When you move quicker than your opponent, basically in anything, you're going to win.  I think that's the best attempt I've ever had at a Sun Tzu quote that I made up on the fly.  I'm sure that might be in one of the Zig Ziglar books my Dad gave me or maybe a Tony Robbins tape he gave me (seriously, I no longer possess a tape deck, younguns, ask Ziggy what a tape is).  This thought came to me as the Bobcats went to the locker room at halftime of the Wednesday Night game versus the Raptors.  The clips are all flying to the basket, dunk, put-back, dunk, steal, dunk, run, lay-up and the Bobcats are up by 6.

As I've said many times before, basketball looks complicated and is a specialized game but it's pretty simple if you take several things as "given."  You have to take field goal percentage as a given.  The league average is .455 and the top team (Phoenix) is at .492 and the bottom (New Jersey by .02 under the Bobcats) is .401.  Nine percent of an average 80 attempts per game is 7, so the top and bottom of the league are separated by 14 points of %.  That's shooting efficency, you have to figure defensive efficency as well.

What's the point other than BigCat number crunching on a quiet Wednesday halftime?  The point is, it's getting an upper hand in attempts, easier shots, more valued shots (threes) and lowering your opponent in each area.  Easier shots are free throws and they are not always a given, especially for the Bobcats.  There are 2 things going against the 'Cats here: #1, no respect.  There is no way to get more FT attempts if there is no star, no referee preferred player, no the coach isn't going to pull that respect and pressure them to call it our way or even to the point of being equal against a more "national" team.  #2 Felton, Wallace, Jackson and Chandler are not great FT% guys.  (collectively .720 career and Jack is at .560 since coming over from GSW).

The three pointers are not going to happen with this roster.  #23 in attempts and #29 in %, you just can't count on that to work for this team's offense either.  By the way, these are all cold facts, very objective but they come from research based on a subjective hunch.  Speaking of subjective, what do stats have to do with this:

So, my theory of "high value" shots, easier attempts (each only counts for 1 pt though), holding the opponent and attempts, you have to toss the first 3 (two based on lack of viability and defense is pretty solid (1st in the league at press time)).  The only other option is more attempts.  How do you get more attempts?  Defense and speed.  Pace of game is one part of speed, the other is the fast-break.

If you're thinking "But BigCat, we learned this in middle school gym class."  Well I didn't.  I am having revelations here and I've had 2 doses of NyQuil so get off me.  The defense, steals and blocks and altered shots all lead to more attempts.  If the magic 3 are executed correctly, with speed and pace of game, the attempts are easier and should lead to an easy basket.

That's whats happening against Indiana and Toronto.  How do the Bobcats carry this over to teams not coming off a back-to-back and with someone a little quicker than Tyler Hansborough leading the break?  Remains to be seen but a line-up of Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Gerald Henderson, Derick Brown, Nazr Mohammed, Raymond Felton, DJ Augustin and Stephen Jackson better find a way.  They're athletic and smart enough to make it happen.  They won't gamble too bad on a steal attempt, they can get out on the break.   It's making it happen against Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, and some of the teams out of the west, that has to become natural.

Set the matchups, out-speed your opponent and finish and this is an easy game to win, grasshopper.

This game's win matches the Bobcats best initial home record and is the highest point total on the season, and that includes a double OT victory against the Knicks.  This is also the largest margin of victory in the young history of the franchise.  Are things changing in Charlotte?  I sure hope so.  Stay tuned for Friday's game against the Cavs, I may chunk these stats and theories out the window.