There was little reason to tune in to yesterday’s Bobcats-Bulls game. First, there would be no Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who was out with a scratched cornea. Second, when they showed Kidd-Gilchrist sidelined on the bench, he was annoyingly not wearing a pirate eye patch. Third, the Bulls have the fifth-slowest pace in the league and were without superstar MVP and frequent public weeper Derrick Rose, which saps the drama considerably. Fourth, Chicago turns the ball over less than Mitt Romney turns over his tax records (3^rd-best in the league), thereby narrowing Charlotte’s chances of winning to the size of a hobbit turd. Fifth, the Bobcats hadn’t won in 6 weeks and hadn’t beaten Chicago in nearly two years…really, if you wanted to see an enjoyable underdog story, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were better off watching Red Tails and counting the number of times Cuba Gooding, Jr. puts a pipe in his mouth and grins.

But if you did tune in yesterday and witness the Bobcats—as Steve Aschburner put it perfectly in his NBA.com Hang Time blog—“pinching off another run of futility,” it was pretty savory. This was by no means a work of art, or even a work of The Wanted. I wouldn’t use this game to try to get non-fans excited about basketball any more than the CIA would use Safe House as a recruiting video. The Bobcats made a horrifying 21-of-38 free throws and turned it over 18 times, while the Bulls shot just 35% from the field and had a lousy performance from their one All-Star candidate, Joakim Noah. But the Bobcats triumphed and did so where they’ve failed so often before: in the fourth quarter. And the other three quarters. And usually overtime, though that didn’t apply here, but probably would have it had come to that.

The Bobcats’ 21-point lead in the second quarter was like a violent bout of diarrhea: explosive and cathartic but with a very messy ending. At least we’ll always have that second quarter. Ahead by 3 against the Hornets, the Bobcats raced to a 10-point lead to start the second. Then Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12 of the Bobcats’ next 19 points as part of a run that put the Bobcats up by 21.

Sadly, the offense dried up in the 3^rd quarter like a pair of Huggies, as MKG scratched his cornea and the rest of the team shot just 11-of-29. The Bobcats still clung to a 6-point lead with 8:15 remaining in the 4^th quarter, but Ryan Anderson stuck the dagger in with a go-ahead 3-pointer and Eric Gordon twisted it around with 8 points in the last 4:45.

There were a number of puzzling aspects to this game, starting with play-by-play commenter Steve Martin saying early on, “This has been another typical encounter between the Bobcats and Hornets: there’s a lot at stake.” What’s ever been at stake between these two teams? They’re both perennial cellar-dwellers. I’ve played games of Sorry! with my 5-year-old nephew with more at stake. I remain baffled by that line.

A much more inexplicable move that nearly paid off was Hornets coach Monty “Pink Drawers” Williams’ decision to keep Anderson on the bench so long. For some reason, Williams opted to go with Lance Thomas to start the game rather than an all-big frontcourt of Anthony Davis, Anderson, and Robin Lopez. Anderson didn’t come in until there was 3:30 left in the first quarter, and the same thing happened in the 3^rd quarter. He ultimately played just 28 minutes, but he made the Bobcats pay for all of them with a 19-and-8 and his floor-spacing 3-point ability.

On the verge of embarrassing the Lakers on their home court, the Bobcats came up emptier than a soda calorie on their last possession. Gerald Henderson failed to put back a partially-blocked Kemba Walker miss, Byron Mullens mistakenly thought the hoop was attached to the ceiling, and then Ben Gordon missed a pretty good 3-point look after a mad scramble. Ballgame.

I think the turning point actually came a few minutes earlier, when with 6:30 to go and the Bobcats down one, Walker missed two free throw attempts and then a wide-open 13-foot jumper that he normally makes with Spam-like consistency. Then the Bobcats forced the Lakers into an inbound play with about 2 seconds on the shot-clock that Kobe Bryant of course hero-balled for a 3-pointer. Now that I type it out, it doesn’t seem like much on paper, but trust me, it was an opportunity more golden than Juan Manuel Marquez’s urine and the Bobcats just couldn’t convert.

The shell-shocked Bobcats then PTSD’d their way to a 17-point humiliation the following night in Phoenix. Unlike the Lakers game, this one had more garbage time than a landfill. The Bobcats actually trailed by 30 at one point, and if I had to title this series, it would be “Please Shannon Don’t Hurt ‘Em.” Shannon Brown now owns the Bobcats like a mail-order bride, having gone for 50 points in their two contests. Brown was joined by a Phoenix phalanx of frenetic force: 17 made 3’s, 55% shooting from the field and 31 assists.

There’s no denying the Charlotte Bobcats are in a horrible slide right now. However, in that same breath, there’s also no denying the fact that they compete, are routinely in games, and had a much better start to the 2013-13 NBA season that most gave them a shot at.

A huge reason for any success they’ve found is Kemba Walker and a huge second-year leap.

His minutes are up by over eight per game, and the former UConn star hasn’t let them go to waste. He’s jumped his scoring average from 12.1 points per game as a rookie to 18.1 at the time of this article, while also averaging career highs in field goal percentage (42.8%), free throw percentage (81.1%), assists (6.1) and steals (2).

Walker still has a ways to go in becoming a true NBA point guard. He’s still not the best defender out there, turns the ball over a bit more than you’d like, and has yet to nail down the nuances of being a starting lead guard at the highest level.

But he’s getting there. We all knew he was a clutch performer and could lead. We knew he could shoot and score. That’s all there, and arguably then some. It’s the passing, decision-making and improved defense that make Walker an interesting candidate for Most Improved Player of the year.

The only question is, can he actually win it?

In their coverage of the latest grim Bobcats loss to the Orlando Magic, the Observer pointed out that slow starts have been a problem, as has defensive rebounding. It’s true: the Bobcats are second-to-last in average 1^st quarter scoring margin (-4.5). And their defensive rebounding rate, which I’ve documented with the regularity of a gallon a Metamucil, remains buried so far in the cellar of the league that Abu Nazir keeps a sleeping bag there. As of right now, both of those stats are actually worse than they were last year, which should send more shivers down your spine than noticing that Jamie Patrice Thomas is on your guest list.

On the AP side, meanwhile, the recap focused on the Bobcats’ inability to control the paint or close out close games. The former is also true; the Bobcats surrendered 60 points at the rim to the Magic. As a team, they allow the most attempts at the rim and the 4^th-most makes. As for their failure to close out close games, it only seems like that lately. The Bobcats still carry a .750 winning percentage in close games, thanks to their 7-5 start to the season (which will someday be known as the “November Miracle”). And based on their record in close games and a middling strength of schedule, ESPN tells us that their expected record should only be 5-18. So there’s some good news, I guess…Happy Holidays, everyone!

The Charlotte Bobcats have surprised everyone with a solid start to the 2012-13 NBA season, sitting at 7-7 and for the moment holding the eight and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Whether or not that spot holds 68 games from now is anyone’s guess, but trade talk is going to swing around eventually.

After all, the Bobcats have some pieces we all know they’d like to move, while other commodities like versatile point guards (Ramon Sessions) and bench shooters (Ben Gordon) could be chased down by other playoff contenders. The Bobcats might want to hold onto their assets for their own playoff run, but being such a young team with budding talent, they will likely listen to any and all offers that involve high draft picks, more young talent, or that could help free up unwanted conctracts (Tyrus Thomas, anyone?).

With that said, let’s take a look at the most likely Bobcats trade rumors that could start swirling:

Tyrus Thomas – PF

Thomas is on the shelf for a couple of months with a leg issue, but once back, he could be the subject of some Bobcats trade rumors. He’s a heck of a talent, but he’s one that hasn’t really panned out quite as expected over the course of his career, and some might say he’s a bust. Regardless, he still offers highlight reel dunks and can make an impact as a rebounder and shot-blocker. The big problem, however, is his heavy contract, which pays him out more than $8 million in each of the next two seasons. The Bobcats will have a tough time finding a team willing to take his salary on, regardless of his talent and potential. Bank on Thomas sticking in Charlotte for at least one more year unless a crazy deal comes Charlotte’s way.