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March 02, 2008
Bobcats' Vincent 'firmly' committed to Felton at point
So many of the Bobcats’ rotation decisions this season were written on an Etch A Sketch. You know: Shake it and it goes away.
This one would be harder to shake off:
"That’s firmly my position," coach Sam Vincent said, when asked if he’s committed to giving Raymond Felton an unencumbered shot as this team’s point guard.
"We’re at a point where we need to pull those layers off," Vincent said of pairing Felton first with Brevin Knight and then with Jeff McInnis. Vincent added he needs to "let (Felton) be confident and know he’s the point guard of the future."
Translation: The playoffs aren’t happening, and the front office needs some real data going into the offseason. That’s because the team has a window this summer to sign Felton to a long-term extension. Otherwise, Felton would be a restricted free agent at the end of next season, the same way center Emeka Okafor will be a restricted free agent after this season.
Felton and Okafor play the two toughest positions to fill in the NBA. This team needs to know what they’re worth, and jerking Felton between the point and shooting guard keeps that from happening.
Posted by Observer Sports on March 2, 2008 at 06:22 PM | Permalink
Comments
Is Emeka even one of the top 20 players at his position? I don't recall him taking over any games.
He can't shoot free throws, but it's not an issue as he doesn't go to the rim in crunch time anyway. Maybe I'm missing something here, but I just don't see how valuable he is to this team. He hasn't sniffed the Allstar Festivities since playing in the Rookie-Sophmore game.
Posted by: Don | Mar 2, 2008 7:14:26 PM
More from Primoz Brezec:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3273963
Posted by: joshuavbarr | Mar 2, 2008 9:39:45 PM
Okafor is one of the best defensive and rebounding post players in the league. And as for "not sniffing" All-Star games, who cares? It's a stupid popularity contest anyway. But, just for your entertainment, sniff this:
"If Charlotte's Emeka Okafor would've turned it on a little earlier than he did, he might have some beef over not being the commissioner's choice for size reinforcements."
--Tony Mejia, CBS Sportsline
Posted by: Michael Procton | Mar 2, 2008 10:31:04 PM
18th in FG%
7th in rebounds/game
15th in blocks/game
11th in double-doubles
Seeing as how he's top 20 in every statistical category that we expect him to contribute in, and that includes the entire league and not just the players at his "position," yes, dumb@ss, I might go out on a limb and say that Okafor is top 20 at his position.
Posted by: Will | Mar 3, 2008 12:03:57 AM
You would think "Scam" Vincent would've at least watched some tape of last years games... heck, even talk to Bernie about what the organization's thoughts were on Raymond. Instead, he plays herky jerky with him and we just stunt the kids growth. It pains me to see what DWill and CP3 have become and where Felton is at.
Posted by: JP | Mar 3, 2008 12:36:31 AM
Oh, please, JP. Felton was never going to be anywhere close to either of those two. He can't score like they can, he can't shoot like they can, and he can't distribute like they can. If we could ever convince him of this, maybe he'd learn to play within himself.
Posted by: Michael Procton | Mar 3, 2008 1:58:01 AM
This is just another thing the Bobcats bungled.....especially this year. How could they just now be deciding to play Felton exclusively at the point and see what he can do? Its not like he has been buried on the bench, they should have a pretty good indication of his capabilities.
Posted by: Tommy | Mar 3, 2008 9:29:39 AM
To: The NBA and the City of New Orleans
Re: Free the Hornets
Last weekend, the NBA celebrated the annual All-Star weekend. The festivities were all the more significant since they were hosted in the city of New Orleans, a city overcoming the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. Just recently, New Orleans welcomed the NBA back to town decades after their first franchise made the move to Utah. New Orleans and the NBA deserve the success they have worked to obtain.
I would like to remind everyone that there is an overlooked victim, as festering emotional wound, involved in the Hornets move from Charlotte to New Orleans. For many of us, sports represent the intersection of local pride, regional identity, and high quality athletics and competition. The city of Charlotte, N.C. was awarded an NBA franchise, its first major league franchise, in the mid 1980’s. The naming of the team was quick and almost unanimous. The area had long been known as the “Hornets Nest” and we had minor league football and baseball franchises in the past with the same moniker. Fifteen years later, we watched in disbelief as our Hornets, a name that symbolized our regional pride and accomplishments, packed up and moved to New Orleans.
It could be strongly argued that Revolutionary War was won right here in the Carolinas. In the late 1770’s, the British and their loyalist allies had the American Patriots on the ropes. Washington was poorly equipped, his army was deserting, and the British moved the war to the southern colonies to wrap things up. They quickly captured Savannah, Charleston, and Camden, S.C. In the fall of 1780, British (Scottish) General Patrick Ferguson began a march from Ninety-Six, S.C., toward Charlotte, N.C., to join forces with General Cornwallis. Along the way, he made the mistake of taunting the “Over-mountain Men” or “Volunteers” and was intercepted by a force of highland warriors. The ensuing Battle of Kings Mountain, S.C. (the town is in N.C., battlefield in S.C.) was a patriot victory and a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. Kings Mtn. was followed by a great patriot victory at Cowpens, S.C., a draw at Guilford Courthouse, N.C., and the final British surrender at Yorktown, Va.
Cornwallis, with his superior forces, could have easily ridden the thirty miles west to Kings Mountain to save Ferguson and his forces, had he know the situation However, Cornwallis was unable to communicate with the surrounding areas. The Patriots were led by militia leaders like William R. Davie (future governor and founder of UNC) and William Davidson (killed at Cowan’s Ford after a raid on the British and laid to rest at Davidson College). Local patriots like Davie and Davidson encircled Charlotte conducting raids and cutting of communication. After just two weeks in Charlotte, Cornwallis grumbled that the Mecklenburg area was a “Hornet’s Nest” and retreated back to South Carolina. The hornets had turned back the mighty British. The nickname has been with us since Revolutionary times, ever since Lord Cornwallis it to us.
Pro sports have always had nasty habit of distorting, forgetting, or relocating our regional pride and identity. There are few Lakes in L.A. There are no Grizzlies in Memphis. There is no Jazz in Utah. There are too many Bullets in D.C. so they wisely changed their name. There are certainly no Hornets in New Orleans. MLB and the NFL have learned these lessons, why can’t the NBA? When the Senators moved to Minnesota, they changed their name. When the Senators moved again to Texas, they changed their name. The Titans didn’t want to be the Oilers, so they changed their name. Likewise with the Ravens.
In the Browns/Ravens example, I believe the modern precedent for a relocating sports franchise has been set. The city of Cleveland refused to let the Browns leave town. This should be the rite of any community; to retain their local and regional mascot rather than allow the franchise owner to move it along with the towels and water bottles. How silly would it be if some other well known franchises moved? The Albuquerque 76ers. The Montgomery Yankees. The Des Moines Maple Leafs. George Shinn owns an NBA franchise, not the “Charlotte Hornets”. The heroes of the Revolutionary War buried in the Piedmont clay of N.C. claimed this nickname (and our independence) 225 years ago.
Another part of this same argument is that the city of New Orleans should be allowed to create its own sports identity. No one has to remind us of the tragedy that befell New Orleans. Have they not earned the right to name their own sports franchises? The Jazz left town thirty years ago, under the old way of doing things. This was the same way the Dodgers and the Colts fans were stripped of their teams. Robbing N.C. of our regional identity doesn’t help. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Let the city of New Orleans choose its own identity, not our old hand-me-downs. Let me get the ball rolling. The New Orleans Crescents. The New Orleans Cajuns. The New Orleans Bayous. The New Orleans Hurricanes. Maybe Utah will give the Jazz back.
Hey Chris Paul, rising superstar of the New Orleans _________. You could be an ambassador for this transition. You are a native of Charlotte, N.C., a true Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hornet. Chris, I’m sure you can see the relevance of allowing Charlotte to keep her identity while providing a clean break and a new image for New Orleans. Although city development has not highlighted our rich history here in Charlotte, you had to notice it growing up here. Ever driven on Independence Blvd or Freedom Drive? Ever played basketball at Revolution Park, or even Hornets Nest Park? Chris, tell the people of New Orleans to pick their own name! Pick something that reflects their culture and region. And tell George Shinn about all the T-shirts he will sell.
So let’s review. Nobody in Charlotte really wanted to abandon our proud, historical name. Nobody in New Orleans really wants an identity that was the pride of a previous population in a far away state. And nobody outside of N.C. or Louisiana really cares. So let’s do the right thing. Let the City of New Orleans chose its own NBA nickname and Free the Hornets. And remember, if it were not for the original Charlotte Hornets, we’d all be playing cricket and sipping tea, let alone celebrating President’s Day. The Revolutionary War was won in the Carolinas. Free the Hornets!
828-231-9912
A Charlotte Hornet
Chris Barcklow
Posted by: Chris Barcklow | Mar 3, 2008 9:46:09 AM
Chris...you're a total nut job (or you're out of work looking for the Observer to think you are an aspiring new writer...could you have made your note longer or less interesting?).
That said, you almost make me want to break out in tears and hug Sean "BetsyRoss" May....cause a full figured American flag is the only thing large enough to cover that transcontinental frame.
As always was at last nights game. Team looked good. BUT...you know its bad when : 1. You see Sean during the game order from the Seat Menu's and taking deliverys; 2. See them jeans he was wearing? Must have been left over from Ringling Bros show...didnt think anyone wore things that large other than the Clowns or you were trying to hide stealing a wide screen TV from Best Buy; and finally 3. I watched Sean "Whole lotta lovin" May standing with the team during a time out. Is it possible? Is he preganant?
So Chris...send your "War and Peace" thoughts to The Economist" magazine...should post well there....
Posted by: Mike | Mar 3, 2008 11:54:58 AM
Brava, Chris, Brava...
Posted by: BustaCat | Mar 5, 2008 3:08:11 PM
Actually, Chris Paul is a Winston-Salem native and grew up in Forsyth County graduating from West Forsyth High School.
Posted by: dave | Mar 6, 2008 12:14:00 AM
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