Those Raps jerseys..... :O
Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Can't take credit for the Knights jerseys, I made some minor edits to them, but they are really nice.
Some of my favorites I've seen online. The coloring, the dinosaur ... it all works for me.
Working on new uniforms for the Magic (which, I have to say, is presenting more of a challenge than I thought it would), have some interesting concepts at work, we'll see what I can come up with.
As always, thanks for keeping the faith and stay tuned.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Some of my favorites I've seen online. The coloring, the dinosaur ... it all works for me.
Working on new uniforms for the Magic (which, I have to say, is presenting more of a challenge than I thought it would), have some interesting concepts at work, we'll see what I can come up with.
As always, thanks for keeping the faith and stay tuned.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Revisiting the 2016 NBA Draft:
The 2016 NBA draft is now three years old and, as such, it’s time to look back on the class and see how it’s done — where it has been and, potentially, where it could go.
1. Ben Simmons
Taken by Philly after trading up with the Celtics (sending Jahill Okafor and extra 1st rounders packing), Simmons has been everything Philly has dreamed of, and more. Simmons took a big leap this past season, averaging 14.3 PPG with 10 RPG and 5.4 APG on 48% shooting, but only 27% from deep. Despite Simmons’ struggles from beyond the arc, the 76ers have made the playoffs the last two seasons and are among the league’s most intriguing teams.
2. Kris Dunn
Taken by the Bulls, Dunn instantly became Chicago’s starter at PG and hasn’t disappointed; in three years with him as the starter, the Bulls have made the playoffs the last two seasons — they have failed to advance past the 1st round, however, but that can’t be put on Dunn. Dunn put in work this past season, averaging 16.1 PPG with 3.6 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.1 SPG, and 1.1 BPG on 44% shooting and a much improved 39% from deep. He’s the swiss army knife weapon that Chicago continues to have faith in and one that’s been much more dependable health-wise than former NBA-player Derrick Rose.
3. Brandon Ingram
The sweet shooting SF was taken by the Lakers and was immediately projected to be the next Kevin Durant; though Ingram hasn’t quite hit that mark (yet), he’s been an important piece in the Lakers ongoing quest to get back to the playoffs. Ingram had a good year last season, averaging 16.3 PPG with 7.5 RPG and 3.5 APG, along with 1.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG on 43% shooting and only 32% from deep, numbers that were well below his 2017-18 percentages. Despite that, the Lakers are hopeful he reaches his full potential sooner rather than later, especially as LA has only sniffed the playoffs the last two seasons.
4. Thon Maker
Taken by the then fledging St. Louis Flight, Maker and his franchise have both exceeded expectations. Maker has been remarkably consistent as an NBA player, his averages for all three years coming out near what he posted this season: 15.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2 APG, and 1.5 BPG, all on 44% shooting and 32% from deep. Maker has been an efficient, floor-stretching big for the Flight and he’s the key cog on their offense — and a key reason why they won the NBA Finals this past June.
5. Jaylen Brown
Brown, taken by the Kansas City Knights, hasn’t had nearly the career of any of the picks before him. Brown entered into a situation much like Maker did with St. Louis, as the go-to franchise pick for an expansion team. Brown’s limitations however — namely, his shooting — resulted in two seasons of sub-par stats before he was traded to Denver last summer, where his stats still didn’t improve. Brown posted 7.4 PPG, 6 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.1 SPG on an abysmal 38% shooting and only 28% from the arc this past season. Brown’s numbers are bench player numbers, but he’s been averaging over 32 MPG since he came into the league. The Nuggets are hopeful that a full year within HC’s Jason Kidd’s system, along with another offseason of training, can get his numbers up, but Brown leads the 2016 Draft Class Bust pool by a wide margin.
6. Buddy Hield
Taken by the Celtics with a pick involved in the 76ers trade, Hield hasn’t been the second-coming of Ray Allen, but he certainly hasn’t been devoid of value. Hield has been a good sixth-man for the Celtics and, as the oldest player of the 2016 draft class, came in and immediately made a difference. His first two year’s in the league he averaged 13.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG on 45% shooting, 39% from deep — but this past year he only played in 40 games, missing the last two months of the regular season and the playoffs with a fractured leg. Boston hasn’t rushed him back and, arguably, made his life easier with the recent trade for Bradley Beal, but Hield hasn’t been as transformative a pick as one would expect at 6th overall and some in Boston hold that against him.
7. Dragan Bender
Taken by the Suns and seen as a true stretch-4, Bender has been eased into the league with Phoenix — in his first year he played a scant 20 minutes a night, 25 in his next year, and he was given a full 28 this season, posting career best numbers: 11.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 1.5 BPG on 43% shooting and 34% from deep. Bender’s steady progress mirrors that of the Suns and, with Phoenix now employing David Blatt — recently fired from the Knights after leading them to a 33-49 record — Bender will have to get used to a whole new system as the Suns look to make the leap back into the playoffs.
8. Marquese Chriss
The springy PF from Washington was taken by the T’Wolves to be the ultimate compliment to KAT; instead, Chriss has found himself in Thibbs’ doghouse more than once. Starting out as a super-sub, Minney tried Chriss this past season as a full-time PF but he only managed to play in 34 games this season, missing most everything between mid-November to early-March; Chriss did comeback and help the T’Wolves make the playoffs for the first time since 2004. But what Minnesota doesn’t know is if Chriss is the answer at the four; he averaged only 23 MPG with 6.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.5 BPG on 51% shooting and only 20% from deep, numbers that give one hope, but not much of it.
9. Jamal Murray
Drafted by the Pelicans, Murray arrived as an instant starter with NOLA and a perfect compliment to Anthony Davis; in his three years there, his averages have gone up each time and this past season was his best of all with 18.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.5 SPG on 47% shooting and 43% from deep. With averages like that he’s one of the league’s premier marksman and his play has helped NOLA secure the long-term contract extension of Davis, along with playoff success the last three seasons.
10. Juan Hermangomez
Tenth overall, the Nuggets selected Juan Hermangomez and the young player hasn’t found his way to be an effective piece in the NBA at this point. He was glued to the pine his first year, getting no playing time at all and in 17-18 he found his way into only two games, putting up numbers that aren’t worth the effort to type. Last season he saw significant action off the bench as a role player, averaging 14.7 MPG and only gave 3.5 PPG and 4.4 RPG on an ugly 33% from the field, 22% from deep. Head coach Jason Kidd believes Hermangomez still has room for development and, at only 23, that’s very likely —it just depends on how long Denver is willing to wait.
11. Caris LeVert
The Kings took LeVert 11th overall, a shooter with a checkered injury history and many hailed it as yet another “KANGZ” move, one with limited upside and long-term infamy. Instead, LeVert has ably showed himself to be what he was billed as — a guard with a sweet stroke. LeVert came in and instantly became a valuable sixth-man off the bench for the Kings, a role he was still in last season when he put up averages of 24.5 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.5 BPG on 44% from the field and 35% from deep. It was likely those numbers would have gone up if he played more than 24 games last season, but an early back-injury during the season sunk any chance for LeVert to make a real difference for the Kings and he didn’t return to the lineup till early March — Sacramento was well-out of the playoff race by that point. LeVert’s growth into a full-time starter is a storyline to watch in Sactown as, finally, they might be able to do something right.
12. Domatas Sabonis
The Raptors took Sabonis to be their starter at the four, someone who could stretch the floor for the Raptors dual-threat backcourt of Lowry and DeRozan; instead, Sabonis has been a bit injury riddled and his play has been less than spectacular. He entered the league as a solid role player, helping the Raptors get to the playoffs in 2016-17, but he hasn’t taken the leap. He played in 60 games last year and averaged 10.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.5 APG on an unsightly 39% shooting and 29% from deep; his numbers indicate that he should stay away from the deep shot and keep it inside, but the paint is already heavily occupied … Sabonis isn’t a bad player, but he’s certainly not developed as Toronto has hoped.
13. Wade Baldwin
The Bucks have been looking for a point guard for years it seems and their search in 2016 led them to Wade Baldwin, who got his first significant run last season as a sixth-man off the bench; he didn’t disappoint, though he certainly has room for improvement. Clocking in with 23.4 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG on 40% shooting, 34% from deep, Baldwin is a bit of a wildcard; much like the rest of the Bucks, he has a unique skillset for his position and HC Pau Gasol made the most of it last season, allowing him to flourish off the bench, which helped lead the Bucks to their first playoff appearance since 2015. Expect Baldwin’s numbers to improve as he assumes the starting role at PG this season.
14. Denzel Valentine
The Magic have seemingly been trying to move on from Dwight Howard for almost a decade now and their journey in 2016 started with Denzel Valentine, another SF on a roster that became stocked with them. Valentine, however, finally won the starting job last season and showed the Magic that good things do come to those who wait: with averages of 16 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.6 APG on 47% shooting and 44% from three, Valentine was a great compliment to PG Dennis Smith and PF Aaron Gordon; Valentine’s blossoming does make other decisions the Magic face harder, but they have a player that has steadily shown improvement every year and, one could make the case, should have been drafted sooner.
15. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
When the Hawks took Cabarrot, they knew they had a project on their hands — blessed with great athleticism, Cabarrot was raw in multiple other places and was still incomplete as a basketball player; three years later, Cabarrot hasn’t show much — over an 11 game stretch last season he was brought off the deep bench and got some playing time, averaging 14.1 MPG with 6.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 1.8 APG on 49% from the field and 50% from deep — numbers that project well, albeit on a very small sample size. But Cabarrot is expected to be, at best, a role player this season and the Hawks may very well move on from him if he doesn’t show more that that, especially considering how close they came to nabbing a playoff spot last year with a 40-42 record.
16. Paul Zipser
Taken by the Suns, Zipser was released last summer by Phoenix after two lackluster years and little production; the German product landed with the Pacers and promptly became glued to the bench as a developmental project for Indiana. He’s helped neither team do much of anything and despite his god-given shooting abilities, doesn’t seem to possess the intangibles necessary to make it in the NBA — he very well could find himself out of the league in the next few years if he’s not careful.
17. Taureen Prince
Taken by Denver and given little playing time, Prince was shipped off along with Jusuf Nurkic to the Knights for Jaylen Brown; the result was more playing time (on a worse team) but with the increased minutes Prince finally displayed that “glue guy” ability that so many teams covet. He averaged 25.4 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.2 APG on 42% shooting and 32% from deep. His numbers aren’t eye-opening but they’re indicative a player who could become more if given the chance to develop. Considering the Knights now employ a new head coach in Kevin Garnett, one of the last generation’s great leaders, it’s possible Prince hits his ceiling … or, like Jaylen Brown before him, he might wither away.
18. Deyonta Davis
The PF from Michigan State has had plenty of time to marinate on Boston’s bench, seeing only a smattering of playing time in his three years in the league — until last season, when he ascended into a role player and was given 18.5 MPG to do something. The results were as follows: 4.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1 BPG on 42% shooting. It wasn’t reassuring, especially for a player the Celtics want to man the PF spot in the future, but Davis hasn’t been given up on and his numbers project better than they look, assuming he continues improving. For a Celtics squad that is all-in on their title hopes this season, Davis play off the bench could be key in Boston obtaining their next title.
19. Patrick McCaw
Taken by Memphis, McCaw was drafted for his youth for a team that was long in the tooth. McCaw was promoted to a full-time starter last season and put up underwhelming numbers: 8.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.7 SPG on 39% shooting and 32% from deep. Despite ample playing time the last two years, McCaw seems to be approaching his ceiling and it isn’t as high as the Grizzlies would like. As McCaw enters the final year of his rookie deal, it’ll be interesting to see if Memphis keeps him or moves on.
20. Dejounte Murray
Taken by Detroit to eventually succeed Reggie Jackson, Murray has developed into a capable role player: averaging 19.6 MPG with 5.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG on 43% from the field and 33% from deep, Murray has been a steady hand for Stan Van Gundy off the bench; but his time as merely a role player may soon come to an end as the Pistons look to get back into playoffs, a place they’ve missed by mere games the last two seasons in a very competitive East. With Reggie Jackson entering the final year of his deal, Murray may be trying out for next year’s starting job this upcoming season.
21. Tyler Ulis
Undersized but not underpowered, Tyler Ulis has been a sparkplug backup for the Denver Nuggets, presenting a very different look for the team off the bench. Ulis got his first run as a significant role player last year, averaging 19.7 MPG with 7.6 PPG and 3.7 APG on 39% shooting and 34% from deep. Though his shooting numbers could use a definite boost, Ulis appears to be an Isiah Thomas-lite off the bench, and has met the expectations of the Nuggets so far.
22. Jakob Poetl
When the Nets selected Poeltl 22nd overall, it was assumed that the big man from Utah would eventually succeed Brook Lopez; that assumption has proven correct. After splitting time with Lopez since entering the league, Poeltl got significant run as a semi-starter last year, averaging 27.8 MPG with 7.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.7 BPG on a very efficient 51% from the field and 68% from the free throw line. Poeltl looks to be the successor to Lopez next season, barring injury, and the Nets feel he still has room to grow beside Derrick Favors in the frontcourt. The future looks bright for Poeltl and, similarly, it looks the same for Brooklyn — finally.
23. Skal Labissiere
When the Hawks selected Labissiere it was assumed he’d succeed Al Horford as the long-time franchise big man; instead, Horford was traded in 2017 and Labissiere was thrust into a larger role than any assumed he would be. He’s responded beautifully as the first big off the bench for the young Hawks, turning in a solid campaign last year with 25.9 MPG, 7.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.4 BPG on a paltry 36% from the field and 20% from deep. If Labissiere can refine the shots he takes and improve his numbers, the Hawks will likely have found a long-term replacement for Kenneth Faried at center and a perfect partner for their young stars in Harry Giles and Michael Porter.
24. Malik Beasley
For the Hornets, Beasly was a pick they selected to add bench depth and develop as a starter years down the line; instead, thanks to Charlotte’s losing ways over the last three years, Beasley has seen his minutes and his play fluctuate wildly. Last season he came off the bench as a sixth-man and put up so-so numbers; in 26.4 MPG, he averaged 7.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.6 APG on a worrying 38% from the field and 33% from deep — much lower numbers than he posted the previous two seasons. It’s possible Beasley will bounce back from the worst season of his career, but if the Hornets dysfunction continues, his play may suffer more.
25. Diamond Emerson
Emerson was taken to develop into the next Jae Crowder for the Celtics, a glue-guy who can do a little bit of everything; Emerson, so far, looks to be on track for that. With a build between that of a SF or PF, Emerson spent time last season splitting time between those two positions and putting up decent numbers for a small-time role player: on 11.4 MPG he put up 3.5 PPG on 40% from the field and 38% from deep. Emerson will likely see more time this season as a key contributor on a loaded Celtics roster — his time to replace Jae Crowder will be sooner than later as Crowder himself will be a free agent next summer and is likely to leave Boston for much greener pastures.
26. Malik Richardson
The 76ers took Richardson towards the end of the draft and have used him sparingly so far, but Richardson did receive a significant bump in minutes last season, averaging 21.5 a game; with that he put up 6.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 40% from the field and 37% from deep. Richardson seems prime to ascend into a greater role and with more minutes he should only get better.
27. Henry Ellenson
The Clippers took Ellenson as a backup big and Ellenson has developed into their best bench player, averaging 28.4 MPG last season in the Clippers injury filled year. With those minutes, he put in 7.1 PPG with 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 1.4 BPG on 45% shooting and 83% from the free throw line. As Blake Griffin and Chris Paul continue to get older, Ellenson will be looked upon to contribute more, but so far he’s played a key role for LA.
28. AJ Hammons
He was drafted by the Celtics but was released during training camps due to a series of team violations; Hammons signed with the Flight soon after — and has served as a decent big man off the deep bench. Though he doesn’t see consistent playing time, Hammons did contribute during a 49 game stretch last season as the Flight fought through injuries to get to playoffs — he only put up 3.3 PPG and 3.5 RPG on 10.4 MPG, however, and Hammons was cut during training camp.
29. Isiah Whitehead
Whitehead was taken by the Raptors and was promptly stashed in D-League as Toronto struggled to make the playoffs in 2016. Whitehead only saw playing time this last season, averaging 20.1 MPG with 9.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG on 47% shooting and 39% from deep; with numbers like that, it’ll be no surprise if Toronto lets Corey Joseph, their previous backup, walk in free agency and push Whitehead into a leading role off the bench full-time.
30. Jake Layman
Taken by Phoenix, Layman got no playing time at all in the three years he was on the Suns roster, consistently passed over for minutes over and over again. Phoenix released him at the end of the season and Layman looks likely to be done as a player in the NBA; he might catch on in the D-League somewhere, but it’s unlikely he finds his way to being a productive bench player in the pros.
31. Georgios Papagiannis
The Spurs selected Papagiannis and, immediately, it was hailed as another “sneaky good Spurs pick.” San Antonio has had a rough time of it since Papa G’s drafting, missing the playoffs entirely last seasons due to a devastating injury to Kawhi Leonard early in the year; but Papa G was fully unleashed on the NBA last season and he didn’t disappoint. Averaging 25.3 MPG with 7.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 1.3 BPG, on 51% shooting, Papa G looks to be the next great Spurs big man.
32. Damian Jones
The last pick in the first round of 2016, Jones was taken by the Warriors and was hardly seen for two years. He appeared in a big role last season as the first big off the bench and didn’t disappoint, despite the Warriors failing to win the title. Averaging 26.7 MPG, Jones put up 6.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.5 BPG on 50% shooting from the field and 63% from the line. As Golden State retools itself this summer, expect Jones to see more time next season as the likely starter at the five.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Are you planning on expanding the league further or just Kansas and St Louis for now would love to see Vancouver back in at some point great read so far will be following.NBA:Philadelphia 76ers
NFL:Philadelphia Eagles
NHL:Philadelphia Flyers
NRL:New Zealand Warriors
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
I'm trekfan1388 on the PC. The designs for the Knights and Raptors are not mine, however -- those are respective of their designers, whose names are listed in the preview graphic of each design.
I'll consider the question in 2020 .. maybe 2021. I really want to maintain a good number of teams in the league and 32 feels right as far as balance is concerned. Adding any more could upset the league balance as far as talent is concerned, which at this point feels about right to me, too.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Trekfan -
I know that this is not the correct forum for this question but I have come to you before with questions that I have had in the past and you have answered them thoroughly and I am very grateful for your responses. My question is this:
I have a 30 team control of the Lakers and I am in the off season and wanting to trade for Paul George. I have each team set up to auto and specific selections to manual for the one team that I am controlling. Each time I go to propose a trade for Paul George, the Pacers will agree to anything that I propose as long as I am within the budget. How do I get them to refuse offers that I am proposing to them? Is there a particular setup that I am not doing correctly?
Thank you once again Trekfan!Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Trekfan -
I know that this is not the correct forum for this question but I have come to you before with questions that I have had in the past and you have answered them thoroughly and I am very grateful for your responses. My question is this:
I have a 30 team control of the Lakers and I am in the off season and wanting to trade for Paul George. I have each team set up to auto and specific selections to manual for the one team that I am controlling. Each time I go to propose a trade for Paul George, the Pacers will agree to anything that I propose as long as I am within the budget. How do I get them to refuse offers that I am proposing to them? Is there a particular setup that I am not doing correctly?
Thank you once again Trekfan!
If you're trying not to fleece the Pacers, I would highly recommend using the trade discussion thread to get ideas on what's good. Assuming PG13 resigns with the Lakers after the trade (or agrees to a contract extension), his value is high.
For LA, they have plenty of young pieces to offer (but few draft picks). I'd probably opt for an Ingram and Randle package (young Myles Turner is really a stretch four or five, depending on how he's played so Randle works) or Ingram and Clarkson package, with bit players and a future pick (protected of course) in play.
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Magic Announce New Uniforms:
The Orlando Magic have just released their newest uniforms, celebrating 30 years of existence in the NBA by returning to some of their roots.
The Magic have modeled their home and away uniforms off a mixture of their earlier history, bringing back a simpler logo of "Orlando Magic" with the "O" in the logo replaced by the streaking magic ball from their first uniforms, and the "A" replaced by the star.
Further, the Magic went away from the pinstripes of old and instead returned to their early 2000s look at home, with layered off-white stars all over the jersey with the word 'Magic' proudly displayed across the chest.
For the away uniform, the Magic have moved their primary road uniform back to black and incorporated a layer of blue stars on the jersey, giving a 'night-sky' look to their road uniforms. The Magic also set their "Orlando" wordmark to white, to give the uniform some extra pop.
Fan response to the uniform switch has been mostly positive, though some Magic faithful are disheartened to see the team move away from the pinstripe look they popularized upon their entry to the league in 1989.
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
I really like those uniforms!?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: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Thank you, good sir. I really loved the early 2000s uniforms that had all the stars all over it. Watching Tracy McGrady play in those was fun, even if the team sucked.
I wanted to return the Magic to a simpler look, but with those stars as the main focus of the show. Their uniforms beyond the stars are pretty simple overall and the logo, much like their original one, is easy to look at but not too complicated.
I figured after years of trying to recover from the Dwightmare, the Magic are ready to recall their humble beginnings and how epic they were in those early years.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Regular Season Rosters announced for 2019-20 Season
Storylines to follow ...
1. Can the Celtics finally win a title?
For three years straight the Celtics have failed to advance past the second round despite one of the most talented rosters in the association. Now with former Wizard Bradely Beal on the payroll (for only this season), the Celtics are by far the most loaded roster in all of the NBA.
Featuring a starting five of Isiah Thomas, Bradley Beal, Jae Crowder, Carmelo Anthony, and Jahill Okafor, the Celtics are loaded. Add in their superb bench unit, starring Buddy Hield, Deyonta Davis, and Terry Rozier, and the Celtics have no excuse.
If they fail to win it all this year, year three of being in a deep luxury tax hole, expect the team to see major changes next season, especially as the Celtics youth (Davis, Emerson, Allen, Markovic) begin to fully mature. This is the make or break year for them -- if they don't win, people are packing their bags.
2. What about the Flight?
Last year's unexpected 2nd seed out West not only managed to avoid playing the Warriors (upset by Dallas in the first round), they also managed to avoid playing the Jazz (also upset by Dallas) and then battled -- and won -- a tough six-game series against the Pacers, a squad with more experience, especially in the playoffs and in the Finals (where a PG13 led Pacers team fell to Westbrook and the Thunder in the 2017 Finals in six games).
Now, the Flight's young roster gets a little younger with the addition of #1 overall pick, Daniel "Bulldog" Bullard, a point guard with a 90s feel to his game, who's projected to be the starter. With Bullard, Richardson, Jackson, Maker, and Noel as the starting five, the Flight may maintain their place as one of the West's best.
But, can the young team handle success? In the past, young squads who have so much success so early tended to self-destruct; the early 90s Magic being the prime example. Will the Flight be able to contend as they deal with the spoils of their victory?
And what about Noel? A free agent next summer, he could leave and deal the franchise a tough blow so early in its existence. Noel has, once more, found himself a third wheel on a team he assumed he'd be at least the second star on. But, behind Jackson and Maker, his place his clear.
Is he happy with that? Can he be? The Flight have to hope their team can manage the heavy expectations on them, because if they can't they'll merely go down as a footnote in NBA history.
3. What are the Hornets doing?
It seems like every year we're asking what certain teams are doing and, for the Hornets, they're that team. After losing kemba Walker in free agency and trading away Enes Kanter to the Wizards for Otto Porter, the Hornets are a team in desperate need of some sort of direction.
With Avery Bradley and his nearly $30M dollar salary still on the books for the next two years, as well as the under-performing Julius Randle, the Hornets went out and signed passing maestro Ricky Rubio and drafted big man Corie Bellamy. The Hornets don't have enough top-end talent to really challenge for a playoff spot in a hyper-competitive East, but aren't projected to be bad enough to grab a lottery pick in -- what many experts are predicting -- to be a loaded 2020 draft.
Will head coach Steve Clifford survive the season? Will Bradley or Randle? The entire organization seems rudderless and, for a team owned by Michael Jordan, that seems impossible.
4. What about the Spurs?
Last year for San Antonio was forgettable, to say the least. The Spurs watched as Kawhi Leonard, franchise star, played in only 28 games last season and the Spurs were unable to survive his absence.
In the offseason, the Spurs did a very un-Spurs thing and signed John Wall to a max four-year deal, while re-upping Leonard for five years. With Wall and Leonard both signed on, the Spurs expect to be a force to be reckoned with again, something that hasn't been true since the retirement of Tim Duncan.
But questions are abound about the future of the last two Spurs main-stays from the early 2000s -- Tony Parker and Pop. Parker re-signed on a very team-friendly two year deal and looks to finish his career as a Spur, exactly like Ginobli and Duncan before him. At 37, Parker likely has one, maybe two, years left in the league before he retires for good.
Pop is another story entirely. After last season's difficulties, Pop has refused all efforts to extend his current contract, which runs out next summer, and reports indicate he'll evaluate his future after this upcoming season.
What will it take for Pop to stay? How will the Spurs fare this year in a weakened West?
These are the questions that haunt the San Antonio faithful as they watch the sun set on their golden era of basketball.
5. Can LeBron and the Cavs continue to succeed?
The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be weaker than they have in years. LeBron is 34 and has more miles on him than any current NBA player. His team is now without Kevin Love, who's moved on to the Warriors, and he faces his greatest threat in the East, a threat he hasn't seen in well over a decade.
The Celtics. The 76ers. The Bulls. The Pacers. The Raptors.
All these teams stand in his way, all of them stand ready to battle him with their best. The arrival of Durant from the West only makes the math harder for the Cavs, whose roster now has Patrick Patterson, Ryan Anderson, and CJ Miles on it; all in an effort to replace Kevin Love and add much needed versatility to the Cavs lineups.
But, as with everything in Cleveland, the fate of this team hinges on LeBron. Can he carry them again? His scoring last season was down, just to 21 PPG, and so were his minutes -- just a hair over 36 -- and the inevitable decline seems ready to happen.
The East waits with baited breath to see if the King falls and, if he does, expect the fight for his crown to be one of the bloodiest in the history of the league.Last edited by trekfan; 04-28-2017, 07:51 PM.Comment
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Re: Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Ch. 70
Halloween night, October 31st, 2019. That was the day we officially went from NBA Champions to defending NBA Champions. Our first opponent?
The Knights. Now, as you can imagine, Marshall Young — prick that he was — wasn’t happy at all that we had won the title and managed to get the 1st overall pick. But he had made his own moves in the offseason, hiring Kevin Garnett as head coach and going all in on “culture” and making his team, from the top down, about a certain way of doing things.
It had taken a few years of running his team into the ground, but Marshall was finally starting to understand what I had known from the beginning: you can’t tank your way to greatness.
Garnett, better than anyone, understood just how hard it was to take an expansion team and make it worth something in the NBA. He was the whole reason the Timberwolves even mattered in the first place and sticking him in charge of the team was a major reason why I was afraid to actually play the Knights.
Sure, they had their new uniforms and logo. We updated our uniforms too, adding in a gold collar to signify our championship pedigree (as opposed to the trophy on the back of our jersey, which I just felt was tacky as hell). But a new uniform didn't make a new team, it didn't change the mentality of the organization and the fans. It just made you look better.
That first game we came out, new point guard, new lineups on the bench, a team composed of some veterans and youth … and we got crapped on in the first half of the opening quarter. Passes were misfiring, easy shots were clanking out, and wide-open looks were splashing into the crowd and not the net.
We looked overwhelmed and were down 14-4 at one point in the quarter, before we found a connection: Bullard to Noel.
The young point guard knew how to get the bigs going and started feeding Noel and Thon.
That feeding started to panic the Knights, who sent out a lineup of Fultz, Cop, Prince, Millsap, and McCoy — a hell of a young lineup, especially considering they had Satorksy and Nurkic on the bench, two guys who were definite starters, but KG wasn’t rolling with them. He made it known that no one’s spot was safe if they didn’t put in the work.
That kind of culture shift was a shock to the system for the younger guys and the organization as a whole and, defensively, it really showed up.
The first ended up in a tie, 22-22, as both teams were putting forth some tough defense. We were only shooting 38% from the field, the Knights 35%, and it wasn’t pretty. Jackson only had four points, Thon was slow out of the gates, and Bullard was looking off open shots for the extra pass.
McHale did a good job sitting our guys down and giving them a minute to just catch their breath. We were getting rushed into our shots, we weren’t playing our inside-out game; we needed to get the *ucking ball into the post and punish those SOBs with our size.
In the second, that’s exactly what we did. Led by Bullard, the team started getting inside, regardless of the contact — and there was lots of that. Between McCoy, Millsap, and Nurkic, the Knights were making us pay with hard fouls and elbows. It was exactly the type of defensive attitude you’d expect from a team led by Kevin Garnett.
But Bulldog wasn’t to be denied — even if he had a poor shooting game overall (his shots weren’t falling, but they were damn close), he led the team with his passing and his courage to get inside and take the contact.
Bullard did get torched by Fultz all game, but it didn’t matter who we stuck on that kid — he just let it fly and lit us up. Luckily, basketball is a team game and between Bullard’s passing, Thon’s shooting, Jackson’s athletic feats, and Noel’s dirty work, we took a six-point lead at halftime, then a 85-75 lead heading into the fourth after finishing off the third quarter on a 12-4 run, led by Jackson.
And that’s when our offense — particularly Thon — just erupted. Maker wasn’t going to be denied on the inside, getting the boards, gathering up, slamming the ball home. He had a lot of hockey assists — they didn’t count in the box score, but they were hugely valuable and there was no way around it: we looked way better in the second half than in the first half.
Marshall, once more, didn’t make the trip to St. Louis and I got the distinct sense that his bosses weren’t happy with him. Losing teams make money, sure, but not as much as winning ones — especially when winning ones, in the same state, were celebrating a title.
But the Knights did show up and fight for three quarters before succumbing to their youth and their inexperience. They did fight, though … and I certainly was evaluating a few players on their roster that we might need if Noel left next summer.
As much as I didn’t want to entertain the idea, Nerlens leaving was a real possibility and if I didn’t have someone to step in and fill in, we’d be *ucked. You don’t win titles without a big man willing to get inside and do the dirty work on a consistent basis. Every team had one of those guys and Noel was ours … if we lost him, we’d be in a tough spot.
But, that night, we were winners — and the summer seemed far away.
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Through The Storm: A St. Louis Story
Dang. 21 rebounds? Thon literally must have grabbed every other rebound in that game. He is turning into quite the player to be reckoned with.
Could we see a rivalry between up and coming stars Markelle Fultz and Thon Maker?
Sent from my iPhone using Operation SportsLast edited by ThreeBallisLife; 04-29-2017, 01:52 PM.Just Like Magic: A Washington Wizards StoryComment
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