The news keeps getting worse for the 3-20 Charlotte Bobcats as they are going to be without starting shooting guard Gerald Henderson for the next 2-4 weeks due to a pulled hamstring.  Henderson has played in 21 games (all starts) for the Bobcats so far this year and he is averaging 33.8 minutes, 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  Henderson is the Bobcats’ leading scorer so far this year and they are only averaging 87.3 points per game this year, so they are going to miss him big time.  Look for 31-year old Matt Carroll and 25-year old Reggie Williams to see bumps in P.T. until Henderson is ready to return to action.  Carroll has played in 20 games (2 starts) for the Bobcats so far this year and he is averaging 13.6 minutes, 3.8 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game on a pathetic 34.6% shooting from the floor.  Reggie Williams has just recently starting playing for the Bobcats this year as he has been rehabbing an injury.  He has played in 2 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats so far this year and he is averaging 15.0 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  The Bobcats are really going to miss Gerald Henderson and they better hope that he heals quickly.

The Charlotte Bobcats will be without 32 year old small forward Corey Maggette for the next 2-4 weeks due to a hamstring injury.  Maggette has played in 6 games (all starts) for the Bobcats so far this year and he is averaging 30.2 minutes, 12.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.  But, Maggette is only shooting 30% from the floor so far this year.  24-year old Derrick Brown will probably see a bump in P.T. until Maggette is ready to return to action.  Brown has played in 6 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats so far this year and he is averaging 16.3 minutes, 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  The Bobcats hope that Brown takes advantage of this opportunity.

The Bobcats have acquired 22-year old center Byron Mullens from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2nd round pick in 2013.  Mullens played in 13 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 6.5 minutes, 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.  He has now played in 26 games in his first two years in the NBA and he is averaging 5.3 minutes, 1.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.  Mullens is only shooting 34% from the floor so far in his NBA career.  This is a good deal for the Bobcats as they need size.  Mullens was a first round pick just a couple of years ago and he has been buried on the depth chart for the Thunder.  It will be interesting to see what he can do when given a real chance.

The Charlotte Bobcats have lost 35-year old forward Eduardo Najera for the next 6-8 weeks due to knee surgery.  Najera played in 31 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 12.0 minutes, 2.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  The Bobcats are losing players left and right to injury, so even the loss of Najera is going to hurt the team when the 2011-12 season starts.

The Bobcats took 21-year old, 6’1″, 172 pound point guard Kemba Walker with the 9th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft last night.  Walker played in 41 games for Connecticut last year and he averaged 37.6 minutes, 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.  Walker played in 111 games in his three years in college and he averaged 32.9 minutes, 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  It will be interesting to see how much P.T. Walker can get at point guard with D.J. Augustin ahead of him on the depth chart.

The Charlotte Bobcats picked 18-year old power forward Bismack Biyombo with the 7th overall pick in the NBA Draft last night.  The 6’9″, 243 pound Biyombo sure talks a good game as he has predicted that he will lead the NBA in both rebounds and blocked shots in the future.  Biyombo played in 28 games in Spain last year and he averaged 19.5 minutes, 7.7 rebounds, 5.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game.  Biyombo played in 78 games in two years in Spain and he averaged 20.8 minutes, 7.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game.  It will be interesting to see if Biyombo can back up his big talk or not.

UPDATE:  (12/16/2011) – Bismack Biyombo can’t get out of his contract with his team in Spain.  He will miss the 2011-12 season for the Bobcats.  This is a bad break for the Bobcats.

UPDATE II: (12/19/2011) – Bismack Biyombo has come to a buyout agreement with his team in Spain ($1.3 million bucks), which will allow him to play for the Bobcats this year.

The Charlotte Bobcats have acquired Corey Maggette from the Bucks and the #7 overall pick in tonight’s NBA Draft.  The Bobcats dealt 33-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson and point guard Shaun Livingston to the Bucks and the Bucks dealt the #19 overall pick tonight to the Kings.  31-year old small forward Corey Maggette might step right into the starting lineup for the Bobcats.  He played in 67 games (18 starts) for the Bucks last year and he averaged 20.9 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.  Maggette has now played in 777 games (450 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 28.6 minutes, 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. 

33-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson played in 67 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 35.9 minutes, 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  Jackson played in 139 games (all starts) in two years with the Bobcats and he averaged 37.7 minutes, 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.  Jackson was the best offensive player for the Bobcats since the day he got to Charlotte, so he will be hard to replace.  Shaun Livingston played in 73 games (0 starts) in his only year with the Bobcats in 2010-11 and he averaged 17.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. 

The Bucks also got 28-year old point guard Beno Udrih from the Kings in this deal.  The Kings got 31-year old SF/SG John Salmons and the #10 overall pick from the Bucks. 

The Bobcats are in full rebuilding mode now as they now hold the #7 and #9 picks in the first round tonight in the NBA Draft.

The Charlotte Bobcats will be busy trying to retain some of their own free agents this off-season.  First off, SF/PF Boris Diaw has a player option that he is no doubt picking up to return to the Bobcats in 2011-12.  The Bobcats would really like to keep center Kwame Brown but he’s going to have some suitors which will drive the price up.  It will be interesting to see how far Michael Jordan is willing to go money wise to bring his boy back in 2011-12.  Young PF Dante Cunningham, who came over in the Gerald Wallace deal last year, is a restricted free agent.  As long as the price is right, I think the Bobcats will match an offer to keep him around in 2011-12.  SG Garrett Temple is a restricted FA and I don’t see the Bobcats bringing him back.  SF Dominic McGuire and C Joel Przybilla are unrestricted free agents that the Bobcats will likely let walk away.

23-year old shooting guard Gerald Henderson underwent hip surgery to repair a torn labrum early today and he will need a 4-6 month recovery time to get back up to speed.  This is a shame as Henderson really stepped up after the Bobcats dealt Gerald Wallace to the Blazers.  Henderson played in 68 games (30 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 24.4 minutes, 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.  He has now played in 111 games (30 starts) in his first two years with the Bobcats and he is averaging 18.2 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  If healthy, Henderson will likely enter the 2011-12 season as the Bobcats’ starting shooting guard.

The Charlotte Bobcats have shut down 32-year old SG/SF Stephen Jackson (hamstring), 24-year old power forward Tyrus Thomas (knee) and 25-year old point guard Shaun Livingston (back).  These injuries are going to leave a mark on the Bobcats as they are all key players.  Jackson played in 67 games (all starts) for the Bobcats this year and he averaged 35.9 minutes, 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.  He is the best offensive player on the Bobcats right now.  Tyrus Thomas only played in 41 games (2 starts) for the Bobcats this year and he averaged 21.0 minutes, 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game.  One of these years the Bobcats are going to turn Thomas loose in the starting lineup and see what he can really do.  Shaun Livingston played in 73 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats this year and he averaged 17.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.  The Bobcats expected more from Livingston this year.