Update on Bell!

[teej]

Not as bad as we thought

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4042142

[davcbow]

Thats real good news.... Hurry back Raja...:cool:

[TattoodCats4life]

Yes absolute best of everything for Raja "The Exalted One" Bell.

[spectre]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090406/SPORTS0102/904060386/1265/Larry+Brown++Allen+Iverson+can+still+play


Brown said before the game that starting guard Raja Bell, a key cog in the Bobcats' resurgence, could miss the rest of the season with a right calf injury.

Probably not a bad idea as it stands now.

[spectre]

Just bumping the last Raja thread in lieu of making another...

Every Play Counts - All Defensive Teams (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=63)


SHOOTING GUARD
First Team - Shane Battier (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/card.php?id=193), Houston. Battier has actually played slightly more at small forward, but he's been primarily at shooting guard since Tracy McGrady (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/card.php?id=2195) went down at midseason and has continued to harass opposing wings. They've posted a dismal 13.3 PER against Battier at small forward, 12.7 at shooting guard. The numbers showed Battier to be a lockdown defender long before conventional wisdom caught up and he began to be recognized around the league for his D.

Second Team - Dwyane Wade (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/card.php?id=3472), Miami. Forget everything Wade has done on offense. Blocking 1.4 shots per game from his shooting guard position might be Wade's most impressive feat this season. The only guards to top that mark, per Basketball-Reference.com (http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/tiny.cgi?id=8Mq6F), are Vince Carter (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/card.php?id=544) and Michael Jordan. Wade has to take an occasional possession off on defense (understandable given his heavy load at the other hand), but has still been an impact defender overall for the Heat (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/team.php?id=MIA) this season.

Honorable Mention

Raja Bell, Charlotte - Bell was written off as a stopper when Phoenix traded him, but he's contributed to a much-improved Bobcats (http://www.basketballprospectus.com/team.php?id=CHA) defense and still has good opponent numbers.
IMO he's the primary cause of "a much-improved Bobcats' defense"...just look at our ranking pre-Raja, during Raja and our fall after Raja went down from the season.

[teej]

And his intangibles, he is the leader of the team. Both on the court and off. And hes the only one that carries any weight with the officials.