Charlotte Bobcats 2009-2010 Preview

By General
for NBA-Basketball.org

Published: October 22, 2009

Background of 2009-2010 Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats are the newest additions to the NBA and we all are aware that being an expansion team, it takes sometimes a decade or so until the team can really do something. Therefore, there’s no need to sugercoat the fact that the Bobcats won’t really be nothing more than a filler in this year’s NBA season. Their biggest highlight of last season was beating out the Lakers twice and being the only team to have a favourable series split against them. Another bonus, which might be considered a negative depending on where you stand on the matter, is having legends Larry Brown and Michael Jordan on the sidelines. These are two winners that will struggle with the idea of throwing in the towel before the season has even started. It seems however, that the Bobcats owner (same time BET owner) Robert Johnson has not only thrown in the towel, but given up completely on the franchise. He has openly admitted to having put the team on sale, and has already started liquidating this team with the trading of Okafor – who’s contract is 3 years longer than the lesser asset Tyson Chandler. To add insult to injury, or should I say to add injury to insult, Raja Bell, the team’s starting shooting guard will be out for at least 4 months with a torn ligament. Sometimes it’s not easy being the fan of a poorly managed NBA team.

Bobcats additions in 2010

Tyson Chandler

Ronald Murray

Gerald Henderson

Bobcats departures in 2010

Emeka Okafor

Probably Starting Lineup for the 2009 2010 Charlotte Bobcats

PG – Raymond Felton
SG – Gerald Henderson
SF – Gerald Wallace
PF – Boris Diaw
C – Tyson Chandler

Charlotte Bobcats Guards

Being signed to a long term deal, Raymond Felton has been trusted to be the leader of this team for years to come and at 25 years of age, he still has room to develop. He possesses a well rounded game both capable of distributing the ball efficiently as well as being able to get his on the offensive end of the floor. His backcourt starting mate was going to be Raja Bell, but a recent injury will see him out for the larger part of this season. I can’t say it’s not bad news, because as dedicated and hardworking of a player Raja is he’s 33 and will be closer to his 40s by the time the Bobcats do become a playoff team. In his place is 6′5 Duke guard Gerald Henderson. While we know that coach Larry Brown isn’t the biggest fan of rookies playing big minutes, this is one situation where he won’t have much of a choice. It will be interesting for the franchise to see what kind of player Henderson can become, and they will have the whole of this year to take a pretty good look. But don’t expect Henderson to see huge minutes, because Ronald Murray is a combo guard that can flat out play. He was a key player of the bench for the Atlanta Hawks, and even had stretches back in his Seattle Days where he would light up the scoreboard at will. Expect to see Murray fill up many minutes both at the PG and SG spot, with DJ Augustin collecting any of the breadcrumb minutes that he leaves.

Charlotte Bobcats Forwards

With the departure of Emeka Okafor, it will be on Gerald Wallace to take the role of franchise player. Wallace isn’t a household name, but in fact he’s as complete of a player as you will find in basketball. A monster of an athlete, a defensive hound capable of steals shutdowns and blocks, and a slasher to the basket able to rock the rim if not closely watched. He only lacks a consistent shooting touch and some finesse, but otherwise he’s just as effective on the floor as the Paul Pierces and Caron Butlers of this league. Vladimir Radmanovic serves as Wallace’s reserve and he is the polar opposite of what Wallace brings. Radmanovic is a real threat on the perimeter, as lethal as the best of them when he doesn’t start daydreaming in the middle of matches. The starting Power Forward position belongs to Boris Diaw, once a most improved player winner, on this team he will be counted as the leading scoring option. He’s European basketball upbringing combined with his size and agility makes an effective combo and most opposing teams have a hard time covering him. He’s developed his shooting touch over the last couple years and will need to have another breakout year if the Bobcats are to have any shot at the playoffs.Nazr Mohammed is really the only viable reserve to Diaw, so Diaw’s importance can’t be underestimated.

Charlotte Bobcats Centers

Tyson Chandler is the main new addition to this team, and it is unclear what the Bobcats can really expect from him. At 7′1 he holds more size and will have a better shot at guarding Eastern Conference top big men such as Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal, but that is hardly what the Bobcats are concerned about. Without a player like Chris Paul, Chandler will need to work even harder on offensive rebounds and putbacks to make a difference on the offensive end. DeSagana Diop is the main insurance if Chandler is forced to sit out yet again due to injuries.

Best Case Scenario for the Charlotte Bobcats

If we have to be honest, there is no real best case scenario for the Bobcats. As daunting as this sounds, its unfortunately true. It’s hard doing well in this league when your owner is thinking how he can best sell off his team. Having said that, this team is somewhat led by the duo of Larry Brown and Michael Jordan – so the young players will stay organized, focus, and granted that a few of them flourish, this can be a team that can slowly rise out of rebuilding status.

Worst Case Scenario for the Charlotte Bobcats

I’m not really sure what’s worse than what I just described above. It could be that the team does so horribly that the team is relocated to some other part of the country.

Bobcats 2010 Outlook

The Bobcats will have to endure a long and tough season, and will hope to get a good couple of additions in next year’s draft.

Charlotte Bobcats 2010 Predictions

Record: 30-52

Surprise Player: Gerald Henderson developing into a fine player

Key Player: Tyson Chandler and whether he can stay healthy throughout the season

Author:General

General has written 32 articles for us.

Tagged with: bobcats 2009-2010, bobcats 2010 preview, charlotte bobcats 2009-2010, charlotte bobcats 2009-2010 nba preview, charlotte bobcats 2010 preview