|
|
|
Thread Tools |
01-03-2017, 02:07 AM
|
#1 |
|
MVP
|
The League: Reign of The NBA
 The League: Reign of The NBA Hello everyone, this is my first attempt at a franchise/association in over 6 years and I'm kind of trying something new, difficult, but fun here. Unlike pretty much every other dynasty out there, this will not focus on any one team, but instead the entire NBA. This will feature news articles, periodical updates on transactions and injuries, and also will feature updates throughout the year on the incoming draft class. This also won't just follow the NBA as I will feature certain draft prospects throughout their college season(s) or overseas career prior to entering the draft. (Note: I will only be using my personal fictional draft classes for this because draft classes using real life players always ruin the immersion for me because of the awful CAP system. By using fictional players I get to craft an entire story around them to flow along with everything else in this "basketball universe.") Also, to make this as unique as possible, I'll be referring to this as a "video association" as I try to incorporate as much visual content as possible to engage you guys into this. My aim here is to create the most realistic/sim experience that I can with this mode and I hope you all enjoy. _______________________________________________ Settings: System: XONE Current NBA Teams Start in Regular Season 82 Games Quarter Length: 9 Minutes Simulated Quarter Length: 12 Minutes- Normalize Played to Sim Stats/Minutes: Yes Fantasy Draft: Off Playoffs: All Best of 7 Difficulty: Gameplay Difficulty: Superstar All other settings are standard Roster: Custom roster Draft Classes: 2017: Custom Fictional Draft 1 by me 2018: Custom Fictional Draft 2 by me 2019: Custom Fictional Draft 3 by me Last edited by lakers24; 01-04-2017 at 04:05 AM. |
|
|
| Advertisements - Register to remove | ||
|
|
|
01-03-2017, 02:09 AM
|
#2 |
|
MVP
|
Re: The League: Reign of The NBA
Last edited by lakers24; 06-11-2017 at 01:38 AM. |
|
|
|
|
01-03-2017, 05:53 AM
|
#4 |
|
MVP
|
Re: The League: Reign of The NBA
   Week 1: Cavs Hold Top Spot...For Now By John Schuhmann NBA.com @johnschuhmann Oct 24, 2016 Under normal circumstances the reigning NBA Champion gets the top spot hands down until proven otherwise, but this past off-season was anything but normal. Especially considering the Finals runner-up landed arguably the 2nd best player in the NBA in Kevin Durant (oh yeah, did I mention they won 73 games last season and they didn't lose the 3 all-stars already on the roster). With all that said though, Golden State has yet to play an official game together, but honestly, does anyone in their right mind think anything other than them becoming a juggernaut? It's only a matter of time. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers  Cleveland Rocks! No, seriously. They still have LeBron, they still have Kyrie, and they still have Love in The Land. All is well in the Kingdom and continuing to believe in "The Land" isn't a bad proposition given the East will hardly provide a threat to a LeBron led team once again. 2. Golden State Warriors  Warriors fans are the most spoiled fanbase after decades of futility. First they ascend to title contention becoming a juggernaut seemingly overnight winning 60+ games featuring the leagues MVP in 2015 and then cap it off with a title. They follow that up with the most wins ever in a regular season going 73-9 while Steph Curry not only wins back to back MVP awards, but becomes the first ever unanimous MVP. Although they lost in Game 7 of the NBA Finals after being up 3-1, they still seemed to win the summer after landing the biggest free agent since LeBron James decided to change area codes in Kevin Durant...Things are looking golden out in The Bay. 3. San Antonio Spurs  Yes, they lost the greatest power forward of all time to retirement this summer. But what you might have missed with Tim Duncan retiring was that Duncan was no longer the best player or even second best player on this team. That distinction belongs to Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, who are both still here, along with the Pop still patrolling the sidelines. They still have amazing depth and they also picked up Pau Gasol...yeah, never count these guys out. 4. Los Angeles Clippers  You know, we say this every year, but the Clippers have the talent to win a title. The only issue is that since the trade in 2012 that brought Chris Paul to LA, the Clippers haven't even gotten past the 2nd round. With Golden State and San Antonio both looking like the cream of the crop out west, that may still hold true. The only problem now is that this may be Lob City's swan song given both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be free agents at the end of this year. 5. Toronto Raptors  Fresh off their first ever conference finals appearance, the Raptors and their fans have to be thrilled. This is the best Raptors team ever and they're in a sustained period of success. They're good, really good in fact. The problem? Are they good enough to get past Cleveland as currently constructed? 6. Boston Celtics  The Celtics finally landed a big fish in free agency after acquiring Al Horford this summer. Winning 48 games last year and finishing as the 5th seed makes this even sweeter as most would probably peg them as the 3rd best team in the conference after Toronto and Cleveland. The problem is though, is that a good thing? Maybe after acquiring all those assets, Danny Ainge will FINALLY get the go-to player the Celtics need to jump into the upper tier of teams. Otherwise, they'll be hoping Jaylen Brown and whoever they land with the upcoming Brooklyn pick this year turn into All-Stars to break them out of the basketball purgatory most of the conference seems to be stuck in. "Good, but not good enough." 7. Memphis Grizzlies  On paper, this team is loaded. Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, Chandler Parsons, & Tony Allen is a hell of a core. That lineup would strike fear into every team in the league if this was 2012, unfortunately, that's not the case. Not only are Zach Randolph and Tony Allen heading into the twilight of their careers, they've become injury as most of this roster has. Memphis shocked everyone by making the playoffs last year with the cast of misfits they had feeling in, the only issue is that may have been a bad thing given the age and health status of this squad. They need as much good young talent as they can get before the inevitable downturn comes. Marc Gasol being in his 30's coming off of a foot injury only expedites this. 8. Atlanta Hawks  Another team stuck in basketball purgatory now 2 years removed from a 60 win season and their first ever conference finals appearance (in which they were promptly swept by LeBron and Co.). They lost Al Horford over the summer, which would probably tell most teams to start thinking of rebuilding, however, the Hawks ended up signing Dwight Howard effectively keeping the treadmill alive (sorry Hawks fans, Orlando Dwight is long gone). 9. Utah Jazz  This is the year. This will be the year Utah finally makes its return to the postseason after a couple of years of barely missing out on the 8th seed. Don't be surprised if they end up around the middle of the conference either. The continued development of Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favor, the return of Dante Exum, and the additions of George Hill, Boris Diaw, and Joe Johnson make this one of the deepest rosters in the bloodbath that is the west. 10. Indiana Pacers  The additions of Thaddeus Young, Al Jefferson, and Jeff Teague should make the Pacers pretty dangerous out East. The question is how will Nate McMillian do replacing Frank Vogel as coach. Also, if Myles Turner develops faster than anyone expects, don't be shocked to see Paul George lift this squad into the upper echelon of the east. 11. New York Knicks  Let's be honest here, are the Knicks ranked too high? Probably, but I still believe Derick Rose is a quality starting point guard in this league and that Joakim Noah has something left in the tank. Honestly though, this should've been the Bulls circa 2014 (sans the Zinger and replaced with "Holdat" expert Carlos Boozer). Carmelo has bad knees and looks like he may never win a ring, let alone in New York. Making the playoffs seems a realistic possibility, how far they'll go is one of the greater mysteries though. 12. New Orleans Pelicans  ANTHONY MARSHON DAVIS JR. (still exists for all you KAT fans) 13. Houston Rockets  Defense? Who needs that when you have a beard and stache'? With the hiring of Mike D'Antoni, the perfect coach for this team by the way, the Rockets have committed to return the NBA to it's ABA roots by running up the score. This team will score A LOT and James Harden will be unstoppable. How many games they will win, I have no clue, but I'm beyond excited to see all the crazy shootouts with this squad. 14. Portland Trailblazers  So Portland managed to keep their team intact after shockingly making it to the 2nd round of the playoffs last year when most had them pegged as a lottery team. Damian Lillard is a legit MVP candidate, and they signed Allen Crabbe and Evan Turner to ridiculous contracts while also bringing in Festus Ezeli. What else were they supposed to do though? Portland isn't really a free agency destination. 15. Oklahoma City Thunder  Oh boy, talk about stats. Russell Westbrook is about to have a season we'll look back on and won't believe. Angry Russ is about to lay waste to the NBA, the only issue is OKC has little else though. After trading away Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, and seeing KD leave for golden pastures, everything lies at the feet of Westbrook to carry the load as a one man show. Triple doubles anyone? 16. Chicago Bulls  I have no idea what Gar/Pax are doing in the Bulls front office. They've assembled the worst spacing starting lineup possible, jettisoned the hometown hero for little to nothing, and assembled this particular team a year after hiring Fred Hoiberg to run a faster, more modern offense. What? I'm honestly surprised Dwyane Wade chose this situation when he decided to leave Miami. He must really love his hometown because this mash of talent just doesn't fit together at all. 17. Charlotte Hornets  The Hornets will make the playoffs in the east. The big question is how healthy can MKG stay this year and will Kemba finally get the All-Star nod this year after being snubbed last season? MJ's Hornets are feisty but won't do much beyond that. There's always that miracle scenario out there that maybe Steph Curry or Chris Paul want to return home to play in North Carolina. 18. Detroit Pistons  Stan Van Gundy and the Pistons will continue building F****** walls , but how much untapped potential and development is left in this roster? Will Andre Drummond become a superstar this year? Will Stanley Johnson become the 2 way wing they envisioned when they drafted him? Find out next time on Deeeeeetroit BasketBaaaallll Z. 19. Milwaukee Bucks  Giannis Antetokoumpo and Jabari Parker will lead the Bucks to the playoffs this year. Giannis will become a superstar this year and will win the Most Improved Player award. Jabari will make the All-Star this year as well and Milwaukee will rejoice as this is the new team to feature two rising stars. No these aren't predictions, these are facts. Giannis reached into the future with his endless arms and showed me an almanac with these facts in them like he was Marty McFly...wait, the Cubs actually won it this year. Weird... 20. Washington Wizards So John Wall and Bradley Beal don't get along all the time, in other news, water is wet. Doesn't help that Bradley just got a ridiculous new contract and the Wizards aren't that good anymore. After not even being in the discussion regarding KD, the Wizards are back at the drawing board with new coach Scott Brooks and their All-Star guard Wall. Time is ticking though as Wall will be a free agent 2 summers from now. 21. Minnesota Timberwolves  If you aren't already on the bandwagon, what's taking so long? This team has probably the best collection of young talent since the Thunder's early years in OKC and they've just brought in Tom Thibbodeau to coach and mold these young stars in the making. Don't be shocked if KAT and maybe even Andrew Wiggins push to be backup All-Stars this year, especially if Minnesota is fighting for a playoff spot like many suspect. 22. Denver Nuggets  Denver is another young exciting team you'll want to watch this upcoming season. They won't be very good, but they'll be really fun. The Nuggets are hoping Emmanuel Mudiay can improve his efficiency though from last year, which was one of the worst seasons, statistically speaking, ever. 23. Orlando Magic  The Magic continue their rebuild post Dwight, this may be the first time since Dwight left though that Orlando has an outside shot at the playoffs. With new head coach Frank Vogel leading the way along with new acquisitions Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, and Jodie Meeks providing stability and leadership. Speaking of outside shots, is this the year Aaron Gordon takes off outside of the dunk contest and is unleashed? 24. Sacramento Kings  New arena, same Kings. I feel so bad for these tortured fans and all they've been through with this franchise the last decade. This is the worst run organization in sports and it shows no signs of ending anytime soon. To make matters worse, the time is coming (oh who am I kidding the time has already been here) to finally do a full rebuild. Ever since the end of the Webber-Bibby years the Kings have yet to fully bottom out and start over. The Kings got lucky in landing Boogie at 5 back in 2010, but have done next to nothing to surround him with quality talent. The one guy they lucked into landing with the 60th pick in the draft and became an All-Star was promptly let go and is now thriving in Boston. His name is Isaiah Thomas. All their other draft picks and overall roster moves have been reaches and disasters to say the least: Ben McLemore, Thomas Robinson, Nik Stauskas(and his subsequent trade), Tyreke Evans, and the list goes on. #FreeBoogie 25. Miami Heat  At least they were able to hang onto Hassan Whiteside this off-season. The bad news is they let the greatest player in Heat history leave while he still had something left. The also lost a large portion of the rest of their team including former All-Star forward Chris Bosh who may never play basketball again (at least in Miami). One thing to look forward to though this season for residents of South Beach, you're definitely landing one of the top prospects in the upcoming draft. Unfortunately, that player may not change the fortunes of this franchise unless they luck into the top pick given this is a weak class outside of consensus top pick Stephon Vaden out of Baylor. Again, not really a bad thing if your patient Miami fans, next years draft class is already being placed up there with the 84, 96, and 03 classes while some believe it may better than them all. 26. Phoenix Suns  The Suns have light at the end of the tunnel after that rookie campaign from Devin Booker. The problem lies with what to do with the rest of the roster, and who will be the star for this team? The Suns are going to lose their fair share of games this year. The key will be to look for growth every game from the young players though. 27. Los Angeles Lakers  Luke Walton takes the reigns as a rookie head coach breathing fresh air into the old battle worn tank that was Byron Scott trudging through Kobe's farewell tour last season. D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson all look to be unleashed in a new system and hopes are really high in LA for 2016 2nd overall pick Brandon Ingram. Ingram will need time for his body to catch up to his skill level, but make no mistake, he will be the player that determines whether this rebuild will end with the Lakers back in the postseason within the next 2-3 years or are starting over again with an entirely new front office structure. 28. Dallas Mavericks  It's time Mark Cuban accepts the reality and begins the rebuild in Big D. As much as I hate seeing great players go out on bad teams, Dallas is going nowhere fast with this roster. Harrison Barnes is currently the best player on this team and their future hinges on him. That isn't a recipe for a playoff contender let alone championship contender in the west. 29. Philadelphia 76ers  The Sixers and their fans finally get to see the long awaited debut of Joel Embiid and it just so happens to coincide with the debut of this years' top pick, Ben Simmons, who many believe "The Process" was worth going through to land. The scary part is, if they both are legit the Sixers not only have their faces of the franchise, but they also have tangible trade assets in Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor. Oh, and did I forget to mention they'll more than likely have two top 10 picks this year as well? Mark my words Philly, this team will be at the top of the east within 3 years. 30. Brooklyn Nets  Sigh. It is now the 2017 season and Billy King is still arguably the worst GM in NBA history. The Nets again, won't have their lottery pick from that god awful Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade, and it only makes it worse because they're probably going to have the worst record in the NBA. Losing out on possibly the top pick in the draft when you have absolutely no present nor future has to hurt. Brook Lopez is the only bright spot for the Nets, but he can't save them from another season in the cellar. One can only hope a miracle comes the Nets way, because no teams' future should be this bleak.
Jaiveer likes this.
Last edited by lakers24; 07-15-2017 at 04:50 AM. |
|
|
|
|
01-04-2017, 04:00 AM
|
#5 |
|
MVP
|
Re: The League: Reign of The NBA
 Lottery Big Board v1.0: Stephon Vaden Favorite to Go 1st Overall Chad Ford ESPN.com Oct 25, 2016  The NBA has appeared to enter into a new "Golden Age" as of late with the surplus of talent in the league. Not only are there a number of established stars who have dominated for the better part of the last decade, but there has been an influx of young up and coming stars from just the last few draft classes alone. Players like Karl-Anthony Towns/ Kristaps Porzingis/ D'Angelo Russell/ Devin Booker (class of 2015), Andrew Wiggins/ Jabari Parker/ Joel Embiid/ Julius Randle/ Zach LaVine (class of 2014) all look to be cornerstones for their respective franchises and in some cases even top 10 players in a couple years (KAT anyone?). Then there's guys like Giannis Antetokoumpo (22), Anthony Davis (23), and Kyrie Irving (24) who are superstars well before their prime has even begun. This doesn't even include this years rookie class featuring the closest thing resembling LeBron since The King entered the NBA 13 years ago in Ben Simmons. With all that said, the draft class of 2017 leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to top tier talent. GM's and scouts are all relatively down on this years' crop featuring true franchise changers. This class is filled with upperclassmen looking to capitalize on the down year for one and done players, but that doesn't make these kids slouches. There is a lot of depth to be found here, and many teams may be able to find a solid contributor. But let's be real here, if you're the Sixers or any other awful team, you're looking for the next Anthony Davis or Kevin Durant. You're looking for a player that will bring you from the depths of irrelevancy to the heights of contention. Most agree that the only player in this class that has the potential to reach such a ceiling is 6'8 star freshman Stephon Vaden out of Baylor. 1. Stephon Vaden - Baylor - 19, 6'8" 219lbs, SF/PG: Vaden is without a doubt the runaway candidate to go 1st this coming June. He has the prototypical body type for an NBA wing at 6'8, 219lbs and he has the skills to become a really good two-way player in the NBA. While he lacks elite athleticism and is mostly potential on the defensive end, the tools are there. The most tantalizing aspect of his potential though lies on offense, as he's being tasked with running the point guard position at Baylor for stretches during games. The coaching staff at Baylor want to take advantage of his unique ability to see the floor at his size, and so far in the early stages of the college season he's looked decent at it. He needs to improve as a decision maker of course and his shooting will need to improve for him to become an effective pro, but the early returns are that he could possibly become a star in the years to come in the mold of a Paul George or Kawhi Leonard. 2. Jermaine Craig - Alabama - 20, 7'0" 277lbs, C If it wasn't readily obvious, Craig is the best center prospect in this class that's thin on big men. That may have something to do with Craig rising this high in the rankings, but he does posses skills. With a solid-legit 7 foot frame, Craig is able to carve out deep position on post ups and is able to move well for his size. Although he isn't a refined post player by any means, he is pretty capable as a roller in pick and rolls, and also has ok touch on hooks. It remains to be seen whether he can harness his potential turning him into more than a rotation player at the next level as his motor wains at times and he can lose focus on the court. There are concerns, but teams seem willing to take a shot this year given the draft's outlook. 3. J.T. Horton - UNLV - 21, 6'6" 218lbs, SG Absolute sniper from beyond the arc, J.T. Horton is the best shooter from deep in this class. He's a so-so athlete, but makes up for by playing angles on both ends. He's a solid defender and will be able to contribute to a team right away. The only question is whether you take a player with this low of an upside this high, or just play it safe with a guy who has a high floor. 4. Charlie Hoffman - Nebraska - 21, 6'2" 196lbs, PG Another high floor, low ceiling player establishing himself as an early lottery guy. Hoffman has all the makings of a solid NBA point guard, although he's on the small at 6'2" 196lbs. He is the purest point prospect this year and makes great decisions with the ball. He'll need to improve as an outside shooter, but look for him to lead the Cornhuskers deep into the tourney this year. 5. Le'Bryan Blackman - Oregon - 20, 6'5" 207lbs, SG Probably my favorite player in this draft given that I love highlights. LeBryan Blackman is the premier athlete this year and no doubt will record some incredible numbers at the combine this May. The questions surround the rest of his game though. If he's not in transition with an open lane to the hoop, Blackman can often become a forgotten man on the floor. He has upside given his age and athleticism, but it'll take some time before his IQ catches up to his physical abilities. 6. Bo Singleton - Michigan State - 19, 6'6" 218lbs, SG Coach Izzo will try to keep Bo in the fold after this season to try and pair him with two of the top ranked incoming freshmen in Akyel Akwegbu and Dakari Heard, but I have a hard time seeing Bo miss out an chance to go this high in the lottery as one of the only true freshmen in this class. He's a raw scorer and will need some time once he gets to the league, but there is potential for a possible long time starter or 6th man here. 7. Marvin Nichols - Michigan - 20, 6'7" 238lbs, PF One of the few face-up fours in this class, Nichols is a decent athlete who is deadly from mid-range. He'll need to extend his range to the 3 to become a serious threat for teams though given his physical limitations (short for the 4 and an ok athlete). 8. Matthew Rollins - Oregon State - 20, 6'6" 197lbs, SG/SF Knockdown standstill shooter with amazing vision at the swing positions. Also a pretty good defender when tasked with guarding the other teams' best players. Rollins projects as a Demarre Carroll/ Jae Crowder type with the playmaking ability and IQ of a Luke Walton. 9. Gheorge Eminescu - Romania - 20, 6'8" 219lbs, SF The scouting universe is up in arms over whether or not you take Eminescu before you take Uros Drobnjak as the first European player in the draft. Given how no one has really seen Drobnjak in person, most are siding with Eminescu. While he has decent size for his position and has tools to score from all over, he's an average athlete who has no elite skill to separate himself. 10. Daryl Trent - Alabama - 20, 6'8" 224lbs, SF/PF Pure athlete at this point with defensive potential. Best case for him would be to model himself after a player like Tony Allen as the only way he'll stick around while he develops any semblance of an offensive game will be his defense. 11. Stephen Olson - Florida - 21, 6'8" 232lbs, SF Olson comes from the Lamar Odom school of point forwards. He's smooth and has a great feel for the game, but doesn't have much of an outside shot to speak of at this point. If he develops that over time though, you have a guy who can stuff a stat sheet for you. 12. Uros Drobnjak - Slovenia - 20, 6'8" 246lbs, PF From what most have heard, Drobnjak is an amazing athlete with point forward skills. Obviously if he's as good as advertised he'll move up this list, but currently he's hardly been seen by most people in the States. He's being called the "Slovenian Paul George" for whatever it's worth though, so here's hoping he can live up to that name once we see him in next years' summer league. 13. Sam Brooks - North Carolina - 19, 6'8" 225lbs, SF/SG Brooks is solid get this late in the lottery. He's great at nothing, but good at a lot of things that help a team win. Think the Cavs version of Richard Jefferson. 14. Rodney Smits - Central Michigan - 21, 5'10" 164lbs, PG Normally if you were to take a guy like Smits this high it'd be considered a reach, but this draft class has a bunch a guys you'll have to take a leap of faith on. He's raw right now, but can shoot the rock, which at his size is necessary, and he has elite speed. Who knows, you may have another bite sized point guard dynamo ready to emerge here.
Jaiveer likes this.
Last edited by lakers24; 07-15-2017 at 04:52 AM. |
|
|
|
| Advertisements - Register to remove | ||
|
|
|
01-04-2017, 08:46 PM
|
#8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP
|
Re: The League: Reign of The NBA
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:04 AM.
|
Top -
|
