CATS ON THE RISE [2-1] MKG's and Kemba's Hot Play Torch Suns

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Current Roster:
Byron Mullens | Andrei Kirilenko | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Jeff Taylor | Kemba Walker
Brendan Haywood | Bismack Biyombo | Chase Budinger | Ben Gordon | Ramon Sessions
Desagana Diop | Tyrus Thomas

Player Info:
0 - C Bismack Biyombo [6-9 245] $2,923,920
2 - C DeSagana Diop [7-0 280] $7,372,200 [exp]
7 - G Ramon Sessions [6-3 190] $5,000,000
8 - G Ben Gordon [6-3 200] $12,400,000
12 - F Tyrus Thomas [6-10 225] $8,000,000
14 - F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist [6-7 235] $4,602,720
15 - G Kemba Walker [6-1 184] $2,462,400 [C]
17 - G/F Chase Budinger [6-7 218] $942,000 [exp]
22 - F/C Byron Mullens [7-0 275] $2,253,062 [exp]
33 - C Brendan Haywood [7-0 263] $1,886,312 [C]
44 - F/G Jeff Taylor [6-7 225] $575,000
47 - F Andrei Kirilenko [6-9 235] $10,000,000

-Bobcats owe a future first-round pick to Chicago
-Bobcats owe a 2013 second-round pick to OKC
-Blazers owe a future first-round pick to Charlotte
-Detroit owe a future first-round pick to Charlotte
-Bobcats owe a 2015 second-round pick to San Antonio

Transactions:
-Waived Cory Higgins.
-Traded Gerald Henderson, Reggie Williams, and Hakim Warrick for Andrei Kirilenko and Chase Budinger.

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-reserved-

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The Firing
The Charlotte Observer has confirmed this morning that Rod Higgins, President of Basketball Operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, has been fired for allegedly sending death threats to Bobcats GM Rich Cho, forcing Cho into re-signing Higgins' son, Cory Higgins, this offseason. Rod Higgins is in custody and Cho released a statement this afternoon:

"All you Bobcats fans can rest assured Higgins will not have anymore impact on this team. As a result, Cory Higgins has been waived, after my elementary school daughters beat him in a game of 2-on-1 last night.

I will be hiring an assistant GM in the next few days. The Bobcats are full of young talent. I have decided I will hire someone with no prior experience working in an NBA front office. All I ask is that they are young, willing to learn, and very, very knowledgeable."

The Hiring
Three days later, I take my first step into the Bobcats front office. It's unlike any other "front office" I've seen. As I watched people casually talk, I immediately think, "I can get used to this... This is far chiller than any job I'd get with a computer science degree I'll barely escape school with. Right here in my home town, too."

I snap out of my mini-daydream just in time to see none other than GM Rich Cho standing before me. We briefly shook hands, and instead of the usual "Hello, what can I do for you?" greeting you get at your normal job interview, I hear "Sup man, so you're the dude I'm supposed to be interviewing, huh?", prompting another thought from my ADD brain about how this is unlike any other job I'll ever have.

We don't even go into his office; instead we head outside and sit casually on a bench outside and Rich Cho automatically jumps to the heart of the matter: "How will you make this franchise better?" I'm a tad nervous because he's staring me right in the face and I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, answering "By not being Rod Higgins." Cho bursts out laughing.

The rest of the interview goes without a hitch. It is perfectly clear Cho is serious about his job and wants somebody who really understands what it takes to manage a team at the NBA level. And by somehow BSing the entire interview, Cho says to me at the end of the interview, "You're easily the best option I've got right now. Tell you what, I'll let you be my temporary assistant. You're allowed to make trades and sign players. Make a trade in the next week and we'll see. If your trade works out well for us, you've got the job. Make it good. You've got a week."

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First question for you guys: Throw out some players I should target in a trade. I don't want to trade too many key guys though, so probably a bench guy that might fit the roster nicely. If I like a suggestion enough, I might actually make a trade for that player and you'll get a really really awesome looking cake.

[Phil89]

Raid the Jazz for a big man (Jefferson or Millsap). They can spare one I think.

[Stress Fracture]

Get Anthony Randolph.

[Kenny]

I agree with Phil89, Jefferson or Millsap would be a great addition. I also think you may need a better guard than Gerald Henderson to start. Perhaps you could steal Kevin Martin off OKC?

[Woogie98]

Nahhh Nick Young!!! He is a explosive scorer and I believe he has a microwave skill

[Solaris Phase Two]

Zaza Pachulia

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Excellent suggestions so far, keep them coming! I tend to like athletic two-way players as well. (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge)

[Stress Fracture]

Wilson Chandler.

[Woogie98]

Hmmmmm........ALOZO GEE!!!!!!!

[Martti.]

Wait for off-season and sign Iguodala. He always switches teams, if needed, trade some contracts to make cap space though you should have enough.

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Well I'm going to have to make a trade within a week to get hired. What'll it be?

[mpac]

derrick favors!

[RapboY]

i second the Wilson Chandler suggestion!

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Finally finished the roster! Now for a few trial runs to work out the sliders and this'll start soon enough! Till then, any more suggestions?

I will be releasing the roster update in a few minutes if anybody's interested. They're made to be as close to reality as possible.

[Kenny]

Did two trade checker scenarios:

Cleveland
Tyrus Thomas and Gerald Henderson for Anderson Varejao and Omri Casspi

Utah
Tyrus Thomas, Byron Mullens and Brendan Haywood for Paul Millsap and Enes Kanter

They could probably be motified to add picks and what not. I think both fill a need... although, Omri Casspi might be questionable.

[Martti.]

I'd go after Faried and Paul George. Here's my 5-year projects results :


C - Javale McGee (80)
F - Kenneth Faried (80)
F - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (89)
G - Paul George (90)
G - Kyrie Irving (95)
---------------------
6 - Jeremy Lamb (80)
7 - Carlos Boozer (72)
8 - CJ Miles (66)
9 - Omer Asik (66)
10 - James Johnson (65)
11 - Brandon Rush (65)
12 - Delonte West (54)
--------------
IR 1 - Aaron Gray (57)
IR 2 - Andris Biedrins (60)

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Bobcats Acquire Andrei Kirilenko, Budinger in Three-Team Trade

In a shocking announcement this morning, the Bobcats' new assistant GM stated that team captain Gerald Henderson said his final goodbyes to the team after being traded in a three-team trade involving Minnesota and Milwaukee.

Charlotte trades: G Gerald Henderson [74], F Hakim Warrick [59], F Reggie Williams [60]
Charlotte receives: F Andrei Kirilenko [77], G Chase Budinger [69]

The Bobcats address their need for a forward to pair with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Moving Byron Mullens to the starting center position, and freeing up minutes for the plethora of backcourt players, the team is balanced and ready to move forward, eyeing a playoff seed before the season even begins. However, nobody knows if AK47 will play like his old pre-injury self, or if his best playing days are really behind him. We'll have to find out at some point during his two-year, $20M contract.

Minnesota trades: F Andrei Kirilenko [77], G Chase Budinger [69], F Josh Howard [67]
Minnesota receives: G Monta Ellis [83], F Hakim Warrick [59]

Minnesota frees up minutes for second-year prospect Derrick Williams and addresses the biggest concern on the roster, a real starting shooting guard. Ellis is a premier scorer in the league and should complement Ricky Rubio in many ways. The Wolves now start Pekovic, Love, Williams, Ellis, and Rubio, as they eye a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference.

Milwaukee trades: G Monta Ellis [83]
Milwaukee receives: G Gerald Henderson [74], F Reggie Williams [60], F Josh Howard [67]

With the Ellis/Jennings duo not working out in Milwaukee, Monta Ellis started to show signs of possibly leaving town when his contract expires in 2013. Gerald Henderson is a more well-rounded player who will fit more nicely with Brandon Jennings than Ellis did. Henderson is still full of potential to be a top 10 shooting guard one day, and will likely be around for a while longer as he is only a restricted FA in 2013. The Bucks also get much-needed wing depth in the deal.

With the departure of both team captains, Gerald Henderson, and Matt Carroll (traded for Hakim Warrick a couple weeks prior), the Bobcats named second-year guard Kemba Walker and vet center Brendan Haywood team captains.

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I loved a lot of those suggestions, particularly the Wilson Chandler suggestion, but I preferred a combo forward over a wing player so that he can play alongside MKG at the 3 and 4. Also I would've had to give up too much to nab one of Utah's bigs (Al, Millsap, or Favors), Kevin Martin, or Faried. I liked the Gee suggestion, but I've already got a defensive-minded version of him in Jeffery Taylor. The Nick Young suggestion was nice as well, and I essentially got a white version of him in Chase. Anthony "Magic" Randolph was an interesting suggestion, but I felt like he'd be buried in the bench with all the other mediocre bigs I have. Also, I'm using my own roster, so he won't be traded for Lamarcus Aldridge (happened in 2k11 ).

badreligionau, I also didn't feel like ripping off the other teams too much.
Martti., that roster is siiiiiick. I've got a couple of first round picks to use up and a ton of young'uns. Hope I'll be able to create a lineup like that.

[Stress Fracture]

I hope Bud develops there at Charlotte.

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I hope so as well. We need a guy who can consistently hit threes. He's got a higher 3-point rating than anybody on the team, except Gordon, who is anything but consistent (but don't tell that to Andrew ).

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All Offense In Season-Opening Win Over Indiana

Starting Lineups:
Kemba Walker --- vs -- George Hill
Jeffery Taylor --- vs -- Paul George
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist -- vs -- Danny Granger
Andrei Kirilenko -- vs -- David West
Byron Mullens -- vs -- Roy Hibbert

It was a shootout from the beginning. With several very good offensive players on both sides, the 127-117 final score was reminiscent of a mid-2000s Phoenix Suns match-up. However, both teams repeatedly got inside to score, instead of sniping from behind the three-point line like those Suns teams. The underwhelming interior defenses balanced out with the likes of Paul George, George Hill, Danny Granger, and David West for the Pacers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kemba Walker, and Ben Gordon from the Bobcats getting into the lane to score at will. The terrific perimeter defensive trio of MKG, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jeffery Taylor shut down the outside shot for the Pacers, who only made one in the entire game, despite 11 tries. The frantically-paced 4th quarter was filled with superb scoring from both sides as the Bobcats dropped in 41 points to the Pacers' 31 to break the third quarter tie.

Kemba Walker set a career-high with a game-high 24 points on a career-tying 24 shots for the Bobcats. The quartet of him, rookie Kidd-Gilchrist, Byron Mullens, and Ben Gordon totaled 82. Haywood and Biyombo were present, scoring seven points apiece, but their defense was subpar as they were continuously burned by David West and Roy Hibbert. The rookies MKG and Taylor both started at the wings in their debuts and throwing them right into the fire seemed to be the right decision, as neither seemed rattled by the impressive wing duo of George and Granger, keeping the pair subdued in the second half after both seemed to have a ton of momentum going into halftime combining for 27 points. MKG played only 24 minutes, but totaled 19 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.

The story of the game for the Pacers was the 4th quarter disappearance of dynamic wings Paul George and Danny Granger, who totaled just one basket in 10 tries between them in the final 12 minutes, seeming overcome from the defensive pressure of the opposing wings. David West kept the Pacers in it until the end, with 17 of his 22 points and 14 of his 15 rebounds in the final period. George Hill was a key factor as well, notching a double-double in points and assists, but he had eight costly turnovers, with several coming in the final period. Gerald Green was a pleasant surprise. Despite being the fourth wing in the rotation, he dropped in 13 points and a freakishly awesome fastbreak windmill, which topped NBA.com's highlight reel, earning him the Play of the Game.

phpBB [video]

The Bobcats will play Dallas next, still in search for the first victory against Dallas in franchise history.

[hova-]

Good game by MKG - he hurt me in my dynasty last game.