The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Holy crap, this team is completely horrid. I've played three games and lost all three in epic Bobcats fashion. I'm initiating a fire sale, ladies and gents.

Everyone (minus MKG) is on the block. That includes Kemba who just doesn't mesh with my play style: the offense runs SO much better with Ramon Sessions and Kemba has to go. So, I'm looking to trade Kemba first and foremost. If you guys have any thoughts, share them. Thanks in advance.

[MuhMitchell]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

I'm a bit of a reader and not often a poster on these forums but I'd love to see you get DeMarcus Cousins if you can because he could possible make some storylines with his tantrums.

[DarkOutFront]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Maybe you could get Eric Gordon?

[Real_Jvillar]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

I just want to say thanks man. I've been on a "extended vacation" style life lately and your Stories have kept me busy and heavily entertained. Sad to hear about "fate and fortune" but the "Ronnie Gold story" is coming along nicely.

I just signed up for OS and in a few days i plan on starting my own story like this I even credited you and K.so with the inspirations.

I'm definitely following.

As for kemba i went in and looked at my current rosters (updated up to harden trade)

1. The hornets could use an upgrade at the Point (seeing vasquez is only a 70 and plays the 2 better) "grabbing eric gordon might do you some good or "draft pick "

2. The pistons can easily move Stuckey to the 2 where he becomes a "80 ovr" and if you could grab (brandon knight to play the 2 where he excels) that could do well for MKG to have the young stud with him.) (or drummond or a pick)

3. Those are the teams i find most viable and realistic to get kemba because they both have cap and developing talent, but maybe you can work a multiteam multiplayer deal some where with your (trekfan magic)


P.S. i could use some help i wanted to know what program you use to make stat sheets and scores and stuff for your game result posts and highlights. They add class to the story hehe XD

[AntiBandwagoner]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Holy crap, this team is completely horrid. I've played three games and lost all three in epic Bobcats fashion. I'm initiating a fire sale, ladies and gents.

Everyone (minus MKG) is on the block. That includes Kemba who just doesn't mesh with my play style: the offense runs SO much better with Ramon Sessions and Kemba has to go. So, I'm looking to trade Kemba first and foremost. If you guys have any thoughts, share them. Thanks in advance.

Thats why I was hoping you wouldn't pick the Bobcats at the fear that they would play horrible enough for you to quit, lol.

I've tried a Bobcats association twice in 2k12, quitting each of those within 2-3 games.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Thats why I was hoping you wouldn't pick the Bobcats at the fear that they would play horrible enough for you to quit, lol.

I've tried a Bobcats association twice in 2k12, quitting each of those within 2-3 games.

It's just so frustrating to lose with them! It's like, for a quarter, you see them as the good team they could be and then they fall apart. I will not be quitting them (I don't quit on teams in the first year. Year three, maybe, but not the first year, lol) but I'm saying goodbye to as many of them as possible ASAP.

[MJHSpanda57]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

It's just so frustrating to lose with them! It's like, for a quarter, you see them as the good team they could be and then they fall apart. I will not be quitting them (I don't quit on teams in the first year. Year three, maybe, but not the first year, lol) but I'm saying goodbye to as many of them as possible ASAP.

Well, if Ronnie has the luck of Andy they might quit on him haha. Followed Fate & Fortune up until it's demise and now I'm really looking forward to this one. Keep up the awesome work man.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Cavs 76, Bobcats 66


By Aaron Vickers |ESPN.com


February 6, 2013

CLEVELAND -- This was the type of game that the NBA doesn’t want to see on Sportcenter, but will anyway. In one of the ugliest games in recent memory, the Cavs and Bobcats battled it out for the title of which team looks worse.


Unsurprisingly, that title still belongs to the Bobcats. It was a clinic on how not to shoot threes by both teams, Cleveland going 0-for-13 from beyond the arc while Charlotte managed to do only marginally better, hitting 4-of-15 overall.


The game was sloppy as both teams combined for 27 turnovers.


But the Bobcats were by far the worst team, getting destroyed on the boards 52-35, and having only one player score double digits for their entire team: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.


Meanwhile, for the Cavs, it was all Kyrie Irving, who finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Irving made Kemba Walker look two steps slow and blazed through the middle of the Bobcats soft as jelly paint defense.


Here are three takeaways from the game:

Ben Gordon Needs to Go


In one of the more disappointing outings of his career, Gordon finished with only 6 points on 2-of-7 shooting. His only two makes came from beyond the arc in garbage team. This isn’t a case of Gordon being singled out as the scapegoat, the entire team (minus MKG) needs to go, but it has to start with Gordon.


Gordon has been rumored to be traded to the Nets for one Kris Humphries, and though that seems a lateral move, it’s one the Bobcats can afford to make. Gordon has a player option he’ll most certainly pick up this offseason and isn’t producing as a player of his financial means should. The rebuild of this roster will start this offseason and Gordon should be the first of the players to go.

Sink the Bismack


Bismack Biyombo is a project. Yes. But some projects are far more challenging than others and in the case of the Bobcats, Bismack is a project they should have never taken on. Raw? Absolutely. Talented? Maybe. But his offensive skill set is so … well … offensive, that the Bobcats should consider sending him away sooner rather than later. He was selected before Kemba Walker. Before Klay Thompson. Before Kwahi Leonard. Before Iman Shumpert. Before Kenneth Faried. Before Norris Cole. Before Jimmy Butler.


Only one of those players is his teammate (Walker, if you’re struggling to remember). The previous regime gambled high and hard on Biyombo and that gamble will not pay dividends for years at the rate he’s going.


He blew not one, but three wide open uncontested layups in this game.

He’s done this all year.

Number One Overall Losers


Seems to be a lock at this point but the Bobcats are looking, once again, like a team that deserves a number one pick. They lost out on Anthony

Davis last year and settled for MKG. MKG is a really good player but is not nearly as offensively polished as he needs to be to score consistently. That polish will take another season at least to fully be applied but until then, the Bobcats needs to find MKG a running mate.


Kemba may not be that mate. He can score, yes, but his ability to facilitate in the pro game is at question. No, the Bobcats need someone who can dominate the low post and that someone has to be Nerlens Noel. Noel is the premier big man in this draft class and if the Bobcats miss out on the number one pick again, I’ll be the first to call conspiracy.


Come one David Stern, give MJ a break … after all, he did make the NBA what is today.

[Reyes19]

Gordon doesn't pick up his option but instead opts to resign for around 3mil early in the season. Least that's what happened to me.

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Lol I was going to make a case for Biyombo still having a slither of potential, but then you mentioned he blew 3 layups. Smh, definitely wasn't worth how high of a pick they used.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Lakers 96, Bobcats 83


By Aaron Vickers |ESPN.com


February 8, 2013



CHARLOTTE -- The Bobcats could have won this game and that, in of itself, is surprising. What isn’t surprising is how they collapsed down the stretch.


Oh, and how Kobe made them look utterly foolish scoring a ridiculous 48 points on 19-of-37 shooting, destroying the Bobcats single handedly. But that was expected. Historically, Kobe has taken advantage of poor teams with ease (see Toronto and those 81 points for reference).


But the Bobcats could have won this game. Down by only three points at halftime, it looked like the Lakers season was about to have the final insult thrown on it. Instead, the Lakers pulled away in the third and shut down the Bobcats in the fourth, scoring 22 points in that quarter to the Bobcats woeful 16.


“We played hard,” said Coach Mike Dunlap. That’s a true observation but the effort was wasted with the mental errors made by the Bobcats.


No one exemplified this more than Kemba Walker, who scored 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting. He also had 8 turnovers and a -19 plus/minus. “I forced things late,” said Walker. “The game got away from me.”


So disgusted by the Bobcats in the fourth quarter, chants of “Kemba Sucks” rained down from the limited crowd there. Chants of MVP echoed for Kobe when he went to the line. To call it depressing would be an understatement and the Bobcats seemed to realize this.


“I wish it wasn’t like that but we haven’t done enough this season and that’s on us,” said Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. MKG didn’t have an outstanding game, having only 9 points and 7 rebounds, but he played tenacious defense all over the floor.


Still, MKG alone can’t make the Bobcats a winning team.


Here are three takeaways from the game:

Effort Alone Does Not Make A Winner


The Bobcats proved this in spades today. Everyone on the team gave supreme effort, with a surprise showing from Reggie Williams who nailed all three of his threes in the game, helping keep the Bobcats in contention in the third quarter. But Williams went cold in the fourth and Ben Gordon again showed he isn’t a max player, nor should he ever have been considered one.


But effort alone failed the Bobcats. In the fourth they got tired, they got sloppy, and their control of the game slipped away as Kobe kept drilling shot after shot. The young team tuned out Mike Dunlap, who did his best to keep them focused, but this group is not one that focuses well.


You have to feel bad for Dunlap, who inherited a troubled team and hasn’t been able to really get through to them as another losing season goes on. Dunlap has potential but so far hasn’t been able to show anything other than fury and frustration with this team

Home Disappointment


The home crowd in Charlotte was very much unfavorable to the Bobcats. Half the crowd was cheering for Kobe and the Lakers while the other half seemed stuck in a depressed malaise. This has been a problem with the Bobcats since they came into the league and one that new GM Ronnie Gold is well aware of. This was his first game at the arena and he was not pleased at what he saw.


“We need to do a better job of engaging our fans, of promoting our team, and that’s going to start sooner rather than later,” said an unhappy Gold.

Gold, the youngest GM in the league, also declared that anyone on the roster was subject to trade inquires. “We want to win and winning requires taking chances and making moves. If another team calls to speak to us about a player, any player, we’re listening: that doesn’t mean we’re going to accept but we will at least listen.”

Failure to Connect


The post game for the Bobcats has been bad all season long and this game proved it. Most of the Bobcats 15 turnovers came trying to get the ball into the post. Kemba Walker and Ben Gordon were the two chief offenders of forcing bad passes into bad spots, but the stone hands of Tyrus Thomas and Brendan Haywood didn’t help matters either.


“It’s something we’re going to address,” said assistant coach Stephen Silas. “Trust me when I say we’re going to focus on this in practice.”

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Rapid Reaction: Celtics 86, Bobcats 80


By Aaron Vickers |ESPN.com


February 11, 2013



CHARLOTTE -- It was a closely contested game for the Bobcats and like most closely contested games involving them, they lost. Thought the score says that the Bobcats at least put up a fight towards the end, take away two garbage 3 pointers from Reggie Williams and this game is an emphatic loss.


For the Bobcats, this game was one about testing out some new things. Coach Mike Dunlap, whom has refused to alter his lineups too much during the year, decided to make a big change tonight and benched Ben Gordon for Gerald Henderson.


Henderson had found his way into Dunlap’s doghouse earlier in the season with his play but Dunlap let the leash off the former Duke star and Henderson responded with a brisk 15 points and 7 rebounds, far more production than the woeful Gordon has offered of late.


But Henderson wasn’t the only surprise as Ramon Sessions also showed up, scoring 19 points and dishing out 4 assists in 21 minutes of play. Sessions had the hot hand and the offense ran better with him out on the floor than with Kemba Walker, who was held to a disappointing 7 points and six turnovers.


No one else for the Bobcats scored in double-digits, and MKG was in foul trouble all night against the veteran Paul Pierce and only tallied 2 points in 17 minutes of play.


This marks the eighth straight loss for the Bobcats, a losing streak that extends all the way back to January 26^th.


Here are three takeaways from the game:

Kemba Catastrophe


For the third straight game, Kemba Walker has again had a profound negative effect on the team. “He’s forcing things and the team is suffering for it,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “If they don’t get him under control they may not win a game the rest of the year.”


Walker’s woes have only been exacerbated by the displeasure of the fans. His name brings out the boo birds in Charlotte, something that has to be having an effect on his psyche. Walker won’t admit it however, saying, “It’s part of the game and I get why they boo. I don’t take offense to it, I just drown it out.”


As nice as those words are, ever since the booing started Walker’s play has gotten much worse.

Foreboding Front Office


In what can surely be assumed as a precursor to a trade, the entire Bobcats front office was assembled to watch tonight’s game in the executive suite. It’s not often an executive suite is filled with people intensely watching a game that involves a team that is struggling to win, like the Bobcats.


The players were aware of it too as they occasional glanced back at the suite from the bench. Rumblings around the league before the game was that GM Ronnie Gold was looking to make some moves before the deadline, that anyone could be had for the right price, and after this game it seems almost certain that moves are coming.


11-40


That’s what the Bobcats record now reads as the team prepares to face a tough Pacers squad on the road. The Bobcats will go into the All-Star break with the worst record in the NBA no matter what happens against the Pacers and on track for the number one pick. The team seems to have given up on doing anything meaningful this season other than trying to get better.


“That’s a tough task,” said one Eastern Conference executive. “They don’t have a lot to work with and don’t have much to offer. Anything they do has to be with an eye towards future dividends and looking that far ahead for any front office is dangerous.”

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story



2-15-13

This was his first time at an All-Star game since the early 2000s. It had been that long for him.


It had been a very long time. He took out his pocket watch, his scarred hand clutching it tightly, and his foot tapped impatiently. He’d waited a long time for this day. He’d done a lot of waiting as he prepared for this day.


The man he was waiting for had arrived.


Vinnie, his slicked back black hair and all, stood before him with his personal bodyguard and smiled. “Desmond, welcome.” He walked over and put his arm around Desmond’s shoulder. “Or do you prefer your old name –”


Desmond – he was still getting used to that name – shook his head. “I like my new name just fine.”


“I’m glad, I’m glad. Let’s walk,” Vinnie said as the two proceeded through the empty tunnel in the arena. The Rising Stars Challenge was tonight but, right now, early in the afternoon, things were quiet. “So, how’s the new house?”


Desmond smirked. “It’s nice, real nice, thanks. I like the neighborhood … very upscale.”


“Well, that’s what you are now,” Vinnie said as he tapped Desmond on the arm. “You deserve it. You did time for the family and the family does not forget our own.”


Time.


He did time.


He closed his eyes for a moment, his mind taking him back to the cells … to those walls … to those people he was forced to be with for years.


He forced his eyes open and took a deep breath. That was over. He was still here, he was still alive, and that was the point of it all. He’d done his time. Now he had his reward.


“I’m … thankful,” he said, the words hard to speak. Part of him was thankful … being friends of the family was better than being enemies. But part of him wanted to wring Vinnie’s neck.


“It was the least we could do.” They arrived at the court and the two stared out at it.


It had been years since he’d been in an NBA arena. “I’m old,” he said aloud, a mixture of regret and nostalgia in his voice. He remembered things so well, like they were yesterday, but they weren’t really yesterday. The last time he had been on a court like this Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were lighting up the league. A lot had changed since then.



“Aren’t we all?” Vinnie lamented. He pulled out an envelope from his jacket and handed it to Desmond. “This is your contract for your new job. All you have to do is sign.”


Desmond looked at it longingly, knowing what was in the envelope.

“Assistant GM of the Bobcats?”


Vinnie smirked. “You were always quick to pick up on things.”


“I saw the position still wasn’t filled even after their new hire.”


“It’s filled now. You’ll be meeting the kid tonight. He’s itching to make trades. You and he have full authority to do whatever you want.”


Desmond took the envelope and held it in his scarred hands delicately. He’d done a lot of damage to a lot of people with these hands. Now, he could use them to build something.


He didn’t have to destroy things anymore.


“What did the kid do to get this? What did he do to earn the family’s loyalty?”


Vinnie shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that or him. He doesn’t know we’re involved and that’s how it’s going to stay.”


Desmond nodded slowly, knowing an order when he heard one. “Is there a short and sweet version of the story?”


“Let’s just say the family owes someone he knows. We aim to repay our debts and take care of our own.” Vinnie gave him a pat on the back and began walking out across the court. “Enjoy the weekend and make our team a winner.”


Desmond watched as he left.


He gripped the envelope in his hands tightly.


This was his second chance.


He was going to make it count.

[trekfan]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story


2-17-13

Ronnie sat back and went through the papers again. “Thorough,” he commented as his brain struggled to make sense of it all. This was every trade scenario that they could come up with involving someone on their team. Most of them were junk.


“I try to be,” Desmond said from the floor, where he had binders upon binders of scouting data. He was heavy into the details. He was heavy into micromanagement. Ronnie didn’t mind that – he liked it actually. The details were the most important thing about this business in his opinion, no matter how big or small, those details were what made the difference in what made a good NBA team and what made a bad one.


The two had met just a few nights ago but immediately Ronnie liked the guy. He was tough, he could tell that by the scars on his hands. What they were from Ronnie didn’t ask … he didn’t need to know. If Desmond wanted to tell, he’d tell. But the guy knew his basketball.


He was 45 but looked in better shape than some people twenty years younger then him. He had been a former player in college but never made it to the NBA. He served as a scout for a smattering of teams around the league for nearly thirteen years before leaving the NBA and heading overseas to take a lucrative front office job there.


He didn’t have any recent NBA experience but he brought a unique perspective: he was around the NBA a decade ago, just as it was starting this amazing era of play. Desmond had some stories.


The two had shared a few but had been consumed with work for the last day or so. Tomorrow morning league offices would open and trades would begin flooding in.


Ronnie’s phone vibrated. He whipped it out and scoffed. “ESPN is reporting the Hawks have traded Smith.”


“Where?” Desmond said as he opened another binder.


“Houston. Hawks get Parsons, Patterson, Morris, and a first.”


Desmond looked up from his binder. “Smith signed an extension?”


“Sign and trade, yeah,” Ronnie said with a measure of envy. The Hawks just got a good haul for a guy they didn’t want. “We’re not gonna have that kind of luck, are we?”


Desmond shook his head. “We’re a losing team that reeks of desperation.”


Ronnie ran his hand through his sandy brown hair. “We are desperate.”


Desmond smirked. “Everyone knows that.”


“So who’s more desperate than us?”


“A good question,” Desmond said as he pulled out a piece of paper. His large, dark skinned hand, handed it to Ronnie. “Only one guy in the league looking to make a splash.”


Ronnie’s eyes glanced over the paper. Parts of this deal he liked … others not so much. “Can’t do better?”


“Not unless we want to take back some bad contracts.”


Ronnie frowned. “The Jazz?”


“Will give us less.”


“Pistons?”


“Will give us nothing.”


Ronnie sighed and nodded. They’d run through this before with those teams. “How pissed will the fans be?”


Desmond stood, stretching his tall frame. “You’ll get thank you cards.”


Ronnie took out his phone. “I’ll deliver the news.” He hesitated for a moment. He’d never had to do this before.


“I’ll be outside,” Desmond said as he left the room.


Ronnie looked at the door and felt a weight on him. He wondered if this was what his bosses felt when they had to tell him bad news.


He dialed the phone. Part of him wished that the player on the other end wouldn’t pick up.


But he did. “Hello?”


Ronnie took a deep breath. It was time to deliver the news.

[BlueJays09]

Re: The Gold Standard: The Ronnie Gold Story

Very excited to hear who it is...please update soon! Great read man thanks a lot