Eduardo Najera joked last summer about expanding his jump shot after the Charlotte Bobcats acquired him in a five-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
The 11-year veteran poked fun at teammate Matt Carroll, saying he wants to be able to shoot 3’s like the 6-foot-6 guard. Najera has made his NBA living on defense and rebounding, but he isn’t a one-dimensional player anymore, which has been a huge lift for the Bobcats while power forward Tyrus Thomas recovers from knee surgery.
“It all started about four years ago,” he said. “(Denver Nuggets) coach George Karl told me to do it because that is what the team needed at that time because we had a bunch of guys who could take it to the rim really well. And we needed a guy to shoot it outside.
“So, I started working on that. Obviously, you kind of fall in love with that 3-point shot, and it makes things easier because once you hit one then it kind of opens up everything, and they have to respect that. I knew if I were going to evolve as a player I would have to rely more on that more so than my athleticism.”
Najera isn’t Carroll, Stephen Jackson or D.J. Augustin, and he recognizes that. He notes that if Bobcats interim coach Paul Silas were to tell him to stop shooting 3-pointers his long-range days are over.
More importantly than just developing his 3-point shot, Najera has been effective as of late for the Bobcats. Najera now makes an impact on both ends of the court whether it is guarding a taller, more athletic Kevin Garnett or hitting 3-pointers in clutch moments of the game.
After hitting a 3-pointer late in the game to help defeat the Boston Celtics on Monday at Time Warner Cable Arena, he played well again in the next game against the Indiana Pacers. In the fourth quarter, Silas called on Najera to guard center Roy Hibbert, who has a six-inch advantage on the Bobcats power forward. Najera didn’t stop him, but he was able to do a much better job on him than starting center Nazr Mohammed.
For example, Najera knows that opponents are surprised that he can take the ball to the basket and score. That is just what he did against Indiana while a slower Hibbert guarded him at the middle of the 3-point line.
“The reason I don’t do it as much is because I’m trying to run the offense and give different options out of our offense,” he said. “If a play is broken down I have to do something. That is when I rely on my ability to get to the basket. Sometimes, they get surprised. But back in the day that is what I used to do.”
In addition, Najera scored six points in a one-minute span against the Pacers. He hit a 3-pointer, had a layup and converted a free throw in 60 seconds.
Despite his recent success at the end of games, Najera doesn’t look at himself as a replacement for Thomas. Instead, he sees his role as an opportunity to contribute to the team.
“Tyrus is a very talented and a very different player than I am,” Najera said. “He is very athletic. He is a better player, and we can’t really replace him. So, I have to do different things. I got to make sure chemistry is better when I’m on the floor. And we are still going to miss him, and I’m sure when he comes back it will be huge for us. But more than trying to fill his shoes, I try to get the younger guys involved and play better as a team.”
And Najera never became frustrated not playing or having to miss all of training camp due to having surgery for a sports hernia. Even though it was his second surgery for that injury in two years, he has been healthy the entire year. Najera could have played in the last two exhibition games, but he took his time and did not rush his recovery because he believes a third injury would have shut him down for the season.
Another aspect Najera has given Charlotte is his toughness. He wouldn’t back down to Garnett, which is nothing new for Najera. In his two tenures in Dallas, he didn’t back down to Dirk Nowitzki, either.
“I think he got the best out of me,” Najera said about guarding Nowitzki in practice. “He liked the way I played defense on him. It made him a hell of a player. A lot of times (in practice) when he had somebody else he would ask for me because he knew I would go hard all the time. He knew my challenge was to stop him completely, and he knew I wasn’t going to take it easy. I loved the battles.”
Silas loves how Najera battles too. Silas said Najera’s aggressiveness makes him special. Silas even points out Najera’s professionalism because the 6-8 power forward remained ready despite not playing a lot for most of the season.
He is very confident in his 3-point shot and will shoot it at the right time and make it,” Silas said. “But out there, he is talking all the time. He is making sure everyone is playing as hard as he is. I just love the way he is competing right now without Tyrus. I’m playing him at the center spot coming down the stretch a lot. We are right in games and having a chance to win them. Whether it is the Boston game or playing last night, he is doing a great job.”
Bobcats Notes: Jordan on the court
For the second consecutive practice, Bobcats majority owner Michael Jordan practiced with his team. Assistant coach Charles Oakley practiced with the team Tuesday, but he sat out a second consecutive practice.
Co-captain Gerald Wallace joked about Jordan playing, saying MJ was on the third team.
But Silas had a different take.
He says the guys are working just a little bit harder when Jordan is on the floor. He said if the players are not working hard Jordan will “do a job on them.” Silas said Jordan can still shot the ball extremely well and can move well. However, he said the 48-year-old former Chicago Bulls guard would struggle getting it done full time.
“He played today and did a good job,” Silas said. “He is holding these guys accountable, and it is great. I love him out here. He is teaching them how to protect the basketball and how to play hard on defense and how to talk. It is a good thing.”
K. Brown is expected to return for Nets game
Bobcats starting center Kwame Brown will return for Friday night’s game against the New Jersey Nets at Time Warner Cable Arena. He missed the last game against the Pacers in Indiana and the last two practices due to a death in his family.
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