Season Summary: The Bobcats failed to win back-to-back titles. Of course, the title they were competing for this season was for the NBA’s worst record. In a way, that’s a huge win for a franchise that was no better than dreadful during the 2011-12 season. This season was full of surprises, spanning from a 7-5 record that had Charlotteans talking playoffs, and ending in a two-way race for last place with an Orlando team that lacked any hint of magic this year. The Bobcats rented coach Mike Dunlap for the year in order to develop their players, which some would say may have been a slight success. The young core of talent in Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and, to a lesser degree, Bismack Biyombo all improved throughout the season. The team did break one record this year in an otherwise unimportant season: the Bobcats became the first team in NBA history to triple their win total from the previous season.
Player Summary: There are a few cornerstones to build around, most notably Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist, but depth is an issue. The Bobcats had very little contribution from their bench this year, mostly due to the lack of talent. Ben Gordon was either too busy dribbling the ball off of his own leg or feuding with the coach to make a huge impact, although he was a bright spot of the offense at times. Brendan Haywood played about 10 minutes all season and had less points still. Exaggeration aside, he definitely isn’t the same center that he used to be. None of the veterans on the team really are. In fact, the bright spots on the team were almost always the younger players. Pieces like Josh McRoberts, Jeff Adrien, and Byron Mullens gave great effort and surprising inputs off the bench and in spot starts.
The starters showed true potential at times this year. Gerald Henderson improved his scoring output for a 3rd straight year and showed off a smooth stroke from mid-range. One of Henderson’s biggest knocks against him coming into the league was his shooting ability. He’s replied well as a fourth year player, averaging a .447 FG%, .330 from behind the arc, and shooting a respectable .824 from the charity stripe. Kemba Walker showed very steady improvement as well. He bumped his assists and steals numbers up to 5.7 and 2.0 respectively, and he’s showing signs that he can become a true point guard with unselfish play and improved court vision. MKG had one of the rockiest years of the Bobcats, consistently being inconsistent with his stats. The one consistent piece was always his effort. Kidd-Gilchrist is a talented defender that shows flashes of Gerald Wallace with his hustle and drive. When given good playing time, he proved that he can definitely shine. His best moments included two 25 point/12 rebound games with a total of 3 blocks and 4 steals between the two games. Finally, Bismack Biyombo showed subtle signs of improvement during the season. His scoring decreased, but his post hook and even a developing jumper were encouraging. Rebounding was obviously a focus during his off-season, as he went from 5.8 RPG last year to 7.3 RPG for 2012-13. He’s got the potential for an elite shot-blocker, as was evident with a second straight year averaging just under 2 BPG.
Team Needs: Three-point shooting, post men, and sparks off the bench.
Draft Plan: The Bobcats will have at most 2 picks this year, both potentially in the first round, but will only get the 2nd pick if the Lottery places the Trail Blazers outside of the 12th pick. Most likely, the Bobcats will end up with solely the no. 2 pick in a draft that many analysts consider the weakest in over a decade. This isn’t great news for a team with a lot of needs, but the Bobcats do have a shot at some good potential in both Nerlens Noel and Ben McLemore. Regarded as the only likely picks for the Bobcats, both Noel and McLemore fit needs for the Bobcats. The team is desperately in need of a post presence and has needed a wing scorer ever since Jason Richardson was sent to Phoenix along with Jared Dudley and a second round pick for (wait for it) Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary. Noel would be an elite shot-blocker, solid rebounder, and has potential as a post scorer. McLemore would be a good wing defender, a very good three-point shooter, and possible a guy who could take over the games. Either one would benefit the Bobcats, and whichever falls to them should be immediately taken.
Free Agency Plan: As previously mentioned, the Bobcats are in dire need of a post presence. There are two players that could immediately fill that hole in Paul Millsap and JJ Hickson. Both are logical, and very possible, free agent pickups for the Bobcats this off-season. Millsap would garner a bigger contract and would probably be a better player immediately, yet Hickson is only 24 and can be used as another building block for this young franchise. Both could put up double-double numbers consistently for the struggling Bobcats, who finished 27th in rebounding this year and 24th in points in the paint. Other possibilities for a Free Agency splash lie on the outside if they choose not to re-sign Gerald Henderson. Tyreke Evans could be an intriguing pickup for a team without a big time scorer, such as the Bobcats. Given a fresh start, Evans would have a chance to prove his worth and be a no.1 option on offense again.
Outlook: We’re not even sure what to call this team anymore, due to the news that the Bobcats have begun a name change back to the Hornets being released late last week. The Bobcats have no coach, no identity, and no All-Star. However, the past looks bleaker than the future at this point, as this team currently is not nearly as bad as they were in May of 2012. The young guns are getting better, the salary cap situation looks very bright, and this team is finally making some good moves. Look for a big splash in Free Agency, a year in which they finish no better than 12th in the East, and another logo release sometime this upcoming winter. Within two to three years, the Bobcats, or Hornets rather, have a good shot at being a playoff contender and making people notice the buzz around Charlotte again.
By Jon Elliott
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