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WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- Larry Brown has seemingly coached everywhere, so the unsolicited comment was striking.

"I don't know if I've ever coached a team that shot it any better," Brown said Friday after his sixth practice running the Charlotte Bobcats.

While Brown has lamented Charlotte's lack of depth in the frontcourt and has routinely criticized their defense in practice, the jumpers keep falling in training camp.

Jason Richardson, who led the NBA in 3-pointers made last season, hasn't lost his feathery touch. Point guard Raymond Felton, a career 40-percent shooter, has looked better from the outside.

Rookie D.J. Augustin is knocking down jumpers, too.

Then there's Matt Carroll, a deadeye 3-point threat off the bench. Sean May has improved his range after missing all of last season with a knee injury. Adam Morrison is also a 3-point threat

as he works his way back from knee surgery.

Brown claims he had "no idea" he was inheriting such firepower when he began his record ninth NBA head coaching job.

"I watched D.J. in college, I never thought of him as a shooter. And then you watch him (here)," Brown said. "Raymond, I think has improved his shooting over the course of his three years

in the league. Jason, I always felt could shoot the ball, but he even shoots it better than I thought. Matt I felt could shoot, but he shoots it better than I thought. And Sean is a surprisingly good

shooter."

The Bobcats have not been known for shooting a great percentage. They shot 45 percent from the field last season, 17th in the league. They shot 37 percent from 3-point range, good for 12th out of 30 teams.

Brown believes the Bobcats can improve on that -- if the right people are taking the right shots.

"This team, I have to find that balance so I don't prohibit Adam, Matt and some of these guys, Jason, from taking shots," Brown said.

It doesn't mean Brown wants Charlotte to be a jump shooting team. He's been getting on players for taking shots too early in the shot clock. And even though Richardson's 243 3-pointers last

season were the fourth most in NBA history, he'd like to see the shooting guard drive to the basket more.

"With the way referees call fouls on the perimeter, if you can put it on the floor it's a huge advantage, especially if you can shoot it outside," Brown said. "Then it will open up the court for us."

Still, Brown likes the shooting options, believing they're better than his Detroit team that won the NBA title, or his playoff teams in Philadelphia and Indiana.