Should we model our lineup after the Phoenix Suns?

[psycho]

Seeing the success that Phoenix had this year, What do you think about building our lineup to play \"small ball\". It would accomplish a couple of things.
* It would get our best athletes on the court
With a lineup of Felton / free agent SG / Morrison / Wallace / Okafor on the court we should be able to run with anybody and we\'d have less plays where Primoz gets isolated and abused defensively.

* It would give us 2 all-star caliber players next season
Gerald Wallace would have monster numbers in this type of wide open offense, and you saw what Felton did in the 2nd Phoenix game last season, he was every bit as good as Steve Nash.

* and it would put fans in the seats
The Phoenix game as an example was arguably the most entertaining game of the season that the Bobcats played. They lost 128 - 125 ( too lazy to look it up right now ) but it was by far the most fun. Those kind of run and gun shootouts will put some fans in the seats and maybe get us a nationally televised game or two this season.

What do you think?

[heelfan]

I love the idea, but I don\'t think the Bobcats want to make Okafor a full time center. He had those back injuries at UConn, then the ankle injuries last season.
Its too early in his career to label him injury prone, but if hes banging against 275 pound centers every game, then we\'re asking for trouble.

[psycho]

heelfan wrote:

If hes banging against 275 pound centers every game, then we\'re asking for trouble. :) Thats the beauty of the system, If the Bobcats are running and gunning, then hes not in the post bumping and grinding for 40 minutes a game. Playing him at center in a Phoenix Suns style offensive sytem will help keep him healthy.

[Wallace15]

I like the idea, but you have to remember that all of the Suns starters could hit 3\'s like crazy. Thats where half their points came from. If we did that we wouldnt have as much success because not all of our starters would hit the 3 like that.

[psycho]

Felton can hit the three. Morrison (if we draft him) can hit it no problem. Any SG that we pick up in free agency (if we go that route) should be able to hit it. Gerald shot 28% from three range last season, with some work, I\'m sure he could get that up to 33 or 34%, so that would give us 4 out of 5 people in our lineup that you\'d have to respect from three point range.

I know, I know... thats a lot of IFS that would need to happen.

[tamburello]

As an expansion team with lack of season ticketholders, it would be a nice start for filling up the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Because people want to see fast games and run \'n gun play style.

I have always wanted to see Bobcats as a well-balanced team(i.e. Dallas), but we don\'t have the Mavericks\' roster, though. If this system will help us to become a regular playoff contender, then it is OK. But that\'s just it, Phoenix will never be champions with this system. They won\'t go further.

[psycho]

tamburello wrote:

If this system will help us to become a regular playoff contender, then it is OK. But that\'s just it, Phoenix will never be champions with this system. They won\'t go further.
Tamburello has a real good point,
One of the things that scares coaches and GMs away from using this type of system is that its percieved as being a \"gimmick\" system that you can\'t win with, and until somebody finally does win with it,then hes absolutely right. Next season however, when the Suns get a healthy Amare Stoudamire back in their lineup, I think that they\'ll be the odds on favorite, and if they win it all then there will be 7 or 8 teams playing that style the following year.

[Dead_Real]

With Felton running the point I see us playing more like the suns, but if your talking about run and gun Rudy Gay would fit better in the system than Adam Morrion. And I agree that game was the best game to watch this season but Feltons best game was against the Cavs when he went held up against Lebron in the 4th.

[buckethead]

I agree with Tamburello, you can win some games and be entertaining playing that style of basketball, but ultimately you can\'t win championships playing that style.

[Dead_Real]

Why because the suns didnt run that way? the fact of the matter is that Felton plays better in that style thats how he played at Latta and at UNC.

[ashy_larry]

If Bernie let Felton really open it up and we ran like hes capable of, then he would be an all-star THIS season. He\'d easily be looking at 21 points and 9 assists in that type of offense.

[Slam]

You can\'t halp but love watching the Suns play. It really is a sensational specticle, but like Wallace15 said, we don\'t have the shooters to do it the same way and drafting Morrison wouldn\'t help, he wouldn\'t be able to keep up. Gay or even Carney would be much better fits.

We culd run an abridged version of the run and gun basing it more on slashing and weak side cuts to get our points that way.

We sure do look like a better team when we run that\'s for sure and with felt\'s speed, ability to push the ball and create, it would be more beneficial to utilize his strength - which is speed.

I agree psycho, Crash would freak out in that environment. I could see him averaging 20ppg playing that way

[heelfan]

Looking at the Bobcats lineup, these are the guys that would excel in a Phoenix style offense

Felton
Crash
Okafor
Primoz
B-Rob
Alan Anderson
Matt Carroll

These guys would struggle
Sean May
Jake Voskul
Melvin Ely
Lonny Baxter
Brevin ( if hes still here )

... in my opinion.