SI.com scout preview of Bobcats (and every other team)

[ajbry]

Just came across this on another NBA forum - really comprehensive and the scouts seem to be dead on (well, that is their job, right?).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/10/11/bobcats.scouts.preview/index.html

Just click on the drop-down menu for the other teams.

[CatNation]

the hell is he talking about?

not sure if Gerald Wallace is fake hustling or not?

Nazr is an older version of Diop? they are complete opposites in how they play the position...

DJ takes it to the basket too much and doesn't look for teammates? lol...obviously this guy is looking at stat lines and not the ganes, or else he would know we don't even run the offense through DJ and most of his scoring is from spot ups.

the only guy he had anything but backhanded compliments for is Sherron lol

[Chef]

got no problems with this except the "can't tell whether wallace is fake hustle or real hustle". come on now. then spending the next two paragraphs answering your own question.

"heart? i am all heart motherf____!"

[ohara831]

The Scout was from the Raptors most likely! Oh hush my mouth, that was mean to Toronto. More likely a Knicks scout!

[Black]

Gerald totally faked his collapsed lung.

[LiquidWayno]

Some dumbass comments in there, no doubt. I'm sure the reason Boris is never in shape is because he is too busy hitting the books instead of the weights. Riggghhhht. Just too smart for his own good. Smart people would always turn down the open shot to pass to someone in traffic.

[Felton for Prez]

Fake hustle usually equates to 10 RPG from a SF.

[teej]

Fake hustle usually equates to 10 RPG from a SF.

And going from being a benchwarmer for three years to an All-Star.

[BlockParty]

For a professional scout, he should be fired. The scouts are suppose to provide the benefit of the doubt to the opposing team to prevent his/her own team taking the team too lightly (ala Beasely in Miami last season that suggested the Bobcats would be no problem to beat...we won by 39 points). Then again, maybe he was smoking the same thing Michael B was. Or maybe he is the alter-ego of Hollinger at ESPN and his stats theories that miss the boat so often.



I just don't see Augustin being able to take over the point-guard responsibilities full time. He isn't a Larry Brown point guard who comes down and gets the team into the offense and distributes the ball on a consistent basis. A Larry Brown point guard has to pass the ball, get it back and get it to the other side in order to attack. A scoring point guard like Augustin will take it to the basket because he's not looking to create plays for everybody.
Augustin's size is another problem. He is capable of getting to the rim but he shies away from deep penetration because he has trouble in there. Defensively, there are bigger point guards who can post him up. There are definitely spots where you could get the most out of him for a time and then get him out of there. But as a starter playing anywhere near 30 minutes, he won't be effective over the long haul.


He's not a Larry Brown PG, despite the fact that Larry is the one that pushed for him in the draft! nice research! Coming into this season, DJ only needed to improve the mental aspect of being coached. I think we will find last season was the exception for him.


How is he going to be able to stay in front of the bigger point guards night after night?

See Fourhorsemen comments in other threads...we'd actually love for a PG to get in a lane and get excited about going to the rim, GW and TT can take turns pinning the attempted dunk.


I keep trying to like Gerald Wallace's game, but I just can't -- which doesn't mean he isn't impressive. The guy collects stats and he plays hard.

Collecting stats, wonder which one of GW's stats aren't meaningiful? and if they are just collected, how come other players in the league can't collect them the same way GW does?



When a guy is falling down all of the time, it's either fake hustle or he's really giving it up, and with Wallace, I can't quite figure it out. But there's no doubt he puts up numbers.
He is one of the best in going to the basket and taking it on the dribble in transition and finishing. He's always competing for rebounds, gambling defensively and deflecting the ball and creating scoring opportunities. I think Brown would like him to be more of an all-around player, but he has to appreciate Wallace's heart and how hard he plays. Brown likes people who do a bit of everything, though I'm sure the non-shooting aspect of Wallace's game frustrates him. And Wallace is not a guy who makes plays for other people except when he's forcing turnovers. In that regard, he gives his team opportunities to score, but he doesn't make the pass while he's driving.
Most players have trouble driving when the defense doesn't respect their jump shot, but with Wallace, it's a matter of determination. He's not going to back off, and again, a lot of it comes in transition where he's got a head of steam.


You sir, are an idiot! GW actually gambles a lot less than he did prior to LB.


I wouldn't say he's among the best defenders; his prowess there comes when he's gambling away from his guy and trapping and messing with the game. He's a pest defensively, but I don't think he's a lockdown defender.

So, first team all-defensive squad doesn't qualify for among best defenders...Idiot!
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/05/05/all.defense/index.html


Boris Diaw is another multifaceted guy, though I'm sure Larry would like to see more toughness out of him on the defensive side. But that's never going to come. Diaw is the kind of guy who questions everything. He's much too smart for his own good, and Brown and a lot of other coaches don't like to have players coming up to you and questioning your game plan and why you're doing it this way. It seems like if it doesn't revolve around Boris, then he doesn't like it. But he's not good enough to carry a team.

Right, I've actually heard a number of times, from a number of players that LB loves the interaction, he loves that TT and GW have asked for coaching to make them better...maybe this scout doesn't get out much, or have an internet connection.


What he does well, though, is rebound, especially on the offensive boards.

What? he averages a little over 1 Offensive rebound per game, which is only impressive if you compare it to the fact that it equals 1/3 of his total rebounds, which is only 4 p/g. Which both are probably the least impressive parts of Diaw's game.


I don't think Tyrus Thomas will ever turn into something. He'll get everything based on his athleticism, and he'll be mistake-prone because he's doesn't have the ability to change the way he is. I don't think he'll ever be a knock-down shooter from 15 feet, a back-to-the-basket post player or a ball-handler. He's a face-up guy who can make shots, but he won't be great at it. As a defender, he'll block a shot here and there, but you can't count on him to guard the goal and design a defense around him because he won't be there for you on a consistent basis.

Except in the preseason, or the 20 mpg he had at the end of the last season, so if we just ignore any game when TT had on a Bobcats jersey, and was coached by a legitimate coaching giving him consistent minutes, then his conclusion makes sense.


Gerald Henderson could be in the league for a long time as a utility player if things break right for him. The question is whether he gets the consistent minutes he needs in order to develop. Or is he going to hang around as a practice player, which puts him in danger of being replaced when a cheaper guy comes along? Or does he get impatient and go overseas to make more money?

If Hendo doesn't work out in the NBA, he'll end up on the PGA tour, not overseas playing a game that isn't his first love.


They're facing a big drop-off at center now that Emeka Okafor, Tyson Chandler and Erick Dampier have all been sent away.

Nice point, except none of those 3 were ever on the roster at the same time!

[Muttley]

Questioning the hustle of Gerald Wallace??
Step away from the keyboard, kiddo, and let the grown-ups whose eyes are fully functional do the type-y type-y.

Seriously, this guy would be making a more accurate judgment if he questioned whether or not Wallace was anything except hustle.

Blockparty, SI should publish your analysis of this guy's analysis, instead of this guy's analysis. You clearly watch the team play, whereas this scout must read about them from some dude in Nebraska's blog. (No offense to Nebraska.)

[spectre]

Hope you don't mind ajbry, but I'm going to piggy back on your thread with BDL's preview by Kelly Dwyer.

BDL's 2010-11 Season Previews: Charlotte Bobcats (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/BDL-s-2010-11-Season-Previews-Charlotte-Bobcats?urn=nba-278961)


About a month ago, inspired by repeated references to the Green Bay Packers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/gnb/)' "Psycho defense" (a nickel alignment featuring one defensive lineman, five linebackers and five defensive backs) on "Monday Night Football," I cracked wise on Twitter (http://twitter.com/DevineBoston/status/25739498533) that if coach Larry Brown ever saw fit to roll out a lineup of Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4132/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4132/news), Eduardo Najera and Kwame Brown, we in the NBA-watching-and-writing community should refer to that as the Bobcats' "Psycho Package." Because those are all people who are, have been or play like they are crazy, you see. (If you doubt Najera's on-court nutjob credentials, I'm sure Tony Parker and Manu Ginnobili would be willing to vouch for him.)

I chose those players because -- positionally, at least -- you could theoretically get away with that lineup for a minute or two. You could let Cap'n Jack and Crash man a big backcourt while Ty and Najera harassed opposing forwards, and Kwame Eeyore'd his way back and forth beneath the basket. I doubt it'd be particularly successful, but it wouldn't be as conventionally disjointing as saying something like, "Hey, let's play D.J. Augustin at center against the Orlando Magic (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/orl/) and feed the post on every possession."

Then, friends started to help me spitball. They asked me how I could leave Boris Diaw (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3724/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3724/news) and his rampant delusions of grandeur (at least they would explain why he so often seems to carry himself like a sated emperor above deploying his Swiss Army knife talents) out of the package. They said, "You could use a point guard -- maybe Sherron Collins (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4798/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4798/news) is the crazy Smeagol type of Hobbit (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CqDk4jAv_Y4/TLnc4dNrMnI/AAAAAAAAFIE/p-HYQ-ansyY/s1600/01.jpg)." They said it wasn't really a psycho squad unless it included Ghost of Christmas Past/training camp invitee (http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/09/10/bobcats-invite-darius-miles-to-camp/) Darius Miles. And so on. Suddenly, it started to feel like it was going to be hard for the Bobcats to play a game that didn't include an appearance by some combination of legit Psycho Package principals. It'll be damn near impossible three months from now, after Larry Brown turns D.J. Augustin into a certifiable basket case.

I think the Bobcats should embrace their newfound identity as a haven for the disturbed. It's like the old saying goes: If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly. And if you're going to stock your roster with unhinged talent that can play multiple positions, you might as well give them a chance to play together. Let your freak flag fly, Charlotte. Throw the Psycho Package out there and let God sort 'em out.
"Let your freak flag fly, Charlotte. Throw the Psycho Package out there and let God sort 'em out."

Awesome!

[Scottley Crue]

Wow...after reading those statements from the random scout to SI, I wonder that scout prefers to wear a ski mask or panty hose on his head when he gets his check...because he is clearly stealing that paycheck instead of earning it.

[WAM9]

Wow...after reading those statements from the random scout to SI, I wonder that scout prefers to wear a ski mask or panty hose on his head when he gets his check...because he is clearly stealing that paycheck instead of earning it.

I agree 100%. This guy is clearly looking at the stat lines and making assumptions instead of providing real insight from watching the games.

If, by chance, he is actually watching, then he should be fired even quicker as much of his insight is absolutely crazy.

[TheBeagle]

Hope you don't mind ajbry, but I'm going to piggy back on your thread with BDL's preview by Kelly Dwyer.

BDL's 2010-11 Season Previews: Charlotte Bobcats (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/BDL-s-2010-11-Season-Previews-Charlotte-Bobcats?urn=nba-278961)

"Let your freak flag fly, Charlotte. Throw the Psycho Package out there and let God sort 'em out."

Awesome!
LOL That quote is frikkin GOLD!!!


As for the SI preview, yeah, when I got my copy I couldn't help but roll my eyes over the scout's remarks; however, I was damn impressed we are predicted as being playoff-bound again!

[kickazzz2000]

LOL That quote is frikkin GOLD!!!


As for the SI preview, yeah, when I got my copy I couldn't help but roll my eyes over the scout's remarks; however, I was damn impressed we are predicted as being playoff-bound again!
I'm borrowing that!