LA Clippers - A DDPB Dynasty

law90026 · 01-18-2009, 11:34 PM

I still have no idea how I got this job. One minute I was an intern with the Clippers, the next minute I'm involved in a shouting match with the ex-GM of the Clippers in front of Donald Stern, thinking I would get beaten up by security.

Amazingly enough, something I said must have resonated in Donald because he actually fired the GM on the spot and hired me. Having said that, being paid $30k a year doesn't sound like the best deal but we all know he's cheap. But at least I get a job running a ballclub.

The expectations? He's fair in knowing that the club simply isn't that good and he just wants me to field a competitive team. Having said that, he wants me to not be over the cap (as expected). I think it's doable and tell him as much. Looks like the new year is starting!

Edit: Restarting the league. I had downloaded a 2008 roster but, after playing around with it, realised I didn't like it at all. Too many 3 and 3.5 star players floating around in the D League for my taste. Going to go with the default 2007 roster for now.

law90026 · 01-18-2009, 11:50 PM

Evaluating the Team:

PG: Sam Cassell, 38 years old. He may be old but he's the best PG I have on the team. He's still a good player though but it's scary to think that a 38 year old is manning the PG position for an entire season.

PG: Shaun Livingston, 22 years old. Unfortunately, the back-up PG simply isn't very good. Shaun was a bust of a pick and the franchise is paying for it.

SG: Cuttino Mobley, 32 years old. Cuttino is a good SG but also getting on in years. My backcourt is going to be a combined 70 years old.

SG: Quinton Ross, 26 years old. Strictly back-up material here and should only be playing occasional minutes.

SF: Corey Magette, 28 years old. Our 2nd best player, he will combine with Elton to form a nice forward nucleus.

SF: Tim Thomas, 30 years old. A role player that can play a few positions. However, I'll probably be looking to trade him at some point.

PF: Elton Brand, 28 years old. He's the franchise player and everything should be going through him.

PF: Aaron Williams, 36 years old. Another old vet on the team who really should be playing only limited minutes.

C: Chris Kaman, 25 years old. A solid centre that will do the dirty work down low. A player I like.

C: Paul Davis, 25 years old. Really crap player in my view and will be cut soon I suspect.

Thoughts on the team:
a) I need a new PG ASAP;
b) I would like to find a younger/better SG; and
c) I need some depth.

The draft is coming up so we'll see how that pans out before making any trades.

Izulde · 01-19-2009, 12:26 AM

Good luck. It's definitely a rebuilding project and you'll suck for at least the first year unless you can work some miracles IMO.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 12:26 AM

Picking 22nd means that it's unlikely we'll get someone I really want like Oden or Durant. Still, we'll work out a bunch of players and hope someone falls to us.

Of the players we worked out, I really like:
a) Yi Jianlian, PF: Good work ethic, he looks like a potential star. Having said that, he's not a position of need for me. Projected to go 13th;
b) Julian Wright, SF: Another solid player who looks to have a bunch of potential. Again, not a position of need for me though. Interestingly, projected to fall to us at 22nd place;
c) Mike Conley, PG: Now this is a player I would like to draft but I doubt he'll drop down to me. Projected to go 5th;
d) Brad Newley, SG: A decent SG but projected to go 3rd;
e) Jarvis Crittendon, PG: I think this might be my pick. He looks to be a good handler of the ball and he's got a great work ethic. However, he's projected to go 15th in the draft.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 12:52 AM

The Draft:

1. Toronto - Greg Oden, C
2. New York Knicks - Kevin Durant, SF

No real surprises at the top.

3. Charlotte - Rodney Stuckey, SG
4. Portland - Spencer Hawes, C
5. Atlanta - Sean Williams, C
6. Minnesota - Al Thornton, PF
7. Boston - Brad Newley, SG
8. Houston - Brandan Wright, PF
9. Golden State - Al Horford, PF
10. Seattle - Yi Jianlian, PF
11. Orlando - Mike Conley, PG (damn it!)
12. New Orleans - Nick Young, SG
13. Philadelphia - Joakim Noah, PF

Well, the lottery picks are done and a bunch of players I like are gone. Having said that, Jarvis Crittendon is still out there as well as a PG I didn't work out (Acie Law).

And a deal is worked out with the Jazz.

Utah receives:
#22 pick
Shaun Livingston

Clippers receive:
#14 pick
Gordon Giricek

I'm pleased with the trade as I get an expiring contract in Gordon Giricek and now I get to pick a player I want. Then, uncertainty strikes as it appears Acie Law is regarded as a better PG. Damn it, why didn't I work him out...

14. LA Clippers - Jarvis Crittendon, PG. In the end, I went with the guy that we worked out and someone we really like. Personally, I think we made the right move but we'll see how it works out in time. The analysts didn't quite like the pick but agreed it wasn't terrible.
15. Milwaukee - Acie Law, PG. And the other PG is grabbed by the Bucks immediately after.
16. Chicago - Jared Jordan, PG
17. Indiana - Morris Almond, SG
18. Washington - Corey Brewer, SF
19. Sacremento - Julian Wright, SF (I was thinking of trading up if he fell to about the 21st place, silly me)
20. Denver - Gabe Pruitt, PG
21. LA LAkers - Jason Smith, PF
22. Utah Jazz - Marc Gasol, C
23. Memphis - Stanko Barac, C
24. New Jersey - Tiago Splitter, PF
25. Cleveland - Jeff Green, PF (a good pick here I think, he slipped a lot)
26. Miami - DJ Strawberry, SG
27. Phoenix - Thaddeus Young, SF
28. Dallas - Sammy Meija, SG
29. San Antonio - Aaron Gray, C
30. Detroit - Ramon Sessions, PG

Our 2nd round pick is 6-7 SF Jared Dudley out of Boston College. I was impressed by his numbers (19 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and maybe he'll surprise me.

Unfortunately, Jarvis Crittendon appears to have less upside than expected and it may not have been the right pick. We'll give him a season or 2 to learn from Sam Cassell but I may have tried to be too clever this time around. Jared Dudley doesn't look like a good player either but we'll give him a short contract to prove his worth.

Overall Draft Grade: C-. 2 bad picks is not a good start.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 01:07 AM

Post-Draft, I realise I need to start shedding some contracts quickly because I'm 11 million over the cap with 12 players signed. The only untouchable players I have right now are Elton Brand and Corey Magette, everyone else is available for trade.

Trade 1:
Milwaukee Bucks receive:
Sam Cassell
Jared Dudley

Clippers receive:
Acie Law

And just like that, I get the PG that we should have drafted. I give up Sam's presence in the locker room and that will hurt but he was not in my long term plans anyway. And I give away my 2nd round mistake too!

Trade 2:
New York Knicks receive:
Cuttino Mobley
Jarvis Crittendon

LA Clippers receive:
Jamal Crawford

This trade I was unsure of but I decided to pull the trigger on it. Firstly, it brings me under the cap. Secondly, Jamal Crawford looks like a decent player and should be an adequate replacement for Cuttino Mobley. Giving up Jarvis Crittendon didn't hurt as much as I thought it might either.

And so, with the 2 trades, we're done. Our roster will likely look like this:
PG: Acie Law
SG: Jamal Crawford
SF: Corey Maggette
PF: Elton Brand
C: Chris Kaman

I need some depth in the team still but I think we're looking decent and a lot younger.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 01:17 AM

Summer League:

The only player of note that I send down is Acie Law. I'll be monitoring his performances closely. Interestingly enough, the Knicks release Jarvis Crittendon immediately after the trade and I pick him up for my summer league team as well.

Our first game is a win against Cleveland, 88-73. Jarvis Crittendon was POTG with 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 6 steals! Acie Law only had 8 pts though he did have 9 assists.

Game 2 is a 87-72 loss to New Jersey. Acie Law had another poor outing with 6 points (on 2-11 shooting), 4 assists and 5 turnovers.

Game 3 is a 100-90 loss to Charlotte. A better performance from Acie Law with 11 pts (3-9 shooting) and 5 assists (just 1 turnover). His inability to shoot is starting to scare me.

We beat Houston 90-71 in Game 4. Acie Law had a nice rounded performance with 12 pts (5-8 shooting), 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Maybe he's starting to get his game together. Jarvis Crittendon had 14 pts in this game.

We finish Summer League play with a 99-69 blowout of Detroit. Jarvis Crittendon had 10 pts while Acie Law had 8 pts, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 turnovers. Players I have no interest of signing played well this game.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 01:25 AM

Free Agency:

We sign Eddie House (PG), Maurice Williams (PG/SG), and Eric Williams (PF) to mix contracts.

I decide not to use our mid-level exemption for this year.

Amazingly enough, I can't seem to find Jarvis Crittendon as a free agent or on any roster. It looks like he may have retired from professional basketball already.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 01:33 AM

The pre-season review has us at 8th place in the Western Conference. That seems about right though I suspect we may actually slip a little.

The starting roster irritates me slightly though as Acie Law is on the bench and Maurice Williams is starting. As expected, the other starters are Jamal Crawford (SG), Corey Maggette (SF), Elton Brand (PF) and Chris Kaman (C).

I do manage to pick up Jarvis Crittendon (who mysteriously reappeared!) and Matt Carroll from the free agent pile so that we're carrying a full roster of 15.

law90026 · 01-19-2009, 02:40 AM

Nov Recap:

Not a good start to the season as we go 5-11 in November. Game results below:

Seattle: We lose in a crazy 123-113 shootout as defence takes a backseat in this game. Elton Brand's 28 pts, 10 rebounds, 9 blocks and 4 assists are wasted in this effort. Corey Maggette added 25 pts, Jamal Crawford had 19, Chris Kaman has 12 pts, Tim Thomas had 11 pts and Gordon Giricek had 10 pts. For the Sonics, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis burned us with 33 pts and 30 pts respectively, though Yi Jianlian had a debut to forget with just 5 pts and 5 rebounds.

Portland (away): We follow that up with a 104-96 loss away at Portland. Elton Brand starred with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists, while Jamal Crawford (15 pts), Chris Kaman (12 pts), Corey Maggette (11 pts) and Eric Williams (10 pts) all hit double figures. A better game from Corey would have won us this one. Brandon Roy had 28 pts for the Trailblazers and Darius Miles added 16, with another 3 players in double figures.

Golden State (away): We get embarrassed 120-97 at Golden State . Elton Brand scores 30, Corey Maggette has 15 pts, Chris Kaman has 12 pts and 12 rebounds and Gordon Giricek has 14 bench points. This wasn't enough though as 4 of the 5 Golden State starters had double digits in points, including 31 from Al Harrington and 25 from Jason Richardson.

Detroit: The losing streak continues as we lose to the Pistons 113-96. Elton Brand had 33 pts and Corey Maggette had 23 pts in the losing effort. It can't be good though when Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton explode for a combined 63 pts on us and Richard Murray comes off the bench to add 17 more.

Indiana: Another day, another loss, this time 104-94 to the Pacers. We had 7 players in double digits but it wasn't enough to overcome 30 pts from Jermaine O'Neal, 18 pts from Troy Murphy and 18 pts from Danny Granger.

New York (away): We narrowly lose to the Knicks 106-105. 27 points and 12 rebounds from Elton Brand, 25 points from Giricek off the bench and 12 pts from Chris Kaman are not enough to overcome 5 players in double digits for the Knicks, including 24 pts from Kevin Durant.

Chicago (away): Another terrible loss, this time to the Bulls as we get blown out 92-67. 17 pts and 10 rebounds from Elton Brand are the only bright spark as the Bulls get 50 points from their backcourt of Hinrich and Gordon.

Toronto: We finally win our first game of the year, 117-97 over Toronto. 27 points from Corey Maggette, 24 off the bench from Eric Williams and 22 pts from Elton Brand are enough to see us past the Raptors, who had all 5 starters in double digits but just 12 pts off the bench.

LA Lakers (away): We promptly get blown out 106-82 against the Lakers. 35 pts from Elton Brand aren’t enough as KobeBryant scores 36 and Lamar Odom adds 17.

Houston Rockets: We then beat the Rockets 104-96 as all 5 starters scored in double digits. 33 points from Tracy McGrady was not enough for the Rockets as we kept Yao Ming quiet (12 pts, 10 rebounds).

Phoenix: We are unable to sustain any momentum as we fall to the Suns 116-106. We had 5 players in double digits again, including 26 from Elton Brand and 21 from Jamal Crawford. However, they had 6 players in double digits, including Steve Nash’s 26 pts and 12 assists.

New Jersey: We beat the Nets though, 114-103. Vince Carter (27 pts) and Richard Jefferson (30 pts) were not able to stop us from winning as Elton Brand scored 40 pts to pace 4 other players in double digits.

Golden State (away): We finally have a win streak! We beat the Warriors 98-76 behind 19 points from Elton Brand, 18 points from Corey Maggette and 17 points from Jamal Crawford.

Golden State: The Warriors come back to beat us 114-102 in a back-to-back though. Baron Davis scored 41 and Al Harrington had 23 points, which was enough to put us away. Elton Brand had 28 points and 11 rebounds.

Cleveland: We lose 97-86 to Cleveland next. LeBron had 33 and Larry Hughes had 24. Elton Brand had 24 points for us, Chris Kaman added 17 and Gordon Giricek had 15 off the bench.

Indiana: We do end the month on a winning note though as we beat the Pacers 103-86. We had a balanced offence as 5 players scored between 15 to 19 points (including 19 off the bench from Gordon Giricek).

Thoughts so far:
a)we suck;
b)I hate that Acie Law isn’t playing much. I just don’t think Maurice Williams is that much better (9.7 pts, 4.7 assists and 2 TO’s a game);
c)Elton Brand is a beast;
d)our other starters are inconsistent, especially Corey Maggette; and
e)our bench players are pretty good, especially Eric Williams and Gordon Giricek.

I think I might need to shake things up a little but we’ll see how it goes. I do call up Mike Dunleavy though to tell him to let Acie play a lot more for the coming month.

law90026 · 01-20-2009, 04:01 AM

See, silly Mike should have listened to me. After installing Acie Law as the starter, we go 9-4 for the month to bring us to 14-15.

Minnesota: We kick off with a 107-78 win over the T'wolves. Elton Brand is, as always, our best player, with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists and 2 steals. Chris Kaman had a double-double with 13 pts and 10 rebounds while Corey Maggette had 15 pts. Kevin Garnett had 19 pts in a losing effort. Much to my displeasure, Acie Law only plays 11 mins in this game.

Charlotte: We then beat the Bobcats 105-91. Corey Maggette had 28 pts and 8 rebounds, Elton Brand had 17 points and 8 rebounds while Chris Kaman had 16 pts and 9 rebounds. Acie Law started and managed 9 points and 5 assists. The Bobcats had 23 points from Gerald Wallace and 14 from Brevin Knight.

LA Lakers: A nailbiter of a win as we beat the Lakers 115-113 in OT. Kobe Bryant had 39 points, Andrew Bynum had 24 off the bench and Lamar Odom had 15 points. However, Elton Brand would not be denied as he had 36 pts and 12 rebounds with support from Jamal Crawford (18 pts) and Corey Maggette (15 pts). Acie Law only had 4 pts but he did manage 11 assists.

Boston: The streak continues as we beat Boston 107-98. It helps when we have 5 players in double digits, including Elton Brand (29 pts 10 rebounds), Jamal Crawford (19 pts) and Tim Thomas (12 pts off the bench). This was enough to overcome a 34 pt effort from Wally Scerbiak.

Utah: We continue to win with a 98-76 win over the Jazz. 26 pts from Elton Brand, 17 from Chris Kaman, 15 from Tim Thomas (off the bench) and 14 from Corey Maggette are enough. The Jazz also had 4 players in double digits, including 19 each from Carlos Boozer and Derek Fisher.

Minnesota: We had to lose sometime and we do it in spectacular fashion, losing 111-81 to the T'wolves. When Elton Brand only scores 10 pts, we know we're in trouble as KG comes out for revenge (28 pts, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks).

Memphis: We do not let the loss deter us as we beat Memphis 107-97. Elton Brand (27 pts), Jamal Crawford (25 pts) and Corey Maggette (24 pts) run the show as they combine for 76 pts between the 3 of them. Pau Gasol (24 pts) and Mike Miller (29 pts) just didn't have enough to sustain Memphis.

New Orleans: We boss the Hornets around 111-81. 37 pts from Elton Brand along with 3 others in double digits in a rout as the Hornets could only manage 4 players in double digits, with Peja Stojakavic and Chris Paul being high scorers with 13 each.

Houston: A 20 pt loss to the Rockers (110-90) follows. We just couldn't over come 38 and 37 pts respectively from Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, despite Elton Brand's best efforts (23 pts).

Memphis: Huh, an actual losing streak. We lose to Memphis 109-100. In a reversal of our previous game, they had 3 players playing well (Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Hakim Warrick) while we only had Elton Brand (37pts) and Jamal Crawford doing the work on our side (21 pts).

Utah: The players halt the losing with a 98-87 win over the Jazz. We have 4 players in double digits as do they but Elton Brand's 27 pts and 11 rebounds are enough to see us through.

San Antonio: We beat San Antonio 112-103 in OT. Tony Parker is phenomenal with 43 pts but he eventually ran out of steam. Elton Brand kept Tim Duncan (3 pts) in check all night, eventually causing TD to foul out. Elton's stat line? 41 pts, 19 rebounds, 4 blocks. He's the man.

Philadelphia: We just have nothing left in the tank for the next game 2 days later though, falling to the Sixers 92-76. Elton Brand had 18 pts, Jamal Crawford had 17 pts from the PG spot and Corey Maggette had 14 pts from the SG spot as the Acie Law era is apparently over.

Time to call Mike again I guess.

What I see from Acie Law is a player that can pass the ball well but isn't a scorer. I think that's important for us because we have 5 or 6 players on any night that can score in double digits but no one to pass the ball around. Unfortunately, the call doesn't go well as we end up screaming at each other and he flat out refuses to do it. I think I'll fire him if this month goes badly.

01-19-2009, 12:26 AM	#3
Izulde Head Coach Join Date: Sep 2004	Good luck. It's definitely a rebuilding project and you'll suck for at least the first year unless you can work some miracles IMO. __________________ 2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty)

01-19-2009, 01:25 AM	#8
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	Free Agency: We sign Eddie House (PG), Maurice Williams (PG/SG), and Eric Williams (PF) to mix contracts. I decide not to use our mid-level exemption for this year. Amazingly enough, I can't seem to find Jarvis Crittendon as a free agent or on any roster. It looks like he may have retired from professional basketball already. Last edited by law90026 : 01-19-2009 at 01:27 AM.

01-19-2009, 01:33 AM	#9
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	The pre-season review has us at 8th place in the Western Conference. That seems about right though I suspect we may actually slip a little. The starting roster irritates me slightly though as Acie Law is on the bench and Maurice Williams is starting. As expected, the other starters are Jamal Crawford (SG), Corey Maggette (SF), Elton Brand (PF) and Chris Kaman (C). I do manage to pick up Jarvis Crittendon (who mysteriously reappeared!) and Matt Carroll from the free agent pile so that we're carrying a full roster of 15. Last edited by law90026 : 01-19-2009 at 01:34 AM.

01-19-2009, 02:40 AM	#10
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	Nov Recap: Not a good start to the season as we go 5-11 in November. Game results below: Seattle: We lose in a crazy 123-113 shootout as defence takes a backseat in this game. Elton Brand's 28 pts, 10 rebounds, 9 blocks and 4 assists are wasted in this effort. Corey Maggette added 25 pts, Jamal Crawford had 19, Chris Kaman has 12 pts, Tim Thomas had 11 pts and Gordon Giricek had 10 pts. For the Sonics, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis burned us with 33 pts and 30 pts respectively, though Yi Jianlian had a debut to forget with just 5 pts and 5 rebounds. Portland (away): We follow that up with a 104-96 loss away at Portland. Elton Brand starred with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists, while Jamal Crawford (15 pts), Chris Kaman (12 pts), Corey Maggette (11 pts) and Eric Williams (10 pts) all hit double figures. A better game from Corey would have won us this one. Brandon Roy had 28 pts for the Trailblazers and Darius Miles added 16, with another 3 players in double figures. Golden State (away): We get embarrassed 120-97 at Golden State . Elton Brand scores 30, Corey Maggette has 15 pts, Chris Kaman has 12 pts and 12 rebounds and Gordon Giricek has 14 bench points. This wasn't enough though as 4 of the 5 Golden State starters had double digits in points, including 31 from Al Harrington and 25 from Jason Richardson. Detroit: The losing streak continues as we lose to the Pistons 113-96. Elton Brand had 33 pts and Corey Maggette had 23 pts in the losing effort. It can't be good though when Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton explode for a combined 63 pts on us and Richard Murray comes off the bench to add 17 more. Indiana: Another day, another loss, this time 104-94 to the Pacers. We had 7 players in double digits but it wasn't enough to overcome 30 pts from Jermaine O'Neal, 18 pts from Troy Murphy and 18 pts from Danny Granger. New York (away): We narrowly lose to the Knicks 106-105. 27 points and 12 rebounds from Elton Brand, 25 points from Giricek off the bench and 12 pts from Chris Kaman are not enough to overcome 5 players in double digits for the Knicks, including 24 pts from Kevin Durant. Chicago (away): Another terrible loss, this time to the Bulls as we get blown out 92-67. 17 pts and 10 rebounds from Elton Brand are the only bright spark as the Bulls get 50 points from their backcourt of Hinrich and Gordon. Toronto: We finally win our first game of the year, 117-97 over Toronto. 27 points from Corey Maggette, 24 off the bench from Eric Williams and 22 pts from Elton Brand are enough to see us past the Raptors, who had all 5 starters in double digits but just 12 pts off the bench. LA Lakers (away): We promptly get blown out 106-82 against the Lakers. 35 pts from Elton Brand aren’t enough as KobeBryant scores 36 and Lamar Odom adds 17. Houston Rockets: We then beat the Rockets 104-96 as all 5 starters scored in double digits. 33 points from Tracy McGrady was not enough for the Rockets as we kept Yao Ming quiet (12 pts, 10 rebounds). Phoenix: We are unable to sustain any momentum as we fall to the Suns 116-106. We had 5 players in double digits again, including 26 from Elton Brand and 21 from Jamal Crawford. However, they had 6 players in double digits, including Steve Nash’s 26 pts and 12 assists. New Jersey: We beat the Nets though, 114-103. Vince Carter (27 pts) and Richard Jefferson (30 pts) were not able to stop us from winning as Elton Brand scored 40 pts to pace 4 other players in double digits. Golden State (away): We finally have a win streak! We beat the Warriors 98-76 behind 19 points from Elton Brand, 18 points from Corey Maggette and 17 points from Jamal Crawford. Golden State: The Warriors come back to beat us 114-102 in a back-to-back though. Baron Davis scored 41 and Al Harrington had 23 points, which was enough to put us away. Elton Brand had 28 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland: We lose 97-86 to Cleveland next. LeBron had 33 and Larry Hughes had 24. Elton Brand had 24 points for us, Chris Kaman added 17 and Gordon Giricek had 15 off the bench. Indiana: We do end the month on a winning note though as we beat the Pacers 103-86. We had a balanced offence as 5 players scored between 15 to 19 points (including 19 off the bench from Gordon Giricek). Thoughts so far: a)we suck; b)I hate that Acie Law isn’t playing much. I just don’t think Maurice Williams is that much better (9.7 pts, 4.7 assists and 2 TO’s a game); c)Elton Brand is a beast; d)our other starters are inconsistent, especially Corey Maggette; and e)our bench players are pretty good, especially Eric Williams and Gordon Giricek. I think I might need to shake things up a little but we’ll see how it goes. I do call up Mike Dunleavy though to tell him to let Acie play a lot more for the coming month. Last edited by law90026 : 01-19-2009 at 02:45 AM.

01-20-2009, 04:01 AM	#11
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	See, silly Mike should have listened to me. After installing Acie Law as the starter, we go 9-4 for the month to bring us to 14-15. Minnesota: We kick off with a 107-78 win over the T'wolves. Elton Brand is, as always, our best player, with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists and 2 steals. Chris Kaman had a double-double with 13 pts and 10 rebounds while Corey Maggette had 15 pts. Kevin Garnett had 19 pts in a losing effort. Much to my displeasure, Acie Law only plays 11 mins in this game. Charlotte: We then beat the Bobcats 105-91. Corey Maggette had 28 pts and 8 rebounds, Elton Brand had 17 points and 8 rebounds while Chris Kaman had 16 pts and 9 rebounds. Acie Law started and managed 9 points and 5 assists. The Bobcats had 23 points from Gerald Wallace and 14 from Brevin Knight. LA Lakers: A nailbiter of a win as we beat the Lakers 115-113 in OT. Kobe Bryant had 39 points, Andrew Bynum had 24 off the bench and Lamar Odom had 15 points. However, Elton Brand would not be denied as he had 36 pts and 12 rebounds with support from Jamal Crawford (18 pts) and Corey Maggette (15 pts). Acie Law only had 4 pts but he did manage 11 assists. Boston: The streak continues as we beat Boston 107-98. It helps when we have 5 players in double digits, including Elton Brand (29 pts 10 rebounds), Jamal Crawford (19 pts) and Tim Thomas (12 pts off the bench). This was enough to overcome a 34 pt effort from Wally Scerbiak. Utah: We continue to win with a 98-76 win over the Jazz. 26 pts from Elton Brand, 17 from Chris Kaman, 15 from Tim Thomas (off the bench) and 14 from Corey Maggette are enough. The Jazz also had 4 players in double digits, including 19 each from Carlos Boozer and Derek Fisher. Minnesota: We had to lose sometime and we do it in spectacular fashion, losing 111-81 to the T'wolves. When Elton Brand only scores 10 pts, we know we're in trouble as KG comes out for revenge (28 pts, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 blocks). Memphis: We do not let the loss deter us as we beat Memphis 107-97. Elton Brand (27 pts), Jamal Crawford (25 pts) and Corey Maggette (24 pts) run the show as they combine for 76 pts between the 3 of them. Pau Gasol (24 pts) and Mike Miller (29 pts) just didn't have enough to sustain Memphis. New Orleans: We boss the Hornets around 111-81. 37 pts from Elton Brand along with 3 others in double digits in a rout as the Hornets could only manage 4 players in double digits, with Peja Stojakavic and Chris Paul being high scorers with 13 each. Houston: A 20 pt loss to the Rockers (110-90) follows. We just couldn't over come 38 and 37 pts respectively from Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, despite Elton Brand's best efforts (23 pts). Memphis: Huh, an actual losing streak. We lose to Memphis 109-100. In a reversal of our previous game, they had 3 players playing well (Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Hakim Warrick) while we only had Elton Brand (37pts) and Jamal Crawford doing the work on our side (21 pts). Utah: The players halt the losing with a 98-87 win over the Jazz. We have 4 players in double digits as do they but Elton Brand's 27 pts and 11 rebounds are enough to see us through. San Antonio: We beat San Antonio 112-103 in OT. Tony Parker is phenomenal with 43 pts but he eventually ran out of steam. Elton Brand kept Tim Duncan (3 pts) in check all night, eventually causing TD to foul out. Elton's stat line? 41 pts, 19 rebounds, 4 blocks. He's the man. Philadelphia: We just have nothing left in the tank for the next game 2 days later though, falling to the Sixers 92-76. Elton Brand had 18 pts, Jamal Crawford had 17 pts from the PG spot and Corey Maggette had 14 pts from the SG spot as the Acie Law era is apparently over. Time to call Mike again I guess. What I see from Acie Law is a player that can pass the ball well but isn't a scorer. I think that's important for us because we have 5 or 6 players on any night that can score in double digits but no one to pass the ball around. Unfortunately, the call doesn't go well as we end up screaming at each other and he flat out refuses to do it. I think I'll fire him if this month goes badly. Last edited by law90026 : 01-20-2009 at 04:02 AM.

01-18-2009, 11:50 PM	#2
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	Evaluating the Team: PG: Sam Cassell, 38 years old. He may be old but he's the best PG I have on the team. He's still a good player though but it's scary to think that a 38 year old is manning the PG position for an entire season. PG: Shaun Livingston, 22 years old. Unfortunately, the back-up PG simply isn't very good. Shaun was a bust of a pick and the franchise is paying for it. SG: Cuttino Mobley, 32 years old. Cuttino is a good SG but also getting on in years. My backcourt is going to be a combined 70 years old. SG: Quinton Ross, 26 years old. Strictly back-up material here and should only be playing occasional minutes. SF: Corey Magette, 28 years old. Our 2nd best player, he will combine with Elton to form a nice forward nucleus. SF: Tim Thomas, 30 years old. A role player that can play a few positions. However, I'll probably be looking to trade him at some point. PF: Elton Brand, 28 years old. He's the franchise player and everything should be going through him. PF: Aaron Williams, 36 years old. Another old vet on the team who really should be playing only limited minutes. C: Chris Kaman, 25 years old. A solid centre that will do the dirty work down low. A player I like. C: Paul Davis, 25 years old. Really crap player in my view and will be cut soon I suspect. Thoughts on the team: a) I need a new PG ASAP; b) I would like to find a younger/better SG; and c) I need some depth. The draft is coming up so we'll see how that pans out before making any trades. Last edited by law90026 : 01-19-2009 at 12:15 AM.

01-19-2009, 12:52 AM	#5
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	The Draft: 1. Toronto - Greg Oden, C 2. New York Knicks - Kevin Durant, SF No real surprises at the top. 3. Charlotte - Rodney Stuckey, SG 4. Portland - Spencer Hawes, C 5. Atlanta - Sean Williams, C 6. Minnesota - Al Thornton, PF 7. Boston - Brad Newley, SG 8. Houston - Brandan Wright, PF 9. Golden State - Al Horford, PF 10. Seattle - Yi Jianlian, PF 11. Orlando - Mike Conley, PG (damn it!) 12. New Orleans - Nick Young, SG 13. Philadelphia - Joakim Noah, PF Well, the lottery picks are done and a bunch of players I like are gone. Having said that, Jarvis Crittendon is still out there as well as a PG I didn't work out (Acie Law). And a deal is worked out with the Jazz. Utah receives: #22 pick Shaun Livingston Clippers receive: #14 pick Gordon Giricek I'm pleased with the trade as I get an expiring contract in Gordon Giricek and now I get to pick a player I want. Then, uncertainty strikes as it appears Acie Law is regarded as a better PG. Damn it, why didn't I work him out... 14. LA Clippers - Jarvis Crittendon, PG. In the end, I went with the guy that we worked out and someone we really like. Personally, I think we made the right move but we'll see how it works out in time. The analysts didn't quite like the pick but agreed it wasn't terrible. 15. Milwaukee - Acie Law, PG. And the other PG is grabbed by the Bucks immediately after. 16. Chicago - Jared Jordan, PG 17. Indiana - Morris Almond, SG 18. Washington - Corey Brewer, SF 19. Sacremento - Julian Wright, SF (I was thinking of trading up if he fell to about the 21st place, silly me) 20. Denver - Gabe Pruitt, PG 21. LA LAkers - Jason Smith, PF 22. Utah Jazz - Marc Gasol, C 23. Memphis - Stanko Barac, C 24. New Jersey - Tiago Splitter, PF 25. Cleveland - Jeff Green, PF (a good pick here I think, he slipped a lot) 26. Miami - DJ Strawberry, SG 27. Phoenix - Thaddeus Young, SF 28. Dallas - Sammy Meija, SG 29. San Antonio - Aaron Gray, C 30. Detroit - Ramon Sessions, PG Our 2nd round pick is 6-7 SF Jared Dudley out of Boston College. I was impressed by his numbers (19 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and maybe he'll surprise me. Unfortunately, Jarvis Crittendon appears to have less upside than expected and it may not have been the right pick. We'll give him a season or 2 to learn from Sam Cassell but I may have tried to be too clever this time around. Jared Dudley doesn't look like a good player either but we'll give him a short contract to prove his worth. Overall Draft Grade: C-. 2 bad picks is not a good start.

01-19-2009, 01:07 AM	#6
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	Post-Draft, I realise I need to start shedding some contracts quickly because I'm 11 million over the cap with 12 players signed. The only untouchable players I have right now are Elton Brand and Corey Magette, everyone else is available for trade. Trade 1: Milwaukee Bucks receive: Sam Cassell Jared Dudley Clippers receive: Acie Law And just like that, I get the PG that we should have drafted. I give up Sam's presence in the locker room and that will hurt but he was not in my long term plans anyway. And I give away my 2nd round mistake too! Trade 2: New York Knicks receive: Cuttino Mobley Jarvis Crittendon LA Clippers receive: Jamal Crawford This trade I was unsure of but I decided to pull the trigger on it. Firstly, it brings me under the cap. Secondly, Jamal Crawford looks like a decent player and should be an adequate replacement for Cuttino Mobley. Giving up Jarvis Crittendon didn't hurt as much as I thought it might either. And so, with the 2 trades, we're done. Our roster will likely look like this: PG: Acie Law SG: Jamal Crawford SF: Corey Maggette PF: Elton Brand C: Chris Kaman I need some depth in the team still but I think we're looking decent and a lot younger.

01-19-2009, 01:17 AM	#7
law90026 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Jan 2006	Summer League: The only player of note that I send down is Acie Law. I'll be monitoring his performances closely. Interestingly enough, the Knicks release Jarvis Crittendon immediately after the trade and I pick him up for my summer league team as well. Our first game is a win against Cleveland, 88-73. Jarvis Crittendon was POTG with 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 6 steals! Acie Law only had 8 pts though he did have 9 assists. Game 2 is a 87-72 loss to New Jersey. Acie Law had another poor outing with 6 points (on 2-11 shooting), 4 assists and 5 turnovers. Game 3 is a 100-90 loss to Charlotte. A better performance from Acie Law with 11 pts (3-9 shooting) and 5 assists (just 1 turnover). His inability to shoot is starting to scare me. We beat Houston 90-71 in Game 4. Acie Law had a nice rounded performance with 12 pts (5-8 shooting), 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Maybe he's starting to get his game together. Jarvis Crittendon had 14 pts in this game. We finish Summer League play with a 99-69 blowout of Detroit. Jarvis Crittendon had 10 pts while Acie Law had 8 pts, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 turnovers. Players I have no interest of signing played well this game.

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