Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

[ATLBrayden]

SHOWTIME: A LAKERS DYNASTY

It's that time of year for another summer MyLeague, almost one year to the day from my last one.

Some of ya'll may remember it: https://forums.operationsports.com/f...&postcount=916

This time I'll be using my favorite team and try to build a championship winning roster around LeBron James, no matter the cost. After that, it'll be about rebuilding the team. I'll be using the start today roster from before Warriors/Raptors game 6.

Superstar sliders with the CPU buffed and myself nerfed.
10 minute quarters. Normal season settings, trying to keep it as true to life as possible.

MyLeague Sliders/Settings:

Spoiler

Sim Quarter Length: 12min
Normalize played to sim minutes: On
Normalize played to sim stats: off
Automatic League Expansion: off

Draft Class Quality: 48 (However I will be using player-made draft classes for real prospects)

Trade Override: Off
Trade Approval: On (just to prevent idiotic trades like Steph for Fultz)
Trade Frequency: 32
Previously Traded Picks: On

Injuries: On
Career-Ending Injury Frequency: 5

Player Progression Rate: 47
Player Regression Rate: 53

Training Effects: 45

Training Intensity:
Rest - 25
Very Low - 30
Low - 40
Medium - 45
High - 50
Very High - 52

Work Ethic:
Medium - 45
High - 53
Very High - 57
Team Player - 52
None - 40
Extremely Confident - 53

Simulator Difficulty: 70
Trade Negotiation Difficulty: 85
Contract Negotiation Difficulty: 85
CPU Re-Signing Aggressiveness: 100
Morale Difficulty: 80
Morale Effects: 50
Chemistry Difficulty: 80
Chemistry Effects: 52
CPU Injury Frequency: 40
User Injury Frequency: 40
CPU injury effects: 40
User injury effects: 40

If you're interested in my gameplay sliders just let me know. I tried to make them realistic, ex: I don't want to shoot 70% every game. I plan on playing a sim brand of basketball during these games, not posting up and spinning 40 times a game baseline with LeBron, but running actual plays, rotations, and basketball concepts.

I will also be making trades to make the lottery exactly as it is in real life. Pelicans first, Grizz second, Knicks third, etc.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

THE PLAYOFFS

(Season One/Before First Offseason)

With KD out, Klay with a lingering injury, and Kevon Looney with half a collarbone, the Golden State Warriors managed to do the impossible. They have managed to reverse fate and come back from a 3-1 deficit, something they are all too familiar with. Stephen Curry is officially a finals MVP, averaging over 30PPG in a heroic effort to keep Golden State's dynasty alive.

THE OFFSEASON

With an aging LeBron James, the Lakers are in a position where they need to build a winning roster, and they need to build it NOW. Despite LeBron's almost superhuman durability, it is inevitable that time will catch up. With their best player being 34 years old, the Lakers are looking to acquire proven NBA talents, the time for sitting and developing players is over.

Many consider the current draft to be a three man draft, but sitting at four the Lakers believe they can still snag talent for their team, or for someone else's. Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler have all declined their player options. These NBA stars and superstars are absolute targets for Los Angeles.

LAKERS OVER-HAUL THEIR STAFF - PELINKA, WALTON OUT

The Lakers have fired Luke Walton after another unsuccessful run with him at the helm. In his place, they've hired Frank Vogel to take over lead coaching duties on a three year deal. After a lengthy search and interviewing process, LA has promoted Ryan West to Assistant GM. I went with Hollins as my assistant coach over Kidd despite Kidd being the real lead AC in real life because I just really don't like him and don't want him to be apart of my franchise.

NBA DRAFT TOP 5 RE-CAP

Spoiler

1. Pelicans - Zion Williamson, F (82ovr)
2. Grizzlies - R.J. Barrett, G (81ovr)
3. Knicks - Ja Morant, G (81ovr)
4. Lakers - Darius Garland, G (77ovr)
5. Cavaliers - Jarrett Culver, G (78ovr)

As many know, Anthony Davis has been demanding OUT of New Orleans. Listing his preferred destinations as the Lakers and Knicks. The Pelicans have been very wary of trading with Los Angeles, but after firing their GM and going with David Griffin, an absolute blockbuster deal was finally made.

THE ANTHONY DAVIS TRADE

LAKERS RECEIVE:
Anthony Davis, PF, 26yrs, 96ovr

PELICANS RECEIVE:
Kyle Kuzma, PF, 24yrs, 83ovr (87 potential)
Brandon Ingram, SF, 22yrs, 81ovr (89 potential)
Darius Garland, PG, 19yrs, 77ovr (87 potential)
Lonzo Ball, PG, 21yrs, 77ovr (88 potential)
Isaac Bonga, PG, 19yrs, 69ovr
Jemerrio Jones, PF, 24yrs, 69ovr
Lakers 2020 1st round pick, unprotected
Lakers 2021 1st round pick, Top 5 Protected

You never want to trade your superstar, but when you do, you almost certainly hope for a trade like this one. If the Pelicans are patient and spend time developing these young players well, they will have an absolute monster rebuild on their hands that will set them up for the next decade.

Josh Hart and the rest of the roster were shipped out in trades to clear cap space during free agency.

FREE AGENCY RE-CAP

Spoiler

Kawhi Leonard stays in Toronto, re-signs with the Raptors on a 5yr/$177.16m deal

Kevin Durant signs with the Knicks on 3 year deal worth $114.90m with a $41.95m fourth year player option (plus NTC). He will miss the entire season with a torn Achilles.

Kyrie Irving joins the Knicks, signs a 3yr/$98.48m deal with a $35.95m fourth year player option

Jimmy Butler moves to LA, joins the Clippers on a 3yr/$98.48m deal with a $35.95m fourth year player option

Klay Thompson stays in the bay, re-signs to the Warriors on a 4yr/$134.44m deal

Kemba Walkers stays in Charlotte, signs his five year supermax worth $193.57m

DeMarcus Cousins sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on two year deal worth $64.09m

Kristaps Porzingis re-signs with the Mavericks on a 3 year deal worth $82.07m, includes $29.96m fourth year player option

Nikola Vucevic re-signs with Orlando on a five year deal worth $170.69m

Julius Randle joins the 76ers on a 3 year deal worth $72.59m which includes a $26.50m fourth year player option

Devin Booker re-signs with Phoenix on a five year deal worth $158.05m

The Lakers sought to surround their new trio with shooters and savvy veterans. They weren't in need of another do it all guy, just reliable rebounders, defenders, and floor spacers.

Roster heading into the 2019-2020 season:

Spoiler

PG: T.J. McConnell (75ovr), Brandon Jennings (71ovr), Aaron Brooks (69ovr)

SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (76ovr), J.R. Smith (74ovr), Troy Daniels (72ovr)

SF: LeBron James (96ovr), James Nunnally (69ovr)

PF: Anthony Davis (96ovr), Mike Scott (73ovr), Eric Moreland (72ovr)

C: DeMarcus Cousins (87ovr), Joakim Noah (74ovr), Andrew Bogut (71ovr)

The Lakers front office believes this team will mesh very well together. They expect solid contribution off the bench from their veterans such as J.R., Noah, and Bogut. Davis and Cousins already have experience playing together, so the coaches are expecting them to have an even easier time with a player like LeBron James bringing new gravity to their duo.

LAKERS PRESS CONFERENCE

"I've made my desire to play in Los Angeles very clear from the start," said Anthony Davis, "but I'm not quite ready to put the pen to the paper just yet. Right now all I'm focused on is helping my team win games. Contract talks can come later." he continued.

"The Lakers were an easy choice for me, coming off another big injury I wasn't getting looked at like I was expecting," DeMarcus Cousins told us. "The Lakers were willing to take a chance on me with a two year contract still offering a great amount of cash. But I've already inked the contract, so the time to talk about it is over. Now it's time to look ahead to who we play next and try our best to execute the coach's gameplan to victory." he finished.

"Honestly it's very exciting to have these two on the team," LeBron told reporters. "I'm going to miss our youngings, I really am. We'll still keep in touch, that's for sure. Basketball is a business, you never know if you're going to wake up on the same team, but that's life. You face obstacles no matter where you are. Just because you're in a different city doesn't mean the brotherhood we formed is gone though, these bonds are strong. Like the others said though, it's time to look ahead to what we have in front of us. I have full faith in this front office to put the best organization together that they possibly can, and I'll do as much as I can to contribute to that." James finished.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

Opening Tip Off

The first game of the season displayed why trading the farm for Anthony Davis was absolutely the right move. In an absolute 101-79 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies on National TV, Anthony Davis dropped 32 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block on 15/20 shooting in 29 minutes.

LeBron James contributed to the blowout with 25 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and one steal on 9/11 shooting in 32 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins was slow to get started, but still had an efficient night. He dropped 10 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks while shooting 5/7 in 30 minutes.

Key contributors off the bench were J.R. smith and Joakim Noah. J.R. scored 9 points and shot 4-6 (1-1 from 3) in 25 minutes, Noah scored 6 points to go alongside 9 rebounds in 18 minutes. He shot 3-3 from the field.

Rookie R.J. Barrett's debut consisted of 14pts/1reb/2ast on 6/13 shooting (0/4 from 3) in 30 minutes. He was the team's second leading scorer behind Mike Conley who dropped 15 points in 39 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins was asked about his low scoring performance and if his injury from April is still affecting him in the post-game presser.

"Honestly I'm not worried about my points. I'm not. You see what else I did? 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks. It's not all about scoring. I try to do as much as I can in the time I'm given, whether that's passing, rebounding, or whatever." Cousins declined to comment on the injury.

GAME TWO

The Lakers would travel to Portland to take on the dynamic duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. This duo showed why they were not to be taken lightly.

Damian Lillard, who played almost the entire game, dropped 28pts/2reb/9ast/3stl in 44 minutes. He shot 13-30 overall, with an ice cold 1-9 from beyond the arc.

C.J. McCollum showed deadly efficiency this game, with a stat-line of 30pts/4reb/5ast/1stl on 12-21 shooting. He was 4-5 from 3 point land. He played an exhausting 39 minutes.

This high scoring output from the two would prove to be all for naught however, as the Lakers still managed to squeeze by 109-102. LeBron proved he was still King, dropping 31pts/5reb/6ast/1blk, shooting 12-17 from the field (3-4 on 3pters). He played 30 minutes.

Anthony Davis had another monstrous night, dropping 25pts/10reb/1ast/3blk on 10-15 shooting in 25 minutes.

DeMarcus Cousins had another quiet yet efficient night, dropping 13pts/9reb/2ast/2stl/1blk on 6-10 shooting in 27 minutes.

Key contributors off the bench were J.R. Smith (11pts, 5-10FG) and Brandon Jennings (9pts, 3-7FG).

This team looks ahead to the new Golden State Warriors. With KD gone, Steph has gone absolutely SUPERNOVA. The Warriors are currently 2-1, here are Steph's last 3 games:

W 126-109 @POR: 57PTS/7REB/2AST/2STL, 18-26FG, 9-14 3PT, 39MIN
W 114-98 @DEN: 43PTS/9REB/9AST/2STL, 16-24FG, 9-15 3PT, 38MIN
L 111-113 vOKC: 50PTS/5REB/8AST/2STL, 18-31FG, 9-18 3PT, 38MIN

He is AVERAGING 50/7/6.3/2 on 64.2%/57.4%/100% shooting splits. Absolutely historic start to the season by the future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry. Something the Lakers are definitely taking note of as they prepare to play Golden State.

By the way, I will be increasing the difficulty to Hall of Fame. I don't like how well I am shooting right now. I do take a lot of paint shots which inflates team FG% but it definitely seems a tad easy so difficulty is going up. Please Steph don't hurt me.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

Well, I was right! I turned the difficulty up to Hall of Fame and still had a pretty good shooting game. 55% as a team overall, 44% from three, putting up 105 points. Unfortunately, the warriors shot 69% as a team and 66% from three, putting up 153 points.

My worst fear from Curry came true. He scored 37 points on his usual shooting splits, however the first quarter was the worst. He scored 26 of the team's 35 points in the first quarter, achieving his takeover badge twice in the same quarter. He was relatively silent for the rest of the game, but that didn't matter as his splash bro Klay dropped 26 points on 11-13 FG, 4-6 3PT.
Damian "Damian Jones" Jones for some reason dropped 19pts/8reb on 8-9 FG against DeMarcus Cousins.

Josh Hart, who I traded to the Warriors so I could trade for AD, dropped 18 points on 7-9 shooting, with a perfect 4-4 from three.

LeBron tried his hardest to will the team to victory per usual. He dropped 35/6/10 on 15-23 shooting, he played 37 minutes. Anthony Davis had a bit of a lackluster game by his standard, but still a good one nonetheless. He dropped 22/8/4/2blk on 9-15 FG, 1-1 3PT.

DeMarcus Cousins was abysmal, playing 38 minutes he scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, put up no assists, and had two blocks. He shot a terrible 6-15 from the field. Absolutely abused on both ends of the court. Maybe his quad injury was more serious than let on.

I'm happy with my team's shooting, they shot very well. I'm not too keen on my opponent almost shooting 70% from three though, I'm not sure if it's a hall of fame thing, a warriors thing, or both. I'll play a few more games before I make a decision.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

THE REUNION

It's time for the Lakers and Pelicans to showdown. This is the ex-young Lakers' chance to prove that the front office made a mistake in trading them away for the superstar forward Anthony Davis.

The game started off as a hot back and forth, the Lakers took a nine point lead by the end of the first quarter but a hot second quarter let the Pelicans cut that lead down to just three by half time. Anthony Davis was scorching hot in the first half, Kyle Kuzma had absolutely no answer for the elite post moves of AD. AD finished the first half with 20pts and 9 rebounds.

The third quarter is where the Lakers finally began to pull away, with scoring explosions from LeBron, AD, and Cousins, they entered the fourth quarter with a 10 point lead, the first double digit lead of the night. The Pelicans wouldn't go down easy though, they fought tooth and nail, even outscoring the Lakers in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as LA pulled away with a 114-107 victory.

Anthony Davis had a superb statline. In 38 minutes he racked up 36pts/13reb/1ast/1stl/3blks/1to on 16-29FG, 1-4 3PT.

LeBron James remains as well rounded as ever, almost snagging his first triple double of the season. In 37 minutes the King put up 31pts/9reb/9ast/2stl/4to on 13-19FG, 1-3FT.

DeMarcus Cousins is finally gearing up. He stuffed the stat sheet in 35 minutes with 14pts/13reb/4ast/3stl/6blks/0to on 6-10 FG, 0-3 3PT. He was an absolute menace on the defensive end and a key part of the Laker victory.

The bench was pretty subpar, however Joakim Noah contributed 8pts/5reb/1ast/1stl/1blk on 4-4 shooting in 13 minutes.

Zion shouldered the load for New Orleans. Playing 33 minutes he put up 24pts/8reb/6ast/2stl/1to on a pretty abysmal 9/21 FG. He was 1-1 from beyond the arc.

Darius Garland put up 14/1/4 in 19 minutes off the bench on 5-11 FG.

Kuzma played a grueling 40 minutes, putting up 15pts/7reb/2ast/1blk/1to on 7-16FG, 1-2 3PT during it.

Lonzo Ball was an absolute non-factor. In 29 minutes he put up 0 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal on 0-5 shooting, 0-3 from 3.

During the post-game interviews, the Lakers GM was asked how he felt about the trade after seeing the direct results this game.

"I was confident in the trade already, I didn't need any proof or results like this to change my mind. If I wasn't confident in my decision I would not have made it. But I know what you're trying to do, you want me to bring down our former players because some of them had a bad game after we traded them away. I'm not going to do that. Players have bad games, it happens. LeBron has had bad games, Anthony has had bad games, Cousins has, everyone has. No player is perfect.

The trade is done with. We wish the players in New Orleans the best of luck. My focus is on the Lakers and setting my team up in the best way possible."

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

DUEL IN OKC

The Lakers traveled to Oklahoma City to take on the 4-0 Thunder in what was sure to be a fantastic game.

From wire to wire this game was close, the first half saw Westbrook score 20 points on 8-14 shooting, but it wasn't enough to give the Thunder a halftime lead. LA lead 44-42 at half. There was only one standout scorer in the first half for LA, and that was bench guard Troy Daniels.

Daniels gave the Lakers an efficient 10 points in 6 minutes, before going down with an unknown arm injury. He was seen clutching his arm to his side as he left to the locker room to be evaluated.

The third quarter saw a 10 point scoring output by star forward Paul George. Not only was George scoring efficiently (17pts on 8-11 FG), he was very clearly bothering LeBron James with his stout defense. LeBron managed to put up 15 points entering the fourth quarter, but on an inefficient 5-14 shooting. Not to mention he had four turnovers.

The Thunder lead 69-66 entering the fourth quarter, showing they are here to compete. What they failed to do though, as many have before, is keep LeBron under control in the fourth.

James showed he is still the king of the fourth, dropping 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and no turnovers on 5-6 shooting alongside a perfect 3-3 from the free throw line.

Westbrook tried his best to combat the late surge by King James with 9 points on 4-7 shooting, but it wasn't enough. Paul George completely disappeared going 0-3 in the fourth. The last 3 minutes and 26 seconds were an absolute shootout. In these fading minutes the lead changed eight total times. The Lakers snuck away with a 92-87 victory over the dangerous Thunder.

Los Angeles Lakers (5-1) at Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1)
Nov 3, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Los Angeles 18 26 22 26 92 Oklahoma City 15 27 27 18 87 Top Performers Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James - 28PTS, 7REB, 8AST, 4STL DeMarcus Cousins - 19PTS, 8REB, 1ST, 2STL, 3BLK Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook - 31PTS, 3REB, 1AST, 2STL Paul George - 17PTS, 5REB, 4AST, 3STL	Team Stats Comparison LAL OKC FG Made-Att 37-70 39-81 3PT Made-Att 5-16 6-19 FT Made-Att 13-15 3-5 Rebounds 44 35 Assists 15 24 Turnovers 15 9 Steals 8 14 Blocks 10 2
Los Angeles Lakers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS T.J. McConnell, PG 20 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 1 1 0 0 0 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG 30 1-3 1-2 0-0 1 0 0 0 6 3 LeBron James, SF 39 10-20 0-3 8-10 7 8 4 1 4 28 Anthony Davis, PF 36 7-12 0-0 2-2 11 2 0 2 1 16 DeMarcus Cousins, C 38 9-14 0-0 1-1 8 1 2 3 1 19 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Brandon Jennings, PG 16 1-5 0-2 0-0 1 1 0 1 0 2 J.R. Smith, SG 25 2-4 2-4 2-2 3 2 0 1 1 8 Troy Daniels, SG 7 4-7 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 10 Eric Moreland, PF 7 1-1 0-0 0-0 4 0 0 0 0 2 Andrew Bogut, C 5 1-2 0-0 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 2 Joakim Noah, C 10 1-1 0-0 0-0 3 0 1 2 1 2
Oklahoma City Thunder STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Russell Westbrook, PG 33 13-23 2-3 3-5 3 3 2 0 1 33 Andre Roberson, SG 30 3-9 2-3 0-0 4 4 1 0 2 8 Paul George, SF 35 8-14 1-4 0-0 5 4 3 0 2 17 Jerami Grant, PF 34 2-6 0-2 0-0 3 3 2 0 1 4 Steven Adams, C 43 2-4 0-0 0-0 8 3 3 1 0 4 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Dennis Schroder, PG 18 4-9 1-3 0-0 1 7 0 0 1 9 Tyreke Evans, SG 15 3-9 0-3 0-0 1 1 0 0 2 6 Shelvin Mack, SG 13 3-5 0-1 0-0 0 1 2 0 0 6 Bruno Fernando, C 19 1-2 0-0 0-0 6 0 1 1 0 2

POST GAME PRESSER

Reporter: "Troy Daniels came off the bench with a very supportive 10 points before going down with injury. Is there any word on his health?"

Frank Vogel: "Right now all we know is he has an injured arm, we're not sure of specifics yet. We don't believe it to be serious but I can't elaborate more than that at the moment"

Reporter: "Anthony, we saw an unusually quiet offensive output from you tonight, was Steven Adams bothering you on the defensive end?"

Anthony Davis: "Uhh..." *looks at score sheet* "Honestly I wouldn't say that, no. Steven is a great player, but I still feel like I performed well. I scored efficiently, defended well, limited turnovers, and played my role. The way the offense was rolling tonight the ball was just moving around me a lot. When playing a good defensive team like the Thunder it's about exploiting match ups. Next question."

Reporter: "Anthony, care to comment on why you haven't signed an extension with the team yet? It was you that demanded a trade out of New Orleans, wasn't it?"

Anthony Davis: "Like I said, I'm just focused on what I'm doing on the court right now. Contracts are at the back of my mind. That's all the questions I'll be answering"

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

Lol Daniels injury came from his shooting arm never being used that frequently in so long

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

Lol Daniels injury came from his shooting arm never being used that frequently in so long

Haha literally. He got hurt shooting an open lay up on the fast break.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

HARDEN HURT IN LA

The Lakers entered Houston to take on the 4-2 Rockets in what would likely be a showcase of pure offensive fire power. These teams are both very analytical, they prefer spacing, threes, and shots under the basket.

In what is sure to be the highest scoring game of the season, Houston jumped out to an early 41-36 first quarter lead. James Harden came out scorching hot and unstoppable as usual. The Rockets were unguardable in the first half, despite the Lakers best offensive efforts, Houston held a 76-74 half time lead.

The third quarter saw more of the same for Houston offensively, but defensively they started letting the Lakers break loose. The trio of Davis, LeBron, and Cousins only seemed to gain energy rather than lose it as the game progressed. A good sign for the playoffs where they'll need it.

At the end of the third quarter the Lakers managed to capture a 112-110 lead, their first lead throughout the entire game thus far. Both teams were on absolute fire.

Unfortunately for Houston, they would begin to cool down. During the fourth quarter, James Harden sustained a supposed ankle injury while taking a routine jumpshot. His current status is unknown but he is said to be out at least a few weeks. This would lead to the ultimate downfall of Houston during this game. With James Harden out, the Lakers starpower managed to will them to a 149-142 victory,

The Lakers big three absolutely dominated this game.

Houston Rockets (4-3) at Los Angeles Lakers (6-1)
Nov 6, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Houston 41 35 34 32 142 Los Angeles 36 38 38 37 149 Top Performers Houston Rockets Clint Capela, C - 32PTS, 22REB, 3AST James Harden, SG - 30PTS, 1REB, 4AST Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis, PF - 42PTS, 18REB, 4AST LeBron James, SF - 38PTS, 4REB, 11AST	Team Stats Comparison HOU LAL FG Made-Att 59-97 59-87 3PT Made-Att 14-28 10-22 FT Made-Att 10-12 21-30 Rebounds 36 41 Assists 39 33 Turnovers 14 13 Steals 12 14 Blocks 3 4
Houston Rockets STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Clint Capela, C 36 15-16 0-0 2-3 22 3 1 1 0 32 James Harden, SG 28 12-21 4-8 2-2 1 4 2 1 1 30 Chris Paul, PG 31 8-14 0-0 2-2 1 10 3 0 2 18 Jeff Green, PF 34 7-12 3-5 0-0 1 3 1 1 2 17 Danuel House, SF 32 5-6 2-3 0-0 4 5 1 0 4 12 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Austin Rivers, PG 20 4-9 2-4 3-4 1 3 1 0 3 13 Eric Gordon, SG 19 5-11 2-6 1-1 0 7 0 0 1 13 Thabo Sefolosha, SF 13 2-3 1-1 0-0 1 2 0 0 0 5 Tarik Black, C 13 1-1 0-0 0-0 2 1 2 0 1 2 Gerald Green, SF 14 0-4 0-2 0-0 1 1 1 0 0 0
Los Angeles Lakers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Anthony Davis, PF 36 18-22 1-2 5-5 18 4 2 1 0 42 LeBron James, SF 35 15-25 3-7 5-10 4 11 2 1 5 38 DeMarcus Cousins, C 39 12-14 1-1 2-2 7 2 3 2 1 27 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG 33 5-8 3-6 2-2 1 2 2 0 1 15 T.J. McConnell, PG 23 1-3 1-3 0-0 1 5 0 0 2 3 BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS Joakim Noah, C 16 3-4 0-0 3-4 3 3 2 0 1 9 J.R. Smith, SG 24 3-7 0-1 0-0 0 2 1 0 1 6 Brandon Jennings, PG 19 0-2 0-1 4-6 1 4 2 0 1 4 James Nunnally, SF 9 1-1 1-1 0-0 1 0 0 0 1 3

Troy Daniels is currently being held out as a day-to-day with a sprained elbow. Lakers staff sees no reason to bring him back until he is 100% recovered.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

ANTHONY DAVIS CATCHES FIRE IN NEW YORK

Anthony Davis is demanding respect. He is already known as one of the best Power Forwards, if not the best Power Forward in the league, but he wants to be known as one of the best players overall. After this continued streak of dominance, it's getting harder and harder to ignore him.

With Kevin Durant re-habbing his Achilles injury, it was up to Kyrie Irving to stand against the Lakers. Irving was not going to go down without a fight. In the first quarter he caught fire dropping 15 points on 5-6 shooting. However a more low profile player did the same for LA.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had a big first quarter, dropping 10 points on perfect shooting for the Lakers. Kyrie still managed to snag a 36-34 lead for New York by the end of the first.

In the second quarter Kyrie began to quiet down just a bit, but Anthony Davis was just getting started. AD was feasting left and right, whether it was fades, lobs, or hooks, he was unstoppable. By half AD had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists on 70% shooting to give the Lakers a 68-62 lead over the Knicks going into the third.

A short halftime break was all AD really needed. He continued his dominance by scoring 16 points on 8-9 shooting in the third quarter. In a crucial fourth quarter, AD dropped another eight points. By the end of the fourth he had scored 24 points and grabbed 5 rebounds on 12-13 shooting in the second half. This, alongside LeBron's double double was enough for the Lakers to snag an eight point victory over the Knicks. LA won 116-108.

One has to think how different this game would be with Kevin Durant. KD is known for dropping 20 points in his sleep and can go off for an insane amount of points at any moment. The Knicks could be serious contenders depending on how KD returns from his devastating injury.

New York Knicks (5-4) at Los Angeles Lakers (7-1)
Jan 1, 1 2 3 4 Final New York 36 26 25 21 108 Los Angeles 34 34 27 21 116 Top Performers New York Knicks Kyrie Irving, PG - 31PTS. 3REB. 8AST Thaddeus Young. PF - 18PTS, 6REB, 3AST Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis, PF - 39PTS, 16REB, 5AST LeBron James, SF - 25PTS, 5REB, 10AST	Team Stats Comparison NYK LAL FG Made-Att 42-80 (52%) 47-83 (57%) 3PT Made-Att 11-19 (58%) 8-21 (38%) FT Made-Att 13-16 (81%) 14-17 (82%) Rebounds 39 41 Assists 28 32 Turnovers 10 9 Steals 5 10 Blocks 2 10

POST GAME PRESSER

Reporter: "You guys are off to a hot start at the beginning of the season now sitting at 7-1. How do you guys keep this momentum going throughout the season?"

Frank Vogel: "We just keep playing our brand of basketball. There's no secret or gimmick to it. We like to take good, efficient shots, play stout defense, and limit turnovers. I have full faith we'll be able to keep playing this way throughout the entire season, and this playstyle will only help in the playoffs. It's all about execution."

Reporter: "Anthony, you are off to a scorching start alongside some other players. Is it too early to start thinking about gunning for an MVP award?"

Anthony Davis: "I'm just going to continue playing my game. We're not after awards here, we're after championships. If my play earns me an MVP, cool, but that's not what I'm focused on. I'm here to help my teammates win games in any way possible, awards are at the back of my mind."

Reporter: "LeBron, there were rumors about Kyrie joining you in the offseason which obviously proved to be untrue. How did it feel being out there on the court against him today?"

LeBron James: "It was just another game of basketball. Kyrie and I used to play together, we won a championship together, and now we continue to play for our own teams. Kyrie and I are still good friends, we still talk off the court, but that's that. He's trying to help his team win games and I'm trying to do the same for mine."

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

A DEEPER LOOK: ANTHONY DAVIS

Anthony Davis is on an absolute tear at the moment. When you think of guys that have the potential to be the best player in the league you think Giannis, Durant, LeBron, Curry, and you HAVE to add Anthony Davis to that list.

At just 26 years old, Anthony Davis is averaging 29.4PPG, 12.4RPG, 2.8APG, 2.4BPG, 1.4TOPG on 67.5% FG%, 38.5% 3PT%, while shooting 83.9% from the charity stripe. Davis is also a superb defender. He is second in PER with 34.7 (Curry is first at 35.2), second in efficiency with 39.4 (Curry is first with 41.1), and second to Curry (32.0) in Game Score with 27.6.

CONTRACT SITUATION

Anthony Davis, as many know, demanded a trade out of New Orleans. He stated that he would refuse to sign with any team that isn't the Lakers or Knicks. After long trade talks between LA and New Orleans, and a few different GMs going around, the two teams finally agreed to a deal. LA ponied up and offered the farm. Their entire young core including two future draft picks. A king's ransom for a player that doesn't want to be apart of your team anymore.

Now, Anthony Davis has a choice. First, Davis will 100% decline his player option to maximize his contract. Next, he can stay true to his word and re-sign with LA, or become the league villain and walk out to another team. LA, since they traded for Davis, has his bird rights. This allows them to offer AD a max contract, which they almost certainly will do. Anthony has been tentative when it comes to finally putting the ink to the paper, so right now all LA can do is make him happy and wait.

ELITE EVERYWHERE

Anthony Davis is one of the most complete players in the NBA. Not only is he an elite scorer, he is an elite rebounder, elite defender, and has extremely good passing for his position. He's one of the best players in the NBA this season. Not only can he reliably knock down the 3, he has a wide array of post moves and a reliable mid range jumper. His elite athleticism also allows to him to soar in the sky for monster dunks.



Anthony leads or is near the top in almost every category for Power Forwards. Here you can also see a look at LeBron still tearing it up.



Not only is Davis doing everything, he's doing it efficiently. He's the most efficient scorer, defensive rebounder, and second most efficient player in the entire league. Remember, he's only 26 years old.

Another season or two could see Anthony Davis improve even further beyond. There is no limit when it comes to the potential of this young superstar.



Like I said, Anthony can do it EVERYWHERE. He is one of the few players with no real weakness. The only knock you could really give him is his jumper, and he's shooting 38.5% from beyond the arc. Anthony truly thrives in Vogel's system. With elite spacing instilled by the system, this gives Anthony plenty of room to work wherever he wants.

Not only does he have a good system surrounding him, he has great players. DeMarcus Cousins is one of the best passing bigs in the league, LeBron James is one of the best passing players EVER. This allows the trio to work the ball around and find a good look for their selves or for their shooters.

SHOT CHART

When Anthony shoots, it's going in. The only place he really seems to struggle is the left side of the court, but that would most likely even out with more shot attempts there.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

A DEEPER LOOK: THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

When it comes to LA, it's all about history. Throughout the entire history of the NBA, Los Angeles has dominated. They are the second winningest team in NBA regular season history and have the second most championships in NBA history. In recent years, Los Angeles has struggled drastically. Ever since the tragic Kobe Achilles injury, LA has been in a downward spiral. They are currently in their longest playoff drought in franchise history.

With trouble drafting and developing talent, the Lakers time at the bottom of the league felt endless. They tried hiring multiple coaches and front office members, but no one could seem to get the job done. They even tried bringing in NBA and Laker legend Magic Johnson, but that proved to be a huge bust of a move. There was no way out for LA it seemed.

That is, until LeBron joined. LeBron James, who many hail as the best player in the league, and possibly even the best player of all time, signed to the Lakers on a four year contract last season. Even with LeBron at the helm though, it was clear LA would need more. James was shut down after trying to return from a groin injury, with him out and the Lakers core struggling and also missing games the Lakers yet again failed to make the playoffs.

What is one thing you notice about the recent NBA championship teams? They always had great help. LeBron had Love and Irving, Curry had Thompson, Green, and Durant. Even when LeBron was in Miami he had Bosh and Wade. It was clear that the Lakers would need more help in the competitive western conference.

Why not just wait for their young players to develop? Lonzo, Kuzma, Ingram, they've all shown great potential. But when your franchise centerpiece is 34 years old, you don't have forever. Sure, LeBron is an absolute freak of nature, to play as many games as him and never come out with a serious injury is insane. But father time is undefeated. LeBron may very well continue to dominate into his late age, but LA saw this as a gamble they just could not take.

With their new front office, they had to enter the big boy territory and take some risky moves. Last offseason, LA offered the farm. They sent Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Darius Garland (4th overall pick), Jemerrio Jones. Isaac Bonga and two first round picks to New Orleans for Anthony Davis. They also offloaded Josh Hart to the Golden State Warriors to free up cap space so they could sign another max player. This max slot ended up going to DeMarcus Cousins.

THE FRONT OFFICE

After going with a supposed offensive minded coach in Luke Walton, the Lakers decided it was time for a change of identity. During the offseason they signed a more defensive minded coach in Frank Vogel to a three year contract. Vogel struggled in his last two years coaching Orlando, winning a combined 54 games in his two seasons there. Of course some fault has to go to the coach, but the Magic weren't exactly oozing with talented players.

Vogel did have a fairly successful coaching run in Indiana though, making the playoffs five out of his six years there, two of those years he made the Eastern Conference Finals. His winningest season in Indiana he led the Pacers to a 56-26 season. The Lakers believed Vogel, with the right roster, could lead them where they needed to go.

Vogel brought in ex-head coach Lionel Hollins to be one of his assistants. Hollins had a long, relatively unsuccessful coaching career. His most notable season was a 56-26 season with the Grizzlies ending in a WCF loss. The same peak as Vogel. The Lakers and Vogel believed these two working together would form a smart, competent coaching duo.

When it comes to the assistant GM side of things, the Lakers believed Ryan West had what it takes. His father, Jerry West, has been an extremely successful GM for years. After spending years in the Lakers organization as a scout and Director of Player Personnel, the Lakers were confident in Ryan's abilities.

Kuba Gooding is a relatively unknown entity, but the Lakers had a long sit-down and interviewing process with him. After getting to pick his mind and how he views things, the organization was willing to hire him to their lead scouting position.

TEAM SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE

The Lakers coach Frank Vogel prefers to run a system about pace and space. It's all about creating good looks for shooters and providing room for key players. The Lakers like to push the tempo and keep teams off balance all game long. Lionel Hollins prefers to run a 7 Seconds offense but as of now the Lakers are sticking with Pace and Space.




The team has started off relatively hot, going 7-1 in their first eight games with one loss coming to the Golden State Warriors. They aren't the current favorites in the West, but if they keep this pace up there's no denying that they're one of the best teams in the NBA.

As of now, defense has been slacking as they are only 19th in the league, but the team is top 10 in points scored, first in field goal efficiency, top 10 in steals per game, and 11th in assists per game. With the size and talent the team has in the front court, coach Vogel expects more on the rebounding side of things, but it's something they can work on before the playoffs.



With the additions of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, the Lakers certainly have one of the most talented starting line-ups in the NBA. At point guard, they have T.J. McConnell. McConnell has been a great team player thus far, with a reliable jumper and selfless passing he meshes perfectly with the rest of the team.
When it comes to shooting guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is exactly what the Lakers need. He can reliably knock down threes, hit his free throws, and play serviceable defense. Obviously LeBron James needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest players of all time.

TEAM STATUS

There are only three players the Lakers believe to be untouchable, and that is their big three. Everyone else is a veteran on a one or two year contract that has been brought in to fill out specific roles. Thus far they've seen great contributions from players such as Troy Daniels, Joakim Noah, J.R Smith and Andrew Bogut.

Los Angeles Lakers Depth Chart - 2019
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	T.J. McConnell (76ovr)	Brandon Jennings (72ovr)	Aaron Brooks (70ovr)
SG	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (77ovr)	J.R. Smith (75ovr)	Troy Daniels (73ovr)
SF	LeBron James (96ovr)	James Nunnally (70ovr)
PF	Anthony Davis (96ovr)	Eric Moreland (72ovr)	Mike Scott (73ovr)
C	DeMarcus Cousins (88ovr)	Joakim Noah (75ovr)	Andrew Bogut (72ovr)

As of now, 27 year old Eric Moreland has been outperforming veteran PF Mike Scott and has taken the 2nd string PF spot. The team still likes Scott's shooting and if he can pick up his play a bit, they may consider bumping him up again. Moreland's rebounding off the bench has been invaluable though.

The Lakers believe this is the season they can contend for a title. With a KD-less Golden State the West is wide open. The organization believes a trio of LeBron, Davis, and Cousins, alongside their veteran roleplayers, is enough to push them over the edge. Of course, they'll have to compete with teams such as the Raptors, Rockets, Warriors, and more. It certainly won't be an easy path. If the Lakers don't manage to pull it off this season, there's a chance Anthony Davis doesn't re-sign and next season will be DeMarcus Cousins' contract year. It is certainly do or die for LA.

--

If anyone who is following has any suggestions or anything on what'd they'd like to see, I'm more than open to them. I'm trying to go very in-depth with the story and team details as I feel like it really adds to experience. I've played every game thus far but plan on simming a few next and playing key match-ups. I also need to drop my team's shooting percentage down even further. I'm still shooting really well and I've got all the shooting sliders down to 42, if anyone knows of good ones please hit me up. Preferably sliders for superstar or hall of fame, don't want to go lower than those.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

LAKERS ENCOUNTER INJURIES, DROP GAMES

In a brutal game versus New Orleans, two Lakers sustained an injury. DeMarcus Cousins went down on the court with a cramp in his leg and missed the end of the fourth quarter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope received a deep bruise to his knee and also exited the game in the fourth quarter.

The game ended in a lopsided 130-106 victory for the Pelicans.

BOX SCORE - PELICANS @ LAKERS

Spoiler

This game was simulated.

Cousins and KCP were cleared for play in the next game against Nets. KCP received a minutes restriction of 25.

Against Brooklyn, LeBron James and Anthony Davis had monster games. LeBron dropped 43pts/10reb/5ast on 17-24 shooting, AD had 32pts/10reb/4ast/3stl/2blk on 12-18 shooting. However, this wasn't enough as the Lakers suffered a heartbreaking one point loss to the DLo led Nets.

BOX SCORE - NETS @ LAKERS

Spoiler

This game was also simulated.

Against Brooklyn, Anthony Davis also suffered an injury. It was nothing major, but his ribs were bruised and causing him some discomfort. The medical staff decided to play it safe and give him a minutes restriction of 30 minutes. With it being so early in the season, there's no need to have AD risk further injury.

In Philadelphia, Anthony didn't even need 30 minutes. Matching up against Julius Randle, Anthony Davis dropped 27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and no turnovers on 13-21 shooting. He also held former Laker and Pelican Julius Randle to just 14 points on 6-13 shooting.

LeBron James had an extraordinary game, coming very close to a QUADRUPLE double. In 34 minutes of play James racked up 36 points, 8 rebounds, 15 assists, and 6 steals.

Ben Simmons had an iron man game, in his best efforts against the Lakers he played all 48 minutes of the game. Simmons dropped a double-double without any rest.

BOX SCORE - 76ERS @ LAKERS

Spoiler

After going 1-2 in their last 3 games, the Lakers drop to 8-3 and head to San Antonio to take on DeMar DeRozan and the always dangerous Spurs

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

LAKERS TAKE ON SAN ANTONIO

When you're facing a Gregg Poppovich coached team, you're always in danger. No matter who is on the roster Pop always has a quality system in place.

This game was close all the way down. With a flurry of points from DeMar Derozan early, the Spurs captured a 28-26 first quarter lead. The Lakers stalemated with the Spurs 32-32 in the second quarter allowing San Antonio to lead 60-58 at the half. The third quarter saw the Spurs expand their lead by another point as Rudy Gay was absolutely on fire at this time. After outscoring the Lakers 27-26 in the third, they led 87-84.

The third quarter also saw the Lakers with a big loss. LeBron James acquired his sixth foul during this period and had to leave the game early. In 23 minutes of play LeBron put up 12pts/4reb/6ast/2stl/2blk/1to on 5-11 shooting. This would certainly have a major effect on the outcome of the game.

Even without LeBron, the fourth quarter saw the Lakers with a bit of a surge. Cousins and Davis began absolutely dominating the game with LeBron out. The duo combined for 72pts/20reb/3ast/6stl/3blk/4to. Los Angeles managed to outscore the Spurs 31-29 in the fourth, but as the game came to a close, it wasn't enough. The Spurs escaped with a 116-115 victory.

BOX SCORE

Spoiler

Highlights

Spoiler

Anthony Davis displays his elite chasedown block ability



Davis flies in for the huge rejection



AD with the clutch tip in to keep the game within reach



J.R. Smith pulls up for the game tying shot


Anthony Davis having an extraordinary season

UP NEXT FOR THE LAKERS

Coming up the Lakers face a gauntlet of teams. Some they have seen before but they are still very dangerous. With two games against Oklahoma City and one game against Houston, this stretch could prove to be very important to the playoff race in the future. In Houston, James Harden is still out with a high left ankle sprain but is listed as day to day, so he will be a game time decision.



The match-up to watch will definitely be LeBron vs PG13. Last time these two met LeBron put up 28 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals to George's 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. LeBron's Lakers won last time these two played and James certainly won the individual match-up. It will be interesting to see how these two players affect the game once again.

[ATLBrayden]

Re: Showtime - Los Angeles Lakers MyLeague - NBA 2K19

THUNDER AND LAKERS MEET AGAIN

After all the talk about LeBron winning the last match-up, Paul George wanted revenge. PG13 came out HOT for the Thunder, putting up a string of points while managing to play great defense on LeBron James. His efforts were rewarded with a 52-46 half time lead for Oklahoma City.

Unfortunately, the Lakers knew it wasn't all about feeding the star in the second half. They came out playing some of, if not the best team ball they've played all season. Finding open looks for almost everyone on the court the Lakers began to dominate, they outscored the Thunder 59-45 in the final two quarters. This was enough to give LA a 105-97 victory. Paul George stayed hot throughout the game finishing with 35pts/10reb/5ast/4stl/2to, but Russell Westbrook's horrid 9-23 shooting was enough to drag the team down.

The Lakers had three players score 20+ points and five players score double digits. KCP was the team's leading scorer with 24pts.

BOX SCORE

Spoiler

HIGHLIGHTS

Spoiler

LeBron James SOARS for the monster oop above George


KCP puts the game away