The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

[RolePlayer]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Very off-topic post I apologize, but who are the Warriors fans hoping you guys draft in real life if you do select?

As a Hornets fan really hoping you guys trade to a team that wants Lamelo or pass on Wiseman

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Very off-topic post I apologize, but who are the Warriors fans hoping you guys draft in real life if you do select?



As a Hornets fan really hoping you guys trade to a team that wants Lamelo or pass on Wiseman

All good man. I like Edwards but wouldn’t be opposed to trading back for more assets and taking Vassell. I do not want LaMelo, and Wiseman is good but I’m not a big believer in taking a center so high. League is won by wings, not bigs, so worried about his viability long-term.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

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The Purple and Gold Wedding - The Reign is Over

Ryen Simons
April 17, 2024

So this is how the reign ends? Not with a heroic last stand. Not with a crowning ceremony. Not with an impossible but dream-it-into existence comeback. But with a whimper; a quiet cry in a meaningless 82nd game in April.

LeBron James will put on an NBA jersey for the final time in the Lakers’ final game of the 2023-24 season, stepping away from an NBA that he has dominated since he was taken first in the 2003 NBA Draft. The kid from Akron has more than lived up to the lofty expectations set upon him, but even this end, one in which the Lakers miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, seems ill-fitting for The King.

James will retire as the NBA record holder in points (42,149), minutes (58,179) and assists (11,622), second in field goals (15,463) and games played (1,593), third in free throws (8,464), sixth in steals (2,359) and seventh in three pointers (2,759). But the final chapter of his career still doesn’t fit. It’s not so much the fact that it ended in purple and gold, as it is the fact that we barely got to see James compete for it all. Outside of one trip to the Western Conference Finals, James’ Lakers were merely a postseason participant, not contender. Even his lone Conference Finals trip seems like a mirage as he missed the first two games due to injury.

James’ twilight was surrounded by mediocre players, outside Anthony Davis, who failed to provide the adequate punch to push James further up the all-time list. You could fault the Lakers for giving up the farm for Davis and walking into this reality, you would be excused for blaming James for pushing it upon the team, but no matter what way you look at it, it’s still disappointing.

You’ll no doubt see plenty of articles praising James and all he did for the NBA, so I won’t waste your time on that. Instead I’ll say I feel like the James fans, and fans of the NBA as a whole, are left with blue balls. Oh what could have been!

James and Davis could have brought upon the NBA a fabled L.A. rivalry with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They could have resurrected a Miami-L.A. rivalry that, while it hasn’t ever really been, really should be. They could have short-circuited a Warriors dynasty that has refused to quit.

Instead, they fell flat. The Warriors dusted the Lakers in their first return to the playoffs in a quick three games, then the Lakers never made it back. I still can’t accept the fact that the last time we will ever see LeBron James play in the NBA playoffs will be a three-game sweep at the hands of Steph Curry, the man who James (never publicly) abhorred for creating the conversation about who was the actual best player in the NBA.

James in a Lakers' jersey may look strange when we look back in five, 10, 15 years, much like Michael Jordan in a Wizards jersey does. But for me, as much as his bear hug with Kevin Love and his smile in Miami will be etched in my memory, so too will be the exacerbated look on his face as Curry, Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors flicked him and Davis aside like day-old sushi.

I suppose this is what we get, and James too, for chasing off court goals in L.A. rather than titles on it. Hell, LeBron even got offers this past offseason to play elsewhere and potentially be more competitive, but the allure of staying home and more money kept LeBron in the city of Angels. But regardless, here we are. LeBron James walking off the court for the final time, grasping at visions and dreams of what could have been.

The King once crowned, now the reign is over.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

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Warriors enter Western Conference Playoffs as Second Seed

Isaiah Charles
April 19, 2024

Never count out a champion. Despite a slow start that saw the Warriors three-games under .500 near the quarter-way point of the year, Golden State rolled back to win 53 games and secure the two seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Golden State has looked equal parts Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. After starting the season anemic on the defensive end, the Warriors inserted Kostas Antetokounmpo into the rotation, springing a defensive renaissance that powered Golden State to the third best point differential in the West. Stephen Curry, meanwhile, spearheaded a potent Warrior offense that averaged the second most points the conference.

Golden State finished seven games behind the Utah Jazz in the West, who finished with 60 wins and the NBA’s top record. The Warriors and Jazz have met in three straight playoffs, including two Western Conference Finals, all belonging to Golden State. Should both teams meet in the Conference Finals yet again, the Jazz would own home court for the second straight year.

New Orleans, Memphis and the Clippers all finished with 51 wins a piece, but the Pelicans move into the three spot with the Grizzlies and Clippers behind them by way of a tie breaker. Oklahoma City’s 47 wins slots them into the six seed and a first round duel with the Pelicans, while Luka Doncic and the Mavericks will be the eight seed and face the Jazz.

In the East, Miami outlasted the Hawks to claim the top spot in the conference with 58 wins, three games ahead of Atlanta. Toronto put together yet another 50-win season, ending with a 51-31 record to take the three seed.

The Knicks, led by Trae Young, are back in the NBA playoffs thanks to a 48-win campaign.The success gets them the five seed and an identical record as the Boston Celtics. Chicago (41-41), Brooklyn (40-42) and Philadelphia (40-42) round out the top eight.

Milwaukee entered the final night of the regular season as the six seed with a chance to clinch a playoff spot, but thanks to a loss and wins by all the above, fell all the way out of the playoff picture at 40-42. This doesn’t bode well for the Bucks, with rumors swirling around the league about reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dissatisfaction with the organization’s management of the roster. Many believe this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.


2024 NBA Final Standings

NBA Standings - Updated: Apr 17, 2024
EAST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Miami Heat	58	24	--
Atlanta Hawks	55	27	3
Toronto Raptors	51	31	7
Boston Celtics	48	34	10
New York Knicks	48	34	10
Chicago Bulls	41	41	17
Brooklyn Nets	40	42	18
Philadelphia 76ers	40	42	18
Milwaukee Bucks	40	42	18
Detroit Pistons	36	46	22
Indiana Pacers	36	46	22
Orlando Magic	32	50	26
Charlotte Hornets	31	51	27
Cleveland Cavaliers	30	52	28
Washington Wizards	15	67	43
WEST PLAYOFF RACE	W	L	GB
Utah Jazz	60	22	--
Golden State Warriors	53	29	7
New Orleans Pelicans	51	31	9
Memphis Grizzlies	51	31	9
Los Angeles Clippers	51	31	9
Oklahoma City Thunder	47	35	13
San Antonio Spurs	46	36	14
Dallas Mavericks	44	38	16
Los Angeles Lakers	39	43	21
Denver Nuggets	38	44	22
Sacramento Kings	35	47	25
Portland Trail Blazers	35	47	25
Minnesota Timberwolves	35	47	25
Phoenix Suns	28	56	32
Houston Rockets	15	67

[Thugger Jackson]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Utah and Miami being the top seed, didn't see that coming.

[trekfan]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Man, Houston fell WAYYYYYY down the standings out West. They weren't competitive at all for most of the year. Utah and Miami with the top seeds should be good for both teams, in terms of playoff paths -- Utah avoids GS until the WCF, Miami avoids the Hawks (a divisional opponent who definitely knows them well) until the ECF, if the top seeds make it that far.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Utah and Miami being the top seed, didn't see that coming.

Miami has developed a ton of young talent. Tyler Herro is starting and averaging 20+, KD is still KD and then they've gone with a committee approach at PG. This might be their last shot at a title though, because Jimmy is regressing.



Utah I think is taking advantage of 2k's overvalue of the impact of centers. They don't have a good point guard, their wings are decent, but Andre Drummond with his massive block and rebound totals gives them more wins than otherwise.

Man, Houston fell WAYYYYYY down the standings out West. They weren't competitive at all for most of the year. Utah and Miami with the top seeds should be good for both teams, in terms of playoff paths -- Utah avoids GS until the WCF, Miami avoids the Hawks (a divisional opponent who definitely knows them well) until the ECF, if the top seeds make it that far.

Houston is frustrating. They've been this way ever since the 19-20 season and have no moves to make to improve the roster. The last part is true of the current team, but I still feel like they should be around 40-45 wins, not this bad. The contracts for Harden and Russ are so big even in the game that it's impossible to trade them to a contender, which is also realistic but nonetheless frustrating. Glad I'm not a Rockets fan.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

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2024 NBA Playoff Preview

Anthony Nojkic
April 18, 2024

With the NBA playoffs set to begin, and after a wild final day of the regular season, the playoff matchups are drastically altered. Thanks to wins from Memphis and New Orleans, along with a Clippers loss to the Lakers in LeBron’s final game (28 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals from LeBron in his final game), the Clippers drop from the three seed in the West to the fifth. There’s plenty on the line, including potential shake ups in the offseason if teams fail to deliver.

In the East, the Bucks were shockingly eliminated from the playoff race on the season’s final day. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be frustrated in the lack of development and roster moves that could put the Bucks on the verge of competing for a title. A sub-.500 season has done nothing to help matters, and sources indicate he may ask out of the only NBA organization he has only known.

Western Conference

Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks
Utah needs a win as much as anyone. Having been eliminated by Golden State in three straight years, including in two Western Conference Finals, the Jazz feel they are as good as it gets in the NBA. Now, they have to back it up against a Dallas team that could be looking at the final round of Luka Doncic. Sources indicate that Doncic has been disappointed in the Mavs’ play over the last few seasons. If Dallas exits in the first round, could he be gone too?
Prediction: Jazz in four

Golden State Warriors vs San Antonio Spurs
The Warriors are looking to do what only one team in NBA history has ever done and win four-straight NBA titles. The first team in their way is San Antonio, who will be relying on Cole Anthony and Zach LaVine to provide the offensive punch. Along with a young front court in Mitchell Robinson and Sasha Kasparov, can the Spurs slow the Warrior attack?
Prediction: Warriors in three

New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder
If Dallas is feeling pressure to win, so too are the Pelicans. The Pels have stumbled time and time again when it comes to the NBA playoffs. If they fail to make noise yet again, what will come of Zion in New Orleans. Oklahoma City has to be confident though, with their dynamic backcourt of Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder feel as if they are a champion in the waiting, now is the time to prove it.
Prediction: Pelicans in five

Memphis Grizzlies vs L.A. Clippers
The Clippers are staring down their final years of championship contention and looking to make the most of it. The massive trade to acquire Paul George and sign Kawhi Leonard was a victory the moment they won the 2020 NBA Finals, but a second title is icing on the cake. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are looking to shed the moniker of a young team on the rise and plant their flag as a title contender.
Prediction: Clippers in five


Eastern Conference

Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers
Fresh off consecutive NBA Finals trips, the Heat shed any concerns that their title window wasn't open in claiming the top seed in the East. Now they need to prove they can continue to play at a high level. In Philadelphia, the Sixers need to be competitive or we could be looking towards a summer shakeup.
Prediction: Heat in three

Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets
Kyrie Irving continues to see what Kevin Durant is doing and answer. Now, he has his Hawks in second place in the East and a chance to advance. The Nets are playing with house money, going from the second overall pick in the NBA Draft to the NBA Playoffs. A competitive series and the Nets are ecstatic.
Prediction: Hawks in four

Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls
After Toronto made consecutive NBA Finals in 2019 and 2020, plenty of people considered it a flash in the pan. Toronto is looking to return to the Finals to prove it wasn’t. The Bulls are young and talented, but like the Nets may be playing with house money. Keeping things interesting will be a win for Chicago.
Prediction: Raptors in three

Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks
Trae Young has pushed the Knicks back into NBA relevancy. His reward? A matchup with the Celtics. Boston continues to claim the future is now, yet they haven’t proven anything. The Celtics have all the makings of a title contender with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, yet they haven’t done anything with it. Can they finally break through and make waves in the playoffs?
Prediction: Celtics in five

[trekfan]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

I don't disagree with many of those picks, but I'm going to call the Grizzlies over the Clippers and the Knicks over the Celtics. I feel like those two series are coin flips, it wouldn't surprise me if the "underdogs" came to play and caught the favorites off-guard.

[RolePlayer]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

I'm going to agree with Trek, 2k seems to love Trae Young and I think he and the Knicks will win this one.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

I don't disagree with many of those picks, but I'm going to call the Grizzlies over the Clippers and the Knicks over the Celtics. I feel like those two series are coin flips, it wouldn't surprise me if the "underdogs" came to play and caught the favorites off-guard.

Grizzlies have the advantage at the guard position, where the Clippers are seriously lacking. If Morant is able to get going and avoid getting matched up with George and Leonard, they definitely have a chance.

I'm going to agree with Trek, 2k seems to love Trae Young and I think he and the Knicks will win this one.

The Knicks are good, but they don't have a perimeter threat to go toe-to-toe with Jayson Tatum. Tatum was among the league leaders in scoring with more than 36 per game. He scares me and I'm hesitant to bet against him. He's in the conversation as a Top 5 player in the game.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

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NBA Announces All-NBA and
All-Defense Teams

Anthony Nojkic
April 20, 2024

The NBA announced the All-NBA and All-Defense teams ahead of the 2024 postseason. Donovan Mitchell, considered a favorite for MVP, was named to First Team All-NBA alongside Giannis Antetokoumpo and Zion Williamson, two other front runners for the league’s top award.

Golden State’s Stephen Curry was named to the Third Team despite missing time due to knee and hip injuries. The 36-year-old, three-time MVP was a pivotal part of the Warriors rallying from a slow 8-11 start to finishing with 53 wins and the second seed in the West.

DeJounte Murray of the Pistons makes yet another appearance on the All-Defense team, despite being traded from San Antonio to Detroit where he came off the bench behind LaMelo Ball and Desmond Cooper. The lengthy guard was a pivotal part of a still-developing Pistons team flush with young talent that, despite improvements, missed the NBA playoffs.

Robert Williams made his first All-Defense selection for the Celtics. The undersized center was a savant on the glass and in the paint, pulling down more than 10 rebounds per game and swatting away more than 2 blocks per contest. The Celtics’ center has been named a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.

2023-24 All-NBA and All-Defense Teams

2023-24 All-NBA and All-Defense Teams
Award	Player	Pos	Team
All-NBA 1st Team
All-NBA 1st Team	Luka Doncic	SG	Dallas Mavericks
	Donovan Mitchell	SG	Utah Jazz
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	PF	Milwaukee Bucks
	Zion Williamson	PF	New Orleans Pelicans
	Karl-Anthony Towns	C	Minnesota Timberwolves
All-NBA 2nd Team
All-NBA 2nd Team	Ja Morant	PG	Memphis Grizzlies
	Trae Young	PG	New York Knicks
	Jayson Tatum	SF	Boston Celtics
	Kevin Durant	SF	Miami Heat
	Nikola Jokic	C	Denver Nuggets
All-NBA 3rd Team
All-NBA 3rd Team	Kyrie Irving	PG	Atlanta Hawks
	Stephen Curry	PG	Golden State Warriors
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	Los Angeles Clippers
	Anthony Davis	PF	Los Angeles Lakers
	Jusuf Nurkic	C	Portland Trail Blazers
All-Defensive 1st Team
All-Defensive 1st Team	Dejounte Murray	PG	Detroit Pistons
	Donte DiVincenzo	SG	Milwaukee Bucks
	Giannis Antetokounmpo	PF	Milwaukee Bucks
	Anthony Davis	PF	Los Angeles Lakers
	Robert Williams	C	Boston Celtics
All-Defensive 2nd Team
All-Defensive 2nd Team	Jimmy Butler	SG	Miami Heat
	Marcus Smart	SG	Boston Celtics
	Kawhi Leonard	SF	Los Angeles Clippers
	Ben Simmons	PF	Philadelphia 76ers
	Andre Drummond	C	Utah Jazz

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Anthony Nojkic @NojRinger April 20, 2024

Breaking: Jason Sanders has unanimously been named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Sanders averaged 19.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Cavaliers.

[trekfan]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Nice, Sanders getting the ROY should make Cleveland feel a bit better about their year.


That all-NBA 3rd team should be renamed "the old guard". Surprised Durant made 2nd team but he's still knocking down shots with reckless abandon no doubt.

[marshdaddy]

Re: The Golden Era | A Golden State Warriors Dynasty (NBA 2K20)

Nice, Sanders getting the ROY should make Cleveland feel a bit better about their year.


That all-NBA 3rd team should be renamed "the old guard". Surprised Durant made 2nd team but he's still knocking down shots with reckless abandon no doubt.

Sanders was really the only option. Teams didn’t use rookies much at all, I think it’s a game issue where players have developed too well so their overalls are out of whack. The drafts come in with realistic overalls, like mid to low-70s for most lottery picks. I’m working on toning down progression so hopefully that corrects itself.

You can definitely feel the league changing. That 3rd team may be the last All-NBA selections for the vets as the young guns start hitting their primes. Interested to see how the landscape changes with that.


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