The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

[BlueJays09]

Nice deal for sure...Build with picks and Collision is OK as well

[trekfan]

Rapid Reaction: Bobcats 89, Magic 68


By Aaron Vickers |ESPN.com


February 19, 2013



CHARLOTTE -- It was the first game in the post-Kemba Walker era and the Bobcats responded with something very rarely seen: a win. The big trade made yesterday that sent Walker to the Mavericks paid dividends, as Daren Collison scored 11 points and had 6 assists in his first action with his new team.


More than that, the Bobcats looked like a cohesive unit for the entire game. They outscored the Magic in every quarter and got everyone involved, from Tyrus Thomas (who finished with 9 points and 11 rebounds) to Byron Mullens (who finished with 10 points).


The team they were playing against wasn’t exactly made up of All-Stars however. This is the Magic, who are on track to have the second worst record in the league behind the Bobcats. Still, a win is a win, and the Bobcats will take it.


Here are three takeaways from the game:

Bench Help


The Bobcats got major help from their bench in this game, as the second unit scored an impressive 42 points. The bench has been a problem all year for the Bobcats but with the acquisition of Darren Collison, the involvement of the bench has gone up … at least for one game. If the bench can have a few more nights like this the Bobcats might finish above twenty wins for the year.

No Three for You


The deep shot continues to evade the Bobcats, who finished with a woeful 21 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Snipers such as Ben Gordon and Reggie Williams have been below freezing from the deep end of the court and the Bobcats lack of a deep shot is causing teams to let them have it: they just aren’t afraid the Bobcats will make it.

Renewed Support


The home crowd was noticeable louder and more energized this game than they were the last home game. The difference? The absence of one Kemba Walker. With the crowd actually cheering for the home team the Bobcats seemed to find a new sense of purpose and played hard, but with control. Coach Mike Dunlap seemed pleased with the win and summed up his feelings in one word: “Progress.”

[Knickerbocker91]

You can say you gave Kemba his...

: puts on sunglasses:

WALKING papers!

YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH HHHHhhh

[Liam_93]

Sad to see you and Kemba weren't a fit. A very good logical trade for Collison though with that pick you could land two lotto picks and if one is the number one pick that wouldn't be bad at all. Collison had great speed and is an intelligent point guard. Interested to see how this works out.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knickerbocker91

You can say you gave Kemba his... : puts on sunglasses: WALKING papers! YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH HHHHhhh

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

That was great. I was watching this video yesterday and that works wonderfully with it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarY...layer_embedded

@Liam: Yeah, Kemba and I don't fit well but Darren and I have history. Back in my NBA 2k11 Pacers Dynasty, I rolled with Darren at the point and loved him. I have rediscovered that love of Darren again in 2k13. May retain him in FA, not sure yet ... we'll see how the offseason plays out.

[trekfan]

3-8-13

The clock read 3.3 second left. Michael sat on the edge of his seat as the arena’s thunderous roar seemed to envelope him. He wanted to be out there. He wanted to be on the court, out there, and he wanted the ball in his hands.


This was his moment.


It would have been his moment if he was still playing anyway. Instead, he was stuck here right behind the bench, his eyes glued to the clock and the scoreboard.


They were tied 111-111 and the Thunder were crippled at this point. Both Durant and Westbrook had suffered injuries in the first half and reports were that they were serious … they wouldn’t be back for weeks according to the initial diagnosis. The second half had been a battle between the two teams. Kevin Martin had lit up the team from beyond the arc and had kept the Thunder in it.


Michael had been spitting fire for the last hour at his team, telling them to play defense only to watch them give up shot after shot.


And then answer back with more shots. Darren Collison had responded to Westbrook going down with 24 points and a smattering of assists. He was leading this team.


He was doing it better than Kemba could. Michael hadn’t been happy to hear about the trade but it happened … he had no control over it. Since that trade they’d actually won a few games, surprisingly. The team seemed to respond better to Collison than Kemba, despite Kemba being a proven winner.


The official blew his whistle and Michael’s was pulled out of his thoughts.
The arena was the loudest it had ever been.


They were inbounding the ball at half court. Thomas had it, was looking for his man … he was looking for Collison or Gordon but both shooters were covered.


Thomas desperately lobbed the ball into play.


MKG caught it beyond the arc and the rookie shot the ball.


The buzzer sounded as the ball hit backboard and went in.


Michael shot out his chair and so did everyone in the arena. “YES! YES!” He screamed as his fist pumped in the air.


The arena exploded as Bobcats bench rushed the court to surround the young player.


Michael tallied the stats in his head. MKG had just made the first three of the game for himself. He finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. A double-double and a clutch moment.


The great one, his Airness, fell back into his seat as the cheers of victory echoed through the arena.


In his seat he remained hours later, his mind wrestling with questions.


His companion and best friend for years, George, found his way by his side. “You okay?”


Michael looked out onto the court where the rookie had nailed that shot. “I wish it was me.”


George nodded sagely. “Yeah, you would have made it look better.”


Michael chuckled at that. He would have made it look better. “Grab a seat.”


George did as he was told and the two old friends sat there, staring out into the court. “We won,” George observed.


Michael took a deep breath. “We did.” He looked over at George. “Any information?”


George crossed his arms. “I’ve talked with my people. Gold is clean … he has no direct connection with the family.”


Michael narrowed his eyes. “But he does have a connection indirectly.”


George nodded his head slightly. He pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket. It’d been folded and creased a few times, like someone had read over it over and over. “Read for yourself.”


Michael took the paper, unfolded it, and scanned it.


His mouth went dry. “Is this true?”


“From what everyone can tell me … yeah.” George leaned back in his seat. “Gold doesn’t know.”


Michael turned to look at George with surprise. “He doesn’t know?”


“He hasn’t seen him in years.” George shook his head. “He’s not working with the family though. He doesn’t owe them anything.”


“But they owe him,” Michael said as the gears in his mind began to turn. It wasn’t often the family found itself in a position where they owed someone something. He might be able to use this if he played it correctly. “George, we need to know if he’ll be loyal to us when the time comes.”


“You want to bring him in?” It was George’s turn to look surprised. “You don’t do that.”


“I know.”


“You stick with the people who got you here.”


“I know.”


George smirked. “You believe in this guy, don’t you?”


Michael didn’t answer him. Instead, he stared back out onto the court.


Maybe he did believe in Gold.


Or maybe he was just desperate to win.


He wasn’t sure.


But he would be soon enough.

[BlueJays09]

Wow great games and read. Interested to see what connection gold ha with the family

[trekfan]

Rapid Reaction: Bobcats 91, Celtics 86


By Aaron Vickers |ESPN.com


March 12, 2013



CHARLOTTE -- It was a game that is rare for the Bobcats, one that they barely kept up with their opponents in multiple categories from free throws to rebounding, the Bobcats only won one battle and that was the battle of shooting percentage, finishing with 48 percent made to the Celtics 41 percent.


Despite losing in the rest of the categories the Bobcats won this game and that was a testament to the relentless effort from MKG. He finished with 29 points and 6 rebounds in an impressive showing against the veteran Celtics and Paul Pierce. Pierce was held to only 17 points on 7-of-21 shooting, a far different performance from the last time these two teams played where he got the young rookie Kidd-Gilchrist into foul trouble early and often.


The other notable Bobcats performers in this game would have to be Brendan Haywood, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrus Thomas, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Both big men were a focus of the offense early and often as Darren Collison found them in stride for easy dunks and layups.


The Celtics struggled all night long trying to contain Collison’s passing. Collison finished with only 9 points but had 9 assists and made the defense pay at the free throw line when he was fouled.


For the Celtics, this game speaks to how their season has gone since the fall of Rondo. They now barely hold onto the final playoff spot in the East.


For the Bobcats, this game gives hope to a fanbase that has seen little in terms of winning the last two seasons. Though the Celtics aren’t even close to full strength, the victory isn’t diminished: they’re still a veteran team and the Bobcats are just beginning their journey towards becoming what the Celtics are.


Here are three takeaways from the game:

MKG MVP


It’s not crazy to think that someday, a few years down the road, we could see MKG as MVP. The crowd erupted with this chant towards the end of the game as Kidd-Gilchrist was putting the finishing touches on his best game yet as a pro basketball player. Comparisons to current NBA players are unavoidable at this stage. MKG has been compared to a younger Shawn Marion or a defensively minded young Lebron. Bear in mind that at the beginning of this season some were calling him Gerald Wallace 2.0.


MKG doesn’t care to hear the comparisons though. “I find them kind of annoying, actually,” he said after the game. “I appreciate that people think so highly of me but I don’t need that … I just want to win. If I have to play the game like someone else, fine, but I just want to win.”


Thomas Time


Tyrus Thomas has been showing some focus and effort lately, two things that come and go with the troubled and overpaid player. Thomas isn’t known for being consistent but over the last ten games has averaged a near double-double. “He might be turning the corner but we’ve seen him get close before,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “Still, his effort is a good thing for the organization … they may be able to get something for him this offseason."


Collison vs. Sessions


The battle for the future king of the Bobcats point guard spot continues. Both Collison and Sessions have played well of late, but only one has a chance of being retained into next season, a source close to the Bobcats says. If this is indeed true, the Bobcats find themselves in a minor situation. Collison is the younger of the two but will be a restricted free agent this summer. Sessions is signed until the 2014 offseason, so he’s easier to keep though not necessarily the right one.


It may be that Charlotte intends to jettison both point guards, but if that's the case who would be the replacement? Not even the Bobcats know at this point.