By Jordan Nashen
bobcats.com

March 11, 2008
Five and counting…the Charlotte Bobcats have re-written their own record books by posting their franchise-record fifth win in a row Saturday night against the Wizards. The team has really come together as a cohesive unit and has been playing at a very high level of basketball. With Gerald Wallace out of action with a concussion, the Bobcats were led by Jason Richardson, who captured the Eastern Conference player of the week ending March 9. J-Rich’s phenomenal numbers can be found below in this week’s installment of the Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report.

RECAPPING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
The Bobcats started off the week strong with a road win in Minnesota and continued their winning ways throughout the week. The common theme for the Cats as of late has been their strong team play that transitions into easy baskets. They have outrebounded their opponent in every game and are scoring a ton of points, upping the team’s overall fantasy numbers.

Here is a closer look at what the Bobcats did last week:
MARCH 4 at MINNESOTA- BOBCATS 109 TIMBERWOLVES 89
Shooting stud: Jason Richardson posted solid numbers across the board, with 25 points (8-17 FG, 4-8 3FG), eight rebounds and six assists.
Shooting dud: The Bobcats shot .514 from the field, so it would be hard to find a dud in this game. Raymond Felton didn’t shoot the ball well (3-11 FG), but did manage to secure a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists.
Key contributor: Emeka Okafor shot 7-10 from the field, good for 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

MARCH 5 vs. GOLDEN STATE - BOBCATS 118 WARRIORS 109
Shooting stud: Playing the game in its entirety, Jason Richardson exploded for a season-high 42 points (15-32 FG) to go along with seven assists.
Shooting dud: Although shooting 3-13 from the field, Emeka Okafor hit 10 of his career-high 18 free throw attempts, good for 16 points to go along with 11 rebounds.
Key contributor: Jared Dudley notched a career-high, 18 rebounds (seven offensive) and contributed 10 points off the bench in 41 minutes.

MARCH 7 vs. ATLANTA- BOBCATS 108 HAWKS 93
Shooting stud: Raymond Felton scored 23 points on 8-13 from the field and dished out 11 assists.
Shooting dud: Jason Richardson scored a quiet 13 points on 6-14 shooting.
Key contributor: What a surprise…Emeka Okafor with another double-double, picking up 16 points and 15 boards.

MARCH 8 at WASHINGTON – BOBCATS 100 WIZARDS 97
Shooting stud: Jason Richardson came back with a big night, scoring 34 points (13-20 FG, 5-9 3FG), grabbing eight rebounds and three passes.
Shooting dud: Jared Dudley didn’t score in the ball game, and picked up six rebounds.
Key contributor: Matt Carroll scored 23 points shooting 6-13 FG and 6-9 from beyond the arc while picking up four boards.

Gerald Wallace is looking to return to action this week. He has resumed practice and should see some playing time either Wednesday or Friday
Jason Richardson , Eastern Conference Player of the Week, posted averages of 28.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and three assists.
Raymond Felton nearly averaged a double-double this past week with 18.3 points and 9.8 assists.
Emeka Okafor did average a double-double in the past week, scoring 15 points and 11.5 rebounds.
Matt Carroll averaged 17.8 points this past week to go along with six rebounds. He has been shooting lights-out from the arc, going 15-25. Jared Dudley played spectacular off the bench, with averages of 9.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. However, his playing time may take a hit with the return of The Force

PREVIEWING THE WEEK AHEAD:
The Bobcats head west for a showdown against three stellar basketball teams facing the Mavericks (March 12), Houston (March 14) and King James and the Cavs (March 16). The Bobcats record entering this week is 24-39.

Here is a closer look at the matchups for the Bobcats this week.

MARCH 12 at DALLAS (41-23)
The Bobcats play their second game against Big D this season, after dropping a close decision to them in January.

Key Matchup: Jason Richardson (20.9 points, 3.0 assists) vs. Josh Howard (19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: JKidd is averaging 13 points, 6.4 rebounds and 9.6 assists over his last five games, and should continue to post similar numbers in the tight Western Conference.

MARCH 14 at HOUSTON (43-20)
Should Houston defeat Atlanta prior to hosting the Cats, Charlotte would be looking to end the Rockets 20-game winning streak (currently they have won 19 in a row). The Bobcats lost their last decision to the Rockets earlier in the season at home by three.

Key Matchup: Raymond Felton (14.4 points, 7.1 assists) vs. Rafer Alston (12.8 points, 5.7 assists)

Fantasy Tip: With the Rockets continuing to win, many players have shown improvements and contribution. One of these players is Shane Battier, who is averaging 11.8 points 5.2 rebounds over his last five games.

MARCH 16 at CLEVELAND (37-27)
The Bobcats lost a nail biter in double-overtime the last time these two teams played.

Key Matchup: Matt Carroll (9.0 points, 2.7 rebounds) vs. Wally Szczerbiak (13.0 points, 2.7 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: LeBron James is making a strong case for MVP this season, and the only man who is stands in his way is KB24. James has been tearing the net off the rim, averaging 42.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and five assists in three games this past week.

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