Roll The Dice - A Las Vegas Dynasty

[Jogo]

Vegas Dice reveal court floor ahead of season opener

Our starting five for opening night:

Eric Bledsoe
Devin Booker
T.J. Warren
Marquese Chriss
Tyson Chandler

BENCH:

T. Ulis
T. Daniels
J. Jackson
D. Bender
A. Len

J. Dudley
D. Jones Jr
D. Reed

Reserves:

A. Williams (Torn Meniscus, 4-6 months)
B. Knight (ACL Tear, out for remainder of the season)

Let the games begin ...!

[Jogo]

October 20th

Getting blown out by the Blazers in our season opener wasn't exactly fun. But with home court honors at stake, Vegas fought hard to redeem our fans' faith in our first home game.

Easier said than done.

The Wild West was as insane a powerhouse as it had ever been. Filled with hardened superstars, competition was fierce. And most of the guys on our team hadn't even celebrated their 21st birthday yet.

Playing the Lakers - who found themselves in the same boat - was a good appetizer to see were we stood in the process.

The young guns fought well. Rookie Josh Jackson exceeded all expectations and was well playing his way right into the starting line-up. Not to mention Chriss. He was just outstanding, grabbing boards on one end, and putting up points on the other end.

"Man, If he keeps playing like this, he's going to be a fan favourite real soon", is what Vik told coach after the game.

But the Lake Show also has some rising stars of it's own, and they were raining 3's upon us. Lonzo and Ingram combined for 40, with Ingram daggering a last second shot to end our hardfought hopes and dreams.

Even at the bottom echelons of our conference, no W would come easy.

This was a tough one to swallow.

[trekfan]

Good production from Chriss, what a night he had -- Liking what Jackson brought to the table, too. Ulis had a tough night and so did Bender, but overall a solid effort.

Do you plan to move on from Len/Chandler/Warren/Dudley at all? You've got some old vets and young vets on this roster that might be better served elsewhere.

[Jogo]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Good production from Chriss, what a night he had -- Liking what Jackson brought to the table, too. Ulis had a tough night and so did Bender, but overall a solid effort. Do you plan to move on from Len/Chandler/Warren/Dudley at all? You've got some old vets and young vets on this roster that might be better served elsewhere.

I like Warren for now. He fits our timeline and he's under a very reasonable contract extension in this new NBA era. Him and Jackson should give me a solid rotation at SF going - no pun intended - forward!

Len is difficult to move, since he can veto any trade IRL. Besides, who wants to trade for a mediocre youngster who's probably a goner at the end of the season?

Chandler will be the first to move. As I mentioned in the backstory already, he's getting shipped sooner rather than later (just not spoiling where yet ).

[Jogo]

November 1st

Consistency. And lack thereof

That’s the main takeaway here.

Our squad was now 3-5. We took another beating from the Blazers and had some encouraging wins against the Kings, the Nets and Jazz. But this Wizards squad was just too much for us.

Their entire roster contributed to the scoreboard, plus they were relentless on defense. So much outside scoring power exposed a lot of gaps in our defense.

We never stood a chance.

If our young guys learn to produce points on a consistent basis, that’s one thing. But defense wins ball games, and right now, our defense just straight up sucks …

We’ve got work to do if we want to play along with the big boys.

[trekfan]

Really tough shooting night for the whole team. You guys did much better in the second half than the first, but going to need to not bury yourselves so early.

[Jogo]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Really tough shooting night for the whole team. You guys did much better in the second half than the first, but going to need to not bury yourselves so early.

Our defense right now is just weak af. It's impossible to defend guys like Wall and Beal on the perimeter. Theirs was rock solid, so that caused a lot of missed shots. It's still early into the season though ...

[Jogo]

Parting Ways

November 2nd - Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas Dice big man Tyson Chandler tried to focus his thoughts on something else as he walked through the hallways of their practice facility. Being in this situation was never really a pleasant experience. In recent months, Chandler had been subject to numerous trade rumors, but a deal never got done.

Moving Chandler makes sense for a franchise that was going all in on their youth and has no use for an experienced veteran eating up all the minutes at his spot. Though Chandler actually really enjoyed his time mentoring the young bloods, he was ok with being traded at this point, if it would put him in a spot where he could really compete again.

Just weeks ago, Chandler was held back from boarding the flight to Vegas for the press conference, as a trade deal involving his contract was reportedly coming to a close. But for reasons still unknown, the deal was blown off. This morning however, Chandler was taken out of team practice to see Carter in his office.

Michael Carter, a skilled businessman and dealmaker extraordinare, was the newly appointed General Manager of the Las Vegas Dice. Carter, born in New York, spent most of his days in Vegas as the Tournament Director of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. That’s where him and Viktor Belinsky first met. When Vik told Michael about his plans for a Las Vegas NBA franchise, he was the first one to come on board.


Chandler knocked on the door and came in.


“Tyson! I think I’ve got some very exciting news for you my man”, Carter smiled. “I’m being told the Cavs can still use a rim-protecting back-up at center to solidify their championships aspirations. We worked out the deetz. It’s a done deal. Looks like you’re headed to Cleveland, buddy!”

Chandler let out a sigh of relief. This was indeed thrilling news. Of all contenders, Cleveland was pretty much a finals guarantee and they had a very legit shot at winning it all this year. Not bad for your first move, mister Carter, Chandler thought to himself.


Here’s what the deal looks like on paper:






This deal satisfies both parties. Cleveland gets the 7 ft. rim protector and defensive presence in the paint they sometimes lack against bigger line-ups. Plus, Tyson - a former champion himself - brings some extra veteran, winning experience to the table in pursuit of another ring. Davon Reed and two 2nd round picks, give the Cavs some extra tradeable assets for the future.

Ultimately, getting Ante Zizic in this trade is what made Vegas pull the trigger. Zizic gives them a much younger version of Chandler who can still develop. He may also be a nice back-up for when Alex Len - who signed the qualifying offer and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this - decides to walk for nothing come summertime.

The Dice will also absorb Shumpert’s expiring 10 million contract, with a player option for next season. Getting rid of Shump - who demanded a trade this summer - clears up minutes at the Cavs’ already stacked SG slot. For Vegas, Shumpert brings an extra defensive presence to their bench. Maybe he can teach young Booker a thing or two about defense at his position as well.