ORLANDO – This was what you'd call a teaching moment.
Throughout a week of training camp, new Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown preached “Drive-drive-drive.'' The vast majority of his players responded with jump-shot, jump-shot, jump-shot.
If Brown's words meant nothing, then perhaps the video will make his point. Continuously launching from the perimeter, or just throwing away the ball before a shot ever went up, the Bobcats fell behind 40-9 in a deflating 118-80 preseason loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at Amway Arena.
This exhibition didn't count, but that doesn't mean it didn't matter. Brown was trying to make peace throughout camp with a team more infatuated with the jumper than he wanted. He conceded this might be the best jump-shooting team he's had, and the guy has coached over 1,800 NBA games.
But he knows the value of drives and post-ups: They improve shooting percentage. They draw fouls. They increase offensive rebounds.
And they might have avoided the debacle that was the first half, when the Bobcats shot 7-of-34 from the field to trail by 32.
“I didn't think we attacked the basket at all,” Brown said of that 40-9 first quarter. “We settled for jumpers. When they kick it out (to the perimeter), I'd like to see my guys drive. Maybe we were intimidated by Dwight's presence.”
That would be Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard, who finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in 25 minutes. Howard was essential to the Magic going to the foul line 21 times in the first quarter, to the Bobcats' four free-throw attempts.
“We've got to get to that point,'' said Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace, “where we spend eight minutes in the penalty (bonus situation) the way they did.”
Wallace was the only Bobcat consistently attacking the rim, scoring 12 of his 18 points at the foul line. But that came mostly in the second quarter, when this game was already settled.
Consider that the Bobcats went nearly the last 18 minutes of the first half scoring four baskets from the field. Their leading scorer from last season, Jason Richardson, didn't make a field goal until three minutes into the third quarter, and that was on his seventh attempt.
“We've got to be able to stand a punch,” Wallace concluded. “And tonight we went down in the first five seconds.”
CHARLOTTE (80)
Wallace 3-11 12-13 18, May 2-8 3-4 7, Okafor 4-6 0-0 8, Felton 0-4 3-4 3, Ja.Richardson 4-11 5-5 15, Mohammed 0-1 0-0 0, Davidson 0-2 0-2 0, Carroll 0-4 0-0 0, Augustin 0-5 2-2 2, Ajinca 1-8 0-0 2, Morrison 2-3 1-4 5, A.Brown 0-1 1-2 1, Dudley 2-4 1-1 6, Hollins 1-1 0-2 2, Taylor 0-4 2-2 2, S.Brown 4-7 0-0 9, Williams 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 23-81 30-41 80.
ORLANDO (118)
Turkoglu 2-5 4-4 9, Lewis 5-8 7-8 17, Howard 6-9 8-10 20, Nelson
2-5 6-6 10, Pietrus 5-8 2-2 13, Battie 3-3 2-2 8, Redick 3-4 5-5
12, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 1-10 6-6 9, Lee 4-8 1-2 9, Foyle 2-4
3-4 7, Wilks 0-2 2-2 2, Je.Richardson 0-4 2-2 2. Totals 33-70 48-53
118.
Charlotte 9 24 29 18— 80
Orlando 40 25 29 24—118
3-Point Goals—Charlotte 4-12 (Ja.Richardson 2-5, Dudley 1-1, S.Brown 1-2, Wallace 0-1, Augustin 0-3), Orlando 4-15 (Redick 1-2, Turkoglu 1-3, Cook 1-3, Pietrus 1-3, Lee 0-1, Nelson 0-1, Lewis 0-2). Fouled Out—Turkoglu. Rebounds—Charlotte 57 (Wallace 11), Orlando 54 (Howard 8). Assists—Charlotte 13 (Felton 5), Orlando 18
(Johnson 7). Total Fouls—Charlotte 35, Orlando 33.
Technicals—Charlotte defensive three second, Orlando defensive three second. A—13,617 (17,519).
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