So the Bobcats are currently on a three-game losing streak and it hasn’t been pretty the last two games. Both the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat had their way with Charlotte, abusing the Bobcats for four quarters. Now comes a much easier opponent in the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs (2-2) will not challenge the Bobcats like the Heat and Magic did, and this game will be a good indicator of how Charlotte will fare this season.

If the Bobcats are unable to beat the Cavs I think it is safe to say that the opening night win over Milwaukee was a bit of a fluke. As fun as that win was a loss to Cleveland would wipe away any optimism that was felt about this season. Nobody expected the Bobcats to compete with the likes of the Heat and Magic this year but teams like the Cavs Charlotte should be able to hang with.

Let’s take a look at tonight’s contest and some other thoughts that have been roaming around in my brain.

When the season finally got started a lot of the talk surrounding the Charlotte Bobcats was not all too positive to say the least. For the most part the team is pretty young; there is not a lot of experience on it; there really isn’t a go-to player in the group.

While I understand the logic behind what most people think, I have to say that three games in I have a lot of hope for these guys still. A recent quote by head coach Paul Silas is exactly why:

“This is probably the first team I’ve had where everybody was so on the same page. You don’t have to point your finger at somebody, saying, ‘you’re not getting…”

What this tells me is that the team is doing the best thing it could do without having a marquee, go-to player on the roster. They are actually playing a team game.

It’s a crazy notion; I know. In a day and age when the game has become more and more about one guy being the offensive focal point–like LeBron James during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers; like Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic—the concept of playing a team oriented sport like an actual complete team has become foreign.

Of course some super stars have been forced to come to the stark realization that they alone cannot win championships. This has forced them to team up with other so-called superstars in order to create a supposed dream team of sorts, i.e. those guys from South Beach.

If the Miami heat showed us anything last year, they showed us that teamwork does matter (because they had none at the start of last season when they got off to such a slow start) and while talent can take you a long way if you can’t work together—I’m talking all five guys on the court, not just the Big Three—titles will be hard to come by.

The Charlotte Bobcats lost an ugly game to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. I will neither confirm nor deny that I turned off this atrocity 8 minutes into the first quarter to get in some quality time with Crysis 2…  With that being said, I present to you recaps from around the web.

• Charlotte Observer – Bobcats fall into familiar losing mode
• RobertoGato – Bobcats puke on their shoes in Cleveland
• Rufus on Fire – Bobcats lose to Cavs 99-89, because they stunk
• Ohio.com – Cavs end three game skid, win over Bobcats

Next up, The Orlando Magic tonight.  This should be friggin beautiful.

The Bobcats have become about as streaky as any team can be, following a four game losing streak with a four game winning streak. But playing at home against arguably the worst team in the NBA, and struggling to hold onto a one point win, does not inspire confidence in this team. It’s true that the Cavs came off their biggest win of the season against the Miami Heat but they had to travel and play the ‘Cats in a back-to-back game. Stephen Jackson, Charlottes’ best player, did not return for the second half because of his lingering hamstring injury, but Jackson, 3 points and 2 assists,  was not having a major impact and the ‘Cats trailed by three points at the half.

To Cleveland?  For their trade exception?  And we throw in a first rounder?  Just to be nice?  Question mark?

Adrian Wojnarowski, who I like a lot, is reporting that the Cavs have discussed it, no deal is imminent.  This is another one of those “according to a league source” who asked for anonymity because they’re full of it.  Who are these people?  I understand wanting to be the first and to let fans know about movement before it happens.  I love having the fodder for the forums here as well as something to write about.  What I don’t like or really even understand, is how the entire sphere of media that cover this sport have become rumor mongers and “if this, then this” guessers and hacks like the rest of us.

Is it a good trade?  For reasons of savings and cap value and whatever else?  Yeah, why not?  Gerald Wallace is due anywhere from $19 to $22 million dollars over the next 2 years.  Some places report Gerald gets paid $10.5 every year, some say it ramps up over the years…who knows but the guy is the highest paid player the Bobcats have.  Is Michael Jordan that concerned about saving money that he’d give up the one All-Star on the team for a trade exception?  Not only that but toss in a first rounder?

The idea, as Steve Kyler at HoopsWorld points out, is to get the trade exception from Cleveland then turn it around for other pieces that would help towards another playoff run.  Seems logical, except for the fact that neither Cleveland nor Toronto have been able to do anything with the exceptions they received when their star players each took their talents to South Beach in sign-and-trades.  True, they may be waiting it out until the trade deadline to see what team is most desperate for them.  To me, it’s a foreign concept, trading guys for a slip of paper that says “redeemable for ‘x’ amount of contracts.”  However, the Bobcats shed the final year of Tyson Chandler’s massive deal for Dampier’s non-guaranteed contract, hoo-dooed into taking back Matt Carroll and Eddie Najera.  Unable to trade Damp’s nothing for something, the Bobcats simply cut him, he ended up in Miami and the Bobcats wound up under the luxury tax.

It was one of those moments that tugs at your heart.

The Charlotte Bobcats were in a tough matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers and hopes were looking bleak. They needed an inspiration, They needed someone who could lift their hopes, someone who could inspire them to believe that “YES, All of our dreams are achievable”.  Who could give the Bobcats this kind of hope? Who could lift their spirits? Who could it be?

Enter Liquid Wayno… During a timeout as heads in Bobcats Arena were hanging and all hope appeared to be lost, A man strides out onto the court. Not just any man, out strides the 6 foot 6 inch, 245 pound, 2.4% body fat basketball PHENOM better known as Liquid Wayno. The Charlotte Bobcats were awed by his presence. His task was simple, All that he needed to do was to display his flawless Reggie-Miller-Like shooting stroke to the masses.  The effects of witnessing the utter purity of his jumper would lift the Bobcats spirits and inspire them to play superior basketball for the remainder of the game.

Here is how that demonstration went.