C's Lose 120 - 117 Wrapup

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

The C's played okay considering they were missing their best
rebounder - Fortson; their best shotblocker - Battie, and best
all-around point guard - Turner. Pierce and Walker missed a
few three-pointers at the end, or the game would have been
prolonged into another overtime agony. Eddie Jones, though he 
shot poorly (thanks to some excellent D by Pierce), scored alot of 
points and hit some clutch shots (the same shots Pierce missed)
to inspire Charlotte to the victory. 

However, Paul Silas was
kind to the C's by using Todd Fuller instead of Derrick Coleman
the majority of the second half, and going with the talented 
but out of control Baron Davis instead of Wesley - so that kept
the score closer than it would have been during a regular
season game.

The C's are clearly in trouble on the boards without Fortson. It
will be a disaster of biblical proportions if the starting front-
court is the under-rebounding Pot and Williams, along with Walker.
Two of those three are mediocre rebounders and none of them
can block shots. Only Kenny Anderson plays worse defense than
Antoine's stand aside blocking-out of the hoop and Pot isn't 
far behind, but at least he puts a body on his man. 

Pot deserves some kudos for exhibiting a fine shooting 
touch and his passing has improved, but he needs to be with a
shotblocker
type like Battie to be most effective. The Pot/Ellison combo wasn't
bad during the first quarter of the game, because Pervis 
functioned as the shotblocker/goaltender.

Calbert Cheaney emerged from the dead during the second half, but his
defense isn't anything to write home about, and you wonder if Griffin or
Washington couldn't provide the same production at a much cheaper cost.

Speaking of a high cost, Kenny Anderson's defense of the opposing 
point guard is truly eye-opening, because it's impossible to close
your eyes in front of such horror. It's abominable. Barros' D
is a little better, but it pales in comparison to Wayne Turner,
who also gets the ball up the court much faster than the other
two. You'll appreciate Wayne Turner, the more you watch Kenny stopping
at the top of key or guarding any decent point guard. Supposedly,
Anderson is causing a lot of deflections and he better be, because 
the Hornet point guards were zipping right by him or open for outside
shots.

Ray