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November 17, 2008
Bobcats just want a healthy J-Rich
When coach Larry Brown said Sunday night that he doesn’t want Jason Richardson playing until he’s truly healthy, it raised a familiar concern about these Bobcats: The starters are prone to misguided heroism. Richardson played all 82 games last season, demonstrating he’s both durable and competitive. Admirable as that sounds – any coach wants gamers in the starting lineup – wisdom has to balance toughness in this age of guaranteed contracts. Remember Raymond Felton’s rookie season, when he’d hide or understate various injuries to keep playing? Then-general manager/coach Bernie Bickerstaff had to educate Felton about this misguided-heroism problem. Starters are extremely expensive long-term investments. Returning too quickly from injury (Richardson has inflammation in his right knee, though no structural damage) can easily do more harm than good. And although Brown would love Richardson back, he’d rather know the next time J-Rich plays, that injury truly is behind him.
Posted by rbonnell on November 17, 2008 at 02:29 AM | Permalink
Comments
Smart move. I'm a Warriors fan, JRich had issues with his knee back in 2006. He had a procedure right before the season, and for some reason he vowed to play on opening night, which was honorable but stupid. He wasn't half the player he was before, and he ended up having to miss a ton of games in the middle of 2006 anyways. When he did finally take the appropriate amount of time off, he came back like new, and helped lead us to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
Posted by: Mississippi Moped | Nov 17, 2008 3:43:06 AM
This is my post of Oct. 28. Since, we've got the Jordan speculation about buying a majority interest in the team and J-Rich injury. BJ is not the only owner....local business guys are in with him. The question remains about the value of the team...If BJ & Co. paid $300 mil and have sustained losses of $7-10 mil per season and the economy has gone down, what is the value of the team and how much has been lost? (I stand corrected...I don't think we have hit a 20% shooting night yet....)
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Oct. 28, 2008:
...Predictions: lots of losses. A few close games or even wins against a few good teams just to keep people mildly interested. Declining and bottoming out attendance as Charlotte fights through horrible economic conditions. Pull-back of sponsorships. Horrific jump-shooting some nights that will be 20% and below. A good little mix of injuries that will be blamed for large losses. Owners will show up in the beginning then fade.
Unfortunately, Johnson should have read the writing on the wall a couple of years ago and bailed. Rick, ask some financial experts (the Sporting News is based in Charlotte) how much money in market value Bob and partners have lost in Charlotte. He paid $300 million and the franchise value today is probably somewhere between $200-225. He's probably got another $20-25 million in sunk cost in operational losses. Would it be conceivable if BJ sold today he and partners would take a $100 million hit? We know he is bracing for another financial hit this year by laying off almost all of his staff. With the NBA office also laying off lots of people, do you think the gamble of continuing the exercise in Charlotte and hoping that the Bobcats and NBA will reclaim its 80s popularity will work, financially? Would it be better to cut the losses and sell now?
Posted by: Ronny Blakeney | Nov 17, 2008 10:09:15 AM
Sean May averages .27 of a point for every game paid.
Posted by: CUT MAY | Nov 17, 2008 10:58:55 AM
Ronny, you forgot about the plague of hail, locusts, darkness and firstborn.
This is still a young franchise and coming together. I am not predicting they will make the playoffs, but with a full season and off-season for Larry Brown to make some changes (teaching and roster moves), this team will get better. He is too good of a coach, and there is talent on the team. The team just needs to be molded. Brown knows what a team is supposed to look like and he will make the right moves.
Here's to optimism!
Posted by: Will Parker | Nov 17, 2008 12:04:18 PM
It amazes me how much energy people expend to type bad things about the Bobcats. This team isn't leaving Charlotte and Bob Johnson is not selling the team anytime soon. Larry Brown needs more than 8 or 9 games to reverse the problems from last year. The team has only been around 5 years. Its unrealistic to expect a championship contender. Granted, The Bobcats have definitely made some glaring and regrettable mistakes. Nevertheless, this team will be a lot better this year than it was last year.
Posted by: Token | Nov 17, 2008 12:25:20 PM
It seems like people do fail to remember this is a 5th year team. We have talent, and Brown is already paying dividends. Our offense so far has been poor, but that’s to be expected as everyone is adjusting to Brown’s new system. We are dead last in PPG at 89.4, but look at our defensive numbers already. In 4 years of existence, this team has never allowed less than 100 ppg. Right now, the Bobcats are tied for 5th in the league in points allowed at 93. This number ranks 2nd in the east behind only the defending champion Boston Celtics. They just absolutely shut down Dwight Howard yesterday, who has dominated us in every single game of our existence. Also, the Magic came in averaging 100 ppg, and we held them to 85. Once the offense begins to click, this team is capable of making a drastic turnaround. Give it some time.
Posted by: Bobcat Matt | Nov 17, 2008 1:17:43 PM
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