alright guys... roster... check, sliders... check & MyLeague started. because i'm trying to get a head start on this if i'm gonna do it... i plan on starting this dynasty this weekend & having it begin immediately after the allstar break. i'ma stream allstar weekend & hopefully anybody that is still interested & will be committed will PM me with some contact info so that we can verbally discuss how this will all work... hope to hear from you. PLEASE CHECK OP FOR NEW FORMAT & DETAILS.
& if you've heard from JA Money14 he is the right hand man on this project so whatever you hear from him.. you're hearing from me! alright... it's about time to get this thing on the road!
FROM DECEMBER 28TH, 2014 TO FEBRUARY 17TH, 2015; HERE IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED:
Cleveland been scorching hot with LeBron taking on more of the scoring load. They went on a 10 game winning streak during this time despite Dion Waiters being out with a torn MCL. The Cavs due in large part to LeBron's demand of team play from Kyrie Irving now post the NBA's best record at 40-15.
The Clippers have played well as expected & have picked up their play with the return of Spencer Hawes. Paul & Griffin have been the steady leaders on this team & Doc has the rest of the team's roles well defined leading to the Clippers taking the top spot in the West.
Oklahoma City has been one of the hottest team in the league since Christmas going on two separate 7 game winning streaks with Durant & Westbrook both looking like MVP candidates. Pairing Westbrook & Jackson in the starting lineup has paid dividends.
Portland has fallen dramatically from the West's elite due in part to Lillard missing extended time, Aldridge missing games & Batum not picking up his play. They have gone 6-19 over their last 25 games.
The Mavericks have been steady with the addition of Rondo although Rondo seems to still be finding his role with the team. There is a synergy on this team it has shown in the standings.
The Spurs have gone .500 over the past month & a half but there likely isnt much to worry about as coach Pop has been resting his big three here & there.
Stephen Curry Warriors cooled off quite a bit over the last month & a half falling to second in the West. Golden State has gone 10-15 over their last 15 even with the return of David Lee. Thompson missing games sure hasn't helped their cause.
Chicago has been steady even tough Jimmy Butler's meteoric rise has tapered off. They have gotten contibutions from everyone on the team & are still looking like Eastern Conference finalist contenders.
The Raps slowed down quite a bit as DeRozan was derailed for longer than expected with a groin injury. During this time they endured a 9 game losing streak.
James Harden has seen his Rockets begin to struggle against the stronger teams over the past few weeks. Harden has looked drained & the acquisition of Josh Smith has not yet meshed with the talents of Howard & Dwight Howard.
Memphis has also seen its share of struggles since Christmas. They lost Gasol for two weeks & Conley for all of January. They have lost 14 games in the past month and are just now getting their starting lineup back.
Boston has been on fire. they've had 3 separate 7 game winning streaks since Christmas.
Derek Fisher, the triangle offense & the Knicks seem to finally be coming together. They have been the hottest team in the NBA since Christmas going 23-1 since then. Carmelo & the offense have been steady through injuries to Shumpert, Smith & Stoudemire but the biggest difference has been on the defensive end.
The Washington Wizards have been unable to rallly through John Wall's knee injury that kept him out since January going 6-19 in that time. He expects to return to after the Allstar break but hopefully it's not too late.
The Hawks have just kept on trucking through injuries to Teague, Horford & Korver. They have gotten contributions from everyone on the team to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference.
The Lakers, Timberwolves & Pacers have all continued to... well you know... suck. And your Sixers, Hornets & Pistons have managed to suck just a little less.
So here we are at what many consider to be the halfway mark & it has been quite the season thus far. It's been full of surprises, breakouts & has been marred with rookie injuries. Here are the vitals as of today's date.
NBA Standings - Updated: Feb 17, 2015
ATLANTIC
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
Toronto Raptors
30
23
0
8-2
13-15
Boston Celtics
28
23
1.0
5-5
17-14
New York Knicks
28
26
2.5
5-4
17-14
Brooklyn Nets
23
30
7.0
6-6
15-19
Philadelphia 76ers
18
35
12.0
2-9
12-19
CENTRAL
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
Cleveland Cavaliers
40
15
0
7-2
23-8
Chicagoo Bulls
34
20
5.5
4-4
18-13
Milwaukee Bucks
27
26
12.0
6-4
14-19
Detroit Pistons
21
33
18.5
4-6
13-18
Indiana Pacers
16
38
23.5
2-7
10-20
SOUTHEAST
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
Atlanta Hawks
33
21
0
5-4
20-15
Charlotte Hornets
27
25
5.0
4-6
16-15
Washington Wizards
27
27
6.0
7-5
19-16
Miami Heat
26
26
6.0
6-4
16-15
Orlando Magic
20
36
14.0
4-7
14-21
NORTHWEST
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
Oklahoma City Thunder
30
23
0
5-5
19-14
Portland Trail Blazers
28
26
2.5
5-3
14-15
Denver Nuggets
21
32
9.0
5-5
14-17
Minnesota Timberwolves
20
33
10.0
6-3
12-19
Utah Jazz
20
33
10.0
1-6
12-18
PACIFIC
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
Los Angeles Clippers
36
18
0
6-3
19-11
Golden State Warriors
33
18
1.5
7-4
22-11
Phoenix Suns
28
26
8.0
7-5
14-19
Sacramento Kings
23
30
12.5
6-5
15-19
Los Angeles Lakers
12
41
23.5
1-10
9-26
SOUTHWEST
W
L
GB
DIV
CONF
San Antonio Spurs
32
21
0
5-5
20-12
Dallas Mavericks
33
22
0
5-5
19-13
Memphis Grizzlies
31
22
1.0
8-3
20-12
Houston Rockets
31
22
1.0
2-7
16-17
New Orleans Pelicans
24
29
8.0
5-5
16-17
NBA League Leaders - Updated: Feb 17, 2015
Points Per Game
PPG
Rebounds Per Game
RPG
1. James Harden
29.2
1. Dwight Howard
11.6
2. LeBron James
27.3
2. DeMarcus Cousins
11.6
3. Carmelo Anthony
25.9
3. LaMarcus Aldridge
11.4
4. Stephen Curry
25.4
4. Anthony Davis
10.9
5. Kobe Bryant
23.8
5. Marcin Gotat
10.6
Assists Per Game
APG
Steals Per Game
SPG
1. Chris Paul
10.4
1. Michael Carter-Williams
2.6
2. John Wall
9.1
2. Chris Paul
2.3
3. Kyle Lowry
8.5
3. Thaddeus Young
2.2
4. Jrue Holiday
8.5
4. Deron Williams
2.1
5. Kemba Walker
8.1
5. Jeremy Lin
2.1
Blocks Per Game
BPG
Field Goal Percentage
FG%
1. Dwight Howard
2.0
1. Larry Sanders
.583
2. Roy Hibbert
1.9
2. Amare Stoudemire
.547
3. Andre Drummond
1.8
3. Blake Griffin
.542
4. DeAndre Jordan
1.8
4. Tyson Chandler
.534
5. Larry Sanders
1.8
5. LeBron James
.534
Three-Point Field Goal Percentage
3PT%
Minutes Per Game
MPG
1. Chris Copeland
.468
1. Tyreke Evans
38.5
2. Marco Belineli
.443
2. LeBron James
38.4
3. Aaron Brooks
.443
3. Chris Paul
38.4
4. Joe Johnson
.439
4. Kyrie Irving
36.9
5. Klay Thompson
.437
5. Luol Deng
36.7
Significant injuries that have happened since December 28th, 2014
Pos
Player
Injury Note
F
Robert Covington
broken kneecap: 4-6 weeks
SG
Dion Waiters
torn MCL: 4-6 weeks
PG
Jameer Nelson
torn MCL: 4-6 weeks
PG
Darren Collison
torn elbow ligament: 6-8 weeks
F/C
Channing frye
severe ankle sprain: 6-8 weeks
F/G
C.J. Miles
dislocated patella: 6-8 weeks
C
Roy Hibbert
foot stress fracture: 2-4 weeks
PF
Anthony Davis
pulled lower back muscle: 1-2 weeks
SG
Klay Thompson
broken ankle: 1-2 weeks
December's Eastern Conference Player of the Month: Kyle Lowry
December's Western Conference Player of the Month: Russell Westbrook
January's Eastern Conference Player of the Month: LeBron James
January's Western Conference Player of the Month: Kevin Durant
- All-Star weekend in New Orleans was a great success. Terrence Ross headlines weekend with a great performance in the dunk contest & Curry wins the three-point shootout
- Lebron scores 42 to lead the East All-Stars to victory. 4th 30+ point all-star game performance.
- Jeff Teague to return against Raptors. May not start.
- The Warriors are rumored to be interested in signing Michael Beasley if he leaves his team in China.
- Portland extends LaMarcus Aldridge's contract, 3 years, $40 mil.
- Clippers extend DeAndre Jordan 3 years, $28 mil.
- Suns hoping to move Goran Dragic before the deadline.
- Tyson Chandler re-signs with Mavs for 1 year at $5 mil.
- Hawks shopping Mike Scott. Looking to add front court depth.
- Magic & Knicks extend Tobias Harris & Andrea Bargnani respectively to multi-year deals.
Eastern Conference Notes:
Wizards Hit A Wall; Euclid, Blaise Pascal, and Pythagoras Finally Rest; and These Cavaliers Are Pretty Good
Wizards Hit a Wall
The Washington Wizards sit at .500 and stand somewhere around the 8th playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, but after going 21-8 through December Washington has gone 6-19 since. The sole reason rests on John Wall's shoulders—or should I say his knee, an injury to which sidelined the Wizards' star PG at the beginning of January. Wall is expected to return after the All-Star break. Any voices raised about long-lasting effects of Wall's injury—were he to start immediately—have been silenced by Washington's need to win. Despite his injury, Wall is second in the NBA with 9.1 assists per game and sixth in the league with two steals per game.
Euclid, Blaise Pascal, and Pythagoras Rest
The most studied triangle-mathematicians in history can finally rest in their graves, for now New York's triangle is working. Phil Jackson's celebrated offense, so belittled by players and fans alike early in the season, has led the Knicks to both an incredible 23-1 record (.958 winning percentage) and a likely playoff berth as well. Amar'e Stoudemire is second in the league with a .547 field goal percentage, the defense has been playing very well, and the usually turbulent Knicks have gained consistency despite losing Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, and Stoudemire to injuries for a spell. The Knicks sit a mere 2.5 games back in the Atlantic division.
These Cavaliers Are Pretty Good
This is exactly what everyone wanted not to happen. The Cavaliers are 40-15, best in the NBA, and look dynamic and primed for a title run. LeBron James won Player of the Month in January, is second in points per game (27.3), second in minutes per game (38.4), and fifth in field goal percentage (.534). Kyrie Irving is 7th in scoring (22.0), 4th in minutes per game (36.9) and has stepped up his efficiency game. Kevin Love is averaging a double-double (18.2 PPG, 10.2 APG) Dion Waiters is on his way back from torn MCL, and the Cavs as a whole ripped off a ten-game winning streak. This is exactly the scary team no one wanted to admit was feasible.
Western Conference Notes: Most Valuable Duo; Now Would Be A Good Time For Liftoff; The Clippers Have Officially Taken Over Los Angeles
Most Valuable Duo
Neither is in the top 15 in scoring. Or the top 15 in assists. Or top 15 in any major stat categories. One missed the start of the season with injuries. And they've got Oklahoma 30-23, top of the Northwest Division. We're not talking Kevin Durant here. Russell Westbrook is shooting 50 percentage points over his best seasonal field goal percentage previously (.510). Reggie Jackson is averaging 18.5 points per game and over 6 assists per game. Kevin Durant is back for good. The Thunder are primed for another chance at a title.
Now Would Be A Good Time For Liftoff James Harden leads the league in points per game (29.2)and puts up over 6 rebounds and assists per game (6.9 and 6.5 respectively), Dwight Howard has 11.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game (both marks lead the NBA), and the Rockets have gone 10-14 since they signed Josh Smith. The Rockets have been beating inferior teams, but have struggled against playoffs-bound teams. Houston needs to come together, and that liftoff needs to happen before the Rockets fall further than 1 game back in the Southwest.
The Clippers Have Officially Taken Over Los Angeles
The 36-18 Clippers sit first in the Western Conference (second in the NBA), 23.5 games better than the rival—or rather pitiful—Lakers. Chris Paul's 10.4 assists per game lead the NBA by more than a full assist, Blake Griffin is scoring .542 of his field goal attempts (3rd in the league), good for 21.6 points per game (10th), and the team as a whole is playing fantastic defense. The role players are stepping up, the stars are shining—the formula for most championship teams can now be found in the Clippers', not the Lakers', offices. The battle for Los Angeles is over for now.