
Starting Lineups
1- STATS: Well, the Wizards are the only team in the league that is less efficient offensively than Charlotte. That stat is somewhat skewed due to the return if John Wall, but what is the factor that leads to these two teams struggling so much on the offensive end?
Spencer: For Charlotte it’s pretty simple — depending on guards to generate points far too often. That, in turn, will lead to a ton of contested jumpers and bad shots at the end of the shot clock. Teams number one priority when defending the Cats is to keep Kemba out of the lane and when they’re able to effectively do that, then Charlotte settles for jumpers. A lot. I’ll let Kyle explain Washington’s struggles.
Kyle Weidie (TruthAboutIt.net): Teams have learned that if they pack the paint against John Wall and double Nene (and effectively rotate on the shooters) then they can beat the Wizards. Sure, Wall is hitting more jumpers from the right elbow area lately, but his limited range well inside the 3-point line still doesn’t create enough space. With no Bradley Beal, who has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle, the Wizards really don’t have any other ball handlers who are a threat to score in a variety of ways. Martell Webster is the closest thing to that, but even he has his limitations. And touching upon Nene, he has been very turnover prone lately and needs to accept more responsibility for that and also take more of a leadership role on offense. Limitations in his game seen by George Karl in Denver are starting to arise in D.C.
2- OVER/UNDER: In two games against Washington this season Kemba is shooting just 26.7% from the floor. O/U 18 points on at least 45% shooting tonight?
Spencer: Under. The Wizards have been a good defensive team this season — Kemba’s struggles against this club aren’t just an outlier. Would like to see Kemba have a nice night, because he’s been inconsistent of late, but I have a feeling that John Wall is going to take his lunch tonight. Often.
Kyle: Under. I’m assuming that the lengthy Wizards perimeter defenders will be a little more motivated at home tonight after two straight losses and losing four out of the last five. But, making assumptions with these Wizards, especially when they’re playing the Bobcats, using leaves someone smelling like ass.
3- PICK IT: Cats or Wizards, and why?
Spencer: Wizards. Because I think they’re a much better basketball team. Well, who isn’t? 95-88 Wiz.
Kyle: Wizards 90-84. I doubt Bradley Beal will play, but I think Washington still takes care of business on their home floor, where they tend to play better against higher quality teams. So, with that in mind, you might think the Bobcats would have more than a puncher’s chance, but that chance is greatly diminished without Ramon Sessions, who’s normally a Wizards killer.
By Spencer
Who: Charlotte Bobcats vs Oklahoma City Thunder
What: NBA Basketball – Bobcats Home Game
When: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Charlotte |
13-47 |
97.6 (29) |
109 (29) |
94.4 (13) |
| Oklahoma City |
45-16 |
113.0 (1) |
103.1 (8) |
93.7 (8) |
Previous Meetings:
2012/11/26 – 114-69 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Charlotte: Ramon Sessions (Out)
Starting Lineups
|
Bobcats |
Thunder |
| PG |
Kemba Walker |
Russell Westbrook |
| SG |
Gerald Henderson |
Thabo Sefolosha |
| SF |
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist |
Kevin Durant |
| PF |
Byron Mullens |
Serge Ibaka |
| C |
Bismack Biyombo |
Kendrick Perkins |
| 6th Man |
Ben Gordon |
Kevin Martin |
1-STATS: Well, let’s make this simple. The Thunder are far and beyond superior to the Bobcats in every category. Is there any way that Charlotte can corral Oklahoma City’s explosive offensive arsenal of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant?
Spencer: I’m not sure that any team in this league can slow down Westbrook/Durant. That being said, I’d expect Taylor and Hendo to share time on the court tonight attempting to guard the duo. Charlotte has to be patient offensively and make it a priority to beat OKC down the floor defensively in an effort to keep this game at a slower pace. Good luck Bobcats.
Royce: You’ve really got two options: 1) Outscore them or 2) pray they have a terrible night. Because really, those two beat a lot of teams all on their own. I’m not sure there’s really a good gameplan for them at all because they’re both so dynamic and can score so many different ways.
Greg: Royce already said pray, so I’m not sure what else to put here. I’m hoping for big minutes from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist; I don’t know how effective he’ll be at defending Durant, but locking down the opponent’s best player is theoretically going to be his role for the next ten years. The team is going to lose anyway, so a sink-or-swim approach might be best here.
2- JEFF TAYLOR = THABO SEFOLOSHA: Jeff Taylor seems to have a lot of Sefolosha in his game. Is this his best comparison?
Spencer: They’re both similar in height and body types and Taylor projects to be an above average defender like Sefolosha. I also see some similarities in their offensive skill sets. Both are below average ball handlers, but can space the floor and make outside shots. Taylor may end up being a more explosive of an athlete than Sefolosha.
Royce: Admittedly I haven’t watched a ton of Jeff Taylor, but it appears to me he’s a stronger athlete and leaper than Thabo is. Thabo has become a very good spot-up shooter though. He’s reliable from both corners and someone that spaces the floor nicely for Durant and Westbrook. What makes Thabo such a good defender is he knows how to use his length. I think Taylor could be an elite wing defender, but he’s got to commit to it and make that his identity, like Thabo has.
Greg: It seems as good a comparison as any. If Taylor wants to surpass Thabo on the offensive end, he’ll need to do one of two things: 1. become a better shooter, if not an elite one; 2. tighten up his handle, allowing him to be more effective driving to the basket. His defense already looks fine, so he’s carved out a nice niche so far. If that’s all he ever is, it’s still nice to have quality role players around.
3- PICK IT: Everyone has the Thunder, so just give us something intriguing to watch for in this contest.
Spencer: The only saving grace from total embarrassment is that OKC had a tough game against the Knicks in NYC last night. So, just 110-85 Thunder
Royce: Byron Mullens against his old team! Considering though what happened in the last meeting between these two teams with the Thunder just obliterating Charlotte, I’d have to think there’d be some pride pumping through the Bobcats’ veins tonight.
Greg: Like I said above, I’m really rooting for MKG to shine in this one. He’s played well in his past three games, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds. With Ramon Sessions out, it’d be nice to see Kemba have a breakout game, as well.
By Mathew Lewis
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Bismack Biyombo, PF 16 MIN | 3-4 FG | 1-2 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 7 PTS | -1
A pair of highlight dunks within the span of a minute for Biyombo. He recorded his second foul shortly after, however, and never capitalized on the momentum. Weak output on the boards as well.
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 32 MIN | 8-13 FG | 1-1 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 17 PTS | -22
A very solid game from the rookie. He was assertive on the offensive end, getting into the lane with regularity. He was also active on defense, recording a pair of steals. A highlight dunk in the waning moments as well.
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Byron Mullens, C 13 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | -9
Zero rebounds and 2-6 shooting in 13 minutes of run, while failing to see the floor the last 17 minutes of the game.
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Kemba Walker, PG 32 MIN | 4-12 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 8 AST | 3 STL | 1 BLK | 3 TO | 10 PTS | -21
An inefficient night from the field for Kemba, though he did manage to dish out 8 assists. However, he committed a few sloppy turnovers on passes that should’ve led to converted baskets.
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Gerald Henderson, SG 33 MIN | 4-13 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 11 PTS | -23
Henderson’s mid-range game was not on tonight. He also got tracked down on the break by Gerald Wallace for one of his 5 blocks.
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Josh McRoberts, PF 25 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-2 FT | 6 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 2 PTS | -8
McRoberts really showed off his passing ability tonight. He did remind me at times of Diaw though, as he passed up a few open looks he probably should’ve taken. Chipped in a late-game highlight (a la MKG) when Kemba hit him on the break for an alley-oop finish. All in all a pretty good showing despite the 1-5 line from the field.
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Brendan Haywood, C 20 MIN | 0-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -11
20 minutes, 3 rebounds, 1 travel.
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Ramon Sessions, PG 20 MIN | 3-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | +4
Started 3-4 from the field but failed to convert on his last six attempts. He was just part of the trend of missed field goals for the Bobcats in the second half.
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Ben Gordon, SG 26 MIN | 6-15 FG | 2-3 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 16 PTS | -13
Good Gordon made appearances in spurts tonight (particularly when he scored 12 points in what seemed like a minute in the second quarter). However, when all was said and done Gordon committed his usual three turnovers while only managing 6-15 from the floor.
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Three Things We Saw
- Bobcats started hot. They notched 29 first quarter points while taking a 53-43 lead into the break.
- Bobcats ended cold. The aforementioned 29 first quarter points were more than the Bobcats managed in the entire second half (25). The Nets took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Bobcats 28-9. The lead was quickly stretched to double-digits early in the 4th and the Nets never looked back.
- 7-5, a distant memory. The Bobcats are a lowly 6-43 since their surprising start to the season. There is much work to be done.
By Spencer
Who: Charlotte Bobcats vs Brooklyn Nets
What: NBA Basketball – Bobcats Home Game
When: 7:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Charlotte |
13-47 |
97.6 (29) |
109 (29) |
94.4 (13) |
| Brooklyn |
34-26 |
103.2 (12) |
103.7 (16) |
90.7 (30) |
Previous Meetings:
2012/12/28 – 80-96 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas (Inactive)
Brooklyn:
Starting Lineups
1- STATS: Brooklyn plays at the slowest PACE (90.7) in the league- this team values possessions and forces their opponent to guard them for most of the shot clock in many occasions. How do the Bobcats go about speeding the Nets up?
Spencer: Well, it starts with Charlotte getting on the defensive glass and actually give themselves opportunities to get out and run. This won’t be easy considering the fact that Brooklyn is 3rd in the league in Offensive Rebound Rate (30.1) and Charlotte is last in Defensive Rebound Rate (70.0). I’ve said this many times before, but it comes down to the Bobcats simply making it a priority tonight to check out on every shot the Nets put up. Forcing the Nets to turn the ball over is the other obvious factor to creating easy baskets. This game just has the stink of Charlotte giving up copious amounts of offensive boards and second chance points.
Greg: They can go small if/when Gerald Wallace is playing power forward, matching him up against MKG and running a Kemba/Sessions/Henderson backcourt. That four-man lineup has seen limited time this year (72 minutes), but increases the team’s pace and offensive efficiency significantly without hurting the defense. It’s not a great idea to draw many conclusions from such a small sample size, but it suggests that lineup should get more minutes in the right situation.
Of course, a lineup like that has major negatives as well. There’s potential there for Joe Johnson to use his size advantage on the Bobcats defender, but that’ll likely be the case no matter what lineups the Nets are running.
Devin Kharpertian (The Brooklyn Game): At the risk of turning into obvious-man, run. Run like hell. Send two guards flying up the floor on every Nets field goal attempt. Force the Nets to get back defensively. Brooklyn’s gotten destroyed by fast teams this year (Houston being the prime example) because they didn’t stop pushing for 48 minutes and the Nets didn’t seem to have any coherent strategy to stop it.
2- WORSE CONTRACT: Ben Gordon has 1-year left after this season- player option worth $13 million. Gerald Wallace has 3 years remaining after this season worth about $30 million. Gordon is an obvious nuisance in the locker room to the youth movement in Charlotte, while Wallace is having career lows in just about any statistic you can come up with since bursting onto the scene in 04-05 with Charlotte. Which contract would you rather be stuck with?
Spencer: Wallace. There’s no question that Wallace is the better all-around player. He affects the game in so many more ways than Gordon does, but I’m not sure how excited Brooklyn should be about paying him $10mil + for the next three seasons. I would probably lean toward Gordon if I thought Charlotte could flip him into an asset via trade this off-season, or before trade deadline to contender next season, but the $13mil makes that difficult. Also, I do believe Wallace will re-invent himself and become more efficient again. This season feels somewhat like an outlier even though he has hit 30-years of age.
Greg: It kind of depends on your perspective. Each contract is a bit of a burden, but I think the Bobcats and Nets would both say they have the more attractive deal.
Wallace is the better player right now, even with his drop-off, so he makes sense for the Nets. They could wipe his salary off the books tomorrow, and the team would still be in the luxury tax. The appeal of an expiring contract isn’t as great when you’re trying to win now. Gerald’s good reputation in the locker room is just gravy.
The Bobcats are trying to maintain cap flexibility, which makes Gordon the better pick. He’ll be gone after next year, and he has some limited value as an expiring contract in the meantime. As much as I love Wallace from his days in Charlotte, his long-term money would just make a rebuild more complicated.
Devin: I’ll take Wallace for two reasons: firstly, in the aggregate he brings more to the floor than Gordon does — Gordon can shoot, but that’s about it; Wallace can’t shoot, but he can do just about everything else. He’s the team’s best lane-prober not named Deron Williams and routinely guards the opponent’s best perimeter player. Secondly, he’s by far the best locker room guy the Nets have, he swings so wildly on wins and losses it’s almost comical. He cursed out his teammates publicly after a loss, then about a month later compared Joe Johnson to Michael Jordan after a win. He’s worth the price of admission for that alone.
3- PICK IT: It’s somewhat fair to assume that the Bobcats will have a better showing at home tonight after their 4-game road trip where they lost by an average margin of 26.25 PPG. Nets or Cats?
Spencer: Nets. I do believe that the Bobcats will return to being somewhat competitive tonight at home, though. Part because they’re somewhat due for a respectable performance and because Coach Dunlap was encouraged by the overall effort in the last loss in Portland. 94-88 Nets.
Greg: Nets, and I don’t think it’ll be close. Brooklyn is very good at offensive rebounding and doesn’t foul often, which doesn’t spell great things for Charlotte.
Devin: Nets. I can’t in good conscience believe that the Nets will lose this game, not with the talent they have matching up against what the Bobcats look like these days. Now enjoy my jinx power.
By Brett
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Bismack Biyombo, PF 26 MIN | 4-10 FG | 0-0 FT | 9 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 8 PTS | -9
Nice work on the boards for Bismack and some aggressiveness in getting up shots (though with limited success). Unfortunately, J.J. Hickson and Meyers Leonard had big games and at Bismack’s expense – the two combined for 30 points on 13 of 17 from the field.
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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 28 MIN | 8-11 FG | 1-2 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 17 PTS | -10
That’s more like it for MKG – several baskets in the paint and attacking the glass. It does seem a bit odd to see a boxscore with zeroes in the blocks and steals column for him, though.
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Kemba Walker, PG 36 MIN | 5-20 FG | 5-5 FT | 4 REB | 11 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 15 PTS | -12
Hooray – 11 assists! Boo – 5 of 20 shooting.
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Gerald Henderson, SG 28 MIN | 6-16 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 14 PTS | -5
Boo – 6 of 16 shooting. Hooray – …
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Josh McRoberts, PF 23 MIN | 4-9 FG | 1-1 FT | 8 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | -9
Thanks to Bismack, MKG, and McRoberts, the Bobcats won the rebounding battle 44-41, after getting doubled up (basically) in their last two outings. Progress.
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Ramon Sessions, PG 27 MIN | 8-11 FG | 2-3 FT | 0 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 18 PTS | -9
Very efficient scoring night for Ramon with 18 on just 11 attempts. But offense wasn’t the struggle for Charlotte – it was how freely they were also giving up points. And Ramon is no stopper.
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Ben Gordon, SG 16 MIN | 6-12 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 14 PTS | -9
Nor is Ben Gordon. Who also got his, with 14 in just 16 minutes. Despite that offensive outburst, the Bobcats were still outscored by 9 in those 16 minutes. Again, offense – not the problem tonight.
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Two Things We Saw
- Hooray – the Bobcats scored 105 and had 44 rebounds.
- Boo – the Bobcats gave up 122 points and 50% on 3s, as Portland made 12 of 24 from deep. Not going to win like that (unless you’re the 7SoL Suns or this year’s Rockets on a hot night).
By Greg
Who: Portland Trail Blazers vs Charlotte Bobcats
What: NBA Basketball – Home Game
When: Monday, March 4, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Live at the Rose Garden, Portland, Ore.
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Portland Trail Blazers |
27-31 |
105.0 (15) |
107.8 (24) |
91.4(18) |
| Charlotte Bobcats |
13-46 |
100.5 (29) |
111.3 (29) |
91.8 (15) |
Previous Meetings:
Monday, Dec. 3: 118-112, OT
Injuries:
Portland Trail Blazers: Elliot Williams, OUT
1- FORGET STATS: What’s been the hardest part about watching Charlotte play in these past two games and what must change in order to stop the bleeding?
Greg: Even when the effort is there, it’s sobering to see just how far along the rebuild is. Nuking the team and building from the bottom up is the path the Bobcats decided to take, and its one I still agree with. But it’s easy to think in terms of the best-case scenario, and ignore the reality of a plan like that. A youth movement rarely brings immediate success; even Oklahoma City, which had as close to the best-case scenario as you can find, went 43-121 over the first two years of the Durant era.
As far as making changes, I’m not sure that there’s anything major they can do at this point. The blowouts have been hard to take, but they have some easier stretches in March. Play the young guys, stay positive, and keep an eye on the future.
Mathew: Abuse of the front court. If you weren’t already aware, the past two games proved just how deficient the Bobcats front court is. To be physically man-handled on the boards is akin to a football team simply lining up and running it down an opponent’s throat. They’re probably the two most frustrating things to witness in each sport. Coach Dunlap tried his hand at allotting more minutes to McRoberts and Diop against the Kings, but it was all for naught. How to improve? There may be slight strategic adjustments to be made, but any improvement will most likely come by way of increased effort. The Bobcats are by no means a formidable rebounding club; however, the effort put forth the past two games has simply been unacceptable.
2- INDIVIDUAL: Who’s been the most frustrating Bobcat to watch in the last two 30+ point losses?
Greg: Can I give a group award? Like Mathew pointed out, the frontcourt as a whole has been abysmal. The Bobcats have been outrebounded 122-55 over the past two games. There’s been a real lack of effort to box out, defend in the post, or work for better shots. No one player has seen enough minutes to be singled out, since the team gets into such big holes early.
Mathew: Biyombo. He logged only six minutes last night after an eighteen minute effort against Utah, all the while managing to pull down only a pedestrian three rebounds. Not to mention his inactivity on the offensive end (two field-goal attempts). I don’t want to hear about him being on the Bobcats untouchable list anymore.
3- COMPETE: Will the Bobcats keep this one within a 20-point margin?
Greg: I’ll be optimistic and say yes. They took the Blazers to overtime in their last meeting, and Kemba’s 22 points and seven assists were a big part of that. Damian Lillard has been amazing on the offensive end, but his defense is still lacking and Walker should be able to take advantage. If the rest of the team shows up, I think the blowout streak ends tonight. (Note: “Blowout streak” might be the most depressing phrase I’ve written this year.)
Mathew: Yes. After the past two performances I would like to think so. The gap between the Blazers and the Bobcats is not twenty-plus points so if the team fails to keep it close you can only point to effort.
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