Charlotte Bobcats: The Slow Climb To Respectability
By John Hugar
Kemba Walker will be the leader of the Charlotte Bobcats going forward. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
The best thing about having the worst season in NBA history is that you pretty much have to get better the following year. That held true for 2012-13 Charlotte Bobcats, who improved on the previous year’s 7-59 train wreck by going 21-61. They still had the second-worst record in the NBA, but they were far more competitive and looked to be headed in the right direction. The upcoming season will go a long way in determining whether or not the Bobcats have what it takes to become a truly respectable team or if they will languish in the cellar for yet another season.
The good news for the Bobcats is that they already have one emerging star leading them into future; point guard Kemba Walker, who will be heading into his third season this year. Walker was one the most improved players in the NBA this past season, becoming a better shooter and far more assertive scorer. As the season progressed, it became abundantly clear that Walker was the team’s unquestioned leader. After struggling to find direction in that dreadful 2011-12 season, Walker gave them a greater sense of direction. The question going forward is whether or not Walker will be able to take yet another leap and become one of the best point guards in the league. We saw loads of potential with Walker this season and one would have to guess that he has nowhere to go but up. If Walker’s play continues to improve, the Bobcats will start looking scarier and scarier, to the point where they may have an outside shot t the playoffs.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | MP | PER | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | ORtg | DRtg | OWS | DWS | WS | WS/48 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 21 | CHA | NBA | PG | 66 | 1792 | 14.9 | .464 | .411 | 1.9 | 13.5 | 7.5 | 30.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 12.1 | 25.2 | 96 | 111 | -0.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | .009 |
| 2012-13 | 22 | CHA | NBA | PG | 82 | 2859 | 18.8 | .517 | .466 | 2.3 | 9.2 | 5.7 | 31.2 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 12.4 | 25.6 | 105 | 111 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 4.8 | .080 |
| Career | NBA | 148 | 4651 | 17.3 | .497 | .445 | 2.1 | 10.9 | 6.4 | 30.8 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 12.3 | 25.4 | 102 | 111 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 5.1 | .053 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/14/2013.
Going into last season, there was a lot of hype over Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, the Kentucky star who the Bobcats took with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Kidd-Gilchrist had excited many with his brilliant play in his lone year of college and the Bobcats hoped he would quickly become a star for them. Unfortunately, Kidd-Gilchrist had his share of struggles in his rookie campaign. He was never able to assert himself in the offense, averaging just nine points per game in 26 minutes. The best troublesome display of this came in February, when he averaged just 5.6 points a game. Going forward, Kidd-Gilchrist needs to become more aggressive on offense. Even if he’s not a great shooter, he displayed a fair amount of offense prowess in his lone year at Kentucky. If he can learn to assert himself more and show a greater willingness to take the ball to the hoop, he could become one of the Bobcats’ most essential contributors. If not, he may end up looking more and more like an afterthought.
The area where the Bobcats need the most help, however, is with their big men. Byron Mullens and Bismack Biyombo just weren’t getting the job done last year. Mullens is known for having more range than most centers, but that point is rendered moot by the fact that he isn’t a particularly good shooter from anywhere. He shot less than 40 percent from the field and while he occasionally lit up the scoreboard, he was more likely to shoot his team out of the game with a string of ill-advised jumpers. Biyombo, on the other hand, is just the opposite. He’s a great defender and shot-blocker, but his offensive game is woefully limited, as he is unable to hit from anywhere other than directly under the basket. Biyombo’s defensive prowess makes him useful, but the Bobcats need players who are less limited in their frontcourt. That’s why it would not be shocking o see the Bobcats look for a quality big man in this year’s draft. Either Alex Len or Cody Zeller could be the most alluring choice and they are players who could make this team more solid up front. This is by far the Bobcats’ biggest flaw and they need to fix it right away.
The Bobcats are headed in the right direction. Walker has the talent to become a true star, while Kidd-Gilchrist is likely a better player than his passive rookie season would have you believe. This is a team that will likely improve again this season, as they become closer and closer to becoming a respectable team. They have an outside shot at reaching the playoffs next season, but a more likely outcome is that win somewhere around 30-35 games, while making it clear that they can no longer be written off as an automatic win. This team is going places and it will be intriguing to see how far they come in 2013-14.