The Charlotte Bobcats entered the NBA in 2004 and they have seen their fair share of losing. The Bobcats have only had one winning season which was also their lone trip to the NBA Playoffs back in 2010. The Bobcats still have not won a playoff game as they were swept that year in the first round by the Orlando Magic. After that small glimpse of success by the Bobcats things took a turn for the worse for them. The 2011-2012 regular season was reduced to just 66 games as a result of the NBA’s Lockout. The Bobcats would only manage to win 7 games that season while compiling a winning percentage of .106. The Bobcats were hopeful to have the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft as they were anticipating the opportunity to draft former University of Kentucky center Anthony Davis. But the ping-pong balls at the NBA’s Draft Lottery did not bounce in favor of the Bobcats as the New Orleans Hornets were awarded the top pick of the draft. The Bobcats would then have the second overall pick of the draft which was used on Davis’ college teammate in forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Since 2010, the Bobcats have had four different head coaches with none of them lasting more than a season. Since becoming the minority owner of the Bobcats in 2010, Michael Jordan has come under fire for the poor play and more importantly the bad personnel decisions that were being orchestrated in Charlotte. But since 2011, Bobcats general manager Rich Cho has begun to assemble a team in Charlotte.
It started when Cho and the Bobcats used the 9th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft on shooting guard Kemba Walker. In each of Walker’s three seasons in the NBA his overall production has increased as he is now averaging 18.4 points per game. But the Bobcats really lucked out last summer when they were able to sign free agent center Al Jefferson to a three-year, $40.5 million contract. Jefferson has given the Bobcats something that they have never had in their 10-year existence which is a legitimate post player.
Jefferson entered the NBA straight out of high school in 2004 as he was drafted by the Boston Celtics. Aside from the Celtics, Jefferson has also previously played with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz. At each stop Jefferson has been productive, but a little under appreciated. For his 10-year NBA career Jefferson has averaged 16.7 points along with 9.1 rebounds per game. I expected Jefferson to have a positive impact on the Bobcats this season, but he has exceeded my expectations as he is averaging 20.5 points and 10.4 rebounds so far this season. Once you factor that in with Walker’s production this season the Bobcats are getting nearly 40 points per game from their two best players.
Under first-year coach Steve Clifford, the Bobcats currently have a record of 27-30 which is a step in the right direction being that they only won 28 games in the past two seasons. The icing on the cake for the Bobcats is that their record this season is good enough for them to be 7th overall in the weak Eastern Conference. If the regular season in the NBA ended today the Bobcats would face the two-time defending NBA Champion Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs which isn’t a great consolation prize, but getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2010 would be a tremendous step for the Bobcats being that they were in the pits of futility not that long ago.
The Bobcats have a puncher’s chance to make the playoffs this season. Only 5 games separate the Bobcats and the Toronto Raptors who are the third place team in the Eastern Conference. The playoff bound teams in the Eastern Conference appear to be separating themselves now from the also-rans in the East and the Bobcats are right in that mix. The Bobcats are 7-3 in their last 10 games, but they have a tough three-game road trip coming up as they’ll face the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Heat.
The state of North Carolina has always been basketball crazy; mainly at the collegiate ranks which has been highlighted by the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils. The Charlotte Hornets spent their first 14 years in the Queen City before they moved to New Orleans and they eventually became the Pelicans. When the original Hornets changed their name to the Pelicans this season, the Hornets nickname became available and Jordan decided to jump on it and bring it back to Charlotte for next season which has once again created a buzz in the community. The original Hornets were one of the most popular teams in the NBA during the 1990’s as they made the playoffs four times. Entering the 2000’s the Hornets popularity waned which resulted in the move to New Orleans in 2002. The Bobcats have called the Time Warner Cable Arena home since 2005 and it has a seating capacity of over 19,000 for basketball. The Bobcats are currently 25th this season in the NBA for home attendance, but if they are to remain in contention coming down the stretch in the postseason you can expect those numbers to increase. It has been a few years, but the people of Charlotte appear to have a professional basketball team that they can support in the Bobcats.
Source: Basketball-reference.com
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