Keys to Beat Spurs
By Ketrell Marshall
bobcats.com
January 30, 2013
KEY MATCHUP vs. BULLS
Kemba Walker vs. Tony Parker
Kemba Walker has put the team on his shoulders this season, leading the Bobcats in scoring (17.9), assists (5.8) and steals (1.91), while also averaging 3.5 rebounds in 34.9 minutes. Walker is one of five players in the NBA who leads their team in scoring, assists and steals along with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Goran Dragic. In his last five outings, Walker is averaging 20.6 points, 6.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.80 steals. He’ll need to continue his strong all-around play as he gets ready to go against All-Star point guard Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs… Through 47 games Parker has led the Spurs in scoring (20.1) and assists (7.5). Parker has been on an offensive tear in his last five contests, averaging a double-double (24.2 points, 10.0 assists), shooting 56.8 percent from the field and pulling down 3.6 rebounds… Walker’s knack of being a terrific on-ball defender could be key in slowing down Parker and leading to a Bobcats victory.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS (11-33)
The Bobcats head into San Antonio having split their last two contests. This will also be the second game of a five-game road trip for Charlotte… A fast-paced style of play continues to be effective for the Cats, as they rank fourth in the NBA in fast break points (17.3). The up-tempo style is generated because of the success of Bobcats guard play. Four of the top five scorers for the Cats come from the guard position, Walker (17.9), Ramon Sessions (14.7), Ben Gordon (13.3) and Gerald Henderson (12.7)…The big men continue to protect the paint at an elite rate with 6.54 blocks per contest led by Bismack Biyombo ( 1.71), good enough for fourth in the NBA.
SCOUTING THE SPURS (36-11)
The Spurs have rattled off eight straight wins by an average margin of victory of 9.4 points and rank third in the NBA with 104.4 points per contest… A big reason for the San Antonio’s success is their offensive efficiency. The Spurs boast some impressive numbers on the offensive end, ranking first in assists (25.2), second in field goal percentage (.486), sixth in free throws (.785) and sixth in 3-point percentage (.379)… Defensively, the Spurs rank 10th in the league in points allowed (96.3) and rank fifth in steals (8.6) led by Kawhi Leonard (1.82)…San Antonio currently boasts the league’s best winning percentage (.766).
TUNE IN
Make sure you follow the Cats as they take on the Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in San Antonio and the Rockets at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday in Houston. Follow the Bobcats by watching the games on SportSouth or listening on WFNZ. Join in on the conversation by following the live in-game chats at bobcats.com or download the Bobcats app on your smartphone.