SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[ronyell]

April 20th, 2018




Draymond Suspended For Game 4

After Game 3's melt down that saw Draymond Green have a shoving match with Rudy Gay, the league has handed down its punishment. Rudy Gay was fined $15,000 for the incident while Draymond Green will be suspended for today's Game 4 elimination game. According the league their is footage of "reprehensible malicious intent" as Draymond pushes Rudey Gay. Upon review of the video you can see what appears to be Draymond's elbow striking Gay in the head as Gay falls to the ground. Steve Kerr has refused comment aside from stating that Jordan Bell will start in Green's place for the already depleted Warriors on the brink of elimination.

[ronyell]

[bryan3169]

April 21st, 2018

Max Kellerman on the sweep of the Golden State Warriors: "There is a chink in the armor of the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry was the leader that kept the locker room on the same page. Without his leadership this team fell apart. Constant fingerpointing and collusion led to this teams early demise. They only had one job. Get out of the first round and you'd see a Curry return at some point. They couldn't even win a game. Usually the person with the most to say in a situation is usually the one you place the most blame on. First, Draymond Green is the bad apple in this situation. The constant finger pointing, the unsportsmanlike behavior which led to him being suspended in a scuffle with Spurs, Rudy Gay. If the Warriors want to continue their dominance and this will just be a bump in the road they have to cut bait with their bad seed before it affects the rest of the crop. The other head you have to place blame on is head coach, Steve Kerr. After the sweep he was quoted saying, "Maybe we have too many big personalities or just pure bad luck!" As a head coach that has won two championships in 3 tries with the same core of guys, way to go on killing the confidence of this group by saying this on easily the worst performance they've put on together as a group. Bravo Steve, Bravo!"

DeMar Derozan on performance in Game 4 against the Wizards: "I've been hearing alot of talking about how Wall and Beal could come in and upset the number one seed. How it's too much pressure on me and Kyle (Lowry) after leading the franchise to it's first #1 seed playoff bid. Well what happens to coal under pressure? It creates diamonds. Cream rises to the top. Beal couldn't stay in front of me, but we went to war on the floor tonight score for score. But who is John Wall? For him to be a leader he sure does alot of deferring down the stretch. See y'all in Game 5."

Chris Broussard on Charlotte's coaching and GM situation: "Word out of Charlotte is that former Lakers General Manager, Mitch Kupchak has been contacted, offered and has taken the position of General Manager of the Hornets which means Cho is definitely out and Clifford could be out by the end of the day."

Bucks interim Head Coach, Joe Prunty on his future with the Bucks: "After the series with Philadelphia, being disappointed in our performance as a team, do I feel like I deserve to be here as the permanent head coach? I'd think so. We've made strides forward as a team collectively. Things we struggled with in the beginning of the year, we've fixed. Could we have executed better? Absolutely, but I think with the current state of this team another year together we could come out 10 times better in the long run. But ultimately the decision of my future with this franchise is all up to Horst upstairs with the organization."

Dwayne Wade on his decision to head to the bench in the playoffs: "At the end of the day, I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my team win. Take less shots? Take less minutes? Focus more on the defensive end than being a scorer? That's what being a leader is all about. I don't have to be the focal point of the offense to make an impact. I felt like me being on the floor for an extended amount of time was messing with the flow of the offense and it showed. It's also led to two wins and tying this series up. Me going to the bench has delivered a positive result and I'm happy with that."

Shannon Sharpe on the 3 series sweeps in the first round of the playoffs:
"The NBA is getting ridiculous Skip. 3 sweeps in the first round? 3 more series with a 3-1 lead in them at this very moment! If someone told me that the Miami Heat vs. a starless Celtics team would be the most competitive series I would see starting off the playoffs, I would have told them that I would rather watch mid-April baseball. Last night I watched the Houston Rockets dismantle the Denver Nuggets by 46 points! Skip, a 46 point loss? IN THE PLAYOFFS? I can't take it any more! Adam Silver gotta get some of these teams some more spending money some more draft picks! Get them some help! I watched James Harden rock his matchups Gary Harris and Jamaal Murray to sleep for 37 minutes last night. Harden ended the night with 42-15-6 with only two turnovers! If he wouldn't have passed it 6 times he probably could have won this game alone! The NBA and especially the Denver Nuggets should be embarrassed!"

[bryan3169]

April 21st, 2018

Cho & Clifford out in CHA; Hornets welcome former Lakers GM Kupchak

As reported by NBA analyst, Chris Broussard this morning, the Charlotte Hornets have parted ways with general manager Richard Cho and followed by head coach Steve Clifford. Clifford spent 5 years in Charlotte. 2 playoff appearances in his tenure with the team and finished his time with a 196-214 record. Cho was hired in 2011 as a GM replacement for now CHA VP of Basketball Operations, Rod Higgins.

Mitch Kupchak was quoted saying after news of his hire broke in Charlotte, "My duty is simply to bring this franchise to the forefront of the Eastern Conference. My first task as the GM is to find the next head coach that is going to develop these young players and build a chemistry to become a successful franchise. It's a good time to be a Charlotte Hornets fan."

[SportSeasonsNetwork]

I LOVE THIS!!!!!

It's always a good read and never gets boring!!!

Bravo Simworld!!!!

[cormag001]

April 21st, 2018

NBA Playoff Central

Western Conference

#1 Houston Rockets vs #8 Denver Nuggets (HOU wins series 4-0)
Game 4 showed why many believe this is the Rockets' year. With Harden leading the charge, Houston simply could not be stopped on the offensive end. Harden and Paul found easy penetration into the lane and either finished or found Capela for an easy bucket time and time again. Yet there's nothing the Nuggets could do about it. Despite some solid performances from their young core, Denver simply couldn't keep up with the Rockets. The scary part is, it felt like the Rockets didn't play up to their full potential until Game 4...


#2 Golden State Warriors vs #7 San Antonio Spurs (SAS wins series 4-0)
Raise your hand if you saw this coming. If you're raising your hand you're a liar. The Warriors were not only beat, but SWEPT. Remember when Golden State was the "best shooting team in NBA history?". No longer. The Spurs held the Dubs to just 34% from 3 on the series. Amidst rumors of locker room tension, the only Warriors who consistently came to play each night was Durant. For San Antonio, the return of Kawhi has instantly made this team a contender once again. Guys like Kyle Anderson, Danny Green, and Patty Mills no longer have to work in expanded roles, and can do more of what they're comfortable doing. San Antonio will face Oklahoma City in Round 2.


#3 Portland Trailblazers vs #6 Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC wins series 4-0)
35.5 PPG. 14.3 RPG. 11.5 APG.

It was a ridiculous series for Russell Westbrook. When he gets a solid contribution from the tandem of George and Anthony, this Thunder team looks really unbeatable. But Russ didn't just do work on the offensive end -- he took Lillard out of the equation multiple times throughout the series, holding him to merely 36% shooting. Dame never was comfortable enough to take and make the big shots we saw him drain during the regular season. We saw the peskiness of the Thunder on full display in Game 4, as the Blazers grew visibly frustrated and sent the Thunder to the line a whopping 55 times. Oklahoma City gets the underdog San Antonio Spurs in the second round.


#4 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #5 Utah Jazz (UTA leads series 3-1)
It's one thing for a rookie to get buckets in the regular season. It's a whole different animal succeeding in your first few playoff appearances. Yet, Donovan Mitchell looks unfazed. Averaging 27.3 points on 60% shooting, Mitchell has been the catalyst that has the Jazz one game away from a second round appearance. Perhaps even more shocking is the way Gobert has essentially neutralized one of the best centers in the league. In order for Minnesota to have a shot at overcoming the 3-1 deficit, they're going to need Towns to relax and play like his regular season self. Which is very possible. This series is far from over.


Eastern Conference

#1 Toronto Raptors vs #8 Washington Wizards (TOR leads series 3-1)
The Wizards have played the way they've wanted to all series, but after dropping Game 2 at home, the Raptors continue to show us why they were one of the most efficient offenses this season, stealing both games in DC. Take a look at the stat lines from the Raptors Big 3...

DeMar DeRozen: 29 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 58% FG%
Kyle Lowry: 23.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 62% 3PT%
Serge Ibaka: 23 PPG, 7 RPG, 0.8 APG, 63% FG%

Can Beal and Wall slow down the Raptors backcourt? Or will the onslaught continue in Game 5?


#2 Boston Celtics vs #7 Miami Heat (Series tied 2-2)
Although most of the first round has been disappointingly uncompetitive, this series appears to be headed towards 7 games. Both teams played through adversity and took advantage of their home court. The Heat have gotten solid contributions across the board, but with obvious tension between the team and Hassan Whiteside, it's been Dragic who has stepped up -- averaging 17.6 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.5 RPG on the series. A storyline to watch as this series continues into the late stages -- will DWade give us a big game?


#3 Philadelphia 76ers vs #6 Milwaukee Bucks (PHI wins series 4-0)
Joel Embiid is a beast. An absolute maniac. A historic Game 4 saw Embiid score 27 points on 75% shooting and pull down an amazing 25 rebounds. The Bucks could do nothing to stop him. When they were able to slow him down at different points throughout the series, it always felt as though someone else showed up in a big way. Redick had a throwback Game 2, willing the 76ers to that win with a shocking 33 points. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this series was the 76ers defense -- aside from Giannis (and even he looked lost at times), it seemed as if no one could get in a rhythm for the Bucks. Bledsoe and Parker really struggled. Milwaukee will have some questions to answer this offseason.


#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #5 Indiana Pacers (CLE leads series 3-1)
After a shocking loss in Game 1 (which snapped LeBron's 21 game win streak in the first round), the Cavaliers locked in on the defensive end of the ball, making the Pacers uncomfortable. This development, as well as Kevin Love passing the sidekick test so far (averaging 23.3 PPG thus far in the series), bode well for the Cavaliers going forward. Oladipo is doing everything he can to keep the Pacers in the series, but it will take a huge game from him and Myles Turner to bring this series back to Indiana for a Game 6.

[cormag001]

April 21st, 2018

Report: Isaiah Thomas Considering Retirement

by: Adrian Wojnarowski

ESPN has learned through reliable sources close to the situation that Lakers' Isaiah Thomas is strongly considering retirement.

Thomas is notorious for being the last pick in the 2011 NBA Draft who burst onto the scene as a two-time All Star and finished fifth in MVP voting in 2016-17.

Thomas, who injured his hip late in the 2016-17 campaign, has had quite the fall from grace. After refusing to undergo surgery during the summer, Thomas attempted to naturally heal and play through his injury. After struggling throughout his brief stint in the 2017-18 season, Thomas finally decided to undergo surgery in March. According to sources close to Thomas, he is struggling both "physically and mentally" in his recovery.

"I'm beginning to doubt that we will ever see him play in the NBA again," one of his close friends speculated.

When reaching out to Isaiah Thomas' camp for comment, his agent told ESPN that "[a] long offseason will have a lot of story lines. Maybe too many."

For IT, his fall from grace has been rapid and tragic. He went from being the face of the number one seed Boston Celtics to a question mark for the rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers.

More to come on SportsCenter tonight.

[ronyell]