SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[ronyell]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[bryan3169]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

April 28th, 2018

Reporter: "Paul, tonight you were on fire setting a Thunder playoff record in points with 47, what were you feeling tonight?

PG: "I just played within my game and we all moved well without the ball, their guy couldn't keep up and I shot my shot and they fell. Down the stretch I saw the ball in my hands alot more than usual and I made more than I missed."

Reporter: "Coach Donovan put Patrick Peterson in the game down the stretch in the 4th quarter, do you feel like a smaller faster lineup gives you an advantage against the older Spurs?"

PG: "Oh for sure, 4th quarter guys are tired, and use putting a smaller lineup allowed us to pick up the tempo and we often saw some 4-3 fastbreaks off an rebound and outlet pass and you know with that, somebody was open, so the game plan definitely worked and helped us get this win tonight."

[bryan3169]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

April 29th, 2018

Heat coach Erik Spolstra on 3rd quarter ejection against the Sixers: "First off this was a defensive battles, I got tossed for arguing a no call on Dragic, he had been getting hacked all night. I told the referee he had to been blind or something or he forgot his glasses and I got tossed. Although, I lost my cool and it was unprofessional, I felt like it was necessary. 7 trips to the line as a team! The entire game!! That's just ridiculous! We can't beat Philly and the refs too."

Embiid on him and Whiteside getting chippy during the game: "I guess he got offended by my tweets and he started to throw elbows down low, he tripped me once or twice that the refs didn't catch, but the thing is I expected this. He did all that and still couldn't get the touches he was looking for. Imma go help him look for them next game. He frustrated with his team and he frustrated with me. Pat Riley need to go get big homie some counseling or something so he can stop crying and play ball."

Russell Westbrook on Coach Pop saying the Spurs did what they wanted against him: "They did what they wanted against me? Stop it! Pop trippin, I didn't know 21-8-14 was putting me in my place. He switched Kawhi on me too, what I'm supposed to be scared! Man he trippin next question!"

Chris Broussard on rumblings out of Sacramento: "Word out of Sacramento is that owner Vivek Ranadivé is putting up an emergency sale of the Kings, due to lack of return of revenue in Sacramento and being in the bottom half of the league in attendance in the last decade and not getting enough return revenue on their stadium that they built in 2016. Sacramento Mayor, Darrell Steinberg reportedly wants return on the potential sale to refund some of the loan the city gave the Kings for the stadium as well. An official press release and report is expected tomorrow according to my sources! We could see the Kings reportedly sold and possibly even relocated this offseason."

[AdamJones113]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle




April 29, 2018

Adam Jones


How the West Will Be Won

A Glance at the Western Conference Playoffs


Three sweeps. No seven-game series. A story of dominance... by lower-seeded teams. It's been wild out in the Western Conference, as only the #1-seeded Houston Rockets escaped the first round unscathed. The #5-seeded Utah Jazz beat the #4-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in 6; the Oklahoma City Thunder blew away the #3-seeded Portland Trail Blazers; and, perhaps most shockingly of all, the defending champion Warriors fell to the #7-seeded Spurs in four.

The West will never be the same.

Nonetheless, there are still three all-Western Conference series to be played. Let's take a look at how each team might claim a suddenly wide-open Western Conference crown.

Houston Rockets
The NBA's best have the inside track to making their first NBA finals since the days of Hakeem the Dream and Kenny the Jet. The all-world duo of James Harden and Chris Paul take on the Utah Jazz in the second round, figuring to handle Salt Latke's finest almost as easily as they swept the Denver Nuggets. The Jazz, though, are good—they defend as well as, and better than, anybody. Ricky Rubio has shown up to play, and Donovan Mitchell's been good all year. Joe Ingles is a statistically better three-point shooter than any of the Rockets' assembled three-and-D guys, and on the other side of the ball Rudy Gobert is, well, the Stifle Tower. The Rockets need to not get cocky, and take care of business. A tougher challenge awaits in the next round. They should want to see their Texas brethren Spurs, whom they'll be able to run and gun out of the playoffs. The talented and explosive Thunder, who match up well against Houston, are a potentially tougher challenge.

Utah Jazz
This season has by all measures been a resounding success for Utah. They made the playoffs unexpectedly after losing Gordon Hayward, and they even won a series. So falling to the Rockets wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Nonetheless, they'll try to win. It'll take a gargantuan effort—Rudy Gobert must man the paint on his own well enough to enable the other four defenders to close out on Houston's lethal shooters, and Donovan Mitchell has to—as a rookie—figure out Jeff Bzdelik's vastly improved defense. It's a tall order for Utah, but hey, the fact that they're even here is a pleasant surprise. No point in worrying about the future, at any rate.

Oklahoma City Thunder
You just knew Westbrook and George wouldn't allow themselves to be shown the door in the first round. The pair are off to a torrid start in the second round already, with George setting franchise playoff records in points and points in a half. This is the dynamic duo everyone feared coming into the year, and as long as Melo doesn't get in the way, and Steven Adams continues to grab offensive rebounds like nobody's business, the Thunder are a team to watch out for. They'll need George to be fantastic all series long—not just on offense, but on defense he'll have to slow down the rejuvenating force that Kawhi Leonard has become. They'd love for Utah to beat Houston, but realistically OKC needs to prepare for a slugfest against old Thunder guy James Harden & co. You'd love to have Roberson, but OKC needs to fire on all cylinders and more defensively to have any shot at stopping the Rockets.

San Antonio Spurs
The older, the wiser. Pop fashioned a miraculous sweep of the Warriors, but now finds himself down 1-0 to the Thunder. Opponents now have a little scouting on the newly energized Leonard/Aldridge duo, so the gameplan will have to shake things up a bit to take teams by surprise. They're thrilled to have Leonard back, but they'd be foolish not to still rely heavily on Aldridge, who's been terrific all year long. If Leonard return to his DPOY-caliber self and shuts down the dangerous Paul George, the aged Spurs should eke out another series. Then it's just up the road to Houston, where Leonard and co. won a big series last year... although the Rockets didn't have Chris Paul. But if any team is prepared mentally and defensively to face down the Rockets, it's San Antonio. They've got to get out of this round, though, and that's far from a sure thing.

[ronyell]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[AdamJones113]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

The Rockets delt Joe Ingles and the Jazz a body blow in game 1

April 29, 2018

Adam Jones


Anarchical, Prehistoric Blowout; Old-Fashioned Blowout; The Interview, With Jae Crowder


1. Anarchical, Prehistoric Blowout
The Raptors got off to a very convincing start to their second-round series with the Cavaliers thanks to a 124-100 win. The Raptors took an 8-point lead into halftime, but really ran away with the game in the third quarter, where they outscored Cleveland 39-26. The big reason, of course, is that King James is sidelined for the series with an injury, but Toronto did their job. Kyle Lowry scored 25 and dished out 13 assists, falling a rebound short of a triple-double, and DeMar DeRozan led the way with 33. The Raptors shot a fiery 15-26 from three, with Lowry (5-7) and C.J. Miles (4-4) leading the way. Kevin Love scored a game-high 37 points, but the Cavaliers looked understandably disjointed without their—and the league's—best player.

2. Old-Fashioned Blowout
Bam. The Rockets handed the Jazz a 122-76 beatdown, despite shooting just 12-38 (32%) from three. The Jazz, luckily for Houston, shot an even worse 5-34 (15%). Houston got off to a great start and never looked back, leading the Jazz 34-16 after the first quarter before coasting into halftime with a 73-35 lead. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points on 7-20 shooting, but Ricky Rubio and Jae Crowder combined for a horrible 2-22 night. Harden scored 33 and had 8 rebounds and assists apiece, and while Eric Gordon shot 0-8 from beyond the arc he hit 13-15 at the line. Clint Capela added a monstrous 15/17 double-double with 5 blocks to cement Houston's all-around dominance.

3. The Interview, With Jae Crowder
Q: Uh, rough game. How do you bounce back from a 1-12 night?
A: Shoot the goddam ball into the hoop better.

Q: That didn't quite work for your last 10 shots. Will it change all of a sudden?
A: Of course. I'm a pro. I'll shoot my way out of it, maybe outscore James Harden next game, maybe Chris Paul as well, and we'll be fine.

Q: Are you serious?
A: (Sighs) No, not really. Bad night, guys. Just gotta pull through as a team.

[bryan3169]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

April 30th, 2018

Jae Crowder on Rockets' playing starters up 40: "Houston got big balls up 40 and still got starters in playing try hards. They had the referee's blowing whistles left and right. 48 free throw attempts was ridiculous! Capela still on the floor blocking shots up 40 but I get a tech down 40 for getting emotional. Things about to get alot more physical in Game 2 mark my words!"

Kevin Love on holding the Cavs accountable: "We know we are missing LeBron but we got plenty of capable players on this team. They've gotta start playing like it! Gotta pick up the hustle, grind for boards, harrass these guys and we've shown none of that especially not tonight. We look defeated already and they've only gone up 1-0 in the series. Gotta play better across the board they beat us in every aspect of the game just off of pure effort!"

Max Kellerman on Rockets running up the score: "People have been complaining about the Rockets running up the score. Stop it! This is the NBA Playoffs. This isn't a place to show mercy for your opponent. A win is a win, the object of the game is to keep a team from beating you and to keep a team from blowing you out. A win like this demoralizes your opponent. Houston shows the constant hunger and that's whats gonna help them win an NBA Championship!"

Skip Bayless on LeBron's sudden media silence after Game 1: "LeBron James' sudden social media silence is surprising to most fans because he is injured but of course people still want to see or hear from him. Seeing LeBron in a suit on the sideline due to injury hurts him more than it hurts to watch as a fan. As the Cavs got beaten into the ground, he has a distant stare the entire game in the 50 something camera cuts we got to LeBron during the game. He looked lost on the sideline and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than stuck on the bench. LeBron's demeanor hurts the team, his team sees him sulking in a suit and his attitude rubs off on them and they start sulking. LeBron's affecting his team just as much in a suit than he would in a jersey! That's insane!"

[bryan3169]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

April 30th, 2018

Kings are up for sale; Mayor of Sacramento wants return on stadium investment

Per report from the Sacramento Bee this morning, Kings majority owner, Vivek Ranadive has decided to sell his majority shares in the team immediately. Ranadive, in a statement sited a steadily decline in revenue played a major play in his decision to sell off the franchise as well as his inability to pay off the loan of 255 million dollar stadium loan back to the City of Sacramento for the building of the Golden1 Center back in 2016.

Sacramento Mayor, Darrell Steinberg commented on the Kings being sold saying that the sell of the Kings estimated to be in the ballpark of 925 million dollars in 2018 according to Forbes, up from the price of 535 million dollars, should be enough to accommodate the reimbursement of investment on the City of Sacramento for the construction of the Golden1 Center. As a clause in the agreement states that if the team is sold before the repayment of the city's loan has been completed, the loan will be paid with the funds accrued in the sale.

Numerous groups have formed to once the word of a possible sale broke at some point late last season. Kings part owner and Hall of Famer, Shaquille O'Neal has stated that he would love to stay with the organization in some capacity.

[ronyell]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[cormag001]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

May 1st, 2018

NBA Playoff Central

Western Conference

#1 Houston Rockets vs #5 Utah Jazz (HOU leads series 1-0)
Game 1: Jazz 76 @ Rockets 122
Game 2: Jazz @ Rockets (5/1)

The Rockets had zero problems in the series' first game, combining their powerhouse offense that we've all grown accustomed to with a stellar defensive performance. It seemed as if the Jazz were trying to match the Rockets' shooting -- attempting 34 3s but only making five(!!!). Ricky Rubio and Jae Crowder, two essential players to the Jazz's success, went a combined 2-22 from the field. For the Rockets, Harden completely controlled the pace of the game. The Jazz will have to find a way to make Harden much more uncomfortable moving forward to have a chance in the series.

#6 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #7 San Antonio Spurs (OKC leads series 2-0)
Game 1: Spurs 100 @ Thunder 104
Game 2: Spurs 90 @ Thunder 120
Game 3: Thunder @ Spurs (5/2)

Oklahoma City's Big Three really seem like they're on a mission. In Game 1, Paul George was electrifying, scoring 47 points and almost single handedly put the Spurs away late in the fourth. In Game 2 it was Carmelo who stepped up, hitting some shots we've seen him struggle to make throughout the season en route to an easy Thunder victory. Oh and, in case you forgot, the Thunder still have the reigning MVP who can go off at any time. Don't count the Spurs out just yet though. Kawhi looks fresh after sitting out the season and has played well all series. Plus, the Spurs are notoriously good at home. Writing this series off would be a mistake.


Eastern Conference

#1 Toronto Raptors vs #4 Cleveland Cavaliers (TOR leads series 1-0)
Game 1: Cavaliers 104 @ Raptors 124
Game 2: Cavaliers @ Raptors (5/1)

DeMar DeRozen is an early candidate for this year's playoff breakout performance. He appears to have shook whatever playoff demons affected him at one point, as he has followed up his solid Round 1 performance with a 33 point Game 1 in Round 2. The Raptors as a whole look like the complete team they've claimed to be the last three years -- but will they hit their seemingly inevitable decline soon? For the Cavaliers, a Game 1 loss might be even more alarming because of how well their new best player played. Kevin Love scored 37 points on 50% shooting, but yet the rest of the team could not pick up the slack. Have we seen the last of LeBron in a Cleveland uniform?

#3 Philadelphia 76ers vs #7 Miami Heat (PHI leads series 2-0)
Game 1: Heat 86 @ 76ers 97
Game 2: Heat 116 @ 76ers 118
Game 3: 76ers @ Heat (5/2)

The 76ers shot 34% in Game 1... and still won comfortably. Although Philadelphia has their stars, it's the depth of this Sixers team that makes them so scary. Guys like Redick, Covington, and Saric have left an imprint on the series and are making their presence felt on both ends of the floor. That paired with Simmons and Embiid playing their best basketball is a scary combination for any team. The Heat, unfortunately, have struggles of their own. Josh Richardson has been their leading scorer through two games, but Wade has seemed to slow down as the playoffs have progressed. Game 3 in Miami will be huge -- can the Heat snap the Sixers' undefeated playoffs? Or will the 76ers continue to dominate?

[ronyell]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[bryan3169]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

May 2nd, 2018

Colin Cowherd on Kevin Love: "Kevin Love has stepped up as the vocal leader in LeBron's absence. Kevin Love has stepped up in a capacity we haven't seen from him since his early Timberwolves days. Has standing in LeBron's shadow hampered his ability to be a real locker room leader? Can Kevin Love be the leader that Cleveland needs in the future, pending LeBron's departure?"

Kyle Lowry on his performance in Game 2 vs. The Cavs: "Just bad shot selection on my part, some days the shots don't fall. In my case none of them fell, I put this loss on my back, too many turnovers, just a bad game all the way around for me. Just gotta overprepare for game 3 and tip this series back in our favor!"

Quin Snyder on Jazz performance vs. Rockets: "Execution and defense helped us win this game tonight, we also let Houston shoot themselves out of this game. Donovan and Joe had great games from the field and Rudy was a hell of a rim protector with 6 blocks to go with 15 points and 18 rebounds! Hell of a game. The key to our success is limiting James Harden. Easier said than done, but tonight we showed it can be done."

[cormag001]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

May 2nd, 2018

There's Something Special About The Utah Jazz

One year ago today, the Utah Jazz were getting ready to suit up for Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Coming off a grueling series 7-game series (which saw the Jazz put an end to the Paul-Griffin-Jordan era Clippers), no one gave Utah a chance to win this series. In fact, the larger, looming question was the impending free agency of Gordon Hayward. Hayward was coming off the best season of his career, averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.5 APG, all while shooting nearing 40% from 3. There was no doubt that losing a player of Hayward's caliber would set the the franchise back substantially.

Sure enough, the Jazz were outclassed and swept by the Warriors, officially opening up the door for Hayward to leave Utah. When he decided to join his former college coach in Boston, it appeared the progress the Jazz had made towards becoming a contender was long gone. Who would be the face of the new team? George Hill's career was on the decline and he struggled to stay healthy all season. Gobert, Hood, and Ingles are nice pieces to any team, but they are far from being a centerpiece of a championship squad.

Luckily, the Jazz had a right to swap draft picks with the Denver Nuggets and could move up to 13th. While this is an obvious upgrade from their original spot at 24, it's no secret that there's no where near 13 guys per year with the talent to lead a franchise. Many thought the Jazz just needed to pick a high potential guy who could eventually develop into a key player.

Dennis Lindsey thought differently. He took Donovan Mitchell with the 13th pick of the draft, a guy who most analysts predicted would be taken in the bottom third of the first round.

Oh how things have worked out. Mitchell has proven that he was vastly underrated, excelling at the pro-level almost immediately. In fact, he may have even filled the hole Hayward left:

Hayward '17: 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.5 APG
Mitchell '18: 20.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 APG

What makes Mitchell's breakout even more impressive is that he was able to put those numbers up on a successful team. The Jazz rallied around their rookie, finishing in the exact same spot as last year -- 5th in the west -- with an even brighter future.

Every player seems to know their role. Mitchell is the volume scorer who controls tempo, Gobert mans the inside, Ingles is the trash- talking sharpshooter, Rubio the scorer/distributor off the bench. The chemistry this Jazz team shows is equal, if not superior, to every other team in the league. They seem to legitimately enjoy playing together, and after pestering the T-Wolves into submission, that has leaked over into their playoff performance.

Yet again, here the Jazz are, as the massive underdogs taking on the top team in the Western Conference Semifinals. And Game 1 followed that script -- the Rockets completely dismantled Utah, embarrassing them en route to a 122-76 whopping.

But this Jazz team isn't the same as last year's Jazz team. This year's Jazz team is better.

In Game 2, the Jazz got double digit scoring from Mitchell, Ingles, Rubio, Gobert, Favors, Burks, AND Exum -- plus a masterful defensive performance on Harden, taking him out of the game. They went right at the Rockets and played a gritty, hard-nosed game, getting to the line 30 times and stealing Game 2 on Houston's home floor.

If the Rockets expect anything less than Salt Lake City and the Utah Jazz to bring their best performance in Game 3, they're in for a rude awakening. The Jazz are for real, and they're here to stay.

[ronyell]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

[Reed1417]

Re: SimWorld NBA: The Chronicle

May 3rd, 2018

Greg Popovich on Spurs play in win: “We played fantastic. Now we've gotta keep at it. This isn't over”.

Joel Embiid relaxes the Philly fans: “We had a bad night, but it happens. I've said it before and I'll say it again. No need to worry....just trust the process we got this”.

Stephen A. Smith fires back at Max Kellerman on Cavs situation: “Max you mean to tell me that you think the Cavaliers WITHOUT LEBRON can beat these Raptors in this series and it's good for the future of this team? No no my friend. I'm a fan of this team, but I have to be realistic.”