Sam Sharpe – USA Today Sports Images
By Jan. 25 of last season, the now back-to-back NBA Champion Miami Heat had already won 28 games. In stark contrast, the Charlotte Bobcats have won just 28 games over the past two regular seasons combined. That’s the vast difference between a potential dynasty in this league and one of the bottom-feeders in the NBA.
However, with the Bobcats showing signs of improvement this off-season, they are making it clear that they aren’t content with the state of the organization. With the signing of Al Jefferson and Cody Zeller coming in as the fourth-overall pick in the draft, this Charlotte team is ready to stop being, in the simplest of terms, losers.
In a recent article from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, third-year point guard Kemba Walker said that he was “sick” of losing like this team has the past couple of years and was ready to get back to winning like he has done for most of his basketball life. Jefferson was also quoted in the article, saying that one of his primary motivations in coming to Charlotte is to “turn things around.”
Bonnell also talked about how this team seems more dedicated to changing the franchise’s fortunes than they ever have before. At voluntary September workouts, the Bobcats routinely had 15 guys practicing and trying to pick up the basics of new head coach Steve Clifford’s system. Jefferson said it was unbelievable to see how dedicated this team was to picking themselves up.
A playoff run for this Bobcats team seems nearly impossible as of right now. Though they are going to be better, they still have glaring weaknesses, like their defense and overall depth, which will need to be remedied over time. However, it’s also nearly impossible to deny that things seem to be changing for the better in Charlotte. In all honesty, there’s nowhere to go but up for this team. However, they seem committed to drastically changing the perception and results this team hasn’t been used to.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
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