The Charlotte Bobcats are committed to instituting a running game this season in the hopes of jump starting what was the NBA’s worst offense last season. The question is, will the minor personnel changes they made this offseason be enough to affect legitimate improvement in this club? Sorry to say, but I believe the answer is no. Expecting the Bobcats to finally reach the postseason this season for the first time in franchise history is a fool’s bet. It’s not impossible – this is the Eastern Conference after all – but it’s going to take a crapload of good luck.

It all came together for the Lakers in 2008-09, building off a tough NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics the year before. They had some hiccups during their playoff run, most notably an uninspired seven-game series with Houston, but it never really felt like they were in any serious trouble en route to the NBA championship.