Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace doesn’t hesitate when asked what he’ll remember most from the 2005-06 NBA season.

“Injuries,” he laughs, “that is the one thing.”

Looking back at the Bobcats second season in Charlotte, it’s hard to overlook those injuries. After all, this was a team that missed 257 games to injury or illness this season – second only to Houston (274). Not only that, but Charlotte also started 28 different starting lineups – third only to New York (42) and Indiana (31).

Still, the Bobcats managed to rack up 26 wins and closed the season on a franchise-best four game winning streak. That’s something that didn’t go unnoticed by one of the Bobcats co-captains.

“I think it’s just showed the heart of this Charlotte Bobcats team,” Wallace said. “Despite all the injuries and the obstacles we faced, we were still able to come out and get it done and get to 26 wins.”

A large part of why the Bobcats were able to do just that was because of the play of the 6-7, 215-pound, fifth-year player who many fans may forget is just 23 years old.

With Charlotte battling injuries, particularly on the inside to Emeka Okafor (ankle), Sean May (knee), Melvin Ely (shin, ankle, migraines) and Jake Voskuhl (knees, ankle), Wallace got the opportunity to bring back the back-to-the-basket style of offense he played in college and high school, showing the rest of the league a new element to his game that made him even more difficult to defend.

“I only started playing out on the wing when I got to the NBA,” he said. “I think I just re-polished my back-to-the-basket game so I could get down there and bang with those guys in the paint. Every game I went out on that court, I wanted to be in the situation where I would be able to go head-to-head with the best power forwards in the league.”

Wallace’s energy and desire was infectious on the court in Charlotte. If his teammates needed a big block, he swatted it away. If they needed a steal, he was there to swipe it. If there was a loose ball on the court, he was the first one to dive after it. If the crowd at Charlotte Bobcats Arena was waiting for a monster dunk, he was there to deliver.

There is no doubt he was Charlotte’s “G-Force,” and in 2005-06, he made the rest of the league take notice.

After improving in numerous statistical categories across the board this season, Wallace placed fourth in the 2005-06 NBA Most Improved Player Award balloting. On the season, he posted career highs in points (15.2), field goal percentage (.538), rebounds (7.5), steals (2.51) and blocks (2.09) and ended the season ranked first in the league in steals, fourth in field goal percentage and 11th in blocks.

“I can honestly say I feel pretty good about what I did this season considering I played out of position (inside with all Charlotte’s injuries) most of the season,” Wallace said. “I think the team needed me, and they called on me when some of the guys went down. I really had to step up into a couple of roles this season, and I think I did a good job of doing that.”

While Wallace was called upon to be more of a scorer in the Bobcats offense this season, it was his defense he took the most pride in when he stepped on the court.

“One of the first things I wanted to do when I first came into the NBA, was work on my defense,” Wallace said. “Anybody can score 30-40 points in a game, but can you stop a guy from scoring 30-40 points? That’s what separates the great guys from the best in the world. I think if you learn to play defense, you have the chance to be in this league for a long time.”

If Wallace continues to put up the defensive numbers he did in 2005-06, he could be in store for a long, successful NBA career. This past season, he became just the third player in the NBA to average over 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals since the league began recording blocked shots officially in 1973, joining future Hall of Fame centers Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson as the players to achieve the rare feat, and became the first NBA player to do so in 14 seasons.

“That’s a great accomplishment for me, considering that both of those guys are centers,” Wallace said. “They are both legit seven-footers, so to be in that company says a lot.”

So now that the season is over, will Wallace hit the gym and start working on the mid-range jumper he admits he wants to improve?

“I’m not even looking at it yet,” Wallace laughed again. “I’m looking at a beach with some sand and some blue water right now. I just want to give my body some time to rest and heal, but at the same time, I can’t wait to get back at it next year.”