Reloaded - The San Antonio Spurs

[BobbyColtrane]

Introduction

Greetings! If you haven't seen my other thread, I had a Spurs franchise in 2K19 where I played for two seasons (and simmed a season in between them) and had a blast! Now I'm picking up at a different point in time and trying to rebuild my beloved Spurs to get back to their former glory.

What sets this franchise apart from the others is that I play every minute of every game – no simming whatsover. This approach leads to some interesting situations – I try to use blowout games to work on new plays or strategies, as well as getting playing time in for guys at the end of the bench. By the time the playoffs come, the tension is incredibly high just because of all the time I've invested in the team. In most threads, its great when you get knocked out of the playoffs, you go straight to the draft and free agency, etc. But when you've played 82 games and you're down 3-1 in the second round, with over a hundred hours invested in the season, you're pretty nervous going into that game!

Why the Spurs? That's the easiest answer of all. I grew up in San Antonio, going to games as early as '85, suffering through the knockouts of the David Robinson era before breaking through with Duncan and then becoming the model NBA franchise. Its been a wild ride, and I'm still a huge Spurs fan. I live in Dallas now, but I watch every game on League Pass. I've been to a number of Finals games over the years starting in '99, tons of playoff games, and countless regular season games. I only ever play 2K as the Spurs, which influences what I think of the game haha.

I planned on running my 2K19 dynasty forever, but I ran into problems in last December and didn't have a backup file to use. So I took a break for a while, learning how to play 2K21 and ultimately being disappointed in it. After a little practice and setup, I am really enjoying 2K20, so I'm going to be playing on that.

I'll be picking up at the beginning of the 2019-2020 season, with the Spurs coming off of a 7-game series against Denver. The post-Kawhi era is off to a decent start, with DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge as the focal points of the team, and some young players with great potential on the team – Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV; and rookies Keldon Johnson and Luka Samanic. My primary focus will be developing the young guys while maintaining a winning culture – reloading, not rebuilding.

Welcome to the thread, Any and all comments, questions, etc. are welcome!

GO SPURS GO!

[BobbyColtrane]

Settings

Platform: PC/Steam version
Difficulty: Using Shady Mike's sliders
Season Length: 82 games
Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Roster: Someone here took the Attention to Detail roster and converted it over to PC. It's called "Whole New Game".
30 Team Control: ON, I'm going to try to make realistic moves for every team. Sometimes the transactions will mirror real life, and sometimes they won't.

[BobbyColtrane]

Rather than break down the conferences or do a ranking, I decided to focus on tiers of teams. I’m going to cover all 30 teams and provide a brief summary of where I think each team stands as we enter the regular season. I may update these rankings in a mid-season or end-of-season report, let’s just see how it goes.

Praying to the Lottery Gods
These teams aren’t just bad. They have seriously stripped down rosters that are built not just to be in the lottery, but to win it. Heaven help the fans of these moribund franchises.

Spoiler

Oklahoma City Thunder. With the departure of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, the Thunder are staring into the abyss of a full rebuild. Armed with a bevy of picks and perhaps the league's most intriguing trade target in Chris Paul, Thunder fans are hoping the team can return to contention in short order.

Minnesota Timberwolves. Minny struck out on D'Angelo Russell, a close friend of Karl-Anthony Towns. In a shocking turn of events, Russell chose to play in California instead of Minneapolis while making more money on a much better team. The mind reels.

Memphis Grizzlies. After Jaren Jackson Jr.'s promising rookie year, the Grizz added Ja Morant with the 2nd pick in the draft and sent out franchise-stalwart Mike Conley in a trade. The rebuild is afoot.

New Orleans Pelicans. Things are looking up in The Big Easy with the addition of young phenom Zion Williamson. For the Pelicans to be more than a fun story, Brandon Ingram will have to emerge as a go-to scorer as Zion learns the NBA ropes.

Phoenix Suns. Phoenix added Ricky Rubio on a 3-year, $51 million deal to set the table for young superstar Devin Booker. Deandre Ayton had a strong rookie year and has the tools to become a franchise-changing big man.

New York Knicks. After trading away their franchise player, Kristaps Porzingis, to clear cap room to chase free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks were embarrassed again when the pair chose to sign next door in Brooklyn. The Knicks reacted in typical Knicks-ian fashion, signing four(!) power forwards to clog their front court rotation. Thoughts and prayers!

Cleveland Cavaliers.Cleveland has a young electric point guard in Colin Sexton and an intriguing trade prospect in Kevin Love. Time will tell if Darius Garland can play next to Sexton or if the pair of 6'3” point guards are too small to be an effective NBA backcourt.

Chicago Bulls. The Bulls added scoring guard Coby White out of UNC with the 7th pick. He joins a promising group of young players including Wendell Carter Jr., Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen.

Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have a promising young nucleus of Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter. Young's fortunes will ultimately determine if his draft-night trade for Luka Doncic was a colossal blunder or a front-office master stroke.

Washington Wizards. John Wall is expected to miss the entire season with an Achilles injury. Can the Wizards surround Bradley Beal with enough talent to make the playoffs in the East?

Charlotte Hornets. With Kemba Walker leaving for Boston, the Hornets have the #1 pick and franchise big man James Wiseman firmly in their sights.

First Round Fodder
These teams will make the dance, but shouldn't get too comfortable. They'll be headed home before any of the slow numbers are played.

Spoiler

San Antonio Spurs. SA acquitted themselves well in the first year of the post-Kawhi era, making the playoffs before falling to the Nuggets in 7 games. Any improvement this season is predicated on the young guys – Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV and Dejounte Murray – making a leap.

Dallas Mavericks. With two young stars, the Mavs are a franchise with a bright long-term outlook that desperately wants to taste the playoffs again after a three-year drought. Playoff seasoning is an important element in the development of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, and they've both declared earning their way into the postseason as the primary goal this season.

Miami Heat. Miami acquired a team leader and top-10 player in Jimmy Butler this offseason. With Hassan Whiteside gone, Bam Adebayo looks poised to take the next step in his career.

Detroit Pistons. Blake Griffin's health is the key concern for a team that won 41 games last year. In a wide-open Eastern Conference, can Griffin, Andre Drummond and Derrick Rose win a playoff series?

Orlando Magic. Orlando - and former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz- will try to improve on last season's 42-40 mark to try to make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2011 and 2012.

Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn won the free-agent lottery in the summer, nabbing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. This Nets season is all about integrating the team's newcomers, although Durant is not expected to play this season while he rehabs his torn Achilles.

Sacramento Kings. Last year the Kings narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing 39-43. Another year of experience for De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield could lead Sacramento to its first postseason appearance since 2005-06

The Noise Makers
These teams are virtually locks for the postseason, and if things break correctly could win 2 rounds.

Spoiler

Boston Celtics. The Celtics are in transition, after losing franchise stalwart Al Horford and Kyrie Irving in free agency. Boston signed Kemba Walker to ease the sting of losing Irving, but if the Celtics are to improve upon last year, its up to young guns Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets were the surprise team of last season, winning 54 games and outlasting the Spurs in 7 games. Another year together, and the addition of Jerami Grant could propel Denver to an even-deeper playoff run.

Portland Trailblazers. Coming off a surprise trip to the Western Conference finals, the Blazers aspire to more this season after the Warriors team that beat them sustained heavy personnel losses.

Utah Jazz.After failing to acquire Mike Conley at the trade deadline last year, the Jazz traded for him in the offseason. Conley brings veteran experience and should be an excellent compliment to Donovan Mitchell.

Toronto Raptors. The Raptors' jubilation of a championship was followed by the sting of free agent losses when both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green left for Southern California. This team will continue to be a tough out with Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, but title aspirations will be on hold for the time being.

Indiana Pacers. The Pacers signed Malcolm Brogdon away from the Bucks, and he will bring steady play to the point guard position. Despite the signing, the Pacers won't improve upon last year unless Victor Oladipo can recover from last season's knee injury and return to All-Star form.

Golden State Warriors. The Warriors dynastic run came to an end in spectacular fashion, with Klay and Durant suffering big injuries in the Finals, and then losing Durant to the Nets in the offseason. The Warriors were able to snag D'Angelo Russell to help hold the fort until Klay can return.

The Contenders
With the fall of the Warriors' dynasty, these teams will be battling for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Spoiler

LA Lakers. LeBron's first season in LA didn't go to plan, with him missing 27 games due to injury and the team winning just 37 games. But the offseason trade for Anthony Davis has fans in Tinseltown expecting banner #17.

LA Clippers. LA's other franchise signed Kawhi Leonard and traded away a haul of draft picks to acquire Paul George. Will the duo be enough to end the Clippers' long-time lack of franchise success?

Milwaukee Bucks. Despite losing guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Pacers in the offseason, the Bucks have NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee looks poised to avenge last year's loss to eventual champion Toronto.

Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia was a Kawhi Leonard bounce away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. After losing Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat, the Sixers resigned Tobias Harris to a $180 million deal and brought in Al Horford to play alongside Joel Embiid.

Houston Rockets. With the Warriors no longer obvious favorites in the West, the Rockets flipped Chris Paul for long-time Harden BFF Russell Westbrook. As Mike D'Antoni enters the season in the last year of his contract, it feels like this is the make-or-break year for Houston.

[BobbyColtrane]

As the Spurs enter Year 2 of their post-Kawhi era, the team stands at a crossroads. The roster is a collection of veterans that aren't quite good enough to make the team a contender, and a group of young players that aren't ready to take the reins just yet.

LaMarcus Aldridge came to the team in 2015, signing a 4-year, $80 million contract. Originally, Aldridge signed to be a part of a championship core, teaming up with Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs' veterans. His production has remained steady while everything changed around him – first the Spurs' Big Three retired, then Kawhi Leonard demanded a trade and DeMar DeRozan joined the team. Aldridge's post game has aged well, although the NBA has moved away from dumping the ball down to big, lumbering post players to a more up-tempo style. Although he continues to provide leadership and steady play, the team is beginning to move away from his skillset. Only $6 million of his salary is guaranteed next season, giving the Spurs some flexibility if they decide to move him.

DeMar DeRozan's first San Antonio was an adjustment. After 9 years in Toronto, the Southern California native joined the Spurs and led the team in scoring with 21.2 points per game. His lack of three point shooting makes him an awkward fit for a modern offense, but he remains productive. DeRozan has a $28 million player option for next season, but he may test free agency in an effort to join a contender in a city of his choosing.
Last season, a torn ACL ended Dejounte Murray's year in the preseason when he tore his ACL against the Houston Rockets. Now fully-recovered, Murray is itching to get back on the court and show the next step in his development. A gifted defender (Murray was selected to 2nd team NBA All-Defense in just his second year), the next step in his progression will be on the offensive end. Murray has flashed an improved jumper in the pre-season already, and remains the youngest player with the highest ceiling on the team.

The surprise of SA's first-round loss to Denver, Derrick White, is poised for a breakout season. White matched up well with Denver's Jamal Murray, and scored a career-best 36 points in the Spurs' Game 3 win. He will begin the season starting next to Murray in the backcourt.

After spending much of his rookie season in the G League, Lonnie Walker IV is ready for a significant bench role in his second year. At 6'5”, the 18th selection of the 2018 draft has a dynamic game off the bounce and has the potential to become a knockdown three-point shooter as well.

With a pick acquired in the Kawhi trade, the Spurs selected Kentucky's Keldon Johnson with the 30th pick in the draft, and he looks to be the rare Spurs rookie that is ready to contribute right away. Johnson has wowed observers in the pre-season and will provide energy from the forward spot off the bench.

When Marcus Morris backed out of a 2-year, $21 million deal to sign with the Knicks, the Spurs signed DeMarre Carroll and former Nugget Trey Lyles. A versatile defender with some outside shooting ability, Carroll will begin the season in the starting lineup.

Rudy Gay remains a versatile player capable of providing scoring punch at either forward position. Last season he started 51 games for San Antonio, averaging 13.7 points per game.

The last remaining member of the 2014 championship team, Patty Mills is the spiritual leader of the Spurs, and will be counted on to provide energy and three-point shooting off the bench.

Jakob Poeltl was effective last year in limited minutes for San Antonio. As Aldridge continues to age, Poeltl will continue to get minutes at Center, where he provides solid defense, rebound and screens for the perimeter players.

Bryn Forbes and Marco Belinelli provide three point shooting and traffic cone defense, they will be used situationally when the team needs another floor spacer.

With the 19th selection in the draft, the Spurs selected 6'10” Croatian forward Luka Samanic. A raw prospect, Samanic will spend this season developing his shooting, defense and playmaking in the G League. He will be joined by Drew Eubanks and Chimezie Metu, two other Spurs projects.

Overall, San Antonio figures to compete for a lower playoff seed in the 6-8 range while the young players continue to develop as NBA players. The contract situations of Aldridge and DeRozan provide some interesting prospects to add to the roster, whether it be through trades or by opening up significant cap room next summer.

[BobbyColtrane]

105 95


Spurs open season with a win over the Knicks

SAN ANTONIO– On Opening Night, the San Antonio Spurs used a balanced attack to race past the Knicks, 105-95. Dejounte Murray led 5 Spurs in double figures with 18 points.

Free agent acquisition Julius Randle paced New York with 29 points and 11 rebounds, as the Spurs struggled to defend the burly Power Forward all night.

“He's a bull down low,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Randle. “We just couldn't do anything to slow him down.”

After acquiring 4 Power Forwards in the offseason (Randle, Bobby Portis, Marcus Morris and Taj Gibson), New York was undone by their lack of three point shooting, finishing just 2-14 from long range.

Up Next: The Spurs host the Washington Wizards, who are 1-1 so far this season.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Julius Randle wrecks shop in the paint

New York Knicks (0-1) at San Antonio Spurs (1-0)
Oct 23, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final New York 29 20 22 24 95 San Antonio 24 30 19 32 105 Top Performers New York Knicks Julius Randle 29 PTS, 11 REB San Antonio Spurs Dejounte Murray 18 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST	Team Stats Comparison NYK SAS FG Made-Att 41-91 45% 39-85 46% 3PT Made-Att 2-14 14% 9-18 50% FT Made-Att 11-18 61% 18-27 67% Rebounds 50 61 Assists 21 28 Turnovers 4 6 Steals 2 4 Blocks 11 4

[BobbyColtrane]

92 73


Spurs' suffocating defense leads to second straight win of the new season

SAN ANTONIO– It was one of those nights for the Washington Wizards. Without John Wall, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles, the Wizards just couldn't buy a bucket. Washington shot 30% on the night and went 0-18 from three-point range.

“We missed a lot of shots, but give them credit, their defense was spectacular,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said.

For the second straight game, the Spurs used a balanced attack on offense. Second-year guard Lonnie Walker IV led 5 Spurs in double figures with 16 points. Overall, SA had 9 players with at least 5 points.

After a close first half, the Spurs opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run to stretch the lead to 50-34, and the competitive portion of the game was over.

“When we are all rolling like that, its a lot of fun,” Walker said after the game. “I got a few opportunities to attach and the shots went down.”

Up Next: San Antonio hosts the 3-0 Portland Trail Blazers in a meeting of two unbeaten teams in the young season.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Ish Smith misses a free throw, DeMar DeRozan says thanks

Washington Wizards (1-2) at San Antonio Spurs (2-0)
Oct 26, 2019 1 2 3 4 Final Washington 18 16 14 25 73 San Antonio 19 20 31 22 92 Top Performers Washington Wizards Bradley Beal 28 PTS San Antonio Spurs Lonnie Walker IV 16 PTS	Team Stats Comparison WAS SAS FG Made-Att 27-90 30% 35-75 47% 3PT Made-Att 0-18 0% 4-14 29% FT Made-Att 19-23 83% 18-21 86% Rebounds 49 62 Assists 13 27 Turnovers 4 18 Steals 10 2 Blocks 3 10

[Knickerbocker91]

Amazing 3PT defense to open the season, but between New York and Washington they weren't really scaring anyone from beyond the arc.

[dfsJunkie]

Wow, Washington was a mess. Nice start out of the gate.