| Bobcats Midseason Report Card Authored by David Mosley - February 7, 2005 - 7:32 pm
It seems like just yesterday that want to be general managers alike were debating whether or not the Bobcats should build the inaugural team around washed up has-beens with bloated salaries and bad knees or build a team of players who are one air ball away from the Columbus Riverdragons. In the end, Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff did what most expected he would and decided to build around young players with an emphasis on preserving cap space for the future. Fortunately for the Bobcats the Los Angeles Clippers were delusional enough to think that Kobe Bryant would sign with them and promptly made a series of questionable trades, as only the Clippers could, which landed the Bobcats their first franchise player, Emeka Okafor. Now, 41 games later, it’s time to look back on the first half of the Bobcat’s first season and grade Bernie, Emeka and gang.
Point Guard- What initially looked to be a disaster area for the Bobcats has actually been an area of strength this season. The Bobcats chose to pass on every available point guard in the expansion draft. The Bobcats also decided to sit on the sidelines as many free agent point guards signed elsewhere. When August rolls around and Eddie House is your best point guard, fans get a little nervous. In the end Bernie decided to sign unheralded free agents Brevin Knight and Jason Hart to run the show. Knight has always been a capable but oft-injured guard and Hart’s only experience was as a part time backup. However, the duo of Knight and Hart has surprised most everyone this season.
Knight’s play this season has been stellar, reminding everyone of his days at Stanford many years ago. Currently, Knight is averaging over 9 assists per game which is 2nd in the NBA behind only Steve Nash. Knight has had games of 20, 19 and 18 assists this season. It’s clear that he is the leader of the Bobcats and the team struggles when he is out, which is one of the problems. Knight has missed several games this season with a variety of injuries leaving the Bobcats with only Hart at point guard many times.
Hart seems to be one of Bernie’s projects. Hart’s play has been up and down this season. At times he has a style similar to Jeff McInnis and other times he seems utterly lost. On the positive side, Hart is a much better offensive player than anyone expected. He has a good mid-range jumper and he’s a strong finisher in the lane. The negatives are that he isn’t quick nor fast, he’s not a great ball handler and he just doesn’t have the best passing instincts. Sometimes I wonder if Hart isn’t better suited for shooting guard.
Grade: B
Shooting Guard / Small Forward- The Bobcats loaded up on swingmen in the expansion draft but what looked like strength has probably been the weakest area for the Bobcats this season. During the season, the Bobcats have played just about everyone who has a pulse at one of these two spots looking for some consistency. They have even gone so far as to acquire Keith Bogans and Kareem Rush through trades in an effort to get some more production at these spots. Just about every night someone different seems to step forward while someone else seems to disappear.
Former Sacramento King Gerald Wallace has made the most of his increased playing time this season to become the Bobcats best player on the wings. Wallace is a phenomenal athlete who can dunk over and Mini Cooper and is clearly the heart of the Bobcats. His passion and hustle is infectious. Wallace is the best defender on the team and has had numerous jaw dropping blocks this season (that would be you Mr. Szczerbiak). Every night Wallace is capable of grabbing 10 rebounds or blocking 5 shots. Unfortunately, Wallace’s biggest knack this season has been consistency. While his effort is there every night his jump shot is not. Wallace apparently modeled his jumper after Michael .J Fox in Teen Wolf. If Wallace can start to hit his outside shots with regularity it would open up room for him to drive to the basket.
In December the Bobcats traded two future 2nd round picks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kareem Rush. At first it appeared giving up those picks for Rush was a mistake. He struggled with his shot and was having a hard time finding his role on the team. However, since being inserted into the starting lineup in January, Rush has responded averaging over 12 points per game. Rush is starting to show signs that he is comfortable being a go to guy, which is something this team desperately needs. He needs to work on getting to the free throw line, rebounding and passing if he wants to sustain his career as an NBA starter.
Despite the inconsistencies of the wing players for the Bobcats, they do have one obvious positive and that’s depth, lots and lots of depth. It’s been apparent from day one that Bernie intends to build a team of fast, athletic, versatile players that can defend and run. Bernie stockpiled players at the wing positions and he plays most of them every night. Besides Wallace and Rush, there have been several other wing players for the Bobcats that have had an impact at one time or another. Keith Bogans gives the team another tough rugged defender. Bogans can play multiple positions and is probably the best ball handler of the bunch. Jason Kapono gives the Bobcats another long range bomber. Many of us envisioned Kapono having a breakout season. That hasn’t been the case so far but Kapono has still been a valuable weapon. Probably the biggest surprise on the team has been veteran Steve Smith. Smith doesn’t play much but he is averaging 22 points per 48 minutes, which goes to show the old man can still shoot.
Grade: C-
Power Forward: “With the 2nd pick in the 2004 NBA draft the Charlotte Bobcats select Emeka Okafor…” That’s all you need to know about the Bobcats power forward position. Okafor has been everything the Bobcats hoped for in his rookie season. He is a walking double-double. His offense is better than most everyone outside of Connecticut thought, considering most of us thought his offense consisted of a right and left-handed dunk. In the month of December Okafor averaged 18 points and 13 rebounds per game and had everyone quietly talking, not only Rookie of the Year but possibly, All-Star. Alas, like most rookies Okafor has hit the “Rookie Wall”. In January Okafor’s average came back down to 13 points and 10 rebounds but I think we all saw enough of what he can do to be convinced that he is the real deal and will be the cornerstone of the franchise for many years to follow. Okafor is quick leaper for a player his size and as a result he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the league. He is starting to develop a reliable 15 foot jump shot as well as a few rough post moves. In college Okafor was a devastating shot blocker and many thought he would be the next Alonzo Mourning. That doesn’t seem to be the case. Okafor is only averaging 1.5 blocks per game. Defensively he appears to be more like Karl Malone or Buck Williams than Mourning, which isn’t exactly a bad thing; it’s just not what we expected. Okafor needs to improve on his Dudleyesque free throw percentage and he needs to develop at least one go to move in the post.
For those rare minutes that Okafor is not in the game, enter Melvin Ely. Ely, who was rescued from Clipper land, initially appeared to be one of the key components of the Bobcats season but Ely hasn’t yet lived up to those expectations…yet. Ely never seemed to regain his confidence once he realized he would not be starting. He just seems to play much better when he knows he is going to get minutes. In 5 games as a starter this season Ely is averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds. When Ely is in the game he does bring some positives. He is the best low post player on the team, with an arsenal of ambidextrous jump hooks. Ely is also a decent shot blocker. He needs to improve on his rebounding, free throw shooting and consistency.
Grade: B+
Center: After the expansion draft it was obvious that Bernie was intent having depth in the frontcourt. With Okafor and Ely at power forward and Primoz Brezec, Jamal Sampson and Jahidi White at center the Bobcats actually have one of the deeper frontcourts in the league, which is remarkable for an expansion team. Leading the charge at center has been Brezec, who was an absolute steal in the expansion draft.
Primoz Brezec’s play this season has been as impressive as his first name…OK, maybe not that impressive. The Pacers knew as soon as Bernie picked Brezec that they were losing a very talented big man. In fact, the Pacers tried to convince Bernie to pass on picking Brezec in the expansion draft but ultimately that didn’t work, which is good news for Bobcats fans. Bernie understood he was getting a player with a decent offensive game but I don’t think he could have dreamed that Brezec would be as athletic and polished as he is. Brezec is getting more comfortable every day as the starting center. He has raised his scoring average every month so far this season and his rebounding numbers have increased drastically in recent games. Brezec has a decent mid range jumper, he has a few low post moves and he has soft hands around the basket. He runs the floor well for a player his size as well. To take the next step and hold off future challengers at center Brezec needs to improve his rebounding and become more dependable defensively.
Jamal Sampson and Jahidi White have been inconsistent at best the season filling in at center. Both players have had to deal with a myriad of injuries landing them several times on the injured list. When healthy, Jamal Sampson, the nephew of Ralph Sampson, has shown flashes of mediocrity. He is a quick and athletic big man who could be a solid defensive player due to his length and speed. Sampson has also shown to be an aggressive rebounder. Offensively he just doesn’t have any moves. Samson is more of a face up player who scores off his quickness and the occasional jumper. We all knew what we were getting with Jahidi White, and that’s a future 1st round pick. Anything more is a bonus. When called upon Jahidi has done what he does best, which is bully people around in the post. The guy is built like a 7 foot refrigerator. The biggest question with Jahidi is whether or not he, along with is 6 million dollar expiring contract, will be traded before the deadline.
Grade: C+
Coaching: Congratulations to Bernie Bickerstaff for getting a bunch of cast off’s to buy into his system and play hard every night. That is the one thing that other teams are starting to understand about the Bobcats. The Bobcats never give up, they never stop hustling and they never think they are out of a game, even when we all know they are. For this reason the Bobcats have been in virtually every game in the 4th quarter. Whether the Bobcats end up with the best record ever for an expansion team remains to be seen, however, this is unquestionably the most competitive expansion team ever. The one big problem this team has is the inability to close out games when leading in the 4th quarter. Obviously much of that is due to the lack of go to players on the roster, the lack of favorable calls from the officials and the overall inexperience of the team. However, some of the blame must be put on the coach. Bernie needs to do a better job of getting his players to pound the ball inside to strength of the team rather than settle for jump shots.
Grade: B
Overall: I don’t think anyone in the league predicted this team to be as competitive as they have been for the first half of the season. The Bobcats play hard and they never quit. Emeka Okafor, Brevin Knight, Primoz Brezec and Gerald Wallace have all played fantastic at times for this team. Okafor is on the verge of becoming an All-star. Knight has resurrected his career and is one of the league leaders in assists. Wallace is developing into one of the better defenders in the league and improving his jump shot every game. Brezec is showing that he is one of the best young centers in the league. Hopefully this team can keep improving and keep stunning teams around the league.
Grade: B-
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