Charlotte Bobcats News

Felton, Chandler plan to play
Comment
February 9
Charlotte Observer
 
"Injured Charlotte Bobcats Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton both plan to play tonight against the Washington Wizards, although Chandler might be the safer bet of the two. Felton sprained his right ankle at practice Monday and he showed up at shootaround Tuesday morning with some swelling in the joint. Felton said he'll play, but coach Larry Brown said he'll wait until gametime, to make sure Felton can be effective. Felton is generally one of the tougher Bobcats when it comes to playing with pain."
Brown won't rush Chandler back into Bobcats mix
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February 9
Charlotte Observer
 
"This much is certain; the Charlotte Bobcats' top two centers have each other's back. Nazr Mohammed endorses giving up his starting spot to Tyson Chandler, saying he'd expect the same if he'd lost his spot to injury. Chandler replies that, as well as the Bobcats have played in his absence, he wants no part of disrupting the mix. The coach is in-between those two positions. "Under normal circumstances, you'd always start'' the guy who lost his spot to injury, coach Larry Brown said Monday. "But these aren't normal circumstances - he hasn't had a lot of time on the floor.'' Chandler has missed 22 games since being diagnosed in late December with a stress reaction in his left foot. The Bobcats ..."
Charlotte Bobcats point guard Felton rolls his ankle
Comment
February 9
Charlotte Observer
 
"Charlotte Bobcats starting point guard Raymond Felton sprained his right ankle at practice Monday, when he stepped on a teammate's foot in a drill. Felton left the court in a protective boot and his status for Tuesday's home game against the Washington Wizards is uncertain. However, Felton has a high pain threshold and hates sitting, so if anyone will give it a try, it's Felton."
Ownership questions weigh heavily on Bobcats
Comment
February 8
Gaston Gazette
 columnist Richard Walker
"For the first time in their six-year history, NBA observers are taking note of the Charlotte Bobcats. Most expect the Bobcats to make a first-ever playoff appearance in the spring. Some think Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown's team could even pull a first-round upset. But as Charlotte hosts the Washington Wizards Tuesday night at 7, an even bigger story looms about the uncertainty of the Bobcats' future. When will Bob Johnson, the franchise's only owner, sell the team? And, when he does, will celebrity co-owner and top basketball official Michael Jordan meet the reported deadline of the end of this month to buy the team or will former Houston Rockets president George Postolos' group get the ..."
Bobcats waste halftime lead, lose to Hornets
Comment
February 7
Gaston Gazette
 
"For a half Saturday night, the Charlotte Bobcats looked like they were simply picking up where they left off at Time Warner Cable Arena two weeks ago when they left for the West Coast as one of the best home teams in the NBA. Plus, the Bobcats actually had a sellout crowd - the third of the season - to root them on. But Charlotte squandered its first double-digit home lead of the season as the New Orleans Hornets rallied to win 104-99 in front of 19,164 disappointed fans. Even worse, the Hornets' replacement for injured All-Star guard Chris Paul, rookie guard Darren Collison, lit up the Bobcats for 24 points. That included a clinching driving layup with 10.1 seconds to play. The result ..."
Bobcats mostly pulling all the right strings
Comment
February 7
Charlotte Observer
 
"Grading the Charlotte Bobcats' roster moves since the end of last season: Drafting Gerald Henderson: We don't yet know what he'll be. Other moves - signing Flip Murray, signing Stephen Graham and trading for Stephen Jackson - creates a crowd at the shooting guard position. Henderson gets it that it's appropriate for him to watch, learn and wait his turn. But I still think he'd benefit from a stint in the Development League, something Henderson has resisted. Grade: Incomplete. Drafting Derrick Brown: The second-rounder is playing more than the lottery pick. That's partially a reflection of the lack of depth at power forward, but Brown showed up with great maturity and understanding of ..."
Even without Paul, red-hot Hornets stun Bobcats
Comment
February 7
Charlotte Observer
 
"Various players and coaches articulated this differently, but it came down to an essential truth: The Charlotte Bobcats aren't good enough to deliver the effort they did Saturday and win. They didn't guard - normally a given for this group. They didn't make free throws. And they sure didn't play like a team in the second half of a 104-99 loss to the New Orleans Hornets. The gruesome second-half numbers: They allowed the Hornets 57 percent shooting. They missed seven free throws. They were outrebounded by five. And the next time they cut off the penetration of rookie point guard Darren Collison will be the first. Collison scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half, and he did that off ..."
Okafor returns with appetite for etouffees
Comment
February 6
Charlotte Observer
 
"Rabbit gumbo? The chef said it was delicious. Emeka Okafor wasn't so sure. But when in New Orleans, do as New Orleanians do; eat most anything that crawls or swims, just so long as it's prepared with the right sauce. "I said, 'No, no' but they brought it out to me, anyway," Okafor recalled. "And it was GOOD!" Okafor, the Bobcats' first-ever draft pick, returns to Charlotte tonight to play against his former team. He went to the Hornets in a trade for fellow center Tyson Chandler over the summer. He didn't ask for a change, but it's been good for him. The Big Easy is a fit - a cosmopolitan setting full of history for an eclectic guy full of intellectual curiosity. Best of all, Okafor is a ..."
Could Jordan work full-time for Bobcats?
Comment
February 6
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Tom Sorensen
"If Michael Jordan doesn't buy the Charlotte Bobcats, somebody else eventually will. The new owner presumably will bring in executives he knows and trusts, and Michael will be jettisoned. If you engage in hero-worship, you'll miss Michael. You still brag to friends about the home games at which you saw him, both. This is the fifth year Michael has run Charlotte's basketball operation, and the team is by far the best it has been. After a rough start, the Bobcats have won as many games as they've lost. They're unselfish, they're entertaining and they ought to make the playoffs. If you're going to rip Michael for wasting the third pick in the 2006 draft on Adam Morrison - and I have and am ..."
Thornton's back injury adds to the Hornets' backcourt woes
Comment
February 5
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"In January, New Orleans Hornets Coach Jeff Bower watched his team win 12 of 17 games to move back into playoff contention. But already, the first week of February has proven to be more challenging. On the same day the Hornets announced that All-Star point guard Chris Paul would need surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, rookie shooting guard Marcus Thornton took a hard fall and injured his lower back in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's 103-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although X-rays were negative, Thornton missed Thursday's practice with a bruised lower back. He is listed as questionable to play tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers. "It's very sore ..."
Bobcats become intriguing topic on, off the court
Comment
February 5
Charlotte Observer
 columnist Scott Fowler
"How do you sell the Charlotte Bobcats? That's the big question these days for this team, and it comes in two flavors: 1) Will Bob Johnson sell his controlling interest in this franchise to a group led by former Houston Rockets president George Postolos? Or will he sell it to a different group led by Michael Jordan? 2) Can the Bobcats finally sell themselves to a large enough number of people to stop hemorrhaging money? As far as the ownership question: From what I'm hearing, the Postolos group has deeper pockets and is willing to pay more upfront cash than the group Jordan is leading. But Jordan's group isn't out of the running. In any case, I hope Johnson sells to somebody. Although the ..."
Is Bobcats sale close?
Comment
February 5
Charlotte Observer
 
"On-going negotiations between Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson and former Houston Rockets President George Postolos could result in a sale of the NBA team during March or April, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Wednesday. One question concerning a potential sale is whether managing partner Michael Jordan is serious about buying controlling interest. ESPN The Magazine reports Jordan has right of first refusal to buy the team from Johnson that would expire at the end of February. Jordan did not reply to an interview request Wednesday from the Observer. While ESPN The Magazine characterized Postolos as making a "new" bid, his pursuit of the Bobcats has been consistent since ..."
Sale of Charlotte Bobcats could be closer to fruition
Comment
February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"On-going negotiations between Charlotte Bobcats owner Bob Johnson and former Houston Rockets President George Postolos could result in a sale of the NBA team during March or April, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Wednesday. One question concerning a potential sale is whether managing partner Michael Jordan is serious about buying controlling interest. ESPN The Magazine reports Jordan has right of first refusal to buy the team from Johnson that would expire at the end of February. Jordan did not reply to an interview request Wednesday from the Observer. While ESPN The Magazine characterized Postolos as making a "new" bid, his pursuit of the Bobcats has been consistent since ..."
Observations: Would new owner, Brown mesh?
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February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"Larry Brown reiterated Wednesday that his biggest single reason for accepting the Bobcats' coaching job was because Michael Jordan asked him to do it. Translation: If Jordan is no longer part of the organization, as a result of an ownership change, Brown might have misgivings about working here. At minimum, I should think any new owner should have an immediate conversation with Brown, to reassure him how much he'd be valued if he stays on. Gerald Wallace said pre-game that he hurt his left hamstring in the first quarter of Monday's game in Portland. This was the second game Wallace has missed (the first in New York due to severe headaches). Stephen Graham started for Wallace."
Charlotte Bobcats leave win at Lakers' doorstep
Comment
February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"So if you heard Kobe Bryant would score five points and Stephen Jackson would finish with 30 and the Charlotte Bobcats would outrebound the Los Angeles Lakers by seven, you'd conclude the Bobcats won, right? You'd be wrong because the possession at the end that would have thrown this game into overtime was botched. And the coach blamed himself for that disorganization. "I had everybody confused -- that was my fault,'' Bobcats coach Larry Brown said following a 99-97 near-miss at the Staples Center. The Bobcats were down 3 with the ball and nine seconds left. They had an extra timeout - and had been made aware of that. But confusion ensued, resulting in a shaky inbounds pass by Jackson ..."
Without Gerald Wallace, Bobcats leave win at Lakers' doorstep
Comment
February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"So if you heard Kobe Bryant would score five points and Stephen Jackson would finish with 30 and the Charlotte Bobcats would outrebound the Los Angeles Lakers by seven, you'd conclude the Bobcats won, right? You'd be wrong because the possession at the end that would have thrown this game into overtime was botched. And the coach blamed himself for that disorganization. "I had everybody confused -- that was my fault,'' Bobcats coach Larry Brown said following a 99-97 near-miss at the Staples Center. The Bobcats were down 3 with the ball and nine seconds left. They had an extra timeout - and had been made aware of that. But confusion ensued, resulting in a shaky inbounds pass by Jackson that ..."
Sources: New offer for Bobcats
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February 3
ESPN.com
 
"It's no secret that Charlotte Bobcats owner Robert Johnson has been trying to sell his franchise, and multiple league sources have told ESPN.com that he should get his wish by March. Former Houston Rockets president/CEO George Postolos -- whose first attempt to purchase the team, according to the Charlotte Observer, fell apart last summer -- has made a new offer that Bobcats president Michael Jordan has until the end of February to match, according to sources. League officials in New York, when asked about the state of the Bobcats' sale, declined comment. Jordan negotiated a right of first refusal after Johnson made it clear he intended to sell the team, according to a team source. But it ..."
Ajinca may miss more than 6 weeks
Comment
February 3
Charlotte Observer
 
"A torn ligament in Charlotte Bobcat Alexis Ajinca's right thumb will put him out for more than six weeks. Ajinca, a French 7-footer and former first-round pick, has been with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA's Development League since late December. He hurt his thumb Jan. 27 in a D-League game against the Idaho Stampede. He's scheduled for surgery Friday in Charlotte, the Bobcats announced. The team said in a prepared statement that Ajinca will be in a cast for six weeks following the surgery. Ajinca has done little since the Bobcats chose him 20th overall in the 2008 draft, but he showed progress of late with the Red Claws."
Ajinca needs thumb surgery
Comment
February 2
Charlotte Observer
 
"I just got off the phone with Charlotte Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins; 7-footer Alexis Ajinca needs thumb surgery. It's not yet clear how long this will keep him out. Ajinca has been with the Maine Red Claws of the Development League for over a month. He's been playing well there the past two weeks, but had missed the last two games, apparently due to this injury."
Bobcats didn't look very savvy
Comment
February 2
Charlotte Observer
 
"Coach Larry Brown talks sometimes about how great players don't make great plays so much as they consistently make the simple plays with great precision. That's exactly the opposite of what his team did Monday. Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw had five turnovers each, attempting to make big plays that weren't really there. You combine that with taking 23 of 64 total shots from 3-point range and the Bobcats didn't look like a very savvy team. That 22-point, 8-of-14 shooting game D.J. Augustin had versus the Orlando Magic looks like a mirage. Since then he's shot 6-of-25 from the field. In four of those games, he shot a combined 1-of-17."
Bobcats let win streak slip away
Comment
February 2
Charlotte Observer
 
"There might be no such thing as a good turnover, but there are undeniably bad ones, and the Charlotte Bobcats committed plenty of those Monday. Bad turnovers are the sloppy throwaways at mid-court that lead to easy transition baskets at the other end. And often a foul, too, as someone tries to make up for a mistake. That happened all night, as the Portland Trail Blazers converted 21 Bobcats turnovers into 28 points in a 98-79 blowout at the Rose Garden. This broke a 3-game winning streak, all on the road, and the 24-23 Bobcats knew they did themselves in. "We didn't compete,'' said guard Stephen Jackson, who scored 23 points but also committed five turnovers. "We let them do whatever they ..."
Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace leads team to win over Kings
Comment
January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Gerald Wallace is being a little greedy, and in this sense that's a good thing. Asked if he would have accepted 3-3 -- the worst the Charlotte Bobcats can now do -- at the outset of this Western Conference trip, Wallace said he'd risk what he has to find out what's behind Curtain No. 2. "The way we're playing, we're capable of winning all these games," Wallace said after roughing up his former team with 38 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "This is the time for us to make a statement, particularly going into the All-Star break." The statement for now is they're on a 3-game road winning streak and are two games above .500 at 24-22. Wallace sounds more ..."
A love affair for the ages: Larry Brown and coaching basketball
Comment
January 31
Portland Tribune
 columnist Kerry Eggers
"This is going to sound a little like a love letter, because there are few people in coaching I respect more than Larry Brown. Besides being a wonderful guy for a member of the media to deal with, Brown is good copy - a fountain of basketball knowledge, occasionally neurotic and always entertaining. With due respect to Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, I'm here to tell you the greatest coach in pro basketball history is Larry Brown. He is proving it again this season with Charlotte, which has sprouted from its expansion roots into a playoff contender in Brown's second season with the Bobcats. Charlotte is 24-22 and in sixth place in the Eastern Conference going into Monday's visit ..."
Wallace to former team: King me
Comment
January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Gerald Wallace is being a little greedy, and in this sense that's a good thing. Asked if he would have accepted 3-3 -- the worst the Charlotte Bobcats can now do -- at the outset of this Western Conference trip, Wallace said he'd risk what he has to find out what's behind Curtain No. 2. "The way we're playing, we're capable of winning all these games," Wallace said after roughing up his former team with 38 points and 11 rebounds in a 103-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "This is the time for us to make a statement, particularly going into the All-Star break." The statement for now is they're on a 3-game road winning streak and are two games above .500 at 24-22. Wallace sounds more ..."
Jackson's exit not the most graceful
Comment
January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"Did Stephen Jackson do the right thing last fall? Or did he do the wrong thing for the right reason? That issue came to a head Friday morning at a San Francisco health club adjoining the Charlotte Bobcats' hotel. Five Bay Area television stations sent cameramen to the Bobcats' shootaround, looking to quiz him about forcing his way off the Golden State Warriors. The Bobcats saw this coming, and media relations director B.J. Evans had the good sense to warn reporters that Jackson would address this once, and only once, upon the Bobcats' only visit to the Bay Area this season. And that was Friday-morning shootaround. Jackson said what I anticipated, based on a conversation I had with him ..."
Warriors fall to Jackson-infused Bobcats
Comment
January 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Warriors' players arrived at Oracle Arena on Friday night to find a printed message in each of their lockers, asking if they were going to compete or complain. Apparently, most of them chose the invisible choice C: neither. The Warriors offered their second consecutive lifeless performance, losing this time 121-110 to Charlotte. The 17,850 fans who began the game heartily booing Stephen Jackson's return reserved their catcalls for the Warriors by the fourth quarter. "We're missing a lot of energy," center Andris Biedrins said. "I don't know why, but we're not bringing it every night. We all need to come together and really think about it." Most of the crowd was gone by the time D.J. ..."
Stephen Jackson glad he left, happy to visit
Comment
January 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Stephen Jackson was largely conciliatory Friday, in his first trip to the Bay Area since he forced a trade from the Warriors to Charlotte in November. "I've done a lot for this city, and I had a lot to do with ending the 13-year playoff drought," Jackson said. "I'm happy I was able to bring that back to the city, and I have a lot of respect and love for Don Nelson. I'm happy to be here, and I'm still grateful for what Don Nelson and the Warriors organization did for me." Speaking to a gaggle of about a dozen members of the media at the Four Seasons Sports Club in San Francisco, Jackson held court for 6 1/2 minutes. The interview came about 10 hours before the Oracle Arena fans booed his ..."
Stephen Jackson thrives in return to Oakland
Comment
January 30
Contra Costa Times
 
"Charlotte Bobcats swingman Stephen Jackson said he'd give Don Nelson, his former head coach, "a big hug." For team president Robert Rowell - who approved the three-year, $28 million extension the Warriors gave Jackson just over a year ago - Jackson said he'd give him a high-five. "I don't know if the hug's gonna be there," Jackson said. As for the rest of his former teammates, Jackson scored 30 points and gave them a 121-110 loss Friday. The former Warrior's fifth 30-point game of the season, coupled with 30 points and 13 rebounds from All-Star forward Gerald Wallace, helped hand the Warriors their fourth consecutive loss. Golden State (13-32) has lost seven of its last nine. The crowd ..."
Bobcats' Jackson muffles his old team
Comment
January 30
Charlotte Observer
 
"If you're going to all that expense (over $200,000 in fines at the start of the season) and all that trouble (they booed him in the layup line Friday) to get out of Golden State, then the least you can do is make sure the old team doesn't beat you. So was it any surprise Stephen Jackson would personally shut up every loudmouth at Oracle Arena Friday? He slapped 30 points on his old team to lock up a 121-110 Charlotte Bobcats victory. Jackson said he forced his way off the Warriors to get a shot at the playoffs. At 23-22, and on a two-game road winning streak, they have the look and feel of a playoff team. Certainly the Warriors don't. Charlottean Stephen Curry, a Warriors rookie, figures ..."
Curry lights it up in front of dad
Comment
January 30
Charlotte Observer
 
"The other day Stephen Curry was saying you learn quickly that an NBA locker room is full of agendas. Friday night's example: Dealing with the absence and return of a star. Monta Ellis came back from a sprained ankle recently, shifting Curry's role. One day he was carrying the offense. The next he was getting out of Ellis's way. "We played differently with him than with him out,'" said Curry, a Charlottean who starred at Davidson. "I guess we were feeling a little more freedom to take shots, to make up for his absence.' " And now? "Now the ball is in his hands a lot. But we're a better team with him on the floor, so we've got to adjust.""
Stephen Curry: The son also rises
Comment
January 29
Charlotte Observer
 
"Stephen Curry has a nice apartment. Ask what he likes about it, and he doesn't mention the lake in the front of his high-rise or the view from his deck. It's the two-minute drive to the practice gym and the 10-minute drive to the arena. Curry has a nice car. It's a Mercedes sport utility vehicle, one of those heavy-steel cubes that would keep him safe if a tractor trailer hit him on the Bay Bridge. It's precisely the car a parent would choose for a kid if money wasn't an issue. And when Curry splurges - living large as an NBA rookie - he pays to fly his grandmother cross-country to see him play for the Golden State Warriors. So if you're waiting for former Davidson star Curry to channel ..."
Wallace makes All-Star team
Comment
January 29
Charlotte Observer
 
"Gerald Wallace didn't want to hear rumors Thursday, no matter how reliable the information, no matter who was sharing it. So when his agent passed along word he'd be named an All-Star hours later, Wallace cut him off. "If you're not 100 percent sure,'' Wallace said, "then I don't want to be crushed later'' if he's wrong. No such worry. Wallace, the last original Charlotte Bobcat, is also the franchise's first All-Star. The Eastern Conference coaches selected him as one of seven reserves. That makes for a busy All-Star Weekend Feb. 12-15 in Dallas, at the Cowboys' new domed stadium. Wallace already committed to the slam-dunk contest and he has no plans to rescind that decision."
A little booing won't upset Jackson
Comment
January 28
Charlotte Observer
 
"Charlotte Bobcat Stephen Jackson forced his way out of the Golden State Warriors, so he's not deluding himself about how he'll be treated in his return to Oakland Friday. "I know I'm going to get booed," Jackson told the Observer Tuesday night. "I was booed while I was playing there, so I know I'm going to get booed. But I won't pay any attention; I get booed in 15 (NBA) arenas. This won't be any different to me." Jackson pushed for a trade because he felt the Warriors weren't committed to winning."
Bobcats sink Suns in overtime
Comment
January 27
Arizona Republic
 
"During this 2-7 funk, the Suns have played extremely well at times, such as when they had a huge lead at Indiana. They have played gutty, such as the battle at Atlanta. They turned gritty in a tough spot Monday for an early turnaround at Utah. But each time they did those things, the Suns left a foreign building with a familiar feeling - disappointment. Even being at home, they couldn't shake the feeling. The Suns trailed for 51 seconds of regulation Tuesday night against Charlotte but wound up going to overtime for the first time this season and losing 114-109 for their first-ever loss at home to the Bobcats. The Suns, now 3-8 in the second games of back-to-back sets, led 98-95 in the ..."
Chandler gets new orthotic support
Comment
January 27
Charlotte Observer
 
"Coach Larry Brown said center Tyson Chandler has been fitted with a new orthotic support for his left foot, looking to avoid a recurrence of the stress reaction that has kept him out since Dec. 22. Brown said it's possible Chandler will test his foot in an optional practice today in Phoenix . Chandler said Monday he hopes to be able to play sometime next week. Ex-Bobcat Jared Dudley got his first start of the season Tuesday, versus his former team. It's unfortunate Grant Hill bruised his heel, but it's great that Suns coach Alvin Gentry recognizes Dudley's productivity. Dudley defines the notion that you don't have to be the best athlete in a given situation to be the best player. And the ..."
Charlotte Bobcats defense stops Suns
Comment
January 27
Charlotte Observer
 
"The defense came back and so, too, did the Charlotte Bobcats. After watching three quarters of the Phoenix Suns dropping 3s from everywhere, they tightened up in the fourth quarter - way up. They held the Suns to 29 percent shooting in the final quarter, pushed this game into overtime, and held on 114-109. This broke a three-game losing streak and lifted the Bobcats to 22-22. The Bobcats swept the Suns, winning in Phoenix for the first time in six tries. The did all that on Stephen Jackson's 30 points (including the 3-pointer that forced overtime) and some remarkable poise and defense from ex-Sun Boris Diaw. He had a key block of Steve Nash's jump shot on a late defensive switch and held ..."
Bobcats center Tyson Chandler says he's pain-free
Comment
January 26
Charlotte Observer
 
"Bobcats center Tyson Chandler says he's pain-free for the first time since being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot. He said his goal is to practice sometime this week and possibly play next week. Chandler has missed 16 games. I'm sure he'd love to be back by Feb.6, when the Bobcats play his former team, the New Orleans Hornets. Denver Nuggets coach George Karl is a big fan of Gerald Wallace: "I hope he makes the All-Star team,'' Karl said pre-game. "He fought the judgment and the criticism (that he) can't do this and can't do that. He's proven a lot of people wrong the last few years.'' Funny line from Karl, when he saw ex-Charlotte Hornet Dell Curry talking to ex-Hornets ..."
Bobcats fade in 2nd half, fall to Denver Nuggets
Comment
January 26
Charlotte Observer
 
"Monday's 104-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets felt like a massive flashback to Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown. First, to how good Chauncey Billups is, and second to how shaky the Bobcats were in losses to the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. The Bobcats lost their third straight, falling to 21-22. Billups, who Brown coached to an NBA championship in Detroit, disassembled the Bobcats with 27 points and 11 assists. "Chauncey can dominate - post up, shoot 3s, make foul shots. And all that being said, he'll throw the ball to the open guy,'' Brown described. That wide array of skills overwhelmed Bobcats point guard Raymond Felton, who committed five fouls in 29 1/2 minutes. Brown said that ..."
Nuggets handle Bobcats despite missing Carmelo Anthony
Comment
January 26
Denver Post
 
"Sometimes, eight isn't enough. Nuggets coach George Karl normally plays just eight guys, but with Carmelo Anthony injured, Kenyon Martin ejected and Chris Andersen spraining his ankle Monday, the coach found some gems deep on his bench in the 104-93 win against Charlotte at the Pepsi Center. Small forward Joey Graham shot fearless jumpers like he was Melo, finishing with 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting, and Malik Allen grabbed five rebounds in 20 minutes, providing "glue" and "a teamness," as Karl said afterward. And wouldn't you know, the Nuggets — just not all the guys fans are used to — won their seventh consecutive game, Denver's longest such streak this season. "I'm always confident ..."
Bobcats prep for rough road trip
Comment
January 25
Charlotte Observer
 
"Maybe the Charlotte Bobcats should consider a mascot change; replace Rufus with Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz? If there's ever been a "no place like home" team, it's these Bobcats. They have the starkest contrast in the NBA when it comes to home and road records: 18-5 at Time Warner Cable Arena and 3-16 everywhere else. And now they face their toughest road trip of the season - six Western Conference games in 10 days, starting tonight in Denver and ending Feb. 3 versus the champion Los Angeles Lakers. "It's a pretty telling trip," coach Larry Brown said Saturday. "We've got to get something done." The curious thing about their road struggles is as often as they're beaten, they're not beaten ..."
Magic come alive in OT to beat Charlotte Bobcats
Comment
January 24
Orlando Sentinel
 
"With Charlotte being a stock-car racing hotbed, the Bobcats celebrated NASCAR night, wearing uniforms with checkered flag designs. Circuit stars Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip and Denny Hamlin were in the stands. Who'd have thought that none of them would be the night's most impressive driver? Remember Vince Carter? Remember when he steered through defenders with such regularity that they all but pleaded for restrictor plates to slow him? "I told him that we saw 'Vinsanity' tonight," Dwight Howard said. "He wasn't dunking, but he was finishing, which we need him to do that. We're going to stock his locker with energy drinks. "When he's aggressive like that, it just opens things up for ..."
Orlando Magic's big man sucks air from Charlotte Bobcats
Comment
January 24
Charlotte Observer
 
"How important is Dwight Howard to the Orlando Magic? "How much is breathing important?'' Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson replied, and his analogy was particularly apt following the Bobcats' 106-95 overtime loss to the Magic - Howard sucked the air from the Bobcats' lungs. Seven-footer Howard's 10 points might not have meant much, but his seven blocked shots and 20 rebounds controlled the game. It's no coincidence Jackson and Gerald Wallace shot a combined 8-of-29 from the field, or that Wallace didn't score until the fourth quarter. The Bobcats (21-21 and losers of two straight) were so frustrated by what Howard does - and what, to Wallace, the referees allow him to do - that ..."
Kids lobby for Wallace's All-Star votes
Comment
January 23
Charlotte Observer
 
"How's this for a living, breathing civics lesson? There are Charlotte second-graders learning the political process by writing Eastern Conference coaches to support Charlotte Bobcat Gerald Wallace' All-Star candidacy. At least that's the reasonable conclusion, from Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson's mail this week. He received 20-some handwritten letters, asking Woodson to vote for Wallace as an Eastern Conference reserve. One of those letters, written by Keegan Dunphy, laid out Wallace's statistics and thanked Woodson for his consideration, on Bobcats-orange stationary. Wallace was surprised and touched when the Observer told him about the letters pre-game Friday and showed him the one ..."
Charlotte Bobcats toss away chances for a win
Comment
January 23
Charlotte Observer
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats' misadventures on the road are usually about slow starts. And those slow starts are often about careless turnovers. So if the Atlanta Hawks were going to trap the NBA's hottest team in a freezer, what better way than by getting them to throw the ball away? The Bobcats committed seven first-quarter turnovers, resulting in 12 Atlanta points. That was good for a 14-point lead and the Hawks never gave it back for a 103-89 victory at Philips Arena. Nearly a third of the Hawks' points (29) resulted from the Bobcats' 17 turnovers, a problem they thought they corrected during the homestand. "They didn't do anything to us; we just played selfish ball," said Bobcats forward ..."
Charlotte Bobcats toss away chances for a win
Comment
January 23
Charlotte Observer
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats' misadventures on the road are usually about slow starts. And those slow starts are often about careless turnovers. So if the Atlanta Hawks were going to trap the NBA's hottest team in a freezer, what better way than by getting them to throw the ball away? The Bobcats committed seven first-quarter turnovers, resulting in 12 Atlanta points. That was good for a 14-point lead and the Hawks never gave it back for a 103-89 victory at Philips Arena. Nearly a third of the Hawks' points (29) resulted from the Bobcats' 17 turnovers, a problem they thought they corrected during the homestand. "They didn't do anything to us; we just played selfish ball," said Bobcats forward ..."
Hot-shooting Hawks cool off Bobcats
Comment
January 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
"Soon after the Hawks dispatched the Bobcats, the Boston Celtics defeated Portland in overtime to stay at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference by a half game over the Hawks. More efforts like this from the Hawks, and it might not be long before the Hawks move past the Celtics for good. The Hawks staggered the Bobcats by shooting over them and running past them for a 103-89 victory at Philips Arena. The Hawks finished their homestand 4-1 and ended Charlotte's win streak at six. The Hawks now prepare to face a brutal schedule next week. They play at San Antonio on Monday, at Houston on Wednesday, return home to face Boston on Friday and play at Orlando on Saturday and go into that stretch with ..."
Bobcats could miss 2 starters
Comment
January 23
Charlotte Observer
 
"It's possible the Charlotte Bobcats will play the Orlando Magic Saturday minus starters Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace. Felton sprained his right ankle in the first quarter of Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and Wallace aggravated a left ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the week."
Bobcats set franchise record with 39-point victory over Heat
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January 21
Gaston Gazette
 
"The Charlotte Bobcats are playing so well these days they don't need any extra motivation. Well, they got a double-dose of it Wednesday before they dismantled the Miami Heat 104-65 in front of 14,212 fans at Time Warner Cable Arena. At Wednesday morning's shootaround, the Bobcats found out Gerald Wallace would be able to play – and start – after suffering an ankle injury in Monday's victory. Then, upon checking on Wednesday night's opponent, they got even more motivation when they found out Heat forward Michael Beasley dismissed them following Miami's blowout 113-83 win over Indiana the night before. "If we stay together and stay focused, it should be an easy win," Beasley told reporters. ..."
Bobcats crush Miami Heat, make Beasley eat words
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January 21
Charlotte Observer
 
"Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley got it half-right; this sure was an easy win. Beasley said some remarkably foolish things Tuesday about how the Charlotte Bobcats "stole'' a game in Miami and that if his team showed up focused Wednesday, "it should be an easy win.'' Easiest win in Bobcats history – a 104-65 laugher that completed a 6-0 homestand. The victory also moved the Bobcats (21-19) past the Heat (21-20) and into fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Yes, Beasley's quotes to South Florida media were passed on to the Bobcats by the coaching staff. It would have been nearly impossible to miss them, considering the leafleting in each player's cubicle. "I kind of laughed at that, ..."
Jordan still interested in buying Bobcats?
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January 21
Charlotte Observer
 
"I don't know where this is going, but I hear Charlotte Bobcats managing partner Michael Jordan is still interested in buying control of the team from majority owner Bob Johnson. Whether Jordan and Johnson can ever agree on a price and terms that would leave Jordan with controlling interest is debatable. Great play that, I'm guessing, didn't make ESPN Sportscenter: Stephen Jackson ball-faking Miami's Dwyane Wade off his feet, with a second left before the shot clock would have expired."