Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

10/29/16




10/30/16






10/31/16




GD's Highlights

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA


Sources: Hawks Talking Korver Trade With Cavs
Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Nov 1, 2016

League sources confirm that the defending NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers are making serious progress towards a deal that would send sharpshooter Kyle Korver to "The Land."
This is a bit of a shocker given we're only a week into the new season and Atlanta (2-1) seems to have already begun to have a firesale. While Korver is no longer the player he once was, he is still a deadly catch and shoot player and on the Cavs, they could become that much more of a juggernaut. This begs the question as to what is happening in Atlanta to warrant helping a rival.

Most figured Atlanta would begin it's rebuild last off-season in the aftermath of Al Horford leaving, the Hawks had other plans re-signing Kent Bazemore and bringing in former All-Star bigman Dwight Howard. After such moves, people around the league expected the Hawks to stand pat for the season and continue to ride the treadmill. If this is the beginning signs of the rebuilding process many are wondering what will be the next domino to fall. Logically, the next name that comes to mind is forward Paul Millsap who is highly likely to test the free agent market again next summer. Then there's the conundrum regarding Howard and how he thought returning home to Atlanta would bring stability to his career.

Instead, he's run into a situation just about to hit the fan. With that in mind, will he want out? Atlanta can't even think about trading Howard until after December 15th but who would want Howard given his recent baggage in previous stops. Most teams last summer passed on Howard and I wouldn't expect much different on the trade market.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA




Week 2: Cavs Dominating NBA
By John Schuhmann NBA.com
@johnschuhmann
Nov 1, 2016

It should come as no surprise who the top two spots belong to this week. Both the Cavs and Warriors are favorites to meet again in this years' Finals and both have breezed through the first week of the season. After that though, there is a lot of movement throughout these rankings as their have been some surprise starts from teams most prognosticators figured to be mediocre.
This weeks biggest jumps comes from the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks. The biggest drops are the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors :

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (3-0)



Last Week: 1

A week into the season and it appears LeBron and Co. are having no issues with championship hangover. With the Cavs reportedly being close to acquiring Kyle Korver to add depth and even more shooting to this team, it's beginning to look like a 7th consecutive trip to the Finals for LeBron (and 3rd straight for Cleveland) will be the easiest prediction to make this year.

2. Golden State Warriors (3-0)

Last Week: 2

Well... were a week into the "Justice League" era of the Warriors and so far-so good. KD has been phenomenal for GS so far, but it's clear there will be an adjustment period as Steph and Draymond seem to be taking a backseat to make the change a bit easier. GS will need MVP level Stephen Curry though to have a chance of returning to the Finals and winning. Something tells me they'll be alright though given they're already boasting a point differential of +14.

3. Detroit Pistons (3-0)

Last Week: 18

Looks like Stan Van Gundy has this Pistons team in overdrive (nice right?) coming off of their first Playoff appearance in 7 years. That experience has apparently turned this team into an Eastern Conference contender. The next step for Detroit will be whether Andre Drummond can transition into becoming one of the best players in the league or will he plateau. If it's the latter, Detroit may find itself stuck among the NBA's middle class for years to come.

4. Portland TrailBlazers (3-0)

Last Week: 14

Damian Lillard is the earliest frontrunner for MVP at the moment. Yes, it's only been a week, but man oh man what a week he's had. He's averaging 33.5ppg and 10.5apg and has the Blazers off to their best start in 5 years. Is it sustainable with this particular roster and their lack of defense? Probably not, but it is fun to see for those fans in Oregon.

5. Indiana Pacers (3-0)

Last Week: 10

Paul George and his new look Pacers are off to a good start and have made Larry Bird look like a genius so far. The additions of Jeff Teague, and Thaddeus Young have given the Pacers some much needed depth and scoring punch, but something tells me this could just be the light schedule they've had so far.

6. LA Clippers (2-1)

Last Week: 4

The Clippers are about where you'd expect them to be. They're not dominating in wins and are good, but not great. They'll be in the mix all year as is always the case with this group but what is their ceiling? Blake does look to be healthy again, even without the otherworldly athleticism. CP3 is as good as ever even in a slow decline, yet, I'm puzzled as to whether this team actually likes playing with one another anymore or if they're going through the motions until they have a chance to redeem themselves in the playoffs.

7. Houston Rockets (2-1)

Last Week: 13

James Harden is having himself a heck of a start to the 2016-17 season. He's almost averaging a triple double and he along with Russell Westbrook look to have a couple of the most statistically amazing years ever. The Rockets as a whole meanwhile actually look like a sleeper out west. The additions of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon have paid dividends so far.

8. Milwaukee Bucks (2-1)

Last Week: 19

HE HAS ARRIVED! The Greek Freak has arrived as an NBA superstar and is well on his way to winning the Most Improved Player Award. We knew he'd have a heck of a season, but currently he's looking like 6'11' Russell Westbrook for the Bucks (with a better fg% of course). Add in the emergence of Jabari Parker looking like a legitimate second option and Milwaukee may just become an East power faster than anyone imagined. Oh yeah, Jabari and Giannis are both only 21 years old...

9. Memphis Grizzlies (2-1)

Last Week: 7

First year Head Coach Dave Fizdale seems to be following in the footsteps of the past couple coaches in being able to step right in and keep the Grit and Grind Grizzlies rolling right along. With a roster as experienced and talented as this one it's no surprise. The surprise is the increase in 3pt shooting from the the Grizz so far this campaign. They are shooting them at a higher clip and making more of them. If this continues, Memphis may have a shot when it matters most... in the postseason (barring injury of course).

10. Atlanta Hawks (2-1)

Last Week: 8

The Hawks have looked average through the first week of the season and I think their front office may have finally realized that this team is going nowhere fast. With the rumors of Kyle Korver heading to Cleveland and with teams inquiring about the availability of Paul Millsap, how long will it be before Atlanta decides to pull the plug on the season? On the bright side, Dwight looks healthy and rejuvenated in "Hotlanta."

11. New Orleans Pelicans (2-1)

Last Week: 12

If my opening week power rankings description didn't give you a clear indication on what the Pelicans season rode on, then just look at a boxscore. In both wins for the Pels this week AD has put up astronomical numbers culminating with a surprise W down in San Antonio. Can he stay healthy and return The Big Easy to the postseason?

12. San Antonio Spurs (2-2)

Last Week: 3

San Antonio has kind of sputtered in their 1st week of the post Tim Duncan era. We don't expect it to take long to sort out though as Coach Pop lit into them after their last defeat to the New Orleans Pelicans.

13. Chicago Bulls (2-1)

Last Week: 16

You know, this trio of Rondo/ Butler/ Wade seemed destined to fail and maybe it still is. But you've gotta admit it's really fun seeing these three figure this out. The game against Brooklyn was a perfect example of how deadly and how awful they can both look. We're hoping for more of the former.

14. Sacramento Kings (2-2)

Last Week: 24

Demarcus Cousins and his Kings are tied for the 8th spot in the West! Of course if that's the case in 5 months then it'll be time to celebrate, right now, not so much. Vivek Ranadive and Vlade Divac are said to be driven to end Sacramento's 10 year playoff drought at all costs this year and are in no way trying to trade Cousins, but instead plan to extend him this off-season. Cousins is said to want to stay in Sacramento too, though that may be because the Kings can offer more money than any other team....This is like a terrible relationship everyone can see isn't working yet these two just won't quit each other.

15. Philadelphia 76ers (1-1)

Last Week: 29

Joel "Trust The Process" Embiid has been a revelation so far in limited minutes for the Sixers. He looks like the real deal only adding to the enthusiasm surrounding Philly these days. Following the depressing training camp news regarding Ben Simmons breaking his foot, we hear he may not sit out the year and possibly may come back around January or February.

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1)

Last Week: 21

The Wolves are kind of hard to read so far outside of KAT. Kriss Dunn doesn't look close to being ready to start yet, Andrew Wiggins still isn't much of a playmaker yet outside of scoring and tends to float through some games, and Zach Lavine still is more athlete than basketball player. Yet this is still probably the best trio of youngsters since OKC's in the early 2010's.

17. Orlando Magic (1-2)

Last Week: 23

There's so much going with this roster that new head coach Frank Vogel has to sift through. His number one problem though will be finding playing time for Aaron Gordon at the four and any playing time at all for last years' 5th overall pick Mario Hezonja.

18. Miami Heat (1-2)

Last Week: 25

It's kind of crazy to see this team now considering they were in the NBA Finals 2 years ago and now are destined for the lottery. This is the 1st season since 2003 that didn't feature at least one member of the Big 3 of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James.

19. Utah Jazz (1-2)

Last Week: 9

Gordon Hayward has gotten off to a decent start and Rudy Gobert as well for that matter. Players like Joe Johnson, Alec Burks, and Rodney Hood on the other hand have started slow and the Jazz will need all the production it can get to make up for it's offensive shortcomings.

20. Los Angeles Lakers (1-2)

Last Week: 27

Don't look now but Luke Walton has the Lakers looking like an NBA team again and competing. I know Lakers fans think this is a shot, but this team won't make the playoffs, they will compete most nights though and will improve. That is the biggest thing for them, improvement. Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, & D'Angelo Russell all hold the future in their hands and LA hopes they reach their potential.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)

Last Week: 15

Russ is averaging a triple double so far and isn't looking to slow down anytime soon. Outside of that there isn't much to say about this team. Nothing particularly stands out about them except for the fact that the offense is absolutely atrocious once Westbrook takes a breather. Saturday's loss at home to the Lakers was a prime example of this.

22. Dallas Mavericks (1-2)

Last Week: 28

So, maybe Marc Cuban won't regret giving Harrison Barnes that max deal last summer so much. Either way, Dallas isn't looking very good. In fact, they look pretty old and not very talented. Dirk is still producing surprisingly well this late in his career but if they want any chance at making the 8th seed, they're gonna need some resurgent play from former All-NBA caliber players Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut.

23. Charlotte Hornets (1-2)

Last Week: 17

The Hornets have a weird mix of talent that somehow creates a decent defensive unit that can't score that much barring a Kemba Walker explosion. Which is odd given a lot of players on this team are offensively inclined, but that's neither here nor there. That just speaks to the job Steve Clifford has done as a coach.

24. Toronto Raptors (1-2)

Last Week: 5

Normally I'd never drop a team this far down the rankings for a week where most of the teams are this jumbled together. Unfortunately for Raptors fans, this drop is due to their loss of All-Star PG Kyle Lowry until early December due to a broken toe. Hopefully the other half of their all-star backcourt Demar Derozan can keep them afloat long enough to get healthy again.

25. Phoenix Suns (1-2)

Last Week: 26

Devin Booker continues to impress with his scoring prowess out in the desert and Eric Bledsoe seems to be doing okay in his return from injury. The Suns do have a lot of redundant parts though and you wonder if they'll be sellers closer to this years trade deadline.

26. Brooklyn Nets (1-3)

Last Week: 30

I hate having to be the guy who brings this up every week, but talking anything Nets currently is really depressing. This team is bad and for a rebuilding team that would be a great thing as that would help in the lottery. Problem is this team will not have that pick so being awful isn't an option for a team that's going to be awful. See why it's hard to not pay attention to this.

27. New York Knicks (0-2)

Last Week: 11

I mentioned last week this could go really well or it could all blow up really fast. The postive thing about being 0-2 so far for this "superteam" is that they've been in both games until the very end. Derrick Rose is the closest he's been to 100% since 2012 and Kristaps Porzingis is still a unicorn if there ever was one. Problem is Melo is starting to slow down and isn't the guy who can carry a team anymore, Joakim Noah looks beyond washed up, and the parts don't look like they fit all that well.

28. Washington Wizards (0-2)

Last Week: 20

I disregarded the slight dysfunction with this team thanks to the John Wall-Bradley Beal duo but it's been apparent to start the season. Wall is off to an amazing start while Beal has only reinforced what many believed was a ludicrous contract extension with his play. Hopefully, they can repair and recover in time to start showing Wall they see him as the main figure moving forward or else...

29. Denver Nuggets (0-3)

Last Week: 22

Denver has a nice dilemma on it's hands with Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. Both are really talented big man and Denver looks to have a deadly frontcourt combo for years to come. The issue will be with Denver's backcourt, which currently is somewhat of an enigma. Emmanual Mudiay still is struggling to become an efficient NBA player and guys like Jamal Murray, and Gary Harris are giving up as many points as they're scoring.

30. Boston Celtics (0-3)

Last Week: 6

I can definitely say I didn't see Boston starting off this bad. The addition of AL Horford has apparently altered team chemistry a lot more than anticipated and Isaiah Thomas is struggling the most with trying to adjust his game. Just play devil's advocate here (we know they'll make the playoffs), let's say Boston continued being this awful, Nets fans may have hope as Boston wouldn't even need to pick swap if they finished with one of the worst records in the NBA.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

11/1/16

11/2/16


GD's Highlights

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA


Julius Randle To Miss 6-8 Weeks Due to Broken Ankle
Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Nov 2, 2016

Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle will miss up to 8 weeks of action after suffering a broken right ankle today in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Randle had been showing improved play in Head Coach Luke Walton's new system, showcasing the forwards' versatility.

Randle was injured late in the 3rd quarter against the Hawks after leading the Lakers to a large lead. He finished the night with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. This is yet another setback for the forward who saw his rookie season cut to only 14 minutes when he broke his leg on opening night 2 years ago.
The Lakers will look to continue their trek to respectability through this adversity counting on the development of young forward Brandon Ingram and guard D'Angelo Russell.

Other Note-able Injuries:
Kyle Lowry - Broken left toe: 2-4 weeks
Al Jefferson - High right ankle sprain: 4-6 weeks
Jon Leur - Severe right ankle sprain: 6-8 weeks
J.J. Barea - Twisted right knee: 1-2 weeks
Jared Dudley - Sprained left knee: 1-2 weeks
Tony Snell - Twisted right knee: 1-2 weeks
Marcus Thorton - Strained right elbow ligament: 1-2 weeks
Ben Simmons - Broken right foot: 2-3 months

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

11/3/16


GD's Highlights


11/4/16



11/5/16

[pfeifere1]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

I really like the layout to this! Are you playing the games out as cpu vs. cpu or are you selecting a side to play with (if so how are you deciding who you play as)?

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

KD vs. Westbrook Round 1 Goes to Warriors

Oakland, Ca (AP) - The Warriors to no surprise made easy work of the Thunder Thursday night, but that wasn't the main story to follow. The headline grabber was that this was the first time Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook would take the floor as opponents following Durant's decision to leave Oklahoma City this summer.

As expected, their was a considerable amount of tension between the two going into the game and it only increased as the game went on. With the Thunder coming off an excellent last second win against the LA Clippers the night before and Russell Westbrook averaging a triple double for the season (though slowed by a sprained ankle suffered the night before) many expected a decent contest with Durant and Westbrook having one of the best duels since the first time Shaq played against Kobe in 2005.

Durant would have none of that as he opened the game on fire scoring his first 10 points on 2-3 shooting. He would go on to score a game high 36 points on 50% shooting and tie the game high of 10 rebounds (Draymond Green). Westbrook had 17 points shooting 8-23 from the field.

The Warriors weren't all just Durant though as 4 other Warriors scored in double figures. Klay Thompson had 20 points on 9-13 shooting, Steph Curry finished with 18 on 7-17 shooting, Draymond Green flirted with a triple double in the first half with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, and Shaun Livingston finished with 10 points off the bench.

The Thunder and Warriors will meet 3 more times this season. The next game will be 2 days after Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18, 2017, right back here in Oakland. Durant's return to OKC will be February 11th.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

I really like the layout to this! Are you playing the games out as cpu vs. cpu or are you selecting a side to play with (if so how are you deciding who you play as)?

Thanks for reading! I play the games that have highlights (I've played a couple others too just didn't record). I usually decide by who I want to capture highlights for (like a crazy game from a star player), or I decide by how it'll influence the storyline I want to eventually create. It's kind of a weird thing to explain, but I just have a natural feel for it now after doing it awhile and it's based off of those factors.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA






Week 3: Pacers Take Over Number 1 Spot
By John Schuhmann NBA.com
@johnschuhmann
Nov 6, 2016

The Pacers continue their torrid start to the 2016-17 campaign Paul George. The Pacers are the last undefeated team left after seeing Cleveland fall this week at home to Boston. George is averaging career highs in points (24.2), assist (4.3), and FG% (49.2%).

This weeks biggest jumps comes from the Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. The biggest drops are the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons:

1. Indiana Pacers (6-0)

Last Week: 5

Paul George is having a career year, Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young are producing, Myles Turner continues to build on a solid rookie year, and the Pacers are off to their best start in 3 seasons. Unsurprisingly, their has been an uptick of interest in this Pacers squad back in the Hoosier state. Are they really the 2nd best team in the East behind Cleveland?

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (5-1)

Last Week: 1

The Cavs continue dominating opponents nightly, but had a bit of a letdown at home against a hot shooting Boston Celtics squad for their first loss of the year. LeBron is still showing no signs of slowing down much, currently averaging a triple-double, and Kyrie and Love have been efficient as well. This teams first true test may not come until Christmas against the Warriors. Until then, expect A LOT of cruising.

3. Golden State Warriors (4-2)

Last Week: 2

This is what usually happens when you make such a drastic change to your team. One night they can look like juggernauts, the next they can get upset by a young upstart team like the Lakers. One thing is for certain though, even as they're working out the kinks, they'll continue to overwhelm teams. There's just to much talent here.

4. Portland TrailBlazers (5-1)

Last Week: 4

I can't say that I thought Portland would start out this well. There was no way I'd have bet on them maintaining a better record than the Warriors even this far into the season either. Continue to shock the world Portland. We need more of these stories and teams in the NBA.

5. New Orleans Pelicans (5-1)

Last Week: 11

Anthony Davis is leading the league in scoring at 33.8ppg, and is second in rebounds at 14.3rpg. Simply put, everyone wrote him off a bit to soon after a down year for the Pels and the great rookie years of KAT and Porzingis. AD is and was the best young big in the game today, the question is if New Orleans' front office can surround him with enough help to lead to success. Right now, it's working, but we know this roster has a hard time holding up health wise, and where is the production coming from most nights when AD isn't doing everything on the floor?

6. San Antonio Spurs (4-3)

Last Week: 12

The Spurs started really slow in the post Tim Duncan era, but found sort of a groove this week going 3-1. Kawhi is coming off of an incredible last two games where he scored 42 points and 36 points in Utah and against the Clippers. Anyone thought he'd be this good on offense?

7. Charlotte Hornets (3-2)

Last Week: 23

Kemba Walker is well on his way to securing his first All-Star appearance and leading his team to back to back playoff appearances since before the franchise relocated in the early 2000's. That's a ways away, but it's good to see the Hornets start to figure it out after a rough first week.

8. Houston Rockets (4-2)

Last Week: 7

James Harden has started this season looking a guy intent on obtaining some hardware at the end of it. If it weren't for teams with better records/rosters and Russell Westbrook, he'd be my early favorite for the MVP Award.

9. Los Angeles Clippers (3-3)

Last Week: 6

The Clippers are coming off of a nice win over the Spurs in San Antonio and are .500. CP3 and Blake continue to look solid and healthy, while DeAndre continues doing DeAndre things. Look for them to increase their win total the next few weeks as the schedule lightens up.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (3-3)

Last Week: 9

Mike Conley just received the largest contract in NBA history over the summer and he's playing well below the value of that so far. On the flip side, Marc Gasol is playing really well early and the decision to bring Z-Bo off the bench as a 6th man has given them so much needed firepower off the bench and improved their defense.

11. Los Angeles Lakers (3-3)

Last Week: 20

Luuuuuke...He has to be the early favorite for COTY, right? I hate jumping the gun and want to contain my excitement for this squad (especially given how they just lost Julius Randle for 2 months), but I can't help but get sucked up into the youthful enthusiasm this team plays with.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)

Last Week: 21

OKC has played 6 games and Westbrook has 2 triple-doubles, while just missing out on a 40 point triple-double by 3 assists. This will be the biggest storyline for this team all year, mainly because without him doing everything, this team would be lottery bound.

13. Detroit Pistons (3-3)

Last Week: 3

Everything started so well for Detroit the first week and went the complete opposite direction the second week. So far, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson haven't made the leap most would've hoped for coming into this season. There's still lots of time though.

14. Sacramento Kings (4-3)

Last Week: 14

Demarcus Cousins and his Kings would be in the playoffs if the season ended today! Never thought I'd say that two weeks in a row, but here we are. Rudy Gay has started this season like a mad man and looks like a number one option, of course in a contract year, but he's upping the hell out of his trade value. Of course, don't expect the Kings to trade him if they have a chance at the postseason even if Rudy told them he wants no part of this franchise past this season.

15. Boston Celtics (2-3)

Last Week: 30

Looks like Celtics fans can take their hands off of the panic button for now. The Al Horford signing didn't immediately pay dividends and in fact looked like it may have caused the Celtics to take a step back. But, as we can start to see, it is an improvement and the Celtics will improve to as they gel and build chemistry. I'm still not sure if this is the 2nd best team in the East though, as they still need that go-to-scorer.

16. Orlando Magic (3-3)

Last Week: 17

The Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, Aaron Gordon front court has to be one of the worst spacing lineups I've seen, the defense though...Frank Vogel seems to be doing the trick (or magic trick if you will) for Orlando.

17. Milwaukee Bucks (3-3)

Last Week: 8

Giannis is leading the Bucks in pretty much every major statistical category so far. Wow. The Bucks have to find a way to get Jabari Parker going and reincorporate Khris Middleton somehow for this team to really take off.

18. Washington Wizards (2-3)

Last Week: 28

I have a hard time figuring out where this team stands in the overall hierarchy of the East, but they'll be in the conversation for the playoffs barring any major health scares.

19. Miami Heat (2-3)

Last Week: 18

Goran Dragic has stepped up as the first option for the post Dwyane Wade Heat. Hassan Whiteside has continued his dominance as a shotblocking and rebounding dynamo, and the Heat have life heading into the 3rd week of the season.

20. Atlanta Hawks (2-4)

Last Week: 10

The Hawks like we said are just about blowing up right in front of our eyes, which is a good thing. Look for the Kyle Korver trade to be finalized in the coming days as the Hawks set him last time out.

21. New York Knicks (2-3)

Last Week: 27

Derrick Rose continues his march to return to All-NBA status as he had an impressive return to Chicago this week. If he can sustain that level of play along with Carmelo and Porzingis, the Knicks may have something.

22. Chicago Bulls (2-4)

Last Week: 14

They are erratic, but that was to be expected given the lack of shooting from this teams starters. They continue to be interesting to lack at though so you've gotta give GarPax credit for that. Who doesn't want to watch a trainwreck in slow motion.

23. Denver Nuggets (2-3)

Last Week: 29

Nikola Jokic is a solid big man and is quite impressive. He's already forced Mike Malone's hand and he's starting over Kenneth Faried. They partnership between him and Jusuf Nurkic won't work long term so i wonder what the Nuggets will do if he continues to play well.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-3)

Last Week: 16

The trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine continue to lead the young Wolves to respectability. The only thing Thibbs will have to do moving forward is finding some depth for this squad as the starters are being played nearly 40 minutes most nights.

25. Brooklyn Nets (2-4)

Last Week: 26

Jeremy Lin was a solid get for the Nets and under the radar pickups like Trevor Booker have at least made the Nets mediocre. This is the most that Nets fans can hope for given the draft pick situation unfortunately.

26. Utah Jazz (2-4)

Last Week: 19

One of the worst things about expectations are that they can either make or break a team that can't handle them. It seems like we've been waiting for the Jazz to breakthrough for years now and they haven't started to instill much hope for this year either so far. They can't fall to far behind in the West though, otherwise they won't have a chance.

27. Phoenix Suns (2-4)

Last Week: 25

I'm really curious what the Suns will do about their crowded frontcourt and their defense. Will they wait to start to fully surround Devin Booker with the proper pieces or are they ready to begin ascending this year?

28. Dallas Mavericks (1-4)

Last Week: 22

Told you there wasn't much chance these Mavs had at contending for a playoff spit this year. They are bad and need to tank. Good thing for them that they are tanking without even having to blow up the roster. Poor Dirk. #Waco2Dallas #TradeWinsVaden

29. Toronto Raptors (1-4)

Last Week: 24

Toronto is trying to weather the loss of Kyle Lowry for the next month and a half, but 's going to be difficult. Demar Derozan has stepped up in his absence though. Cory Joseph has also been impressive starting in place of Lowry.

30. Philadelphia 76ers (1-4)

Last Week: 15

Embiid continues to stay on a minutes restriction, but has put up impressive numbers in limited time on the court. Philly still needs to solve its big man conundrum though as Nerlens Noel has become the odd man out in the rotation and Jahlil Okafor continues to struggle on the defensive end.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

Featuring E'Twuan Mason Jr.

There are many stories of players blossoming later than others in their development. Everyone is different like fingerprints or heartbeats, and every player develops differently. Some can reach their potential, some can't, some get close, and some never evens scratch the surface. The one thing those that start to excel have in common though is a work ethic and hunger for success stemming from any number of things.

E'twuan Mason Jr. appears to fall into the category of those that will be able to reach their potential down the road. Hailing from Shreveport, LA, Mason Jr. was projected as a two to three year collegiate player at a smaller D-1 school.
Taking this to heart over the summer of his junior season, Mason jr. would put in the work needed to go from a top 100 prospect to ranked number 18 in the nation during his senior season of high school. He then accepted an offer from Coach Calipari who didn't promise him a thing going into college.

Most know of Kentucky's propensity to attract the top prospects in college every year, but that was actually what encouraged E'twuan to accept their offer. "I wanted to compete with the guys ranked above me and prove I was better. If I showed coach I was the better player and started me over them I knew people would start to see how good I was," said Mason Jr.
The Wildcats have the number 2 overall prospect coming in next year in center Kyson Law and that only added to Mason Jr. showing he's worthy of being a one and done prospect this year.

Kentucky begun their season last week and Mason Jr. started slow, but put it together quickly in his 3rd game as the Wildcats visited Ann Arbor, MI for a game against the Wolverines. E'Twuan dominated that game power his way to 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Scouts almost immediately started rearranging their prospect rankings and are sure to list him as one of the top 10 prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft.
One scout said, "I see a lot of Dwight Howard in him, with less of the diva. This kid can be big in the current NBA and I'd considering with the top pick in the draft if he can keep improving this year."

That's high praise, and while E'twuan doesn't want that yet, he does realize and relish that he has a chance these next few months to prove he belongs in the discussion.

[pfeifere1]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

That's awesome! I actually just picked up this game after reading through this thread. I'm big into simulation stuff (not enough time to play the games myself anymore) and with the NFL winding down, it's time to step back into the NBA!

Keep it up, I'll be following!

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

That's awesome! I actually just picked up this game after reading through this thread. I'm big into simulation stuff (not enough time to play the games myself anymore) and with the NFL winding down, it's time to step back into the NBA!

Keep it up, I'll be following!

Thanks for following! I'm a huge sim person too and I have some nice ideas cooked up for this one.

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

11/6/16


11/7/16


11/8/16


11/9/16


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11/12/16

[lakers24]

Re: The League: Reign of The NBA

It's Still Wade County In Miami

Miami, Fla (AP) - Dwyane Wade returned to Miami Thursday Night for the first time as an opponent since leaving the Miami Heat last summer to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls. It was an emotional night for everyone in attendance seeing their former face of the franchise in a different uniform, but for one night in early November, The AAA was once again alive and well as Wade was the star.

The Bulls and Heat aren't good teams and under normal circumstances this would be another one of 82 for everyone, but with Wade returning, this turned into a spectacle. From the moment he came out for warmups, the energy in the building was electric and it spurred the Bulls to a win they needed to help continue building chemistry.

Wade received a standing ovation when he was introduced in the starting lineups and repeatedly during the game every time he touched the ball. While he didn't have the best of games (16 points on 7-16 shooting), he received help from Jimmy Butler and Robin Lopez who both scored 20 points to lead the Bulls.

"It was tough man. I've lived a third of my life here and this city adopted me as one of its own," Wade said. "I became a man here and I'll always be a part of this community. I still have love for everyone in the Heat organization too from Micky (Arison) down to the guys behind the scenes on the training staff."