Where does the duo of Rozier and Graham rank among the best duos in Charlotte Hornets history?

Six seasons after Charlotte regained an NBA franchise, a feisty tandem of players would give the city its first playoff appearance in nearly a decade.

For many, the Bobcats era of Charlotte sports history is one they’d like to forget. An abysmal 7-59 season, somehow missing out on the first pick of the 2012 draft after said 7-59 season, and arguably some of the worst draft decisions in the city’s history, really paint that time as one of the lowest fans in the Queen City have had to endure.

There are exceptions, of course, and one such exception is the duo of Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson. There was a very brief period at the end of the aughts where those two proved to be one of the better forward/guard combos in the league. The two only played a pair of seasons together in a Bobcats uniform, but their limited stint was a pretty productive one.

For starters, the then Bobcats made the playoffs as a seventh seed in the 2009-2010 season. Wallace and Jackson averaged 18 and 21 points per game respectively, with Wallace adding 10 rebounds per contest. Wallace was also selected to the All-Star Team that year, becoming the one and only Bobcat to ever earn that honor.

Sadly, they were swept in the first round by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Still, it was a solid improvement over the past few seasons and at the time, there were those that thought this was the first step in building a legitimate contender.

Unfortunately, due to a litany of injuries and a few questionable front office dealings the following year, the Bobcats failed to make the playoffs for consecutive seasons, losing ten more games than the previous year. The short-lived duo was separated at the beginning of 2011 when Wallace was traded to the Trail Blazers.

Jackson was dealt just a few months afterward to the Milwaukee Bucks shortly after the season ended. After Wallace was traded, Jackson wasn’t happy about the deal and felt it was a large part of why the team regressed.

It’s a shame the two didn’t get to play more together because there was a buzz brewing in the city of Charlotte that had long been absent. Fortunately, fans wouldn’t have to wait too long until the team would give them another reason to cheer. Before that, though, another pair of players would help the Hornets succeed in the second era of Michael Jordan.