Rufus on Fire: FanShots

Wallace MRI Negative, Expects to Miss 3 Games

2010-03-13T22:26:41Z

Wallace MRI Negative, Expects to Miss 3 Games

Bobcats sign Larry Hughes

2010-03-13T15:44:16Z

Bobcats sign Larry Hughes

Via Bonnell:
Just confirmed the Charlotte Bobcats have signed combo guard Larry Hughes for the rest of the season. Don't yet know how long it will be before he can play, after breaking a finger. But he's here to pick up some of the scoring load off the bench that left when Flip Murray was traded to Chicago and to serve as a third point guard, when necessary.

Larry Brown advises Sixers on Eddie Jordan situation

2010-03-12T14:58:02Z

Larry Brown advises Sixers on Eddie Jordan situation

So the 76ers won't listen to their own coach or GM, but they will listen to a former coach that's coached about half the teams in the league. And of all people, Larry Brown? The same Larry Brown that's always switching teams? The same Larry Brown that always has a hat in the ring? The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that Brown just wants to go back to coaching Philly once the season is over. I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.

BDL: Chiding Michael Jordan

2010-03-09T20:45:26Z

BDL: Chiding Michael Jordan

You need to get out there. You don't need to charm the masses; you need to build a successful basketball team.

You need to hire a personnel boss who isn't beholden to you in any way, who will stand up to you; and one that will do nothing but feed fake phone numbers to Larry Brown. Larry Brown is a team's best friend and a GM's worst nightmare. He'd trade for Tyrone Hill if Hill didn't have such a nice seat to Hawks games. Good god, I mean, you just signed Theo Ratliff. Take a hint. Aaron McKie can't be far behind.

Get Your Ass to the Miami Game on Tuesday! (for cheap)

2010-03-08T21:53:26Z

Get Your Ass to the Miami Game on Tuesday! (for cheap)

This is a big game for us Tuesday. We need all the Cats fans we can get! If you want to go cheer on the cats for less than usual and with better seats, go to the link, and buy tickets under "Playoff Push Discount." The prices are as follows:
Lower level mid-court seats: $85
Lower level baseline seats: $25
Upper level seats: $10

Not Bobcats news...but it is Charlotte sports news

2010-03-05T22:57:19Z

Not Bobcats news...but it is Charlotte sports news

Jake is gone!!!

LOL

I'm not a Panthers fan, and I didn't see Coach Fox's tears..

But I think it is all pretty funny
They finally figured out he has never been a starting QB. Too bad it's gonna cost them.

Wish we could just cut Diop and Chandler, and get some good guys in their place...

Jordan bought the Cats for only 175 million....

2010-03-04T18:04:56Z

Jordan bought the Cats for only 175 million....

(DA: From the original Forbes.com post:

If NBA owners approve, Michael Jordan is going to buy controlling interest in the Charlotte Bobcats for a price that values the franchise at about $175 million.

Yikes.)

NetsDaily Joins SBN

2010-03-04T15:24:16Z

NetsDaily Joins SBN

The NBA roster is now complete.

Observer recap of Bobcats-Celtics: Crash speaks up

2010-03-04T12:54:09Z

Observer recap of Bobcats-Celtics: Crash speaks up

"Very worried,'' [Gerald] Wallace said of the playoff prospects. "Even if we manage to figure this out and some other team slips up, I don't know what kind of game we'd play. I'm worried if we do (make the playoffs), we'll get swept.''

Charlotte Observer's Bobcats survey results

2010-03-03T19:06:55Z

Charlotte Observer's Bobcats survey results

The Observer has posted the pdf file of the results of their survey entailing questions about the importance of certain areas of interest, etc.

SBN: NBA Power Rankings

2010-03-02T20:07:25Z

SBN: NBA Power Rankings

You hear that, Chicago Bulls? You messed up. I seriously can't believe that Larry Brown took only six games to do what the Chicago Bulls couldn't do in four years. Brown understands that [Tyrus] Thomas wants to be more than just an energy player. He also understands that Thomas tends to sulk when his minutes are jerked around. So Brown has given Thomas a directive. He's essentially told him, "I'll let you try to do more things on offense, as long as you do what I expect in terms of playing hard and being in the right spot on defense." The Bulls? They said to him, "We'll mess around with your minutes, and you should be a professional anyway." That kind of tough love works with some players, but it was foolish to think it would work with Thomas.

True Hoop: Michael Jordan's next challenge

2010-03-02T18:24:50Z

True Hoop: Michael Jordan's next challenge

Despite his reputation as a failed NBA owner, Johnson had been, in many respects, an amazing partner for Jordan. Jordan had the power to manage every little aspect of the basketball operation ... sources say he hand-picked everybody right down the video coordinator. He had all the upside of being an NBA owner.

But, unlike Johnson, Jordan had the luxury of making every basketball decision he cared to, all without reaching into his own pocket much to keep the operation running. The tens of millions that were reportedly lost in Charlotte ... they were lost by Johnson, and they will not be recouped.

Bobcats owner-to-be Jordan takes hands-on approach

2010-03-01T17:38:22Z

Bobcats owner-to-be Jordan takes hands-on approach

So MJ apparently showed up at practice for the third time since he's been an owner of the team (that I'm aware of, and since it's been made a big deal of by reporters every time, I'm assuming that's all.) Maybe this is a sign of good things to come, maybe not. It's clearly not a new era of accountability in Bobbieland; Jordan refused to talk to reporters at all. But beyond all that, here's the part I was most amused by: Gerald Henderson not only beat him in one, but two games of H-O-R-S-E! One wonders whether Stephen Graham could beat Jordan in a single game of O-X.

MJ + Bobcats = ...?

2010-02-27T08:03:11Z

MJ + Bobcats = ...?

Looks like we're stuck with him, for better or worse. Kwamorrison!

You've got to be kidding

2010-02-26T18:23:55Z

You've got to be kidding

Any chance we can release him? Like a damaged goods clause...or Lemon law...

True Hoop: The Bobcats close in on a new owner

2010-02-26T15:29:54Z

True Hoop: The Bobcats close in on a new owner

Two sources close to the process say that of the two groups, Jordan's has the inside track. That would seem to be seconded by Stern himself, who said at All-Star that "if Michael were to be a buyer that would be a good thing." That might have been a pro forma statement -- he's Michael Jordan, the biggest name in basketball history. Of course it's a good thing to have him in the NBA. On the other hand, praising Jordan as an owner is a strange way to behave if you expect to be selling the world on the merits of of George Postolos and his investors.

Observer: Bobcats could get new owners today

2010-02-25T13:44:45Z

Observer: Bobcats could get new owners today

Sources close to the situation anticipate a quick resolution, as to whether Bobcats managing partner Michael Jordan or ex-Houston Rockets president George Postolos will close a deal with majority owner Bob Johnson.

Jordan's window of first-refusal to buy the team is close to expiration, sources say, and he was still recruiting partners this week to invest $260 million or more to complete a purchase of Charlotte's NBA franchise.

HoopData: Now with salaries

2010-02-24T14:48:36Z

HoopData: Now with salaries

I like the Storyteller's Contracts site, but this section of HoopData is fantastic, too.

Thomas the right pupil for Brown's precise teachings

2010-02-24T04:35:36Z

Thomas the right pupil for Brown's precise teachings

Rick Bonnell writes a good piece on how Larry Brown has the coaching and teaching ability to further develop Tyrus Thomas into a great player.

Trade robs depth at point

2010-02-23T20:57:33Z

Trade robs depth at point

I don't know why this bugs me so bad...
We traded 2 guys. 1 was a PG we never used and the other was a combo guard that was streaky. So they call that robbing depth at PG...I see that we loosened the juggernaut at SG to some extent, we went from 3 to 2 at PG...and PF went from 1 to 2...and we picked up a PF/C also...

Maybe I'm just in a bad mood...

Don't call it a "robbery" at the PG...Call it an opportunity for the other guards to actually play at position