The Charlotte Bobcats have a lot of quantity at power forward heading into the 2011-12 season.  It all starts with 29-year old Boris Diaw.  Diaw played in 82 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 33.9 minutes, 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.  He has now played in 623 games (433 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 30.5 minutes, 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.  Diaw will also get some P.T. at small forward in 2011-12 for the Bobcats.  25-year old Tyrus Thomas flashes outstanding potential but it never seems to convert to the court.  Thomas played in 41 games (2 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 21.0 minutes, 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game.  Thomas has now played in 320 games (97 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 20.5 minutes, 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game.  25-year old D.J. White is also a young player who has flashed some potential so far in his career.  He played in 47 games (0 starts) for the Thunder & Bobcats last year and he averaged 14.6 minutes, 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  White has now played in 66 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the NBA and he is averaging 13.9 minutes, 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  19-year old Bismack Biyombo came to the Bobcats in the first round of the NBA Draft last June.  He played in Spain last year, so he has been playing against decent competition.  He claimed on Draft Night that he would lead the NBA in both rebounding and blocked shots down the road.  It will be interesting to see if he can backup his big talk.  35-year old Eduardo Najera is still around.  He 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.  Najera has now played in 597 games (85 starts) in his NBA career so far and he is averaging 18.3 minutes, 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

32-year old small forward Corey Maggette will get a big chance to shine with the Bobcats in 2011-12 as he will be replacing Stephen Jackson (who he was dealt for).  Maggette 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.  He has now played in 777 games (450 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 28.6 minutes, 16.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.  Maggette is a very aggressive player on offense as he gets to the free throw line a lot by attacking the basket.  31-year old Matt Carroll will backup Maggette this year.  Carroll played in 54 games (1 start) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 10.8 minutes, 4.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He has now played in 405 games (82 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 17.3 minutes, 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

The Charlotte Bobcats are likely going to start 23-year old Gerald Henderson at shooting guard in 2011-12.  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 in the NBA and he is averaging 18.2 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game.  34-year old Morris Peterson will likely backup Henderson this year.  He only played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Thunder last year and he averaged 5.8 minutes, 1.0 point, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  Peterson has now played in 711 games (487 starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 27.2 minutes, 10.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

23-year old D.J. Augustin is going to be the starter at the point for the Bobcats this year.  He played in 82 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 33.6 minutes, 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.  Augustin has now played in 234 games (96 starts) in his first three years with the Bobcats and he is averaging 26.2 minutes, 10.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.  He continues to get better and the Bobcats hope that continues in 2011-12.

21-year old rookie Kemba Walker came to the Bobcats in the first round last June.  Walker will likely be the #3 guard for the Bobcats in 2011-12 as he will be counted on to add offense off the bench.  It’s even possible that the Bobcats will need to deal D.J. Augustin to get a legit center, and if that happens, Walker could be a starter from Day #1 for the Bobcats.

70-year old head coach Larry Brown has been a miracle worker in his NBA career. That is the reason why he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. Brown is the only coach in history to win a NCAA Championship (Kansas) and a NBA Championship (2003 Detroit Pistons). Brown led the Bobcats to a surprising 44-38 record (53.7%) during the regular season but they were swept in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic in the first round. Brown has a 79-85 (48.2%) record during the regular season in his two years with the Bobcats. Losing Raymond Felton & Tyson Chandler are both gone and the replacements are a bit iffy so Brown will have his work cut out for him this year now that expectations are higher. Brown has a career record of 1,089-885 (55.2%) during the regular season and he is 100-93 (51.8%) during the playoffs.

33-year old Nazr Mohammed will likely be the starting center for the Bobcats by default this year. He played in 58 games (29 starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 17.0 minutes, 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game on 55.3% shooting from the floor. He has now played in 696 games (303 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 18.0 minutes, 6.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Mohammed will likely produce but the Bobcats will have to monitor his minutes to keep him fresh all year long.

28-year old DeSagana Diop is a decent defensive player and rebounder but he’s one of the worst offensive players in the NBA. Diop played in 27 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 9.7 minutes, 1.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. He has now played in 536 games (83 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 14.3 minutes, 2.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BOBCATS CENTERS IN 2010-11: D-

The Bobcats have a lot of talent with upside at power forward. 28-year old Boris Diaw will probably start here and he’s very versatile as he can literally play anywhere on the court. Diaw played in 82 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 35.4 minutes, 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He has now played in 541 games (351 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 30.0 minutes, 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Diaw will probably still play at least 30 minutes a night this year for the Bobcats but he will play more than one position. He might even be the center when the Bobcats decide to play small.

24-year old Tyrus Thomas has a huge upside and that’s the reason the Bobcats brought him back. Thomas played in 54 games (3 starts) for the Bobcats & Bulls last season and he averaged 22.6 minutes, 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Thomas has now played in 279 games (95 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 20.4 minutes, 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.4 blocked shots per game. Thomas is like a younger version of Gerald Wallace but he needs more heart to reach his potential which is huge.

34-year old Eduardo Najera will bring energy off the bench for the Bobcats when he gets in the game. He played in 33 games (3 starts) for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 14.6 minutes, 3.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Najera has now played in 566 games (85 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 18.7 minutes, 5.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

23-year old 2nd year man Derrick Brown will likely find P.T. hard to come by this year. He played in 57 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 9.4 minutes, 3.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BOBCATS POWER FORWARDS IN 2010-11: B-

28-year old Gerald Wallace has improved to the point where he is one of the better small forwards in the NBA. He plays hard at both ends of the floor as he dives for loose balls and he’s a great rebounder despite not being the biggest guy on the court. Wallace played in 76 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last season and he averaged 41.0 minutes, 18.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game. He has now played in 544 games (406 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 29.8 minutes, 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocked shot per game. Wallace gets better every single year and I expect it to continue in 2010-11 for the Bobcats.

25-year old Dominic McGuire will be in the hunt to back up Wallace in 2010-11 for the Bobcats. He played in 51 games (2 starts) for the Kings & Wizards last season and he averaged 6.0 points, 0.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. McGuire has now played in 200 games (60 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 15.4 minutes, 2.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

30-year old Matt Carroll came over from the Mavericks in the Tyson Chandler deal. He played in 25 games (0 starts) for the Mavericks last season and he averaged 4.8 minutes, 1.8 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. Carroll has now played in 351 games (81 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 18.3 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Carroll has shot 39.5% from three point range is his NBA career so he could be an asset for the Bobcats this year.

29-year old Darius Miles has not played in the NBA since the 2008-2009 season with the Grizzlies but he’s in camp trying to make the Bobcats. Miles has played in 446 games (190 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 26.3 minutes, 10.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BOBCATS SMALL FORWARDS IN 2010-11: A

32-year old shooting guard Stephen Jackson gave the Bobcats a huge boost last season after coming over from the Warriors in a deal early in the year. Jackson played in 81 games (all starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 38.6 minutes, 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He has now played in 680 games (589 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 33.2 minutes, 16.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Jackson will likely be the team leader in scoring in 2010-11.

22-year old Gerald Henderson will likely be the main backup to Jackson at shooting guard this year. Henderson played in 43 games (0 starts) for the Bobcats as a rookie last year and he averaged 8.3 minutes, 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. He only shot 35.6% from the floor last year and he will need to improve on that if he’s going to earn more minutes this year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BOBCATS SHOOTING GUARDS IN 2010-11: B+

The Bobcats will likely have a training camp battle between 25-year old Shaun Livingston and 22-year old D.J. Augustin to determine who will start at point guard in 2010-11. The early favorite appears to be Shaun Lvingston because of his salary. Livingston played in 36 games (18 starts) for the Thunder & Wizards last season and he averaged 22.1 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He has now played in 193 games (79 starts) in his NBA career and he has averaged 25.8 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Livingston has only hit 18.8% of his shots from three point range so the Bobcats are going to need other shooters on the court when he plays.

D.J. Augustin flopped in his second year with the Bobcats. He played in 80 games (2 starts) for the Bobcats last year and he averaged 18.4 minutes, 6.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Augustin has now played in 152 games (14 starts) in his two years with the Bobcats and he has averaged 22.2 minutes, 8.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Augustin is also a much better shooter than Livingston as he has connected on 42% of his career shots from three point range. He was a former first round pick of the Bobcats so don’t be stunned if he beats out Livingston for the starting gig.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BOBCATS POINT GUARDS IN 2010-11: C