What Exactly Happened To DJ?

[spectre]

How can you perform to your best ability when you got a coach that you know doesn't want you to shine b/c of their personal loyalty to Felton? When you know your coach doesn't have confidence in you, it makes it hard on you to have confidence in you. Just look at DJ's Free Throw % drop. How do you explain that? It's you, the ball, the basket and your mind... It's confidence, it's someone tearing you down...

Any idea if he's feeling better about the situation going into next season ballwhore (with the rumors of Felton not being brought back)? I've been saying DJ should start over Felton since day one. I hope DJ likes it in Charlotte and gets that chance next season.

LB fought with MJ to get DJ over Lopez! If anyone should have been feeling concern it should have been Felton!

First it was LB...then it was Flip. I'm shocked that someone hasn't suggested Felton has been poisoning his water bottle.

LB is well known for breaking down/building back up PGs. Maybe DJ doesn't have the stomach for that. Either way he has to take some of the responsibility.

[Demon DeaCat]

I truly believe the only player who has consistently hurt us is Boris. He just does not seem that invested in our team. It is really a shame because he has the talent to be a real asset to our team most nights. More often than not he does not show up.

When Emeka was day dreaming though many nights of basketball we knew he had an attitude problem or was just lazy. I feel the same with Boris. Both have talent and we have seen it when they apply themselves, but that is not often.

Anyway, other than Diaw, I don't think anybody else is a problem for next season.

I know this is a thread about DJ, so I apologize for going off topic, but I think this is a little unfair. Boris definitely struggled to find his role earlier in the year after we traded for Jackson and didn't play well for a stretch, but after the all-star break, he was pretty solid. He hit double figures in 29 of the last 35 games and had some pretty stellar performances. Even flirted with a triple-double on several occasions. I thought he was key to our ability to attack zone defenses with his passing ability. Yeah there were times when we probably needed him to be more assertive offensively, but to say he "consistently" hurt us just isn't true, especially the second half of the year.

I'd be the first to say I'd like to see TT get more of the minutes at PF, maybe even start, but Boris is a talented player who helped us this year and will help us next year too if he's here.

[Proudiddy]

LB fought with MJ to get DJ over Lopez! If anyone should have been feeling concern it should have been Felton!

First it was LB...then it was Flip. I'm shocked that someone hasn't suggested Felton has been poisoning his water bottle.

LB is well known for breaking down/building back up PGs. Maybe DJ doesn't have the stomach for that. Either way he has to take some of the responsibility.

Well, that's the perception I have of it... After seeing LB's gushing over Felton in the media and protecting him when he wasn't doing so hot... Then the pre-game talk to Felton they showed before the playoff game. The UNC connection. That's how I view it.

DJ is showing all the signs of not playing with confidence, and I'm speaking from experience. In mine, I dreaded even going to practice. If DJ is feeling like LB has it out for him and Felton is already in the "building back up stage" who could blame him?

[SWedd523]

I distinctly remember DJ guarding The Human Torch (thanks again Ray) on multiple occasions, and more often than not, he was fighting through screens and forcing him into fadeaway jumpers whereas Felton was either getting burnt by the screen and letting Jameer get to the paint, or cheated off and let him drop three after three after three after.... (Hand down, man down anyone?)

DJ's PER and other "advanced" stats could also be lower because he was on the floor with Larry, Tyrus, Boris, or other lesser parts than Crash and Jack (who claim much more attention on the offensive end) so I can understand why he would be lower. Especially with half the minutes Ray played.


The fact that this discussion is even taking place is a testament to how badly Ray performed. Last year everybody was clamoring for DJ to take the starting spot because he was a 19/8 guy as a starter and otherwise played very, very well (other than his defense).

This year that calmed down because he's been in a season long shooting slump. However, his defense has shown tremendous improvement (to where it was at least on Felton's level... for at least as long as the Magic series)

It's long been a forgone conclusion that DJ is far superior to Ray offensively. Now that he has shown to be able to play defense close to Felton why wouldn't we give him a shot? I'm not willing to commit long term to mediocrity for the sake of stability. Not in Mek's case, and not in Felton's case.

As a buddy of mine told me recently. Stick a fork in Felton. He's done.

[spectre]

LB is well known for falling in and out of love with players, but I can't buy that a UNC bias is overruling everything else stuff. If that were true Sean May wouldn't be in Sacramento.

If it wasn't for LB DJ wouldn't be in Charlotte...but maybe that's why he hates him.

[spectre]

I distinctly remember DJ guarding The Human Torch (thanks again Ray) on multiple occasions, and more often than not, he was fighting through screens and forcing him into fadeaway jumpers whereas Felton was either getting burnt by the screen and letting Jameer get to the paint, or cheated off and let him drop three after three after three after.... (Hand down, man down anyone?)

You were at the 4th game right? Did you miss the stretch where DJ was on Nelson in that game in the 2nd quarter? I posted about that. I also posted on another instance in game 3 (I think). Nelson isn't in attack mode every minute; at times Felton was on him and he didn't do anything.

During that 2nd quarter of the 4th game tho Nelson took it to him like 4/5 times. He got into the paint on him and hit 2 shots...the other times he pulled them both away from the screenee and they got open shots.

DJ's PER and other "advanced" stats could also be lower because he was on the floor with Larry, Tyrus, Boris, or other lesser parts than Crash and Jack (who claim much more attention on the offensive end) so I can understand why he would be lower. Especially with half the minutes Ray played.

Could be...but I thought a lot of those advance stats were individuals unlike the DTRG. Either way...they certainly don't point to a "good" 4 game series for him.

Of course no one's really do.

The fact that this discussion is even taking place is a testament to how badly Ray performed. Last year everybody was clamoring for DJ to take the starting spot because he was a 19/8 guy as a starter and otherwise played very, very well (other than his defense).

No one is arguing about how badly Felton performed...wait, I take that back; some are putting it all on Felton for his failure and others (including the players and both coaches) say it's more complicated than that.

19/8...what's the 8? Assists? I guess anything is possible.

I've never thought he was as bad defensively as a lot of others. It's been his weakness in distributing the ball and looking for his own shot over getting others involved.

Do you remember the two times in the 4th game where he dribbled the ball down, never passed it and shot a contested shot?

Stuff like that.

This year that calmed down because he's been in a season long shooting slump. However, his defense has shown tremendous improvement (to where it was at least on Felton's level... for at least as long as the Magic series)

Good qualifier at the end, because Felton has consistently shown to be a better defender this season. Again tho...I've never thought DJ's defense was that bad.

It's long been a forgone conclusion that DJ is far superior to Ray offensively. Now that he has shown to be able to play defense close to Felton why wouldn't we give him a shot? I'm not willing to commit long term to mediocrity for the sake of stability. Not in Mek's case, and not in Felton's case.

In shooting 3s. Even in his rookie season he shot an inferior 2 pt % to Felton...and that's not something to be bragging about (it was close though). He was actually WORSE than Felton finishing at the rim his rookie season. His assist rate nor his assist/t'over rate has never been as good as Felton's.

As a buddy of mine told me recently. Stick a fork in Felton. He's done.

Eh...we'll see. According to Ingram a month ago the Bobcats considered it a high priority to re-sign him. Maybe those 4 games totally changed their minds. Maybe not.

[ballwhore]

@Spectre... The reason he came to the camp at the last minute is for all we are discussing. He wasn't looking forward to coming to camp who shows up to a job they hate 30 minutes early. Bet your bottom dollar he'll be there this year early in a house and not a condo in south park that in itself is a commitment to the imminent change coming. I'll have more info tonigh or tomorrow he is coming home tonight. I'll let you guys know some of what I find out. By the way he loves Charlotte Higgins, and of course Jordan. LB not so much.

[Fred Williamson]

I'm not willing to commit long term to mediocrity for the sake of stability. Not in Mek's case, and not in Felton's case.

As a buddy of mine told me recently. Stick a fork in Felton. He's done.

I'll have more info tonigh or tomorrow he is coming home tonight. I'll let you guys know some of what I find out.

please do so

[spectre]

@Spectre... The reason he came to the camp at the last minute is for all we are discussing. He wasn't looking forward to coming to camp who shows up to a job they hate 30 minutes early. Bet your bottom dollar he'll be there this year early in a house and not a condo in south park that in itself is a commitment to the imminent change coming. I'll have more info tonigh or tomorrow he is coming home tonight. I'll let you guys know some of what I find out. By the way he loves Charlotte Higgins, and of course Jordan. LB not so much.

Ah...I was assuming the "hate" came about this year since it didn't seem to affect him last season so much. I guess you're saying that it just got so bad for him that it didn't really affect his game until this year?

[spectre]

please do so

Would it be for mediocrity or a step or two back?

Either way...just because someone signs a contract doesn't mean he's here for the life of it. As nasty as Mek's contract was I think we still came out ahead in that deal. If we'd have let Mek walk we'd have been a lot worse off that following season.

All this is pointless. Until we know LB's decision (sorry...not taking the OP's word as gospel) no one really has any idea in what direction the FO is headed.

I do want to hit on one thing I missed to Swedd's post; DJ was playing with Hughes, etc. mainly...but he was guarded by Jason Williams. I can't believe anyone wouldn't think going 5 for 17 against him isn't a huge disappointment...esp. considering that scoring is DJ's forte.