| Courtside At The Opener Authored by Quinten Farmer - November 4, 2007 - 1:30 pm
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What follows are player by player observations from courtside at the game, and an attempt to look at what the future may hold for this young Bobcats squad.
Gerald Wallace
Wallace was all over the court, scoring an efficient 22 points on 10-16 shooting. To go along with the points, Wallace filled up the box score with a balanced stat line of 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. His only glaring fault was an atrocious 40% from the line (2-5).
Besides a short disappearance early in the 4th quarter, Wallace looked to be far and away the Bobcats best player. His energy was infectious, and an early soaring fast break dunk got the disappointingly sparse crowd on their feet. He showed a quick post up spin move from above the block, and was able to score almost at will. He also brought a lot of baseline drives, again finishing those shots at a good clip. The other facet of Wallace’s double-double may have been the most valuable to his team, as his 10 rebounds were crucial in keeping the Bucks from dominating the boards.
Wallace was re-signed to a long term deal this summer, and his production this season must live up to the expectations that come with a long contract. If the first game is any indication, he should have no problem doing just that. Although his outside shot still needs work, some of the pressure in that regard is relieved with the addition of Jason Richardson. This should hopefully leave Wallace to do what he does best: run the break, play defense, and take advantage of smaller, less athletic defenders. The free throw percentage must improve, but with the entire teams appalling performance he is not the only one in need of serious improvement in that department. If he continues to develop his post up game, and his ability to score from the perimeter, Wallace may make the transition from an athletic jack of all trades to an all star caliber small forward.
Raymond Felton
Felton had an excellent opening night performance. His team leading 26 points on 6-13 shooting (and 3-5 from three) was a great way to start the season for the still young point guard. Additionally, Felton had a very solid 12 assists to go with 3 rebounds and 2 steals. As with Wallace, Felton’s most obvious flaw was his poor performance from the line (11-15).
Although it is hard to complain about such a high scoring night from your point guard, Felton showed some of the same flaws that dogged him last year. His shot selection at times was questionable, throwing up deep threes a little too early in the shot clock, or driving without working the ball around to spread the defense. For the most part, those shots were falling for him against the Bucks. However if he wishes to improve upon his poor shooting percentages of last season, he must mentally prepare himself to be a more efficient and intelligent scorer. As was the theme for the entire squad, Felton must also do better from the line, especially in late game situations. If Felton wants the ball in his hands during the final seconds of a game, he must be able to shoot consistently from the charity stripe.
After the departure of Brevin Knight, the Bobcats are now firmly in the hands of their young floor general. With the explosive duo of Richardson and Wallace manning the wings, and Okafor a capable option in the post, Felton’s passing options are now more numerous than in prior seasons. As long as the former Tar Heel is able to keep his turnovers down, and his shooting percentages up, this may be the year that Felton joins Deron Williams and Chris Paul as one of the best young point guards in the league.
Emeka Okafor
Okafor posted a solid 17 points on 7-11 shooting, but all eyes were on his free throw numbers. ‘Mek was only able to muster a 3-13 performance from the line, terrible even for a big man. Fortunately Okafor was able to make up for some of his free throw woes by posting an excellent defensive stat line of 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 1 steal.
Any analysis of Okafor’s opening night starts and ends with his free throw ordeal. His performance at the line in the 4th quarter allowed the Bucks to stay in the game, a very dangerous proposition for such a young team. While some of the blame may be pinned on Felton, Okafor must also be prepared to head to the line and make key shots down the stretch. Additionally, although his 17 points were respectable, Okafor at times looked out of synch on offense. As with many of the team’s problems, it may have simply been a case of opening night jitters. Still, the expectations are high for him to put together a solid season offensively, and Okafor must become a more fluid player to better complement the explosive perimeter players around him.
Emeka has made it clear that he is playing this season in pursuit of a max contract. However, Okafor certainly won’t have teams lining up to offer him the max should he continue his offensive woes. While the defense and rebounding are valuable contributions to his team, he will need a more consistent offensive game to deserve such a huge contract. If his scoring does not vastly improve over the course of the year, or if he has any more injury issues, the Bobcats will be faced with a difficult decision. Is a defensively excellent yet offensively deficient player worth a max deal? How well does Emeka fit in with the high flying games of his teammates? These are questions that the Bobcats front office will be looking to answer in the coming season.
Jason Richardson
Charlotte’s newest high flyer made a splash in his regular season debut. 3rd on the team with 21 points, Richardson’s points came almost entirely in the closely contested 4th quarter. His shooting percentages were not spectacular (8-19), but his performance from three (3-5) was encouraging. Richardson also helped out on defense, adding 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
Jason’s effect on the game is not entirely visible from the box scores alone. 21 points is certainly a decent game, and the fact that most of those points came at clutch times was even better. Jason also looked very energetic, and was vocal throughout the game. Richardson showed potential to become a fan favorite, diving and sliding for loose balls, getting crucial steals, and even getting the crowd pumped up during Bucks free throws.
With questions about the acquisition of Richardson rampant this offseason, Jason needs to have a solid opening half of the year to appease the Bobcats faithful. While many in the Charlotte area were excited to finally shed the “cheap” label by landing a big money player, there were those that questioned the prudence of adding such a one dimensional scorer at the cost of a talented young draft pick. Like him or not, Richardson undeniably fills a glaring need for perimeter scoring, and if he continues to bring the defensive intensity the Bobcats may have made an excellent pickup.
Primoz Brezec
Brezec did not exactly stuff the box score, posting a measly 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block. Such a dearth of production in 20 minutes of playing time is extremely disappointing, and served to highlight the Bobcats need for frontcourt depth. Brezec should not be a starter for a contending team, and if the Cats are to take it to the next level an adequate center should be their top priority.
The Bench
This game was the first regular season look at rookie coach Sam Vincent’s substitution and rotation strategies. Unfortunately no one on the bench exhibited a particularly excellent game, again highlighting the team’s desperate need for depth. Jeff McInnis inexplicably played 24 minutes, with little statistical success. Walter Hermann only played 11 minutes, struggling to find a rhythm. He contributed to several botched switches on screen and rolls that allowed Mo Williams to get to the bucket with ease in the 4th quarter, showing a disappointing lack of intensity for such a close game.
With excitement running high in Charlotte after an offseason that saw the Bobcats finally starting to put together a competitive ball club, an opening season win was a great start for the team. Despite the issues with free throw shooting, overall the team played well, showing great promise for the rest of the year. While the lack of depth may continue to cause headaches for the rest of the season, the starting 5 is capable of staying with any team in the league, which bodes well for the future of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Special thanks to Fatlever of the Bobcats forum for his contributions to the article.
Questions, Comments? Contact the author at quintendf@gmail.com |
