April 15, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (1) drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics at Time Warner Cable Arena. Celtics win 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

Kemba Walker came in 11th place in this year’s rookie of the year balloting.

Kyrie Irving won the award, followed by Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried, Kawhi Leonard and Iman Shumptert.

It’s nothing to get too excited or depressed about; If Charlotte had a better team around him, he probably would have had a better season… It’s no wonder that three out of the top five rookies this year played on playoff teams (Rubio probably would’ve played on on if he didn’t get injured).

What’s important for Kemba, as well as fellow rookie, Bismack Biyombo, is how they mature and develope in their sophomore seasons.

Kemba has to get better at distributing and finishing at the rim (shooting too, but that will come with time), and Biyombo needs to become a better team defender and develop some post moves.

The Bobcats have a promising young core to build around, and with the right draft strategy, their young guys could be the ones pushing them into the playoffs down the road.

Kemba Walker 11th in rookie of the year voting - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at Byron Mullens’ (offensively decent, but defensively challenged) season. Today, it’s Derrick Brown’s turn.

Offense: C

Believe it or not, Derrick Brown was one of the best offensive players on Charlotte’s roster this season.

His offensive rating (points produced per 100 possessions) was a 110, he scored 13.1 points per 36 minutes and had a true shooting percentage (takes into account threes and free-throws) of 56 percent.

He wasn’t a very effective passer though, and averaged less than two assists per 36 minutes.

Defense: F

Like many of his fellow Bobcats, Brown was pretty awful defensively in 2012.

He sported a defensive rating (points produced allowed per 100 possessions) of 111, averaged less than a block and two steals per 36 minutes, and had a defensive win share (wins contributed by a player’s defense) of just 0.3.

Miscellaneous: C

All around, Brown had a pretty solid season. His 14.7 PER (player efficiency rating) was one of the best on the team (but still 0.3 points lower than the league average), he had a win share per-48 (wins contributed by a player per 48 minutes) of .076 (league average is .100), and he didn’t turn the ball over much and was a decent rebounder for the amount of minutes he played.

Overall: C-

Brown is athletic enough to become an above average defender, but that part of his game isn’t there yet.

He’s shown flashes of offensive brilliance at times, but he’s too passive when the ball is in his hands. His true shooting percentage shows that Brown is an efficient scorer, so he needs to be a little more aggressive.

Brown made less than $1 million this season and I think the Bobcats should resign him (either for one year with a team option for the second, or two years at $1.5 million each) and give him more playing time in 2012/13.

With a little work, he could become a solid scoring option off the bench.

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: Derrick Brown - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

The focus... the concentration... the 70's porn-stache. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at Reggie Williams’ (nearly solid) season. Today, it’s Byron Mullens’ turn.

Offense:

If there’s one thing Seven Feet of Smooth can do, it’s shoot the mid range jumper like it’s going out of style. Sometimes he’s on and sometimes he’s off (way off. Like “holy crap I think he just knocked someone in the fifth row out” off). But hey, at least he’s not afraid to shoot.

But, taking into account that this was basically his rookie season (he played in just 26 games in his first two years with Oklahoma City), Mullens wasn’t that bad.

He scored 9.3 points per game (14.9 per 36 minutes), had an offensive rating of 94 (bad, but 23 points higher than the previous season), and had a true shooting percentage of 47 percent (again, not that good, but miles better than the previous year). He also shot 82 percent from the free-throw line (now if only he could get there more often).

He did have a negative offenseive-win-share (wins contributed by a player due to his offense), though, and he doesn’t really have much of a post game, yet.

Defense: F

I’m not saying he didn’t try… But he definitely looked lost on the defensive end of the floor in 2012.

His defensive rating was a 110, he averaged less than two blocks and one steal per 36 minutes, and, again, opposing bigs ate him alive on the block.

Miscellaneous: D+

Mullens was pretty safe with the ball this season; He only averaged 1.8 turnovers per 36 minutes.

He also averaged eight rebounds and commited less than four fouls per 36 minutes.

His winshare-per-48 (number of wins contributed by a player per 48 minutes), however, was just .007.

Overall: D+

I wish I could give Mullens a better grade, but he just wasn’t all there this year. His shot was inconscistent, his defense was conscistently awful, and he just didn’t do enough in any of the other areas of the game to warrant a better mark.

I can’t wait to see what he does with the team next year. I think he can be a solid stretch-four off the bench, and if he learns how to shoot threes, rebound better and develop some semblance of a post game he could even become one of the better sixth man type players in the game a few years down the road.

Considering that all Charlotte gave up for him was a second round draft pick, if he can develop into something in between those two, Bobcats fans will be more than pleased.

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: Bryon Mullens - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Apr 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Thomas Robinson (0) shoots as Kentucky Wildcats forward Anthony Davis (23) and forward Terrence Jones (3) defend during the second half in the finals of the 2012 NCAA men

Everyone assumes that the Charlotte Bobcats will have the first pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. You know what happens when you assume, right? Let’s just say that the #1 pick is not guaranteed to the Bobcats. For months, all we hear is Anthony Davis as the player who will be “the man” next season. What happens if the Bobcats do not get the #1 pick? Which player(s) should be plan B? First, we have to assess what the Bobcats need.

The Bobcats have two decent point guards in Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin. Both players are capable of running the team. However, Kemba is more athletic than D.J. D.J.’s experience and savvy will be important to the team’s growth, so he should not be traded or waived. The shooting guard and small forward positions are stacked like pancakes at IHOP on National Pancake Day. Reggie Williams, Gerald Henderson, Matt Carroll, Cory Higgins, Corey Maggette, Jamario Moon, and Derrick Brown play these positions. Although Tyrus Thomas is listed as a power forward, he also plays the small forward position. None of these players stand out as the go-to guy at this position. There will be several shooting guards and small forwards who could make an immediate impact in Charlotte next season. Bradley Beal (Florida), Doron Lamb (Kentucky), Jeremy Lamb (UCONN), Dion Waiters (Syracuse), Tony Wroten (Washington), Austin Rivers (Duke), Williams Buford (Ohio State), and John Jenkins (Vanderbilt) come to mind. The small forward position will have several game changers available such as Harrison Barnes (UNC), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky), Terrence Jones (Kentucky), Darius Miller (Kentucky), Kris Joseph (Syracuse), Moe Harkless (St. John’s), Royce White (Iowa State), Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt), Chace Stanback (UNLV), and Will Barton (Memphis). On several mock drafts, Brad Beal is emerging as the top shooting guard. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes are the frontrunners at the small forward position.

This year’s NBA draft will be full of talented power forwards and centers. Many people have already crowned Anthony Davis as the #1 pick. At 6’10” 220 pounds, Davis will most likely be a power forward, though he can also play the center position. Other players to watch include Andre Drummond (UCONN), Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), Thomas Robinson (Kansas), Perry Jones III (Baylor), John Henson (UNC), Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt), Kevin Jones (West Virginia), Fab Melo (Syracuse), and Draymond Green (Michigan State).

If Charlotte does not get the first pick in the draft, I think that any one of the following players would be a wise pick if they are available: Harrison Barnes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Drummond, Jared Sullinger, and Thomas Robinson. The first priority of the Bobcats should be the center position. A legitimate rebounder and shot blocker will give the Bobcats presence in the low post. The next priority should be at the small forward position, particularly a player who can score and be a go-to player. The power forward position should be the next top priority.

The Bobcats need a go-to player (Anthony Davis, Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, MKG), a shot blocker (Anthony Davis, John Henson, Fab Melo), low post presence (Anthony Davis, Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson), a pure shooter (John Jenkins, Jeffery Taylor, Chace Stanback), a defensive stopper (MKG, Anthony Davis, Fab Melo), an “energy guy” off the bench (Draymond Green, Royce White), and a leader (Anthony Davis, Thomas Robinson, Draymond Green, MKG, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger). Once the Bobcats find an identity, rather choose an identity, then they can move forward. Before they make any picks though, they need a coach who will usher in their new vision.

Follow @HorranCameron

What the Charlotte Bobcats need to do - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

We know Charlotte stunk this year, Reggie, but you didn't. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at Boris Diaw’s (shamefully pathetic) season. Today, it’s Reggie Williams’ turn.

Offense: C

Williams is my kinda guy. Young, relatively unknown, not too expensive and full of promise.

This season Williams averaged 13.2 points and just under three assists per 36 minutes, had an offensive rating (points produced per 100 possessions) of 100 and had a true shooting percentage (takes into account threes and free-throws) of just over 50 percent.

In his first two seasons with Golden State, Williams had an offensive rating between 116 and 118, and still managed to use less than 20 percent of his team’s plays while he was on thte floor (basketball-reference.com).

What that says to me, is this guy knows how to get his shot, and puts them in when he has the chance.

Defense: D-

His defensive rating (points produced allowed per 100 possessions) was a 113, he averaged just one steal per 36 minutes and he wasn’t much of a force on the defensive glass, averaging just 3.2 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes.

His defensive woes probably had something to do with the overall defensive ineptitude of his team this year, so with a new regime coming in 2012/13, those numbers could get better.

Miscellaneous: C

Williams took care of the ball this season, averaging just 1.6 turnovers per 36 minutes.

He also held his own at the free-throw line shooting above 70 percent from the charity stripe. I would’ve liked to see him get to the line more, though, because he only averaged 1.9 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes.

Overall: C-

Williams played in just half of Charlotte’s 66 games this year because of injury.

If he had been in the lineup all season, I think his offensive numbers would’ve been closer to the 118 O-Rating and 16.3 points per 36 minutes he averaged last year.

He’s young, he’s improving and he should be healthy next year, which means he could be fighting for Charlotte’s starting small forward spot against the oft-injured Corey Maggette (who will be graded in the coming days).

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: Reggie Williams - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Mar 2, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Charlotte Bobcats center Boris Diaw (32) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at the AT

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at DJ White’s (mediocre-at-best) season. Today, it’s Boris Diaw’s turn.

Offense: D+

There once was a man in the NBA who played the forward-center position, even though he was a severely undersized 5. After his first two seasons in the league, his true shooting percentage (takes into account free-throws and three pointers) never dipped below 50 percent. Until this year.

Even with such accuracy, he never averaged more than 14.4 points per 36 minutes. He was a good passer, though, and throughout his career he’s averaged just under 4.5 assists per 36 minutes.

Those assists usually came at the expense of the rest of his offense; He would constantly pass up wide open jumpers to *try* and thread a razor sharp pass under the rim to a teammate. This might have something to do with why he averaged close to 2.5 turnovers per 36 minutes.

His name was Boris Diaw, and I painted that long and pointless picture to tell you that in short, a guy who was an average scorer and passer throughout his career, magically became a below-average-to-dreadful scorer and thought he was a point guard in his final season with the Bobcats.

His per 36 scoring numbers dropped to 9.6, but his per 36 assist numbers hovered around six the entire year.

His coach benched him for an extended period of time leading up to the all star break, and for some unfathomable reason, when the Bobcats couldn’t trade him, they let him walk… to the San Antonio Spurs… who could very well win the NBA championship this year… Are you kidding me?

What’s freaking hilarious is the fact that with Charlotte in 2012, his offensive rating was a *&$#@#ing 89, but with the Spurs, it’s now 111. I know San Antonio runs a much better offensive system than Charlotte, but come on.

Defense: F

This stat cannot be explained by a system. It can only be explained by effort.

Boris Diaw’s defensive rating with Charlotte this season was 111. With San Antonio it’s 102. That’s nine points fewer per 100 possessions that Diaw’s giving up. Those nine points could have been the difference between Charlotte being the worst NBA team ever or being the second, or maybe even third worst team ever.

AND CHARLOTTE LET HIM WALK TO A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER!

Miscellaneous: F

Perhaps (definitely) I’m being harsh.

Diaw had a pretty decent rebound percentage, grabbing 11 percent of available boards while he was on the floor. He averaged 1.2 steals and half a block per 36 minutes and averaged just 2.5 fouls per 36 minutes.

But i’m failing him here partially because his turnover percentage (turnovers per 100 possessions) was 22 percent, and mostly because after the way he performed this year for the Bobcats, he doesn’t deserve anything better than an F.

Overall: F

I’ve said just about all I can say here.

The Spurs gained one more hater by picking up Diaw.

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: Boris Diaw - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

No D-Will in Charlotte, Mr. Sloan, you won't have to worry about him here... Then again you wouldn't have had to worry about him if you stayed in Utah, either. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

The coaching search is on in Charlotte, and a few candidates have emerged.

The biggest of them is Jerry Sloan, the former Utah Jazz front man, who resigned (couldn’t handle Deron Williams any more) in 2011 after a supposed drawn out spat with his point guard.

Before resigning (getting pissed off with Williams for the last time), Sloan was the longest tenured coach in America’s four most popular sports. He won 1,127 games with Utah, won 50 games 10 times and made the NBA finals twice.

He was also a pretty good player, too; He was a two time all star, made the NBA all defensive team four times and had his number retired by the Chicago Bulls.

Here’s a quick look at the other candidates that have moved to the forefront of the Bobcats coaching search.

Mike Malone

This guy has been an assistant coach for a long time, and he’s on the radar of almost every team that needs a coach next season. He was a college coach for a while, before breaking in with the Knicks in the early 2000s, moving on to Cleveland during the height of King James’ reign, then to New Orleans and finally Golden State. He’s known for improving team defense, and according to NBA.com, the Hornets made the biggest jump in scoring defense in 2010-2011 (his only year with the team.

Nate McMillan

The former Trail Blazers head coach has finished seven seasons (out of 12) with at least a .500 record and he’s made the playoffs five times.

2009 was an impressive year for the Blazers, when, despite an insane amount of injuries, McMillan coached the team to 50 wins.

Most of his Portland teams were top 15 in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) and top 10 in opponents points per game, but they were also close to last in pace (possessions per 48 minutes) and therefore normally in the middle of the pack when it came to points per game.

There are other names being thrown around, but these are the three I believe are at the top of Charlotte’s wish list.

I’d like to see McMillan end up in the Queen City.

Sloan is a great coach, but I think this team is too young and too much of a project for him, and I trust McMillan’s history over the long time assistant, Malone’s.

Who do you think should be Charlotte’s next head coach?

Jerry Sloan considered for Charlotte Bobcats coaching job. - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

April 13, 2011; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats forward DJ White (8) drives to the basket and scores while playing against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at Tyrus Thomas’ (disappointing) season. Today, it’s DJ White’s turn.

Offense: D+

Despite this being a lockout shortened season and all that jazz, DJ White played more games this year (54) than he had in any previous season.

He did play around a minute less per game this season, though, and his numbers fell off a little more than they should have.

White scored 12.9 points, dished out 1.5 assists and shot 49 percent per 36 minutes of action in 2012.

His true shooting percentage (takes into account two-point field goals, three point field goals, and free-throws) was a very solid 52 percent and his offensive rating (points produced per 100 possessions) was a 100.

Defense: D-

White’s defensive numbers didn’t drop off as much as his offensive numbers, but they didn’t have very far to drop.

His defensive rating (points produced allowed per 100 possessions) was 111, his defensive win share (wins contributed by a player’s defense) was a 0.3 and he averaged less than one steal and one block per 36 minutes.

Miscellaneous: D

White came off the bench for the most part, but started a handful of games this year. Because of a lack of size at the center position, was forced to guard opposing centers on more occasions than he would’ve liked to.

Still, his rebounding numbers weren’t too awful; he grabbed 11 percent of available rebounds, averaged just under seven boards per 36 minutes and had his share of offensive rebounds, grabbing almost one per game even though he played just 18 minutes per.

He was also pretty good at holding on to the ball, turning it over just 1.4 times per 36 minutes.

Overall: D

White is signed through the end of next season for 3 million dollars. It’d be nice to see his numbers get better, and I think they can.

Charlotte will almost certainly draft big if they get the first or second pick, so he might not see much of a minutes spike, but if he can score close to 10 points and grab 5 rebounds per game next year, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to resign him.

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: DJ White - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Apr 26, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA Charlotte Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas (12) goes up for a shot during the second half against New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1). The New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 104-84 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

The worst season in NBA history is in the books, and it’s time to look at the players who made it all possible.

In the coming days I’ll take a look at every single Bobcats player (and I mean every single one), grade their season, and take a look into their future.

The other day I looked at Eduardo Najera’s (scrappy? down and dirty? hustle-filled?) season. Today, it’s Tyrus Thomas’ turn.

Offense: D

I don’t know what happened to this guy during the NBA’s lockout lengthened off season, but his 2012 per 36 minute numbers dropped significantly from the previous season.

His points per 36 were down from 17.5 to 10.8, his shooting percentage was down from 47 percent to 37 percent, and his free throw attempts per 36 were down from 5.7 to 2.9.  Those drop offs are inexcusable, and they don’t get any better on defense.

Defense: D

Thomas sported a defensive win share (wins contributed by a player due to defense) of 0.8 this season as opposed to 1.5 last year, his block percentage (number of opponent possessions a player stopped via a block) dropped from 6.2 in ’10-’11 to 4.4 this season, and he tied a career low in steals per 36 minutes.

Miscellaneous: F

The most disturbing thing about Thomas’ season was just how much it looked like he didn’t care that he was regressing/contributing on the worst team in NBA history.

After sporting a win share per 48 (wins produced by a player per 48 minutes of play) of better than .100 for almost his entire career, Thomas put up an inexcusable negative .029 this season.

He tied a career low in rebounds per game, almost tied a career low in points and got into a shoving match with his coach this year.

It’d be a shame to see him get amnestied this off season, but using that clause on him this year would free up a lot of cap space that could be used on a free agent more committed to playing professional basketball.

I’ve still got hope for him and I want him to stay in Charlotte for at least one more year, but he might have gotten too far under the skin of the wrong people during his time with the Bobcats.

Charlotte Bobcats Player Grades: Tyrus Thomas - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Apr 26, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA Charlotte Bobcats dance team member holds up a jersey during a timeout during the second half against the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 104-84 at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE

How would you like to see every single home game of Anthony Davis’ rookie season for just $43?

If he goes to the Charlotte Bobcats, you and 499 other people will get that chance.

The powers that be in Charlotte have decided to sell 500 season tickets based on whatever pick they get in the upcoming NBA draft lottery.

If they get the number one pick, those season tickets will be priced at $1 per game, or $43 dollars for the entire season. If they get the second pick, the package would be $86 dollars. The third pick would mean those tickets would sell for $129 dollars and the fourth pick would mean a season ticket package that costs $172 dollars.

The cheapest a normal set of season tickets sells for at Time Warner Cable Arena is $344, in the “baseline-high” section. I’m going to assume that’s where these 500 tickets will be located.

The offers lasts until May 30th, when the ping pong balls will finally let everyone know if becoming the worst team in NBA history was worth it for Charlotte.

So if you want to sign up for these tickets, it looks like you’ll have to do so before you know what pick the Bobcats get.

Charlotte Bobcats season tickets could sell for as little as $43 - Roberto Gato - Roberto Gato - A Charlotte Bobcats Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More