X's Bobcats Dynasty '07/08 (NBA Live 2005)

[The X]

Well that's the report for the 2nd tri-mester....

cheers for people who have commented & contributed to my dynasty so far (namely jxuusa and honor glow), and to those who have been viewing it as well....

I will continue to update this into the foreseeable future....also plan to keep this dynasty going for multiple seasons and probably until Live 2006 is out, if all things go to plan....

as for my next update, it should come in about a day or so....it will be a scouting report on the draft's deepest US region, the Pacific Northwest....probably do the third US region sometime next week....

and as always, comments and opinions about this are very welcome....think I need to do a big trade, then let me know and I will take it into consideration....

hmmm....now that I'm back at work after my Christmas and New Year's holidays I am already looking forward to the weekend....

anyway, catchya....

[The X]

The next stop in the US college scouting trip is the......

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

This region is stacked with 1st Round talent, with 8 projected to go by the last pick of the 1st Round, and another couple of bubble 1st Round prospects. Th Pacific Northwest features 3 very talented SG's. Let's start things off with the top SG prospect.

COTHRAN TYSON



Cothran might scare a few teams off with his height, but he knows how to use his athletic frame (228lbs) to the best of his ability. This college junior is a lock to enter the draft and is expected to go somewhere in the middle of the lottery (picks 5 thru 10). Whilst being a superstar at the collegiate level doesn't guarantee pro success, Cothran plays with a Artest-type style, minus the crazy antics. However, some NBA personnel think he won't be a success in the NBA as he's not a great shooter and does not have sufficient PG skills to last. Cothran has proved many wrong to get this far, so I won't be underestimating his ability to excel in the NBA.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Ben Gordon
Worst Case Scenario: Tony Allen

Most Likely Scenario: Fred Jones


DOMINIC LAWSON



Lawson is your typical late bloomer who wasn't picked up by any of the big colleges out of high school. He played at the JC level for 2 seasons before transferring to a Division 1 school. He redshirted his junior season, leaving him with 2 years of eligibility remaining. Lawson has worked tirelessly on his game over the past few summers and ranks as one of the top seniors in the draft. Lawson is a banger who should be selected in the 8-13 range, but could sneak up a tad if he has impressive workouts. Scouts have concerns about Lawson's age (23), however he is a late bloomer with decent upside and will be able to step in from day one and help out a team in the paint.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Carlos Boozer
Worst Case Scenario: Samaki Walker

Most Likely Scenario: Kurt Thomas


KOJO BRACKETT



This All-American candidate can flat out shoot the rock and is a big-time scorer. He has led the NCAA in scoring the past 2 seasons and will finish up at his college as its All-Time Leading Scorer. Although many scouts love him, he's only 6'1" which could cause a problem on the defensive end. There is so doubt he can get his shot off in the pros as Kojo (or Mojo as he teammates call him) as he possesses great speed and quickness. He has solid ballhandling skills and could possibly learn to play the PG position if needed. "Mojo" is expected to go in the 8-10 range, however I believe he can move up as high as 4 or 5.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Chauncey Billups
Worst Case Scenario: James "Hollywood" Robinson

Most Likely Scenario: Cuttino Mobley


ASHON CAMBY



Ashon Camby is a junior who has always been penned in as an NBA-calibre player with his NBA body and athleticism. But it has taken Ashon, who is Marcus Camby's 2nd cousin, until this season to really shine through and impress NBA scouts. Camby is by all intensive purposes, still pretty raw in his offensive skills, but he's got good upside. Camby is a top 15 pick who I think, with strong workouts, could move up to 10, and with bad workouts, drop no lower than 20.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Michael Finley
Worst Case Scenario: Courtney Alexander

Most Likely Scenario: Kareem Rush


FERDINAND TOOMEY



Whilst there are probably another 2 or 3 players from this region who are ranked higher on the draft board, I think Ferdinand Toomey is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft. He's only a freshman, but he's already shown some serious pro skills and will bolt if he's guaranteed a 1st Round spot. I have no doubt that some team will make that guarantee as Toomey possesses good athleticism and has a good basketball IQ. He needs to work on his perimeter shooting, but it has come along way since Midnight Madness. Toomey will be selected in the 1st Round and could go as high as 19 or 20. If Ferdinand were to fall out of the 1st Round then he wouldn't be waiting long for his name to be called. Bobcats' insiders, who wish to remain anonymous, are adamant that the NBA's newest franchise, who are in dire need of a PG, are in love with this kid and if he's still on the board come their early 2nd Round pick, then they'll not hesitate in picking him.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Jeff McInnis
Worst Case Scenario: Frank Williams

Most Likely Scenario: Howard Eisley


That's all for scouting people.....the next US region will be scouted and updated some time early next week.....have a good weekend everyone, I know I will

[Jing]

ah.. marcus camby's cousin... hopefully he went to UMASS
great job man, tough luck losing all those games.. but at least you will get a good draft pick

[The X]

ah.. marcus camby's cousin... hopefully he went to UMASS
great job man, tough luck losing all those games.. but at least you will get a good draft pick

yeah, it's not easy to win quite a few of the games cos I'm simming 1/3 of them (which with my crap team ain't easy), intervening in 4th quarter in another 1/3 (sometimes I've intervened in games when the team was down 40 ....

but I'm starting to win human games more now that I'm getting the hang of the squad....

basically I think, actually I know, I got to put together a solid off-season....I want to keep it somewhat realistic by not going too nuts on free agency signings, but still....

also, were you the person who pick the 2nd option in the poll? for whoever it is, I'll do the draft and then maybe trade after it if the players in the lower lottery are a better fit, although all you guys will see a Mock Draft before the draft so you can give ur thoughts then....

[The X]

The 2nd to last college scouting tour leads us to the.....

ATLANTIC NORTHEAST

Usually a hotbed of talent arises from New York, Baltimore, Philly and the rest of the Northeast region. Unfortunately this year is different. This year's crop of draftees from this region is weak with only one sure-fire 1st Rounder and a group of players who never quite lived up to their billing coming out of high school. But without further ado, let's begin with that sure-fire 1st Round candidate.

KHAMIDI ADAMS



With his huge stature (7'0", 290lbs), it was no doubt that Khamidi Adams (aka Madam) would not see out his 4-year college career. It's a surprise he lasted to his junior season actually. Adams is a guy with a pretty solid offensive game with a couple of nice post-moves. He's strong as an ox as well. That being said, scouts question his desire to play the game as he has perenially low rebounding and blocking totals for a guy of his size. He's got nice potential and should develop into a very serviceable pro. He's listed in most draft charts as a Top 20 pick. Adams is likely to go in the 15-23 range and is assured of at least a guaranteed contract that comes with being a 1st Round pick.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Elden Campbell
Worst Case Scenario: Zendon Hamilton

Most Likely Scenario: Jason Collins


DEJUAN TOURE



This bubble 1st Rounder never quite panned out over his college career. Coming into college he was considered the next Marbury however he never develop his raw skills into anything worth blinking at. His upside just really isn't that high. That being said, the kid still has very good athleticism and can throw down same nasty dunks for a player of his size. He needs to improve his lead guard skills to be able to stick at the top level. Some team might take a punt on him late in the 1st Round, but it is more likely that he will be picked early 2nd Round and have to earn his place on an NBA roster.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Antonio Daniels
Worst Case Scenario: Horace Jenkins

Most Likely Scenario: Keyon Dooling


BEN TSHIBAKA



With the lack of top draft prospects, I thought it was time to check in on an intriguing PG prospects who sits at the other end of the draft sprectrum. Tshibaka (or Shi-B as his teammates know him) was buried at the bottom of his college team's bench for 3 seasons, and it wasn't until his senior year that he got a chance to shine with the team's starting PG going down with a season-ending injury. That injury was the best thing that could have happenned to Shi-B as he showed flashes of superb potential everytime he played. NBA scouts couldn't help but take notice. Shi-B is an athletic PG who has an improving offensive game. That being said, he is still very raw and there's a good chance he'll get chewed up and spat out in the pros. He's projected as a late 2nd Round pick, but with good workouts I expect him to be picked somewhere in the middle of the 2nd Round and stashed at the end of some team's bench for a couple of seasons while he continues to learn the game.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Bobby Jackson
Worst Case Scenario: Rashad Wright

Most Likely Scenario: Royal Ivey


And that completes another scouting report. Only one region remains unscouted, the US Southeast, and this is probably the strongest region in the upcoming draft.

[The X]

Will have the March Summary in the next week or so, and it will include good news for Bobcats's fans as the teams has won 3 out of their last 4 and 6 out of their last 10....not good news if they're going for the No. 1 pick in the draft, but good news that the team is starting to gel....

it has even led to the team's owner kissing my ass more than usual:




There should be a 3rd quarter Birdie Update in the next week as well....

also could a forum moderator please delete the poll....

cheers,
X

[Donatello]

i've just been catching up, and you're doing a really good job, and without burning yourself out

good work....and, dang, i've only seen that message from the owner once, and that was when i had an ultra-cheap team (traded for allstars before i started the dynasty )

[The X]

i've just been catching up, and you're doing a really good job, and without burning yourself out

good work....and, dang, i've only seen that message from the owner once, and that was when i had an ultra-cheap team (traded for allstars before i started the dynasty )

yeah, when I was doing the website it was taking up all my spare time(as you would know through your experiences)....this way I get to play Live casually around my work and my drinking....and I want to be able to look back at dynasty after a few seasons and remember what went on, and this is one way to do it....I guess I'm creating my own little niche in the dynasty threads....

also, I don't know if you know, but all the draftee updates were inspired by your idea at Live Dynasty forums with fantasy importable draft class....although it's not quite what you were getting at, I think this method is working well in my dynasty....

as for that message, it's not because I'm doing a great job, it's due to my GM Rating of 100....it's very easy to get when you scout a lot of draftees....

and I also look forward to reading your feature articles....I'll be expecting good reading good luck with that

X

[Jing]

hm, guess i should be scouting more then.

[The X]

MARCH SUMMARY

March was an interesting month for the Bobcats as they had their most successful month in franchise history. The team went a very credible 6-6 for the month of March, that included a 3-game winning streak, and wins over powerhouses, the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. The latter victory was on the road, where the 'Cats went 3-3 for the month. At the end of March the team finds itself on a 2-game winning streak and holding a 14-37 record.

The team has been once again led by rookie Emeka Okafor who has gone from strength-to-strength since the All-Star break. He capped off the month by winning the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March as he averaged over 20ppg, 13rpg and 2bpg. In a heartbreaking loss to the Celtics, Okafor had 32 points and 20 rebounds. Not satisfied with the loss, he stepped up two nights later to lead the Bobcats with 38 points and 20 rebounds in an overtime victory against the Nets. Okafor did not win all the games on his own as he has big time support from frontcourt buddies Brezec and Wallace, as well as guard Keith Bogans.

With the season winding down and a playoff spot all-but-gone, the team hopes to close out the team strong and dash a few team's postseason hopes.

[The X]

THE MONTH THAT WAS FOR THE 'CATS





Bobcats Among League Leaders

F/C- Emeka Okafor - 12.8rpg (2nd in NBA), 2.02bpg (5th in NBA)
F/C- Melvin Ely - 59.3% FG (2nd in NBA)
C/F- Jahidi White - 51.9% FG (13th in NBA)
G/F- Steve Smith - 92.3% FT (5th in NBA)

And how can we forget our All-Star rookie's 2nd Rookie of the Month Award for the season:

[The X]

AROUND THE LEAGUE

With the playoffs just around the corner the playoff race is heating up with some very interesting results.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

There's not much of a race for playoff spots in the West with all spots surprisingly already locked up with a month still to play. The jockeying is for playoff seedings and homecourt advantage through at least the 1st Round. As it stands at the moment, Memphis, San Antonio, Minnesota and Sacramento will start their 1st Round series at home. However, with the proximity of the other 4 teams, any team and any combination could result in a crazy month of April.



Northwest division is a deep division but have beaten up on each other and it has shown, with only one team (Minnesota) moving on to the post-season. It's been a disappointing season for the other 4 teams as all had playoff aspirations at the start of the season, but it just didn't eventuate.



Sacramento might hold top spot in the Pacific but that could all change with Peja breaking a bone in the right shooting wrist. He's out for 8 weeks . The Kings could fall to the No. 8 seed if everyone else doesn't step up. Lakers are looking strong, Suns left their run too late, and it's same old, same old for the Warriors and Paper Clips.



And finally the unbelievable Southwest region where the Mavs are last in their division and have ALREADY clinched a playoff berth and only ONE Eastern Conference team (Detroit) has a better record at this stage.



Nothing more needs to be said about the Southwest, the standings say it all. Let's move onto the Leastern Conference.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

Whilst the West has already sewn up all playoff spots, the East has only one certainty, the No. 1 seed and defending champion, Detroit Pistons. Pistons have been playing great, despite the indefinite suspension of Ben Wallace for his role in "the fight". To show the relative strength of the East compared to the West, let's look at the number of teams with winning records. East 2, West 9. No contest. So basically outside of Detroit making another miracle run, the championship is headed back West where it belongs.



The Celtics have more or less locked up the No. 2 seed in the East. New York could secure homecourt advantage in the 1st Round with a solid April. Meanwhile, Philadelphia need to put a couple of wins together to latch on to a low seeding. Season is essentially over for the other teams, although you never know with Toronto. They could pull a rabbit out of the hat.



Detroit is the Beast of the East, but it is Lebron who is single-handedly carrying the Cavs on his back into the post-season. Cavs will likely end up with the No. 4 or 5 seed in the East. Bulls surprisingly are in the No. 7 slot at the moment and it should be interesting to see if they keep up the hot streak that they are riding. Pacers have played valiantly without their big 3 (O'Neal, Artest and Wacko Jacko). As for Bucks, Redd can't carry team on his own.



And finally, the weakest division of them all, the Southleast. Where else could a No. 3 seeded playoff team (Miami) have a losing record, and teams (Hawks & Magic) that are between 5 & 7 games under .500 would be talking about the possibility of May. At the bottom, it's a race for the wooden spoon and the most lotto balls for the draft lottery between the Wiz and the Cats. If you had of asked me a month ago, it would have been no contest, but now it's 50-50. Boy of boy, the Leastern Legacy continues out East. They'll all be praying for the Pistons again to salvage some pride.

[The X]

FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

Mr. Rookie



vs.

Mr. Fundamental



Both got monthly awards, but if you look at the numbers and how the Bobcats played in March, it could be argued that Okafor had the better of Duncan for the month. The teams met twice with both teams holding their home courts for victories. Although one month doesn't make Okafor the better player, it could however be a sign of things to come for the former UConn Huskies' star. Either way, Timmy will get the last laugh, as Emeka will get plenty of chances to watch him on the tube as the Spurs play deep into May.

[The X]

That's all for now, will try and get the final US region scouted and analysed within the week....

as always, comments are welcome....

[Jing]

yeah 6-6! lol
i say not too bad, if you can break 20 wins that would be really good

[The X]

yeah you never know....considering I had only like 4 wins at the start of the season, that would be a good result....

with a good draft and free agency period I think the playoffs are not out of the question for next season....especially in the East....

[Mark.]

Man I just had a good read through this page, and I have to say your a bloody good Journalist/Sports Analyst, pitty they dont really appreciate people with those skills in NZ.

Your right Meka has been playing bloody well and it looks like his a shoo-in for a star of the future, or even now.

Any ideas for who you gonna take in the lottery?? I would be thinking Guard if i was you.

Anyway keep it up, only thing I dont like about this one is its making me wanna do a 82 game season , Oh well ill just have to stick with the 29 gamer.

[The X]

Man I just had a good read through this page, and I have to say your a bloody good Journalist/Sports Analyst, pitty they dont really appreciate people with those skills in NZ.

Your right Meka has been playing bloody well and it looks like his a shoo-in for a star of the future, or even now.

Any ideas for who you gonna take in the lottery?? I would be thinking Guard if i was you.

Anyway keep it up, only thing I dont like about this one is its making me wanna do a 82 game season , Oh well ill just have to stick with the 29 gamer.

I'll start from the bottom and work my way up....

I'm actually only doing a 58 game season....the best of both worlds, not too short to have real crap teams get lucky and make the playoffs, and not too long or tedious either....

hmm, it's definately gonna be a guard in the lottery....I will know more after workouts....it will probably be a PG though as the top SG prospects are only 6'1"/6'2"....the thing I've found with this draft is it actually very deep, it's just not top heavy....I'm finding I'm liking the guys in the 10-20 range better than the top 5 picks....who knows, I might draft best available talent and trade down and pick up one of those 6'5"/6'6" wingmen with good potential....workouts will decide what I'm doing in the draft....I'm also interested to see where my guy will end up being drafted as I can't validate using an early 2nd Rounder on him....hopefully I'll stick somewhere....if not then I'll get the Bobcats to sign him off the waivers....

yep, 'Meka has stepped up big time....he's a magnet to the boards....honestly, I'm thinking come on 'Meka, let Brezo or one of the others grab a board now or then....

as for the first point you made, cheers for compliment as it is always appreciated....a nice ego boost I guess it shows that education helps in all walks of life....funny you should mention journalism/sports analyst as being a sports journo is probably one of my dream jobs....although you gotta be an ex-pro or be on Big Brother to be one these days (guess I could try out on Saturday for Big Brother 5 or not)....otherwise I wouldn't mind writing a novel at some point, but at the mo I don't think the inspiration or life experience is there at the moment to write something that I would be proud of....

yeah, it's a shame there aren't really good opportunities in NZ (and the weather blows too), that why's 70% of graduates leave the country....I got a mate who I went to uni with, who also happens to be a hotshot commercial real estate salesman, who is leaving from ChCh in about a month and moving to Melbourne with his girlfriend....I got another mate in the UK who is probably gonna move to Oz after that....I guess someone has to go over to Australia and the UK and take all the good jobs and good women The beige brigrade grows stronger by the day

[Mark.]

yeah, it's a shame there aren't really good opportunities in NZ (and the weather blows too), that why's 70% of graduates leave the country....

Yeah your right there, I can see myself coming back to NZ when im well financially set up, but im gonna go elsewhere to earn the bulk of my money .

And yeah the weather blows, although it been 33,32,28,31 and today looks promising here in Ashburton lately.

Keep up the great work dude, and lets us know if you ever do that novel.

[The X]

yep, I'm been lazy....I've had no motivation to play Live in the last couple of weeks....just enjoying life I guess ....dynasty is still going strong however, and as I watch this Hewitt-Roddick semi I get right back into it with the final scouting report for the season, the US Southeast....

US SOUTHEAST

The question on my lips is why the heck did we leave the best till last?!? The US Southeast region is deep, with the ACC once again dominating the college scene. With so much talent in one region and the relative weakness of the rest of the country, it should come as no surprise to many that this region boasts 12 projected 1st Round picks and as many as 15 could go in the top 30. Without further ado, here's some of the cream of the crop of the 2005 NBA Draft.


RAJABU OJIGWE



This African born talent came to the US only 2 and a half years ago as a 15 year old kid who didn't speak a lick of english. After 2 years of prep ball and countless English speaking classes, Rajabu Ojigwe (pronounced Ra-joob O-gwee) is taking his super-athletic 6'10", 224lb frame to the pros. This kid can jump out of the gym and swat away errand shots like they were flies. Many experts suggest he needs at least a couple of years in college for seasoning and a lot of work in the weight room. I agree with them on both counts. However I cannot blame the kid for wanting to go pro. The truth is that his stock will never be higher than it is at the moment and his family back in Africa has financial issues that would be eased with a guaranteed rookie contract. My problem with Ojigwe is that he's very raw and probably won't help a team straight away. The best thing that could happen to Ojigwe is if he got drafted by a team like the T'wolves where he can learn off Garnett and work on his woeful footwork with Kevin McHale. At the moment is projected to go with the third pick in the draft. There is a possibility he could slide down but I can't see an athletic specimen like Ojigwe falling further down than picks 7 or 8.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Antonio McDyess
Worst Case Scenario: Chris Wilcox

Most Likely Scenario: Stormile Swift


GUY DUMARS



Now we move onto a player who is at the other end of the spectrum, Guy Dumars. Dumars is a guy who saw no time through his first 2 seasons, and it wasn't until an injury opened up the starting spot for Dumars in his junior season. He didn't let the opportunity go to waste as he averaged 11ppg, 6rpg and 1bpg as he was named to the All-Conference 2nd Team. Realising that he belonged at this level, Dumars worked tirelessly in the off-season to return at a mammoth 289lbs frame made up of mostly muscle. His senior season was superb as he averaged 19ppg, 11rpg and 2bpg on his way to becoming an All-American. Although his upside is not too high, Dumars is a known quantity and can come into any team in the league and help right away. Dumars will go anywhere in the top 5 picks.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Worst Case Scenario: Zeljko Rebraca

Most Likely Scenario: Chris Mihm


JOSHUA FOWLES



Fowles is a winner true and true as he led his team to back-to-back Final Fours. There was nothing more for him to do at the college level so he will bring his game to the pros. So you ask what his game is like? Well, Josh is a strong PG who competes for the full 48 minutes. He's a bit of a scrapper and will most likely fill the role of a sparkplug off the bench in the NBA. Fowles' draft position will depend on workouts as he could go anywhere in the 10-20 range, especially with the clutter of solid PG's in this draft.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Derek Fisher
Worst Case Scenario: Frank Williams

Most Likely Scenario: Marcus Banks


WILL MORRIS



I'll give this junior his props, he's nice, one of those guys you'd want to go into the trenches with. He's good defensively and is as tough as nails. However, I can't see him ever being anything great. He just doesn't have the offensive game, nor do I ever think he will. He can and I do expect Morris to become a very serviceable pro. He's a top 15 pick, with team needs determining his drafting position.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Nene
Worst Case Scenario: Scott Williams

Most Likely Scenario: Melvin Ely


LUCIOUS McCARTY



You get the feeling that whichever team drafts this junior will not regret it. I am already gearing myself to seeing the signs "I MISS LUCIOUS". If you haven't already guessed it, Lucious McCarty is none other than Celtics' forward Walter McCarty's little brother. Whilst he is 7 inches shorter than his older brother, Lucious more than makes up with it by using that trademark McCarty hustle. Lucious might only stand at 6'3" but he plays much bigger. He's got a 6'7" wingspan, is quick and has major league hops. He's an improving defender, but it's his scoring that sets him apart from his older brother. Lucious McCarty is one of the best shooters to come into the league in many years. He is Mr. Triple baby. As you can tell I'm a big fan of Lucious McCarty. McCarty is an expected late 1st Round pick, and given the right situation could develop into a good pro.

Comparisons:

Best Case Scenario: Cuttino Mobley
Worst Case Scenario: Shawn Respert

Most Likely Scenario: Tony Delk


That completes this season's scouting report. Hope it provided good reading. Expect a Mock Draft after the playoffs, as well as the scoop on the pre-draft workouts. I should hopefully be finished April soon.

Now that Hewitt got the win, 'tis time to go

[Seraph]

Excellent report bro, really good job

[The X]

cheers

[The X]

Okay, a quick summary of April as I gotta get some sleep as I've got graduation tomorrow.

APRIL SUMMARY

After a 6-6 month in March, unfortunately for the Bobcats they just couldn't get it done in April as they finished the month 0-7. That left the team with a 14-44 record (20-62 record pro-rata over 82 games) for the franchise's inaugural season. I think where the month of April went wrong was in the opening game on April 1 against the Atlanta Hawks.

April 1 - Atlanta Hawks at Charlotte Bobcats
This was a see-sawing game where Hawks held a solid lead for most of the game. On his way to 29pts, little-used Eddie House provided the spark and hit a game-tying 3 on the buzzer to force overtime. Overtime was epic as the Bobcats seemingly had control. Up by 2 points in the last seconds, they defended well to cause an Al Harrington miss and the game was their's or so it seemed. Kevin Willis came out of nowhere to tip in the rebound on the buzzer to send it into a 2nd OT. In the 2nd overtime, the Hawks came through with the big plays and took the win.

After that devastating loss that broke a 3 game Bobcats winning streak, the team just wasn't the same as they struggled to gel as they had the previous month.

In April, once again Emeka Okafor led from the front, but got gallant support from Brezec, Wallace, Ely and House. Although a win wasn't posted and the team ended up with the worst record in the NBA, players were playing for next season. Some like Knight and House could stick, whilst others like Bogans and White are out of the door.

Hopefully by next season, fans will forget about the struggles of the team's 2004-05 season.

[The X]

APRIL FOOLS LED TO 'CATS LOSING ALL NINE LIVES





Bobcats Among League Leaders

F/C- Emeka Okafor - 13.0rpg (2nd in NBA), 2.10bpg (2nd in NBA)
G- Brevin Knight - 1.79spg (20th in NBA)
F/C- Melvin Ely - 56.7% FG (2nd in NBA)
C/F- Jahidi White - 51.9% FG (13th in NBA)
G/F- Steve Smith - 94.3% FT (3rd in NBA)

[The X]

OTHER TIDBITS FOR THE MONTH



An 8 week injury to Peja Stojakovic opened the door for the former Wildcats player Erik Daniels to step into the starting SF spot. He hasn't let anyone, including himself down, as he had a stellar month of April on his way to Rookie of the Month honours out West.



Shaq closes in on another MVP, but can the surprising Antoine Walker steal the big prize off Big Daddy?!?



Bobcats owner wasn't thrilled with the team's 7 game losing streak to close the season. Rest assured fans, reinforcements should be on their way this summer. Here's the best of the free agency class:



It seems Bobcats' GM X has his eye on combo guard Larry Hughes. If X lucks out on Hughes then he will probably set his sights on the sharpshooting Michael Redd.

NB: I still have to edit Pau Gasol's contract to show his extension, so he won't be a free agent.