Blog Squad 2007-08 | Blog Squad 2.0 - 2006-07

Welcome back to the fourth year of the Bobcats Blog Squad, the official blog of bobcats.com where we provide you with some of the best Bobcats content you'll find anywhere on the web.
The Blog Squad is led by bobcats.com lead writer Matt Rochinski, but you'll also be hearing from players, coaches, broadcasters, fans and other various members from around the organization who will be stopping by from time to time to fill the fans in on what's happening over at 333 East Trade.
It's all part of our effort to give our fans a behind-the-scenes perspective of your team from various viewpoints in 2008-09. Keep checking back as we'll be posting new material on the Bobcats, the NBA and more. Want to chip in? Send your questions in to insider@bobcats.com and we'll do our best to get you the answers you want.

Note: the opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Charlotte Bobcats organization or of the NBA

bobcats.com The Bobcats have a chance to impress the home crowd often in the opening months of the season.

-- bobcats.com's Matt Rochinski | 5:32 p.m. 8/6/08

The NBA released its 2008-09 regular season schedule just a few hours ago, and now that we’ve got everything posted here at bobcats.com, I’ve actually had the chance to sit down and take a look at what is in store for the Bobcats – primarily in the first couple months of the season (including the season opener on October 30 in Cleveland). That being said, I’ve decided to share my first impressions of what I’m seeing here with you on the blog. My opinion could easily change or be swayed, but this is me off the cuff here, and since I’m long-winded I’m only going through December for now.

Home Sweet Home
Okay, we drew a tough opener on the road against LeBron James and the Cavs, but fans in Charlotte are going to get the chance to see what Larry Brown’s Bobcats look like early and often in the first few weeks of 2008. Charlotte may open the season away from Time Warner Cable Arena, but eight of its next nine games will have all the comforts of home. But it’s not going to be an easy task for the Bobcats. Throw out Miami’s 15-67 record last year – which was probably a fluke now that Dwyane Wade is back and Michael Beasley is in the fold – and the remaining seven teams to visit were all playoff teams in 2007-08 and combined for an amazing 363-211 overall record. How good is that? That’s a .634 winning percentage – good enough for an average record of 52-30 between those teams. But if history is any indication, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Bobcats to make an early statement. After all, Charlotte opened last season with eight of its first 11 games at home and posted a 5-3 record in those contests and this is going to be a better team than last season. Something tells me Time Warner Cable Arena might be a tough place for teams to play in 2008-09. We’ll all get the chance to see if I’m right out of the gate.

Leave the Light On
My wife, Tonya, and kids love the summer because they actually get to see me, not just hear me getting home at 1 a.m. after a game. I remember two months into last season Tonya asking me, “This sure is a lot of home games early on isn’t it?” With the CIAA, ACC and NCAA Tournaments all here last year, I had convinced her that having 18 games at home in the first two months was a rarity we probably wouldn’t see again. I was right. This year we’ve got 20 of our first 32 games at home. I’ll try not to wake anybody up when I get home.

We Remember You
Anybody who has followed Head Coach Larry Brown’s career – or even read his bio for that matter – knows that he’s coached seven NBA teams throughout what is sure to be a Hall of Fame coaching career. It won’t take long for Brown to get re-acquainted with some of his former teams, as two of the Bobcats first four games are against the two teams that Brown coached most recently. On Monday, November 3, the Detroit Pistons – whom Brown led to the NBA Championship in 2003-04 – visit Time Warner Cable Arena before Charlotte heads to New York to take on the Knicks – the last team Brown coached – on Wednesday, November 5.

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday (Feel free to sing here)
If Elton John weren’t such a big act, I’d be advising Bobcats Director of Event Presentation Josh Kramer to do whatever he could to get him in here for a halftime performance sometime on a Saturday early on. After all, the Bobcats will be playing in Charlotte in eight of the first 10 Saturday’s of the season, including seven-straight Saturday home contests from November 22, 2008 through January 3, 2009. In all, the Bobcats will play 11 Saturday home games this season – giving our fans and their families and friends the perfect opportunity to come out and enjoy Bobcats action. So how have the Bobcats done on Saturdays in seasons past? Last year Charlotte was 4-4 in Saturday home games. Two of those four losses came at the hands of the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics, including a heartbreaking last-second shot by Ray Allen that stole a victory in the waning moments. I have a feeling Saturday night’s alright this season.

Top Three Bobcats Games to See in 2008
1. Saturday, November 29 against Boston
The 2008 NBA Champs come to town on a Saturday with Time Warner Cable Arena sure to be rocking. The Bobcats gave the Celtics everything they could handle and more last season, and judging by what happens when these two teams get together on a Saturday night in Charlotte, this is a must-see.
2. Saturday, November 1 against Miami
It’s Opening Night in Charlotte. Larry Brown is on the sidelines. Mek is back with the rest of the boys. Dwyane’s probably got a gold medal and a new running mate in Beasley. Adam Morrison and Sean May should be back in action too. This is gonna be fun.
3. Saturday, December 6 against Cleveland
LeBron’s in town and hopefully the Bobcats will be riding high as they wrap up their 14th home game in their first 19 contests. With Charlotte about to enter its first three-game road trip of the season after this one, you know the Bobcats will be looking to put on a show for the hometown crowd. I wouldn’t want to miss it.

NBAE/Getty Images Emeka Okafor will be back with the Bobcats in 2008-09.

-- Bobcats fan Gaither Jones | 5:14 p.m. 8/5/08

Emeka is back. I was hoping that something would get done last week because Andris Biedrins recently signed with Golden State and Andrew Bogut had previously signed a new deal with Milwaukee. With both of them signed, I figured it would help to determine Emeka’s contract value and help negotiations.

I don’t know if this actually was a factor, but I’m thrilled with the signing because without Emeka down low, Charlotte would have a significantly weaker team. He is the anchor of the team’s defense, and more specifically, the interior defense. I’ve read people saying that they think the Bobcats first ever draft pick is not worth this deal. My response: these people are wrong and they obviously do not watch the team. Sure Emeka’s stats don’t blow you away, but he is a solid player who is among just a handful of players to average a double-double and whose affect on the game does not always show up on the stat sheet. His presence alone alters shots and currently there is no one else on the roster with his ability and size.

Without him, the team would take an enormous hit on the boards, which affects extra possessions for opponents as well as for the Bobcats, opportunities for fast breaks and defense. No disrespect to anyone else on the team, but no Emeka down low means easy buckets for the various quick guards and wings of the league because there would be no one to meet them at the rim. Emeka intimidates. He meets players in the air and has the ability to halt plays (without fouling) that would almost certainly be dunks. I know he’s swung momentum in the Bobcats favor with these blocks and made me jump out of my seats a few times, as well. This team keeps its anchor and the hope for a bright future with this signing.

The move also should finally hush up critics who say that this franchise is not willing to do what it takes and spend what is necessary to win. Personally, I don’t see how people still complain after the Bobcats traded for J-Rich and his big contract and then signed Gerald Wallace and Matt Carroll to long-term deals. Emeka re-signing further illustrates the idea that this team is committed to developing its players and making the correct move. Letting good players go for no compensation after investing time in developing them is equivalent to taking a step backward. The team hasn’t done this. Gerald was taken from the Sacramento Kings in the expansion draft and Matt was a great find from the NBDL – both are under contract to be around for a while. Back in 2004, Charlotte was awarded the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft and through a trade with the Clippers turned the pick into the second pick. Without that move, Emeka would not have been a Bobcat. Fortunately, the team made the right move then, and made the right move now in retaining their franchise post player and first ever draft pick. In four years, the University of Connecticut product has averaged 14.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. He has had some monster games too. His performance of 22 points, 25 rebounds, and four blocks in Charlotte against the Lakers on December 12, 2006 is one that is hard to forget. With new coach Larry Brown on board, I feel that Emeka will improve. In my opinion, at 25 years old he has not hit the ceiling of his potential and I think he is capable of averaging 18 and 13 – if not more. Only time will tell. I’m just glad the team doesn’t have to worry about an immediate future without Emeka.