Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner has no plans to restrict Cam Newton’s ability to make plays with his feet. As for the quarterback’s throwing motion Rafael Devers Boston Red Sox Jersey , well that might need a little tweaking.

The 65-year-old Turner said he returned to coaching because of an opportunity to work again with Panthers coach Ron Rivera – who was on his coaching staff for four seasons in San Diego – and to coach the talented group of offensive players led by Newton.

”He’s an amazing player for his position,” Turner said Tuesday on a conference call.

The versatile 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newton has carried the ball 828 times over the past seven seasons – by far the most in the league by a quarterback during that span. By comparison, Seattle’s Russell Wilson has run the ball 578 times during his six seasons in the league.

While it’s logical to question how much pounding Newton’s body can take – he turns 29 in May – it’s also hard to argue with his success.

He’s averaged 5.2 yards per carry and has scored 54 touchdowns rushing, which is the most by a QB in NFL history. And Newton tends to play better when he’s more involved in the running game.

”He’s a real threat to defenses,” Tuner said. ”So he will always have that threat to run.”

That should be music to Newton’s ears.

After Newton carried the ball a career-high 139 times last season and led the Panthers in rushing with 754 yards, he said ”that’s my edge.”

”I wouldn’t expect you or anybody else to take it away http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-preston-brown-jersey ,” Newton said following Carolina’s season-ending playoff loss at New Orleans. ”And when I say you, I mean the media as a whole. I’m comfortable running the football, I feel like I help the team when I’m running the football, and as long as I’m playing this game, I’m going to run the football.”

Turner suggested that he and his son Scott Turner, the team’s new quarterbacks coach, will look to improve Newton’s throwing mechanics.

Because he’s so big Newton has a tendency to rely on his strong arm and throw off his back foot Gleyber Torres New York Yankees Jersey , often resulting in high throws that lead to incompletions or interceptions. Turner said that while sometimes those types of throws are necessary under pressure, the staff ”is going to work hard to get his weight transferred and have good technique when he is throwing.”

Turner said the Panthers overall system won’t change much, although he wants to be able to stretch the field vertically to force defenses to cover the entire field.

He believes Newton has the arm strength to do that.

Turner said he had a brief conversation with Newton after being hired.

”We didn’t get into a lot of football,” Turner said. ”As he expressed to me – and I feel the same way – there is excitement and nervousness. When you have change there is nervousness. Sometimes that nervousness is good and it gets your attention. It’s not status quo and you use that as a time to improve.”

—

Domantas Sabonis had barely settled into his seat on the bench when coach Nate McMillan looked his way.

When Myles Turner picked up two early fouls, Sabonis was pressed into duty much earlier than usual.

”By the time my heat packs came I had to go in, and I was like, `Uh oh Darius Leonard Color Rush Jersey ,”’ Sabonis said with a laugh.

But the 6-foot-10 forward from Lithuania responded with a career-high 30 points, helping the Indiana Pacers beat the Charlotte Hornets 123-117 on Sunday to keep alive their slim hopes of winning the Central Division title.

Victor Oladipo had 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting and Lance Stephenson, a former Hornet, had 10 rebounds, 10 assists and eight points for the Pacers, who have won seven of their last nine games.

Sabonis said he feels comfortable in the Pacers’ system, where he is playing more center than he did earlier in the season.

”I love it here Youth Sam Darnold Jersey ,” Sabonis said. ”It’s a great system. We have a great group of guys who believe in it and we all want to win so that’s been working for us.”

McMillan said Sabonis has been solid all season, whether it has been in a starting role or reserve, or playing the four or five position.

”He does a good job of getting the offense moving from side to side,” McMillan said. ”He’s made good decisions out there when he’s played.”

For Indiana (48-33) to win the Central and earn home-court advantage for the first round of the NBA playoffs, it needs to beat Charlotte on Tuesday night and have Cleveland (49-31) lose its final two games against the New York Knicks. The Pacers have the tiebreaker advantage over the Cavaliers after taking three of four in the season series, including a 124-107 win in November.

The Pacers jumped out to a 70-57 halftime lead after shooting 67 percent from the field, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

Charlotte rallied in the third quarter http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-korey-toomer-jersey , but the Pacers took over and quickly built a 20-point lead even with Oladipo on the bench with four fouls.

Indiana shot 54 percent from the field for the game.

TIP INS

Pacers: Stephenson wore gold-colored shoes. … Glenn Robinson III and Cory Joseph each had 13 points as the Pacers’ reserves outscored the Hornets’ backups, 72-60.

Hornets: Kemba Walker didn’t score until there was 5 minutes left in the second quarter and finished with 12 points. … The Hornets honored play-by-play announcer Steve Martin, who is retiring after 30 seasons with the franchise.

NO QUIET MONK

Malik Monk is finishing his rookie season with a flurry. After scoring a career-high 26 points in his previous game, Monk led the Hornets with 22 against the Pacers.

”I’ve been watching Kemba a lot when I was sitting on the bench so I’ve been learning everything he’s been doing and I’ve been trying to do that when I stepped on the court,” Monk said.

Monk has improved in the pick-and-roll game.

”Almost all of his baskets were off pick and rolls and it’s not just his scoring,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. ”The thing he’s doing better is making plays for other people. That to me is as much of an indicator as anything of the growth he has made in terms of learning how to play.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

McMillan said one of the team’s goals this season was to finish above .500 on the road. It finished 21-20 in such games.

UP NEXT

Pacers: Host Hornets on Tuesday.

Hornets: Visit Pacers on Tuesday.

—

.