Bobcats Set the Pace Against the Pacers

11/10/2007

Welcome back Raymond Felton. We missed you. Don't leave us again. Hyperbole? Perhaps - but I imagine more than a few fans are thinking something similar tonight. I am not saying it is not deserved, because it is: Raymond played a very solid game and helped lead the team to a victory. But he was not the main reason the Bobcats won tonight. He may not even be in the top 3. Heresy? Bare with me and consider these three players and their nights:
1. Emeka Okafor: In the team's two game losing streak, Emeka was not himself - nor was he tonight. Tonight, he was a mini-version of a young Shaq - 25 points, 23 rebounds...and only 5 of 13 on free throws. He nearly outrebounded Indiana's entire starting frontcourt, missing out 25 to 23. This work on the glass is huge for the Bobcats - as a team, they have historically shot a low percentage, so on the offensive end, his work gave them more chances on single possessions, while defensively, it kept the Pacers from the same luxury. For the game, the Bobcats grabbed 77% of available defensive rebounds and 30% of offensive ones, both very strong numbers.
2. Gerald Wallace: That was more like the Crash we know and love. Gerald did not shoot a great percentage from the field (or the line, really), but he did put up 28 points on 21 shots, while managing to balance 4 turnovers with 4 steals. Two assists were a bonus on top of all that, and Gerald helped the team to score at a rate of 1.06 ppp while giving up only 0.95 ppp. Welcome back to you too, Crash.
3. Matt Carroll: With Jason Richardson still struggling, The Hammer stepped up and laid the hammer down on the Pacers - the team was +19 for the game with him on the floor, in only 26 minutes and 17 seconds of action. The offense was on fire, at 1.24 ppp, thanks to his work with 12 points on 8 fga and 3 assists, to a single turnover.
With those 3 outlined, I will say that Raymond returned in style - he shot the ball well - 50% from field, for 17 points on 10 attempts, and added 4 assists to go against his two tos. But the offense struggled a bit, at only 1.00ppp. He had assists, but he did not have any that created layups or dunks for his teammates. Jeff McInnis managed 7 assists as well, but again, none that led to layups/dunks. For the season, however, the Bobcats have done very in that regard, creating such opportunities on nearly 32% of their assists, while the rest of the league is at 28%. Do I have a point? Not yet - just wanted to show off that I could run numbers for everyone else now, as well.
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