| 28 January 2009
Jan 27th - Charlotte Bobcats (18-26) at LA Lakers (35-8)
Before I begin my bit on the game, one of the pre-eminent team-specific basketball blogs out there is Queen City Hoops (Charlotte Bobcats) - Brett knows his stuff. Thankfully, he agreed to respond to some questions I sent to him...
Behind Enemy Lines - Brett (Queen City Hoops)
With Malice (Don): Charlotte are playing some pretty good basketball at the moment. To what do you attribute that?
Queen City Hoops (Brett): Short answer: Having an actual power forward. Early in the season, the Bobcats played Jared Dudley and Gerald Wallace a lot at the 4, resulting in a small lineup on the court. Considering the Bobcats generally are weak on offense, this move did not improve their potency enough to offset the damage done defensively. With Boris in Charlotte, Gerald has been able to stay at his natural position, and the Bobcats defense (and rebounding) have greatly improved with the more traditional lineup. It has not hurt that they shipped out one of their least willing passers (J-Rich) for one of the league’s most willing in Diaw – ball 
movement has greatly improved and Gerald and Emeka have been the primary beneficiaries.
movement has greatly improved and Gerald and Emeka have been the primary beneficiaries. WM: LA are playing very well at the moment - how daunting a venue can the Staples Center be (assuming you're playing the Lakers, and not the Clippers)?
QCH: I think you nailed it – it is the team that is daunting, not necessarily the location. Though Jack Nicholson has got to be intimidating to see up close these days. He perpetually seems to be ready to film a sequel to the Shining.
WM: At times, LA can be a bit lackadaisical when playing relatively low-ranked teams, and this has resulted in a few losses to said teams. What else needs to happen for Charlotte to beat LA, in LA? Realistically, can the Bobcats win?
QHC: The Bobcats need to have a better than average shooting night – getting an unexpected boost from deep from Gerald and Boris is what got them out to the huge lead against Phoenix – someone, be it Raymond, Raja, Boris, whoever – needs to make a few shots they normally wouldn’t. While their offense has improved since the trade, it is still well below average – the Cats need to just a little boost against good teams to help their strong defense hold up. The Bobcats definitely can win, with their recent win over the Celtics to prove it this year, but also because they knocked off the Lake Show in LA just last year. It would be helpful if the Lakers had forgotten about that, though.
WM: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom provide a pretty tall headache for teams. How can Charlotte combat them?QHC: This might be the first time the Bobcats employ their newly employed Diop alongside Emeka – when the trade was made, it was assumed that the Bobcats were doing it to allow themselves the freedom to play Emeka at the 4, but so far that has not happened. The Lakers size might be what it takes to give it a shot. Also against Phoenix, Charlotte made liberal use of their bigs, with Juwan Howard, Nazr Mohammed, and Diop all getting 10+ minutes (to go along with Emeka’s, of course). I expect this might be the case again.
WM: Could you tell me what you think is the area LA has improved on the most this season?
QHC: Bynum is another year older and starting to look like the player he was before his injury. The twin towers look that people expected after the Pau trade is starting to be a frequent reality. So, a combination of health and integration for the improvement?
Thank you Brett...
*****
I'd have to go with LA to win. There. Did I surprise anyone?
As much as Charlotte may surprise the odd team here and there, I don't see them coming into the Staples Center (where LA are 23-3 this season) and win (Bobcats on the road: 5-13).
Don't get me wrong: I like the Bobcats. The addition of Diaw has allowed Charlotte to play with a freedom that wasn't present when Jason Richardson was around. The trade gave them size, and a greater level of rotational flexibility. Charlotte have been playing some damn good defense pretty much all season, and but for a few close losses (Charlotte have lost 19 of their 26 losses by single digits) the Bobcats could be a lot higher up the standings than they currently find themselves.
Defensively, Charlotte are a good team.
Offensively, well... they're pretty offensive. The Bobcats are dead-last when it comes to points per, and in the bottom 25% with regards to shooting percentage.
That doesn't bode well when you're playing an LA team that leads the league in scoring, and is 3rd in FG%. Still... the Bobcats will be hoping that their D - a league 4th best in points allowed - will balance out LA's scoring. Will it happen?
Umm... no.
LA just have too many options, and finally are at a fully stocked cupboard. Jordan Farmar plays his second game back from injury, and his presence allows the Lakers to play a far faster game than when relying solely on Fisher. Fish's fine, and still a good player. But fewer minutes mean that he's able to play at a more intense level. Farmar adds a different look to the team when he's on the court.
And that's the key to LA's success this season: versatility. With a complete roster, LA can hit a team with a variety of line-ups, not allowing an opponent to get into a rhythm, stopping them from finding something that continually works.
At the beginning of the season, LA took it's defensive cue from Kobe Bryant - who played more as "The Doberman" (the nick-name Kobe gave himself for the Olympic team) rather than Black Mamba. That was something that was present again against the Spurs, and LA were able to shut them out. It will be interesting to see if LA attack this game with the same verve and tenacity as they did against San Antonio.
If they're truly readying to take on the mantle of champion, then they have to play with the same ferocity against each and every opponent, and not just those they deem as a threat.
I think they do. LA by 18.
Remember to head over to Queen City Hoops to see their take on the game!
