Paul Silas was a very tough NBA player. It’s clear he thinks his Charlotte Bobcats aren’t a very tough NBA team.

          Silas has dropped a bunch of hints lately that he thinks his team gets punked now and then. Certainly that’s justified. They’ve lost of late to Cleveland, Washington and Detroit, and the losses to the Cavs and Wizards were all about second-chance points.

When teams are beating you because they constantly grab offensive rebounds, that’s a clear indication you’re not blocking out (a technical problem) and you allow yourselves to be pushed around. And then Sunday, against the Pistons, Silas talked a lot about how the Pistons got away with holding defensively to disrupt pick-and-roll plays.

          Silas said he complained to the refs about this, but he also made the valid point that somebody has to knock down an opponent once in a while to send the message you’re not putting up with this.

          Two thought:

          -- It was inevitable the Bobcats would be softer in Gerald Wallace’s absence. Not only did he play that way, but he wasn’t reluctant to tell teammates when they were being punked. Why do you think LaMarcus Aldridge already calls Wallace the Trail Blazers’ MVP?

          -- I see just two tough guys on this team: Stephen Jackson and Dominic McGuire. Jackson is as tough as anyone in the NBA. McGuire is tough somewhat because he must be – he’s not skilled enough to get away with ducking collisions – but offers something different.

Posted by Observer Sports on April 10, 2011 at 11:07 PM