Charlotte
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Are the Bobcats a little too unselfish? Do they need someone who can demand the ball and either score against single-coverage or kick it out from a double-team? Then again, what team wouldn't like a player like that. But on the third hand... do they actually have such a player in Emeka Okafor?
Okafor is Charlotte's leading scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker. He also leads in most fouls committed, and to be clear, he leads both in offensive and in defensive rebounding. He is their guy but he is not a 20-and-10 guy yet. He's averaging 15-and-11 for the season.
But here's the catch: he keeps improving and he'll do the most improving this offseason. Starting next October, we may be looking at a brand new Okafor, even more dominant than he already is. He will not just be a Ben Wallace type, focusing on defense; he will be an unstoppable low-post and high-post force.
Red Auerbach has said that rookies improve by 40% come their sophomore year. Extrapolating Okafor's numbers, that would mean he'd be a 21-and-15 guy, and those are Duncan- and Garnett-like numbers.
Next year, look for the offense to start going through Okafor far more often, and look for Okafor to be the franchise's best player.
NEXT GAME
The Bobcats (12-50, fourth in the Southeast) continue their three-game Western Conference road trip by traveling to San Antonio (49-15, first in the Southwest) TONIGHT. The game starts at 8:30pm Eastern and will be broadcast on C-SET and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
Check out the five-day outlookfor the Bobcats.
INJURY UPDATE
Kareem Rush(knee),Gerald Wallace(ribs), andTamar Slay(foot) are on the injured list.Malik Allen(sore Achilles tendon) will likely miss tonight's game.
Chris Bonjean ofThe Chicago Sun-Timeswrites: He has the talent. Talent so great that colleges didn't recruit him, thinking he was going to follow his brothers and try for the NBA.But after two years at Mount Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C., Brandon Rush is back on the college trail. The 6-6 small forward isn't just Kareem and JaRon's little brother anymore. He is averaging 21 points for one of the top prep schools in the country and will try to put his athleticism on display Tuesday at the Roundball Classic at the United Center. "Look for a lot of highlights," Rush said... Rush grew up in Kansas City, Mo., playing one-on-one against his brothers. Kareem played three years at Missouri before entering the NBA draft and has become a solid pro with the Charlotte Bobcats. JaRon left UCLA after two years, played in the National Basketball Development League and is a student counselor in Kansas City.
Tommy Tomlinson ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: But let me introduce you to Rod Moore. When he started going to basketball games, the Depression hadn't happened yet.When he started going to the NCAA tournament, most TVs got three channels. And here he is Thursday at the Charlotte Coliseum, sitting down close with his daughter, watching practice. Rod Moore is 89. We can safely say this is not a phase.
WOAI.comwrites: Lately, it seems a different player is rising to the occasion for the San Antonio Spurs in every game. The Spurs, getting big contributions from role players, go for a third consecutive blowout victory as they meet the Charlotte Bobcats.
Rick Bonnell ofThe Charlotte Observerwrites: Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff moved Jason Kapono into the starting lineup against the Denver Nuggets, replacing Theron Smith.Either one is subbing for small forward Gerald Wallace, who is on the injured list with bruised ribs. Smith is a better defender than Kapono, but he shot so horribly in three starts (3-of-11) that it was worth giving Kapono more minutes, more shots and, presumably, more points.