Brown shuffles lineup, says starters' effort lacking

By Rick Bonnell

Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown can live with a lack of experience. Lack of effort, he'll not tolerate.

So he just might start rookies D.J. Augustin and Alexis Ajinca against the Atlanta Hawks, in part to send a message to the group.

“He gives effort every play and that's what we're not getting,'' Brown said of Augustin, who would start at guard alongside Ray Felton. “It's been obvious we've been lacking pizzazz and enthusiasm and effort (among the starters). The second group, I don't think that's the case at all.

“They might be inexperienced, but they're trying hard. And that's the first step'' toward a solution.

The Bobcats are coming off a brutal start against the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday. They went scoreless for nearly the first six minutes of the game, spotting the Mavs a 15-0 lead en route to a 17-point home loss.

Ajinca and Augustin would replace Sean May and Matt Carroll as starters. And based on repetitions in practice Thursday, Brown is strongly considering this lineup.

Brown gave the players off Wednesday, then conducted one of the most physically-taxing practices of the young season.

“Some teams have better players than others,'' Brown said, “but until everybody is buying into the fact that we need to work harder and play harder and play with more energy and enthusiasm, it's going to be a struggle.''

This is a calculated risk but not much else has worked of late with the Bobcats losing four of their last five, all at home. Augustin is coming off his best game as a Bobcat – 21 points, four assists and four rebounds – which means he excelled when almost everyone else played badly.

Ajinca is a bit more of a gamble, because he's not physically ready to push and shove with more developed NBA big men. But Brown says there's something Ajinca and Augustin share that not many rookies have.

“They've just got such a great feel'' for basketball, Brown said. “You tell (Ajinca) something once and he's got it. You tell D.J. something once, and he's got it.

“That doesn't mean they do it right every time, but they know exactly what you're talking about…They figure it out, and some guys you have to tell over and over again and they (still) don't get it.''

Ajinca, who grew up in France, thinks it actually helps that he's from another culture. It forces him to concentrate harder when instructed.

“Some of this basketball is new for me. Everything is new for me here,'' Ajinca said. “So I have to learn really quick.''

Jones next week: It will probably be early next week before forward-center Dwayne Jones joins the Bobcats, filling one of the roster spots created when the team waived Andre Brown and Linton Johnson. Jones is traveling here from Turkey, where he previously played.

Jones played last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He came to the Bobcats on the recommendation of Eric Snow, who also played for the Cavs and was Brown's point guard in Philadelphia.

“An energy kid,'' Brown said of Jones. “Everybody who's had him says he'll try to rebound and defend on every play.''