Wednesday, May 9, 2012

FROMbeingCUTtoEARNINGtheSTRUT

     "The Junkyard Dog" DeMarre Carroll was drafted in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies in '09.  He never saw significant minutes for them, and even did a stint in the D-League.  He was then a piece of the Hasheem Thabeet/Shane Battier Trade and was waived by the Rockets after a few months.  He got invited to the Denver Nuggets training camp this year, and made the team, only to be cut yet again, after no significant minutes on a crowded roster.  Then on February 8th, he signed with the Utah Jazz.

     With the Jazz he worked his way up the rotation to eventually starting on the playoff squad.  They were the 8 seed in the West, and got swept by the Spurs, but it's still an inspiring journey.  It shows you what can happen when the right guy gets in the right system with the right coach and players around him.

     Many didn't expect Carroll to be a great NBA player, though he was a standout at Mizzou.  He was the heart and soul a Tigers team that made it to the Elite 8 in 2009.  He's still not a standout player in the NBA, but he's getting noticed a little more now and making a name for himself.  You can't help but respect him for working hard, which is something he was known for in his college years.

    

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