My Richard "Rich" Cho Appreciation Thread

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

It seems so long ago that the Bobcats made the playoffs and everyone around the city of Charlotte did not give you a puzzled look when you brought up the name "Charlotte Bobcats." Thanks to Rich Cho, people once again around the great Queen City can begin talking about the Bobcats and the rebuilding process that should land them a team that can compete in the NBA Playoffs for years to come.

Rich Cho has been rebuilding teams since he set foot onto NBA soil, whether it was bringing young talent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook or whether it was finally seeing the Portland Trail Blazers become an elite franchise in the western conference. Cho has been a winner all of his life and the Bobcats brought new life, a new confidence, and the best rebuilder in the NBA to Charlotte; and for that I thank the Bobcats organization.

If I did not know any better, I would say that Rich Cho has been working for the Bobcats for one and a half years. He set the Bobcats rebuilding plans in motion last year by acquiring Gerald Wallace (when he worked for Portland) from the Bobcats in exchange for a young piece in Dante Cunningham and essentially Kemba Walker (the pick we acquired from Portland eventually turned into Kemba). Since arriving in Charlotte, Cho has brought in Corey Maggette, Bismack Biyombo, and Kemba Walker while sending out guys that the Bobcats fans love in Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston, but old guys that needed to go nonetheless so that this rebuilding process can take place. The Bobcats have some really young pieces that remind me of the rebuilding process that took place in Oklahoma City a few years ago. Center: Bismack Biyombo (18), point guard: Kemba Walker (21), shooting guard: Gerald Henderson (23), point guard: D.J. Augustin (23), small forward: Dante Cunningham (24), power forward: Tyrus Thomas (24), and power forward: D.J. White (24) are the new core of the young Bobcats roster and they bring A LOT to the table. These guys will become the nucleus of the team after next year when the Bobcats can start wheeling and dealing in free agency thanks the expiring contracts of players like Diaw, Diop, Najera, and Carroll. The Bobcats had to tear it down to build it back up and they started last night. Rome wasn’t built in one day and neither will the Charlotte Bobcats be, however when all is said and done; basketball will be fun again as it used to be in the Queen City when the Hornets were the resident team.

So here’s to Cho, the new man in charge (we love you Mike but we’d rather you just sit on the sidelines and watch) making Basketball in the city of Charlotte fun again. :cheers2:

[cbarrier90]

Two things:

1. It's his first draft, and while on paper it looks good, let's give him and his prospects some time before we annoint Cho the savior of the franchise. I wonder if you will sing those praises when we're 20-62 and in the same spot next season.

2. This is the last thing I would have expected from you, of all people, considering how ticked you were that we didn't take yet another PG in Goudelock.:)

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Two things:

1. It's his first draft, and while on paper it looks good, let's give him and his prospects some time before we annoint Cho the savior of the franchise. I wonder if you will sing those praises when we're 20-62 and in the same spot next season.

2. This is the last thing I would have expected from you, of all people, considering how ticked you were that we didn't take yet another PG in Goudelock.:)

He was assistant GM in OKC, helped out with free agency, draft, and trades there. I wasn't ticked I wasn't sure why we picked Tyler, but then he suprised everyone and sold the pick. I thouroughly enjoyed that moment.

Also, it may be worse than that next year. Like I said Rome wasn't built in one day but much like he did in OKC the Bobcats are on their way up.

[cbarrier90]

He was assistant GM in OKC.

And that has what exactly to do with his tenure as the GM of the Charlotte Bobcats?

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

And that has what exactly to do with his tenure as the GM of the Charlotte Bobcats?

Trades/Draft/Free Agency and knowing how to rebuild a franchise.

[cbarrier90]

Trades/Draft/Free Agency and knowing how to rebuild a franchise.

No doubt, the guy's track record has shown that he can put the pieces together, but the Thunder were lucky enough to be able to pick in drafts that were both talent laden, and saw teams choose the safe need over the better prospect (Oden/Durant.)

They have the blueprint for small market teams, but it's not like they're all superstar picks. Nobody talks about their choosing James Harden at pick #3 in the Griffin draft when they could have had Tyreke Evans at pick #4.

I share your optimism and hope that Walker/Biyombo is the next Westbrook/Ibaka, but let's give Cho time to work his craft and Walker and Biyombo time to develop as prospects before we start proclaiming the Bobcats the Thunder of the East.

[BOBCATS_BALL!]

The first pick we got from the wallace trade turned into bismack, not kemba.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

No doubt, the guy's track record has shown that he can put the pieces together, but the Thunder were lucky enough to be able to pick in drafts that were both talent laden, and saw teams choose the safe need over the better prospect (Oden/Durant.)

They have the blueprint for small market teams, but it's not like they're all superstar picks. Nobody talks about their choosing James Harden at pick #3 in the Griffin draft when they could have had Tyreke Evans at pick #4.

I share your optimism and hope that Walker/Biyombo is the next Westbrook/Ibaka, but let's give Cho time to work his craft and Walker and Biyombo time to develop as prospects before we start proclaiming the Bobcats the Thunder of the East.

:cheers2:

[d-run]

I just hope we have a season next year so we will have a shot at the number 1 pick next year (or at least a top 3). The draft will be loaded next year, and if we can get one great super star young player we will really be in business. OKC wouldn't be poo with Durant. The NBA is all about having the one alpha-male superstar that can take your team to the next level and it looks to me the plan is to bottom out, and hopefully draft that player. Of course, we could sign that player in FA, but that seems much less likely than drafting one.