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Who’s da man fuelling the good play of the Bobcats?

According to Tim Povtak, a senior writer at NBA Fanhouse …

Aging Theo Ratliff Has Sparked Bobcats’ Playoff Rise

The Bobcats have younger big men like Tyrus Thomas and Tyson Chandler. They have bigger guys like DeSagna Diop and Nazr Mohammed still on the roster. Yet it’s the well-traveled Ratliff, still viewed as an undersized center, who has become their anchor in the late-season drive.

Ratliff, who is playing for the ninth different team in his 14-year NBA career, was obtained from the San Antonio Spurs Feb. 18 in a cup-of-coffee trade (actually, for a 2016 second-round pick) at the insistence of coach Larry Brown

, who was looking for someone he could trust.

Ratliff, who turns 37 next month, hardly was playing for the veteran Spurs

, but Brown quickly put him into his starting lineup. The Bobcats have won seven of his 11 starts, including the last six consecutive games.

He was especially instrumental in their 96-89 victory Sunday over the Orlando Magic

– a potential first-round playoff opponent — and particularly down the stretch when he thwarted a potential home-team comeback.

He had 10 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes, but statistics never have been his forte. In the last six minutes: he blocked a shot by Vince Carter, who tried to drive on him. He changed two driving layups, by Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus

, that became misses. He also grabbed an offensive rebound to keep another possession alive.

“Theo looks like when I had him back in Philly,” said Brown, who coached Ratliff from 1998-2001 with the Sixers. “Only thing, he never got any shots back then. Everyone just told him to rebound the ball.”

———————————–

However …

If you take a closer look at the individual Game Logs for 3 specific players on the Bobcats’ current roster [shown below]:

Theo Ratliff’s Game Log This Season For Charlotte, since Feb 19

Regular Season					FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Mar 14	@ ORL	W 96-89	1	32:05	4	10	40.0	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	2	7	9	1	2	0	1	4	10
Mar 12	LAC	W 106-98	1	14:44	3	3	100.0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	3	6
Mar 10	@ PHI	W 102-87	1	22:15	0	3	0.0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	1	2	3	0	0	2	1	1	0
Mar 9	MIA	W 83-78	1	18:52	3	3	100.0	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	0	2	2	1	2	0	1	3	8
Mar 6	GSW	W 101-90	1	18:23	4	6	66.7	0	0	N/A	3	3	100.0	3	2	5	0	2	0	1	1	11
Mar 5	LAL	W 98-83	1	16:41	0	1	0.0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	3	3	1	0	1	2	4	0
Mar 3	@ BOS	L 80-104	1	27:08	3	8	37.5	0	0	N/A	4	4	100.0	2	4	6	2	0	0	1	4	10
Mar 1	DAL	L 84-89	1	26:39	1	4	25.0	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	1	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	4
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Feb 26	@ MEM	W 93-89	1	29:06	2	5	40.0	0	0	N/A	1	2	50.0	1	3	4	0	2	0	4	4	5
Feb 24	@ UTH	L 93-102	1	31:09	2	3	66.7	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	1	3	4	0	0	0	4	2	6
Feb 22	@ LAC	L 94-98	1	30:53	5	6	83.3	0	0	N/A	0	3	0.0	1	1	2	0	1	0	2	2	10
Feb 20	@ MIL	L 88-93	0	11:58	1	3	33.3	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	2
Feb 19	CLE	W 110-93	0	18:30	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	3	2	5	1	0	0	2	2	0

Tyrus Thomas’ Game Log This Season For Charlotte, since Feb 19

Regular Season					FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Mar 14	@ ORL	W 96-89	0	20:40	3	9	33.3	0	0	N/A	3	4	75.0	2	7	9	0	2	2	0	3	9
Mar 12	LAC	W 106-98	0	18:27	3	8	37.5	0	0	N/A	0	1	0.0	0	4	4	3	0	2	0	1	6
Mar 10	@ PHI	W 102-87	0	23:49	4	6	66.7	0	0	N/A	2	4	50.0	0	5	5	3	3	2	1	2	10
Mar 9	MIA	W 83-78	0	26:30	2	7	28.6	0	0	N/A	2	4	50.0	2	2	4	0	1	1	1	1	6
Mar 6	GSW	W 101-90	0	18:20	2	8	25.0	0	0	N/A	1	2	50.0	2	3	5	3	1	0	0	5	5
Mar 5	LAL	W 98-83	0	31:17	7	12	58.3	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	2	7	9	0	1	0	2	4	14
Mar 3	@ BOS	L 80-104	0	26:37	5	12	41.7	0	0	N/A	5	6	83.3	3	7	10	0	2	1	2	5	15
Mar 1	DAL	L 84-89	0	29:26	7	16	43.8	0	1	0.0	2	2	100.0	3	9	12	1	2	1	2	4	16
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Feb 26	@ MEM	W 93-89	0	21:51	6	7	85.7	0	0	N/A	1	4	25.0	2	3	5	3	3	0	3	2	13
Feb 24	@ UTH	L 93-102	0	30:55	6	8	75.0	0	0	N/A	8	9	88.9	0	3	3	2	1	3	1	5	20
Feb 22	@ LAC	L 94-98	0	25:12	5	9	55.6	0	1	0.0	0	0	N/A	1	3	4	0	2	2	3	4	10
Feb 20	@ MIL	L 88-93	0	30:54	5	10	50.0	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	3	8	11	2	4	1	4	5	12
Feb 19	CLE	W 110-93	0	25:12	3	9	33.3	0	0	N/A	3	4	75.0	1	11	12	2	2	0	6	4	9

Tyson Chandler’s Game Logs This Season for Charlotte, since Feb 19

Regular Season					FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Mar 14	@ ORL	W 96-89	0	15:55	3	4	75.0	0	0	N/A	1	2	50.0	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	5	7
Mar 12	LAC	W 106-98	0	31:56	5	7	71.4	0	0	N/A	3	4	75.0	6	3	9	0	4	0	0	2	13
Mar 10	@ PHI	W 102-87	0	15:03	3	3	100.0	0	0	N/A	6	9	66.7	2	3	5	0	0	0	0	0	12
Mar 9	MIA	W 83-78	0	16:42	2	2	100.0	0	0	N/A	1	2	50.0	2	2	4	0	2	1	1	1	5
Mar 6	GSW	W 101-90	0	07:18	1	2	50.0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	2	2	4	0	0	0	1	0	2
Mar 5	LAL	W 98-83	0	15:16	2	2	100.0	0	0	N/A	2	2	100.0	0	4	4	0	1	0	1	1	6
Mar 3	@ BOS	L 80-104	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mar 1	DAL	L 84-89	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Date	Opp	Score	GS	Min	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	Pts
Feb 26	@ MEM	W 93-89	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feb 24	@ UTH	L 93-102	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feb 22	@ LAC	L 94-98	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feb 20	@ MIL	L 88-93	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Feb 19	CLE	W 110-93	0	0	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	N/A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

you should be able to see clearly that the team’s recently improved performance has actually coincided with the return to good health of Tyson Chandler [i.e. Charlotte's Back-up Center] and the gradual integration of Tyrus Thomas [i.e. Charlotte's Back-up Power Forward] into their primary rotation, as much as [or, perhaps, even more than] the role and production of Theo Ratliff, as their Starting Center.

When a team like Charlotte finally turns the corner and morphs into a legitimate playoff contender it is rarely the case that there is only 1 player responsible for this actual transformation.

The simple fact is …

Charlotte has been engaged in the process of a long term build-up over the course of the past 2 years, given the additions of:

Larry Brown, Head Coach

DJ Augustin, PG [acquired via the Draft]
Alexis Ajinca, C [acquired via the Draft]
Boris Diaw, PF-SF [acquired via trade]
DeSagana Diop, C [acquired via trade]
Gerald Henderson, OG [acquired via the Draft]
Derrick Brown, PF-SF [acquired via the Draft]
Tyson Chandler, C [acquired via trade]
Stephen Graham, SF-OG [acquired as an UFA]
Stephen Jackson, OG-SF [acquired via trade]
Tyrus Thomas, PF-SF [acquired via trade]
Theo Ratliff, C [acquired via trade]
Larry Hughes, G-F [acquired as an UFA]

and,

Michael Jordan, Principal Owner,

in conjunction with the decision to retain the services of:

Gerald Wallace, SF-PF
Raymon Felton, PG
Nazr Mohammed, C

… and, the single individual most responsible for their success today is their once much-maligned General Manager, Rod Higgins.

5 Men On A Single String … Kudos to Larry Brown

Tags: Alexis Ajinca, Boris Diaw, Charlotte Bobcats, Derrick Drown, DJ Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Gerald Wallace, Larry Brown, Michael Jordan, Nazr Mohammed, Raymond Felton, Rod Higgins, Stephen Graham, Stephen Jackson, Theo Ratliff, Tyrus Thomas, Tyson Chandler

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 6:21 pm and is filed under Analytics, Basketball, NBA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Who’s da man fuelling the good play of the Bobcats?

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