11-30-2004, 06:00 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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Enjoying Retirement
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: somewhere in the swamps of Jersey...
Posts: 7,719
Rep Power: 37766
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Seems like Tamar was in the doghouse in Charlotte, but is getting a chance to play again...
Slay will get chance to face his old team
Quote:
The injury report said Slay had an ailing left foot, but that was camouflage. He was deactivated because Bickerstaff didn't see enough effort from him as a defender or rebounder.
Slay's slip from grace was dramatic; he started the Bobcats' first exhibition last month, then lost his spot to Jason Kapono three preseason games later. By the season opener, he was a bit player and, within six games he'd been stashed on the injured list to make room for Sampson on the active roster.
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So in the absence of playing time, he turned practice into his forum. It was obvious from the compliments he got in those practices -- yes, coaches do shout out compliments, too -- that something started changing about a week ago.
Some of that was psychology -- as Bickerstaff said, "If we're going to break him down, then we've got to build him up, too" -- but the praise was also genuine.
"His practices have been good. He's making us turn our heads," Bickerstaff said last Wednesday. "If he keeps practicing like that, we'll have to make some decisions."
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