Some attributes on the court simply can’t be taught. Certain players just exude that it factor when the game is on the line, and have the ability to will a team to victory.

While the Charlotte Bobcats’ Gerald Henderson can’t boast to being one of those type players at this point of his career, he has showcased the ability to take over games in recent weeks with some outstanding fourth quarter performances.

Whether it’s hitting big-time jumpers at the end of games to propel his team to victory, diving on the ground and fighting for the loose ball against two defenders with the game on the line, or taking the toughest defensive assignment on a nightly basis, Henderson has begun his ascension into becoming a franchise-type player for the Bobcats.

"I feel like I’ve improved a lot," Henderson said. "But I think it’s just because I’ve been working on my game and my teammates have given me a lot of confidence. Getting that experience is a big thing, just being in those moments enough and having the confidence to make a play."

Henderson has gained that valuable experience mainly because injuries have decimated Charlotte as of late. Key players missing time due to injury has forced the team to rely on the young guys to carry the load as the team continues to scratch and claw down the stretch for a postseason berth.

This is true especially on the offensive end (with the Bobcats’ leading scorer Stephen Jackson having missed time in four of the past six contests) as a patchwork lineup has been forced to rely heavily on Henderson at the end of games to be the go-to-guy in crunch time. While he has played heavy minutes since the trade deadline, Henderson hasn’t been looked upon to be The Guy out there up until the last few weeks.

Henderson, as it seems, has had no problem responding to the challenge.

Over the last six games, Henderson has shot over 48 percent from the floor while providing some jaw-dropping fourth quarter play.  At the beginning of this six-game stretch on March 25, with Jackson out of the lineup and the Bobcats down 66-53 going into the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics, Henderson put the team on his back. The second-year guard out of Duke dropped nine of his 15 points in the final frame, leading Charlotte to a 30-15 fourth quarter surge and demoralized the Celtics in their own building to the tune of an 83-81 defeat.

This trend continued, against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 28, with Henderson placing the team securely on his shoulders once again. Henderson alone outscored the Bucks 7-0 in the final 3:34 of the contest,  nailing two 21-foot jumpers off screens from the exact same spot in the midst going 3-3 from the field down the stretch to lead Charlotte to a 87-86 victory.

"(Gerald) Henderson did a hell of a job coming off the down screens then knocking down jumpers," Bucks center Andrew Bogut said after the contest.

The scoring was just the icing on the cake in an overall dominant final four minutes. With under 15 seconds left in that same contest, Henderson fought his way through two Bucks defenders to get a defensive rebound off of a Brandon Jennings miss at the rim and quickly called timeout (all in one motion) before falling out of bounds on the sidelines.

Bobcats’ coach Paul Silas couldn’t help but gush over Henderson’s play after the game.

{AUTHOR_BOX}"The two big hoops were outstanding, but that play, diving on the floor for us, was just remarkable and I have to give him all of the credit in the world," Silas said. "He’s really finding himself… He’s just taking on all comers."

Along with shouldering an increased burden on the offensive end, Henderson is often tasked with locking down the other team’s best scorer for large chunks of the game. In the aforementioned win over the Bucks, Henderson’s help defense at the rim against a last second Jennings’ lay-in proved to be the difference in the contest.

The second-year player also played a large role in Celtics’ guard Ray Allen going a miserable 2-9 from the field in the Bobcats’ 83-81 win.

"Growing up, you watch some of the best two-guards play the game," Henderson said, "and it’s just fun to go up against them every night."

Henderson told HOOPSWORLD recently about his mindset going into the final quarter.

"This game is pretty interesting," he said. "It’s not just about scoring. It’s not just about rebounding or passing. You can make plays in numerous different ways, so that’s what I’m thinking about on the court. Whatever the situation calls for, I feel like I can do it."

Coach Silas believes it’s only a matter of time before Henderson takes the leap from being a solid NBA player to All-Star caliber stud.

"It’s taken some time," Silas said, "but this time next year he’s going to be rolling."

Even with Henderson’s resurgent play, the injury-depleted Bobcats have lost two straight games; this after a recent four-game surge had put them just one game back of the eighth-place Indiana Pacers. The young guys are stepping up, but it may be too little, too late for a Charlotte team now down two games (three including the Pacers’ ownership of the tiebreaker) with just six left to play.

"If we get some of our guys back it still gives us a chance," Silas said. "I just don’t give up.  That’s not my nature and I don’t want it to be the nature of my players.  Not until the very end are we going to say it’s over.  We have to continue to fight and that’s exactly what we’re going to do." 

For the Bobcats, hopes of making the playoffs remain bleak, but the hopes Henderson develops into that next tier NBA player have increased substantially.