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Cavs/Bobcats Rookie Report

Cavs/Bobcats Rookie Report
Dec 17, 2006, 03:22 pm
Adam Morrison- 16 points, 4 reb, 1 asst, 1 TO on 7-17 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-2 FT in 24 minutes

The Bobcats prized rookie showed fans his typical NBA game tonight, contributing very little to the game aside from scoring to go along with being a defensive liability to its fullest definition. It was clear that it will be very hard to start Morrison right now, due to his defensive inadequacy and one dimensional game. Things were no different against the Cavs as he found himself planted on the bench until the 2 minute mark in quarter one.

The former Gonzaga star came in and made his presence felt quickly on the offensive end, looking to score each and every time he touched the ball. He knocked in numerous mid range jump shots and used his height advantage over defending Damon Jones by posting him at every available opportunity. Adam moved incredibly well without the ball, using countless staggered screens on virtually every possession to free himself up. He also played noticeable harder on the defensive end once he was able to get his first field goal to drop although his effectively as a stopper was still quite below par.

Morrison’s defensive ability (or lack there of) is the primary reason why he has not been a mainstay in Charlotte’s starting five. He was given the envious task of guarding Damon Jones, who is by far Cleveland’s worst perimeter player when it comes to off the dribble skills. This did not help the rook however, as Jones was still able to beat Morrison off the dribble, and absolutely froze him with a simple jab step that allowed the journeyman to drill an uncontested three point shot.

Adam’s inability to defend at the NBA level can be pinpointed as the main reason why he has been relegated to the role of the sixth man. However, this scoring machine will surely be able to crack the Bobcats starting five by the end of the season, as long as he is able to develop some resemblance of a pulse on the defensive end.


Daniel Gibson- 2 points on 1-1 shooting in 10 minutes

After two outstanding performances against Indiana (8 pts, 3 asst) and New Orleans/Oklahoma City (14 pts, 2 asst), Gibson cooled off against the Bobcats, playing sparingly and never seeming to get within the flow of the game.

The promising second round pick did an awfully good job initiating the offense when playing point, although those opportunities were limited due to his sharing of the point guard duties with Damon Jones. Defensively, Daniel was broken down endlessly by both Brevin Knight and Raymond Felton, making it obvious that he has still not learned to contain penetration at the NBA level yet.

Gibson should be able to maintain and further solidify his spot within the Cavs rotation due to his outside shooting ability. It will be interesting to see if he is able to continue to run the team at a high level, considering that his leadership ability was constantly questioned throughout his two year tenure at Texas

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