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Thomas Davis did what no one thought he would be able to do: he came back from three knee reconstructions, all on the same knee.  No player has ever done that, much less in the NFL where knee injuries are becoming commonplace.  Dennis Dillon over at Sports Illustrated agrees and makes the case that Thomas Davis should win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award over Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.

Check out his argument at SI here and let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter (@PodCatsShow).

MKG ADOPTS PUPPY

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2012/12/03/121121MKGPuppyFINALm4v-2313489

Today’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs put the final nail in the Panthers coffin this year by mathematically eliminating the Panthers from playoff contention. This shouldn’t come to a surprise to most NFL followers or anyone with eyes, but it is still a notable achievement considering Ryan Kalil’s bold Super Bowl prediction to start the season. Now it’s just a sad reminder of the optimism that laced the beginning of the season and how far the team has fallen after 13 weeks.

Kemba lifts a floater in the lane against the Hawks on Wednesday night.

After the mini-homestand, Charlotte stood at 6-5 and hit the road to face the lowly Washington Wizards, who were at that point 0-10, having recently dropped a heartbreaking overtime decision in Atlanta when a last-second shot was deemed to have been scored after the horn sounded. Washington gave the Bobcats everything they had, and then some, but were again left disappointed as the Bobcats prevailed 108-106 in double overtime. Byron Mullens, who decided to forego his previous effective post play in favor of shooting from further out, paced the ‘Cats with 27 points (going 5-11 from beyond the arc). Charlotte then hopped a plane and headed west, where they would face the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. The early parts of the game were dictated by suffocating defense on both ends; however, the game got out of hand quickly for the Bobcats, and they found themselves trailing 64-24 at the half. It was a rude wake-up call for both the players and the fans who were so energized by Charlotte’s encouraging start; here they were, having won six of their last eight games, being completely outplayed in every facet of the game. Many wondered how the team would react, given last year’s long losing streak. The Bobcats responded to the skeptics with an encouraging performance in Atlanta two nights later, taking the Hawks to the wire, thanks in part to a 2o-point (!!!) outburst by Ben Gordon in the fourth quarter. In the end, Charlotte beat themselves, throwing away an inbounds pass with 5.2 seconds left and a chance to win, in a moment that didn’t so much feel like a reprise of last season as it did a team undergoing growing pains.

A fifth of the way through the season, the Bobcats are 7-7 and going into a very difficult stretch in their schedule where seven of the next nine teams they play are over .500 and legitimate playoff teams. Seven of the nine games are in Charlotte, so the Bobcats will at least be playing in front of what has become a re-energized Time Warner Cable Arena, but one could easily see the team dropping five, six, or even seven of these results if their performance slips even a little. Here’s the good part: the younger members of Mike Dunlap’s squad are getting significant minutes, and are producing. Kemba Walker has rounded into a good point guard, averaging 16.5 points, 5.6 assists, 2 steals a game, while only turning it over 2.5 times a game. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has suffered from getting into early foul trouble, but that’ll happen when you’re a rookie being asked to often times guard the opposition’s most dangerous player. MKG’s average line (11pts/8rebs/2blks) doesn’t jump out at you, but he’s the highest rated player on the roster when it comes to Win Shares per 48 minutes. Bismack Biyombo is still easily the most raw player on the roster, and it shows. However, he has had his moments, particularly in the Raptors game, where he contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 26 minutes. Time will tell if he can develop into a player who can impact the offense of his own team as much as he can the offense of the opposition. Jeffrey Taylor, while not always the most efficient guy on the floor, has more than held his own after being thrown into the starting 5 following Gerald Henderson’s injury.

Moving on from the rookies, two of the brightest spots for the Bobcats, both on the floor and in the front office, have been Ben Gordon and Ramon Sessions. Gordon has played in 12 of Charlotte’s 14 games, coming off the bench to average 13.5 points a game, good for third on the team. He’s easily the team’s best three-point shooter, and demonstrated his ability to make shots in bunches in the Hawks game on Wednesday. For my money, Ramon Sessions has been the Bobcats’ early-season MVP. He possesses a certain fearlessness when attacking the rim that we haven’t seen since Gerald Wallace was traded away, and always provides a shot of energy when Charlotte’s second unit takes the floor. The upgrade that Sessions has been over D.J. Augustin cannot be overstated; he makes his shots and is capable of running the break or half-court set effectively and efficiently.

And now we come to the most confounding player on the Bobcats’ roster: Byron Mullens. The seven-footer has started all 14 games and is averaging 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block a game. These are decent numbers for a guy you ask to play the 4 or 5. The problem is that Mullens is often not found on the low post, but more often than not hanging out around the elbow or in the corner, ready to launch up one of his 5 to 6 3-point attempts per game. In 14 games, Mullens has attempted 75 threes and made just 22 of them, good for 29% from beyond the arc. When I went to the Hawks game in Charlotte on November 23, you could hear the crowd groan and scream “NO!” every time Mullens spotted up for a 3; in fact, he was in the midst of an 0-11 streak that reached across four games (Bucks, Raptors, Hawks, Wizards) before it would be mercifully snapped. While he certainly has the ability to make long-distance shots, Mullens has been most effective from 15-feet and in. In fact, his mid-range jumpshot is one of the most reliable on the team. If Mike Dunlap can convince Mullens to be more of a presence inside the arc, then both Charlotte and the Time Warner Cable Arena rims will benefit.

Mike Dunlap, with the help of Rod Higgins and Rich Cho, has done great work in a short amount of time. The defensive intensity is the most visible aspect of this turnaround, the Thunder game notwithstanding. They’re playing with purpose, and it seems as though everyone on the team has bought into Dunlap’s philosophy, which in turn has affected their performances. The Bobcats sit at ninth place in the East, and will probably be somewhere between twelfth and eighth throughout the year, as the schedule dictates. There is no doubt that the team has great potential going forward, but with a roster so dependent on young talent, there will be lots of tough nights and lost opportunities, just like Wednesday night. However, the team has a completely different attitude and energy about it this year, and may yet have some surprises in store.

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After toiling for years, having to watch Raymond Felton or Raja Bell throw up prayers on similar iso plays, it looks as though the Bobcats have finally found their man when they need points at the end. With no timeouts left to set up a play, the ‘Cats spread the floor, allowing Kemba Walker to do what he has done so many times in the past. He delivered with a tremendous crossover (no, seriously, look at this picture and figure out how he was able to still jump to hit his shot), made space for himself, and buried a 19-foot jumper.

The Bobcats are 4-3. You certainly have to take this with a grain of salt, as all four wins have come against teams that are missing key players (Indiana: Danny Granger; Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki; Washington: Wall and Nene; Minnesota: Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love), and yet there the team stands, a game over .500. It took them 30 games last year to reach seven wins. After the game, coach Mike Dunlap was asked if the team had progressed quicker than he expected. He said, “You’d have to say yes.” We would, too. Ramon Sessions has been a revelation off the bench, infusing energy every time he’s stepped on the court, and Byron Mullens seems to have figured out his place in the team. Said Dunlap after the game: “We figured out that threats work [with Mullens]… We put a pork chop on the rim and told him to go after it.” Kemba Walker is now the undeniable leader of this team (averaging 19 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has played well (11 pts/7 reb) while hampered by niggling injuries. Perhaps the most impressive part of this short streak has been Charlotte’s ability to win without Gerald Henderson (ankle injury) and Ben Gordon (personal problems). The bench has outscored their opponents’ each of the last two games, and the defensive intensity has yet to drop off.

Charlotte now returns home for a four-game stretch that includes dates against the Grizzlies, who just won in Oklahoma City, and a divisional matchup the Hawks. They have a real chance to make an early move in the division during this homestand, and a 3-1 record over these four games would be another boost to this team’s already growing confidence. Let’s hope they make the most of this opportunity.

Breaking @bobcats News: Team has acquired forward Hakim Warrick @hdubb21 from New Orleans in exchange for Matt Carroll.

— B.J. Evans (@BobcatsBballPR) November 13, 2012

Carroll, 32, played only six minutes for the Bobcats in their first five games. Warrick, 30, appeared in just one game for the Hornets this year, logging seven minutes and scoring four points. The play for the Bobcats here is to get another body in their frontcourt, which has been hampered by the slow development of Bismack Biyombo and erratic play of Tyrus Thomas. At the least, Warrick gives Charlotte another six fouls in the frontcourt, much like Nazr Mohammed and Gana Diop have.

Are the Panthers cutting off their nose to spite their face? No. Special teams have been an ongoing issue for the club and even with significant investments in upgrading talent (including drafting Joe Adams in the fourth round, and jettisoning veteran Olindo Mare for Justin Medlock), there are few signs that the unit has improved. As we said earlier, yesterday’s game was the sort of affair that gets coaches fired.

As many people said yesterday, these are the kinds of games that get coaches fired.

Here’s Jonathan Jones’ take in the Charlotte Observer.

Has Cam Newton become average? Tom Sorensen gives his opinion.

ESPN NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas’ wrap-up can be found here.

I must say, Panther fans I’m sick I’m missing this one! Tune in for the 1st time ever in team history! #ALLBLACK lockerz.com/s/260628097

— Jon Beason (@jonbeason) November 11, 2012

Here’s the picture:

UPDATE: From DeAngelo Williams’ Twitter account, a confirmation.

First time in panther history black on black lets go juiced twitter.com/DeAngeloRB/sta…

— DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) November 11, 2012

DeAngelo’s picture:

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As a disciple of legendary Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll, Fox’s Carolina teams were marked by sound defense and a commitment to running the ball. Thus, it came as some surprise when the pass-happy Peyton Manning signed a five-year contract to become the Broncos’ starting quarterback. After stumbling out of the game to a 2-3 start, including losses to the league-leading Falcons and Texans, Fox and Manning seemed to find a formula which worked and the team has gone on a three-game winning streak to currently lead the AFC West.

If I had to guess, the reception for John Fox on Sunday will be mixed. There will be plenty of folks (including myself) who hold him in high regard for taking a 1-15 team to 7-9, and then, the Super Bowl. However, fans will also remember the John Fox whose teams were notoriously inconsistent (the Panthers had winning seasons in back-to-back years just once in his tenure), and the coach who couldn’t always give the media or supporters the answers that perhaps they deserved (His best example being “We picked a bad day to have a bad day” after keeping Jake Delhomme in the 2010 NFC Divisional Playoff against the Cardinals despite Delhomme’s five interceptions).

A Panthers win on Sunday would be sweet revenge for the fans who are still trying to get the bad taste of a 2-14 season out of their mouths, and their memories.

One of our few marquee matchups of the season. MKG vs. The Brow. They shouldn’t see much of each other 1-on-1 but the former Wildcat teammates will dominate the pregame discussion. Both of these teams are shooting terribly so this one could be an ugly view. If Byron can continue his hot shooting from the other night and Kemba can get his game back on the rails we will have a very good shot at bringing home the W. Worst case scenario we get a full showing of the dreaded “what could have been” from Anthony Davis.

Let’s all hope their team song doesn’t turn out to be “Brick.”

Number 1?

I tend to agree. Tiny sample size but in our game against Indiana Kemba showed large and we won, and in the follow-up against the Mavs he shrank and we lost. In our Bobcats preview I singled Kemba out as a possible team MVP and Least Valuable Player for precisely this reason. We go as Kemba goes I’m afraid.

Tip: 7:00 EST, Time Warner Cable Arena

TV: SportSouth; DirecTV 650/650-1 (HD); Dish 443/9581 (HD)

Radio: WFNZ 610 (Charlotte)

Sirius: 93

SiriusXM: 218

The Bobcats open the 2012-2013 season against Indiana, who are coming off a come-from-behind win in their opener against Toronto. The Pacers outscored the Raptors 27-17 in the final stanza, with George Hill scoring the winning basket. The Pacers are led by two-time All-Star David West, who scored 25 points against Toronto. Paul George and Roy Hibbert also played well for Indiana, combining for 28 points and 26 rebounds. Bobcats fans will also recognize former point guard D.J. Augustin, who joined the Pacers via free agency, and former UNC star Tyler Hansbrough. Missing for Frank Vogel’s squad is star forward Danny Granger, who is out indefinitely with a sore knee.

Pacers Starters

G Gerald Green

G George Hill

G-F Paul George

F David West

C Roy Hibbert

Charlotte went 1-7 in the preseason and showed many of the same problems that plagued them throughout last year’s campaign, including an inability to score points. However, Coach Mike Dunlap’s team did show a certain defensive intensity that previous Bobcats teams have lacked. The team will look to second-year guard Kemba Walker to lead the point of attack on defense, while hoping he can continue to limit his turnovers as he did in the preseason. #2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will get his first taste of NBA regular season play, and both Bobcats fans and ownership hope he can develop into the marquee player that his talent can afford. Bismack Biyombo will start the year behind offseason acquisition Brendan Heywood, in the hopes that the veteran Haywood can help Biyombo begin to hone his obvious, albeit raw, talent. New boys Ramon Sessions and Ben Gordon will also factor in the game, giving Charlotte the bench depth they so desperately needed last season.

Bobcats Starters

G Kemba Walker

G Gerald Henderson

F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

F Byron Mullens

C Brendan Haywood

Predictions:

• Peter: The Bobcats have a chance to start off the season strong against a team missing their best player in Danny Granger. This first game is an opportunity for the team to steal a win against a probable playoff team. I’m thinking their defensive intensity will wear down the Pacers early on, leading to tired legs in the fourth quarter, and the Cats will capitalize to win a close one, 93-89.
• Doug: Love the optimism Peter and we’ll need to take advantage of some early big injuries to sneak a few W’s in our column…..but it won’t be against the Pacers. Paul George is going to overwhelm our rookie sensation and George Hill will take advantage of some early turnovers to get 3’s in transition. Pacers 95-80.
• Preston: I agree with Doug in that I think this won’t be the Bobcats night. The Pacers are just a few months removed from the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Bobcats are learning a new system with a new coach. Experience prevails and the Bobcats get fatigued pressing too much too early. Pacers 92-78.

Beach Carolina Magazine

Beach Carolina breaks down our starting lineup. Get to know the team a little better and get ready for tip off at 7p EST against the Pacers.

The NBA season is here and that can only mean one thing: another season of futility and suffering for Bobcats fans.  But have no fear, the Pod Cats are here to help you through the pain of the Ben Gordon deal, the frustration of Kemba Walker’s development, and the sheer pointlessness of having Ty Thomas on the roster (Yeah I said it!).

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+1 on being proactive in trying to get a job

+1 for wanting communication when “checks come up missin or short.” Everybody’s gotta make that paper.

+3 for being perfectly fine with Popeyes, even if the guy next to him has steak and a potato. We should all be so lucky to have Popeyes.

Don’t get caught up in the misspellings and syntax problems. Read it for what it is: a man looking to make some money. Just make sure you don’t ask Judge Smails what he thinks. 

KILL SPOTZ!

Charlotte Observer

Complete with a hidden slight at Carmelo Anthony.

Let's see midway through the season. Right now he looks lost. RT @PodCatsShow: @SteveReedAP MKG: future superstar, star, or roleplayer?

— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) October 31, 2012

Midway through the season still might not be enough to tell, but Bobcats fans should hope that Kidd-Gilchrist finds his feet by then. We saw this with Kemba Walker; he started very slowly, but by midseason, was beginning to find ways in which he could affect games for stretches at a time.

I see your underneath crossing routes and RAISE you…a softer zone.

Fox Sports

Ron Rivera. Not concerned. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has kept an eye on the Carolina sidelines. His demeanor and appearance 99% of the time resembles that of someone at the final table of the World Series of Poker.

Relish it people.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

From our friends over at Roberto Gato comes a best case/worst case breakdown of our major players.

(Gerry Broome – AP)

Charlotte Observer

Interesting look at Coach Dunlap’s strategy for the season. It is reassuring that Coach Dunlap has a definable PLAN for the offense moving forward. It is one that focuses on taking smart shots and getting closer to the rim. Considering we were dead last in three pointers made and percentage last year, that seems smart enough. We’ve already heard rumblings that our defense will look to use full court and half court presses. Coupling these two things together could keep us IN games if nothing else.

I know a lot of people are calling for it but his value is low so whatever we get back won’t be anything close to the amount of money we’re paying him. Sure, we could get the money off the books for next season but wouldn’t it be nicer to reincorporate him into the offense much the way we did two years ago and against the Bears last Sunday?

“They threw the same pass play I think all the way down the field,” safety Charles Godfrey said via the Charlotte Observer. “That was a great play for that coverage and they just ran that play all the way down the field. And the coverage we were in, we just stayed in that coverage.”

Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera was quoted as saying, “We were trying to make them systematically beat us.” I’d say the Bears were pretty successful in doing so, wouldn’t you? The Panthers defense played brilliantly for much of the first half, sacking Jay Cutler six times and holding the Bears to negative net passing yards. However, when it mattered most, the defensive line was unable to get any pressure on Cutler, allowing him time to find his receivers and cut the Panthers’ Cover 2 to pieces.  Why didn’t Rivera, a former Bears defensive coordinator, take his final timeout to give his defense a breather and allow them to reset? It was obvious that their soft Cover 2 was providing more than enough space for the physical Brandon Marshall and Earl Bennett to eat up yards; surely stopping the clock was a worthwhile risk as opposed to death by paper cuts (or 10-yard out routes).

“Now the pressure’s on,” Rivera said. “Now there’s consequences. So we have to find out if this group is going to do it under me when there’s consequences.”

After this week’s loss. I’m going to go out on a limb and say probably not.

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Here it is: Week 5’s somber recap Pod Cats.  This week Doug, Peter, and Preston play the blame game, give the Panthers a scathing report card, and say things like ‘Ron Rivera Era’ with aplomb. Tensions mount in this podcast so get your popcorn ready! (Seriously, its just shy of an hour long and you might need to eat during it.)

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Week 4 brought a lot of things, but none more important than all three Pod Cats for a podcast! Listen as Doug, Peter, and Preston break down Rivera’s dilemma, what to do with Haruki, and Doug compares the Panthers coaching to British royalty and the Prime Minister. You just can’t get better analysis than this.

Click here to listen to the Week 4 Recap

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