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Proudiddy's Observations... ITT, Diddy Eats MKG Crow, Heartily


TylerDurden

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First... 

 

  • I can't believe it.  MKG looks like a stud.  That shot is butter.  It's so fluid now.  And the confidence in his shot has carried over into other facets of his game - he was bringing the ball up, handling it, attacking more often on offense.  I am officially transitioning over to adopting him in full fanboy status.  I am so proud of him and the progress he has made.  You can definitely tell he has put in the work, and I didn't believe he could do it.  So, give me my crow, I'm ready to eat.  MKG could very well end up being the best player on this team now.  That shot opened everything up for him...

 

  • Bump McRoberts, love Marvin Williams...  Marvin Williams is the truth.  He seems like the perfect addition to our team.  The way it is currently constructed, he just seems like the ideal piece to have been added to the puzzle and I'm so thankful we didn't waste that money on McBob.  If that was McBob out there in Marvin's place last night, we don't pull that game out.  Marvin has always been a solid player, but never what so many thought he would be coming out of school.  Perhaps some of it was where and what he was expected to do.  Here, the fit is right.  I'm ecstatic going forward to see what he does here.  Just an awesome piece to add, and I expect many of you will be eating your crow when it comes to Marvin.

 

  • The refs were absolutely horrible.  Considering the magnitude of this game, the context, and just that it was a home game for us in general, that officiating was atrocious.  Only call that made up for it was the offensive foul charged to the Bucks late in the 4th when Lance flopped - which I'm guessing he'll be fined for.  But, I only liked that call because it worked in our favor, not because it was the right call...  it was actually a pretty bad call.  The problem is, most of those "bad calls" had gone against us throughout the entire game up until that stretch in the 4th.  I'm still trying to figure out what Kemba did in the 1st to get a tech?  I just started re-watching the game on DVR and I still can't figure it out.  At the game, I had no idea what had just happened, lol.  It appears the ref didn't call the foul that Kemba should've gotten as he was shooting, Kemba made the shot, got up and angrily yelled something to himself and the ref T'd him up.  Inexcusable.  He misses the foul on Kemba but then T's him up for THAT?  Kemba wasn't even directing it towards anyone.  Also, how did Larry Sanders NOT get a tech late in the game?  He deserved it.  I was shouting to the top of my lungs "GET OUT OF HERE!!!  GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Lol...  I was just amazed at how bad the refs were.

 

  • Be thankful for Kemba.  I've always been a Kemba fan and wanted us to draft him before he even finished playing at UCONN.  The dude is a winner, he's clutch, and his heart is unmatched.  He also breaks a lot of ankles, lol.

 

  • Gary Neal is such a weapon off of the bench.

 

  • Hendo didn't play much last night and I think it should stay that way.  Unless there is someone that is lighting us up by themselves on the wings, then he isn't much help.  I'd like to see Neal and eventually PJ get those minutes.

 

  • Brian Roberts is what a quality backup point should be.  I was so happy watching him out there and what he's able to do and knowing that Ridnour is somewhere playing horribly, causing Magic fans to flip out on the regular.
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Man, that shot was just so bad.  I know people CAN change a shot, a swing, etc., but the true test is always gametime.  It's hard not to revert back to what you're used to in game situations, so when I saw him take that first shot of the regular season and it was so fluid, I knew we had something.  I was amazed.  I'm just so stoked because I had pretty much wrote him off, and if he is bringing that now into the equation, wow...  That is not something I anticipated in the least bit.

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MKG is developing just like Gerald Wallace did. Comparing Wallace in 04 compared to around 07 through when he left is a really cool thing to do. Wallace came to Charlotte as a fringe starter that could defend and slash, and he left Charlotte an All Star.

 

Luckily for us, we got MKG at 18 years old and he's now only 21. He'll be a good player here for a long, long time...we just have to be patient.

 

MKG is going to become a really good player and soon we'll be talking about how under appreciated he is and wondering when he'll

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My biggest takeaway from that game will be the crowd. It seemed like we just chanted "Let's Go Hornets" at random times just because we could again. I haven't heard such unbridled enthusiasm at a sporting event in awhile. In that sense it was every bit like a playoff game. The players knew it was a must win, which contributed to that rocky start.

The rebrand in the arena is fantastic. I wish it wasn't so crowded on the concourse so I could have walked around and taken in all the changes.

Lance's dunk out of nowhere changed the complexion of the game. It's a shame you didn't see it live.

Said it already but you can tell we didn't get the reps we needed in preseason. Unlike the NFL, what happens in the NBA preseason is a good indication typically of how your play as a unit is going to look.

Credit to Marvin for hitting those big shots but he and Al are huge defensive liabilities if the perimeter juggernaut we were expecting with Lance and MKG doesn't show up. That fourth quarter was vintage Clifford basketball and a thing of beauty so as long as they've knocked the rust off and Steve has had time to coach them up I'm not too concerned going forward.

Voice still isn't 100 percent.

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Big props to MKG/Price.  It shows a lot of determination for a player to work so hard to fix a shot like MKG did.  He put his ego aside and wanted to be better.   

 

Henderson will be traded, and I'd rather Hairston get those minutes.

 

Lance only had 7 points but had 13 boards and 8 assists.  That is why he is such a valueable player, even when his offensive is off he can contribute in other ways, such a multi-dimensional player.   Just look at the production we got from our starters.  

 

 

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Man, that shot was just so bad. I know people CAN change a shot, a swing, etc., but the true test is always gametime. It's hard not to revert back to what you're used to in game situations, so when I saw him take that first shot of the regular season and it was so fluid, I knew we had something. I was amazed. I'm just so stoked because I had pretty much wrote him off, and if he is bringing that now into the equation, wow... That is not something I anticipated in the least bit.

It's ok, I completely understand why most were down on him. I kept faith because of his age, work ethic and athleticism. I don't think you'll see him take it a bunch of threes, but he has range on his new jumper.

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Big props to MKG/Price. It shows a lot of determination for a player to work so hard to fix a shot like MKG did. He put his ego aside and wanted to be better.

Henderson will be traded, and I'd rather Hairston get those minutes.

Lance only had 7 points but had 13 boards and 8 assists. That is why he is such a valueable player, even when his offensive is off he can contribute in other ways, such a multi-dimensional player. Just look at the production we got from our starters.

My biggest concern with Lance was that he would be too selfish, but as it turns out I thought he ended up not being selfish enough!

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My biggest concern with Lance was that he would be too selfish, but as it turns out I thought he ended up not being selfish enough!

 

It's crazy how smart he plays. He does so many little things that are so elite that we've never had a player do here. Like for example, late in the 4th as he's losing the ball and falling down on the play he hurt his ankle on, he gives the ball a subtle tap right in to Kemba's hand to save the possession. I wish I had a way to find the video to show how smart of a little play it was.

 

He's by no means a scorer, he's a complimentary scorer but man he just gives such an insane boost to the team on defense, on the boards, and passing the ball.

 

If (big if in the NBA) they can stay healthy, this team is going to be really really good when they gel throughout the season.

 

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