Larry Brown Media Day Footage

[BigSlam]

http://www.nba.com/bobcats/

Says some interesting things:

He said he asked the front office for three things when he took the job – three point guards who could dribble through the press, two small forwards who could defend and five athletic big guys. Brown said he isn’t sure he has a third point guard in the group headed to UNC Wilmington or a small forward who can defend as he wants. He seemed disappointed they failed to add another big man and indicated – as he has previously – that Sean May will get the first shot at starting at power forward.
He said he expects to play Raymond Felton and rookie D.J. Augustin together some in the backcourt, so like his predecessors, Brown sees Felton as a combo guard, although Brown said the ballhandling in that backcourt would be interchangeable.
Ideally, he’d like the third point guard to be a bigger player, similar to how he used Aaron McKie and Eric Snow while coaching the Philadelphia 76ers.
He hopes to play Emeka Okafor exclusively at center and Gerald Wallace exclusively at small forward.
He said, based on pickup games the past month, he wouldn’t be reluctant to use rookie center Alexis Ajinca in regular-season games.
He said Adam Morrison started out the summer in poor condition, but has improved that dramatically over the past month. “Much, MUCH better shape,’’ Brown said of Morrison. “He couldn’t do three things without going to the waste-paper basket (apparently to vomit). Now he’s as ready as anybody.’’

http://blogs.charlotte.com/inside_the_n ... dor-o.html

Interesting he sees playing Felts and DJ together. Hopefully the "some" means more not than often and only when match ups dictate it. He wants a big PG who can defend? Why isn't Orien Greene at training camp??

Love to hear he is so into EO50 playing the 5. He's said that from day #1 and seems to be sticking by it.

Love to hear he is going to give Ajinca a chance in the big show.

Ammo, Ammo, Ammo. Not a good way to impress the new coach. Good to hear you are on your way back, but you really needed to hit the ground running.

[chabber]

Saw Bonnell's blog this afternoon and this video earlier. Good stuff and I wanna see some pics now!!

The stuff about Okafor and Wallace hopefully playing at their natural positions is great to hear. Felton and DJ playing together in the back court at times definitely wasn't a shock to me. I pretty much expect that to happen and he had mentioned it once before back during the summer, like it or not. It'll happen even more so if May doesn't stay healthy and we see Wallace at PF.

I think he's right about the PG's too. I'd love to see a bigger defender as our 3rd backup and of course we'd take about anyone at PF right now so I hope Ajinca is playing tough and working hard. I'd like to see him on the court some this. Especially in garbage time which means we're kicking ass.

[BigSlam]

It'll happen even more so if May doesn't stay healthy and we see Wallace at PF.

Call me crazy, but LB didn't exactly fill me full of confidence when it came to McMay, being healthy and staying healthy.

[chabber]

Crazy? Nah, it was blatantly obvious he wasn't wanting to go into this season relying on Sean May staying healthy. LB is the one major reason that I know the offer to Landry was for real and not a possible stunt like Varejao may have been last year.

[chabber]

What about Ammo though. You think all the smoking, chewing etc.. along with the healing from the injury has anything to do with his conditioning earlier this summer or you think he was just loafing and out of shape? I'm kind of guessing it was a combination of the first few reasons.

Throwing up that much he sounds like Danny Morgan except Danny boy was doing it to himself on purpose. Makes you wonder if Morrisons body can really take the wear and tear of NBA season while trying hard on both ends of the floor.

[chabber]

Found some shots at NBA.COM

Same as last year but with Gerald rocking the dreads and a headband.


Emeka looking fierce!!

[e4Nf6]

I liked everything I heard until he said Ray would play some two. Hopefully he means VERY specific match ups, not every night. I can remember a game last year where Ray was the only guy who could stay with Ben Gordon, for example. Ray might be the best defensive match up for these smallish combo-guards that are so in vogue these days.

Mek should play the 5 every second he is on the court. In theory he is shorter than some "real" centers but in practice he doesn't have trouble guarding them at all. If he is interested, (and not gasping for air) Mek can beat most of the "real" centers down the court every time. Reminds me a bit of Larry when he was in Detroit, he also had a "theoretically" short 5 who managed to be okay defensively.

As far as playing Ajinca... meh, talk is cheap, we'll see when the season starts. I think Larry's rep for not playing younger players is FAR overblown. Tayshaun prince was a second year player or a rookie the year that Detroit won it all for example. He took a lot of heat for not playing Darko more, but years later it looks like he was right.

[fatlever]

i really am surprised by the talk of mek playing 5 exclusively. i really was expecting to see a lot of mek and nazr. i mean, what does lb do when may goes down, if he plans to play mek at 5 and wallace at 3? thats the big question.

i think everyone makes too much of ray playing some together with another guard. as long as its not 30 mpg game its a non issue. i have no problem with putting both players in during certain situations, end of games, to change the flow of game, pick up tempo etc.

what did people expect from ammo? how good of shape can you be in when you've been unable to run for 8 months. i take a week off from running and i feel like i'm about to die when i start again. i couldnt imagine the shape i would be in if i couldnt run for 8 months. riding bikes and swimming laps can only get you so far.

[RayFeltsFan]

our coaching staff and front office is (Please Use More Appropriate Word) if we needed these things why not address them during the draft and early free agency time *shakes my head*

once again we have a Bobcats head coach that does one thing and says another. All we heard during the first week of Browns hire was how Felton was a true point guard and how he was going to get a fair shot to play the 1. Now he's the dreaded combo guard once again that can play both spots just shows our much of a down to earth guy raymond is any other player would have beg to be out of charlotte after being in a situation like ray has been in since 2005. I question if they wanted a bigger point why not get mario chalmers, how about keeping kyle weaver and trading adam morrison or carroll. Don't be surprised if Gerald Wallace is playing the 4 sometimes Nazr is starting playing the 5 and Okafor the 4. Horribly ran team from top to bottom and it will be Pistons, Philly and New York Knicks all over again brown wont be here that long mark the words. We need five big man who are ready to play ok Okafor, Nazr, Spam May, and 3 other project nice just nice. We could have helped out front court alot in the draft but we passed on Brook Lopez, Darrell Aurthor and Anthony Randolph. of course he's going to say Frenchy is coming alone fine he was the guy wanting him in the first place and creamed over him doing a workout. when the time to make a move for a big we sit and wait on our hands while Marcus Camby and Elton Brand got snatched up but getting a big is a major priority. We need a defensive minded SF but we keep Adam Morrison instead of shopping him and this makes me question if he really watched video from last year has the old man watched Jared Dudley he's our second or third best defensive player. Gerald Wallace will be gone before all star break. we need at least one bigger PG that can shift between the one and two but we pass on Bayless for DJ Augustin who I like but wasn't needed with our first pick. Saying one thing and doing another our motto always has been and it will never change.
end of rant.
-RFF

[Felton for Pres]

I am not worried about the Morrison situation. Bad habits aside, coming back from a torn ACL is a slow process. I think the fact that he overcame the problem and is now ready to go speaks a lot about his confidence in his knee and his dedication to getting better. I wonder how much weight he put on and if its "good" weight.

[BigSlam]

DJ Strawberry might have been a nice pick up for us. He's a great on ball defender, has good size and PG type skills. Might have made for a good 3rd string point?

The Suns traded him to the Rockets because of salary issues.

[chabber]

I agree, maybe if he doesn't make the cut in Houston since they have about 18 players right now we can take a look at him.

[therebirth]

LB is about to ruin this team. Watch for crash to be traded for a defensive role player. If he has all these demands why did he get the French project form the draft. He is about to do what he did with the knicks. LB will pressure the front office to get the players he wants the same way he did in New York. That turn out well, didn't it? Everybody blamed Isiah but he got the players brown wanted and Dumars ignored him in Detroit.

[BigSlam]

LB is about to ruin this team. Watch for crash to be traded for a defensive role player. If he has all these demands why did he get the French project form the draft. He is about to do what he did with the knicks. LB will pressure the front office to get the players he wants the same way he did in New York. That turn out well, didn't it? Everybody blamed Isiah but he got the players brown wanted and Dumars ignored him in Detroit.

He got Ajinca because he wanted 5 athletic bigs - and not only is Ajinca very athletic, he is also very long and has some great weapons to use (long range on his J, shot blocking, mobility).

We are NOTHING like the Knicks. LB obviously likes to empower his players to take a leadership role and buy into each other and his system. Could you imagine undisciplined players like Marbury, Curry and Robinson in that environment? LB and that team of "personalities" were a bad fit.

We have high character guys, so he will be a GREAT fit. I really can't see our players not responding to him or his philosophy - just because of their nature.

[e4Nf6]

The Knicks are a train wreck in general, and LB only had one year. Who can blame him for that? And most of his previous teams were not only good, but contenders.

[chabber]

LB is about to ruin this team. Watch for crash to be traded for a defensive role player. If he has all these demands why did he get the French project form the draft. He is about to do what he did with the knicks. LB will pressure the front office to get the players he wants the same way he did in New York. That turn out well, didn't it? Everybody blamed Isiah but he got the players brown wanted and Dumars ignored him in Detroit.

I couldn't disagree with this anymore. LB can't ruin a team that wasn't going anywhere in the first place. They will be better because of him.

[therebirth]

I hope you guys are right but am afraid. LB wanted Steve Francis when the knicks already had Stephon Marbury. Back in the day, he almost traded Iverson for stackhouse and a few pieces. You better believe he was the man behind the almost desastrous trade that would have sent crash for TJ.

[NYKBaller]

a solid PF away from the playoffs

[Bassman]

Agreed.....we all see it and LB sees it. One quality PF away. But I think he also highly values Wallace, and would not trade him so lightly now. Why were they were willing to look at the earlier trade for TJ Ford? If one believes the reports, the trade was not floated by the Bobcats. Perhaps they envisioned drafting Lopez, then a "best player available" at the 20 (or maybe even Ajinca as a pure project). Lopez would not have helped the PF situation.

They really blew it by not drafting Bayless. Yes, DJ will be a nice undersized PG, but Bayless will BE A STAR.