Team Expert/Cool Guy: John Pettice, a man not from this planet, but from Bobcats Planet, a cool place to be and an even cooler place to check out, so go do it!
Questions and Answers:
1. How much of a "Jordan Effect" will there be now that he is a part owner of the Bobcats, especially considering his Carolina roots?
This offseason the "Jordan Effect" has been non-existent. We saw him in the news following him becoming part owner of the Bobcats, and he was seen in the public eye quite a bit in the run up to this years draft, but since then nothing has been heard from him. Not a peep.
Fans hoped that when Jordan became part owner that he would have the
leverage to loosen up Bob Johnson's notoriously tight purse strings,
but up to this point, we haven't seen any signs of that happening.
2. How much pressure is there on rookie Adam Morrison? Drafted by
Jordan, compared to Larry Bird, and was the player of the year coming
out of college. How does he fit into this team?
The pressure on Adam Morrison is gigantic. Not only does he have the
pressure of the Larry Bird comparisons, but he has the pressure of
being a rookie who is expected to carry the scoring load on a team
thats just a few years removed from expansion. He is going to be a beautiful fit on this team. He fives them exactly what they need, Offense. There were better athletes and defenders in the draft that the Bobcats could have chosen, but there was nobody that could put up points in bunches like Adam.
3. Can Raymond Felton fulfill the promise he showed in the last month of the season with Brevin Knight over his shoulder? How much better can Gerald Wallace get? And can Emeka Okafor and Sean May come back strong after being out for basically the whole year last season?
Raymond Felton is going to shock the NBA this season. His performance in the last month of the season is just a small preview of whats to come. He is going to be extremely good. In the off season Gerald Wallace has been working on his mid range jumper, Word has it that its looking pretty solid. If he can add that to his current game then he'll be a legitimate all-star caliber player this year. Sean May has looked fantastic this preseason and he'll certainly be a much improved player this year. Emeka in all honesty has looked pretty rusty. It may take him 10 or 15 games to get his rhythm and timing back to point that it was prior to his ankle injuries.
4. Is there anything else you want to say about the Bobcats?
If our players stay healthy, the Bobcats will challenge for the #8
playoff seed in the East this season.
5. Who wins the NBA Finals this coming season (besides your team, that is)? Just give me a team name at least.
Cleveland Cavaliers.
John, thanks for visiting and shedding some Bobcat wisdom on us mere mortals.
MY TAKE - Things Go Right If These Three Things Happen:
1. Emeka Okafor stays healthy and shows the NBA how good he is again, after a very good rookie season, followed by last season's injury-riddled sophomore season.
2. The UNCers and fellow lottery picks, Raymond Felton and Sean May prove their Carolina pedigree - Felton just needs to keep doing what he did post All-Star break and May needs to stay healthy.
3. Adam Morrison shows signs of becoming the player everyone compares him to - Larry Bird. Naturally, you can't expect The Stache to be Larry Legend off the bat, but if he can become a consistent scorer the way he was in Gonzaga look for Morrison to take a step in the right direction.
MY TAKE - Things Go Wrong If These Three Things Happen:
1. Morrison cannot succeed at the NBA level, proving too slow and not being able to adapt to the NBA level of speed and athleticism. He already has a strike against him in that Morrison in all likelihood won't be able to play adequate defense in the NBA.
2. Gerald Wallace doesn't improve his game, proving to only be an athletic monster that gets hurt a lot, hence the nickname "Crash."
3. Brevin Knight doesn't accept a sixth man role and stunts the development of the young Bobcats team with his negativity. To succeed, the Bobcats will need Knight's leadership because at this point, I don't think Felton is completely ready to take over the lead guard spot.