The Spurs SBNation blog (pounding the rock) has a surprisingly fair breakdown comparison of the two teams once you wade through some pretty funky factoids. San Antonio fans are more than a little nervous about their team because it is much better on paper than their record indicates. They have a pretty bad record at home and had to fight hard to beat the Kings in their last game. Most fans feel that the Bobcats represents one of those games where the Spurs should just demolish us using the logic that anyone with a below .500 record should be easy picking. What they’re a bit nervous and shaky about is that before they defeated the Kings the Spurs themselves were only a .500 team themselves.

On paper I have to agree that the Spurs are a mighty daunting opponent. Just the thought of what Tim Duncan can do to Diaw if Boris isn’t bringing his absolute best to the game tonight is enough to bump my blood pressure a bit.

Fortunately for us the game won’t be played on paper PS3. We all know the score by now. When the Bobcats show up and play their best ball they can beat just about anyone. Just because regular fans expected us to upset one of the three teams this week, it doesn’t mean that the Nuggets win has to fill our quota. We have a tough game coming up tomorrow night after dealing with the Spurs so if we’re going to win a second one this week I respectfully request that any of Bobcats player that might stumble on this article make tonight the night.

We can’t expect the Spurs to come out flat tonight. They did have a day’s rest. But we’re rested too. The pregame preview at Pounding the Rock gives us an edge at Jax and Wallace’s positions tonight but although it notes that Felton is a “decent” point guard there is a decided edge given to Tony Parker. If Ray plays at the level he has been of late, the Spurs may be in for a bit of a shock there. They also don’t expect anything on our bench can provide a light at the end of the tunnel for us.

I have to agree with David – solid play from Tyson Chandler tonight is essential. If ever there was a time to try Nazr out as a starter in the hybrid switch stunt I mentioned the other day it would be tonight. Let Nazr play for the first 6 minutes or so and we have a mighty good chance of setting Chandler up against the Spurs bench just as their starters are tiring and ready to come of the court. This way we might save some foul trouble and be able to utilize Tyson in the second quarter.

Regardless, this one is a toss of the coin. No win against the Spurs is going to come easily, but they have been notably vulnerable on their home court thus far and the Fightin’ Felines have been on one hell of a tear of late. Nicely hidden behind a casual glance at our overall record and dismal road results is the fact that this team has won 6 of 8 including a Class A performance against Denver. Anyone expecting to roll over the Bobcats could just find themselves waking up in the morning and trying to figure out how the hell they got mauled by such a “substandard” team. We all know that if the Bobcats come out flat there are some high school teams that could beat them up, but I’m tuning in tonight in the belief that those shaky nights are behind us and our playoff bound (that’s right, I said it and it’s time to BELIEVE it baby!) Charlotte Bobcats are going to pick up road win #2.

(ohpleaseohpleaseohplease don’t let them play like they have against the Celtics so far this season!)
Okay, I have faith, but I still carry some lingering fears in my pocket next to the lint balls.