Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Still testing formats for how I'll report on regular season happenings. I think I'll skip standard game recaps/box scores in favor of quick highlights of games to get through seasons faster. Let me know what ya'll think of this format and if it's easy for you to follow or have other feedback.

[volsman]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Sounds great. I following mostly for the draft class. This is awesome idea

[dfsJunkie]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Oh boy, that draft class is stacked!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Sounds great. I following mostly for the draft class. This is awesome idea

Oh boy, that draft class is stacked!

Appreciate you guys following along. I'm really excited to see how these this mixed and matched classes turn out and I was hoping there would be a lot of people interested in the idea as well!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Portland Drops Five of Seven Games to Wrap Up November

Published Dec. 1 1983

Clyde Drexler dishes the ball to Mychal Thompson in the paint in the Blazers win over the Mavericks earlier this month. Portland will need more from Thompson on both ends of the floor if they hope to recover from a slow start to the season.

By Shams Schmitz | The Oregonian

A five-game losing streak in the middle of November marked an uneven month of play for Portland.

The Blazers enter December with plenty of questions to answer as they are 7-10 overall and look like a middle Western Conference team at best. While there have been bright spots, like the play of rookie Clyde Drexler, the offense has been inconsistent at best and a leaky interior defense is a cause for concern.

Here is a game-by-game breakdown of the rest of the Blazers’ November games with quick highlights from each contest.

vs. Utah Jazz; Nov. 15

95-87 L (5-6)

The Blazers trailed by 21 at halftime in a lethargic home performance that saw a comeback effort eventually fall short. Portland was so far down in the game that a 33-16 scoring advantage in the third quarter couldn’t make up for the bad start.

Jim Paxson’s inefficient 11/31 shooting night (23 points) looked bad on paper, but his shooting totals were more out of necessity because there weren’t many Blazers players who seemed all that interested in taking the initiative on offense. Clyde Drexler was the only other player who could get anything going as he also has 23 points (9/18 shooting).

The Blazers’ frontcourt was badly outplayed and dominated by Utah’s Mark Eaton (12 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks). The Jazz shot 52% for the game and had a 14-2 second-chance points advantage. Rickey Green and Darrell Green tied for the team lead with 18 points each.

Vs. Los Angeles Lakers; Nov. 19

95-86 L (5-7)

The Blazers welcomed the defending Western Conference champions to Portland in what was a litmus test to see where the home team stands. After a nine-point defeat, the Blazers learned they still have a long way to go if they want to contend with the best the West has to offer.

Magic Johnson posted 15 points, 15 assists, and 6 rebounds, Jamaal Wilkes scored a game-high 20 points and Bob McAdoo came off the bench to notch a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Jim Paxon had 18 points while Clyde Drexler put up 15 points.

It was a workmanlike effort for the Lakers as they led by eight points at halftime and were never seriously threatened thanks to 29 assists on 34 shots and a plus-9 rebounding advantage.

Vs. Denver Nuggets; Nov. 22

97-94 L (5-8)

Portland dropped its fifth straight game after a three-point home defeat to the Denver Nuggets. The game was close throughout, but Denver, led by Kiki Vandeweghe's 27 points, was able to hold the Blazers off in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

The Nuggets did the bulk of their damage from the free-throw line, shooting 43/50 from the stripe. Vandeweghe was 13/14 from the line. This helped the Nuggets overcome shooting 39% from the floor, in addition to forcing 20 Blazers turnovers. Portland guards Clyde Drexler and Fat Lever were particularly loose with the ball as the two combined for 10 of the 20 team turnovers.

Mychal Thomson paced the Blazers with a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double while Calvin Natt had 19 points and eight rebounds. Portland outshot, outrebounded, had more bench points, more points in the paint, more fast break points, and more assists than Denver, but the disparity from the foul line (86% to 76% on 45 attempts) and the turnovers ultimately sealed Portland’s fate.

At Seattle SuperSonics; Nov. 25

93-85 W (6-8)

Portland finally got back on track and snapped its losing skid after defeating the Seattle SuperSonics by eight points. It was another close game but this time the Blazers made the plays in the fourth quarter they needed to make in order to secure the victory.

The key to the Blazers’ win was that they were able to hold Seattle center Jack Sikma in check (10 points on 4-11 shooting). Stellar big men have proven to give Portland fits in the early going of the season, but keeping Sikma under wraps while also holding power forward Tom Chambers to 13 points after fouling him out in just 22 minutes proved to be the difference. Gus Williams led Seattle with 19 points and 6 assists.

Portland had more points in the paint, second-chance points, and outrebounded Seattle as they had six players reach double-figure scoring. Clyde Drexler led the way off the bench with 18 points while Jim Paxson chipped in 17 and 5 assists.

Vs. Seattle SuperSonics, Nov. 26

102-91 L (6-9)

In the second game of the back-to-back, Portland returned home and took a bad loss by double digits. Everything the Blazers did right in Seattle went the other way on their home floor.

Jack Sikma lit Portland up for 24 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and a pair of blocks while Tom Chambers posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Gus Williams also added 18 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals from the point guard spot. Seattle forced 18 Portland turnovers and was efficient from the free-throw line (34/40).

Jim Paxson was the leading scorer for the Blazers with 18 points while also notching 6 assists. Clyde Drexler chipped in 16 points while Kenny Carr (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Calvin Natt (12 points, 12 rebounds) posted double-doubles.

At Kansas City Kings, Nov. 28

100-96 L (6-10)

Portland has now lost seven of their last eight games after falling by four to the Kansas City Kings. The Blazers trailed by 12 points entering the fourth quarter and made a game of it at the end, but they couldn’t overcome the deficit despite having three players with double-doubles in the games.

Kansas City dominated the points in the paint battle (36-22) and also posted more second-chance points (20-16) despite being outrebounded 17-15 on the offensive boards. Portland committed 12 turnovers while only forcing 6 Kings turnovers.

Reggie Theus led the way for the Kings with 19 points while Mike Woodson tallied 16 points and 6 rebounds. Larry Drew posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. For the Blazers, Jim Paxson led all scorers with 28 points on 9/10 shooting thanks to his 10/13 efforts from the free-throw line. Calvin Natt had 15 points and 15 rebounds while Kenny Carr (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Mychal Thompson (13 points and 13 rebounds) also had double-doubles for the Blazers in the loss.

At Cleveland Cavaliers, Nov. 30

113-100 W (7-10)

It was a rough (at best) November for Portland, but they were able to end the month on a positive note thanks for a double-digit win over the Cavs in Cleveland. Six players reached double-figuring scoring for Portland as the Blazers shot a scorching 61% from the floor thanks to 77 points in the paint.

Portland, which has been prone to the turnover bug during the early stages of the season, only committed five while forcing Cleveland into 10 turnovers. The Blazers made 47 shots and tallied 31 team assists. They were also effective from the line, making 18/22 from the stripe (82%).

Calvin Natt led all scorers with 29 points and 4 assists on 13/15 shooting. Clyde Drexler chipped in 19 points, and Kenny Carr had one of his better games of the season thus far with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Fat Level also had an effective floor game at point guard, posting 13 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Cliff Robinson led the Cavs with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Portland Rolls to Seven Wins in Nine Games to Start December

Published Dec. 17, 1983

Guard Jim Paxson missed several games due to injury to start the month, but Portland inserted rookie Clyde Drexler into the starting lineup and played their best basketball to date.

By Shams Schmitz | The Oregonian

A 7-10 start to the season was not what Trail Blazers coaches, players, or fans were expecting for a team that entered the season with playoff expectations, but Portland has emerged from the other side of its slow start having won seven of their last nine games as we reach the middle of December.

Portland has done much of its damage so far this month against fellow Western Conference opponents — the Trail Blazers are 6-0 against their fellow conference rivals while going 1-2 in games against teams from the Eastern Conference.

At 14-12 overall, Portland is still lagging behind some of the teams that are starting to distance themselves from the rest of the Western Conference field (Los Angeles, San Antonio, Utah), but they appear to have steadied the ship somewhat as they enter the holiday portion of their schedule. This stretch of games will be the Blazers’ biggest of the season so far, highlighted by two matchups against the premier power in the West — the Lakers — over the next week, including a marquee Christmas Day affair in Portland.

Here is a game-by-game breakdown of Portland’s December games so far with quick highlights from each contest.

At Boston Celtics; Dec. 2

110-91 L (7-11)

The Blazers traveled to Boston to take on perhaps the East’s best team in the Boston Celtics and they quickly found out they have a long way to go in order to compete with one of the league’s preeminent powers.

The Celtics jumped out to a 18-point halftime lead and never let the Blazers threaten thanks to Larry Bird’s triple-double (29-10-10 with 4 steals), Robert Parish’s double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds), and Dennis Johnson’s all-around effort on the perimeter (18 points and 5 steals).

The Blazers actually shot better than the Celtics for the game (52% to 49%) but once again it was their penchant for turnovers that ended up being their downfall as they committed 23 compared to Boston’s 11.

Jim Paxson had 20 points in the losing effort while Fat Lever chipped in 18 points and Clyde Drexler tacked on 16 points (to go along with 5 turnovers).


At New Jersey Nets; Dec. 3

122-98 W (8-11)

The Blazers completed their trip out East with one of their best performances of the season, highlighted by a triple-double from big man Mychal Thompson. Thompson had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a stellar all-around effort while six other Blazers also reached double-digit scoring.

Portland only led by two at halftime but blew the doors off the Nets in the second half, outscoring the home team by double-digits in the third and fourth quarters. The Blazers shot 56% from the floor in the victory while tallying 37 assists on 49 made baskets to go along with a dominating edge on the boards (36-27 on the defensive glass, 17-7 on the offensive).

The only negative outcome from the Blazers’ perspective in this game was Jim Paxson was injured after logging 20 minutes of action. The injury wasn’t a serious one but it forced the rookie Drexler to step up from his sixth-man role and enter the starting lineup in subsequent games.

Calvin Natt led all scorers with 27 points while grabbing 11 rebounds while Kenny Carr notched 18 points and 9 rebounds. Darryl Dawkins was the top scorer for the Nets with 24 points.

Vs. San Antonio Spurs; Dec. 6

115-112 W (9-11)

Portland picked up one of its most important wins of the season so far, defeating a good San Antonio Spurs team in the return home from their east coast road trip. It was another balanced scoring effort from the Blazers as six players reached double-figure scoring.

After a nip-and-tuck first half, an efficient third quarter (33 to 22) helped Portland build a 10-point lead that they were able to hold in the fourth quarter despite the Spurs’ comeback attempt. Both teams shot over 50%, but Portland was on the right side of the turnover disparity for once (11 while the Spurs at 17) and it helped them notch a victory against one of the Western Conference’s best teams so far this season.

Kenny Carr posted a double-double (22 points and 12 rebounds) on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting day to lead the way for the Blazers while Fat Lever also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists. Clyde Drexler was featured prominently as well with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. George Gervin had 26 points for the Spurs.

At Utah Jazz; Dec. 7

112-94 W (10-11)

Portland hit the road for the second game of their back-to-back and came away with another marquee victory against one of the West’s top contenders. The Blazers took control of this one from the onset, leading by 16 at halftime and holding the Jazz at arm’s length the rest of the way.

Portland dominated the offensive glass (27 to 14) and once again won the turnover battle (8 to 16) A balanced scoring effort, which has been one of Portland’s calling cards in its wins this season, was a prominent theme once again as six Blazers reached the double-digit threshold.

Clyde Drexler was the leading scorer with 26 points while Calvin Natt (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Mychal Thompson (14 points and 13 rebounds) added double-doubles. Drexler continues to look like an impact rookie and he’s played well in Jim Paxson’s absence from the starting lineup.

Wing John Drew led Utah with 24 points while guard Rickey Green added 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists in the Jazz’s defeat.

Vs. Detroit Pistons; Dec. 9

106-95 W (11-11)

The Blazers rang up another victory against a championship contender, defeating the Pistons by double-digits to pick up their fourth straight win. Portland broke open a tie game entering the fourth quarter, outsourcing the visiting Pistons 33-22 in the final stanza.

Clyde Drexler was once again the leading scorer for Portland (24 points) as Jim Paxson missed his third game in a row. The rookie has responded to being put in the starting lineup by playing his best ball of the year thus far. Calvin Natt had 22 points and 8 rebounds while Mychal Thompson flirted with a triple-double (15-12-9) Fat Lever had one one of his floor games, dishing out 14 assists to help facilitate a Blazers offense that had 40 points in the paint and 24 offensive rebounds.

Forward Kelly Tripucka led all scorers with 29 points while guard Isiah Thomas put up 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists for the Pistons, who figure to be in contention for a top 2 or 3 seed in the East this season.

Vs. Golden State Warriors; Dec. 11

117-96 W (12-11)

Portland is back to being over .500 after another convincing win against a Western Conference foe. The Blazers outscored the Warriors in every quarter en route to the victory.

Portland shot 54% from the floor and had more points in the paint, more bench points, assists, and dominated the glass in what was a complete effort. The Blazers are playing their best ball of the season despite still missing one of their best players, Jim Paxson.

Six Portland players scored in double figures led by Kenny Carr’s 22 points and 7 rebounds, Fat Lever’s 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Calvin Natt’s double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds). Golden State’s Joe Barry Carroll was the Warriors top performer with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. The center put up a solid stat line but it took him 23 shots to accumulate those 23 points.

Vs. Seattle SuperSonics; Dec. 13

125-122 W in OT (13-11)

The winning streak is up to six games for Portland as the Blazers also welcomed back guard Jim Paxson for what turned out to be a thrilling overtime contest against Seattle. Paxson’s return to the lineup didn’t harm the balanced scoring effort from Portland as seven players hit double figures.

Portland did most of its damage in the paint and on the glass and used good ball movement (34 assists on 45 made baskets) to offset 16 turnovers.

Paxson was the team’s leading scorer in his return, tallying 23 points and 7 assists. Clyde Drexler reverted to his sixth-man role but that didn’t stop him from continuing his recent string of stellar play as he put up 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kenny Carr chipped in 21 points and 7 rebounds while Mychal Thompson (13 points and 14 rebounds) and Calvin Natt (10 points and 15 rebounds) posted double-doubles.

Four Sonics crossed the 20-point threshold in defeat. Forward Tom Chambers and guard Fred Guard scored 26 points apiece, and guard Gus Williams notched a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists.

Vs. New Jersey Nets; Dec. 15

104-97 L (13-12)

The same team Portland started its winning streak against was the team that ended it. The Blazers’ six-game streak came to an end on their home floor against the Nets as they blew a seven-point fourth quarter lead.

Portland allowed New Jersey to shoot 54% from the field in a game where most of the statistical categories were fairly even. The one outlier was the Nets racked up 10 blocks, which allowed them to hold the Blazers to 49% shooting. Center Mike Gminski was the key cog in helping the Nets intimidate the Blazers in the paint as he racked up 6 blocks alone.

Calvin Natt led Portland with 17 points and Kenny Carr posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Albert King paced all scorers with 29 points while guard Otis Birdsong wasn’t far behind with 27 points. Gminski wasn’t just a force on the defensive end — he also had a double-double with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists.

At Denver Nuggets; Dec. 16

113-95 W (14-12)

The Blazers reach the middle of December having won seven of their last eight games after they blew open a close contest against the Nuggets and won by 18 points.

Portland only led by one point entering the fourth quarter, but they outscored Denver 29-12 in the final stanza to cruise to a convincing win. The Blazers continued their string of strong rebounding performances, outrebounding the Nuggets 46-35 while totaling 15 steals and 51 bench points. They shot 53% from the floor in the victory.

Clyde Drexler was the team’s leading scorer after having a subpar game against the Nets the night before, tallying 25 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Jim Paxson added 22 points and 7 assists, and Mychal Thompson chipped in a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Kiki Vandeweghe had 19 points and 7 assists for Denver in the loss.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Portland Secures Marquee Wins During Holiday Stretch

Published Jan. 2, 1984

Clyde Drexler and the Blazers lost on their home floor to the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, but Portland stole one from the Western Conference favorites the week before in Hollywood.

By Shams Schmitz | The Oregonian

It wasn’t a perfect end to December, but the Portland Trail Blazers begin 1984 with budding momentum after ending the year (and beginning the new one) with a couple of victories.

In the “put up or shut up” portion of the schedule, the Blazers went a respectable 5-3, which included the biggest win of the season to date on Dec. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers. During this stretch, Portland beat Los Angeles (the clear-cut favorite in the West), the Phoenix Suns (a contender for one of the top four seeds in the West), the Milwaukee Bucks (advanced to the Eastern Conference finals last year and expected to be a top four seed this year), and last year’s NBA Champion, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Portland also dropped a couple of games to tough opponents, including the rematch with the Lakers on Christmas Day.

The Blazers find themselves in solid playoff positioning to begin the New Year as the Trade Deadline and the NBA All-Star festivities hover over the horizon.

Here is a game-by-game breakdown of Portland’s games to wrap up December, as well as their Jan. 1 contest.

At Los Angeles Lakers, Dec. 18

125-119 W (15-12)

Portland picked up their biggest win of the season a week before Christmas, defeating the Lakers on their home floor. Portland was propelled by a scorching third quarter, as they scored 41 points in the third and built a nine-point lead heading into the fourth.

They were able to hold off the defending Western Conference champions in the final quarter thanks to an explose offensive performance that saw the Blazers shoot 56% from the floor for the game. Portland also shot 81% from the free-throw line on 48 attempts.

Forward Calvin Natt led all scorers with 30 points while guard Jim Paxson chipped in 26 points. Center Mychal Thompson flirted with a triple-double (13-11-8) for Portland.

Wing Jamall Wilkes was the leading scorer for Los Angeles with 25 points while point guard Magic Johnson had 22 points, 8 assists and 3 steals.


At Phoenix Suns; Dec. 21

108-100 W (16-12)

The score doesn’t nearly reflect the events of the game as the Blazers built a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter in their win against the Suns before letting up some down the stretch. However, they were still able to secure a convincing victory against a team they’ll likely compete against for Western Conference seeding.

Portland shot 46% from the floor while stymying the Suns and holding them to 41%. The Blazers kept their turnovers in check (10) while forcing Phoenix to turn it over 14 times.

Six Blazers reached double-figure scoring, headlined by point guard Fat Lever (21 points, 7 assists). Guard Clyde Drexler added 19 points while forwards Kenny Carr (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Calvin Natt (10 points, 11 rebounds) posted double-doubles.

Guard Walter Davis was the Suns’ top scorer with 17 points.

Vs. Houston Rockets; Dec. 23

104-94 L (16-13)

Portland was able to foul out rookie superstar Ralph Sampson in 20 minutes of action, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a balanced Houston scoring effort as the Blazers lost by double digits on their home court.

It was a miserable shooting effort from the field for the Blazers as they shot 32% and were badly outscored in the paint (42-18) and in bench points (55-26). Houston also won the rebounding and turnover battles in a game that was tied at halftime but the visitors took control of in the third quarter.

Forward James Bailey led the Rockets with 22 points and 9 rebounds while Sampson still had a double-double (10 and 12) despite missing half of the game due to foul trouble.

Jim Paxson chipped in 20 points to lead the Blazers while Kenny Carr (19 and 10) and Mychal Thompson (12 and 10) posted double-doubles.

Vs. Los Angeles Lakers; Dec. 25

116-108 L (16-14)

One week after notching their biggest win of the season against the Lakers, the Blazers welcomed Los Angeles to Portland for a Christmas Day affair in which Kareem Abdul-Jabbar served the home team (and their fans) a healthy dose of humble pie.

It was a vintage Kareem performance in a big game, as the All-Everything center scored 41 points, grabbed 12 boards, and blocked 7 shots in just 28 minutes on the floor. Kareem was incredibly efficient from the field as well, shooting 17/20. His running mate, Magic Johnson, had a spectacular performance of his own, scoring 25 points to go along with 13 assists and 5 steals.

The Lakers put it on the Blazers from the jump, going ahead 37-20 after the first quarter and they led by as many as 27 points at one point. But give credit to the Blazers — they made a furious rally in the fourth quarter but could never make it closer than a two- or three-possession game to really put game pressure on Los Angeles. The Lakers had an astounding 77 points in the paint, and thanks to Kareem’s effort on the glass, put up 21 second-chance points.

Portland was led by Clyde Drexler’s 25 points and 8 rebounds while Calvin Natt posted 24 points. Jim Paxson also reached the 20-point threshold with 21 points, but it took him 27 shots to get there.

At Detroit Pistons; Dec. 27

104-101 L (16-15)

The Blazers dropped their three straight game to a playoff contender after falling short on the road to Detroit.

Portland had the advantage in many of the key statistical categories that the coaches look at when evaluating performances (field-goal percentage, points in the paint, second-chance points, bench points, and turnovers), but they lost the rebounding battle and were intimidated by the Pistons’ frontcourt headlined by big man Bill Laimbeer. Laimbeer was the star of the game with 23 points, 18 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Point guard Isiah Thomas also had a double-double, posting 20 points and 11 assists. Forward Kelly Tripucka chipped in 20 points.

Jim Paxson paced Portland with 20 points while Clyde Drexler posted a rare double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Kenny Carr had a double-double of his own with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

At Chicago Bulls; Dec. 29

130-94 W (17-15)

The Chicago Bulls were exactly the antidote the Blazers needed to snap their short losing streak as Portland throttled what is perhaps the NBA’s worst team en route to a 36-point win.

Portland shot 55% from the floor and held the Bulls to 44%. The Blazers manhandled Chicago in the paint (52-26) and forced 16 turnovers while only committing 4.

Six Blazers reached double-figure scoring led by Clyde Drexler’s 28 points and 5 steals. Calvin Natt added 23 points and 9 rebounds while Mychal Thompson once again came close to a triple-double (15-12-8).

Chicago was led in scoring by Dave Corzine who had 22 points and 8 rebounds.

At Milwaukee Bucks; Dec. 30

102-88 W (18-15)

In their second midwest road game in as many nights, Portland once again put together a complete performance. The Blazers took control of the game from the onset, outscoring the Bucks 37-20 en route to a 19-point halftime lead. They held serve from there and were never seriously threatened as they picked up a good win against an Eastern Conference playoff contender in their last game of 1983.

Portland shot 50% from the field and dominated in the paint once again. They held Milwaukee to 40% shooting and forced 19 turnovers, despite getting sloppy and committing 20 of their own after letting off the gas once they built a big lead.

Jim Paxson once again led the Blazers in scoring with 20 points as four different Blazers scored 15 or more points. Kenny Carr had a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds and Mychal Thompson also posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Guard Sidney Moncrief was the Bucks’ top performer with 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Vs. Philadelphia 76ers; Jan. 1

125-111 W (19-15)

Portland returned home for their first game of the New Year and came away with a convincing victory against the defending NBA champions. The Blazers put star forward Julius Erving in foul trouble early and eventually fouled him out, which ended up making a huge difference in the game considering he had 14 points in the 17 minutes he was on the floor. Portland took full advantage of Erving’s absence, outscoring Philadelphia by nine points in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.

The Blazers shot 56% from the field but their defense allowed the 76ers to shoot 55%. It didn’t prove to matter much, however, considering Portland dominated the points in the paint battle (54-38) while forcing 21 Philadelphia turnovers. They also passed the ball at an elite rate, racking up 40 assists on 48 made baskets.

Calvin Natt was Portland’s top scorer with 26 points and his relentless work driving toward the basket helped foul Erving out of the game. Mychal Thompson continued his steady play with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists while Jim Paxson had 15 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals.

Moses Malone led the 76ers with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

[volsman]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Any chance you can share your combined draft classes?

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Any chance you can share your combined draft classes?

Check the 2K Share on XBSX, my gamertag is TarHeelAlum13. If they aren't there let me know and I'll make sure they're shared. (I've made 3 so far)

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Portland Faces Difficult Questions After Poor Stretch

Published Jan. 16, 1984

Ralph Sampson and the Rockets dominated the Blazers in their Jan. 12 matchup. The Blazers have struggled all season against upper-echelon big men and that trend continued in Houston’s 22-point win.

By Shams Schmitz | The Oregonian

The NBA season is halfway over, and the Portland Trail Blazers have a losing record.

Coming off a stretch where they played their best basketball of the season, Portland followed that with one of their worst, losing six of their last seven games to fall under .500 at 20-21.

The Blazers have lost five games in a row, including all three games on their Texas road trip. A couple of the defeats were by one possession, including an overtime loss to the Kansas City Kings.

Here’s a quick box score breakdown of Portland’s last seven games:

Vs. Kansas City Kings; Jan. 3

117-115 L in OT (19-16)

Despite a 21-point, 19-rebound double-double from forward Calvin Natt, the Blazers were defeated in overtime on their home floor by two points.

Forward Eddie Johnson paced the Kings with 30 points while guards Larry Drew (18 points, 11 assists) and Reggie Theus (14 points, 13 assists) helped facilitate a good offensive showing from the visitor. Center LaSelle Thompson added 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks.


Vs. Denver Nuggets; Jan. 6

107-102 W (20-16)

Guard Jim Paxson’s 28 points and 5 assists on 12/17 shooting helped the Blazers overcome a small deficit entering the fourth quarter. Guard Clyde Drexler added 21 points and 7 assists off the bench.

Forward Kiki Vanedeweghe was the Nuggets’ top performer with 24 points and 5 assists.


At Seattle SuperSonics; Jan. 8

117-113 L (20-17)

Portland’s comeback effort fell short in Seattle as the Blazers came within a couple of possessions from overcoming a 14-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.

Center Jack Sikma had his way with the Blazers’ interior all evening, tayllying 32 points and 18 reobunds to go along with 3 blocks and 3 steals. Guard Gus Williams added 19 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals while forward Tom Chambers had 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Portland’s Clyde Drexler had one of the best games of his career in defeat as the Blazers’ star reserve posted 31 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals.


Vs. San Antonio Spurs; Jan. 10

104-103 L (20-18)

The Blazers found themselves in another hole they couldn’t get out of despite another valiant comeback attempt. Portland was down 15 heading into the fourth quarter but came up one point short, losing the first of two games against the Spurs this week.

Clyde Drexler once again led the team in scoring off the bench with 23 points to pair with 8 rebounds.

Forward George Gervin was the game’s top scorer with 29 points while center Artis Gilmore posted a double-double (15 points, 14 boards)


At Houston Rockets; Jan. 12

120-98 L (20-19)

After a couple of strong fourth-quarter performances that ultimately resulted in closs losses, Portland fell apart in the final stanza on the road against the Rockets as they were outscored 28-9. This was a look-in-the-mirror type of performance for the Blazers on the first leg of their Texas road trip.

Rookie sensation Ralph Sampson had 23 points and 8 boards to lead a Houston team that had seven players reach double-figuring scoring.

Calvin Natt had 22 points and 7 rebounds in defeat for the Blazers.


At Dallas Mavericks; Jan. 13

106-100 L (20-20)

Portland dropped its fourth game in a row and second in as many night after having a second half to forget against the Mavericks. The Blazers led by 12 points at halftime but Dallas outscored Portland by 11 points in the third quarter and seven more in the fourth to put Portland at .500.

Guard Rolando Blackman led the Mavs with 28 points.

Portland’s frontcourt had a good game in defeat as Center Mychal Thompson (18 points, 11 rebounds) and forward Kenny Carr (14 points, 17 rebounds) had double-doubles.


At San Antonio Spurs; Jan. 15

103-86 L (20-21)

For the second time this week, the Blazers were defeated by the Spurs as San Antonio has staked its claim as one of the top three teams in the Western Conference. Portland was outscored in every quarter after the first quarter and never seriously threatened as they dropped below .500 for the first time since early December.

George “The Iceman” Gervin had another strong game against the Blazers, posting 28-6-5.

Jim Paxson had 19 points and 3 assists, but also paired that with 6 turnovers in a game where his looming free agency was the main topic of conversion after the final whistle.


Looking Ahead

While the Blazers haven’t fallen out of playoff contention, they find themselves in a bit of a bind as the looming NBA trade headline is a couple of days away. Will they be buyers or sellers here at the midway point of season?

The answer to that pivotal question is expected to be answered in the coming days, and there have been whispers from inside the organization that Portland could deal one of its current starters for draft capital.

Those rumors surround star guard Jim Paxson, who is currently set to enter free agency at the end of the season. Contract extension discussions have stalled on both sides. Portland officials have been encouraged by the play of rookie Clyde Drexler, especially with the way he played in the starting lineup when Paxson was out for a handful of games in December. While both players have been effective at the “2” and the “3” spots this season, word out of Portand is that the Blazers would like to see what Drexler would look like if he were given the keys to the starting “2” spot now.

Make no mistake about it — Paxson has been a good player for Portland this season and is often the secondary creator next to young point guard Fat Lever. He’s averaging a team-high 18.9 points per game on 52% shooting to go along with 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals — this coming off a 1983-1983 campaign that saw him post 21.7 points per game in the regular season to go along with being Portland’s top performer in last year’s run to the Western Conference semis.

Does Portland stand pat at the deadline with what they have, or do they trade a player like Paxson to make way for an up-and-coming with obvious potential in Drexler?

They could also buy at the deadline — the Blazers have little bench depth behind Drexler and taking him away from that bench unit could prove to be a fatal flaw as the season goes on. Portland’s frontcourt has struggled all year to handle star big men on opposing teams, and they aren’t scoring enough to offset being undersized.

They could use another piece to bolster the bench unit, but does it really matter in the grand scheme of things when teams like the Los Angeles Lakers (35-3), Utah Jazz (26-13), and San Antonio Spurs (26-13) have established themselves as the pre-eminent teams in the West?

Portland has some tough organizational questions to answer over the next week as the Trade Deadline looms and the NBA All-Star break is set for next week in Los Angeles.

[volsman]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Check the 2K Share on XBSX, my gamertag is TarHeelAlum13. If they aren't there let me know and I'll make sure they're shared. (I've made 3 so far)

Thanks man. I will check tonight.

[volsman]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Check the 2K Share on XBSX, my gamertag is TarHeelAlum13. If they aren't there let me know and I'll make sure they're shared. (I've made 3 so far)

Sorry I couldn’t find anything under your GT

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Sorry I couldn’t find anything under your GT

I just uploaded them to the server -- they should be there now. There's three of them. I saved them previously but didn't upload them to the server before. My bad!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

List of Contenders Condensing as NBA Season Reaches Midway Point
Celtics, Lakers head and shoulders above the field in their respective conferences



Kareem Abdul-Jabaar is averaging 22.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game for the Lakers and was named to another NBA All-Star roster. He’s helped the Lakers race out to a 35-3 record.

By Adrian Russillo

Jan. 16, 1984

The NBA season has reached roughly the halfway point, and many of the preseason expectations have come to pass.

The Lakers and Celtics are dominating the league and appear on a collision course for a titanic NBA Finals matchup. Both teams entered the season with championship aspirations, and during the course of the year they’ve only affirmed what many believed them capable of.

Los Angeles is a league-best 35-3 overall while Boston is an Eastern Conference-leading 33-6. The Lakers are 9.5 games clear of the Utah Jazz, the No. 2 seed in the West. The Celtics are 9.0 games ahead of the upstart Atlanta Hawks.

There has been one big surprise that’s gone against prognosticators’ predictions — the defending NBA champion Philadelphia 76ers are struggling. They are currently the No. 6 seed in the East with a 20-18 record, which is a far cry from where many projected them to be at this time coming off the title.

The 76ers’ are rumored to be buyers here at the NBA Trade Deadline as they look to keep their championship window open for forward Julius Erving, who is averaging 26.9 points per game. Unfortunately for Philly, superstar big man Moses Malone suffered a severe right ankle sprain a couple of games ago and could miss more than a month of action. Malone is putting up huge numbers this year (26.1 points and 13.4 rebounds per game) but will miss the All-Star Game due to the injury. What potential moves will the 76ers make to re-enter the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference?

Philadelphia might not be the only buyer at this year’s deadline. The Jazz and the Spurs are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the West, and while many people around the league feel it’s a foregone conclusion that the Lakers will cruise through the conference come playoff time, perhaps Utah or San Antonio can bolster their veteran rosters enough to contend with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabarr, and co. The No. 4-seeded Dallas Mavericks are firmly in the muddled middle of the Western Conference race along with the Blazers and Suns, while the Kings and Rockets, the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, are only two wins behind the Mavs.

And in the East, while Boston is almost double-digit games up in the standings, the Detroit Pistons, led by star guard Isiah Thomas, are lurking as the No. 3 seed and are 0.5 games back of the surprise Hawks, who are enjoying a breakout campaign from forward Dominique Wilkins. The No. 5 seed Bucks, the team the 76ers beat in last year’s Eastern Conference finals, are also a worthy challenger and Sidney Moncrief, Marques Johnson, and co. shouldn’t be discounted.

Here’s a look at the season standings ahead of next week’s All-Star break, as well as the participants on the Eastern and Western rosters.

Eastern Conference Standings

1. Boston Celtics (33-6)
2. Atlanta Hawks (24-15)
3. Detroit Pistons (23-15)
4. New Jersey Nets (23-17)
5. Milwaukee Bucks (22-18)
6. Philadelphia 76ers (20-18)
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-20)
8. Indiana Pacers (12-25)
———————————————
9. New York Knicks (12-26)
10. Washington Bullets (12-27)
11. Chicago Bulls (6-30)


Western Conference Standings

1. Los Angeles Lakers (35-3)
2. Utah Jazz (26-13)
3. San Antonio Spurs (26-13)
4. Dallas Mavericks (20-18)
5. Portland Trail Blazers (20-21)
6. Phoenix Suns (19-20)
7. Kansas City Kings (18-20)
8. Houston Rockets (18-22)
———————————————
9. Seattle SuperSonics (16-20)
10. Golden State Warriors (16-23)
11. Denver Nuggets (12-27)
12. San Diego Clippers (11-27)

Eastern Conference All-Stars

PG Isiah Thomas (93) — Detroit Pistons (19.2 ppg, 9.9 apg, 1.8 spg)

PG Maurice Cheeks (86) — Philadelphia 76ers (12.0 ppg, 8.4 apg, 2.2 spg)

SG Otis Birdsong (86) — New Jersey Nets (22.6 ppg, 4.6 apg)

SG Sidney Moncrief (91) — Milwaukee Bucks (18.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.7 spg)

SG Dennis Johnson (86) — Boston Celtics (12.3 ppg, 5.4 apg, 1.7 spg)

SF Larry Bird (97) — Boston Celtics (29.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 8.2 apg, 1.8 spg)

SF Julius Erving (91) — Philadelphia 76ers (26.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.8 apg)

SF Bernard King (89) — New York Knicks (31.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

SF Dominique Wilkins (86) — Atlanta Hawks (31.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg)

SF Marques Johnson (86) — Milwaukee Bucks (23.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg)

PF Kevin McHale (90) — Boston Celtics (19.5 ppg, 11 rpg, 1.6 bpg)

C Robert Parish (91) — Boston Celtics (17.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg)

Western Conference All-Stars

PG Magic Johnson (96) — Los Angeles Lakers (19.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 13.2 apg, 1.5 spg)

SG George Gervin (91) — San Antonio Spurs (28.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

SG Walter Davis (88) — Phoenix Suns (21.2 ppg, 6.5 apg)

SG Rolando Blackman (86) — Dallas Mavericks (24.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg)

SG Darrell Griffith (86) — Utah Jazz (25.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.9 apg)

SF Adrian Dantley (90) — Utah Jazz (27.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.7 apg)

SF Mark Aguirre (90) — Dallas Mavericks (26.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.8 apg)

SF Kiki Vandeweghe (87) — Denver Nuggets (25.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.1 apg)

SF Purvis Short (86) — Golden State Warriors (29.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.2 apg)

C Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (95) — Los Angeles Lakers (22.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.6 bpg)

C Jack Sikma (88) — Seattle SuperSonics (20.1 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.5 bpg)

C Ralph Sampson (87) — Houston Rockets (19 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg)

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Blazing a New Trail | NBA 2K23 MyNBA Eras "What If?"

Philadelphia Bolsters Roster with Blockbuster Deadline Deals
76ers trade for Paxson, Cartwright in separate moves



New York Knicks center Bill Cartwright is on his way to Philadelphia in a deal for multiple draft picks and a reserve forward.

By Adrian Russillo

Jan. 17, 1984

The Philadelphia 76ers were the big buyers at this year’s NBA trade deadline.

The 76ers have traded for Portland guard Jim Paxson (86) and New York center Bill Cartwright (83) to bolster a roster that has disappointed thus far this season. Philadelphia, last year’s NBA champions and the Eastern Conference’s representative in three of the last four NBA Finals, are currently the No. 6 seed at 20-18 and All-NBA center Moses Malone faces a month of recovery time with a severe right ankle sprain.

The biggest trade of the day was Philadelphia’s acquisition of Paxson, a shooting guard from the Blazers who is averaging nearly 19 points and close to 4.5 assists per game. Portland, the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, wanted to make room for star rookie Clyde Drexler in the starting lineup now rather than wait until next season when Paxson is no longer on the roster.

Paxson has indicated behind closed doors he wants to play in a bigger market, and contract extension talks between he and the team stalled a long time ago. Early returns out of Philadelphia suggest Paxson is willing to sign an extension with the 76ers, and that’s why they were comfortable trading a big asset to get him.

That asset is this year’s first-round pick currently owned by the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are tied with the Bullets for the third-worst record in the league (12-27), and that pick could end up being a top-five selection. Philadelphia appears to be banking on the fact that Denver may not end up as bad as their record is currently, given they still currently have All-Star forward Kiki Vandeweghe on the roster.

Portland initially asked for Philadelphia’s first-round pick that originally belonged to the San Diego Clippers, but the Clippers currently have the second-worst record in the league (11-27) and their roster is one of the worst in the NBA, so it’s expected that they and the Bulls will end up with the two worst records. Given the league’s anticipation for this year’s NBA Draft, a top-five pick is seen as more valuable than most years and the Blazers had to give up their own first-round selection in the deal to acquire the Denver pick. They also sent a second-round pick which originally belonged to the Lakers to Philly.

Portland currently has a losing record (20-21), but they are still the No. 5 seed in the West and team officials sound confident that they can stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race and not fall to the bottom of the standings now that Drexler will have a more pronounced role. Some of their other players, like Kenny Carr (84) and Calvin Natt (85), are expected to take more of the scoring load with Paxson now gone. The pick is top-3 projected as a way for Portland to protect itself in case the bottom completely falls out on the team the remainder of the year.

The 76ers also sent the Blazers three second-round picks and reserve wing Leo Rautins (69) in the deal. The second-rounds picks are Phildelphia’s in 1985 and 1986, and San Antonio’s in 1988. Rautins isn’t expected to see much playing time with Portland but is a depth piece on the wing with good enough speed, agility, and passing ability to play spot minutes when called upon.

Portland already owns the Indiana Pacers first-round pick from a 1981 deal that involved big man Tom Owens, who now plays professionally in Italy. With Indiana’s first-round pick and now Denver’s pick, the Blazers appear likely to have two selections in the top 10 of this year’s draft.

Full Trade Details

Portland sends:

• SG Jim Paxson (86)
• 1984 First-Round Pick (Top-3 Protected)
• 1984 Second-Round Pick (via LA Lakers)

Philadelphia sends:

• 1984 First-Round Pick (via Denver Nuggets)
• 1985 Second-Round Pick
• 1986 Secound-Round Pick
• 1988 Second-Round Pick (via San Antonio Spurs)
• SF Leo Routins (69)

Philadelphia was able to keep the valued Clippers pick but they traded their own first-round pick, which they hope will be a low pick after this round of deals, for New York’s Cartwright.

Cartwright will slot in as the team’s starting center for as long as Malone is sidelined. The former Knick is averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Philadelphia dealt backup power forward Sam Williams (74), who is averaging 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, this year’s first-round pick and a second-round pick in 1987 in exchange for Cartwright.

The 26-year-old Cartwright has been a solid player for the Knicks since joining the team as the No. 3 overall pick in 1979, but with New York 14 games under .500 and Cartwright on an expiring contract, the Knicks dealt the center in exchange for assets rather than wait and lose him for nothing in the offseason.

League sources have said for some time that Cartwright is interested in testing the free-agent market this offseason. The 76ers fully expect this to be a rental type of move as they aim to keep their championship window open this year.

Full Trade Details

New York sends:

• C Bill Cartwright (83)

Philadelphia sends:

• 1984 First-Round Pick
• 1987 Second-Round Pick
• PF Sam Williams (74)

Will Philadelphia be the only team to make deadline deals or will other teams respond with moves of their own? It remains to be seen as many teams are seemingly standing pat due to a sense of inevitability a lot of them share about how this year is going to end — with Los Angeles and Boston meeting in the NBA Finals.