Steve Clifford, never before an NBA head coach, is on the clock to fix the Charlotte Bobcats.
He’ll run his first-ever training camp at UNC Asheville starting Oct. 1. There’s some uncertainty, with the players new to him and some of them new to each other. But the roster has been improved, particularly with the additions of center Al Jefferson and rookie forward Cody Zeller.
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Clifford says Jefferson instantly becomes the Bobcats’ best offensive weapon, a scoring big man teams will have no choice but to double-team in the post. The Bobcats haven’t had that type and quality of scorer before, and it’s Clifford’s job to find efficient ways to get him the ball. It’s also the coach’s charge to teach the other Bobcats how best to play off Jefferson, to punish defenses for helping on Jefferson.
Clifford is excited both by Jefferson’s track record and Zeller’s potential. And he sees a breakthrough season for second-year pro Jeff Taylor.
Reported by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer
