<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Q. What's new with Melvin Ely? Bobcats coach-general manager Bernie Bickerstaff told the Observer on Sunday he has tentative deals with the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns on a sign-and-trade. The issue became whether Ely's agent, Dan Fegan, could negotiate an acceptable contract with either team. Starting today, the Bobcats can pull their qualifying offer -- worth about $3 million this season -- for the restricted free agent. That would release the team's hold on Ely, but it would also give the Bobcats financial flexibility. If I were Ely, I'd take the sure thing by signing the qualifying offer. Circumstances aren't ideal for him here -- there's a crowd at power forward -- but knowing you have a $3 million gig and becoming an unrestricted free agent in July isn't a bad thing. Q. Gerald Wallace can opt out of his contract after this season. What does that mean? In the short run, it means Wallace will be terrific because players generally rise in contract years. In the long run, it potentially means he leaves. Wallace is better than I anticipated. He's been an expansion-draft coup, much as Dell Curry was for the Hornets. Wallace might never have classic basketball skills, but as an athlete and a tough guy, he's hard to replace. People don't appreciate how hard it was for him to fill in at power forward when Emeka Okafor and Sean May were injured, but he pulled it off without permanently injuring himself. Wallace likes it here, but he also wants to be paid -- the same way Josh Howard in Dallas and Boris Diaw in Phoenix want to be paid. This will get expensive, but the Bobcats are far better off with Wallace than without him. Q. How will the Raymond Felton-Brevin Knight relationship work this season? The best thing about Knight is his competitiveness. Despite being undersized, he has stayed in the NBA. Here's the rub: Felton is younger and more skilled than Knight and has to start. Is Knight ready to play mentor/backup without resenting the situation? Knight says he'd rather be here, and he's smart enough to deal with it. Q. What will Adam Morrison do this season? Plenty. I was struck, watching him play in summer league, by how much he already understands about the NBA. John Gabriel, who used to run the Orlando Magic, says Morrison already moves without the ball better than any current NBA player. There's a real chance Morrison will be rookie of the year, primarily because this team needs his half-court scoring skills. Q. Can this team make the playoffs this season? Doubtful. It would have to improve dramatically in rebounding (with a return to health for Okafor and May) and fourth-quarter scoring (which means depending on Morrison and free agent Walter Herrmann). It will likely take 41 victories to get the last playoff spot in the East, and 36 would be an accomplishment. Q. What do they do for a center? Bickerstaff believes in Primoz Brezec, who is a fine shooter with a high basketball IQ but not a presence inside. Jake Voskuhl -- who isn't as talented as Brezec -- often finished games last season because of his toughness. Hope that the Bobcats win the 2007 lottery and draft Ohio State's Greg Oden, the second coming of Bill Russell. Q. What becomes of Alan Anderson? In a fair world, Anderson is the starting shooting guard -- he earned the spot late last season. He's skilled and versatile. But he lacks Morrison's potential. So he's probably a valued reserve.</div> Source
