DYNASTY CANCELLED
ALL PICS DELETED
Charlotte Bobcats
Rosters: Andrew's v.1.1 (slightly modified)
Gameplay: Jimmy's Gamefix v.9.2, Chris 23's Dynasty SimEng patch, Andrew's Primacy fix
Quarter Length: 12 min, only play 4th quarter of 2 possession games
Difficulty: Superstar
Presentation: Point of view of a fictional sports writer covering the Bobcats for a book
Feel free to ask questions if you want explanations or more info about things. I have no problem making this kind of interactive.
MC5'sBobcatsDynastyCANCELED-NewAwesomerDynastyComingSoon
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MC5'sBobcatsDynastyCANCELED-NewAwesomerDynastyComingSoon
by TheMC5 on Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:18 pm
Last edited by TheMC5 on Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:06 pm, edited 8 times in total.
- TheMC5
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:53 pm
by TheMC5 on Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:40 pm
Prologue
Several weeks had passed since the NBA Draft in New York, where the Raptors made Andrea Bargnani the first European drafted #1 overall, and my beloved Bobcats emerged with college basketball's top scorer, Adam Morrison. And with NBA training camps still several weeks away, there was precious little for a budding (and admittedly struggling) NBA writer such as myself to write about. As always, wild and speculative trade rumors were thrown around by the journalistic talking heads, several players were involved in small scandals, and as usual not much actually happened in the NBA. Until the FIBA World Championship, where Brazil, under the guidance of coach Leo Boitumelo, shockingly defeated the heavily favored USA in a double over time classic by a final score of 111-109, and coach Leo became an overnight basketball sensation, while I would end gleefully tagging along.
In the weeks following Brazil's gold medal victory, coach Leo (born Leonardo Danilo Boitumelo) had become a basketball icon in Brazil. He was bombarded by interview requests, almost all of which he declined, being an intensely private man, instead simply offering the phrase "Basketball is about critical thinking. I taught my players how to think," as a reply. He also brushed aside the predictable NBA scouting and assistant coaching jobs offered, telling potential employers that he preferred to retain control of the managerial aspects of a team as well as coaching duties, as with the Brazilian national team, going so far to tell one GM that in hiring Leo, the GM would have to resign. This, also predictably, scared off many NBA franchises, who were reluctant to hand over both GM and coaching duties to an unproven, overnight success with no NBA experience. Except one: the Charlotte Bobcats.
It was far from an unanimous plan for the franchise from its conception, but a man of Michael Jordan's status commands a certain amount of respect, and with a little bit of maneuvering he was able to convince the rest of the team's executives that coach Leo was a man with a vision. The main opposition came in the form of concern and respect for then current Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff. This opposition was laid to rest when Bernie agreed to take on the dual roles of Assistant GM & Offensive Coordinator. Shortly thereafter, Leo Boitumelo became Charlotte's GM and Head Coach, becoming the first man appointed to both positions without any prior NBA experience.
Leave it to greatness to discover greatness, I suppose, because Jordan saw something in Leo's game-time strategies and adjustments that made him believe Brazil's victory was no fluke (as it was generally agreed that the US played as well as they could and just got beat by a lucky shot at the buzzer), and which apparently no other NBA executive saw. I, however, was well acquainted with coach Leo's brilliant basketball mind, having profiled his now-defunct summer basketball camps in Rio de Janeiro, where he taught the likes of Leandro Barbosa and Nene as youngsters. I had also followed the Brazilian team during the previous three World Cups, during which time I began to know coach Leo on a personal level, becoming a sort of sounding board for him to bounce basketball ideas off of, as I was always around asking questions regarding strategy. It was this relationship and level of familiarity with his work that led to my being hired by mister Michael Jordan himself to chronicle the building of Leo's dynasty. Be it one of success or one of failure, it will undoubtedly be one of genius and passion.
Shortly after taking office prior to the start of the season, Boitumelo made these moves:
Neither transaction was particularly popular amongst the press or the fans. The general view was that in trading Melvin Ely the Bobcats had traded a low-post scoring threat on a team lacking offense overall, for an aging guard who'll have trouble finding minutes in an already crowded yet underwhelming back court. Adding Ramos was seen as superfluous. Leo, however, shed some light on the issue when I approached him with my own doubts about the moves. He said "I did not want to move Melvin, necessarily, you see. He was a good man...good player...but it's money. He simply isn't an integral piece of our team. I felt he would want too much money in off-season, so I trade him for Greg, who is a solid defensive player who can punish opponent from 3-point line. He makes us a better defensive team. I do not think I can say the same for Melvin."
OK, and what about the Ramos signing?
"Peter is young, has much potential. It remains to be seen if we keep him. I know many teams had interest in him, so we signed him. I still would like more front line scoring and another swing man, so maybe some teams like his potential and will trade with us. This is our hope....and besides, we only sign him for minimum salary."
So while it is true that neither of these moves are likely to be the catalyst to a winning season, it is fair to say that this is now a deeper, slightly more versatile Bobcats team, and I've a feeling that's trend we'll be seeing much more of.
Several weeks had passed since the NBA Draft in New York, where the Raptors made Andrea Bargnani the first European drafted #1 overall, and my beloved Bobcats emerged with college basketball's top scorer, Adam Morrison. And with NBA training camps still several weeks away, there was precious little for a budding (and admittedly struggling) NBA writer such as myself to write about. As always, wild and speculative trade rumors were thrown around by the journalistic talking heads, several players were involved in small scandals, and as usual not much actually happened in the NBA. Until the FIBA World Championship, where Brazil, under the guidance of coach Leo Boitumelo, shockingly defeated the heavily favored USA in a double over time classic by a final score of 111-109, and coach Leo became an overnight basketball sensation, while I would end gleefully tagging along.
In the weeks following Brazil's gold medal victory, coach Leo (born Leonardo Danilo Boitumelo) had become a basketball icon in Brazil. He was bombarded by interview requests, almost all of which he declined, being an intensely private man, instead simply offering the phrase "Basketball is about critical thinking. I taught my players how to think," as a reply. He also brushed aside the predictable NBA scouting and assistant coaching jobs offered, telling potential employers that he preferred to retain control of the managerial aspects of a team as well as coaching duties, as with the Brazilian national team, going so far to tell one GM that in hiring Leo, the GM would have to resign. This, also predictably, scared off many NBA franchises, who were reluctant to hand over both GM and coaching duties to an unproven, overnight success with no NBA experience. Except one: the Charlotte Bobcats.
It was far from an unanimous plan for the franchise from its conception, but a man of Michael Jordan's status commands a certain amount of respect, and with a little bit of maneuvering he was able to convince the rest of the team's executives that coach Leo was a man with a vision. The main opposition came in the form of concern and respect for then current Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff. This opposition was laid to rest when Bernie agreed to take on the dual roles of Assistant GM & Offensive Coordinator. Shortly thereafter, Leo Boitumelo became Charlotte's GM and Head Coach, becoming the first man appointed to both positions without any prior NBA experience.
Leave it to greatness to discover greatness, I suppose, because Jordan saw something in Leo's game-time strategies and adjustments that made him believe Brazil's victory was no fluke (as it was generally agreed that the US played as well as they could and just got beat by a lucky shot at the buzzer), and which apparently no other NBA executive saw. I, however, was well acquainted with coach Leo's brilliant basketball mind, having profiled his now-defunct summer basketball camps in Rio de Janeiro, where he taught the likes of Leandro Barbosa and Nene as youngsters. I had also followed the Brazilian team during the previous three World Cups, during which time I began to know coach Leo on a personal level, becoming a sort of sounding board for him to bounce basketball ideas off of, as I was always around asking questions regarding strategy. It was this relationship and level of familiarity with his work that led to my being hired by mister Michael Jordan himself to chronicle the building of Leo's dynasty. Be it one of success or one of failure, it will undoubtedly be one of genius and passion.
Shortly after taking office prior to the start of the season, Boitumelo made these moves:
Neither transaction was particularly popular amongst the press or the fans. The general view was that in trading Melvin Ely the Bobcats had traded a low-post scoring threat on a team lacking offense overall, for an aging guard who'll have trouble finding minutes in an already crowded yet underwhelming back court. Adding Ramos was seen as superfluous. Leo, however, shed some light on the issue when I approached him with my own doubts about the moves. He said "I did not want to move Melvin, necessarily, you see. He was a good man...good player...but it's money. He simply isn't an integral piece of our team. I felt he would want too much money in off-season, so I trade him for Greg, who is a solid defensive player who can punish opponent from 3-point line. He makes us a better defensive team. I do not think I can say the same for Melvin."
OK, and what about the Ramos signing?
"Peter is young, has much potential. It remains to be seen if we keep him. I know many teams had interest in him, so we signed him. I still would like more front line scoring and another swing man, so maybe some teams like his potential and will trade with us. This is our hope....and besides, we only sign him for minimum salary."
So while it is true that neither of these moves are likely to be the catalyst to a winning season, it is fair to say that this is now a deeper, slightly more versatile Bobcats team, and I've a feeling that's trend we'll be seeing much more of.
Last edited by TheMC5 on Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:18 pm, edited 3 times in total.
- TheMC5
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:53 pm
by TheMC5 on Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:05 pm
Chapter 1: Down the River of Dreams
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 is a day I doubt I'll ever forget, and as much as coach Leo would downplay his emotions in the hours following his first ever NBA game as head coach, it's also a day I doubt he'll soon forget. In fact, it was not only his first game as head coach, but also his first victory.
The Charlotte Bobcats had a combined record of 44-120 in their first two years of existence, and with no major overhaul to the roster in the off-season, pundits were predicting an easy victory for the visiting Indiana Pacers. The Bobcats entered the game with a starting roster of Primoz Brezec at center, Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace at the forward slots, and the newly acquired Greg Buckner teaming with Raymond Felton in the back court. The pacers lack of guard depth was exposed masterfully under the guidance of coach Leo's tactics, with Felton picking up Player of the game honors, and the Bobcats emerging with a well deserved 101-92 victory.
Game Stats
As time expired, the Bobcats bench erupted on to the floor, piling on each other in ecstasy at having won their home opener, while coach Leo smiled gently, and walked stoically towards the locker room.
Once the press were allowed to enter the team's locker room, the atmosphere had calmed considerably. The joy of victory had seemingly been erased by the critiquing and nit picking of this militaristic Brazilian dictator. Or, so it was reported by the mainstream media the following day. Outlandish and unfounded reports of player outrage over coach Leo's authoritative rule were circulated, and popular opinion of coach Leo began at the lowest depths possible. Columnists were proposing that coach Leo was merely riding on the coattails of a talented team, but was surely not the man help the Bobcats make a serious playoff run.
However, the mainstream media did not quite have the story straight, as they rarely seem to, and instead espoused a knee jerk reaction as journalistic integrity. It is understandable, though. With a franchise winning percent of .366, each victory was to be savored and celebrated by fans of the team, not scrutinized and criticized. The fact of the matter was that the Bobcats were lucky to win that game with Emeka Okafor taking only nine shots and the team being out rebounded. The execution was sloppy, the point guards looked for their own shot too often, and they won the game basically on energy and excitement. Coach Leo knew all this, and merely reminded the team not to put the cart in front of the horse. "We won one game," he said in the post-game press conference. "It is not like we have clinched playoff spot, or something like that. We won one game. We got lucky. Guys made shots because, in the first game, you are excited. You can not stay excited for all 82 games. We must execute well and stay focused at all times. That is the only way."
The players, as well, agreed to this assessment of their performance, but several were still not able to stifle their joy, which may have been what led to the rumors. Adam Morrison, for instance, told a reporter from the Indiana Enquirer that he "felt no remorse for the win, regardless of how poorly coach thinks we played." When asked about Morrison's quote, by the same reporter, Leo said that there was of course no reason to feel remorse for winning, unless one had cheated. This, however, never made it into the next day's paper.
The following day the team left for their road opener against Memphis on Friday the 3rd, which they won 105-93. Brevin Knight received player of the game honors off the bench, recording a double-double with 21 points and 12 assists, but it was the conversation I had with Leo on the plane to Memphis which occupied my mind the whole time.
Upon leaving the plane's bathroom approximately 1 hour and 4 gin and tonics (I always drink a little too much when I fly) into the flight to Memphis, I looked to my right for a moment before heading back to my seat, and noticed coach Leo waving me over to sit with him.
"Garey, I'd like to ask you somethings about the team. I think I would like to trade Gerald Wallace."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because, Garey, this team need players who can shoot...shoot well from 3point, you know?"
"Coach, I think Gerald would be hard to replace. And presumably any team you trade him to would be unlikely to part with a small forward in return, which would leave the team really weak there."
"I think maybe you are right. But still we need players who can score 3 pointer better than Gerald. Not only that, but focus, as well. Consistency."
I sat there in silence for a while. I must confess, Gerald was probably my favorite player on the team at that point. Although the season was young, he seemed to be the friendliest and funniest guy on the team. I did not want to see him get traded. Leo finally excused himself to go to the bathroom, and as I was walking down the aisle toward my seat, I was struck in the back of my neck by a ball of crumpled paper. I turned round in time to see Gerald duck behind his seat giggling. I opened the paper, and saw a note detailing an elaborate scheme by Gerald to steal Adam Morrison's clothes and hide them throughout FedEx Forum while AMMO was in the shower following the game against the Grizzlies. This would thereby force him to search the stadium in a towel. I couldn't stifle my laughter as I returned to my seat, hoping that I might get to see more than one prank by Gerald Wallace before he gets traded. The team would be better for it.
The team returned home the next day for a nationally televised home game against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they would suffer their first loss of the season. The newspapers and writers covering the team were no less persistent in their questioning of coach Leo, dismissing the Memphis victory as being one over a relatively weak team. The real test was seen to come at home against Cleveland, where the team failed, and so then did coach Leo.
Game Stats
Although Raymond Felton played an almost perfect game, Emeka Okafor couldn't manufacture anything in the post, and the team had no answer for Lebron and Larry Hughes. Frustration in the locker room was abundant after the game. When asked what he thought cost the Bobcats the game, Felton did not hesitate in his reply:
"We've got some guys who maybe, and I don't wanna say who, but we got some guys who don't play so hard when their back's against the wall. I mean, Mek couldn't get nothin' goin' against Donyell Marshall and Z, you know? I mean, I play an almost perfect game, miss only 1 shot, set guys up all over the place, but they can't finish, and we lose because Adam doesn't feel like guarding no one. It's bull shit, man."
Adam Morrison was sitting right next to him the whole time, as he called out not only Morrison's play, but also the team's captain, Okafor, and he didn't even look at him. He just packed up and left.
Once the press had left, only Emeka, Ammo, Brevin Knight, Sean May, and Greg Buckner were left in the locker room. Even coach Leo had gone, not seeing a need to address the players regarding their poor play. After a long silence, Ammo was the first to speak.
"Ray's right, guys. We sucked. I sucked. We slept through that game." He too, then left. The rest sat in silence, one by one leaving at random and unpredictable intervals, until all that remained was the lingering feeling of defeat.
Wednesday, November 1, 2006 is a day I doubt I'll ever forget, and as much as coach Leo would downplay his emotions in the hours following his first ever NBA game as head coach, it's also a day I doubt he'll soon forget. In fact, it was not only his first game as head coach, but also his first victory.
The Charlotte Bobcats had a combined record of 44-120 in their first two years of existence, and with no major overhaul to the roster in the off-season, pundits were predicting an easy victory for the visiting Indiana Pacers. The Bobcats entered the game with a starting roster of Primoz Brezec at center, Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace at the forward slots, and the newly acquired Greg Buckner teaming with Raymond Felton in the back court. The pacers lack of guard depth was exposed masterfully under the guidance of coach Leo's tactics, with Felton picking up Player of the game honors, and the Bobcats emerging with a well deserved 101-92 victory.
Game Stats
As time expired, the Bobcats bench erupted on to the floor, piling on each other in ecstasy at having won their home opener, while coach Leo smiled gently, and walked stoically towards the locker room.
Once the press were allowed to enter the team's locker room, the atmosphere had calmed considerably. The joy of victory had seemingly been erased by the critiquing and nit picking of this militaristic Brazilian dictator. Or, so it was reported by the mainstream media the following day. Outlandish and unfounded reports of player outrage over coach Leo's authoritative rule were circulated, and popular opinion of coach Leo began at the lowest depths possible. Columnists were proposing that coach Leo was merely riding on the coattails of a talented team, but was surely not the man help the Bobcats make a serious playoff run.
However, the mainstream media did not quite have the story straight, as they rarely seem to, and instead espoused a knee jerk reaction as journalistic integrity. It is understandable, though. With a franchise winning percent of .366, each victory was to be savored and celebrated by fans of the team, not scrutinized and criticized. The fact of the matter was that the Bobcats were lucky to win that game with Emeka Okafor taking only nine shots and the team being out rebounded. The execution was sloppy, the point guards looked for their own shot too often, and they won the game basically on energy and excitement. Coach Leo knew all this, and merely reminded the team not to put the cart in front of the horse. "We won one game," he said in the post-game press conference. "It is not like we have clinched playoff spot, or something like that. We won one game. We got lucky. Guys made shots because, in the first game, you are excited. You can not stay excited for all 82 games. We must execute well and stay focused at all times. That is the only way."
The players, as well, agreed to this assessment of their performance, but several were still not able to stifle their joy, which may have been what led to the rumors. Adam Morrison, for instance, told a reporter from the Indiana Enquirer that he "felt no remorse for the win, regardless of how poorly coach thinks we played." When asked about Morrison's quote, by the same reporter, Leo said that there was of course no reason to feel remorse for winning, unless one had cheated. This, however, never made it into the next day's paper.
The following day the team left for their road opener against Memphis on Friday the 3rd, which they won 105-93. Brevin Knight received player of the game honors off the bench, recording a double-double with 21 points and 12 assists, but it was the conversation I had with Leo on the plane to Memphis which occupied my mind the whole time.
Upon leaving the plane's bathroom approximately 1 hour and 4 gin and tonics (I always drink a little too much when I fly) into the flight to Memphis, I looked to my right for a moment before heading back to my seat, and noticed coach Leo waving me over to sit with him.
"Garey, I'd like to ask you somethings about the team. I think I would like to trade Gerald Wallace."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because, Garey, this team need players who can shoot...shoot well from 3point, you know?"
"Coach, I think Gerald would be hard to replace. And presumably any team you trade him to would be unlikely to part with a small forward in return, which would leave the team really weak there."
"I think maybe you are right. But still we need players who can score 3 pointer better than Gerald. Not only that, but focus, as well. Consistency."
I sat there in silence for a while. I must confess, Gerald was probably my favorite player on the team at that point. Although the season was young, he seemed to be the friendliest and funniest guy on the team. I did not want to see him get traded. Leo finally excused himself to go to the bathroom, and as I was walking down the aisle toward my seat, I was struck in the back of my neck by a ball of crumpled paper. I turned round in time to see Gerald duck behind his seat giggling. I opened the paper, and saw a note detailing an elaborate scheme by Gerald to steal Adam Morrison's clothes and hide them throughout FedEx Forum while AMMO was in the shower following the game against the Grizzlies. This would thereby force him to search the stadium in a towel. I couldn't stifle my laughter as I returned to my seat, hoping that I might get to see more than one prank by Gerald Wallace before he gets traded. The team would be better for it.
The team returned home the next day for a nationally televised home game against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they would suffer their first loss of the season. The newspapers and writers covering the team were no less persistent in their questioning of coach Leo, dismissing the Memphis victory as being one over a relatively weak team. The real test was seen to come at home against Cleveland, where the team failed, and so then did coach Leo.
Game Stats
Although Raymond Felton played an almost perfect game, Emeka Okafor couldn't manufacture anything in the post, and the team had no answer for Lebron and Larry Hughes. Frustration in the locker room was abundant after the game. When asked what he thought cost the Bobcats the game, Felton did not hesitate in his reply:
"We've got some guys who maybe, and I don't wanna say who, but we got some guys who don't play so hard when their back's against the wall. I mean, Mek couldn't get nothin' goin' against Donyell Marshall and Z, you know? I mean, I play an almost perfect game, miss only 1 shot, set guys up all over the place, but they can't finish, and we lose because Adam doesn't feel like guarding no one. It's bull shit, man."
Adam Morrison was sitting right next to him the whole time, as he called out not only Morrison's play, but also the team's captain, Okafor, and he didn't even look at him. He just packed up and left.
Once the press had left, only Emeka, Ammo, Brevin Knight, Sean May, and Greg Buckner were left in the locker room. Even coach Leo had gone, not seeing a need to address the players regarding their poor play. After a long silence, Ammo was the first to speak.
"Ray's right, guys. We sucked. I sucked. We slept through that game." He too, then left. The rest sat in silence, one by one leaving at random and unpredictable intervals, until all that remained was the lingering feeling of defeat.
Last edited by TheMC5 on Tue Feb 20, 2007 3:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- TheMC5
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:53 pm
by TheMC5 on Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:45 pm
Chapter 2: Hello Hoopsters
Following the loss to Cleveland, the Bobcats had three days off before their next game, an away contest against Boston. In that time, on Monday, November 6 at 3:17 pm, the Bobcats made a trade that may well have accelerated the franchise's progress by a couple years, and eventually thrust them unexpectedly into the national limelight and consciousness of basketball fans the world over. In the shocking deal, the Bobcats acquired Josh Childress from Atlanta in exchange for Derek Anderson and Peter John Ramos. So Gerald Wallace remained a Bobcat, at least for the time being.
Tuesday's practice brought about many changes within the Bobcats organization. At first, things were moving along as usual. Coach Leo silently observed the proceedings as Bernie Bickerstaff ran the team through offensive drills, while Duane Brauer ran shooting drills and Axel Clarke instructed the defense. However, before the closing scrimmage, coach Leo addressed the team.
"With Josh coming to the team, we now have many options each game we play, and we are also one of most the athletic teams in NBA. This will take some adjustment time, for sure, and we will have different starting lineups depending on our opponent. For example, we can now play like Phoenix with Emeka at center and Josh and Gerald play forward, with Brevin and Ray in back court. Or we can play big with Primo and Mek, or Mek and May upfront. Many options. We can play defense or offense at any position now. So you must all accept that your starting job is not safe. Only Emeka will stay in the starting lineup. Everyone must be ready to come off of the bench always. We now can be very successful, but each person must play his role, and understand that his role may be different all the time. If not, someone else will play instead of you. Now play hard. Winner must be up by three baskets before game is over. Go!"
As the players split off into their assigned teams, Raymond Felton stopped Adam Morrison as they passed each other and told him, "I'm gonna cross you over and dunk on your head. You better play some defense, Frank Zappa."
With the score at 26-21 for White Team, they inbounded the ball to Felton, where he isolated Brevin Knight at the top of the arc. As he drove the lane to the bucket, Ammo slid over and planted his feet just in time for Felton to knock him headfirst to the ground. When Adam woke up, he was in the locker room, ice pack on his head, with no one but the team's head trainer Pace Serrano to be seen.
"How Long was I out?" he asked.
"Just an hour or so," said Paco. "Practice is over, though."
"Yeah. I know."
Wednesday finally arrived, and with it the match up with Paul Pierce and the Celtics. Leo went with a starting five or Okafor, Wallace, Childress, Buckner, and Felton, and they barely hung on for an 87-86 victory.
Game Stats
Despite shooting only 8/21 from the field, he was named player of the game for hitting key shots down the stretch to fend off the Celtics run. He then addressed the crowd, saying, "I'm just glad we were able to get the win...despite some of my teammate's inability to hit more than half their free throws." I'm not certain, but I think he smiled at Raymond Felton afterward.
In the locker room, coach Leo was less than amused.
"I've watched this nonsense for too long. You are teammates, you will not disrespect other teammates in public like this. I will bench you. We barely won that game. We are only 3 wins, 1 loss, and we played 2 of NBA's worst teams already. I apparently must say it again that your starting spot is not safe. Your spot on the team is not even safe. You must play hard and treat each other well, or you will not play. Simple."
As the team once again slowly emptied the locker room, Leo stopped Felton on his way out.
"I will speak to you in private tomorrow," he said, well out of earshot of anyone else. Raymond nodded, and suddenly took on the manner of a man carrying much weight on his shoulders. I never did discover what they spoke of the next day, but Raymond returned to the team on Friday refreshed and positive, eager to help the team in any way possible. The team then cruised to a home victory over Seattle, 110-98, and got blown out by Melo and the Nuggets 118-84 before heading out on a season-changing 3 game road trip.
New Orleans was the first stop, and I managed to go the whole flight with only 1 drink, which was a minor victory in and of itself. By this point it was becoming clear to me that Leo was no longer the genial, energetic, and approachable man I knew from his basketball camps or even his time with the Brazilian national team. He was now becoming a ruthless, obsessed, and possessed basketball tactician. It consumed more and more of his time daily, and the results were becoming visible on the basketball court. The Bobcats upset the favored Hornets in a thrilling, come from behind 105-104 victory. Adam Morrison was once again player of the game off the bench, with 23 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a block.
On the way back to the hotel following the game, I rode with Adam Morrison, eager to get his take on the team's performance and his early candidacy for both rookie of the year and 6th man. But he was reluctant to talk about anything basketball related, instead telling me repeatedly how he wished he could be in Gerald Wallace's room Gerald arrives to find the contents of the hotel room screwed to the roof. Ammo, who wanted to pay Gerald back for hiding his clothes in Memphis, apparently knew the owner of the hotel and had agreed to pay for the damage caused by such a stunt. I wished I could have been there, too.
The next day the team boarded another quick flight to San Antonio to take on Tim Duncan and the always difficult Spurs. Gerald Wallace had apparently slept in the room next to his, which was suspiciously unlocked and unoccupied, so Ammo's prank was a very expensive dud. The game that night, however, was a stunning display of competitiveness. Once again, the Bobcats miraculously squeezed out a 116-114, on the strength of an Emeka Okafor alley-oop slam from Felton with 7 seconds to go.
Game Stats
Player of the game honors once again went to a Bobcat coming off the bench: Gerald Wallace. From the victory over San Antonio until the end of the month, the Bobcats lost only twice, despite losing Brevin Knight for 2 weeks with a strained calf; once to Dallas, and an embarrassing 117-73 blowout at the hands of the Heat. In the locker room following the Miami game, tensions were high. Emeka sat with his back turned to his teammates, staring blankly for 15 minutes, perfectly encapsulating the team's dejection, until coach Leo burst through the door, walked briskly to the water cooler and threw it clear across the room.
"I used to teach 7 year old children to play basketball, and never have I seen such a lack of focus!" Leo wailed. "How hard can it be to defend? To contest shots? I don't know what to say."
The team sat in silence for a while longer, until coach Leo erupted again.
"Raymond! Raymond, come over here." Leo gestured frantically to Felton as he turned and picked up a practice ball. "Raymond," he said, "let me show you something. When you guard Dwyane Wade, or any slasher, you must give him open shot. You must make him think about shooting, not driving. You played close to Wade all game, like this." Leo gave Felton the ball, and as he started dribbling, Leo pushed right up against him. "You see, in this circumstance, you have no time for reaction against a player quick like Wade. He simply must jab step one way, then go the other, see?" Raymond then effortlessly blew by him. "But if you play him a few feet back, he will want to shoot. You must allow him that idea. We can not play defense as poorly as this game. That is for everyone. Not one of you played well today. Tomorrow will be double practice, and we will introduce new plays, with hope that we can get more good looks for Mek. We will never win in NBA if we can not play defense and get good looks in the post. Go home now, get rest, forget about this game tonight, and must come prepared tomorrow."
Following Leo's rant, I asked Gerald what happened out there today. He was matched up with the much slower Antoine Walker most of the game, but could not take advantage. I wondered why.
"Well, I dunno for sure, Gare. I just wasn't into that game. I know, it's a big divisional game, but man, it's hard to stay excited about every game, man. It's like, I've been playin' here for over 2 years now, and I'm gettin' kinda bored. I mean, no one cares about ball in Charlotte, man, and there ain't much to do. No bangin' parties or whatever. I dunno, I just feel like a change, and I think some other guys on the team feel like that, too. Feel like playing somewhere where basketball is like gospel, y'know?"
The prospects of Gerald sticking around just seem to get slimmer and slimmer by the day.
Following the blow out to Miami on the 25th, Charlotte won it's remaining 2 games to finish the month at 11-4, and Ammo won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. It was only then that the local pundits and fans relented in their criticism of coach Leo, as the national media praised as a possible coach of the year candidate for inspiring the Bobcats the such a quick turnaround. The reality of the situation lay somewhere in the middle, and Leo knew it. The team was over achieving, to say the least, and not actually playing great basketball, but they were still winning. If things were to stay that way, Leo needed to unite a fractured locker room, while still attempting to win over the respect of some of his players.
November 06 Standings
Southeast
Central
Atlantic
Pacific
Northwest
Southwest
November Awards
Eastern Conference Player of the Month
Western Conference Player of the Month
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month
Western Conference Rookie of the Month
MVP Candidates
League Leaders
PPG
RPG
APG
BPG
SPG
3PM
November Recap
Following the loss to Cleveland, the Bobcats had three days off before their next game, an away contest against Boston. In that time, on Monday, November 6 at 3:17 pm, the Bobcats made a trade that may well have accelerated the franchise's progress by a couple years, and eventually thrust them unexpectedly into the national limelight and consciousness of basketball fans the world over. In the shocking deal, the Bobcats acquired Josh Childress from Atlanta in exchange for Derek Anderson and Peter John Ramos. So Gerald Wallace remained a Bobcat, at least for the time being.
Tuesday's practice brought about many changes within the Bobcats organization. At first, things were moving along as usual. Coach Leo silently observed the proceedings as Bernie Bickerstaff ran the team through offensive drills, while Duane Brauer ran shooting drills and Axel Clarke instructed the defense. However, before the closing scrimmage, coach Leo addressed the team.
"With Josh coming to the team, we now have many options each game we play, and we are also one of most the athletic teams in NBA. This will take some adjustment time, for sure, and we will have different starting lineups depending on our opponent. For example, we can now play like Phoenix with Emeka at center and Josh and Gerald play forward, with Brevin and Ray in back court. Or we can play big with Primo and Mek, or Mek and May upfront. Many options. We can play defense or offense at any position now. So you must all accept that your starting job is not safe. Only Emeka will stay in the starting lineup. Everyone must be ready to come off of the bench always. We now can be very successful, but each person must play his role, and understand that his role may be different all the time. If not, someone else will play instead of you. Now play hard. Winner must be up by three baskets before game is over. Go!"
As the players split off into their assigned teams, Raymond Felton stopped Adam Morrison as they passed each other and told him, "I'm gonna cross you over and dunk on your head. You better play some defense, Frank Zappa."
With the score at 26-21 for White Team, they inbounded the ball to Felton, where he isolated Brevin Knight at the top of the arc. As he drove the lane to the bucket, Ammo slid over and planted his feet just in time for Felton to knock him headfirst to the ground. When Adam woke up, he was in the locker room, ice pack on his head, with no one but the team's head trainer Pace Serrano to be seen.
"How Long was I out?" he asked.
"Just an hour or so," said Paco. "Practice is over, though."
"Yeah. I know."
Wednesday finally arrived, and with it the match up with Paul Pierce and the Celtics. Leo went with a starting five or Okafor, Wallace, Childress, Buckner, and Felton, and they barely hung on for an 87-86 victory.
Game Stats
Despite shooting only 8/21 from the field, he was named player of the game for hitting key shots down the stretch to fend off the Celtics run. He then addressed the crowd, saying, "I'm just glad we were able to get the win...despite some of my teammate's inability to hit more than half their free throws." I'm not certain, but I think he smiled at Raymond Felton afterward.
In the locker room, coach Leo was less than amused.
"I've watched this nonsense for too long. You are teammates, you will not disrespect other teammates in public like this. I will bench you. We barely won that game. We are only 3 wins, 1 loss, and we played 2 of NBA's worst teams already. I apparently must say it again that your starting spot is not safe. Your spot on the team is not even safe. You must play hard and treat each other well, or you will not play. Simple."
As the team once again slowly emptied the locker room, Leo stopped Felton on his way out.
"I will speak to you in private tomorrow," he said, well out of earshot of anyone else. Raymond nodded, and suddenly took on the manner of a man carrying much weight on his shoulders. I never did discover what they spoke of the next day, but Raymond returned to the team on Friday refreshed and positive, eager to help the team in any way possible. The team then cruised to a home victory over Seattle, 110-98, and got blown out by Melo and the Nuggets 118-84 before heading out on a season-changing 3 game road trip.
New Orleans was the first stop, and I managed to go the whole flight with only 1 drink, which was a minor victory in and of itself. By this point it was becoming clear to me that Leo was no longer the genial, energetic, and approachable man I knew from his basketball camps or even his time with the Brazilian national team. He was now becoming a ruthless, obsessed, and possessed basketball tactician. It consumed more and more of his time daily, and the results were becoming visible on the basketball court. The Bobcats upset the favored Hornets in a thrilling, come from behind 105-104 victory. Adam Morrison was once again player of the game off the bench, with 23 points, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a block.
On the way back to the hotel following the game, I rode with Adam Morrison, eager to get his take on the team's performance and his early candidacy for both rookie of the year and 6th man. But he was reluctant to talk about anything basketball related, instead telling me repeatedly how he wished he could be in Gerald Wallace's room Gerald arrives to find the contents of the hotel room screwed to the roof. Ammo, who wanted to pay Gerald back for hiding his clothes in Memphis, apparently knew the owner of the hotel and had agreed to pay for the damage caused by such a stunt. I wished I could have been there, too.
The next day the team boarded another quick flight to San Antonio to take on Tim Duncan and the always difficult Spurs. Gerald Wallace had apparently slept in the room next to his, which was suspiciously unlocked and unoccupied, so Ammo's prank was a very expensive dud. The game that night, however, was a stunning display of competitiveness. Once again, the Bobcats miraculously squeezed out a 116-114, on the strength of an Emeka Okafor alley-oop slam from Felton with 7 seconds to go.
Game Stats
Player of the game honors once again went to a Bobcat coming off the bench: Gerald Wallace. From the victory over San Antonio until the end of the month, the Bobcats lost only twice, despite losing Brevin Knight for 2 weeks with a strained calf; once to Dallas, and an embarrassing 117-73 blowout at the hands of the Heat. In the locker room following the Miami game, tensions were high. Emeka sat with his back turned to his teammates, staring blankly for 15 minutes, perfectly encapsulating the team's dejection, until coach Leo burst through the door, walked briskly to the water cooler and threw it clear across the room.
"I used to teach 7 year old children to play basketball, and never have I seen such a lack of focus!" Leo wailed. "How hard can it be to defend? To contest shots? I don't know what to say."
The team sat in silence for a while longer, until coach Leo erupted again.
"Raymond! Raymond, come over here." Leo gestured frantically to Felton as he turned and picked up a practice ball. "Raymond," he said, "let me show you something. When you guard Dwyane Wade, or any slasher, you must give him open shot. You must make him think about shooting, not driving. You played close to Wade all game, like this." Leo gave Felton the ball, and as he started dribbling, Leo pushed right up against him. "You see, in this circumstance, you have no time for reaction against a player quick like Wade. He simply must jab step one way, then go the other, see?" Raymond then effortlessly blew by him. "But if you play him a few feet back, he will want to shoot. You must allow him that idea. We can not play defense as poorly as this game. That is for everyone. Not one of you played well today. Tomorrow will be double practice, and we will introduce new plays, with hope that we can get more good looks for Mek. We will never win in NBA if we can not play defense and get good looks in the post. Go home now, get rest, forget about this game tonight, and must come prepared tomorrow."
Following Leo's rant, I asked Gerald what happened out there today. He was matched up with the much slower Antoine Walker most of the game, but could not take advantage. I wondered why.
"Well, I dunno for sure, Gare. I just wasn't into that game. I know, it's a big divisional game, but man, it's hard to stay excited about every game, man. It's like, I've been playin' here for over 2 years now, and I'm gettin' kinda bored. I mean, no one cares about ball in Charlotte, man, and there ain't much to do. No bangin' parties or whatever. I dunno, I just feel like a change, and I think some other guys on the team feel like that, too. Feel like playing somewhere where basketball is like gospel, y'know?"
The prospects of Gerald sticking around just seem to get slimmer and slimmer by the day.
Following the blow out to Miami on the 25th, Charlotte won it's remaining 2 games to finish the month at 11-4, and Ammo won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. It was only then that the local pundits and fans relented in their criticism of coach Leo, as the national media praised as a possible coach of the year candidate for inspiring the Bobcats the such a quick turnaround. The reality of the situation lay somewhere in the middle, and Leo knew it. The team was over achieving, to say the least, and not actually playing great basketball, but they were still winning. If things were to stay that way, Leo needed to unite a fractured locker room, while still attempting to win over the respect of some of his players.
November 06 Standings
Southeast
Central
Atlantic
Pacific
Northwest
Southwest
November Awards
Eastern Conference Player of the Month
Western Conference Player of the Month
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month
Western Conference Rookie of the Month
MVP Candidates
League Leaders
PPG
RPG
APG
BPG
SPG
3PM
November Recap
Last edited by TheMC5 on Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:25 pm, edited 6 times in total.
- TheMC5
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:53 pm
by TheMC5 on Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:40 am
DYNASTY CANCELED!
I did a clean install of the game, and stupidly forgot to back up my saves.
However, I was not satisfied with this dynasty, and was planning on doing a new one anyway.
The new dynasty will be with a custom-created team, from the point of view of a created player, will be much more thoroughly thought out, with the suck factor turned way down. I'm creating jerseys, courts, the whole shebang. It'll be sweet!
I promise way more awesomeness in the future, and apologize for the lameness of this dynasty.
I did a clean install of the game, and stupidly forgot to back up my saves.
However, I was not satisfied with this dynasty, and was planning on doing a new one anyway.
The new dynasty will be with a custom-created team, from the point of view of a created player, will be much more thoroughly thought out, with the suck factor turned way down. I'm creating jerseys, courts, the whole shebang. It'll be sweet!
I promise way more awesomeness in the future, and apologize for the lameness of this dynasty.
- TheMC5
- Posts: 875
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:53 pm
9 posts
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