Training Camp A Success
October 8, 2006

The Charlotte Bobcats ended training camp with a flourish on Sunday night, playing an intra-squad scrimmage in front of about 3000 enthusiastic fans, including Bobcats Managing Member of Basketball Operations and part-owner Michael Jordan. The white team defeated the black team 70-57 in a shortened game with four 10-minute quarters. The roster was evenly divided, as the white team started Gerald Wallace, Primoz Brezec, Brevin Knight, Adam Morrison and Jake Voskuhl, while the black team started Matt Carroll, Raymond Felton, Bernard Robinson, Sean May and Emeka Okafor.

The team and the fans had a scare late in the second quarter, as May, who missed 59 games last season because of injury, hit the court hard and was down for about a minute. Wallace’s elbow hit the spot above his left eye, and the gash required eight stitches. But he will be able to practice tomorrow and play in the preseason game on Tuesday.

“It’s part of the game,” May said. “I’m glad it’s nothing too major. I just wanted to get out of here in one piece, and I’ll be fine.”

The white team had five players in double figures, led by Wallace’s game-high 17 and Walter Herrmann’s 11 points. Knight and Voskuhl contributed 10 points apiece, as did Brezec, despite missing all of training camp with a viral infection. Carroll led the black team with 12 points, and Okafor added 11. It was a hard-fought game, with both sides showing signs of brilliance for the upcoming season.

Ryan Hollins and Okafor each had a one-handed dunk, and Knight and Felton dished out highlight reel-worthy assists. Morrison showed flashes of his three-point shooting abilities, while Carroll and Wallace appeared more comfortable taking shots. The post players ran the floor with ease, and May and Herrmann showcased their inside-outside games which will wreck havoc on opposing defenses.

“It felt good to get out there and play a real game with real officials and fans,” Carroll said. “Even though we are playing against each other, we are still getting up and down the floor and getting used to running our offensive sets. We got some shots tonight, and we had a lot of fun.”

But it was evidently still a scrimmage, as the Bobcats made early-season mistakes which can only be attributed to a lack of practice. In the second quarter, Okafor airballed a free throw, to which General Manager and Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff simply shook his head. He knows his team needs more practice, but feels they have had a successful training camp.

“Our intent was good. I think they are doing well,” Bickerstaff said. “The right people are getting the shots, and there were a lot of positive things that we did.”

“(Training camp) was competitive, and guys just got after it,” May said. “Everybody came in here in good shape, and it’s been a great camp. Coach Bickerstaff did a good job of pushing us just hard enough.”

One of the most telling things about tonight’s performance was the player’s willingness to share the basketball. Knight and Felton had nine and six assists, respectively, and 30 of the 46 combined made field goals were assisted on. Felton thinks it speaks highly about the unselfishness of the team, and its dedication to playing collectively this season.

“That’s just the way we play,” he said. “We play unselfishly like that. Everybody has the same attitude, and we just want to win. It doesn’t matter about individual stats.”

This is the second straight year that the team has held training camp in Wilmington, and the fans at Trask Coliseum were appreciative of the Bobcats. They started arriving more than an hour before tip-off, and cheered loudly for all the players as they were introduced, especially May, Felton and Morrison. The fans also showed support and admiration of Jordan, who is originally from Wilmington. Although he snuck in after the scrimmage had already begun, fans spotted him and chanted his name throughout the contest.

The feeling is mutual, as the Bobcats enjoy the city of Wilmington and the lack of distractions that it provides during the inaugural week of practice. Bickerstaff enjoys the facilities and believes that it will be the location of future training camps.

“We can’t find any complaints with Wilmington, and I think it’s a good place to be,” he said. “Everybody is very accommodating in terms of what we are doing, and there aren’t many distractions. It’s great.”

“Since Raymond and I went to Carolina, a lot of people know us around here,” May said. “But for the most part, there were no interruptions and not that many people even knew we were here. Wilmington is a good place for us to hold camp because when we have a lot happening on the court, it’s important to make sure that there’s not a lot of stuff going on off the court, too. Training camp is all about business.”

Even though it was an exhibition, the competitiveness was evident, as the players did the little things that matter, like helping on defense, diving for loose balls and stepping out in the passing lane. Bickerstaff watched from the opposite sideline while his assistant coaches led the teams, and players often ran to him during a dead ball situation to ask his advice or listen to his guidance.

As much as they learn and benefit from scrimmaging each other, the players are itching to face an actual opponent. They will get their opportunity on Tuesday, as they play Orlando in the first preseason game of the season at 7 p.m. at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.