GT: Bobcats @ Pelicans Sat Nov 2 8PM EST

[BigSlam]

Any word on Big Al?

[countryboi]

If Al couldn't play yesterday I don't see anyway he plays today.

[catch20two]

I don't like this game for us on a back-to-back not to mention traveling from Charlotte to New Orleans less than 24 hours after a hard fought win. The Pelicans are 0-2. If we beat them tonight I think they'll start re-evaluating their roster and go into panic mode. If we had problems with Tristan Thompson last night then Anthony Davis might have a career night on us tonight. Our only hope is to have enough energy with stifling defense to force Jrue Holiday into the turnover machine that he is. Also it's a good thing that Ryan Anderson isn't playing because he would've killed us from 3-point range.

[catch20two]

I just realized that this is a back-to-back for the Pelicans tonight too being that they played in Orlando last night and got demolished.

[Eoghan]

Yeah, they got thumped by the Magic last night. They were down by 30 at one point. They'll be out for blood probably.

[DY_nasty]

Maybe this is the game where our SGs decide to be a part of the offense

[mrknowitall215]

The Pelicans have an inefficient offense with Jrue Holiday & Eric Gordon chucking up contested midrange shots, and the same could be said for Anthony Davis even though he's looking good so far this season. I think the newfound Bobcats defense should be able to at least keep this game close if not blow them out because they don't have much depth beyond Tyreke Evans off the bench. I would be thrilled to see Charlotte run away with tonight's game. Another effort like last night and it might put Kemba on the map as a potential all-star candidate

[mrknowitall215]

Maybe this is the game where our SGs decide to be a part of the offense

Henderson hasn't even looked half decent yet, and Taylor is looking like he reverted back to his rookie shell. Tonight would be a good night to get some production out of the SG position. It could make the world of difference in point margin

[DY_nasty]

The Pelicans have an inefficient offense with Jrue Holiday & Eric Gordon chucking up contested midrange shots, and the same could be said for Anthony Davis even though he's looking good so far this season. I think the newfound Bobcats defense should be able to at least keep this game close if not blow them out because they don't have much depth beyond Tyreke Evans off the bench. I would be thrilled to see Charlotte run away with tonight's game. Another effort like last night and it might put Kemba on the map as a potential all-star candidate

Its a weird circumstance to say the least. Houston's offense was pushed more by its tempo than anything else last year and we did an excellent job of containing that. The Cavs basically live and die through Kyrie and even though Kyrie looked more or less disinterested in both games this season, the Bobcats contained him well and kept the game in control throughout (which is something that hardly ever happened last year). The Pelicans though... it'll be a different kind of game because they do have guys that know how to score all over the court. If any one of them gets hot, something that the Bobcats seemingly encouraged last year, it could show how the Bobcats actually react to a game that they don't have control of this year.

Teams play hard after a big losses like that and its not like they have a old, weary team that can't handle back to backs either.

[MKGsMotor]

We got this.

[mrknowitall215]

The Pelicans have an inefficient offense with Jrue Holiday & Eric Gordon chucking up contested midrange shots, and the same could be said for Anthony Davis even though he's looking good so far this season. I think the newfound Bobcats defense should be able to at least keep this game close if not blow them out because they don't have much depth beyond Tyreke Evans off the bench. I would be thrilled to see Charlotte run away with tonight's game. Another effort like last night and it might put Kemba on the map as a potential all-star candidate

Its a weird circumstance to say the least. Houston's offense was pushed more by its tempo than anything else last year and we did an excellent job of containing that. The Cavs basically live and die through Kyrie and even though Kyrie looked more or less disinterested in both games this season, the Bobcats contained him well and kept the game in control throughout (which is something that hardly ever happened last year). The Pelicans though... it'll be a different kind of game because they do have guys that know how to score all over the court. If any one of them gets hot, something that the Bobcats seemingly encouraged last year, it could show how the Bobcats actually react to a game that they don't have control of this year.

Teams play hard after a big losses like that and its not like they have a old, weary team that can't handle back to backs either.

The Pelicans don't have no bench though. The Bobcats however happen to have solid depth behind their starters. If the Bobcats 2nd unit can get them separation, sustain a lead, or bring them back with their advantage it shouldn't be much of a match. The Pelicans have a nice young core, but seriously lack depth

[mrknowitall215]

Game #3: Bobcats @ Pelicans 3-on-3 Preview

1- STATS. Both of these teams attempt to slow the game down. Which one of these offenses benefits more from keeping the PACE slow?

Brett Hainline: It depends on how well Anthony Davis can handle Al Jefferson one on one. If Jefferson’s bulk gives Davis trouble, it’s to the Bobcats advantage to keep pounding the ball into the post. If Davis’ defensive acumen and length get an advantage, I want to see Charlotte running, with Zeller getting up and down the court, and MKG taking off up the court on any defensive rebounds he grabs.

Greg Pietras: New Orleans seems like the pick, if only because they have better long-range shooters that would benefit from open looks. The Bobcats offense looked good in transition on Friday, which isn’t a surprise; between Walker, Henderson, Kidd-Gilchrist, Zeller and Biyombo, they have tons of athleticism. If Al Jefferson can’t play tonight, I’d love to see them blow the doors off.

Dakota Schmidt: With Al Jefferson’s health questionable, I would have to give the edge to the Pelicans. With Cody Zeller leading the way with the trio of MKG, Walker and Henderson, Charlotte could have some success when it comes to working in a more up-tempo style of offense.

2- COACH. Is Ben Gordon not getting one minute through two games the right move?

Brett: Yes. Ben Gordon was brought in to get an extra draft pick for the Bobcats – and he brings that to the team whether he plays or sits. With Sessions, Walker, Taylor, and Henderson at the guard spots, someone is left out – Gordon is the right pick, as he does not have a future with this team as it continues to build.

Greg: They’re missing his 3-pointers, but Gordon’s grotesque defense always made him a net minus on the floor. Like Brett points out, Gordon has no future with the team, and the idea of showcasing him for a trade has always felt like a pipe dream. Even if Gordon grumbles behind the scenes, Clifford is making the right call here.

Dakota: Absolutely. At this point, the Bobcats are just in position to continue to watch and develop their young prospects. A majority of those players (Walker, Henderson, Jeff Taylor) are back-court players that leaves things extremely crowded when you add in Ramon Session. Since he was acquired before the 2012-13 season, Gordon has been in the current or future plans for Charlotte so it’s kind of obvious for them to keep him on the bench.

3- Do the Bobcats continue to make us believe they’re mimicking last years start? Pick it.

Brett: Both teams come off a game on the east coast last night, but only the Bobcats won, as the Pelicans managed to lose to the tanktastic Magic. I’ll take the Cats to make it two in a row, on the strength of their young talent. Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon on the perimeter for New Orleans does give me pause, between Gordon’s ability from deep, and Holiday’s size advantage on the Bobcats’ point guards, but I’ll stay with the future Hornets over the past Hornets.

Greg: The Pelicans looked like a mess on Friday, and they’re missing some depth due to Ryan Anderson’s injury. That’s why I’ll give a slight edge to Charlotte, despite their poor road play last year. I think the game hinges on Tyreke Evans, though: If he has a big game and keeps their bench scoring afloat, New Orleans could easily take this one.

Dakota: Yes, I think our favorite underdogs are going to sweep their weekend series with a win over the Pelicans. I honestly like how this matchup could look defensively for Charlotte’s backcourt. If I was Steve Clifford, I would work Kemba Walker on the perimeter against Gordon while having either MKG or Jeff Taylor man-up against Jrue Holiday to take away his main strength which would be his size.

http://queencityhoops.com/blog/2013/11/ ... 3-preview/

[thruthefire]

2nd leg of a b2b, I hope BG gets a chance. Give him a few minutes each half to see if he can get in his zone.

[lmcguir5]

2nd leg of a b2b, I hope BG gets a chance. Give him a few minutes each half to see if he can get in his zone.

Is this BG's brother^^, better yet, is it BG himself?

[DY_nasty]

2nd leg of a b2b, I hope BG gets a chance. Give him a few minutes each half to see if he can get in his zone.

Naw.

I don't want to see him on the court in any capacity. Even when he's on fire, he's not guarding anyone and giving up an equal or greater amount of points on the opposite end. That's not even counting his clutch turnover abilities. Sitting him shows that the franchise has finally reached an understanding that he's worth nothing more than his cap hold and playing him benefits nothing but his ego.

[thruthefire]

2nd leg of a b2b, I hope BG gets a chance. Give him a few minutes each half to see if he can get in his zone.

Is this BG's brother^^, better yet, is it BG himself?

Humble yourself.

[EwingSweatsALot]

I actually wouldn't mind BG to get a few minutes in the first half and see if he can catch fire.

People are complaining about other parts of game, but in the first 2 games Henderson hasn't done anything on the court. Last night he was lazy on defense, he didn't attempt to get in front of players driving. He was lazy with the ball on offense. He turned the ball over multiple times making lazy pass attempts. There was no hustle. He has not stayed in the offense. His shot selection has been very poor. He forces bad shots and fadeaways with defenders in his pocket. He takes long 2s 3 seconds after we cross half court so we can't even get in our offense.

If you aren't going to play BG for a few minutes then PLEASE give those minutes to see if Taylor can get going.

[amcoolio]

Just start Taylor. You'll see the difference with his confidence and aggressiveness right away.

If Hendo sucks again this game I don't see how you can start him the next game.

[catch20two]

I wouldn't mind Gordon seeing some minutes but for now I'd rather be patient with the Hendo and Taylor rotation. I don't want us just sporadically throwing players out on the floor messing up rhythm like a AAU team just to give players minutes. Gordon will get his chance when or if somebody in our guard rotation is in foul trouble or injured. As much as I'm opposed to the way Hendo is playing we need to give him at least another 10 games to get it going. If he's not producing after 10-15 games then maybe we should go with Taylor. For now we need to just be patient. It's not like Taylor is setting the world on fire when we give him minutes either but at least he's not just forcing bad shots for the heck of saying that he got some shots up like Hendo has. I understand the concern but let's be patient.

[HornetJail]

Can we swap Gordons tonight?