Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Charlotte’s Adam Morrison, Steve Martin
November 14, 2006
Hornets.com caught up with Charlotte rookie forward Adam Morrison and Charlotte radio play-by-play broadcaster Steve Martin prior to Tuesday’s game at the Ford Center. Morrison was the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft after a decorated career at Gonzaga. Martin is a former Hornets broadcaster and has been with the Bobcats since the inception of the franchise in 2004-05.
Charlotte forward Adam Morrison
Q: What is your assessment of the way you’ve played so far? Are there areas where you believe you need to improve?
A: I haven’t played as well as I wanted to. But I’ve been doing alright in some stretches. Hopefully as a team, we’ll start to put it together and start to get some more wins.
Q: What’s been the biggest difference you’ve noticed so far between college and the NBA?
A: I think the 24-second shot clock. That makes the game go by so much quicker. And obviously the players are so much bigger, stronger and faster (than in college). The travel has obviously been different than college – things like playing four games in five nights, I haven’t experienced that yet. From guys I’ve talked to who’ve played in the league in the past, I kind of had an idea of what to expect, but there are going to be things that kind of catch me off guard.
The biggest thing people tell me is that (after a bad game), you have to let it go, because you play so many games in the NBA. Everyone has bad nights, and I’m not the first guy to have a stinker. You have to put it behind you. It’s not like college where you might have a week to think about it before you play again.
Q: What kind of reaction have you gotten from fans or other players about your EA Sports commercial in which you talk about crying on national TV at the end of Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament defeat?
A: I’ve gotten mostly positive reaction. A lot of people laugh at it or give me some crap about it, but overall it’s been good. Mostly (the negative reaction) has come from fans. None of the players have really said anything about it.
Q: What advice have you gotten from Michael Jordan so far? What are some of the things he talks to you about?
A: He’s told us to play hard and play smart every day. He’s the ultimate competitor, so he definitely wants us to start winning and putting things together.
Q: How important is winning Rookie of the Year to you?
A: Not very. Obviously it would be a great honor, but like I said earlier, I just want to help this team win, in any way, shape or form. I think the number one goal for any draft pick is to try to do whatever it takes to improve the team, not (to achieve) personal accolades.
Q: What’s the story behind why you grew a mustache? Was it part of a bet you made with a friend?
A: Yeah. It was one my teammates (at Gonzaga). He didn’t think I could grow a mustache. I told him that if I could grow one, I’d keep it [smiles].
Charlotte play-by-play broadcaster Steve Martin
Q: By going 26-56 in their second season in 2005-06, the Bobcats improved by eight victories, despite sustaining a multitude of injuries to key players. What is a realistic goal for this season in terms of victories?
A: I think if we won 26 games being unhealthy, I think this group can get into the mid-30s if they’re healthy. Current play aside, there’s a thought that maybe we can do what Orlando did near the end of last season and make a run at a playoff berth. We need to do that in our town for the Bobcats to be successful. We need to engage the city in a playoff race and see what the water temperature is.
Q: During the offseason, Bobcats guard Raymond Felton said that if the team stayed healthy, the Bobcats could make the playoffs. Is that realistic?
A: Well, it’s good to have goals. That’s what (head coach) Bernie (Bickerstaff) is saying. If you do make the playoffs, it will be because you played so hard. We’ve kind of gotten away from that a little bit the first six games of the season. But I think it’s OK to talk about (the playoffs) if that’s how you’re going to play, that it’s your goal.
I think that’s what Bernie’s message is to the team. But it’s not too brash. And I think if we don’t make a run this year, then we’ve got to make a run next year, because year three is a key one for the franchise. Because we’re going to have plenty of cap space in the summer to sign a significant free agent. This team should be markedly improved going into next season.
Q: What kind of progress is Adam Morrison making so far?
A: In rookie free-agent camp and summer league, he looked terrific. I think there’s been a little bit of ‘sticker shock’ in regular-season play. He started out fine, but he’s in a little bit of slump right now. I think he’s gone 4-for-20 in the last few games, but I think that’s temporary out of him. He’s a kid who is an instinctive basketball player. He’s not just a shooter; he’s a scorer who will take it inside and get to the foul line. He’s got to get out of this momentary shooting slump, and he’ll be fine.
Q: After winning Rookie of the Year, Emeka Okafor missed 56 games to injury last season and his statistics dropped across the board, but he has been tremendous early this season. Was it just a matter of being healthy for him?
A: Well, not only healthy, but he also had to get back down to his rookie weight. Over the summer between his rookie year and his second season, he thought that if he was going to be banging around a lot in the post, he needed to bulk up. And that hurt him. He wasn’t as fluid, and he didn’t get up after shots (defensively) the way he did the year before. Then he had the two ankle injuries that took him out for the season.
He lost a lot of that weight, about 25 pounds in the offseason. Right now he’s looking fantastic. Now we’re seeing the Emeka of his rookie year, with a noticeable improvement in his shot selection, and his ability to get shots.
Q: What impact do you think Michael Jordan will have on the Bobcats?
A: I think it will be a considerable one. He led the charge to draft Adam Morrison and had a lot of input in the draft. I think he’ll have a considerable input in the free-agent market. (Bobcats owner) Bob Johnson has given him considerable latitude to oversee and consult Bernie Bickerstaff. So Bernie has a pretty good resource to draw from. I think Michael will have an appreciable impact this summer.
Q: What is your opinion of the Hornets, who got off to a 4-0 start but enter tonight on a three-game losing streak?
A: What they did in the offseason was remarkable. They managed to put just the right pieces in place to make themselves a playoff-bound team in the West, and a very tough out (in the postseason), depending on what team they match up against. These guys run the floor a lot and run the Princeton-type offense that Byron Scott wants very well. They’ve got a great shooter like Peja Stojakovic, and I’ve always loved Bobby Jackson. Unfortunately Bobby has been plagued by injuries, but he is a young man whose motor is always on.
Hornets.com caught up with Charlotte rookie forward Adam Morrison and Charlotte radio play-by-play broadcaster Steve Martin prior to Tuesday’s game at the Ford Center. Morrison was the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft after a decorated career at Gonzaga. Martin is a former Hornets broadcaster and has been with the Bobcats since the inception of the franchise in 2004-05.
|
Q: What is your assessment of the way you’ve played so far? Are there areas where you believe you need to improve?
A: I haven’t played as well as I wanted to. But I’ve been doing alright in some stretches. Hopefully as a team, we’ll start to put it together and start to get some more wins.
Q: What’s been the biggest difference you’ve noticed so far between college and the NBA?
A: I think the 24-second shot clock. That makes the game go by so much quicker. And obviously the players are so much bigger, stronger and faster (than in college). The travel has obviously been different than college – things like playing four games in five nights, I haven’t experienced that yet. From guys I’ve talked to who’ve played in the league in the past, I kind of had an idea of what to expect, but there are going to be things that kind of catch me off guard.
The biggest thing people tell me is that (after a bad game), you have to let it go, because you play so many games in the NBA. Everyone has bad nights, and I’m not the first guy to have a stinker. You have to put it behind you. It’s not like college where you might have a week to think about it before you play again.
Q: What kind of reaction have you gotten from fans or other players about your EA Sports commercial in which you talk about crying on national TV at the end of Gonzaga’s NCAA Tournament defeat?
A: I’ve gotten mostly positive reaction. A lot of people laugh at it or give me some crap about it, but overall it’s been good. Mostly (the negative reaction) has come from fans. None of the players have really said anything about it.
Q: What advice have you gotten from Michael Jordan so far? What are some of the things he talks to you about?
A: He’s told us to play hard and play smart every day. He’s the ultimate competitor, so he definitely wants us to start winning and putting things together.
Q: How important is winning Rookie of the Year to you?
A: Not very. Obviously it would be a great honor, but like I said earlier, I just want to help this team win, in any way, shape or form. I think the number one goal for any draft pick is to try to do whatever it takes to improve the team, not (to achieve) personal accolades.
Q: What’s the story behind why you grew a mustache? Was it part of a bet you made with a friend?
A: Yeah. It was one my teammates (at Gonzaga). He didn’t think I could grow a mustache. I told him that if I could grow one, I’d keep it [smiles].
|
Q: By going 26-56 in their second season in 2005-06, the Bobcats improved by eight victories, despite sustaining a multitude of injuries to key players. What is a realistic goal for this season in terms of victories?
A: I think if we won 26 games being unhealthy, I think this group can get into the mid-30s if they’re healthy. Current play aside, there’s a thought that maybe we can do what Orlando did near the end of last season and make a run at a playoff berth. We need to do that in our town for the Bobcats to be successful. We need to engage the city in a playoff race and see what the water temperature is.
Q: During the offseason, Bobcats guard Raymond Felton said that if the team stayed healthy, the Bobcats could make the playoffs. Is that realistic?
A: Well, it’s good to have goals. That’s what (head coach) Bernie (Bickerstaff) is saying. If you do make the playoffs, it will be because you played so hard. We’ve kind of gotten away from that a little bit the first six games of the season. But I think it’s OK to talk about (the playoffs) if that’s how you’re going to play, that it’s your goal.
I think that’s what Bernie’s message is to the team. But it’s not too brash. And I think if we don’t make a run this year, then we’ve got to make a run next year, because year three is a key one for the franchise. Because we’re going to have plenty of cap space in the summer to sign a significant free agent. This team should be markedly improved going into next season.
Q: What kind of progress is Adam Morrison making so far?
A: In rookie free-agent camp and summer league, he looked terrific. I think there’s been a little bit of ‘sticker shock’ in regular-season play. He started out fine, but he’s in a little bit of slump right now. I think he’s gone 4-for-20 in the last few games, but I think that’s temporary out of him. He’s a kid who is an instinctive basketball player. He’s not just a shooter; he’s a scorer who will take it inside and get to the foul line. He’s got to get out of this momentary shooting slump, and he’ll be fine.
Q: After winning Rookie of the Year, Emeka Okafor missed 56 games to injury last season and his statistics dropped across the board, but he has been tremendous early this season. Was it just a matter of being healthy for him?
A: Well, not only healthy, but he also had to get back down to his rookie weight. Over the summer between his rookie year and his second season, he thought that if he was going to be banging around a lot in the post, he needed to bulk up. And that hurt him. He wasn’t as fluid, and he didn’t get up after shots (defensively) the way he did the year before. Then he had the two ankle injuries that took him out for the season.
He lost a lot of that weight, about 25 pounds in the offseason. Right now he’s looking fantastic. Now we’re seeing the Emeka of his rookie year, with a noticeable improvement in his shot selection, and his ability to get shots.
Q: What impact do you think Michael Jordan will have on the Bobcats?
A: I think it will be a considerable one. He led the charge to draft Adam Morrison and had a lot of input in the draft. I think he’ll have a considerable input in the free-agent market. (Bobcats owner) Bob Johnson has given him considerable latitude to oversee and consult Bernie Bickerstaff. So Bernie has a pretty good resource to draw from. I think Michael will have an appreciable impact this summer.
Q: What is your opinion of the Hornets, who got off to a 4-0 start but enter tonight on a three-game losing streak?
A: What they did in the offseason was remarkable. They managed to put just the right pieces in place to make themselves a playoff-bound team in the West, and a very tough out (in the postseason), depending on what team they match up against. These guys run the floor a lot and run the Princeton-type offense that Byron Scott wants very well. They’ve got a great shooter like Peja Stojakovic, and I’ve always loved Bobby Jackson. Unfortunately Bobby has been plagued by injuries, but he is a young man whose motor is always on.
