"Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown never misses a chance to plant an idea with one of his players, and that includes Brown's pre-game chats with the media.

Wednesday, before the preseason game with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brown was asked about former lottery pick Gerald Henderson. So Brown publicly reminded shooting guard Henderson how much more he needs to do to play a lot this season.

"He's got a great opportunity. We didn't re-sign Larry Hughes; we didn't re-sign Stevie Graham. So it's right there in front of him," Brown replied. "I think the biggest thing with him is, he's got to figure out how to get minutes. I tried to tell him you defend every play, you run on every break, you get every loose ball and long rebound. And chances are, you'll get to play a lot.

"Sometimes with young kids, that's a big adjustment. Gerald certainly has the ability to do those things…He's a great kid, he's a great athlete; he wants to get better. He just has to understand what his role is."

Henderson is out right now with a hamstring strain. Based on Brown's description, Henderson could miss another week. The message Wednesday: When Henderson returns, he needs to understand how hard he must work day after day after day."