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Bobcats hope offseason of change equals success on court

Nov 2, 2007 - 1:05 PM Milwaukee (0-1) at Charlotte (0-0) 7:00 pm EDT

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- The Charlotte Bobcats begin their season at home on Friday when they welcome the Milwaukee Bucks.

Charlotte, which hired first-time coach Sam Vincent to fill the vacancy created by the departure of the Bernie Bickerstaff - the only coach in franchise history - already has lost center Sean May and forward Adam Morrison to season-ending injuries.

However, Charlotte remains optimistic that the addition of guard Jason Richardson, acquired on draft night from the Golden State Warriors, will bring the scoring and energy necessary to execute Vincent's up-tempo philosophy.

Richardson is being counted on to blend in with key returning cogs like guard Raymond Felton and forward Gerald Wallace.

Charlotte is hoping this trio can continue the team's push toward its first playoff appearance after it improved record-wise in each of the franchise's first three seasons.

As Charlotte looks to build on its franchise-high 33 wins from last season, the Bucks look to rebound a miserable 28-win campaign in 2006-07 as well as their season-opening 102-83 loss at the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Milwaukee shot just 38 percent (33-for-87) from the field and made only 59 percent (13-for-22) of its free throw attempts in the contest.

The Bucks will strive for more balance than it received in their season opener against the Magic as only guard Michael Redd and forward Bobby Simmons reached double figures with 25 and 18 points, respectively.