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Bobcats have look of an NBA team again
Larry Brown is said to be hard on his point guards. He's also hard on his shooting guards, his small forwards, his power forwards and his big men. I've never been around a coach, in any sport, who stops practice as frequently as he does.
Get it wrong and he'll notice and he'll tell you about it. He doesn't scream; sometimes he'll make a player laugh. Often he'll ask them what they were thinking. The question implies that they weren't.
But there's a purpose to it. There's always a reason. He'll talk, and they'll quickly move on.
They look more like a team than they ever have. They run. They hustle. They have some depth. Two players injured last season, Sean May and Adam Morrison, are back on the court, as are rookies D.J. Augustin and Alexis Ajinca.
Last season the Bobcats were easy to ignore.
To watch them Wednesday and Thursday was to get excited about the NBA and college basketball.
The best player on the court has been Jason Richardson. He's hitting everything he puts up, rebounding and playing defense. When he grabs a big rebound or makes a big stop, you know. His voice fills Trask Coliseum.
The player who always seems to be where he's supposed to is second-year forward Jared Dudley.
May looks rusty. He'll put on the moves that served him well at North Carolina and on those occasions he's been healthy since the Bobcats drafted him. But his timing is off.
Morrison looks good. He's moving and shooting well. There's no indication he missed last season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Joining Brown after practice were former North Carolina coach Dean Smith and current North Carolina coach Roy Williams. And, no, Williams did not wear a Kansas sticker.
