Bobcats News

Larry Brown: Iverson still has 'a lot to offer'
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November 19
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"When Larry Brown said Allen Iverson could come off the bench "if he thought the guys ahead of him were better," a silence filled the Wachovia Center hallway. Brown, now coaching the Charlotte Bobcats, wasn't kidding. The ensuing question, though, brought laughter: "Does Iverson think anyone is better than him?" "I don't know," continued Brown, who coached Iverson and the 76ers for six seasons. "I recommended him to some winning teams. I told them he has to know he's going to play. I think if he went to a great team and he was in a three-guard rotation, I think he could accept that. But if he was on a lesser team, as competitive as he is, he's going to want to play, and it would be hard to ..."
Bobcats' Henderson dealing with rookie life
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November 19
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"IT IS a rite of passage with NBA teams. The veterans always have something for the rookies to do. Bring the coffee. Buy the doughnuts. Deliver the newspapers. Or, in the case of Charlotte Bobcats rookies Gerald Henderson and Derrick Brown, wear various colorful, sometimes sparkly, backpacks. "The sillier the better," Bobcats coach Larry Brown was saying before last night's game against the 76ers. "They got Gerald a North Carolina one." They even got Bobcats guard Ray Felton, a former Tar Heel, to sign it. That would be Gerald Henderson, of Duke. "He told me he burned it," Brown said, laughing. "That's what I told him," said Henderson, the onetime Episcopal Academy star. "That's what I ..."
Brand breaks out as Sixers edge Bobcats
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November 19
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"YOU COULD see it mounting on the face of Elton Brand the past few weeks - as the minutes dwindled, the frustration grew. It was a reason two teammates had to leave the practice floor last week courtesy of Brand - one due to a well-placed elbow (Jason Smith), the other because of a swat to the face (Primoz Brezec). It also played a big part in last night's performance that yielded 19 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in 41-plus minutes, all season highs for Brand, as the 76ers (5-6) squeezed past the Charlotte Bobcats (3-8), 86-84. On a night when, for the most part, the atmosphere at the Wachovia Center was a cure for insomniacs, Brand's game awoke amid speculation that he ..."
Bobcats' Chandler leaves game with back spasms
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November 19
Charlotte Observer
 
"Between the back spasms early and the back-breakers late, this one was painful on several levels for the Charlotte Bobcats. Even with their starting center sidelined by back spasms and their starting power forward playing through a similar injury, the Bobcats were tough and skilled enough to beat the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday. They weren't smart or precise enough. So they lost their sixth straight overall, 86-84, at the Wachovia Center. For the record, the Sixers won it on a transition layup by Lou Williams with three seconds left. But it was the disorganization on the previous play, leading to a desperate, 20-foot miss by Boris Diaw, that did them in. The Bobcats (3-8) were coming out ..."
Law caught off guard by trade to Bobcats
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November 18
Charlotte Observer
 
"Stephen Jackson claims he knew three days before the trade that he was destined to be a Charlotte Bobcat. "I'm always ahead of the game," Jackson boasted to reporters Monday in Orlando. Acie Law wasn't so in the loop. He was rattled when the Warriors told him about 10 a.m. Monday that he was a Bobcat. "I was mad that Jack had demanded to be traded," Law recalled. Law has no problem with the Bobcats. But this is his second trade a month into his third NBA season, and it's disconcerting to hear you're the new team's No. 4 point guard. "I haven't really been given a chance to play," said Law. "I was beginning to get a chance (with Golden State), so when the trade happened, I was kind of down ..."
Brown: NBA needs Iverson
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November 18
Charlotte Observer
 
"Since it's unlikely Larry Brown will be Allen Iverson's coach again, Brown is at least pitching in as Iverson's promoter. Following the Charlotte Bobcats practice Tuesday, Brown was adamant Iverson shouldn't retire after parting ways with the Memphis Grizzlies. "We need him in our game," said Brown, who had a successful, if friction-filled, relationship with Iverson while coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown said he spoke with Iverson's agent Leon Rose and exchanged texts with Iverson after the Grizzlies and the guard agreed to terminate his one-year contract. Brown reiterated at practice what he told the Observer late Monday: that while he'd happily coach Iverson again, signing Iverson ..."
For Bobcats coach Larry Brown, no worries with new player Stephen Jackson
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November 18
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"So here is Stephen Jackson, stripped of his captaincy with Golden State, immersed in almost daily controversy with Warriors coach Don Nelson, landing with the Charlotte Bobcats. Nothing Larry Brown hasn't seen before. "If you know me, you know I've been through all kinds of guys," the Bobcats coach was saying, looking ahead to tonight's game against the 76ers at the Wachovia Center. "Have I been without controversy? I spent 6 years banging heads with Allen Iverson, but at the end of the day I knew he wanted to win, he wanted to play. I'm used to that." Brown is convinced Jackson is cut from similar cloth. If nothing else, Jackson is the big-time scorer the Bobcats, who have been last in ..."
Raja Bell will undergo surgery on left wrist
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November 18
Contra Costa Times
 
"Warriors guard Raja Bell, who was acquired Monday from Charlotte in the Stephen Jackson trade, has decided to have surgery to repair the torn ligament in his left wrist, but he doesn't know how long he will be out. Depending on the severity of the tear, which can be determined only during surgery, he could be out a month or five months. Coach Don Nelson said the Warriors were aware that Bell could miss the season. Considering he's a free agent after this year, it may mean he never plays a game for the Warriors. "It's a good thing to get it taken care of," Nelson said before Tuesday's 114-108 loss at Cleveland. Bell said he made the decision days ago, before he got traded to the Warriors. ..."
Trade brings major talent, major risk
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November 17
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Tom Sorensen
"Stephen Jackson is the best player the Charlotte Bobcats have ever had. He also is the most troubled. He was rehabilitating his image and developing his game in Golden State. And then, as the Warriors devolved from interesting and exciting to mediocre and confused, he signed a huge contract extension. Once he had it - $28 million for three years - Jackson decided he wanted to escape. He probably decided before the contract, but now it was official. He wanted to play for a contender, and he made sure everybody knew. Jackson got in a war with the Lakers' Kobe Bryant during a preseason game - he said Kobe elbowed him - and yelled at coach Don Nelson. After being slapped with a two-game ..."
Stephen Jackson loses in his Charlotte Bobcats' debut
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November 17
Contra Costa Times
 
"Stephen Jackson had 13 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte on Monday night, hours after the swingman was acquired from the Warriors. But even with the new addition, the Bobcats couldn't avoid their fifth straight loss, falling to host Orlando 97-91. Meanwhile, Rashard Lewis had 10 points for the Magic in his first game back from a 10-game suspension for testing positive for an elevated testosterone level. Teammate Jameer Nelson finished with 16 points. Flip Murray led Charlotte with 31 points. "We just have to play together a little bit more and figure out how we all play and where we want the ball," Jackson said. "We have a good chance of getting into that playoff run." The Bobcats ..."
Orlando Magic beat the Charlotte Bobcats in Rashard Lewis' first game back
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November 17
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Suspension-free, Rashard Lewis was back in Amway Arena for the first time in a month and a half. He had arrived earlier than any of his Magic teammates on the floor, as per his pre-game shooting routine. He noticed something he hadn't ever seen before in the rafters: The 2008-09 Eastern Conference championship banner. "I haven't been in the arena and it was something I missed," he said, referring to the banner-raising opening night. "I was looking at the banner and it brought back memories of something we had accomplished." Lewis scored just 10 points in a rusty return to help the Magic beat the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91 on Monday night. They improved to 8-3, but 8-3 is a Magic mirage of ..."
Brown says he can handle Jackson's quirks
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November 16
Charlotte Observer
 
"You consider Stephen Jackson a high-maintenance player? Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown knows high-maintenance, and it doesn't rattle him. "I can deal with (high-maintenance) kids. All you have to do is be straight with them,'' Brown told the Observer Monday in the lobby of the team hotel. "After six years with Allen (Iverson in Philadelphia), I don't look at anybody as a challenge. (Jackson) wants to play and he's a competitor. Guys like that you can make work in your locker room.'' The Bobcats acquired wing scorer Jackson, along with point guard Acie Law, from the Golden State Warriors Monday, giving up starting shooting guard Raja Bell and reserve forward Vlade Radmanovic. Brown is ..."
Bobcats take on troubled player, hope for turnaround
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November 16
Gaston Gazette
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats made one of the biggest gambles in their history Monday in hopes that it can help them reach an elusive goal next spring. Acquiring the enigmatic Stephen Jackson from the Golden State Warriors will be viewed by many around the NBA as an act of desperation by a team desperate to make a playoff berth in its sixth season. It is. But there's little doubting Jackson's talent — he's All-Star caliber when playing his best — and the Bobcats gave up very little to get him. To get Jackson (and third-year point guard Acie Law), the Bobcats traded away veterans Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. The bigger story here is that Charlotte's penny-pinching ways forced them into a ..."
Warriors trade disgruntled Stephen Jackson to Charlotte
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November 16
Oakland Tribune
 
"The Warriors found a home for the disgruntled swingman Stephen Jackson on Monday, sending him to the Charlotte Bobcats in a four-player deal. The Bobcats sent shooting guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Warriors for Jackson and guard Acie Law. The deal gives Jackson his wish: a ticket out of town after his difficult relationship with Warriors coach Don Nelson, who acknowledged last week they had been trying to trade him. Jackson's agent, Mark Stevens, told ESPN.com his client is just glad to no longer be a part of the Warriors. "He's happy about the trade, delighted about the trade," said Stevens. "This is what he wanted, a new start, and this gives him a chance to ..."
Warriors ship Jackson to Bobcats
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November 16
Contra Costa Times
 columnist Cam Inman
"STEPHEN JACKSON HAS fled the Warriors as part of a four-player trade Monday with the Charlotte Bobcats, who don't exactly evoke the championship criteria Jackson pleaded to join in the summer. Out goes Stack Jack and backup guard Acie Law. In comes Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell. The Warriors are off to a 3-6 start. So are the Bobcats. Give it a year before Jackson is demanding a trade again. Give it a day or two or a few months before this backfires on the Warriors, simply because nothing ever goes right with that frustrating franchise. Getting rid of him was a must considering how vocally disgusted he was with the Warriors. The sooner the better that it took place. But the ..."
Warriors trade Jackson to Bobcats
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November 16
Charlotte Observer
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats have acquired disgruntled wing scorer Stephen Jackson from the Golden State Warriors in a package that will involve guard Raja Bell and forward Vladimir Radmanovic, an NBA source conformed. Jackson, a 6'8" swingman, is currently in his 10th NBA season. The Bobcats will also acquire point guard Acie Law from the Warriors. Law was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Jackson figures to give an immediate bump to a Bobcats offense that is last in the league in both points scored and field goal percentage. Jackson had frequently requested a trade from the Warriors in a personality conflict with coach Don Nelson. The Warriors were under some pressure to get him out of ..."
Bobcats' scoring woes start with point guards
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November 16
Charlotte Observer
 
"This is basketball's version of a chicken-and-egg problem: A point guard can't record an assist unless the shooter he passes to makes the shot. And a shooter is only as good as the shot a point guard creates with his pass. When it comes to the Charlotte Bobcats' offense these days, the egg is cracked and the chicken broke its wing. The Bobcats enter today's game in Orlando on a four-game losing streak and the reason is undeniable: They're averaging all of 80 points in those games. Saturday, after an 80-74 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, coach Larry Brown proclaimed, "Our point guards have got to get people some shots." Brown still thinks that, but he elaborated Sunday at practice: ..."
Bobcats offense fall apart in loss to Portland
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November 15
Gaston Gazette
 
"Hall of Fame basketball coach Larry Brown is renowned for his blunt assessments of players and teams. On Saturday, after his team lost its fourth straight game — 80-74 to the Portland Trail Blazers at Time Warner Cable Arena — he offered praise for effort but disappointment in the result. He also offered a pretty no-nonsense opinion of what's ailing his team. "I thought we defended as well as we can," Brown said. "I thought we rebounded great. I thought played hard as hell. We just can't make shots." Since Charlotte entered and left the game ranked dead last in shooting percentage and scoring average in the 30-team NBA, is there a cure for those woes? Brown thinks so. It's just that it may ..."
Flagrant foul rule explained
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November 15
Charlotte Observer
 
"The local media that covers the Bobcats got its annual meeting with a refereeing crew before Saturday's game. Most interesting thing I heard: An effort to play the ball no longer necessarily gets a defender out of being called for a flagrant foul. Even if a defender is making "a legitimate basketball play," he can now be called for a flagrant if the officials believe he was reckless or there was excessive potential for injury. That seemingly explains the flagrant foul called recently against Bobcats guard Flip Murray. It was obvious he was going for the ball, but was still called for a flagrant one (the lesser offense). Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless tripped over a carpet-covered step near ..."
Brown, Fox have this in common
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November 15
Charlotte Observer
 
"Bobcats coach Larry Brown and Panthers coach John Fox are about as different in public persona as two men in the same profession can be. Brown is so candid he can make his bosses cringe and draw league fines in the tens of thousands. Fox is so evasive, he'd do just fine as spokesman for the CIA. Here's one way Brown and Fox are remarkably similar: Neither cares what fans would tell him to do. And that's good. I thought about that Friday while interviewing Brown for a story on backup center Nazr Mohammed. I asked if Mohammed's strong play of late could shift the distribution of minutes. So Brown answered a question I hadn't yet asked. "At the end of the day, Tyson (Chandler) is our starting ..."
Bobcats shooting slump continues
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November 15
Charlotte Observer
 
"You know that long list on the Charlotte Bobcats' dry-erase board each game: "Play hard ... defend ... rebound ..." Maybe it's overdue to add "make a shot occasionally." After two games so lifeless that coach Larry Brown questioned their effort, the 3-6 Bobcats played the right way again. Didn't matter. The guards combined to shoot 25 percent in an 80-74 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The losing streak has reached four games and it won't end until they do something about Saturday's 37-percent shooting. That shooting accounted for a 29-6 Portland run that stretched from midway through the second quarter to early in the third. In that span, the Bobcats went 3-of-15 from the field ..."
Pistons guard Ben Gordon comes up big with 8 assists
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November 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Ben Gordon was a gunner in college. He made his name in Chicago as a shooter as well. Wednesday night at the Palace, Gordon dished out eight assists. That led the team and helped Gordon's former college teammate, Charlie Villanueva, to a team-high 30 points. "Those two guys are buying into what we are doing," said Pistons coach John Kuester. He was proud of Gordon's assists. He was proud of Villanueva's defense, which didn't show up in the box score along with all those points, but will show up on film when the coaches break it down. Kuester credits Ben Wallace for helping Villanueva improve his defense. "A lot of this defense, Ben Wallace had corporate knowledge," Kuester said. "Having ..."
Bobcats' Mohammed is happy to roll with his role
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November 14
Charlotte Observer
 
"Any good coach has a knack for anticipating the next move. So when Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown heard a question Friday, implying Nazr Mohammed deserved a larger role, he extinguished any debate. "At the end of the day, Tyson (Chandler) is our starting center," Brown declared, "and that's not going to change." Mohammed, Chandler's backup, has no problem with that. He said in the preseason he's better off, as a 12-year veteran, playing 20 minutes as a reserve than 35 as a starter. Still, it's hard to miss that Mohammed is playing well when almost every teammate is playing poorly. Over the past two games he's averaging 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 16 minutes. In those ..."
Charlie Villanueva scores 18 points in third quarter as Pistons rout Bobcats, 98-75
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November 12
Michigan Live
 
"Two players combined for 52 points for the Detroit Pistons. But another who didn't score a single point had just as much impact on the final outcome. Charlie Villanueva scored 30 points, Ben Gordon had 22 and Ben Wallace turned in another outstanding defensive performance Wednesday night as the Pistons rolled to a 98-75 win against the Charlotte Bobcats. Wallace did not score a point, but he grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and three blocked shots. "It might not show up in the stat sheet every night, but we definitely see what he's doing," Gordon said. "He just sparks us tremendously. It seemed like he had about 50 deflections. "He got a lot of ..."
Pistons beat former coach
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November 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"Charlie Villanueva led all scorers with 30 points, 18 in the third, as the Detroit Pistons beat the Bobcats, 98-75, tonight at the Palace. The Pistons held the Bobcats to 12 points in the third quarter and outscored Charlotte, 61-31, in the second and third quarters. Ben Gordon added 22 points and eight assists and Rodney Stuckey had 16 points and seven assists for the Pistons. Will Bynum scored 16 points. Gerald Wallace led Charlotte with 12 points. Former Piston Flip Murray scored 11 and Raymond Felton added 10. Pistons coach John Kuester beat his mentor, Charlotte coach Larry Brown, who had Kuester on his championship-winning staff with the Pistons in 2004. Brown said before the ..."
The respect is mutual between Kuester, Larry Brown
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November 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"Larry Brown returned to the Palace on Wednesday night to face another member of his considerable coaching tree. When Brown was guiding the Pistons to the NBA championship, current Pistons coach John Kuester sat right alongside. Kuester, like Brown, had learned the game playing for Dean Smith at North Carolina. He learned to coach under Brown. "He is a great teacher," Kuester said of his mentor. Kuester said Brown taught him how to bring passion to every practice, to every shoot-around, to every game -- and to try to get the maximum potential out of every player. "He's meant a lot to me and my family," Kuester said. Kuester spent time on the bench with Brown in Detroit and in Philadelphia ..."
John Kuester says former Pistons coach Larry Brown is special
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November 12
Detroit Free Press
 
"Pistons first-year coach John Kuester will try to treat the next game like every other, but that's not possible. That's because former Pistons coach Larry Brown will bring the Charlotte Bobcats to the Palace tonight and on a professional and -- more important -- a personal level, Kuester owes a lot to the man who guided Detroit to an NBA title in 2004. "Coach Brown has meant so much to my life," Kuester said after Tuesday's practice. "He's been very special, not only to me, but my family. "I'm very appreciative of everything he's done for me. I'm looking forward to seeing him." Kuester was a part of the staff in 2004 and comes from the same coaching tree started by former legendary North ..."
Charlie Villanueva sparks Pistons' rout of Bobcats
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November 12
Detroit News
 
"A blowout in every sense. That's what this was, with the Pistons easily defeating the Charlotte Bobcats, 98-75, on Wednesday night. The first half was fairly close. The Pistons took a 52-41 halftime lead on an 11-4 run to end the second quarter. Then the rout began. Behind red-hot Charlie Villanueva (30 points) and Ben Gordon (22 points, eight assists, no turnovers), the Pistons outscored Charlotte 29-12 in the third, taking an 81-53 lead. "How we closed the second quarter and started the third quarter set the tone as time went on," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "The way we closed the second quarter gave us a little cushion." Villanueva was 13-of-17 from the field, including 2-of-4 ..."
Slow start, Orlando doom Bobcats
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November 11
Gaston Gazette
 
"It would be easy to simply chalk up the Charlotte Bobcats' 93-81 loss to the Orlando Magic Tuesday night as an example of a team falling behind too much too early. But coach Larry Brown and top scorer Gerald Wallace see the defeat as showing a bit of a catch-22 of the trouble the team continues to face in a season in which the franchise badly needs to make a playoff run.At 3-4, Charlotte is like many teams in the NBA. But a trend is developing that will make it incredibly unlikely for the Bobcats to reach their heretofore elusive goal. With the 6-foot-7 Wallace as the team's only effective post player, Charlotte has developed a reputation as a jump shooting team - even as the team is off ..."
Nash lifts play of ex-Bobcats
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November 11
Arizona Republic
 
"A year ago, Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley were Charlotte Bobcats, unaware of what an elite point guard could do for them and what winning regularly during an NBA season would feel like. That feeling never fully arrived amid a chaotic transition last season to a team with issues. But now playing with a Steve Nash who is fully able to leverage this system's splendor, each is enjoying new successes. Richardson, a go-to scorer his entire career, was uneasy about his place in a system full of scorers when Phoenix acquired him in a December trade. Nash was trying to figure out where to hit his new target. The high-speed connection has been established, thanks to a preseason and a ..."
Sure, Bobcats are bad, but it's hard to tell just how bad
Comment
November 11
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Tom Sorensen
"NBA teams play 82 games, so not every one can be a referendum. Was Charlotte's domination of Atlanta last week indicative of the quality of basketball it offers or was Tuesday's performance against Orlando? The Magic ran to a 22-point second-quarter lead and handled Charlotte 93-81. If the Bobcats had a flaw, Orlando exposed it. And the Bobcats have flaws. Although they have three players 7 feet or taller, only Gerald Wallace can or will post up. And Wallace, 6-7, doesn't post up often. DeSagana Diop, 7-0, appears to have been born without instincts. Nazr Mohammed, 6-10, hit some baskets in the lane. Starting center Tyson Chandler's line sounds like something Duke fans would yell at a ..."
Pistons' John Kuester eager to face mentor Larry Brown
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November 11
Detroit News
 
"The pupil faces the mentor Wednesday night. John Kuester was an assistant for Larry Brown -- now the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats -- a total of seven seasons, in Detroit and Philadelphia. For a basketball lifer like Kuester, getting an opportunity to work with Brown was an unforgettable experience. "Coach Brown has meant so much to my life and he's been a very special not only to me, but my family. I appreciate everything he's done for me," Kuester said Tuesday after practice, as the Pistons prepared to face the Bobcats on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at The Palace. "He's a competitor and he's somebody I learned so much from. I'm looking forward to seeing him.""
Wallace is NBA's chairman of the boards
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November 10
Charlotte Observer
 
"No surprise the NBA's rebounding leader would be on the floor for tonight's Bobcats-Magic game: Orlando center Dwight Howard has led the league the past two seasons. Huge surprise that Howard isn't the one leading the league. That would be Bobcats small forward Gerald Wallace, averaging at least two more rebounds than anyone else. The kicker is Wallace, a 6-foot-7 wing player, believes he can sustain this 13.8-rebound pace. "Why not?" he asked Monday, sounding matter-of-fact rather than boastful. "God willing, if I stay healthy, I think I can." Wallace would be the first man his size to win a rebounding title since Dennis Rodman in 1998. Rebounding titles go to the big men - Howard, Kevin ..."
Vince Carter could return tonight
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November 10
Orlando Sentinel
 
"Even if Vince Carter and all the points he brings returns to the lineup tonight, the big early-season issue for the Orlando Magic isn't offense. Not the way Coach Stan Van Gundy sees it. And he's seeing red. "We are one of the worst defensive teams in the league," he snarled after the Magic were upset by the Oklahoma City Thunder, 102-74, on Sunday. Carter, who has missed the last four games with a sprained left ankle, could be back against the Charlotte Bobcats. The shorthanded team is hopeful after Carter went throughportions of the team's practice on Monday, although next-day soreness is always a concern. Carter or no Carter, Van Gundy believes it is time for the Magic to stop depending ..."
Charlotte shooters ring from long range
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November 7
Charlotte Observer
 
"For the first time this season, three really was the charm for the Charlotte Bobcats. Previous to Friday, the last thing you wanted the Bobcats doing was taking 3-pointers. They were 18percent on 3s. Then they get back Raja Bell and Flip Murray and it's funny how everything changed during a 103-83 thumping of the Atlanta Hawks. Bell and Murray combined to go 8-of-11 from behind the arc and that boosted the Bobcats to 11-of-18. Making all those 3s also opened driving lanes and lob passes. Even new center Tyson Chandler (10 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks), who said he felt like a "rookie" offensively here, made all five shots. "We looked bad," Bell (24 points) said of his team's previous ..."
Bell scores 24, Bobcats beat tired Hawks
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November 7
Charlotte Observer
 
"Raja Bell scored 24 points and the Charlotte Bobcats looked nothing like the NBA's lowest scoring team in beating the road-weary Atlanta Hawks 103-83 on Friday night. Bell hit 9 of 12 shots, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range, Ronald "Flip" Murray added 15 points in his Charlotte debut, and Gerald Wallace offset a poor shooting night with 18 rebounds in the Bobcats' second straight win. The Hawks struggled defensively and saw their two-game winning streak snapped at the end of a difficult trip that also took them to Los Angeles, Portland and Sacramento. Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford each scored 13 points, but combined to shoot 10 of 27 from the field. The Hawks fell behind by 21 in the ..."
These guys again?!
Comment
November 7
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"What is it about the Charlotte Bobcats that gives us so much trouble? It's not a divisional rivalry thing. Georgia and North Carolina are not neighboring states, so it's not that either. So what is it? Maybe it's Larry Brown. No, it can't be that, because we've ALWAYS had trouble with these guys. Then again, maybe it is, as we have one of his pupils (though I'm not sure which trait or skill his pupil latched onto exactly) coaching the Hawks. Or how about Gerald Wallace? Yeah, that's got to be it. That guy gives us trouble every single time we see him. Yet Wallace is not exactly a one-man wrecking crew, so that's not a good explanation either. Is it how the Hawks match up with the 'Cats? ..."
Chandler's lost on Bobcats' vast information highway
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November 6
Charlotte Observer
 
"Asked to describe his level of comfort so far learning the Charlotte Bobcats' offense, center Tyson Chandler alternately described himself as a "rookie'' and a "robot.'' It's a common experience for new players to feel flooded with information when they start playing for coach Larry Brown. The difference here is timing: That anxiety usually hits a player midway through the preseason, before the real games start. Chandler missed most of the preseason while recovering from ankle and toe surgery. So he's learning on the fly, when the games count, and the results so far haven't been good. Chandler's never been a great scorer in the NBA, but the current numbers - 31 percent shooting from the ..."
What the Bobcats are doing right
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November 5
Charlotte Observer
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats might not be much offensively, but they're adapting to what coach Larry Brown means when he says play the game the right way. Two statistics in particular demonstrate that: The Bobcats are second in the NBA in rebounding and average dramatically more free-throw attempts than their opponents. In both cases, small forward Gerald Wallace is the key reason. Through the first four games, the Bobcats are averaging 46.25 rebounds, compared to 39.75 for their composite opponent. That's second in the league (to Memphis), both in rebounds per game and rebounding differential. Wallace is averaging 14 rebounds per game, second only to Toronto's Chris Bosh at 14.7 Meanwhile, the ..."
Bobcats learning to play 'the right way'
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November 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats might not be much offensively, but they're adapting to what coach Larry Brown means when he says play the game the right way. Two statistics in particular demonstrate that: The Bobcats are second in the NBA in rebounding and average dramatically more free-throw attempts than their opponents. In both cases, small forward Gerald Wallace is the key reason. Through the first four games, the Bobcats are averaging 46.25 rebounds, compared to 39.75 for their composite opponent. That's second in the league (to Memphis), both in rebounds per game and rebounding differential. Wallace is averaging 14 rebounds per game, second only to Toronto's Chris Bosh at 14.7 Meanwhile, the ..."
Nets fall to 0-4 after dismal 79-68 loss to Charlotte Bobcats
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November 3
New York Daily News
 
"It would be hard for any team to play a worse game than the Bobcats did last night. It would be even harder to find another to play that way and win. But Charlotte got lucky in that the Nets were in town because right now they could be the worst team in the league. After turning in a horrific defensive performance in one game, the Nets were equally as bad on the other end of the floor Monday night and lost to the Bobcats, 79-68, to fall to 0-4. The Nets broke or matched several franchise records and all were related to ineptitude. After stumbling out of halftime with a 41-33 lead, the Nets matched a franchise record for fewest points in any quarter with seven in the third. That also ..."
Nets 'embarrassed' after sinking to new low
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November 3
New York Post
 
"Nets center Brook Lopez expressed confidence going into last night's game against the Bobcats. "Got nothing to lose," he said. "We can't get any worse." Wanna bet? Finally, mankind -- or at least the 9,380 tortured souls here -- can answer one of those seemingly impossible queries that have baffled great minds for ages: What was the worst game you ever saw? This stunningly awful swill ended as a 79-68 Bobcats victory in which the Nets tied their lowest-scoring quarter, manufactured a scoreless stretch of 10:04 when they were outscored 24-0, blew a 14-point lead, fell to 0-4 on the season and lost another starter, Yi Jianlian, to injury. In Washington on Saturday, the defense was dreadful. ..."
Bell to start tonight
Comment
November 2
Charlotte Observer
 
"Charlotte Bobcats guard Raja Bell will play and start tonight at home versus the New Jersey Nets, despite not having fully participated in a practice since tearing a ligament in his left wrist. Coach Larry Brown said he'll start Bell, but has no expectation as to how long Bell Will play. Bell has parttially participated in practices -- mostly non-contact shooting, passing and drills. He's yet to test how he'll impede players defensively with the injury. "It felt pretty good yesterday. We came in and worked out,'' Bell said. "I got some passes with the one hand to see if I could catch, and I threw some passes. It felt good. I said once I could do that, I'd give it a shot.''"
West returns in Cavs victory
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November 2
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Delonte West hadn't played a second of basketball in the preseason, let alone in the young regular season. That, however, didn't stop a revved-up Quicken Loans Arena from giving him a warm welcome once he entered the game at 4:22 of the first quarter, and the crowd cheered even louder when he made his first shot with 2:55 left in the third quarter. ''It was unbelievable. We've got great fans,'' LeBron James said. ''If you're a part of this team, they get behind you. I think that was great for Delonte that these fans did that for him.'' Ultimately, West got more than a taste of what it felt like to return to the court in the Cavaliers' 90-79 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. West's ..."
Chandler plenty rusty
Comment
November 1
Charlotte Observer
 
"Tyson Chandler has a long way to go before the trade that brought him to the Charlotte Bobcats looks like a good deal. Coach Larry Brown anticipated Chandler being rusty, after missing all summer and most of the preseason following ankle surgery. But through his first two games, he'd committed more fouls (nine) than he scored points (six). And considering how little he strays from the basket, his shooting (3-of-13) has been awful. "This is his exhibition season," Brown said of understanding Chandler's struggles. "I'm comfortable with him. We just need to figure out ways to use him. And he can't be so hard on himself.""
Lebron, Mo drop sloppy Bobcats to 1-2
Comment
November 1
Charlotte Observer
 
"When you enter a game as the NBA's worst offensive team – fewest points, worst field-goal percentage, worst 3-point percentage – the last thing you can afford to do is throw away the ball. Yet that's precisely how the Charlotte Bobcats filled their time in the third quarter. Seven turnovers – three by point guard Raymond Felton – turned a manageable four-point deficit into a 15-point hole. That did in the Bobcats against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 90-79 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Bobcats have never won here in 10 tries, and they have little prospect of changing that without addressing the sloppiness of their passing: 19 Charlotte turnovers resulted in 23 Cleveland points. That's roughly a ..."
Flawed victory doesn't inspire confidence
Comment
October 31
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Scott Fowler
"If the Charlotte Bobcats had lost this one, you would have heard the air going out of the team's basketball all over the Carolinas. You just don't want to lose your home opener to the woeful New York Knicks. Not after you hold a 21-point lead. Not after you were blown out by 33 two nights earlier in Boston. Not with one of the largest crowds of the season in attendance - short of a sellout, but not by much at an announced 18,624. Charlotte finally won the game Friday, 102-100 in double overtime, which says something about the Bobcats' heart and their relative lack of talent. The Bobcats were up by 14 entering the fourth quarter and frittered all of that lead away. The Knicks even had a ..."
Bobcats blow big lead, still beat Knicks 102-100
Comment
October 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Cramped, exhausted and running late for a team flight to Cleveland, Raymond Felton was told to take 20 minutes late Friday to get some intravenous fluids. "Nooooo!" Felton half-joked. "I hate needles!" And you thought he was impervious to pain. One game after taking 15 stitches to the mouth, Felton briefly left the Charlotte Bobcats' 102-100 double-overtime victory against the New York Knicks with a leg cramp. He put himself back in and finished the job, scoring eight points in the extra periods. Well, technically D.J. Augustin finished the job, hitting two free throws with two seconds left. But without Felton's drives, the Knicks would have won this one before the second OT. "You see what ..."
Brown not giving up on injured Curry yet
Comment
October 31
New York Post
 
"Larry Brown sounds more optimistic about Eddy Curry's future than Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni does. Curry will be reevaluated tomorrow and could be cleared to practice for the first time since the opening day of training camp, when he pulled a calf muscle. Curry has been separated from the team so he can concentrate solely on losing weight. Though Brown endorsed Isiah Thomas' acquisition of Curry when Brown coached the Knicks in 2005, his year with Curry was unpleasant. Curry even lost playing time to Jackie Butler. "I believe down the road he'll be an asset, I really believe that," Brown said before his Bobcats defeated the Knicks 102-100 in double overtime last night. "He still has time ..."
Knicks' rally from 21 down not enough
Comment
October 31
New York Post
 
"The Knicks made a stirring comeback, rallying from a 21-point, first-half deficit, but they could not get the break needed to close out the night in a wild evening at Bobcats Arena. In a game marked by Mike D'Antoni's curious use of Danilo Gallinari in the late stages, the Knicks suffered a heartbreaking, 102-100 defeat in double overtime. The Bobcats survived on a questionable foul call against Al Harrington and a questionable decision by D'Antoni to bench Gallinari, his ace 3-point shooter, for too many key minutes. The Knicks fell to 0-2 and face the Sixers tonight in their home opener. The winning points came when Harrington blocked a driving layup by D.J. Augustin with 2.5 seconds ..."