Charlotte Bobcats 2009-10 Season Preview

Charlotte Bobcats Front Office

• Robert Johnson, Majority Owner
• Michael Jordan, Managing Member of Basketball Operations
• Fred Whitfield, President & Chief Operating Officer
• Rod Higgins, General Manager
• Buzz Peterson, Director, Player Personnel

Charlotte Bobcats Coaching Staff

• Larry Brown, Head Coach
• Phil Ford, Jeff Capel, Dave Hanners, Herb Brown and Lasalle Thompson, Assistant Coaches

Charlotte Bobcats Projected Starters

C - Tyson Chandler
F - Boris Diaw
F - Gerald Wallace
G - Raymond Felton
G - Raja Bell

Charlotte Bobcats Projected Reserves

F - Alexis Ajinca
G - D.J. Augustin
F - Derrick Brown
C - DeSagana Diop
G - Gerald Henderson (R)
C - Nazr Mohammed
F - Vladimir Radmanovic

2009-10 Season Outlook

Guards: Raymond Felton signed a tender offer to return to Charlotte for one more season. Felton may be the team's best young player and fits into a deep backcourt group as the starting point guard. Veteran Raja Bell is solid defensively and a good team player. Off the bench is young flash D.J. Augustin who can fill it up in a hurry. Also in the backcourt is Duke grad Gerald Henderson.

Forwards: Gerald Wallace has been Mr. Everything for the Bobcats. One of the NBA's more underrated players and best defenders, Wallace brings excitement and hustle to a team which has struggled for wins in its infancy. Boris Diaw came over from Phoenix in a mid-season deal last year and displayed solid all-around offensive skill. Vladimir Radmonivic provided some key long-range shooting and will battle with Derrick Brown and young Alexis Ajinca for backup forward minutes.

Center: The trade which sent the Bobcats first-ever draft pick Emeka Okafor to New Orleans and brought back Tyson Chandler should be good for the team. Chandler's length and defensive ability should be a better fit for what the needs of the team. Diop came over from Dallas last year and was a bit of a disappointment but should get ample opportunity to fight for the backup job with veteran Nazr Mohammed.

Coaching: Larry Brown may be the best teacher of basketball in the league. He's won at every level and always gotten the maximum out of the talent he has. Last year was no exception as the Bobcats revamped mid-season and narrowly missed a playoff spot. This year, Brown has a roster even better suited to his style and expectations continue to rise.

Front Office: Bob Johnson wants to sell the team. Michael Jordan continues to be more concerned with his golf game than the Bobcats. The best thing they can do is continue to stay out of the way and let Larry Brown run the team.

Overview: This will be a big year for the Bobcats. Larry Brown is not the type of coach to stay in one place too long and Felton may leave after this season. The nucleus of the team is still young but will the Bobcats be able to keep the key players? Regardless, this will be a fun year!