The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Thanks guys! I was really pleased to get Parker. The Knicks season being the disaster it is in the game, Parker's staying with them made no sense. As much as he would have liked to go back to the Spurs, Parker's replacement Tyshawn Taylor is having the best year of his career with them and the team is fighting for a playoff spot (much to the surprise of everyone). So, what better way to get back at the Spurs then to end up on the Lakers?

Furthermore, this allows me to start using the "Parker and Parker" moniker to describe the two Parker's awesome playstyle together (practices have been fun). Kobe gets to do his thing, TP gets to do his, and I nabbed Quinn Cook (who I like) as the backup for the future. I was really pleased with these solid, somewhat low-key moves.

What do you guys think about the rest of the trades? I tried to keep them as realistic as possible, but I welcome all thoughts/feedback. I really liked the Griffin trade (I can now call the three stars of that team MGM-Muhammad, Griffin, Mudiay). The Paul trade was the best I could do but seeing as CP3 is now 30 in game, his window for being a superstar is closing. I liked the narrative of him heading to Utah and redeeming himself there, maybe even getting them their first title. We'll see.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

UPDATE:

Been a busy few weeks guys, but this is still ongoing. I'm gonna try to get some updates out next week, so stay tuned. Thanks for keeping the faith, folks.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Lakers 89, Hornets 84
By Rachel Hansen|ESPNLosAngeles.com
January 14, 2016

The Lakers (28-9) took on the Hornets (23-12) in a matchup of potential Western Conference Finals participants. This game was about two teams going places as the Lakers debuted their new point guard Tony Parker, early and often. Parker was given the keys to the offense and in the first quarter had six points and three assists, as the Lakers clawed out a seven point lead.

The Hornets struggled in the second quarter containing Anthony Randolph, as he shot well from the field and befuddled the young frontcourt duo of Davis and Zeller. By halftime, the Lakers had a 15-point lead and looked like they were going to cruise to an easy win.

That tune changed in the second half, when the Hornets began double teaming Randolph and preventing Parker from getting to the rim. With those two out of commission, Kobe and Jabari began to look for their shot but both were hassled by the wings of the Hornets. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Lakers lead had evaporated to only three points.

In the fourth, Eric Gordon got hot from deep and the Lakers began fighting to maintain the lead, but Kobe Bryant found his shot and helped secure the Lakers win. Kobe finished with 16 points and ten rebounds, Tony Parker finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Anthony Randolph was named player of the game with 20 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-10 shooting.

Anthony Davis finished with 18 points and nine boards while Wesley Matthews finished with 15 points and three boards.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Jabari Struggles

Jabari Parker struggled to find his shot this game as he was defensively bothered by Wesley Matthews. Parker finished with 14 points and seven boards, but only shot 5-of-15 from the field.

“I just forced things this game I shouldn’t have,” said Parker. “Really, it’s not a big deal. Tony and I will find our rhythm and we’ll get this good, like we know we can.”

AR15 Lets Loose

Anthony Randolph had a big game and across the league he’s being heralded as a potential MVP candidate.

“He gets overshadowed by Bryant and Parker, but the way he contributes defensively is what makes him standout,” said one Eastern Conference GM. “If Parker and Bryant fall off a bit before the season and he steps up, he could win the MVP easily.”

All Star Snubs?

The Lakers currently don’t have a player who’ll make the All-Star roster, something GM Ronnie Gold is not pleased with. Gold, in a rare statement after the game, had words for the coaches and the fans.

“We’re having a great year and not just as a team, but individually as well, and that should be recognized by the people around the league. The fact that it’s not is a shame and I hope that the voters will take notice and do the right thing here,” said Gold.

Gold’s thoughts were echoed by head coach Alvin Gentry. “It’s disappointing to see our guys getting snubbed. I don’t know what more they can do … maybe learn to juggle?”

[GoldenJet]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Thank God this is making a return, I was going though withdrawals.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story



1-16-16

The morning was fresh and the sunlight poured into her office window. It was going to be a beautiful day outside but Jeannie wasn’t really concerned about what was going on outside. She clicked on a screen and maneuvered the contents of it onto another one, her eyes playing across the information. The team was making some serious profit and the numbers backed it up.

Jabari’s jersey was selling through the roof and with the addition of Tony Parker -- a one year rental at worst -- the team was seeing their popularity sky rocket. She reached over and sipped her coffee and glanced over at the pictures on the wall across from her.

All of them held meaning. Her favorite was one taken of her and Phil at some little Japanese restaurant he took her to when they first began dating. She smiled at it but the smile soon faded as her eyes found their way to the family picture.

She slowly set the coffee down and stared at it.

It’d been many months since she heard from Jim. He had taken the exit better than she thought but things between them were bad. It wasn’t like them to be silent with each other for so long, even if they didn’t get along most days, but since the Lakers won the title Jim had been silent to her. He’d refused calls. He’d refused seeing her.

He just existed on a private island somewhere, doing God knew what, and that was it for him.

It was a wasted life and, in some ways, a life she was responsible for. She had exiled him, more or less, when she forced him to leave. It had been the right decision, she knew that … but just because it was right didn’t mean it felt good. It didn’t feel good. It felt … bad.

He brought it on himself, she justified as she turned away from the picture and brought herself back to the task at hand. She had work to do and sitting here and thinking about Jim was just a waste of time. He wasn’t part of her life right now … maybe in the future. Maybe later.

But right now, he was out of her life and that was for the best.

***

The ocean waves crashed against the beach and he sat there, listening to them. All the waves ended the same way, crashing against the sand of the beach. Then the process repeated. Again and again it repeated. Never changing. The end result was always the same.

The waves would crash against the beach.

He tipped back his glass of whiskey and sighed. This was his entertainment, his solace, his hell and his paradise. All wrapped in one. “Trixie! Trixie!” He held out his glass, waiting for it to be refilled. Instead, he found it empty after a minute.

Grumpily he turned his head to stare back at the nearby beach house. Where was the girl? He paid her well enough to be here to pour him booze and keep him entertained. With a grumble he stood from his chair and stumbled through the sand to the house.

When he got inside he found the place abandoned. Empty. Devoid of anything.

He stared at it without comprehension. Where was Trixie? Where was his house staff? Where the hell was anyone?

“I’ve given your staff the day off,” a cool voice announced from the dining room.

Jim turned slowly, careful not to upset his balance. Before him was a elderly-looking black man. Tall. A former basketball player, maybe. “Who the hell are you?”

The man nodded. “I’m an … interested party. I come with information.” He pulled a binder from his bag and set it on the table.

“I’m not interested, now leave,” Jim muttered. He stumbled over to the bar and poured himself his own damn glass of whiskey. “Go on, get out!”

The man stood, but made no movements towards the door. “We want Gold to lose as much as you do.”

That caught his attention. He lowered his glass and stared at the man. “What about Gold?”

“We want him removed from the Lakers. We know you do as well. We both know that won’t happen with the way the season is progressing. He’s entrenched at this point.”

Jim scoffed. “He is. Screw him. Screw ‘em all.” He downed his glass and poured himself another one. “There’s no way to make my sister see Gold for the hack he is.”

“Not directly, no.” He tapped on the binder. “But if he starts losing … well, then things will be seen in a different light.”

“Losing?” Jim just laughed. “He’s got Parker. He’s not going to be losing anytime soon.”

“What if he didn’t have Parker?”

“What?”

The man tapped on the binder again. “What if Jabari Parker ended up hating the Lakers … what if he left them for a rival and left Gold at the altar … what if you could get back in the NBA as an owner of your own team?”

Jim stared at him, the ideas tantalizing. “Hypothetical crap,” he countered.

The man smiled and shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe it’s your future and the future of the NBA. Read the proposal here. My employer and I will be eager to hear from you … our number is in the binder.” He nodded at Jim and began to leave.

“Who do you work for?” Jim yelled at him.

The man stopped and turned, eyes dancing. “Let’s just say Ronnie Gold isn’t someone we like either. We have a common enemy, Mr. Buss.” With that, he left.

Jim stared at the binder on the table, and licked his lips.

A chance at redemption and revenge all wrapped into one.

[MuhMitchell]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Just curious, will this continue to go on even with next gen out?

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Just curious, will this continue to go on even with next gen out?

Yes. I won't be investing in next-gen until next year sometime, if ever. I generally buy sports titles every other year, so I'll be picking up 2K15 next fall (if I decide to keep going). As for next-gen, I'll wait awhile. Rest assured this will go on till at least next fall.

Expect another update today.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Thunder 107, Lakers 88
By Rachel Hansen|ESPNLosAngeles.com
January 17, 2016

The Lakers (29-10) took on the Thunder (21-14) in OKC and the game was a heated contest from beginning to end. Neither of these teams has a high opinion of the other and the Thunder, once looked upon as the de-facto leaders of the West, are battling to gain control of their division. The game started out with a burst of offense from the Lakers, who took it to the Thunder early and often thanks to Anthony Randolph.

AR15 helped LA establish a 36-24 advantage heading into the second. The Thunder would battle back behind Russell Westbrook’s own theatrics in the second quarter, helping trim the lead down to only seven points at halftime. It was in the second half where things changed for the Lakers. The third quarter was a mess for the team as turnovers piled up and easy shots rimmed out.

As the Lakers struggled to find their rhythm, the Thunder fed Russell Westbrook over and over again. Westbrook consistently blew by Tony Parker and took it to the hole multiple times as the Lakers defense struggled to rotate over. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, OKC was only down by four points and Kevin Durant made an appearance.

The Lakers could not contain Durant in the fourth and the Thunder blew by them in the final quarter of play, Durant and Westbrook trading baskets as the Lakers players struggled to make a shot. The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-9 in the last quarter. Durant finished with 30 points, Westbrook finished with 40 points and 10 assists.

For the Lakers, Jabari Parker was the leading scorer with 25 points and eight boards, with Anthony Randolph finishing with 18 points and six boards. Kobe Bryant finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists with David West and Andrew Bogut contributing 10 points each.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Fourth Quarter Disappearing Act

The Lakers as a team completely disappeared in the fourth quarter as they seemingly ran out of gas. Shots didn’t fall, defense wasn’t sharp, and the team seemed to tire out as the younger Thunder squad decimated them up and down the floor.

“We were outplayed,” Jabari Parker said succinctly after the game. “Plain and simple, we got beat because we were outplayed. None of us our happy, I’m not happy … I missed some easy baskets. I own that. We’ll own this.”

No Threes for You

The Lakers hit only one deep ball all game much to the chagrin of Alvin Gentry. The Lakers deep shooters -- Doron Lamb, JJ Redick, Jeff Taylor -- all struggled to hit the deep ball. Shots rimmed in and out, and Coach Gentry was unhappy to say the least with the way the shots didn’t fall.

“We were off by about half a second on each shot,” said Gentry. “We know better than to do that. We’re professionals and we practice and something didn’t click in our practice this week and it showed here in this game. It showed in our last game against the Rockets … we lost there too because we couldn’t sink the basic shots. Am I happy? No. Is anyone? No. We’re gonna work and we’re gonna work hard this week.”

Coming Up Next

The Washington Wizards visit Staples in two days and the Wizards (22-14) are looking to continue to win against the Western Conference. The Wizards point guard John Wall had this to say about the game:

“Of course we’re looking forward to playing them … we’re looking forward to beating them. We know we can so we just got to go out and do it. Shouldn’t be hard.”

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Lakers 122, Wizards 101
By Rachel Hansen|ESPNLosAngeles.com
January 19, 2016

The Lakers (29-11) took on the Wizards (23-14) in LA and the Lakers came out early looking to establish a rhythm. The last two games by the purple and gold were losses against the Rockets and Thunder. The Lakers had another challenge in this game against the young Wizards squad, who are currently a game ahead of the Heat and three games behind the Bobcats for the division lead.

The Lakers came out in the first and tried to get the ball to Jabari Parker, but his shot was cold in the first half. Instead, the Lakers went to Kobe Bryant, who scored ten of his 22 points in the first quarter. Kobe and John Wall dueled in the first, but it was Kobe’s veteran experience that let him get the early edge as he helped the Lakers establish a 31-24 lead.

In the second, John Wall would explode onto the scene, using his speed to get into the teeth of the defense and draw fouls. Wall went to the line eleven times in the game and hit every shot. Wall’s play helped the Wizards stop the Lakers lead from getting out of hand, having the Lakers up by only eleven points at halftime.

It was in the third where the Lakers would again look to Jabari Parker and where Jabari found his shot. Through the first half Parker had only eight points but he was able to feast on the Wizards in the second half, scoring the rest of his 36 points while grabbing 10 boards. Jabari was not only active in the offense but also in the defense, coming up with two blocks and steals.

The Lakers trounced the Wizards in the second half while letting John Wall and Bradley Beal get their shots. While the Wizards relied on their backcourt duo to bail them out, the Lakers let everyone get involved. Anthony Randolph finished with 17 points, David West had 14 points, and young big Chris Walker finished with 10 points and a bevy of highlight worthy dunks.

John Wall finished with 33 points and nine assists while Bradley Beal had 32 points in the loss. Here are three takeaways from the game:

A Balanced Attack

The Lakers showed something they have been lacking the last few games and that was balance in the offense. Everyone shared the ball and was able to get good shots as the team finished with a 52 percent field goal percentage.

“We played our game tonight,” said Jabari Parker. “It wasn’t just one guy out there, it was all of us … everyone who stepped out on that floor hit a shot and that’s what we have to do as we keep going this season.”

Walker Skys

Chris Walker flew all over the court tonight as the young rookie big showed a tantalizing glimpse of future things to come. Walker dunked over a multitude of Wizards and was a beast on fast breaks as he received pass after pass.

“Yeah, I was hungry,” said an excited Walker after the game. “Didn’t you hear me growling before the game? I was starving for some action and I got it, big time … Wall was saying how we weren’t going to be hard to beat. He knows better now, you know? He ain’t gonna talk about us like that again. Jabari, me, AR15, D. West, Aussie … we got this. We got this.”

Coming Up Next

The Lakers visit the Kings (21-18) tomorrow as they struggle to break out of their three game losing streak. When asked about the Lakers DeMarcus Cousins merely responded, “We don’t like them and they know that. We’re gonna give them a hard game … we’re ready.”

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story



1-26-16

He held his arm carefully and avoided grimacing in pain. He wondered if this was his fate. He wondered if this was how his life would come to an end, sitting in this cage, waiting for someone to get lucky enough to catch him unaware.

It’d been over a month since he sent his brother out. A month and no word from him. A month and no word from anyone on the outside. His calls were being ignored. His lines of communication out there were going silent. Everything he had carefully worked to maintain was withering away.

He’d thought, at first, that his brother had weaseled out. Jarrod was a coward when it came to such things like this … he never had the stomach for the rough life. He never had the ability to put aside his weaknesses and capitalize on opportunity. He was never that person.

Gerard always had been. He had always taken the lead and he’d left those weaknesses behind years ago. Jarrod really hadn’t … so the likeliest scenario was that he had ratted him out. Except, no one came for him. No one tried to drag him off to some dark corner and take his life. He was still being hunted by the weak-minded small fry that hovered around this prison like flies around garbage.

“You took a beating out there.” The doctor snapped on a pair of plastic gloves and motioned for Gerard to extend his arm.

He did so, though not without pain. The blood was soaking through the sleeve of his uniform but the bleeding was mostly contained at this point. “I won. That’s all that matters.”

The doctor nodded with little gusto. “This time.” He rolled up the sleeve and began bandaging the wound. “What about next time?”

If my brother would show up, there won’t be a next time, he thought to himself unhappily. “Next time, I’ll end it faster.”

“Maybe.” The doctor moved away and grabbed a needle from the tray. He hesitated for just a moment before sterilizing the injection point on Gerard’s arm.

Gerard saw the hesitation. It piqued his interest. It was unusual for a doctor to hesitate around needles. “I’ll win.” Gerard smirked as he stared at the unsuspecting doctor. The man’s hand had a slight shake to it. His eyes were a bit too focused on the needle. “I always win.”

His brother was out there, somewhere, dragging his feet. But Gerard could wait. There were other ways out of here.

Some just required a little more effort than others.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

UPDATE: Look forward to updates this Thursday, fellas. Thanks for keeping the faith.

[BraedenG33]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Yeah man, can't wait.

[DarkOutFront]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

I need my fix of Ronnie Gold.

[BraedenG33]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

I need my fix of Ronnie Gold.

IKR!!!!!! I saw an email with a new post on here (which turned out to be yours) and leaped a little. I was excited. Then I was like "damn, false alarm". Agh. I miss this.

[dodar]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

What's happened to it? Does anyone know?