Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Four years ago, Doc Rivers led an Orlando Magic team that many thought would challenge for the league's all-time worst record to a breakeven year, and he won Coach of the Year for his efforts. Last year, Jerry Sloan led a Utah Jazz team that many thought would challenge for the league's all-time worst record to a breakeven year, but he did not win Coach of the Year for his efforts. Charlotte GM/head coach Bernie Bickerstaff is leading a team that virtually everybody thinks will challenge for the league's all-time worst record. Should he win Coach of the Year if he leads them to a breakeven season?
The answer is a qualified yes. The qualification, from my point of view, is that the Bobcats need to make the playoffs. It is my belief that the Coach of the Year honor should be bestowed on those coaches who got the most out of their team, but only so long as they brought their team into the final competition for the trophy. In other words, the honor should be based on the regular season record but limited only to those coaches whose teams made the playoffs.
Can Bickerstaff accomplish the seemingly impossible? No expansion team has had a winning record in its first year as long as I can remember. But no expansion team has had a potential franchise player starting with them from day one, either, but Bickerstaff was able to engineer an Emeka Okafor deal.
The great thing about a breakeven season is that it's not impossible for any team. If you slow the game down and make each victory or loss a one or two possession occurrence, you can keep yourself in it just enough to hopefully eke out a win. That's part of the reason why a playoff berth ought to be a prerequisite.
Can it happen? Of course anything can, but is it likely? Probably not. But if Bickerstaff leads the Bobcats to the playoffs, there should be no discussion about who the Coach of the Year, or possibly even of the Decade, is.
TEAM NOTES
Cool School Field Trip Set For October 26: The Bobcats’ Cool School Field Trip event and Read To Achieve Celebration, presented by Harris Teeter, has attracted more than 14,000 kids representing 31 regional cities and 14 counties, who will be rewarded with attendance at the Bobcats preseason game against Miami on October 26.
Youth Basketball Network Tips Off: In support of the Bobcats' goal to positively impact youth recreational sports in the Charlotte community, youth organizations affiliated with park and recreation departments, YMCAs, police athletic leagues, church leagues and community recreational sports leagues are invited to join the Bobcats Youth Basketball Network.
Erik Spanberg ofThe Charlotte Business Journalwrites: With a bid completed this week for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's basketball tournament, the Charlotte Bobcats and city leaders will soon learn whether the firepower of a new arena will actually deliver for the city's ailing hospitality industry as promised. Based on recent moves by the Bobcats, the campaign for reviving live entertainment in Charlotte -- more concerts, family shows and college sporting events -- will be aggressive.
Don Hudson ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Late in 2002, some of Charlotte's young business leaders started an organization called the City Committee. Modeled after a group begun in Indianapolis 30 years ago, its focus is to help solve problems facing the city. Spokesman Winn Maddrey said the group has already helped the Charlotte whitewater park effort get its legs and the Bobcats sell suites.
Ronald Tillery ofThe Memphis Commercial Appealwrites: Welcoming the Charlotte Bobcats into the league meant the Griz are faced with another conference foe capable of taking one of only eight playoff slots.Charlotte joined the East and that moved New Orleans to the West. Each conference will now have a total of 15 teams with three divisions of five teams.