Pound The Rock - The San Antonio Spurs

[kobe4thewinbang]

Quote: Originally Posted by BobbyColtrane

Just a little update - I'm going to suspend this one for a while. I had a blast playing and writing. I may start another Spurs MyLeague on Switch, using Start Today and making some offseason moves. Or I may come back to this one at some point to pick up where I left off. Thanks for reading everyone.

It was a blast/joy to read! Loved w/e program you use to do the box scores and GIFs.
I always take a break too between seasons, natural burnout and virtual stimuli-cleansing of the palette.

[BobbyColtrane]

I wanted to write a full preview for the 2019-20 season, but it would take forever and is keeping me from playing games. So I have decided to share a few thoughts on the league and get started. I may figure out a way to document the player movement and who is where another time. Or I may just plow ahead with the Spurs season and leave that behind. Any suggestions welcome.

Eastern Conference Contenders

Let's start in the Eastern Conference, where Boston has finally traded for Anthony Davis. The Celtics retained Kyrie Irving and added Davis to a core that was the best team in the East last year until Al Horford went down. With Gordon Hayward 2 years removed from his leg injury, the Celtics are the odds-on favorites to win the title this year.

Their main competition in the East should be the Sixers and the Bucks. Philadelphia added Danilo Gallinari to a team that nearly made the NBA Finals last year, and rounded out the rest of their roster with Danny Green, Kyle Korver and Cory Joseph. In a lot of other years, the Sixers would be the favorites in the East. If they want to beat Boston, however, they will need big contributions from Embiid and Ben Simmons.

In Milwaukee, the Bucks brought all of their free agents back, and are counting on internal improvement and continuity to vault them to the top of the conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a legitimate MVP candidate, and if the Bucks' shooting holds up, they could very well challenge Boston and Philadelphia.

Brooklyn retained D'Angelo Russell and should battle the Indiana Pacers to earn homecourt in the first round. The Raptors figure to be in a rebuilding mode with the loss of Kawhi Leonard.

Western Conference Contenders

Speaking of Leonard, the Clippers vault to the top of the West by adding Kawhi to a very strong core. Tobias Harris returns and should be an excellent pairing with Leonard. The Clippers' defense will be fearsome with Kawhi and Patrick Beverly on the perimeter.

The Lakers struck out on a number of stars to pair with LeBron, but were able to add Demarcus Cousins and retain their young core of Kyle Kuzman, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. One or more of those players may yet wind up in a trade as expectations in Tinseltown are high after adding Cousins.

Despite winning their 6th title, the Spurs had another drama-filled offseason, sparked by DeMar DeRozan's trade request. San Antonio added 2 complementary players in Dragan Bender and Stanley Johnson, and will be counting on young guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White to make up for the lost productivity of DeRozan.

The Golden State Warriors looked poised to win their 3rd straight title, before San Antonio put the clamps on them and knocked them out in the Western Conference Finals. They lost DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers, but retained Klay Thompson on a 5-year max deal, and Kevin Durant on a one-year deal. With rumors that Durant is gone after this year, do the Dubs have one more championship left in them?

The Houston Rockets have fallen from contender status, mostly because of age and their inability to get over the hump with their current core. They return James Harden and Chris Paul, and will run with Clint Capela at Center and shooters like Omri Casspi, Eric Gordon, and Wayne Ellington surrounding them. Will it be enough for another deep playoff run?

Rebuilds

Elsewhere in the league, there are some intriguing rebuilds taking place. Here is a look at a few of them.

Perhaps the most interesting is in New Orleans, where the Pelicans traded Anthony Davis to Boston for two lottery picks and Jayson Tatum. The Pelicans then selected RJ Barrett and Nasir Little, before picking up center Nazreon Reid with their own pick. The Pels have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league, now we get to watch them grow up together.

In New York, the Knicks added what many expect to be an all-time talent in Zion Williamson. And when DeMar DeRozan demanded a trade from San Antonio, the Knicks used their cap space to pick him up. DeRozan is in the final year of his contract and should take some pressure off of Zion while he gets acclimated to the NBA.

Expect big things from the Hawks this year, as they added Cameron Reddish to a young core that already included Trae Young, Alex Len and John Collins. If Young improves upon his rookie campaign, this may be the year that the Hawks return to the playoffs.

Additionally, fanbases in Utah, Dallas and Washington all have reasons to be excited as their 2019 seasons were derailed by injuries. With the Warriors losing Cousins and the defending champion Spurs parting with DeMar DeRozan, this is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in NBA history.

[kobe4thewinbang]

Quote: Originally Posted by BobbyColtrane

I wanted to write a full preview for the 2019-20 season, but it would take forever and is keeping me from playing games. So I have decided to share a few thoughts on the league and get started. I may figure out a way to document the player movement and who is where another time. Or I may just plow ahead with the Spurs season and leave that behind. Any suggestions welcome. Eastern Conference Contenders Let's start in the Eastern Conference, where Boston has finally traded for Anthony Davis. The Celtics retained Kyrie Irving and added Davis to a core that was the best team in the East last year until Al Horford went down. With Gordon Hayward 2 years removed from his leg injury, the Celtics are the odds-on favorites to win the title this year. Their main competition in the East should be the Sixers and the Bucks. Philadelphia added Danilo Gallinari to a team that nearly made the NBA Finals last year, and rounded out the rest of their roster with Danny Green, Kyle Korver and Cory Joseph. In a lot of other years, the Sixers would be the favorites in the East. If they want to beat Boston, however, they will need big contributions from Embiid and Ben Simmons. In Milwaukee, the Bucks brought all of their free agents back, and are counting on internal improvement and continuity to vault them to the top of the conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a legitimate MVP candidate, and if the Bucks' shooting holds up, they could very well challenge Boston and Philadelphia. Brooklyn retained D'Angelo Russell and should battle the Indiana Pacers to earn homecourt in the first round. The Raptors figure to be in a rebuilding mode with the loss of Kawhi Leonard. Western Conference Contenders Speaking of Leonard, the Clippers vault to the top of the West by adding Kawhi to a very strong core. Tobias Harris returns and should be an excellent pairing with Leonard. The Clippers' defense will be fearsome with Kawhi and Patrick Beverly on the perimeter. The Lakers struck out on a number of stars to pair with LeBron, but were able to add Demarcus Cousins and retain their young core of Kyle Kuzman, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. One or more of those players may yet wind up in a trade as expectations in Tinseltown are high after adding Cousins. Despite winning their 6th title, the Spurs had another drama-filled offseason, sparked by DeMar DeRozan's trade request. San Antonio added 2 complementary players in Dragan Bender and Stanley Johnson, and will be counting on young guards Dejounte Murray and Derrick White to make up for the lost productivity of DeRozan. The Golden State Warriors looked poised to win their 3rd straight title, before San Antonio put the clamps on them and knocked them out in the Western Conference Finals. They lost DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers, but retained Klay Thompson on a 5-year max deal, and Kevin Durant on a one-year deal. With rumors that Durant is gone after this year, do the Dubs have one more championship left in them? The Houston Rockets have fallen from contender status, mostly because of age and their inability to get over the hump with their current core. They return James Harden and Chris Paul, and will run with Clint Capela at Center and shooters like Omri Casspi, Eric Gordon, and Wayne Ellington surrounding them. Will it be enough for another deep playoff run? Rebuilds Elsewhere in the league, there are some intriguing rebuilds taking place. Here is a look at a few of them. Perhaps the most interesting is in New Orleans, where the Pelicans traded Anthony Davis to Boston for two lottery picks and Jayson Tatum. The Pelicans then selected RJ Barrett and Nasir Little, before picking up center Nazreon Reid with their own pick. The Pels have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league, now we get to watch them grow up together. In New York, the Knicks added what many expect to be an all-time talent in Zion Williamson. And when DeMar DeRozan demanded a trade from San Antonio, the Knicks used their cap space to pick him up. DeRozan is in the final year of his contract and should take some pressure off of Zion while he gets acclimated to the NBA. Expect big things from the Hawks this year, as they added Cameron Reddish to a young core that already included Trae Young, Alex Len and John Collins. If Young improves upon his rookie campaign, this may be the year that the Hawks return to the playoffs. Additionally, fanbases in Utah, Dallas and Washington all have reasons to be excited as their 2019 seasons were derailed by injuries. With the Warriors losing Cousins and the defending champion Spurs parting with DeMar DeRozan, this is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in NBA history.

Very cool update! Glad I stopped by to check...

Nice to see the elseworld storylines brewing in your version of the NBA world. Definitely a good contrast to the real wild summer NBA had. If only the Knicks actually landed Zion. I feel bad for them.

I just got done defeating the Bucks for the 2nd consecutive season, rivalry curdling there for sure. Taking down Giannis is a challenge--he dropped 50+ on me in the 4-1 victory. Playing 2K19 now, got an awesome up-to-date roster from Jaiveer171717 (https://forums.operationsports.com/Jaiveer/).

I made some trades and signed some people, just extended Ingram and Murray, so we'll see what happens. I am currently trying to get jump shots to my liking, but 2k19 is nice so far (played an online game vs a friend). I do lament some of my offseason moves (traded Patty Mills and Shumpert, who I've had for several seasons), but it's time for a refresher. Gotta shake things up, ya know? Also parted ways with T.J. Warren, Skal Labissiere, chose not to re-sign Dragan Bender (Correction: He changed his mind and signed a 2yr deal w/Bucks, I might do a S&T who just went overseas IRL), might pick him up mid-season or something, did get Taurean Prince though. As always, I try to be realistic with my roster build, buddy at work said "man you go deep with it", after I cite how Prince is still very active in San Antonio with youth camps and whatnot, why he'd make a good Spur, etc.

New blog:
https://spurever2k19.blogspot.com/

Anxious to see you get started on it! Did ya hear about Duncan officially joining the coaching staff? That's so cool, especially with Messina going back to Italy. Pop just re-upped too. I hope Murray has a good comeback season IRL. I like me some Derrick White too, so I signed him.

[BobbyColtrane]

After a year away, I recently returned to this MyLeague and want to start the thread back up again, just to mark my progress. I had planned to do a few rebrands and re-introduce the Sonics and Grizzlies to the NBA, and I realized that when 2K21 launches the servers will go down, and I'll lose access to all the great uniform designs on 2K Share. So I decided to fast forward a season, simulating through a year so I could get to the expansion teams and download all the team designs I wanted.

When I last left off, the Spurs had won the title but had to trade DeMar DeRozan when he grew unhappy with his sixth man role. They moved him to New York in a 3-team deal that also shipped out Patty Mills to Phoenix. The Spurs acquired Dallas's 2022 1st round pick from NY and Dragan Bender from the Suns.

Here's a quick recap of what happened in the 2019-20 Season to set the table:

San Antonio
Despite trading away their leading scorer from their championship team, the Spurs acquitted themselves well in 2018-2019. They won 50 games for an NBA-record 20th consecutive season, finishing 50-32 and grabbing the 6th seed. In the first round, they dispatched the 3rd seeded Lakers once again, this time in a 5 game upset. However, their LaMarcus Aldridge and Dejounte Murray both were injured in the Game 5 victory, and the Spurs were swept in the next round by the upstart Timberwolves behind the brilliance of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

The Finals
In the Finals, the Golden State Warriors captured their 4th title in six years, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games. The Bucks had their path to the Finals cleared when Boston's Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis got hurt in Round 1, leading to an upset at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

The Awards

MVP – Steph Curry
Curry wins his 4th MVP Award and second consecutive, joining LeBron James (4), Michael Jordan (5) and Kareem Abdul Jabbar with the only players with more than 3 MVPs.

DPOY – Kawhi Leonard
The Clippers managed just a 42-40 record, but Kawhi Leonard had another outstanding season, scoring 23.1 points per contest and grabbing 9.5 boards, and winning his 3rd Defensive Player of the Year.

Sixth Man of the Year – Dennis Schroder
The Thunder super-sub wins back-to-back Sixth Man awards.

Rookie of the Year – Zion Williamson
The #1 overall pick of the 2019 draft lived up to the hype, averaging 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists while leading the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The future is bright in New York!

[BobbyColtrane]

The Expansion Draft

The Sonics and Grizzlies took opposite approaches to the expansion draft, with Seattle focusing on fielding a competitive team of veterans right away, and Vancouver leaning toward younger, cheaper players with room to grow.

Among the new Sonics chosen are Jrue Holiday, Tristan Thompson and Quinn Cook. The Grizzlies selections include Robert Williams, Omari Spellman and Gary Trent Jr.

The 2020 NBA Lottery & Draft

By virtue of the Luka Doncic-Trae Young trade, the Atlanta Hawks went into the Lottery with the 2nd AND 3rd best odds to grab the #1 pick, with a combined 35.5% chance at the top selection. Unfortunately, a night that started with so much promise ended in disaster, as Atlanta walked away with the 6th and 8th picks.

Charlotte nabbed the top selection despite having odds of just 1.7%, and the newly-renamed Memphis Blues grabbed the second pick. The Kings, with the NBA's worst record and a 25% chance at #1, fell all the way to #9.

NBA Draft – Lottery selections

1) Hornets -James Wiseman C 81
Time will tell if the 7'1” Wiseman will follow in the footsteps of other great big men picked first overall (Olajuwon, O'Neal, Robinson, Ewing, Duncan) or the busts like Olowokandi and Kwame Brown.

2) Blues -Anthony Edwards SG 82
Edwards should immediately add a perimeter threat to the Blues and open up opportunities for Jaren Jackson Jr.

3) Heat – Scottie Lewis SG 76
The Heat get a combo guard in the mold of Dwyane Wade.

4) Sonics – Cole Anthony PG 77
The re-born Sonics draft a young cornerstone in Cole Anthony.

5) Grizzlies – Nico Mannion PG 77
Mannion will have every opportunity to develop for the Grizzlies, who focused on youth in the expansion draft.

6) Hawks (via DAL) – Vernon Carey, Jr C 75
The Hawks pick up a young center in Carey Jr that excels in the pick and roll game and should fit in well with the young Hawks.

7) Magic – Shareef O'Neal PF 74
Twenty eight years after drafting his father #1 overall, the Magic select Shareef O'Neal with the 7th overall selection.

8) Hawks – Cassius Stanley SG/SF 77
Stanley is another player for the Hawks who can knock down the 3.

9) Kings – Mac McClung PG/SG 76
A head-scratcher for the Kings here, who already have De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield in the backcourt.

10) Nuggets – Khalil Whitney SF/SG 77
Whitney figures to fit in nicely next to Jamal Murray and Nicola Jokic

11) Nets – Precious Achiuwa SF/PF 75
Achiuwa is a raw prospect that has the potential to become one of the best players in this draft.

12) Bulls – LaMelo Ball SG/PG 74
LaMelo will begin his career in a crowded Chicago backcourt, who already has young guard Coby White running the show.

13) Pelicans – Theo Maledon PG/SG 75
Maledon is another high-ceiling young player to add to New Orleans' impressive youth movement.

14) Trail Blazers – Jaden McDaniels SF/PF 78
The Blazers are hoping McDaniels can develop into the desperately needed 3rd star in Portland.

15) Raptors – Josh Green SG/SF 73
An athletic marvel, Josh Green lands in a great environment in Toronto.

16) Jazz – Killian Hayes SG 75
After drafting Killian Tilley in the first round last year, Utah adds French combo guard Killian Hayes. If there are any “Killians” thinking of declaring for the '21 Draft, contact the Jazz front office immediately.

Free Agency recap

As heavily rumored all season, Kevin Durant kicked off Free Agency by signing a 4-year, $158 million contract with the Seattle SuperSonics. Originally drafted by the Sonics before their move to Oklahoma City, Durant returns to his roots to establish a franchise and claim Seattle as his home. He will be joined by a formidable supporting cast including Jrue Holiday, as the Sonics figure to compete for the playoffs right away.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Raptors opted to bring back local favorite DeMar DeRozan on a 4-year deal, and added Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis. They also re-signed Pascal Siakam to a max contract and figure to be back in contention in the East this year.

Following their surprising 49-33 record in 2019-20, the Cleveland Cavaliers used their cap room to steal Brandon Ingram from the Lakers with a 4-year deal worth $113 million. They also added Serge Ibaka with a 3-year, $52 million deal and expect to be among the top teams in the East.

Having lost Jrue Holiday in the expansion draft, the Pelicans added Kyle Lowry to captain their youth movement. With young players like Jayson Tatum, RJ Barrett, Nasir Little and Nazreon Reid, New Orleans will count on the veteran Lowry to provide a steady hand.

With a bloated payroll putting them well in to the luxury tax, the Golden State Warriors brought restricted free agent Draymond Green back and will go into the season with no real replacement for Kevin Durant. Expect Jacob Evans III to start at Small Forward.

In San Antonio, the Spurs explored deals for LaMarcus Aldridge early in the summer. When nothing materialized, they picked up the $24 million team option for the last year of his contract and will return with largely the same team as last year.

[BobbyColtrane]

Season Preview

Entering the 2020-21 season, the winds of change are blowing across the NBA landscape. The league welcomes back 2 teams in the SuperSonics and Grizzlies. The Warriors dynasty appears to be over as Durant has returned to Seattle, where his career began. In Boston, the Celtics are the favorites with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. But with Hayward making $34 million in the last year of his deal, he may not be on the Celtics a year from now.

The Timberwolves, who surprised everyone with a 2 seed and a run to the Western Conference Finals, now find themselves in the East, and should provide Boston with a tough challenge. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins combined to lead the Wolves to a 58-24 record last season, and Minny will bring back all of their key players as they move to the East to accommodate the expansion teams in the Pacific Northwest.

The West is wide open, with the breakup of the Warriors and the move of the T-Wolves to the East. The two LA teams' overhauls with Kawhi Leonard and Lebron James have largely been failures to this point, with neither team able to reach the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers lost Brandon Ingram to promises in Cleveland of more shots and more money, but LeBron James and DeMarcus Cousins figure to keep the team afloat. The Clippers added Al Horford and Taurean Prince, and hope this is the year they break through behind Kawhi Leonard.

And this figures to be another transition year for San Antonio. As LaMarcus Aldridge starts to see his production erode, the Spurs are expected to hand over more and more of the offense to their young guns Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. The Spurs are still an elite defensive unit, but they will need bigger contributions from projects such as Dragan Bender, Stanley Johnson and Croatian rookie Luka Samanic if they want to make a deep postseason run.

[BobbyColtrane]

122 112


Pelicans upend Spurs behind RJ Barrett's big night

SAN ANTONIO– On Opening Night, the Pelicans cruised past the Spurs 122-112. The Pelicans got a breakout performance from 2nd year guard RJ Barrett, who led all scorers with 40 points.

“He was unstoppable out there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is going to be a superstar in this league.” Barrett, the #2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, exploded for a career high as the Spurs were unable to contain him.

The Pelicans also got a big game from Kyle Lowry in his first game for New Orleans. Acquired in the offseason as a free agent, Lowry finished with 25 points and 13 assists. The Spurs were led by Lonnie Walker IV's 24 points.

Up Next: The Spurs head to Chicago to face the 0-1 Bulls.

New Orleans Pelicans (1-0) at San Antonio Spurs (0-1)
Oct 21, 2020 1 2 3 4 Final New Orleans 24 29 32 37 122 San Antonio 25 26 33 28 112 Top Performers New Orleans Pelicans RJ Barrett 40 pts Kyle Lowry 25 pts, 13 ast San Antonio Spurs Lonnie Walker IV 24 pts	Team Stats Comparison NOR SAS FG Made-Att 48-92 52% 43-84 51% 3PT Made-Att 15-35 43% 10-27 37% FT Made-Att 11-14 79% 16-22 73% Rebounds 48 46 Assists 34 21 Turnovers 9 6 Steals 2 7 Blocks 2 9

Editor's Note: For those of you unfamiliar with this thread, I play all the games- every single minute, all 82. That gives this MyLeague a little bit of a different feel than some of the others around here that focus on player transactions and team building over multiple years.

Once I get to an elimination game after playing all 82, I actually feel pressure to win and not come up short. With this year's Spurs roster, I will probably be eliminated at some point in the playoffs.

[BobbyColtrane]

126 97


Spurs get first win of the season in blowout of Bulls

CHICAGO– The San Antonio Spurs got their first win of the season in a blowout win over the Bulls. San Antonio never trailed in the game, leading 37-19 after the first quarter and extending the lead to as many as 30 points.

Dejounte Murray led all scorers with 27 points, and Dragan Bender chipped in 20 points on 4-8 shooting from three point range. “We came out hungry tonight, jumped on 'em early and never let off the gas,” Murray said after the game.

San Antonio's defense was the deciding factor, as they limited the Bulls to just 40% shooting, and 5-23 (22%) from three.

Up Next: The Spurs head back to San Antonio to host the 1-2 Cavaliers

San Antonio Spurs (1-1) at Chicago Bulls (0-2)
Oct 24, 2020 1 2 3 4 Final San Antonio 37 30 25 34 126 Chicago 19 24 35 19 97 Top Performers San Antonio Spurs Coby White 23 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast Chicago Bulls Dejounte Murray 27 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast Dragan Bender 20 pts, 6 reb	Team Stats Comparison SAS CHI FG Made-Att 51-97 53% 38-94 40% 3PT Made-Att 9-21 43% 5-23 22% FT Made-Att 15-21 71% 16-18 89% Rebounds 62 48 Assists 29 31 Turnovers 11 16 Steals 169 10 Blocks 11 6

Editor's Note: I played this one co-op with my 10-year old son, which was awesome. He is a total NBA/2K fanatic, but was a little too young to play with me when I was doing these games before. After the first quarter, he was mad at me because he said I was being a ball hog