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.
Now I am definitely not trying to say that I think the Bobcats are on the same plane as the Miami Heat. What I am saying is that these guys have the capability of playing some real good basketball when they are able to make things click. That was evident Wednesday night when they lost by one, 95-96, to the Heat thanks to a Dwyane Wade 10-footer with three seconds left.
At the same time, when they aren’t clicking we’ll see games like the one they put up Friday night against the Orlando Magic, a 79-100 defeat.
As the season progresses we may get quite a few stinkers like Friday’s game, but I’m pretty hopeful that we’ll get a few more like Wednesday’s. If Paul Silas can keep these guys playing like a team that just might happen– of course, with the Bobcats coming out on the right side of the scoreboard!
I am not particularly a Heat fan, but people are always too hard on them. Yeah, they didn’t win a title, but in their first year as the big three they got to the playoffs and did pretty damn well. I know they were talking about six titles in a row, but Jesus, if they do anything but win title is it a disapointment?
JT, I think the Big Three are incredibly talented and that is why they made the playoffs as deep as they did. I also think that each of the Big Three thinks they are ‘the man.’ They don’t play like a team all that much, but since they are as talented as they are they can get away with it. Just think if they actually worked well together and were selfless and thought of the team first…
The problem so far is that the Bobcats are so Jekyll and Hyde. Are we going to see the team that hustles and competes tonight or we will see the team that rolls over.
Entirely right Dexter. I’m hoping that the Jekyll and Hyde act is something Paul Silas can work out of the guys myself.
Judging by the last two games, the Bobcats are this bad. Rolled over and looked overmatched in both contests.
Couldn’t disagree with you more Brandon. They were overmatched in the game against the Heat and still played with them for three of four quarters. Had they not laid such a stinker in the third that would have been one heck of an upset. Now against Dwight Howard, I mean Orlando–oh lets be honest, against Dwight Howard they did look completely overmatched. That was my point though. When these young guys are on, they are a team to watch; when they are not on you want to change the station.
not half bad, all bad. we are the bad news bears this year.
If memory serves, the Bad News Bears weren’t half bad.
What happened to the effort that we were seeing in the first 2 games? If that effort is a thing of the past then we very well may be baaad.
Were these last 2 game efforts just anomalies, or is that our baseline for the 2011-2012 season?
The Miami rematch was pretty disappointing. Hopefully that game and the Orlando one are the anomalies and not the one win and the first game against Miami.