Bobcats Hope to Improve on 3-3 Record

Heat severely struggling without D-Wade

Following previous starts of 1-5, 2-4, and 1-5 in their first three years, the Bobcats are off to, for them, a blistering pace. Sure, fans of other franchises might laugh at the celebration of a .500 winning record, but there is every reason for Bobcats buffs to feel elated.

For instance, tonight, the ‘Cats face off against divisional rival Miami in Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Stats.com reports that even though Dwyane Wade, following shoulder and knee surgeries, was cleared to play on November 2, 2007, he is not interested in rushing back and aggravating his injuries, a la Amare Stoudemire. The Heat are off to their worst start since the ‘03-‘04 season, Wade’s rookie year and prior to the trade for Big Diesel, when they started 0-7. This year they boast a Bobcats-like 1-5, with their single win coming against the Knicks in a tight game on Sunday.

Tonight the Bobcats should be able to remain competitive without much trouble. This season Shaquille O’Neal is averaging 4 rebounds less than his career average despite seeing an increase in playing time. In addition, he is averaging career-worsts in points, FG%, assists, and fouls per game, and is therefore unable to stay on the floor during critical situations.

The Bobcats have certainly had extreme performances through six games--on both ends of the spectrum. The highs: hard-fought victories over Milwaukee and Miami by a combined total of five points to open the season. The lows: allowing Phoenix, sans Amare, and an inexperienced 76ers team to blow the ‘Cats up for an average victory of 31.5 points. Another win and another loss bring us to tonight’s competition against the former champs, who look less than playoff-worthy.

After all is said and done, the Bobcats will certainly need a more consistent overall effort from their bench, especially with Jason Richardson’s poor shooting % and struggle to fit into the new system. Walter Herrmann has yet to see significant playing time despite going on a statistical tear to end last season. This is probably due to his atrocious 2-for-13 from the field over the first six games, though he has been a perfect 4-4 from the foul-stripe. Matt Carroll, after starting slow in the first two games, has reached double-digit points in the last four. Jermareo Davidson, Jared Dudley, and Ryan Hollins have all shown sparks of ability, but are all shooting under 45% and are all averaging minutes in the same ballpark as Herrmann--just over 10-a-game.

Alleviating the pressure on the Bobcats starting-5 will be crucial as the season wears on. Emeka Okafor, Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace, and Jason Richardson all struggled with various injuries last season, and the loss of two key role-players to season-ending injuries in Sean May and Adam Morrison has only increased the burden on their shoulders. Sam Vincent must establish a more regular rotation if we are to continue our winning ways. Tune in to News 14 Carolina at 7pm and check back for a summary of the game afterwards.