This could be Paul Silas's last season coaching the Bobcats. At 68, that would likely mean his last season in the NBA. Whatever becomes of the last 27 games, he'll do it his way.
It's clear Silas has the latitude from management to run a rotation free from concern about which players make the most money or have the longest contracts. Team president Rod Higgins said at the All-Star break he wants Silas to develop young talent and test which players will still compete deep into a bad season.
That's made for some interesting rotations of late. Boris Diaw, the starting center at the season's outset, might never play again. Tyrus Thomas, an expensive and underachieving power forward, sat out one game entirely and starts the next. Eduardo Najera, seemingly on the roster only because of a guaranteed season, has jumped into the rotation because Silas sees him as the tough guy this team so sorely lacks.
And atop all that, Silas had the juice to convince management to let his son, lead assistant Stephen, occasionally coach the team this season. Silas would love for Stephen to succeed him with the Bobcats.
This did not go well in Oklahoma City Saturday, as the Bobcats fell to the Thunder 122-95. They play the Hornets in New Orleans Monday.
NOTES, QUOTES
-If the Bobcats won just once in this four-game road trip, it might be best for them to take the finale in Dallas. The Mavericks are the last team the Bobcats have never beaten -- 0-14 all-time.
-The NBA trade deadline is Thursday afternoon. The Bobcats have already made one deal this season, acquiring Byron Mullens from the Thunder for a second-round pick. It would be no surprise if they made another transaction; the Bobcats have made 12 trades since the beginning of 2009.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"He's got toughness -- he takes charges, which nobody else does. He battles. And that's a signal to everyone else that we need that. He's one of the few who will do it." -- Bobcats coach Paul Silas on veteran big man Eduardo Najera.
