Rufus on Fire

NBA Jam rosters announced!

2010-09-08T16:58:15Z

(DA -- From the FanPosts)

The Bobcats roster is: Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, and Tyrus Thomas.

ESPN's take: As stated in the March piece, Charlotte's signature duo of Wallace and Captain Jack picks itself. The mascot, meanwhile, is included because the Bobcats, after just six seasons of existence, don't have anyone who qualifies as a "legend" in EA terms. As for our previously stated hope of unlocking a secretly stashed Michael Jordan as a Bobs player … impossible now that MJ is contractually tied to another game.

My reaction: I love it. I don't care if we don't have true ball-handler on there because Jam is all about dunks and blocks.

Rufus is also included as a mascot. (DA -- Which means that now, as pointed out by the Official Former Roommate, you can literally play with Rufus on fire.)

After the jump I'll list the rosters for the East and the legends

In bold are the players I'm really, really, REALLY excited about.

Atlanta Hawks

Players: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Mike Bibby
Legends: Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb

Boston Celtics

Players: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen
Legends: Larry Bird and Kevin McHale

Charlotte Bobcats

Players: Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson and Tyrus Thomas
Mascot: Rufus Lynx

Chicago Bulls

Players: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer
Legends: Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman

Cleveland Cavaliers

Players: Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varejao
Legends: Mark Price and Brad Daugherty

Detroit Pistons

Players: Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon
Legends: Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer

Indiana Pacers

Players: Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy and T.J. Ford
Legend: Detlef Schrempf

Miami Heat

Players: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh
Legends: Glen Rice and Rony Seikaly

Milwaukee Bucks

Players: Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings and Corey Maggette
Mascot: Bango The Buck

New Jersey Nets

Players: Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee
Legends: Kenny Anderson and Drazen Petrovic

New York Knicks

Players: Al Harrington, Danilo Gallinari and Amare Stoudemire
Legends: Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and John Starks

Orlando Magic

Players: Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis
Legends: Nick Anderson and Scott Skiles

Philadelphia 76ers

Players: Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Evan Turner
Legends: Julius Erving and Allen Iverson

Toronto Raptors

Players: DeMar DeRozan, Jarrett Jack and Andrea Bargnani
Mascot: The Raptor

Washington Wizards

Players: Yi Jianlian, Andray Blatche, Gilbert Arenas and John Wall
Legend: Manute Bol
Mascot: G-Wiz

Via Joystiq

The Bobcats fan base's character

2010-09-07T20:00:23Z

Here's hoping your holiday weekend went at least as well as mine did. The Official Fiancee of Rufus on Fire and I spent several days in New York City, touring the metropolis and hanging out with friends. Any time one can eat Cajun Mac N Cheese (andouille sausage, jack and cheddar, peppers, onions, garlic, cajun seasoning, at S'Mac), hit every major NYC landmark, and participate in a fantasy football auction draft with a bunch of college buddies (my team is sixth from the left, the one with Philip Rivers), that's a good weekend.

One of the things that came up was discussion about the character of different fan groups, and that got me thinking about trying to define the Bobcats fan ethos. For the most part, I see us as a slightly defensive, ultimately welcoming, relatively laid-back, group. Our primary hangup seems to be that no one believes we exist -- even people in North Carolina -- so there's consistent positive recognition when new folks identifying as Cats fans come by, mixed with an undercurrent of disappointment that, when it comes to hoops, we're outnumbered by UNC fans (yahoos who never went there, frontrunning elitists who don't really care about basketball) and NC State fans (all yahoos).

But that's also a function of being such a new franchise. Where do you see the fan base going in the medium to long term future? Obviously, the Cats won't steal thunder from UNC or the Panthers while they're still playing, but will they reach that point in our lifetimes?

The general consensus is that Augustin isn't a starter, but why?

2010-09-04T04:25:37Z

(DA -- From the FanPosts)

I didn't get a chance to see enough Bobcats games last year to break down D.J. Augustin's game, honestly, so I'm curious - what areas of the game is he so ineffective in?

Yeah, he's not the biggest, fastest, or smartest PG, but he definitely has the necessary tools to be legit. So is it his perimeter or on-ball D? His inability to break down defenses? Or is it a general floor awareness issue? I haven't been able to pick out one area, but I have been excited for D.J. to tap that potential & disprove the doubters across the league for a while.

Seems like a bummer so far. I watched D.J. light it up at Texas time and time again all over the court. We need mojo like that from everyone to compete with the Miami LeBrick Shames this year! So what does D.J. really need to improve to become legitimate?

Poll

At the end of the season, what will be Augustin's situation?

Lawsuit mentions Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Barry Bonds, Mark Cuban, Nolan Ryan, Kate Moss, and others

2010-09-02T19:06:30Z

Lawsuit mentions Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Barry Bonds, Mark Cuban, Nolan Ryan, Kate Moss, and others

Via Deadspin

True story: I was named in a suit this guy filed. Apparently, he went through the pages of Sporting News magazine and named everyone in the masthead. His Wikipedia page is amazing.

Reminder: predict the NBA playoff teams

2010-09-01T13:51:28Z

Just a reminder: if you haven't already, submit your prediction for which NBA teams will make the playoffs.

We'll probably shut down voting this weekend.

For those who don't know, when Gerald Wallace was in high school, he had to decide between playing...

2010-08-31T14:34:44Z

For those who don't know, when Gerald Wallace was in high school, he had to decide between playing basketball and baseball. As we all know, he chose basketball, but people say he was just as good at baseball as he was in basketball.

On August 27, Gerald took to the baseball diamond for the first time since he was 15. He took some batting practice with the Charlotte Knights before throwing out the first pitch. At batting practice, he knocked a couple out of the park.

In the video you can see him having fun, playing the other sport he is passionate about.

The Fan Confidence widget

2010-08-30T14:11:45Z

Take a look at the upper left hand corner of the site (if you're on the main page). There, you'll see a Fan Confidence widget. Every Monday morning, voting will open and last for 48 hours, at which point the results will be displayed. Over time, we'll get a pretty cool look at Bobcats fans' mood swings over time.

Here's an example, via the SBN Atlanta hub, of how this information might be used.

Predict the 2010-11 NBA playoff teams

2010-08-30T12:14:25Z

Each of the past couple years, before the season, I've asked visitors to this site to predict the teams that will make the NBA playoffs. And each of the past two seasons, fans have correctly predicted 13 of the 16 playoff teams. Let's do it again.

After the jump, you'll see a form with checkboxes. Please choose the eight teams from each conference you think will make the playoffs and submit your prediction. Be nice and only do it once.

THE POLL HAS CLOSED

Carmelo Anthony on the block: What should the Bobcats trade to get him?

2010-08-27T13:39:16Z

More photos » Darren Hauck - AP

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We've been down the Carmelo Anthony rabbit hole before, but let's revisit it one more time. The SBN Nuggets blog, Denver Stiffs, has offered to evaluate whatever offers we might come up with for 'Melo against offers from blogs of teams mentioned in the Yahoo! report stating 'Melo wants out, so let's come up with an offer to send them. Check it with the Trade Machine.

As much as I hesitate to do it, in order to get Anthony, I think we'd have to start with Gerald Wallace and go on from there. In sum, the two separate trades (in order to trade Dampier):

CARMELO for CRASH and MOHAMMED

and

J.R. SMITH and BIRDMAN for DAMPIER

Basically, if they want Wallace and Dampier's contract, they have to give us more than 'Melo, and without getting a third team involved I don't see a permutation that works without including J.R. Smith and Chris Andersen. Heaven knows if they'd actually want Nazr Mohammed, but I think they'd want Boris Diaw less. He can be subbed in if you think that'd be more attractive to Denver.

What do you think?

And to think I used to like Carmelo... but maybe coming to Charlotte????

2010-08-27T00:52:03Z

And to think I used to like Carmelo... but maybe coming to Charlotte????

Sad how today's NBA "stars" have become...

Although Charlotte is listed as a potential destination

BDL: Michael Jordan takes on Kwame Brown, again

2010-08-25T18:06:56Z

BDL: Michael Jordan takes on Kwame Brown, again

And if that means talking up Kwame Brown, telling him that it's going to be alright when it's quite clear that everything's gone wrong, then [Michael Jordan]'ll do it. This also means he'll be petty and cruel to someone like Brown, but it also means that he's trying to work this from all angles. All of them, when it comes to trying to knock some sense into a person like Kwame Brown, destined to fail.

Links: Kwame Brown, MJ's swag, MJ's sons

2010-08-24T14:18:59Z

More photos » Nathaniel S. Butler - NBAE/Getty Images

Kwame, Michael, and Christian. I don't even know where to begin with this.

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We've got links for a Tuesday morning. First, a couple of Kwame Brown commentaries:

Bonnell: Don't confuse this signing with a do-over
The day Michael Jordan was formally introduced as majority owner he predicted they'd have to make a trade that wouldn't be good basketball-wise, but would have to be done, payroll-management wise. This was that deal.

Kwame Brown signs deal with Michael Jordan's Bobcats - ProBasketballTalk - Basketball - NBC Sports
Kwame was never ready to be taken that high, to have that kind of expectations placed upon him. Some guys were ready out of high school, guys like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett and LeBron James came in as much (or more) swagger than game. They loved the game, believed in themselves and wanted the challenge. Kwame Brwon simply was not mentally built like that. He was not ready for the setbacks...

After the jump, a couple Michael Jordan-related stories you might not have seen.

FanHouse's 2010 NBA General Manager Swagger Index -- NBA FanHouse
Michael Jordan is the epitome of NBA swagger, or at least the socially acceptable kind that prefigured Allen Iverson's all-out assault. He seems intent on doing nothing as an executive that carries on that legacy. He might as well be that guy who got fired from the Bucks. Therefore, we're denied the ultimate yardstick of swagger, as well as a definitive statement of how swagger might translate into the front office, because MJ is so incapable (or unwilling) to let this part of him stand up and be counted.

Michael Jordan's sons spend big in Las Vegas - CBSSports.com
I don't know a ton about a college athlete's stipend, but I'm guessing it's not in the $56,000 range, nor would they have the money to front for the basketball camp. Again, that's where lines are blurred. Obviously Michael Jordan is allowed to spend money on his children. But is he really since they are college athletes and he's an NBA owner? And of course the elephant in the room, the friend Rompza. Surely Jordan can't front that kind of money for him, can he?

Top 11 Small Forwards in the NBA

2010-08-24T02:06:23Z

Top 11 Small Forwards in the NBA

I started getting pissed because they count down from 11 to 1...and guess who is #4?

You go CRASH!!!

And this is why we love him and don't want to part with him!

The Kwame Brown story will probably always be incomplete

2010-08-24T01:08:23Z

More photos » Duane Burleson - AP

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In 2001, Kwame Brown graduated from a Georgia public high school and was drafted by the Washington Wizards first overall in the NBA draft, the first number one pick to come straight from the prep ranks. In retrospect, there were on-court red flags the Wizards should have heeded.

First, Brown was a 19-year-old high school senior, so it's likely the already dominant high school player had even more of a physical edge on the 18-year-olds trying to "contain" him. Second, much of his appeal was based on his quickness and agility packaged in a tall frame, but in order to withstand the NBA post game, he'd have to bulk up, which made him too stiff to use those gifts. There was more, but consensus holds that what did Brown in was the mental strain of playing in the best basketball league in the world and, more specifically, the hurt Michael Jordan put on him day in and day out in Wizards practices.

In 2001, I graduated from a Jesuit prep school in San Francisco, about as totally different a place as can be from Brunswick, Georgia, and then spent the next three years having the time of my life at college in New York City. Meanwhile, by just about every account, Brown was miserable in Washington, in no small part because of Jordan's abuse.

We're not talking about basic trash talk here. This was psychological warfare gone horribly awry. Through those links above, corroborated elsewhere, and with perspective brought on by distance, you'll see that Brown was an intelligent, sensitive, 19-year-old kid dearly devoted to his mother, the woman who'd raised him and seven siblings after running away from his abusive father. Said father subsequently went to prison for life, with no parole, for murdering his girlfriend. How can you not root for a 19-year-old with that background? One who says something like this?

"The guy took probably the biggest risk of his life, picking a high school player Number 1," Brown says. "I'm conscious that if I screw up, I'm messing with Michael's reputation. I know he's going to work me to death."

Michael Jordan then put in motion an epic public humiliation. He invited Brown to his house so they could work out together. Took him under his wing. Every bit, he played the part of the 19-year-old kid's idol, and told him that he'd do everything he could to make him a star. It's hardly a reach to guess he was acting like a dad for the kid who wanted nothing to do with his father. Then, Jordan pulled the rug out.

As Michael Leahy reported in his book, When Nothing Else Matters: Michael Jordan's Last Comeback, and for the Washington Post, Jordan thought he could toughen up Brown by breaking him down and forcing him to stand up for himself. In Jordan's world, that meant he "ritually reduced Brown to tears in front of the team," and, more reprehensibly, constantly referred to Brown as a "flaming faggot."

Without even getting into the implications of the homophobia, it was, probably, the nadir of Jordan's publicly known behavior. What kind of a person researches a young man's life, knows (or should have known) that the young man is fiercely protective of his mother and in deep pain at the absence of his father, offers himself as a father figure, and then publicly declares in as insulting a way as possible that the young man isn't a man, is less than a man, is not deserving of manhood?

It's a wonder Brown didn't follow Glen Coffee and Chamique Holdsclaw into early retirement.

I'm hoping Jordan is a different person today. I'm hoping Brown is a different person today. I know I'm different than I was seven, eight, nine years ago. There's a lot to this that we don't know and probably never will, because if what's known was the only information, then there's no way I could imagine Brown working for or with Jordan ever again.

===

On the court? That's easier to chew over. Brown is not good. He's really bad at basketball, and the best we can hope is that he repeats his 2003-04 season, when he was mostly right about league average. That's on the face of it. But the signing's only as terrible as your expectations blow Brown up to be.

Let's say all the weirdness with Jordan is a non-issue and Kwame Brown plays for Larry Brown as well as he's capable.

Can we expect more than 900 minutes from him? No.

Can we expect him to be close to league average on offense? Not if his PER totals every year of his career are any indication.

Can we expect him to play good defense? His reputation is less than stellar, though it is better than his offensive reputation.

In the end, Brown's going to be at least as "good" as DeSagana Diop (shudder), probably a little better, and won't show that he deserves minutes over Nazr Mohammed. His presence isn't totally pointless, like Dominic McGuire; Brown is another large body that can use up six fouls on the better centers in the league. However, by signing known mediocrities like McGuire and Brown, the Cats are losing opportunities to sign relatively intriguing unknowns from the D-League or elsewhere, let alone unexciting guys like Josh Boone or Rodney Carney, who are still available and clearly better than the pair of guys we ended up with.

Bobcats sign Kwame Brown

2010-08-23T18:31:22Z

(DA -- From the FanPosts. More on this later. To sum up my point of view: Not terrible, given the money. I only wish we could've been more creative. Also, maybe this is Jordan throwing Kwame a bone and saying he's sorry?)

The Bobcats have signed Kwame Brown to a 1 year deal at the league minimum. His agent says he wants to "create a new chapter."

This is pure LOL. I don't even know what to say. I'm expecting some serious photoshopping going on.

AP: Lab mistakes revive questions about Jordan murder

2010-08-20T13:16:06Z

AP: Lab mistakes revive questions about Jordan murder

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations scandal has potentially affected the case of James Jordan's murder:

The man convicted of killing Michael Jordan’s father went to prison in part thanks to testimony that he pointed a gun through a car window and fired the fatal shot from just inches away.

Given the gruesome portrayal, Daniel Andre Green’s defense attorneys repeatedly questioned why so little—if any—blood was actually found in that vehicle, and one of the lawyers once laughed in court when downplaying the physical evidence. Their arguments could be bolstered by an independent report this week that concluded the state’s crime lab mishandled his case and nearly 200 others over a 16-year period ending in 2003.

Who's your spirit baller?

2010-08-18T15:09:37Z

More photos » GREGORY SMITH - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Hump Day conversation starter -- which I may have asked before, but who's counting...

When you play ball, which NBA player do you most try to emulate? Or, for the non-delusional among us, which NBA player do you take as your inspiration, since we can only dream of emulating pros' skills?

My guy is Dennis Rodman. As I explained long ago: ...My favorite player growing up in the mid-90s was Dennis Rodman. I was an undersized power forward on my junior high teams that won exactly one game over two seasons. I couldn't shoot and couldn't create off the dribble. But the Worm showed me I could still rebound like mad and play good defense.

Carmelo reply to LeBron on Twitter

2010-08-17T18:49:51Z

Carmelo reply to LeBron on Twitter

Off-topic from the Bobcats, but Nazr Mohammed has the most active Twitter account of anyone on the team (that I know of) and it's mostly inspirational aphorisms...

@kingjames always remember, a hater is nothing but a fan. They just don't know how to express it

You all are going to have to explain this one to me. Skimming their timelines, I don't see anything that prompted this. I'm feeling like I did right after watching Inception, with so many questions...

1 -- No. A hater is not necessarily a fan. Someone might legitimately despise what another person stands for.

2 -- But on the other hand, there's something to be said for the "hater as frustrated fan" narrative. I'm like that with Bill Simmons a lot. I love so much of his stuff that I harp on his crap to the point that friends think I don't like his work.

3 -- Does this mean Melo and LBJ are delusional, trapped within their own bubbles, and ignorant of the fan experience? Or are they reacting as young jocks always have, dismissive of the rabble who "just can't understand"?

Here are some encouraging numbers for Cats fans

2010-08-16T14:54:29Z

(DA -- From the FanPosts)

No, I'm not talking about stats and rosterbation possibilities. The Charlotte Business Journal is offering some specifics regarding the growth of the Charlotte Bobcats as a business since the inception of the Jordan era. Corporate sponsorship is not only way up, but so is retention. There are also 2 major sponsors about to sign agreements. Although it isn't in the article, one of the new sponsors, CPI Security Sytems, is prepared to sign a multi-year deal as opposed to the year-by-year arrangements companies have been interested in most of the time. I know most of the interest here is on the players, but the business itself must remain healthy in order for the team to build the roster in the first place. This is the first time financial security has been solid since the birth of the organization.

One interesting note in the article that you can't see unless you pay for a subscription is that Forbes and Fortune are reporting that Michael Jordan actually paid $175 million for the Bobcats, not the $275 million originally reported.

Also, Lifelock Corporation signed as a sponsor on Friday as well. Things may not be roses and sunshine on the roster (especially if you read the opinions of many here and at the Observer) but the financials have never looked better. That means cheaper tickets, additional jobs for the city of Charlotte, and the sort of stability that attracts smarter players. The Bobcats may be in a second-tier market, but we are no longer standing on financial toothpicks. A solid foundation is being built and that's great news for the fans, the city itself, and the future of professional sports in the Carolinas.

Also, until now retention of corporate sponsors has been running at 60%. Each season we would lose 40% of the team sponsors and that's a deep dent to recover from just to get back to even with the previous year. This year retention of corporate sponsors is standing at 85% which means we have a great opportunity to build on partnerships already in existence and broaden the base of business investment as well.

On the ticket front, the Bobcats may surpass 10K season tickets prior to the start of the season for the first time in their history. Last August new season ticket sales were at just under 400. Thus far this season there have been over 1500 new season ticket packages sold. Those aren't Lakers numbers - shoot, they aren't even old Charlotte Hornets numbers - but for a team that was reportedly on the ropes just 18 months ago, it is a remarkable turnaround. The Bobcats are now one of the stronger financial franchises in the NBA. Thank you Michael Jordan for bringing your cachet to the team and also thanks to Bob Johnson for bailing out before his incompetence cost the Carolinas its second NBA franchise. If the Bobcats were forced to close shop or leave town we wouldn't see the NBA here again until our grandchildren were old enough to invest.

Bobcats symbolize the ongoing plight of small-market NBA teams

2010-08-15T15:19:22Z

More photos » Jared Wickerham - Getty Images

I searched our photo database for "money" and found this photo of the Maloofs with Lil' Jon. Nice.

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The Observer story about the Bobcats' season ticket sales numbers made its way around the blogosphere, and it inspired different reactions. While I let you draw your own conclusions, and the comments appeared to be mostly positive and optimistic, because I honestly don't know whether they're good or bad, a couple other folks I read regularly have weighed in this weekend.

Tom Ziller, writing for FanHouse, lauds the Cats for taking the route they have:

This success shows another reason middling teams are always pushing for that final playoff spot instead of accepting a lottery spot and a (remote) shot at an impact draft pick. Hardcore fans may not enjoy a four-game first-round playoff blow-out very much, but casual fans do love the mild success a postseason berth signifies.

Rob Mahoney, writing for Pro Basketball Talk, repeats a thought that's long bothered me:

The "right way" to build an NBA franchise is from the ground up. Clear out contracts. Draft well. Sign value free agents to smart deals. Stay young and stay flexible, in the hope that one day an elite player will finally fall into the team's lap. Unfortunately that's not a blueprint most small-market clubs can afford to take, as the pressure to reach a certain level of commercial success ends up superseding the actual team-building strategy.

Read it all the way through. He comes close to the same conclusion Ziller does, in the end, but it's with more of a resigned tone.