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

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

Wow, what a bounceback year for the Warriors -- getting Anthony Edwards had to be a godsend for them, dude is that type of uber-versatile wing that the Warriors use to roll out a death lineup. Happy to see the Pelicans win big, that franchise has had a tough go of it in recent years. Things were very tight out East and in the West the young teams took big leaps (the Clippers, defending champs, barely got in the playoffs!).

Edwards dropping to three was definitely huge. Ball wasn't ever going to be a fit considering how much he needs the ball in his hand, and for our play style Wiseman wasn't high on our list either. If Edwards was off the board, we likely would've looked to move back in the top 10 to try to get a couple extra picks down the line.

The West has been wild, especially with the Lakers playing like they have. AD and LeBron have been really good, just the role players, or lack thereof, has really hurt them but they are still a competitive team in the playoffs.

Appreciate you commenting though, because I posted the wrong standings. New Orleans still made a huge leap, and the West is still competitive, just a bit different order.

[marshdaddy]

2021 NBA Playoffs
The 2021 playoffs were full of surprises. The five-game first round adjustment saw another upset in 4v5 matchup, this time in the West. That upset though, would pave the way to an exciting Conference Semifinals as the experience of the Jazz would be valuable in their matchup with the Pelicans.

The Warriors, determined to prove the doubters wrong, faced an uphill battle from the start when facing LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But there's no better opportunity to make a statement than when facing the King.

Meanwhile in the East, Giannis and co. are out to prove their own doubters wrong after being swept by the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago. Their run at an NBA title would begin against the Cavaliers.

First Round

New Orleans 3, Portland 2
The Trail Blazers give the Pelicans a scare, but Zion is too much to handle and the Pelicans advance to the conference semifinals for the first time since Anthony Davis is traded.

Golden State 3, Los Angeles Lakers 0
The Lakers’ disappointing season ends quickly. A potent Warrior offense breezes through a guard-less Laker defense en route to the sweep.

L.A. Clippers 3, Denver 0
Kawhi and PG continue their quest to repeat, easily downing Jokic and the Nuggets.

(5) Utah 3, (4) Memphis 2
A young a talented Memphis squad shows their youth as Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz upset the Grizzlies in Game 5 on the road to advance to the conference semifinals.

Miami 3, Cleveland 1
The Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, roll through a surprisingly competitive Cavaliers team that exceeded expectations making it to the playoffs.

Milwaukee 3, Chicago 2
The Bucks got more resistance than anticipated, but on the back of Giannis they easily move on to the conference semis.

Boston 3, Toronto 0
The two-time reigning Eastern Conference Champion Toronto Raptors sputter through the first round and are swept out of the playoffs.

Brooklyn 3, Philadelphia 0
With Kyrie and Kevin Durant, the Nets ease their way into the conference semis and a meeting with the Heat.

Conference Semifinals

(5) Utah 4, (1) New Orleans 2
Led by Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz deliver a shocking upset of the Pelicans in six games. The youth of the Pelicans is apparent, as Mitchell’s calmness down the stretch propelled the Jazz to the Western Conference Finals.

Golden State 4, L.A. Clippers 3
The Clippers won’t be repeating, thanks to a dominant Game 7 performance. The combination of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry was too much for the Clippers. Thompson scored 36 points in the third quarter of Game 4. The Warriors rallied from a 3-2 deficit to upend the Clippers.

Miami 4, Brooklyn 2
Who needs star power when you’ve got depth. The Heat dismantle the Nets and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals sending the Nets into a perilous offseason in which both KD and Kyrie can opt out.

Milwaukee 4, Boston 3
Giannis is desperate to make an NBA Finals, and is again pushed to the limit, this time by Boston. In a dominant Game 7, the Bucks move on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight year.

Conference Finals

Golden State 4, Utah 2
After being ruled out and too old after a lost season, the Warriors are back with a vengeance. After falling behind 2-1, the Warriors won three straight games and are headed to their sixth NBA Finals in seven years.

Milwaukee 4, Miami 2
Finally, Giannis is headed to the Finals. With a superstar performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bucks leader pushed Milwaukee to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.

[marshdaddy]

2021 NBA Finals

The Warriors are back, and are met with a force unlike any other. If the Splash Brothers are going to add a fourth ring to the collection, they will have to do it, yet again, against one of the premier wings in the game. Let’s get to it.

Game 1
Milwaukee 118, Golden State 112
The Bucks jump out of the gates quickly to a 1-0 series lead. Giannis scores 32 points with 17 rebounds and five assists, while Khris Middleton adds 24-9-7. Steph had 23 points while Aaron Gordon led the Warriors with 29 points off the bench.

Game 2
Golden State 134, Milwaukee 121
Steph Curry would not fall behind 2-0 on the road. Curry goes off for 56 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists to even the series headed back to the Bay. Rookie Anthony Edwards has 28 points, Klay Thompson adds 22 and Aaron Gordon has a 10 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple double. Giannis had 34 points and 16 rebounds for the Bucks while Middleton was held to just 10 points.

Game 3
Golden State 106, Milwaukee 104
The Warriors take their first lead in the series at home thanks to a hard fought victory. Curry ends the night with 21 while Andrew Wiggins led the team in scoring with 24. Giannis has 29 points and 16 rebounds for the Bucks while Middleton adds 26.

Game 4
Golden State 114, Milwaukee 113
On the back of a last second layup from Steph Curry, the Warriors take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Curry ends the night with 29 points, as Wiggins adds 21, Edwards has 17 and Thompson has 16. Giannis has 34 points and 11 boards and Middleton is again slowed down, scoring just 15.

Game 5
Milwaukee 134, Golden State 102
The Bucks would not go silently into the offseason, drubbing the Warriors at home and sending the series back to San Francisco. Giannis has 35 points and Middleton ends his slump with 37 points and 11 rebounds. Curry has 24 points, eight boards and 10 assists while Thompson adds 29 but it is not enough for the Dubs.

Game 6
Golden State 134, Milwaukee 126
The Larry O’Brien Trophy is back with the Warriors. Curry has 54 points, joining Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to score 50 or more points multiple times in the same series, as the Warriors use free throws late to seal the win. Thompson has 32 points for the Warriors as well.

Giannis ends his first Finals trip with 24 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, while Middleton has 20 points for the Bucks.

Stephen Curry is named Finals MVP, the first of his career, as he averages 34.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals in the Finals.

[trekfan]

What a playoffs for the Warriors -- from the lottery to champs in one year's time. Milwaukee has to be kicking itself for allowing the series to slip away in those two close losses in Games 3 and 4. Giannis has to be eyeing a new destination or a big-time player to get him help.

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by trekfan

What a playoffs for the Warriors -- from the lottery to champs in one year's time. Milwaukee has to be kicking itself for allowing the series to slip away in those two close losses in Games 3 and 4. Giannis has to be eyeing a new destination or a big-time player to get him help.

Games 3 and 4 were nuts. Game 3 took the lead with under 20 seconds, Game 4 took the lead with 3.2 seconds left when Curry got free of Hill.

Giannis has signed long-term, so it’s about improving the roster. The issue is aside from the Middleton contract, they don’t have many contracts they can move to bring back studs except maybe Bledsoe, but his value on the market isn’t super high.


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[marshdaddy]

2021 NBA Offseason - The Draft Lottery

The Warriors entered the Draft Lottery owning the Minnesota Timberwolves pick if it fell to four or five, but with the league’s worst record, Minnesota entered with the best odds to land the top overall pick. This could be a major point in the Warriors’ franchise as they are fresh off a surprising NBA title and are looking to continue to add young pieces to their aging core.

The full draft order is below (original odds in parenthesis), but the draft lottery story is below.

The lottery stayed chalk through the first six selections, with the Wizards, Thunder, Knicks (owning the Dallas pick via the Kristaps Porzingis trade after the Mavs’ season came crashing down following Luka’s torn ACL), Suns, Pacers and Hawks all holding their original selections from 14 through nine.

Then, like it did a year before, things started going crazy. Just like the 2020 lottery, the eight selection, this year belonging to the Detroit Pistons, jumped into the top four, sending the Knicks down from seventh to eighth.

Things wouldn’t settle from there. The next ping pong ball up was the Kings, who had entered the draft with the fourth best odds to take home the top pick. This meant the Hornets and Thunder (by way of the Houston Rockets) had both jumped up from sixth and fifth, respectively. This development was the perfect storm for Golden State, who needed the Minnesota selection to drop, and with three teams jumping up, the chances of that happening got even better.

The Spurs would be drawn into the six spot after having the second best chance of picking first. That’s when the fortune turned fully on the Warriors.

In order to create and keep a dynasty alive, you need luck. The Warriors first stroke of luck came when Stephen Curry signed a contract that paid him well under his market value. The second stroke of luck came in 2016 when a cap spike, along with Curry’s bargain-level deal, gave the Warriors enough cap space to sign Kevin Durant.

When you look back on the Warriors’ dynasty, perhaps this night was the third stroke of luck.

At the fifth selection, the Timberwolves logo appeared from the envelope, meaning the pick would be sent to Golden State, giving them another shot at a top level talent as they look towards the post-Big Three era and attempt to extend their dynasty. Not only did it give the Warriors a valuable first round pick, but it helps them avoid a draft without a pick, as their 30th overall selection is headed to Orlando as part of the Aaron Gordon trade.

The Pistons, one year removed from taking LaMelo Ball first overall, saw their jump end and were given the fourth selection. The Hornets, having moved up from six, were gifted with the third spot, leaving just the Magic and the Thunder on the board.

Oklahoma City, already owning the thirteenth selection, was bearing the fruits of the Houston Rockets’ disappointing season and their pick, having entered the lottery with the fifth best odds at taking home the top selection. Meanwhile in Orlando, the Magic were looking to build out a young core, and there is no better way to do that than with a top overall selection.

Some people may call it luck, others can call it magic, but that’s exactly what took place for Orlando when the Rockets logo appeared out of the envelope, sending the pick to Oklahoma City and gifting the Magic the top overall selection.

2021 NBA Draft
Pick	Team	Player	Pos	Ht	Wt
1 (3)	Orlando Magic
2 (5)	Oklahoma City Thunder (via HOU)
3 (6)	Charlotte Hornets
4 (8)	Detroit Pistons
5 (1)	Golden State Warriors (via MIN)
6 (2)	San Antonio Spurs
7 (4)	Sacramento Kings
8 (7)	New York Knicks
9	Atlanta Hawks
10	Indiana Pacers
11	Phoenix Suns
12	New York Knicks (via DAL)
13	Oklahoma City Thunder
14	Washington Wizards
15	Portland Trail Blazers
16	Los Angeles Lakers
17	Cleveland Cavaliers
18	Chicago Bulls
19	Utah Jazz
20	Denver Nuggets
21	Toronto Raptors
22	Philadelphia 76ers
23	Memphis Grizzlies
24	Los Angeles Clippers
25	Brooklyn Nets
26	Boston Celtics
27	Milwaukee Bucks
28	Houston Rockets (via MIA)
29	New Orleans Pelicans
30	Orlando Magic (via GS)

[Knickerbocker91]

Is this draft with real players? Either way, luck definitely still has a summer home in The Bay Area

[marshdaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knickerbocker91

Is this draft with real players? Either way, luck definitely still has a summer home in The Bay Area

It is. This is the second and last real life class, then I’m transitioning to JB’s classes. With all the talk about this year and next, it felt the most realistic to go this route.

But no kidding, I really didn’t expect to keep the pick but that was for sure the craziest lottery I’ve experienced so far.


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