<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Some words just don't pair well. For instance, "Bobcats'' and "defense'' almost never go together without an adjective such as "lacking,'' "porous,'' or the occasional "putrid.'' But these days -- statistically, at least -- the adjective in that sentence would be "best.'' Three games into the season, the Bobcats lead the NBA in field-goal percentage defense, allowing 38.1 percent per game. Not coincidentally to that, Emeka Okafor leads the NBA in shots blocked, averaging 4.3 rejections. Are the Bobcats really that good defensively? Yes and no. They guard better than ever before, as indicated by Cleveland star LeBron James shooting 3-of-13 Saturday. However the job isn't finished defensively until a team gets back the ball, and that's the rub: Opponents average 16.6 offensive rebounds -- more than double the Bobcats' offensive boards -- and those extra possessions have been deadly in a 1-2 start. "We've been really conscious (of defense) this season, in terms of spending time on the simple things,'' coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "We're trying to master (defending) the screen-and-roll. "It's much better as far as making reads off each other.''</div> Source
