Last season: Worst. Team. Ever.
Literally, no team has ever finished with a worse winning percentage than the 7-59 Bobcats. That had to sting owner Michael Jordan. They were the least efficient team in the league on offense and defense (they both scored the fewest and allowed the most points per possession in the league). Yes, there were injuries on a team that had no margin for error, but they were destined to be terrible. Usually you try to find positives out of a season to build on, in this case just flush it. Flush it.
Key Departures: Can anyone from that last roster be called key? Anyway, Corey Maggette is gone, as is D.J. Augustin. But nobody they are actually going to moss.
Key Additions: With the No. 2 pick in the draft the Charlotte Bobcats selected Michael Kidd-Gillchrist, the high-energy wing out of Kentucky. A guy whose effort and defense stood out on a team loaded with future NBA players. In the one game Kidd-Gilchrist played in Summer League he looked good and now he’s got a reconstructed jump shot. He should be fun to watch.
They also added journeyman big Brendan Haywood, a reliable starting point guard in Ramon Sessions and they have Ben Gordon coming off the bench with a green light. (Might as well make it green, Gordon is going to shoot no matter the light’s color.) That’s not a playoff roster, but that’s not 12 wins, either.
Three keys to the Bobcats season:
1) Just how good is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist going to be? This is a one-year question but rather a multi-year process. He was certainly the right call with the second pick in the draft — he’s a long, pretty athletic wing who can defend and will out work you. The question is how much his jump shot develops (he has already reworked the form) and will his handles get to the point he can create his own shot. In college his athleticism could do that, but he’ll need better handles at this level.
New coach Mike Dunlap was brought in because he can develop players. Here is his first project. Kidd-Gilchrist is going to be a key part of the rebuilding in Charlotte. How key a part we’ll see by how much he develops. He could be a regular All-Star, a guy who can defend on the wing and get you some points. Could. We will see.
2) The Bobcats have to play better defense. And they should — just by adding Kidd-Gilchrist on the wing and Haywood on the paint they have better defensive personnel. Plus they have Bismack Biyombo, who should leap forward as a paint protecting force this season. And finally Dunlap has said he wants to bring in a defensive mindset as well.
The Bobcats can make faster gains with their team and record on the defensive side of the ball. The offense will come along, but get stops and they can win more games. The pieces are there to improve fairly dramatically on this end. Don’t expect a miracle. I don’t even expect them to be average. They just need to not be historically bad.
3) Where does the offense come from? They should be better this season, if only because they can’t really be worse. This is where picking up Ramon Sessions is key — is a solid to good, dependable point guard who can set the table. He played well in the regular season for the Lakers last year, but it was his first ever playoff experience and he seemed overwhelmed by that stage. Still, for the Bobcats he provides a steady presence.
Behind him at the point is Kemba Walker, and Bobcats fans should be rooting for him to take a leap forward with his game.
As he did last year, Gerald Henderson will rack up points (nice fantasy basketball tip). Kidd-Gilchrist will get them some points, but we’ll see how many. I’d like to say Tyrus Thomas will give them more than 14 a game, he has the talent, but I’m don betting on that horse. He just never developed the handle and mental side of his game to go with the skill set.
Plus there is Ben Gordon gunning off the bench. Which is what the Bobcats need.
What Bobcats fans should fear: After you have been to the seventh circle of hell, what could be worse? What is their left to fear? Really, the fear is that GM Rich Cho misses on picks and this team continues to stumble rather than build going forward. Personally, I believe in Cho, I think the organization is acting more professionally, and I think they are moving in the right direction. Slowly, but in the right direction. That said, the fear is that those are really just wheels spinning in the mud.
How it likely works out: The Bobcats are not going to be good. Not as bad as last year, but not good. Still, there are signs of hope — watch Kidd-Gilchrist bring new energy to the team and see his offensive game develop. See if Bismack Biyombo can become a defensive force. See if Kemba Walker can start to look like an NBA starter. Heck, you can hold out hope that the switch flips for Tyrus Thomas if you want. Find a reason to hope. And expect a better season than the last one.
Prediction: 21-62, which means once again a whole lot of lottery balls. They and the Magic may well be competing for the worst record in the NBA, and they are a few years away from the playoffs. But this is the first steps back from the lowest of lows. Don’t expect miracles and find reasons for hope. Find guys you can root for, Bobcats fans.