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Charlotte Wildcats Quarterly Report
Current Record: 7-13 (0.350%)
5th in Southeast Division;
9th in Eastern Conference
Team Leaders:
PPG: K. Walker (15.0), G. Henderson (13.5), B. Gordon (11.8), B. Biyombo (11.0), M. Kidd-Gilchrist (10.8)
RPG: B. Biyombo (7.2), M. Kidd Gilchrist (5.6), M. Morris (4.8), K. Walker (4.3), J. Tyler 3.6)
APG: K. Walker (5.8), M. Kidd-Gilchrist (4.3), K. Marshall (4.1)
SPG: M. Kidd-Gilchrist (1.6), K. Walker (1.1), S. Robinson (1.0)
BPG: E. Udoh (2.7), B. Biyombo (2.2), M. Kidd-Gilchrist (1.5)
FG%: J. Leuer (.625), S. Robinson (.573), T. Harris (.571), E. Udoh (.495), B. Gordon (.468)
3P%: K. Marshall (.425), K. Walker (.407), S. Robinson (.391), B. Gordon (.373), M. Morris (.270)
FT%: M. Kidd-Gilchrist (.895), B. Gordon (.882), K. Walker (.824), E. Udoh (.818), K. Marshall (.800)
Surprisingly, the Charlotte Wildcats are just outside of the playoff bracket. I wouldn’t expect to actually see them qualify for the playoffs anytime soon, but that alone should be a testament to just how difficult the Southeast Division is (not to mention the weaknesses inherent to the Eastern Conference overall). We have already tied the previous season for wins, so unless we lose sixty-two games in a row we are set to improve on our overall record. In fact, getting this team somewhere between twenty-five and thirty wins should probably be considered a success, so overall we seem to be making some significant improvements.
Kemba Walker has definitely stepped up as a leader, but improving his field goal percentage would have a significant impact on this team (.428 isn’t that bad, but he needs to be in the team’s top five). Henderson and Gordon have been doing a pretty decent job sharing time at the shooting guard position; they have recorded a combined 25.1 PPG. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist seems to have a pretty consistent stat-line for a rookie (10.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.5 BPG). Only time and experience will improve his game significantly. Bismack Biyombo has been playing some pretty serious ball (11.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG). His numbers may not be elite, but his five double-doubles have put the Wildcats over the edge more than once.
Ekpe Udoh and Markieff Morris have been competing for the starting spot at the power forward position. Here is a side-by-side comparison of their stats (note: these stats are per-36 minutes, not per-game):
Markieff Morris: 12.2 PTS, 7.9 REB, 1.8 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.4 BLK, .329 FG%, .270 3P%, .782 FT%
Ekpe Udoh: 11.2 PTS, 6.2 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.4 STL, 4.7 BLK, .495%, .000% 3P%, .818 FT%
Overall the two had put up some relatively similar numbers, save for Udoh’s extremely impressive shot-blocking ability (he and Bismack Biyombo were the two main reasons that the Charlotte Wildcats currently led the RBA in blocks-per-game). Udoh’s superior efficiency also stood out, even if he was non-existent outside the paint. In the end, these factors combined with Udoh’s slightly advanced maturity gave his game a subtle edge over Markieff Morris. It was a very difficult decision to make, but eventually I awarded the starting power forward position to Ekpe Udoh.[/font]