The Wenli Chen Story: An NBA 2k17 dynasty

[Eaglesfan27]

The Year: 2022.
The situation: The Philadelphia 76ers had won 2 championships with a nucleus of Ben Simmons, Paul George, and Okafor. We had the most talent and it wasn't close. Saric is a very effective stretch 4. Timothe is a nice SG. But, we were facing problems. The salary was out of control. George was 32 and starting to decline. We were contemplating a move. Then, we had a phenom declare for the draft. Wenli Chen is a 19 year old SG from China who had tremendous athleticism, tremendous passing ability, very good ball handling, and average shooting ability (with potential to greatly improve per our scouts.) His only weakness was his defense which tended to be lack of effort.

The Trade:

We gave to the Nets: Paul George (32 years old, rated 88 still but clearly in decline), Anton Billingsley (22 year old SF rated 77 overall who our scouts thought had all star potential and was a backup demanding a trade) and 4 1st round picks including the 12th and 30th in the 2022 draft, and a 1st in the next 2 drafts.

We received the #1 pick which we used on Wenli Chen.

The reasons we made the trade:

1. Paul George was in decline and only had 1 more year left on his deal and was asking for a 4 year max deal.
2. Billingsley was demanding a trade anyway.
3. We thought Chen had a chance to be a generational talent.

The early returns on Chen have been better than expected. He is already averaging 21 ppg and has helped lead the team to a 13-0 record.

I will continue to play 1 game and sim 3. We'll see if Chen can become an all time great. Can he be an All-Star in his 1st season? Can he win the MVP in his 1st season? Can he win an NBA championship in his 1st season? Will he win Finals MVP? Simmons won all three of those last year and might be 1 of his biggest competitors for the awards. How many years will he be an All-Star? So many questions. Let's see how this unfolds...

[Eaglesfan27]

I had a long post for the roster, but I will post just a short version now and have a video of the roster for more details:

Simmons - He is in his prime. One of the best PG's in the league with a skill set that makes him nearly unguardable. He helps lead the longest and one of the most athletic starting 5's in the league (with the exception of SF.)

SG - Chen. He is too athletic for almost anyone to guard. He can get penetration unlike any player I've ever had. His shot is improving. His passing is superb and his ball handling is very good. His defense is the only liability.

SF - Doug McDermott - He didn't start our 1st game, but I quickly realized we needed his shooting over Jeremi Grant's defense to help Chen have space that he needs to penetrate. McDermott is one of the best 3 point shooters in the league but is having a slow start. Once he gets going.. wow.

PF - Dario Saric - One of the best stretch 4's in the game now. He can shoot the 3 very effectively and also helps create space for Chen and Simmons to penetrate.

C - Okafor - One of the best inside scorers in the league. He complained about missing the all star last year and I promised him more minutes this year. He is very high maintenance but he is delivering. With an increase from 28 mpg to 34 mpg, he has gone up from 16 ppg to 21 ppg and is averaging 10 rpg and almost 2 blocks per game.

C - Stephen Micoud - He is demanding more PT which has been hard to find. He is also known as Genghis Khan among his teammates. He is a very effectively big man and could be a very good starter for us in the future if we ever tire of Okafor's attitude.

PF Jeremi Rodgers - We got him with the 9th pick a draft ago. Our scouts thought he was a diamond in the rough and he is proving it with rapid improvements. He is earning more PT and is a tenacious interior defender and rebounder.

SF - Jeremi Grant - He is 28 and is our top perimeter defender, but he is a poor shooter and can only score when he slashes and gets to the rim. He is demanding to start and I may trade him as he is asking. If I can get a 1st from a lottery type team, I will pull the trigger.

Rick Sharpe - a young sharp shooter who is a poor defender but can knock down the 3. He is having an off year so far.

Eric Holland - a 26 year old backup PG whose best attribute is very good 3 point shooting and passing.

Anton Bilious - Another big reason I made the trade of George and Billingsley. He is a young SF at 23 years old who is rated 77 already. He has all star potential per our scouting team. He is the #1 reason I want to trade Grant this year.

Sf Robert Covington is now 31 and has become our rarely used bench player. I might trade him at some point but I love all of the things he can do and he doesn't seem to mind the minimal amount of time as long as I keep paying him well.

C Tommy Lucas - a very interesting 7'3 305 pound C who doesn't like to dunk and prefers to shoot 3's. He does this surprisingly well. He doesn't do much else well which is why he only plays in garbage time. He is only 22 though and could develop.

Finally, we have Antonio Wilcox. Our staff believes he will develop into a very good starting type player. He is only 20 and he has nice size at 6'10 257. He is strictly a reserve player at this point (but another reason to trade Grant.)

Here is a brief video clip that shows the roster:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5tvoky



I will continue to play every 4th game. I will post videos of key stretches of gameplay particularly when Chen has big plays. I will also post videos of the box scores from played games.

[Eaglesfan27]

Nov 22, 2022 -

Chen with 26 points in a big win over Portland. Simmons with a triple double (he already has 6 this season.)


Nov 24th -

I spoke too soon. Covington wants a trade if we aren't going to play him more. Micoud is also grumbling for more minutes.


Nov 25th -

Our first loss of the year as we fall to the Pistons 105-100. Chen shot 1 of 12 as their big man Drummond shut down his interior drives.

Anton Bilious believes he should get many more minutes. I can't blame the kid.


Nov 26th -

We bound back to win the 2nd part of the home and home against Detroit, 125-96. Chen led the way with 28 points on 11 of 16 shooting and 6 of 7 from the line. Simmons just missed another triple double with 18 points, 9 boards, and 9 assists.


November 28th - We host the Thunder and Russell Westbrook. If they try to guard Chen with Westbrook, it should be fun to watch what Chen can do against him...

[Eaglesfan27]

We crushed the Thunder and each of our big 3 had a very nice game despite the fact that they didn't play the 4th quarter due to the blowout. Simmons was all over Westbrook and shut him down for most of the game.

Here is a clip of the decisive early period (I still need to get better at editing. Skip to 47 second mark for beginning of action):

NBA 2K17_20170718221901 - Video Dailymotion

Here is a clip of the end and the box score:

NBA 2K17_20170720101814 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Nov 30th:

We are now 16-1 and we travel to face the 7-9 Minnesota Timberwolves. The team comes out flat and Karl Anthony Towns has a huge game with 25 points and 19 boards to upset us 103-100. Wiggins added 20 points.

Okafor led us with 27 points and 8 boards. Simmons had another triple double with 18 points, 13 boards and 12 assists. Chen had 17 points, 7 boards, 3 assists and 4 blocks. He shot 7 of 16 including 1 of 5 from the arc.


Dec 2 -

We host the Wolves and beat them 101-93. Towns led them with 18 points and 15 boards. Okafor led us with 28 points and 14 boards. Chen had 21 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He shot 9 of 18, 2 of 6 from the arc. Simmons had another triple double with 11 points, 14 boards, and 13 assists.

After the game, Micoud comes to my office and again requests to be made a starter. I deny him but he is getting more upset and may need to be traded at some point..

Rick Sharpe comes into my office the next day demanding to start as well. Over Chen? Over McDermott? No way.

Personalities are becoming an issue...


Dec 4th -

We host the 12-8 Suns. An odd defensive focused game. We win 73-62. Okafor with 21 points and 11 boards to lead us. Chen with 13 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 10 turnovers. He shot 6 of 20. Simmons barely missed a triple double with 9 points, 14 boards, and 11 assists.


Dec 6th - We travel to play the Magic. We are now 18-2 and they are 9-11.

[Eaglesfan27]

Before the game, Grant comes into my office and demands to be made a starter or be traded. I tell him no to both requests for now.

Also before the game, The Spurs offer me Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (rated 79) and Cook (a created PF rated 76) and a 1st round pick for Okafor. I decline.

[rjolley]

Following along, EF27.

Do you find that the CPU doesn't develop their players well, while you're able to improve just about anyone that joins your team? For my teams, I usually have to trade away my second unit because they're rated 80+ while most teams have 2 80+ players on their team.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by rjolley

Following along, EF27.

Do you find that the CPU doesn't develop their players well, while you're able to improve just about anyone that joins your team? For my teams, I usually have to trade away my second unit because they're rated 80+ while most teams have 2 80+ players on their team.

Good question. I know Boston has drafted really well and has a monster team. I will have to look at some other teams. I think there aren't many higher potential guys and I think the computer might not be as good as picking up on them as I've become. I look at combines, ratings, and a variety of other factors to pick on the high potential guys as well as my scouts ratings.

[rjolley]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Good question. I know Boston has drafted really well and has a monster team. I will have to look at some other teams. I think there aren't many higher potential guys and I think the computer might not be as good as picking up on them as I've become. I look at combines, ratings, and a variety of other factors to pick on the high potential guys as well as my scouts ratings.

Same here. I like that the ratings I see leading up to the draft aren't always spot on and players come in better or worse than they're scouted. It may be my imagination, but I believe that's also true for players on other teams. Their ratings will change at times after a trade.

I hope they're able to address that in 2K18. It's too easy to build a successful team.

[Eaglesfan27]

So, I do see a few teams with multiple guys above 80 rating, but it is only a few. The most notable teams are the Celtics, Knicks, Warriors (who still have 4 aging superstars but they are still very talented), and the Suns who have 4 guys over 80. Here is a look at all of the teams and then a look at all of the players above 80. There aren't that many. Amazingly, Chen is already in the top 15 of players in the league (#11 to be precise.)

Here is a video of the other team's top players and the top players in the league:

NBA 2K17_20170720193451 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

One other factor perhaps: I got the best coach in the game (and have for the last 5 years) in Gregg Popovich. His ability to teach and develop talent is very highly rated.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen just had a monster first half in which he absolutely dominated with his outside shot falling and that opened up his ability to get to the rim a lot. He has 24 points at the half and has a good chance to break 40 for the first time in his career, especially since the game is still very competitive at the half.

Here is some video of his highlights in the 1st half including a very nice layup in traffic at about the 5:40 mark of the video. You also can see some terrible decisions on passes by Chen that get picked off in the 1st quarter which is part of why the game is staying close:

NBA 2K17_20170720200033 - Video Dailymotion

[Young Drachma]

Following.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen had a huge game against the Magic but did not score 40 in regulation. However, the game went into double overtime and he ended up with 48 points, 10 assists, and 6 boards. Unfortunately, the time limits prevented me from getting the exciting end of the 4th and part of the 1st overtime, but here is most of the two overtimes. Unfortunately, we lost on the road in double OT:

NBA 2K17_20170720220812 - Video Dailymotion

Here is the boxscore (and the last minute of the game):

NBA 2K17_20170720221106 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen has won Eastern Player Rookie of the Month for November. He is also up to 7th in the early All-Star voting for backcourt players. Simmons is ahead of him at #2. Guy Ingram of the Knicks is #1 at 30 ppg average.

12/7 -

We host the Pistons. We bounce back from the loss to crush them, 105-84. Okafor with 23 points and 6 boards to lead the way. Chen with 22 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 block. He shot 10 of 19, 2 of 4 from the arc.


Dec 9th -

We travel to play the Suns. They are 12-10. We are 19-3. We lose 100-95 and PF Jermaine Rodgers goes down with a mild foot injury. He should be out 1-2 weeks. This means that Micoud will get more minutes.

Chen with 18 points, 5 boards, and 6 assists in the loss. He shot 7 of 22 including 2 of 8 from the arc.

Simmons had another triple double with 12 points, 11 boards, and 12 assists. He shot 5 of 15.


Dec 11th -

We travel to play the Clippers who are 7-18. We crush them 112-80. Griffin led them with 16 points and 10 boards. Okafor led us with 22 points and 10 boards. Simmons had 21 points, 7 boards, and 7 assists. Chen had 14 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He only played 23 minutes due to foul trouble.


Dec 13th -

We are now 20-4. Our next game is at the Lakers. They are 12-12.

[Eaglesfan27]

The Lakers-Philly game was close until midway through the 2nd when Chen led mostly 2nd stringers on a huge run that gave us a big lead that we never gave back. The slam at 6:02 of the 2nd quarter really got us going:

NBA 2K17_20170721145052 - Video Dailymotion

We cruised to the big win. Here is the box score video:

NBA 2K17_20170721153524 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec 15, 2022 -

We travel to play the Warriors who are 16-9. We are 21-4.

Our scouting staff has finished scouting the top 3 players. It appears this is a weak draft with only 1 guy who might become a star way down the road. At least in our scout's view.

The Warriors start out fast but fade in the 4th and we win 127-117. We outran them as fatigue caught up. Curry led them with 29 points and 8 assists. Durant added 24 points and 10 boards. Thompson with 20 points.

Okafor led us with 26 points, 10 boards, 5 assists. Simmons with 24 points, 9 boards, 10 assists, and 6 steals as well as a block. Chen with 17 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Micoud added 16 points and 10 boards in 25 minutes. McDermott with 15 points and Saric with 14 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Grant played 22 minutes and only had 3 boards.


Dec 17th - We travel to play the Jazz. They are 17-9.

Before the game, the Jazz offer us a trade. They offer Brevin Knight (75 rating at PG) and Frank Kaminsky (C 75 rating) for Sharpe (75 rating at SG) and C Tommy Lucas (71 rating.) I reject the trade.

We lose 105-99. Former top 4 pick Dustin Cheaney led them with 24 points. #4 pick SG Junior Bol added 19 points.

Simmons led us with 20 points, 14 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks but he shot 7 of 20.

Saric with 20 points, 10 boards, and 3 assists.

Okafor with 10 points and 5 boards.

Chen had a bad night with 4 of 19 shooting for 9 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, and 5 steals. He also had 9 turnovers. Yikes.

Grant did nothing in 22 minutes and Bilious came to me after the game demanding more PT or to be traded. I've decided to give Bilious more PT and will trade Grant ASAP.

[Eaglesfan27]

The Market for Grant is better than I thought it would be. I consider adding Kyle Lowry for Grant which is on the table. But, I like how Holland is performing and don't really want to add another player at this time. The Spurs offer me 2 of their 1st round draft picks (one from the Grizzlies) in 2025 for Grant and a 2nd round pick in 2023. I agree to that trade.

[Eaglesfan27]

December 19th -

Saric wants a 3 year extension for a total of 74 million dollars. I agree to his request. He is going to be a valuable complimentary piece for Simmons and Chen for at least a few more years.

With the Grant trade, Bilious is going to get a huge jump in minutes to about 24. He is not quite as good of a defender as Grant but he is getting close and he has the potential to be a very good player. I also decide to up the minutes of Micoud who has really been productive with limited minutes. I will do this by playing Okafor at the 4 more when Saric is out. I'm thinking Chen's assists are going to go up even though Simmons is still the primary ball handler.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec 20th -

We host the Bulls who are 15-13. We are now 22-5. We beat them 107-96. Simmons led the way with 23 points, 19 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Micoud added 21 points, 13 boards, and 2 blocks. Okafor with 16 points, 11 boards, and 4 assists.

Chen had terrible foul issues this game and only played 14 minutes. In 14 minutes he had 11 points and 2 assists.


Dec 22nd -

We host the Heat. They are 15-15.

This is the Wenli Chen story, but Ben Simmons just had one of the greatest quarters of any game I've ever seen. 18 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block in the 1st quarter. This helped us jump to a 34-15 lead over Miami. Here is some of the video of his quarter:

NBA 2K17_20170721224225 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Simmons finishes with the best half of any player I've ever had - 31 points, 10 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He shot 10 of 15, 4 of 7 from the arc, and 7 of 7 from the line.

Chen has 9 points, 4 assists, 2 boards, and 2 blocks at the half. He has shot 3 of 9.

We are up 67-40 at the half.

Great play to start the half... Okafor with a block. Chen with a fast break... he drives to the hole sees two guys to stop him and kicks it out to Saric for a wide open 3.

Chen had a big 3rd quarter and so did Simmons as they both set each other up for lots of open shots.

Despite resting the entire 4th quarter, Simmons finishes with 44 points, 13 boards, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, and only 3 turnovers. He shot 15 of 23, 5 of 8 from the arc, and 9 of 11 from the line.

Chen finished with 22 points, 2 boards, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and only 2 turnovers. He shot 7 of 15, 2 of 5, and 6 of 8.

We cruised to the big win. Here is the boxscore:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5uknts

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec 25th, 2022 -

We host the Raptors who are 10-18. We cruise to a 116-93 win.

Simmons with 22 points, 10 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Chen with 21 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals.

Saric with 20 points and 11 boards. Okafor with 18 points and 12 boards.



Dec 28th -

We travel to play the Hornets who are 15-15. We win 105-92. Okafor with 23 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Simmons with 19 points, 15 boards, and 7 assists. Chen with 12 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 6 steals, and a block. Wow.


After the game, Sharpe lets me know he is going to want to be traded if he can't get more minutes.


Dec 30th -

We host the Grizzlies. We cruise to a 112-91 win. Okafor led the team with 30 points, 12 boards, and 3 assists. Chen with 21 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He shot 8 of 19.

Saric with 21 points, 12 boards, and 6 assists. Sharpe with 15 points in 15 minutes. He shot 4 of 5 from the arc.

Simmons finished with 8 points, 8 boards, and 9 assists. He shot 3 of 15.


Dec 31st -

Our next game is in Dallas. They are 16-18. We are 27-5. Their best players are C Rudy Gobert and PF Chucky Lowe. Their SG is Jens Schroeder is a deadeye shooter but has almost zero athleticism. I expect Chen to be able to blow by him at will.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dallas has some great shooters including Schroeder and their shooters are outgunning us early. Down 32-28 at the end of 1. Simmons and Chen both lead us with 10 points. Simmons also has 4 boards and 3 assists.

In the 2nd quarter, our backups outplay theirs and we take a 56-53 lead into halftime.

Chen has been really tired lately. Is he hitting the wall? Too many minutes? Some players have been complaining we are practicing too hard. Time to back off a bit?

In the 3rd, Chen is exhausted and Sharpe even gets tired. I have to go to Covington at SG for a bit. We are up only 75-73 at the end of 3.

It was a close game all the way until the 4th. Chen had a monster dunk, a fancy layup, and then caught on fire to lead the way to a decisive win.

Here is a clip of some of the decisive action:

NBA 2K17_20170723201143 - Video Dailymotion

Here is a look at the boxscore and a few of the top players:

NBA 2K17_20170723202218 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen is now 8th in All-Star voting in the east for Backcourt players. He has a lot of work to do if he is going to reach his goal of being an All-Star in his 1st season. Players that are ahead of him:

1. Guy Ingram - Averaging 30 ppg at SG for the Knicks.
2. Simmons - Averaging 19.6 ppg, 10.4 rpg, and 8.7 apg.
3. D'Angelo Russell averaging 20.7 ppg and 10.2 apg for the Pacers.
4. Kyrie Irving - Averaging 22.1 ppg and 7 apg for the Cavs.
5. Mo Morgan - Averaging 16 ppg and 10 apg for the Knicks.
6. Devin Booker - Averaging 23 ppg and 6.4 apg for the Hawks.
7. Kemba Walker - Averaging 17.2 ppg and 5.9 apg for the Hornetsw.
8. Chen - averaging 20.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 3.8 apg.

Chen did win a player of the week in the East in December (week of December 4th to the 10th) but was not player of the month or rookie of the month. Sammy Montgomery of the Magic won Rookie of the Month in the East! Sammy is the #2 player from this past draft (that had 2 great players.) He is a 7'1 250 pound C who is already rated 83 overall. He had a big month and is now averaging 17 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2 bpg for the season.

[Eaglesfan27]

Wow. The early pundits are predicting Montgomery to win Rookie of the Year.

Ben Simmons is 1st in early MVP voting. Okafor is 2nd. Chen is not in the top 5.


Jan 2nd, 2023 -

The Nuggets know of my troubles with Sharpe and Micoud apparently as they try to rob me in a trade offer:

PG Patrick Beverly (74 rating), SF Alan Wolfe (72 rating)

for Sharpe (76) and Micoud (79). I turn them down.

We host the Heat and crush them 115-78. Simmons with 31 points, 17 boards, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.

Chen with 19 points, 7 assists, 4 boards, 1 steal, and 1 vblock.

Micoud with 16 points and 19 boards in 29 minutes off the bench.

Okafor with 9 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists in 18 minutes. He got into foul trouble which limited him.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 4th -

We host the Pacers. We beat them 95-80. We held Russell to 11 points and 5 assists. Chen led us with 23 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Simmons with 13 points, 5 boards, and 6 assists in only 24 minutes (due to foul trouble.)

Jan 6th -

We travel to play the Pacers. They beat us 103-102. Russell led them with 20 points and 11 assists.

Simmons led us with 24 points, 10 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 12 of 19. He did have 5 turnovers.

Chen had 16 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 7 steals (wow), and 3 blocks. He also had 6 turnovers.

Okafor with 16 points, 14 boards, 7 assists.

Micoud with 6 points and 9 boards.

We are now 30-6. Our next game is at the Bulls. They are 20-17.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chicago has been playing us tough and hanging close despite a big game from Ben Simmons when Simmons gets hurt in the 3rd and has to leave the game. It looks like it is his foot. Hopefully, it is not serious. We have to help him off the court. We are up to 80-72 at this point. Up to Chen to bring it home, but he needs a few minutes of rest first. Okafor will stay on the floor and try to be the focal point for these few minutes.

Chen has a rough first few minutes playing the PG position in the 4th but he settles down and takes over the game with about 5 minutes to go. He leads us to a comfortable win and we think Simmon's injury isn't too bad.

Here is the final minutes of the game and the boxscore:

NBA 2K17_20170723224614 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 9th -

We host the Grizzlies who are 20-18. Simmons is cleared before the game to play and will play hurt. We win 113-70 as Simmons is not slowed at all. He has 33 points, 12 boards, 12 assists, 4 steals, and a block in the win.

Saric added 21 points and 9 boards.

Chen with 16 points, 6 assists, 3 boards, 1 steal, and 1 block. He shot an efficient 7 of 10.

Okafor and Micoud each have double doubles with 12 and 13 for Okafor and 11 points and 15 boards for Micoud.


Jan 11th -

We travel to play our old teammate Paul George and the Nets. He has led them to a respectable 18-18 record...

We hold George to 16 points on 5 of 15 shooting and win 94-81.

Chen led the way with 18 points, 10 boards, 4 assists, and a block. He shot 6 of 13.

Simmons with 16 points, 7 boards, and 2 assists.

Okafor with 11 points and 11 boards.



Jan 12th -

We host the Bucks in the 2nd night of a back to back. The Bucks are struggling and are 11-28. They have been hit hard by injuries this year. We crush them 108-75.

Chen with 27 points is our high scorer. He also had 3 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 10 of 15, 2 of 3 from the arc, and 5 of 5 from the line.

Simmons with 25 points, 13 boards, 10 assists, and 4 steals.

McDermott with 18 points. Micoud with 15 points and 14 boards off the bench.

Okafor with a quiet 4 points night and 9 boards.


1/15 -

We travel to play the toughest foe in the conference, Boston. They are loaded led by superstar Roy Jennings. But, Jennings is hurt and the Celtics have been struggling without him. He has a broken bone in his foot. He has missed the last few games and will miss 2-4 more weeks. The Celtics are 21-18. Without him, the Celtics look more much manageable.

[Eaglesfan27]

Before the game, I get the latest scouting reports and I see that this is a much weaker class than last year. There is no #1 consensus and there are no clear all-star level players. The best player looks like he would have a hard time breaking my starting 5 anytime soon.

[Eaglesfan27]

Boston played us tough the 1st quarter as Chen and Simmons both shot horribly. However, Stephen Micoud was an absolute beast in the 2nd quarter. He helped us build a 20 point lead that never went away. We pulled our starters for the entire 4th as we had a 25 point lead. Our backups gave up half of the lead at one point but they pulled it together down the stretch to secure the win, 106-91.

Here is the boxscore:


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5v30v7

[Eaglesfan27]

1/16 -

We host the Hornets. Chen has a horrible shooting night. Simmons is even worse. We lose 91-74. Okafor was our leading scorer with 14 points and 4 boards. Chen finished with 8 points, 10 boards, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 8 turnovers.

Simmons with 13 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists.

1/18 -

We are now 35-7. We travel to the Raptors who are 16-25. We crush them 99-77. Okafor with 21 points and 9 boards. Chen with 10 points and 5 assists on 4 of 13 shooting. Is he hitting the rookie wall?

Simmons with another triple double with 14 points, 14 boards, 11 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers.

[Eaglesfan27]

1/19 -
We host the Wizards. They are 21-20.

We beat them 108-88. Chen led us with 34 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 8 of 17, 3 of 7, and 15 of 16 from the line.

Saric with 14 points and 13 boards. Micoud with 16 boards in 27 minutes. Simmons had a quiet night with 10 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.


1/21 -

We host the Lakers. They are 19-23 and still having trouble getting their talent to play together.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen had a huge game and it all started with a few dunks in the 1st quarter. Later in the game, they were playing way off him and he was hitting open jumpers. Between that and his ability to drive and draw fouls and find open men with passes, he had a huge game. However, he was not alone as Simmons had another big night too. Simmons had a triple double with 27 points, 13 boards, and 10 assists.

Chen with 36 points, 5 boards, and 5 assists.

Chen's big night started with this big 1st quarter:

NBA 2K17_20170731143412 - Video Dailymotion


Here is the boxscore:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vfn48

[Eaglesfan27]

1/23 -

We travel to play the Bulls who are 22-20.

We win 99-86 but Okafor suffers a minor injury. He can play through a bruised hip. Simmons led the way with 17 points, 17 boards, 12 assists, and 2 steals. Chen had 24 points (high scorer), 8 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal, and a block. He shot 7 of 17, 8 of 9 from the line.


After the game, Sharpe lets me know he wants more minutes or wants to be traded.


1/25 -

We travel to play the Pelicans. They are 18-26.

We crush them 119-86 but Simmons suffers a sprained ankle. He will miss 1-2 weeks.

Okafor led us with 30 points, 14 boards, and 3 assists.

Simmons only played 19 minutes before getting hurt. He finished with 8 points, 5 assists, and 4 boards.

Chen with 10 points, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He only played 24 minutes due to foul trouble.


For the next few games, I'm going to try Chen at the PG position and move Sharpe into the starting lineup at SG...


1/27 -

We host the Hawks. They are 24-22.

We cruise past them 114-98 as Chen had a huge game with 37 points, 13 boards, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block. He shot 9 of 25, 1 of 6, and 18 of 19 from the line.

Okafor with 25 points, 14 boards, 4 assists, and a block.

Sharpe had 12 points and 4 boards in his first start.


We are 41-7. We have a few weeks left before the All-Star break. Can Chen make it into the game?

He is hanging in 7th place in the voting right now for backcourt players in the East with Guy Ingram and Ben simmons neck and neck for the top spot. He has a few hundred thousand votes of a gap from the top 4.

Okafor made it a goal to get back into the All-Star game. He is 4th in Front court voting. Roy Jennings is1st (despite being injured for weeks), LeBron is 2nd, and Andre Drummond is 3rd in voting. A few weeks for both players to make up more ground...

1/29 -

Our next game is at Charlotte. They are 26-21. Chen will need to have a big game...

[Eaglesfan27]

Our defense was atrocious, but Chen had a HUGE 1st half offensively with 28 points, 9 assists, and 5 boards. He is getting to the line at will.

NBA 2K17_20170731212825 - Video Dailymotion. Hopefully, he can finish the game strong.

[Eaglesfan27]

We hold on for a wild 126-119 win. Chen tired in the 2nd half but still drew lots of double teams and got lots of assists. He finished with 35 points, 18 assists, and 8 boards. He also had 2 steals and 7 turnovers. He shot 11 of 15, 0 of 1, and 13 of 15 from the line.

Here is the video of the boxscore:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vjahl

[Eaglesfan27]

1/31 -

We close out the month with a game at the Wizards. Can Chen continue his hot play?

We win 96-91 as Chen clearly outplayed Wall. Wall with 19 points, 8 assists, 2 steals. Chen with 33 points, 5 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers. Most interestingly, Chen hit 5 of 6 from the arc. If he can develop that outside shot.... He finished 12 of 17 overall, 5 of 6 from the arc, and 4 of 4 from the line.

Micoud with 20 points and 10 boards in 27 minutes. After the game, he came up to me and told me he thinks he deserves to start over Okafor...


Chen wins rookie of the month for January. He has managed to also rise to 6th in the All-Star Voting and is just behind Kyrie Irving for 5th...


Feb 1st -

We host the Knicks who have the best scorer in the game in Guy Ingram...

We beat them 103-93 although Ingram had a big game with 33 points, 5 boards, and 3 assists.

Chen led us with 26 points, 5 boards, 6 assists, 8 steals, and 5 turnovers. He shot 10 of 22, 3 of 5 from the arc, and 3 of 4 from the line.

Okafor with 16 points and 9 boards. Micoud with 5 points and 11 boards.



2/3 -

Ben Simmons has been cleared to return. Chen will return to his SG position.


2/4 -

We host the Pistons. We are 44-7. They are 24-24.

We crush the Pistons 111-84 but Chen was in foul trouble and only played 20 minutes. Furthermore, he played poorly in those 20 minutes with 4 points, 4 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Okafor led us with 24 points, 10 boards, and 3 assists.

Simmons with 13 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists in his return.

Micoud with 6 points and 17 boards in 26 minutes.


2/6 -

Our next game is hosting the Clippers who are an abysmal 12-41. They have an aging Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin, Deandre Jordan, Dante Exum, and Dion Waiters starting and they just can't get it together.

But, before we get to that... we have the All-Star selections....

The starters were voted in:

PG Ben Simmons
SG Guy Ingram, Knicks
SF LeBron James, Cavs
PF Roy Jennings, Celtics
C Andre Drummond, Pistons


The coaches selections in order:

D'Angelo Russell, Pacers.
Wenli Chen!!!
Paul George, Nets (averaging 20.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 3.3 apg - all better than his last season with us.)
PF Jalen Fleming, Pacers
C Glen Watts, Heat.
PG Kyrie Irving, Cavs
PG Mo Morgan, Knicks
SG Devin Booker, Hawks.

Okafor is livid that he was bypassed again...


Chen has his first All-Star Appearance! Can he get an MVP?

The top 5 in the MVP voting so far are:

1. Ben Simmons.
2. Okafor
3. Guy Ingram
4. Wenli Chen!
5. Roy Jennings.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen with a big 2nd quarter including a few ridiculous dunks. He finished the half with 18 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists to lead our team. 48-46 as the Clippers are hanging tough.

Here is a clip of some good stretch of action for Chen (although I also recorded the rest of the team after the 5 minute mark):

NBA 2K17_20170802215106 - Video Dailymotion

We won the game in a surprisingly close contest. Here is the decisive final minutes and boxscore:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vrbw2

Chen finished with 37 points.

[Eaglesfan27]

2/8 -

We host the Kings. They are 26-25.

We win 115-91. Chen finished with 33 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and 6 turnovers. He shot 12 of 21, 2 of 7, and 7 of 8 from the line.

Simmons with another triple double - 17 points, 13 boards, and 11 assists.


2/10 -

We host the Jazz. They are 32-20 and playing very well in their last 10...


Before the game, I get three crap offers for Micoud. He wants a trade, but I have him under contract for 2 more years. I'm holding onto him.


We win 113-102. Chen leads the team with 27 points, 7 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers. He shot 10 of 15, 4 of 5 from the arc, and 3 of 3 from the line.

Okafor with 26 points and 13 boards.

Simmons with 22 points, 14 boards, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.


2/12 -

We host the Spurs who are 24-29. They need to get a lot of help around Leonard who is still one of the best players in the league...

We crush them 104-80.

Okafor led us in scoring with 20 points, 9 boards, 4 assists, and 4 blocks.

Chen with 19 points, 10 boards, 8 assists, 4 steals, 1 block, and only 1 turnover. He shot 8 of 19, 1 of 4 from the arc, and 2 of 2 from the line.

Simmons with 18 points, 13 boards, 8 assists, 2 steals. He also shot 8 of 19.

Rodgers has been having big games off the bench for the last 5 games. He just had a 18 points and 5 board game.



We are now 49-7. Our next game is at Oklahoma. They are 26-30 and Russell Westbrook at 34 years old has definitely lost a step.

[Eaglesfan27]

At the end of the 1st quarter, they just promoted the NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest. It features Wenli Chen! (Too bad I've never practiced it before. If I can, I'll just watch it and not control anyone.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Westbrook showed he is still very good as he had a huge 1st half that kept them in it most of the half, but Simmons had a huge finish to the half and helped us build a half time lead of 10, 58 to 48.

Westbook with 23 points, 4 boards, and 4 assists at the half. Simmons with 15 points, 8 boards, and 3 assists at the half. He also has 4 steals!


Chen with 12 points, 5 assists, 2 boards, 2 steals, and a block at the half.

Technical glitch means no highlights but here is the boxscore as we dismantled Oklahoma despite a big first half by Westbrook. We shut him down late:


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vve1z

We are now 50-7 as we head into the All-Star break.

[Eaglesfan27]

It is now time for the All-Star Break!

Chen is in the dunk contest along with 3 SF's. The 4 participants:

21 year old SF Kent Falls who was the #3 pick in the 2021 draft. He is 6'9 241 and is rated 85 overall already. He has been averaging almost 20 ppg for Phoenix.

Tom Rodgers is a 6'10 234 pound SF for the Spurs. He is 22 and is rated 72 overall. He was the #15 pick and is a dunk specialist who only plays 15 mpg. He is averaging 6.4 ppg.

Gabe Baylor is a 6'8 256 lb SF who was the #11 pick in this draft. He is playing 21 mpg for Portland and is averaging 6.6 ppg.


The 3 point contest does not feature any 76ers:

1. Guy Ingram
2. C.J. McCollum
3. D'Angelo Russell
4. Jamal Murray
5. Denzel Valentine
6. Kevin Durant.


The Rising Stars game features Wenli Chen and Sammy Montgomery on the same team vs the 2nd year players who don't have any stars nearly as highly ranked.

[Eaglesfan27]

Chen did not play much in the rising stars game and it was a surprisingly close game. But, the rookies won 100-98. 3rd overall pick diminutive PG Maurice Carr had 26 points and 10 assists to lead all players. He is only 5'9 and 150 lbs but he is averaging 18.5 ppg and 6.2 apg for the Sacramento Kings and is a dynamo.

Montgomery is an absolute beast who is a dynamic athlete who can shoot the midrange jumper and 3 with good proficiency and is a powerful dunker. It is amazing that Chen was the consensus #1 when you look at Montgomery's skill set. I can see why he is tearing it up this year. In this game though he was laid back and only had 11 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists in 30 minutes.

Chen only played 13 minutes due to saving himself for the other festivities. He had 3 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal in that time.

Now, onto the dunk contest (which I will shoot video of.)

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm letting the CPU control all dunkers (as I've never done this contest and figure I will not be good at it.) Let's see what each player comes up with:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vvuiw

Go to last 30 seconds or so if you want to see who won.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, it is time for the All-Star Contest. The power has shifted to the East and we have a higher rated team.

The East:

Guy Ingram, Ben Simmons, LeBron James, Roy Jennings, Glen Watts.

Oh wow, Okafor is in the game as an injury replacement for Drummond!

The West:

Westbrook, Lillard, Brandon Ingram, Durant, and Towns.

[Eaglesfan27]

The East jumps to a big half time lead. I couldn't get the teams to stop playing defense, although I did turn down the defensive efficiency sliders for this game. I also turned down fouls but maybe not enough....

I turn down both settings a bit more and the scoring really picks up.

At halftime, the East leads 81-70.

Here is a clip from the first half during the time Chen was on the floor:

NBA 2K17_20170804121036 - Video Dailymotion

[Eaglesfan27]

In the 2nd half, the 3 point shooters cooled off but we still had some exciting plays including a few spectacular alley-oops from Chen to various players.

Here is a clip:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vwf78

Wenli Chen is named All-Star MVP!!! He had 23 points, 14 assists, and 7 boards in 26 minutes.

Here is the boxscore clip:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vwfxm

[Eaglesfan27]

2/23 -

We are traveling to Detroit who is 27-28.

Our guys are not tired from their activities and dominate them 123-84.

Chen with 21 points, 4 boards, 5 assists, 6 steals, and only 3 turnovers in 31 minutes. He shot 8 of 13, 2 of 5, and 3 of 3.

Simmons with 19 points, 9 boards, 17 assists, and 3 steals.

Okafor with 22 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, and 4 blocks.

McDermott had his biggest game of the year with 27 points. He shot 12 of 17 including 3 of 4 from the arc.


2/25 -

We host George and the Nets. They are 27-29 and fighting for the 8th seed in the East...

We crush them 120-92.

Chen had a rough night with foul trouble. He only had 14 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 28 minutes. He shot 6 of 15, 2 of 8, and 0 of 1.

Okafor had 22 points and 8 boards.

Simmons had 18 points, 13 boards, 13 assists, and 2 steals as he had yet another triple double.

Sharpe had 9 points on 3 of 3 shooting from the arc. After the game, he comes up and asks to be traded if he can't start... start over Chen or any of my other guys? No chance this year. Sharpe's contract ends this year. I'm afraid I might lose him in free agency but I want to keep him for this year's run. No trade for him.


2/27 -

We host the Celtics. They are 31-27 and winning since Jennings came back from his injury... the game is a tough defensive minded affair that we win 85-83.

Simmons led the way with 24 points, 12 boards, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks.

Chen had 19 points, 6 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 5 of 15, 0 of 2, and 9 of 9 from the line.

Okafor with 13 points and 4 boards as he was in foul trouble and only played 23 minutes.

Micoud with 2 points and 18 boards in 26 minutes. That dude is a beast on the boards and I've gotten so many trade offers but he is staying until at least next year's trade deadline.


March 1st -

We travel to play the Heat. We are now 53-7 with a 18 game winning streak. How long can we keep it going?

The Heat are 24-36 and are on a 5 game losing streak. Glen Watts is their best player by far.

[Eaglesfan27]

We come out smoking Miami, up 21-10 early. But, Chen picks up 3 early fouls (including a charge) and sits with 4 minutes to go in the quarter. He didn't do a lot this quarter as it was Simmons and Okafor doing the damage. Okafor is burning Watts with his turnaround jumper in the post. I think he is mad that Watts started over him...

Miami hits a flurry of 3's after Chen goes out and they close the gap to 34-26 at the end of 1.

Chen comes back in the 2nd quarter with a big scoring quarter to give us a big lead at the half.

Chen with 18 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals at the half.


Here is the highlights of his big quarter and early 3rd quarter action:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vxcl1

[Eaglesfan27]

By the end of the 3rd, we had almost a 40 point lead so I sat my starters for most of the 4th. Chen, Okafor, and Simmons all had big games. Simmons had another triple double with 16 points, 18 assists, and 10 boards. Chen had 29 points, 9 boards, and 4 assists, along with 3 steals. Okafor had 23 points, 14 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5vzurl