For the Charlotte Bobcats, there is no place to go but up.
The team finished with the worst regular-season win percentage in NBA history last season, winning at a .106 rate while going 7-59. To add insult to injury, the team lost its last 23 games of the season, a franchise record.
While team owner Michael Jordan would like to forget about last year, the team got off to a good start in 2012, winning its first game against Indiana on Friday 90-89. Kemba Walker scored 30 points, while first round pick Michel Kidd-Gilchrist only shot 1-of-7 in the first win for new head coach Mike Dunlap.
The victory ended the 23-game losing streak for the team dating back to last season.
"It was something that was in the back of all of our heads," Walker said to the Associated Press. "We didn't want that streak to keep on with us, so to get it over with now was extremely important. But now that it's over we don't ever want to get to that point again."
The Bobcats lost their next game 126-99 at Dallas, but showed improvement in a range of areas from last year. Ramon Sessions was valuable in the game, scoring 22 points to lead the team off of the bench.
"I think the thing for Ramon is getting comfortable with what the staff is asking him to do," Dunlap said. "We always knew he was going to be good and getting comfortable and he's showing that already."
Gerald Henderson, one of the longest tenured players on the team, is vital for the Bobcats to have success this year. He can score and play solid defense, but will be missing from Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Suns with a left foot injury. Henderson sustained the injury in the third quarter against the Mavericks.
Last season Henderson led the team with 15.1 points per game.
"We'll miss him dearly, but we've also got some young guys ready to get his playing time," Dunlap said.
Charlotte is ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every category and are averaging only 94 points each game.
The Bobcats will look to stay on the winning side of things against a Suns team that is also in a rebuilding phase.
The Suns only have one returning starter from last season and have already lost three games.
"It's a long season. We have 78 games left and I don't see any reason to hit a panic button or anything," said coach Alvin Gentry. "We just have to continue to work, and to me the whole thing we need to concentrate on is coming together as a team as a common goal. If we continue to do that, then we'll compete and still be a team that will be in the game."
The biggest missing piece for the Suns will be Steve Nash, the former franchise player who won two MVP awards with the team. Nash was traded in the offseason to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Other missing pieces include Grant Hill, Michael Redd and Channing Frye, who will possibly miss the season with a heart issue. The team has brought in players like Michael Beasley, Goran Dragic and Luis Scola, but so far the results have been less than stellar.
Shannon Brown has been solid for the team this year, scoring a team-high 18 points in the teams 124-99 loss against the Miami Heat. Brown played for the Bobcats last season.
"It's too early to get down on ourselves," Brown said. "We definitely have to go out and compete every night. In practice we have to continue to get better. We have to stick together."
While the Suns have struggled defensively, the team ranks in the top ten with 44 rebounds per game. Gortat has given Phoenix size and athletic ability and is averaging over 12 rebounds per game.
"I still think they're dangerous," Dunlap said. "I know they're very good and they're really well-coached."
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