Bobcats Lose to Bosh.  Who does he play for again? 

Great point made by special contributor to the Observer, Doug Smith: “And facing a great big man, the kind they’re not really built to contend with, the Bobcats would have needed far more offense than they were able to muster.”

Chris Bosh, who I used to really think was a crap player, went off for 39 points and 11 rebounds last night.  That’s pretty solid!  His high total other than 39 is 42 and he’s only done that twice and one of those was in double overtime.  Who do the ‘Cats have to match up with this guy?  I thought maybe a combo of Ajinca, Hollins, Dudley and Okafor could slow him down but ugh, not so much.  Ajinca isn’t ready.  Hollins may never be ready.  Dudley and Okafor are shorter and slower than Bosh.  In Dudley’s case, much shorter.  Dudley had a nice game.  13 points for the guy with the high-basketball-IQ.  Okafor looked like “himself”  I don’t know who exactly he is after his injuries, great year last year, then down again this year but 16 points and 14 rebounds to go with his average number of blocks (1 and a bit) is good.

If the Bobcats are going to beat a team with a guy who is all but guaranteed to score piles of points their defense won’t be the match-up.  It would have to come from the offense.  Bosh outscored the next highest Raptor by 22.  Some guy named Joey Graham scored 17.  So, looks like the Bobcats should have the match-ups covered elsewhere if no one but Bosh wants to have a big game.  They didn’t.  Gerald Wallace scored 23 but shot 8 for 20.  That seems like a bad shooting night.  40%.  That’s Paul Pierce’s season average.  Kobe averages 45%.  That’s not bad but it feels like it.  Okafor’s 16 helps, as does DJ and Dudley with 13 but that’s not going to get it and it didn’t last night. 

I’m not worried about it really.  The Bobcats didn’t sit back and watch him go off.  The effort was there.  LB even said he was proud of the way the guys played.  Bosh’s biggest play was an ally-oop in the fourth quarter.  Then a few misses, Okafor scores a couple times and the Bobcats are right back in it.  It’s not horrible.  It’s not a win, but it’s not a bunch of guys who sit back and say to themselves, “We’re getting beat by a guy who we can’t stop.  That’s it.  It’s all over.”  These guys play as a nice team, missing a couple parts.  One of which might come back against the Pacers, as Coach Brown said he needed one last full practice.  The other part we’re missing, we’re not exactly sure where it will come from.  The power forward position remains a big empty void. 

Alexis Ajinca is starting at center with DJ Augustin at the PG which moves Raymond Felton to the 2 guard and Okafor to the PF.  It worked against Philly, not so much last night.  Ajinca didn’t get the minutes last night.  Sean May shouldn’t and can’t take the minutes.  I haven’t seen him leave his feet more than 5 times in any one game all season, forget keeping up with the pace of the game.  I don’t think moving Okafor to the PF and starting Ajinca every game or Nazr or Hollins is going to help us, last night or in the future.  It’s not a permanent solution.  So how do the Bobcats overcome these deficiencies?  Trade?  Not this year. 

I’d like to talk to someone in the front office and see what the plan is.  I really think someone other than Bonnell should be allowed access.  He is the only person that his entire job is to cover the Bobcats.  Any other writer that writes about the ‘Cats is either an AP guy or a part-timer, whose real interests are elsewhere (Panthers, College B-Ball and Football, sometimes even High School Sports.)  Write emails to whomever and get BIGCat in the arena!  I’m going to start a campaign because I really can’t find quotes from anyone other than LB and the players in pre- and post-game pressers.  BIGCat for beat writer, 2008-09! 

Cats Win; City Rejoices 

The Charlotte Bobcats, in Steve Martin’s words (announcer.  Not the actor/comedian), led almost wire to wire against one of the top teams in the East.  Philadelphia and the Bobcats traded the lead the whole 2nd half.  At halftime, when I started paying attention, the Bobcats were smoking Philly on FG % but tied.  That kind of confused me.  I looked on down the stats and saw that Philly had 12 or so more points in the paint and about 10 more on fast break.  Leading scorer at that point: Raymond Felton.  The word point there is intended as a pun.  As the AP story starts, Raymond is no longer the starting PG.  DJ Augustin, first start: 26 points; 2nd start: 7; 3rd start: 25.  Whoa.  Ok, show us what you’ve got kid.  He and Raymond played almost flawlessly together.  Maybe Ray can be a 2.  Stephanie Ready (Fox, sexy woman) interviewed Ray after the game and he was happy to say, “I don’t care if I’m the 1 or the 2.  I just want to be on the court and I’ve got to do whatever it takes to stay on the court.”  You can read every thing this morning and see the love for the 2 guard system that was employed last night.  ‘Cats got the win, so I love it too. 

I am not a fan of playing 2 “PG” type guards at the same time, especially 2 that are in the 6’ range.  It’s not like we’re rolling Magic Johnson out there, who in a pinch can and has played every position on the court.  Both players got posted up on defense.  Both rolled late on help defense against the much taller Philly guards and they found the cutter or the big men for an easy bucket.  I don’t mind giving up the easy shots once in a while.  If they find a cutter and it takes them 18 seconds on the shot clock, that’s fine.  I feel like the quickness of DJ and Ray makes up for the defensive deficiencies.  Actually, I just looked at the numbers.  The “deficiencies” I think are there, only allowed 18 from Brand, 8 from Dalembert and 17 from Iguodala.  You know what those 3 guys’ totals add up to?  43.  You know what Augustin and Felton combined for?  48.  Cats win. 

I actually enjoyed the last 3-4 minutes of the game.  Those minutes were actually a Bobcats run of 11 to the Sixers’ 4, I think.  I do so hate the fouling at the end of the game.  I think refs should make a rule, unwritten or not, that if you’re down by 10 or more in the last 2 minutes of a game you can’t foul without drawing blood or almost causing a fight.  It just makes the game drag.  As a fan, I don’t like it.  I understand it’s necessary for subs and you do have to hit those free throws but man I hate to watch it and it so rarely works.   

Is this 2 “PG” system going to work for us every night and suddenly we’re on a streak?  Doubtful.  Raymond is so streaky.  Looking at DJ’s 3 starts he might be a yo-yo type.  20+, single digits, 20+, single digits?  Remains to be seen.  I felt good about the way these guys played and possibly the greatest testament to the game last night is this quote from Elton Brand:  “They deserved to win this ballgame,” Brand said. “They outhustled us on a few loose balls and they knocked down timely shots.”

Reminds me of the talk from Larry Brown following Saturday’s loss.  He said basically (can’t find quote again, sorry) he is trying to change the way our guys play.  He wants them to play hard, go after every loose ball, rebound, solid D, just intense basketball.  Looks like it worked last night.

Bobcats at Home Tonight against Philadelphia 

“WHOOOOOOO FREAKINNNN CARRREES!!!!?” 

I just asked the guy who I share season tickets with if he wanted to go he said “No.”  quickly with no explanation.  I said “Ok…..oh is it because you’re a Packers fan and they are on Monday Night Football?”  His response: “That and I mean come on.  It’s a Monday night game against Philly.  I’d rather not waste my time.”  I wonder if the Bobcats feel the same way? 

The Sixers are pretty good.  They made the playoffs in a weak East last year and scared Detroit much like Atlanta scared Boston.  They improved in the offseason, bringing in Elton Brand.  Brand is a career 20/10 guy, made it to 2 All-Star Games.  They added him to a pretty good group of guys “led” by Andre Iguodola.  I put “led” in quotation marks because Iguodola is not a leader.  He’s not the guy that gets that team going.  I think Mo Cheeks is the guy for the Sixers because none of their players really do anything for me.   

They’re a good team; well put together, each player with a defined role.  Hmm, that sounds like it would be nice.  Add an All-Star to some nice pieces and parts that learned to play together last year, BRILLIANT!   

Philly by 15 tonight, it won’t be close.  Nothing will change for the Bobcats until something big happens.  Nothing big will happen so I don’t feel like going.