Bobcats thin at forward as starters nurse injuries

Vlade Radmanovic missed Thursday morning practice with a right ankle sprain, further thinning the Charlotte Bobcats' power forward position.

Boris Diaw, the starter at power forward, is expected to miss the Bobcats' first four exhibitions while recovering from an ankle sprain. He suffered that injury while playing last month for the French national team.

Coach Larry Brown said he didn't know how long Radmanovic would be out, but that Radmanovic is durable: "He doesn't spend much time in the training room."

Tyson Chandler, the team's projected starting center, is limited in practice while recovering from offseason ankle surgery. That means Nazr Mohammed, Gana Diop and Alexis Ajinca are getting most of the big-man reps in drills and scrimmages.

"That's a phenomenal thing for them," Brown said. "They may not like it right now, but they're so much further along" for the experience.

WNFZ ON BOARD: A Bobcats spokesman confirms the team has completed a deal with WFNZ-AM 610 to be the team's radio flagship station. A formal announcement is expected Friday morning.

A few Bobcats games will have to move to other CBS radio stations in the Charlotte market when they conflict with other programming, such as North Carolina broadcasts.

SINGLE PRACTICE: Brown took a day off from two-a-days, running a single, longer morning practice Thursday.

Brown has been on the big men a lot about setting effective picks, better defensive positioning and rebounding assertively. Those were problem areas last season, and the sort of inefficiency Brown doesn't tolerate.

When the coach complimented forward Derrick Brown for his rebounding, the comment drew a look of surprise from the rookie.

"I don't get on everybody EVERY play," Brown joked. "I do say nice things once in a while."

•Forward Gerald Wallace looks in midseason form, crashing to the floor about four times during Thursday's practice.

•Diop and guard Flip Murray are both in assistant coach Jeff Capel's "free-throw school" - about 20 minutes set aside each day to improve mechanics at the foul line.

Wallace has benefited greatly from Capel's work; a 50 percent foul-shooter with the Sacramento Kings, Wallace shot 80 percent from the line last season.

Around the league

CLEVELAND: Delonte West worked out with his teammates after missing the first two days of training camp for unexcused personal reasons.

TOP SELLER: Kobe Bryant's jersey is still more popular in Europe than those belonging to the NBA's European players.

Bryant's Lakers jersey was the top-seller in Europe for the second consecutive year, the NBA said Thursday.

Bryant, who also is atop the lists in the United States and China, is followed again by Kevin Garnett. Spain's Pau Gasol is third, with LeBron James fourth and Dwyane Wade fifth. Associated Press

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