By Brett
 |
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.
|
 |
 |
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.
|
 |
 |
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.
|
|
 |
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 – …
|
 |
 |
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.
|
 |
 |
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.
|
 |
 |
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.
|
 |
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.
By Brett
|
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 28 MIN | 4-8 FG | 2-2 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 10 PTS | -12
Solid line for MKG.
|
 |
 |
Byron Mullens, C 19 MIN | 5-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 12 PTS | -10
Decent scoring, but invisible on the boards – and when the team gets out-rebounded so badly for a second game in a row, the bigs will bear the brunt of the blame.
|
 |
|
Kemba Walker, PG 26 MIN | 2-7 FG | 6-9 FT | 0 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 11 PTS | -19
Kemba struggled to make anything, as 2 of 7 from the field was saved by 6 free throws made. But he got 9 attempts, and 67% from the stripe is no good. (Maybe a nitpick in a single game – but in a game this bad, it is going to happen).
|
|
|
Gerald Henderson, SG 28 MIN | 4-9 FG | 4-4 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 12 PTS | -18
Meh – a few points off passable efficiency, and a few entries in rebounds and assists – but nothing to write home about.
|
 |
|
Josh McRoberts, PF 30 MIN | 3-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 6 PTS | -16
Another Bobcats’ big who wants to shoot 3s without much success? Actually, a decent showing from McRoberts aside from the shooting woes – all-around stat stuffing (as a few assists were blown by teammates).
|
|
 |
Jeff Adrien, SF 16 MIN | 0-3 FG | 3-4 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -32
The Bobcats were -32 in the 16 minutes Adrien was on the court. Not causal – but it sure looks ugly.
|
|
 |
DeSagana Diop, C 24 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 2 PTS | -1
A Gana Diop sighting! Dunlap may be trying to find ways for the Bobcats to play bigger and rebound a bit better, and is experimenting with actually using bigger players. (Yes, I’m getting bitter – it’s starting to feel like the end of last season when the team just went through the motions).
|
|
 |
Jeffery Taylor, SG 19 MIN | 3-8 FG | 2-4 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | -18
Not a great scoring night for Taylor, and he didn’t contribute much else to offset the poor shooting – with zeroes in both the rebounding and assists columns.
|
|
Three Things We Saw
- The Bobcats improved on their rebounding from the Jazz game, this time only getting out-rebounded by 29. However, Sacramento still managed to grab 40% of available offensive rebounds, which is horrible for the Bobcats to allow. And Charlotte managed just 4 offensive rebounds, to 42 defensive rebounds for Sacramento.
- While rebounding is over-emphasized by some stats (winshares), giving your opponent 13 additional attempts from the field (90 fga for SAC to 77 for CLT) is not a winning strategy.
- And while the Bobcats managed to win the turnover margin fight, 13 to 18, Sacramento was better able to capitalize on the Bobcats turnovers. Sacramento had 8 steals to the Bobcats 6, and used those steals to turn the Bobcats 13 turnovers into 21 points, as opposed to a point per turnover for Charlotte (18 points on the 18 SAC miscues).
By Greg
Who: Sacramento Kings vs Charlotte Bobcats
What: NBA Basketball – Kings Home Game
When: 6:00 PM ET
Where: Live at Sleep Train Arena
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Sacramento |
20-40 |
104.6 (18) |
112.2 (30) |
92.9 (9) |
| Charlotte |
13-45 |
100.8 (29) |
111.1 (29) |
91.7 (16) |
Previous Meetings:
2013/01/19 – 97-93
Injuries:
Sacramento: Cole Aldrich (Day-To-Day)
1- STATS: Utah killed Charlotte on the boards on Friday, outrebounding them by a margin of 62 to 24. Any reason to believe they’ll do better against the Kings? What other factors could determine the game?
Greg: Sacramento is the only team worse than the Bobcats in defensive rebounding percentage, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a repeat performance of that disaster (fingers crossed). It’ll likely come down to which team’s defense shows up: the two are dead last in defensive rating, and both are in the bottom three in opponent eFG%. The Kings tend to pick up a lot of fouls, so that could be an avenue for the Bobcats to get some efficient scoring.
2- THOMAS ROBINSON: The Kings recently dealt away rookie Thomas Robinson as part of a package for Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas. They sold low on Robinson and arguably lost the trade long-term, but does the swap make them better right now?
Greg: Patrick Patterson was a very solid player for Houston, averaging 12 points, five rebounds and stretching the floor with his three-point shooting (37 percent on two attempts a game). That offensive range could make him a better fit next to DeMarcus Cousins, but the Kings seem to be integrating him slowly. In four games, he’s averaged five points and three rebounds in 16 minutes a game. That’s slightly better than Robinson has performed this year, but to this point the trade has been a wash.
3- PICK IT: Can the Bobcats put Friday’s loss behind them and beat Sacramento?
Greg: The Bobcats lost a close one to the Kings earlier this year, 97-93. That was in the heart of the Hakim Warrick era, though, so the Bobcats are in a marginally better position coming into this one. Isaiah Thomas vs. Kemba Walker should be a fun matchup; if either can get hot, it could decide the game.
The two teams are relatively evenly matched, so it should a pick ‘em. (For what it’s worth, Vegas disagrees — the Kings are currently favored by around seven points.)
By Brett
Five Things We Saw
- The Bobcats grabbed just 16 defensive rebounds in this game. Utah had 20 offensive rebounds. Let that sink in.
- At the other end of the court, Charlotte managed just 8 offensive rebounds to 42 defensive rebounds for Utah.
- The only reason this game wasn’t worse than it was – like a 30 point blowout isn’t horrible – is that Utah had 22 turnovers, negating (to a very small degree) some of their offensive rebounding prowess.
- If you didn’t see this one (and you’re a Bobcats fan), count yourself fortunate – and delete it from your DVR.
- Just watch this over and over and feel a little bit better:
I’m concerned this might be a recurring salve through the end of the season.
By Spencer
Who: Utah Jazz vs Charlotte Bobcats
What: NBA Basketball – Jazz Home Game
When: 9:00 PM ET
Where: Live at EnergySolutions Arena
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Utah |
31-27 |
103.7 (10) |
104.6 (23) |
93.9 (17) |
| Charlotte |
13-44 |
97.9 (29) |
108.4 (29) |
94.4 (14) |
Previous Meetings:
2013/01/09 – 112-102 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Utah: Paul Millsap (Questionable)
Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas (Inactive)
Starting Lineups
1- STATS: Charlotte allowed Utah to beat them in a multitude of ways in the first meeting this season — Hayward and Tinsley were a combined 7-11 (63.6%) from 3, while Jefferson and Millsap were a combined 19-27 from the field for 45 points. The Bobcats can’t afford to get beat from the inside and out again tonight, so what adjustments are necessary?
Spencer: Well, for starters, you have to at least make the Jazz make contested jump shots. In the first meeting it was obvious that Charlotte was keyed in on helping down on Millsap/Jefferson (didn’t work either) and left shooters for wide open 3′s all night. Biz needs to not let Jefferson make him look like a fool once again- be physical with him and don’t go for his ball fakes! Expect to see more Jeff Adrien than usual if Millsap plays.
Bobcats simply need to do a better job of playing man-to-man defense and worry less about their over-helping style of team D- by that, I mean keeping their man in front and contesting every shot with a purpose. Bad defense really just comes down to an effort standpoint, and there’s no real metric for that.
Mathew: Concentrate on the bigs. Hayward is certainly a capable shooter, but I would rather take my chances with him on the perimeter than giving Jefferson and Co. room to operate on the inside. Hopefully the Bobcats elect to throw some different looks at the Utah bigs when they catch it in the post.
2- HENDO O/U: Since the all-star break Gerald Henderson is averaging 17.8 PPG & 5.4 RPG. Over/under on those numbers tonight and why?
Spencer: I’ll take the over. Hendo will have a smaller Randy Foye guarding him tonight and this makes the vaunted mid-range jumper deadlier. I also just believe that Hendo is in somewhat of a groove right now, so look for him to continue to success tonight. Not sure it’ll be enough to win the game, but you’ve got to take what you can get with this squad.
Mathew: Under. Utah is not a stout defensive outfit (23rd in Defensive Efficiency), but I’m counting on a bit of a regression to the mean. A jump in playing time has helped Henderson increase his output since the break, but he’s also been converting at an eFG% of 50% – which while encouraging, is probably unsustainable given Henderson’s track record.
3- PICK IT: Will Utah sweep the Bobcats on the season and end their 3-game slide tonight, or do the Cats’ get the split with Utah on the season?
Spencer: Jazz. If Millsap doesn’t play then I’ll give the Cats’ at least a chance to win, but if he’s a go- no chance. Charlotte doesn’t do well against teams with offensively focused front courts, so no reason to believe that ends tonight. 100-90 Jazz.
Mathew: Jazz. Utah is one of the most difficult places to play in the League and the Jazz are desperate for a win as the hard charging Lakers (though the Jazz do currently remain in the 7thspot above the Houston Rockets) close in on the last remaining playoff spot. I think the Jazz right the ship tonight versus the Bobcats.
By Greg
|
Bismack Biyombo, PF 29 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 2 PTS | -14
Everyone responsible for frontcourt defense is going to get a poor grade in this one. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan dunk on a lot of people, but the Bobcats weren’t even around to get dunked on. Way too many uncontested shots at the rim tonight. Biyombo also fumbled away too many opportunities, despite recording only one official turnover. |
 |
|
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 22 MIN | 0-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -11
MKG was a ghost in this one. If he wants minutes down the stretch, he’ll need to earn them by being more aggressive on both ends of the floor. As tough as it’s been for him to score, he should have more than two shot attempts. |
|
|
Byron Mullens, C 27 MIN | 6-13 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 5 TO | 13 PTS | -13
The offensive performance was just OK, but Byron was caught looking on defense again and again and again. Five turnovers is killer, too, especially since Mullens was shooting jumpers for most of the night. |
|
|
Kemba Walker, PG 34 MIN | 5-15 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 5 AST | 4 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 15 PTS | -17
A well-rounded but inefficient night from Kemba. He overpenetrated at times, which led to too many of his shots being blocked and turnovers deep in the paint. |
|
|
Gerald Henderson, SG 35 MIN | 12-19 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 24 PTS | -21
It was one of those games where Henderson goes nuclear from mid-range, which ended up being a good thing and a bad thing. He was more or less solely responsible for the competitive first half, but that success led to too many isolations and stagnant offense in the second frame. That’s not all Henderson’s fault, but it was still ugly. |
|
|
Josh McRoberts, PF 7 MIN | 3-3 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 10 PTS | -5
McRoberts looked very active in his limited playing time, but this was mostly just a cameo appearance. The game was long over with by the time he checked in. |
 |
|
Jeff Adrien, SF 16 MIN | 1-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 2 PTS | -8
A few solid defensive plays and four rebounds can’t make up for an 1-for-7 performance from the floor. |
|
 |
Brendan Haywood, C 18 MIN | 0-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -4
Haywood seemed as disinterested as the other post players. I’m assuming no one was looking to get dunked on. |
|
|
Ramon Sessions, PG 26 MIN | 3-7 FG | 5-6 FT | 0 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 11 PTS | -11
Your regulation-issue game from Sessions. Free throws, a few fast-break buckets, a handful of dimes. Just another day at the office. |
|
|
Jeffery Taylor, SG 22 MIN | 2-7 FG | 3-4 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 7 PTS | -6
Didn’t wow on offense, but he was probably the liveliest Bobcat on defense Tuesday. Played aggressive until the final whistle, even if his shot wasn’t falling. |
|
One Thing We Saw
- Ben Gordon got another DNP-CD, which could be at least partially because of Henderson’s big night. Gordon’s shooting could have helped on a night when the Bobcats shot 41 percent, but I’m fine with the young guys playing.
By Spencer
Who: Los Angeles Clippers vs Charlotte Bobcats
What: NBA Basketball – Home Game
When: 10:30 PM ET
Where: Live at Staples Center
The Matchup:
|
Record |
Offensive
Efficiency |
Defensive
Efficiency |
Pace |
| Los Angeles Clippers |
40-18 |
106.3 (7) |
99.8 (6) |
94.2 (15) |
| Charlotte |
13-43 |
98.1 (29) |
108.3 (29) |
94.4 (14) |
Previous Meetings:
2012/12/12 – 100-94 – Recap – Boxscore
Injuries:
Los Angeles Clippers:
Charlotte: Tyrus Thomas (Inactive)
Starting Lineups
1- STATS: It goes without saying that the Bobcats have to be at their best defensively tonight. One stat that sticks out is Turnover Ratio — both teams play at practically an identical PACE, but the Clippers rank in the bottom third of the league in Turnover Ratio (14.1). Is the key stat of the game for Charlotte to be very active defensively, turning the Clips over as much as possible and flipping their turnovers into easy baskets?
Spencer: I don’t think it matters who the Bobcats are playing, they have to create easy, transition baskets. Charlotte is a team that always struggles to generate offense in the half court because of their inability to throw the ball inside to any kind of threat. Cats’ have to focus on pushing the rock and getting as many high quality looks at the basket as they can, while also making it tough for the Clippers to do the same against them. This means running the floor on both ends has to be a priority for Charlotte — look to advance ball quickly off the defensive glass and all 5 guys selling out to sprint back defensively.
Fred Katz (ClipperBlog): Nope. Quite the opposite. Though the numbers say the Clips and ‘Cats play at about the same pace, the way they each get to that number is different. The Clippers tend to play on extreme ends of the spectrum, either putting up shots within seven or eight seconds of a possession or using the whole shot clock. The Bobcats can try to run with them, but remember that Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan combine for the most athletic big-man tandem in the league. Plus, is the best way for Charlotte to win really by maximizing possessions?
Greg: That would be great, though they’ll need to significantly step up their game. Forcing giveaways hasn’t been a big strength for the team this year, as they’re sitting at 25th in defensive TOV%. Meanwhile, the Clippers have been the best in the NBA by the same metric. If Charlotte is going to gamble and play fast, they’ll also need to do a good job of protecting the ball.
2- ERIC BLEDSOE: Will he be in a Clippers uniform next season?
Spencer: Seems that way. Obviously, the Clippers have their PG of the future in Chris Paul and they’re going to continue to showcase Bledsoe to the rest of the league as Paul’ backup off the bench. Clippers definitely won’t be able to afford Bledsoe when his contract expires in two summers, but it’ll be interesting to see what they can get back for a guy who’s been a backup his entire NBA career.
Fred: Yes. The Clippers’ best chances might be to start the season with Bledsoe and then attempt to make a trade midseason next year. He will be a restricted free agent in the 2014 offseason and might command anywhere from $8 million to $10 million on the market, a price that is well too steep for a backup point guard who the Clips don’t seem to want to put at shooting guard.
Greg: I don’t think so. Chris Paul will be making max money, and it’s looking like keeping Bledsoe would be pretty expensive, too. That’s a lot to invest in one position, and teams are becoming increasingly leery of going too far into the tax. If they can, I’m sure they’d rather have picks or players still on a rookie deal.
3- PICK IT: Everyone going with the Clippers?
Spencer: Yes. It will be a decent game through 3 quarters because the Bobcats play well on big stage settings (@ Lakers, @ Heat), but there’s no reason for anyone to believe they’ll pull this one out. 105-95 Clippers.
Fred: Absolutely. The Clips have won five out of six and seem to have regained their mojo with Chris Paul running the team once again. L.A. has been one of the better road teams in the league with Paul. This one shouldn’t be any different.
Greg: Yeah, it’s hard not to. If there is a path to victory, it’ll probably be at the charity stripe. The Clippers are 27th in defensive FT/FGA, and drawing fouls has been Charlotte’s one elite skill this year. Kemba staying hot would help, too — as Zach Lowe pointed out this morning, Walker has averaged 25 points on 52 percent shooting since the All-Star break.
By Greg
The week in brief:
One win, one blowout, two standard-issue losses and Josh McRoberts (!)(?)(!).
Tuesday, Feb. 19: Charlotte Bobcats 105, Orlando Magic 92
The Bobcats rarely run up the score on opponents, even when they manage to win, as this was just their third double-digit victory of the season. Mullens, Walker and Henderson did the heavy lifting, with the trio combining for 68 points on 25-of-49 shooting.
Wednesday, Feb. 20: Detroit Pistons 105, Bobcats 99
Charlotte pulled close in the fourth quarter, but sputtered out in the game’s final minutes. On the plus side, MKG did this. In Ben Gordon’s final showcase before the trade deadline, he shot 2-of-7 for five points in 11 minutes. That wasn’t an isolated incident, either, as the entire month of February has been a disaster for Gordon. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 7.7 points on 29.8 FG% and 32.5 percent from three-point range.
Thursday, Feb. 21: Trade Deadline Sadness!
Not much happened. After a week’s worth of rumors surrounding Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson, the Bobcats ended up swapping Hakim Warrick for Orlando’s Josh McRoberts. It’s an extremely minor move, but the team can at least give McRoberts a shot to see if he has any value.
Friday, Feb. 22: Chicago Bulls 105, Charlotte Bobcats 75
Unstoppable force meets basketball team much worse at basketball. Charlotte hit 33.3 percent from the floor and allowed Chicago to make over half of their shots. Probably the only notable thing about this game was Ben Gordon’s DNP-CD, which was likely a punishment for his recent outburst in practice.
Saturday, Feb. 23: Denver Nuggets 113, Charlotte Bobcats 99
It was the Bobcats’ fourth game in five nights, and they looked predictably sluggish against the high-octane Nuggets. Kenneth Faried and Javale McGee took a blowtorch to Charlotte’s interior defense, scoring 32 points on 15-of-19 shooting.
Links of note:
— Rick Bonnell at The Charlotte Observer had a pretty dire (but accurate) look at the Bobcats’ upcoming offseason. Bonnell also had a feature on new Bobcat Josh McRoberts.
— Kirk Goldsberry at Court Vision took a look at players that rely on the long two, and three Bobcats players popped up in the top ten. The team’s reliance on the mid-range jumper was something they had hoped to address this year.
Notes of note:
— As of Feb. 24, Portland has the 12th-worst record in the league. If that holds up, the first-round pick they owe the Bobcats will roll over to the 2014 draft. Portland did make a deal for OKC’s Eric Maynor at the trade deadline, though, which could improve their bench depth and help the team bounce back from their current seven-game losing streak.
— Jeffrey Taylor has seen a bounce in playing time following the trade deadline, averaging 28.5 minutes in two games. It’s always possible this was just a quirk or Dunlap playing the hot hand, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see an even-greater emphasis on getting the young players minutes. Hopefully, MKG will benefit from that as well.
By Spencer
|
Bismack Biyombo, PF 37 MIN | 3-8 FG | 3-4 FT | 9 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 2 TO | 9 PTS | -16
Nice effort tonight. Started the game by really impacting the paint, but as the game wore on Biz was eaten up by trying to help on penetration and leaving McGee.
|
|
|
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF 21 MIN | 4-11 FG | 4-4 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 3 TO | 12 PTS | 0
Thought that MKG should have seen more minutes than he did because of Bobcats struggle to contain Nuggets dribble penetration. Although the offensive efficiency wasn’t great, I really liked the effort and how he picked his spots. Rookie mistakes led to turnover- should be expected.
|
|
|
Byron Mullens, C 28 MIN | 1-9 FG | 2-4 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 4 PTS | -20
2-21 from the field in his last two games.
|
 |
|
Kemba Walker, PG 32 MIN | 9-14 FG | 5-6 FT | 2 REB | 5 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 24 PTS | -1
Very good game tonight from Kemba, offensively. Defensively, he was scorched by getting beat off the dribble by Lawson. Charlotte wasn’t helping off shooters much tonight, so Kemba getting beat on the defensive end stood out more.
|
|
|
Gerald Henderson, SG 32 MIN | 7-11 FG | 4-4 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 2 TO | 19 PTS | -5
I liked most everything I saw from Hendo tonight. He has a natural inclination to play help defense and that led to some wide open 3′s for Brewer, but usually the focus is on Hendo’ offensive efficiency- tonight, it was good.
|
|
|
Josh McRoberts, PF 6 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | 0
Here’s what you need to know about McRoberts- he’s going to make the simple play on the offensive end 9 out of 10 times and he can box out on the defensive glass, unlike Mullens. His minutes will continue to increase and quite possibly phase Adrien out of rotation.
|
|
|
Ramon Sessions, PG 22 MIN | 4-8 FG | 1-2 FT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 9 PTS | -14
Not a lot of run tonight. Better than the last game, but he has been a different player since the all-star break.
|
|
|
Jeffery Taylor, SG 33 MIN | 7-13 FG | 4-6 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 2 BLK | 4 TO | 18 PTS | -14
Dunlap had suggested that Taylor was going to see more minutes after last night’s loss to the Bulls and he came through on that. Great game for the 2nd round pick- seems to be more aggressive offensive every game.
|
|
Two Things We Saw
- Denver had 66 points in the paint and A TON of dunks. I won’t bother trying to find out how many, but I know that McGee had 7 just on his own.
- The Bobcats will start a 4-game road trip on Tuesday night in LA against the Clippers.
|
|
Recent Comments