Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
WHEW. And those are the free agency wrap-ups. Ready to start the season.
WHEW. And those are the free agency wrap-ups. Ready to start the season.
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
The Sonics played their first game at home this season and entered the game 1-2, having lost three nights before in an OT game to the Bucks that saw Seattle's offense sputter and die in the extra period. Receiving their rings tonight, the Sonics knew they had to show up for the home crowd and Seattle absolutely did that. But tonight's win in OT didn't come easy and all credit has to go to the Nuggets and their players.
In the first, the Nuggets and Sonics traded defensive plays and hard fouls as frustration was clear for the Sonics as they struggled to get anyone not-named Malik Newman going. There were misses, there were poor passes, and there was sloppy screen setting as the Sonics continued to look like newborn babes, unable to perform the most basic tasks of Coach Udoka's new offense. The Nuggets jumped out to an 8-point lead with less than 3:20 to go in the quarter and the Sonics looked just as lost as they were in Milwaukee. Adjustments by Coach U (his nickname henceforth) were straightforward: go to the bench. Enter in Lance Stephenson and Jeremy Lin, who triggered a few fast breaks and got the Sonics offense going at the end of the 1st, tying the game at 28 all entering the 2nd.
In the 2nd, the Sonics discovered an identity with their bench, as Markieff Moris entered the game and the big three of the second unit – Lin, Stephenson, and Kieff – triggered multiple big plays, allowing the Sonics patented fast break attack to come back. Coach U wasn't afraid to set his offense aside for last year's, at least for the second-unit, and that helped establish a rhythm for the team. That rhythm helped the Sonics scratch out a 4-point lead heading into the half.
In the third, the Sonics and Nuggets traded baskets back and forth – namely, bombs from deep – and the Nuggets managed to keep the deficit from getting out of control thanks to the hot shooting from Nic Batum and Kelly Olynyk. The two players combined for 6-7 from deep and helped keep pace with the Sonics surprising outside shooting.
In the 4th, it seemed Seattle had control of the game during the closing minutes, as they jumped out to a 9-point lead with under 4:11 to go, but Isiah Thomas wasn't done playing and the Seattle-born star went into overdrive, lighting up the Sonics from everywhere on the floor. Thomas willed the Nuggets to OT, where both teams were ice-cold from the field for the first two minutes – no one making a shot. But in the last two minutes of OT, the Sonics and Nuggets fought each other, tooth and nail, for every bucket.
Eventually it came down to Westbrook and Thomas; one was going to win and one was going to lose. Thomas scored with 1:14 left, driving inside and lofting a pretty layup over Westbrook, but Westbrook instantly responded with a speedy drive and dunk on the other end, tying the game back at 111. Thomas drove it back up court, passed it to a wide-open Mudiay (who was wide-open because Newman gambled on a steal and lost), who clanked the triple off the rim. Seattle grabbed the rebound, tossed it up court to Crowder, who waited patiently in the corner before dishing it back to Kieff, who nailed a triple as Mudiay came flying at him too late. A Westbrook steal and a dunk later, and Seattle led 116-111, a margin that would increase slightly thanks to the Nuggets fouling. The Sonics escaped, plain and simple, but a win is a win.
Westbrook was named player of the game and Seattle now sits at 2-2 as Denver falls to just 2-3. Go Sonics.
Around the NBA
The Kings are 5-0, having beaten the Mavericks, Nuggets (twice), the Suns, and the Warriors in convincing fashion. Their last win against the Warriors (3-2), the Kings beat them 102-85. WHOA. As the NBA attempts to make sense of this, Sacramento is leading the West and is currently the only undefeated team in the NBA.
The Blazers (1-2) can't seem to catch a break. New draft pick Michael Porter is out 4-6 weeks with a broken left wrist, an injury he suffered in the first minute of his second ever NBA game. Portland has to hope the rest of the team can hold the fort as their new rookie heals up, but Blazers fans are already seeing visions of Greg Oden in a suit and the mood in Portland is despondent to say the least.
Both the Wizards and Raptors currently sit at 1-4 and questions are already flying in DC and Toronto about the directions of the team. For the Wizards, every loss has been in double-digits and HC Sam Cassell has moved Thad Young into the starting lineup at the four, hoping the extra spacing solves their problems. For the Raptors, their defense has been in shambles as Kyle Lowry looks like a shell of himself – averaging only 10 PPG on barely 40% shooting, Lowry looks like roadkill against opposing guards. Coach Casey isn't making any moves yet, but if the Raptors are still playing this poorly a month from now, expect a shakeup somewhere.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
The Sonics lost to the Thunder in a close game, falling to 3-3 as OKC moves to 4-3 in a battle for the ages between former teammates Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Westbrook led the Sonics with 38 points while Durant scored 40 in a shootout between two stars.
In the 1st , both teams came out playing hard-nosed defense and cold shooting wise – everyone but Durant and Westbrook, who both seemed to have something to prove this night. The two engaged in a battle early in the 1st, with Westbrook's play helping the Sonics gain a slim 7-point lead that Seattle would quickly lose in the final minutes of the opening quarter as Kevin Durant lit them up from outside, highlighting just how much the Sonics are going to miss RHJ's shutdown defense against the back-to-back MVP Durant.
The second quarter would be more of the same as Seattle's bench unit equally struggled to score, missing open shots and allowing the Thunder to hit theirs as the bench unit's defense seemed out of sorts – assignments were missed, some even blown, and Coach U wasn't pleased on the sideline, but he certainly wasn't blowing his stack. The Sonics managed to only be down by 5-points entering halftime, but then they completely lost the 3rd quarter as Durant came back out and picked up where he left off: scorching Seattle from deep. Worse still, the Thunder's rebounding was superior to the Sonics in this quarter, as they got 14 second-chance points to Seattle's measly 2.
In the final frame, down by 11, the Sonics looked dead, but a furious comeback led by Russell Westbrook and sophomore big Isiah Hartenstein shrank that Thunder lead down to just 6-points with a little over 9 minutes to go in the game; the Sonics would fail to capitalize on multiple opportunities however, missing wide-open triples and blowing easy layups as the Thunder simply out-hustled them down the stretch. Despite narrowing the lead to just 1-point with seconds left in the game, the Sonics were forced to foul to give themselves a chance at an improbable comeback: they fouled Cameron Payne three straight times.
And Payne sank all six of his free throws. Seattle didn't have time to get a good shot at the end and a desperation heave from Westbrook was met with a firm “NO” from the basketball gods as the Sonics lost to the Thunder after sweeping them 4-0 in last year's regular season series. Seattle next sees OKC on January 5th at the PAC, but it's anyone's guess where those teams might be then.
Around the NBA
The Knicks are tied with the Cavs at 4-2 for the best record out East and it's not because Chris Paul or Melo are lighting it up – both players are averaging lesser numbers than usual (10.7 PPG for Paul and 20.3 PPG for Anthony). No, the Knicks are 4-2 because of their youth, namely Porzingis (20.4 PPG with 12.4 RPG, shooting 44% from deep) and Malik Monk (18.6 PPG on 53% shooting from the field). The future is very promising for the Knicks if both those players continue to perform well.
Andre Drummond and the Pistons have agreed to a 3yr/50M contract extension, taking the big man off the market before he even hit. Drummond is very pleased with the direction of the team (the Pistons currently sit at 3-2) and the signing of Paul Millsap has given him his first legitimate frontcourt partner in years.
The Lakers have ascended to the top of the West and now sit at 6-1, winners of five straight. Jaylen Brown is having a stellar campaign so far, averaging 24.5 PPG with 11.3 RPG as a SF. With a shooting percentage of 52%, the third-year player is improving right before our eyes into an All-Star.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
November 11th, 2018
He was a big enough man to admit when he was wrong. Sitting at 3-3, the team vacillating between looking good with his offense and looking completely lost, Ime Udoka knew that they were going to need to right the ship sooner rather than later -- especially with how the conference was shaping up.
You can do this. As a first time head coach, he'd been presented with multiple firsts: first time running practice as the lead dog, first time plotting out rotations against opposing squads, first time hearing his name announced over the PA system as the head man of the ball club.
"Markieff."
Markieff gave him a head nod as he was lacing up his shoes before practice. "'Sup Coach?"
Ime cracked a small smile. The knot inside his stomach unwound and he was completely at ease. Pop always said to trust the players. "You're back in the starting lineup. I already informed Isiah." He sat down beside him and handed him his iPad. "Take a look."
Markieff's eyes lit up as he looked at the potential plays drawn out. "Gonna play me and Isiah together?"
"For stretches. I think you can slide down to three and present a big mismatch to your matchup." He reached over and swiped at the screen. "These next three games are important. We're just .500 right now and that's not good enough. You were a real professional going to the bench at the beginning of the season, now I need you to step up as a starter."
Markieff nodded along. "Hell yeah. Man, I'm glad to be back ... no offense. I like starting."
Ime nodded at the screen. "Tristan Thompson. Al Horford. Chris Bosh. You're next three matchups. You show me what you've shown me off the bench, then you're the starter going forward. No guarantees, no promises, just facts."
"I read you, Coach. I got this." Markieff finished lacing up and headed out to the practice court. "See you out there!"
Ime leaned back and let out a breath. He really hoped this was the right decision ... already it felt like the season was slipping through his fingers and he was just six games into it. This team could run his offense, he was confident of that, he'd seen it -- they just needed to do it consistently. And they needed to keep doing it.
Hartenstein was going to be special, Ime had no doubt of that. He reminded him of a cross between Dirk and Tim Duncan ... all the kid had to do was keep playing. Every game he got better. He'd take Morris' spot down the line, maybe next year, maybe later this season. Just a matter of time.
He grabbed the whistle around his neck -- an old one that he'd gotten years ago when he was hired by Pop as an assistant coach -- and gave it a run. "Practice makes better." There was no such thing as perfect, Pop had told him once. You were either good or damned lucky.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
The Sonics (6-3) headed to Orlando to take on the Magic (6-5) in the inter-conference matchup of the week. Paul George, in his new duds, welcomed Russell Westbrook and the suddenly dangerous Sonics to the Ozone. Seattle had won three-straight since inserting Markieff Morris back into the starting lineup and he's been the difference – and an early team MVP candidate – since the loss to the Thunder.
His presence was just as important in this game as the Sonics and Magic engaged in a close affair. The two teams battled it out in the first half to a stalemate as both Westbrook and George struggled to score, but contributed in other ways: Russell with his passing and George with his tenacious defense. George and Westbrook even matchuped a few times, much to the excitement of the packed Ozone crowd. At the half the score was tied 49 all.
In the third, the Sonics began to out-pass and out-play the Magic as Westbrook continued to find the open man and the Sonics players capitalized on the easy shots. You could definitely see shades of the Spurs “beautiful game” schemes as multiple screens and pin-downs were used to free up the Sonics shooters – who have made the Sonics fourth in the league in team 3p% at 41%.
The bench unit, the Sonics not-so-secret weapon at this point, also had a strong game, led by Hartenstein, Gortat, Lin, and Lance. The bench's Fab Four combined for 35 points (17 from Hartenstein in a strong showing) and the Lin-to-Lance connection was alive and well as Lin, despite not scoring, affected the game with his shrewd passing and pesky defense.
In the fourth the Magic attempted to mount a comeback, led by the suddenly awake Paul George (who only had 11 points through three quarters). George tried to will his team to victory and got within three with under 3:30 to go, but the Sonics had an answer for every shot he took, the backbreaker going to Markieff Morris with a dagger triple with under 2:35 to go which extended the Sonics lead to six.
Orlando lost in a close one, another team that gave the Sonics (now 7-3) their best shot, but Seattle pulled through once more and they're now on a four-game win streak since Morris became a starter again. Coach U seems to have learned a valuable lesson: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Go Sonics.
Around the NBA
The Utah Jazz are 2-8 and there just doesn't seem to be an answer to anything. Draymond Green, supposedly the answer to Utah's woes, isn't giving an MVP performance or anywhere close. He's averaging only 6.9 PPG with 9.4 RPG on an abysmal 38% from the field, 31% from deep. The Jazz aren't helping him much anyway as the team is only scoring 92.3 PPG while allowing 108.8 PPG. David Blatt's team can't seem to execute his defensive schemes. If Utah doesn't see improvement soon, the Jazz's playoff hopes might go up in smoke before the season's a month old.
Out East, the Bucks can empathize with the Jazz, as they too sit at 2-8 with no definable reason why other than a bad fit with Marc Gasol. The Bucks have dropped five straight, each by double-digits, and Gasol is only averaging 10.9 PPG with 5.8 RPG on 39% shooting – it looks like the Bucks got hoodwinked by the Grizzlies, who may have known Gasol was about to fall off a cliff into oblivion. Gasol has also fouled out two out of the last three games and the Bucks are struggling to score on anyone and can't stop a cold.
Injuries are plaguing teams across the league as major players are out for extended periods. Kyle Lowry went down with a broken ankle (1-2 months recovery), but the Raptors have won three straight in his absence – if they keep it up, Lowry could be moved at the deadline. Meanwhile in Miami, former Raptor Chris Bosh is out with a severe ankle sprain for 6-8 weeks – Miami is 4-7 now, losers of two straight. Victor Oladipo is out with an ankle sprain as well (4-6 weeks), Bobby Portis of the Bulls broke his ankle (4-6 weeks), and Julius Randle injured his shoulder (4-6 weeks).
The team most hit by injuries, though, has been the Hawks, who are missing Al Horford with a shoulder injury (2-4 weeks) and Wilson Chandler with a broken hand (1-2 weeks). The Hawks sit at 4-6, barely surviving, but surviving nonetheless.Last edited by trekfan; 07-17-2016, 04:56 PM.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
Nerlens with 9 blocks! How do you like using him?Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Folks, 2K dropped some HUGE news regarding MyLeague in 2K17. Give this a read. http://www.operationsports.com/featu...gue-expansion/
Relevant quotes I was excited about:
I'm floored. Ladies and Gents, I believe this is a game-changer for us Dynasty types. I was going to skip 2K17, but this really calls that into question. If they gave this the attention I think they did (rebranding more than home/away, a full creation-suite), then we're on the threshold of the golden age of dynasty story telling.Every possible configuration you could want is now at your fingertips. And I have more features to make the expansion process even easier for you. If creating all of the art assets for the team logo, arena, and uniforms is more than you can handle, I have two alternatives for you. First, we have 10 pre-built fictional franchises (complete with full audio and commentary support) built right in to the game. Pick your favorite one and off you go. Alternatively, you can now download complete team designs from the community in NBA 2K17. For example, if you know that you want your expansion team to be a Seattle Supersonics franchise, you can search through community uploaded team designs and instantly download one right into your new MyGM/MyLEAGUE. It couldn’t be simpler.
For my franchise heads out there, you already know that a proper league expansion is more than just new logo/uniform/stadium art. The entire experience surrounding the game has to support it. We’ve covered every detail required for a proper league expansion, including player protections, expansion drafts, and much, much more. A considerable amount of time was spent this year building an NBA schedule creation tool that dynamically generates balanced schedules with respect to your 31/32/33/34/35/36 team leagues. We then created dynamic menus for every menu in the game including the Draft Lottery and the Draft, with respect to how many teams are in the league. For example, when you have a 32-team league, that means you now have 16 teams in the lottery (up from the current 14), and all the mathematical odds of getting the #1 pick that go along with that new Draft Lottery format need to be updated. Simply put, we left no stone unturned, and we did it all for your enjoyment. Immerse yourselves.
For Expansion Teams, you can choose to: 1) Design your own team logo, uniform, and arena from scratch, 2) You can populate your league with a selection of fictional expansion teams we have built from the ground-up (complete with full audio and commentary support), or 3) You can browse Team Designs that other community members have uploaded. With only the press of a button, these Team Designs can easily be downloaded an inserted directly into your league.
What are your guys' thoughts on it?
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
Sounds like they really improved on the expansion aspect!
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
Would you still do this my leage
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
Sounds like it. A lot to be shown before we know for sure, but the release date of 2K17 is at the end of September this year, so we're only 2 months out basically.
Looking at the image they provided here:
It seems like the rebranding is similar to last year's. The leftmost box says: "Design a team from the ground up with the creation of a team logo, home/away uniforms, and a custom arena."
The "Use Pre-Built Team" box is interesting in that the two uniforms depicted there are both colored ones, highly unusual for a team that isn't the Lakers. Doesn't seem like alternate uniforms is a thing, but that's just a guess on my part.
Tough call at this point, there's too little information known. Based on what I'm seeing, the incentive is there to move to 2K17 as to fully take advantage of the expansion aspect -- even if said aspect is still restricting us to just two uniforms (which I really hope that's not the case). The idea of having a league of 36 teams, six of which are created by yourself, and full-relocation abilities for all current teams (as it was on PC this past year) makes the possibilities nearly endless from a story-telling standpoint.
That said, I was an early adopter last year (day 1 pickup for me) and there were a few bugs in MyLeague that has impacted this dynasty here (as the save file was made literally a week after the game and has been continuing on for nearly a year now).
I wasn't expecting nor anticipating 2K to give MyLeague the ability for league expansion and the very fact that the Sonics were mentioned as an example team (and that all of their prebuilt franchises are fully integrated into the game with audio and commentary support) leads me to believe that we might have the SuperSonics as one of those fully integrated teams, which would be a nice feature -- and a fascinating one (what dialogue did they record for that, if it is indeed a thing?).
Overall, more information is needed before I make a final choice and I will continue with this dynasty until 2K17 comes out at least. But I appreciate the question.
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
You could try to "continue" this league in 2K17, if importing the players/teams isn't too much of a chore (it may be).?The Bulgarian Brothers - a story of two brothers (Oggy and Dinko) as they coach in the NCAA and the NBA.
?Ask me about the Xbox Ally handheld - I'm on the team that made it.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
^I have considered that. The only issues being A) the draft classes -- they'd have to be re-engineered and then everyone would have to get to where they need to go and B) the contracts -- depending on what's done with the offseason, we could be looking at vastly different dynamics for team's in terms of evaluating and signing talent (the offseason is one of the parts of MyLeague that needs some work, IMO).
If I were to end this franchise and do one in 2K17, it might not even be with the Sonics ... I don't want to retell the same story, nor do I want to tread over territory that's been covered here. It would be a challenge to do the Sonics again after all that's been done here, but there were multiple different ways this dynasty could have gone at the beginning, so there are other stories to tell with this team.
But with an expansion-team league, there are SO many other stories that could be told. Right now, not enough is known to cement any decisions but the possibilities are very intriguing right now.Comment
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Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return
That all makes sense. I (and others) may have just fallen in love with Max. But we still have a few months
I'll likely stick with NBA 2K16, but all the new features do sound awesome.?The Bulgarian Brothers - a story of two brothers (Oggy and Dinko) as they coach in the NCAA and the NBA.
?Ask me about the Xbox Ally handheld - I'm on the team that made it.Comment
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