At my day gig, I've written a fantasy football preview for the Carolina Panthers. (It's behind a pay wall, but if you've got a subscription to SN's Fantasy Source Football, it's here.) I landed that assignment because, though I'm a 49ers fan, it's impossible to escape the Panthers here, so I keep up with them, reading Cat Scratch Reader and several other sources regularly. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm among the biggest Jimmy Clausen proponents out there and was downright angry when the Niners didn't draft him, but anyway...
To me, there's one clear parallel between the two franchises: Matt Moore is to the Panthers as D.J. Augustin is to the Bobcats.
- Augustin has been fine to good when he's played, but toiled the last two seasons behind a polarizing incumbent, just like Moore.
- He'll likely (I know: wait for it...) be trusted to run the offense for a very conservative coach who wants him to merely facilitate the grunt work and finishing of other players, and occasionally launch a long ball.
- If he doesn't work out, it'll deal a major blow to his team's playoff hopes, and force them to decide whether they're playing for next year at that oh-so-important position or go scrambling for a savior.
Do you see any other parallels between NFL and NBA players?