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Bobcats can't create enough offense to get past Orlando Magic
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Charlotte's Gerald Wallace fouled hard (A.P. Photo: Chuck Burton)
Sloppy.
The Charlotte Bobcats (3-4) were defeated 93-81 by the Orlando Magic (6-2) on Tuesday, and that one word can describe almost the entire Charlotte offense.
Topping the list, a number of detailed problems stood out with Charlotte’s offense…
- Boris Diaw air-balling a 3-point shot in the fourth quarter, soon to be followed by an air-balled hook-shot attempt.
- Another air-balled 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, this time by Raja Bell who’s shot looked even flatter than usual on Tuesday (In his defense he left the game early with what appeared to be a leg injury).
- Gerald Wallace missing on three dunks through the game…three.
Why stress those missed shots, specifically the one’s in the fourth quarter? The Bobcats trailed 57-41 at halftime and it appeared that the game was over early. Just when fans had nothing to cheer about, Charlotte outscored the Magic in the third quarter 30-20 with Felton knocking down jump shots and getting good ball movement, cutting the deficit to six points by the start of the fourth quarter.
The Bobcats proceeded to score only 10 points in the fourth quarter, but holding the Magic to 16. It may be too much to ask, but if Wallace could have made his three dunks instead of hitting the back of the rim and those three air-balls turned into points, the Bobcats possibly could have escaped with a win over the reigning Eastern Conference Champions – something they were 0-4 in attempting last season.
The Bobcats desperately need someone who can knock down 3-point shots. D.J. Augustin has that talent, but only saw 17 minutes against Orlando with Raymond Felton scoring a team-high 18 points driving to the basket and knocking down mid-range jumpers.
All in all, the Bobcats were two-of-17 from beyond the arc – a discouraging 11.8 percent.
Looking on the bright side…
Nazr Mohammed has really stepped his game up from seasons prior and appears to be playing with more energy and life than before. With Tyson Chandler in early foul trouble, Mohammed was tested against Dwight Howard early – and he responded.
Nobody expects Mohammed to shut down Howard, but he came away with 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks, including one overpowering block that sent “Superman” spinning towards the floor late in the game.
Like Augustin, Mohammed only played 17 minutes. Chandler played only 11 minutes, but added only two points and three rebounds.
As crazy as this may sound, Mohammed is the best offensive threat the Bobcats have on a four-man center position.
The game was sloppy, but the season is still young and the Bobcats must erase this game from memory because they travel to face the Detroit Pistons (3-4) tonight at 7:30.
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