Mavericks defeat Bobcats, 101-86. Provide your scouting reports.
by David A. Arnott on Oct 27, 2010 11:05 PM EDT
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PrintIt didn't take a genius to suggest that the Bobcats might be better off this season with a small lineup, whether that involved Tyrus Thomas or Boris Diaw at the nominal center spot. Tonight, the Cats' largest players did nothing to dispel that notion, as Charlotte fell to Dallas, 101-86.
Single-game +/- is an unwieldy tool, but I think it illustrates the point in this game: When the Bobcats played Nazr Mohammed, they got smoked. When they played Diaw, they weren't quite as dominated. When they played Thomas, they came out ahead. Now, a lot of their playing time overlapped, so it's not a one-to-one correlation, and this is definitely Small Sample Size Theater, but at least now the idea that Mohammed/Diop/K. Brown are the change of pace and Diaw/Thomas/D. Brown are the default has a kernel of evidence in its favor.
If you were writing a scouting report on the Bobcats based only on this game, what would you say?
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Scouting report
Nazr needs to get got. Yeesh he was bad.
Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is,
I get more props and stunts than Bruce Willis
- Guru, of Gangstarr
I dunno
I mean I know Dallas is really good and all but we were gettin our butts kicked pretty badly. Not sure if it was just an amazing shooting night by dallas or what but shit hit the fan
Scouting report
we were raped in the third quarter, dirk the jerk always goes off on us because we don’t have a defender to guard him, one reason we have never beaten them. DJ had a bad night 2-10 shooting and missed way to many WIDE open 3 pointers. Nazr missed a lot of close range shots, and what was up with Tyson Chandler, on the alley oop gave Gerald a look, and then the thrown elbows later on. I guess they didn’t even like each other in Charlotte.
MATT CARROLL FOR THREEEE!!!!!
Larry Brown teams
are slow starting teams. I don’t think it will take too long before our rotation starts to click and we get some serious play going.
Pluses for the game:
TYRUS FREAKIN THOMAS! Kid looks like I’ve always thought he could. Awesome
UPS. Gettin mad minutes. Played well. Still a bit skiddish at times. That’s ok he’s a rookie(lol).
Our ball movement. We were getting far more wide open shots than a normal Bobcats team would get. Looked more crisp. On the neg side…we missed a lot.
We were 23-24 on free throws for the night. Stoked about that.
I’m happy with the way our rotation is going. It’s obvious LB is still trying to figure out what works where, but Liv has only practiced with the team 3 times. I think he’ll become a solid asset to the team.
NEGS for the game:
Gerald shot 5-14(but was 6-6 on FT) and had 5 turnovers. C’mon man.
Dj was 2-10. He’ll improve. It’s obvious he’s still jittery in his new role. Made a few slash and dash plays that looked really promising, and dished out well. Only 1 turnover for Dj which is a plus.
Without Tyrus on the floor we did not have a clear leader. No one was stepping up and making plays happen for themselves except Tyrus. Crash wasn’t. Jack wasn’t. Dj wasn’t. We need guys to pick it up late in the game and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Only the first game. Not living and dying by it. I’ll be at the Cablebox tomorrow for opening night! gettin my “win as one” shirt as well. GO BOBCATS!
"It's something I think about on a day to day basis: These Colors Don't Run. Love it or leave it USA #1!"-Ricky Stanzi Iowa QB and Patriot
Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, and the Charlotte Bobcats.
First thing is obvious...
Did Jax tweak his injury or what? We aren’t the same team without him on the floor.
DJ settled down 2nd half and at least 3 of his misses were shots with time expiring (at least we know he has a chance to hit them unlike our friend now in NYC)
I like the fact Tyrus is coming off the bench he’s a spark plug he provides instant offense in that second unit that I’m hoping Hendo and UPS will be that spark once Tyrus earns the starting job.
On Hendo and UPS I think they were timid this game we should see them begin to open up a little more. Hendo’s jumper sucks, but I’m not sure if it’s from the hamstring or processing too many things at once he isn’t even attempting to get to the rack. He receives the pass and is immediately looking to swing it.
Defensively we were decent. We like many teams in the league don’t have an answer for Dirk especially when he is hitting his jumper. Kidd had a big assist but that falls hand in hand with previous sentence and that ridiculous start Dallas had.
Offense had a lot more flow than recent years and I imagine will get better as the season goes on. I’m hoping this unit gets a chance to play together for extended period of time (unless we can land a top 20 center for peanuts) before LB start pushing for trades.
Henderson hit his jumper
More than we can say for DJ, who in my mind was the BIG disappointment of the game.
He missed a few open looks but....
Only 1 turnover was impressive to go along with 5 assist. Like I said he took a few shot with the shot clock winding down at least 2 I know of. DJ is a shooter so lumps come with that, they all have steaks. He did a few good things trying to get to the basket, and wasn’t a complete disaster running the team. I personally think he fits our team needs better than Felton, who by the way had about 14 pts on 6-14 shooting like 6 assist and 3 turnovers. Since DJ is much cheaper and had a very off night I don’t think the fall off is going to be that bad if at all.
Hendo hit one jumper with nobody on him and missed the other 2 badly. I think the man has talent and would like to keep him on the team he had 2 blocks and about 6 boards if I remember. 2 really bad turnovers but those are to be expected as he is essentially a rookie.
I think the +/-
Had less to do with Nazr being on the floor and more to do with the fact that the time he spent on the floor coincided with the time the Mavs starters were in the game the most (beginning of each half). But I do think the smaller lineup will cause more problems for teams this season, simply because of all the defensive switching it allows.
Well, at least it wasn't a blow out beginning...
I thought the team played very tentative early, then found energy when Tyrus got on the floor. Yes, that’s great getting that off the bench, but why not START with that energy? If this trend continues, maybe you look at switching those roles between he and Boris. Diaw was more assertive offensively early, but faded as the game went on. His defense is not great.
Too many turnovers. That’s partly because Larry doesn’t have a PG (or choose to use our PG) to QB this team and be a creator/distributor. Too much uncertainty by the team on offense, lack of leadership, led to bad passes, or everyone standing around watching Crash or Jax or somebody go 1 on 2.
On the stat sheet our rebounding looked close, but it really wasn’t. We were beaten time and again when players were contesting for the board. Most of ours were “solo” RB’s. Our lack of size in the middle, combined with no post-up game, is killing this team.
Still, Tyrus looked good. Crash did his thing, brought the lunch pail and worked his rear end off. DJ and Livingston looked OK, but we still need better production from the 1.
If it were me, I’d consider trading Crash and Diaw for a quality 5 and 2 guard. Seriously, we need a guy who can flat out shoot and score. Jax is a quality player for us, but I wonder if he’d perform better at the 3 than the 2? Put a powerful force at the 5 who can score from the post, rebound and defend, and combine that with an assasin at the 2, and you’ve got a MUCH better team.
I agree...
I love Crash as a player but looking to the future this is a business if someone were to make a trade that landed us and impact 2 and 5 we would have to do it. Even a vet 2 that can score would be good, doesn’t have to be a young player. Hendo is at least 2 years away…if ever. They don’t have a 5 I’m interested in but a Michael Redd type would be ideal.
I’m personally not too concerned with the 1. As I figured people on here would throw DJ under the bus if he didn’t absolutely kill. Preseason and Regular season are different and you could tell he had jitters. This all coming from the same people who annointed him after the preseason.
PG trouble
DJ looked like 2009 DJ. HORRIBLE.
The Bobcats will most likely be able to use Augustin’s play as a barometer. Any game that DJ stinks it up as bad as he did last night, the Cats will be hard pressed to win. Imagine how much better Charlotte would be if they had Kidd or Terry instead of DJ at the 1.
Augustin’s inability to distribute the ball (or even knock down open jumpers) on offense was less troubling to me than his complete inability to stop anybody on defense. Terry and Barea could go anywhere they wanted on the court. If DJ doesn’t step up his game, he’s going to be a liability on both ends of the floor.
Completely agree
When our PG allows the opposing PG to dish our 18 assists, our PG is simply not doing enough to disrupt the other teams’ offense.
This was only one game. Hopefully, Friday in Charlotte will be much better.
by Ft.Mill Bobcat on Oct 28, 2010 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions
DJ wasn't guarding Kidd
They played 2 PG’s most of the game with Kidd as the defensive shooting guard and offensive PG. We didn’t do a cross matchup.
However, DJ got schooled by Terry and Barea
Which is MORE discouraging because Augustin is a smaller, quicker PG that should have matched up better against Terry and Barea. Additionally, the Mavs had success many times in last nights game pushing the ball after a Bobcats missed fg by merely lobbing a lead pass over DJ’s head. Not getting back on D is one of the cardinal sins of playing PG.
And as well as Henderson played in the first half, i was disappointed that he didn’t get the 2nd half minutes that Livingston got playing alongside DJ. I felt like Henderson would have done a better job defensively against Kidd.
DJ wasn't "horrible"
Shooters, which he is, have off shooting nights. DJ isn’t a volume scorer though and our offense stagnates so much at times the PG is putting up a terrible shot (i.e. Raymond last year)
I will go ahead and tell you DJ will have more of these game this season but the fact he didn’t turn the ball over is a start. I don’t think DJ can’t handle the PG position, but it is going to take some time. This is Felton 2 years ago. Right now LB tries to take some pressure off him by getting the ball in Diaw or Jax hands early in the shot clock. Dallas would send a double to Jax most of the time when he is on DJ will start to make teams pay.
Its about the D, man. It always has been.
Felton is a pretty solid defender, but Jameer Nelson showed him up. Nelson is an All-star.
Jose Juan Barea was schooling Augustin. DJ’s biggest short comings last night were on the defensive side of the court. And that’s saying lots considering he was 2 0f 10 shooting!
Really???
Barea didn’t do much man. Kidd did a lot but that was with the help of Dirk and the first 6 mins of the game. However that is moot b/c DJ was guarding Kidd much of the night. Jason Terry on the other hand will make a lot of people in the league look mediocre at best defensively. Defense will never be his strong point but to say he got schooled is ridiculous.
by JDuaneHipps on Oct 28, 2010 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
If you watched the game last night
you should have seen DJ’s inability to stay in front of his man. No matter who it was – but he was matched up with Terry and Barea as much as, if not more than, Kidd.
His minutes last night were as much about not having another option at the point to turn to. It’s just one game, but he was a weak link last night. I hope he can step his game up and at least knock down the open shots he gets and, more importantly, do a much better job on defense.
LB said that he wouldn't hesitate to use Diaw at the 1 if Deej was in a slump.
So I guess we’ll see soon (possibly as soon as next week) if coach Brown shares the opinion that DJ was tentative and not “playing the right way.”
My sources can beat up your sources
by Ourdaywillcome on Oct 29, 2010 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Do you believe LB will play Diaw at PG?
Or think he is posturing to try and get the ball rolling on a trade?
Playing PG takes more than excellent passing skills and court vision
dribbling, driving, speed, lateral quickness on defense, are also needed skills. Boris doesn’t have the complete skill set to play PG on a regular basis.
by Ft.Mill Bobcat on Oct 29, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
No argument from me.
I’m just regurgitating LB’s quote.
My sources can beat up your sources
by Ourdaywillcome on Oct 29, 2010 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Scouting report:
Little has changed in the offseason regarding the way the Bobcats approach the game. Their offense quickly crumbles when faced with any type of zone defense. The closest thing to a difference is that with the shot clock winding down DJ Augustin isn’t nearly as likely as former Bobcats guard Raymond Felton to successfully execute a “red” play. If you defend for 18 seconds Charlotte has less than a 20% success rate in the final 6 seconds.
The quickest way to gain an advantage is to apply pressure to the ball in the backcourt. The team has done nothing to address their glaring difficulties with holding on to the ball and full court pressure will easily cause upwards of 2 dozen turnovers per game. This, coupled with the fact that Charlotte is extremely slow to react in transition after a turnover, will result in a minimum 10 point scoring advantage.
Stephen Jackson is a volume shooter and the best way to contain him is to make him rush his shots. Sporadic double-teaming will be effective on that level as well as frustrating him into displaying his much vaunted temper which can potentially result in him removing himself from the game under the new technical foul regulations.
Gerald Wallace must be watched at all times. He has developed good relationships with many of the referees in the league and as a result is allowed to exercise more physicality on the court without getting whistled for it. He’s also capable of going on a sudden scoring streak in the middle of an otherwise bad game. If he is not scoring well he will become an extremely aggressive rebounder.
The team’s hidden strength is in Tyrus Thomas and bench reserve Derrick Brown. Both men have sudden bursts of speed if allowed to cut into the lane. Defense must be tight in the paint when either or both men are on the court.
Charlotte has little if any post game. Both Nazr Mohammed and Desagna Diop should be allowed to shoot early in the game. Mohammed has the potential to go on a hot streak so if he scores early in the first quarter it will be important to put a body on him and play him close.
Defensively Charlotte is still among the best in the league, but they are slow to react to quick ball rotation to the weakside baseline and tend to breakdown into mismatch situations on high screens.
My sources can beat up your sources
by Ourdaywillcome on Oct 28, 2010 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
You need to be the "3rd Voice"
You need some regular columns (or whatever) on ROF. How about a daily scoop called “Ourday Today.”
Daily? I do have other writing gigs you know. 8-)
Seriously, I appreciate the high praise. Rufus on Fire is David’s pride and joy. Any decision on that would be his call and his alone – just like the decision to ask Jared to co-contribute and give David a little off time. Whenever he sees fit, David doesn’t hesitate to move my fanposts (or anyones for that matter) onto the front page. I’m here, I’ve been here, and I’m not going anywhere unless David asks me to take my opinions elsewhere or my 2 dozen-odd votes somehow land me the gig at Bobcats Break. Even then, I’ve made too many friends here to bail. RoF is the first blogsite I’ve ever become a “regular” on and I like the company I keep here.
My sources can beat up your sources
by Ourdaywillcome on Oct 28, 2010 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Biased Scouting Report
D.J. – off shooting night, but respectable 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio
Nazr – also an off shooting night. All missed shots were in the paint, at point blank range. Must improve.
Wallace – too many turnovers (5), missed all shots taken outside of the paint. Solid rebounding, as usual.
Jackson – only took 8 shots; must take more shots to fulfill role as primary scoring option.
Thomas – Very solid off the bench. Great spark off the bench; could possibly be even better as a starter.
Diaw – Should look to score closer to the basket. Subpar Assist-to-Turnover (3:2)
Henderson – High block total for team. Did not drive to paint much; may still be nursing injury.
D. Brown – Should receive more minutes. Very limited opportunities.
Diop – did not commit lane violation when Dirk shot a free throw. That’s cool, I guess.
Meet the new quarterback. Same as the old quarterback. Go get 'em, Matty Twice!
Watching the game i would have thought DJ had more turnovers. I was surprised when i checked the box score.
It seemed like every time he’d drive to the lane he would get lost in the trees.
Dirk shot 11-13
Seriously, 11-13. That’s ridiculous. I was pretty would up during this game, but afterwards I didn’t really think about it. It was the first game. This is how things go in the NBA. The defense will tighten for sure. Rotations when the ball swung around the perimeter were awful (just like in the preseason) but that will work itself out. Dirk is just a nightmare matchup for everyone. I think DJ got nervous, but he played 40 minutes. That’s a big deal to me. That shows him that he doesn’t have to worry about getting pulled out of the lineup if he screws up. Once he gets comfortable those open shots are going to fall.
I fully expect a 2-1 record at the end of the weekend. A home game against the Pacers will be a nice way to settle into the start of the season and then we’re facing an overrated Bucks team. We certainly looked a lot better last night than we did opening night last season.
don't really think they can be overrated
when no one is talking about them. Personally, Fear the Deer is still in effect. I think they are a better team than they were last year. I don’t expect them to have the same success since people expect them to do “better”. I don’t think we should look past Indiana either. Darren Collison could exploit Dj like it’s no ones business and we could walk away 0-3. I don’t believe that we will, but taking teams lightly is something a team like the Bobcats can’t afford.
"It's something I think about on a day to day basis: These Colors Don't Run. Love it or leave it USA #1!"-Ricky Stanzi Iowa QB and Patriot
Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, and the Charlotte Bobcats.
by HAWKEYESBABY on Oct 28, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
And Hibbert looked like a beast on opening night
Against Tim Duncan, no less.
Quick is how I flip from the tip of the lip
Punchin out hits like Gladys Knight and the Pips
-Phife Dawg
Double team Jackson force him to make tough passes
Make Gerald a jump shooter he is deadly in the open court and great at getting to the line
Pressure DJ make him drive and try to finish in the lane cut off passing lanes He has a hard time finishing at the rim. Do not let him gain confidence with open shots.
When Naz is in the game run Pick and Roll with PG and Center force Charlottes 2 worst deffenders to guard pick and roll. (DJ, Naz)
Make Diaw a scorer take away his passing and playmaking Diaw is the Bobcats best playmaker in the Half court if you take away his playmaking the offense will be stagnent
DO NOT Turn the Ball over. Make the Bobcats play Half court Ball do not let them get in the the open court as they are very athletic
by Bcat2.0 on Oct 28, 2010 12:43 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I don't expect every team
we play to have someone go 11-13 shooting either. Irk annoys me to no end, but dude can seriously shoot(and get bogus blocking fouls called on GW). I am going into this very confident that this team will hit it’s stride just like we did last year(except sooner) and make our way into the playoffs. If we could get Boris to play with a little more heart(the 2nd quarter last night) other teams would have a nightmare at the 4 spot. Even worse for them if Tyrus was at the 5 and Boris at 4 or vise versa.
"It's something I think about on a day to day basis: These Colors Don't Run. Love it or leave it USA #1!"-Ricky Stanzi Iowa QB and Patriot
Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, and the Charlotte Bobcats.
Scouting report...
-Dump the ball inside against them and good things will happen. The Cat’s center-by-commitee is weak even at their best
-Make GW shoot jumpshots, he has come along way in that reguard, but he is much better going to the basket
-Get physical with Jax and he can get rattled early and his whole game suffers
-TT looks like a steal from the Bulls. Superior athlete. LB’s training looks to be paying off
-Pressure DJ. He looks overwhelmed as a starter. Livingstons’ game is solid, but time will tell if either of them are going to play steady enough to please LB.
-Cat’s are a bit banged up, so take it to them early as they have a tendency to start games slowly
-If this team finds a consistent floor general and someone to man the 5 position defensively, could be a dangerous team very quickly
-Outside of TT the bench looks paper-thin
I know it’s all based on 1 game, but some of these trends were also present last season. Still like their chances to again make the playoffs in the East…
Biggest improvement from last year.
-Outside of TT the bench looks paper-thin
I felt really good about the talent coming off our bench actually. Between D Brown, Thomas, Henderson and Livingston there are 4 guys that dont give a lot of drop off. They’re long athletic and all solid defenders. If K Brown can give us any help in the post it should be a big plus too, and our 2nd five could be a strong suit. Last nights best lineup featured Henderson and Thomas.
+1
Still worried about long-range shooting and scoring with that B squad. They should be an excellent unit defensively, however. Is MC the answer?
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