MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Jason Richardson carried them as a scorer the second half of the season, particularly with Gerald Wallace injured much of that span with a concussion and later a groin strain. He had the fourth-most three-pointers (243) in an NBA season.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: The Bobcats signed Earl Boykins at mid-season, hoping he'd offer a pop as both a scorer and playmaker. Not much happened, but in Boykins' defense, he hadn't played in over six months and his minutes were sometimes sporadic in what was always a chaotic rotation of point guards. FREE AGENT FOCUS: The major focus is obviously on Emeka Okafor, who becomes a restricted free agent after turning down a long-term contract extension before this season. Okafor already turned down over $12 million a season, and though he says he wants to remain here long-term, it wouldn't be shocking if he signed a one-year qualifying offer to reach unrestricted free agency in July of 2009.
Ryan Hollins, Derek Anderson and Boykins are also free agents and it's a given the Bobcats won't exercise a team option on Othella Harrington for next season. Of those four, restricted free agent Hollins -- a young, athletic, but unpolished, big man -- seems the most likely to return to the Bobcats.
PLAYER NOTES:
--Larry Brown said he anticipates leaving Raymond Felton at point guard, rather than shifting him between the point and shooting guard, as his predecessors did. Brown can be particularly hard on point guards, so Ford's presence on the staff will be important in acting as a buffer zone between Brown and Felton.
--Brown can be particularly demanding that players be at peak conditioning. That could be interesting, with power forward Sean May rehabbing from knee surgery. The Bobcats need May's rebounding, but he's never been in great condition as a pro.
--Brown has experience coaching two of 14 Bobcats. He coached Nazr Mohammed in Philadelphia and Emeka Okafor in the 2004 Olympic Games (when Okafor was the designated college player on a USA squad otherwise full of pros.)
--The coaching change might have increased the likelihood of Okafor wanting to stay in Charlotte. It was clear Okafor had issues with Vincent. He's a restricted free agent in July. It wouldn't have been a shock, had Vincent stayed, if Okafor signed a one-year qualifying offer to reach unrestricted free-agency. Okafor might still do that, but he has less reason to want to leave now.
