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02/15/2007 -
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Adam Morrison headed to Las Vegas on Thursday to take part in All-Star weekend festivities as the second-leading rookie scorer in the NBA. He might be leading the league if not for those home games.
Morrison prefers playing on the road instead of dealing with the Charlotte Bobcats fans who expect big things from the No. 3 pick in last year's draft.
``It's a mental thing. I feel like everybody expects me to make everything,'' Morrison said of playing at home. ``The fans have been great, but some of the expectations and some of the stuff I hear when I'm going up and down the court at home, it feels like I'm on the road.''
The numbers back him up. Morrison, who scored eight points on 3-for-5 shooting in Charlotte's 100-85 home win over Chicago on Wednesday, is averaging less than 11 points and shooting a little more than 33 percent in 26 home games. Morrison is averaging 14.3 points and shooting 41 percent in 26 road games.
``I think I put too much pressure on myself for what the fans are saying,'' Morrison said as he prepared to play in Friday's rookie-sophomore game.
Morrison isn't criticizing the fans, he just wants them to give him time to develop. And Morrison acknowledges he's hit the famous rookie wall in his first season going from playing 30-something games in college to the 82-game grind of the NBA.
``It's four games a week, with back-to-backs,'' Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. ``That's tough on the veteran players, so that's been the problem. He's hit the wall a little bit.''
Morrison, who averaged a nation-best 28.1 points a game last season at Gonzaga, has struggled with inconsistency. He has 10 games of 20 or more points, but has reached that total only once in the past 22 games. Morrison has failed to reach double figures in five of his past six games.
Morrison, who started the season with the reputation of being a great shooter but suspect defender, hasn't consistently hit open jumpers. He's shooting only 31 percent from 3-point range.
So when Morrison isn't making shots, he can hurt Charlotte because of his defense. Opposing players have often gone right at Morrison, who has struggled keeping up with the players off the dribble.
Bickerstaff thinks Morrison, listed at 205 pounds, is being hurt by a lack of upper-body strength.
``We've got to get him in the weight room. He needs to do that,'' Bickerstaff said. ``He has the mental courage, but you've got to have something to back it up.''
Morrison vows to get stronger in the summer, and he remains confident he'll be able to become the consistent scorer the Bobcats counted on when they drafted him.
``It's been an up and down season for myself and the organization,'' Morrison said. ``I've got to perform better.''
Morrison's parents and other family members were scheduled to fly to Las Vegas to watch him play in Friday's rookie-sophomore game, where he'll be teammates with the NBA's top rookie scorer, Brandon Roy of Portland. He'll also play against his teammate Raymond Felton, who will play for the sophomore team.
But the best part about the game for Morrison: it's not in Charlotte.
``Yeah, I feel way more comfortable on the road,'' Morrison said.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Blank looking for new revenue, not new QB, for Falcons
ATLANTA (AP) -Arthur Blank is looking for new revenue - and possibly a new stadium - for the Atlanta Falcons.Not a new starting quarterback.February marks the five-year anniversary of Blank's purchase of the team. ``There have been a lot of ups and
<< Torre to Bernie: We want you
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -Joe Torre spoke to Bernie Williams and the message from the New York Yankees manager was clear: Come to spring training.Williams, feeling slighted by the only major league team he's played for, has thus far refused to accept a mino
<< NBA All-Star Game Results
2006-East 122, West 1202005-East 125, West 1152004-West 136, East 1322003-West 155, East 145, 2OT2002-West 135, East 1202001-East 111, West 1102000-West 137, East 1261999-No game.1998-East 135, West 1141997-East 132, West 1201996-East 129, West 1181
<< NBA All-Star Game MVPs
2006 - LeBron James, Cleveland2005 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia2004 - Shaquille O'Neal, LA Lakers2003 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota2002 - Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers2001 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia2000 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio; and Shaquille O'Neal, LA
76ers playing only for draft picks and hope for the future >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The only thing fans want the Philadelphia 76ers to win these days is the draft lottery.The playoffs are far out of reach for the third-worst team in the NBA, so winning games won't do anything except lower the number of available
Zito unveils new delivery on first day with Giants >>
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Barry Zito unveiled a different delivery on his first day with the San Francisco Giants, making at least one of his new coaches a little nervous.Pitching coach Dave Righetti went as far as to say the tweaks Zito made this win
Bonds finally signs contract >>
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Barry Bonds finally signed his $15.8 million, one-year deal Thursday, ending more than two months of wrangling between the slugger and the San Francisco Giants over contract language.With both sides satisfied, Bonds is schedu
Doan says commitment to winning was key in decision to stay >>
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -If team captain Shane Doan finishes his new five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, he could be one of the few professional athletes to spend his entire career in the same organization.It's a franchise, th
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
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