SB Nation - Nazr Mohammed

Larry Brown's Young Players in the 2000s

David Arnott — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:28:19 -0000

Rookies! You're getting this many minutes, so show me what you've got!

Let's take a look at the rookies and second year players Larry Brown has coached this decade. I'll list the teams, the players, and their minutes per game. Guys who went on to reasonably decent role player NBA careers or better are italicized.

This ignores Games Played, and obviously, some guys were blocked by legit starters, but... well... draw your own conclusions. All numbers are from the invaluable Basketball-Reference.com.

===

99-00 76ers -- Ira Bowman (1.8), Larry Hughes (20.4), Jumaine Jones (4.2), Todd MacCulloch (9.4), Nazr Mohammed (6.8)

00-01 76ers -- Raja Bell (6.0), Rodney Buford (12.2), Jumaine Jones (13.3), Todd MacCulloch (9.5), Pepe Sanchez (4.8)

01-02 76ers -- Raja Bell (12.0), Damone Brown (3.9), Speedy Claxton (22.8), Samuel Dalembert (5.2), Alvin Jones (5.5), Jabari Smith (10.0)

02-03 76ers -- Efthimi Rentzias (4.1), John Salmons (7.9), Kenny Satterfield (4.8)

03-04 Pistons -- Darko Milicic (4.7), Mehmet Okur (22.3), Tayshaun Prince (32.9)

04-05 Pistons -- Carlos Delfino (15.3), Ronald Dupree (10.0), Horace Jenkins (6.9), Darko Milicic (6.9), Smush Parker (10.0)

05-06 Knicks -- Trevor Ariza (19.7), Jackie Butler (13.5), Channing Frye (24.2), David Lee (16.9), Nate Robinson (21.4), Ime Udoka (14.3)

===

The first major caveat of a backwards-looking glance like this is that we don't know if Brown's methods helped or hurt anyone. Maybe John Salmons really did need to be eased into the rotation at just under 8 minutes per game, and that was the stepping stone experience he needed. Maybe Efthimi Rentzias was railroaded by Brown's total shutdown, and he's selling insurance in Greece because no one else would give him a chance after that.

So, should we be worried by the fact that not a single star has emerged from Larry Brown's influence, with the exception, perhaps, of Tayshaun Prince?

What I see from this list is that Brown will play the guys he thinks are going to help him immediately, and if a guy can't, he'll sit until he's older. That kills the guys whose ceilings are "decent starter". Todd MacCulloch was no great shakes, but he started at center for back to back NBA Finals teams. Samuel Dalembert won't blow you away with his game, but the year after Brown left, he missed the entire season on the injured list, then the next year began starting and has started at center in Philly ever since.

I get the distinct sense it's a very college-hoops-oriented approach: freshmen and sophomores have a higher bar to clear to prove they should play over juniors and seniors. Of course, in the NBA, young players are paid far below their free market value (as are superstars), so it behooves teams to get production from young players while they're cheap instead of sitting them until they reach their qualifying offer years, when their salaries will come more in line with their potential production.

Best Bobcats Trade Possible Contest

David Arnott — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:57:48 -0000

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Seeing as the members of Rufus on Fire all know better than the Bobcats front office (yes, I count myself in that group), here's your challenge. Use the RealGM Trade Checker to come up with a Bobcats trade that the other team(s) involved would accept and that advances at least one tangible goal for Charlotte. Post the teams, players, and link to the Trade Checker in a comment.

Here's my attempt.

CHARLOTTE gets: Tracy McGrady

HOUSTON gets: Raymond Felton, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Leon Powe, Alexis Ajinca

CLEVELAND gets: Stephen Jackson, Nazr Mohammed

The big obstacle is getting Houston to go along with this. They probably don't need another guard like Felton, but Z and Powe are probably very attractive for a run at the postseason (Z's poor numbers this season notwithstanding), especially since all these contracts are really flexible and just for this season. Cleveland gets the scoring swingman they've wanted to pair with LeBron James, and they replace Z with Mohammed.

For the Bobcats, they get a real, honest-to-goodness superstar. Maybe he's too hurt to play, and Houston's doing the right thing by collecting the insurance (probably the biggest obstacle to the trade), but we dump contracts and give playing time to D.J. Augustin, all in one fell swoop. We get first crack at re-signing him, and if we don't want to make that leap, he can walk after this season. I'd pull the trigger.

YOU CAN WIN A PRIZE

The best trade proposal and explanation, in my sole judgment, will win a promotional copy of The Art of a Beautiful Game, by SI's Chris Ballard, which I received for free from the publisher. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday. Have at.

Nets End Losing Streak, Beat Bobcats 97-91; Larry Brown Should Be Embarrassed With His Performance

David Arnott — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:54:07 -0000

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The Nets had to win, eventually. It's only embarrassing to the Bobcats if they act like New Jersey doesn't belong in the league, which they most certainly do. Losing 97-91 on the road to them is the same as losing to any other team this time of year. All they can do is keep their focus and keep working.

By and large, the guys on the floor did an admirable job. Brook Lopez had a huge game, with 31 points and 14 rebounds. That's a little damning of Tyson Chandler, but Lopez is a rising star, and he's going to have those kinds of nights. The same goes for Courtney Lee and his 27 points. There's a reason they thought highly enough of him that they demanded he come over from the Magic for Vince Carter.

However, the infuriating theme emerging again this year -- one that everyone warned us would happen with Larry Brown -- is the inexcusable mishandling of rookies and other young players. D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown, and Alexis Ajinca have all had their careers adversely affected by their usage this year. Augustin's encouraging rookie season could have been a springboard to a starting job, but instead he was undermined by the retention of Raymond Felton and subsequent signing of Flip Murray. Gerald Henderson just hasn't played, buried on the bench even though when he has played he's been reasonably solid and could absolutely be the backup to Stephen Jackson. Derrick Brown has proven in his limited playing time that he deserves a shot to win a rotation spot, and with no backup power forward in sight, that would seem to be a perfect situation for him, but instead, Vladimir Radmanovic(!) got those minutes, and now Coach Brown is going through all kinds of mental gymnastics to justify reasons to not play him, like putting Tyson Chandler at the four. Ajinca is a separate case. He shouldn't have been expected to contribute last year, and yet he languished on the bench. He should have been in the D-League most of last year and this year, playing 30 minutes every night and taking his lumps, but instead, he's been jerked around. What progress he's made has no expression.

And tonight, none of those players played. The bench and free throw shooting lost this game, and none of those players played. The Nets, one of the five worst teams in the league, beat the Bobcats, and Larry Brown saw fit to play STEPHEN GRAHAM more than 13 minutes and refused to play any of his younger players, even after it was clear his preferred formula wasn't going to put the Cats over the top. I've tried to express reasonable disagreement over the course of the season, but this performance from Larry Brown doesn't deserve reasonable treatment anymore. It was disgusting. The players shouldn't be embarrassed, but Brown should be.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump:

BAD

-- What does Graham have to do to prove he doesn't belong in an NBA rotation? I'm sure he's a perfectly good guy; the broadcasters seem to like him, and you can't be a jerk and stick around as a scrub for long, and he's stuck around for four years. But you know what? He played more than 13 minutes, was 0-2 from the field, had 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 turnover, and 2 fouls. And he's done this his whole career. It's not his fault he's being put out there, but he's emblematic of Larry Brown's myopia.

-- Nazr Mohammed has been excellent all year, and this game is probably just a bump in the road, but it's still disappointing to see him crash so abruptly. 0 points in 11 minutes.

-- 18-30 from the charity stripe is bad. Maybe the Jeff Capel School of Free Throw Shooting should be discredited.

GOOD

-- Gerald Wallace is still a beast. 13 points on 5-8 shooting, and 20 rebounds. I keep coming back to the mid-late career Dennis Rodman comparison, only if Rodman ran the floor and finished like Drexler.

-- Tyson Chandler seems healthy. The defense doesn't seem to be at the elite level, but I suspect a lot of that has to do with being comfortable with teammates, and the Cats' roster hasn't exactly been together forever. Still, 13 points and 12 rebounds is the kind of performance we need from our center.

-- Good Raymond Felton is still with us. He was a facilitator for most of the game and scored efficiently -- at one point I think he was 6-7 from the field. He's still not the creator I'd like him to be at point, and he probably never will be, but for this game, he got results, scoring 28 points on 11-14 shooting and only turning it over 2 times.

-- Congratulations to the Nets for getting that monkey off their backs. They don't deserve it, and neither do their fans. Now they can move on and concentrate on the important things, like developing their young players and gelling as a team.

Bobcats Fans Don't Have A Consensus of Trust

David Arnott — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:17:05 -0000

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Ultimately, I think what we all want from the Bobcats is a consensus of trust. I want to be able to look at whatever my team does and think to myself: "Absolutely... Makes all kinds of sense... That's perfect..." like New England Patriots fans did with Bill Belichick circa 2003, or, more appropriately, like Seattle Mariners fans are doing right now. I'm pretty certain this is what fan contentment looks like, even when the team isn't yet a championship contender:

What am I supposed to write about when they’re doing exactly what we suggest, targeting players we’ve already advocated for because they make a lot of sense? I mean, yeah, the team is getting better, but I’m running out of material. I don’t know how many different ways to write "woohoo! good move!"

And then Larry Brown goes and tells Rick Bonnell something like this:

Brown says no more than three guards should play regularly, but there are all sorts of conflicting goals to service: He is trying to develop the rookies, he's trying to help D.J. Augustin get back his confidence, and he'd rather Stephen Graham not disappear through no fault of his own.

[snip]

Short of some trade that would swap a guard for a viable 4-man, this is going to be improvisational.

"Maybe we need to re-explore playing Tyson (Chandler) there," Brown said.

The potential to play Chandler as a center and a power forward was one of the incentives for the offseason trade of Emeka Okafor. But that hasn't happened much, with Chandler still not all the way back from ankle surgery.

"We've got to get him to a point where he's comfortable and confident, and he's not playing that way right now," Brown said. "The more he plays, the more confidence he gets and then maybe we can play him more" at multiple positions.

1 -- I'd like to know what, exactly, Brown is doing to "develop the rookies", because he's certainly not giving them NBA minutes. Gerald Henderson is averaging 9.3 minutes per game, and he's played fewer total minutes than all but SEVEN first round picks this year, and five of those guys haven't even played in the NBA at all, for various reasons (Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, Victor Claver, B.J. Mullens, Christian Eyenga). The two others? Jordan Hill has been a disaster in New York and James Johnson was beaten out for playing time by second round rookie Taj Gibson in Chicago.

2 -- Stephen Graham absolutely should be the odd man out, and that this is an open question speaks volumes about what Larry Brown values. What does Graham do that a combination of Henderson and D. Brown at guard and forward can't do? Even if you think Graham is better right now than those two, is he so much better than either of them that the benefits of giving the rookies minutes are outweighed by Graham's awesomeness? Seems to me that explicitly demoting Graham gives minutes to the rookies. Two problems solved.

3 -- We're really going to revisit Tyson Chandler at power forward? Really? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I understand the desire to give Nazr Mohammed more minutes based on his inspired run this season, even though I think Chandler's the better bet moving forward to be a more productive total player, but playing Chandler at power forward, given what we know about him and the rest of this team, should simply be a non-starter. There's no way he can guard the quickest PFs like Josh Smith, and the only reason we should even consider playing him alongside Nazr is if we're facing a twin tower lineup like Sheed-Garnett or Shaq-Z. If we can't make a trade for someone like Sean Williams, who's been marginalized on his current team, then we should stay in our holding pattern and give minutes to D. Brown in the power forward slot, or (deep breath) give Alexis Ajinca chances to sink or swim. Either way, I don't think playing Chandler at the four advances any objectives, whether that's giving playing time to younger guys or winning now, or trying to juggle those two objectives.

All I want is to hear the Bobcats are mulling a move, or have made a move, and know before I even look at the details, that it's probably a good idea and not just some desperate ploy, or shuffling of deck chairs in the vague hope something changes for the better.

Bobcats Fall to Celtics 108-90

David Arnott — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:36:48 -0000

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So much for the exuberance of a four game winning streak. The Celtics came in to the Cable Box and swatted the Bobcats 108-90.

Reality is rarely blunt because it's a massive cloud of mixed signals. The past four games were tantalizing, and then this game was devastating, seemingly indicative of a massive talent gap between the East's elite and the Cats. I don't know what the precise, objectively real, truth is, but I'm pretty certain that on average it won't end up this bad. It's why I've tried to temper the optimism brought on by those recent games. We're better than we were three weeks ago, but that doesn't mean we're so much better that we can start printing playoff tickets. This team still has a long way to go, and sustained success will not come free with purchase of one Stephen Jackson.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump.

BAD

-- I mentioned this in the game thread several times, but it bears special highlighting here. Larry Brown's decisions probably wouldn't have swung the game, but his handling of Gerald Wallace's "foul trouble" was insane. Crash played 5:31 in the first quarter before getting his second foul, at which point LB removed him and didn't bring him back until the second half. So, of course, late in the fourth quarter, Wallace had played every minute of the second half without committing a foul. Crash played fewer than 30 minutes in this game, but not because of foul trouble. It was because Larry Brown doesn't know how to handle a lineup rotation. Gerald didn't score much (1-6 from the field), but damned if he didn't rebound like mad again.

-- 2-11 from three. This is almost comical now. Stop shooting threes. Put the ball on the floor. Attack the rim.

-- Tyson Chandler has to be a defensive beast to be worthwhile. He hasn't been, whether due to injury or whatever. His offense is what it is, though, and we've got to figure out how best to use him. I don't care that Nazr Mohammed has looked perfectly reasonable in the early season: Nazr Mohammed is the best answer only if you're asking the wrong question. I still have hope Chandler will be the defensive anchor that makes our defense elite, not just very good, but his offense is so grisly that other teams have taken to ignoring him.

-- Flip, my man. If you're the designated scorer off the bench, it'd help to work on your scoring efficiency. 2-12 shooting is pretty bad.

GOOD

-- Nazr Mohammed scored 16 points on 6-10 shooting in 19 minutes. He's in great shape and playing okay defense, too. Do I hear a second round draft pick and an expiring contract attached to a useless player?

-- Boris Diaw actually scored, going 5-10 from the field, including 2-3 from beyond the arc. 1 assist and 2 rebounds is pretty tough to accept from the power forward position, though.

-- We continue to see Good Felton. Yes, he took more shots than we'd like to see from a point guard, but he was reasonably efficient and turned it over only once.

Bobcats Rock the Raptors 116-81

David Arnott — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:43:34 -0000

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Gerald Wallace submitted a signature performance tonight, leading the Bobcats to a 116-81 win. Crash scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and his counterpart on the Raptors, Hedo Turkoglu, only scored 5 points, had 2 assists, and 0 rebounds in more than 22 minutes.

Ultimately, the Cats didn't really have an answer for Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani, but they slowed them down enough that when they also totally shut down the Raps' backcourt, Toronto had no chance. It's a hell of an accomplishment to dominate the top-scoring team in the league, even if they are on the back of a back to back. So much went right for the Bobcats that it had to have rekindled the dying embers of hope in even the coldest of Charlotte fans.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump:

BAD

-- Flip, my man. Stop being streaky. 0-4 shooting, 2 assists, 0 rebounds,and 0 free throw attempts in 17 minutes is pretty bad, especially for the guy who's supposed to be instant offense off the bench.

-- Guys, you're still taking too many threes. 5-18 is unacceptable. At this point, you should only be taking threes to remind the opponents that you might do it at any time.

GOOD

-- The notion of Gerald Wallace as an All Star reserve is still a long shot, but it's no longer a ludicrous proposition. Tonight, he rebounded like he has all year, but this time around, he put the ball in the basket like the occasionally electric offensive player we've dreamed he'd always be.

-- Tyson Chandler played the kind of game that justifies his fans' faith in him. 9 rebounds and 6 blocks in 22 and 1/2 minutes.

-- I'm still not sold on Nazr as a starting-caliber center (and probably can't be sold on it this year), but dude's been beyond solid off the bench and continued in this game, with 11 points and 9 boards in only 18 minutes.

-- Derrick Brown! Gerald Henderson!!! Both played more than 20 minutes, and easily held their own. Henderson, specifically, put up 15 points on 9 shots, and grabbed 4 rebounds. Here's to continuing this trend of playing the young guys.

Bobcats Crush Pacers 104-88

David Arnott — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:32:09 -0000

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The Bobcats hadn't won since beating the Hawks by 20 points on November 6. Tonight, they cruised to a 104-88 victory over the Indiana Pacers, snapping a seven game losing streak.

The Cats may not have dominated, in the traditional sense of the word, but they asserted superiority in virtually every important aspect of the game. They rebounded, they got to the line, and they gave up few easy shots.

The Cats played their game and seemed to be a flowing team more than they have in recent games, when they mechanically tried to execute an offense according to prescribed choreography. Even with the strictest of offensive taskmasters like Larry Brown, offense requires flow and feel, which Charlotte has been lacking. Tonight, all that changed, in the half court offense and, especially, in transition offense.

It's possible everything just came together with Nazr Mohammed in the game instead of Tyson Chandler, or because Stephen Jackson continues to mesh with his new teammates... but I don't know.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump.

BAD

-- The Bobcats' three point shooting is still abysmal. 1-10 pushes their terrible three point shooting percentage even lower. It is, noted, however, that they took fewer shots from distance in this game than they have been taking in recent games.

-- What does Gerald Henderson have to do to get real minutes? He only got onto the floor after the game was pretty much in hand. Even if LB believes keeping Henderson on the bench and playing S-Jax 42 minutes per game gives the team the best chance to win now (I don't think that's necessarily true), then he's shirking his responsibility to fairly evaluate young players by giving them NBA minutes. Tyler Hansbrough, DeJuan Blair, Austin Daye... even guys like DeMar DeRozan and Earl Clark, on teams having surprising success and with reasonable hopes for a playoff run, are playing more minutes than Henderson, which is utterly ridiculous.

GOOD

-- Derrick Brown acquitted himself admirably. At least on this team, he's shown in the early going that he's a rotation player and deserves to run with the second unit. 13 points on 5-7 shooting and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes. Nice.

-- Because Gerald Wallace is scoring even fewer points this year, I'm afraid his contributions will be even less appreciated over the course of the season. The defense is still there, the rebounds are fantastic, and he's still getting to the line. Maybe he's not the tornado he was three years ago, but he's a much more refined basketball player. Aesthetically, it's less exciting, but competitively, it's exactly what the team needs.

-- Nazr Mohammed had a good game. Before we get too excited about it, though, realize that the Pacers' front court is among the worst defensive groups in the league. Troy Murphy and Tyler Hansbrough aren't exactly defensive stalwarts, and Roy Hibbert still struggles with excessive fouls at times. That said, Mohammed is showing why he's stuck around the league for so long. The Cats are lucky to have him around, but I'm still hoping Tyson Chandler finds his way and pushes Nazr back to the bench. 8-10 shooting for 18 points in 18 minutes. Wow.

-- Raymond Felton's seen his minutes cut in favor of Flip Murray at the point for stretches, and deservedly, since Felton's turnovers are up and his assists and scoring are down thus far this season. Tonight, though, in only about 29 minutes he had 6 assists and 0 turnovers. He'll be more attractive as a bench player worthy of a trade if he shifts further toward being a pure point guard.

-- 46-36 advantage in rebounds. 22 assists as a team. And they kept the Pacers shooting under 40% until garbage time. That was a thoroughly satisfying win.

Gameday Preview at Orlando Magic

David Arnott — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:08:34 -0000

Pump Up Music: Jimi Hendrix -- "Purple Haze"

The Big Picture: The Bobcats are reeling. Again, each individual game does not stand for a larger revealed truth, but nine games in, it's fair to pick out some patterns. Rashard Lewis comes back for the Magic in tonight's game, and just in time, because their front court is dinged up. Only Brandon Bass is doubtful, but a healthy Lewis, ready to get the season started already, presents one of the toughest matchup problems in the league.

Key to Victory: Again, Boris Diaw is the central figure. He'll be charged with guarding three point shooters like Lewis and Ryan Anderson, and big men with midrange shooting ability, like Marcin Gortat and (possibly) Bass, and might even be called upon to guard Dwight Howard for a few minutes, since Larry Brown has absolutely zero confidence in DeSagana Diop and his Diaw's offensive skill set might give Howard problems on the other end.

Secondarily, if the Cats can keep Tyson Chandler and Nazr Mohammed in the game, they've got to resist the temptation to double Howard, because everyone else on the floor for Orlando is a jump shooter and they'll kill 'em by passing out of the post and bombing threes.

Detail That Might Interest .08% of You: The city of Orlando appears to be named after a sugar plantation owner whose name was carved in a tree. Early settlers mistakenly assumed the carving was a grave marker for a war hero. (Wikipedia caveats apply.)

Game 11 Preview: Blazers vs. Bobcats

Dave — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:30:55 -0000

Game Time: 4:00 Pacific TV: Comcast and NBATV

We won't try to sell the Bobcats as a good team because they really haven't been. Their 3-5 start this season is typical of their success level. But they've been good against Portland, especially at home, and that's enough. Charlotte has some nice individual talent and the kind of energy that gives the Blazers fits. It's like Portland comes in expecting a slightly sub-par team and gets jabbed in the face, stumbles, and eventually is overcome. Hopefully, road-weary as they undoubtedly are, the Blazers will come loaded for bear and not squirrel tonight, ready to match energy with energy.

Small forward Gerald Wallace leads Charlotte's attack and he's been particularly problematic for the Blazers over the years. He's never been a good jump shooter. When he's clicking he spends most of his time blitzing up and down the court trying to get the ball into the lane and finish strong. Even though the whole league knows what he's up to, he succeeds. He's just got the knack. Plus this year he's providing 12 rebounds a game, bolstered by 20- and 18- rebound performances late last month against the Nets and Hawks. Unsurprisingly he also generates steals and free throws, hallmarks of aggression. He's the kind of player who is no threat when you have him locked up but as soon as he's loose you might as well run for the hills because your bases are belonging to him.

Charlotte has surrounded Wallace with experienced, heady players, a little short on the offensive end but good game technicians and rebounders. Raja Bell doesn't seem like much until you see him handcuff Brandon Roy one-on-one. He can hit a three off of the check-down pass and he's capable of finding the open man himself. Power forward Boris Diaw is a fine all-around contributor who will take whatever you give him without giving you mistakes back in return. Raymond Felton is a point guard who likes to score (with mixed results, especially this year) but also racks up the assist numbers. He's not someone you'd hang your hat on but he can bust out with the big game.

Over the summer the Bobcats swapped franchise-level draftee Emeka Okafor to the Hornets for Tyson Chandler. Despite posting some decent rebounding numbers Chandler's effectiveness has been limited so far, partially from foul trouble and partially because of a non-existent offensive game. With Wallace the only superstar-potential scorer on the team and him needing to run to be at his best the Bobcats can't afford a no-show from any of their other offensive players. You don't have to give them 20 points but you better be able to give them 12. Chandler's around 6.8 right now.

For the most part the bench players mirror the rest of the team: experienced but two-dimensional. You know the names Flip Murray (slasher), Vladimir Radmanovic (shooter), Nazr Mohammed (rebounder), Stephen Graham (energy guy), and DeSagana Diop (requisite out-of-shape player in Larry Brown's doghouse). All of these guys have been elsewhere. All have been passed on. It's like you tried to build a bench that would neither fail nor succeed. That's great if you have a starting lineup like Boston's. It's not so good when your first five give you maybe 55 points combined. You need a spark off the bench. It's just not here.

The best hope for that spark comes from second-year point guard D.J. Augustin. He started the year like gangbusters but lately has just looked like a buster, posting 7 points and 5 assists in his last three games combined. He's speedy but he has trouble defending. He's also a point guard without a lot of clear options to pass to.

The Bobcats hold their opponents to 89.6 points per game, which looks pretty good until you realize that they only score 83.5 points themselves. The Golden State Warriors score that many by accident. They play at a glacial pace and are the only team scoring fewer fast-break points per game than the Blazers. Even so they turn the ball over enough to make the vein in Larry Brown's forehead bulge. Slow pace and high turnovers is a toxic combination. They are good rebounders, especially at the offensive end. This helps make up for their poor shooting. And by "poor" we mean "unacceptable". Their main offensive advantage comes at the free throw line, where they gain around 4 points on the opposition. It's not enough.

Pivotal Points of the Game

1. For the most part if you keep Wallace down you keep the Bobcats down. He's had 15 or more rebounds every time they've won this season. They've also won both times he's scored 18 or more. Most of that offensive damage was from the foul line. He's shooting in putrid fashion this year. So...keep crash off of the boards and off of the foul line and you'll probably win.

2. The Blazers have made good rebounding teams look inferior this year and they need to do so tonight.

3. Pack the middle. Every once in a while Diaw or Felton will get hot but for the most part the Bobcats aren't distance shooters. The only significant exception is Bell, whom you don't leave open.

4. Somebody other than Brandon is going to have to score tonight. It's time for the Websters, Outlaws, and Fernandezeses of the world to step up.

5. They like to generate extra offense by turning you over. Take care of the ball.

Final Thoughts

Be sure to visit one of my favorite blogs, RufusonFire.

Here's ye old Jersey Contest form for tonight's game: Jersey Contest form

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

Bobcats Lose to Magic 93-81

David Arnott — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:33:36 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Matt Barnes performs an exorcism on Gerald Wallace. Vladimir Radmanovic stands idly by, while Vince Carter shields his eyes in horror.

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I haven't seen the AP or Observer recaps, but I'd put even money on one of them using the term "hard fought". The Bobcats went down big early, but then stormed back in the third quarter, eventually pulling within six in the fourth quarter before the Magic rounded back into form and pulled away again.

In losing 93-81, the Bobcats demonstrated they have the capacity to score against a good defensive team in stretches. However, they have also yet to show they can combine that offensive upside for a whole game with the defense they'd played last season and earlier this year. It's what separates them from the playoff contenders.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump.

BAD

-- They're not good three point shooters, yet they hoist 'em up. 2-17 tonight.

-- I'm scared for D.J. Augustin. He looks like he's regressed, and just about every relevant stat is down across the board in these first few games. Tonight? Lost on defense, lost on offense. The assured manner that marked his rookie season is somewhere in the ether, probably cavorting around with his three point stroke.

-- Forget tracking Okafor/Chandler: I'm developing an obsession with comparing Gerald Henderson's minutes to Stephen Graham's. 2 1/2 minutes for Henderson tonight, the last 2 1/2 minutes of the game, after everything was virtually decided. Graham? He got more than 11 wholly ineffective minutes, including crunch time while Chandler was out with five fouls and Diaw was playing center.

-- Dude. VladRad. My man. Something wrong? Wanna talk?

-- Tyson Chandler only played a little more than 11 minutes, but that's not really his fault. Yes, he got in foul trouble, but Larry Brown refused to play him from about 9 minutes to go in the first quarter through the end of the first half... because he had two fouls. Two! If you have three fouls at the half, you're on pace to foul out at the end of the game. It's okay to have three fouls going into the second half. Really. It is. In the second quarter, Chandler should have played until he had three fouls, and then in the third quarter played until he got his fourth, and then in the fourth quarter played until he got his fifth, until four minutes to go, when you let things fly. Not complicated.

GOOD

-- Raymond Felton played like a real point guard tonight, making smart decisions again and again. Only 1 turnover, and I counted only one wildly ill-advised shot, though that layup attempt was a score.

-- Nazr Mohammed used every ounce of veteran savvy to show why team after team has seen fit to employ him over the years, despite not a single plus skill other than height. At times, he gave Dwight Howard trouble at both ends of the floor with his quick shuffling and multiple pump fakes.