Rebirth: A 2K19 MyLeague

[trekfan]

League Update: All-Star Edition

By Sasha Williams

Standings:

Injuries:

At the top the West are the Thunder, who are playing some of the best defense in the NBA and are leaders in the clubhouse for the 1st seed; right behind them are two surprise teams, the Suns and the Mavs; both squads have ascended far faster to the top of the conference than anyone could have expected, as the additions of Kemba Walker (20.6 PPG, 6.1 APG on 48% from the field and 46% from deep) and Charles Barkley (26.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.2 APG on 52% from the field and 39% from deep) have thrown the standard hierarchy of the West on its head. Right behind them are the Warriors and Rockets respectively, Golden State in striking position for the top seed as Houston is fading back, the injury to Capela likely capping the team’s ceiling this season and scuttling their chances to repeat.

Outside the top five, the bottom of the playoff bracket is being held down by the Nuggets, the Pelicans, and the Jazz. Utah is particularly vulnerable as the Jazz’s acquisition of Paul Millsap, which was supposed to vault them up the standings, has seemingly thrown off the team’s chemistry; the Jazz have both the Spurs (only 1 game under .500) and the Lakers (suffering from various injuries over the last three weeks — first Lonzo Ball, now Kyle Kuzma) hunting them.

At the very bottom of the conference are the poor Trail Blazers, with the T’Wolves, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Kings all just above them. The Grizzlies and Clippers both are hoping to finish in the upper parts of the lottery — if they do, they won’t have to convey a 1st round pick to the Celtics in 2020 (LAC’s turns into 2nds in 2021 and the Grizzlies becomes completely unprotected then). Memphis may prefer to convey the pick this year, but this draft is weak outside the lottery and next year’s may be just as questionable.

At the top of the East sit the Magic, a phrase that hasn’t been uttered since Dwight Howard donned their uniform — Orlando may not be there for long however as they’ve recently lost Enes Kanter and Jonathan Simmons (two key veterans and bench players) for the next 6-8 weeks with injury. Many feel the Magic are about to sink back into the pack as the Raptors, after their recent trade for Alex Len, are surging up the standings. Behind those top-two, the next four spots are likely to be traded between the Knicks, Celtics, Hawks, and Pistons — Detroit is thriving thanks to the addition of second-chancer Adrian Dantley (24.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG).

Behind those six are the bottom spots, held onto by the Pacers and Wizards currently, two teams who have disappointed this season but not nearly as much as the Bucks and the 76ers — both teams have seemingly combusted under the expectations placed on them and Philly, a year after making the Finals, is likely to miss the playoffs entirely. Milwaukee has an outside shot of getting in, but they too are likely to miss the postseason, two setbacks neither organization wanted and setbacks that could be costly down the road — especially in the case of Milwaukee in regards to the Greek Freak.

At the bottom of the East are the Cavs, Hornets, 76ers, Heat, Bulls, and the Nets — Brooklyn has fallen off a cliff, much the like the 76ers, in unexpected fashion and are in line for 1st overall. Cleveland has protections on its 2020 pick, so it’ll likely get it back this year and convey a pair of 2nds in 2021. Miami is in prime position to nab a top pick, before they have to give up their 2021 pick completely unprotected (currently owned by Philly). With the lack of depth in this upcoming draft, getting a place in the lottery is paramount to securing a high-upside prospect.

[trekfan]

2020 NBA Draft Preview

By Sasha Williams



The 2020 NBA draft is now only four months away and, as we are now at the all-star break, it’s a good time to look at which draft prospects are at the top of most front office’s lists, new and old alike.



The Top Prospects:




It’s a draft most NBA scouts refer to as “weak” and “without any depth”, the 2020 draft is the second ever draft with second-chance players allowed in it — veterans who have undergone the rebirth treatment to be restored to their athletic prime — and the name at the top of this draft class is a name that makes most executives (and Portland Trail Blazer fans) shudder: Greg Oden. Oden, much like his fellow Blazer alum Bill Walton (who Oden has communicated with often since the end of his career), has undergone the rebirth treatment and has been restored to a healthy prime he never had.



He is one of the most NBA ready players in this draft, but the stigma of his past career — brief as it was — is over him like a thick blanket. Many league executives are wary of even considering Oden as a lottery pick based off his past, but he projects as a player who’ll immediately make a defensive difference if he can stay on the floor — that’s a big if many executives are unwilling to entertain and most of the NBA community foresees Oden falling out of the top-five.



The more likely top pick is James Wiseman. A player who many see as the future of the big man, Wiseman is a player who will enter the draft young and have a high ceiling; able to shoot and defend decently enough now, Wiseman could easily develop into an offensive threat like Denver’s Jokic with the the defensive abilities of a Jonathan Issac — that’s his tip-top ceiling, a game changing top-ten player in the NBA. He enters into the league with far less baggage than Oden and could easily slot into the starting lineups of most teams as a four or a five; who ends up at the top overall pick will determine where he goes.



Behind him, a familiar name to NBA fans of a certain age — Larry Johnson. Grandmama is back and Johnson, a smaller four in his prime in a league of giants, enters into a new NBA where his lack of size will be seen as a plus and not a minus. Johnson has less injury concerns than Oden, despite being out of the league for much longer, as he played a pivotal role in the fabled 1998-1999 Knicks team (the only 8th seed to ever make the Finals) even with a balky back that eventually caused him to retire after only ten years. Johnson’s back — much like the rest of him — is in its prime and he’s subjected himself to multiple medical evaluations to prove his health. Johnson’s return to the NBA is motivated as much for a lack of a title as it is for a lack of cash — he’s not doing well financially, but one contract in the NBA will (after paying off his rebirth treatment) be more than enough to get his bank account back in good health.



After those three are two wings with similar profiles in Whitney and Achiuwa — Whitney is the more offensively inclined of the two while Achiuwa is the more defensive wing (and two years younger). Most executives don’t expect these two to make their way into the conversation for first overall, but they could be in play as second and third respectively, depending on who ends up picking there.



The Best of the Rest:




Vernon Carey Jr., a top-rated center from Florida, is projected to be a cross between Al Horford and Mo Bamba. “Bamba with a decent mid-range shot” is a popular comparison for many scouts, but Carey’s durability is a concern. Over the course of his lone college season, Carey has missed ten games with various dings and scouts are divided on how good he can be; some believe he’s a next-generation Greg Oden, an injury prone big who’ll never see enough floor time to make a difference. Some believe Carey’s poor conditioning — he was notably overweight coming into the season — has played a part in his durability issues and that, under a professional NBA program, he’ll be better. He’s one of the more divisive prospects in a draft that lacks elite talent beyond the lottery.



After him his a familiar name many NBA teams are intrigued by — Michael Redd. Redd, the offensive dynamo formerly of the Bucks in the 2000s, is back for another go-round and his scoring chops are still there. His defense is also still lacking but Redd’s abilities to get the ball in the hoop would be valuable for many teams, if only as a sixth-man. Does Redd have the ability to improve on defense and become a focal point for a team? Can he be the best player on a contender? Many executives aren’t sure, but with the way this draft is many might roll the dice on the last second-chancer in the 2020 draft.



After him are two more SGs, Stanely and Lewis, both younger and a bit more defensively inclined, but neither with the scoring chops of Redd — either could be better than him, though, but teams picking in the 5-10 range will have to weigh potential versus production.



The most interesting name here is Cole Anthony, a PG and best one in this draft class. Anthony is a pick who’ll be ready on day one to contribute to an NBA team and projects as one of the better players in this class. With the lack of good point guards in this draft and viable alternatives in free agency and on the trade market, Anthony could go as high as top-three in this draft depending on what teams end up picking where.







The last two elite prospects of this class are two names many have heard about — Lamelo Ball, brother of Lonzo, and Shareef O’Neal, son of Shaq. Ball comes into this draft as a lottery pick strictly by default thanks to the lack of depth in the class and, as a SG who can play that along with PG and SF, he brings versatility. Ball has a better shot than his brother does, even at this juncture, and will likely drag around less of a circus due to being the second Ball in the NBA. Lamelo’s ceiling is a mystery — can he become an accurate sharpshooter who defends at least average for his position? Can he unlearn some of the bad habits he may have picked up? Scouts believe the talent is there, but question the ability for the Ball brother to improve, especially as seeing his brother, Lonzo, continues to put up similar numbers as he did in his rookie season.



Shareef O’Neal is another type of prospect entirely. He could have been higher ranked in this class, but a heart surgery in his freshmen year removed him from the court; this past season, he’s performed well but the rust of not playing is plain. O’Neal has a legacy thanks to his father and it’s a legacy he’s not attempting to live up to — Shareef is not the raw, ultra-powerful force his father was coming out of LSU; rather, he’s a a faceup four with room to improve into a player who might not be the best player on his team, but could be one of the most important — a Paul Millsap like player who could serve as a big gear in a modern offense. Concerns are there about his heart and whether that issue may crop up again, but O’Neal’s pedigree will be enough to guarantee him a place in the lottery.

After that, the drop off is steep in talent — the name to watch here may be Sebastian Gill, a 5’9” PG who resembles Isaiah Thomas in size and passion, but plays defense and passes well rather than focus his energies on scoring alone. Gill may develop into a solid player, but the lack of talent after the top-twelve is noticeable and many scouts refer to any prospects outside of the lottery as living in “the wasteland.” Any NBA team picking outside the lottery will have to work hard to develop their prospects into NBA-worthy players.

[georgiafan]

Getting caught up from the weekend very anxious to see how the careers of Oden and Larry Johnson turn out this time around

Nice to see the suns have a good record last year it seemed like they was doomed

The 76ers seem to be one of those steams that are struggling and not as good of a threat as they should be

[RolePlayer]

Jesus, the west is tight.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Jesus, the west is tight.

It is. The West is bunched up in the middle and towards the end ... the Mavericks could go as high as 2nd or drop down to 6th maybe, depending on how things play out. Really gonna be interesting to see what else tips the scales -- one injury could upset everything.

[trekfan]

Chuck It: Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

By Charles Barkley

You know me. You know who I am and who I was. I’m a pro basketball player and, you know what, when we *uck up, it’s ALL over the news. My past career is a testament to this — I was loud. Hell, I still am. I made some poor choices, used some poor words, and I lost my way the last few years of my career.

Let’s get this out of the way right now: I wouldn’t have gotten this far without my wife, Mary. I wouldn’t be writing this without her either. My love, she wanted me to be myself, she wanted me to express myself — so let’s start with what’s on my mind.

Everyone — every damn person, short of some really stupid or horrible people — deserves a second chance. I ain’t talking about giving murders or rapists or anyone like that a second chance, no way in hell, but I’m talking about regular people; you, me, our spouses, our siblings … people deserve a second chance.

All season long I’ve heard two things, over and over.

“Chuck, it’s great to see you back in the NBA.”

“Chuck, you had your chance — why you taking opportunities away from young guys?”

For the people telling me the first thing, I thank you. You’ve helped me more than you could know.

To the people telling me the second thing, let me explain it to you simply: shut the hell up. I ain’t taking no one’s job, I’m not taking away an opportunity for a young guy. I may have had an NBA career before, true, but I ain’t finding someone in the league, killing them off, and replacing them. You make it sound like I’m robbing someone in broad daylight!

No, I went through a painful, hugely expensive treatment to get my body back — to give me a second chance — and there weren’t any guarantees it was gonna work. I could have died. I could still die. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. I didn’t take the treatment and demand to be back in the league, I went through the damned draft — I could have been taken by the Kings! You think I wanted to play in Sacramento? You think anyone really does?

Hell no. I’m an NBA player, I ain’t taking drugs, I ain’t taking steroids, I haven’t become some sort of super-solider … I’m a fat guy who’s trying to stay in shape, an athlete who’s working every day with my team, my coach, and that work ain’t gonna stop.

I hear all these people telling me I’m wrong, that I’m doing an immoral thing, that I’m taking jobs away from young guys … and you know what? Those people are wrong.

I paid through the nose for this second chance and my money is going to go to making this available for everyone. In a few years, all those naysayers are gonna have their shot and you know what they’re gonna do? They’re gonna take it.

Everyone deserves a second chance. Even dumb*sses.

[trekfan]

League Update: Regular Season Finale

By Sasha Williams

Award Winners:

Standings:

Injuries:

The Non-Playoff Teams:

The final week of the NBA season saw only a little drama as the Denver Nuggets needed to hang on to their final playoff spot to prevent the Jazz from taking it. Denver did just enough to stay alive as the Jazz went into a tailspin, losing their last four games and ending their postseason chances. Otherwise in the West, the final week was about playoff seeding as the Mavericks, Warriors, and Suns all jockeyed for position, but it was ultimately the Mavs who held onto the second seed, the Warriors sliding back to the fourth seed as the Suns took the third seed — setting up a Warriors vs. Spurs match in round 1, much to the NBA’s pleasure.

Outside of those teams going for the playoffs, the West saw two massive disappointments — the LeBron led Lakers and the KAT led T’Wolves. Minnesota fired Thibs earlier in the month and the team responded with an impressive, albeit futile, win-streak. LeBron hasn’t demanded the head of anyone, but league executives are expecting the Lakers to move on from at least one of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, or Kyle Kuzma to give LeBron some extra, veteran, firepower

In the East, the final week of the regular season was completely without drama, at least it pertained to teams trying to get into the playoffs. The 76ers and Bucks both missed the postseason, the first time in decades that the previous years’ ECF participants have done that, and both those squads — early preseason favorites to win the title — must figure out exactly what went wrong.

Teams across the league, near the bottom of the standings, also had their own drama going on as squads fired coaches (Joeger is gone in Sacramento), and had to deal with the realities of their situations — the draft lottery will determine where certain picks go as multiple teams may have multiple first rounders in the upcoming draft; the Blazers, Bulls, and Nets are all in the running for first overall and Portland is desperate to have the top pick so they can rebound quickly as an organization.

The Playoff Teams:

The West’s bracket is stacked at every seed and the conference has seen season-changing injuries affect the fortunes of early-season favorites. The Rockets have been a shell of themselves since Clint Capela was lost to injury, tumbling down the standings and putting their chances at a repeat from possible to slim. The Nuggets are without Isiah Thomas and their second unit has struggled since he went down in in early April. The Mavs have been without Jeremy Lin since late March, but Jalen Brunson has stepped up in his absence and may be the future there.

The Nuggets, down Thomas and Trey Lyles, will have a tough time competing with OKC in their series. The Suns should easily handle the Pelicans on paper, as they’re the deeper team, but Anthony Davis is never to be underestimated. The Warriors and Spurs should be a classic series, as San Antonio really pulled it together after the ASB and could be a problem for Golden State. The Mavs have an intriguing matchup against the Rockets as Houston has been struggling without Capela — can they get up for a series against their rivals? Dallas sure hopes not.

In the East, the Raptors and Pistons engage in the “Dwayne Casey Bowl” and it’ll be interesting which team — Casey’s old one or his current one — can manage to put aside their postseason woes. The Hawks and Magic square off in series of up-and-coming teams, though it’s unclear if either of these have staying power long-term. The Knicks and Pacers renew a rivalry that was last active in the Ewing/Miller days of the 90s. The Celtics take on the Wizards and Washington desperately wants to win this series, if only to prove to themselves that they aren’t the Celtics whipping boys.

(Random number generator has assigned me Games 1 and 5. Let’s see what the defending champ Rockets do.)

[trekfan]

Rapid Reaction: Mavs 121, Rockets 94

By Sasha Williams

The Mavs opened their first playoff series since the spring of 2016 with a Game 1 win in dominating fashion, though the game didn’t start out looking that way. Dallas and Houston both came out tight, teams laying more bricks than shooting pretty shots, but Dallas’ interior offense — a strength all season — came through, giving the Mavs tough buckets in the first and getting them to the line often. Dallas took a 24-17 lead into the second, where Dennis Smith Jr. came alive and helped lead the Mavericks to a 59-45 lead, stunning the defending champions. In the third, Houston came out more aggressive, scoring the first four points and whittling the lead down to just ten points, but Sir Charles stepped up scoring the next nine points — all on triples — for Dallas, lighting his team and the crowd aflame with his scorching shooting. The third saw both teams trade multiple fouls as frustration boiled over for Houston, especially Chris Paul who picked up two fouls in that quarter, and Houston fell apart from that point on.

“We came out and shut them down,” said Barkley after the game. “It doesn’t take a genius to see they miss their big man in the middle … we know what we got to do and they know what they got to do; they ain’t doing it.”

Around the League:

The Warriors easily took care of the Spurs, 113-84, in a game that seemed to set the tone for the series. Phoenix was upset by the Pelicans in their first game, 118-98, as the Suns collapsed in the second half.

Out East, the Pistons upset the Raptors in Game 1, 112-98, as Andre Drummond feasted inside with 22 points and 21 boards, and Blake Griffin chipped in a triple-double of 19-10-10. The Magic beat the Hawks by five points, 111-106, and the Knicks and Celtics both beat their opponents, putting the favorite seeds up 1-0 each.