Boris Diaw is officially a Bobcat 

Welcome to the Blue and Orange, Boris.  Big night but lo, it does not pay off in a win.  Bobcats lost tonight to the Atlanta Hawks.  Sorry did anyone else just see the security guard behind Steve Martin and Henry Williams massage his ass?  Back to the game break down, yikes.  Bobcats looked good early and pretty much throughout the first half and into the 3rd leading by as many as nine with 7:16 left in the 3rd.  Larry says we couldn’t find ways to get the ball in the basket in the final 15 minutes and had a lot of blocked shots.  Joe hit some big shots, huh Larry?  Joe Johnson had 11 in those last 15 minutes.  Who was guarding him?   

Larry also sadly said, or monotonously depending on how you read his tone, “I have to find a rotation.  Maybe get Ryan involved more, find a way to get Juwan into the game.”  Don’t mean to hate on a guy with a 1000+ wins and a championship, but umm, NO S#!& LARRY!  Ryan Hollins played outstanding on Saturday night, finishing out the 4th quarter and helping immensely in the big comeback-that-could have been.  Juwan Howard, who has been discussed for 3 weeks, much anticipated signing; I don’t think dude has seen the court.  Now do you want us to trade someone else, sign another guy?  Sorry, sorry, sorry.  That was too much and now I feel like a beat writer for the Knicks 3 years ago.   

I want the Bobcats to WIN!  I don’t see it happening without a reasonable rotation, and when the set rotation doesn’t work I see the mix of players being blamed, the makeup of the roster, not the coach.  Momentum is so big in the NBA and these young guys who are all athleticism and energy needs to have their good games carry over.  Gerald needs time and consistency.  Hollins can play if he gets confidence.  Ajinca played pretty well the other night as well but I see DNP-CD beside his name.  Juwan Howard, why would you bring him in to sit him his first 2 games?  Felton and DJ need to feel the rotation and get used to the guys they are on the court with.  How is that going to come together if they are on the court at the same time, different guys out there with them all the time?   

Do you think Diaw was tired?  40 minutes in his second game with a new team…he was 2 of 7 in the 4th quarter.  Who is our guy in the 4th quarter?  We still don’t know.  So yeah, they looked good.  Diaw looks like a welcome and strong addition.  Raymond Felton with a strong night: 15 points, 7 assists and yes sir ZERO turnovers.  Emeka kind of not great but a double-double, 10 points 11 rebs that would be a no on the blocks, sorry.  Where are they this year big guy?   

The Hawks didn’t impress me, except they found a way to win.  Down the stretch Joe Johnson played like an All-Star.  Points, we’ve already covered, rebounds, blocks.  Just a really nice 4th quarter out of him.  Why wasn’t he stopped?  Hmm, Diaw was worn out; Mek couldn’t keep up with him.  It’s not like they came into the 4th hot with threes and that’s how they got back in it.  Atlanta just adjusted and handled the ‘Cats in the end of the game.  I’m looking forward to seeing how things go tomorrow night, at home (for 9 of these guys anyway.  I’m sure the other 4 are staying at the Westin) against the freakin’ Bulls.  Let’s see if Larry realizes what he’s got.

Notes from Friday night’s loss to the Hawks and my brief attempt at a pregame to the home game tonight against the Bucks: 

Brief thoughts when I realized I’m far too drunk to make a good analysis about the damn Hawks and their stupid young talented group of players, none of whom I like.  PS, I type extremely well drunk and sarcasm is increased by 125%.

-With Defense we’ll definitely be back in this game.  I love you Steph, I want to kiss you, I could care less about this game, I want to kiss you.

-Defense is about effort and intensity.

-Halftime PTs leaders Gerald with 14, Augustin with 11 and Carroll with 3? 

-3 tries to get the ball in and it doesn’t work the last time.

-Does LB hate this team?  Would he rather be at home?

-Shut up about DJ’s 3s, 4 of 6 in this game so far.

-Gerald elbow to the chops.

-BLOCK on Zaza Pechulia

-“that foul is offensive!”  Awesome quote from the PA guy

-I say we put Mek, Ajinca, Hollins, Gerald and Ray out there and see how many blocks and dunks we get.  Also Ray can throw an oop like no one this side of Slamball!

-Larry looks pissed all the time.

-I like that he doesn’t walk out to the free throw line at time outs.  Bernie was the all time greatest but every coach seems to do it now. 

-Phil Ford writes furiously every time camera is on him and Larry.  What do his notes look like?  I want one of those cool Spaulding portfolio things.  Mine is zip up and Velcro.  I feel like I have a trapper keeper.  The only thing adult about mine other than the porn I hide in there are the business card holders.

-Seriously, we couldn’t find more than 4 sponsors?  Wachovia, Bud Light, The God forsaken Lotto and Sprite. 

-Huge play for MC, steal, layup for the tie and “and one” for the lead.  3 seconds end of 3^rd.

-Momentum anyone?  Wait for it wait for it and oh yeah baby!  The refs end it for us again.

-Ok there are more than 4 advertisers.  But like half of them are bankrupt or about to not have any money.  Ford, GM, the Marines (government), Wachovia, Lotto.  Lotto is stealing from the education.  I don’t think 50000 ads during a Bobcat’s game will make anyone go buy a ticket.  So advertising is worthless, they spend money on it and kids get dummer.  Do y’all have an eraser, my word maker righter don’t work on that dummer word, I guess they don’t know nothing about no dumm kids.  There it goes again.

-Dick Bavetta = senile old man-kisser

-Who will be our TV guy once some one retires as a Bobcat?  Do you think the greatest dunker of all time hate being the color guy for Atlanta?  Was he forced into it?

-We lost again, big deal, we’ll go on one of those runs like Houston did last year and show the world….. 

Sorry about all that.  Laptop, gin, greasy food, Bobcats on TV, it happens to the best of us.  At least I didn’t fall asleep on the couch.  On to tonight:

Milwaukee, as we all know from Wayne’s World, means the good land.  Thank you Alice Cooper, we are truly, not worthy.  Other than that colorful thought from a movie based on an SNL character from the early nineties (Do they still have Wayne’s World at Carowinds?  How could Mike Myers not show up for that?  That’s absolutely huge, to base an entire area of a major theme park on one crap character) Milwaukee as a basketball city absolutely blows.  They haven’t done much in the past few years.  You think they’re still pissed about losing the Lakers?  Other than the Jazz worst non-name-change in NBA history.  What about the old days with Lou Alcindor?  My diabolical nemesis from the worldwide leader offered to be the GM and he’s so bold and brainlessly narcissistic that he probably thought it would be possible because no one says “Hey, Bucks are great.  I’m happy to wear a Michael Redd jersey in Charlotte because I like them so much and have basically no connection to them other than their excitement.”  (Some one count the Bucks jersey’s in the stands tonight, I won’t be there for the first time all year) 

Their GM’s seem to be the type to hear that guy 2 weeks before the draft that Fran Frechella and Bilas start talking about having great upside and should be the surprise of the draft.  This year’s first rounder was Joe Alexander, another tall guy from WVU that could jack up threes, yeah College 3’s.  Year before young upcoming “the next Yao” that no one knew anything about except he could sure post up a chair in his videos on YouTube in Yi Jianlian.  He was traded to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson, who everyone hates and he only seems to play well, really well, against Charlotte.  In the offseason the Bucks re-signed Andrew Bogut.  First overall pick of the 2005 draft, he hasn’t done a lot but he’s been pretty solid.  His NBA.com Bio is interesting and baffling, he’s Australian, of Croatian Descent, but went to school at Utah.  Most hilarious moment ever in recent basketball, to me, him high-fiving imaginary teammates after a made free-throw. 

Focus on tonight’s game there BIGCat: I’m not going.  I decided after driving home from work on Friday afternoon and generally hating being in public right now I wouldn’t leave the apt until Sunday when I’d go eat breakfast at 2:30pm.  I cannot remember ever being enthralled by a Milwaukee basketball team, and the Bobcats are under performing.  J-Rich has been out, he gives us a different feel and look and I love it.  According to the sports network, first place Google news showed me, he’ll still be out and no one knows when he’ll be back.  He did travel to Atlanta to watch DJ Augustin tie his team record for threes in a game, which was quite ironic for this board in particular after Alex and a few others called for DJ to back off on his attempts right now. 

DJ was the story last night in the loss.  26 is a nice total for a guy in his first ever start in the NBA but it wasn’t enough.  Ajinca, in my opinion was mishandled in the game, he got a little run, a little heat with a block a board or two and a made shot, then taken out and it looked like he was pissed.  Larry talked to him, sat him down and he played only 15 minutes total.  True enough he had 4 fouls, he plays a little like a 19 year old that hasn’t figured out how to use his 7’1” frame and definitely not his 7’9” wingspan, wait he is that 20 year old, living in a new country for the first time in his life.  Learning the language, learning the game, learning what collard greens and pulled pork barbeque are.  I don’t mind he hasn’t made waves yet.  So who starts?  2 PG’s, the 20 year old 7’ rookie, Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor?  You can almost guarantee Mek, Wallace and Raymond.  DJ played too well not to start, but will that take Raymond out of the starting lineup?  I don’t think they play together well yet.  Ajinca probably sits, May probably sits, if he doesn’t break the chair, Matt Carroll probably sits.   

Charlie V is back for the Bucks, had a nice game against the Knicks who rocked the NBA world huge on Friday with their 2 trades, unloading salary and dead weight.  They were so shorthanded with the players involved unable to play, that they suited up Stephon Marbury who refused to play.  I would too actually after seeing Mike D’Antoni on Inside the NBA this week.  Enough about NYK because I’m sure Northeastern biased ESPN has given you more than you want.  So they have Charlie V, Bogut, Richard Jefferson, Redd will be out.  I think the next time I blog about the Bucks I’ll concentrate on Redd because I truly know so little about him, he was on the Olympic team this year and played a lot, come on?  Their coach is Scott Skiles who I really like because when Upper Deck’s Collector’s Choice did faces of each franchise he was the face of the Orlando Magic way back when, pre-Shaq and Penny.  A balding white PG is the best player in the first 5 years of your franchise?  Sign me up.  He got fired by Chicago on Christmas Eve.  Now that’s cold.  Chicago tried for Danton but ended up Vinnie of Black, or sorry Vinnie Del Negro (Vinny Testaverde = Vinny GreenBalls).  So the Bucks have a pretty good coach, I think but not the guy who will push them and their mis-mashed roster.   

Charlotte limps home after losing a 13 point lead in the first quarter to Joe Johnson (who did go to the All-Star game last year, not Josh Smith) and Marvin Williams (2^nd overall in 2005 behind Bogut, no one wins a prize from yesterday) in Atlanta last night as rehashed above.  I don’t know what we have as far as players anymore.  Already don’t know the starters, does Rick Bonnell?  I don’t know because I can’t stand to look at his creepy pic anymore on CharlotteObserver.com.  Following the footsteps Rick and Stephanie Ready (Stone cold FOX) I have to say I’ve never seen as bad a technical foul call as last night against Larry Brown.  Should he have said “Excuse Me Sir?” 

Just far too many question marks coming into game 2 of a back to back and although short trip but a trip nonetheless to Atlanta for me to feel good about the Bobcats chances tonight.  USAToday who normally does a great job doesn’t know either and just gave a rundown of the past few games.  I mean come on someone has to have a good feeling for the Bobcats to get a win tonight against the Bucks right?

Bobcats/Hawks Preview 

Bobcats hit the road, well 4 hours away, do they fly or drive to Atlanta?  It’d be a bit ridiculous to fly wouldn’t it?  They have been home for, ever.  The last travel day was exactly 2 weeks ago.  It’s only been 6 games straight at home, longest of the year and it has not turned out the way we had hoped.  An early long home stand you would hope would turn into at least 4 wins but it’s been only 2.  The west is not that great this year, the wins have shifted back east.  The Bobcats are the second worst team in the East but there are 4 teams with fewer wins in the West.  Bobcats beat New Orleans and Utah but lost to Toronto, Denver, Orlando and Dallas.  New beginnings down I-85 start Friday night? 

Atlanta was the team that had everyone going “Really?  They’ve won 6 straight to start the season?”  Believe it or not they lost 4 straight after that and just got off the streak against Washington who really seems to have some problems.  If you want to stop a losing streak, play Washington.  If you want to end a win streak, play Detroit right now.  So there’s no real pattern no real streak for either team coming into this game so let’s take a look at the match-ups or actually, you know what?……. 

I’ll be honest, I have no idea what makes the Hawks any good but that’s no different from the casual sports fan in Atlanta.  I know they have Joe Johnson, who flipped off the crowd walking off the court after a double tech in Charlotte a couple years ago.  I know they have Josh Smith who seems like a good player and somehow made his way into the All-Star Game last year.  He’s hurt.  They traded late last season for Mike Bibby, who I’ve never been really impressed with but he filled a need for them, I think?  They have Al Horford from Florida’s championship teams, he’s hurt too.  They have Zaza Pachulia who seems to have a big game when he plays in Charlotte just because the announcer who acts like he hates saying the other team’s player’s names, actually loves saying Zaza Pachulia so it sticks in my head.  Oh and the #1 overall draft pick for no real reason other than upside and motor Marvin Williams who spent a year coming off the bench at Carolina.  

Couldn’t tell you the coach’s name, couldn’t tell you any other players.  I know they don’t draw much of a crowd down there.  They made the playoffs last year and gave the Celtics quite a scare in the first round.  The 6 game win streak was nice for them.  I really don’t have a feeling one way or the other about this game.  I think J-Rich has a shot at coming back but he might skip the trip to get the knee strong at home.  That’s pure speculation because I haven’t read a report.  Can this team get it together?  Is it possible that this sparks a run against some mid-level opponents and all eastern conference teams at that coming up next week?  Larry has hinted at benching May again.  Will that happen?   

Side note:  I just typed Sean May into Google tool bar and you know how it guesses what you might mean and lists the most searched items?  Well “Sean May Fat” was #1, followed by Sean May “Denver,” “Murder,” “Girlfriend” and “Out of Shape.”  I don’t know what Denver has to do with it, really?  Murder?  Girlfriend = Wendy, you know the one with the red hair and the square burgers?  Poor guy, he’s known for one thing now: being not-so-slim. 

So many questions, I just want to see some roundball, can’t think about all of it anymore.  Play hard, win or look good doing it.