You may have noticed the 2006 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge rosters were announced the other day. Three point guards were selected for the rookie team -- Chris Paul (Hornets), Deron Williams (Jazz) and Nate Robinson (Knicks). Chris Paul and Deron Williams are locks -- no question about it. You have to give them both credit.

Paul has set himself apart from the pack and Williams has been steady. Paul is the main reason his team is currently in eighth place in the Western Conference and in the playoff hunt. Barring injury, he is the runaway Rookie of the Year. He is a special player. Paul is averaging 16.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 43 percent from the field, 27 percent from three-point range and 82 percent from the line. Deron Williams has been solid. His numbers don’t pop out at you, but Utah is two games under .500, and that is certainly a factor. Here are Williams’ numbers -- 45 games, 19 games started, 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, .380 field goal percentage, .310 three-point percentage and .710 free throw percentage.

If Paul and Williams were selected to go and that was it, that’s fine, cool, no problem. But here’s the thing, a third point guard was selected -- Nate Robinson. He is already heading to Houston to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest, which is great, I look forward to seeing him. Maybe it will be shades of Spud Webb or Dee Brown -- I can’t wait to see him perform. But Robinson over Raymond Felton on the rookie team? I don’t think so. Ain’t right!

Let me start by saying that Robinson has shot lights out from three-point range until this point. On the season, he’s shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc. That’s a big-time number. I’ll give him that, but that’s it. The performance of the teams shouldn’t be a factor. The Bobcats have struggled with injuries, lots of injuries, so many in fact that rookie Raymond Felton is THE ONLY BOBCAT TO PLAY IN EVERY GAME! As far as the Knicks, they’ve been a major disappointment. With a payroll over $100 million they have just three more wins than the second-year Bobcats. Now, do I believe that Larry Brown is going to get it done? The answer is yes, it will take time to get his players in, but once he does the Knicks will win. But that isn’t the point here -- it’s Nate over Raymond. I just don’t see it.

In 21 games as a starter, Felton has three double-doubles; in 18 games as a starter, Robinson has zero. Felton has four double-figure assist games with a career high of 13 against Washington; Robinson doesn’t have one game of 10 assists, and his career high is seven vs. Milwaukee -- Ray has 10 games of seven-or-more assists. As a starter, Felton is averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and1.4 steals while shooting 41 percent from the field, 33 percent from uptown, and 64 percent from the line. In 18 games as a starter, Robinson is averaging 11.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 41 percent from the field, 48 percent from three (I already said I’ll give him that) and 74 percent from the line. They both have scored a career high of 21 points, but Ray has two 20+ point performances to Robinson’s one.

How about this? In games that they both play 32 minutes or more here are the numbers -- Felton averages 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.0 steals and shoots 43 percent from the floor; Robinson is averaging 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and shoots 42 percent from the floor. The numbers keep jumping out -- over the last six games, Robinson has a total of 26 points, while Raymond scored 20 points in his last game against the Hawks.

Felton deserves to be in Houston on All-Star Weekend. By the looks of it, you can forget about the dunk contest and put Robinson in the three-point shooting contest!

Give me a little more time and I could build a case for Ray over Deron Williams.

There is one good thing about Felton not being selected -- I spoke to him this morning after shootaround, and let’s just say he’s a little motivated. You know what I mean.

Home Sweet Home

Tonight the Bobcats open up their longest homestand of the season against the Cavaliers -- the next six in a row are here at home, and eight of their next nine are right here in the Queen City. It’s good to know that I can put away my suitcase for a while.

LeBron (James) is in town tonight after a 44-point explosion yesterday against Phoenix in a 113-106 Cavaliers win. With his team down 72-55 midway through the third quarter, LeBron took over, and at the end of the third it was 87-84 Suns. James scored 32 points in the second half -- 16 in the third and 16 of the Cavs 29 in the fourth for the win. At 21 years of age (he turned 21 on December 30), he’s one of the great players in the game, and when it is all said and done, he may be “The Greatest.” What separates him right now from MJ and Kobe are rings and not just one, multiple rings. But let’s remember he’s been 21 for about three weeks.

After two uninspired games last week in San Antonio and Houston, the Bobcats have played competitive basketball the last two games -- at home Friday night against Miami and Saturday in Washington. Yes, I know they’ve lost 11 straight (a franchise record), but if they continue to battle like they have the last two games, that streak will end soon.

Four players have stood out over the last two games -- Raymond Felton, Primoz Brezec, Matt Carroll and Jumaine Jones. Ray has back-to-back double-doubles, including a career-high 13 assists in Washington. Ray has spent the majority of the last two games in the lane, driving to the bucket. Felton can beat anyone in league off the dribble! Like Felton, Primoz has produced back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds. Matt has made a “three” in seven-straight games, shooting 68 percent during that stretch. Friday against the Heat, Matt pumped in a season-high 20 points. Jumaine Jones is starting for the injured Gerald Wallace and is playing his best basketball of the season. Jumaine has made a “three” in eight-straight games and has scored in double figures in four of the last five games.

Melvin Ely has been back for four games and is averaging 11.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, giving the Bobcats a low-post offensive presence again. Kareem Rush returns tonight after missing the last 13 games and 17 of the last 20 with an injured left index finger. Kareem will come off of the bench for the first time this season. Rush has played in 24 games this season, scoring 20-plus points five times -- all in November. Remember November, when Rush was lighting it up against the Pacers, Knicks, Wizards, and Sonics?

The Bobcats need him to play like that again, like when he scored a career-high 35-points against the Pacers. This is a great opportunity for Kareem to show the league that he can produce at a high level for a consistent period of time.

It’s always fun to go to Washington, DC with our crew because it’s Adrian Branch’s and Stephanie Ready’s hometown. It’s great to hear them talk about growing up in the Nation’s Capital, playing ball and seeing all their friends from back in the day. Although, Stephanie’s back in the day really isn’t that long ago -- like the 1990’s. Of course, AB is a local hero in DC, having played at DeMatha for the legendary Morgan Wooten and then at Maryland for Lefty. Adrian was shaking hands and kissing babies right up until airtime.

Tonight’s game can be seen on News 14 Carolina. After tonight, our next broadcast is this Friday when 81 (Kobe Bryant) hits town. The Lakers game will be broadcast on WJZY.

Take care and thanks for watching.

Something's Gotta Give Here

What do you do now?

The Bobcats injuries keep coming and the list keeps growing. At this stage, the injuries account for 130 player games missed, the Bobcats have used the second-most starting lineups in the league behind the Knicks. The only reason the Knicks have used more lineups is simple, Larry Brown is like a chemist right now, trying different lineups to find out what works in his first year in the Big Apple. The injuries account for over 65 percent of the offense and 75 percent of the rebounding for the Bobcats. Melvin Ely returned this past Tuesday in San Antonio, so that should help.

Last Saturday in Milwaukee, I had an opportunity to catch up with my brother-in-law, Duffy Conroy, who is an assistant basketball coach for Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It was great to see him and his family. He and his wife, Nikki, just had their first child, a baby boy, Callum. We all gathered with some friends at the diner in the The Pfister Hotel for breakfast. Duffy is on Rob Jeter’s staff at UWM. Jeter and Duffy both came from Wisconsin. Jeter was the Associate Head Coach and Duff was the Director of Basketball Operations for Bo Ryan. While the Bobcats lost to the Bucks that night at the Bradley Center, right across the street at the old Mecca, UWM beat Wright State to grab first place in the Horizon League. Jeter is one of the great young coaches in the country and will be a big-time coach one day. By the way, Bo Ryan is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. He has won consistently in a place, Wisconsin, and in a league, the Big Ten, where few thought it was possible.

After the game, we flew to San Antonio for our next stop on the road trip. On Sunday the Spurs were at home against the Nuggets, so Stephanie Ready and I went to the game. Denver did an outstanding job of doubling Tim Duncan on the pass and keeping Tony Parker out of the lane. Parker and Duncan are first and third in the league in producing points in the paint. Parker is averaging a career-high 19.6 points, with 12.5 in the paint. The Nuggets won by four with great “D.”

Tonight the Bobcats host the Heat in front of a sold-out crowd. The game can be seen on WJZY. Also, Jake Voskuhl joined me in studio for the taping of “Bobcats Insider” this week. You can see the show every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. on WJZY.

Take care and thanks for watching.

Wallace Absolutely Amazing

AMAZING!

As Gerald Wallace finished strong taking it to the house with a dunk, I looked over at Brevin Knight, and BK summed up GW’s second-quarter performance with one word -- AMAZING. Gerald had just stolen the ball from the Bucks on Friday for the sixth time in the first half and the fifth time in the second quarter. GW finished with a franchise-high-tying eight steals -- an NBA season high. Wallace produced 21 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, four blocks and those eight steals, just missing a triple-double.

How does he do it? I don’t know, it’s truly amazing…the pace he plays, high flying, body on the floor, in the stands chasing every loose ball, blocking shots of seven-footers and don’t forget, that was his third game in four days. And in those other two games, GW delivered equally amazing performances.

On Tuesday night in the Bobcats double-overtime win at home against Houston, Gerald played a career-high 51 minutes with 26 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and blocks blocks. After the game, the Bobcats traveled to Toronto, and by the time the team got to the hotel it was 3:30 a.m. On Wednesday night in Toronto, GW found enough energy to play 41 minutes. If you saw GW in warm-ups, you wouldn’t believe he could play half those minutes after the career-high 51 minutes. But Wallace did, and he produced 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block. Early Thursday morning, we flew back home to Charlotte.

At 2:00 p.m. Thursday, Gerald was nice enough to join me in studio to tape a segment for our TV show “Bobcats Insider.” The show airs every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on WJZY. GW was dragging and moving slowly after playing a total of 92 minutes in back-to-back nights. It’s remarkable that he is able to do what he does night-in and night-out with the intense speed in which he plays when you factor in the travel, the back-to-back games, four games in five nights, plus the incredible talent at this level.

After those two great individual games for GW, he then put on a performance on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks that Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff called one of the greatest performances he had ever seen.

Truly AMAZING!

Take care, and thanks for watching.

Catching Up After The Holidays

Happy New Year! This is my first blog since before the holidays. You know the typical excuses -- the holidays, games, travel, family in town, more games, travel and important time with my wife, Erin, and our three sons. The holidays were a blur -- jam packed and I loved every minute of it. Here are some of the highlights:

December 14
The Bobcats end an eight-game slide behind a season-high 25 points from “The Jersey Guy” Brevin Knight. The best part, BK did it in front of his folks.

December 16
My brother-in-law, Eddie Conroy, is an assistant basketball coach to Buzz Peterson at Coastal Carolina. With his family moving from Knoxville to Myrtle Beach, it has enabled our families to get together more often, which is a big bonus. Coastal was on the road at UNC Wilmington, so his wife Ginny and their three children, Riley, Hunt and Hannah drove up to Charlotte. Erin and Ginny brought all “the cousins” in their Bobcats gear and Emeka Okafor jerseys to the Pistons vs. Bobcats game. They loved every minute -- the arena, seeing the players up close, getting an Kevin Burleson autograph, in-arena entertainment, going inside the TV production truck after the game and getting the knit cap giveaway. The kids are all huge Bobcat fans and it was great to see them together having the time of their lives. Despite losing to Detroit, having “the cousins” together was a highlight. As Riley said (remember he’s a coaches son) “that’s alright, we’ll get the next one.” Riley was right, we did get the next one. That Monday night the Bobcats beat Sacramento. We wrapped the weekend up with a Checkers game against the Florida Everblades at the Arena.

December 20
Bobcats win big at Chicago…one name…Gerald Wallace...three things -- block…block again...takes a charge. THE BEST DEFENSIVE SEQUENCE BY ONE PLAYER I HAVE EVER SEEN! Plus, the game featured the starting backcourt of Knight and Felton. They combined for 41 points in the “W”.

December 24
My parents and brother came to Charlotte for the Holidays. Saturday was a fun-filled day that started at Ovens Auditorium for “The Christmas Show”. It’s a big hit with the kids, seeing Santa singing and dancing. Then it was off to church -- we went to a beautiful children’s mass. The greatest joy this time of year for me is being with my family and seeing my children with that gleam in their eyes. It brings a warm smile to my face just thinking about it. The night ended with reading “The Story of Christmas” to my boys and leaving Santa cookies and milk.

December 25
Christmas Day. The day was filled with joy and laughter. By the way, Santa ate the cookies and milk.

December 26
On the way to the airport I caught up with Hubie Brown, who announced the Lakers vs. Heat game the day before (yes, I was able to settle in and watch some hoops on Christmas Day). Hubie is one of my favorite people to talk to. Every time I talk to him I learn something new about the game of basketball and life. He is the ultimate teacher.

December 27
Shorthanded win at Atlanta. The Bobcats shoot 49 percent on the road and the starting backcourt of BK and Felton do it again. We, also, had our highest rating of the season on News 14.

December 28
The Bobcats hold the Bulls to 35 points in the second half and beat Chicago for the second time in nine days.

December 30
We did not televise the game vs. Phoenix, so I was able to go to the game with my sons and parents. If you love sports, there is something very special about going to a game with your children and your parents.

January 3
The Bobcats had a private screening in Boston for the movie “Glory Road.” The screening was set up with the help of Brevin Knight and Scott Leightman, our vice president of public relations. Even if you are not a basketball fan, this is a must see. The movie takes you through the 1965-66 season for Texas Western and culminates with the national title game between the Miners and Kentucky. Texas Western won the national title with the first all African-American starting five. Later that night, I met up with an old college friend and we took in the UMass vs. Boston College basketball game. The Eagles put up 91 and came away with the win.

January 5
I saw another great movie. It was the first time in a long, long time that I’ve seen two movies in one week. My wife, Erin, and I went to see “Good Night and Good Luck.” This movie takes place during the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950’s with Edward R. Murrow as the central figure. George Clooney directs and Dallas Mavs owner, Mark Cuban, is one of the executive producers. Another must see.

January 10
Emeka Okafor returns to the line-up -- we hope!

Take care and thanks for watching.

December 9, 2005

Looking Forward To Rush's Return

It’s a snowy, cold Friday in Philly. It looks like Kareem Rush will return tonight after missing the last two games with an injury to his left index finger. Kareem had it going before he got hurt at Golden State. In the eight games prior to his injury, he averaged 20.2 points. With the way the Bobcats have been shooting, it will be nice to have him back.

Also, Primoz Brezec didn’t make the trip because of flu-like symptoms. Melvin will start in his place. Last year Mel averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in his 17 starts.

While the Bobcats have dropped five straight overall, the Sixers have lost four straight. During their losing skid, the Sixers have been outrebounded 191-157 and are shooting just 41 percent from the field. Hopefully, we’ll have a repeat performance of the November 4 game when the Bobcats won by 17 here in Philadelphia.

It was a quick stop at home after our eight-day West Coast trip. I couldn’t sleep on the red-eye home after the Lakers loss on Sunday night, so I borrowed a DVD from Steve Martin our radio announcer. Steve always has a good DVD selection with him. The movie was “The Interpreter” starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman. Sean Penn is one of the great actors of our day, but this film was just a time kill.

By the time we landed and I got home, my house was starting to wake up. I took my two oldest sons off to school and then hung out with my youngest before falling asleep watching Blues Clues. My boys wanted to wait until I got home to get our Christmas tree, so my middle son, Ian and I went to get the tree on Tuesday. Ian picked out a winner. Tuesday night was “the lighting of the tree.” My tree lighting was interrupted by my BC Eagles losing to Michigan State by seven - yes, instead of Christmas carols, I’m listening and watching a hoops game while I’m lighting the tree. Fortunately, there is NBATV, which helps when you’re up at 2:30 a.m. Still, there is nothing like seeing your kids faces light up when they see the lights on the tree.

Yesterday before we left for Philly, I taped our first “Bobcats Insider” show at our studio in the Arena. The weekly show airs Sunday mornings on WJZY at 10:00 a.m. Also, if you are not in the Charlotte area and you are looking for our Bobcats TV Network affiliates, you can now find them on our webpage. Go to the Fans button, click on Broadcasting and at the bottom of the page it will let you know which affiliates our airing our games.

Take care and thanks for watching.

December 2, 2005

Maybe It's The Bobcats Turn

We’re in San Francisco, CA getting ready to leave for the game tonight in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. On the road there are two buses that leave for the game - simply put “the early bus” and “the late bus.” The first bus leaves for the arena at 4:45 p.m., and that’s when all the announcers head over along with coaches and some players. After the game we head to LA for our first meeting with the Lakers on Sunday night.

So far, we’ve lost the first two games on our first trip out West. Despite starting the trip 0-2, there have been a couple of individual highlights. Primoz Brezec picked up his first double-double of the season Tuesday night in Sacramento and then followed that up with a season-high 21 points. Also, Kareem Rush continues his hot streak. He’s hit a three in 11-straight games, shooting 44 percent during that stretch, and over the last eight games, he’s averaging 20 points.

Off the court, there have been a couple of highlights, and of course they involve eating. In Sacramento, Joe Sharpe (Head Athletic Trainer), Scott Leightman (VP Public Relations) and I hit Frank Fat’s. Frank Fat’s is a legendary local Chinese restaurant in Sacramento. It has been a staple of local politicians for years. It’s the best Chinese restaurant in the league. The Frank Fat’s steak (smothered in sautéed onions) and the honey glazed walnut shrimp are worth the trip over and over again. I love diners and I try to find one in every town we go. In Seattle, it’s the 13 Coins or as the locals call it “The Coins.” It’s open 24/7, so you can’t go wrong. A lot of the time after road games, you don’t have many choices to eat because many kitchens are closed by the time you get there at 10:30 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. But when you’re in Seattle, you know you have “The Coins.” Todd Minhinnett (Senior Producer Bobcats TV) and I hung out there talking hoops and TV. It’s a diner, so the menu has everything. I went with the Seattle seafood omelet, hash browns and pecan pie. Breakfast and pie at 11:30 p.m. is good stuff. Todd went for spaghetti and meatballs.

Have you noticed that over the last four road games the Bobcats opponents have all had some issue or something to prove just when the Bobcats hit town? First in Minnesota, the Bobcats where in town after KG went public with his feelings about Kevin McHale and the direction of the organization. Then in Boston, it was Doc calling his team soft and benching Mark Blount. Sacramento hadn’t reached .500 yet, Peja hadn’t played in three games with injuries, and they were concerned with the return of GW. Then in Seattle, they had lost three-straight with two All-Stars, and they hadn’t committed to “D” yet. Well, tonight in Golden State, everything is going great for the Warriors. They enter December with the most team wins (11) since 1975. They are 26-9 with Baron Davis as their starting point. The Warriors are in first, for the first time since 1992. Maybe tonight the Bobcats can be the cause of the issue with a “W.”

Thanks for watching and take care.

November 26, 2005

Matt's Holiday Musings

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My family traveled to Charlotte from around the country to spend it with us. It was a great day! There is nothing like family, kids, touch football, stomp rockets, dancing to Elvis (don’t have enough time to explain - it’s a long story), turkey and my mom’s stuffing. Plus they were all able to see the Bobcats big “W” against the Knicks at our amazing new building. Thankfully, GM and Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff pushed back our flight time to Boston on Thanksgiving Day, so we could all spend more time with our families. Only thing I didn’t get in with my family was desert, so I took my favorite, two big slices of pecan pie with me for the flight to Boston. I wasn’t the only one carry on a little extra food. Brevin Knight, Emeka Okafor, Stephanie Ready and few others all brought along a little home cookin’.

GW in the house. How about the return of Gerald Wallace against the New York Knicks? His energy and desire are endless. How do you quantify that with numbers? Well here it is: With GW the Bobcats are +9 in total rebounds, +4.5 in offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds, opponents field percentage is 44 percent instead of 48 percent, free throw attempts are +3, field goal attempts are +8 and the Bobcats average 99.8 points instead of 93.3. And how about this, with Gerald playing, Emeka averages 15.6 points and 10.6 rebounds compared to 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds without him. Then here’s the most important number: with GW the Bobcats are 3-4 and without 1-5.

I want to take a moment to congratulate the Bobcats TV department. We were nominated for an Emmy last week for “Best Live Show” production. The game that was nominated was the Lakers vs. Bobcats game from last season. You remember the one, the Kobe shot. Yeah, that heartbreaking loss. You don’t even get nominated without the hard work of everyone on a game production. There are as many as 30 people that work on our shows. It’s our producer Todd Minhinnett, director Johnny Tyuos and the folks that work in the truck; like the technical director, graphics operator, associate producer, cameramen, utilities, stage manager and announcers. It’s everyone, coming together, working hard to put on a show that we hope you will enjoy. Congrats!

We are on News14 Carolina tonight against Washington. Take care and Thanks for watching. Talk to you next week from the West Coast.

November 18, 2005

Storylines Everywhere In Matchup With Pacers

I just got back from shootaround and our TV production meeting here in Indianapolis, Indiana where the Bobcats take on the Indiana Pacers tonight in the second game of a home-and home-series. The Bobcats had a lively shootaround, as you would expect after their big-time win on Wednesday night back home against the Pacers. After not being able to play on Wednesday because of left knee tendonitis, veteran point guard Brevin Knight was back on the floor working with the first unit. It was great to see Gerald Wallace, who has been out for the last four games with a right wrist injury, take part in shootaround, too. GW is still a week or so away and he probably won’t return until the West Coast trip.

When we are on the road, our TV production crew will always meet after shootaround in the hotel lobby to discuss the game that night. In the meeting are Todd Minhinnett (producer), Johnny Tyous (director), Adrian Branch (color analyst), Stephanie Ready (sideline reporter) and myself. Following the Bobcats 122-90 win over the Pacers, there are so many great storylines to cover. The Bobcats scored a franchise-record 122 points, had their largest margin of victory (32 points), made the most three’s made in franchise history (11), got a career-high 35 points from Kareem Rush and Raymond Felton made his first career start and notched a double-double with a career-best 18 points and 10 assists. Wednesdays’ game was the most complete game I’ve seen the Bobcats play in their brief history. After the first quarter, they outscored Indiana 100-60 and they controlled both ends of the floor. What made it even more impressive is that they did it against a team that has NBA title expectations.

But those aren’t the only storylines. Sean May is also coming back home to Indiana. Sean moved to Bloomington, Indiana when he was 13 years old and as all of you know, he chose Carolina Blue over the Hoosier Red. That still stings a lot of folks here, since his father Scott led Indiana to the National title in 1976. Sean was Mr. Basketball in Indiana and a three-time All-State player at North High School. I spoke to Sean earlier this morning, and he said he had a chance to go home last night after the team arrived in Indy. Bloomington is about a 40-minute drive from Indianapolis, so there will be a lot of Sean’s family and friends here tonight supporting Sean and the Bobcats.

You’ll hear all about this and much more when you tune in to watch the Bobcats on News14 Carolina tonight at 7:00 p.m. This has all the makings of another great game - a young team trying to prove itself again - this time on the road - and the other team claiming that they are ready for an NBA title run, trying to prove that they truly are ready to make that commitment.

After the game, we head to Minnesota to take on Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves at 8:00 p.m. Saturday on News14 Carolina. I don’t know if you saw last night’s game between the Timberwolves and Wizards, but if you missed it, KG was the Big Ticket again leading his team to a “W” over the Southeast Division leading Washington Wizards. KG just missed a triple-double (25 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists).

The Bobcats will return home for a Thanksgiving eve game against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. It will be great to get a couple of days at home with my family before the Knicks game.

Take care and thanks for watching.

November 11, 2005

Bobcats Will Pick Up Slack With Wallace Out

Tonight the Bobcats wrap up their first-ever homestand against the Dallas Mavericks at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Charlotte has a chance to finish the four-game homestand .500 with a win before we take off for Miami and Orlando.

The tough thing is the Bobcats will be without their top scorer and top energy man Gerald Wallace for a week or so. Gerald has a small bone-chip fracture in his right wrist. GW injured it Wednesday against San Antonio. He doesn’t even remember the play it happened; he just keeps going. He is tough and is all heart. He embodies the type of “Bobcats Basketball” that Head Coach & General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff has instilled in this franchise since day one. It’s a week-and-a-half into the season and GW has already dealt with a sore left shoulder, a mild concussion, an injured wrist - and that’s the stuff we know about. You know, if GW could go, he would. The Bobcats will miss his energy.

Raymond Felton is also questionable because of back spasms. Raymond received treatment this morning and is scheduled for more treatment this afternoon. Hopefully, he’ll be good to go. It looks like the Bobcats will have Kareem Rush back, and he’ll be joined in the starting line-up by Keith Bogans.

After not playing in the first two games of the season, Keith has played strong “D” for the Bobcats. Last Saturday vs. Boston, he limited All-Star Paul Pierce to two points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

If you have followed the Bobcats from day one, you know that no matter who is on the floor, the team will play a full 48 minutes. Speaking of playing a full 48, check out some of these numbers from early in the season (league rank): first in steals, first in forced turnovers, second in points off turnovers, seventh in scoring, second in free throw attempts, tied for third in offensive rebounds and fourth in points in the paint.

The Bobcats opponent tonight the Dallas Mavericks are 2-2 and off to their worst start since the 1999-2000 season. The only player left from the Mavs team that went to the 2003 Western Conference Finals is Dirk Nowitzki, and he left the floor in the second quarter with a strained back in the Mavs last game in Philly on Wednesday night. Nowitzki did participate in shootaround this morning, so we’ll see if he’ll go tonight. If you check his history, he’s a go. Dirk has missed just 20 of a possible 542 games.

After the game we head to Miami. It looks like no Shaq, but they still have D-Wade, ‘ZO (leads NBA in blocks), Antoine Walker, J-Will, James Posey, etc. Saturdays’ game can be seen on WJZY and across the Bobcats Television Network. The affiliates carrying tomorrows game: WUPN Greensboro/Winston-Salem, WRDC Raleigh, WWMB Myrtle Beach/Florence, WSKY Manteo/Norfolk, WEPX Greenville,NC, WPXU Jacksonville, NC, WDRL Roanoke, WAPK Tri-Cities, TN and WBHQ Columbia, SC.

Hopefully, the homestand will finish like it started with a “W” - although a little breathing room would be nice. My heart was pounding last Saturday on opening night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena against Boston when fellow blogger Matt Carroll was called for being out of bounds with eight seconds left, giving the Celtics the chance for a final shot. To Matt’s defense, we had an angle on TV that showed he got pushed from behind by rookie Orien Greene.

Monday was Mehmet Okur night, as his career-best 31 points led the Jazz. Since we didn’t televise Monday’s game, I had a chance to catch up with one of the legends of my industry Hot Rod Hundley. He has been announcing games in this league for 38 years and has been the voice of the Jazz since 1974. I love hearing the stories from “back in the day.” Hot Rod has seen so much of this league’s history. I have always valued the knowledge and perspective of the pioneers in my industry.

Hot Rod and I not only talked hoops, we also talked about broadcasting. Bill King, the long time voice of the Oakland A’s, had just passed away. King at one time announced games for the Golden State Warriors and Oakland Raiders. Along with Lon Simmons (Giants), he was truly the Voice of the Bay Area. Hot Rod shared with me stories about Bill when he was in the league announcing games for the Warriors. I remember when I first entered the league, I made a point to introduce myself to Chick Hearn. Chick was so gracious and kind to me; I’ll never forget that.

The Bobcats took on the reigning World Champion Spurs Wednesday night. They are without a doubt the best team right now in the Western Conference and maybe the league. Remember Detroit is still undefeated and playing with an “it-wasn’t-all-Larry Brown” purpose.

So that leads us back to tonight - the Mavs are in town and I’m heading down to the arena for our TV production meeting and our game. Thanks for watching.

November 4, 2005

Good Plans Fall Through

I had plans to tell you about a great night last Saturday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena where my broadcast partner Adrian Branch and I hosted the Jump Ball Gala. It was a black-tie benefit for the Bobcats Charitable Foundation. The highlight of the evening for me was when the rookies got up to sing, or at least attempt to sing.

Last year Steve Smith started the tradition of the Bobcats rookies singing their alma maters fight song at the team luncheon. Emeka hummed the UConn song and somehow Bernard Robinson had trouble getting through ‘Hail to the Victors’, but they did it - they played along and that’s the point. And everyone loved it. This year before the event I went to Emeka and Brevin Knight to ask if they wanted to continue the one-year tradition. Emeka had a big smile on his face when he said “OOOh yeah, definitely” and Brevin was ready to take the lead when it was time. So in front of a few hundred people there were Sean May and Raymond Felton (two Carolina guys not knowing all the words to their schools fight song) singing our National Anthem. As they sang, you could see the entire crowd get on their feet, hand on heart and begin to sing along with them. Then it was Alan Anderson and Kevin Burleson’s (two Big Ten guys) turn to sing a duet. The next thing you know everyone is singing Happy Birthday to Kareem Rush who had a birthday coming the next day. All four rookies pulled it off big time.

I had plans to tell you about an interview I did with Emeka this past Monday, some of which aired at halftime of opening night. After the interview was over, we sat there talking about foreign films and how much he enjoyed the movie “City of God”. Of all the interviews I have done in my life, that was a first. You get a sense when talking to him that he is so comfortable and confident with who he is as a young man. I admire him for that. I mean. how many sports guys do you know watch foreign films and then tell everyone about it? He is a great young talent and a quality person.

I had plans to tell you about a call I received Tuesday night from former Bobcat Jason Kapano. J-Kap was in Memphis getting set for the Heat’s opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. We talked a lot of hoops and ribs.

I had plans to tell you about an amazing opening night in Chicago at the United Center. Gerald Wallace started the game against the Bulls with a steal and dunk. The Bobcats where in control. GW had his best game as a pro, tying his career high in points with 28 (18 in the first half). He started 7-7 from the field before he missed a shot. It was like he had been saving up all that explosive energy during the summer and then let it out at 8:44 p.m.

Emeka had his usual double-double (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Melvin Ely produced 13 points and a team-high 15 rebounds. The Bobcats led by 19 points at the half while shooting 53 percent from the field and had just five turnovers while the Bulls where forced into 14 turnovers leading to 20 Bobcat points. When the second half started the Bobcats increased their lead to 25 points. It was 70-45. At the end of three quarters, the Bobcats led 89-68. That’s 89-68 over a Bulls team that had the third best record in the East last season. Through 36 minutes, the Bobcats were dominating the game: +6 in field goals made, +10 in free throws made, +12 in points in the paint, +10 in fast break points, +8 on the boards, +8 in steals. Man what a game - what a night!

Just when you start thinking about how huge this win would be, it happened! Bobcats shots stop falling in the fourth quarter, the Bulls who owned the best field goal defense in the NBA last season turned up their “D” and had the Bobcats heads spinning. Bulls Head Coach Scott Skiles reached deep into his bench and grabbed veteran three-point shooter Eric Piatkowski, who hadn’t seen action all night, and what does Piatkowski do? He drills a three, then another three and then another three. Piatkowski produced 11 points on 4-5 shooting in the fourth. The Bulls cut the lead to single digits. That great night was slipping away.

The Bulls smothering defense created eight fourth-quarter turnovers. All this and former Duke standout Chris Duhon was en route to his first career triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.

You keep looking at the clock, the score, the clock, the score, and think to yourself, This can’t be happening.” The Bobcats were holding on, up three with under 10 seconds left…98-95 Charlotte. Bulls with the ball in the frontcourt, clock ticking, ok…stay on Piatkowski…check…find Duhon…got’em…Ben Gordon, last year’s Sixth Man of the Year…yup…Chandler…here...Darius Songaila on the right wing?

Darius Songaila, who had attempted all of three three-pointers in his NBA career.

Darius Songaila, who had never made a three in his two-year NBA career.

Darius Songaila, who in four years at Wake Forest made 12-35 from downtown, and that was from 19 feet.

Songaila…clock ticking…Songaila…5.1seconds left…. no….No….Nooooooooo!!!!!!!! Got it…tied at 98 at the end of 48 minutes. Going through this again, it’s still hard to take. The Bobcats lost a heartbreaker to the Bulls in overtime, 109-105.

The Bobcats were up early Thursday morning for practice in Chicago before leaving for Philadelphia where they take on the 76ers tonight. We’ll be talking about this one for a while - it’s the kind of game that sticks with you, but you have to move on. Games come at you fast in the NBA. Starting tonight, the Bobcats have three games in four days. Tonight at 7:00 p.m., the Bobcats take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The game can be seen on News14 Carolina in Charlotte and Raleigh. Then the Bobcats host the Boston Celtics in their home opener at Charlotte Bobcats Arena Saturday night. That game can be seen on WJZY in Charlotte, WUPN Greensboro/Winston-Salem, WRDC Raleigh, WWMB Myrtle Beach/Florence, WSKY Manteo/Norfolk, WEPX Greeneville, NC, WPXU Jacksonville, NC, WDRL Roanoke, WAPK Tri-Cities and WBHQ Columbia, SC. On Monday it’s the Bobcats and the Utah Jazz from Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

There are 81 games to go. But that one hurt.

October 28, 2005

Counting Down The Days

I can’t wait for opening night in the NBA, with only six days and counting until the Bobcats take on the Bulls in Chicago.

I love watching hoops. It’s Thursday night, and I’m checking out the Magic and Heat right now on TNT. It’s good to see Jason Kapono getting some time for Miami. I’m one of those guys that when I get home from calling a Bobcats game, I’ll stay up watching West Coast games until the wee hours of the morning.

Speaking of watching games, I’m thrilled that we got our television deal done and that our fans will be able see the Bobcats on News14 Carolina and WJZY UPN46. Our first game on WJZY is opening night in Chicago against the Bulls (Wednesday, November 2). The first time we will appear on News14 Carolina is our second game of the season from Philadelphia against the 76ers (Friday, November 4). Then it’s the home opener on WJZY for the first game ever from Charlotte Bobcats Arena against the Boston Celtics (Saturday November 5).

The Bobcats open up against three teams that made the playoffs last season. In fact, eight of their first 10 games are against teams that made the playoffs last season - each with a little different look this year.

Chicago has Sixth Man of the Year Ben Gordon making the transition into the starting lineup. I think the Bulls may miss the veteran Antonio Davis up front. Philadelphia finally has their man, Mo Cheeks, at the helm. Since Larry Brown left just two seasons ago, they’ve gone through some coaches - Randy Ayers, Chris Ford and Jim O’Brien. Boston has gotten younger, and the question is how long will it take for Paul Pierce’s frustrations to show? Keep an eye on Al Jefferson in his second year out of Prentiss High School in Mississippi.

San Antonio added Michael Finley - watch out. Gregg Popovich does it again. He gets an all-star willing to give up time and money for the chance to play for a ring. Dallas is trying to really be the “Big D.” With head coach Avery Johnson, the Mavs have gone away from Nellie’s we’ll out score you approach to a team the wants to D up.

How about Miami? Pat Riley spearheaded the biggest trade in NBA history involving five teams 13 players. But two important things remain the same for the Heat - they have Dwyane Wade and Shaq.

The last of those playoff teams from a season ago that the Bobcats will face in the first three weeks is Indiana. The Bobcats play them two times in three days in a home-and-home series. How different will the look be for Indiana? For the first time since 1988, someone other than future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller will start at shooting guard. That someone is Stephen Jackson, who will move from the three.

I love all this stuff.

It’s going to be an exciting season, and the East is going to be a lot tougher. Bobcats General Manager and Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff and I talked about that earlier on today when we taped a couple of segments for a “Get Closer” special that will air next Wednesday at 8:00 pm before our first game at Chicago on WJZY. And of course, we talked a lot of Bobcats.

Friday night the TV crew is going to have a dry run from the new arena during a Bobcats scrimmage. I’m looking forward to it because the last game I announced was back in May during the playoffs. It will give everyone on the crew a chance to get comfortable in their new environment. Plus, I’m excited to see our new graphics in a game situation. Our producer, Todd Minhinnett, showed me and our director, Johnny Tyous, the new look today. Todd did an amazing job putting everything together. The new graphics and elements look great.

I’ve been fortunate to see all the buildings in this league, and this one here in Charlotte is special. I’m glad that so many people had a chance to see the arena over the weekend. I took my two oldest sons, Jack and Ian, along with our neighbor, Woody Lay, to see it. I loved seeing their reactions to everything they saw. They didn’t want to leave. Their eyes were glued to the scoreboard. We were all WOWed!

There are 82 games, with 65 televised. I can’t wait (by the way, it’s halftime in Phoenix, the Suns lead the Warriors by one). We’ll talk about those teams later on down the road. But real quick - yes, I do think the Warriors may end their playoff drought that dates back to CWebb’s rookie year 1994.

Take care.