February 12, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Nerlens Noel (3) and teammates huddle up against the Florida Gators during the first half at the Stephen C. O

Things were a lot more interesting this week for the Charlotte Bobcats news-wise.

The biggest news of the week was learning the Bobcats have begun the process of changing the team’s name back to the Charlotte Hornets. As we’ve mentioned before, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver has said the minimum time for a name change is 18 months.

If the Bobcats go through with the change, it could put the Hornets back in Charlotte for the 2014-15 season. At the latest it would be the 2015-16 season. So far 88% of Roberto Gato readers prefer the Charlotte Hornets over the Charlotte Bobcats.

We continued our season-in-review series with Josh McRoberts. 55% of you gave McRoberts an A for his half-season in the Charlotte, while 43% of you gave him a B. So it looks like McRoberts blue-collar style of play has really been a hit with fans in Charlotte.

We also reviewed Brendan Haywood’s season, and looked at his inconsistent role under Mike Dunlap. We also reviewed Ramon Sessions and 66% of Roberto Gato readers believed he had a great season, worthy of an A.

With the NBA Draft just around the corner, and the draft lottery taking place this Tuesday, we had plenty of thoughts. We wondered whether or not the Bobcats can really afford to pass up on Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, even though the team already has Bismack Biyombo. We also looked at why this might be the wrong year for a team to win the draft lottery.

Apr 15, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Iman Shumpert (21) during the first half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

It was a quiet week in Charlotte, as the Bobcats started interviewing candidates for their coaching vacancy. Alvin Gentry, Nate Tibbetts and Elston Turner all  interviewed for the job this week.

We wondered whether the Bobcats should be interested in Los Angeles Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro if he’s let go from his team. Roberto Gato readers were virtually split on Del Negro as a candidate for the Bobcats.

38% of readers endorsed Del Negro, 34% want no part of him and 28% were neutral. Del Negro would become yet another potential candidate with local ties to the area. He’s an alumni of North Carolina State.

The season-in-review series continued with reviews of rookies Jeffery Taylor and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. 60% of Roberto Gato readers were impressed with Taylor’s season and gave him a B for this season. Only 2% of readers gave him a D or an F, which speaks volumes about the Bobcats potentially landing a steal in Taylor.

With the NBA Draft approaching next month, we took a look at what players the Bobcats should entertain packaging their draft pick to acquire. Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger was listed as a target, considering his expendability with the current team. Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut was also listed as a potential target.

The next few weeks promise to be a little more interesting than this past week. We’re just nine days away from the NBA Draft Lottery, where we’ll learn where the Bobcats will be picking in this year’s draft. Some teams have already begun pre-draft workouts and the draft combine in Chicago is just around the corner. Combine that with the Bobcats coaching search and news should pick back up soon.

Feb 29, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan looks back during the third quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers 104-95. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Charlotte Bobcats coaching search is taking shape. This past week, several candidates were revealed and Bobcats fans began getting a grasp of who they want to become the sixth coach in franchise history.

77% of Roberto Gato readers felt the rumor that the Bobcats are making a run at Phil Jackson to join the Bobcats front office was the biggest news of last week. A report from CBS Sports this week poured some cold water on it, as Phil Jackson is not initially interested by the Bobcats situation.

We took a look at the candidates who were interviewed for last offseason’s coaching search. Of those coaches, 34% of our readers said former Orlando Magic assistant Patrick Ewing should be re-considered for this year’s coaching vacancy.

Tuesday we found out that the Bobcats are interested in Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Nate Tibbetts. The Bobcats have requested and received permission to interview him. Tibbetts has a positive reputation in the league for being good at player development. Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving attributed much of his success in his rookie season to Tibbetts.

However, 90% of our readers said they wouldn’t be interested in him as a candidate, because of his lack of experience or that they didn’t know enough about him.

The same day, Houston Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson emerged as a candidate. Sampson is one of the hotter commodities in the head coaching market, and seems to be in line to get his first shot somewhere next season. 40% of our readers approved of Sampson as a candidate, but 32% were indifferent to him.

Wednesday, former Phoenix Suns assistant Elston Turner joined the coaching carousel. Turner is best known for being a long-time defensive assistant in the league and has interviewed for many head coaching jobs. However, he’s still searching for his first one. Turner didn’t receive much of an endorsement from our readers, as only 7% of you believe he is a good candidate for the Bobcats.

We also found out that the Bobcats will be interviewing Los Angeles Lakers assistant Steve Clifford.

Rumors circulated that Nate McMillan could also be throwing his hat into the Bobcats coaching search. The Raleigh native interviewed for the Detroit Pistons opening this week and is appealing as a defensive teacher and his previous record of improving teams in the long run. 81% of you believed McMillan would be your first choice to coach the team.

Coaching news dominated headlines once again at Roberto Gato, but we did see that Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished 8th in Rookie of the Year voting. Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and shot 45.8% from the field in his rookie season. Despite not finishing in the Top-5, 72% of our readers said they did not regret the Bobcats taking Kidd-Gilchrist second overall in last year’s draft.

To close the week, we wanted to get a grasp for who readers currently want as the Bobcats head coach. McMillan’s popularity carried over, as 46% of you believe he should be the coach of the team. Alvin Gentry received 17% of the vote and Utah Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek got 10%. 8% of readers chose to take the field, which last offseason might have included Mike Dunlap.

With interviews starting next week, the Bobcats coaching search should continue to get interesting. There’s no word on who the front office feels is an early favorite, so there promises to be just as much mystique as there was last summer.

As a reminder, Gentry, Tibbetts, Sampson, Turner, Hornacek and Clifford are the only head coaches who’ve been confirmed to be interviewing with the Bobcats for the job. Other names might have been confirmed, but not leaked in reports yet.

June 20, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins (left) , new head coach Mike Dunlap (center) and general manager Rich Cho (right) hold up a jersey during the introduction press conference at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

It was an eventful week to say the least in the Queen City, as the Charlotte Bobcats tossed their hat back into the coaching carousel.

Tuesday, the team fired Mike Dunlap after one season as the head coach. Dunlap went 21-61 in his first season in Charlotte, but received negative reviews from Bobcats players in exit interviews. It’s not surprising, considering Dunlap’s relationship with the players on the team.

Dunlap’s firing will guarantee a sixth head coach in the ten season history of the franchise. The Bobcats job is said to look more attractive than it has in recent seasons, due to the teams future assets and cap space.  We gave our view on some candidates the Bobcats should consider.

21% of our readers believe Nate McMillan would be the best candidate for the job. 19% favored Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, if the Grizzlies let him go, while 14% want to see the Bobcats make a run at the legendary Jerry Sloan.

One coach expected to get consideration for the vacancy is former Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry. Gentry, a Shelby native, believes the Bobcats are just a year or so away from making a big change. 42% of readers said they were indifferent to Gentry becoming the team’s next head coach, while 39% said they would endorse his hire. 72% of you said the Bobcats could make the playoffs with Gentry in charge.

Perhaps the biggest rumor of the week involved the Bobcats potentially making a run at Phil Jackson. Jackson, who’s retired from coaching, wants to return to the NBA in a front office or ownership role with a team. He would reunite with Bobcats Chairman Michael Jordan to head the team’s rebuilding project. A resounding 90% of you said Jackson would be a great addition to the Bobcats front office.

It’s believe there’s no timetable in the Bobcats head coach search. Regardless, the team should be facing a lot of pressure to make sure the next hire is a grand slam. The Bobcats can’t afford to have another temporary head coach, and many are pining to see someone who can leave their imprint on the franchise for years to come.

While news of the next head coach dominated headlines in Charlotte, we were still able to give our season-in-review of Ben Gordon. We also wondered whether Kemba Walker was given the shaft in voting for the league’s Most Improved Player. Walker did not finish in the Top-10 in voting for Most Improved, despite a complete 180 compared to his rookie campaign.

With more rumors of the Bobcats coaching search sure to come out over the next few weeks, the offseason looks to be an eventful one for the Bobcats.

Apr 6, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) and Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) in the fourth quarter against Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Nets won 105-96. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

Before the Charlotte Bobcats closed the book on the ninth chapter in franchise history, we learned that for their 10th season, the team will remain the Charlotte Bobcats. NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver informed the media this past week that a name change for a franchise takes a minimum of 18 months. If the process were to start now, that would mean a name change would take place officially for the 2014-15.

But as we wrote, it’s possible that the process could have already started. Rumors continue to circulate of a possible change back to the Charlotte Hornets, and we wondered whether a name change would represent an official reset of the franchise or a marketing tactic to get more fans. If the Hornets is a marketing ploy, then how long will it be before fans turn on the Charlotte franchise?

After struggling through most of the regular season, the Bobcats finished on a three-game win streak. Monday, the Bobcats defeated the New York Knicks, who were resting key players for the postseason. Kemba Walker had 23 points and a career high 13 assists, while Gerald Henderson had 27 points.

Wednesday, the Bobcats played their season finale against Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bobcats beat Cleveland, in what ended up being Byron Scott’s last game as the head coach of the Cavaliers. The win helped the Bobcats avoid having the league’s worst record for the second consecutive season. Instead, that honor belongs to the Orlando Magic.

Though the Bobcats won’t be taking part in the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons, we decided to check up on some former Bobcat players looking to help their team make a long postseason run.

We also started our first Season in Review series here on Roberto Gato. Our writers will be reviewing the season of the Bobcats players and giving an outlook on them going into the offseason. This week our writers gave their thoughts on the season of the unpredictable and athletic, Tyrus Thomas. Thomas could have just played his last season in a Charlotte Bobcats uniform.

However, we gave you our view on which Bobcats players should be brought back in the offseason. Right now, McRoberts Fever is spreading through the Bobcats fanbase, and players, fans and coaches would love to see him brought back along with the improved Gerald Henderson. It was a busy week here on Roberto Gato with the end of the regular season, and we have every angle of the upcoming offseason, draft, and potential name changes covered here.

We would like to extend a special thanks to 610 AM WFNZ The Fan in Charlotte for allowing me to appear on Bustin’ Loose with Frank Garcia to discuss the Charlotte Bobcats this past week.

April 17, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Bobcats win 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

After finishing with the league’s worst record at 7-59 a season ago, the Charlotte Bobcats avoided reclaiming that title this season. Instead, the Charlotte Bobcats finished this season with a three-game winning streak, that culminated with a 105-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday. The Bobcats finished with a 21-61 record, which triples their win total from a season ago.

Kemba Walker had 24 points and seven assists, while Josh McRoberts chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds. McRoberts, acquired by the Bobcats at the NBA Trade Deadline, will become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. McRoberts started 19 of 26 games for the Bobcats, averaging 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 30.6 minutes. In his last nine games, McRoberts averaged 11.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists on 52% shooting.

Gerald Henderson will also become a free agent, but will be likely be restricted. Henderson, the longest-tenured Bobcat on the roster, had 15 points in what could be his final game with the team. Henderson stepped up his play after the all-star break, averaging 18.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 46.2% shooting. Henderson’s improvement is leaving a lot wondering whether he can maintain his play next season and form a young and productive backcourt with Walker.

Entering Wednesday’s game, the Bobcats were tied with the Orlando Magic for the worst record in basketball. The Magic lost their final game to the Heat to finish dead last in the NBA. In some years, a finishing last gives a team the brightside of adding more ping pong balls to their chances in the NBA Draft Lottery. This season, it didn’t seem to be as big a deal as it has been in the past. The Bobcats instead will have the second-worst record in the league and another top-5 draft pick this summer.

With over $21 million in cap space available to the Bobcats, next year’s team could look a lot different than the team that closed the season out in Time Warner Cable Arena. Owner Michael Jordan has already said that the each role on the team will be carefully evaluated. He was non-commmital when asked about the future of head coach Mike Dunlap. Dunlap, who struggled most of the season getting the team on the same page, got the team to finish strong in March and April. Nonetheless, the team didn’t show much progress for a good bulk of the season, including another long losing streak earlier in the year.

The Bobcats though were able to put any talk of next year’s team behind them and win three in a row at Time Warner Cable Arena to end the ninth season in franchise history.

Apr 15, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats shooting guard Gerald Henderson (9) controls the ball against New York Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni (9) and small forward Iman Shumpert (21) during the first half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

Kemba Walker had 23 points and a career-high 13 assists and Gerald Henderson had 27 points, as the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the New York Knicks 106-95. Walker and Henderson combined to go 20-31 from the field with 18 assists.

The Bobcats entered tonight’s game with the league’s worst record at 19-61. With the Orlando Magic losing their game to the Chicago Bulls, Wednesday’s season finale could decide which team will finish with the worse record. Both teams are now 20-61.

Bismack Biyombo reached double-digits in rebounding for the fifth time this month. Biyombo had 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 43 minutes. Josh McRoberts continued his stat-filling ways, with 10 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. The Bobcats outrebounded a diminished Knicks frontcourt by 12 and had 48 points in the paint. The Bobcats shot 58.1% from the field, which obviously hasn’t happened much this season.

The Knicks were without a number of key players, most notably their leading scorer Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, who’s just a game away from winning his first NBA scoring title, is expected to sit out the Knicks season finale to rest up for the postseason. J.R. Smith and former Bobcats Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler also sat out today’s game. The Knicks were already without Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. Marcus Camby was dressed, but did not play. Rasheed Wallace returned to the Knicks lineup, but left the game early with a sore left foot.

The Bobcats will close the season at Time Warner Cable Arena Wednesday, when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. As mentioned, the game could be a big game in terms of determing draft lottery probability. Otherwise, it’s the last chance for the Bobcats to try to do something that can possibly carry over into next season.

Apr 9, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) sets the play against Charlotte Bobcats power forward Bismack Biyombo (0) during the game at FedEx Forum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden–USA TODAY Sports

The Charlotte Bobcats have rounded the corner and are on their last lap of the regular season. Before they cleared the corner, the Bobcats went to Memphis to visit the smash-mouth defense of the Memphis Grizzlies. Predictably, the Grizzlies defense was overwhelming for the Bobcats, and held the team in check offensively to cruise to a 94-75 victory.

Friday, the Bobcats rolled into the Motor City to do battle with the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had a sharp night from the perimeter, shooting over 50% from three to roll to a 20-point route of the Bobcats. The Bobcats are used to seeing three-pointers rained on them this season. They rank 30th in opponents three-point field goals and 29th in opponents three-point percentage. It’s one of the main problems defensively the team is going to have to work on for next season.

The Bobcats showed some life in their three-point defense Saturday when they took on the Milwaukee Bucks. They held the Bucks to 9-29 from behind the three-point line. They also got a big night from Bismack Biyombo. Biz’ is taking advantage of April and capped his week with a 13 point, 17 rebound night in a 95-85 win over the Bucks.

Biyombo has been an easy target for criticism here on Roberto Gato this season, but the center is showing the flashes that so many of us have been pleading to see all season. In February and March, Biyombo had just five combined double-digit rebounding games. So far in April Biyombo has four of them. Biyombo is averaging 6.6 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 33.3 minutes this month. His fouls are also down to 2.3 with the increased minutes.

While his FG% is still disappointing at 42.4%, it’s been very encouraging to see Biyombo as active as he has been. If Biyombo can manage to take this month’s play into next season to further improve his game, it will be a welcome sight to a Bobcats team that will definitely need to take some big steps in 2013-14.

Biyombo isn’t alone in cooking up a hot April. Josh McRoberts has continued his surprising play too. This month McRoberts is averaging 11 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in over 39 minutes per game. Against Milwaukee Saturday, McRoberts was close to a triple-double.

The former Duke Bluedevil has given the Bobcats a presence similar to what Boris Diaw gave the team before his play trended down. He gives activity on both sides of the ball, he’s one of the league’s most underrated passers, and he’s a terrific rebounder as well. Athletically, McRoberts is very gifted too. McRoberts has made a great case to the Charlotte brass to be re-signed for next season.

This week also saw a lot of draft-related content. We had an update on the Charlotte Bobcats big board for the 2013 NBA Draft. We explained why the the Bobcats should be thankful they won’t get the Portland Trail Blazers draft pick for this year’s draft, even though Michigan center Mitch McGary is intriguing us here at Roberto Gato. The NBA Draft wasn’t the only thing on our minds, as we wondered whether or not Bobcats guard Ben Gordon should opt out of his contract with Charlotte in the offseason. Next week promises to bring no shortage of news and material as the Bobcats look to close the books on the ninth season in franchise history.

Apr 13, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats power forward Bismack Biyombo (0) shoots over Milwaukee Bucks power forward John Henson (31) during the second half at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

A player strangely resembling Bismack Biyombo showed up to Time Warner Cable in a Charlotte Bobcats uniform against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday. His play helped anchor the Charlotte Bobcats to their 19^th victory of the season, defeating the Bucks 95-85.

Biyombo had 13 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks, as the Bobcats sent the Bucks to their ninth-straight road loss. Biyombo, who statistically has struggled most of the season in one of the league’s worst frontcourts, had one of his best games as a Bobcat against Milwaukee. It was a game that showed the total package of what Biyombo could become in the future with more polish and consistency.

Josh McRoberts flirted with a triple-double, with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. McRoberts has been one of the most consistent players on the Bobcats since being acquired from the Orlando Magic. Against the undersized Bucks, the Bobcats were +16 in rebounding, finishing with 52 total boards for the game. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added eight rebounds of his own in just 30 minutes. Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 21 points.

The Bobcats win was a great redemption game after the Bucks dropped 131 points on them a few weeks ago. The Bobcats haven’t had many games where they’ve tightened up defensively, got great overall play from their frontcourt and seem Biyombo look like a major presence at center. After the Bucks shot 52% from three against Atlanta Friday, they were just 9-29 from three Saturday. The Bucks shot 39% from the field overall. They were without their second leading scorer Brandon Jennings, who again sat with an Achilles injury. Mike Dunleavy led Milwaukee with 19 points, while Monta Ellis had 16 points.

Monday, the Bobcats will be back at Time Warner Cable Arena to host the New York Knicks. The Knicks could be looking to sit some of their starters as they get ready for the playoffs. The Bobcats last two games will be at home, as they end the 2013 regular season.

Apr 9, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Charlotte Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap reacts during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Charlotte Bobcats 94-75. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden–USA TODAY Sports

Surprise, surprise, the Charlotte Bobcats lost again.

As depressing as that may be to fans of the ‘Cats, it’s reassuring to know that the season is almost over, and focuses can turn to the 2013/14 season when I (seriously) belive the Bobcats will actually play competitive basketball.

For now though, we must look into why Charlotte lost for the 61st time this season.

Kemba Walker dropped 28 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Josh McRoberts added 17 points and seven rebounds. No other Bobcat topped 15, though, and only four Charlotte players scored in double digits.

They were outscored in the paint by 30, outrebounded by 12, out-assisted by 13, out-shot by seven percent and outscored by 20.

It wasn’t pretty, and there’s really no way to sugar coat this loss…

Jonas Jerebko scored 21 freaking points. If that happens for the Pistons, they’re probably not going to lose.

Every Detroit starter but one scored in double figures, and five Pistons grabbed five+ rebounds.

Honestly, it was an embarrassing showing for Charlotte.

The Bobcats could’ve won this game. Detroit is not that much more talented than the ‘Cats.

Sadly, just about the only stat Charlotte showed out in for this game was free-throw percentage, where they won that battle by 10 percentage points.

The ‘Cats have three games left, and, honestly, even though this isn’t as bad as last year, they can’t end soon enough.