Character of a Team

[ohara831]

Remember last year? We were about the 3rd worst team in the NBA going into the last month. then, when other teams started "tanking", we stood proud, fought hard, maintained our dignity, and ended up passing several teams and ended up the the 8th pick, not the 3rd or 4th.

Here we are again. From the ways things stood just a couple weeks ago, it appeared we were destined for approx the #6 pick, just ahead of the Clippers and Bucks. But we have fought, chose not to "tank", and have just won back to back road games vs the Lakers and Sonics. We are now solidly in the #8 hole Lottery pick, but that may not hold. We are only 1 game behind Chicago, 2.5 from the Pacers, 3.5 from the Nets and 5 behind the Playoff bound Hawks. We are pulling away from the Clippers and Bucks.

Do I expect the Playoffs? No. We lost that chance the last month when we were within 1 game and started sucking eggs during games. Nonetheless, I'll be very interested how the last 10 games play out. You see certain teams who are "shelving" some good players and in essence are "tanking". They have these severe finger injuries which prevent them from playing - unlike Kobe who played through it. I expect more of the same over this coming week. What will happen with the Pacers and Bulls? Will they do that or stand tall? We have to wait and see.

I don't want to see us "tank". I dont care if we pass the Bulls and Pacers and have the #10 pick vs the #8 pick. It is about character. I want to win as many games as possible. If the karma of the basketball world is on our side, we may just get lucky with the ping pong balls. Or, perhaps the "right" player will fall to us when others have missed out on him. I have to have faith that playing with honor, integrity and passion will be rewarded by the Basketball Gods. So play on my Bobcats. Play hard, play to win, and let the ping pong balls fall where they may!

[spectre]

Well said...+1.

[Keetch]

Not too worried about them ping pong balls at all. Pick 8th, pick 10th eh so what?

What matters I think in this run (unlike last years) is that somehow FINALLY this team has begun to play the players that for the most part we've been begging to see all year....and what happens...

JRich has evolved as the team leader.

Gerald Wallace is learning to let JRich lead and is supplimenting that wonderfully with defense and selective scoring.

Ray Felton is finally being Ray; lol crazy sometimes and wonderful other times (I was literally laughing out loud at the TV because of his hard-headedness during the Sonics game). I'll take it.

SOMEBODY PLEEEEEZE TELL OKAFOR TO HEAD-FAKE DOUBLE PUMP SOMETHING ANYTHING BUT GAWD DONYELL MARSHALL? PAUL MOKESKI WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU! If Emeka would just DO THAT I swear he's an All-Star.

As bad as Okafor is on Offense right now, Mohammed is bad on D; and vice-versa! (i.e. as good as Okafor is on defense, Mohammed is on offense ) We have the perfect Center combo!

I want to introduce Dudley to my daughter.

I had reached a point of complete fatigue with this team. And then Sam starts Dudley instead of Mohammed in LA and POW new life! It's a miracle!

...and of course; with Ryan Hollins, anything is possible

[Slam]

Rep it up!!

Love threads/posts like these. Nice work ohara831, Spectre and Keetch.

Guys like you make me proud to be a Bobcats fan.

[ohara831]

3 road wins in a row! Way to fight and not quit! I am very very proud of the Cats right now. Great job!

[MattD]

yep, and Gerald continues to get clobbered. We were tired on the boards, but managed to get by it. Our defense does look a lot better other then the rebounding though.

[Keetch]

I agree I'd sure like to see Wallace at SF and totally not at PF for the remaining games...but...it's obviously not all that; Wallace will drive into the bigs regardless of what position he plays.

Heck, I'm not sure putting him at SF doesn't just put one more big on the court to potentially knock him down. :P

This could become a serious problem for Crash. He needs a summer break badly I think.

[Alex]

3-1 west coast road trip. why couldnt they do this earlier in the season?

[spectre]

yep, and Gerald continues to get clobbered. We were tired on the boards, but managed to get by it. Our defense does look a lot better other then the rebounding though.

Yeah...glad you reminded about the defense, as we've been playing above average on D in this west coast trip. Crash played Durant & Kobe tight during Seattle and LAL and last night their PGs were out of it...Outlaw/LMA and Przbilla doing most of the damage.

3-1 west coast road trip. why couldnt they do this earlier in the season?

Because our idiot coach decided to throw Felton under the bus 1.5 months into the season and run with Jeff McInnis for most of the year at point, effectively making us play 4 on 5.

Vincent sure does look the genious for doing that now doesn't he?

[Muttley]

[Vincent sure does look the genius for doing that now doesn't he?

I'd rather not think about how the season would be if that never happened...