#TheStormIsComing | Nashville Expansion Story Pt. 2 | NBA 2K18

[orlegend0208]

December 15, 2017

Nashville (7-20) @ Houston (19-10)

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Wayne Ellington drains a big 3 during the 4th Quarter

Recent Games:

12-6: @ Golden State: L 88-105: 6-17
12-8: vs. Los Angeles: W 107-101: 7-17
12-10: @ Cleveland: L 68-104: 7-18
12-11: vs. Atlanta: L 69-106: 7-19
12-13: vs. Charlotte: L 101-118: 7-20

Once again, these last few games have been frustrating.

Especially the Atlanta game. Atlanta (6-24) currently has the worst record in the East and they beat us by 37 points... AT HOME.

That game 100% convinced me that we needed a coaching change. Not only a head coaching change, but we needed change up and down our entire coaching staff. Including scouts, trainers, everyone.

I wasn't satisfied with the way that any of them were performing and I knew that we could hire replacements to help our team not only in the present, but also in the future.

Anyway, we traveled to Houston to take on the Harden/CP3 led Rockets.

I'm not gonna lie, I was really impressed by our effort of the team. We kept it reasonably close in the 1st half. Going into halftime, Houston led 55-48.

We outscored them 19-16 in the 3rd Quarter to shrink the lead down to 4. The 3 points that we outscored them by came on a buzzer beating 3 pointer by Patty Mills.

Mills did this weird, unnecessary fading away 3 that somehow swished through the net. Honestly, from my view, I thought he air-balled it and it just hit the net, under the basket to make the net move that way. But, no. He drained it. It went under review and the refs confirmed the ball left his hand before time expired in the quarter.

That fired our guys up and I could tell we were going to be in for one helluva 4th Quarter.

And we sure were.

We went back and forth with Houston the entire Quarter. However, the problem is, we had to defend a very good team when it come to perimeter shooting.

In the 4th Quarter is when it really showed.

Throughout most of the game, it would be Harden and Paul with the ball in their hands and they'd usually drive and try to score. Or they'd kick it out to Eric Gordon who would chuck up a 3.

However, now Harden went into full blown scoring mode. 15 of his 24 points came in the 4th Quarter and Ryan Anderson made a huge 3 late with 3:08 left in the game to increase their lead to 8 points.

We went on a quick 6-0 run as Wayne Ellington and Jayson Tatum drained 3's.

It was now a 2 point game in Houston.

But, a minute later, disaster would strike our team.

Blake Griffin got the ball at the free throw line, pump faked to get Ryan Anderson off of his feet, then drove to the basket. Griffin attempted to posterize Clint Capela, but Capela fouled him hard. Griffin landed awkwardly and players immediately looked away grimacing.

Turns out, Blake has a fracture left leg. The doctor's told us the time table for his return will be anywhere from 2-4 months... With 3-4 months being more likely.

So, the earliest Griffin can return will be sometime in March.

As you could probably guess, our guys were shaken up by the loss of our star player.

Houston went on a quick run following Griffin's injury and we could never recover.

The Rockets went on to defeat us by a score of 97-104.

Let me say this real fast. We were EXTREMELY impressive shooting the ball. We shot 52% from the floor tonight. That's a huge positive since we're one of the worst teams in the league in PPG.

However, our problem tonight was that we turned the ball over 15 times while Houston only turned the ball over 4 times. That was the difference in the game.

And now that Griffin was done for about 3-4 months we had one strategy in mind: Tank, get a high draft pick, and return next year with an improved team, with a new staff.

Not to be a debbie downer, but with Griffin out our season is pretty much over. Again, not trying to be unbearably negative, that's just the reality of our situation now. If we can't win with him, how can we win without him?

And that thought was spot on because the rest of the season was rough...

Due to this reason, I'll give a couple more updates for the season and then we'll move onto the off-season.

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[Slyone14]

It's a first year expansion season, don't be so hard on yourself. But I agree , time to clean house and hire all new staff

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Operation Sports mobile app

[Slyone14]

Btw, have you looked at the cpu generated draft class, they seem much improves from previous years.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Operation Sports mobile app

[orlegend0208]

All-Star Break

February 15, 2018

As we went into the All-Star Break, we had a 17-42 record and had lost 11 straight games. Because of that 11 game win streak, we now have the worst record in the NBA.

The odd thing was, we had a record of 6-4 in the 10 games immediately after Griffin's injury on December 15th.

At that point, I thought we figured out how to win or at least compete on a high level without Blake. But, soon after that we started we began losing 3 games, then winning 1, losing 4 games, winning 1. Then our 11 game losing streak started...

Since Griffin went down, Skal Labissiere has probably been the best, or at least most productive, player on our team. His overall season stats won't show it, but since Griffin was injured, he regularly has 14+ points and 8+ rebounds a game. It's really amazing to see how much Labissiere is progressing. I think we have a great young Center with Skal.

Other players who have stepped up for us are Wayne Ellington and Jayson Tatum. Both are putting together pretty solid seasons.

De'Aaron Fox has been dreadful at times this season shooting the ball. But, he's really been improving as of late. So, that's a positive moving forward.

Patty Mills, Jarred Sullinger, and Montrezl Harrell have also been solid contributors since Griffin's injury.

Around the league, some really interesting trades have gone down:

Seattle SuperSonics Receive: PF Kenneth Farried
Denver Nuggets Receive: C Cody Zeller

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: SF DeMarre Carroll and C Tyson Chandler
Brooklyn Nets Receive: SF Evan Turner and SF Al-Farouq Aminu

Detroit Pistons Receive: C DeAndre Jordan
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: PG Reggie Jackson and C Aron Baynes

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: SF Omri Casspi and C Kosta Koufos
Sacramento Kings Receive: SF Chandler Parsons and PF Jarell Martin

Atlanta Hawks Receive: PF Ryan Anderson
Houston Rockets Receive: SF Kent Bazemore and C Diamond Stone

Phoenix Suns Receive: C Hassan Whiteside and PF Josh McRoberts
Miami Heat Receive: PF Paul Millsap and C Anderson Varejao

And finally, here are the All-Star Game Participants along with the Standings at the All-Star Break

2018 NBA All-Star Game Rosters
Eastern Conference		Western Conference
Head Coach: Tyronn Lue, Cleveland Cavaliers		Head Coach: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Pos	Starters	Pos	Starters
PG	John Wall, Washington Wizards	PG	Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
SG	DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors	SG	James Harden, Houston Rockets
SF	Kevin Durant, Chicago Bulls	SF	Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
SF	LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers	SF	Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
SF	Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks	PF	Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Pos	Reserves	Pos	Reserves
PG	Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers	PG	Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
SG	Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards	SG	C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
SF	Nicolas Batum, Charlotte Hornets	SF	Carmelo Anthony, Oklahoma City Thunder
PF	Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Brewers	PF	LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
C	Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons	C	DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
PG	Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets	PG	Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
PG	D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets	SG	Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves

2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge
Stars		Elites
Head Coach: Jay Larranaga, New York Knicks		Head Coach: Mike Brown, Golden State Warriors
Pos	Starters	Pos	Starters
PG	Yogi Ferrell, Dallas Mavericks	SG	Malik Monk, New York Knicks
PG	Markelle Fultz, Los Angeles Lakers	SG	Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks
SF	Josh Jackson, Boston Celtics	PF	Dario Saric, Philadelphia 76ers
SF	Jayson Tatum, Nashville Storm	C	Willy Hernangomez, New York Knicks
SF	Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers	C	Zhou Qi, Atlanta Hawks
Pos	Reserves	Pos	Reserves
PG	Dennis Smith Jr, Seattle SuperSonics	PG	De'Aaron Fox, Nashville Storm
SG	Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings	SG	Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
SF	Dell Welch, Golden State Warriors	SF	Jonathan Isaac, Sacramento Kings
PF	D.J. Wilson, Oklahoma City Thunder	PF	Marquese Chriss, Phoenix Suns
C	Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers	C	Skal Labissiere, Nashville Storm

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[orlegend0208]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slyone14

It's a first year expansion season, don't be so hard on yourself. But I agree , time to clean house and hire all new staff Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Operation Sports mobile app

Quote: Originally Posted by Slyone14

Btw, have you looked at the cpu generated draft class, they seem much improves from previous years. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Operation Sports mobile app

I thought with a legitimate star along with some promising rookies/young talent along with solid veterans, this would be a playoff team. With last year's Nashville Storm made the playoffs in it's first season. But, that must have been a fluke since I was able to sign guys like Harrison Barnes, Evan Fournier, and Jordan Clarkson, along with a pretty decent bench.

As for your second comment, I downloaded a 2018 Draft Class that had like 10 players in it. So, I created about 30 more players to have an actual 2018 Draft Class. I edited computer generated players to create actual NBA prospects... And the computer generated player's overalls were pretty bad. I was around the 10-15th best prospect and their overalls were in the 60's. So, I bumped that up a bit. So, now I believe just about every team in the 1st round can draft a prospect with a 70 (or very close to 70) overall rating.

BUT, I've only done this MyLeague so far on 2K18... So, maybe I'll notice higher CPU generated overalls of draft prospects in future years.

Thanks for following along and for the comment!

[orlegend0208]

Regular Season Review

April 11, 2018

After the All-Star Break, we were absolutely horrific. Even Blake Griffin's return did virtually nothing for us in terms of wins.

That 11 game losing streak at the All-Star Break turned into a 15 game losing streak. After the All-Star Break we had a record of 3-20 and had an overall record of 20-62.

That 20-62 record was the worst in the NBA. So, we'll be the favorites to grab the #1 Pick in the Draft Lottery. So, that's definitely something to look forward to in the off-season.

The one bright side, was that once Blake Griffin came back, he played better than he did in the 1st half of the season. He routinely scored 15+ points and he was very efficient shooting the ball. So, that's a positive note as we move into the off-season.

On top of Blake Griffin playing extremely well in the 2nd half of the season, Jayson Tatum and De'Aaron Fox also improved as the season went along. In fact, Tatum was selected to the All-Rookie 1st Team while Fox was selected to the All-Rookie 2nd Team.

I made one roster "move" after the All-Star Break. I re-signed Montrezl Harrell to a 2 year deal worth $7.99M. He was extremely productive off of the bench and we got him to re-sign at a great value for us.

Now, here is a look at the Awards and Final NBA Standings

2017-2018 NBA Awards
Award	Player	Pos	Team
Most Valuable Player	Russell Westbrook	PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
Rookie of the Year	Markelle Fultz	PG	Los Angeles Lakers
Sixth Man of the Year	Zach LaVine	SG	Chicago Bulls
Defensive Player of the Year	Rudy Gobert	C	Utah Jazz
Most Improved Player	Buddy Hield	SG	Sacramento Kings
All-NBA 1st Team
All-NBA 1st Team	Russell Westbrook	PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
	James Harden	SG	Houston Rockets
	Kevin Durant	SF	Chicago Bulls
	LeBron James	SF	Cleveland Cavaliers
	DeMarcus Cousins	C	New Orleans Pelicans
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-NBA 2nd Team	Damian Lillard	PG	Portland Trail Blazers
	John Wall	PG	Washington Wizards
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	San Antonio Spurs
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Brewers
	Nikola Jokic	C	Denver Nuggets
All-NBA 3rd Team
All-NBA 3rd Team	Kyle Lowry	PG	Toronto Raptors
	C.J. McCollum	SG	Portland Trail Blazers
	Paul George	SF	Oklahoma City Thunder
	Anthony Davis	PF	New Orleans Pelicans
	Karl-Anthony Towns	C	Minnesota Timberwolves
All-Defensive 1st Team
All-Defensive 1st Team	John Wall	PG	Washington Wizards
	Jimmy Butler	SG	Minnesota Timberwolves
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	San Antonio Spurs
	Anthony Davis	PF	New Orleans Pelicans
	Rudy Gobert	C	Utah Jazz
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Defensive 2nd Team	Russell Westbrook	PG	Oklahoma City Thunder
	Chris Paul	PG	Houston Rockets
	LeBron James	SF	Cleveland Cavaliers
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	SF	Milwaukee Bucks
	Hassan Whiteside	C	Phoenix Suns
All-Rookie 1st Team
All-Rookie 1st Team	Markelle Fultz	PG	Los Angeles Lakers
	Jordan Slay	SG	New Orleans Pelicans
	Dennis Smith Jr.	PG	Seattle SuperSonics
	Josh Jackson	SF	Boston Celtics
	Jayson Tatum	SF	Nashville Storm
All-Rookie 2nd Team
All-Rookie 2nd Team	Dino Rancic	PG	Milwaukee Bucks
	De'Aaron Fox	PG	Nashville Storm
	Frank Ntilikina	PG	Chicago Bucks
	Malik Monk	SG	New York Knicks
	Jonathan Isaac	SF	Sacramento Kings

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[orlegend0208]

Playoffs Results

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[Slyone14]

Now that's going through a season. Don't feel bad, I had josh Jackson and Griffin and I lost 105-68 to the knicks

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