Bobcats @ Spurs: Previews

[quentin_compson]

I hope duncan228 isn't sick or something ...

Bobcats-Spurs Preview


By BRETT HUSTON
Posted Dec 10 2009 11:13PM

Stephen Jackson has made a huge difference in his first month with the Charlotte Bobcats, turning the league's worst offensive team into a playoff-caliber club seemingly overnight.
Jackson has yet to transform the Bobcats into a good team away from home, however, and they'll have a tough task avoiding a ninth road loss in 10 games Friday night when they face the San Antonio Spurs.
Charlotte (9-11) was 3-6 when it acquired Jackson, and lost its first three games - all on the road - with him, falling six games under .500 and looking like a long shot to make the franchise's first playoff appearance.
Suddenly, things are looking up for the league's most recent addition. The Bobcats went from averaging 82.4 points without Jackson to 96.6 since his arrival, and they've won six of their past eight after he and Gerald Wallace scored 25 points apiece Tuesday in a 107-95 victory against Denver.
Aside from scoring 10 fourth-quarter points, Jackson also earned high marks for his defense. He kept Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony scoreless for the final 4:13 as the Bobcats closed on a 16-6 run.
"I want be to be able to make plays for guys, get my shots and at the same time guard their best player," Jackson told the NBA's official Web site. "Anytime there is a great scorer out there and I can guard him it gets my game going. It gets my level up and I'm always up to that challenge."
Jackson's arrival has also helped Gerald Wallace elevate his game. Wallace was averaging 13.7 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 35.4 percent in his first nine games, but has averaged 18.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and shot 49.6 percent since Jackson was acquired.
Charlotte's defense, meanwhile, has allowed 3.7 more points per game than it did before the trade, but coach Larry Brown's club remains the league's stingiest (90.6 ppg).
"Our defense has always been good," said Wallace, the league's leading rebounder (12.4 per game) despite being listed at 6-foot-7. "If we can keep our turnovers down and get back on defense and keep people in front of us we have a pretty good opportunity (to win) every game."
Wallace, the only original Bobcat still with the franchise, has never played well against the Spurs (10-9), and that's part of the reason Charlotte has lost nine of 10 all time to San Antonio. Wallace has averaged 10.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 36.4 percent in eight games against the Spurs with the Bobcats.
San Antonio hasn't looked much like the team that entered 2009-10 as the winningest of the decade, already posting two three-game losing streaks - one more than it had last season.
The Spurs snapped their most recent skid Wednesday with one of their best offensive performances. Richard Jefferson scored 23 points and Manu Ginobili added 20 off the bench as San Antonio shot 55.3 percent in a 118-106 win over Sacramento.
"We got some buckets in transition and made some plays and for the most part just did things with confidence,'' said Jefferson, who had averaged 7.8 points in his past five games. "I'd like to believe that the more I play, the more used to the offense I'm going to get.''
Ginobili's breakout game has to be just as encouraging for the Spurs. He had averaged 9.5 points on 34.3 percent shooting in his previous four games after returning from a strained left groin.
Tony Parker had 21 points and seven assists in San Antonio's 100-86 win over Charlotte on March 10, a game Ginobili missed with an ankle injury.


Source:

http://www.nba.com/games/20091211/CHASAS/gameinfo.html


Officials: M. McCutchen, B. Kennedy, S. Wall




STARTING LINEUPS
POS - SPURS - BOBCATS
PG - 9 Tony Parker (6-2, 9th yr) - 20 Raymond Felton (6-1, 5th yr)
Parker coming off season's first double-double: 18 points, 11 assists.
SG - 10 Keith Bogans (6-5, 7th yr) - 1 St. Jackson (6-8, 10th yr)
Jackson averaging 18.1 points since escape from Golden State.
SF - 24 Richard Jefferson (6-7, 9th yr) - 3 Gerald Wallace (6-7, 9th yr)
Spurs find secret to getting Jefferson going: higher percentage shots.
PF - 21 Tim Duncan (6-11, 13th yr) - 32 Boris Diaw (6-8, 7th yr)
Duncan's hot start not yet enough to impress All-Star voters.
34 Antonio McDyess (6-10, 15th yr) - 6 Tyson Chandler (7-1, 9th yr)
Chandler not as potent without Chris Paul as alley-oop partner.
SPURS RESERVES
15 Matt Bonner, C/F, 6-10, 6th yr
45 DeJuan Blair, F, 6-7, 1st yr
8 Roger Mason Jr., G, 6-5, 6th yr
20 Manu Ginobili, G, 6-6, 8th yr
1 Malik Hairston, G/F, 6-5, 2nd yr
3 George Hill, G, 6-2, 2nd yr
42 Theo Ratliff, C, 6-10, 15th yr
BOBCATS RESERVES
14 D.J. Augustin, G, 6-0, 2nd yr
4 Derrick Brown, F, 6-7, 1st yr
7 DeSagana Diop, C, 7-0, 9th yr
23 Stephen Graham, F, 6-6, 5th yr
15 Gerald Henderson, G, 6-5, 1st yr
13 N. Mohammed, C, 6-10, 12th yr
22 Flip Murray, G, 6-3, 8th yr
COACHES
Spurs: Gregg Popovich
Bobcats: Larry Brown
INJURIES
Spurs: Michael Finley (sprained left ankle) is out.
Bobcats: None.
PROJECTED INACTIVE PLAYERS
Spurs: Ian Mahinmi, Marcus Haislip, Finley
Bobcats: Acie Law, Alexis Ajinca
NOTABLE
Spurs face stiffer defensive challenge than they did against Sacramento. Bobcats rank second in scoring defense (90.6 per game) and fourth in field-goal percentage defense (43.7 percent). ... Charlotte is scoring nearly 14 points more per game (96.6) since acquiring Jackson Nov. 16. ... Five different players have led Spurs in scoring the past five games — Jefferson, Bonner, Parker, Blair and Duncan. It matches the longest streak of different leading scorers in the Popovich era.
- Jeff McDonald


Source:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s...purs_10-9.html

[quentin_compson]

Media Notes:

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/notes.pdf
http://www.nba.com/bobcats/news/notes.pdf



Gameday: Bobcats at Spurs, Friday

By Rick Bonnell
[email protected]
Posted: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009



BOBCATS AT SPURS
8:30 p.m., AT&T Center
TV: SportSouth.* Radio: WFNZ-AM 610

Matchup to Watch
Tim Duncan vs. Boris Diaw: Bobcats coach Larry Brown often says what an underrated defender Diaw is. This would be an optimum time for him to show off those abilities. It's not just what Duncan does, it's how everyone else plays off the attention he gets.
Observations
Here's how long it's been since the Bobcats beat the Spurs: Adam Morrison was a rookie and had a spectacular performance in Texas, maybe saving coach-general manager Bernie Bickerstaff's job. Now Morrison is an afterthought on the Lakers' bench and Bickerstaff is a Chicago assistant. And the Bobcats are 1-9 all-time against the Spurs
You think of the Spurs as a top-heavy team built around stars Duncan and Tony Parker. But in fact they lead the NBA in bench points (41.8 per game) and bench rebounding (17.5). That's the luxury of being able to play Manu Ginobili as a sixth man.
The trade for Richard Jefferson shows how a franchise willing to spend in this economy can get a steal, in terms of talent. Milwaukee gave up Jefferson really for nothing but payroll relief. He hasn't been up to his career standards yet, but this holds open the Spurs' championship window.
Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair had a double-double in his first NBA game, but he's still a guy with knees that made most NBA front offices skittish about drafting him. A team like the Spurs could afford to take that risk, particularly in the second round.
Tap-ins
Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin made his first appearance in three games against Denver and the results confirm why he wasn't playing: No points, one assist and no rebounds in 121/2 minutes..
Why Gana Diop doesn't play: It took 24 seconds for him to commit a foul against the Nuggets.
Did you know?
The Spurs are widely viewed as the best-run franchise in the NBA, as far as winning consistently and managing the business profitably. Over the past 13 seasons, they have the best winning percentage (.699) of any major-league team, topping the NHL's Detroit Red Wings (.671). Rick Bonnell


Source:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/bob...y/1117191.html

[SpurNation]

Spurs 96 - Cats 94

[Bukefal]

We will definitelly win this one. But pleaseeeeeeeeeeee POP give DeJuan some more minutessssssssssssss

[spurtilldeath]

I haven't seen Duncan228 since a few days. Hope she is doing ok.

[shelshor]

Referee Assignments
Fri. Dec 11
Charlotte @ San Antonio: Monty McCutchen; Bill Kennedy; Scott Wall

[Chomag]

We can win this but not if we play like we played the Kings.

Look for Jackson to light it up, former Spurs allways do against us. lol

[duncan228]

I hope duncan228 isn't sick or something ...

I haven't seen Duncan228 since a few days. Hope she is doing ok.

I'm back. Thanks for the thoughts.

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

I'm back. Thanks for the thoughts.

good to see you back

[lefty]

I hope duncan228 isn't sick or something ...

Why?
She hasn't posted an article in the last 2 minutes?

[bigdog]

Should be a win for the Spurs, but we all know we struggle against the Cats, and now they have Jackson, so should be even tougher.
I wanna see how well Bogans can defend Jack. If he can do a solid job, we have a chance. Also watch out for Diaw. He loves to have good games against the Spurs.

[thispego]

why?
She hasn't posted an article in the last 2 minutes?

rofl. No . in dummies

[symple19]

need this one tonight

[alfahdlan]

Since there is less match up problems, more minutes for Blair, please.