Yes, the Charlotte Bobcats did just finish the worst season in the history of the NBA.

Yes, the Charlotte Bobcats haven’t been very good (except for one year) since the team’s inception.

Yes, the Charlotte Bobcats will have a relatively inexperienced team and a roster filled out with many of the same players that made last year’s debacle possible

But, that doesn’t mean Charlotte can’t have high expectations for Mike Dunlap in his first year at the helm of the Bobcats.

Keep in mind that “high expectations” for the Bobcats don’t necessarily meet the standard for “high expectations” most every other team in the league.

The first thing Bobcats fans should expect from Mike Dunlap is for him to change the culture that pervaded Time Warner Cable Arena a year ago.

Lethargy, lack of hustle and boredom were the themes of the day almost every time the team took to the court last season.

This year, the themes will be hard work, determination, and excitement.

Which brings us to the next thing Bobcats fans should expect; Fun basketball.

Dunlap will install a fast paced offense tailored to Kemba Walker’s game, and the team will run that offense, and run next year. A lot. Expect more highlights in transition, more diving around and more points to be scored for the home team this season.

Finally, Bobcats fans can expect Dunlap to make Bismack Biyombo, Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffrey Taylor better. He’s renowned in the basketball world for his ability to develop young players, and I expect those four guys to have good years. Gilchrist and Walker could have special rookie and sophomore seasons.

The season is months away, but there is already a different feeling in the collective thread that binds Bobcats fans together.

Which brings me to a completely unrelated thing to expect at TWC Arena next season… Energy in the stands.

April 20, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats head coach Paul Silas talks to guard Kemba Walker (1) forward Derrick Brown (4) center Byron Mullens (22) and guard Gerald Henderson (15) during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Time Warner Cable Arena. Grizzlies win 85-80. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s summer league. I get it. But you know what? These past two Charlotte Bobcats games have been fun.

First they blow out the Kings, behind a great performance from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. And then Sunday Night happened.

Full disclosure: I didn’t get to watch the game. I was sitting at a gift shop in Myrtle Beach, working. But I did follow the entire thing through a combination of Twitter and NBA.com… So here’s how the final moments of the Bobcats 68-64 win over the Cavs looked to me.

Its not looking good down by 6 with 2 mins left

— SportsFromMyEyes(@JTyree704) July 16, 2012

Byron Mullens slaps back Tyler Zeller’s layup.

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 16, 2012

Tie game ! with 1 min left 62 all

— SportsFromMyEyes(@JTyree704) July 16, 2012

Bobcats have displayed a furious rally in last 3 minutes and now Kemba has 2 foul shots to give Charlotte the lead.

— Spencer Percy (@QCsportscrave) July 16, 2012

Bobcats take first lead with 32 seconds left on Kemba FT

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 16, 2012

Waiters with the deep 2P and the Cavs have regained lead 64-63. TO Bobcats. Dunlap will setup last play with 12.8 sec remaining.

— Spencer Percy (@QCsportscrave) July 16, 2012

Kemba replies with a drive. Bobcats up one with 6 secs left

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 16, 2012

Trap forces TO Cavs didn’t have. Bobcats get free throw, up one, with 3.9 secs and ball. Kemba makes

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) July 16, 2012

No TO’s Not Smart Waiters Kemba to the line for 2 Kemba makes both ball game 68-64 Bobcats !

— SportsFromMyEyes(@JTyree704) July 16, 2012

Great Win for us Bobcats! We have a Great coach. 2-0

— Mike Kidd-Gilchrist (@MikeGillie14) July 16, 2012

Again, I can’t stress this enough, Charlotte shot, like, 1 percent from the field in the first quarter (exaggeration? maybe). The Bobcats defense kept them in this game, and some clutch buckets late sealed the deal.

I doubt Dunlap is going to employ much full court press in the regular season, but the ball-hounding mentality he’s driving into his players this summer won’t soon be forgotten.

Kemba Walker led the way for Charlotte with 13 points on 14 shots (9-11 on free-throws, though), Jeffrey Taylor scored 12 points on 15 shots, but also grabbed seven rebounds, and Byron Mullens dropped nine points on 17 shots. He did have two blocks and eight boards, though.

The Bobcats forced 21 turnovers and only gave the ball away 11 times. They also held the Cavs to 37.5 percent shooting, even though they were shooting well above 40 percent at half time.

Yeah, it’s summer league. But, right now, Charlotte Bobcats basketball is fun to watch.

Mar 18, 2012; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Harrison Barnes (40) dribbles during the second half in the third round of the 2012 NCAA men

The Charlotte Bobcats hosted their third round of pre-draft workouts Thursday morning and the big name in town was Harrison Barnes.

It was the first Charlotte Bobcats workout that new coach Mike Dunlap could attend, and he didn’t wait long to get his hands dirty:

Head Coach #MikeDunlap just stepped in and effortlessly takes over #CatsDraftworkout. Intensity picked up #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

The list of ‘Cats higher-ups at the workout was long; Dunlap, Michael Jordan, Rod Higgins, Rick Cho and Curtis Polk all had their eyes on Barnes.

And he didn’t let them down:

Impressive work from @HBarnes in #CatsDraft dunk drill. 15 dunks in 1 minute – all with authority #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

Just watched @HBarnes knock down over 80% of his midrange jumpers in this #CatsDraft shooting drill #nba

— Charlotte Bobcats (@bobcats) June 21, 2012

No one else worth mentioning participated in the Charlotte Bobcats workouts Thursday, But Andre Drummond and Thomas Robinson will be in the Queen City on Friday to show off their skills.

If the Bobcats end up falling in love with Barnes, their best possible move would be to trade the second pick to Cleveland for the fourth and 24th pick.

Barnes will be available at four, and there are plenty of options at #24, like picking up an NBA ready guy (Jeff Taylor, Royce White) or trading it for future picks.

Mike Dunlap has never been a head coach in the NBA.

He’s never even been an official head coach in division one college basketball; While Steve Lavin recovered from cancer treatment this season, Dunlap did coach the St. John’s Red Storm, though.

What Dunlap is best known for as a coach is his experience with player development. He was one of the coaches for the US Men’s National Team Under-22 squad as well as the USMNT Under-18 group a few years ago.

He led a dominating D-II program at Metro State in Denver. His team made the national championship game three times and won it in 2002.

He’s also been an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, an associate head coach at Arizona and Oregon, and most recently an assistant coach with the Red Storm.

For what it’s worth, he does have head coaching experience at the pro-level. In Australia. With the Adelaide 36ers.

Dunlap is known to run an up-tempo style of offense and he’s seen inside the pro and college basketball ranks as an innovator (according to his bio page on St. Johns’ website).

Maybe Dunlap is the right guy for the job. Maybe his player development skills and fast paced offensive style will fit right in with Charlotte’s young roster.

But maybe Michael Jordan just had nowhere else to turn after Jerry Sloan bowed out of the race for the job. Maybe he couldn’t convince Brian Shaw that the Bobcats job was just as good as Portland’s or Orlando’s.

Maybe Jordan was afraid of hiring Quin Snyder, after the Internet backlash the team received when the Lakers assistant was named a finalist for the Bobcats’ coaching job.

It’ll take time to figure out if Dunlap is or is not the man. Right now, though, Bobcats fans have to hope that he is.

Mar 3, 2012; Piscatawy, NJ, USA; St. John

St. John’s released a statement Tuesday morning which says assistant coach Mike Dunlap has accepted a job to become the Charlotte Bobcats coach.

Dunlap was not one of the three finalists for the position, but Jerry Sloan took himself out of the running, Brian Shaw apparently wants to coach in Portland or Orlando, and no one likes Quin Snyder except for Kobe Bryant.

So now the obvious question is: Who the hell is Mike Dunlap?

ESPN says Dunlap “favor(s) an up-tempo style of play” and “is known as a teacher of the game amid his peers in college and in the NBA.”

Dunlap’s bio on St. Johns’ website says he ”has built a reputation as one of professional and college basketball’s leading strategists and on-court instructors.”

He’s 53, he has spent time at almost every level of competitive basketball and apparently Michael Jordan liked him enough after a second interview Monday to give offer him the job.

Having a guy like Dunlap lead this current Bobcats roster might be exactly what the team needs; He’s spent most of his career around college players and the style of play he favors will appeal to guys like Kemba Walker, Bismack Biyombo, and whichever young gun the Bobcats draft at #2.

Then again, having a guy like Dunlap coach this team might be a problem; I never heard of him before the Bobcats fired Paul Silas, and I almost forgot he was a candidate for the job before this morning.