Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

[RMJH4]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Melo, Payne and the Glove?!! Yikes this will be good. Hopefully Payton gets Melo to commit on defense more than George Karl could! Nuggets lose Melo and get LeBron though. Very interesting storylines being set up here. I like how the Sonics are looking with those additions of Webber, Chandler and Redd. Bulls with DWade from the get go too. Ridnour is a solid pickup for my Magic, but they really needed DWest to drop one more spot for them. Good Luck in NY!

[trekfan]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)



****



NBA 2003-04 Preview Part 1
By Vonny Lee


PHI


When we last saw them ...

Philly lost in the first round for the second year straight, despite an outstanding performance from franchise player Shawn Marion.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Marion carry the Sixers alone?

The 76ers kept their noses relatively clean in free agency, but lost veteran PG Gary Payton (18-5-8 last season) to the rival Knicks. Marion got virtually no reinforcements over the offseason, as GM Billy King opted to stand pat — he only added rookie PG Steve Blake through the draft. Marion has a long year ahead of him as the lone star on a veteran laden, low-ceiling team.



***


MIL


When we last saw them ...

Milwaukee finally put it all together — after signing Grant Hill last summer to be the veteran catalyst for their young team, the Bucks thrived under the leadership of Hill (28-8-8 in an MVP-worthy year). Young studs Tony Parker and Amare Stoudemire thrived playing with him and the Bucks made the 2nd round before losing to the Kobe-led Heat.

Storyline to Follow:

Fluke or future?

The Bucks had an incredible year, winning over 50 games, and saw a bounce-back season from Hill after the last two injury-plagued years with the Magic. But can the Bucks do it again? Are they for real? That’s the question that has to be answered this year, assuming Hill can stay healthy (he played in 80 of 82 games last year) and the young studs continue their upward trajectory.

***
***


CHI



When we last saw them ...

Chicago tanked, hard, in an attempt to get the first overall pick and instead ended up at fourth.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Dwyane Wade save the Bulls?

Chicago has struggled mightily in the post-Jordan years. The 2001-02 season was so bad that the Bulls were giving away tickets to the homeless (and even they didn’t show up), the 2002-03 season was a blatant tank job for LeBron (who could blame them), and the Bulls still ended up with a stellar pick in Wade. Wade will have a lot to live up to and little to work with as the Bulls front office added C Brad Miller (formerly of the Hawks, a 16-10 type of guy) and veteran Clifford Robinson at PF — it’ll be up to Wade and (to a lesser extent) former 2nd overall pick Jay Williams to push the team forward.

***


CLE


When we last saw them ...

Cleveland had won 46 games behind the stellar rookie season of Yao Ming (18-11), who was very much ready to take on the NBA despite what some NBA players and writers thought. Cleveland had a spirited 7 game series in round 1 that led to them losing, but it was a highly successful year.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Cleveland keep it up?

The Cavs are a team that’s trying to be ahead of schedule; Ming, Richard Jefferson, Stephen Jackson, and Marcus Fizer comprise a core of players that few though would come together this fast, but the Cavs were dealing with a weak conference last year — this season, the East isn’t as feeble and Yao isn’t as unknown.


***


BOS


When we last saw them ...

The Celtics were upset in round 1 by a spunky Wizards squad, leaving Boston and star Jason Kidd looking for answers.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Boston get Jason Kidd some help?

It’s rare a team like Boston, commanded by a veteran like Kidd (23-6-11 last year), gets upset early in the playoffs, but it happened. Boston responded by … bringing back everyone. The Celtics didn’t really meaningfully get Kidd any help, leaving the offense his domain as the Celtics surround him with defenders. Boston will go as far as Kidd drags them.


***


LAC


When we last saw them ...

The Clippers got in on the tank-athon for a top pick in the 2003 draft, finishing with the worst record in the West — the basketball gods punished them and they ended up drafting 9th overall.

Storyline to Follow:

Is there any hope for LAC?

The Clippers are a bad team with a bad owner in a bad way. While the Lakers made big moves this summer to help out their team, the Clippers largely stood pat with a roster of parts that don’t fit. The drafting of Pietrus (Air France) doesn’t help them immediately and it seems like the Clippers are loading up for another tank-athon year.

[studbucket]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Wow, that Bucks team looks fun and good. Korver on the bench too and a Cherokee Parks sighting!

[trekfan]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)



NBA 2003-04 Preview Part 2

By Vonny Lee


MEM


When we last saw them ...

Memphis failed to make the playoffs, winning 28 games as Dirk missed 70 games last season with a bad knee; Memphis collapsed early and never recovered.

Storyline to Follow:

Are the Grizz finally ready to thrive?

The Grizzlies are a maddeningly inconsistent team, one that seems to alternate from good year (playoffs) to bad year (lottery pick) since the arrival of Dirk. Memphis has been searching for years for a good frontcourt partner for Dirk and may have finally found one in Chris Bosh, a big who can stretch the floor just like Dirk. Between Bosh, Jason Richardson, and Dirk, the ceiling is high for Memphis … assuming the basketball gods don’t throw another curveball their way.


***


ATL


When we last saw them ...

The Hawks assembled an all-time “We’re not washed, just a little damp” team of disappointing players and put Brad Miller (now in Chicago) in charge of the tank; he commanded the team well and they tanked, but only ended up with the 8th overall pick

Storyline to Follow:

Can Rip Hamilton pull Atlanta back to relevance?

The Hawks were a god-awful mess last year, despite the heroics of Brad Miller. Miller is gone now, leaving Rip as the team’s top player. Hamilton is no scrub (20-4-3 last season) but doesn’t demand the kind of attention high-usage two-guards (like Kobe) get. The Hawks will have to be more than the sum of their parts this season … it’s likely they’re gonna end up with a high pick in the 2004 draft.

***


MIA

When we last saw them ...

Miami won their second-straight title, this time against the Shaq-led Kings, and they were led by their franchise man Kobe Bryant with an absurd Finals performance (37-7-8).

Storyline to Follow:

Can the Heat do it again?

The Miami Heat are back-to-back champs. Karl Malone has re-signed for another year, the Heat have Bryant surrounded by shooters and defenders, and the formula from last season looks to be exactly the same. Kobe is the best player in the league, so this isn’t a bad strategy.


***


NOLA

When we last saw them ...

The Hornets were engaged in a tank, like every other bad team in the league, but they ended up with only a top-ten pick and missed out on a lot of good players.

Storyline to Follow:

Will veteran talent help turn around the Hornets?

The rumors of locker-room dissatisfaction in NOLA swirled all last season as the young guys on the team — Ron Artest, Michael Redd — butted heads consistently, so much so that Artest asked for a trade this summer. NOLA responded by sending away Redd and Tim Thomas; they imported in veterans Jamal Mashburn (23-6-4) and Theo Ratliff (10-10). Add in rookie PG TJ Ford, and the team looks decent on paper — the question is can the Hornets put it all together, especially as Artest could leave in free agency this summer.

***


UTA

When we last saw them ...

The Jazz had made the playoffs, by a hair’s breadth, and gave the KG-led Spurs everything they could in a heavily contested round 1 series.

Storyline to Follow:

Is this the end of John Stockton in Utah?

John Stockton is the last of the old guard on the Jazz and, at age 41, this may be the final season of his legendary career. Stockton has done an admirable, maybe even saintly, job of guiding young players like Antoine Walker (26-7-4) and Marcus Camby (11-11) over their young careers — but the time is coming that he won’t be around. Utah selected PG Jose Calderon in the draft as Stockton’s replacement and the pressure will be immense this season for the Jazz to rally around Stockton, to get him the ring that his former battery mate Karl Malone only found leaving Utah.

***


SAC

When we last saw them ...

Sacramento had authored an incredible playoff-run, upsetting the Lakers, T’Wolves, and Mavericks on their way to the Finals where they lost to the Heat.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Shaq keep this up?

The Kings are a team that begins and ends with Shaq. O’Neal put up an absurd 26-13-3-1-2 stat line last year in his age 30 season. Since his arrival in Sacramento, Shaq has thrived as their franchise star, which has rubbed some of the younger players the wrong way — most notably Lamar Odom, who accepted his RFA qualifying offer this summer to make him a free agent next summer. The Kings are at their best with Shaq as the focal point, but how many more seasons can Shaq do that?

[trekfan]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)



NBA 2003-04 Preview Part 3

By Vonny Lee



NYK



When we last saw them ...

The Knicks had a lousy post-All Star Break, falling out of the playoff picture with just 35 wins; the basketball gods smiled on them though, landing them the 2nd overall pick and then they traded for the 3rd overall pick.

Storyline to Follow:

Can the Knicks youth lead them to a playoff win?

The Knicks haven’t won a playoff game since the spring of 1994. They traded for Chris Webber two years later and … still didn’t win a playoff game, despite Webber’s individual brilliance. The Knicks were a mess last season as the team was sold to new ownership and this summer the new front office moved on from Webber for youth; Lionel Payne and Carmelo Anthony. Payne and Anthony met in the NCAA Championship game (Houston vs Syracuse, with Syracuse winning) and put on a great performance, the best since Bird vs Magic — the Knicks have paired the two together under a veteran coach and the fans in NYC are buzzing with real hope for the first time in years.


***


LAL



When we last saw them ...

The Lakers had made the playoffs thanks to Vince Carter’s great season (33-5-4) but like the last two years, the Lakers failed to advance — losing in embarrassing fashion to the rival Kings.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Jermaine O’Neal make a difference?

The Lakers made a huge sign and trade this summer, grabbing Jermaine O’Neal from the Bulls for a 2004 1st. O’Neal will be expected to thrive beside Carter as the Lakers have their best big man in years on the roster — the question becomes how much of a difference O’Neal can make. Going against Shaq, Duncan, and KG out West makes the odds of a deep Lakers playoff run long.

***


ORL



When we last saw them ...

Orlando put together a crappy post-All Star break record, falling out of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Storyline to Follow:

Is this it for Steve Nash and Orlando?

The Magic have been had a miserable 21st century. They watched Grant Hill leave last summer after a disappointing season, breaking up the Nash/Hill duo that has been entertaining the league for years — in Nash’s first season alone, he struggled with the increased scoring load some, but performed well (22-3-10). The issue is that the team around him just doesn’t seem ready to take a leap. Approaching the last year of his contract, Nash is a highly valued asset that may get moved at the deadline if Orlando is struggling.
***


DAL


When we last saw them ...

Dallas had waltzed their way to a 56-26 record, only to get clowned by Shaq and the Kings in the WCF 4-1, much to Dallas’ chagrin.

Storyline to Follow:

Can the Mavs win with a Hale back in the league?

The Mavericks have had a great run of success since the Runnin’ Rockets were disbanded; Mavericks’ owner Trent Lewis has been one of the most vocal (and visible) owners in all of basketball but all of it has been done without another member of his family in charge of a team … that is over now, as his son David Hale leads the Knicks front office. Dallas’ WCF embarrassment last season may be a glimpse at an unpleasant future.


***


NJ



When we last saw them ...

The Nets secured 52 wins and the 3rd seed out East, only to be upset in Round 2 by the upstart Wizards.

Storyline to Follow:

Can the Nets rebound after a playoff disappointment?

The New Jersey Nets were supposed to be the team to beat the Heat last season — New Jersey’s roster was seemingly designed to stress the Heat in ways they couldn’t adapt to easily. Instead, the Nets got caught looking ahead and lost in round 2. New Jersey didn’t do much to change the roster, adding some veterans to the deep bench, and anticipate a return to the playoffs where they can redeem themselves.

***

DEN


When we last saw them ...

The Nuggets were a losing team and lost enough to sneak into the lottery, where they were rewarded with the top pick in the 2003 draft, selecting LeBron James 1st overall.

Storyline to Follow:

Is LeBron James the missing piece?

The Denver Nuggets and LeBron James are matches made in heaven. Denver needed a top-level scorer and creator like LeBron, LeBron needs a veteran team of shooters and defenders to elevate his skillset — peanut butter meet jelly. It’s a lot to ask of an 18-year-old to help get his team to the playoffs, but Denver legitimately was the best place for a player like James to land.

[trekfan]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)



NBA 2003-04 Preview Part 4

By Vonny Lee



IND


When we last saw them ...

Indiana missed the playoffs, watched Reggie Miller retire, and picked Kirk Hinrich in the draft 6th overall, just missing out on the top crop of players.

Storyline to Follow:

How bad are the Pacers?

The Pacers have had a hell of a time in the last year and things probably won’t get better this season — this is a franchise that has missed on league-altering talent in the draft repeatedly over the last four years and that streak continued this past draft. Their best player, Szczerbiak, put up 21-4-1 last season, a great stat line … for a second option. Indiana just doesn’t have a first option and the team was designed around the talents of Reggie Miller, now gone: Indiana is a team with parts that don’t fit, a low ceiling, and a front office desperate to tank this season.


***



DET



When we last saw them ...

Detroit and Elton Brand gave the Heat all they could handle for six games in round 1 before bowing out gracefully.

Storyline to Follow:

Can the Pistons take the leap?

The Pistons have seemed to be on the edge of taking “the leap” for two seasons now. Jason Terry (21-3-7) and Elton Brand (19-12-1) blossomed last year, but that individual success translated into only 43 wins. Detroit only added C Jeff Foster in free agency (a defensive big formerly of the Bucks) and otherwise stayed pat. Detroit is betting on internal improvement to carry the squad and it may be a wise bet.


***


TOR


When we last saw them ...

The Raptors had just missed the playoffs, losing three games in the last week of the season to fall out of the 8th seed.

Storyline to Follow:

Is this the end of Marbury in Toronto?

The Raptors have hung onto Marbury since they drafted him in 1996, and while Marbury has been good, he’s never been elite. The team has been built around him and the talents of Gasol, but it’s increasingly apparent that Gasol is the far better player … also, that Gasol is being held back by Marbury’s play. Look out for the Raptors to entertain trade talks about Marbury if their season starts off poorly.


***


HOU



When we last saw them ...

The Rockets had managed to win just 29 games last season but that wasn’t good enough for the basketball gods, who sent Houston’s lottery pick all the way to 10th, where they selected PF David West.

Storyline to Follow:

Can Houston put it together?

The Houston Rockets have missed the playoffs 7 times in 9 years since the Runnin’ Rockets were disbanded; there is no franchise that has had more talent than the Rockets in the last decade and yet done so little with it. PG Steve Francis (19-4-5 last season) and SF Peja Stojakovic (17-4-1) are very good players, but neither are performing like a first option. Houston is still searching for long term success and now with their former championship winning coach (Randy Kern) back in New York after nearly a decade away, the pressure for Houston — and owner Solomon Grady — will be high.


***


SA


When we last saw them ...

San Antonio fell to Dallas in a tough 7-game series as Kevin Garnett, once again, lost to Tim Duncan — bringing his all-time playoff series record against Duncan to 1-5.

Storyline to Follow:

Can KG best his rival Duncan when it matters most?

The Spurs made minimal changes over the summer, only adding old-man Derrick Coleman at center to help shore up a big weakness in the wake of David Robinson’s retirement. Robinson’s absence will be profound for a Spurs team that has repeatedly fallen short of expectations — it’ll be up to KG to rise to the challenge. Garnett quietly agreed to a four-year extension over the summer, taking a potential KG free agency off the table — he’s a Spur, seemingly for life, and has to find a way around Tim Duncan and Dallas if he’s ever going to make a Finals.

***


PHX



When we last saw them ...

The Suns flamed out in round 1 against the Mavs, as Allen Iverson tried to his best to carry a team that increasingly looked frail as the regular season went on.

Storyline to Follow:

Was last spring a blip or a trend?

The Suns have been a popular pick to win the title since the arrival of Allen Iverson, but it hasn’t worked out. After making the 2002 Finals and losing in a heartbreaking game 7, Phoenix bowed out way early last spring. The hangover from the 2002 Finals is still there despite the brilliance of Iverson (28-5-6) and a stable supporting cast (Jamison had 19-7 last year with Miller adding 12-7). But AI needs more help and Phoenix didn’t get him much of any, which puts a definite ceiling on this team in a stacked West.

[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Man, some of these rosters look like so much fun.

Excited to see what the season brings.

[trekfan]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Apologies for dropping off the face of planet the last few months, life went sideways for a bit as things got REALLY messy. Had a close friend lose her fiance (himself a good guy) to a heart attack and it's just been ... a lot. It's been a lot. *sigh*


That said, we are all starting to dig ourselves out of it now. I fully intend to post the remainder of the season previews (I think there's one or two more of those left) and get into the actual meat and potatoes of this, but I wanted to drop a line and let you know I'm still here.

[studbucket]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Apologies for dropping off the face of planet the last few months, life went sideways for a bit as things got REALLY messy. Had a close friend lose her fiance (himself a good guy) to a heart attack and it's just been ... a lot. It's been a lot. *sigh*


That said, we are all starting to dig ourselves out of it now. I fully intend to post the remainder of the season previews (I think there's one or two more of those left) and get into the actual meat and potatoes of this, but I wanted to drop a line and let you know I'm still here.

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend trek. That is heartbreaking and difficult. It is nice to see you check back in.

[BlindSideNZ]

Re: Texas Two Step: An Alternate NBA History (NBA2K20)

Apologies for dropping off the face of planet the last few months, life went sideways for a bit as things got REALLY messy. Had a close friend lose her fiance (himself a good guy) to a heart attack and it's just been ... a lot. It's been a lot. *sigh*


That said, we are all starting to dig ourselves out of it now. I fully intend to post the remainder of the season previews (I think there's one or two more of those left) and get into the actual meat and potatoes of this, but I wanted to drop a line and let you know I'm still here.

Terribly sorry to read this news, Trek. Hope that you’re doing okay figuring your way through it all.

Take all the time you need. We’ll be here when you’re ready.