National Basketball Association

Bobcats benches veteran Diaw for rookie Walker

Published Jan. 14, 2012 6:24 p.m. ET

foxsports

Bobcats coach Paul Silas has benched veteran power forward Boris Diaw in favor of rookie Kemba Walker for Saturday night's game against Golden State.

Diaw has struggled of late, scoring just three points in the last two games.

The move will have a ripple effect on the starting lineup. Walker will make his first NBA start at the point guard, while D.J. Augustin moves to the No. 2 spot. Gerald Henderson moves from shooting guard to small forward, while Tyrus Thomas shifts to Diaw's spot at power forward.

With the Bobcats mired in a six-game losing streak, Silas felt it was time for a different look, saying, ''We weren't playing with that much energy and we weren't getting that much out of Boris, to tell you the truth.''