By Jordan Nashen
bobcats.com

March 4, 2008
The NBA sure packed a lot into the month of February, showcasing a memorable All-Star weekend and having a trade-fest deadline that saw 50 players change teams in 11 transactions. As shown from the past week and a half, these players have already made an impact on their teams (Larry Hughes, Devin Harris), and those who have not been traded have impacted their team as well by carrying a larger load (Erick Dampier, Luis Scola). This week’s installment of Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report incorporates the theme of these players’ impact on their respective teams, and how they can affect yours.

RECAPPING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
Struggling with injuries once again, the Bobcats went 1-2 this week, ending a five game slide by beating the Bosh-less Raptors on Sunday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. It seems like the energy that once drove this team earlier in the season is back, as they began to show it in Boston, and finally unleashed it against Toronto.

Here is a closer look at what the Bobcats did this week:
FEBRUARY 27 at NEW YORK- BOBCATS 89 KNICKS 113
Shooting stud: Matt Carroll had one of his best games of the season scoring 19 points on 8-11 shooting while also adding four rebounds.
Shooting dud: Earl Boykins missed all six of his field goal attempts and finished off the night with four points.
Key contributor: Emeka Okafor didn’t shoot the ball well (5-15 FG) but did manage to notch another double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

FEBRUARY 29 at BOSTON- BOBCATS 100 CELTICS 108
Shooting stud: Jason Richardson carried the load in Wallace’s absence by posting 30 points, six boards, two assists and two steals.
Shooting dud: Nazr Mohammed scored five points (2-6 FG) and picked up seven rebounds.
Key contributor: Raymond Felton recorded a double-double with 22 points (8-17 FG) and 10 assists. He also added seven rebounds in the contest.

MARCH 2 vs. TORONTO- BOBCATS 110 RAPTORS 98
Shooting stud: Jason Richardson led the team with 30 points on 10-24 from the field, while adding seven rebounds and three assists.
Shooting dud: Matt Carroll didn’t shoot particularly great (4-12 FG), but did score 15 points in addition to his six rebounds and three assists.
Key contributor: Emeka Okafor-double-double-14 points-15 rebounds.

Gerald Wallace is still out recovering after suffering a concussion on February 22 against Sacramento.
Jason Richardson had back-to-back 30 point performances in the latter games of the week. He was off to a good start in the New York game, scoring 7 points in under 13 minutes of play before leaving the court due to an eye injury. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the two games that he was healthy.
Raymond Felton has officially taken over the point guards reigns with the waiving of Jeff McInnis last week. He posted averages of 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists, one his most complete weeks of the season.
Emeka Okafor averaged a double-double, scoring 14.3 points and 12 rebounds throughout the week.
Matt Carroll took advantage of extra playing time by averaging 16.7 points and 4.7 rebounds throughout the week.

PREVIEWING THE WEEK AHEAD:
The Bobcats play four games this week, evenly splitting playing home and away and playing against the Eastern and Western Conference. They head to Minnesota for a showdown versus the young Timberwolves (March 4) before heading home to play a two-game home stand against Golden State (March 5) and Atlanta (March 7). They then head back to the nation’s capital for another game against the Wizards (March 8), closing off their second back-to-back game of the week The Bobcats record entering this week is 20-39.

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

MARCH 4 at MINNESOTA (12-46)
The Bobcats head West to face the Timberwolves in a quick one game trip. This is the first of two matchups against Minnesota this season, with the other coming on April 8.

Key Matchup: Emeka Okafor (13.5 points, 11.1 rebounds) vs. Al Jefferson (21.5 points, 11.7 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: Rashad McCants is playing very solid ball and posting very consistent numbers averaging 17.4 points (17, 22, 19, 11, 18) in his last five games. If you need a sure scorer on a nightly basis, he may be your cure.

MARCH 5 vs. GOLDEN STATE (36-22)
Charlotte faces the Warriors for the second time this season, after losing to them February 1.

Key Matchup: Raymond Felton (14.1 points, 6.9 assists) vs. Baron Davis (21.6 points, 8.0 assists, 2.5 steals)

Fantasy Tip: Andris Biedrins, who is recovering after undergoing an appendectomy, began some light conditioning last week. He is practically averaging a double-double this season (10.3 points and 9.7 rebounds), so it may be wise to keep him on your bench (if it is deep) if/when he returns.

MARCH 7 vs. ATLANTA (24-33)
The Bobcats won an overtime thriller vs. the Hawks heading into the All-Star break last month, and look to continue the same fortune when they play their final matchup of the season.

Key Matchup: Jason Richardson (20.4 points, 3.0 assists) vs. Joe Johnson (20.3 points, 5.2 assists)

Fantasy Tip: Mike Bibby is fitting in well with his new team, averaging 16.3 points and 10.3 assists in his last three games.

MARCH 8 at WASHINGTON (29-30)
Charlotte plays its final game of four against the Wizards, most recently losing to them last month.

Key Matchup: Matt Carroll (8.4 points, 2.5 rebounds) vs. DeShawn Stevenson (11 points, 2.9 assists)

Fantasy Tip: Matt Carroll posted three straight games scoring in double figures, and looks to increase his productivity in light of his augmented minutes.

AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
Who’s hot:

Chicago’s Larry Hughes is starting to show a higher degree of comfort with his new team, by averaging 19 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his last five games.