Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

All right, it's time to get back to the glory that is NBA2K after my last adventure with the Raptors. This year's entry is mindblowingly in-depth and I'm rocking a brand new PC, custom built, to take full advantage of this amazing game. First, let's begin with the vitals:

System/Game: PC/NBA 2K16
Mode: MyLeague
Rosters: 2K Official (as of 9/27/15)
Sliders: Superstar, Simulation -- no adjustments
Quarter Length: 11 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Draft Class: Draft Express 2015 by Wild bLu
Season Length: 82 Games (30 or so played, rest simmed, all playoff games played)
Playoff Format: 5-7-7-7
Injuries: On (adjusted to 40 as opposed to 50, might drop them or raise them depending on things)
Progressive Fatigue: On
Team Chemistry: On
CPU Trades: On
CPU Trade Approval: On
Trade Override: On
Control: 30 Teams, CPU automation for all tasks on every team but the Sonics. Will step in periodically and fix things should they need to be.


Let me begin by stating my intentions to go the full distance with this MyLeague -- I want to go 80 seasons, taking the NBA almost to the 22nd century (2095!). This dynasty will focus on the Sonics and their return to the NBA, but is by no means just about them; the NBA feeds off the relationships between teams, players, and fans, and this will be no different. I will explore the many aspects of a potential Sonics return and I'll try to make the Sonics one of the top franchises in any sports league (IE, multiple championships and a winning culture).

But a Sonics return will have a large effect on the NBA as a whole and this will show that effect played out over the long term. For the purposes of this story, we're going to begin with the 2015 season as the Sonics first official one back; this will give it a slight alternate history bend, but this is its own thing anyway so we don't lose much "realism" in the end.

Since I control the whole league (and I'm on PC), I have an infinite amount of rebranding/relocations I can do for every team in the NBA. I don't plan on relocating everyone but I will rebrand all teams at some point in the future (except maybe the Lakers and Celtics, as they tend to stay just about the same every year with minor alterations). I really, really enjoy using the uniform editing function in the game and it's a time-suck I'm addicted to. I've made a few logos that are available here for download if you'd like to use them for your own creations.

So, if you have any teams you want to see rebranded/relocated, comment here (and if you have references for what look you'd like the team to look like, link those too -- I won't guarantee I can pull it off or that I'll even use it, but inspiration can be found anywhere) and I'll take it under consideration.

As per usual with my stories, this will have a group of characters (like a TV show) that we follow throughout this journey. Like any long-running TV show, we'll cycle through characters as the years go on, but what I have initially planned looks to be fun.

Since I'm running a rocking new PC, there will be plenty of screenshots available and I'll be posting video highlights of certain games to show the Sonics in action. The Sonics, like the rest of the league, will have their uniforms updated/changed as the years go on (partially because that's real life and partially because I have a ton of different design ideas I want to see in the game).

Now, with all that out of the way ... let's begin.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you're just interested in seeing the end results of the regular season, then below you'll find the link to the pages those recaps are on in the thread. I know, at least for me, it's good to refresh my memory every now and then.)

2015-16 Final Regular Season Standings

2016-17 Final Regular Season Standings

2017-18 Final Regular Season Standings

[trekfan]

How It All Happened: The Return of the Sonics to the NBA

September 17th, 2015

By Vonny Lee


The NBA has been a source of contention, pain, guilt, blame, anger and — above all — loss for the city of Seattle. Never has a fanbase been so publicly destroyed — yes, that includes Cleveland after LeBron left in 2010 — and never has that fanbase been so nationally recognizable despite not having a NBA team. The Seattle SuperSonics were wiped away at the beginning of the 2008-09 NBA season, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder as Clay Bennett ripped the hearts out of the Seattle basketball community.

He even took the team’s records, their trophies, and their banners. He probably took the kitchen sink, too.

In the seven seasons since the Thunder have become one of the NBA’s best franchises (employing superstars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) they've become regulars in the postseason and an ever present threat to win a NBA championship. Seattle fans have had to suffer the indignity of watching another team flourish while burying their existence at every turn.

This basketball season, that all ends. The Seattle SuperSonics will be returning to the NBA and the journey back has been one fraught with peril, near-disaster, and heroes galore. It all began last September …

****

September 24th, 2014: Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the Brooklyn Nets, begins consolidating his ownership, buying up the minority shares. This all seems ho-hum to everyone as Prokhorov no longer needs American business partners to help get the Nets brand off the ground — the franchise is now operating somewhat profitably (though somehow still employs Billy King because … Russians?) and Prokhorov wants total control of his franchise. Just about every NBA owner wants this. Three days later, after quick negotiations, Prokhorov announces he has total ownership of the franchise.

NBA insiders begin reporting rumblings that Prokhorov is eyeing a run for the president of Russia (no, really) in 2018. He’s getting support from certain Russian figures and Prokhorov tried to mount a campaign in 2012, but was far too late in the process to really be a threat — still, he made a dent in Putin’s campaign and he’s always had political aspirations.

October 20th, 2014: Prokhorov sells the Nets for a whopping 3.4 billion dollars, netting himself a nice profit. The buyer? A young software developer formerly of Microsoft, who made nearly 8 billion dollars selling a particular set of code that’s used in every smartphone currently produced — and that code will be present in future generations of every smartphone for the foreseeable future. The coder is Seattle born and raised, having made his fortune in January 2014 (and having to wait a few months for the US government to make sure he wasn’t doing something illegal before he actually got it). Negotiations between him and Prokhorov took less than a month.

The new owner of the Nets was Maxwell Newman, a man in his early 30s and someone with a distinct style all his own. His entry into the NBA was easy (read: he had lots of money) but he dressed a lot like Mark Cuban (Newman opted for the geeky t-shirts over the boring ones from Cuban). His press release upon confirmation of his ownership was a simple one:

“The Sonics will return very soon.”

Direct. To the point. And words that sparked a war between the owners seen not since the merger with the ABA in the 70s. Newman notified the NBA Board of Governors and the Relocation Committee upon his confirmation of ownership that he intended to move the Nets to Seattle. The fans in Brooklyn were beside themselves and carried themselves with their typical (lack) of composure. Team officials were blindsided, the players and coaches were as well, and Newman quickly became known as “Mad Max”, a name that has stuck.

Adam Silver handled the situation with calm, but insiders in the league office were saying that the NBA wasn’t prepared for this. Legal action was being proposed by some owners, the leader among them Clay Bennett, a man who had been threatened with legal action to prevent the Sonics from moving. Bennet, Micky Arison (owner of the Heat), and Ted Leonsis (owner of the Wizards) all came out publicly to question Newman’s declaration. Newman’s response was succinct:

“If I were part of the group that murdered a franchise unfairly, I’d be afraid of that franchise coming back, too. When things come back from the dead, they tend to seek out revenge against those that wronged them … the SuperSonics will be the same. We remember. We will never forget.”

January 8th, 2015: The Relocation Committee has reviewed Newman’s proposal for the return of the Sonics. Newman has secured a location for the arena, has secured the votes to pass it, and then he got it passed. How he navigated Seattle’s molasses-like local government is beyond the realm of human comprehension but everyone agrees it was likely a combination of money and influence. None of which is unusual for the NBA (they operate more like a mob than they’d like to admit in some areas of their business).

The committee’s verdict? Yes, but by only by a 4-3 margin do they recommend the move. Bennett, Arison, and Leonsis are all against the move. League sources report that Bennett has already begun to campaign against the Sonics to his fellow owners. The next Board of Governors meeting is scheduled for April.

Newman hasn’t made many friends with the NBA’s owners, but he has one his corner: Mark Cuban. Cuban, long the league office's pain in butt, was one of two owners to vote against the Sonics relocation (the other being Paul Allen). Newman, Cuban, Allen, and Steve Ballmer begin campaigning to bring the Sonics back; they would be nicknamed by the Internet as “The Seattle Saviors”, which would launch into a viral sensation as the Seattle community took to social media to promote the cause.

April 12th, 2015: The NBA Board of Governors meet, relocation plans firmly in hand. Newman and the city of Seattle (but mostly Newman) has begun building the new arena for the Sonics — Newman has hired two different construction companies to hasten development on the arena, with a third in the wings. His goal is to be ready by the beginning of the 2015 season.

The tension between the owners is thick and some votes are up for grabs even at this late stage. Twitter, Facebook, SportsCenter, and more are all monitoring the story: local Seattle stations have traveled to New York to cover the story, making the scene look like something from an overbudgeted action flick. The vote only has to be a majority to be approved but the voting process takes twice as long as it was estimated to.

16-14. That was the final margin of Seattle’s victory. The Mavs (Cuban), Blazers (Allen), Clippers (Ballmer), the Kings, the Bucks, and the Lakers all agree easily. The Spurs, Hawks, Hornets, Jazz, Grizzlies, Pacers, Knicks, Wizards also agree after considering the money. And then Newman himself.

The Bulls, Cavs, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Heat, Thunder, Twolves, Celtics, 76ers, Magic, Suns, and Raptors vote against the return of the Sonics.

The Pelicans are the swing vote, but they agree to back the move, making it go ahead at 16 for and 14 against.

Elation breaks out across Seattle, the nation, and the greater Washington state area. Newman has succeeded where so many others had failed before and the Nets were going to be the Sonics at the beginning of the 2015 season.

Brooklyn, however, was left without a team — a fact not lost on the Sonics fans who had felt the pain of relocation seven years before. Newman, on the subject, wasn’t unsympathetic but he certainly didn’t pity them:

“I feel a bit guilty, yes. I lost a team seven years ago — all of Seattle did — and I won’t get those seven years back. The team was still with me, still within my heart, but being unable to see them play was gutwrenching. That said, Brooklyn has only had this team for three years. And, historically, the Nets have been pretty poor … Brooklyn’s loss doesn’t compare to Seattle’s. I know they won’t understand that.”

July 13th, 2015: With the Sonics back in the NBA, the league alters the divisional alignment. Memphis moves to the Southeast Division, while Washington moves to the Atlantic. The Sonics move back to the Northwest Division while the Thunder move to the Southwest, making the NBA as a whole more geographically sensible. The NBA also announces that the first round of the playoffs would be moved back to five games, with Adam Silver having this to say:

“Players have made it clear to the league that they feel there needs to be less games played; rather than trim back the regular season, we’ve restored the first round to a five game format. Statistically, this should hardly affect the results of the first round; with the first round now back to five games, both the league and the players union believe this will cut down on player injuries while increasing the overall play of the league, making it healthier as it goes into the future.”

****

And that brings us to today. Newman has made his enemies in his short time in the NBA, but he’s also brought the Sonics back. For that, he has the undying gratitude of millions of fans.

But he’s also made himself GM of the team, despite a severe lack of experience. Firing Billy King is always a good thing, but Newman is playing a dangerous game as an Owner/GM, a game that reminds me of a certain owner in Dallas … Jerry Jones. Jones, much like Newman, has his own views on how to run a team and demands it be done in his manner, in his way. Jones makes the picks, he makes the trades, he makes the cuts, he makes the hires … he’s all-powerful and he can’t be fired. Jones, in recent years, has surrounded himself with a better support staff and the Cowboys’ fortunes have improved because of it.

Newman has taken a page from Jones’ book and surrounded himself with definable talent in the front office, hiring former Hawks GM Danny Ferry as his President of Basketball Operations. Ferry will do the legwork and he’s highly respected in most NBA circles; what happened with the Hawks was seen by many front office executives as “scapegoating” and Ferry was blackballed unfairly. Despite Ferry being there, Newman has ultimate control and say — and he knows it:

“I’m the beginning and end of any move we make, pure and simple. I love basketball, I’ve studied the game with data, with my own two eyes, played it all the time back in high school, and I know a good player when I see one. Even the lowest valued NBA player brings skills to the table you won’t find anywhere else and here in Seattle we embrace that fact; we welcome diversity. It’s only through being diverse, being able to adapt, does an organization grow and become a champion.”

Retaining Hollins as head coach — a move some have questioned despite the fact his contract runs out at the end of year — is the first step in that process. But another step is soon to come, and that’s the dismantling of the roster. Seattle has been in negotiations with multiple teams for the various players it has. Newman, according to league sources, is looking for picks and young players to build around. Seattle, thanks to the machinations of Billy King in the past, has no draft pick this year or in 2018.

What Newman decides to do here is going to determine what this first season of the newly revived Sonics will look like; luckily, Newman has revealed the jerseys for this upcoming season so at least we know what the players will look like, even if we don’t know which players will be wearing the jersey.



Home Jersey 15-16








***
Away Jersey 15-16

[Gronk4M13]

Definitely following especially because you're using the Nets.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gronk4M13

Definitely following especially because you're using the Nets.

Thank you! I'm going to get rid of a decent amount of the roster, but some of the younger Nets (Jefferson, who is wearing #24 like Richard Jefferson) will stay part of the franchise's future. The team needs to get younger and prepare the way for the foundation of the future ... but the team also needs to get some veteran leadership with roots to the area. I've got a short list of guys I'd like to go after, we'll see what I can do.

[trekfan]

September 22nd, 2015


The coffee, fresh brewed and steaming, sat before him, its scent enhancing his morning and making him feel far more human than he had any right to feel, especially after a long night of research. Being an owner of an NBA team was a time intensive thing, especially when that same person was also the GM. Max had no idea how intense any of this was until he actually got in.

It was hard to believe it had been nearly a year since his arrival in the NBA; it had been one of the fastest years of his life. No longer a software developer, he had ascended into a lifestyle that resembled nothing like it was portrayed. There was no glitz, no glam, no fame where he was right now … he only had money and ambition to guide him.

The money had been enough to get him into the league. The ambition had been enough to allow him to propose — and succeed — in relocating the historically bad Nets to Seattle. He hadn’t made many friends in the process but in this league one didn’t get friends until one earned them. Cuban is a friend ... I think, he mused to himself as he rubbed his eyes.

He swiveled in his chair and stared out the window of his new arena. Yes, it was mostly his as the local Seattle government refused to put too much into it. He was perfectly fine with that, to be honest — owners didn’t need to beg for publicly funding when they had more money than God. It was a joke that they did; part of the reason Max was so polarizing was because he had paid for the arena. The other owners, especially those with aging facilities, weren’t pleased at the precedent he had set. Luckily, many of the other owners were hands-off where the operations of their team was concerned, so Max wouldn’t have to deal with too much pushback.

And even if he had, that’s why he brought in Danny Ferry. Danny was respected and his time with the Hawks, though short, helped proved how valuable he could be.

His speaker buzzed and he turned in his chair, giving it his attention. “Yes, Fredricka?”

“Mr. Ferry is here to see you,” his secretary responded, the sound of her gum chewing echoing around him.

He allowed himself a smirk — Fredricka and he went all the way back to high school. One of his closest (and brutally honest) friends, Max had grown to appreciate her quirks. One of them was how loudly she chewed the gum. “Go ahead and send him in.” He paused, then asked, “Tropical?”

“Nope, mint today,” she answered with amusement. The “what gum flavor are you chewing today” game was also something that went back to high school. The speaker cut out and Danny entered the spacious, mostly empty, office.

“Max,” Danny said as he adjusted his collar, scratching at his neck. That was a tell that his PBO was concerned about the trade proposals Max had sent him earlier that morning.

Max leaned back in his chair, motioning for Danny to sit down. “Take a load off.”

Danny chuckled. “It’d be easier to do if you wouldn’t send me things like this,” he said as he flashed his tablet at Max, the screen opened to Max’s email full of trade offers. Danny pointed at the one at the very top. “That one concerns me more than anything. How can you be thinking of trading Lopez there?”

“Saves him from having to move too far,” Max joked.

His humor wasn’t well-received as Danny’s mouth tensed into a frown. “Look, I like the talent we get back, don’t get me wrong, but I’d prefer your second option.”

It was Max’s turn to frown. “The Wizards don’t have as much to offer as the Blazers.”

“But it’s better for them and us,” Danny countered.” He changed the screen on his tablet, showing him the potential trade he had drawn up working from Max’s initial take. “They’re going to miss on Durant and they know it — look at how they’ve positioned themselves with all these contracts. They’ll have plenty of cap space next summer and guess what?”

“No one to spend it on without Durant,” Max agreed. He tapped the edge of his desk, his mind quickly analyzing the ramifications of the trade before him. “You think they’d buy that? They seem set on Durant.”

“It’s a pipe dream.” Danny shook his head. “Durant is rooted in OKC; as much as he loves that area of the country, he’s in no hurry to leave Westbrook for Wall; the talent gap between the two isn’t large but it isn’t insignificant. Wall is more injury-prone and Wall has been the alpha-dog for DC for years now.”

Max nodded along, agreeing with thought processes. This is part of the reason why he hired Danny — the man had a mind that thought a lot like his, they spoke a similar language. “They won’t be able to afford to sign Beal to that extension and bring in Durant without sacrificing a ton of depth.”

“Durant will likely want LeBron-levels of roster control, too if he goes there … the price would be too steep for Washington. They need a fallback plan.” Danny pointed at the tablet. “And we could be it.”

Max took a sip of his coffee, then nodded. “All right, I’ll call them up. Care to sit in?”

Danny eased himself down into the nearest chair and crossed his legs comfortably. “Let’s give it a try.”

[trekfan]

Rapid Reaction: Sonics Trade Away Lopez, Johnson

September 24th, 2015

By Vonny Lee




The Sonics have begun making there moves. Owner and GM "Mad Max" Newman has begun the inevitable dismantling process that everyone knew was coming. The trade made, however, is one that should make Seattle fans proud.

Jamal Crawford, the unofficial ambassador and godfather of Seattle basketball since the retirement of Doug Christie is back in Seattle. Known for running a basketball Pro-Am in the city during the summer, Crawford has kept basketball alive in Seattle during the long years it has been absent and now he's a member of the newly revived Sonics. Crawford had this to say about the trade:

"I'm honored and excited to play in Seattle for the Sonics ... I was a fan, like everyone else, when I was a kid of the Sonics and to be part of this squad is more than I could have hoped for."

The three team deal also gives the Sonics the Wizards 1st rounder (top 8 protected), veteran Gary Neal (on a small expiring) and veteran center Marcin Gortat, who's contract isn't favorable nor is his age (31).

The Clippers receive Nene and Andrea Bargnani, given them a defensive post presence in Nene and a proven -- if injury prone -- shooter in Bargnani. Both he and Nene have injury concerns, but both combine to give the team nearly 14m in cap relief this summer, something the team needed after agreeing to a monster contract with DeAndre Jordan this past offseason. Doc Rivers has a deep bench to help keep his bigs fresh for what he -- and all the Clippers fans -- hopes is a deep run in the postseason.

For the Wizards, this trade is a win for them in the short and long term. They managed to significantly upgrade their center position with Lopez, then went and added Thad Young to the mix, who should flourish playing with Wall and Beal -- Young's versatile skill set will allow the Wizards to play him at the three and four, which will give their lineup more flexibility moving forward. This trade almost certainly signifies the end of their potential pursuit of Kevin Durant, but the Wiz fans shouldn't fret -- with Lopez back in the Atlantic Division, he should thrive against the subpar centers of the East.

Trade Grade: B-. Parting with Lopez was necessary, but having to take back Gortat and trade away Thad Young might hurt the team in the short-term. Getting that 1st rounder and Crawford, however, sets Seattle up well for the immediate future and is a nice move for the franchise from a PR standpoint.

****

The Sonics weren't done there, however; they had one more move to make, this one out of left field but that's not entirely odd considering their trade partner.




The Sonics managed to acquire Nerlens Noel from the 76ers for Joe Johnson, 2nds, and young players on expiring contracts. This trade signifies the first move Philly has made in years to better the product on the court and gives Coach Brett Brown a knowledgeable, smart playing veteran in Johnson. The 76ers have been hearing for years how poor they've been and purposefully so, but it appears the front office is beginning to finally attempt to build a real basketball team.

With the drafting of Jahill Okafor by the 76ers this past summer, Noel was rendered expendable, especially considering that Joel Embidd still remains on the roster (and is slated to finally see action at the beginning of the season). With Okafor and Embidd waiting to take the floor, someone had to be shipped out and Noel drew the short straw -- never having displayed the post skills and potential Okafor or Embidd did in college, Noel looks to have the lowest ceiling.

Hinkie might be planning another move in conjunction with this one -- he has Gerald Wallace's expiring contract on the books, too, and between him and Johnson, that's over 35m in expiring contracts between only two players. The 76ers settled lower than they probably could have here, but having the giant contract of Joe Johnson (and his talent) will give them a massive trade chip they can use to make another move -- the Hinkie will provide.

For the Sonics, getting Noel for Johnson is a steal -- parting with two 2nds hurts more than it would for most teams, due to the Sonics lack of assets (thank you Billy King) but a young big with untapped potential is just what Lionel Hollins ordered.

Trade Grade: A. The Sonics snagged a young big for an aging veteran on a giant contract. That's a win any day.

[bryan3169]

With the Nets moving West, I would expect with the uncertain future of the Kings in Sacramento could they be moving back East? New Jersey Nets making a return possibly? Or could they be opening Barclay's empty arena back up in a few years. A dark horse could be the Pistons with their battles and financial problems with the state of Michigan of getting a new arena. Excited to see where things go


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by bryan3169

With the Nets moving West, I would expect with the uncertain future of the Kings in Sacramento could they be moving back East? New Jersey Nets making a return possibly? Or could they be opening Barclay's empty arena back up in a few years. A dark horse could be the Pistons with their battles and financial problems with the state of Michigan of getting a new arena. Excited to see where things go Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Barclays is open for business for any team that wants to go to Brooklyn. Honestly, I see Kansas City being next up as a potential home for a franchise, though. Brooklyn is so close to New York and the Knicks, their fans can just cheer them on, lol.

Now, as to whom is the next team to move ... that's a good question. I don't know.

Thanks for commenting! More updates in just a moment and then the first game of the season.