The Bobcats, 15-23 and three games outside the 8th seed, haven't exactly been on fire of late. They have won four of six, which is good for a non-playoff team but not notable when you consider the other hotness which has permeated the league's young teams. But the wins... they are a'something. At Boston, versus Denver, versus Orlando on Wednesday. Had a break or two came their way against Detroit a few nights ago, things'd look even better.The reason for the reversal of fortune? Gerald Wallace, half man and half monster. (He's a 'manster.') His January per-games: 26.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jason Richardson's also taken a larger load this month, and the Nazr Mohammed acquistion is working out (for now).
There's still a long way to go for real playoff talk to mean something in Charlotte; there's no reason the defense should be so inconsistent, not with plus defenders at both forward positions (Wallace and Emeka Okafor). But the Cats haven't been in this sort of hopeful position since franchise inception, and that means something. Year Four, the Charlotte Bobcats have (almost) arrived (sort of).
