The 2004–05 Charlotte Bobcats season was the first season for the Charlotte Bobcats in the National Basketball Association. This season marked the return of NBA basketball to Charlotte after a two-year hiatus. The original Hornets had moved to New Orleans after the 2001–02 season to become the New Orleans Hornets, now the New Orleans Pelicans. The Bobcats had the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft, which they used to select Emeka Okafor out of the University of Connecticut. The team hired Bernie Bickerstaff as head coach during the offseason, and added veteran players like Gerald Wallace, Primož Brezec, Brevin Knight, Jason Hart, Jason Kapono, Melvin Ely and Steve Smith to their roster. The Bobcats played their first game at the Charlotte Coliseum on November 4, which was a 103–96 loss to the Washington Wizards. They would win their first game defeating the Orlando Magic 111–100 at home on November 6. However, the expansion team struggled, losing ten straight games in January and March, finishing fourth in the Southeast Division with an 18–64 record. Okafor averaged 15.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.7 blocks per game and was named Rookie of The Year, and selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Unable to improve on their 44–38 record from 2002, the Bobcats failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1999 when they were the Charlotte Hornets, and instead went 18–64, which was at the time, the worst record posted by a Hornet/Bobcat team.

At the time, this was reckoned as the inaugural season of the Bobcats. However, after the 2013–14 season, the Bobcats reclaimed the Hornets name and pre-2002 history after the original Hornets team changed its name to the Pelicans.Hornets all the buzz in Charlotte. ESPN, 2014-05-20. As a result, this is now considered the 15th season of the Hornets/Bobcats franchise, the team having returned after suspending operations from 2002 to 2004. Thus, it was also their final season in which the franchise played their home games at the Charlotte Coliseum, as they would move to the newly built Charlotte Bobcats Arena for the following season.

As an expansion franchise, the team unveiled their new logo and uniforms, which added dark navy blue, grey, and orange to their color scheme and added side panels to their jerseys and shorts, which remained in use until 2008.

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 2 PF/C Connecticut 2 45 SF Michigan

The team debuted in the draft as the Bobcats with one first-round pick and one second-round pick, both of which were acquired via trades in the preceding days. They had also traded their two original selections to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for that first-round pick.

Roster

Standings

Record vs. opponents 2004-05 NBA RecordsTeamATLBOSCHACHICLEDALDENDETGSWHOUINDLACLALMEMMIAMILMINNJNNOHNYKORLPHIPHOPORSACSASSEATORUTAWAS Atlanta — 1–3 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–1 0–2 1–3 0–2 1–1 0–3 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–4 1–2 1–1 0–3 1–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–2 0–2 0–4 Boston 3–1 — 4–0 2–2 1–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–2 3–1 1–1 1–3 2–0 3–1 3–0 1–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 3–1 2–0 3–1 Charlotte 3–1 0–4 — 0–4 0–4 0–2 1–1 2–1 0–2 2–0 0–3 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–3 0–4 1–1 0–4 1–1 1–3 3–1 0–3 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–2 1–1 0–4 Chicago 4–0 2–2 4–0 — 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–3 2–2 2–0 0–4 1–1 4–0 3–0 2–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 3–0 2–0 1–2 Cleveland 4–0 2–1 4–0 2–2 — 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–0 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–3 2–2 1–1 1–3 2–0 1–3 3–1 0–3 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 3–1 2–0 1–2 Dallas 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 — 2–1 1–1 3–1 2–2 1–1 1–2 2–2 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 4–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–2 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–0 3–0 2–0 Denver 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 — 1–1 2–2 1–2 2–0 2–1 2–2 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 4–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–4 3–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–0 2–2 2–0 Detroit 3–1 3–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–1 2–2 1–1 2–1 2–0 3–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 4–0 Golden State 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–3 2–2 0–2 — 1–2 1–1 0–4 1–3 1–3 0–2 2–0 1–2 0–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 2–2 1–1 2–1 1–1 Houston 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–2 2–1 0–2 2–1 — 1–1 3–0 2–2 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–0 3–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 Indiana 3–0 2–1 3–0 2–2 3–1 1–1 0–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 — 0–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–2 2–0 2–2 1–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 2–1 2–0 2–2 L.A. Clippers 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–1 1–2 0–2 4–0 0–3 2–0 — 2–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–3 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–4 2–2 0–4 0–4 2–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 L.A. Lakers 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–2 0–2 3–1 2–2 1–1 2–2 — 0–3 0–2 2–0 2–1 1–1 3–0 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–4 2–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–3 0–2 Memphis 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–4 0–4 2–0 3–1 1–3 0–2 3–1 3–0 — 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 3–1 0–3 3–1 0–3 2–0 3–0 0–2 Miami 4–0 2–1 3–1 3–1 3–0 0–2 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–1 2–0 1–1 — 4–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 4–0 4–0 2–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–1 2–0 4–0 Milwaukee 2–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 0–2 0–2 2–2 0–2 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–4 — 1–1 2–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 0–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–3 Minnesota 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 2–1 2–1 0–2 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–3 4–0 3–1 1–2 1–3 0–2 3–1 1–1 New Jersey 3–0 3–1 4–0 4–0 3–1 0–2 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–2 2–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–3 1–2 0–2 — 2–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–2 2–0 1–3 New Orleans 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 0–4 0–4 0–2 2–2 1–3 1–1 1–3 0–3 1–3 0–2 1–1 0–4 0–2 — 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–4 2–1 1–2 0–4 0–3 0–2 2–2 1–1 New York 3–1 1–3 3–1 0–4 3–1 0–2 1–1 0–3 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–4 1–2 1–1 1–3 1–1 — 1–2 3–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–3 2–0 2–1 Orlando 3–1 0–3 1–3 0–3 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–3 1–1 0–2 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–4 1–2 1–1 3–1 2–0 2–1 — 2–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–2 2–0 2–2 Philadelphia 3–1 3–1 3–0 1–2 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–3 1–1 0–2 4–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–2 4–0 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–3 2–2 — 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–1 Phoenix 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–1 4–0 1–1 2–2 2–2 1–1 4–0 4–0 2–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 — 3–0 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 Portland 2–0 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–4 1–3 1–1 2–2 0–4 0–2 2–2 1–2 1–3 1–1 2–0 0–4 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–3 — 1–3 1–2 1–3 1–1 2–2 0–2 Sacramento 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–3 2–1 1–1 1–3 2–2 2–0 4–0 3–1 3–0 0–2 2–0 1–3 1–1 2–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–2 3–1 — 1–3 1–3 1–1 2–1 2–0 San Antonio 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–2 1–1 3–0 2–2 1–1 4–0 4–0 1–3 1–1 2–0 2–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–1 2–1 3–1 — 2–2 1–1 2–2 1–1 Seattle 2–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–3 2–2 1–1 2–2 1–3 2–0 1–2 3–1 3–0 2–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 3–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 1–2 3–1 3–1 2–2 — 2–0 3–1 0–2 Toronto 2–1 1–3 2–1 0–3 1–3 0–2 0–2 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–3 2–2 2–0 2–2 2–0 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 — 2–0 1–3 Utah 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–3 2–2 1–1 1–2 2–2 0–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 0–2 1–1 1–3 0–2 2–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–3 2–2 1–2 2–2 1–3 0–2 — 0–2 Washington 4–0 1–3 4–0 2–1 2–1 0–2 0–2 0–4 1–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–4 3–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 1–2 1–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 3–1 2–0 —

Player statistics

Regular season PlayerSF81 14 1,491 164 61 40 6 688 18.4 2.0 .8 .5 .1 8.5PF 79 17 1,649 326 76 32 69 576 20.9 4.1 1.0 .4 .9 7.3SG 74 42 1,791 226 135 68 8 714 24.2 3.1 1.8 .9 .1 9.6PG 74 27 1,887 203 367 99 14 706 25.5 2.7 5.0 1.3 .2 9.5PF 73 73 2,600 795 64 62 125 1,105 35.6 10.9 .9 .8 1.7 15.1C 72 72 2,276 531 86 33 55 938 31.6 7.4 1.2 .5 .8 13.0SF 70 68 2,147 386 137 117 91 780 30.7 5.5 2.0 1.7 1.3 11.1PG 66 61 1,944 170 591 131 5 666 29.5 2.6 9.0 2.0 .1 10.1†SG 37 1 636 49 57 12 7 291 17.2 1.3 1.5 .3 .2 7.9†SG 34 22 877 79 65 18 6 390 25.8 2.3 1.9 .5 .2 11.5SF 33 5 510 116 28 6 4 105 15.5 3.5 .8 .2 .1 3.2SG 31 1 328 48 30 11 4 93 10.6 1.5 1.0 .4 .1 3.0SG 25 0 430 60 17 17 2 224 17.2 2.4 .7 .7 .1 9.0PF 23 0 329 122 8 4 17 79 14.3 5.3 .3 .2 .7 3.4†PF 22 1 271 47 7 5 11 111 12.3 2.1 .3 .2 .5 5.0C 17 0 135 34 1 2 12 42 7.9 2.0 .1 .1 .7 2.5SG 16 1 201 29 37 9 1 49 12.6 1.8 2.3 .6 .1 3.1†SG 13 5 300 19 24 24 3 144 23.1 1.5 1.8 1.8 .2 11.1SG 8 0 78 14 3 5 0 28 9.8 1.8 .4 .6 .0 3.5

Awards and records Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor

NBA All-Rookie First Team Emeka Okafor

Transactions

References