Sup everybody, BETCATS checking back in. If you are reading this, i would like to wish you a happy holiday season. At the time i wrote my last piece for the site, the Bobcats were struggling. A lot of us were panicking and we were all starting to think maybe the playoffs are out of reach. The faith in our team to get the job done was questionable. We then went on a little win streak, and everyone was satisfied temporarily. But that was then.
Fast forward to today, the Bobcats are struggling again. Once again, some of my fellow Bobcat fans have gone into panic mode. Talks that the season is already over and a total meltdown is in site are in full swing. I feel it is needed to give a reminder we are only 26 games into the season. However, from those 26 games we can start to see some trends.
1) Boris Diaw has issues. I am not sure where they spawned from, but he has them. Diaw has been underachieving this entire season. At first i was willing to contribute it to injuries. But the more i watch him play, the more obvious it is that he does not want to be playing basketball. Maybe it was Bell leaving. Maybe it was the fact the Suns are good this year. Maybe something was said to him by somebody in the organization after he hurt himself over the summer. But whatever the problem is, it has turned Diaw into a shadow of what he was for us last season. The only way i see the Diaw issue being resolved is Diaw ‘snapping out of it’ or being traded. Either way, it is going to be painful until it ends.
2) Tyson Chandler is trying, and it will pay off. I know he has pissed us all off with his recent quote, but lets just move on. Tyson said what he said, and the team will deal with it. As fans, lets not keep on crucifiying him. When watching Tyson play, you can tell he is putting effort in, unlike Diaw. He might have a bad case of the “i miss CP3 blues” , but he will adapt to our team soon enough. We are requiring him to work on offense, something that is foreign to him. But he is shooting free throws well and he is attacking the basket. I expect to pick up the pace by mid-season aka mid-season form.
3) Larry Brown is making some very questionable decisions. Not playing DJ. Not playing Henderson enough. Not playing Nazr when it counts. Not playing Derrick Brown when we need him the most. Putting too much pressure on Flip to make big plays. Not giving Stephen Jackson the ball in clutch situations and letting him finish out the game….I could go on and on and on and on. But these are just some of the perks that you get when LB is your coach. I think Larry is still experimenting with the rotations, and i hope he figures them out by the ASG break. Last year, Larry also did a lot of things i can only describe as ‘strange’ and it is re-occurring this year. But hey, I.L.B.I.T.
Now comes the part of this when i make my plea to my Bobcat brethren that are in panic mode. I ask that you all just wait before throwing in the towel on the season. Yes, all the 3 things i outlined are concerning. Yes, there is more than what I said to be concerned about. But please, we are 26 games into the season. Lets not pass judgement until all 82 games have been played.
