Bringing the NBA to Oklahoma City: NBA 2K9

[JetsIn06]

Round Two: Game Four
Thunder up 3-0

And we're going to the conference finals!!!

We outscored them in every quarter except the 2nd, when they dropped 23 to our 21.

Durant leads the team with 29 points, Rondo has 12 assists, and Nowitzki has 11 rebounds. Excellent teamwork gives us the sweep of the #2 seed. Bring on the next team!

Thunder 111, Jazz 96

Rondo: 7-6-12
Durant: 29-6-7
Dean: 15-1-2
Nowitzki: 20-11-2
Stoudemire: 6-2-2

[JetsIn06]

NBA PLAYOFFS: Second Round Results

Woo! We knock off the #2 Utah Jazz. Let's see what happened throughout the rest of the playoffs.

EAST

Hawks (8) 0
Bobcats (5) 4

--

Cavaliers (3) 4
Heat (2) 3


WEST


Hornets (1) 4
Lakers (5) 0

--

Thunder (6) 4
Jazz (2) 0

[JetsIn06]

Conference Finals: Game One

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #1 New Orleans Hornets
Series tied 0-0

Here we go. Our trend has been to advance one further round then the previous year and then get knocked out. Can we change that this year?

The Hornets are going to be very, very tough. Chris Paul is the premier point guard in the league. This is his last year under contract, but reports say he wants to re-sign. He's playing for a big contract and will be tough.

Here we go...

Yikes. The first quarter doesn't go our way and we're down 36-26 already. They are nailing threes, hitting five already.

The second doesn't go much better and they gain another eight points on us and are up 68-52 at the half. Stojakovic is really playing well with 20 points. Paul dropped 13 in the first, but is still there but now has 5 assists as well.

Stoudemire has scored 12, and Durant 10, but we really need to gain some ground if we want to make this a game.

But we can't, and the Hornets take game one of the Western Conference Finals.

Hornets 122, Thunder 97

Rondo: 5-4-10
Durant: 24-6-3
Dean: 2-3-0
Nowitzki: 13-8-1
Stoudemire: 22-0-0

[JetsIn06]

Conference Finals: Game Two

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #1 New Orleans Hornets

Hornets up 1-0

We finished the 1st down 12 points, and it didn't get any better after that. We brought it within 8 at the start of the 4th, but they outscored us 32-17 in the final quarter.

We're down 2-0 and things look very bleak.

Hornets 101, Thunder 81

Rondo: 6-4-9
Durant: 11-2-3
Dean: 17-8-2
Nowitzki: 16-9-0
Stoudemire: 17-8-1

[JetsIn06]

Conference Finals: Game Three

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #1 New Orleans Hornets
Hornets up 2-0

This is pretty much a must-win game. Coming back from 3-0 against the #1 seed is virtually impossible.

The first goes our way though, and it ends with us up 24-18. We're spreading the ball around well, and Durant leads us with 8 points.

Our defense is on fire in the 2nd, and we hold them to just 10 points and score 24 of our own. The half ends with us up 48-28, and this is exactly what we needed.

Wow. Someone lit a fire under our defense today. At the end of three, the Hornets have just 43 points. We're up by 29, 72-43.

The game ends 91-49. I've never seen anything like this before. This ties the record for fewest points scored in a game since the 24 second clock was introduced, and sets the record for fewest points in a playoff game, previously held by the Utah Jazz.

Thunder 91, Hornets 49

Rondo: 12-7-9
Durant: 23-11-4
Dean: 12-8-2
Nowitzki: 13-7-3
Stoudemire: 22-6-1

[JetsIn06]

Conference Finals: Game Four

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #1 New Orleans Hornets
Hornets up 2-1

Can our defense play as well as they did last game?

The first quarter doesn't show it, as we finish the 1st down 26-17. The second brings us within 6, and the half ends 46-40. Stoudemire leads us with 17 points.

We turn it on in the 3rd and drop 34 points, giving us an 11 point lead after three.

They get within six with 8:58 left, and three with 7:17 left.

The tie it up with 5:50 left.

With 1:31 left, New Orleans has the ball and is up 94-92. They go up 4, but Nowitzki hits a shot with 34 seconds left to bring it within 2.

Brandon Bass nails a three and now they are up four with 19 seconds left and we need a miracle.

But we don't get it.

Hornets 101, Thunder 97

Rondo: 8-5-8
Durant: 20-9-2
Dean: 10-2-0
Nowitzki: 17-7-2
Stoudemire: 29-6-0

[JetsIn06]

Conference Finals: Game Five

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #1 New Orleans Hornets

Hornets up 3-1

We need a win or we go home. It's that simple.

We finish the first quarter down 27-24. But in the 2nd, they jump out to an eight point lead and are up 55-47 at the half. Our rebounding stats are tied, and we have 6 steals to their 2, but they're just shooting better than us.

The third doesn't get any better and it ends 85-73. We have one more quarter to come back, but this looks like the end of the road.

We get within eight at one point, but they milked the clock and we never got any closer.

That ends a solid season. One can only wonder what would have happened if we got Nowitzki sooner. A better seed could have meant a better chance at getting to the Finals. One positive: if we continue the trend, next year we'll make it to the finals.

Hornets 113, Thunder 102

Rondo: 13-3-4
Durant: 34-8-3
Dean: 4-2-3
Nowitzki: 27-6-1
Stoudemire: 13-2-2

[JetsIn06]

NBA PLAYOFFS: Conference Finals Results

EAST


Bobcats (5) 2
Cavaliers (3) 4


WEST


Hornets (1) 4
Thunder (6) 1

[JetsIn06]

'12-'13 FINALS

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS vs. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

GM 1: Hornets 94, Cavaliers 70
(Paul: 27-10-7, Bass: 16-10-1))

GM 2: Cavaliers 98, Hornets 91
(James: 16-6-3; Williams: 16-2-5))

GM 3: Hornets 99, Cavaliers 91
(Paul: 29-7-5; West: 24-8-2)

GM 4: Cavaliers 93, Hornets 88
(James: 26-5-6; Williams: 13-2-1)

GM 5: Hornets 96, Cavaliers 88
(West: 26-7-0; Paul: 14-6-10)

GM 6: Cavaliers 101, Hornets 99
(James: 35-11-4; Williams: 14-4-4)

GM 7: Cavaliers 120, Hornets 117
(James: 28-10-8)

THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS!

MVP: SF LeBron James (25.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.4 APG)

[JetsIn06]

Retiring Players

PF R. Wallace - Bobcats - 18 yrs, 38 yo
PG R. Alston - Bucks - 14 yrs, 36 yo
C M. Camby - Nuggets - 17 yrs, 39 yo
SF J. Posey - Spurs - 14 yrs, 36 yo
SG R. Bell - Suns - 13 yrs, 36 yo
C K. Thomas - Thunder - 18 yrs, 40 yo

[JetsIn06]

OFF-SEASON

Player Options:

PF Matt Bonner: $4.7m (Team) Declined
SF Oleg Kolomak: $510k (2 yr Team) Accepted
SF Preston Dean: $5.19m (2 yr Team) Accepted

I definitely want to keep Dean around. He was really, really bad in the playoffs, but he helped get us there and should improve as he gains experience.

Kolomak is another sure thing. He's cheap and looks like a solid prospect.

Bonner, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. I like him, but is he worth $4.7m? I'm not so sure. I'm going to decline his option, and maybe resign him for a lower price.

[JetsIn06]

OFF-SEASON

Player Re-Signing:

Here are they players whose contracts are expiring:
(B) = Bird Rights

PF Matt Bonner (B) Re-signed
PG Jean Micoud Re-signed
C Dmitri Elliot (B) Unsigned
SG Greg Buckner (B) Re-signed
C Stan Landry Re-signed

The one guy I want to lock up is Micoud. He's been a solid bench player for us. He signs for the minimum and is now under contract.

Bucker will also sign for min, so we give him a one year deal. Same with Landry.

We talk to Bonner and he'll settle for a $959k salary for one year. That's much more reasonable, so we offer it and he accepts.

Elliot wants a shit-load of money, so we tell him to hit the road.

[JetsIn06]

OFF-SEASON

Draft Lottery

This is a very exciting draft, with lots of big men at the top. Here's the order of teams with the best chance for the #1.

1) New Jersey
2) Boston
3) Dallas
4) Detroit
5) New York
6) Sacramento
7) Washington
8) Orlando
9) San Antonio
10) Toronto
11) Houston
12) Minnesota
13) Dallas
14) LA Clippers

Here we go! Let's see what the lottery balls say!

1) Detroit (+3)
2) New Jersey (-1)
3) Boston (-1)
4) Dallas (-1)
5) New York
6) Sacramento
7) Washington
8) Orlando
9) San Antonio
10) Toronto
11) Houston
12) Minnesota
13) Dallas
14) LA Clippers

Detroit gets lucky and moves up three spots to grab the #1 pick!

[JetsIn06]

2013 NBA DRAFT INFO

I have the 20th, the 50th, and the 51st picks in the draft this year. I spent the majority of time scouting big men to replace Nowitski and Stoudemire.

Mock Draft

The analysts have us taking Alabama PG Malik Oakley with the 20th pick. We scouted him three time, and our scouts found him to be a bit overrated. He's got no inside game whatsoever, isn't nearly the playmakers we originally thought him to be, and is terrible on defense.

Top Three

Here's what the mock draft says will happen at the top three picks.

1. Detriot - C Chucky Barber

This guy looks awesome. He's got excellent defensive skills, an amazing inside game on offense, and is a better rebounder than scouts originally thought.

2. New Jersey - PF Byron Fletcher

Our scout says he reminds him of Amare. I think Barber is clearly the better player, but Feltcher looks like a great player.

3. Boston - PF Darrell Reeves

Reeves is great on offense but could improve defensively a bit. He's an excellent rebounder.

Thunder Targets for 20th Pick

As I said, we're looking for a potential replacement at PF or C. I'd like a guy who could play both.

PF Eklund, PG Strong, and C Goodman are on my list. They're all pretty raw right now, but they have potential.

Goodman is projected to go 15th to Dallas, and Eklund as well as Strong weren't selected in the first round mock draft.

[JetsIn06]

2013 NBA DRAFT

Let's kick it off!

With the 1st pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select...

Chucky Barber, center from West Virginia University.

This guy looks special to me. I think he'll be a dominant center for many years in the NBA.

The Top 3 go as expected, and when it gets to our pick, Goodman is still around.

But now that the pick is here, I don't like what I see anymore.

I think I like PF Eklund here. He has more upside, is a better shooter, and is better defensively. I will miss Goodman's rebounding, but I'm okay with that.

With the 20th pick, we select Swedish PF Johan Eklund.

The next pick comes up, and we pick back to back.

There isn't much left to choose from, so we go with Xavier product Eugene Bryan, a 6'11" center with good skills on defense in the post.

The next pick we go with Seton Hall PG Peter Stevenson. He's a terrible shooter but has great intangibles and looks like a pretty good playmaker.

And that's it! All of these guys are projects and won't see much time in their rookie season, but I'm always excited to inject some youth into the team.

[JetsIn06]

FREE AGENCY

We're currently $19.48m over the cap. We don't have any room to make a significant move, but do have an MLE available.

Here are the Top 10 Free Agents available:

C Andrew Bynum, 25 yo (94 ovr)
PF Al Jefferson, 28 yo (94 ovr)
SG Andre Iguodala, 29 yo (91 ovr)
PF Josh Smith, 27 yo (90 ovr)
PF Carlos Boozer, 31 yo (89 ovr)
SG Kevin Martin, 30 yo (87 ovr)
PG Devin Harris, 30 yo (87 ovr)
PF Elton Brand, 34 yo (85 ovr)
SG Gerald Green, 27 yo (84 ovr)
SF Martell Webster, 26 yo (84 ovr)

Day 1: We'll be sitting back this off-season. Our roster is full and we have a starter at every position and some solid depth as well.

Day 4: We sim ahead a few days and check out some of the top players. Jefferson looks like he is headed back to the T'Wolves on a 6 year, $129m deal.

Day 5: The Lakers look like they're parting ways with Bynum. The 76ers and Kings are battling for him, and the 76ers are just ahead because of a no-trade clause included in the contract offer.

Day 6: The 76ers and Kings also have a backup plan. They're both going after Iguodala. The 76ers, his former team, is offering a six year deal. The Kings are offering a 4 year deal with a player option.

Day 7: Surprise surprise. The 76ers and Kings are also after former Hawk PF Josh Smith. The Pacers are also rumored to be in the hunt for Smith.

Day 8: The Indiana Pacers are in lead for PG Devin Harris and have reportedly offered him a deal worth over $77m over 5 years. The Kings and Celtics are also interested.

Day 9: SG Kevin Martin, a former Kings player, has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Day 10: SG Gerald Green has re-signed with the Blazers. The deal is worth $68m over six years,

Day 11: Al Jefferson now has serious offers from the T'Wolves, Warriors, Jazz, and Pacers.

Day 12: Bynum, Iguodala, and Josh Smith have all signed. Iguodala re-signed with the 76ers, Bynum signed with the Pacers, and Smith is now with the Kings.

Day 13: The Warriors have signed SF Martell Webster to a 4yr/$45m deal.

Day 14: The Bulls have re-signed Carlos Boozer.

Day 15: The Timberwolves have resigned Al Jefferson to a 6yr/$129m deal.

Day 16: Devin Harris hasn't drawn serious interest yet. His best offer is from the Timberwolves. This is really surprsing.

Day 17: We decide to cut SG Greg Buckner to make room for a free agent. With our MLE, we offer 20 year veteran PG Jason Kidd a one year deal.

Day 18: PG Devin Harris reluctantly signs on with the Utah Jazz, getting a 4yr/$48m deal.

Day 19: The last remaining top ten FA, PF Elton Brand, signs with the Celtics. Jason Kidd who we offered a one-year deal to signs with the Suns.

Day 23: We sign SG Matt Carroll to a one-year deal using our MLE.


C Andrew Bynum, 25 yo (94 ovr) (Pacers)
PF Al Jefferson, 28 yo (94 ovr) (T'Wolves)
SG Andre Iguodala, 29 yo (91 ovr) (76ers)
PF Josh Smith, 27 yo (90 ovr) (Kings)
PF Carlos Boozer, 31 yo (89 ovr) (Bulls)
SG Kevin Martin, 30 yo (87 ovr) (76ers)
PG Devin Harris, 30 yo (87 ovr) (Jazz)
PF Elton Brand, 34 yo (85 ovr) (Celtics)
SG Gerald Green, 27 yo (84 ovr) (Blazers)
SF Martell Webster, 26 yo (84 ovr) (Warriors)