Bleacher Report - Articles by David Walters

Charlotte Bobcats Weekly Update — Dec. 5

David Walters — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:48:59 -0500

This has been the best week by far this season for the Bobcats as they have gotten more comfortable with coach Larry Brown’s system. Jason Richardson (19 ppg) was inserted back into the starting lineup last Friday night and the team has responded well, winning three of their last four.

The Bobcats beat the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Oklahoma City Thunder last week with their only loss coming in a closely contested game with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Emeka Okafor continued his strong play in the post and has 59 points, 23 rebounds, and five blocks in his last two games. The Bobcats have been looking for scoring production down low and Okafor has finally begun to deliver.

Raymond Felton has been the steady hand for the Bobcats over the last few weeks and he has pushed Charlotte in their wins. He is averaging 11 points and 13 assists over the last two games.

Sean May is back in the starting lineup and had his first double-double of the season on Wednesday with 10 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes. The ‘Cats can only hope that he continues to get better as the season goes on as he gets back into shape following knee surgery.

D.J. Augustin has gone back to his sixth man role and has averaged 10.6 ppg and 3.3 apg over the last week.

Everything seems to be coming together for the Bobcats, but last week was against mediocre competition. They have a 7-11 record and they have an extremely tough schedule this week.

The Bobcats will travel to Milwaukee tonight to face the Bucks (8-12), then they return to Charlotte as LeBron & Co. come to town with the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers (15-3).

Then the 'Cats hit the road on Monday to face the Miami Heat (10-9) before traveling west to face the New Orleans Hornets (10-6) on Wednesday and the Dallas Mavericks (10-8) on Thursday.

I can only hope that we have another good week like the last one. See you all next week.

Charlotte Bobcats Weekly Update-Thanksgiving Edition

David Walters — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:50:15 -0500

I thought that in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we could focus on what we are thankful for in Bobcats country.

Let’s first be thankful that leading scorer Jason Richardson has returned to the Bobcats starting lineup tonight. The Bobcats have played well in his absence, but he has the ability to help Charlotte pull out those close games.

Next, let us be thankful for the emergence of rookie point guard D.J. Augustin, who has kept the Bobcats competitive with Richardson sidelined. This past week, Augustin has gone for 26, 12, 25, and 13 points and has averaged just over six assists per game in what has been a breakout week for the ninth pick of the 2008 draft.

We can also be thankful for Raymond Felton stringing together a few strong performances this week. Felton put up 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and seven steals against Milwaukee and got 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists against the 76ers.

Emeka Okafor woke up this week with averages of 13.3 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg; something to be thankful for in a weak frontcourt.

Last but not least, let’s be thankful for a team that has played hard despite obvious flaws on their roster. The Bobcats pulled off an impressive win against the Sixers this week and stayed close in every other game without Richardson or any real low post threat.

Larry Brown tinkered with the starting lineup this week, inserting rookies Augustin and Alexis Ajinca for more energy. It has paid off, as the Bobcats have jumped out to some nice leads with the first-year players starting.

This week would be a good chance for the Bobcats to get some wins under their belt. Friday they travel to Indiana to face the Pacers (6-8) before coming back home Saturday to face the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics (14-2).

On Monday, the Bobcats play the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-11) and on Wednesday they will play the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-15). These are some games that Charlotte can win, so it will be nice to see if they can come away with a few victories.

The Bobcats hosted their annual “Hoops and Hope” Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday at Jillian’s in uptown Charlotte, and I think that through the spirit of giving it helps us put everything in perspective as we enter the holiday season.

I hope that all of you out there in Bleacher Report country had a great Thanksgiving with family, friends, and food. See you next week.

Charlotte Bobcats Trading J-Rich For Clippers Kaman?

David Walters — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:21:05 -0500

Could the Bobcats be interested in trading injured guard Jason Richardson for the Clippers Chris Kaman? This trade would be an interesting one for both teams.

The Clippers just made a trade to bring power forward Zach Randolph to the team to replace the void left when Elton Brand left town. With Kaman, Randolph, and Marcus Camby in the frontcourt, the Clips might be looking to unload one of their big men to get a dynamic shooting guard in return.

This could give them the potential starting five of Camby, Randolph, Al Thornton, Richardson, and Baron Davis which would help them climb out of the western conference cellar.

The trade could make sense for the Bobcats as well. Coach Larry Brown has been clamoring for frontcourt help for Emeka Okafor and Kaman would certainly provide that. Kaman will average a double-double every year and the 'Cats could definitely use his 14.4 ppg, 10 rpg, and two blocks per game down low.

The Bobcats have played well despite the high-priced Richardson being sidelined after having a minor procedure on his knee. But most of their offense has come from their guards, Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin.

Sean May has sat the bench most of this season due to poor conditioning and nobody else has stepped up to provide any frontcourt consistency.

With rumors flying about the Gerald Wallace, Adam Morrison, and Raymond Felton, it would be no surprise if the Bobcats try to unload Richardson's big contract in return for a consistent big man like Kaman.

Bobcats-Sixers: Guards Lead Charlotte Past Philadelphia

David Walters — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:02:34 -0500

Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin led the Bobcats (4-9) to a 93-84 win over the 76ers (7-7) at Time Warner Cable Arena on Monday night. The Bobcats' starting guards and reserve Adam Morrison led a charge in the fourth quarter to increase their lead to as much as 10 points.

Felton had totals of 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while rookie guard Augustin had 25 points, five rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists to continue his strong play since becoming a starter. The Bobcats have begun to play better, despite the absence of their leading scorer, Jason Richardson.

Gerald Wallace had 11 points and six rebounds for Charlotte and Emeka Okafor had eight points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. The Bobcats got a boost off the bench from Morrison, who had 10 points, including a big three-pointer down the stretch that put the Bobcats up for good.

Elton Brand led the Sixers with 18 points and nine rebounds and Andre Iguodala chipped in 17 points and five steals. Lou Williams came off the bench to score 14 points.

The win snapped a four game losing skid for the Bobcats.

Game notes: Richardson may return to practice this week…The Sixers shot an ugly 39.5 percent from the field while the Bobcats shot 54.8 percent...Bobcats forward Sean May and newly acquired center Dwayne Jones did not play.

Bobcats-Bucks: Close Game, But Cats Lose Again

David Walters — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:20:09 -0500

Raymond Felton had 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven steals in a losing effort to the Milwaukee Bucks (7-8) on Saturday night in Charlotte. After playing in Atlanta last night the Bobcats led by as much as seven in the first quarter but trailed 35-36 at halftime.

Andrew Bogut had 12 points and 17 rebounds and helped the Bucks pull away in the fourth quarter, adding a monster dunk on Okafor.

The last minute of the game was exciting as Shannon Brown blocked a Richard Jefferson layup and went the other way for a floater that pulled the Bobcats within three. But Charlotte couldn’t get any closer after that with missed shots by Felton and Morrison.

Emeka Okafor had 16 points and 18 rebounds in what was his best game of the season so far, but he fouled out with 2:30 to go. Gerald Wallace had 18 points and five rebounds and D.J. Augustin chipped in 12 points.

Ramon Sessions led the Bucks in scoring with 18 points and Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva each scored 15 points.

Game notes: The Bobcats bench was outscored 12-43…The Bobcats played their fifth game without leading scorer Jason Richardson and the Bucks were without sharp shooter Michael Redd…Sean May did not play.

DJ Augustin: Bobcats Fall Short in Atlanta

David Walters — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:20:31 -0500

D.J. Augustin followed up his 21-point effort against Dallas with 26 points and seven assists, while shooting 7-11 from three-point range as the Charlotte Bobcats lost a close game to the Atlanta Hawks at Phillips Arena.

Bobcats' coach Larry Brown went with his two rookies, Augustin and Alexis Ajinca, in the starting lineup because of what he called a lack of effort. It paid off early as the Bobcats jumped out to a 21-8 lead; Gerald Wallace scored 13 points during the first quarter.

D.J. Augustin warmed up in the second quarter but the Bobcats trailed 43-47 at the half.

Raymond Felton hit a three-pointer to put the Bobcats up 81-80 with 2:29 left in the fourth quarter. Marvin Williams answered with a three of his own and the Hawks never looked back.

Gerald Wallace had 17 points and 10 rebounds; Emeka Okafor contributed eight points and 11 rebounds for the Bobcats (3-8) who were playing their fourth game without leading scorer Jason Richardson.

Joe Johnson had a strong second half and led the Hawks with 30 points; Marvin Williams scored 22 points to go with 10 rebounds for the Hawks (8-4).

Maurice Evans came off the bench to chip in 10 points and 10 rebounds while Mike Bibby had 14 points, including two big three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Game notes: Larry Brown was called for a technical foul late in the second quarter. Hawks coach, Mike Woodson, served as an assistant to Bobcats coach, Larry Brown, in Philadelphia and Detroit. The Bobcats are 11-6 all time against the Hawks.

Bobcats to Sign McDyess?

David Walters — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:28:58 -0500

Are the Bobcats ready to reunite Antonio McDyess with his former coach Larry Brown?

The Bobcats are in the market for a quality frontcourt player and McDyess is just that. The Bobcats cleared roster space by waiving forwards Andre Brown and Linton Johnson III and have two roster spots still open on their team.

Coach Brown has continued his pleas for a big man to help Emeka Okafor and McDyess would be that help.

But McDyess stated after he was released by the Denver Nuggets that he wanted to examine his options and find a role that would fit in to. He doesn’t want to be in a situation where he has to carry the load for anybody and it is questionable whether or not he would want to play for the struggling Bobcats.

The Bobcats appear to be close to signing 6’11” center Dwayne Jones who has previously played for Cleveland and Boston.

Charlotte Bobcats Weekly Update-Nov. 21

David Walters — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:58:58 -0500

After a win over the short-handed Utah Jazz Friday, there has been little to be happy about in Charlotte Bobcats country.

On Sunday, the Bobcats failed to capitalize on Dwight Howard's foul trouble. On Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks, they went nearly seven minutes without scoring their first field goal.

Charlotte still don’t know when Jason Richardson will return from his knee injury. It’s been reported that Richardson still has swelling in the knee and the team plans to bring him back slowly to avoid aggravating the injury.

Gerald Wallace has picked his play up amid all the trade rumors about him; more on that later.

Raymond Felton has been the steady hand for the Bobcats with 12.8 ppg and 4.9 apg. He had a strong game against the Jazz with 23 points and six assists and it seems that when he plays well the Bobcats stay competitive.

The Bobcats are still in desperate need of help in the frontcourt. Emeka Okafor has remained quiet so far this season with averages of nine points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The next best big men are Jared Dudley (6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Ryan Hollins (5.7 ppg, three rpg).

Sean May has made very little impact this season (2.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and has not received much playing time since being reactivated last week.

Charlotte released forward Andre Brown and seldom used forward Linton Johnson III this week, leaving the roster with only 13 players.

Look for the Bobcats to make a trade soon. With two open roster spots, a thin frontcourt, and trade rumors swirling about Wallace, it seems there may be change on the horizon for the team. While it would be nice to keep Wallace, the team’s most exciting player since their inception, he remains the only trade bait that would return a quality player.

Rumors have been picking up about a possible Adam Morrison trade. His increased playing time may be an attempt to showcase him to other teams in hopes to increase his trade value.

The Bobcats travel to Atlanta tonight to face the Hawks (7-4) and return home Saturday to play the Milwaukee Bucks (5-8). The Philadelphia 76ers (5-6) and Elton Brand come to town on Tuesday. Charlotte goes on the road to face the Toronto Raptors (6-5) on Wednesday, and the Indiana Pacers (5-5) on Friday.

Charlotte need to get more wins under their belt this week and try to keep their ship afloat until Richardson returns from his knee injury.

Team Notes: Larry Brown has expressed his frustration with the starters’ lack of effort. He told the Charlotte Observer that he may send a message tonight by starting rookies D.J. Augustin and Alexis Ajinca in place of May and Matt Carroll. The move would make Felton the team's starting shooting guard.

Wallace and Felton Lead Bobcats to Victory Over Jazz

David Walters — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:01:58 -0500

Gerald Wallace broke out his scoring slump and Raymond Felton helped guide the Bobcats (3-5) to a 104-96 win at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday night. Wallace scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Felton chipped in 23 points and six assists as the Bobcats played well enough in the second half to beat Utah.

Sean May started the game and saw some playing time in the first half and responded with eight points and four rebounds but was limited in the second half and saw little action.

Adam Morrison continued his scoring off the bench with 15 points while shooting 3-5 from three-point range. Larry Brown has begun to play Morrison more at the end of games showing his growing confidence in the Gonzaga product.

Carlos Boozer had 26 points and 15 rebounds for the short-handed Jazz (6-3), who were without starters Deron Williams and Memet Okur and reserve forward Andrei Kirilenko.

Game notes: Ryan Hollins had five points, four rebounds, and two blocks after being activated in place of guard Jason Richardson who is on the injured list after having surgery on his knee...Richardson is expected to miss about a week after the exploratory procedure...Wallace scored 22 points after compiling only 30 points over his previous three games...

Charlotte Bobcats Weekly Update-Nov. 14

David Walters — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:40:35 -0500

Over the last week of action little has improved for the Bobcats.

Jason Richardson has had exploratory knee surgery and will miss a few games while recovering from the procedure. While this may explain why Richardson has had such a slow start to the season it doesn’t bode well for the ‘Cats since they are so dependent on his scoring.

While he has continued his strong rebounding and defense, Gerald Wallace has cooled off in the last week, scoring 13, six, and eight points in his last three games amid rumors that he is on the trading block. With Richardson sidelined the Bobcats need more offense from Wallace if they want to be able to compete each night.

Sean May came back but has been totally ineffective and he seems to have fallen out of favor with coach Larry Brown. Jared Dudley and Andre Brown are getting the minutes that May could be playing but there is still help needed at the power forward position in Charlotte. With two free throws and three rebounds in nine minutes per game, May is looking more and more like he won’t pan out for the Bobcats future.

Raymond Felton has improved his play over the last week but is still way behind the numbers he was putting up last season. D.J. Augustin has showed flashes of what he can provide but he has been inconsistent and is shooting below 40 percent from the field right now.

Adam Morrison has begun to see more playing time and scores when he gets a chance to get into the flow of the game. He scored 16 off the bench in a loss to the Nuggets and hit three shots from beyond the arc against the Hornets showing that he is shaking off the rust from missing last year with a knee injury.

Shannon Brown has been efficient off the bench scoring 5.2 points in 9.4 minutes per game

In the next week the Bobcats will wrap up their six-game home stand with games against the Jazz on Friday, the Magic on Sunday, and the Mavericks on Tuesday and they will be facing the red-hot Hawks next Friday.

It’s important for the 'Cats to get a few wins out of their home games this week or else there may be a shake-up of their roster coming soon. See you all here next week.

Basketball: All Preps-to-Pros Team

David Walters — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:29:20 -0500

Many players have made the jump from high school straight to the NBA but few of them have made a lasting impact on the league. The NBA recently implemented a rule requiring that players must be a least one year removed from high school to be eligible for the draft.

This cut down on the large amount of players that were deemed “project players” or players with “potential” that had thrown away their college eligibility for a chance to be the next prep star to make the leap to the pros.

That being said, I’m going to elaborate on the top five players who made a successful jump from prom night to draft night.

Amare Stoudemire, ’04-05

Amare came into the league as a raw, athletic freak with superstar potential. I chose his ’04-05 season because of his huge output not only in the regular season but he also scored 30 ppg on his in the playoffs during a trip to the conference finals.

He will play in our center spot as he has done for much of his career and with this front line I don’t see many problems for him. I actually think that this should be the season that is used but I’ll let it pan out and we’ll see how he does. This was a tough decision and I considered Dwight Howard here but Stoudemire has a more polished game on the offensive end.

Shawn Kemp, ‘95-96

Let’s not forget the first player to really make the jump straight to the pros. The “Reign Man” paved the way for players to make the jump and he was one of the most dominant to do so. In the ’95-96 season he posted career highs in points (19.6 ppg), rebounds (11.4 rpg), and field goal percentage (56%).

His athleticism took the league by storm and he and Gary Payton formed one of the most popular 1-2 punches in the league. Unfortunately, Kemp’s career was tarnished and cut short by some personal problems but he spent a decade as one of the best power forwards in the game.

Kevin Garnett, ’03-04

Here’s a no-brainer for this team. Garnett was the next poster child after Kemp for the prep-to-pros phenomenon. In the ’03-04 season he was a complete monster, scoring 24.2 per game, grabbing 13.8 rpg, all while dishing out five apg and swatting 2.2 shots per outing.

He’ll be playing at the small forward position in this lineup and it rounds out a front court that will be throwing vicious, athletic dunks on the opposition all night long. Also, the leadership presence that Garnett brings to the court is immeasurable.

LeBron James, ’07-08

James is another easy pick for this squad. In the ’07-08 season he put up a stat line of 30 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and 7.2 apg while he carries the Cavs on his back, eager for a return to the NBA finals. James may have been the most NBA ready out of any of these players in their first season and that’s surprising considering the amount of hype behind him as a prep star.

He will be our guard in our lineup for what could possibly be the best backcourt in NBA history. LeBron is a beast to handle and at the two spot there won’t be a single player that can take this guy on.

Kobe Bryant, ’07-08

Of course Kobe is going to be on this team and here he will be our point guard based on last season’s output. Kobe finally gave up on being a one-man show in L.A. and figured out how to get his teammates involved more.

It’s this Kobe we want on our team, the one that can make other players perform at a higher level. With Kobe more focused on being a facilitator and playing defense, he is a perfect fit to play the point in this scenario.

This team would be unstoppable on the court with their combination of strength, power, and athleticism. The team would be a highlight reel in action and nobody could match up pound for pound with this squad. And I know that a lot of you are sleeping on my pick of Shawn Kemp but if you were old enough to witness how he dominated the league and changed the power forward position than you should understand.

Honorable Mention: Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Tyson Chandler

NBA All Preps-to-Pros Team

David Walters — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:43:27 -0500

That being said, I’m going to elaborate on the top five players who made a successful jump from prom night to draft night.

Amare Stoudemire, ’04-05

Shawn Kemp, ‘95-96

Kevin Garnett, ’03-04

LeBron James, ’07-08

Kobe Bryant, ’07-08

It’s this Kobe we want on our team, the one that can make other players perform at a higher level. With Kobe more focused on being a facilitator and playing defense he is a perfect fit to play the point in this scenario.

And I know that a lot of you are sleeping on my pick of Shawn Kemp, but if you were old enough to witness how he dominated the league and changed the power forward position than you should understand.

Honorable Mention: Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O’Neal, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Tyson Chandler

Gerald Wallace on the Trading Block?

David Walters — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:44:17 -0500

Rumors about the Bobcats taking offers for star forward Gerald Wallace have been swirling. It would be wise for the Bobcats to listen to offers just in case they get a deal they can’t pass up, but I wouldn’t let Wallace go for just anything.

Wallace was the first player taken by the Charlotte Bobcats out of the expansion draft and he is the team’s lone holdover from the inaugural squad. He has steadily been a fan favorite because of his athleticism and reckless style of play.

Unfortunately, that has led him to miss a good number of games over his career. However, the energy he brings to the court is hard to come by.

The latest rumors have Wallace in a trade with the Warriors and Knicks in a multi-team trade that would involve Al Harrington, Eddy Curry, and Wallace among others.

This could make sense for the Bobcats because of their glut of wing players and need for help in the post. But that would also mean that the ‘Cats have enough faith in their young players, such as Adam Morrison and Jared Dudley, to fill Wallace’s shoes after he is gone.

I would hate to see Wallace leave the Bobcats, but he may be the only tradable piece the team has, not including Raymond Felton. It would be hard to replace the hustle, defense, and athleticism Wallace brings to the table; the trade would definitely have bring in someone good.

The city of Charlotte has been slow to accept the Bobcats after the ugly divorce with the Hornets; the Bobcats need to put a winning product on the court soon to get fans in the seats…and it may be at the expense of the teams most popular player.

D.J. Augustin And The Rest Of The Bench Leads Bobcats Past Hornets

David Walters — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:23:02 -0500

The Bobcats overcame a huge second half and a missed last second three-pointer from Chris Paul to edge out the Hornets on Friday night.

Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton each scored 20 points and Emeka Okafor chipped in 10 point and 10 rebounds as the Bobcats played stingy defense in a gritty win in Charlotte.

The Bobcats came out shooting well and the Hornets only scored seven points in the second quarter; that helped the ‘Cats build the confidence that would help them through a second half charge led by Paul.

Paul was held scoreless in the first half but had no problem getting it going in the third quarter, finishing with 20 points, 10 assists, and 6 steals.

The Bobcats frustrated Hornets forward David West by constantly sending smaller defenders Wallace, Carroll, and Jared Dudley his way. They limited him to 11 points on 3-12 shooting.

Tyson Chandler was quiet as well, with just two points and seven rebounds. James Posey had a good game off the bench with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists, but that was the only bright spot for the Hornets bench.

D.J. Augustin came off the bench and played strong during a key stretch in the fourth quarter when the Bobcats were struggling after leading most of the game. Matt Carroll played strong defense and got the most playing time he had all year.

Adam Morrison had nine points on 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc including a big three with just over four minutes left and Augustin followed it up with a three-pointer of his own.

Coming in to the game it was important for the Bobcats to get solid play out of their bench and they answered the call tonight by grinding out a win in the fourth quarter.

Augustin showed gutsy play at the end of Monday’s game at the Knicks and he built on a play at the end of this game as well, showing why the Bobcats drafted him this summer. Morrison looked fearless and was efficient but he was limited to only 15 minutes off the bench.

Notes:

Larry Brown said after the game the he was frustrated by not being able to get all his players minutes they deserve. This only furthers the speculation that the Bobcats will try to move one of their many wing players in return for more frontcourt help…

Hornets point guard Chris Paul grew up about an hour north of Charlotte and attended Wake Forest. He bought 500 tickets to Friday’s game for friends and family…

Sean May was still inactive due to conditioning…

Charlotte Bobcats Weekly Update-Nov. 7

David Walters — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:06:45 -0500

Four games into the season the Bobcats have shown a few glaring weaknesses. They have started just 1-3 under Larry Brown.

Gerald Wallace has continued his solid play, particularly against the Knicks on Wednesday night when he hit a few huge three-pointers to keep them in the game when nobody else could find the basket. Wallace is leading the team in scoring (19.5 ppg), steals (2 spg), and is second in rebounds (9.3 rpg) as he continues to be the most versatile player for the ‘Cats.

Jason Richardson has gotten off to another slow start this year, averaging 17.0 ppg while shooting 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the arc.

After Richardson led the league in three-pointers made last season, Larry Brown wanted him to drive to the basket to draw more fouls. There are some changes to his game this season and as the year wears on, Richardson will increase his scoring average as the Bobcats settle into their new coach's system.

Emeka Okafor has looked good so far by averaging 13.0 ppg and 11.3 rpg and playing solid defense after signing a large contract during the offseason. The only problem has been that Okafor is the lone threat for the Bobcats down low after Sean May was put on the inactive list for being out of shape.

May had an unimpressive preseason after coming back from knee surgery and has not come close to the form the team expected when Larry Brown penciled him in as the team’s starting power forward. May’s absence has left the Bobcats very thin up front without another big man that can log significant minutes and be effective.

Raymond Felton is still entrenched as the team’s starting point guard and while he has played pretty well so far, his averages are way down (9.8 ppg, 5.0 apg). D.J. Augustin hasn’t done much to push Felton by averaging 8.8 ppg and 3.3 apg.

Brown has played both Felton and Augustin together for stretches, but one of the two is going to have to step up to be this team's floor general and at this point I think that Felton is going to be that guy.

Adam Morrison, also coming off knee surgery, has played decently since cutting his hair off. However, he is the type of player that needs to get into the rhythm of a game and that can be hard to do with only 17 minutes a game off the bench.

Matt Carroll isn’t getting much playing time early in the season and only has one basket so far this year, but it seems like every season he has to play his way into the rotation. Once Brown finds the right niche for Carroll, look for him to give the team a scoring boost off the bench.

The Bobcats' core of Okafor, Wallace, and Richardson are showing promises this season but they desperately need help. With a glut of wing players and jump shooters, I would be surprised if the ‘Cats don’t make a move to get some help for Okafor up front, but for now they are left to see if May can get back into game shape.

There have been defensive lapses during games (Nate Robinson scoring 24 in the first half) that have left trailing early, but despite their shortcomings the Bobcats already look like a better team than they were under Sam Vincent last year.

The Bobcats host the New Orleans Hornets tonight in the beginning of a six-game homestand and now would be a good time to get comfortable with Brown’s system and get a few wins under their belt.

A Few Players to Watch This NBA Season

David Walters — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:34:03 -0400

Louis Williams, 6'2", Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers made headlines this summer by dishing out a huge contract to Elton Brand, and then they took care of athletic swingman Andre Iguodala. But the biggest move they made this offseason was giving a five-year deal to their 6'2" guard with a knack for scoring.

Entering his fourth season, Williams knows that he is the future of the Sixers backcourt and has shown flashes of brilliance, scoring 27 in his last preseason outing against the Celtics. Williams is poised for a breakout season—and with a long-term contract in place, he’s ready to prove his worth in Philly.

Wilson Chandler, 6'7", New York Knicks

The Knicks made room for Chandler this summer by trading away Renaldo Balkman to the Nuggets. After a solid rookie showing, averaging 7.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, Chandler looks to flourish under D’Antoni’s run-and-gun style of basketball.

The athletic swingman can score in bunches and torched the summer league for the Knicks. Keep an eye on him through the season, because he is sure to make a few highlight reels as he tries to make a name for himself in the Big Apple.

Kevin Martin, 6'7", Sacramento Kings

Yes I know, Martin has already begun to make a name for himself over the past two seasons—but now that he’s out of the ball-dominating shadow of Ron Artest this is officially his team now.

Reggie Theus is going to run the offense through Martin this season—and it’s about time. This kid has got an insane knack for putting the ball in the hoop. He has one of the best jumpers in the league. and moves well without the ball—reminiscent of Reggie Miller.

Barring injury, look for the wiry guard to up his averages and make an All-Star push as the young Kings begin to get this thing rolling.

Raymond Felton, 6'3", Charlotte Bobcats

Felton has been solid since coming to Charlotte, but that wasn’t enough to keep the Bobcats from drafting point guard D.J. Augustin in this summer’s draft. He will be the team’s starter this year and I expect him to do well under new coach Larry Brown, who is known for developing point guards.

Felton also can become a restricted free agent this summer, and would like to prove that he’s worthy of a starter’s salary, so expect a good year out of him.

Jordan Farmar, 6'2", Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Sun Yue, Sasha Vujacic all competing for minutes at the point, but Farmar is the most athletic out of the four. He is a hard worker who has developed under Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, and he has improved the range on his jump shot.

If Farmar can become more consistent this season, he could have an important in keeping this team together for a championship run.

Mickael Pietrus, 6'6", Orlando Magic

The Magic have been trying to pry Pietrus away from Golden State for a few years, and jumped at the chance to land him this summer. He has a nice skill set for a shooting guard—which Orlando has sorely lacked the past couple seasons.

He has good range on his jumper, plays hard defense, and has always had respectable numbers despite inconsistent playing time with the Warriors. This is the chance that Pietrus has been looking for—and he should be a great fit for the Magic this year.

Rudy Fernandez, 6'6", Portland TrailBlazers

If you watched the gold-medal game from Beijing this summer, you may have noticed a certain 6'6" guard shredding the USA defense throughout the second half. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez scored 18 points and posterized Dwight Howard while helping the Spaniards keep pace, showing what he can do when he settles into his comfort zone.

He started off strong this preseason but has been injured as of late. If he can emerge from the glut of wing players in Portland—and he should—then watch out for this guy because he is something special.

What Can Brown Do for Youth?

David Walters — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:43:48 -0400

As the Charlotte Bobcats begin their fifth season of existence, they have yet to get a taste of the playoffs. Feeling that the talent level is there, executive Michael Jordan has brought in veteran head coach Larry Brown to guide the ‘Cats towards their first playoff berth. Jordan felt that Brown’s wealth of coaching experience would be a significant upgrade over last season’s rookie head coach Sam Vincent, who often clashed with players over strategy and lineups during his only season at the helm.

The Bobcats progressed each year under the veteran leadership of coach Bernie Bickerstaff, winning 18, 26, and 33 games respectively in each of the first three years, but struggled last season as they again won 33 games. The team didn’t respond to a rookie head coach and that led the Bobcats to Brown. With a returning core of Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, and Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats have a roster capable of grabbing one of the eight playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. But can Larry Brown’s methodical coaching style get through to this young team or will he end up clashing with the players?

There is no question about Brown’s reputation as a head coach. His mentor, Dean Smith, is one of the greatest coaches ever, and Brown has a coaching resume that dates back to 1972 with the Carolina Cougars. He has coached 10 different teams in the ABA and NBA as well as winning a national championship in 1988 at Kansas. In addition, he won a NBA championship in 2004 while coaching the Detroit Pistons. But he has always been known as a nomad and has never stayed anywhere longer than six seasons, which means his stay in Charlotte may not last more than a few years. But the bottom line is that he has experienced success everywhere he has been.

While coaching the Sixers, his rocky relationship with Allen Iverson was well-publicized but in the end, Iverson was quoted as saying that Brown was without a doubt “the best coach in the world.” Brown has also earned a reputation for his aversion towards putting young players on the court. First in Detroit, with No. 2 overall pick Darko Milicic, and most notably during the 2004 Athens Olympics where LeBron James and Dwyane Wade sat on the pine as USA took home a disappointing bronze.

The Bobcats roster is loaded with lottery picks, but also has a few players that have been around long enough to help this team mature. Wallace and Richardson are both entering their eighth season and Brown is looking for them to provide veteran leadership this year. Brown has been known to build strong relationships with his point guards and the ‘Cats have two very coachable point guards in Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin. This roster may look young on paper, but even the young kids on the roster come from successful college programs and strong coaching.

I don’t see any problem with Larry Brown being able to get through to the Bobcats. They are young, athletic, and are eager to get to the next level. It is hard to argue with the level of success that Brown has had as a coach, and if you asked me, I wouldn’t bet against a coach that has reached the playoffs in 25 of 26 seasons while accumulating over 1,800 NBA wins. This hire will be an important one for the Michael Jordan era in Charlotte, but I believe that Brown will be able to get through to this team and help them reach the playoffs this year.