Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The Bobcats are hobbling into Phoenix tonight to take on the league's hottest team, but Charlotte will be missing several key players to injury. With Melvin Ely likely to get the starting nod in place of injured Primoz Brezec, and with Phoenix playing a lot of small ball, the question becomes, who will guard Amare Stoudemire?
Ely is averaging nearly 6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.83 blocks in his 20 minutes of action off the bench. Emeka Okafor is the leading contender for rookie of the year with 13.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his 36 minutes of starting action. He leads Charlotte both in points and rebounds per game.
The trouble is Stoudemire is one of the league's strongest and most athletic big men and keeping up with him is a chore whose cost is fouls. Putting the 6-10, 261 pound Ely on him might mean that Amare will just use his quickness to get around him. Putting Okafor on him might mean that Stoudemire will back him in.
It'll probably be a defense by committee approach as fouls dictate but either way it'll be interesting to see the matchup. Hopefully with Ely on the floor, Stoudemire will be assigned to defend him, leaving Okafor open to post up the likes of Shawn Marion. If they're going to play small ball, the Bobcats have to be ready to get a lot of offensive rebounds.
NEXT GAME
The Bobcats (4-12, fourth in the Southeast) continue their road trip as they visit the red-hot Phoenix Suns (16-3, first in the Pacific) TONIGHT. The game starts at 8:00pm Eastern and will be broadcast on C-SET and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
The Bobcats have opened a new Team Store at Southpark Mall, adjacent to The Bombay Company and off the Hecht’s entrance. The store, open through January 15, 2005, carries a comprehensive selection of team merchandise.
Primoz Brezec, Jason Kapono and Emeka Okafor represent the Bobcats on the 2005 NBA All-Star Ballot. This year’s All-Star festivities will be held in the Mile High City of Denver on Sunday, February 20.
The Charlotte Bobcats will hold “Conversion Night†on Tuesday, December 14, in conjunction with the Bobcats home game against the New Orleans Hornets. Fans who trade inold Hornets merchandise at the December 14 game against the Hornets will receive a free Bobcats cap, courtesy of Time Warner Cable and Harris Teeter.
INJURY UPDATE
Jamal Sampson(ankle) is close to being ready to play but is still on the injured list along withTheron Smith(right knee injury) andBernard Robinson(knee).Gerald Wallace(recovering from concussion),Jahidi White(shoulder), andPrimoz Brezec(ankle) are all questionable for tonight's game.
Rick Bonnell ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: The good news -- sort of -- is the Suns are a small, quick team, so Melvin Ely isn't playing so out of position at center.The question becomes who guards Amare Stoudemire -- Ely or Emeka Okafor?
Rick Bonnell ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Okafor has the eighth most-popular jersey, based on sales at the NBA Store on New York's Fifth Avenue and the NBA Store on NBA.com since the start of the season. The top seven are Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Stephon Marbury, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant.
Marc Narducci ofThe Philadelphia Inquirerwrites: At this point, nothing is a gimme for a team that has two more wins than the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.
News 14 Carolina writes: Dell Curry, the team’s director of basketball relations, came to the Harris YMCA on Thursday dressed as an old Charlotte Hornet. Then he changed into a Bobcats uniform. The event was designed to promote next week’s home game against the New Orleans Hornets. Fans who bring an old Hornets item will receive a brand-new Bobcats item in return.
Rick Bonnell ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: It's little surprise to NBA fans that the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash leads the league in assists, at 10.9 per game. But it's a head-turner and head-scratcher that Knight is second on that list, averaging 9.7 assists for the Charlotte Bobcats.Knight and Nash will go head-to-head tonight at America West Arena. They're about as different in style and situation as point guards can be. It's Nash, as in flash: He's as much a scorer as a passer, and his behind-the-back, through-the-legs, no-look game fits his long tenure with the 100 points-or-bust Dallas Mavericks. Knight is safe, precise and cerebral; almost a dinosaur in a time when nearly every player in the NBA is out to get his.