NBA2K Remix: Retro Stars in the Modern Era

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

Wow, the league was really shaken up this offseason. A ton of changes.

Yeah, big moves everywhere. The league didn't stand still, there are two big draft classes on the way and teams around the league are throwing caution to the wind -- if they're bad, they get a shot at a great prospect. If they make the playoffs, they had a good year.



Fascinating to see where this season will go as Michael Jordan's return looms large.

[XxVal_MarXx]

Finally New York can make the playoffs, Nicolò Melli will be comfortable taking advantage of the LeBron exhausts

[RMJH4]

Congrats on the championship win Trek!! Just caught up on everything! I'll never complain about a ring for Larry! Can't wait to see the latest draft effect on the league!

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by seaboh

Congrats on the championship win Trek!! Just caught up on everything! I'll never complain about a ring for Larry! Can't wait to see the latest draft effect on the league!

Yeah, I was shocked to get the ring -- Aron Baynes being made into the starter stole us a ring, I'm sure. If LMA was there, we wouldn't have had the boards.



Working on finalizing a few mods and then I'll be kicking season 2 off -- can Magic match Larry and get a ring in year two, or is he destined to fall behind his college rival?

[trekfan]

The High Post: Spurs 21-22 Season Preview

By Sam Gray



The San Antonio Spurs, in year 1 of the Larry Bird experience, did what few thought was possible — they went into the playoffs and won the whole damn thing.



“I think the expectation around the league was that last season was a rebuilding year,” said Popovich in a preseason presser. “We knew we had a chance, every team does if things go right, and things went right; that was due to everyone on the team, every level of the organization.”



Now working strictly as an executive, Pop has 6 rings to his name but didn’t rest on his laurels this past summer. Flush with cap space and with a need for a big, the Spurs went after Andre Drummond and got him. The Spurs roster is stacked with talent and — perhaps — may have too much of it.







At PG, the young Murray leads the way and had a star turn last season as partner to Larry Bird. Murray put up 18-5-7 on 52-51-79 splits, a big upgrade from where he was just the previous year (11-7-6 on 49-37-80). Murray, at only 25, still has room to grow and could be part of a longterm duo with Bird.



Behind him is the Spurs newest signing, but a familiar face, in George Hill, who returns to SA after spending the last 2+ years on the Bucks as a sixth-man/semi-starter. Hill, a decade older than Murray, looks to continue to thrive in that same role in SA. Last year he put up 10-3-4 on 45-43-80, good numbers for a man getting about 20 minutes a night.



Patty Mills, the Spurs offensive dynamo off the bench last year, will see reduced minutes this season and he knows it — Mills likely won’t see play time unless injuries hit as he shifts into a veteran mentor role. Still able to perform, Mills’ attitude towards his new role has been good so far in the preseason, but the long regular season is a different story altogether.



Mills has two young, depth players behind him in Louie Cardinal (formerly of the Celtics, traded for this summer in the Keldon Johnson deal) and a roster spot for the Spurs 2nd rounder this year in Lukovski — someone whom the Spurs are high on and expect to be a good point man off the bench in a few years.







At SG, the Spurs have two starter-caliber players — first up, Normal Powell, who is in a contract year and was a key bench player for the Spurs as the season went along. In only 20 minutes a night, he put up 8-2-1 on 45-39-89 splits, a respectable number for a player who was a starter the year before. Powell is expected to get similar minutes this season, though how happy he’ll be with that role remains to be seen — Powell is angling for a new deal and wants it to be with San Antonio, but the Spurs don’t want to signal a lack of faith in Anunoby.



Anunoby broke out last season as a full-time starter, putting up 15-5-5 on 44-39-80 from the field, good numbers for a player who the Raptors gave up on. Inked to a new deal at only 24, Anunoby has many good years ahead of him (assuming he remains injury free) and the Spurs expect him to at least be as good as he was the year before. With Powell’s contract year hovering over the team, it’s possible that the Spurs move him before the deadline if the team chemistry suffers.







Larry Bird wasn’t the ROY — that went to Magic Johnson — but he’s staked a claim as the better of the two. When he entered the league, taken over Magic, he and the Spurs faced questions over Bird’s athleticism and how he’d guard the likes of LeBron and KD — Bird answered those questions with a stellar year (23-10-7 on 50-48-85 splits), winning Finals MVP, and nabbing a title. He is the undisputed leader of the team and the other players have all played better with him on the floor.



Behind him is valuable plug-and-play wing Justise Winslow, who the Spurs brought back on a 3yr deal. At just 25, Winslow may have room to grow, but the Spurs brought him back due to his ability to play 1-4. On just 20 minutes a night, Winslow put up 8-4-2 on 46-33-77 splits, providing a dose of everything; Winslow isn’t the all-star player the Heat thought they were getting, but he’s carved out an important role on the Spurs.



Sitting behind him, likely to see minimal playtime, is rookie wing Codi McCoy. McCoy, only 19, is raw but is a perimeter defender with a high level of intelligence — San Antonio was high on him and selected him as a potential backup to OG Anunoby should Powell move on next season (likely). McCoy shouldn’t see much time this year as he learns from the bench and in practice.







Marquese Chriss has the starting PF spot locked down for SA, but there is potential drama brewing. Chriss was ecstatic, more than anyone else, about winning a title and proving the naysayers wrong; he put up respectable numbers (12-8-2 on 49-28-89) but where he takes pride is his rebounding; with the addition of Drummond, Chriss won’t have as many boards to grab and that could cause an issue for the young big, who reportedly wished for the Spurs to keep Aron Baynes as the starter — the lack of a contract extension for Baynes (who’s in a contract year) is also reportedly upsetting the young big as the two players are close, and the Spurs could be forced into making some tough choices if Chriss’ mood doesn’t improve as the regular season goes along.



Behind Chriss is young big Luka Samantic. Samantic saw hardly any time last year as he was deep down in the rotation, but with the departure of Trey Lyles, Samantic will inherit some of those minutes; Spurs coaches are eager to see if Samantic’s shot — pretty in practice — can translate to a consistent weapon during actual on-court action.



On the deep bench is Armando Ramirez, who was the Spurs 2nd rounder last season and has some old-school flair for a PF — a capable rebounder and with a nice mid-rage game, Ramirez profiles as a good bench big, but may not see any time this year like last season as he’s buried. Ramirez is itching to play and with a contract that expires at the end of the year, may leave the Spurs to play in Europe at the end of the season.







Finally, the centers — Drummond leads the way as the newest Spur and his job is simple: grab boards, protect the paint, make opponents pay for playing small. Putting up 15-13 last year on 55-0-60, Drummond is the last of the old-school center breed and didn’t have a lot of free agent offers, but the Spurs saw his value and paid him. At 28, Drummond should just be entering his prime and could be a mainstay at the five spot for the next few years at least.

Behind him is Aron Baynes, the Spurs unlikely hero in last year’s playoffs. He went from bench player to starter in the postseason and was key to the Spurs run through the postseason — putting up 5-5 on 45-29-77, Baynes played well off the bench for most of the season in just 18 minutes a night. Baynes is in a contract year and indications are that he is willing to come back, but San Antonio may opt for someone younger as Baynes approaches 35.

[XxVal_MarXx]

I would say that the management has moved well, repeating itself for the second consecutive year is always difficult but you can take away a lot of satisfaction

[RolePlayer]

Good to see you're getting back at it

[RMJH4]

trek that has the look of squad that could repeat! Chriss is a beast for you!!