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February 27, 2007
Confidence alone won’t win games in the NBA. Yet as the Charlotte Bobcats weave their way through the early stages of a 12-day, six-game Western Conference road swing, they have legitimate reasons to be feeling good about themselves.
Regardless of how they fare on the season’s longest trip, they have clearly been making progress in the past two months. And, a Saturday night home loss to Toronto notwithstanding, they appear to be headed in the right direction as they enter a seven-week stretch run.
“I think we’re a good team,” said point guard Raymond Felton. “We’re starting to show signs of that. When we win four games out of six or whatever…You don’t want to lose even those two, but we’re learning how to win.”
Those lessons can sometimes come hard, as was the case Monday night in the opening game of the trip when they fell, 100-93, to the Los Angeles Clippers at STAPLES Center.
The Bobcats have had their share of peaks and valleys in their season of gradual but clear improvement, and that will no doubt continue to be the case as they complete the season. But their strides shouldn’t be overlooked:
All that hardly makes Charlotte a heavy-artillery basketball team at the moment, but it does show that a building plan of patience is gradually paying off. And, judging from their comments last weekend as well as their increasingly cohesive play on the floor, the players are believing in themselves:
Gerald Wallace: “It’s chemistry. I think we’re finally starting to play together and play well. It’s total teamwork and everybody putting in their own little pieces.”
Adam Morrison: “I think everybody’s kind of learning how to play together. We’re coming around. We’re sharing the ball a little better.”
Felton: “We’re definitely better. We’re rebounding better and we’re executing on offense and making our shots. We’re valuing possessions. It’s just confidence. We’re a team that needs time to get that experience.”
Given that approach, it may not be the best of times to go west, though there may never be a good time for that trip given the power differences in Eastern and Western Conference teams this season.
The Bobcats have fared reasonably well in previous East-West matchups, compiling a 4-5 record in road games against the West. But this one could be different for a couple of reasons: Gerald Wallace (groin strain) and Emeka Okafor (calf strain) are ailing and their playing status will likely be determined on a day-by-day basis for a while; and this trip, the season’s longest, is the most demanding.
They may well be mentally up to the task.
“Our guys on the road, they don’t know where they’re playing,” said Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff. “They don’t seem to care.”
But physically, long trips take a toll.
The Bobcats, no doubt ready for a rest after playing four games in five games, instead headed from their arena to the airport late Saturday night for a cross-country trip to Los Angeles. A long flight, three-hour time difference and wee-hours hotel check-in can drain anyone’s energy.
They will have more of the same in the days ahead, going to Sacramento for a Wednesday game, then on to Portland, Seattle, Utah and Phoenix before heading home.
“I think we’ve been playing well and we’ve won some big games on the road this year,” said Matt Carroll, referring in part to victories at San Antonio, Detroit, Indiana, Los Angeles (Lakers) and Minnesota. “But any West Coast trip is really tough, really tiring. That’s the biggest thing. You just get tired. You’re sleeping in a different bed every night. You’re not getting good rest. And you’re playing in uncomfortable surroundings, especially for us in the West since we only to go those arenas once each season.
“But you go on. That’s just the way it is.”
When they return to Charlotte to face Memphis on March 10, the Bobcats will find the schedule a little more favorable. They will have 20 games remaining at that stage, 12 of them at home.
If the improvement continues in the meantime, they may be saving their best for last.
Leonard Laye covered the NBA, ABA and college basketball for more than three decades for the Charlotte Observer and the old Charlotte News until his retirement from writing sports fulltime. He will write a regular column throughout the season for BobcatsBasketball.com for his second straight year.
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