Ah, March. Pete Marasmitch is taking a hint from Shawn Marion and fleeing the cold for a week. In the meantime, here’s a contest for you Raptors fans.
While I’m gone, create some “Lolcats” images related to what’s new with the Raptors from March 1 to 7 – what happened in the games against the Mavs, the Rockets and the Heat; who got signed to a 10-day contract; the Bobby Baun-like return of Hump, stuff like that.
For example:
The best pictures will be posted on March 9.
Contest prizes
All pictures that make me LOL will be posted, along with the artists’ names and web addresses.
The one that makes me ROFL will be featured in the post, and will earn the Raptors a frozen envelope for the 2010 draft.
(Quote and player combo from Tim Grover’s Jump Attack, page 71. Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
One can say, can’t one, that Michael Jordan has “paid the price of sacrifice” with his very reputation, attaching his name to the once-woeful Charlotte Bobcats? Not long ago, some wiseacres joked that MJ must’ve made franchise decisions from the comfort of a golf course or at the poker table. Now? These Bobs have risen from laughingstock to middle of the pack. Heady territory, I know. From the Cape Fear Sports Report:
Amazingly, the Bobcats moved up to #15 in one of the ESPN NBA power rankings. With a couple of roster moves and a change of attitude, Larry Brown has been able to take Charlotte from being amongst the NBA dregs, to a team that can beat any one on a given night.
And,
Any coincidence also that the Bobcats have looked hungrier since MJ started showing up for a few games? How can you not play harder with the greatest-of-all-time looking on? I guess most guys in the NBA need a little motivation to get up for all 82 games, but with Michael Jordan just showing some interest in the team’s success and sitting courtside, you can forget about needing motivation.
Things that don’t directly affect the game seep into the subconscious; having Michael cheer you on has to good for the mind. We’ve also seen Michael get on people… it ain’t where you want to be, ask Bill Cartwright.
Graham, in the afterglow of the Raptors’ second straight surprising victory, was matter-of-fact but extremely confident in describing his attributes as a defender against the physically dominating Magic centre [Dwight Howard] for the final 12 minutes.
“On the court I’m a giant, too,” Graham said. “I actually get bigger when I’m out there. He calls himself Superman. I call myself the Incredible Hulk.
Archibald has a special place in my heart because he’s Scottish (like my wife), “the only Scot to make it in the NBA.” Nice to see him finding success in basketball, showing some veteran wiliness against Sofoklis “Baby Shaq” Schortsianitis and other Euroleague stars.
Between losing Mike D’Antoni as coach and Bell leaving, could this affect his long-term future in Phoenix. Nash’s contract expires after the 2009-10 season.
“I knew you were going to go there,” Nash said. “I don’t know. Like I said before about the 2010 speculation, it’s so far away. I just want to try to win as many games as I can and then I’ll worry about it after.”
Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo told The FAN590 on Monday that even before the dismissal of Sam Mitchell he was active in discussions with other teams regarding the Raptors current roster. It looks like December 15 is the date to mark on your calendar as Colangelo said that he has been trying to “wiggle free” from the cap restrictions the team is currently up against and that is the date where players who were signed in the summer can be traded.
In short, everybody comes into play on that date.
Who else comes to play on that date? Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets. Hopefully this time, no post-dunk mugging.
UPDATE: Here’s that mugging I was referring to. Note the face and body language – I don’t think Vince knows entirely how to handle the spotlight, especially when he’s “the bad guy.”
