The Bobcats look horrible this season. Three Wins, Seven Losses. Only 30%-40% of the arena seats are filled. Even the cable broadcasts are screwed up this year.
There’s nothing to do but blow the whole thing up.
Larry Brown’s “system” just isn’t cutting it. Perhaps, the personnel is lacking? Perhaps, the game has changed too much for this old man? Whatever the answer may be, the Bobcats have put a sad product together and shoveled it out onto the floor this season. That much must be recognized.
The embarrassment suffered last night to the Dallas Mavericks was the last straw for this ‘Cats apologist. This team will find little success until major changes are made. Whether it be changes to the roster or the coach’s offensive philosophy, the Bobcats need a shakeup. Until then, the Playoffs are a fantasy. The Mavericks were once the laughing stock of the league (for about a decade). Then, they got it together. It’s about time for the Bobcats to cut the fans some slack and get it together. Seriously guys, I know Jason Richardson was out but no team’s starting line up should feature Matt Carroll.
Let’s review who has been Entirely Worthless vs. the players who have only been Somewhat Worthless.
ENTIRELY WORTHLESS:
- Sean May (hungry, hungry hippo)
- Matt Carroll (c’mon man, get it together)
- Andre Brown (he played in the opening game. . . then?)
- Linton Johnson (Jermareo was released to pick up this guy – for what?)
SOMEWHAT WORTHLESS:
- Emeka Okafor (Not quite a top-tier big man, but his contract would fool you)
- Nazr Mohammed (We’ve rarely seen this guy)
- Alexis Ajinca (Such a work in progress)
- Ryan Hollins (While he’s energetic, he doesn’t fill the huge hole that the Cats have)
The question must be asked – “Why are all of the Bobcats’ big men worthless?” Primarily, this is due to their inability to rebound or score in the paint. Secondly, no big man has arisen as a defensive presence this season. Okafor has been serviceable, but not quite 72 million dollars worth of service.
We should expect some sort of trade for a real big man or a change to the starting line up in the next few weeks. Maybe, this is just an overreaction? Maybe not? Stability is often important, but the Pistons and Nuggets seem to be doing okay after their recent swap. Ryan Hollins’ willingness to play ball inside the paint and run the floor with intensity might just give him a shot at starting a few times this year. Maybe a Hollins / Okafor / Wallace / Richardson / Felton lineup wouldn’t be so bad. It sure beats starting Sean May or Matt Carroll.
Additionally, don’t get fooled by the stat sheet that shows record of DJ Augustin’s big point total against the Mavericks. Augustin didn’t actually succeed as a point guard in the game, he simply racked up a lot of “garbage time” points. The entire game could be considered garbage time for the ‘Cats. Dallas was up by so much and the starters were off of the court for about 40 minutes of the match. When a team loses by such a big margin and their point guard has a big scoring night, it’s safe to surmise that he wasn’t “facilitating the offense” with any success. Maybe the Bobcats have found their identity. The Lakers used to be called “Show Time!” Now, the Bobcats can reserve – “Garbage Time!”
-Mike S.