The Bobcats traded away their best two scorers from last season in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson and also let Kwame Brown leave in free agency. That’s by design. The plan is to get their young players more playing time and experience this year before venturing into free agency this summer, when they could have up to $21 million in space under the salary cap.

"Panic doesn't exist for us," president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said Wednesday. "Once we made those trades (exchanging Wallace and Jackson for packages that included draft picks), we have to see it through, the path we've taken: Get assets, create (cap) flexibility.

"The season is going in a direction that maybe some of us didn't envision. A disappointment, you might say. But with that being said, you cannot make that hard right and forget about what you've already done."

Higgins and general manager Rich Cho shared what each values most in evaluating players. Higgins said "a fiery passion for the job. Being a competitor."

Cho is attracted to what he referred to as the four C's: "Guys who compete, guys with character, guys who have consistency and guys who cover (play defense)."

He looks to avoid what he calls the four S's: "Guys who are slow, guys who are soft, guys who are stupid or guys who are selfish."

D.J. Augustin returned to practice Tuesday and may start Wednesday against the Timberwolves.

"From watching him out here, I'm considering it," Silas said after Augustin tested his inflamed right big toe for the first time since aggravating the injury Jan. 22 in New Jersey.

Rookie Kemba Walker has made strides at point guard, but the Bobcats offense tends to be more efficient with Augustin directing traffic.

"He's a great shooter - if he's open, he has a better than 50-50 chance of making a shot. But (as far as) running the ball club, we really didn't have anybody looking for the assists and getting us into what we need to run" in Augustin's absence, Silas said.

"I was very seldom calling plays. He was calling them, himself."

Kemba Walker is struggling to adapt to the pace of the NBA game.

"Guys are a lot bigger, faster, stronger, and at times I tend to let guys speed me up instead of playing at my own pace," Walker said. "In college it took me three years. By the time my junior year came, that's when everything slowed down for me."

Walker is averaging 12.4 points on just 36.7 percent shooting. The 6-foot-1 guard is also averaging 4.1 rebounds.

"You're not going to see anybody his size getting as many rebounds as he gets," said coach Paul Silas. "And that just shows you the mental and physical toughness that he has."

The NBA has announced the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge participants on Wednesday.

Sophomores selected include DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Landry Fields (New York Knicks), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs), Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers) Paul George (Indiana Pacers), and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

Freshmen selected include Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns), Marshon Brooks (New Jersey Nets), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats) and Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves).

A MRI confirmed Thursday that Gerald Henderson suffered a strained right hamstring in Wednesday’s loss. The Bobcats projects he’ll miss anywhere from two to four weeks with the injury.

Henderson is the Bobcats’ leading scorer this season, averaging 15 points per game off 46 percent shooting. With Henderson hurt, the Bobcats’ top three scorers – Henderson, point guard D.J. Augustin and small forward Corey Maggette – are all unavailable due to injury.