Bobcats glad to get former Shaw star

CHARLOTTE -- Remember all that chatter over the summer about the Charlotte Bobcats needing Allen Iverson?

A talent scout from another NBA team describes Ronald "Flip" Murray as Iverson, only less so: Less drama, less expense, less tattoos.

"I can agree with that," Murray, a former Shaw star, said Friday. "I know what my chances are to score. I'll be aggressive. But there are certain times in a game when you look for your shot and other times when you're driving and penetrating to open other people up.

"You have to know when it's time to drop it off to the big fella."

That sums up why the Bobcats used their bi-annual salary-cap exception ($1.99 million this season) to sign Murray before the start of training camp. The Bobcats need his scoring (they were last in the NBA in points per game last season) and coach Larry Brown likes Murray's ability to play either guard position.

That Iverson Lite comparison speaks to a scorer's mentality with some point-guard skills. That's where the parallel ends, however: Iverson was a former No.1 overall pick. Murray, who played for Shaw of the Division II CIAA, was a second-round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2002 and has played for six NBA franchises.

All those team-changes have been a benefit to Murray: He's played for so many coaches, he adapts quickly to whatever his next employer runs.

"Most [offensive] sets are really the same, just with a little tweak to it," Murray said.

This latest move -- from the Hawks to the Bobcats -- was particularly easy because Hawks coach Mike Woodson is a former Brown assistant.

"Almost exactly alike," Murray said of the two systems. "So much of this stuff comes from when Woodie and Larry were coaching together."

For Brown, the only surprise was Murray lasting so long on the free-agent market this summer, making him affordable for a team nearing the luxury-tax threshold.

"We got a great asset on a great contract," Brown said. "I feel bad for him [that he couldn't make more money] but we're very lucky to get him."

Brown tends to pair Murray and small forward Stevie Graham (an ex-Indiana Pacers) as the ready-to-wear bargains on this roster.

"I consider Steve and Flip huge upgrades without giving up anything [in trade]," Brown said. "At this late date, to come up with two guys who are going to play for us is huge."

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