The Charlotte Bobcats, on paper, are a bad NBA basketball team. No better than a ragtag group of guys that were good in college. Having sat in person for their season opening one point win against the Bucks and their one point loss to the Heatles, I can however disavow one of that sentiment. You see, the Bobcats are what those in NBA circles may refer to as up and coming.
Now anyone who has followed the Bobcats over the years will know that they've been up and coming before. Unfortunately a four game sweep to the Magic in the 2010 playoffs turned out to be their maximum potential. Yet here today, a year removed from the beginning of their rebuilding process, they have hope. This is why.
1. Young Players
A. D.J. Augustin This guy is in his fourth year as a pro. Starting his career as Raymond Felton's backup, he's now coming into his own. With Kemba Walker stealing the spotlight two games in to his NBA career, Augustin's future in Charlotte is in doubt. But that's still good for Charlotte. Good players that you don't need equal trades. D.J. is not a perennial all-star. He may not ever be an all-star at all. But I can think of a few teams who may trade a serviceable small-forward and draft pick for a solid starting point guard. That is what Augustin is. He won't turn the ball over, he'll get seven assists a game, and he'll score fifteen points. As long as the team isn't on his back he can survive in this league.
B. Kemba Walker Kemba is a Bobcat for life. It may be because he's a rookie and doesn't know any better, but he seems to love the spotlight in Charlotte. The crowd adores him. When he bricks a jumper, nobody cares. When he drains one, thousands scream his name. What more could a 21 year old ask for? More than that though, the guy can play basketball. The first two games of his career he has finished the fourth quarter on the floor. That's more important than starting. He likely won't take the league by storm this season. But wait.
C. Gerald Henderson I had my doubts about this guy coming out of Duke. I thought he'd be a serviceable backup with a decent jump shot. Now in his third year he's showing more. At the end of the Heat game one could see the Bobcat's game plan alive on the floor. Kemba gets the ball, shoot or pass it to Henderson. I watched Henderson guard Dwyane Wade successfully (Wade was hurt but still). I watched him drain a jumper over Lebron, split defenders and lay it up around Bosh. Also, if he's open anywhere from the arch or inside of it, he drains it. Wade himself called Henderson a good athletic young guard in his post game interview. That's enough for me.
D. Bismack Biyombo He has a lot of work to do. His potential isn't showing in the stat sheets yet. But you can look at him and tell. Future opposition will find it hard to score when he's guarding the basket. The first game against the Bucks, Paul Silas played Diop extended minutes. Game two against a much better team he went with Biyombo. Why? Because Diop has been around a while and has nothing. Biyombo just got here and he's overflowing with potential and played acceptable defense. It isn't his fault nobody can stop Lebron.
2. The 2012 NBA Draft
The Bobcats will lose a lot of games this year. They will likely get a top four pick in the draft. That means Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, or Anthony Davis could come to town. Any of those are best case scenarios for the Bobcats. Andre Drummond, or Perry Jones wouldn't be bad either. A Walker, Henderson, Biyombo and Barnes core? Walker, Henderson, Biyombo, and Sullinger? Biyombo and Davis on defense? Yes please. The Bobcats can't lose in this year's draft.
3. Contracts
I look at the contract situation in Charlotte and I like it. Diop has a player option for next season worth seven million. Think he'll take it? Bet your mother on it. Matt Carroll will likely exercise his player option as well. Corey Magette is a great player but he isn't the future. The Bobcats will owe him ten million next year. I recommend trading him next season when another team will salivate over his expiring contract for a first round pick or a younger forward. The good news is that after next season all of these guys are gone. The 2013 free agency period will see the Bobcats with around 25 million available. If they trade away Tyrus Thomas it could be even more money. (I think they should keep him. I'm dreaming of Biyombo and Sullinger or Davis with Thomas coming off the bench. Can anyone say best defense in the NBA?) Sure it's Charlotte, but they can get somebody good with that. I mean it's Michael Jordan. Which leads me to my next point.
The Bobcats situation financially for the future actually isn't bad. It's what they will likely do with it that I don't like. They will overpay the wrong free agent. They'll trade away draft picks for somebody who they hope will sell tickets. Time Warner Cable Arena will fall into a sink hole. They'll offer Boris Diaw a six year extension. Something bad is bound to happen. Michael Jordan passes over Harrison Barnes and re-drafts Kwame Brown. It could happen.
Conclusion: Say Yes to the Cats
What I saw last night against the Heat gave me hope. They played the Heat as well as anyone will play them all season. In front of the biggest crowd in franchise history they left it all on the floor and lost by a point. Nobody was too upset in the stands. It may have been because it was half Heat fans, but there was certainly a sense of hope. Nobody expected the game to be that close. Nobody. When the Heat called timeout in the first quarter after the Bobcats went up 9-0, I saw Bobcat players looking up at the scoreboard. They looked surprised. By the end of the game they were thinking to themselves, "We can win this dang game." They are starting to believe. If they can keep that hope across a few more seasons they will see themselves gradually grow into a competitor. If MJ plays the right cards with his contracts and trades, maybe, just maybe Charlotte will get what it really never had. A good basketball team.
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