FBB: Atlanta Hawks (tie in with FBCB dynasty)

[Groundhog]

I'd been running a FBCB league for some years now, and was importing the draft classes to FBB to follow their progress, when I decided I might as well take control of an NBA team as well, and sim it in-synch with the FBCB sim.

Originally I simmed from 1937 in FBCB, importing all draft classes to a FBB league that also started in 1937 with random players. I then took over the FBCB sim at the 2003-04 season with Northwestern State, and took control of the Atlanta Hawks, the least successfull team in the simulated league's history, at the beginning of the 2008-09 season, with the rule that I can only have players on my roster who played college ball from the 2003-04 season onward... ie. from when I started coaching.

I'm not sure how frequently I'll be updating this, probably after each month of "sim time".

[Groundhog]

In my second season with the Hawks I managed to get them in to the playoffs for the first time since 1997-98. It may have been a #8 seed and a sub .500 record (40-42), but after a drought like that it probably seemed like a 60 win season for the fans in Atlanta. This year we had some bench players choose not to re-sign with us, so with our #14 pick we will be looking for the best available player to add depth to our improving roster. My dream pick is PF Rick Unruh (17.2PPG, 9.9RPG, 3.4BPG), a Junior out of UCLA who just won the NCAA title, but it's unlikely he'll be around. Failing Unruh, we also like his college team mate C Anthony Kulp (11.5PPG, 7.5RPG, 1.5BPG), another Junior with NCAA title experience, and PG Benjamin Schoenfeld (9.1PPG, 5.2APG, 2.7SPG), a steady Senior pointman out of Kentucky, who won the NCAA title as a Junior and lost in the title game this past season.

1st Round

1 Phoenix Suns William Bailey PG Senior Wisconsin - 11.9PPG, 6.4RPG, 7.0APG

2 Los Angeles Lakers Todd Bennett PG Sophomore Cincinatti - 10.1PPG, 6.1APG, 2.6SPG

3 Houston Rockets Delbert Pence SG Junior Fresno St. - 20.2PPG, 2.0SPG, .460 3P%

4 New Orleans Hornets Curtis Lamothe PG Sophomore South Florida - 15.5PPG, 4.4APG

5 Memphis Grizzlies Anthony Kulp PF Junior UCLA - 11.5PPG, 9.5RPG, 1.5BPG

6 Cleveland Cavaliers Hayden Durbin SG Senior Wake Forest - 17.1PPG, 5.6RPG, 3.1APG

7 Washington Bullets Chris Crane SG Senior Illinois - 14.3PPG, 6.4RPG, 3.1APG

8 New York Knicks Benjamin Schoenfeld PG Senior Kentucky - 9.1PPG, 5.2APG, 2.6SPG

9 Milwaukee Bucks Harrison Veal SG Senior USC - 16.0PPG, 4.2RPG, .438 3P%

10 San Antonio Spurs Harold Hunter PF Senior La Salle - 7.8PPG, 5.9RPG, 1.2BPG

11 Detroit Pistons Douglas Williams PG Senior Colorado St. - 11.1PPG, 4.3APG

12 Boston Celtics Antonia Crigger PG Senior Wake Forest - 9.1PPG, 4.6APG, 3.0SPG

13 Seattle Supersonics Rudolph Guidry SF Senior Texas - 8.0PPG, 6.2RPG, 1.8SPG

14 Atlanta Hawks Rick Unruh PF Junior UCLA - 17.2PPG, 9.9RPG, 3.4BPG

15 Toronto Raptors Zack Abad SF Senior Wyoming - 16.4PPG, 4.7RPG, 2.1APG

16 Miami Heat Chris Murphy C Senior St. John's - 19.9PPG, 8.9RPG, .490 FG%

17 New Jersey Nets Chris Floyd C Senior Arizona - 5.5PPG, 12.9RPG, 2.8BPG

18 Indiana Pacers Kenny Brasher SG Senior Clemson - 11.9PPG, 3.7RPG, .401 3P%

19 Minnesota T'Wolves Paul Fung C Senior Duke - 6.2PPG, 9.9RPG, 1.4BPG

20 Denver Nuggets Billie Millan PF Senior George Washington - 8.9PPG, 10.3RPG

21 Dallas Mavericks Justin Basile C Senior DePaul - 13.0PPG, 8.7RPG

22 Chicago Bulls Gaylord Bejarano SG Senior Maryland - 16.6PPG, 7.2RPG, 2.3APG

23 Portland Trailblazers Doug Dube SG Junior Arizona - 21.9PPG, 4.8RPG, 2.6APG

24 Los Angeles Clippers Brian Derosier SG Senior Kentucky - 12.3PPG, 2.1SPG

25 Utah Jazz Elias Wendling SG Senior UCLA - 12.4PPG, 3.3RPG, .415 3P%

26 Philadelphia 76ers Elmer Estrada SG Senior UNLV - 18.1PPG, 3.5RPG, 1.8SPG

27 Sacramento Kings Earnest Cranford C Senior Ohio St. - 8.2PPG, 7.9RPG, 1.6APG

28 Orlando Magic Justin Munoz PF Senior Stanford - 13.1PPG, 8.0RPG, 2.1BPG

29 Golden St. Warriors John Lau SF Senior St. John's - 13.0PPG, 4.9RPG, 2.2APG



2nd Round

30 Los Angeles Lakers Larry Allen C Senior Tulsa - 9.5PPG, 10.8RPG, 0.6BPG

31 Phoenix Suns Chet Kugler SF Senior Rhode Island - 12.4PPG, 5.7RPG, 2.8APG

32 Houston Rockets Alfonso Bray SF Senior Central Michigan - 16.3PPG, 5.9RPG

33 New Orleans Hornets Armando Cruz PF Senior Oregon - 12.0PPG, 7.1RPG, 1.2BPG

34 Memphis Grizzlies Marcus Shipman SF Senior Colorado - 11.2PPG, 7.2RPG, .364 3P%

35 Cleveland Cavaliers Leo Cross C Senior Rutgers - 6.1PPG, 9.0RPG, 0.9SPG

36 Washington Bullets Anderson Thomas C Senior Cincinnatti - Injured in first game.

37 New York Knicks John Sparks SG Senior Central Connecticut - 12.0PPG, 4.3RPG

38 Milwaukee Bucks DeForrest Washington C Senior Evansville - 5.2PPg, 9.1RPG

39 San Antonio Spurs Robert Rayfield SF Senior Cincinnatti - 20.1PPG, 7.4RPG, 2.4APG

40 Detroit Pistons Wallace Haviland PG Senior Iowa - 10.9PPG, 4.6APG, 2.6SPG

41 Boston Celtics Ervin Embry SF Senior Arkansas - 19.6PPG, 6.3RPG, 2.8SPG

42 Seattle Supersonics Jerry Vandiver C Senior Northwestern - 7.4PPG, 7.5RPG, .370 3P%

43 Atlanta Hawks Mario Thomason PF Senior Arizona - 9.0PPG, 5.1RPG, 2.8APG

44 Toronto Raptors Charles Hash SF Senior Iowa - 20.0PPG, 3.6RPG, 2.1APG

45 Miami Heat Charles Weller PG Senior Saint Joseph's - 9.3PPG, 6.2APG

46 New Jersy Nets Carl Cloutier SF Senior Morgan St. - 8.1PPG, 4.6RPG, 1.4SPG

47 Indiana Pacers Theo McCrary PF Senior Miami - 12.7PPG, 7.7RPG, 2.7APG

48 Minnesota T'Wolves Lawrence Hartzog SG Senior Coastal Carolina - 10.6PPG, 4.4RPG

49 Denver Nuggets Chris Stephan PF Senior Georgia - 6.2PPG, 7.3RPG, 1.2BPG

50 Dallas Mavericks John Rosario SF Senior Illinois - 12.1PPG, 4.2RPG, 1.1SPG

51 Chicago Bulls Mitchell Gribble PF Senior Savannah St. - 10.0PPG, 3.7RPG

52 Portland Trailblazers Andy Gladstone SF Senior Wisconsin - 16.5PPG, 6.9RPG, 1.7SPG

53 Los Angeles Clippers Frank Martinez PG Senior Dayton - 10.1PPG, 3.2RPG, 6.0APG

54 Utah Jazz Emerson Brewster PF Senior Creighton - 13.7PPG, 5.5RPG, 2.5BPG

55 Philadelphia 76ers Larry Cover SG Senior Hofstra - 14.0PPG, 4.4RPG, 2.4APG

56 Sacramento Kings Chris Stoltz SF Senior Nebraska - 15.9PPG, 4.9RPG, 1.6APG

57 Orlando Magic Mathis Lefebure SG Senior Delaware - 19.5PPG, 3.6RPG, 3.4APG

58 Golden St. Warriors Jerome Khoury SF Senior South Carolina - 14.3PPG, 3.9RPG


Draft Winners:

Phoenix Suns - Despite taking a PG at #4 last year, Bailey is a future all-star and you can't pass up the chance to acquire talent like this. He underachieved for a couple of seasons in college before exploding as a senior, and will be able to step in straight away and contribute, though he needs to show he can score at this level. 2nd rounder Chet Kugler was a consistent performer for over-achievers Rhode Island and has a chance to stick with the team.

Atlanta Hawks - Hate to toot my own horn, but I did not expect Unruh to be there at #14 and we didn't hesitate to grab him. Unruh was a big time rebounder and shot blocker at UCLA, and won the MVP of the championship game. He's a winner and will challenge for the starting spot straight away. 2nd round choice Mario Thomason was a former #1 High School recruit who took some time to crack the regular rotation. He has a nice all-round game, and is much more versatile than the usual 'blue-collar' type PFs Arizona usually cranks out. A better passer at PF you will be unlikely to find.

Boston Celtics - Antonio Crigger had a solid, if unspectacular, college career and should be able to step in right away and provide minutes off the bench. The real steal may be 2nd round choice Ervin Embry who had a great college career and might impress if he sees court time.

Draft Losers:

Los Angeles Lakers - Three top 3 picks in the past three drafts, and they take PGs in each of them? Todd Bennett is a good young PG loaded with potential, but then so are the other two PGs on their roster. Whichever PG fails to crack the rotation is not going to be a happy camper, and this team needs help just about everywhere. 2nd rounder Larry Allen is a one dimensional rebounder with no scoring ability to speak of, yet may find court time due to a lack of other options.

Miami Heat - The selection of Chris Murphy so high was a real reach, as he was expected to go in the mid-2nd round. He put up good numbers in college, but he just isn't NBA ready. 2nd rounder Charles Weller is a solid ball-handler but the rest of his game needs a lot of work.

Indiana Pacers - Kenny Brasher is an above average defender and can hit the long three, but he did little else to stand out on an average Clemson squad. Hard to understand what the Pacers saw in this guy that no one else did. 2nd rounder Theo McCrary played for a strong Miami Hurricanes team and his scoring touch should carry over to the NBA, but defense and rebounding are not his strong suits.

[Groundhog]

2010 Atlanta Hawks Pre-FA Roster:
Last years stats in brackets, starters in bold.

C Phil Saldana - 6'10, 236lbs, 5yp, Texas (20.3ppg, 11.0rpg, All-Star, First Team NBA)

Emerged big time for us in his first season with the Hawks. Our best player.

PF Milton France - 6'9, 234lbs, 3yp, Wisconsin (8.5ppg, 7.6rpb, 0.7bpg)

Took a big step backwards after a solid season in 2008-09, thanks largely to Saldana's arrival. Will be pushed by Unruh for the starting spot.

PF Rick Unruh - 6'8, 230lbs, R, UCLA

Talented rookie who will challenge for the starting spot.

PF Mario Thomason - 6'8, 220lbs, R, Arizona

Might not see a lot of time this season, but looks to be a solid 11th or 12th man.

SF Phil Kunkle - 6'9, 256lbs, 2yp, Utah (12.8ppg, 3.6rpg, .432 3p%)

My first lottery choice a few seasons ago, his numbers also suffered with Saldana's arrival. His lack of defense and turnover issues have me looking for a replacement.

SF Chris Blankenship - 6'7, 226lbs, 1yp, UCLA (2.4ppg, 1.7rpg, 0.7apg)

Young (20yrs) and loaded with potential, but still some ways off being a regular contributer.

SG Mark Fleming - 6'6, 209lbs, 6yp, Fresno St. (9.1ppg, 4.7rpg, .398 3p%)

We signed him 2 seasons ago fresh off a great season in Chicago, and he dissapointed as a starter. Last season he came off the bench and performed well as 6th man at SG+SF. We'll be looking for more of the same this year.

SG Brett Lacasse - 6'5, 199lbs, 1yp, High School (0.7ppg, 0.5rpg, 0.2spg)

Stacked with potential and only 19yrs old, but a few years away from regular court time.

PG Garth Mitchell - 6'2, 180lbs, 5yp, Syracuse (15.7ppg, 3.2rpg, 7.5apg)

In his first season, after signing with the Hawks for a max contract, Mitchell didn't have the big year I was hoping for, but he's still a solid PG and a strong defender.

PG Mike Palmore - 6'1, 180lbs, 4yp, Maryland (5.5ppg, 3.5apg, 0.5spg)

Started before Mitchell's arrival, this former college star provides a scoring punch off the bench and is more than capable of filling in as a starter should Mitchell go down.

Key Losses to FA:

SG Steve Gant - 6'7, 195lbs, 6yp, Connecticut (11.2ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.2apg)

This lithe swingman had his best ever season as a pro in his one year with Atlanta, but still wasn't happy and decided to walk leaving us with a hole at SG.

C Reggie Kelleher - 6'10, 274lbs, 3yp, Syracuse (8.7ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.1apg)

Reggie gave us solid minutes off the bench, but we are crowded inside and Reggie's turnovers hurt us at times. Unruh or France will fill his backup spot.

What We Are Looking For in FA:

Depth, depth, depth... Oh, and a starting SG would be nice too, as we don't want Fleming starting. We will be looking for a versatile defensive swingman to fill this slot. We are over the cap, so hopefully the $4.5mil exception will land us a player.

[Groundhog]

1st Round:

We offer the $4.5m exception to Ricardo Howell, a 6'5 4yp SG, who has spent his first 4 seasons in San Antonio. He can play anything from PG to SF and last season averaged 10.5ppg, 5.4rpg and 3.5apg. He's not a big scorer, but he can defend and fills every requirement I was looking for.

We also offer a 2 year minimun deal to Steve Gant, who decided not to resign with us after last season.

2nd Round:

Ricardo Howell accepts our offer! We have our starting SG. Steve Gant doesn't accept straight away, but we are still in the running. He has minimun offers from 3 other teams (LAC, New Orleans & Chicago), but they are all for only 1 season.

We also offer minimun contracts to PF Emerson Brewster, a 2nd rounder from this years draft who was released by the Jazz, and PG Tanner Tse, an undrafted rookie out of UCLA... Unruh's team-mate! He's a ball handler and little else.

3rd Round:

I guess Gant really didn't enjoy himself here last season... he declines our multi-year offer and instead signs with the Clippers for one year at the minimun. We didn't really need him anyhow. Both Emerson Brewster and Tanner Tse accept our 1 year minimun deals.

We offer Ron Stowers, a 4yp PF who played with the Knicks last season, a minimun 1yr deal. He averaged 6ppg and 6.5rpg, and would be used purely as a 12th or 13th man.

4th Round:

Stowers accepts. We are now done for FA and skip the final round, and then proceed through Training Camp.

[Groundhog]

After Training Camp we snapped up SF Rashane Stafford from Free Agency. He was a 2nd rounder for the Rockets last season who played sparingly before being released after this year's FA. He's purely mediocre, but a scrappy defender, so he caught my eye.

Depth Chart:
Ratings are in brackets, in the order of In,Out,Hn,Df,Reb,Pot. All ratings are determined by my average scout... Cs across the board from him.

C - Phil Saldana (B-,F+,D,B+,B,B)
PF - Milton France (C+,C,F+,C-,C-,B)
SF - Phil Kunkle (C+,B+,C-,C-,C-,C
SG - Ricardo Howell (C,B,B,B+,C+,C)
PG - Garth Mitchell (B+,C,C+,B,D,D)
---
bC - Rick Unruh (C+,D+,F+,C-,B-,C)
bPF - Rick Unruh (C+,D+,F+,C-,B-,C)
bSF - Mark Fleming (C+,B,C-,D+,C,D)
bSG - Mark Fleming (C+,B,C-,D+,C,D)
bPG - Mike Palmore (C-,C+,C,D,F+,D)
xx - Mario Thomason (C,C,B-,C-,C,B)
xx - Rashane Stafford (C,B-,C,C,C+,D)
xx - Tanner Tse (C+,C,C+,D-,C,C)
xx - Emerson Brewster (C+,C,F+,C-,C-,B)
--- IR ---
IR - Ron Stowers (C+,D,D+,C,C,C)
IR - Chris Blankenship (C,C+,C,D,C,A)
IR - Brett Lacasse (C,C,D,C-,C,A)

[Groundhog]

November 2, vs Orlando Magic

Orlando were a very good team last season, winning 62 games and losing in the Finals to the Golden State Warriors. Little has changed this year, a few new faces but nothing major. They have perhaps the best PG in the game, Antoine Cone, who averaged 21.0ppg, 5.5rpg and 11.2apg last season. I expect to lose this one.

Result: W, 113-93. A close first half in which only Mitchell and Saldana were putting points on the board for us. The Magic then fell apart in the 4th quarter, with my bench players, Unruh in particular, tearing them apart. Top Players: Phil Saldana (28pts, 9rebs, 12-22 sht), Garth Mitchell (27pts, 10asts, 11-18 sht), Rick Unruh (17pts, 8rebs, 7-16sht). Every player on my roster scored at least 1 point. Newly acquired Howell had 6pts, 8rebs and 7asts at SG.

November 9, Atlanta (1-0) vs NY Knicks (2-2)

The Knicks are off to a shaky start, and it's little wonder looking at their roster. Not much scoring ability inside or outside, with the exception of their super scoring SG, who's averaging 22ppg. We can take these guys.

Result: W, 97-79. We shut down their scoring SG and even though Saldana (10pts, 5-11sht) and Mitchell (12pts, 4asts) were quiet, we got a HUGE game from the rookie Unruh (24pts, 9-14sht, 5rebs).

November 10, Atlanta (2-0) vs Philadelphia 76ers (4-0)

The 76ers are a scary team. They have a great PG (27ppg, 12.3apg), the best SF in the game (24ppg, 9rpg) and a good C (13.8ppg, 13.8rpg) and are undefeated in 4 games. I don't like our chances, but it's our home court, so we'll see how it goes.

Result: L, 84-90. We played a great 3 quarters of basketball, but slumped in the 4th Q and couldn't recover. Still, a good performance that was helped along by the 76ers two best players getting injured during the game. Mitchell led our players (19pts, 8rebs, 7asts), with Saldana (19pts, 12rebs) and Unruh (16pts, 7rebs) also coming up big.

November 12, Atlanta (2-1) @ Indiana Pacers (2-3)

The Pacers have a great backcourt, highlighted by 3rd year PG Jarrod Hector (25ppg, 10.6apg thus far) and 3rd year SG B.J. Hallock (23.6ppg), but lack scoring power down low. It's our first road game. Starting at PF for the Pacers is the PF taken ahead of Unruh, Harold Hunter, who's averaging 9.4ppg 7.4rpg.

Result: L, 99-118. Yuck. Saldana got in to early foul trouble and missed most of the 1st half, and even with Unruh playing excellently (20pts, 10rebs), we just plain sucked without him. We let them have way too many offensive rebounds and were whistled for fouls almost every time down the court. Just a wretched, wretched performance for my Hawks. Unruh top scored with his 20pts, while Mitchell had 16pts and 11asts. Saldana had 16pts and 5rebs in his foul-plagued 17 mins.

[Groundhog]

November 14, Atlanta (2-2) vs Indiana Pacers (3-3)

Well, 2 days later we get our chance for revenge. We need to keep them off the offensive glass, keep their guards under control and stay out of foul trouble.

Result: W, 104-99 (OT). Wow, what a game. We really didn't deserve this one. Once again Indiana grabbed offensive boards at will, and even though they shot poorly we gave them 2nd and 3rd attempts on each play so often that it was driving me crazy. Our shots were falling though, and Saldana, Kunkle and Howell all turned it on in the 4th quarter to maintain a lead. The Pacers guards still scored at will though, with Hallock's three leveling it up with 10 seconds remaining in the 4th. We got the ball to Unruh inside who put up a shot with time expiring, but it rimmed out. In overtime we turned it on, running away with the 5 point victory. Good games from Saldana (28pts, 10rebs) and Kunkle (15pts, 4-5 from 3pt), his first good game of the year. Mitchell shot poorly but had 14pts and 10 assists. Unruh had 11pts and 9rebs.

November 15, Atlanta (3-2) @ Philadelphia 76ers (5-1)

Phili are playing some great basketball and already beat us on our home court. I don't like our chances.

Result: L, 96-100. We had a real chance to win this game, but again we threw the ball away and let the 76ers grab too many offensive rebounds. Down by 12 with about 5 mins left I threw in my reserves, and next thing you know it's a 5 point ball game with 2 mins left. I put my starters back in, but we couldn't pull it off. Saldana was huge with 29pts and 16rebs, and Kunkle showed up again with 17pts, while Howell had 11pts, 11rebs and 6asts. Unruh was just 2-8 FG, Mitchell 2-6 FG.

[Groundhog]

Trade: Atlanta Hawks send SF Phil Kunkle and a 2013 2nd round draft choice to the Memphis Grizzlies for SF Derricus Alleyne

I haven't been happy with Kunkle for a few seasons now and Alleyne is a player I had my eye on even back before he was drafted in 2008. He's a 23 year old, 2yp 6'5 213lbs SF out of Texas Tech, where he actually played PF his senior year and did a mighty good job of it (college snr yr stats: 18.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.1apg). He's an aggressive offensive player and a better perimeter defender and rebounder than Kunkle, but lacks Kunkle's outside shooting ability. Over his 3 year career he's averaging 8.2ppg, 3.5rpg in 15.5mpg, but this season his playing time really improved and he is averaging 12.2ppg, 5.2rpg and 2.4apg in 24.2mpg. Despite this jump in playing time he still wasn't happy in Memphis (perhaps because they were using him at PF) and had demanded a trade which, when coupled with Memphis' slow start of 2-5, is why I believe I was able to land him this time when previously I'd been unsuccessfull. Hopefully he's the defensive presence I've been looking for at SF, and he'll move right in to the starting line-up.

As for Kunkle, checking Memphis' depth chart, they have him on the bench backing up the C, PF and SF, so he'll get court-time but won't get the start. It's a contract year for him so Memphis don't have much to lose if he doesn't pan out for them.

[Groundhog]

November 16, Atlanta Hawks (3-3) @ Miami Heat (1-6)

The new look Hawks fly in to Miami for their 3rd game in 3 nights against the Heat, who are off to a woeful start to the season. Miami have no big time scorers, but have a "balanced" offence revolving around their SG Keith Randolph (16.7ppg) and their PF Larry Vaughn (13.1ppg), with versatile forward Corey Jone giving them 14.4ppg off the bench at both PF and C. They are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league however, and when combined with the fact that they also ranked #25 in points allowed, well... you can see why they are 1-6.

Result: L, 71-103. "What the hell is happening?" I was wondering as I watched my team collapse to the Miami Heat. We were turning it over like crazy, with our PG Mitchell losing it out of bounds on each of our first 3 possessions. We couldn't hit anything, couldn't hold on to the ball and nothing was working... we went in to the 2nd half down by 20 points, and that lead soon increased. Then, halfway through the 4th Q, I remember that when you trade a player FBB "auto-configs" your offense... argh! I checked, and sure enough, we are running a pace of "Very High" instead of my usual "Very Slow"... So yeah, that's the cause of this loss, but to keep with the role playing, I'll just say that we were jet lagged ;) Saldana (21pts, 8rebs) and newly acquired Alleyne (13pts, 5rebs) were our only players of note. Mitchell had his worst game ever as a Hawk; 4pts, 5asts and 4turnovers in 33mins. Horrible, horrible, horrible...

November 18, Atlanta Hawks (3-4) vs LA Lakers (6-2)

The Lakers have been a terrible team the past couple of seasons, but the FA acquisition of all-star SG Antoine Mace (25.6ppg) and the improved play of former #1 draft pick PG Tim McCullen (14.3ppg, 5.1apg) has them back on the right track. This won't be an easy game, and hopefully the one night's rest will help us recover from the humiliating loss to Miami. I adjusted our offence settings, but made a slight change, changing our emphasis from Inside to Balanced. Hopefully this gets our backcourt a little more involved in our offence.

Result: W, 85-72. Alleyne was everywhere in the 1st quarter, getting 7pts 4rebs and 3asts, and helping us to a 23-14 lead. In the 2nd Antoine Mace and the Lakers came out firing, but we managed to build up the lead again thanks largely to Saldana's unstoppable play inside and Alleyne's amazing all-round game. He enters the half with 9pts, 7rebs and 7asts, and we are up 44-33. We begin to fade a little in the 3rd, and they narrow the gap to 5 heading in to the 4th. The 4th Q is all Atlanta however, and we get the easy win. Alleyne finishes 1ast short of a triple-double (15pts, 11rebs, 9asts), while Saldana (19pts, 13rebs) and Mitchell (22pts, 6rebs, 6asts) are the other noteables.

November 19, Atlanta Hawks (4-4) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (6-2)

The Cavaliers, who had a 31 win season last year, grabbed all-star PF Josh Damron (27.8ppg, 12.1rpg) from FA and are off to a great start. Outside of Damron they have two decent wings & a blue-collar C, but PG is a weakness, as they are starting rookie SG Hayden Durbin. They are one of the top defensive teams in the country and are undefeated at home. Another tough game, but not unwinnable.

Result: L, 69-85. We hung with the Cavaliers for the 1st quarter, but turnovers just killed us, especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. We ended the game with 21 turnovers, Alleyne responsible for 8(!!) of those. Outside of that we did OK. Our defence was impressive, keeping the hot Cavs to 85 points. Saldana had 23pts and 6 boards, Unruh had 13 and 9 and Mitchell was quiet with 10pts (4-14shooting) and 5 assists. If we only protected the ball a little better this might have been a win.

November 21, Atlanta Hawks (4-5) @ Chicago Bulls (4-6)

The Bulls, historically one of the best teams in the game, are off to a poor start this season, and are currently on a 2 game skid. Their best player, SG Emerson Bradbury (20.1ppg) is having the best season of his career so far but will be playing PG tonight as their starter is injured. Emerson played some PG in college, but this will be his first time starting at the position in the pros. Their other key player is PF Erik Reimer (15.3ppg), a scorer but not much of a defender. The Bulls have the 2nd lowest scoring team in the country, but are also one of the better defensively in terms of points allowed. Turnovers and Saldana will, as usual, be the key. He'll need to overcome Chicago's starting C, a 38yr old defensive specialist. I'll be dissapointed if we don't win this one.

Result: W, 97-89 (OT). It was a vey ugly first Q, with both teams missing everything they threw up and my team turning it over more than I'd like... once again. Entering the 2nd Q it was a 10-13 Bulls lead, and the fans were starting to nod off in the stands. Things improved rapidly in the 2nd with Erik Reimer coming up big for the Bulls and Saldana and Fleming carrying the scoring load for my Hawks. Entering the break we are up 44-41. Both teams traded baskets for the duration of the 2nd half, neither able to pull away, until Reimers 3pt play made it a 3pt ball game with 13 seconds remaining. Not calling a timeout we run the ball up court and Alleyne nails the 3 off the pass from Mitchell to tie the game at 82 with 3 seconds remaining. The Bulls get it up court and Bradbury misses the 3 as the buzzer sounds. Overtime! We come out strong in overtime with everybody stepping it up, but no one more so than Milton France. France converted on a 3pt play, then blocked a shot to secure the win. A great performance from the Hawks, but our inability to keep the other team off the offensive glass nearly cost us the game... well, that and Eric Reimer who exploded for 24 points and 16 rebounds, many of those offensive boards. Saldana led a balanced attack with 18pts and 8 rebs, France had 17 and 10, Alleyne 16pts, 5rebs, 7asts and Mitchell had 14pts and 14asts.

November 23, Atlanta Hawks (5-5) vs NY Knicks (4-7)

We played the Knicks at home in the second game of the season and walked away with an easy 18 point win. They've shuffled their lineup since then but are still not playing great ball. Their only double-digit scorers are SG Nick Broadnax (22.2ppg) and SF Michael Forrester (11.4ppg), which would be great if they were an NCAA team... This just isn't a good team, though they have some decent young players who might amount to something in a few seasons.

Result: W, 89-68. If we shot the ball as well as we defended it, we'd be unstoppable. Unfortunately that's not the case however. We couldn't buy a basket, but neither could the Knicks, and both teams head to the lockerroom at the half with a scoreline of 29-38, Knicks. This is like watching those Heat-Knicks playoff series from a few years ago in the NBA. We come out firing in the 3rd though, and a Garth Mitchell jumpshot with 4 mins left in the 3rd gives us a 51-49 lead; our first of the game. From then on it's a wash as we outscore the hapless Knicks 60-30 in the second half. The Knicks once again did a good job of limiting Saldana (11pts, 14rebs, 4-13sht), but Garth Mitchell just took over in the 2nd half and there wasn't anything they could do (28pts, 11asts, 0turnovers). As expected Nick Broadnax was the only Knick who troubled us offensively, ending up with 19 points on 6-17 shooting. The real key to the game was our rebounding. We had 57 to their 42, with three players in double digits (France had 12, Unruh 11).

November 25, Atlanta Hawks (6-5) vs Orlando Magic (3-4)

Well, we gave these guys a 20-point whipping in the season opener on our home court thanks to the play of Saldana+Unruh+Mitchell. We will be looking for more of the same this time around. The Magic are slumping compared to last season, and they are one of the poorest defensive teams in the nation.

Result: L, 80-89. We forced them to play our slow, grindfest style basketball for about 42 minutes, before we just collapsed at the end. But really, we were lucky to be in this game as long as we were, as we turned the ball over like crazy (21 to their 15, Mitchell had 8 by himself) and gave up far too many offensive rebounds. Unruh led our scorers with 17 points, Saldana had 14 points and 14 boards, but only took 9 shots, and Alleyne was Mr. Versatile again, with 13 points, 5 boards and 4 assists. Mitchell had 12 points and 11 assists to go with his 8 turnovers.

November 27, Atlanta Hawks (6-6) vs Detroit Pistons (5-5)

The Pistons are a high-scoring team, led by 2nd year SF Lloyd Pham (21.7ppg, 7.1rpg) out of Wake Forest, where he was on of their best ever, and SG Deon Scott (18.6ppg, .550 3pt), a scorer who couldn't defend an opposing SG to save his life. At PG they have 3rd year Charles Edwards (12.8ppg, 8.6apg) who has really emerged in his first season as starter. They don't get much scoring out of their post players, who are mainly defenders and rebounders. The Pistons are a team we really need to beat if we want to make the playoffs. There's no question we can do it, but our scoring prowess will need to keep up with our defensive prowess... we've shown we can slow other teams down, but we struggle to score ourselves, especially in the 4th.

Result: W, 92-82. The first half was a scoring fest, with both teams shooting above .550, and despite entering the half up 51-47 we knew we weren't going to win this game if it came down to outscoring the opponent. A big 3rd quarter where we limited them to 13 points proved the key however, and we held off a comeback attempt by Lloyd Pham, who had 9 points in the 4th, to take the win. Mitchell was huge for us with 19pts and 11asts, while Howell had his best game of the season with 15pts and 5asts. Saldana, in foul trouble for much of the 1st half, ended the game with 10pts and 5rebs. We were outrebounded 48-56, again thanks to giving up way too many offensive rebounds, which largely had to do with Saldana not being on the court for large stretches of time.

November 29, Atlanta Hawks (7-6) @ Denver Nuggets (10-0)

The Nuggets are the only undefeated team in the league, and it's not hard to see why. They are the top scoring team in the country (109.3ppg) and the 3rd best defensive team (88.3ppg by opponents). Their high-octane offense is lead by PG Josiah Stafford (24.0ppg, 6.2rpg, 9.3apg), one of the best in the league, and 36yr old SG Michael Woods (16.4ppg), but all 5 starters average double figures and are capable of putting up big nights. This team is a match-up nightmare for my guys (as well as most of the rest of the league), so I'm not too hopeful. If we keep it close, I'll be happy.

Result: W, 77-72. Wow, what a game. We forced the Nuggest to play our brand of slow, grinding basketball and tormented their scorers. They fought back in the 4th quarter but Derricus Alleyne responded and we held on for the win! Alleyne led all scorers with 20pts on 8-13 shooting, while Mitchell had 17pts and 9asts. Unruh only shot 3-11 for his 9pts but also pulled down 18 rebounds. Saldana fouled out in only 14 minutes, ending the game with 4pts and 8rebs... not good. We held the Nuggets stud PG Stafford to 14pts on 6-17 shooting.

[Groundhog]

Standings:

Atlantic Division
W L Win % L 10 Home GB
Philadelphia 76ers 12 2 .857 8-2 6-1 -
Orlando Magic 6 5 .545 6-4 4-2 4.5
New York Knicks 6 9 .400 4-6 2-2 6.5
Boston Celtics 5 9 .357 4-6 3-5 7.0
Miami Heat 5 10 .333 4-6 4-5 7.5
New Jersey Nets 6 12 .333 3-7 5-3 8.0
Washington Bullets 4 12 .250 3-7 4-4 9.0

Central Division
W L Win % L 10 Home GB
Cleveland Cavaliers 8 4 .667 7-3 5-1 -
Indiana Pacers 10 6 .625 7-3 5-0 0.0
Toronto Raptors 8 5 .615 5-5 5-1 0.5
Atlanta Hawks 8 6 .571 6-4 6-2 1.0
Milwaukee Bucks 8 9 .471 6-4 4-5 2.5
Detroit Pistons 6 7 .462 4-6 4-4 2.5
New Orleans Hornets 7 12 .368 4-6 2-5 4.5
Chicago Bulls 4 9 .308 3-7 2-6 4.5
Midwest Division
W L Win % L 10 Home GB
Denver Nuggets 10 1 .909 9-1 4-1 -

Utah Jazz 9 3 .750 7-3 4-2 1.5
Minnesota Timberwolves 10 4 .714 7-3 5-1 1.5
Dallas Mavericks 8 6 .571 6-4 6-2 3.5
San Antonio Spurs 5 8 .385 4-6 5-3 6.0
Memphis Grizzlies 5 9 .357 4-6 2-3 6.5
Houston Rockets 5 11 .313 4-6 2-5 7.5

Pacific Division
W L Win % L 10 Home GB
Los Angeles Clippers 9 3 .750 7-3 7-1 -
Golden State Warriors 10 4 .714 7-3 4-3 0.0
Sacramento Kings 9 5 .643 6-4 3-0 1.0
Los Angeles Lakers 8 6 .571 5-5 5-1 2.0
Portland Trailblazers 9 8 .529 4-6 7-5 2.5
Seattle Supersonics 4 7 .364 4-6 4-6 4.5
Phoenix Suns 2 14 .125 1-9 1-7 9.0

Power Poll:

Team Record Rating
1. Philadelphia 76ers 12-2 0.662
2. Denver Nuggets 10-1 0.614
3. Sacramento Kings 9-5 0.538
4. Utah Jazz 9-3 0.535
5. Golden State Warriors 10-4 0.504
6. Los Angeles Clippers 9-3 0.480
7. Cleveland Cavaliers 8-4 0.377
8. Minnesota Timberwolves 10-4 0.344
9. Indiana Pacers 10-6 0.325
10. Orlando Magic 6-5 0.275
11. Portland Trailblazers 9-8 0.269
12. Dallas Mavericks 8-6 0.256
13. Los Angeles Lakers 8-6 0.211
14. Toronto Raptors 8-5 0.210
15. Atlanta Hawks 8-6 0.141
16. San Antonio Spurs 5-8 0.125
17. Seattle Supersonics 4-7 0.069
18. Detroit Pistons 6-7 0.067
19. Milwaukee Bucks 8-9 0.061
20. New Jersey Nets 6-12 0.058
21. Washington Bullets 4-12 0.035
22. New York Knicks 6-9 0.020
23. New Orleans Hornets 7-12 0.008
24. Memphis Grizzlies 5-9 -0.013
25. Miami Heat 5-10 -0.072
26. Houston Rockets 5-11 -0.108
27. Boston Celtics 5-9 -0.108
28. Chicago Bulls 4-9 -0.122
29. Phoenix Suns 2-14 -0.205

Atlanta Hawks Stats:

Name Pos Games MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TPG FG% FT% 3P%
Phil Saldana C 14 30.9 17.9 9.9 1.3 0.5 0.9 1.1 .526 .426 .000
Emerson Brewster C 3 2.3 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 1.000 .000
Milton France PF 14 27.2 8.7 8.5 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.6 .475 .737 .000
Rick Unruh PF 14 27.7 12.4 7.6 1.5 0.6 0.8 2.1 .442 .717 .000
Ron Stowers PF 6 12.8 1.5 3.3 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.2 .333 .250 .000
Mario Thomason PF 11 7.4 2.7 1.2 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.4 .542 .667 .000
Derricus Alleyne SF 13 29.1 13.0 5.8 3.7 0.5 0.4 2.9 .443 .618 .242
Rashane Stafford SF 14 7.2 1.3 1.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.1 .727 .667 .000
Chris Blankenship SF 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Ricardo Howell SG 14 34.2 7.4 5.9 3.6 1.1 0.1 2.4 .467 .833 .625
Mark Fleming SG 14 24.9 8.4 3.8 1.1 0.5 0.1 1.1 .553 .750 .750
Brett Lacasse SG 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Garth Mitchell PG 14 36.1 15.8 3.6 8.6 1.4 0.2 3.4 .479 .842 .212
Tanner Tse PG 6 2.0 1.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 .500 1.000 .500
Mike Palmore PG 14 11.9 1.9 0.6 2.1 0.3 0.0 0.9 .310 .556 .333

Comments:

I love the slow-down, grinding defense we bring to each game and how we are able to catch some of the top teams (ie. the Nuggets) by complete surprise, forcing them to adopt our style of play over their own. What I don't love is our inability to score, our turnovers, and the fact that we give up scores of offensive boards, especially when Saldana is on the bench.

Speaking of Saldana, he is off to a slow start, thanks largely to foul trouble, and we really need him to revert to last season's 20-10 form. He is one of the best bigmen in the league and if we hope to stay in the playoff race we need him to play like it.

The addition of Derricus Alleyne has been a great one, as he's brought the all-round game I like from my SFs. He turns it over some, but makes up for it with everything else he does. Likewise at SG Ricardo Howell's all-round game has impressed, but he needs to step up his scoring. Mitchell has been Mitchell; solid over-all. His outside stroke has been off, but he's typically a factor each and every night.

At PF the Milton France-Rick Unruh battle has been interesting. Unruh brings scoring to the table but turns the ball over, while France brings less scoring, more boards and slightly less turnovers. I'm inclined to keep starting France, because I don't want to annoy him by putting him on the bench as this is his contract year and I want him back next season. Unruh is doing well as 6th man anyway, so I see no need to shake this up.

Our bench has been OK. Fleming is doing exactly what I hoped he would; bring some scoring off the bench. Mike Palmore has seriously underperformed for us at PG and has me looking for other options-Tanner Tse is not a serious candidate to replace him at this point. Ron Stowers has not been overwhelming at PF/C, and I'm thinking of maybe bringing 2nd round pick Thomason back in to the rotation. I really like Rashane Stafford at SG/SF, and I'm glad the CPU offered him to me in a trade for a guy I didn't need. He fits ni to my longterm plans.

Overall, the team is about where I expected it to be. We've had some horrible losses and some GREAT wins, but the key is more consistency on offense. If the playoffs were to start today, we'd be #5 in the East; a position I'll be very happy if we can maintain for the rest of the season.

[Groundhog]

December 1, Atlanta Hawks (8-6) @ Phoenix Suns (2-14)

The Suns have, co-incidently, two players from my Northwestern State squad in my other dynasty thread. Neither sees much time, with undrafted PF Colin Mooney on the IR list and last year's #5 draft pick Bill Turnage (Mr Triple Double as I called him in college) looking like he's also fallen out of the rotation, thanks largely to the addition of #1 draft pick PG William Bailey (14.6ppg, 5.9rpg, 8.0apg), who is having a great season.

Little else is great for these Suns however. Bailey and SG Jon Soule (14.6ppg) lead a struggling squad that is dead last in the NBA in points scored (82.8ppg) while giving up 96.4ppg, 9th worst. They turn the ball over, play bad defense and... well, are just terrible. If we can't get a win here I will be most upset; away game or not.

Result: W, 78-76. Phew. We didn't deserve this one. We turned the ball over like crazy (19tos to Phoenix's 12) and just couldn't put points on the board, but we outscored them 26-14 in the 4th quarter, with Saldana hitting a shot with 25 seconds left to give us the win. Saldana was huge for us with 27pts & 18rebs, while Mitchell was our only other double digits scorer with 13pts and 8asts. We outrebounded them 60-44. Still, this game was far closer than it should have been.

December 4, Atlanta Hawks (9-6) @ New Orleans Hornets (7-13)

The Hornets can put points on the board, but are the worst defensive team in the league. They have been bottom feeders for a long time and continue to make poor draft choices. This year they signed up a stud stud SF from the Warriors in Arthur Moran (19.1ppg, 6.6rpg) and PF Andy Burgett (12.8ppg, 12.6rpg) from the Mavs, but still haven't been able to turn it around. This years #4 draft pick Curtis Lamothe, a combo-guard out of South Florida, has recently worked his way in to the starting 5 and might be dangerous, but this is a team we should beat.

Result: W, 88-63. We utterly dominated the 1st half, completely shutting down their scorers while Mitchell and Alleyne nailed some big shots for us, and we went in to the half up 45-22! In the 3rd Q we did our best to throw away the game by turning it over, not playing D and missing all our shots, but the 4th quarter was all ours. Garth Mitchell was huge for us with 22pts, 7asts and 4stls, while Alleyne had 21pts. Saldana was ineffective for most of the game, but had a nice 4th Q to end with 15pts and 6rebs. France managed just 2 points but equalled a career high 18 rebounds. Curtis Lamothe, the Hornets #4 pick, led all Hornets scorers with just 13 points.

December 6, Atlanta Hawks (10-6) @ Orlando Magic (7-6)

We arrive in Orlando for the last game of our 4 game road trip. We've played the Magic twice already for a win and a loss, and we'll be hoping for another victory today to help us climb a little closer to the top of the Central division. Again we need to watch their backcourt, PG Antoine Cone (24.8ppg, 8.7apg) in particular.

Result: L, 87-99. As has proven the case before when we match up with the Magic they just kill us on the boards and force us to make mistakes. It was no different this time, and matters weren't helped with Saldana and Mitchell both getting in to early foul trouble. We couldn't contain Cone, who had 30pts 9asts, and their big men were forces inside. Alleyne was our leading scorer with a career high 26 points, while Saldana finished with 15pts and 15rebs in just 27 foul plagued minutes. Milton France and Ricardo Howell, our starting PF and SGs, were invisible.

December 9, Atlanta Hawks (10-7) vs Milwaukee Bucks (10-11)

The bucks are going to be one of my key competitors for playoff positioning this season, so I have to beat them every chance I get. They are led by the the play of bigman Mike Dixon (18.7ppg, 7.7rpg) and PG Dewey Lake (17.1ppg, 10.9apg), but Dixon is currently injured. They rely heavily on their other post players as well for scoring, and the team lacks a real threat from long range. They have reshuffled their lineup for this game, but I think this is a game we should win.

Result: W, 79-68. Not a pretty game, but we won. We came out slow in the 1st quarter, with only Alleyne and Mitchell making any noise, but ran the show from the 2nd quarter on. Bucks PF Andy Shore gave us trouble, but we managed to contain their PG Lake to just 3-15 shooting. Saldana led our boys with 19pts and 8rebs, while Mitchell had 12pts and 6asts. Fleming had 12pts and 12rebs off the bench.

December 10, Atlanta Hawks (11-7) vs Utah Jazz (12-5)

Our 2nd home game in as many nights finds us up against the Utah Jazz, who have won 3 in a row and are an amazing 7-2 on the road, compared to just 5-3 at home. The reason for their success has been the stellar play of SF Kevin Jensen (21.6ppg, 7.5rpg, 3.0apg) and the amazing bench play they've been getting from SF Javon Davis (16.0ppg, 4.4rpg). Combine this with a tough inside duo of PF Javon Bayno (15.5ppg, 11.5rpg) and C Tom Blaine (10.5ppg, 10.5rpg, 1.8bpg) and the steady if unspectacular play of PG Sam Lee (7.0ppg, 8.3apg) and you can see why this team is looking ilke a contender. We will need to contain Jensen and Davis, compete for boards with Bayno and Blaine, and get a big game from Saldana if we are going to win this. It will be hard, but I think we can do it.

Result: L, 71-84. The Jazz were on fire in the first quarter, knocking down everything and making it look like this game would be over before half time. A massive 2nd quarter put us right back in it however, and we entered the half up by 2 points, with Alleyne and Saldana both pacing us. We came out strong in the 3rd, scoring the first 6 points. Then, disaster strikes; we can't hit the broad side of a barn while the Jazz reel off 18 unanswered points. We hit a FT as the quarter finishes giving us a grand total of 7 points for the quarter. The poor shooting continued in the 4th while the Jazz walk away with an easy win. Saldana had a nice first half but finished with just 14pts and 7rebs on 5-17 shooting. Alleyne was our best overall with 13pts, 4rebs and 5asts.

December 12, Atlanta Hawks (11-8) vs Milwaukee Bucks (10-13)

We beat these guys at home soundly a few nights ago, and will be looking to do the same again. We will need to shut down Lake again while getting Saldana plenty of touches, just like we did last time.

Result: W, 87-67. This one was never close. Saldana exploded in the 1st quarter scoring 18 points; 4 more than their entire team! We then never looked back, with both Saldana, who finished with a season-high 38pts and 10rebs, and Mitchell with his first career triple double (16pts, 10rebs, 12asts) pacing the way. Alleyne also almost had his first triple double, finishing with 11pts, 9rebs and 9asts. We contained their PG Lake to 15pts and just 5asts.

December 14, Atlanta Hawks (12-8) vs Toronto Raptors (9-12)

The Raptors are led by a trio of swingmen, with former #1 draft pick Jim Curry (18.3ppg, .440 3p%, recently moved to a 6th man role) leading the way followed by SG Robert Nutt (15.6ppg, .474 3p%) and versatile Darryl Nutkins (12.9ppg, 4.9apg) also recently moved to the bench in an attempt to shuffle up the lineup and pick up some wins. This time can pile up the points, but is lacking on defense as well as in the post. They are currently behind us in the Central division so we need to pick up a win here, especially at home.

Result: W, 101-99. Well, we did our best to throw this game away by turning it over, giving up way too many offensive rebounds and allowing Curry and their bigman Whitacre to score way too easily. With 30 seconds left we had the ball down by 1, Saldana shoots, misses and is fouled. He goes to the line, sinks the first, but misses the 2nd. Amazingly he grabs his own board, gets it to Unruh who nails the jumper from the baseline to put us up by 2 with 2 seconds left, and the Raptors were unable to get a shot off until the buzzer. Saldana led all scorers (28pts, 12rebs), with Mitchell (23pts, 9asts) and Alleyne (21pts, 6rebs) also coming through big. Unruh (19pts, 10rebs) had his best game in awhile.

December 15, Atlanta Hawks (13-8) vs New Jersey Nets (8-16)

This is the worst start the Nets have had in awhile, and it's easy to see why. Outside of sensational PF Jamie Murray (28.0ppg, 13.7rpg) and PG John Sanders (20.5ppg, 9.1apg in just 8 games) this team struggles to score, turns the ball over, and doesn't defend. Still, Murray is one of the better PFs in the league, with 3 rings and several first team awards, so you can't write these guys down as an easy win. We will need to contain Murray and Sanders and make one of their other players try and beat us.

Result: L, 68-83. Eww. That's the best way to describe this game. The Nets came out firing, Murray in particular (23pts, 16rebs), and for two and a half quarters the Nets were shooting better than 60% from the floor, mostly from inside, while all we could do was watch. Saldana (22pts, 8rebs) and Mitchell (17pts, 3asts) were the only guys who showed up for us.

December 17, Atlanta Hawks (13-9) @ Utah Jazz (14-6)

These guys slammed us a week ago on our home court, and it's hard to see us preventing that with us travelling out to Utah. None of our guys got it going while Jazz SF Jensen (21.7ppg, 7.6rp) destroyed us. We need Saldana to dominate and Mitchell needs more than the 10pts on 4-14 shooting that he brought to our last game vs the Jazz.

Result: L, 73-86. We've learnt one thing this season - Utah Jazz bigman Tom Blaine (10.3ppg, 9.9rpg, 1.8bpg) has Saldana's number. For the second time this season Blaine just harrassed Saldana and swatted away 3 of his shots and forced him in to 8 of 20 shooting. No one else stepped it up to account for Saldana's off night (16pts, 9rebs), with Unruh (11pts, 7rebs) and Alleyne (10pts, 3rebs) being the only other players in double figures for us. Mitchell was just 2 of 10 from the floor for his 4pts, 5rebs and 8asts. We made a mini-comeback in the 4th quarter with our garbage-time players on the court, but the Jazz are just too good for us and pulled away.

December 18, Atlanta Hawks (13-10) vs Toronto Raptors (9-15)

We played these guys just a few days ago, coming out ahead in a game that came right down to the buzzer on the home court. They visit us tonight in Atlanta, so we will be looking to get another victory vs our Central division foes. Saldana, Mitchell, Unruh and Alleyne all dominated last game, so we hope to see similar things tonight.

Result: W, 90-76. We flat out dominated the 1st half, led by Mitchell who was doing everything for us. The Raptors on the other hand were turning it over and shooting poorly, and we held a 46-28 lead going in to the half. We started the 3rd period nicely, before hitting a bit of a rut and allowing them to get it within 9 points. Then, just before the end of the 3rd, Mitchell goes down with an injury, out for 3 days. We spend the 4th Q getting the lead out in to the 13-14 point range, before they chip it back down to 9, but France, Unruh and Alleyne all have a response and we push it back out again, before clinching it with a minute and a half left and sending in the reserves to finish the game. Mitchell had 13pts, 4rebs and 6asts before leaving the game, Saldana had 15pts, 7rebs but shot just 7-19 FGs, France had 14pts and 5rebs and Alleyne was player of the game with 9pts, 6rebs and 7asts. The Raptors are insane for not starting 3 year pro, former #1 pick SG Jim Curry. He shot it poorly this game, but he's their best player and will walk after his contract expires this off-season.

December 20, Atlanta Hawks (14-10) vs Golden State Warriors (17-7)

The Golden State Warriors have won 5 titles in a row. This year they aren't quite as strong as last, losing one of their best players, SF Arthur Moran, to free agency and acquiring young talent like C Ron Ned (12.2ppg, 6.8rpg) and SG Boyce Kao (6.2ppg, 2.1apg), the #2 draft pick from last season who has thus far proved a massive bust. But still, this is a VERY dangerous team. They have PF Phillip Siefert (22.4ppg, 12.0rpg), a main-stay of their 5 titles, coming off the bench this year, but he is still tearing it up. The team scores over 100 points a game, and keeps the other team below 90... nuff said! Throw in the fact that we are missing Mitchell and you can see why we are sweating despite playing at home... Palmore needs to fill Mitchell's shoes in a competent manner. He started for us a few seasons ago, but has really struggled to adjust to his role in our system.

Result: L, 70-87. We came out cold in the 1st quarter. Nothing would drop for us, Saldana got in to foul trouble and we gave up way too many second chance baskets as Ned and Siefert hit the offensive boards seemingly at will. We enter the 1st quarter break down 9-23! The 2nd quarter goes in our favour however, as Saldana and Unruh have some success inside, and we enter the half down 34-37. The second half is all Golden State however. Saldana and Howell are the only guys making baskets for me, and my bench has been near useless. Alleyne goes on a bit of a streak in the 4th quarter, but it's too late. We get blown out. We were outrebounded 40-57 and this was a major factor. Ned (22pts, 13rebs) and Siefert (16pts, 13rebs) just killed us in the post and we lacked the fire power to keep up. We did manage to slow down their offense though, as the warriors usually score over 100ppg. Saldana finished with 19pts and 7rebs, Alleyne had 19pts (nearly all in the 4th quarter) on just 7-20 shooting and 4asts, while Howell finished with 13pts. Palmore was woeful as a replacement for Mitchell, logging 0pts on 0-6 shooting, 3 assists and 2 turnovers in 41 minutes. I can't believe this guy used to start for me... he is completely lost in our system and I'm looking to move him immediately.

[Groundhog]

Trade: Atlanta Hawks send PG Mike Palmore and a 2012 2nd round draft choice to the Orlando Magic for PG Will Ahern.

Mike Palmore had to go. I loved this kid when he was at Maryland and traded for him as soon as I took over the Atlanta Hawks with the view of having him as my franchise PG. He was the #5 pick to the Raptors in the 2006 NBA draft but struggled to hit the court as a rookie with just 11 games played, and was then traded to the Grizzlies where he didn't fare much better, averaging 22.1mpg in just 49 games. I got him cheap and he slotted in nicely on a very bad roster, leading my team in scoring and averaging 14.2ppg, 3.0rpg and 5.7apg for the season. Still, he is a sieve on defense, so we brought in Mitchell as a FA and Palmore moved to the bench, where he performed very well last season, averaging 5.5ppg and 3.5apg in 15.6mpg. This season we changed our offense and defence dramatically, and Palmore has been terrible. He's averaging 2.0ppg and 2.0apg, shooting .345 from the floor (career average is .456), .211 from long range (career average is .373) and .538 from the line (career average is .804). He's either regressed massively, which is odd at just 26 years of age, or just needs a change of environment. He's in the final year of his contract.

Will Ahern, a 27 year old with 6 years experience, was an unheralded JuCo PG who spent two years at UAB, where he had a solid if unspectacular career, averaging 9.8ppg, 4.0apg and 2.5spg as a senior, before being picked at #19 by the Boston Celtics. He was drafted for his defence (hence the reason I'm after him), but has struggled to hit the court in his first 6 seasons with the league, including not hitting the court at all in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, and then just playing one game in 2007. He was signed by the Magic in 2008 and found irregular time, though he cracked the regular rotation this year and was averaging 4.2ppg, 0.7rpg, 0.9apg and 0.6spg in 11.8mpg, easily his most minutes averaged over his career. Despite this he was extremely unhappy with his role in Orlando and demanded a trade. We don't expect much scoring from this guy, but we feel he fits our team's style of play MUCH more than Palmore. Even if it doesn't pan out, he's a FA at the end of the season.

http://oregoninsidersports.com/storypics/magic05_jameer_nelson.jpg
Will Ahern looking to drive against the Portland Trailblazers

[Groundhog]

December 26, Atlanta Hawks (14-11) vs Boston Celtics (7-16)

Well we get a whole week to recover from our loss to the Warriors, and a day off to celebrate Christmas with our families before our Boxing Day showdown with the Boston Celtics, who are sitting at the bottom of the Eastern division, and are 3rd worst overall in the entire NBA. The team is led by SG Michael Kinsey (17.8ppg, 3.7rpg) and PG Freddie Myers (12.6ppg, 5.4apg), and is dead last in the league in FG% and 3rd last in PPG. Their biggest issue is the lack of post scorers. Their two starting bigs are rebounders, but backup PF/C Boyce Daniels (8.6ppg, 8.2rpg) is a threat. Saldana and Unruh/France should be able to dominate inside, Mitchell returns to PG and should handle Myers with ease, while Howell will be charged with keeping Kinsey in check. I will be dissapointed if we drop this game.

Result: W, 88-80. We flat out dominated the Celtics for 3 whole quarters, and entered the 4th up 70-50. Saldana had been doing the damage inside and we had been doing a heck of a job pressuring their shooters and hitting the boards. With about 9 minutes left in the 4th and our lead at 18 I pull the starters and throw in my bench players. Then starts the comeback... We turn the ball over, throw up bad shots, and allow the Celtics to start raining in shot after shot, and soon the lead is at 10 and I put my starters back in with 5 minutes remaining. The Celtics play good ball, but it never gets closer than 8. Player of the game was France, with just 11 points but his 16 rebs were huge. Saldana scored 18pts on just 7-23 shooting, but also had 14 rebs and 4 blocks. Mitchell, in his first game back from injury, had 17pts and just 2 asts, but was big in the 4th quarter. New comer Will Ahern had 2 pts on 1-5 shooting with 2 rebs, 1 ast and 1 stl. Kinsey had 19 for the Celtics. A good game, but it was a bit of a downer to see our bench players let the Celtics back in the game.

December 27, Atlanta Hawks (15-11) @ Indiana Pacers (15-9)

We've played the Pacers twice already, getting thrashed on their homecourt before picking up a win in OT in Atlanta. Both times their backcourt duo of B.J. Hallock (21.5ppg, 6.5rpg, .433 3p%) and Jarrod Hector (22.8ppg, 8.7apg, 2.3spg) have come up huge, so we will need to lock down on them if we are to gain a victory here. This is an important game for us, as we are two games back from Indiana right now and from the look of things early on we will be battling with them for a higher playoff position.

Result: L, 88-96. The first half was ugly basketball, with both teams missing pretty much everything, but we held a slight lead going in to the half, 42-37. Saldana was in foul trouble but Mitchell was playing well in his absence. The third quarter saw Pacers guard Hallock step it up a little and we struggled to keep up, but managed to enter the 4th Q with a slight lead. Hallock opened up the 4th with a couple of big 3s and though we managed to claw back from time to time, they would then reply with a couple of baskets to put it back out of reach... dissapointing quarter that cost us the win. Mitchell led all our scorers with 19pts and 5asts, while Saldana had 15pts and 10rebs. Will Ahern had a much better second game for us, with 7pts, 2asts and 2stls in 12 mins.

December 29, Atlanta Hawks (15-12) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (13-14)

The Timberwolves, after a hot start to the year, are in a major slump and have won just 2 out of their last 10 games. SG Matt Underwood (20.5ppg, .4203p%), a deadly spot-up shooter, is their leading scorer. He is one of the more one dimensional players in the league, but he is very good at what he does. The other dangers are PG Ray Baeza (11.0ppg, 5.6apg, 1.5spg), a solid defender, and PF Tommy Morehouse (15.5ppg, 12.4rpg), a strong scorer from the blocks.

Their biggest weakness is their defense - in the post especially - so Saldana should hopefully be able to make some noise tonight. He hasn't had the string of big games like he did last season, so maybe tonight is the night...

Result: W, 92-62. Well, we were correct about their interior defense. This game was never close. Saldana flat out dominated the first half and we never looked back. Saldana finished with 24pts 10rebs, Mitchell had 20pts 8asts, while Unruh had 11pts 8rebds and 3blks. Underwood had 16pts for the Timberwolves, and no one else really showed up for them tonight.

December 31, Atlanta Hawks (16-12) vs Washington Bullets (9-20)

Fun Fact: Washington has not had a winning season since 1993-94 - coming up on 20 years. Despite all the high-lottery picks this has earnt them they continue to lose, both as a result of very poor selections in the draft and lack of FA signings. Their leading scorer is SG Charles Cross (18.7ppg, 4.6rpg), the #1 pick in the draft 2 years ago. He's dangerous, but the guy taken immediately after him was Pacers PG Jarrod Hector, now one of the best in the league. Their next best player is PG Kenny Jordan (15.4ppg, 8.7apg), a former #1 pick who they snapped up last FA for a max deal when his rookie contract expired with New Orleans, and he's a very nice PG but he pushed former #4 draft choice Rasheem McCurdy to the bench in his final season of his rookie contract. Their frontcourt are mainly defenders, though they have some fire power. I am confident we can beat this team. If we can keep Cross under control then they don't really have the firepower to outscore us... knock on wood.

Result: W, 90-83. We started out really slow in the 1st quarter - not able to buy a basket and turning it over our first few possessions - but we steadied the ship and had a comfortable lead practically all game. In the 4th Q I took the starters out and gave the bench players a chance and the Bullets proceeded to stage a mini-comeback, but we were never seriously threatened. Saldana led our players with 21pts 13rebs 6asts 4blks, while Mitchell had 14pts 5asts 5stl. Cross had 22pts for the Bullets, and Jordan had 15, though shot just 6-17 and turned it over 8 times.

[Groundhog]

Standings:

Atlantic Division:

Team W L Pct. GB
1. Philadelphia 76ers 24 5 0.828 -
2. Orlando Magic 22 7 0.759 2.0
3. New York Knicks 16 15 0.516 9.0
4. New Jersey Nets 13 19 0.406 12.5
5. Miami Heat 9 20 0.310 15.0
6. Boston Celtics 8 19 0.296 15.0
7. Washington Bullets 9 21 0.300 15.5

Central Division:

Team W L Pct. GB
1. Indiana Pacers 18 10 0.643 -
2. Cleveland Cavaliers 16 10 0.615 1.0
3. Atlanta Hawks 17 12 0.586 1.5
4. Detroit Pistons 14 16 0.467 5.0
5. New Orleans Hornets 13 17 0.433 6.0
6. Milwaukee Bucks 14 19 0.424 6.5
7. Toronto Raptors 11 19 0.367 8.0
8. Chicago Bulls 10 18 0.357 8.0

Midwest Division:

Team W L Pct. GB
1. Denver Nuggets 20 6 0.769 -
2. Utah Jazz 19 9 0.679 2.0
3. Dallas Mavericks 16 10 0.615 4.0
4. San Antonio Spurs 16 13 0.552 5.5
5. Memphis Grizzlies 14 16 0.467 8.0
6. Minnesota Timberwolves 13 16 0.448 8.5
7. Houston Rockets 8 23 0.258 14.5

Pacific Division:

Team W L Pct. GB
1. Golden State Warriors 21 9 0.700 -
2. Los Angeles Clippers 19 8 0.704 0.5
3. Sacramento Kings 15 13 0.536 5.0
4. Seattle Supersonics 12 14 0.462 7.0
5. Los Angeles Lakers 14 17 0.452 7.5
6. Portland Trailblazers 13 16 0.448 7.5
7. Phoenix Suns 6 23 0.207 14.5

Power Poll:

Team Record Rating
1. Philadelphia 76ers 24-5 0.633
2. Golden State Warriors 21-9 0.480
3. Orlando Magic 22-7 0.479
4. Denver Nuggets 20-6 0.469
5. Utah Jazz 19-9 0.469
6. Los Angeles Clippers 19-8 0.444
7. Sacramento Kings 15-13 0.431
8. Indiana Pacers 18-10 0.343
9. Cleveland Cavaliers 16-10 0.325
10. San Antonio Spurs 16-13 0.297
11. Dallas Mavericks 16-10 0.295
12. Portland Trailblazers 13-16 0.188
13. New York Knicks 16-15 0.166
14. Atlanta Hawks 17-12 0.161
15. Seattle Supersonics 12-14 0.157
16. New Jersey Nets 13-19 0.136
17. Memphis Grizzlies 14-16 0.102
18. Milwaukee Bucks 14-19 0.099
19. Los Angeles Lakers 14-17 0.097
20. Washington Bullets 9-21 0.090
21. New Orleans Hornets 13-17 0.078
22. Minnesota Timberwolves 13-16 0.078
23. Detroit Pistons 14-16 0.072
24. Toronto Raptors 11-19 -0.028
25. Chicago Bulls 10-18 -0.033
26. Miami Heat 9-20 -0.100
27. Houston Rockets 8-23 -0.157
28. Boston Celtics 8-19 -0.169
29. Phoenix Suns 6-23 -0.203

Atlanta Hawk's Stats:

Name Pos Games MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TPG FG% FT% 3P%
Phil Saldana C 29 32.4 19.2 10.1 1.6 0.7 1.3 1.1 .505 .447 .000
Emerson Brewster C 3 2.3 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 1.000 .000
Milton France PF 29 26.2 7.8 8.1 1.2 0.8 1.0 1.6 .434 .775 .000
Rick Unruh PF 29 27.3 10.9 8.3 1.6 0.5 1.0 2.2 .415 .713 .000
Ron Stowers PF 17 10.8 3.1 2.8 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.5 .568 .611 .000
Mario Thomason PF 15 8.3 2.1 1.5 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.5 .419 .750 .000
Derricus Alleyne SF 28 29.5 12.9 5.4 3.8 0.7 0.4 2.4 .425 .639 .303
Rashane Stafford SF 29 7.7 1.7 1.4 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.1 .576 .714 .000
Chris Blankenship SF 11 3.8 1.1 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 .417 .500 .000
Ricardo Howell SG 29 33.2 6.0 5.9 3.1 1.0 0.1 2.1 .363 .818 .415
Mark Fleming SG 29 23.7 7.0 3.7 1.4 0.5 0.1 1.4 .491 .814 .524
Brett Lacasse SG 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 .000 .000 .000
Garth Mitchell PG 28 35.4 15.4 3.3 7.6 1.8 0.1 3.0 .478 .873 .259
Will Ahern PG 25 11.8 4.0 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.2 0.8 .339 .765 .306
Tanner Tse PG 17 3.5 1.5 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.2 .529 .750 .667

Comments:

We went 9-6 over December - a pretty decent month, with the thrashing we suffered to the Nets being the low point, but overall we beat the teams we should be beating. Unfortunately, we lost to the teams that we really need to beat - those above .500 and, in particular, the Pacers.

We continue to play our slow, grinding style of ball, averaging just 86.3ppg (#27 in the league), but giving up a league best 84.4ppg. Teams hate to play us, even if they walk away with the win, and this is something I like very much. The addition of another strong defender off my bench in Will Ahern for the dissapointing Mike Palmore has only helped and in just 4 games with us Ahern has already made more of a contribution than Palmore did all season.

Saldana stepped up his game in December after a slow November. He is the most crucial player on this team as we really rely on his scoring. He has struggled against some of the better post defenders, but his rebounding and defense are always present.

I never quite know what I'm going to get from France at PF each game. Some nights he pulls down a ton of boards without putting up many points, other nights it's vice versa. Still, he's a versatile guy and that's why he's kept his spot in the starting line-up. Unruh's December wasn't as big as his November, and his turnovers are a problem, but he's still looking like our PF of the future.

I'm a big Alleyne fan at SF, and the trade of Kunkle for Alleyne is probably the best move I've made. His scoring is inconsistent but he does so many different things well. I'm hoping he is a Hawk for a long time.

Ricardo Howell continues to be invisible on the scoresheet all too often, but he grabs boards, passes the ball well and basically does everything else to a high standard. Fleming provides the scoring that he lacks. Mitchell at PG has been his usual solid self - I'm very happy with him also.

Our bench has been quite good. Stowers has had a couple of nice games in a row and has proven a nice pickup for us. He's no star but he can score and grab a few boards when needed. Fleming gives us some firepower and Will Ahern, as I've already mentioned, has impressed.

This month I'll be hoping we continue to beat the sub .500 teams, but I'm also looking for a few wins against the stronger teams. We need to show that we can compete with the big boys, and for this to happen we need Saldana, Mitchell and Alleyne all putting points on the board. We've shown we can slow down any team in the league most nights, but if we can't put points on the board ourselves it will all be in vain.

[Groundhog]

January 2, Atlanta Hawks (17-12) @ Boston Celtics (8-19)

We played the Celtics at home a few nights ago, walking away with an 8 point victory that should have been much larger - thanks to a poor showing in the 4th quarter. They were able to contain Saldana somewhat but Mitchell and France had big games. We will be looking to improve our 4-7 road record.

Result: W, 97-87. It's amazing how differently we play on the road. We couldn't stop the Celtics in the 1st quarter, with Celtics guard Kinsley in particular scorching us nearly every time down the court. Thankfully we recovered in the second quarter, behind Mitchell's scoring, and went in to the half time break up 45-41. The second half we couldn't pull away, but Saldana and Alleyne started to step it up and our turnovers, a real problem for us in the first half, started to dissapear. The Celtics continued to claw away at the lead, but when we needed a basket Alleyne or Saldana got it done. Saldana finished with 27pts and 8rebs, Mitchell 22pts 9asts and Alleyne had 18pts 5rebs. Celtics guard Kinsey, who had 23 points at the half, finished with 31.

January 3, Atlanta Hawks (18-12) @ Milwaukee Bucks (14-19)

We've beaten these guys twice on our own court, but tonight we fly straight from Boston out to Milwaukee to try and do it again in their backyard. Our past victories have had a lot to do with Saldana being able to do his stuff inside against these guys, as well as our ability to neutralize Bucks PG Dewey Lake (18ppg, 5.2rpg, 10.4apg). We must again pressure Lake without letting the Bucks bigmen, Joshua Whiting (12.0ppg, 6.8rpg) in particular, hurt us too much inside.

Result: W, 75-63. Once again, it wasn't pretty, but it worked. The game was never really in contention, with Saldana and Mitchell doing the damage in the first half and giving us a lead that the Bucks would never overcome. We weren't quite as sharp in the second half, including a rather poor 4th quarter, but we walk away with the win. Saldana finishes with 17pts 6rebs 4blks, Mitchell has 14pts 6asts, Alleyne 10pts 3rebs 5asts. Unruh had 8pts and 15 boards. Bucks bigman Whiting had 18pts, and we once again did a great job on Dewey Lake, holding him to 5-19 shooting for his 12 points.

January 6, Atlanta Hawks (19-12) vs New Orleans Hornets (15-17)

We smashed the Hornets last time we played, but this is a team that has been on very hot lately, winning 8 of their last 10. A big reason for this has been the addition of Andy Burgett at PF (11.3ppg, 11.1rpg, 2.3bpg) from the Mavs via a trade, and the improvement of rookie PG Curtis Lamothe (13.9ppg, 2.6rpg, 4.3apg) since he broke his way in to the starting 5. Arthur Moran (19.3ppg, 6.2rpg), the stud SF signed away from the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, is the player to be most careful of however, and Alleyne will have his hands full here. Saldana also finds himself going up against one of the best defenders in the league, bigman Dwayne Patterson (4.4ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.7bpg). Lamothe was the only guy who really troubled us last time we met, but even though this is a home game we can not be too cocky. We are currently 1st place in the Central Division and would like to keep that.

Result: W, 91-80. This was a pretty tough game that wasn't decided until a few minutes were remaining in the 4th. Saldana really struggled against Patterson, and was held largely ineffective most of the game, but Mitchell paced us from the start, scoring 10 1st quarter points, and finishing with 26pts 8asts. The real surprise was the play of our SG Ricardo Howell, who finished with 15pts 8rebs 6asts 5stls... oh, and 7 turnovers. But this was easily his best game in a long time. Saldana was held to just 12pts on 4-14 shooting to go with 10rebs and 2blks. Alleyne was also limited to just 3-15 shooting for his 10pts 12rebs. The Hornets frontcourt proved difficult to stop, with backup post player Ronnie Robinson scoring 16pts, while Burgett had 15 at PF. Lamothe shot just 5-15 for the Hornets, while Alleyene limited super-SF Arthur Moran to 6pts on 2-7 shooting.

[Groundhog]

January 7, Atlanta Hawks (20-12) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (17-11)

The Cavaliers are sitting right behind us in the Central division, so this is a big game for us. We were slaughtered by the Cavs earlier in the season on their home court, but we will be hoping to turn that around tonight and keep our 8 game winning streak alive. For that to happen we need to contain Cavs PF Josh Damron (28.0ppg, 11.8rpg) and have Saldana cause some damage inside. The Cavs have shuffled their lineup somewhat recently, and put a defensive orientated postplayer, Phillipp Paige (3.9ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.3bpg), in at C, and as last game proved, this can cause problems for Saldana.

Result: L, 81-86. We played great in the first half of this game. Damron had been quiet, we had been hitting the boards, and the Cavs had been turning it over like crazy. At half time we were up 43-33 and looking in good shape. Then the 3rd quarter happened... Josh Damron completely tore us apart in the 3rd. We made a few comeback attempts, but it was to be all in vain. Frustrating. Mitchell finished with 22pts 10asts, Alleyne 20pts 5stls and Saldana 16pts 8rebs 3blks. Damron had 28pts 15rebs for the Cavs.

[Groundhog]

January 9, Atlanta Hawks (20-13) @ Washington Bullets (11-22)

We beat the Bullets on our homecourt 2 weeks ago thanks largely to Saldana. We'll be looking for more of the same tonight as we travel out to Washington.

Result: W, 80-77. We were lucky to walk away with the win. A horrible first half was negated by a strong showing in the 4th Q, and we hung on for the victory. Early in the 3rd Q Garth Mitchell went down with a broken hip, and will be out for 18 days. Saldana led our scorers with 16pts and 12rebs, Alleyne had 13pts 6rebs and Unruh had 10pts and 13rebs. Kenny Jordan had 18pts, 7rebs and 7asts for Washington.

[muns]

another good read. i really enjoy how your refrence back to the college years with these guys. Adds a heck of a lot more to it for me as i read it. Hope you keep these up.

MUNS

[Groundhog]

another good read. i really enjoy how your refrence back to the college years with these guys. Adds a heck of a lot more to it for me as i read it. Hope you keep these up.

MUNS

Thanks, good to know someone is reading. :)

I haven't had a lot of time to work on these two dynasties lately, but I should be back in the swing of things shortly.

[aran]

That was a good read. Keep going!

You give just the right amount of commentary. I almost never feel bored with what you talk about. Perhaps a look at the league leaders every once in a while so we can see who and what teams to look out for?

A "players to watch in this game" part would be awesome, too. A nice table displaying the stats of the three players from the opposing team who you find most dangerous and perhaps some important team stats as well. That would allow you to make your commentary more concise and probably save you some typing time.

[Groundhog]

That was a good read. Keep going!

You give just the right amount of commentary. I almost never feel bored with what you talk about. Perhaps a look at the league leaders every once in a while so we can see who and what teams to look out for?

A "players to watch in this game" part would be awesome, too. A nice table displaying the stats of the three players from the opposing team who you find most dangerous and perhaps some important team stats as well. That would allow you to make your commentary more concise and probably save you some typing time.

Thanks for the tips, I'll start doing exactly that!

[Groundhog]

January 11, Atlanta Hawks @ LA Clippers (21-11)


Starters
--------
C - Curtis Melson, 6'10, 244lbs, 5 yp, Syracuse - 8.4ppg, 9.8rpg, 0.3bpg
PF - Will Cross, 7'0, 242lbs, 8yp, Texas Tech - 10.6ppg, 11.0rpg, 0.7spg
SF - Mike Davis, 6'7, 240lbs, 2yp, Wisconsin - 3.5ppg, 2.8rpg, 0.6apg
SG - Brandon Ramey, 6'2, 202lbs, 5yp, Indiana - 38.8ppg, 8.8rpg, 3.1apg
PG - Jerald Donner, 5'9, 188lbs, 1yp, Geo. Washington - 14.0rpg, 3.7rpg, 7.7apg
-----------------
Key Bench Players
-----------------
SF - Steve Gant, 6'7, 195lbs, 6yp, Connecticut - 9.3ppg, 3.1rpg, .484 FG%
PG - Ray Jeffries, 5'10, 161lbs, 6yp, Kentucky - 4.9ppg, 2.9apg, 0.5spg


The Clippers have been a strong team in recent years, and this year has been no exception. Brandon Ramey is probably the most dominant player in the league, and the young PG Donner helps round out what is an incredibly dangerous backcourt; even more so when you consider that our starting PG Mitchell is out.

No one shuts down Ramey, though we will be hoping to at least contain him. We are really going to need to bring the D, as this is a team that is 2nd in the league in scoring at 102ppg, and we just can't put up those kind of points. We will be adjusting our focus to our post players today, as we lose 16ppg without Mitchell on the court. We need Saldana to step it up for us big time, along with Unruh and... well... pretty much everyone.

Result: The game starts predictably enough; Saldana hits our first 6 points, with Ramey getting the first 5 for the Clippers. Both players cool off however, with Mike Davis then picking it up for the Clips with surprising back-to-back 3s, and Flemming making a few off our bench. 19-23 Clips after the first quarter.

Howell comes out strong in the 2nd Q, boarding and making his shots and he connects on 2 FTs to give us a 27-26 lead with 9:01 left. Both teams claw at each other before Ramey starts to come alive, knocking down a few 3s and finding his rhythym, though he's really the only Clipper who is stepping it up. It proves enough though, as they enter the half up 35-44. Ramey has 18 for the Clips, while Mike Davis, who averages just 3.5ppg, has 8. Howell has 9 for us, Saldana 8.

Saldana comes out aggressive to start the 3rd, but the Clips have an answer for everything up the other end of the court. We get a few stops however, and Fleming knocks down a J from the top of the key to make it 49-51 Clips with 7:09 left in the quarter. With 4:56 left, Saldana drains a J from the baseline to give us our first lead of the game, 54-53 with 4:56 left. Just when we manage to get a bit of a run together however, Ramey catches fire again, and we enter the 4th down 60-64 - Ramey has 25pts, Saldana has 18.

The 4th starts off badly. We can't hold on to the ball and the Clips are starting to work it inside for easy points. With 8:40 left we call a time-out, down 66-73, and give my players a blasting. It seems to work as we come out much sharper, getting it to 71-74 after Alleyne knocks down a J, then Howell hits a 3 shortly after, to level it at 74-74 with 6:17 left. We trade baskets before Alleyne and Saldana heat up and soon it's 86-79 Atlanta with 3:36 left! We stutter a little with some turnovers and misses, but the Clippers can't buy a basket, with even Ramey clanging off the iron. We then manage to ride it out with some FTs for the win!

W, 88-81.

This was a BIG win for us. We slowed down their high-octane offense, much like we did against Denver earlier, and again it really affected this team. Our focus on inside play really helped Howell, who was easily our MVP with 16pts, 10rebs and 5asts. Saldana finished with 23pts and 9rebs, while Alleyne had 15pts, 7rebs and 3asts. Ramey finished with 31 for the Clips, though on an Iverson-like 12-33 shooting, Melson had 13pts and 18rebs and Jerald Donner had 8pts, 6rebs and 7asts from the PG spot.

Speaking of PGs, our fill-in Will Ahern had 5pts, 4asts and 2stls, though played great D against Donner. Rookie undrafted PG Tanner Tse had 0pts but 6asts in 16mins.

[Groundhog]

What do you think; is the new formatting too long?

[Groundhog]

January 12, Atlanta Hawks (22-13) @ Los Angeles Lakers (14-20)


Starters
--------
C - Larry Allen, 6'11, 269lbs, 0 yp, Tulsa - 5.2ppg, 9.2rpg, 0.3bpg
PF - Ray Vargo, 6'8, 225lbs, 3 yp, Miami - 13.4ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.9apg
SF - JaJa Gallo, 6'4, 207lbs, 12 yp, Indiana - 10.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.apg
SG - Antoine Mace, 6'6, 192lbs, 10 yp, Utah - 23.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.3apg
PG - Timothy McMullen, 6'3, 219lbs, 1 yp, Illinois - 12.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 5.6apg
-----------------
Key Bench Players
-----------------
PG - Jesse Hecker,5'7, 156lbs, 2 yp, Arizona - 9.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.4apg
PF - Rowan Cooks, 6'7, 243lbs, 5 yp, UAB - 4.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2apg


The Lakers are playing surprisingly well this year. They have a top flight SG in Mace and a talented PG in McMullen, but are mediocre at best elsewhere. Depth at PG is no concern however, with the Lakers having taken a PG in the lottery the last 3 years in a row. We beat these guys at home earlier in the year, but that was with 22 points out of Mitchell who is still out injured. We need Ricardo Howell to slow Mace, and have Saldana abuse the Lakers rookie 2nd-rounder, who has been thrown in to the fire as a starter. If Saldana can match Mace's contribution, we should have the depth to take this game.

Result: In the first quarter we keep feeding the ball to Saldana, but he's having trouble getting his shot to drop thanks to some solid D work by the Lakers. To make matters worse we allow Larry Allen, who averages a touch over 5 points a game, to get 3 easy baskets from in close. Thankfully Alleyne is on, and takes advantage of his height over JaJa Gallo to make a few baskets. Overall though, we aren't shooting the ball well, and finish the quarter down 17-18.

Unfortunately, things do not go much better in the second. Rick Unruh comes off the bench to connect on a few baskets, but outside of him we can't hit the side of a barn... Thankfully we are playing D, but we manage just 8 points in the quarter to the Lakers' 15... down 25-33 at the half... we are on pace to score 50!

We come out stronger in the 3rd, with 9 points in the first 4 minutes, but Mace is starting to find his touch for the Lakers, and we can't stop them pulling away. Thankfully we turn up the pressure, force some turnovers and bad shots, and go on a big run that gives us our first lead of the game, and we score 28 points in the quarter - more than we scored in the entire first half - to enter the 4th up 53-50, thanks largely to Alleyne and Saldana, who has finally got his offense going.

The 4th quarter is neck and neck. Alleyne and Saldana lead us on some mini breaks, but the Lakers keep clawing back. Thankfully we are hitting the boards, but turnovers are really hurting us. Thankfully we are able to hold on however, and Tanner Tse makes some clutch FTs - though misses 2 in a row to seal the game - and we win!

W, 79-75.

This was a closer game than I hoped, thanks to an abysmal first half. We were much sharper in the 2nd half however - Alleyne in particular - and this got us the win. What is inexcusable however is the fact that we let Lakers' rookie C Larry Allen score 15 points on us - 10 more than his season average. We did hold Mace to 14 points on 5-21 shooting though, which when combined with our 56-38 rebounding edge, won us the game.

Saldana led all scorers with 21 pts to go with his 14 rebs, while Alleyne - our MVP - had 17 pts, 6 rebs & 5 asts. Unruh had 14 pts off the bench.

As mentioned above, Larry Allen led the Lakers with 15 pts and 6 rebs, while Mace had just 15 pts and 11 rebs.

Will Ahern had a very average game at PG, with 0 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts and 4 turnovers in 24 minutes. Undrafted rookie Tanner Tse on the other hand was excellent. He really fueled the 4th quarter run with some great passes and rebounds. He finished with 4 pts, 4 rebs and 5 asts.

[muns]

Na its not too long at all, really enjoying it

MUNS

[Groundhog]

January 14, Atlanta Hawks (23-23) @ Sacramento Kings (22-14)

Starters
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C - Sterling King, 6'8, 238lbs, 11 yp, Illinois - 6.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 0.2bpg
PF - Nic Brown, 6'10, 271lbs, 6 yp, Oklahoma - 12.0ppg, 8.6rpg, 1.0bpg
SF - Jonathan Abrams, 6'4, 217lbs, 14 yp, Ohio State - 6.7ppg, 1.7rpg, 0.9apg
SG - Brian Smith, 6'6, 234lbs, 8 yp, Kansas - 15.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.8apg
PG - Erik Wright, 6'4, 195lbs, 6 yp, Oklahoma - 20.1ppg, 6.6rpg, 10.1apg
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Key Bench Players
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PF - Brent Heyward, 6'10, 218lbs, 11 yp, Middle Tenn. State - 11.1pg, 7.2rpg, 0.2bpg
C - Kurt Calvert, 6'11, 243lbs, 10 yp, Miami - 9.8ppg, 6.2rpg, 0.4bpg
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Injured Starters
----------------
SG - Noe Destombe, 6'6, 191lbs, 2 yp, TCU - 15.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.8apg


The Kings are a very experienced, talented, and deep team. PG Erik Wright is their leader, and is a very strong all-round PG, not to mention the reigning 2-time league MVP. Not having Garth Mitchell, who is out another 14 days with his hip injury, is going to hurt us as Wright has the potential to do a lot of damage. Thankfully they are without their young, French SG Noe Destombe, who is out with injury, but they more than have the depth to counter that. This will be a very, very hard game of basketball.

Result: The first quarter begins slow, with both teams looking inside, but not able to make much happen. Finally Saldana heats up for us, while Nic Brown starts to connect for the Kings. Neither team is able to pull away though, and the quarter ends with a 22-21 Hawks scoreline.

Erik Wright begins to take over in the second quarter. If he's not knocking down a J, he's grabbing a board or finding the open man for an assist. Fleming comes in off the bench and makes a few shots to keep us close, and Saldana connects from inside to make it 32-34 Kings with 5:30 left. Kings SG Brian Smith is feeling it though, and reels off a few baskets to push out the lead, and we are playing catch-up. Fleming continues to impress with a nice drive on the baseline that leads to a dunk, but we can't stop Smith, can't rebound, and can't hang on the ball, and we enter the half down 37-45.

The 3rd quarter does not bring us much more luck, and we slip behind by 12 with 8:43 left. Tanner Tse continues his impressive PG play for a rookie, knocking down some shots and passing off for a few assists, but everytime we claw back Erik Wright comes up with a big play to push the lead back out. We manage to go on a mini-run to end the quarter thanks to some big plays in post from Saldana and France, and enter the 3rd Q break down just 65-68.

We come out strong, scoring the first 4 points to give us our first lead in a long time, and Saldana is really starting to get his rhythm. He picks up his 5th foul however with 6:47 left, and the scores locked at 75. We decide to leave him on. This proves a mistake. He makes another basket, but the Kings bring it up-court, Wright drives, and draws Saldana's 6th foul with 6:11 left... Ahern hits a 3, then gets a steal that leads to a basket, and it's 82-77 Hawks with 4:55 left. We start to pull away after a couple of nice baskets by France, but then Erik Wright takes it up court and hits a 3, 88-84 Hawks, 2:46 left. Both teams miss, before Wright gets it to King for a jumper. Desperate to increase our 2 point lead, Howell launches a shot from the top of the key that rims out to Sterling King of the Kings, who move it up court, miss the shot, and Alleyne boards it with 0:58 left. We take our time with it, milking the clock, before Unruh hits Alleyne just above the FT line who knocks down the J to give us the 4 point lead with 0:38 left. Erik Wright is quick to launch a shot, which misses and is boarded by Kings PF Nic Brown, who hits the basket and is fouled by Unruh! He makes the FT, and it's 90-89 Hawks with 0:19 left. We call time, then inbound and try and milk the clock, before Alleyne is fouled with 0:04 left. Kings aren't in penalty however, and we inbound it to Ahern who TRAVELS with 0:01 left!!! The Kings get a final chance, but Erik Wright is not able to get the shot off in time and we win!!!

W, 90-89

Great win for us against a very good team on their homecourt. Saldana was really strong for us in the 1st, 3rd and 4th Quarters until he fouled out, and finished with 22pts 8rebs, and Alleyne, who was the hero of the 4th, had 16pts 7rebs 5asts. Milton France was solid with 13pts 8rebs, and Fleming and Unruh had 10pts each off the bench. Ahern finished with 9pts 4asts and just 1 turnover that could have cost us the game, while Tanner Tse had an impressive 6pts 3asts.

Wright had a near triple double for the Kings with 18pts 8rebs 12asts, and Brian Smith, who cooled off in the 2nd half, finished with 15pts.

[Groundhog]

January 16, Atlanta Hawks (24-13) vs Miami Heat (11-24)

Starters
--------
C - Larry Vaughn, 6'10, 240lbs, 14 yp, Michigan - 12.1ppg, 9.8rpg, 2.3apg
PF - Andy Blackman, 7'0, 296lbs, 1 yp, Miami - 8.1ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.7apg
SF - Vince Marshall, 6'7, 245lbs, 3 yp, Oklahoma - 7.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.1apg
SG - Keith Randolph, 6'2, 190lbs, 9 yp, South Florida - 17.5ppg, 3.8rpg, 3.2apg
PG - Brent Groves, 6'2, 211lbs, 8 yp, Kentucky - 8.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 5.3apg
-----------------
Key Bench Players
-----------------
SF - Corey Jone, 6'7, 231lbs, 4 yp, Arizona - 12.9ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.0apg
SF - Tercero Menendez, 6'7, 233lbs, 7 yp, North Carolina St. - 6.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.6apg


We were stomped by the Hawks back in November, in what was easily our worst game of the season. Tonight we face off against them at home, hoping to avenge that loss. The Heat have a nice player in Keith Randolph, and a good 6th man in Corey Jone, but they lack scorers outside of these two, and their interior defense is attrocious. They are dead last in the league in blocks per game, managing just 1.5 a night. Taking these factors - along with the fact that they are just 1-14 away from home - in to account, this should be an easy victory. Then again, that's what I thought last time, too.

Result: Randolph and Vaughn are both feeling it in the 1st quarter, and the Heat manage to get an 8 points, before Saldana and Alleyne put some points on the board and get it down to 4. Turnovers start to hurt us, with two in a row leading to 3-pointers for Heat SG Randolph, and we enter the 1Q break down 19-32.

Things do not go any better to start the 2nd, with the Heat running off 8 quick points in 2 minutes, and it's 20-40 with 10:25 left in the quarter, thanks largely to the Heat being .600 from long range. Things get no better, as we continue to turn it over and miss, while the Heat are on absolute fire from the floor. We enter the half down 39-64, and are shooting just .389 to the Heat's .658. Alleyne has 16pts for us, Saldana 9. Groves has 13 for the Heat, Jone 11.

We come out far stronger in the 3rd Q - Fleming and Unruh in particular - and get the scoreline to 63-70 with 5:20 left in the Q. The momentum has clearly swung our direction, and thanks to some more turnovers from the Heat, and some baskets from France, we enter the 4th Q down 71-77. We outscored them 32-13 in the 3rd Q.

Alleyne continues his scoring display in the 4th, scoring back to back points to get the lead down to 4 at 75-79, and a minute later knocks down a J from the wing to make it 79-81. Saldana and Randolph then begin to trade baskets for the next 2:30, but a few misses and turnovers lead to Miami baskets, and it's 86-94 with 2:38 left. Another ineffective minute of play, and on comes our bench to close this one out with a loss.

L, 88-97

Not sure what it is about them, but Miami just seems to know how to beat us. They were shooting the lights out in the 1st half, and when they stopped hitting at a .600 clip in the 2nd half we showed we were the stronger side, but we just couldn't overcome that massive 25 point 1st half deficit. A very dissapointing loss, needless to say. Saldana had 23pts 14rebs 2blks, though shot just 11-28 FGs. Alleyne had 21pts 6rebs, France 13pts 6rebs, and Tanner Tse had an impressive 9asts off the bench, though just 2pts. Will Ahern - still starting at PG while Mitchell is out - had an unimpressive 1pt 1reb 0ast 3 turnover performance in his 16 mins.

Brent Groves led the way for the Heat with 18pts 15asts, while Randolph - who had a big 2nd and 4th Q showing - and Jone had 17 pts each.