After suffering a rare home loss at the hands of Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs (24-11) return to action 
today to face the worst team by record in the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Bobcats have managed to win four games this season, just four. They’re a team who rank at the bottom in almost every statistical category and are currently on a three game losing streak, with their latest loss coming in Detroit on Thursday.
Case No. 36: Charlotte Bobcats (4-29)
Road record: 2-17. Last 10 games: 1-9
Commendable areas for the Bobcats
- Don’t judge a book by its possession of the ball: I was really surprised to find that the Bobcats actually take care of the ball on offense (13.9 turnovers), for being a team with some of the worst offensive statistics overall.
- Bismack Blocks: The Bobcats are ranked 4th in the NBA in blocks per game (5.8) behind rookie Bismack Biyombo and Tyrus Thomas, who each average 1.7 blocks per game.
Deficient areas for the Bobcats
If you’re a Bobcats fan, here’s where you scroll down to the next section because these rankings in the league are just horrendous.
- 30th: Steals (5.7), Points (86.7)
- 29th: Field goal percentage (42%)
- 28th: Rebounds (40)
- 27th: Opponent points (101.1), Three point shooting (31%)
- 26th: Free throw shooting (73%)
- 22nd: Assists (19.5)
Those are some of the major statistics in basketball, since the Bobcats rank so low in most of them, it’s no wonder their record has them penned as the worst team in the league. Not to mention, the Bobcats also allow their opponents to shoot 47% from the field.
The King
Gerald Henderson – 14.9 points, 13.4 FGA (46%)
My first question, how do the Bobcats sell any tickets when a guy named “Gerald Henderson” is their top player? Manu Ginobili will be a game time decision, which means Danny Green will get the assignment of defending Henderson.
The Knights
- Corey Maggette – 13.7 points, 12.1 FGA (35%), 5.9 FTA (79%)
Richard Jefferson will have the duty of defending Maggette, as will James Anderson if rookie Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play. Jefferson and Anderson’s main goal will be to keep Maggette off of the free throw line and force him to take outside shots.
- Kemba Walker – 13 points, 1.1 steals, 12.2 FGA (37%)
Tony Parker’s speed will be tested against the young-quick Walker. If Parker and the Spurs’ backourt can force Walker to take more jumpers, that will be a major advantage.
- D.J. Augustin – 12.9 points, 6.5 assists, 11.4 FGA (40%)
- Reggie Williams – 10.8 points, 10.2 FGA (42%)
The Bishops
Byron Mullens – 9.4 points, 8.7 FGA (44%)
I was unaware of who Mullens was until I did some further research, he kind of looks like Adam Morrison, the former Bobcat.
The Pawns
- DJ White – 7.7 points, 6.6 FGA (52%)
- Boris Diaw – 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8 FGA (41%)
Parker can’t be happy how much Diaw has digressed since the two played together in the FIBA Eurobasket last September. Diaw is really struggling, as he is usually one of the Bobcats’ leaders. He’ll need to turn his game around so he’ll be ready this summer in the 2012 Olympic games.
- Derrick Brown – 7.6 points, 5.9 FGA (52%)
Didn’t make the Chess board
- Tyrus Thomas – 5.9 points, 1.7 blocks, 6.6 FGA (34%)
This is a player our own Trevor Zickgraf usually mentions on Twitter as a good trade target for the Spurs. Though he’s struggling with the Bobcats, I’m sure head coach Gregg Popovich can make the young-defensive minded Thomas into an integral part of the Spurs’ second unit.
- Bismack Biyombo – 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks
Game Expectation
Offensively, the Spurs are not a good matchup for the Bobcats. The Spurs run a very efficient offensive game plan and rarely beat themselves. There’s too much production from the starting five and then when you throw in the versatility of the Spurs’ bench, this could be a game where Cory Joseph logs some minutes in the fourth quarter, and T.J. Ford is able to get even more conditioning. But hey, we all get to say “Bismack” once tonight!
