Empty performance, empty locker room

Wow, it sure was lonely in that Bobcats locker room, post-game.

I would say that by the time the media was admitted to that locker room, following the second loss in as many nights to the New York Knicks, the ratio of media to players was 3-to-1. Many of the people you’d most want to interview – Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Nazr Mohammed – were out of there before we ever came in.

Now, I’m not suggesting anything nefarious. Maybe they all just dressed fast and coincidentally some scooted out the back exit. Maybe it was the Thanksgiving holiday. And in Thomas’ case, it was about getting treatment for painful arches.

But here’s my intuition, based on 20-some years covering the NBA: Some people see the potential for this season crumbling, and saying the wrong thing can only add to the misery.

It’s not often Wallace doesn’t make himself available for interviews. He’s naturally candid, so I take it for granted he’d worry when he’s really troubled about saying something he’ll regret. His productivity is down and coach Larry Brown made it clear a factor in that is teammates not finding Wallace enough on the break.

Wallace is a great barometer when things go haywire. My sense is his reluctance to address all this – his diminished impact, being charged with so many offensive fouls, not being rewarded for effort – means he doesn’t know how best to articulate an abundance of frustration.

To his credit, Stephen Jackson fielded all the questions Wednesday, including one from me that I could tell made him a bit uncomfortable. I asked about how he’s become so dependent on 3-pointers. Jackson said if he’s not going to get to the foul line, then driving makes him a turnover waiting to happen. (That’s a paraphrase, but an accurate one.)

That wasn’t a rationalization, that’s the unfiltered way Jackson lives.

One last thing worth noting: I’ve read these odd comments from several readers, suggesting D.J. Augustin has to do more to get the Bobcats out of this funk. I can’t imagine a worse strategy than that.

Raymond Felton got the better of the two-game match-up with the guy he mentored. That’s no surprise and the margin wasn’t wide.

Look at Augustin’s numbers Wednesday: 14 points, seven assists, eight rebounds and zero turnovers. If I told you in July he’d have a game like that, you’d sing to the heavens and raise your glasses.

Based on his performance last season, Augustin was more likely to be the third point guard than the starter. Now he’s playing with exceptional efficiency on a team dangerously inefficient.

Should he look for his shot a bit more? Maybe. But absolutely the last thing this team needs is Augustin chucking up a bunch of quick shots or wild passes.

The kid is in a nice groove in a tough job. There aren’t many others on this team playing better than you’d expect. Don’t mess with what little success they’re experiencing.