Bringing Back the Buzz: Zo & '92-93 Hornets

[trekfan]

Re: February 26, 2017 vs Washington

KD's actually absent! It's 3 point guards and 2 Hornets. The whole summary is here, as this is only about 2 weeks old in game time.

1) LJ
2) Lillard
3) Curry
4) Zo
5) Paul

Wow, no KD? Dude's won back-to-back MVPs in my MyLeague, seems he's at the top of the list every year. I'm pulling for LJ, Lillard, or Zo. I'm fine with any one of those three.

[studbucket]

Re: February 26, 2017 vs Washington

Wow, no KD? Dude's won back-to-back MVPs in my MyLeague, seems he's at the top of the list every year. I'm pulling for LJ, Lillard, or Zo. I'm fine with any one of those three.

KD has been a monster while Westbrook was out, but after averaging ~31 ppg last season, he's down 7-8 ppg and the Thunder don't have a great record. Both of those things are probably impacting it, and his scoring will likely drop off with Westbrook back.

Zo's slowly been gaining on LJ and just won player of the month. LJ's outside shooting has gotten worse this year, and teams seem to be able to shut him down more effectively than last year. Mourning has also had several games with 40+ points and has had a huge impact on games, including drawing tons of fouls.

[Number999]

Re: Bringing Back the Buzz: Zo & '92-93 Hornets

I've just been a lurker for the most part but dude I have to say, the quality of this franchise is spectacular. The graphics, your writing, the gifs(which look and load AMAZINGLY) all work together brilliantly. Hope the Hornets keep beasting!

[studbucket]

Re: Bringing Back the Buzz: Zo & '92-93 Hornets

I've just been a lurker for the most part but dude I have to say, the quality of this franchise is spectacular. The graphics, your writing, the gifs(which look and load AMAZINGLY) all work together brilliantly. Hope the Hornets keep beasting!

Thanks, you made my night! I'm having a lot of fun with this, and I'm glad you like the writing (because prose isn't my strong suit).

I have way too much fun with the gifs and videos...and I don't think my wife knows I spend ~2 hours a week writing a pretend blog about a fake basketball team

[studbucket]

2017 NBA Draft Preview

Throughout the years, we’ve heard and seen a bit of talent come from overseas and doomsayers have been predicting the end of college basketball. Well this year’s draft may be the first sign it’s coming true.

Of the top 9 players on the current Draft Express rankings, an astounding 7 of them are international players, including 2 wing players from Puerto Rico. So who are these 7 internationals that have rocketed to the top of draft boards?

#1 – Pavlo Bilous (PG, Ukraine, 6’3”)
Pavlo is generally considered the best prospect in this draft, and should be able to step in and contribute right away having averaged 25 points and 9 assists per game overseas. Already a skilled shooter, Pavlo will just need to bulk up and improve his defense.

#2 – Nikita Alenichev (PF, Russia, 6’10”)
More than any other player in this year’s draft, Nikita gets his buckets. Despite being only 22, he bossed the professional league in Russia, averaging over 30 points per game. We’ll see how well his game can hold up in the NBA, where a strong mid-range game is becoming increasingly more important.

#3 – Javier Cortez (SF, Spain , 6’9”)
In a draft that has 10 small forwards in the top 30, the lanky Spanish winger finds himself at the top of the list. With a 7’1” wingspan and a lot of raw talent, he’s an intriguing prospect. Don’t think he’s Kevin Durant quite yet, however, as his shooting leaves a lot to be desired.

#4 – Peja Lekic (C, Serbia, 7’0”)
Alonzo Mourning, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kirstaps Porzingis, and Anthony Davis has shown that the big man is alive and well. Peja is not as skilled as any of those guys, but he’s bigger than any of them and should slot right into a starting spot for whoever drafts him.

#5 – Miguel Altit (SG, Puerto Rico, 6’3”)
The first of 2 young studs from Puerto Rico, Altit is a well-rounded slasher, but a bit undersized for a 2 in the modern NBA.

#7 – Ferdinand Rodriguez (SF, Puerto Rico, 6’6”)
Rodriguez has NBA size, but lacks any great skills which may inhibit his ability to have a long-term NBA career.

#9 – Reinaldo Pessoa (SF, Brazil, 6’9”)
6’9” with a 7’2” wingspan and the ability to shoot three pointers? Pessoa is a great player for the pace and space NBA. He doesn’t show much effort on defense or in the post, but he could turn into a nice “three and D” player.

Does Coach J have any former players coming out? Nope. With 4 guys going pro last season, the Badgers brought back very few experienced players and they really struggled, even missing the NCAA tournament.

To wrap things up, here’s the current mock draft from Draft Express.

[studbucket]

February 28, 2017 at Sacramento

With Jae Crowder hurt and DeMarcus Cousins regularly fouling out, the Kings have dropped to 6^th in the West. However, they’ll still be a tough matchup for the Hornets, as they have several good outside shooters and some very solid defenders to put on ‘Zo. There’s more than 20 point difference between the 113.5 points a game Charlotte scores and the 92.2 points per game the Kings allow, and this will likely trend toward higher scoring, like all Charlotte games. These 2 teams met a week ago in Charlotte, and it was an easy 33 point victory for the Hornets, thanks to a 36-20 2^nd quarter, Alonzo Mourning’s 7 blocks, and no King able to get their scoring going.

The game in Sacramento kicks off a 4-game West Coast swing, as the Hornets will also visit Los Angeles for 2 games and Denver.

In the first quarter and the beginning of the second, the Hornets struggled. Sacremento’s defense came to play, and the Hornets’ starters couldn’t get anything going. At one point early in the 2^nd, the Hornets were down by 13. However, the 2^nd unit came on and Ramon Sessions, Kelly Olynyk, and Paul Noonan helped lead the Hornets back to a 3 point lead at half.

In the 2^nd half, it was a back and forth affair with Charlotte’s 2^nd unit still being the most effective. This was evidenced by Noonan, Sessions, and Olynyk combining for a +/- of 73, while Zo, LJ, and Bradley combined for -47.

The Hornets went nuts when Gill hit the shot to put them up for good.

With 3 minutes left and Charlotte’s starters back on the floor, the Kings came back from down 11 to tie the game up. Charlotte ran another stagnant offensive set, ending up with Gill tightly guarded on the elbow. After a few unsuccessful dribble moves, Kendall hit a contested jumper as the shot clock ran out, giving the Hornets a 2-point lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Hornets were helped greatly by Kings foul trouble, as DeRozan fouled out early in the 4^th quarter after a very effective third quarter. In only 19 minutes, DeRozan had 16 points on 7-10 shooting. DeMarcus Cousins had a great game, with 27 points and 16 rebounds, but was let down by Rondo, Casspi, McLemore, and Cauley-Stein who combined to have a +/- of -81.

For the Hornets, Paul Noonan had 16 points on 5-6 shooting and Mamadou Banjo had a career high 10 points in 10 mnutes. Mourning had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, but also contributed 6 turnovers to the effect.

Around the League

• Despite being down 15 in the first half, the Warriors came storming back and outscored the Wizards by 24 points in the 2^nd half to end up with an easy victory.
• The young frontcourt of the 76ers outclassed the young backcourt of the Lakers, as Embiid, Okafor, and Noel combined for 42 points and 40 rebounds.
• The Wizards rebounded from their loss to the Warriors as LeBron James and John Wall combined for 69 points to beat the Nets.
• Despite 25 turnovers, the Timberwolves beat the Knicks and were led by Karl-Anthony Towns 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
• After losing to the 76ers, the Lakers managed to hold a hot Jazz team to an astounding 67 total points.
• Chris Bosh helped the heat halt their huge slide with a 14 point victory over the West-leading Warriors.
• Despite losing to the hapless Spurs, Anthony Davis had 28 points and 23 rebounds.
• Larry Johnson had 33 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in an easy win over the Lakers. Kelly Olynyk (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Wallace Anrin (11 rebounds, 11 assists) both had double-doubles.
• The Pacers have been reward for moving Chief Bing to the bench as Jeff Perkinson won the rookie of the month award for the Eastern Conference.

[studbucket]

March 4, 2017 at Los Angeles Clippers

The Hornets pretty much have the East locked up with a 52-10 record and a 7 game winning streak since the All-Star break. The Clippers come in at 37-23, and on a bit of swoon. They’ve gone 5-5 in their last 10 and have dropped to 5^th in the West after being first early in the season. However, Chris Paul is still a strong MVP candidate, DeAndre Jordan is the favorite for DPOY, and Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, Lance Stephenson, Taj Gibson, and Alex Len provide the Clippers with very good talent and athleticism.

For the Hornets, Kendall Gill just tore his hamstring, putting him out for 6-8 weeks alongside the already injured Dell Curry. This thrusts Paul Noonan into the starting lineup for the first time all season. The Clippers also made the curious decision to start Jamal Crawford over JJ Redick (who had been starting and playing well all season), we’ll see if Doc’s change pays off.

The game lived up to its billing of good defense and athleticism for the first three quarters. Alonzo Mourning got into early foul trouble and Wallace Anrin, Larry Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, and Jerret Carmichael made up for it by each hitting threes. However, the Hornets real first quarter hero was Kelly Olynyk who had 7 points and 10 rebounds in the first quarter and finished the game with 13 points and 18 rebounds.

Despite the early lead, the Hornets slowed down and let the Clippers back into it as Jamal Crawford started hitting his threes and also had 4 blocks.

In the second half sloppy play and turnovers continued from Charlotte as Avery Bradley had 4 fouls just 4 minutes into the 3^rd, but it all turned around in the 4^th quarter. Charlotte started it off with a 9-0 run, DeAndre Jordan fouled out, and the Hornets pulled away to a pretty easy victory on the backs of Johnson, Mourning, and Olynyk.

Kelly Olynyk’s 18 rebounds were a career best and Zo and LJ added double-doubles of their own. DeAndre Jordan was mostly invisible with 4 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block and the Clippers best player was Chris Paul with 21 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Around the League

• Nets have fired Lionel Hollins and hired William Goodrich as head coach.
• With Paul George injured, the Pacers continued to struggle as Damian Lillard scored 35 and dished out 15 assists in a 110-99 victory.
• With Steph Curry hurt, the Warriors have lost 4 straight games, including games to the pitiful Raptors and Mavericks.
• The Jazz continue their ascendance with a 40 point victory over the Rockets, led by Hayward’s 30 points.
• Anthony Davis had 25 rebounds and 29 points in an easy victory over the Pistons.
• DeAngelo Russell had a triple double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists) in a victory over the Hawks.
• Even with LaMarcus Aldridge out injured, the Spurs got revenge on Tim Duncan, beating the Spurs 96-89. Duncan did play well though, getting 25 and 18, but John Wall didn’t play which really hurt the Wizards.
• In a losing effort to the Knicks, Dirk Nowitzki added 6 blocks to his 27 points and 11 rebounds.
• The Jazz had a golden opportunity to catch up with a shorthanded Warriors team, but poor 3-point shooting doomed them to a 6 point loss.
• Damian Lillard scored a season high 48 points to outduel the Thunder and lead the Blazers to a 21 point victory.
• It wasn’t quite Damian Lillard, but Jeff Teague scored 42 points to beat the Suns.
• The Hornets won their 11^th straight with a 132-108 victory over Dallas and were led by a Larry Johnson triple-double (35 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists).
• Muggsy Bogues kept dishing to Billy Delk (28 points) and Jahlil Okafor (23 points) all night as he racked up 18 assists in a victory over the Pacers.
• Andre Drummond had 26 rebounds in a monster victory over the Knicks.
• Jared Sullinger had a triple-double (26, 10, 10) and Chief Bing and Miles Turner both fouled out in a combined 28 minutes as the Celtics beat the Pacers.
• The Wizards get John Wall back against the Heat, and they really need him. They’ve lost 4 of 5 in his absence.

[studbucket]

March 16, 2017 vs Utah Jazz


After a strong stretch, the Jazz have struggled lately but still sit 3^rd in the West and 4.5 games back of the Warriors. The Hornets 11-game win streak ended with a loss at Detroit, but they are still 8.5 games ahead in the East and only have 11 losses on the season. Cole Aldrich finally returns to the lineup to give the Hornets more depth in the frontcourt.

Coach J and his former Badgers Carmichael and Banjo will be excited to see Tommy Camper and Freddy Tobias again, though we’ll see how much time the Jazz give Tobias. Last year in Cleveland, Zo gave Camper fits, but the frontcourt of Gobert, Favors, and Camper will be a tough matchup for Charlotte.

As the Hornets were getting ready to celebrate a hard fought victory, the Jazz wanted nothing of it. As time ran out Gary Neal hit a three over a step-slow Larry Johnson and forced overtime. Once in OT, Gordon Hayward fouled out, which didn’t slow the Jazz as they kept it close all the way to the end but they were ultimately defeated by Alonzo Mourning’s 2 free throws with 2.9 seconds left.

Zo didn’t just finish the game, he started it. In the first 2 possessions he had 2 rebounds, 1 steal and an assist and continued the dominance throughout the game, finishing with 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 3 blocks.

Utah’s three point shooting and second chance buckets were key to keeping the game close early on, with role players like Trey Lyles stepping up to complement Gordon Hayward as the 2 combined for 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

It continued to be a very back and forth game, and the fans and Hornets even thought it was over when Mourning threw down a reverse slam off a fast break to give the Hornets a 4 point lead, but Avery Bradley could only hit 1 of his free throws and Gary Neal sent it to OT.

In addition to Mourning’s dominant performance, Larry Johnson added 30 points and Avery Bradley had 13 assists. For the Jazz, Gordon Hayward had 31 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and a block and was complemented by Tommy Camper’s 19 points and 8 boards and Favors’ 15 and 10.

Camper’s good performance was encouraging to the Jazz fans, but Freddy Tobias once again didn’t see the floor. After the game, Coach J had some words of encouragement for the rookie point guard. “I know this is tough for Freddy to watch all the games from the end of the bench, especially after being the starter at the beginning of the year. However, he’s got a lot of talent and a long career. This is a hard lesson, but sitting this out will also build character and that’s very important for him as a man.”

Around the League

• One one point, the Spurs had won 9 in a row but still sat 4 games out of the playoffs with 14 games left.
• The Trail Blazers beat the Nets by 62 points (132-70), just outclassing them in all areas of the game.
• Steph Curry had 43 points, 9 rebounds, and 14 assists in a close win over the Lakers.
• The Rockets have surged up the West and won their latest game over the Timberwolves thanks to Dwight Howard’s 23 and 23.
• Steph Curry had 49 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists as the Warriors easily beat the Suns.
• Steph Curry’s 41 points outdueled Paul George’s 37 as the Warriors beat the Pacers.
• The Wizards have struggled lately, going 4-6 in their last 10, including a 5 game losing streak.

[studbucket]

March 31, 2017 vs Cleveland

The Hornets entered the last day of March with a remarkable 65-11 record, on a 9-game winning streak, and with a chance to tie last season’s 71-11 record. However, they have 2 stiff challenges coming up: the 3^rd place Cavs and the West-leading Warriors. Kyrie has been fantastic when healthy, and they’re still a good team, even without LeBron and J.R. Smith.

The way the game started, you would have thought it was going to be a blowout. Roy Hibbert was absolutely awful and the Hornets first 8 points were dunks as they coasted to a 15-5 early lead and were up by 21 at points in the first half. Hibbert couldn’t guard Mourning, who dominated the game (20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks at half), and Kyrie Irving had to get subbed out after getting his 3^rd foul just 6 minutes into the 2^nd quarter.

However, by 30 seconds into the 4^th quarter, the Cavs took a lead after a Kevin Love three and a nice drive from Kyrie. The game went back and forth the rest of the quarter, and every time it looked like 1 team may take a lead, they relinquished it to the other team.

The game was finally cemented by Paul Noonan’s and-1 to put the Hornets up by 5 with 47 seconds left. Mourning finished with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks and was supported by Avery Bradley and Noonan scoring 19 points apiece and combing for 15 assists. Larry Johnson had a quiet game by his standards, with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.

On the Cleveland side, Kyrie finished with 26 points and 12 assists, Kevin Love threw in 25 points, and Roy Hibbert rebounded from his 1-6 start to finish with 21 points.

Around the League

• In what has become a big rivalry, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love tore apart LeBron and the Wizards, winning by 25.
• Some bad losses for the Thunder and Blazers have put them in a tie of the 7^th and 8^th seeds. With 5 games left, the Grizzlies are mounting a comeback and sit 3 games out of the playoffs, while 6 straight wins has the Kings feeling more comfortable, and in the 6 seed.

[studbucket]

April 4, 2017 vs Golden State

In a game that looks like an NBA Finals preview, the Hornets got revenge against to the West’s #1 seeded Warriors. It was a thrilling overtime game, and once again Alonzo Mourning was the hero.

The first quarter was all about Alonzo Mourning. He led the Hornets to an early lead and had 14 first quarter points, while no other Hornet managed to have more than 3.

That theme continued all game long, as Larry Johnson greatly struggled at the 4 with Draymond guarding him. He went 1-8 in the first half and Festus Ezeli and Draymond combined for 6 blocks, many of them on LJ.

However, Zo’s heroics weren’t enough by halftime, as Curry had 17 and the Warriors had started to get a lead. After the break, they caught fire and had a 13 point lead on the Hornets.

The Hornets moved Larry Johnson to the 3 and got a better matchup, combining that with Olynyk hitting his threes from the 4, and the Hornets made it close as the quarter ended.

In the 4^th quarter, the Warriors pulled away again, getting the lead up to 10. Coach J subbed Zo back in and the big man was doing work, tying the game back up with a monster dunk AND-1 with 6 minutes left. With 1:40 left, the Warriors had managed to get a 4 point lead, but things changed quickly. Johnson got an AND-1, fouling Bogut out. Then Carmichael and Anrin got fast break buckets, followed by Festus Ezeli tying the game up with an AND-1. With 20 seconds left, the game was tied, and both teams managed to completely blow 2 possessions in the last 20 seconds to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Mourning fouled out on a hustle play, finishing the game with a monster 47 points and 18 rebounds. With 6.6 seconds left and down 2, the Warriors mysteriously got 2 shots and the ball on a phantom flagrant call. However, Festus Ezeli missed the first shot and Steph Curry missed a 20-footer as the Hornets escaped with the narrow victory at home.

Larry Johnson had a reasonable stat line, with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, but struggled much of the game and went 0-6 from deep. On the Warriors side, Curry had 25 points and 16 assists, while Draymond Green added 23 points and 15 rebounds.

Both teams were very poor from three, as Golden State shot 17% and Charlotte shot 21%

Around the League

• DeMarcus Cousins had 31 points, 17 boards, and 5 assists to help the Kings eek out a win over the Thunder and pretty much guarantee a higher playoff seed.
• In the last LA rivalry game of the season, Chris Paul dropped 41 points as the Clippers easily beat the Lakers.
• Grizzlies fans probably thought their playoff hopes were dashed after a 32 point loss to the Warriors, but the Thunder have lost 5 straight games, and are only a game ahead of the Grizzlies. However, in a head-to-head matchup, the Thunder got the win and locked up their playoff spot.
• The Hornets attempt to repeat last year’s record fell short, as they lost to the Cavaliers.
• Joel Embiid broke his leg and is out for the year. We’ll see how this impacts his return next season.

[studbucket]

April 12, 2017 at Orlando

In the final game of the regular season, neither Charlotte nor Orlando had anything to play for. Orlando is the first team out of the playoffs, and Charlotte is the first seed. Dell Curry and Kendall Gill weren’t quite healthy enough to start playing again.

It ended up being a comfortable win for Charlotte, as Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, and Wallace Anrin provided the offense with 74 combined points for the Hornets. The Magic had a first quarter lead, but were outscored by 20 over the next two. Outside of Vucejic’s 29 points and Dedmon’s 12 rebounds, no Magic player did anything of note, with Victor Oladipo and Aaron Gordon being especially anonymous.

Around the League

• Several of these happened a few months ago, but I wanted to call out some coach firings.
  • In March, the Nuggets fired Ellis Payton and hired the recently fired Lionel Hollins.
  • The Raptors fired Warren Wells and replaced him with Tom Sterner.
  • The 76ers fired Jack Marshall and hired Lloyd Pierce.

[studbucket]

2016-2016 Regular Season Summary

The 2016-2017 NBA regular season is over, and the biggest storylines may be the two cellar-dwellers that have shot up to be among the best of the respective conferences. After an East-worst 25-57 record, the Wizards literally flipped that record, going 57-25 after signing LeBron, Duncan, JR Smith, and Gerald Henderson. Out West, the Utah Jazz added Tommy Camper, barely gave their 1^st round pick any playtime, and finished in a 3-way tie for 2^nd at 51-31 after being 12^th with a 33-49 record last year. The Hornets recorded another 70-win season, but didn’t look invulnerable this season and played some classic games against their top competition.

Western Conference


At the All-Star break, the Warriors were just a half game ahead of 2^nd place, and the entire playoff field was only 6 games apart. However, they turned on the afterburners down the stretch, while the rest of the West beat themselves up. Finishing a comfortable 8 games ahead of everyone else, the interesting battles were further down the playoff field.

• The Clippers, Pelicans, and Jazz are 3 very different teams, but they’re all similar in 2 ways: they rely on big men and they are 51-31. Can the Pelicans step it up this postseason with their cast of misfits? Are the Jazz a fluke or for real? And can the Clippers win in what is likely the last year of their window?
• The hottest team in the West entering the playoffs are the Sacramento Kings, who finally have everyone healthy for the playoffs.
• Somehow, the Thunder and Trail Blazers seemed to both be striving to miss the playoffs as they combined for a 6-14 record down the stretch, locking up the 7^th and 8^th seeds.
• The Spurs improved this season, but still had a losing record. An absolute shocker for a Popovich coached team with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Bradley Beal.
• The young Timberwolves finished 3 games worse than last season and missed the playoffs.
• Loading up on shooters did less than nothing for the Suns, as they finished 13 games worse and couldn’t play defense all season.

Eastern Conference


There weren’t too many surprises in the East playoff field, as the Hornets, Wizards, and Cavaliers easily locked up the top 3 spots and the Heat and Bulls had the same record as last year. Injuries led to the Pacers being disappointments this season, but managing to get the 8 seed, while the Bucks and Knicks never got it together all season despite the talent on their rosters.

Monthly Awards


The Hornets won the Player of the Month award 3 out of the 6 months in the East, while Damian Lillard and the Thunder covered 4 of the 6 months in the East. In a short April, Carmelo (on the last place Knicks) got the surprise award here.




Ian Thomas dominated this award the whole season, only getting interrupted twice by Dale Banks, and is the likely pick for the Rookie of the Year Award. Out East, Billy Delk did well to start the season, but as the 76ers started to tank, so did his stats. After that, big men won the award 3 times, including Tom Swanson, who only played 7 games this season. In the last month, Jerrett Carmichael managed to average over 11 points per game and get the April award.

Hornets


Larry Johnson’s stats were a little bit down from last season as Alonzo Mourning and others picked up the scoring load. Gill and Curry have been out for half the season, which is a scary though for playoff teams. Once they come back, Wallace Anrin now drops from 4^th scorer to the 6^th best scorer on the team, and anybody would love to have him as the “worst” offensive member of the starting 5.

[studbucket]

2016-2017 Award Summary (The Defensible Ones)

This season, 2K decided to be bipolar. For some of the major awards, they made completely defensible decisions. For others, they completely decided to ride the crazy bus. This is a post of the defensible decisions.

MVP

A deserving MVP, Curry hovered around 30 points per game all season and carried his team even as Draymond Green, Iguodala, and other teammates were hurt for chunks of the season. A strong finish to the season and a dip in play from Larry Johnson and Damian Lillard helped seal this award.

Rookie of the Year

Ian Thomas gave Dallas fans a reason to have hope for the future as the young point guard averaged 8.2 points, 5.5 assist, and only 1.9 turnovers per game. His 37% shooting from the field was poor, but we expect that to improve as the former VCU man gets used to the league. Thomas also stayed consistent and strong throughout the season, only missing one game and not hitting a rookie wall.

Defensive Player of the Year

Jordan repeats although numbers were significantly down from last season (only 14 rebounds and 2.7 blocks this year), but he’s still a solid pick and his defensive efforts were important to the Clippers success this season.

6^th Man of the Year

For the 2^nd straight year, Brandon Knight wins this award, with almost identical stats to last season.

Most Improved Player

Hassan Whiteside was already a solid player, but he has stepped his game up in Dallas, adding 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block a game to his totals.

All-Defensive Teams

Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan, and Anthony Davis all repeated on the first team, but the other 7 players chosen were brand new to both teams, including great 2 way players like Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Draymond Green, and Alonzo Mourning.

[studbucket]

2016-2017 Award Summary (2K You’re on Crack Edition)

This season, 2K decided to be bipolar. For some of the major awards, they made completely defensible decisions. For others, they completely decided to ride the crazy bus. This is a post correcting the 2K crazypants picks.

All-NBA Teams
There was only 1 position that 2K really got wrong here: center. Everything else was understandable. NBA 2K put Marc Gasol as 1^st team center, DeMarcus Cousins as 2^nd, and Alonzo Mourning as 3^rd. Cousins at 2^nd is reasonable and makes sense. Putting Gasol in first and Mourning in third is hard to comprehend. Here’s how the league’s top centers stack up:

Player	PPG	RPG	BPG	PER
Alonzo Mourning	22.7	11.4	2.2	26.0
DeMarcus Cousins	18.5	12.1	2.0	26.6
Marc Gasol	17.9	10.3	2.4	20.0
DeAndre Jordan	8.0	14.0	2.7	16.0
Jahlil Okafor	20.3	11.0	2.1	23.7
Al Horford	19.5	10.6	1.6	20.8
Dwight Howard	18.6	12.2	2.3	19.9

All-NBA First Team

2K Picks	My Picks
Damian Lillard	Damian Lillard
Stephen Curry	Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant	Kevin Durant
Larry Johnson	Larry Johnson
Marc Gasol	Alonzo Mourning

All-NBA Second Team

2K Picks	My Picks
John Wall	John Wall
James Harden	James Harden
Carmelo Anthony	Carmelo Anthony
Anthony Davis	Anthony Davis
DeMarcus Cousins	DeMarcus Cousins

All-NBA Third Team

2K Picks	My Picks
Klay Thompson	Klay Thompson
Kyrie Irving	Kyrie Irving
LeBron James	LeBron James
Blake Griffin	Blake Griffin
Alonzo Mourning	Jahlil Okafor

All-Rookie Teams
This is where 2K really lost the plot. Here’s a list of the game’s transgressions:

• The first team consists of 4 guards and a center.
• The second team consists of 5 forwards.
• Eto Ruffin made the second team despite not playing a single minute all season.
• Despite getting starting minutes and playing well for the Pacers, Jeff Perkinson got no mention here.
• Jake Sharp played 2 minutes all season for the Bucks.

All Rookie 1^st Team

2K Picks	My Picks
Ian Thomas, DAL	Ian Thomas, DAL
Billy Delk, PHI	Billy Delk, PHI
Dale Banks, LAL	Dale Banks, LAL
Arthur Rodman, DEN	Jeff Perkinson, IND
Greg Houston, WAS	Greg Houston, WAS

All Rookie 2^nd Team

2K Picks	My Picks
Jake Sharp, MIL	Arthur Rodman, DEN
Eto Ruffin, CHI	Freddy Tobias, UTA
Jerret Carmichael, CHA	Jerret Carmichael, CHA
Wayne Paxson, ORL	Wayne Paxson, ORL
Mamadou Banjo, CHA	Mamadou Banjo, CHA

The first team was full of easy picks. Ian Thomas was RotY, Delk averaged over 14 points a game, Banks averaged over 12, and Perkinson and Houston were the only decent big men.

Only 8 rookies played more than half of the games this season, and Perkinson only played 38 and Tobias only played 21.

My picks left 3 guards on the first team and bumped Rodman to the 2^nd team, and had a realistic lineup for team 2.

[studbucket]

2016-2017 NBA Playoffs: Round 1 Preview

It’s time for the playoffs again, and this year the West is going to be full of great matchups and games. Here is a quick preview of each first round matchup, sorted from most to least compelling.

(1) Warriors vs (8) Thunder
A rematch of last year’s 4/5 first round matchup that the Thunder won easily in 5 games, it should look much different this year. The Warriors are easily the West’s best team, and the Thunder have struggled despite all their talent. Both teams are dealing with injuries as Golden State is without Iguodala for another 6-8 weeks due to a torn meniscus and 1-2 weeks of Draymond Green due to a sprained ankle. The Thunder are without Enes Kanter is out another 2-4 weeks with a broken ankle.

With the injuries, both teams are pretty shallow and it really looks like an even matchup. However, Kanter’s injury seems to be impacting the struggling Thunder.

Prediction: Warriors 4-2

(3) Pelicans vs (6) Kings
Both teams are basically health and built in a similar way: a franchise big man surrounded by some journeyman guards and shooters. 2 of the last 4 games of the season were between these 2 teams. The first was a 92-78 win by the Pelicans, and the 2^nd was a dire game in which the Kings won 72-69. The Pelicans lead the season series 3-1. However…

The Kings are 9-1 in their last 10 and have Eric Gordon, Ben McLemore, and Jae Crowder coming off the bench (which is a starting unit for some teams), so despite the Pelicans being a slightly higher seed (2 more wins on the season), I’m going with the Kings in their first playoff experience in a while and for the Pelicans to have another disappointing first round 3 vs 6 upset (after the #6 Clippers swept them last season).

Prediction: Kings 4-3

(2) Clippers vs (7) Trail Blazers
The Clippers lead the season series 3-1 and have more stars than the Blazers, who have ridden a team effort and Damian Lillard to success this season. However, the Clippers two injuries (Varney Shepard, Lance Stephenson) are far less impactful to their team than the Blazers’ two injuries (Tyson Chandler, Kentavius Caldwell-Pope). The experience and star power of the Clippers will likely overpower the feel good story in Portland.

Prediction: Clippers 4-1

(4) Jazz vs (5) Rockets
The season series is tied up and 2-2 and both teams are healthy. The Rockets won by outscoring their opponents, averaging 104.2 ppg, while the Jazz used a deep rotation and solid interior defense to hold teams to 93.4 ppg (2^nd best in West). The Jazz can win this series if Gordon Hayward has a coming out party and the big 3 down low of Favors, Gobert, and Camper frustrate Dwight Howard in waves. However, it’s hard to go against the back court talent and experience of the Rockets.

Prediction: Rockets 4-3

(4) Heat vs (5) Bulls
The rosters changed slightly, but the records didn’t and these teams are facing each other in the 4 vs 5 matchup for the 2^nd straight year. Last year the Heat won in 6 and the series should be close again this year.

Prediction: Heat 4-3

(1) Hornets vs (8) Pacers
The Hornets are the league’s best, but the Pacers have been able challengers, handing the Hornets 1 of their 12 losses this season, and Paul George is healthy after missing 39 games this season and is averaging 23 points and 9.3 rebounds a game while shooting 49.4%. However, they are playing the Hornets and despite Curry and Gill being out for another 2 weeks, they are still one of the best teams in the league and have great wing defenders like Wallace Anrin and Andre Roberson to throw at Paul George.

Prediction: Hornets 4-1

(3) Cavaliers vs (6) Hawks
Last season, the Hawks upset the 2^nd seeded Cavaliers in the 2^nd round, only to get swept by the Hornets. This year, the Cavs don’t have LeBron and the Hawks have struggled to get to a winning record and are the 6^th seed. Kyle Korver’s 50+% shooting from deep is out injured and Tim Hardaway Jr. is starting in his spot. They still have Teague, Millsap, and Horford, but the team just hasn’t been as good this year. Without LeBron, the Cavs are 9 games worse this year, but Kyrie has blossomed, Love is a weapon again, and Tristan Thompson, Jordan Clarkson, Mo Williams, Marco Bellinelli, and Otto Porter make up a solid bench for the Cavaliers.

Prediction: Cavaliers 4-1

(2) Wizards vs (7) Pistons
Brandon Jennings and Andre Drummond got the Pistons into the playoffs, but they are no match for John Wall, LeBron James, Tim Duncan and the East’s best defense.

Prediction: Wizards 4-0.