Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)




11-8-2012

He looked around his new office and took a deep breath.


This was his office now. This was his place.


At least, in theory it was. The walls were empty now, the pictures that had previously adorned them gone. He could still see the faded outlines of the pictures on the wall.


His eyes found their way to those outlines. Lance Blanks, his predecessor, had significant NBA ties. Andy had only been in this office once before and there were a number of pictures in it featuring famous NBA players from Isaiah Thomas to Lebron James. The guy knew people … he knew players.


Andy felt very small in this office.


“You didn’t earn it, you know.”


He turned around and found the voice coming from none other than Veronica. Her blonde hair was in a pony tail today.


He cleared his throat. “I know that.”


She raised an eyebrow. “Do you?”


He nodded. “I just lucked into this, that’s all. We both know it.”


She looked around the empty walls of the office. “Well, what are you going to do with it?”


He met her eyes. “Actually … nothing.”


“What?” She asked in surprise.


“I don’t want this as my office. It’s … it’s not mine.” He folded his hands

behind his back and walked over to her. “I have a place all ready.”


“You’re kidding me,” she said as she shook her head. “You want to stay in

that cramped little office in the basement? That thing we had to put you in while we waited for things to get … cleaned up.”


He felt a chill go down his spine. Cleaned up … that barely described it. He put the images of the scene of the slaughter out of his mind ... why he felt like he needed to see those pictures he didn’t know. “Do you want to be up here where that happened?” He asked pointedly.


She opened her mouth to respond but stopped, seemingly thinking better of it.


“I thought so,” he said as he straightened his tie. After a moment he just gave up on it and took it off.


“I don’t tip well,” she joked.


He flashed a smirk at her. “Well, I don’t take anything more off until I see some singles.”


She chuckled and sat down on the floor. He followed suit. “You know, your secretary is gonna be pissed you pass up on this.”


“It’s not that bad down there.”


She looked out the large window, her eyes taking in the view. “It lacks

light.”


“It’s comfy,” he countered. “Cramped, maybe, but it reminds me of my college dorm room … this office is way too big anyway.”


“Did you hear about Iguodala and Jennings?”

Always so quick to change things back to business, he thought to himself sourly. He could never quite figure out how to ask her out to lunch. “Yeah, I heard … they’re going to free agency. It doesn’t matter to me … remember, I’m temporary.”


“You are … maybe.”


He looked at her curiously. “Maybe?”


She stood. “Your moves with Gordon and Oden are working out. Gordon seems to be getting more comfortable with things.”


“He did drop 32 points last night,” Andy said with a bit of pride.


“It was against the Bobcats,” she countered.


His pride instantly became deflated. “Granted … but still, pretty good.”


“Against the Bobcats,” she reminded him again with a smirk. “I’m not saying you’re going to keep this job past this season but if the team keeps this upward trajectory … maybe you have a shot in hell. It doesn’t even have to be frozen.”


He wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. “Well … I’ll do my best.”


“Just don’t screw up.”


He nodded. “Right.”


She put her hands on her hips-and boy did she have some nice hips-and gazed over the room one more time. “It’s a nice office.” With that, she left.


He stared after her, his eyes watching her backside walk away, and sighed.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)


A look ahead: Suns next five games key


Tim Hardy

November 11, 2012

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns are one of the surprise teams of the season, now an impressive 7-0 after last night’s defensive clinic they put on the Utah Jazz, beating them 90 to 75. But the easy part of the schedule is over for now as the Suns next five games are against tough opponents, four of them against preseason favorites to make a deep playoff run.


Eric Gordon has stepped up his game, scoring 32 and 31 points in the last two games, both played quite differently. While Gordon and Suns were in a shootout versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning 130 to 119, last night’s game against the Jazz was about the Suns’ defense. Gordon played effective, tight, defense all night against the various Jazz shooters while also shaking off a tough first half where he only scored five points and lighting the Jazz up in the second half, dropping 26 points on the Jazz, nine of those from beyond the arc.


The Eric Gordon trade looks better and better as the season goes along but will it be enough to make the difference against quality opponents? Let’s take a look at the schedule.


11-12 Nuggets vs. Suns

The Nuggets are playing the kind of style that George Karl loves: fast, furious, and unselfish. But since Iggy announced his intentions to go into free agency, the basketball gods have been punishing the Nuggets with injuries. Corey Brewer, a key rotation player, is out for two to four months with a torn patella. Kenneth Faried is out six to eight weeks with a torn hamstring. Iggy himself is dealing with a nagging sprained wrist and the Nuggets are not at full power.


Despite this, Ty Lawson is still directing the team and he’s not slacking in the assists or the scoring department. Denver has more than enough depth to remain competitive until Faried gets back, and they shouldn’t be taken lightly.


The Suns look to pounce on the injured Nuggets, especially with the Anthony Randolph stepping into the starter role at power forward. Luis Scola must be licking his chops at the prospect of teaching Randolph, a still raw player, how the game is played. Gortat draws the less favorable matchup with Javale McGee, whose athletic abilities are likely to give him some trouble.

Prediction: Suns win


11-14 Bulls vs. Suns


The Bulls are a tough matchup for the Suns, as they’ll look to make this game about the one thing they do best: defense. Though the Suns are capable on that end they don’t approach the elite level of the Bulls. The Bulls offensively are, as usual, relying on Derrick Rose whose miraculously fast return from the injury he suffered last year has made the Bulls a threat once more in the Eastern Conference.


The key matchups in this game boil down to whether Goran Dragic can slow down Rose. Stopping him is something Dragic (and others in the NBA not named Lebron James) can’t do but slowing him down enough to force the other Bulls to score, something they do inconsistently, is key. Eric Gordon will have to take advantage of the Bulls starting the aging Rip Hamilton at the two while Jared Dudley must take advantage of Luol Deng’s absence from the lineup due to the broken foot he suffered earlier in the season.

Prediction: Suns win


11-16 Suns vs. Lakers


The much awaited matchup will have to wait longer. With Steve Nash suffering from a strained quad, he’s being held out for the next two weeks.

That doesn’t mean the Lakers aren’t a threat though as, even without Nash, they have managed to show flashes of what they can be. The Lakers are only 3-3 at the moment however, and the pieces aren’t quite on the same page.


But you can trust Kobe Bryant will get his team ready for this game. The Lakers don’t like the Suns and the Suns really don’t like the Lakers, especially after the Nash deal. The Suns come into this game with only one advantage, ironically, and that’s at the point guard position. With Steve Nash out the serviceable, yet slow footed, Chris Duhon is in. Duhon is no match for Dragic in terms of raw speed and that’s where the Suns must start their offensive attack.


Don’t think the Lakers don’t know that. Expect the game to come down to a coaching chess match, as both sides try to minimize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths. It should prove to be an interesting game but with Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Kobe Bryant all going strong, the Suns will have to be good and lucky to win.

Prediction: Suns lose


11-17 Heat vs. Suns


This is another game the Suns shouldn’t look forward to, especially with the return of Lebron James to the lineup. The Heat have suffered some surprising early season struggles with the injuries to their players but that shouldn’t matter in the least when facing the Suns. Both sides are looking to wallop the other as there is some bad blood developing between Chris Bosh and Marcin Gortat.


Both players had words on the court and off it the last time they faced one another … the difference here is that Bosh has not only Dwayne Wade but also Lebron to back him up. Gortat has no one of that caliber in his corner.


This game will come down to two things: minimizing Lebron’s impact and winning the frontcourt battle. The Suns proved last game that they were more than willing to give Wade his shots in it meant eliminating Chris Bosh from the equation. With Lebron back in the lineup, that strategy becomes much more difficult to execute.


Though the Suns have an advantage with Dragic matching up against Norris Cole, don’t expect that to matter for long in the game as Lebron will likely see time at the point where he will quickly get control of that matchup. Don’t expect this game to be too close.

Prediction: Suns lose


11-21 Blazers vs. Suns


After a brutal two game stretch where the Suns face two championship contenders, they get Portland, who expects to have Wesley Matthews and Elliot Williams back in the rotation. The Suns get a couple of favorable matchups in this game and shouldn’t have too much trouble with the Blazers, assuming they’re not too crushed from losing to either the Lakers or the Heat, or both.


Dragic should have no problems with the Blazers rookie point guard while Gortat and Scola should be able to play their game-get inside, get tough rebounds and points-against the more finesse big man Lamarcus Aldridge.

Don’t sleep on the Blazers though as, even though they don’t appear much of a threat now, they could be something more as the season goes along.

Prediction: Suns win

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns
Nov 12, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Denver (5-3)	19	18	20	13	70
Phoenix (8-0)	25	20	35	24	104

Suns 104, Nuggets 70

PHOENIX -- It was a tale of two halves for the Denver Nuggets. In the first they managed to hang around, only down by eight by the time the midpoint of the game was reached but that lead the Suns built late in the second quarter got bigger after the first three minutes of the third quarter.

The Suns started the game hot, taking a 9-0 lead before Denver cut the lead to six after a Ty Lawson three pointer. In the second half, the Suns came out firing from the arc again, scoring two quick three pointers in the first minute of the third quarter before pounding the ball inside to Marcin Gortat.

For the Denver Nuggets, they had to pick their poison and they picked guarding against the Suns frontline. That left plenty of shots open for the Suns many shooters.

"We didn't play our game tonight," Coach George Carl said. "We weren't getting on the break fast enough and we weren't taking good shots ... we played dumb basketball tonight and that's why we looked dumb."

Eric Gordon again had a big game, scoring 25 points in three and a half quarters of play, nabbing six rebounds, and two steals. Gordon had his most efficient game as a Sun, going 10-14 from the field and 3-6 beyond the arc.

"I was feeling it tonight ... things just clicked for me on offense and coach was telling me to go with it," said Gordon.

The Suns got a boost too from Goran Dragic, who continues to show that he can direct this offense even though he isn't Steve Nash. Dragic came away with 14 points and eight assists, most of his damage done in the second half after picking up three fouls in the second quarter alone.

"I was getting frustrated in the second," said Dragic. "I lost my head for a bit there but the coaches, the team, they were behind me all the way during halftime ... they told me to keep at it and I'm glad I have something to show for it."

Dragic won the point guard battle as Ty Lawson struggled throughout most of the game, getting only 13 points and four assists after playing most of the game. Unlike Alvin Gentry, who pulled his starters midway through the fourth, George Carl kept his starters in for most of that quarter.

"I didn't play my best tonight and the team didn't either," said Lawson. "I expect us to win every night ... we didn't tonight. We'll be better next time."

The Suns dominated the glass, coming away with 43 rebounds to the Nuggets 30.

"It was a team effort, the rebounding," said head coach Alvin Gentry. "We didn't have to rely on one or two guys ... if the ball came our way and a Sun was nearby, that ball became ours."

The Suns also had the better bench, lead by Greg Oden. Oden finished the game with 10 points and six rebounds, going 4-4 from the field and 2-2 from the line.

"I was just doing what was needed," said Oden. "Coach expects me to do what I did tonight ... play within myself, keep at my game, and play smart."

The Suns two major acquisitions before the season, Gordon and Oden, are looking more and more like good moves. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are still trying to find themselves with their new squad.

"We're working on it ... hopefully we'll get better. We can't do any worse than tonight," said George Carl.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns
Nov 14, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Chicago (7-1)	26	16	26	23	91
Phoenix (8-1)	15	22	28	15	80

Bulls 91, Suns 80

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns fell back to earth Wednesday night as the tough, gritty defense of the Chicago Bulls gave the Suns their first loss of the season. It was an ugly game for the Suns, who turned the ball over 19 times.

"We played badly ... I played badly and that's on me," said Goran Dragic.

Dragic was dominated by Derek Rose, who scored 33 points for the Bulls. Dragic also had five fouls throughout the entire fourth quarter which allowed Rose to go at him at will.

"He didn't play me as tough as he had the first three quarters and I just took what was there," Rose said.

The Suns were behind from the start of this game and could never get the lead. At the end of the first quarter they were down by 11 points but by the end of the first half that lead was trimmed to five.

"We had a chance to win this game and we lost it because we lost the ball, plain and simple," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.

Eric Gordon had another efficient game, scoring 20 points on 8-15 from the floor but his three ball was nowhere to be found, hitting only 2-7 from beyond the arc.

"It was tough out there for all of us. Next game we'll have to play with more control," said Gordon.

Control was something the Suns never had in this game. They were only able to trim the lead down to two midway through the third before Rose lit them up for a three, stretching the lead back to five.

The Suns looked mortal tonight but they're already moving on.

"We lost and it stinks, yeah ... but we have other things to concentrate on. This was just one game," said Gordon.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
Nov 16, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (9-1)	28	25	27	18	98
Los Angeles (5-4)	21	27	15	28	91

Suns 98, Lakers 91

LOS ANGELES -- Though the score says otherwise, this game wasn't as close as it appeared. The Phoenix Suns came into this game looking vulnerable, the blueprint to beat them out there thanks to the Chicago Bulls, but don't tell the Lakers that.

"There's no blueprint to beat anyone ... anyone can play anyway they want on any night," said Kobe Bryant.

Bryant had 43 points but his efforts were for naught as the Suns let him score while locking down Dwight Howard, holding the much talked about center to only nine points.

"I had an off night but it happens ... we'll see these guys again. No worries," said Howard.

Despite his assurances, the Lakers might need to take notice of the Suns. Goran Dragic dominated the point guard matchup, easily outscoring Chris Duhon. Dragic finished with 18 points and 10 assists, bouncing back after a tough game against the Bulls.

"We did good tonight. Not as many turnovers, not as many dumb decisions ... I'm proud of our guys," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.

Dragic had help too. Eric Gordon continued to show how much of a scoring threat he is, scoring 24 points, grabbing five rebounds, and six assists. Luis Scola battled against the taller Pau Gasol and came away with 19 points, proving that just because someone is taller doesn't mean they're better.

"I just kept at it ... Gasol and I, we've played one another many times throughout the years. There are no tricks left for either of us and that's fine with me," said Scola.

Jared Dudley had 14 points with seven rebounds, while Gortat scored eight points but pulled in an impressive 13 rebounds.

Off the bench Greg Oden scored 10 points and came away with two blocks, one emphatically against Dwight Howard.

"It felt good to play Dwight again," said Oden. "I like the challenge."

Oden seemed to be the only Suns player who found anyone on the Lakers a challenge. The Suns lead from midway through the first, their larget lead 17 points. The Lakers chipped away at that margin in the fourth, narrowing the lead down to seven points at one point.

"We had a shot but we couldn't keep up with them," said Lakers coach Mike Brown. "They were running and running and we were gassed towards the end of the game ... just couldn't close the deal."

The Lakers won the rebound battle but did not play unselfish ball, as they only tallied 17 total assists to the Suns 28.

"We're not all there ... we still have some guys injured," said Bryant, referencing Steve Nash who sat out this game. "Once we get all our guys back we'll be better, that's a promise."

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns
Nov 17, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Miami (4-7)	20	23	17	12	72
Phoenix (10-1)	18	27	23	18	86

Suns 86, Heat 72

PHOENIX -- The much anticipated rematch between he Heat and Suns wasn't as close as the first game. In fact, the Suns won three out of the four quarters behind an impressive 19 points and 10 rebounds from Marcin Gortat.

Gortat and Bosh had words the last time the Heat and Suns met, and this time the two settled their differences on the court.

It wasn't much of a fight. Though Bosh appeared willing to take on more of the offensive responsibilities early, he disappeared heading into the fourth. Gortat, meanwhile, scored eight of his 19 points in that quarter.

"This was a win and this proved which team was tougher," said Gortat.

Bosh refused to comment on that or anything else after the game.

Despite the return of Lebron James, who scored 25 points, the Heat struggled to find anyone else on the team to score besides the big three. Lebron kept taking it inside but was called for multiple fouls thanks to the play of Luis Scola. He eventually fouled out midway through the fourth, when the Heat were only down by six.

"I played poorly tonight," said James. "I wasn't in control of my body and I got called for some fouls ... that's on me."

The other notable matchup in this game was Eric Gordon versus Dwayne Wade. Both undersized two guards battled all game long, trading dunks and layups, but Gordon emerged the better. He scored 23 points while Wade only had 19. Neither was particularly efficient but their battle was one of the few entertaining bits in this game.

"I love going against the league's best and Wade is among the best, no doubt," said Gordon.

In the game Gordon had a memorable play where he pulled off a beautiful spin move and dunk to the basket, causing Wade and James both to lose their footing in the process.

"Oh yeah, that one is special ... I'll remember that for awhile," said Gordon with a smile.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will remember the game too. "This isn't our best ball, clearly, and we got handled. That's fine, we'll gather ourselves and move on, but don't think we'll forget this game ... we need to remember this one for a long time and I'll make it a priority that we do remember this."

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Portland Trailblazers at Phoenix Suns
Nov 21, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Portland (5-6)	21	18	26	23	88
Phoenix (10-2)	20	24	20	23	87

Blazers 88, Suns 87

PHOENIX -- The Portland Trail Blazers did not go away, much to the Suns chagrin, and stole one away. The Blazers made a strong effort in the second half to take the lead and it took them the last two seconds of the game to do it. On a play that will likely haunt the Suns all season, Lamarcus Aldridge put up the game tying shot from the low block and the ball went in ... and there was a foul.

A foul that was called on a livid Luis Scola, who was defending Aldridge on the play. Calmly, Aldridge went and sunk the free throw, giving the Blazers a one point lead with 1.9 seconds left on the clock.

The Suns called a timeout to advance the ball and then ran a play to Eric Gordon, who lofted up a three pointer that clanked off the back iron. The silence was deafening as the Suns walked slowly off the court.

Though the crowd may have been silent, the Suns were most definitely not in the locker room.

"That was one of the worst calls I've seen in years," said a displeased Alvin Gentry. "I've been around some bad calls but that foul ... that was phantom. Luis was off Aldridge, not draped on him."

The game should have never come down to that last second shot. The Suns had a five point lead with a minute to go but the Blazers Nicolas Batum, who finished with 25 points, nine coming from behind the arc, nailed a clutch three pointer to knock the lead down to two. The Suns desperately tried to hold on but they had struggled offensively all game.

No one was more representative of those struggles than Eric Gordon. Gordon finished with 24 points but shot a horrid 10-31 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc.

"I was bad tonight and I started forcing things," Gordon said. "I know why we lost this game and it was because I let my guys down."

Luis Scola disagrees with that, as do a number of other Suns.

"I did not foul him (Aldridge) and I know the refs know that ... why they called it, I don't know, but I didn't foul him," Scola insisted angrily.

"We weren't getting any calls tonight," said Marcin Gortat, who finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. "It was like the refs were color blind ... anyone in our jersey color just didn't register for them."

The Suns are obviously disappointed by this game but they don't won't sulk for long.

"This is the NBA ... you win some, you lose some, and we lost this one. We'll move on soon enough and we'll learn from this," said Gentry.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)



11-21-2012

“Bull ****!”



The plastic cup slammed against the nearby wall as Gil uttered more curses at the TV.


Andy just shook his head. “It figures.”


Gil took out a cigar and lit it. “The way Gordon was playing, I guess it

does.”


Andy glared at him. The two were at his brand new house, something that he couldn’t have afforded before but that modest bump in salary had given him what he needed for this place. It wasn’t big, it wasn’t huge, but it was good enough for him. Two bedrooms, two full baths, a decently sized kitchen, and a nice living room.


It was right outside of the main city, in a little suburb, and Andy was a virtual unknown here. It wasn’t like his previous living arrangement, where his apartment was stalked by fans with trade ideas.


No one knew he was here yet … he still had some privacy which was nice.


“What are we going to do about Gordon?” Gil asked as he picked up his cup and refilled it with booze.


Andy sighed. “I wish I knew … he’s been in a bit of a shooting funk.”


“That’s a damned understatement. He shot us right out of that game.”


“He shot us into it before,” Andy reminded him. “His play in the second quarter helped us take the lead.”


“His play in the second half helped us lose it,” Gil countered. He sat down on the fold out chair and looked Andy in the eyes. “I’m not telling you to trade him.”


“You sound like you are.”


He rolled his eyes. “Kid, we got this guy now … he’s on his way to becoming a star in this league. We need that and he likes us, so why screw with it?”


Andy nodded. “So what’s your angle? You weren’t a big fan of this trade to begin with.”


“No. It stunk then. It stinks less now,” Gil said with a small smirk, his wrinkled face unused to that expression. “We need to help him.”


“The starting five –”


“Aren’t going anywhere, I know that … the bench, kid, the bench. Who stepped up to help take the pressure off Gordon? He obviously felt like he needed to win the game himself and he lost it.”


“Right … right, the bench.” Andy rubbed the back of his neck, his mind beginning to work. “There are people on it that should serve as our scorers.”


“But they’re not doing that … we’re twelve games into the season, we can do a bit of shuffling.”


Andy eyed him. “You have something in mind?”


Gil grinned. “I have a lot of contacts … one in Atlanta has been telling me about how unsatisfied Anthony Morrow is. He wants more minutes but the Hawks are content to give them to Deshawn Stevenson.”


Andy crossed his arms. “What do they want?”


“They need a small forward. We have a few of those, don’t we?”


Andy saw where he was going with this. He liked it. “Johnson.”


“Johnson,” Gil agreed. “The Hawks love his athleticism and think with Josh Smith there, the two can feed off one another. If we send Johnson to them they’ll give us Morrow … they might even be willing to throw a second round pick in there if we do it sooner rather than later.”


“Time limit?”


Gil looked at his watch. “Seventeen hours. If we don’t agree with them before that the offer is off the table and it never happened.”


“Not a lot of time to think about it.”


Gil took a hit of his cigar and blew the smoke into the air. “You have the big pants on, kid … your call.”


Andy sat back and thought. Johnson was young but not exactly good at one thing. He could do a lot of things decently enough but the team had Jared Dudley for that. “Could we do better?”


“I don’t think so. The Hawks are high on Johnson and they need a starting forward to compliment Smith. Johnson doesn’t demand the ball, he just plays … they may need him to be part of the rebuilding process if Smith leaves in free agency,” Gil said.


It didn’t take long for Andy to make the choice. “Make the call, tell them we have a deal.”


Gil shot him a thumbs up and took another swig of his booze. “Good call, kid. Morrow is gonna love playing for us … he’ll get the green light to shoot like never before.”

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)



Sandy Collins

12-1-12

Was up, Shiners! What a week for the Suns, huh? It seems like we’re watching two teams on some nights … the Suns who like to win big and the ones who like to lose big. It hasn’t been pretty (approaching levels of ugliness that have no words) but it’s been totally fun to watch.


Here’s my take on the last five Suns games:


Suns 103, Hornets 90


Was it even a challenge for our guys? They had so much fun out there I doubt it. The Hornets came out looking like they had already been stung (did you see what I did there?) but it was kinda scary seeing how good

Mike Beasley and Anthony Davis worked together.


On our end of the floor Eric Gordon did little to make the Hornets miss him, getting only 13 measly points. Where was he? I don’t know. His shot goes hot and cold and, honestly, I wonder if there’s really that much difference between him and Beasley some days.


Then I listen to Gordon talk and I just feel all warm inside. He’s a standup guy and not a knucklehead like Beasley, and he’s having a good year for us … so I won’t hate him too much.


Suns 115, 76ers 94


This was a game where everything came together for our guys. It was a BYOB night (Bring your own ball) as everyone on the team just seemed to be shooting lights out, even Gordon who scored on 50% of his shots (shocking!). The 76ers tried everything they could to slow the Suns down (including paying some of their fans to mug the Suns bench) but, alas, the city of brotherly love didn’t have enough to do anything to us.


Is it any coincidence that the day the Suns visit Philly the city experiences an unusual heat wave? I think not, Shiners, I think not.


Cavs 104, Suns 74


Cleveland sucks. That is all.


Suns 132, Pistons 86


Detroit sucks too but, hey, we won. That was due in no small part to a huge game from Eric Gordon who scored 28 points on an ultra slim (for him) 12-19, 3-5 from beyond the arc. But the big surprise of this game was how J-Dud just lit up the Pistons for 26 points. Whoa! I was on the edge of my seat and fell off a few times as J-Dud let loose shot after shot, watching 8-11 go down.


My dad near about had a heart attack when J-Dud started shooting that ball. He’s struggled throughout the year with finding his shot (and a razor, get a shave J-Dud!) and my father was sure he would lose us the game. Well, J-Dud proved him wrong and showed why the Suns keep him around. Sure, he doesn’t do this every night but when he does it certainly makes you feel good.



Raptors 123, Suns 96


Karma also sucks but it happens. I mean, Canada just has issues right now especially with the lack of hockey going on (sorry Canadians, find another sport). I think the Suns were just suffering from the overall misery of the country on this trip and that’s why they lost.


It totally has nothing to do with the fact that DeRozan lit the Suns up for 32 points.


Nope, nothing to do with that at all.


That's all I got. Until next time remember …

Shine On and Go Suns!

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)



12-2-2012

The cold air blew at him as he stood outside on the balcony of his hotel, the sounds of the busy city all around him. It was true what they said about this place … it really didn’t sleep.


He looked back at his TV as Sportcenter was again running the highlights of the game. Andy smiled. He stepped back inside and focused on the TV, his mind replaying the moments live while the TV provided commentary.


“ … Suns at Knicks, the Garden rocking as the Knicks take the floor. The Knicks haven’t been particularly good this year, going 6-9 up to this point, but the Knicks have been good at defending their home court. The Suns Eric Gordon would change all that, his first game in the Garden in nearly two years and he didn’t disappoint.

Gordon shot the lights out of the Garden, going 12-24 and 2-5 from beyond the arc, his play a huge reason for the Suns win. The Knicks struggled all game especially Carmelo who missed a three not once … not twice … not three times … but four times on the same possession! Melo finished with an abysmal 18 points on 8-24 shooting, not hitting a single three in the entire game.

Amar’e showed up though, exploding in the fourth quarter for ten points and bringing the Knicks back to within two with four minutes to go.

But his former team refused to lose another close game and the Suns Eric Gordon took over the offense again, scoring his last six points in that time span, one clutch three pointer and a nice dunk, plus one at the foul line.

The Knicks frontline could not stop Gordon from getting inside, where he flourished all night despite the presence of Marcus Camby, Tyson Chandler, and Kurt Thomas.

The Knicks fall to 6-10 while the Suns record stands at 13-4. Now to our guy, Jalen Rose, for the game analysis … “


Andy rolled his eyes and muted the TV. Rose had already said what everyone else had said before … that the Suns won because Melo didn’t show.


It was a bit insulting to Andy, especially since Eric Gordon stepped up his game so dramatically. It looked like he finally found his groove but the next stretch of games would prove whether or not he really had.


There was a knock at the door and Andy opened it, expecting Gil with a bottle of booze and cigars.


Instead, he found Veronica. Her blonde hair was draped around her shoulders as she wore a stunning red dress, her eyes looking … hungry.


Andy felt his throat go dry.


She smirked at him. “This isn’t for you.”


Feeling profoundly embarrassed, Andy’s face turned beet red … in fact it may have matched the red on her dress. “I … I know that,” he weakly offered.


“Uh huh …” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Mr. Sarver wanted me to tell you to get ready to meet with him on Thursday.”


Andy’s mind was still stuck in neutral as his eyes soaked in every detail of her. “Uh … sure … Thursday.”


“The Dallas game is that day, remember?” She said with growing annoyance.


He nodded.


She snapped her fingers and his eyes were drawn to her face. “Stop staring and listen … Sarver is quite pleased with how things are going but don’t think this is a meeting that’ll land you the job forever. He’s calling this meeting to gauge you … he thinks you’re assistant GM is doing all the work.”


Andy blinked, the accusation snapping him out of his daze. “Gil and I work together. I oversaw the Gordon trade, he oversaw the Morrow one.”


“Maybe that’s so, but Sarver is going to go fishing and see how much you really know. If you manage to convince him you have a clue what you’re doing, he’ll let you be.”


“And if not?”


Veronica scoffed. “Then expect your buddy Gil to have your title unofficially while you sit and gather dust.” She brushed some lint off her red dress and glared at him. “Shut the door. Now.”


He frowned. “I wasn’t going to stare.”


“Door. Now.”


He sighed. “Why are you telling me this?”


“I have my reasons. Good night,” she said briskly.



She stood there, waiting for the door to shut. Reluctantly he did it.


It looked like he had a meeting to get ready for on Thursday.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

Phoenix Suns at Memphis Grizzlies
Dec 4, 2012	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Phoenix (15-4)	23	19	28	24	94
Memphis (10-6)	17	23	21	25	86

Suns 94, Grizzlies 86

MEMPHIS -- The Memphis Grizzlies might be singing the blues after this game as the Phoenix Suns came into their home arena and didn't let the Grizzlies get into any sort of offensive rhythm at all.

The Suns came into the game after an impressive win against the Knicks, lead by Eric Gordon, and carried the momentum from that game to this one. Gordon lead all scorers with 29 points, five rebounds, and four assists, going an efficient 12-16 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc.

"I was set up thanks to my teammates," said Gordon. "Goran was injured and he couldn't really get to the basket, so he just dished it to me over and over ... it was contagious really."

Goran Dragic suffered a bruised thigh in the first quarter but stayed in. His ability to drive to the basket was hampered however, as he only scored two points the entire game. Dragic did come away with 10 assists his focus turned to setting up his teammates.

"I was feeling it and I knew my shot was off ... so I just found everyone else," said Dragic. "I'm not gonna let a thigh bruise keep me out of the game ... it's gonna take a lot more than that to keep me on the bench."

Dragic stayed in the game but the Grizzlies took advantage of his injury, giving Jared Bayless the go ahead to take it to Dragic as often as he wanted. Bayless was starting in place of the injured Mike Conley. Bayless finished with 19 points but went 7-20 from the field.

"I had my shots and they didn't fall. That's all," said Bayless.

The Suns frontline dominated again, Gortat and Scola both pulling in 18 points and seven rebounds each. The Suns also got help off the bench from Greg Oden, who scored 10 points and pulled down six boards, and Markeiff Morris, who had seven points.

The Suns offense was high flying all night, an impressive five alley-oops involving seven different players being converted.

"It was like watching a game from a few years back," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "We were just running it up and down the court, taking to the air ... tonight was a good win and one I hope we can build upon."

Coach Lionel Hollins of the Grizzlies was not so upbeat.

"We shot very poorly tonight and that's something that can be corrected in practice. We're going to be doing a lot of that in the next few days," said Hollins.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)



12-6-2012



“How do you take your coffee?”


Andy flashed a small grin at owner Robert Sarver, trying his best not to appear as nervous as he was. He’d lost sleep thinking about this meeting, wondering if Sarver was going to try and force him out … the Suns were the surprise team of the NBA and Andy wanted to see things through.


“I don’t drink coffee,” he said with a dry mouth.


Sarver looked at him curiously. “What do you drink?”


“Green tea, actually.”


Sarver shrugged and ordered himself one coffee. The two were meeting in some swanky club in downtown Phoenix that Andy had no idea existed before today. The place was decked out in silver and gold tones, the tables made of a very expensive and dark looking wood.


Andy felt like he needed a few more zeroes on the end of his paycheck just to get into this place.


“Andy, I want to pick your brain,” Sarver said as his coffee arrived. He picked it up and took a sip out of it, his face lighting up. “Best coffee in the state.”


Andy cleared his throat. “Feel free to ask anything,” he said as his hands gripped the bottom of the table.


Sarver set his cup down. “The Gordon trade … your idea, right?”


“Yes, sir.”


Sarver nodded. “Say we don’t want to keep Gordon … that we want to move in a different direction. Where would you send him and what would you get?”


Andy stared at him. “Why would we want to send Gordon away?”


“Just entertain the notion,” Sarver said dismissively.


Andy put aside his growing sense of panic and focused on the question. “Well … what are we looking for?”


“Someone in the frontcourt.”


Andy thought for a moment, his mind working on the problem. Gordon was young, talented, and was performing well. His stock was high at the moment but his position, shooting guard, was not one in high demand across the league.


“I could trade him to the Jazz for Favors and Burks I think.”


Sarver narrowed his eyes. “And what if they don’t want to part with Favors?”


“Then I could send him to the Hawks for Josh Smith. We’d have to bring another team in to help them unload Louis Williams and get back a power forward, but it could be done. Smith isn’t guaranteed to stay with the Hawks and they would love to have a young gun like Gordon locked in for a few years as they let him and Horford run a good pick and roll.” Andy leaned back in his chair. “Are you concerned about the money?”


Sarver frowned. “I’m always concerned about the money.”


“We’re under the cap and we’re nowhere near the luxury tax. We’ll be fine,” Andy assured him.


Sarver took a sip of his coffee and set it down. “Let me ask you something else … not business related.” He set the cup down and whispered, “Do you ever think about that day?”


Andy took a moment to judge the question. Was it genuine? Was it some sort of test?


He decided to treat it like it was genuine. “Often,” he admitted.


Sarver seemed to want to say something else but his phone vibrated. He looked at it and grumbled. “I have to go … but this was a nice

conversation.”


Andy blinked at him. “What the hell was this about?”


Sarver smirked. “A good businessman does research … that’s what this was.

Research and coffee, Andy.” He waved the waiter over and told him to put it on his tab. With that he stood. “You can go ahead and order whatever else you’d like for the road … I recommend the French toast. They’ll put it on my tab.”


Andy stood as well, his mind not grasping what was going on. “This was research?”


Sarver wagged a finger at him and kept walking. “We’ll talk again,” he said over his shoulder.


Andy was now alone.


He sat down and waved the waiter over.


“French toast and your best glass of chocolate milk,” he ordered.


The waiter looked at him questioningly. “Chocolate milk, sir?”


“Actually … just make it a chocolate milkshake.”


The waiter offered a small grin. “Very good, sir.” He left.


If Sarver was going to pay for his breakfast, he might as well make it a damned good one.


Sarver at least owned him that much if he wasn’t going to explain anything else.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)



The quarterly breakdown: Suns lead west


Tim Hardy

December 7, 2012

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns are the surprise team of the NBA. That is a fact. But whether the Suns can carry this momentum into the next part of the season remains a mystery. The Suns have made adjustments and their offense is now starting with Eric Gordon and his playmaking abilities are opening up lanes for his teammates.


This was on display Thursday night as the Dallas Mavericks visited the Suns and got scorched by Eric Gordon for 25 points. Gordon went 9-16 from the field and dished out four assists. The Suns won the game easily 90-76 as the Mavericks first quarter lead evaporated from the second quarter onward.


The absence of Dirk Nowitzki understandably made Dallas less potent offensively but defensively the team struggled to contain the driving Eric Gordon and his ability to dish to the open man under the rim, usually Luis Scola. Scola finished the game with 24 points and 10 boards, showing that even with the bothersome Elton Brand covering him he could still score at will.


The scary thing? The Suns aren’t at full power as Goran Dragic continues to battle through a bruised thigh while Anthony Morrow, a key contributor off the bench, also battles through a minor injury of his own. Despite those injuries the Suns are leading the Western Conference standings by two games by three games.


With their record sitting at 16-4, the Suns are now a quarter of the way through their season. But they are certainly not a lock to make the playoffs, even at this point. Here are the Suns biggest threats as it stands now:



LA Clippers (12-6)


The Clippers dynamic duo of Blake Griffin and CP3 are continuing to fly high as the rest of the league looks on in wonder. They also make the Suns nervous. CP3 is clearly a superior point guard to Goran Dragic and Griffin will toy with Scola all day at the four. The Clippers also possess their secret weapon, Grant Hill, who was with the Suns last year. Hill knows this personnel and this coaching staff: his insights will give the Clippers a valuable tool in determining how to slow down this Suns offense.


They meet next on November 8^th.



LA Lakers (12-7)


The Lakers have not forgotten their early season loss to the Suns and look to avenge it. The return of Steve Nash to their lineup has bolstered their ranks and has made all the difference in the world, making Dwight Howard lethal offensively. Howard is averaging 24 points per game, the highest of his career, as Nash and he perform the pick and roll that Phoenix used to run better than anyone.


The Suns should be worried about these Lakers. Nash is directing the offense beautifully and though his own scoring average is down, he’s making everyone around him better. You can be sure Kobe Bryant is ready to avenge that early season loss.


The next meet on January 30^th.


OKC Thunder (10-9)


It’s been a slow start to the season for the Thunder but they’ve won their last three games, finally emerging from under .500 thanks to the efforts of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder is a team that

possesses an embarrassing amount of talent and the best pure scorer in the game in Durant.


But they’re also a team suffering from distraction. The James Harden situation continues to drag on as both sides continue to negotiate. The Suns no longer need Harden after their acquisition of Gordon, but don’t think the Thunder aren’t worried that Phoenix will offer him anyway to force them to pay the max, which sources inside the organization say is something the Thunder may not do.


The game on the court should prove to be just as interesting as the game off it, as the Harden vs. Gordon matchup could be a very entertaining one and a preview of things to come in the future.


They next meet December 31^st.



Memphis Grizzlies (10-6)


This team is one that is similarly constructed to the Suns, with only one key difference: instead of a scoring shooting guard, the Grizzlies have a scoring small forward. Both teams battled it out before in a game that featured many fouls and many highlight worthy plays. The Grizzlies did not shoot well the last time against the Suns and look to correct that in their next game.


The Suns, for their part, must feel comfortable at being able to deal with the Grizzlies before, especially with Dragic’s injury. Once Dragic returns to full strength expect the Suns to run the floor even faster than they did in that game. This could be a playoff preview between two up and coming teams.


They next meet December 12^th.

[theycallmeryan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

This is really good, I like the focus on the off-court issues, but I think on the court it's a little unrealistic with how well the Suns are doing, maybe bump up the sliders/difficulty and try to finish in the middle of the pack/barely in the playoffs for your first season.

[trekfan]

Re: Fate and Fortune: The Andy McCutcheon Story (NBA 2K13)

This is really good, I like the focus on the off-court issues, but I think on the court it's a little unrealistic with how well the Suns are doing, maybe bump up the sliders/difficulty and try to finish in the middle of the pack/barely in the playoffs for your first season.

As much as I would like to say that the on the court stuff is pure cheese, each game is tough to play. I've only played half and simmed the other half, getting me this record. I anticipate there to be a drop off as the season goes along and the Suns face tougher competition. Every team we've faced up to this point has had someone important missing from the lineup ... Dallas was missing Dirk, the Lakers were missing Steve Nash, the Heat were missing Lebron and Mario for a while, and the early season is like that for all the teams.

I did lose to the Bulls and then suffered a heartbreaker against the Blazers, both teams I *should* have won against but I lost both times playing those games (my pride has yet to recover, lol) so I'm gonna keep the sliders as they are for now.

I'm using MKharshes sliders, his first set, so I may switch to the harder set if I don't lose another game (while I play) anytime soon. But, just for reference, the Hawks are 13-2 in the East so my record isn't *that* inflated compared to them.

Happy that you're liking things so far though.