Perhaps the prospect mavens have already discussed this and I missed it, but I came across an old MLB.com article (long story) that had this nugget about Mr. Main, he who hasn't been an effective pitcher since 2008:

The one player in this year's draft class where there might be more of a split comes from the high school ranks. Florida prep star Michael Main has a live arm that can pump out mid-90s fastballs with regularity. At the same time, he's an electric center fielder, a switch-hitter who can flat out fly.

"For us, he's a power arm, he's looked at as a pitcher for us," a scout said. "But you can't discount his athleticism, either. You can't overlook his arm on the mound, throwing 95 mph.

"At the same time, I clocked him after a stumble out of the box, 4.02 seconds to first. That's 70 (on the scouting scale with 80 being the highest) speed. You see him as a position player, he's just as good as any position player you'd see. Yo almost you want to try him in the field and see what happens, then can move him to the mound if it doesn't work."

"It's different for each team," said Main, who would continue as a two-way player at Florida State, but hopes to forego that commitment and turn pro after the draft. "Some teams have interest in just strictly pitching, some are split on the decision. Every team is considering me as a pitcher. Some teams are split or like me more as a position player. The pitching side of it, it's always going to be there, so if they can use me as a position player, it's an added bonus."

It's staring us in the face, isn't it?

Back in 2007, I started Rufus on Fire, thinking that, someday, a few like-minded people might take an interest in what I had to say about the Charlotte Bobcats. My friends wondered what an avowed "baseball guy" was doing writing a basketball blog, and I’d tell them, in so many words, that Gerald Wallace could convert anyone.

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In a game somewhat atypical of both the Bobcats and Bulls, Chicago outgunned Charlotte en route to a 106-94 victory. Going into the game, these teams were #1 and #14 in DRtg, and #19 and #25 in ORtg, so that kind of offensive output was unexpected.

For the Cats, Gerald Henderson and Shaun Livingston both had strong games off the bench, while Dominic McGuire also contributed solid minutes. Unfortunately, Keith Bogans's shots were falling early, and Kyle Korver couldn't miss. It may have seemed to be merely an annoyance at the time, but those role players won the game for Chicago as much as the core guys who played 30+ minutes.

Game thread comment, lowlights, and highlights after the jump.

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TV: SportSouth

Bobcats record: 24-31

SBN Bulls blog: Blog-A-Bull

Conversation starter: Are this year's Bulls as fun to play with in a video game as this year's Bobcats? I'm guessing not, since small-ball is usually the way to go in games, and the Cats can throw out a Liv/Jax/Crash/TT/Boris look that is perfectly suited for pixelated hardwood.

The Big Picture: After a satisfying victory at home over the Lakers, the Bobcats are in Chicago tonight to face the Bulls. Though they don't have Joakim Noah back yet, the Bulls are running away with the Central division on the strength of the best defense in the league and a middling offense.

But even that characterization undersells what they've been able to do under Tom Thibodeau, because their defense is neck and neck with Boston's, and a leap and a bound better than the third-best team by DRtg, Orlando. The difference between Chicago's DRtg and Orlando's this year is roughly the same as the difference between Charlotte's league-leading DRtg and 10th-best Utah's last season. Yup, that good.

The Cats have beaten the Bulls twice this season, and in those games, four and five players each took at least ten shots, implying that offensive responsibility was spread fairly evenly. Of course, I'd prefer if the Cats continued that, but because Stephen Jackson hasn't displayed much faculty for limiting his shots and spreading the opportunities, I'm not sure that'll actually happen.

Musical Interlude: Kid Rock -- "I Am the Bullgod"

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The Bobcats still have the Lakers' number. Charlotte continued the most surprising run of dominance one team has over another by defeating Los Angeles 109-89 tonight.

Gerald Wallace led the way for the home team, scoring 20 points on 16 attempts and pulling down 11 rebounds, both team highs. Gerald Henderson contributed 18 points on 9 attempts, Boris Diaw had 16 in 9 attempts, and Nazr Mohammed also scored 16 points, though on 11 attempts.

Remember how I asked in the preview what we might be able to determine about individual players from tonight's game? What say you? Did Henderson impress? Are we back to trusting Crash to be his All Star self game in and game out?

TV: SportSouth

Bobcats record: 23-31

SBN Lakers blog: Silver Screen and Roll

The brutal schedule continues, unrelenting. Tonight, the Lakers. Tomorrow, the Bulls. And then... respite, with no games until after the All Star break.

The Big Picture: The Los Angeles Lakers have reached that plane the Spurs used to occupy, where they play very well during the regular season, content to know they'll make the playoffs even if they go half-speed, but still play at about 95% in order to garner a high seed. And the crazy part of it is everyone knows they're one of the three best teams in the league, even if they're not playing like it.

For their part, the Bobcats seem to have developed an identity as a schizophrenic bunch that hangs with the league's elite one night, then bombs against the league's cupcakes later that week. Part of that is Stephen Jackson's ups and downs. Part of it is just random fluctuation. But in the end, it'll all even out, and this 35-win pace is wholly deserved.

A win against the Lakers would be fantastic, but in the end I'm much more interested about what the game might tell us about the Cats moving forward. That is to say, it's not a test of what the team might do come playoff time, but more yet another test of what individual players are made of.

Musical Interlude: Arcade Fire -- "Rebellion (Lies)"

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Over two Hawks!

It wasn't easy, but the Bobcats defeated the Atlanta Hawks on the road, 88-86, completing the biggest comeback in franchise history.

In the second quarter, the Hawks outscored the Bobcats 25-12, and it was worse than even that, as the Cats took around nine minutes of game time to score their first field goal of the period, and were, for a time, down by 22 points. But a solid 17 minutes of play, stretching from that second quarter into the fourth, brought the Cats all the way back into a tie game.

In that final period, it went back and forth with Shaun Livingston and Gerald Wallace keeping Charlotte in the game, until, at the buzzer, Stephen Jackson hit a fadeaway jumper on the wing and immediately made a championship belt gesture at the crowd, screaming at them to go home.

Game thread comment, lowlights, and highlights after the jump.

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TV: SportSouth, NBATV

Bobcats record: 22-31

SBN Hawks blog: Peachtree Hoops

True story: A couple years ago, when I had Bobcats season tickets, I got to the Cable Box about four hours before the game, talked my way in, and then walked to the pricey seats to watch Milwaukee shoot around. Then, around two hours before game time, I went upstairs, made my way to the kids' mini court, and convinced a nearby employee to look the other way while I held my own one-man dunk contest on the 7-foot rim.

Oh, and Al Horford is playing.

The Big Picture: I'm convinced the Atlanta Hawks are a sleeping giant in the Eastern Conference. They have two All Star-quality starters in Al Horford and Josh Smith, a well-above-average starter in Joe Johnson, a useful, if uninspiring, starter in Marvin Williams, scoring off the bench with Jamal Crawford, dirty work off the bench with Zaza Pachulia, and then a crap point guard situation.

If they could ever figure out their point guard situation, making either a big offensive or defensive upgrade, they'd suddenly move from middle of the pack to playoff threat.

Tonight, they're probably still smarting from a 117-83 loss to the Sixers on Tuesday, and the Bobcats are coming off two tough losses in winnable games. On the second half of a back-to-back, the bar is low for the Cats. 

Musical Interlude: Mumford & Sons -- "The Cave"

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The Bobcats were dominated by a young big man for the second game in a row. For the second game in a row, the Cats fell behind by a wide margin early before storming back in the fourth quarter. And for the second straight game, Charlotte came up just a little short, losing 94-89.

Game thread comment, lowlights, and highlights after the jump.

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TV: SportSouth

Bobcats record: 22-30

SBN Nets blog: Nets Daily

Great photo. By the way, the answer is, "No."

The Big Picture: The New Jersey Nets are an interesting test of patience for their fans. Unless Brook Lopez makes a delayed leap, like Andrew Bogut, he's probably not going to be quite good enough to be the centerpiece of a Finals team. But though that dream is fading, Lopez, along with Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, and others form a core that could easily support a superstar deep into the playoffs. But unless Derrick Favors is that superstar, or Carmelo Anthony agrees to join them, or whoever, they're going to be a borderline playoff team in the best possible world.

Assuming the Bobcats' most likely path to a championship is through drafting a superstar, we're in much the same boat, only our current core's window is closing, while the Nets' supporting cast could be around for a long time.

Musical Interlude: Cake -- "Sick of You"

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Stephen Jackson's agent says NBA referees treat his client unfairly, a public statement I'm sure is going over real swell in the league office. ESPN's Chris Broussard has the quote:

"The inconsistency of the referees' calls or non-calls in close games is becoming questionable," [Mark] Stevens said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "It looks like they're taking the player and/or his personality into account when deciding whether or not to make calls."

It could be true! But if it is true, and the referees do "profile" the players and take into account past transgressions... is that wrong? What if, in most refs' opinions, Jackson crosses the line from serial whiner to unprofessional complainer? Is it best for them to simply let that happen, or to do something about it?

The Bobcats were slowly getting choked out by an Indiana Pacers team that was outrunning, outgunning, and outhustling them. But then the fourth quarter happened, and the Cats came roaring back, only to be stifled by sheer bad luck, losing 104-103

The Cats couldn't slow down Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, or Darren Collison. Furthermore, their own offense went stagnant in the first three quarters. In the fourth, they found flow and dynamism, but it was frustrating to take in all the action before then. Maybe Tyrus Thomas is a freelancing wild card, but for water to flow through a pipe most efficiently, it needs a little turbulence (#fluiddynamicshumor).

Game thread comment, lowlights, and highlights after the jump. 

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TV: SportSouth

Bobcats record: 22-29

SBN Pacers blog: Indy Cornrows

This game rivals Duke-UNC for intensity and import. And don't argue with me about it.

The Big Picture: Last night, the Indiana Pacers had the Heat on the ropes. It took a 27-15 fourth quarter for Miami to come back and win by five, a disheartening defeat for a team that started the season surprisingly well, but has been up and down (mostly down) since.

But as one of the teams the Bobcats are battling for a playoff spot, let's not feel too sorry for the Pacers. After all, that playoff spot looks good, smells good, and they'd step over their own mothers just to get one. And on top of that, both the team and we television viewers will have to contend with that whizzing VROOOOM! sound effect at Conseco Fieldhouse, meant to evoke the Indy 500, never mind Roy Hibbert, Darren Collison, and Danny Granger.

Musical Interlude: Black Sheep -- "The Choice Is Yours"

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