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By Jordan Nashen
bobcats.com

January 21, 2008

Today’s game against the Spurs marks the halfway point in the season for your Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats have played 40 games so far this season, and it is clear that Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson are gelling and shining together just about as good as any tandem in the league. That is great news for their fantasy holders as they continue to put up strong numbers across the stat sheet. As many teams are approaching or have approached their midway point, there have been many fantasy surprises (Hedo Turkoglu, Danny Granger) and disappointments (Jermaine O’Neal, Andrea Bargnani). In this, 2008’s second installment of the Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report, we will get you ready for your second half of the season in your fantasy league.

RECAPPING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
The Bobcats had another solid week going 3-1 while posting impressive victories against two division leaders (January 14 vs. Denver Nuggets and January 16 vs. Orlando Magic). After a weak outing in a losing effort in New Orleans on January 18, they rebounded nicely back at home against the Memphis Grizzlies the following night. The win marked the only time the Bobcats defeated the Grizzlies in franchise history.

Here is a closer look at what the Bobcats did this past week:

JANUARY 14 vs. DENVER - BOBCATS 119, NUGGETS 116
Shooting stud: Gerald Wallace had a monster performance for the Bobcats, posting 40 points (13-24 FG, 4-8 3FG), eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks.
Shooting dud: Raymond Felton didn’t shoot the ball well at all (3-12 FG) but did manage to dish out 15 assists.
Key contributor: Emeka Okafor played well and recorded a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds). He also added a pair of blocks and steals.

JANUARY 16 vs. ORLANDO - BOBCATS 99, MAGIC 93
Shooting stud: Gerald Wallace had another impressive outing, notching 36 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive), five assists and three steals.
Shooting dud: Nazr Mohammed had an off night with eight points (3-9 FG)
Key contributor: Matt Carroll added 13 points (5-8 FG) and recorded five rebounds off the bench.

JANUARY 18 at NEW ORLEANS - BOBCATS 84, HORNETS 112
Shooting stud: Emeka Okafor shot 6-10 FG and led the team with 13 points.
Shooting dud: Jason Richardson shot .294 (5-17) for 12 points.
Key contributor: Jared Dudley scored nine points (4-6 FG) and got five boards in 17 minutes.

JANUARY 19 vs. MEMPHIS - BOBCATS 105, GRIZZLIES 87
Shooting stud: Jason Richardson scorched the Grizzlies with 38 points (16-25 FG) and added 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Shooting dud: Jeff McInnis went 1-6 FG for two points.
Key contributor: Raymond Felton added 11 points and nine assists.

The 20-point tandem of Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson continue to carry the Bobcats each and every game. They are also bringing a lot of joy and success to their fantasy holders.
Wallace averaged 29 points this past week (four games) to go along with averages of 7.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 4.0 steals, and 2.0 turnovers. Look for G-Force to continue posting big numbers with a final attempt to garner attention from the coaches for an All-Star nod come February.
Richardson had a huge night on Saturday with a 38-point, 14-rebound effort. He averaged 22.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Look for similar averages this week as the defensive matchups will be similar.
Emeka Okafor had a solid week, posting averages of 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds. He needs to continue to be active in the paint and physical on the glass if he wants to post similar numbers, as he will be going up against big post players this week like Ben Wallace and Samuel Dalembert, not to mention the seven-foot forwards in Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki.
Raymond Felton did not shoot much this week but did manage to cover the assist category quite well. He averaged 8.0 points (13-34) and 8.5 assists. He should rebound back although he does have his work cut out for him with the likes of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Ben Gordon and Andre Miller appearing directly across from him on the stat sheet and on the floor.
Matt Carroll continued his strong play off the bench, averaging 13.3 points (19-35 FG, 8-16 3-PT FG). There is no reason why his hot shooting shouldn’t continue this week.
Nazr Mohammed took a small turn for the worse this week averaging 6.5 points and 7.0 rebounds. His minutes have also been decreasing, although I am confident Head Coach Sam Vincent will utilize Nazr more strategically after watching his team struggle against the Hornets big lineup (hard to have Wallace guard a four such as David West) on Friday.

PREVIEWING THE WEEK AHEAD:
The Bobcats play another four games this week, with three of them at home. They will be facing two Western Conference powerhouses (January 21 vs. San Antonio and January 23 vs. Dallas) and travel to Chicago (January 25) before returning home for a date with Philadelphia (January 26). Charlotte’s record entering this week is 16-24.

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

JANUARY 21 vs. SAN ANTONIO (25-13)
Led by the Spurs big three (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili), the defending champs role into Charlotte having lost two in a row.

Key Matchup: Jason Richardson (20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds) vs. Manu Ginobili (19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: Michael Finley is starting to fall off the radar. His minutes are beginning to decrease, as well as his overall productivity. He is averaging under seven points in his last three games.

JANUARY 23 vs. DALLAS (27-12)

The Western Conference champs of two years ago stroll into Charlotte led by Dirk Nowitzki (22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds). After eliminating Memphis as one of only three teams (Memphis, Dallas, Phoenix) Charlotte has never beaten, they look to do the same against Dallas where they are a lifetime 0-6 against them.

Key Matchups: Raymond Felton (13.6 points, 7.1 assists) vs. Devin Harris (14.3 points, 5.4 assists)
Jason Richardson (20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds) vs. Josh Howard (20.3 points, 7.4 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: Devin Harris is averaging 18.0 points and 6.7 assists in his last three games. Harris and Jason Terry (averaging 20.0 points 4.3 assists in his last three games) form one of the best point guard combos in the league.

JANUARY 25 at CHICAGO (16-23)
The Bulls have won the previous two meetings against the Bobcats this season by large margins in each matchup. The Bobcats need this victory, as Chicago seems to be an opponent the Bobcats would be battling with late in the season for a potential playoff position.

Key Matchup: Gerald Wallace (21.5 points, 6.1 rebounds) vs. Luol Deng (18.1 points, 6.8 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: Backup power forward Joe Smith has been a huge lift off the bench for the struggling Bulls. He is averaging 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in his last five games. If he is still a free agent in your league, snatch him up while you still can.

Fantasy Tip: A similar bench success to Smith, Andres Nocioni is averaging 23.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in his last three outings. Again, pick him up if he is out available if you are thin at the swingman position.

JANUARY 26 vs. PHILADELPHIA (16-25)

After handing the Bobcats one of their worst losses of the season back in November, the Bobcats look to extract revenge against Andre Iguodala and co. when they roll into town for the final game of the week.

Key Matchups: Gerald Wallace (21.5 points, 6.1 rebounds) vs. Andre Iguodala (19.0 points, 5.6 rebounds)
Emeka Okafor (12.8 points, 10.1 rebounds) vs. Samuel Dalembert (11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds)

Fantasy Tip: Guard Willie Green is averaging 16.8 points in his last four games. If the injury bug has caught up to you, this pickup may be a quick fix.

AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
Who’s hot:

  • Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) - Coming off a strong week where he won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Bosh has not let up his performance and playing at a very high level following his injury-plagued first half of the season. In his last five games, CB4 is averaging 29 points and 10.4 rebounds. In a win against Atlanta, Bosh notched 35 points (12-18 FG) and brought down nine rebounds.

  • Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls) - The early candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Gordon is averaging 28.7 points and has made 25-27 free throws in his last three games. He most recently recorded 33 points in a win vs. the Pistons.

  • Travis Outlaw (Portland Trail Blazers) - Averaging 17.6 points (five up from his season average) and six rebounds in his last five games, Outlaw is giving an added boost to the surprising Blazers this season. He notched 22 points and six rebounds in a loss against Orlando.

    Who’s not:

  • Rasheed Wallace (Detroit Pistons) - Averaging 6.5 points (11-40 FG) in his last four games. He only managed seven points (3-12 FG) in a loss against the Kings.

  • Ricky Davis (Miami Heat) - Averaging about half of his points (7.8) in his last five games, Davis is shooting poorly (14-44) and it is a partial reflection of the Heat’s recent slide of 13-consecutive games.

  • Anthony Carter (Denver Nuggets) - It looks like his big burst from last week was short-lived. He is averaging five points and is only making a third of his shots from the field.

    THIS WEEK’S PROJECTIONS:

  • With Mike Bibby and Kevin Martin back from their respective injuries in Sacramento, look for John Salmons numbers to continue to decrease. Averaging 16.3 points this season, he is averaging just over four a game in his past three outings.
  • Linas Kleiza only scored five points in the game against the Bobcats and followed up with another five the following night. However, two nights later at home vs. Utah, he posted an astonishing 41 points in a starter’s role. He shot poorly (3-10 FG) in his following game and only managed nine points. With Nene (tumor), and Kenyon Martin (staph infection in the tush) out of the lineup, look for Kleiza’s minutes to continue to go up and watch for him in the starting five.
  • With the continued struggles of former first overall pick Andrea Bargnani, Toronto’s Jamario Moon has been surging as of late and taking advantage of his increasing minutes. He is averaging 10.3 points in his last four games.
  • Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut’s numbers are beginning to show why he was taken atop the 2005 NBA Draft. He is averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds in his last five games, in addition to 1.6 blocks. In all five games, he has recorded a double-double.
  • With the trade rumors swirling around Seattle’s Wally Szczerbiak, his numbers are starting to increase (upping his trade value?). In his last five games, he is averaging 18.8 points (.580 FG pct).
  • With the injuries of big men Andrew Bynum, Jermaine O’Neal, Kenyon Martin and Nene, Sean Williams (New Jersey) may be the guy in the middle for your team. He’s putting up 13.0 points 6.7 rebounds and 3.00 blocks in his last three games.
  • Sticking with New Jersey, big man Josh Boone has been putting up solid numbers of his own with 14.7 points and 12.3 boards in his last three games.

    Make sure to check back every Monday for another installment of the Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report.

    Past Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Reports:

  • January 14, 2007