Carolina Sports

Chris Gamble has resurrected his career.

2011-12-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Chris Gamble had an appalling 2010 season. He missed five games with hamstring, and ankle injuries, while apparently falling out of favor with then coach John Fox. Gamble was also benched that year against Cleveland for missing a practice for what he called "personal reasons". "We were 2-14; it was just a bad year" Gamble said. "So I'm just trying to stay positive. I cant worry about the negative stuff." John Fox was eventually let go by Jerry Richardson, and then entered new hire Ron Rivera. Rivera immediately sat down with Gamble to talk about the upcoming season without mentioning the past, at all. "I sat him down and told him 'you're our number 1 corner'. We want to put you to the challenge and we believe you can do some things. But I think also we've got to help you with the pass rush. And I think that's helped him." Rivera said. Gamble has all but shut down almost every receiver he has been against this year. He started off the season making Larry Fitzgerald a non factor in the Arizona game, and kept Calvin Johnson out of the end zone in the game at Detroit. Now in his 8th season in the league Gamble has turned himself into a very smart, and heady player, and has always had great ball skills to go along with his great size for his position. Alot of Gambles game is based on his mindset. In 2010 his confidence was all but shot, especially after being benched. This year he came into the season with a whole new mindset that he was going to succeed, or die trying, and he has more than succeeded expectations surrounding him this season. Don't believe me? Take a look at this stat. In 348 passing plays Quarterbacks have only targeted Gamble 52 times, and he has only given up 22 receptions. Quarterbacks throwing into his coverage only have a passer rating of 48.4 (second only to Darrelle Revis' 45.4). That is a mind boggling statistic, and might make Chris Gamble one of the most underrated players in the league right now.

Will Chris Gamble make the Pro Bowl? Honestly, in my unbiased opinion I think he should make it just based on the statistic that I just referenced above. Even Josh Freeman all but admitted before his game last week against the Panthers that while he will still go through his progressions he has to make sure he knows where Gamble is on the field at all times. Thats how talented, and great he thinks Gamble is, and it also demonstrates that he basically wanted to avoid him if at all possible. There are probably only about 3 CB's that I would put with Gamble as on par with him this year in the NFC. That is Brent Grimes, Carlos Rogers, and Asante Samuel. The Pro Bowl rosters will be announced tonight, and I certainly hope Gamble makes it, but even if he doesn't he has had an outstanding year.

What to make of the Bobcats two preseason games.

2011-12-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Charlotte has now completed their preseason schedule, even if it was only two games against the Atlanta Hawks. Ill try to summarize what has transpired, or not transpired during those two somewhat woeful contest.

Point Guards: Augustin had a horrible first game with 6 turnovers, which is totally inexcusable. He also had two missed free throws, which was odd considering he shot over 90% from the line last year. He picked it up a little in the second game with a modest 9 points, and 3 assist to go along with one turnover. Kemba Walker has not been shooting the ball well at all through the two exhibition games. Combined both games he shot a rather pedestrian 8-24 (33%), but made up for it quiet well the first game getting to the charity stripe 11 times, and converting on 9 of those. He was also rather clutch in the 4th quarter, and finished with 18 points to lead the team. The second game he somewhat came back down to Earth, and finished with 8. This PG battle will be one of the things to look forward to this season as they will push each other to get better.

Shooting Guards: If this is to be the year that Gerald Henderson has a true breakout year than he certainly didn't show it in the two exhibitions. In game one he wasnt assertive at all, but did finish with 8 points on 3-5 shooting. In game two you could hardly tell he was on the court, as he finished with two points on 1-3 shooting. Not much is expected of Matt Carroll other than a three pointer here and there, and thats exactly what he did in game two with back to back threes to extend a then Charlotte lead to 44-38. Carroll will be battling Reggie Williams for the role of backup SG once he comes back from injury.

Small Forwards: This is probably one of, or maybe the only true bright spot about the two games. Derrick Brown played admirably filling in for Corey Maggette in game 1 with 10 points, and 10 rebounds. He still cant hardly shoot, but he showed flashes of his brilliant athleticism. In game two Maggette stepped back in after sitting out due to back spasms and had 18 points off of 10 shots in only 26 minutes. Maggette did what he does best, and that's get to the charity stripe at an astounding rate. If you're looking for a fantasy sleeper he is definitely your guy assuming he can stay healthy.

Power Forwards: Tyrus Thomas had a game one to forget with an abysmal 3-14 shooting in 26 minutes, but did pull down 9 rebounds. He also ended up with a mild ankle sprain after landing on someones foot fighting for a rebound. D.J. White did "OK" chipping in 8 points in game one, and 5 in game two. Bismack Biyombo made his debut in game two, and got in foul trouble almost immediately, which was to be expected as he grows accustomed to the NBA game, but he did have two dazzling blocks, one of them a doozy on Marvin Williams. He is the epitome of a project, and I don't see him really contributing for atleast a year or two, but he is sure fun to watch.

Centers: Boris Diaw can make me absolutely sick sometimes. He is the starting center, and as the case for a majority of his career he absolutely cannot rebound, or maybe he just doesn't try. In game one in 26 minutes he grabbed 3 rebounds, and in game two in 24 minutes he grabbed one rebound. You absolutely cannot have your starting center grabbing 5 or less rebounds a game. I wasn't even sure that was possible, but I guess it is, and judging by Diaws career as far as rebounding goes its going to happen on a nightly basis. Recently acquired Byron Mullens played pretty well in the second game, and showed a nice touch from around 15 feet chipping in 7 points. He HAS to learn how to block out though to secure reboundes. He looks like he could add a tad bit of muscle to his upper body, but this is a low risk high reward ordeal for the Bobcats.

Basically folks, this team could very well be fun to watch one night going up and down the floor, and then the next night be dreadful to watch on the offensive end. In game two they went 10 minutes without a field goal in the third quarter and into the fourth. They also are a horrific rebounding team. In game two they were out rebounded 50-30 by Atlanta. If they are going to get out rebounded by 20 to Atlanta just imagine what other teams are going to do to them. This team has a small margin for error if they are going to win games, and must fight much harder on the glass. Going to be a long season, and the NBA draft couldn't come soon enough, but it will be fun watching the young guys grow together.

Tim Tebow vs Cam Newton

2011-12-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

I honestly do not think this is even a reasonable debate, but due to the overwhelming popularity of Tim Tebow, and the comparisons I've seen lately I feel obligated to atleast try to draw a comparison between the two. Lets start off comparing stats.

Cam Newton: GP CMP ATT CMP% YDS AVG TD LONG INT FUM RAT:
13 270 452 59.7 3,573 7.91 15 77 16 3 81.1

Tim Tebow GP CMP ATT CMP% YDS AVG TD LONG INT FUM RAT:
11 96 198 48.5 1,290 6.52 11 56 2 4 83.9

As far as rushing goes Tebow has 517 yards with 3 TDs 4 fumbles, and an average of 5.5, as opposed to Newton who has 554 yards on 107 attempts with a QB record breaking mark of 13 TDs, and 2 fumbles.

Now we have to, unfortunately, enter the "common sense" portion of this blog entry, and that's the obvious reasoning that Tebow fails in comparison to Newton in pure passing ability. Yes, you can argue that Tebow has 11 TDs, with only 2 INTs, but that's based alot in part to John Fox's run control offense. I am very familiar with Fox, as he was the coach of Carolina for years. In my opinion Fox, and Tebow are a match made in heaven. Tebow does indeed get a ton of the credit for his 4th quarter heroics, and most of it is well deserved, but what some people fail to recognize is that John Fox deserves most of the credit. His game plan revolves around a ball control style offense, where you do not commit turnovers, and you win the game with defense, and special teams. One can say that the Broncos defense is just ranked 19th in the NFL statistically, but over the past 6-7 games the defense has been one of the best in the league making the numbers somewhat skewed. Tebows completion percentage is "poor", and thats being nice. What alot of people need to realize is that it is only a matter of time before defensive coordinators catch up to Tebow, and the schematics of which Fox is currently running his offense. Tebow does have tons of intangibles, and I think he very well could be a decent starter in this league for a while, but the MVP talk, and ESPN asking ridiculous questions such as " Who would you rather have? Tom Brady, or Tim Tebow?" is just ludicrous.

Newton does have a significant amount of interceptions more than Tebow, but that is solely based on the fact that he runs a pass happy offense where Rob Chudzinski has basically put the ball into the rookies hands, and told him to toss the pigskin all over the field. This type of offense has perturbed some Carolina fans, as when you have two talented RBs in Deangelo Williams, and Jonathan Stewart common logic would suggest that you run the ball more with them than Carolina currently does, but as John Fox would say " it is what it is ". In Tebows defense Denver did trade away his primary receivers in Brandon Lloyd to the Rams, which was a head scratcher to me.

As far as ability to run the ball they are both outstanding. Neither possesses the speed of a Michael Vick, but both are built like tanks, and can withstand punishment. Newton has a QB record of 13 rushing TD's, but it isn't as if he is running all over the field. Alot, or most of those have been on the goal line while using the shotgun formation. Its still a rather impressive feat, though. So in regards to pure rushing ability Ill have to give it a draw.

When asked about Tim Tebow, and Cam Newton earlier in the week outspoken wide receiver told the Charlotte Observer the following "You can't compare Cam to Tebow. I think Cam's a more complete player," Smith told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday. "Tebow has the wins. But everybody wants to crown Tebow. Yes, he has the will to win. I think Tebow is no different than any other professional. But Tebow has a great opportunity to play behind a great defense."

Basically I don't really find any kind of comparisons between the two other than they are elite rushers for their position. One can pass the ball, and one cant. I find it rather odd that when Tebow has a 200 yard passing day that people get excited, that's cause for concern in my book. One can also state that another difference between the two is that one wins, and one doesn't. I find this to be a silly argument, as Newton cant play both sides of the ball, unfortunately. Newton is leading the 5th ranked offense in the league as far as total yards go, while Tebow is leading the 23rd ranked offense. Ill say the same thing I said when I compared Andy Dalton to Newton. If you give Newton a defense like Denver, or Cincinnati than Carolina would be right in the playoff picture.

What to make of this Bobcat roster?

2011-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

First off I would just like to point out that this team is absolutely terrible. Over the past two seasons the team has been gutted with players such as Tyson Chandler, Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace, and Raymond Felton leaving. Personally I feel this is in the best interest of the Bobcats to rebuild in an Oklahoma City sort of way, and thats through the draft. That being said, lets take a look at Charlottes roster.

Point Guard: D.J. Augustin (Starter) Reserve: Kemba Walker : Augustin must have taken to heart what Walker said when he stated that he was going to push Augustin to the limit for the starting job, as Augustin has reported to camp in tip top shape, and actually looks as if he has some muscle on his body. Walker has been impressing his coaches, and teammates thus far with his work ethic which isnt surprising, but still needs to work on his 3 point shot a little. Walkers mid range game is his bread and butter, and his ability to beat the defender off the dribble is excellent, as is the same with Augustin.

Shooting Guard: Gerald Henderson (Starter) Reserves: Reggie Williams, Matt Carroll : Gerald Henderson has said that he is 100% following hip surgery, and spent alot of the season working out at Accelerate Basketball in Charlotte. Henderson has worked extensively on his three point shooting, which will help him continue progressing from his breakout after the Gerald Wallace trade. Reggie Williams was given a 2 year $5 million deal from the Bobcats today. Silas has urged that he would like more outside shooting, and thats what Williams provides. He shot 42% from three land last year and averaged 9 ppg with the Warriors. Speaking of outside shooting, Matt Carroll has been known to bomb one every now and then. Im not sure where he stands in the rotation with the addition of Williams, but they will look to battle it out over the backup spot at SG.

Small Forward: Corey Maggette (Starter) Reserve: Derrick Brown : Paul Silas has stated more times that I can count that he expects Maggette to average 20 ppg this season. Maggette has replied "thats easy" with a chuckle. Maggette is looking to get back on track after a somewhat dismal season last year with Milwaukee where Scott Skiles was primarily playing him as a PF. Although Maggette looks like Rambo with his shirt off that is not his ideal position, and Silas has stated that he will be playing almost primarily SF. Derrick Brown wanted to be here all along, and when the Knicks decided to basically let him go he latched back on here. A fairly good athlete, he will be a decent backup for Maggette.

Power Forward: Tyrus Thomas (Starter) Reserves: D.J. White, Bismack Biyombo: Charlottes front court is somewhat in disarray right now with Kwame Brown signing on with the Warriors, so this could change from game to game. As of now Tyrus Thomas is penciled in as the starter, with Diaw likely playing center. This should be the year for Thomas to take his game to another level, and finally use the ability he was blessed with. There is no word on whether or not Biyombo will get to even play this season with Charlotte. He has a court date on Dec 19th to see if he will actually be able to sign on with the team. He would be a decent backup though, and its would be fun to watch his reckless style try to swat balls 30 rows up.

Center: Boris Diaw (Starter) Reserves: Melvin Ely, Gana Diop: This is where the Bobcats are really hurting. Brown signed on with the Warriors for a 1 year $7 million deal, and Diop showed up to camp 30 pounds overweight thanks in part to not being able to condition due to a ruptured achilles tendon suffered in January of last year. I dont see Diop contributing anything until mid to late January. Ely was signed today, and in his early Charlotte days he wasnt exactly a good rebounder, or defender, but he had a nice post up game and was half decent on the offensive end. Dont be surprised to see tough Eduardo Najera play some center as well.

Basically, the roster is young, and overloaded at PF. They will be fun to watch at times, but will lose a ton of games, and it would take an absolute miracle for this team to even sniff the playoffs.

Scouting Report on Nate Britt.

2011-12-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

          The North Carolina Tar Heels are no longer in the market for a point guard in the class of 2013. Britts decision to pick UNC was a rather interesting one considering UNC signed Marcus Paige, the #1 PG in the nation to its 2012 class, but Britt says UNC was his dream school; "The thing I look forward to the most is probably playing with Marcus Paige," Britt said. "I feel like us two in the backcourt together could be great. When Coach Williams was at Kansas he had Kirk Hinrich and two other point guards and that was one of his better years at Kansas." Britt is known as a fantastic floor general that has a tremendous feel for the game, and is known as a "winner". Is a great passer, but could definitely improve on his shooting, but is improving both in that area, and in his scoring ability. Is pretty quick, but not a great athlete by any means. Although he doesn't exactly have a history of being a great scorer/shooter his latest performance at a prestigious tournament in the Gonzaga D.C. Classic would suggest otherwise. Britt posted a rather dominating 30 point 6 assist performance against elite level competition Friday night off of 12-19 shooting.

          Britt could definitely add some muscle on his 6'1 155 pound frame, but that will come in due time. When he arrives in Chapel Hill in 2013 his role on the team could vary. Marcus Paige is a stud, and I dont foresee Britt competing for the starting PG job right off, but I could possibly see them working together in the backcourt as Strickland will be departing from campus upon his arrival. Britt will be a little different than what Carolina fans are use to seeing the past year or two. As Kendall Marshall will beat the defense with a great pass up court, Britt will beat you with speed in the mold of a young Ty Lawson, or Raymond Felton.

                                                         Height: 6'1
   Weight: 155
                                                         School: Gonzaga College High School

Scouting Report on Duke Signee Matt Jones

2011-12-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

          Matt Jones, considered one of the top 20 juniors in the nation depending which site you read, committed to Duke on November 29th. Jones had been leaning towards Duke for a fairly long time, but found it was time to finally make it official. Texas, Florida, Kansas and North Carolina were the finalists for the guard who drained 3-pointers at a whopping 45-percent clip as a sophomore. Obviously one of the main reasons he chose Duke is because of Coach K, and the way they space the floor, and try to get their shooters open which is more helpful to his game. "They tried to compare me a little to J.J. Redick in that we both can shoot and they'd get me open like they did him," Jones said. Another thing to keep an eye on is that Jones plays on the same AAU team has Julius Randle, who is a consensus top 5 player in his class which is also on Dukes radar. When asked what set Duke apart from other schools “Just how they play,” Jones told CBSSports.com when asked why he chose the Blue Devils. “Academics. It felt like coaches could take me to the next level. It felt like home away from home. Plus, my whole family liked my decision.”

When Jones arrives at Duke in 2013 his role will be primarily to replace the departed Andre Dawkins as the main, or designated shooter. As a sophomore Jones averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists per game. While Jones shooting is absolutely outstanding, he can get to the rim against most defenders, and an above average passer. Jones is a good, but not elite athlete, but is a very crafty player. In Jones, Duke has a savvy and skilled player that is among the top-5 shooting guards in the class, and an apparent great fit for the program.

   Height : 6' 3"
                                                       Weight: 180 lbs
   Current: SG
   High School: DeSoto (TX)
                                                       Hometown: DeSoto, Texas

What Does A New Starting Lineup Do?

2011-12-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

What Does A New Starting Lineup Do?: What happens if head coach Mike Krzyzewski shuffles the lineup against Colorado State on Wednesday night?

Welcome to Charlotte Bismack Biyombo, Kemba Walker!

2011-12-06T10:28:00.001-08:00

Complete list of NBA free agents.

2011-11-30T22:27:00.000-08:00

Point Guard (name, team – 2010-11 salary – status)

Aaron Brooks, Phoenix Suns – $2.0 million – Restricted ($3.0 million Qualifying Offer) Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – $2.8 million – Restricted ($3.9 million Qualifying Offer) T.J. Ford, Indiana Pacers – $8.5 million – Unrestricted Carlos Arroyo, Boston Celtics – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Ronnie Price, Utah Jazz – $1.3 million – Unrestricted Patrick Mills, Portland Trail Blazers – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Sasha Vujacic, New Jersey Nets – $5.5 million – Unrestricted Sebastian Telfair, Minnesota Timberwolves – $2.7 million – Unrestricted Willie Green, New Orleans Hornets – $4.0 million – Unrestricted Mario Chalmers, Miami HEAT – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Earl Watson, Utah Jazz – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Pooh Jeter, Sacramento Kings – $0.5 million – Unrestricted Jose Barea, Dallas Mavericks – $1.7 million – Unrestricted Sundiata Gaines, New Jersey Nets – $0.7 million – Unrestricted Chris Quinn, San Antonio Spurs – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Marcus Banks, New Orleans Hornets – $4.9 million – Unrestricted Earl Boykins, Milwaukee Bucks – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Anthony Carter, New York Knicks – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Acie Law, Golden State Warriors – $0.7 million – Unrestricted Ben Uzoh, New Jersey Nets – $0.5 million – Unrestricted

Shooting Guard (name, team – 2010-11 salary – status)

Jason Richardson, Orlando Magic – $14.4 million – Unrestricted Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks – $10.1 million – Unrestricted Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets – $2.0 million – Restricted ($2.9 million Qualifying Offer) Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets - $2.1 million – Restricted ($3.1 million Qualifying Offer) Shannon Brown, L.A. Lakers – $2.1 million – Unrestricted J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets – $6.0 million – Unrestricted DeShawn Stevenson, Dallas Mavericks – $4.2 million – Unrestricted Mike Dunleavy, Indiana Pacers – $10.6 million – Unrestricted Chris Douglas-Roberts, Milwaukee Bucks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Nick Young, Washington Wizards – $2.6 million – Restricted ($3.7 million Qualifying Offer) Sonny Weems, Toronto Raptors – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Mo Evans, Washington Wizards - $2.5 million – Unrestricted Daequan Cook, Oklahoma City Thunder – $2.2 million – Restricted ($3.1 million Qualifying Offer) Anthony Parker, Cleveland Cavaliers – $2.9 million – Unrestricted Marquis Daniels, Boston Celtics – $2.5 million – Unrestricted Marcus Thornton, Sacramento Kings – $0.8 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Roger Mason, New York Knicks – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Marco Belinelli, New Orleans Hornets – $2.4 million – Restricted ($3.4 million Qualifying Offer) Gary Forbes, Denver Nuggets – $0.5 million – Restricted ($1.0 million Qualifying Offer) Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks – $18.3 million – Unrestricted Delonte West, Boston Celtics – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Dominic McGuire, Charlotte Bobcats – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Alonzo Gee, Washington Wizards – $0.6 million – Unrestricted Von Wafer, Boston Celtics – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Tracy McGrady, Detroit Pistons – $1.4 million – Unrestricted

Small Forward (name, team – 2010-11 salary – status)

Caron Butler, Dallas Mavericks – $10.8 million – Unrestricted Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers – $2.9 million – Restricted ($4.0 million Qualifying Offer) Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns – $3.2 million – Unrestricted Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons – $11.1 million – Unrestricted Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies – $7.4 million – Unrestricted Reggie Williams, Golden State Warriors – $0.8 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) James Jones, Miami HEAT – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Al Thornton, Golden State Warriors – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Jason Kapono, Philadelphia 76ers – $6.6 million – Unrestricted Josh Howard, Washington Wizards – $3.0 million – Unrestricted Rasual Butler, Chicago Bulls – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Jamario Moon, L.A. Clippers – $3.0 million – Unrestricted Julian Wright, Toronto Raptors – $2.9 million – Restricted ($4.0 million Qualifying Offer) Peja Stojakovic, Dallas Mavericks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Earl Clark, Orlando Magic – $1.9 million – Unrestricted Kelenna Azubuike, New York Knicks – $3.3 million – Unrestricted Quinton Ross, New Jersey Nets – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Shawne Williams, New York Knicks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Ime Udoka, San Antonio Spurs – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Vladimir Radmanovic, Golden State Warriors – $6.9 million – Unrestricted Jawad Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Rodney Carney, Golden State Warriors – $0.9 million – Unrestricted DaJuan Summers, Detroit Pistons – $0.8 million – Unrestricted Damien Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks – $0.8 million – Unrestricted Steve Novak, Dallas Mavericks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Derrick Brown, New York Knicks – $0.7 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Darnell Jackson, Sacramento Kings – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Cartier Martin, Washington Wizards – $0.9 million – Unrestricted

Power Forward (name, team – 2010-11 salary – status)

David West, New Orleans Hornets – $8.3 million – Unrestricted Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz – $17.8 million – Unrestricted Jeff Green, Boston Celtics – $4.5 million – Restricted ($5.9 million Qualifying Offer) Troy Murphy, Boston Celtics – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Carl Landry, New Orleans Hornets – $3.0 million – Unrestricted Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets – $16.5 million – Unrestricted Glen Davis, Boston Celtics – $3.3 million – Unrestricted Kris Humphries, New Jersey Nets – $3.2 million – Unrestricted Reggie Evans, Toronto Raptors – $5.1 million – Unrestricted Chuck Hayes, Houston Rockets – $2.3 million – Unrestricted Yi Jianlian, Washington Wizards – $4.1 million – Unrestricted Josh McRoberts, Indiana Pacers - $0.9 million – Unrestricted Jared Jeffries, New York Knicks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Jason Smith, New Orleans Hornets – $2.2 million – Unrestricted Craig Smith, L.A. Clippers – $2.3 million – Unrestricted Dante Cunningham, Charlotte Bobcats – $0.8 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Joey Dorsey, Toronto Raptors – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Joe Smith, L.A. Lakers – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Malik Allen, Orlando Magic – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Jonas Jerebko, Detroit Pistons – $0.8 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Juwan Howard, Miami HEAT – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Brandan Wright, New Jersey Nets – $3.4 million – Unrestricted Darius Songaila, Philadelphia 76ers – $4.8 million – Unrestricted Leon Powe, Boston Celtics – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Shelden Williams, New York Knicks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Chris Wilcox, Detroit Pistons – $3.0 million – Unrestricted DJ Mbenga, New Orleans Hornets – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Brian Skinner, Milwaukee Bucks – $1.0 million – Unrestricted Hamady Ndiaye, Washington Wizards – $0.5 million – Restricted ($1.0 million Qualifying Offer) DeMarre Carroll, Houston Rockets – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Solomon Jones, Indiana Pacers – $1.5 million – Unrestricted Brian Cardinal, Dallas Mavericks – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Brian Scalabrine, Chicago Bulls – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Josh Powell, Atlanta Hawks – $1.0 million – Unrestricted Melvin Ely, Denver Nuggets – $1.1 million – Unrestricted

Center (name, team – 2010-11 salary – status)

Nene, Denver Nuggets – $11.4 million – Unrestricted Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies – $3.6 million – Restricted ($4.5 million Qualifying Offer) Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks – $12.6 million – Unrestricted Joel Przybilla, Charlotte Bobcats – $7.4 million – Unrestricted Samuel Dalembert, Sacramento Kings – $13.4 million – Unrestricted Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers – $6.8 million – Restricted ($8.8 million Qualifying Offer) Spencer Hawes, Philadelphia 76ers – $3.0 million – Restricted ($4.1 million Qualifying Offer) Nenad Krstic, Boston Celtics – $5.7 million – Unrestricted Tony Battie, Philadelphia 76ers – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Kyrylo Fesenko, Utah Jazz – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Erick Dampier, Miami HEAT – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Miami HEAT – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Jeff Foster, Indiana Pacers – $6.7 million – Unrestricted DeAndre Jordan, L.A. Clippers – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer) Kurt Thomas, Chicago Bulls – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Francisco Elson, Utah Jazz – $1.1 million – Unrestricted Hilton Armstrong, Atlanta Hawks – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Aaron Gray, New Orleans Hornets – $0.9 million – Unrestricted Jamaal Magloire, Miami HEAT – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Dan Gadzuric, New Jersey Nets – $7.2 million – Unrestricted Kwame Brown, Charlotte Bobcats – $1.3 million – Unrestricted Theo Ratliff, L.A. Lakers – $1.4 million – Unrestricted Etan Thomas, Atlanta Hawks – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Jason Collins, Atlanta Hawks – $1.2 million – Unrestricted Eddy Curry – $11.3 million – Unrestricted Hamed Haddadi, Memphis Grizzlies – $1.8 million – Restricted ($2.0 million Qualifying Offer)

Scouting report on Duke signee Rasheed Sulaimon

2011-11-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

         Although it has been inevitable for a while now, Rasheed Sulaimon is now officially apart of the Duke basketball family. Many may not be too familiar with him, so ill try to catch some of you guys up. Sulaimon is listed at 6'3, but has very long arms that allow him to play bigger than his position. Although Sulaimon isnt exactly a "dynamic" athlete, the best way to describe him would be "smooth", in a Harrison Barnes kind of way. Sulaimon draws fouls at an incredible rate, and plays above the rim with ferociousness. With his ability to score the ball he also has a rather crafty passing game at his young age. He can be unselfish, but when the game is on the line he definitely is not scared to take over. On the defensive end his length is what makes him special. He has the quickness to guard either guard positions, and his length may even make it possible for him to guard at the Small Forward position at times. It is very important for him to continue to fill his body out, though. He could definitely use 10-15 pounds of muscle on his light frame, but then again so could alot of players. He is a very intelligent, high motor player that has worked very hard over the past couple years to get to this point in his very young career, and should be a player to watch out for next year at Duke.


                                                       Height : 6' 3"
                                                       Weight: 175 lbs
   Current: SG
   High School: Strake Jesuit College Prep
                                                       Hometown: Houston, TX

Krzyzewski is simply the best.

2011-11-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

          36 years ago in November of 1975 a 27 year old man named Mike Krzyzewski became a rookie head coach at Army. He finished his first season 11-14, not exactly "ripping" it up by anyone's standards. The man who was as passionate as any coach in the nation at that time is still at it today, about to become the winningest coach in college basketball history tonight against Michigan State, or if not tonight than definitely Friday at home against Davidson. The span from Krzyzewski’s first national title (1991) to his most recent (2010) is the longest in college basketball history. I'm sure alot of of Duke haters will say something along the lines of " well its easy to win when you perennially recruit the best players in the nation". Yes, that may indeed be true, but if you were to just take a look at Dukes 2010 team you will definitely think otherwise. The 2010 Duke team probably isn't even in the top 12 talent wise out of all of his past teams, but Krzyzewski adapted to the strengths of his team, which was just shear defensive tenaciousness with long range shooting. Realistically that team had no business even being in the final four, let alone winning the national title, but that's what occurs when you have a coach as great as a Krzyzewski. You will also hear certain people state " well all Duke does is shoot the 3 ball. Thats all they can do! ". Ill have to respectfully disagree. Krzyzewski's first 10 or so years as a head coach there was not a three point line. He learned to adapt and use it to his advantage, which alot of coaches refused to do, and now his teams year in and year out are absolutely lethal from downtown. One must also look into the types of players Krzyzewski recruits. While some perennial powers like a Kentucky recruit players that are more than willing to go straight to the NBA out of highschool if it was allowed (hows that working out for you John Calipari?) Krzyzewski uses a mixture of players who actually WANT to go to college, and earn a degree that he can develop over 4 years as opposed to the players who are "superstars" before they even come to campus.

          Also hard to overlook his work as head coach of the 2008 Olympic team as well. If America was to win the gold medal in 2008 it would have to be because the players put aside their egos. It was a high risk relatively low reward job for Krzyzewski. If you win people say "well you have the best players, why wouldn't you? " If you lose people would say that you're a screw up who loses with a huge abundance of talent (hello Larry Brown ). Krzyzewski was able to get players to buy into getting floor burns, and getting down and dirty, and they finally brought the gold medal back home to America.



   It would be easy to talk about his 91, and 92 national title victories over Kansas, and Michigan, or to talk about the controversy surrounding "The Fab Five" that involved Duke, but the facts are rather obvious. No coach in college basketball history has had as much success over such a long period of time than Mike Krzyzewski. His ability to adapt to the changes in the recruiting process, changes in the game, and changes in the way students, and players act are bar none the best in the sport. Tonight he will break his mentor Bob Knights record, and he will give his players all the credit in the world as he always does without giving himself hardly any credit at all, but that's just the kind of man he is. Thinking of his family, and players first, and himself last. He is simply the best.

Krzyzewski has been at Duke since 1980. His many accomplishments include:

4 National Championships (most since 1984–85) as well as two in a row in 1991 and '92, also winning in 2001 and 2010
11 Final Fours (most since 1984–85) as well as five in a row from 1988 to 1992
19 Sweet Sixteens (most since 1984–85) and nine straight from 1998–2006
26 NCAA tournament berths
78 NCAA tournament wins (most ever)
12 No. 1 seeds
25 conference titles (12 regular season, 13 tournament), 10 of last 13 ACC Tournament Titles
12 30-win seasons
25 20-win seasons
Number 1 AP ranking in 15 of the past 26 seasons
9 Naismith College Player of the Year Awards
9 National Defensive Players of the Year Awards
26 AP All-Americans
14 consensus first team All-Americans
11 NBA top-10 picks: T-1st
23 NBA Draft first round picks

Who Will UNC's Next Football Coach Be?

2011-11-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

By Caleb Thurman

After a fifth straight loss to hated rival North Carolina State last Saturday, it became painfully obvious that the current coaching staff for North Carolina will be on their way out at the conclusion of the season. Although no formal announcement has been made yet by school officials in regard to the release of Interim Head Coach Everett Withers, many fans and alumni are already looking forward to the next chapter in UNC football.

A large part of this excitement is due to the hiring of Bubba Cunningham, a football-minded Athletic Director from Tulsa who has developed many connections throughout the NCAA community. The Notre Dame graduate will officially begin his stint as UNC Athletic Director this month, with his first goal being to find out who will be on the sidelines for the Tar Heels next fall. Let’s take a look at a few of the potential candidates who we’ve been hearing could be that man:

#1. Chris Petersen

Head Coach, Boise State

Petersen

Petersen’s name has been on the short-list for almost every head coaching job in the nation, and for good reason. Since being promoted from Offensive Coordinator to Head Coach in 2006, Petersen has posted a 69-5 record at Boise State with two BCS wins included (2007 and 2010 Fiesta Bowls). He is also the first and only two-time winner of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award.

While serving at Tusla, Bubba Cunningham developed a strong relationship with Petersen when he tried to lure him there to coach in 2007. Petersen allegedly told Cunningham to give him a call when got to a BCS school. Now that time has come, which has UNC fans very excited about the prospect of bringing in someone of Petersen’s caliber to Chapel Hill.

In order to land the 47-year-old coach, North Carolina will likely have to offer out a large amount of money. Some sources speculate that UNC is willing to offer as much as 3.2 million to their next Head Coach, but this hasn’t been confirmed. Petersen’s previous offers from other schools were declined in large part due to the comfortableness he and his family had established in Boise and because of his son’s ailing health. With great medical facilities surrounding the Chapel Hill area at both UNC and Duke, it’s easy to see why this job may be just too tempting for Petersen to pass up if he is indeed pursued.

#2. Gus Malzahn

Offensive Coordinator, Auburn

Gus Malzahn is widely regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators in college football. According to Sports Illustrated, Malzahn is “one of the sport's most innovative offensive minds, not just in the college ranks, but in all of football.” Before his current position with the Auburn Tigers, Malzahn served as Assistant Coach and offensive coordinator for Tulsa.

Malzahn

During his two years with the Golden Hurricanes, Malzahn’s offense exploded onto the college football scene as one of the best in the nation and became the first team in college football history to boast a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and three 1,000-yard receivers in a single season. In 2008, Malzahn took the offensive coordinator position at Auburn where he continued to have offensive success. Malzahn won a BCS National Championship in 2010 with Heisman trophy-winner Cam Newton leading the way for his offense. He was then awarded the Broyles Award which recognizes the top assistant coach in the nation.

Because of his relationship with UNC’s Cunningham while they both served at Tulsa, Malzahn is an extremely likely choice for the Heels if Petersen turns them down. If he is indeed interested, Malzahn would bring an exciting offense to Chapel Hill that would fill seats, something that UNC desperately needs in both regards.

#3. Kevin Sumlin

Head Coach, Houston

Sumlin

Coach Kevin Sumlin of the Houston Cougars is a rising star among the college ranks. Sumlin runs a high-octane offense lead by Senior quarterback Case Keenum. Although he’s only had four years of head coaching experience, Sumlin has served under many great coaches with the most recent being Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.

As the offensive coordinator for the Sooners, Sumlin’s offenses were consistently ranked towards the top in the nation. The Sooners averaged a whopping 44 points per game in his final season there. This success on offense has translated over to Houston, where the Cougars are one of the last remaining unbeaten teams in college football.

Sumlin has a career record of 32-16 and was named a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award in 2009 after leading the Cougars to a Conference-USA divisional title and a 10-4 record. He would be a risky pick due to his inexperience as a head coach, but is still considered one of the leading candidates for the position.

Can Cam Newton possibly make the pro bowl?

2011-11-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

     Pro bowl voting is underway, and surprisingly, or not surprisingly if you would ask him directly, Cam Newton is in contention for a pro bowl birth as a rookie. Newton has put up gaudy statistical numbers the first half of the season, but also has 11 turnovers. Lets take a look at his statistics thus far.

Cam Newton: GP CMP ATT CMP% YDS   AVG   TD LNG INT     FMB       RAT:
                           8     174    287    60.6   2,393 8.34   11    77     9          3         87.1

          First thing we would need to do is compare Newton to his peers in the NFC. Granted some players have had bye weeks, and some haven't so the stats might be a little skewed, its still a good comparison. As far as QB rating Newton comes in at a respectable 7th at 87.1. This has actually went up over the past couple weeks with two consecutive zero interception games. In passing yardage he is third in the NFC, only behind Rodgers and Brees at 2,393. Brees is on a torching pace at over 3,000 yards thus far. Newton is also averaging 299 yards per game, third behind only Brees, and Rodgers as well. Newton leads the conference in plays of 20 or more yards with an astounding 40 of them. If you're a Panthers fan it seems as if the team has made more big plays this season than they have the past 3 combined. He is also tied for 7th in passing TD's with 11, but that doesn't account for his league leading 7 rushing TD's for a quarterback. Lets take a look at who will be Newtons competition for the pro bowl.

The Obvious Choice

Aaron Rodgers: This one is obvious, and he will more than likely be the league MVP. 24 TD's, 3 INT, a 129.1 QB rating and an undefeated Packers team. But, as some people have pointed out he may not actually take a slot this year. The Superbowl is one week before the pro bowl this year, and not all players whose teams make the Superbowl will play in the Pro Bowl.

The Rest of the Pack

Drew Brees: This is almost another obvious choice. Brees is having another outstanding season with over 3,000 passing yards thus far and 21 TD’s. His interceptions are a bit high for him at 11, but when you’re putting up insane numbers like he has you can live with a few interceptions here and there.

Matthew Stafford: The Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson duo has been in full force this season. Stafford as a TD/INT ratio of 19/4 with nearly 2,000 yards passing. IF he can stay healthy, and that is a huge IF with him he will almost certainly be a pro bowler this year with the Lions sudden emergence.

Eli Manning: Manning is quietly having a stud season. After once again leading the Giants over the Brady led Patriots Sunday he is showing why he labeled himself an elite QB in the offseason. His TD/INT ratio of 15/6 is superb, and his 98.8 QB rating doesn’t hurt either. He Also has a fair to decent shot.

Cam Newton: Newton is having one of the best rookie seasons in league history, and has revitalized Steve Smiths career. His interceptions are a problem as he has 11 of them, but he also has 18 total TD’s with 11 of them passing, and 7 rushing. Newton will have to do some work between now and the end of the season to solidify his claim, and will certainly need to win more games, but it will be interesting nonetheless.

Alex Smith: Im not sure which one im more surprised by, Cam Newton being in a pro bowl discussion or Alex Smith. Smith hasn’t put up insane statistical numbers like the players mentioned before him, but he only has 2 INT’s and a 97.2 rating on a 7-1 49ers team. He’s one to look out for.

Tony Romo and Michael Vick normally get some kind of mention in here, but I just don’t believe they have what it takes this year to get enough votes.

My prediction are that the three QB's in the NFC will be Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, and Eli Manning. Rodgers of course will get voted in, as he should, but I foresee the Packers making, and winning the Superbowl, and I don't think he will make the trip opening up another slot where I think Eli Manning will take it over Newton.

Are we going to have an NBA season?

2011-11-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

As the NBA lockout continues in a soap opera type atmosphere another development has now come into play. As many as 50 NBA players came together for a conference call with an anti-trust lawyer to discuss how the decertification process would work. Some of the players who participated in the conference call were Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Al Horford, Deandre Jordan, Tyson Chandler, and Jason Kidd. The players interest in decertification could be a huge blow for everyone involved. It basically insures that the players are not going to go down from their last proposal of 52%, and if you combine that with some of the hard line owners who actually want to go below 50%, and David Stern, whom has the proposal at 50%, but is very adamant about not going any higher than you have disaster. In order for the decertification to even take place 30% of the union would have to sign a petition to even request a vote. The case would then be taken to the National Labor Relations Board which would have right at 45 days to decide on whether or not the vote can even be hold. However, during those 45 days Billy Hunter, and David Stern could continue to negotiate, which is why some believe that the players threat of decertification, even if they do indeed follow through with it is nothing more than a threat to the owners as the two sides can still negotiate while the process is ongoing. Its quiet obvious that if the full process of decertification does indeed go through than the NBA season is lost, which could devastate the league at a time of record ratings. Perhaps another reason to treat the threat of decertification as nothing more than a threat is Hunter still states that is in the back of his mind as a last resort. The "big 7" agents who represent a majority of the players in the league firmly believe that decertification process if followed through would force Stern, and the owners to bargain much more fairly during the 45 day period where the National Labor Relations Board decide on whether a vote can be held. Conventional wisdom tells me that the two sides need to put egos, and pride aside and meet in the middle. Just ten days ago there was nearly a deal in place, and now its about to completely blow apart. Tomorrow afternoons talks will be a sure indicator on whether or not we have an NBA season this year.

Carolina Basketball 2011-12 Preseason Hype

2011-11-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

Top plays from Dukes 80-66 exhibition win over Shaw

2011-11-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Amnesty Clause: Bobcats' top candidates.

2011-11-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you not familiar with the amnesty clause that is fully expected to be part of the new CBA its as simple as this. It will allow teams to cut players without having their salaries count against the cap, although the players will still be due the money remaining on their contracts. Charlotte has a few players that are candidates for this as their roster isn't exactly friendly when it comes to good contacts.

          The most likely cut will almost certainly be Desagana Diop. Diop made $6.5 million last season, and is due to make right at $6.9 million this season, and $7.4 million next season. Last season Diop played 13 games and averaged 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds, and even throughout his career has been nothing more than a space eater in the paint who plays OK defense, and is a decent shotblocker. Jordan is probably chomping at the bit to shred this horrific contract.

         Next up is Matt Carroll, which I don't really foresee the amnesty clause being used on him, but it is still a possibility. Carroll is due $3.9 million this year, and $3.5 million next year, and averaged a rather abysmal 4 points and 1 rebound per game last season. That being said, although his contract isn't exactly friendly, Charlotte does need his three point shooting, and for an offensively challenged club they need all the help they can get.

        There have also been some grumblings that Charlotte might try to use the amnesty clause on Boris Diaw, which I find absolutely troubling in a sense. Yes, it is true that Diaw is definitely not worth the $9 million he is expected to get paid this year, but it is the last year of his deal and will be a rather large expiring contract that Jordan, and Rich Cho could possibly use as a trade piece, or just let it expire. Im sure Jordan would prefer to let Tyrus Thomas, and Bismack Biyombo take the reigns in the front court, but one more year of Diaw wont hurt, and more than likely he will finally play up to his full potential in a contract year just like everybody else.

        Corey Maggette is also a possibility, but I don't see this happening either. Maggette is due to make $10.2 million this year, and $10.9 million next year, but this Charlotte team after the trade of Stephen Jackson will be struggling mightily for offense, and thats about the only thing Maggette has left that he can contribute. He is also about the only average - above average small forward on the roster as the trades of Gerald Wallace, and Stephen Jackson gutted the team at that position. He, like Diaw, is not at the caliber of the contract he is set to receive, but Im fairly certain that Rich Cho will just ride out the last 2 years of his contract while the Bobcats continue to rebuild.

All this being said it appears on paper that Charlotte will use the amnesty clause on finally letting go of Diops contract. The new CBA thus far appears as if it is going to help the Bobcats mightily especially with the improved revenue sharing so this is a great way for a rebuilding team to start.

North Carolina 2011-12 Basketball Season Preview

2011-10-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

By Caleb Thurman

The North Carolina Men's Basketball Team enters the 2012 season as the consensus favorite to cut down the nets in April. After a sluggish start to last year, the Tar Heels bounced back to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Regular Season Championship and earn a number two seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they would eventually fall to the Kentucky Wildcats in the Elite Eight.

From L-R: Zeller, Barnes, Henson

It wasn’t long after this loss that a meeting occurred in the house of Senior center Tyler Zeller where he, Junior forward John Henson, and Sophomore superstar forward Harrison Barnes agreed to pass on being possible NBA first-round draft picks and return to UNC in hopes of winning the 2012 National Championship. The trio’s decision secured the return of all five starters from the previous season which includes Sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall and Junior guard Dexter Strickland.

Along with their return, the Tar Heels add the ninth-ranked recruiting class (according to Scout.com), headlined by 6-8 power forward James McAdoo. UNC also boosted their outside shooting with the addition of P.J. Hairston, a big-bodied Freshman shooting guard from Greensboro, North Carolina.

Lofty expectations have been set for this upcoming year, a challenge welcomed by Coach Roy Williams. Since his first season at UNC in 2003, the Heels have been the preseason favorite three times: 2005, 2009, and now 2012. After championships were delivered in ’05 and ’09, it’s easy to see why the hype around this upcoming season is surging on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

STARTING FIVE

PG Kendall Marshall: Nicknamed “Butter” by his teammates for his smooth play, Marshall was handed the reigns to the UNC team after the surprising departure of Larry Drew II midway through last season. Under the leadership of the 6-4 point guard, the Tar Heels won twelve of their last fourteen games. Marshall led the ACC in assists with 6.2 per game in only his first season, earning him numerous postseason accolades which included making third-team All-ACC and The Sporting News Freshman All-America team. One has to wonder just what “Butter” will achieve as a starter for an entire season. Expect to see numerous highlight reel dunks being set up by the Tar Heels’ leading point man Kendall Marshall this season.

G Dexter Strickland: Strickland struggled at times last year with scoring, in large part due to nagging injuries. By NCAA Tournament time, Dexter was finally healthy and was instrumental in the Heels’ Elite Eight run, averaging 10.3 ppg over four games on 55.7 percent shooting. This do-it-all Junior guard is one of the key pieces to the starting lineup for the Tar Heels. Designated as the defensive stopper of the backcourt, the New Jersey native also spends time at the point to give Kendall Marshall a rest. As long as he can stay healthy, expect Strickland to contribute more on offense this year while also bringing toughness and grit on defense.

Barnes

F Harrison Barnes: After coming out of the gates slow to start last season, Barnes finally blossomed into the player he was projected to be after Kendall Marshall replaced Larry Drew II as the starting point guard. Over his last ten games, Barnes averaged an impressive 21.5 points while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor (38.7 percent from three-point range). Barnes was named ACC Rookie of the Year and second-team All-ACC. To go along with a knack for hitting shots late in games, Harrison also scored 40 points in the ACC Tournament Semifinal against Clemson, the most ever by a Freshman in ACC Tournament history. Barnes has been named to The Associate Press’ preseason All-American team for the second straight year, so look for him to undoubtedly pick up right where he left off last season as a legit contender for the National Player of the Year Award.

F John Henson: The freakishly-long Junior forward enters the season with the fourth most blocked shots in UNC history, a stat that he will no doubt build upon. With a 7-5 wingspan, it’s obvious why opponents have such a hard time scoring around the basket when he’s in the paint. Last season, Henson averaged 3.2 block per game and was named National Defensive Player of the Year by Fox Sports.com and Yahoo! Sports. He was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and was the first Heel to ever do so. Not only was Henson’s post defense outstanding, but he was also able to average a double-double with 11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds. John Henson will continue to do more of the same this season as part of the consensus best frontcourt in the nation.

C Tyler Zeller: This 7-0, 250 lbs. Senior center from Indiana makes up the other half of the best frontcourt in college basketball. After being plagued with injuries his first two seasons, Zeller was able to stay relatively healthy last year and came through big time for the Heels. Dubbed “Big Z” by fans and teammates, Zeller averaged 15.7 ppg on an ACC-best 54.7 percent shooting. Coach Williams has often said that Zeller is the most fundamentally-sound defensive player on the team and he showed that by being named defensive player of the game a team-high eleven times. In the NCAA Tournament, Zeller was nearly unstoppable, averaging 25.8 points and 8.8 rebounds over four games. Big Z will need to match his effort (and health) from last season in order to become the first Tar Heel to ever win two National Championship rings.

SIXTH MAN

G/F Reggie Bullock: After three-point specialist Leslie McDonald went down with a potential season-ending ACL injury during the summer, Reggie Bullock knew he was going to be relied upon heavily to produce from the outside. Coming off of a season-ending knee injury of his own last year, the 6-7 forward from Kinston, NC will give the Tar Heels a great offensive and defensive boost off the bench provided he can maintain his health. Before his injury, Bullock averaged 6.1 ppg off the bench as a true Freshman and knocked down 29 threes. His smooth outside shot will be much-needed this year, as three-point shooting was often an Achilles heel for UNC last season.

KEY GAMES

11/11/11 vs. Michigan State: The Tar Heels open their season with a very tough test playing in the first basketball game ever played on an aircraft carrier (USS Vinson) against the Michigan State Spartans. Although unranked, MSU Head Coach Tom Izzo will no doubt have his team pumped up for this historic game.

Match-up to watch: John Henson vs. Draymond Green. Green averaged 12.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg last season. He will give up a significant height difference to Henson (6-7 vs. 6-11), but outweighs the lanky UNC forward by twenty pounds.

Wisconsin's Taylor

11/30/11 vs. #14 Wisconsin: UNC will need to digest it’s Thanksgiving turkey quickly to prepare for the Badgers’ visit to Chapel Hill. Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan generally plays at a slower tempo, so it will be interesting to see how that clashes with Coach Williams’ fast break offense.

Match-up to watch: Kendall Marshall vs. Jordan Taylor. These two are seen by many as the best point guards in the nation.

12/3/11 @ #2 Kentucky: In the most anticipated regular-season matchup of the year, the Tar Heels enter Rupp Arena in a rematch with the team that ended their 2011 season. The Wildcats of Kentucky are loaded with young talent and return athletic Sophomore forward Terrence Jones and wiry Sophomore guard Doron Lamb. This clash between two college basketball titans is one you won’t want to miss.

Match-up to watch: All of them… seriously. This game looks to be a classic.

2/8/12 vs. and 3/3/12 @ #6 Duke: As if we needed to tell you that these are key games, the Tar Heels will undoubtedly need to win these to prove that they are indeed the best team in the ACC.

Match-up to watch: Dexter Strickland vs. Austin Rivers. Duke's hot-shooting Freshman guard Rivers will get a tough test from UNC's shut-down man Strickland. They are almost identical in size and quickness, so this will certainly be something to keep an eye on in both games.

Cam Newton vs Andy Dalton

2011-10-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

                                                                           By Jason Warren

          Ive been hearing alot of "experts" compare Cam Newton, and Andy Dalton lately. Some ( Skip Bayless, Terry Bradshaw ) have all but stated Dalton is having a better rookie year due to mainly his win/loss record. So lets just compare the two.

Cam Newton : GP: CMP: ATT: CMP% YDS: AVG: TD: LNG: INT: FUM: RAT:
8    174 287 60.6    2,396   8.34     11     77       9        3          87.1

Andy Dalton:              GP: CMP: ATT: CMP% YDS: AVG: TD: LNG: INT: FUM: RAT:
                                       7       136     218    62.4      1,479    6.78     9      84       7          1         82.7

         Newton also has 319 rushing yards with 7 rushing TDs, while Dalton has 22 rushing yards with 1 rushing TD.

   Now when one looks into the win/loss record of each team one must also factor the entire team as a whole without judging just the quarterback play, as its common sense the QB cant play defense, and special teams. As far as who gives up the most yards per game Cincinnati ranks a very good 5th allowing an average of 297.4 ypg, while Carolina ranks a modest 17th allowing 358.8 ypg. In regards to passing defense both teams are fairly decent in this category with Cincinnati ranking 9th in that category giving up an average of 212 ypg, and Carolina ranking 14th giving up an average of 225.5 ypg. Finally we have rushing defense, and this is where these two teams really separate themselves. Cincinatti has the 2nd best run defense in the NFL allowing a paltry 85.4 ypg while Carolina comes in at a staggering 29th allowing 133.2 ypg. Special Teams has also been a big factor for Carolina as they also rank 29th in kickoff returns, and near the bottom of the league in Punt return yardage, while Cincinatti came in at 14th. Of course strength of schedule is also a key. Carolina, according to last years win/loss records has the hardest schedule in the league this year. Cincinnati has the 27th hardest.

          Take the above in and its just plain common sense that Cincinnati is just a better all around team than Carolina, which is probably a pretty good reason why they are 5-2, and Carolina is 2-6. Dalton is going to be a good quarterback for many years to come, but right now he is doing exactly right now what Cincinnati needs him to do, and thats manage the game, and let a solid running game, and defense win it for you. Newton on the other hand is being asked to put up yards, and TD's in bundles, and has resurrected an offense that was dead last, last year to the 5th rated offense in the league this year. Below are the records Newton has already squashed 8 games into his rookie year.

     Most passing yards by a rookie in debut (422), September 11, 2011 vs Arizona Cardinals
     Most passing yards by a rookie in a game (432), September 18, 2011 vs Green Bay Packers

     Most passing yards by a rookie in first two games (854), September 11, 2011 vs Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011 vs Green Bay Packers
     First rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first career start, September 11, 2011 vs Arizona Cardinals.
     Sixth quarterback to throw for 400+ yards in back to back games.
First rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in first two career starts, September 11, 2011 vs Arizona Cardinals and September 18, 2011 vs Green Bay Packers
     Fastest player to throw for 1,000 yards (at Arizona Cardinals, vs Green Bay Packers, and vs Jacksonville Jaguars.
     First player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns and five passing touchdowns in his first five games
     Tied with Vince Young for most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in first season (7), October 23, 2011 vs Washington Redskins

          All that being said Dalton is definitely no slouch himself, and teams like the Dolphins, and Seahawks have to be kicking themselves for passing on him in this past years draft. Dalton isnt as flashy as Newton, and will probably never put up his gaudy statistics, but he is proving he is a great manager of the game, and with him already having a great relationship with A.J Green they have became a force to deal with. Alot of people are trying to compare Daltons rookie season thus far to Ben Roethlisbergers 2004 rookie season, but not so fast... Roethlisberger went 13-0 as a starter in the regular season, and 14-1 overall including the playoffs. Big Ben also had a 66% completion percentage with a 17/11 TD/INT ratio. Dalton is going to be a good QB, and I think he will be a Matt Ryan type player, but rookie of the year is more of an individual award than anything, and Newton will end up winning it, and have the better career.

Vikings get the best of Carolina 24-21

2011-10-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

VIA ESPN.COM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Christian Ponder took only two starts to get his first career win, outdueling the more-heralded Cam Newton in the process.

The rookie showed tremendous poise in the pocket, particularly on third downs, and got a huge assist from Adrian Peterson on Sunday as the Minnesota Vikings held on to beat the Carolina Panthers 24-21.

Peterson had 162 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:43 left as the Vikings (2-6) snapped a two-game losing streak. The Panthers had a chance to tie the game with 26 seconds left, but Olindo Mare missed wide left from 31 yards.

Ponder, the 12th overall pick in the draft, completed 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards to beat Newton, the first choice in the draft. Ponder moved the chains with key completions on third downs in the second half to keep scoring drives alive.

"It's satisfying to get a win no matter what," Ponder said. "Cam played extremely well. He had three touchdown passes, and a big drive there at the end. Fortunately, the ball bounced our way with the missed field goal."

Peterson, the NFL's leading rusher, bounced back from a slow start and scored on a 9-yard run to tie the game at 21 late in the third quarter. He ran for 86 yards and had five catches for 76 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

"They kept dropping deep and leaving him open," Ponder said. "I kept taking it. ... I'll take that all day."

Newton threw for 290 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, but once again the Panthers (2-6) failed to finish in the fourth quarter. It was their fifth loss by a touchdown or less this season.

The Panthers had their chances. Carolina went three-and-out on three straight possessions in the second half and watched their lead slip away.

But after Longwell's field goal gave the Vikings the 24-21 lead, Newton seemed poised to lead a memorable comeback. He completed a 44-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on fourth-and-15 to reach Vikings territory. The Panthers appeared to reach the 7 on a first-down run by Newton, but the play was called back because of a holding penalty on Steve Smith.

"I got a few texts saying already in the HD it didn't look too bad," Smith said of the official's call. "For a 70-year-old man gimping down the field, I guess that's what he saw."

Newton went back to Smith on the next play, but he was stopped short of the first down. Mare's kick sailed wide left and the home crowd groaned before heading to the exits.

"Whoever thinks that this game came down to the last possession is a fool," Newton said. "Offensively and defensively, we had opportunities, man."

Minnesota's defense came up with some timely turnovers, jarring the ball loose from Newton on a pair of blindside hits; both fumbles led to first-half touchdowns.

Still, the Panthers led 21-14 after a 22-yard touchdown catch by Smith in the third quarter. But Carolina's offense sputtered most of the second half -- going three-and-out on three straight possessions. The Vikings tied the game on Peterson's ninth touchdown rushing this season late in the third quarter.

"I got more involved in the passing game today," Peterson said. "The first half was critical. Carolina was stacking the box and slowing down the run. I was able to get around the perimeter on a checkdown. Christian did a great job of finding me."

Minnesota took the lead for good on a 13-play, 72-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took 7:10 off the clshh, who came into the game leading the NFL in yards receiving, had seven catches for 100 yards. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen also had touchdown catches for Carolina.

Jared Allen, who entered the game leading the NFL in sacks, had a big game for the Vikings with five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Percy Harvin had four catches for 58 yards and scored on a touchdown run for the Vikings.

The game began with a crazy flurry.

Marcus Sherels returned the opening 78 yards to the Carolina 27. However, the Vikings went three-and-out and Longwell missed a 45-yard field goalIt seemed Carolina had seized the early momentum with that defensive stop. But E.J. Henderson sacked Newton from behind on Carolina's first play and Allen recovered at the Carolina 16. Harvin, lined up in the backfield, scored two plays later on a 10-yard run to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

The Panthers evened the score in the second quarter when Shockey hauled in his first touchdown pass of the season, a 1-yarder from Newton. Shockey celebrated by blowing kisses to the crowd.

Less than four minutes later, following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Harvin, Newton took advantage of great field position at midfield and connected on a 39-yard touchdown strike down the seam to Olsen to give Carolina a 14-7 lead.

Game notes

Allen has a sack in 10 straight games. ... The Panthers were already thin at linebacker coming in and lost Jason Phillips (calf) and Thomas Williams (neck) to injuries on Sunday. Both left the game and didn't return. ... Panthers DE Charles Johnson has a sack in seven of Carolina's eight games and 15 sacks in his last 15 games. ... Panthers cornerback Darius Butler missed the game to be with his daughter, who had open heart surgery earlier this week. She had a setback on Friday, but is doing better, according to

Duke Basketball 2011-12 Season Preview

2011-10-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

         By Jason Warren

           Duke ended last season in utter disappointment (by their standards) with an embarassing 93-77 defeat to a Derrick Williams led Arizona team in the sweet 16. Duke finished 32-5 with an ACC tournament title. Last seasons team was led by Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith along with sensational freshman Kyrie Irving. The three of them are now gone to the NBA leaving plenty of question marks, but still a plethora of talent in Durham for this season.

          Players to watch:

          Austin Rivers: Rivers is the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, and will earn an immediate starting spot at SG for the Blue Devils. Rivers has everything you would want in a player. Athleticism, quickness, nice handle, and NBA range. The only negatives about Rivers seem to be his passing ability, and he tends to go to his right much more than he goes to his left. That being said he is a dynamic scorer, and figures to be a one and done as he will probably be a lottery selection in next years draft.

          Seth Curry: Curry will more than likely be the starting PG for the Blue Devils this season. Curry shot an impressive 43.5% from three, while averaging 9 points per game. I expect Coach K to use Curry in the mold of the way he used Jon Scheyer in 2010. Not necessarily a pure PG by any means, but a smart player who can stretch the floor while also having the ability to penetrate the lane when necessary while not turning the ball over. Curry has worked on his game over the Summer at Accelerate Basketball in Charlotte, and working out with older brother Steph Curry doesnt hurt either. Expect big things from him this season.

          Ryan Kelly: Kelly figures to be the starting SF/PF, if not the first man off the bench for Coach K's squad. The Raleigh NC native played outstanding during the teams summer Asian tour. Kelly has bulked up a tad, and being 6'11 with a nice stroke from deep also helps.This could also be a year for Kelly to shine. He was also named one of the two Duke captains.

   Mason Plumlee: Mason is the middle brother of the Plumlee trio. Mason is probably the most athletic of the Plumlee trio, with Marshall maybe being the exception. Mason has spent the off season working extensively on his free throw shooting which was atrocious last year. Given that he is going to have an even bigger role this year its imperative that he shoot better from the FT line. Mason figures to be a starting fixture at PF/C position, depending on what type of lineup Duke is playing against.

         Miles Plumlee: The elder of the Plumlees figures to be the starting center for Duke this upcoming season. Miles is a more than capable rebounder. I expect Miles to have a Brian Zoubek 2010 type season, which could possibly pay huge dividends. His job will be mainly to grab rebounds, block a shot or two, and get the ball back out to the shooters. Miles was named a captain along with Kelly as he has showed great leadership, especially in the off season.

          Andre Dawkins: It will be interesting to see how Coach K incorporates Dawkins in the lineup. Hes obviously going to see plenty of playing time, but as a starter? 6th man? Singler left a huge void at SF, and against some teams, mainly some smaller teams I could see Duke running a 3-2 lineup with 3 guards, and 2 big men in which case Dawkins would start, but thats to be seen. Dawkins is a sensational shooter who has became a better athlete over his tenure at Duke. Dawkins should just be a sophomore, but graduated early from highschool and enrolled at Duke his freshman year when he should have just been a highschool senior, so there is still plenty of room for development.

          Michael Gbinije/Alex Murphy: Both Gbinije, and Murphy are high rated recruits, and will try to fill the void left at SF with Singler. Murphy kind of reminds me of a young Singler with better athleticism, and he excels in the open court where he can utilize his athleticism. Murphy also has a decent 3 point shot. Murphy, like Dawkins graduated early from highschool to enroll early at Duke. Gbinije is probably a year away from contributing at a high rate, but looks promising. He has a nice feel for the game, but he seems to lose his aggressiveness at times. If either one of these two could step up and log big minutes at SF it would help Duke significantly.

         Tyler Thornton/Quinn Cook: Thornton is a defensive specialist who is a pure PG. Thornton would much rather create for others, and is a ball hawk on the defensive end in the mold of a young Steve Wojciechowski. Cook was recruited out of perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, and figures to battle with Thornton for backup minutes behind Curry/Rivers. Cook is extremely quick, and like Thornton is great as pressuring the ball. Cook spent a majority of the Summer rehabbing from an injury, so no one really knows what to expect. I think hes a year away from being a solid contributor barring injury.

        Josh Hairston/Marshall Plumlee: Marshall is the youngest of the Plumlee brothers, and is very athletic, but at 6'11 and 215 pounds he is very thin. Marshall can run the court like a deer, and has a decent 12-15 foot shot, but he probably wont see the floor more than 8-10 minutes a game unless one of his brothers or Kelly get into foul trouble. Same thing goes for Hairston. Hairston is a hard nosed tough player, but there are just too many people in front of his right now.

Outlook:

         For any normal school this would sound like a rebuilding year when you lose three starters to the NBA draft, but when you continuously land 4-5 star recruits you just reload. This team may not be as experienced as last seasons, but they have the potential to be just as dynamic, and fun to watch. Ultimately I think this team has Elite 8 written all over them with a very slight chance at a final 4. Rivers, and Curry might possibly make the best back court tandem in the nation this year, and I foresee Kelly, and Mason Plumlee having breakout years. That being said I see them finishing 2nd in the ACC behind UNC, and losing in the Elite 8.

Q/A on this pathetic NBA lockout.

2011-10-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Q: Will there be anymore cancellations?

A: Two more weeks of cancellations were announced today. The latest cancellation will total 102 games and run through Nov. 28th.

Q: Is there still a possibility for an 82 game season?

A: Before todays cancellation of games I would have said there was a slight possibility, but given just how far the two sides are apart, and now the cancellation of games schedules through November 28th I would now say there is a 0 percent chance. If the 98/99 lockout is any indication once the CBA is agreed upon it will take about a month for free agency, and atleast some kind of training camp to take place, and I dont see a CBA being agreed upon for atleast a month,

Q: Where do things currently stand on the split of Basketball Related Income? (BRI)

A: Under the last CBA the split was 57/43 in favor of the players. The owners started out as low as 46% for the players, then went to 47% then recently proposed a 50/50 split. The players on the other hand have went from 57, to 53, and are now at 52.5%. 2.5% may not sound like much as far as a percentage, but each percentage point accounts for 40 million dollars, so that 2.5% means they're currently $100 million apart per year, which over the course of a 10 year CBA is $1 billion. Thats not exactly chump change.

Q: Why arent they meeting more frequently?

A: Billy Hunter basically said the owners gave the players an ultimatum on a 50/50 split before they could continue talking about other issues. Dont forget, there is still a pretty solid divide over the salary cap structure.

Q: Are the owners completely set on a 50/50 split?

A: Personally, I dont think they are. I think they're simply playing hard ball to the max. At the most recent press conference Spurs owner Peter Holt when asked if the league would ever improve on the 50/50 split wasnt exactly giving a firm answer on the issue. The owners are going to wait and see if the players cave in on the issue before they even attempt on improving on the BRI split.

Q: Will the sides meet again anytime soon?

A: They will probably meet again sometime early next week. Talks were getting too emotional the last time as Paul Allen (owner of the Blazers) was the messenger to the players that the owners had conceded enough, and then Dan Gilbert told Billy Hunter to trust his gut instinct that the players would be taken care of as far as salary cup structure, etc, if they agreed on the 50/50 split. In the press conference afterwards accusations and finger pointing were thrown at one another so perhaps a break is needed.

Q: Will there be a season?

A: Yes, I think there will be a season. I think within the next month the owners will go up to 51% BRI, and the players will have to accept, and then the rest will fall into place. A 50 game season, just like the one in 98-99 is what I currently foresee.

Carolina 33 Washington 20. Game Recap.

2011-10-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Written by Steve Reed of Carolinagrowl.com

Sunday, October 23, 2011 6:39 pm

Cam Newton celebrates after his seventh rushing touchdown of the season. (Photo by John Clark)

   CHARLOTTE – Mr. Mopeyhead was nowhere to be seen Sunday.
   For the first time in nearly a month, Cam Newton flashed that million-dollar smile as he stepped behind the podium in the post-game interview room.
   And you couldn’t blame him.
   Carolina’s sensational rookie quarterback played a flawless game in the second half, helping the Panthers blow open a tight game at halftime and beat the Washington Redskins 33-20 Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

   Newton led touchdown drives on Carolina’s first three possessions of the second half and finished with 256 yards on 18-of-23 passing. He threw one touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell and ran for another, breaking two franchise records along the way. The 16-yard scamper that came just minutes into the third quarter was the longest touchdown run ever by a Panthers quarterback and his seventh of the season, which also broke Chris Weinke’s mark of six set in 2001.
   Although he didn’t find the end zone, Steve Smith was once again Newton’s primary target, catching seven of the nine balls thrown his way for 143 yards.
   Even Carolina’s running game was clicking, racking up 175 yards on the ground. Jonathan Stewart had 68 yards and a touchdown and Newton had 59 yards on the ground, including 25 on an incredible play on the game’s first possession. On the play, Newton eluded four defenders to turn a certain sack into a huge first-down run. That led to a Carolina field goal. The Panthers would go on to score on six of their next nine possessions.
   Newton said the Panthers felt like they could do no wrong on offense in the second half.
   “There were times during the game where we were clicking,” he said.
   Trailing 9-6 lead going into the locker room, the Redskins got the ball to start the second half but coach Mike Shanahan went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Carolina 40. James Anderson sliced through the middle of the line on a blitz and sacked John Beck, who started in place of Rex Grossman, for a 7-yard loss.
   Anderson, who also had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, credited defensive coordinator Sean McDermott with making the right call.
   “It was genius, a McDermott special,” Anderson said.
   Shanahan would later regret the decision not to punt as the play clearly turned the momentum of the game in Carolina’s favor. On the next play, Newton found Brandon LaFell for a 37-yard strike down the left sideline and then raced 16 yards on a quarterback draw for a touchdown to put the Panthers up by 10.
   Beck would answer with a 4-yard touchdown run of his own, but the Panthers were rolling now on offense. Newton completed passes of 33 and 15 yards to Smith to reach Redskin territory and then finished up the drive with seven straight running plays, capped by a 2-yard plunge by Stewart.
   After a Washington punt, Newton put together an impressive 12-play, 65-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. He gave the Panthers their biggest lead of the season at 30-13 with a 2-yard touchdown pass to LaFell.
   “They were in a perfect defense for that play to work,” LaFell said. “They played inside leverage on an out-cut route. Hey, I mean, that’s a gimme.”
The Redskins would get a touchdown reception from tight end Fred Davis, but Panther cornerback Chris Gamble sealed the win with a franchise-tying 25th career interception with 3:13 left in the game. It was his first interception since 2009.
   Everyone seemed to be on a roll as kicker Olindo Mare had four field goals.
   All told, the Panthers rolled up 407 yards of offense and 20 first downs against a pretty good Redskins defense that came into the game giving up fewer than 17 points per game.
   It wasn’t all pretty for the Panthers though.
   Newton was sacked four times and took a hard blow to his backside on a blindside sack by Brian Orakpo.
   “The sad thing was I heard the whole crowd go, ‘Oooh,’” Newton said. “I was just reminded of my parents saying, ‘Son, just get up.’ So I got up real slow and was like, ‘I’m all right.’ It was a scary hit though.”
   Nonetheless, after being presented the game ball in the locker room after the game, Newton praised his offensive line.
   “I think it’s the most political thing to do,” Newton joked. “The offensive line does an excellent job. So many times, people are blinded about individual efforts. If you look back at the film and see the time that I have back there, something has to be coming around and it never does and then here comes a guy popping wide open. The defensive back can only cover for so long especially with the talent that we have in the wide receiver position.”
   Smith being the most talented of the bunch, of course.
   “When you get him involved in the game, there’s no telling what will happen,” Newton said.
   The Panthers have a pair of home games coming up against Minnesota and Tennessee with a bye sandwiched in between, giving them a realistic chance to get to 4-5 by the middle of November. But for now, they were glad to get the second win of season.
   “It’s huge,” tackle Jordan Gross said. “We needed this so bad. We had a tough stretch with a lot of great teams. We played them all tough, but this was a game we had to win. To do it well, I couldn’t be happier for our team and for our fans especially. They’ve been committed to what we’re doing the whole time and supported us. We had to do it.”
   Added Anderson: “It’s so big for us as a team. Everybody has said, ‘You’re right there, you’re right there’ and now we’ve had the opportunity to get over the hump. Now we have to keep building on it.”
   Newton said it’s all about establishing an identity at home.
   “Coach is always talking about claiming what is ours,” Newton said. “No matter who comes into this stadium we just have to set a precedent. We have to raise the level of play and we can’t go under that. We have got to hold each other accountable. At the end of the day, don’t worry about what everybody else is doing, you do what you’ve go to do and the coaches handle everything else. At times, I felt like that was what we were doing.”
   Coach Ron Rivera said he was pleased with the win, but said there are a lot of things to be cleaned up, adding that he was disappointed with the mental mistakes.
   Although the Panthers didn’t have any turnovers, they were penalized 13 times for 105 yards.
However, he’ll take the win.
   “It doesn’t matter how you look at it, how you describe it, it’s a good win,” Rivera said. “Anytime you can win in this league, it’s good. We needed to win. Because of the things we’ve been placed with and how close we have been, it’s been excruciatingly painful at times and very frustrating. It may be that’s what we needed to get over this hump and this is our first really big step.”

Steve Smith a future Hall of Famer?

2011-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

          Sitting around last night I began to think about Carolina Panther players that may eventually merit HOF status. Obviously Julius Peppers came to mind, but him going to Chicago completely destroys that notion. Then you have Mr. Steve Smith. The man who is absolutely fearless, and pound for pound the toughest man in the league. Things were looking fantastic after the 2008 season in which he had 78 catches for 1421 yards, and to a certain degree even after the 2009 season where he had to close to 1,000 yards receiving. But boy oh boy do things, and peoples opinions change in just one season. Thanks in part to a QB duo of Matt Moore, and mostly Jimmy Clausen, Smith plummeted to 46 catches for 554 yards and just 2 TDs last season. With rookie Cam Newton coming aboard in which who according to most, if not all experts (perhaps excluding Jon Gruden) stating that Newton was going to severely struggle with his accuracy, and a disgruntled Smith who cleaned out his locker, demanded a trade, and put his Charlotte home up for sale things began to look rather troubling, but Newton and Smith developed a strong bond in the off season working out together which has apparently paid huge dividends, as Newton has proven most of his critics wrong, and Smith has rejuvenated his career.

Year - Receptions - Yards - TDs -
2001 - 10 catches - 154 yards   - 0 TDs -
2002 - 54 catches - 872 yards   - 3 TDs -
2003 - 88 catches - 1110 yards - 7 TDs -
2004 - 6 catches   - 60 yards    - 0 TDs - Broke his leg that year
2005 - 103 catches -1563 yards - 12 TDs -
2006 - 83 catches - 1166 yards - 8 TDs -
2007 - 87 catches - 1002 yards - 7 TDs -
2008 - 78 catches - 1421 yards - 6 TDs -
2009 - 65 catches - 982 yards   - 7 TDs -
2010 - 46 catches - 554 yards - 2 TDs -
2011 - 8 catches -   675 yards   - 3 TDs -

          Currently Smith is 38th on the all time receiving yards list with 9,559. Personally I think Smith would have to approach Cris Carter and/or pass him to have a legitimate shot at making the HOF. One of the main reasons I compare him to Carter is because Carter never won a Superbowl (the mere fact Carter isnt in the HOF yet is a travesty in itself, but up for discussion another day). To state just how important winning a Superbowl would be to enhance Smiths chances cannot be stated enough. By comparison Michael Irvin had 351 less receptions in his career, nearly 2,000 less receiving yards, and 65 (yes, 65) less TDs than Carter had, but even with his off the field problems he made it in well before Carter mainly due to the fact he won 3 Superbowls.

      Rec:    Yards:    TD:

Cris Carter:              1,101            13,899             130
Steve Smith:             652               9,559               55

          Smith should end this season with around 10,200 - 10,300 yards with 80 or so catches and 8-9 TDs. Taking those numbers that I am guessing he will end the season with he would be around 400 catches, 3600 yards, and 70 TDs behind Carter. If Smith can play 4 more seasons at the level of his 2009 season when he had 65 catches - 982 yards - 7 TD (trying to be realistic as he gets older, could be much higher, or lower) this is where he would be at in comparison to Carter.

                              Rec:                Yards:              TD:

Cris Carter:           1,101               13,899             130
Steve Smith:             960               14,178               98

          He would still be a good ways behind Carter in TDs, and receptions. You also have to take into the account the way the league is changing into an all out passing league. Tom Brady is on pace to shatter Dan Marinos passing record, and Wes Welker is on pace to break Jerry Rices record for most receiving yards in a season. You also must compare him to his current peers. Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Ochocinco, Hines Ward, and Derrick Mason are all ahead of him currently. I can certainly foresee him passing all of them with the exception of Andre Johnson (they're about neck and neck right now) and Reggie Wayne is a tossup for me, while the others are in the twilight of their careers.

           Finally, I do believe if healthy Smith will eventually be a Hall of Famer. A Superbowl or two would help that case ten fold, though. Smith is a fierce competitor, and has had slightly above average/mediocre (Rodney Peete, Delhomme) to absolutely dreadful QB play (Clausen) his entire career. A man like him with his passion and desire for the game of football deserves it at the end of the day.

Bismack Biyombo highlights from Fredettes exhibition.

2011-10-22T00:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-knRIISbH0

Highlights of Kemba Walker during Fredettes exhibition.

2011-10-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDb03t2qHCk

Video of Gerald Henderson working out for Accelerate basketball in Charlotte during lockout.

2011-10-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5MLtTHtPzQ

Charlotte Bobcats 2011-12 Season Preview

2011-10-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Charlotte Bobcats 2011-12 Team Preview

The Charlotte Bobcats ended last season with a rather mediocre 34-48 record. With the in season trades of Gerald Wallace, and Nazr Mohammed for basically 1st round picks, and cap relief, and the draft day trade of Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee for the rights to Bismack Biyombo, and Corey Maggette the Bobcats are in all-out rebuilding mode.

Offseason Moves:

The obvious offseason move the Bobcats made was the trade involving Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee. The trade also sent Charlottes 19th pick, and in return the Bobcats received the 7th pick which were the rights to Bismack Biyombo, and Corey Maggette. Also, owner Michael Jordan hired Rich Cho as his new GM. Now although the Cho move doesn’t really seem like a big deal it may in fact pay more dividends down the road than either the Jackson, or Wallace trade. Cho worked under Sam Presti in OKC, and learned to build a franchise thru the draft, which would explain why Charlotte traded fan favorite and the franchises only All-Star in Wallace, and top scorer Jackson.

Players to Watch:

Bismack Biyombo: The biggest question for Charlotte is if Biyombo, the freakishly athletic 6'9 240 pound man from the Congo is the next Dwight Howard? The next Mouhamed Saer Sene? Or someone in between like a Serge Ibaka, or Ben Wallace. The positives to Biyombo are obvious. A long, athletic big man, phenomenal rebounder, shotblocker, and an insane wingspan. Unfortunately the negatives are about as obvious as the positives. He is as raw as they come, and needs way more experience. As phenomenal as he is on the end he can look utterly pathetic on the offensive end at times. Then there are the questions about his age which mainly stem from him being from Congo. Hopefully he will be able to suit up for Charlotte this coming year as his contract in Spain is a rather tricky one.

Kemba Walker: Jordan, and Cho seemed to play it rather safe with this pick after swinging for the fences with Biyombo. The interesting thing will be how Charlotte uses Walker. Their have been some grumblings inside the organization that Paul Silas may plan on using a two PG backcourt together (if you’re an older Bobcat fan you cringe at the thought of another Brevin Knight/Raymond Felton duo), which may make sense offensively, but defensively would be horrid. Walkers shot selection can be downright scary at times, but he can get to the rim whenever he wants. Walker also possesses the clutch gene, and loves to take the big shot. That being said I expect him to begin the season as the backup to DJ Augustin, and win the starting job by midseason.

Tyrus Thomas: Thomas is one of those players where year in and year out you wait for him to just "get it", and explode, but thus far in his career he seems to continuously get the "a fantastic athlete, but a below average basketball player" label. For a player as athletically gifted as Thomas there is really no reason why he cant be a great defender on a consistent basis instead of giving the fans a jaw dropping dunk/block once every four games.

Corey Maggette: Maggette figures to take Jacksons place at SF on opening night. With Maggette you basically already know what your going to get. He keeps himself in phenomenal shape, and can get to the foul line as good as anyone in the league. He is average at best from behind the arc shooting 32% from his career there, and can be completely lost on the defensive end on a nightly basis. He will help makeup for Jacksons departure on the offensive end, though.

Gerald Henderson: Henderson is recovering from offseason hip surgery. and is close to 100% healthy. Henderson is a great athlete, defender, and has a fairly good midrange jumper that he worked hard to develop over the course of last season. If Henderson is going to reach his full potential he must improve on his outside shot as 19% from behind the arc just wont cut it for a starting SG in this league.

Boris Diaw: Diaw had well, another Diaw type season for Charlotte. Diaw has always been one of the best passing big men in the league, and is extremely versatile, but he has always been afraid to impose his will on the game. He recently exercised the last year of his deal, and Jordan will be more than happy to rid the team of his 9 million dollar deal, especially with Biyombo, and Thomas waiting in the wings.

DJ Augustin: Augustin had a nice, solid season for Paul Silas last year, but with the arrival of Walker it could very well shake his confidence a little. Augustin is a great outside shooter, but his lack of athleticism, and small frame doesn’t allow him to get to the rim and finish like a team would like their starting PGs to go.

Bobcat Free Agents:

Restricted - Dante Cunningham

Unrestricted - Kwame Brown, Dominic Mcguire, Joel Przybilla, Garrett Temple

This is where things can get a little tricky for Charlotte. After trading away Nazr Mohammed last year to OKC Kwame Brown became the only effective big man (other than Boris Diaw, but I don’t call a PF that averages 6 rebounds or less a big man) on the roster. He played pretty well for Silas, who infused confidence in him. It is very important that Charlotte resign Brown without overpaying him, as there will be plenty of suitors. As for any free agents Charlotte may covet I don’t see them even attempting to sign any. Nene, and David West seem to be the best free agents available, and although Nene would fill a hole at center the chances of him coming to Charlotte to play for a rebuilding team are remote, same for David West.

Outlook:

Sometimes in order to get better you have to get worse, or way worse in Charlottes case. Trading Wallace for two 1st rounders and change was a start as well as trading Jackson for the rights to Biyombo, and Maggette. Having Rich Cho who worked under Sam Presti in OKC can only help as Presti built a powerhouse in OKC thru the draft. Charlotte fans can only hope Jordan, and Cho can do the same

Prediction: 20-62 5th in SouthEast 15th in East