"For those in need of a flashback of how Gerald Henderson used to play at Duke, the past seven games under new Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas have provided a refresher course.

Henderson - an NBA lottery pick in 2009 who was lost deep on the bench for most of the 1 1/3 seasons he spent under Larry Brown - has flourished under Silas. He has gone from a rarely used reserve to a core player.

And while part of that is due to an injury to small forward Gerald Wallace that has made additional playing time available, the other part is that Henderson has relaxed and found his game again once he realized that Silas trusts him more than Brown ever did.

The Bobcats have gone 5-2 under Silas after starting 9-19 under Brown. Henderson's sudden surge has mirrored the team's

Said Silas: "Gerald's confidence has soared. ... He's helped us and he's helped himself. When I first got here, I was seeing a guy who wasn't saying very much. Now he's talkative, and it's just a joy to see."

Henderson's minutes per game have increased from 11.7 under Brown to 26 under Silas. He has earned the playing time with defense and hustle, with his offense coming as an occasional bonus.

"If you can get out there for an extended period of time and get comfortable," Henderson said, "you feel a lot better out there about the things you can do. It just makes you play a little more free."

Like former Panthers coach John Fox, Brown was known for relying on veterans much more than younger players. Silas doesn't do that. He has told Henderson - as well as the other Bobcats - they must shoot when they are open and not to look over at the bench when they miss.

"I have seen him buying in," Silas said. "I think that did wonders for him. Now he wasn't afraid. He knew that even if he missed, if he was open he wasn't going to have a problem coming from me."

Although Henderson has averaged 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds over the past five games - and has been getting up 100 extra shots before practice starts every day - it is his defense that often keeps him on the court."