The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

[trekfan]

Nice, Sanders getting the ROY should make Cleveland feel a bit better about their year.


That all-NBA 3rd team should be renamed "the old guard". Surprised Durant made 2nd team but he's still knocking down shots with reckless abandon no doubt.

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Nice, Sanders getting the ROY should make Cleveland feel a bit better about their year. That all-NBA 3rd team should be renamed "the old guard". Surprised Durant made 2nd team but he's still knocking down shots with reckless abandon no doubt.

Sanders was really the only option. Teams didn’t use rookies much at all, I think it’s a game issue where players have developed too well so their overalls are out of whack. The drafts come in with realistic overalls, like mid to low-70s for most lottery picks. I’m working on toning down progression so hopefully that corrects itself.

You can definitely feel the league changing. That 3rd team may be the last All-NBA selections for the vets as the young guns start hitting their primes. Interested to see how the landscape changes with that.


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[RolePlayer]

Was cool to see the entire first team all nba with their teams still

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Was cool to see the entire first team all nba with their teams still

Don’t hold your breathe. Luka hasn’t done much in the playoffs, neither has Zion. Giannis is 29 turning 30 and may be looking elsewhere. KAT is an unrestricted free agent and despite them trading for Devin Booker, still hasn’t had playoff success. Donovan is the only one I would feel confident saying is back next year. This offseason could be a landscape-changer.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[marshdaddy]

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Edwards’ Heroics Lift Warriors to 2-0 Series Lead

Isaiah Charles
April 24, 2024

At some point, the baton needed to be passed. Eventually, Stephen Curry would stop being an All-NBA player and the ball would need to go elsewhere. When that point came, someone would need to be on the receiving end of the pass. Anthony Edwards appears to be that guy.

With the seconds dwindling in Game 2, and the Warriors down one, Edwards, as he had for much of the night, stepped into the spotlight, draining a jump shot while time expired to give the Warriors a 136-135 win over the Spurs, pushing Golden State to a 2-0 advantage as the series flips to San Antonio for a potential close out Game 3.

This is not to say that Curry has passed his prime, a Third Team All-NBA selection at age 36 proves that, but the passing of the torch was always meant to be gradual. Perhaps Game 2 of the Warriors’ first round series against the Spurs would be that beginning. As Curry struggled (10 points, 4-for-16 shooting), Edwards was there to pick up any slack, finishing with a team-high 36 points, six rebounds and six assists while shooting 16-for-28 from the floor and 4-for-6 from deep, but none bigger than his final jumper.

Not only did Edwards provide the exclamation point on a crucial win, he also pulled the Warriors back from the depths, scoring 12 of the team’s final 16 points as Golden State erased a 10-point deficit with under four minutes to play.

“What he did for us tonight was incredible, we needed every single thing he gave us,” said Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr. “With the way Steph was struggling and Klay had his own cold streak, if Anthony doesn’t play like that, we’re headed to a dog fight in Game 3 and this early in the playoffs, that’s the last thing we wanted.”

The entire sequence was poetic. After a Warriors’ stop gave Golden State a chance to take the lead with under 20 seconds to play, Curry went to a tried-and-true attack, using a high pick-and-roll from Myles Turner to attack the paint. But as Curry drove, the lane collapsed, leading Curry to force up a contested layup that would be blocked by Mitchell Robinson. After a foul sent Cole Anthony to the free throw line, Curry could be seen talking to Edwards, acknowledging that he had been left open on the perimeter.

Anthony, however, couldn’t put the game away. With a chance to extend the lead to three, Anthony missed both free throws, paving the way for Edwards’ heroics.

“Game 2 in a five-game series is just different,” said Edwards, who had 38 points, four rebounds and eight assists in Game 1. “If we lose that game, now we’re on our heels headed to San Antonio and they have a chance to win the series at home. We won’t take our foot off the gas up 2-0, but taking a two-game lead changes everything.”

(Author's note: we won't be doing game recaps after every game because of the time it can take. I respect the franchises that do recaps after every game, that takes incredible effort. The only series that will have every game recaps will be the NBA Finals, should the Warriors make it. We'll do game recaps after games that carry significant consequences or something historic/dramatic takes place.)

San Antonio Spurs (46-36) at Golden State Warriors (53-29)
Jan 1, 1 2 3 4 Final San Antonio 30 38 42 24 136 Golden State 28 42 26 40 135 Top Performers San Antonio Spurs Zach LaVine - 36 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL 14-22 FG (8-12 3PT) Scottie Barnes - 30 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL 12-22 FG (2-4 3PT) Golden State Warriors Anthony Edwards - 36 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST 16-28 FG (4-6 3PT) Jonathan Kuminga - 18 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST 6-8 FG	Team Stats Comparison SAS GSW FG Made-Att 50-100 54-94 3PT Made-Att 16-34 12-24 FT Made-Att 18-24 16-20 Rebounds 50 50 Assists 24 42 Turnovers 4 6 Steals 4 0 Blocks 6 2

[marshdaddy]

Anthony Nojkic @NojRinger April 25, 2024

Quote:

Breaking: The NBA announced that Quin Snyder has been named the 2023-24 NBA Coach of the Year. Snyder led the Jazz to the best record in basketball and has guided Utah to two Western Conference Finals in the last three years.

[RolePlayer]

Loved that write up, it's starting to look like Edwards team now, at least on the court. It's gonna be tough to replace Steph in the lockerroom. He's been a dream selection for the Warriors and should let them compete for the next decade.

Two decades of domination that would be something.

[marshdaddy]

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Questions and answers after the first round of the playoffs

Ryen Simons
April 28, 2024

A relatively chalk first round of the NBA Playoffs doesn’t mean we aren’t left without questions. Some smooth runs are also giving us answers.

Utah Jazz 3, Dallas Mavericks 2
It wasn’t without dramatics as the Mavericks rallied from a 2-0 deficit to force a Game 5. Donovan Mitchell was incredible at the end, scoring 31 points to go with seven boards and 10 assists in the series clincher. He’s looked like an MVP and the Jazz still have a chance.

Question: How much longer can Luka stay in Dallas
Luka was, again, dynamic. The 25-year-old averaged 34.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.6 assists and scored 43 points in Game 3 and then a 31-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist Game 4 to force Game 5. He didn’t even get out dueled by the presumptive MVP, scoring 31 points of his own with 12 boards and 10 dimes. The kid can ball. The problem, can anyone else in Dallas?

Kristaps Porzingis (14 points in Game 5) averaged just 20.8 points in the playoffs and shot 41.6% from the floor. Malik Beasley is their third best player, which, probably not a good thing, and averaged 15.6 points. Only Seth Curry averaged more than 10 with 12.2 points. The surrounding cast around Luka is less than extraordinary. He’s already quelled rumors he's leaving by saying he’ll be back in Dallas next year, but for his sake and ours, maybe it’s his last?


Golden State Warriors3, San Antonio Spurs 0
Remember when we were afraid the Warriors couldn’t keep it up? Laughable now. Sure the last two games were close, but Golden State still looks and plays like a champion. And, to make matters worse for the league, Anthony Edwards is starting to look good. Like, really good.

Answered: Golden State should still be the team to beat
I don’t care that they don’t have homecourt in the West, they’ve proven they don’t need it. If anyone is saying the NBA title is going through anywhere other than Golden State, they don’t know what they’re talking about.


Oklahoma City Thunder 3, New Orleans Pelicans 1
Earth to Zion, you’re supposed to win when you’re the higher seed. New Orleans and Zion have now lost in the first round in three consecutive seasons despite being the higher seed every single time. I’m not saying Zion is the issue, of course, he scored at least 30 points in three games and had a lowly 28 in the fourth. But at some point, these types of losses can’t happen.

And I get it, Oklahoma City is good. Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are REALLY good. But Zion, my guy, we can’t say you’re among the game’s best when you aren’t playing in May and June.

Question: Should we panic?
No, not yet. These are troubling times for Zion-atics (it’ll catch on maybe), but the sky isn’t falling. It’s starting to, but not all the way. He’s still a top six player in the NBA, but maybe all this is proving, along with Giannis’ struggles, is that these types of players are awesome in the regular season but need help to win games in the postseason.


Memphis Grizzlies 3, Los Angeles Clippers 1
Someone come get Ja Morant. Morant had three 30-point double-doubles and a 29-point double-double in dispatching the Clippers, showing that this is how you win games in the playoffs. The Grizzlies needed to make a run after a great 51-win season, this could be the start of it.

Question: Is Ja better than Zion?
Statistically? No. Zion is still the better player. Team production? I mean, Ja is still playing and Zion isn’t. So…


Miami Heat 3, Philadelphia 76ers 1
This is barely worth a write up. It’s done in Philly. Whatever they thought they had, they don’t. This team isn’t good.

Question: Who is dealt: Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid?
Can I say both? Of course I can, I just asked myself the question. The consistent failures in Philadelphia are a result of a team that doesn’t work together, it’s painfully obvious now for the organization and was painfully obvious two years ago for everyone else. Why not just scrap it all and get a king’s ransom for these two? The Sixers could easily get picks and very, very good prospects for either of these dudes, so why not do it? The Process Part I is over, time to start Part II.

Atlanta Hawks 3, Brooklyn Nets 1
Kyrie Irving wants no part of your emotional, reunion series. The Nets were a fun story but this was never going to be competitive.

Question: How long can you run on revenge?
At some point, this whole ‘I will get my revenge’ tour has to start wearing on Kyrie and he’ll stop being unbelievable. Right?

Toronto Raptors 3, Chicago Bulls 1
Toronto is still such a good team, this was a cakewalk and we shouldn’t be surprised. The East is not a Miami/Atlanta armsrace. The Raptors are still here and out to prove it.

Answered: Toronto is the best team in the East
Ok, best is an overstatement, I understand. But if I didn’t say it like that you wouldn’t listen. When will we realize that Toronto is a legitimate threat and that their plethora of swtichy, rangy wings are a terrible matchup for a lot of teams.

Boston Celtics 3, New York Knicks 2
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should be in more conversations about being the best tandem in basketball, and they are in a lot of those conversations. Brown had 45 points in Game 5, Tatum scored 43, 37, 41, 39 and 25. I understand the Heat have homecourt, but if Boston goes to the Conference Finals, I won’t be surprised at all.

Question: Is Miami and Boston rivalry alive again?
I’m one person who always thought the Miami-Boston rivalry was overstated during the Heatle era. I understood they didn’t like one another, but Boston with their aging stars never beat them. How can it be a rivalry? Well, here we go again. The Heat and Celtics met two years ago in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Heat swept them. Boston, if you want this to be a rivalry, how about you win?