New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[Cleasby]

jones in nyk this could end so badly!

[zike_42]

jones in nyk this could end so badly!

I know all too well how fickle New York fans can be but so far he's doing alright. The team on the other hand...

[zike_42]

December Player of the Month – Michael Taylor, Milwaukee Bucks – 29.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game.

December Rookie of the Month – Marshod Anderson, Toronto Raptors – 17.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.

Trades –

Philadelphia trade:
SF Padorin Ivelistch
PG William Feeley

Miami trade:
SF Torian Roma
2035 2nd round pick

Winner – Either. This is a textbook example of ‘a much of a muchness’. Both players were drafted four years ago, have underachieved so far but still are good players and still have some potential left in them. I still don’t know why Ivelitsch has been traded twice now.

We skip the late night and it works out for us as we beat the Sixers 102-98 on New Years Day. Ken and Cort combined for 43 points, 16 assists and 9 rebounds while Reggie had another double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. It seems that Marlin has slotted in nicely in this team with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Robert Williams had 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead Philly as Chris Canal was held to only 13 points and 6 turnovers.

Brooklyn Nets 22-7

Ken sprained his ankle but shouldn’t miss any games.

He probably shouldn’t have played as he only had 6 points but we still won as the Celtics fell away late for us to take the 108-95 game. Reggie was our leader with 21 points and 13 rebounds while Cort (21 points, 11 assists) and Marlin (15 points, 14 rebounds) doubled up. Varlam Chavchavadze had 26 points for the C’s but number five pick Alan Patton only had 8 points.

Brooklyn Nets 23-7

John Brown gets the start over Ken as his ankle is still a bit sore but it didn’t matter as we rout the Bobcats 138-106. TT was electric with 33 points as Cort matched his performance from last game with 21 points and 11 assists. Joe West had 28 points for Charlotte but the rest of the team was elsewhere.

Brooklyn Nets 24-7

JB gets the start again and had 15 points while holding Chris Jones to only 14 points as we steal an away win from New York 116-105. It was Marlin who was the star as our glue man went ballistic with 29 points and 6 rebounds while fouling out Antonio Henderson in only 13 minutes. Dave Coulter led the Knicks with 25 points and 6 assists before also fouling out.

Brooklyn Nets 25-7

Ken is back to full health and was decent but Cort had the game of the season so far with 16 points and 20 assists on only 9 shots as we demolish the Bulls 114-96. Marlin and Reggie are playing well together and tonight had 27 points and 21 rebounds together. Chicago’s high man was Damon Ashburn with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 26-7

Hmm, how about I go through the quarter time splits of our game against Toronto –

First – 40-22
Second – 33-26
Third – 36-12
Fourth – 34-30

We won every single one of them to beat the Raptors by over 50 points 143-90. Talk about a shellacking. Cort and TT combined for 61 points but it was over at half time so our bench guys got a run with Nashon Smith having 15 points and 6 assists in 15 minutes and Mitch Wolthers added 12 points in 15 minutes. Eddie Harris had 20 points for the vanquished and I just can’t believe how well we played.

Brooklyn Nets 27-7

Our starters combined for 92 points, exactly two points less than the whole of the Boston team that came to visit but luckily for us we had some bench scorers to win the game 115-94. Cort and Reggie had 24 points each to lead the game. Chav-chav led the Celtics with 23 points.

Brooklyn Nets 28-7

Ken is back to his best with 34 points as we outlast the Bulls 128-115. Cort continued his fine form with 29 points and 15 assists as we hit 13 threes in the win. Damon Ashburn always seems to play well against us and tonight was no different with 28 points and 19 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 29-7

In Toronto’s 145-117 win over Utah, number one draft pick Marshod Anderson went 20/27 from the field for an even 50 points to be one of the only rookies to ever crack the 50 point mark.

It was a crunch game in our away game against Atlanta as they are one of the best teams not only in the East but in the whole league. That has a lot to do with Michael McQuay who had 34 points and 8 rebounds but we had the depth to run out 111-100 winners. Marlin Bain went ballistic with 29 points and 9 rebounds as Reggie was kept quiet by McQuay for only 13 points.

Brooklyn Nets 30-7

Being down 15 points halfway through the third term might be a death wish for some teams but we had other ideas when we went to Utah. It wasn’t anyone fancy who brought us back either as Robert Jackson had 20 points on 8/10 shooting as we snatch a 118-116 win over the helpless Jazz. TT and Reggie were both in foul trouble all night so Jackson and John Brown (10 points, 3 blocks) picked up the slack. Nathaniel Jackson was the star of the game with 34 points while James Waters went 10/10 from the field for 21 points for the losers.

Brooklyn Nets 31-7

Good news is that Reggie Smith had 25 points and 13 rebounds to lead five other Brooklyn players in double figures. Better news is that everyone on our team played at least 10 minutes and scored at least once. Best news is that our biggest lead over Charlotte was 58 points and we won by a ridiculous 128-71 margin. Derrick Culuko looks to have been traded (I’ll recap that at the start of next month) and is finally getting some good court time and had 23 points to be the only Bobcat in double figures.

Brooklyn Nets 32-7

The Cavs are a team that could cause some problems down the track as they have some very good players and they showed it tonight, withstanding a strong end from us to take the game 116-112 in overtime. Jamil Fleming and Frank Slaughter had 52 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists between them as we shot only 42% fom the field with TT and Ken going 16/49 from the field.

Brooklyn Nets 32-8

Our last game of the month was a simple 117-95 win over Charlotte as Reggie and TT combined for 42 points and 17 rebounds. It was over after the second quarter when we went on a 42-17 spurt to take the wind out of their sails. Derrick Culuko was great with 20 points but they again couldn’t stop us scoring.

Brooklyn Nets 33-8

After a ridiculously good month we have jumped to first in the East, three games ahead of Indiana at 34-11. We’ve also pushed the lead over third placed Atlanta at 31-13. Detroit, Memphis, Orlando, New York, Charlotte, Miami and Boston are all on records that are .400 or less which is pretty lame.

In the West, Dallas are on top (but not as good as us!) at 31-13, still being chased by Milwaukee and surprisingly Seattle are third at 28-15. The Lakers are horrid this season at 6-33, nine games behind second last placed Houston.

Brooklyn Top Points
Tiburcio Tommasini – 23.0
Cort Majishun – 19.3
Reggie Smith – 17.7

Brooklyn Top Assists
Cort Majishun – 11.1
Kenneth Long – 3.8
Nashon Smith – 2.8

Brooklyn Top Rebounds
Reggie Smith – 11.4
Marlin Bain – 7.9
Kenneth Long – 5.3

League Leaders
Points – Mike Bickerstaf (OKC) – 30.7
Assists – Earl Harris (PHO) – 11.4
Rebounds – Reggie Smith (BKL) – 11.4
Blocks – Schuyler Vanderwerken (POR) – 2.9
Steals – Tim Westbrooks (UTA) – 2.5
Efficiency – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 29.5

Rookie Leaders
Points – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 16.2
Assists – Jason Jones (NYK) – 3.2
Rebounds – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 6.6
Blocks – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 1.6
Steals – Tarrell McMahon (SAS) – 1.3
Efficiency – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 15.2

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. C Luigi Cannavaro (Italy), 19 years old, 6’10”, 251lbs
2. SF Brandon Meade (LSU), Senior, 6’8”, 223lbs
3. SF Paul Gilbert (Ohio State), Junior, 6’5”, 218lbs
4. C Jamie McMillian (Hartford), Junior, 7’3”, 267lbs
5. SF Arthimus Smallwood (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 195lbs

Thoughts – It’s surprising that Cannavaro is still rated as the best player in this draft as he is still really raw. It’s also surprising that there is so many seniors and juniors in this draft as the first freshman in the draft is all the way down at #24. It seems that many players are going from high school and if not then staying a few years.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Cliff Havens, San Diego Riders – 32.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.0 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

Whoops.

January Rookie of the Month – Marshod Anderson, Toronto Raptors – 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

There was only one trade, the Culuko one I mentioned last month.

Charlotte trade:
C Charles Dubbs
2035 2nd round pick

Toronto trade:
C Derrick Culuko

Winner – Charlotte. This is a massive steal by the Bobcats, no doubt. Culuko is only 24 years old and only in his third season so the former number one pick still has plenty of growing to do. He’s finally starting for a team and hopefully he can stick around with Charlotte for a few years to come.

We start out February with a brutal away game in Atlanta against the red hot Hawks. As usual, Michael McQuay is their stand out guy with 43 points and 9 rebounds but we cool them off with a 126-107 statement win. Ken went 14/14 from the line for 25 points while Marlin went 7/8 from the field for 20 points and 8 rebounds. But went 6/14 from the line. Not his strong suit.

Brooklyn Nets 34-8

Ken was given man of the match with 28 points but it should have gone to Cort who had another triple double with 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as we cruise past the Raps 109-93. Unfortunately Cort has done a hammy and might miss a few games. Marlin had another great game with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Curtis Anderson was the best for Toronto with 15 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds as Marshod Anderson was held to only 4 points.

Brooklyn Nets 35-8

As expected, Cort will miss probably 2-3 games with his injury so Ken slides to PG while John Brown goes into the SG position. Don’t worry, once Cort comes back Ken will go straight to SG. No point guard Long here.

Ken was decent with 10 points and 11 assists on 4 shots and JB had 20 points in our 122-119 win over New Orleans but it was Marlin who stole the show again with 29 points and 10 rebounds. I’m glad he’s got two years left on his contract because right now he’s look way out of our price range. TT had a very quiet 24 points and 11 rebounds as it seemed like he wasn’t doing much but obviously he was going great guns. Colin Walker was the best for the Hornets with 29 points and 8 assists.

Brooklyn Nets 36-8

Something that has made me happy this season is that we seem to have Dallas’ number as we take a 121-112 win on their home court which means we still haven’t lost to them this season. TT led the way with 29 points and 8 rebounds but it was John Brown and Robert Jackson who starred with 14 points each off the bench. Terry McKenzie was the star for Dallas with 29 points and 10 rebounds while Kresimir Balas had 23 points and 8 rebounds. Kres and Marlin are very similar players, both were drafted at the end of the first round (Kres #19, Marlin #26), both don’t need the ball in their hands but can still score and both are great defenders and rebounders which is needed on a star studded team. Oh yeah, they were both drafted by me.

Brooklyn Nets 37-8

TT continues his fine form with 30 points on 16 shots as we knock out a 39-25 last quarter to steal a 116-105 win over Golden State. Reggie chipped in 24 points and 13 rebounds as even though we shot a worse percentage than the Warriors we did have 8 more offensive rebounds than them, giving us extra opportunities. Our old friend Traves Parker led the losers with 27 points but it seems Magnus Carlsson’s time is over as he is only averaging 11 minutes a game on the season but still had 13 points tonight.

Brooklyn Nets 38-8

We won every quarter but still only won by eight 106-98 over Houston. Reggie made up for TT’s tough night (3/14) for 22 points and 8 rebounds as we hold the Rockets to only 42% from the field. BB Henderson had 27 points for the vanquished as their superstar Cameron Brown only had 13 points and 6 fouls.

Brooklyn Nets 39-8

Our last game before the All Star break was a disappointing one as the most underrated superstar in the league took us to school. Alfons Dietz had 32 points, 8 rebounds and 5 blocks while going to the line nineteen times was enough for the Sonics to break our streak 106-97. Cort and Ken combined for 41 points but Marlin and TT both fouled out before three quarter time..

Brooklyn Nets 39-9

Toronto’s rookie Marshod Anderson is having one hell of a season and he adds to it with a Slam Dunk Contest trophy with a 74-68 victor over New Orleans’ Brian Rude. In the Long Distance Shootout we actually had a participant for once, make it two! John Brown and Cort Majishun both were invited but only Majishun made it to the final where he was beaten by Chicago’s DJ Forbes who also beat Golden State’s Magnus Carlsson in the last round.

In a game that was actually close for once, the Sophomores outscored the Rookies by seven points in the last term to steal a 136-131 win as Michael Harmon put his stamp on the game with 29 points and 16 assists. Gustavo Fonseca shot early and often with 33 points on 29 shots while our old friend Juia Henchoz is finally back in the pros and had 16 points an 8 rebounds off the bench. Marshod Anderson was the best for the first year guys with 34 points while the guy I wanted in the draft, Axel Rancik, was fantastic with 17 points and 15 assists.

The All Star game was even closer as there were 26 lead changes and 16 ties in the game as the East holds on to a 142-139 win. Frank Slaughter and Lou Beck combine for 52 points, 22 assists and 11 rebounds to both be named All Star MVP. Rowan Taylor was also great with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Jack Dawkins was the best for the West with 33 points in 31 minutes while Michael Taylor added 17 points and 12 assists. We had three invitees with Tiburcio Tommasini (starting with 14 points), Cort Maijshun (6 points, 6 assists) and Reggie Smith (15 points, 11 rebounds) joining in the fun.

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Lou Beck, Orlando Magic (2nd selection)
Frank Slaughter, Cleveland Cavaliers (2nd selection)
Tiburcio Tommasini, Brooklyn Nets (5th selection)
Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks (5th selection)
Rowan Taylor, Washington Wizards (8th selection)

Eastern Conference All Star Reserves
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers (1st selection)
Cort Majishun, Brooklyn Nets (5th selection)
DJ Forbes, Chicago Bulls (1st selection)
Brian Benton, Washington Wizards (1st selection)
Reggie Smith, Brooklyn Nets (3rd selection)
Patrick Blizzard, Chicago Bulls (3rd selection)
Varlam Chavchavadze, Boston Celtics (9th selection)

Western Conference All Star Starters
Michael Taylor, Milwaukee Bucks (7th selection)
Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder (7th selection)
Alfons Dietz, Seattle Supersonics (2nd selection)
Nathaniel Jackson, Utah Jazz (4th selection)
Diego Acosta, Sacramento Kings (3rd selection)

Western Conference All Star Reserves
Jason London, Phoenix Suns (5th selection)
Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks (7th selection)
Ledaryl McMillian, Dallas Mavericks (10th selection)
Camah Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves (5th selection)
Jaymes Kincaid, Sacramento Kings (6th selection)
Terry McKenzie, Dallas Mavericks (6th selection)
Schuyler Vanderwerken, Portland Trailblazers (6th selection)

We don’t have an All Star hangover as TT goes berserk for 34 points and 8 rebounds and we get the 113-106 win over OKC. Reggie had 22 points and 9 rebounds and even Cort went 2/8 from the field he made up for it with 17 assists. Mike Bickerstaf is still carrying that team with 22 points on 12/12 shooting from the line.

Brooklyn Nets 40-9

Next up on the road trip was Orlando and our old friends Lou Beck and Juia Henchoz. It wasn’t pretty as we got out to a 36-20 first quarter lead to cruise to a 134-116 win. Ken had a nice shooting nice for 30 points but it was Cort who did the damage with 20 points and 20 assists. The Magic have some nice pieces in Beck (16 points, 11 assists), Henchoz (6 points), Pete Edgerson (9 points) and Shaun Tebbs (DNP, torn tendon) but they are still really young and in need of a few more years.

Brooklyn Nets 41-9

The Thunder come to town looking for revenge and lo and behold they storm out of the gate, going up by 14 at quarter time and 22 points at half time. Mike Bickerstaf had 27 points and 8 rebounds but he had some help in the form of Zan Tepavac who had 21 points and 11 rebounds. We came back a little in the third but in the fourth it was all Kenneth Long. He scored all but a point of his 19 points in the last as we string together a 35-17 last term to take the game 106-102. All five of our starters has a dozen or more while John Brown was electric off the bench with 13 points in 19 minutes. All in all this was a rough game and I’m just glad we came out of it with the win. Hey, a wins a win.

Brooklyn Nets 42-9

The Pistons are a 19 win team and they played like one as we smash Detroit on their home court 107-85. Ken has his best game as a Net with 44 points and 6 rebounds as Cort added 19 points and 11 assists. Brandon Oliver had a strange game with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 turnovers as we force the Pistons into 22 turnovers for the game.

Brooklyn Nets 43-9

We seem to be winning but not by heaps every night (apart from last game) as we withstand the Sonics 118-112. TT was great with 33 points while Marlin upstaged many with 19 points and 15 rebounds of his own. This game was strange as we only had 13 assists on 35 makes with Cort having only four dishes. Eric Holt for Seattle on the other hand and 11 of his own as the Sonics gave out 30 helpers.

Brooklyn Nets 44-9

What was I saying about not smashing teams? Well TT leads eight other Brooklyn players (nine in total!) in double figures with 37 points as we rout the Hornets 149-102. Let’s go through the list – TT: 37 points, Reggie: 23 points, 9 rebounds, Ben Herrion and Cort: 13 points, Mitch Wolthers: 12 points, Ken and Tony Myers: 11 points, John and Jerome Brown: 10 points as we have 60 bench points in the win. Jerry Benton was the high man for New Orleans with 21 points but only had 2 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 45-9

After a ridiculous 12-1 February we are now sitting eight games ahead of anyone else in the East as Indiana are at 43-17 and Atlanta 41-18. This team is on fire at the moment and hopefully we can keep this fire burning throughout March, April and the playoffs. Charlotte have broken away from the pack at 16-38 for the last spot in the conference.

Dallas’ lead in the West has shrunk to only one game as Milwaukee and even Nevada are right on their tales. I know, right? I had no idea that Nevada were any good. Los Angeles haven’t got to double digit wins yet and are sitting at 8-44.

Brooklyn Top Points
Tiburcio Tommasini – 22.6
Cort Majishun – 18.3
Reggie Smith – 17.7

Brooklyn Top Assists
Cort Majishun – 11.0
Kenneth Long – 3.9
Nashon Smith – 2.7

Brooklyn Top Rebounds
Regge Smith – 10.5
Marlin Bain – 8.1
Kenneth Long – 5.4

League Leaders
Points – Michael McQuay (ATL) – 28.9
Assists – Earl Harris (PHO) – 11.6
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 11.1
Blocks – Schuyler Vanderwerken (POR) – 2.8
Steals – Earl Harris (PHO) – 2.5
Efficiency – Enrique Mendez (MIN) – 28.7

Rookie Leaders
Points – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 17.2
Assists – Jason Jones (NYK) – 3.2
Rebounds – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 6.5
Blocks – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 1.8
Steals – Tarrell McMahon (SAS) – 1.4
Efficiency – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 16.0

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. SF Arthimus Smallwood (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 195lbs
2. C Luigi Cannavaro (Italy), 19 years old, 6’10”, 251lbs
3. PF Ratko Nedic (Serbia-Montenegro), 19 years old, 6’11”, 239lbs
4. SF Bob Benton (High School), Senior, 6’9”, 207lbs
5. PF Anthony Coley (Florida), Junior, 6’10”, 230lbs

Thoughts – This is not a good draft if you’re in the market for a SG as the first one is at #15. To the top of the draft, Smallwood is looking more and more like the number one pick but as his numbers are really, really good in a good high school conference. I still don’t believe that Cannavaro and Nedic will be any more than D-League players in their first two years so I hope a team has plenty of patience.

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Jason London, Phoenix Suns – 32.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.4 blocks per game.

February Rookie of the Month – Marshod Anderson, Toronto Raptors – 22.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.0 block per game.

There were a few decent trades near the deadline before one blew them all away.

Washington trade:
PG DeShaun Worley

Minnesota trade:
SF Jason Sears
2035 2nd round pick

Winner – Both. If this was a few years ago this would undoubtedly a win for the Wolves as Worley is now 33 years old and in a very crowded backcourt. Sears is decent and has a better contract.

Philadelphia trade:
SF Torian Roma
2035 2nd round pick

Miami trade:
SF Padorin Ivelitsch

Winner – Philadelphia. Feels like déjà vu around here as these two were traded for each other a while ago. I guess both teams got cold feet but the Sixers got the good end of the stick here again.

Atlanta trade:
PF Mike Bryant
2035 1st round pick

Orlando trade:
SF Raul Lopez

Winner – Atlanta. Even at 35 years old Lopez can still contribute and with him heading to the Hawks it might bring them closer to the Nets in the East. The pick will be as high as 25 so the deal for Orlando is to do the right thing and send a aging former star to a contender to get him his first ring.

Seattle trade:
SG Travis Grigsby

Miami trade:
C Eryk Charnowski

Winner – Seattle. Yes Charnowski is a year older than Grigsby at 33 years old and he has a toxic contract with four more years left but he is still a fantastic player who will help out the Sonics immensely. He will also be able to teach gun rookie Renard Hawkins a thing or two before he retires, but maybe he shouldn’t teach Hawkins any defence as Charnowski never played any.

Our tenth loss of the season was disappointing as we shoot 39% from the field as the Kings beat us 113-100. I’m surprised that Jaymes Kincaid wasn’t dealt at the deadline but it seems he’s not too miffed about it, going 14/26 for 33 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. TT was our best with 26 points as Reggie and Marlin added 33 points and 14 rebounds but we just shot so badly.

Brooklyn Nets 45-10

We get right back on the horse and smash the Celtics 112-97 behind Marlin and Reggie who combined for 44 points and 24 rebounds as we shot 51% frm the field in a great return to form. Varlam Chavchavadze was the best for Boston with 22 points and 8 rebounds but that team needs a good spring cleaning.

Brooklyn Nets 46-10

Marlin and Reggie were kept quiet but we still won by heaps, this time wiping the floor with the Cavs 110-89. TT was spectacular with 34 points and 10 rebounds as Ben Herrion went 6/8 and 3/5 from three for 15 points in only 7 minutes.

Brooklyn Nets 47-10

It’s weird for us to score 124 points and not have anyone over 23 points but that’s what happened in our 124-112 beat down of Atlanta. Reggie Smith led us with 23 points and 11 rebounds but we had six other players with 11 points or more. Michael McQuay took it up to Reggie with 32 points and 8 rebounds but shot 10/23 from the field.

Brooklyn Nets 48-10

I may say it every time but it’s fun to beat up on the Knicks now that I’m at Brooklyn. I feel sorry for them but it’s us versus them and we seem to be the winners, this time 116-103. John Brown took over when TT fouled out and had 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals while Marlin added 18 points and 8 rebounds. Julius Hobbs was the best for the losers with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Chris Jones had 9 points and 11 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 49-10

It must be trip down memory lane time as our next game is out in Memphis and again we smash them 114-99. TT is on a rampage with 27 points and 7 rebounds while Reggie added 17 points and 17 rebounds. They’re lost without Cort as Rashon Tart was their best with 20 points as the Grizz shoot 39% from the field.

Brooklyn Nets 50-10

We’re the first team to get to 50 wins and we’re damned if we let the very average Utah Jazz spoil our fun, so we rattle off a 36-19 third term to sweep them 125-92. Reggie had 28 points and 11 rebounds while being helped by 18 points and 10 rebounds from Marlin. Soak him in readers because once Marlin’s rookie contract is up we won’t be able to afford him. Nathaniel Jackson had 22 points and 8 rebounds for Utah.

Brooklyn Nets 51-10

Being smack bang in the middle of another Hell Week I thought we would be losing a bit of steam but that’s not the case as we bowl over the Rockets 115-90. TT was hitting nearly everything for 38 points while Marlin had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Cameron Brown is definitely not a PG and his play is suffering with only 15 points and 8 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 52-10

With only two games left in our Hell Week I was starting to wonder if we could sweep a Hell Week. And in our home game against Golden State all was going swimmingly with TT having 35 points and Ken and Cort added 38 points and 21 assists. We seemed to fall asleep in the last quarter as the Warriors stormed back to come within a Chris Horvath missed jump shot at the siren as we get away with the 119-117 win. Horvath finished with 27 points while Traves Parker has had a rejuvenation at Golden State with 30 points and 7 rebounds. He’s averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds a game on the season which is great news for him. I love seeing my old players do well at other teams.

Brooklyn Nets 53-10

What a strange game. We shoot 39% from the field while Philadelphia shot 34% as we grind out a 89-75 win. We were up by eight at quarter time, 15 at half time, three at three quarter time before winning by 14. What was even weirder is that we shot 64% from the stripe as TT went 4/11 which is bonkers for him but he did end up with 21 points. Robert Williams had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers as Chris Canal shot 4/23 from the field. Ouch.

Brooklyn Nets 54-10

The Charnowski/Grigsby trade seems to be a good one for the Heat as in our game with them Grigsby had 13 points, 16 assists and 6 rebounds while Eryk’s replacement, Gabriel Estevez, had 26 points on 12/14 shooting as Miami got out to a 15 point lead at half time. Luckily for us we have Tibucio Tommasini on our side as he went 17/21 from the field for 43 points including the final two points with 4.4 seconds to go in the game as we win 122-120. Unluckily for us Cort Majishun took a completely unintentional elbow from Lance Ellis and broke his nose so he’ll still play but he’ll be sore and will need to wear a mask for a while.

Brooklyn Nets 55-10

TT goes 13/24 for 39 points as we lead from start to finish for a 118-95 win over Washington. Marlin added 17 points and 9 rebounds while Mitch Wolthers put up 12 points in 14 minutes. JD Lawson led the Wizards with 17 points as Rowan Taylor fouled out in only 14 minutes.

Brooklyn Nets 56-10

In our 124-111 win over Minnesota TT, Reggie and Ken combined for 82 points in a dazzling display of teamwork. Reggie added 15 rebounds to his scoring total. Camah Williams had 14 points and 16 assists in only 27 minutes before fouling out as we demolished them after he left.

Brooklyn Nets 57-10

I haven’t had such a dynamic scorer like Tiburcio Tommasini since Kevin Durant way back in the Dallas days but they are very similar, both long (but Durant had about five inches on TT), both can score in many ways and both can rebound well. Tonight TT did all those things with 38 points and 9 rebounds as we take care of the Riders 119-107. Ken had a great game with 22 points and 11 rebounds while Tony Myers is filling in nicely for the broken nosed Cort Majishun with 13 points and 10 assists in 19 minutes. Cliff Havens might have had 33 points but he went 11/28 from the field.

Brooklyn Nets 58-10

Well that’s disappointing. After winning 13 games in a row we fall to a 37-17 last quarter to Orlando as Lou Beck torched us to a 118-102 Magic win. Beck had 27 points and 11 assists and our other former player, Juia Henchoz, had 16 points and 6 rebounds as it was just their night. TT was our best with 20 points.

Brooklyn Nets 58-11

We bounce back with a 125-108 cruise over Washington with TT again leading the way with 30 points while Robert Jackson added 9 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Rowan Taylor had a horrible game last time we played and everyone would say that he made up for it here, going 19/32 from the field and 12/12 from the line for exactly 50 points and 10 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 59-11

Marlin Bain has recovered from his niggling injury and showed the world he is fighting fit with 17 points and 17 rebounds as we win our 60th game with a 117-105 scoreline over Denver. It’s the first time Brooklyn has got to the 60 win level since I’ve been in the league so you can imagine that the fans are going crazy. Jehiel DeSantis had 27 points for the Nuggets in the loss.

Brooklyn Nets 60-11

It’s the tenth time I’ve taken a team to the 60 win level with seven of those seasons coming with Dallas which is to be expected.

Ken and Reggie combined for 77 points as we first come back from 13 points down and then withstood a mighty fightback from the Nuggets to hold a 121-116 win. I really like Mitch Wolthers off the bench as he doesn’t mind if he doesn’t get much court time but when he does he goes really well, this time with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Jason Harriman was the only decent Nugget with 25 points and 9 rebounds as he really seems to like it at Denver.

Brooklyn Nets 61-11

Are you kidding me? Yes Cort is still hurting with his mask but to lose to the 50 loss Memphis Grizzlies 118-111 just sucks. Nathan McNeill had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the winners as we just flat out threw this game away. Ugh. I gues one bad game every now and again doesn’t hurt anyone.

Brooklyn Nets 61-12

Our lead at the top of the conference is out to seven games so it’s very much ours to lose and our bench will be getting a big run when we clinch that top spot. Indiana are the only other East team to be over 50 wins at 52-19 with Atlanta at 48-24 in third. New York have sunk to the bottom at 23-48.

As usual it’s Dallas and Milwaukee on top at 53-18 and 50-21 so we should get home court advantage throughout the playoffs at this rate. Los Angeles have finally got to double digits at 10-61 and they’re hoping for a number one draft pick.

Brooklyn Top Points
Tiburcio Tommasini – 23.8
Reggie Smith – 17.1
Kenneth Long – 16.9

Brooklyn Top Assists
Cort Majishun – 10.1
Kenneth Long – 4.2
Nashon Smith – 2.4

Brooklyn Top Rebounds
Reggie Smith – 10.2
Marlin Bain – 8.3
Kenneth Long – 5.1

League Leaders
Points – Michael Taylor (MIL) – 29.1
Assists – Earl Harris (PHO) – 11.0
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 11.3
Blocks – Schuyler Vanderwerken (POR) – 2.8
Steals – Earl Harris (PHO) – 2.6
Efficiency – Michael Taylor (MIL) – 29.4

Rookie Leaders
Points – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 17.3
Assists – Jason Jones (NYK) – 3.2
Rebounds – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 6.4
Blocks – Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 1.7
Steals – Tarrell McMahon (SAS) – 1.4
Efficiency – Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 15.7

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. C Luigi Cannavaro (Italy), 19 years old, 6’10”, 251lbs
2. SF Arthimus Smallwood (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 195lbs
3. PF Ratko Nedic (Serbia-Montenegro), 19 years old, 6’11”, 239lbs
4. SF Brandon Meade (LSU), Senior, 6’8”, 223lbs
5. SF Paul Gilbert (Ohio State), Junior, 6’5”, 218lbs

Thoughts – Honestly, this crop isn’t very good. I still don’t see Cannavaro as a number one draft pick but I can’t see anyone who will knock him off. Not a good time to be the Lakers.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Michael Taylor, Milwaukee Bucks – 30.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Marshod Anderson, Toronto Raptors – 17.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

I’m not upset about how well Michael Taylor is playing in Milwaukee because he would never have got to that level while here in Brooklyn as the Bucks are a perfect fit for him and we wouldn’t have got Ken and Cort so it’s a win for both teams.

We haven’t played the Pacers for a while so it’s good to see where we stand against them. It wasn’t going so well with Ish Faye going off for 28 points and 10 rebounds and Michael Harmon adding 22 points and 6 assists but we force out a 29-17 last quarter to steal another close game 119-111. Ken was fantastic with 28 points and even though Reggie didn’t shoot well he still ended with 16 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 62-12

The Pacers stay in town to play us again the next night and it was the same deal just more extreme as we take the first quarter 44-24 to cruise to a 122-98 win. Ken didn’t shoot well but went to the line sixteen times for 20 points as TT led us with 28 points. It’s great to know that we can beat this team regularly. Ish Faye was again their best with 26 points but Michael Harmon only had 6 points.

Brooklyn Nets 63-12

After all that talk of beating Indiana twice in two days we lose our focus and lose to the mediocre Celtics 119-112. Neil Prato was great with 24 points and 10 rebounds as we just couldn’t slow them down. Reggie and TT combined for 55 points but Cort’s broken nose is really troubling him.

Brooklyn Nets 63-13

Uh oh. We lose again as the Wolves crush us in the last 34-22 to steal a two point win from under our nose 103-101. Camah Williams lived up to his hype with 21 points and 11 assists as we shoot 42% from the field.

Brooklyn Nets 63-14

I tell Coach Lane to rest Cort for the rest of the regular season because he’s not quite right yet so Ken goes to PG and John Brown slides to SG. We’re playing the 10-65 Lakers and we need to win one more game for home court advantage for the playoffs so if we don’t do it here then I’m going to be upset. TT makes sure of it with 42 points as we smash the Lakers 111-83 to wrap up HCA. Reggie was also great with 23 points and 12 rebounds with Anthony Williams leading the losers with 14 points.

Brooklyn Nets 64-14

Dallas has 19 losses so far which means they can only win 63 games which means that we have HCA with 64 wins at the moment. We rest all five of our starters while bringing Abel Williams and Ryan Lemeke up from the D-League so our new line-up is:

PG Nashon Smith
SG Jason Wilks
SF John Brown
PF Robert Jackson
C Jerome Brown

Of course we get smashed but that wasn’t the point, going down to Miami 106-96 which is a very flattering score. Robert Jackson and Jason Wilks each had 18 points in the loss while Travis Grigsby led the winners with 22 points and 13 assists.

Brooklyn Nets 64-15

Hey! We get a win behind John Brown’s 33 points and 14 rebounds as we outlast the Neon 118-114. Robert Jackson would be the talking point if Brown didn’t play with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Oliver Roe was amazing for Nevada with 29 points and 14 rebounds.

Brooklyn Nets 65-15

I would never have thought that our second unit would be able to score 133 points but they did. Granted it was against the 70 loss Lakers but still it’s a great showing. JB was again our best with 21 points and 10 rebounds but we had six other player with at least 15 points which is phenomenal. Hell, I might as well name them – Mitch Wolthers and Ben Herrion: 18 points, Tony Myers: 17 points, Nashon Smith, Robert Jackson and Jerome Brown: 15 points. David Stetson led the Lakers with 24 points and 8 rebounds but it’s a dark time in La La Land.

Brooklyn Nets 66-15

Our last game of the season was an interesting one as we went to visit the Pacers. They don’t seem to be resting anyone so of course they were the huge favourites. We held our own though but in the end they just had too much talent, beating us 140-123. Ish Faye had 35 points while Josiah Williams and Michael Harmon combined for 49 points. It was strange that four of their starters had 12 free throws attempted or more. Mitch Wolthers was our best with 23 points with Jason Wilks helping out with 18 points.

Brooklyn Nets 66-16

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1 – Brooklyn Nets – 66-16 (.805)
2 – Indiana Pacers – 59-23 (.720)
3 – Atlanta Hawks – 53-29 (.646)
4 – Washington Wizards – 53-29 (.646)
5 – Philadelphia 76ers – 47-35 (.573)
6 – Chicago Bulls – 40-42 (.488)
7 – New Orleans Hornets – 39-43 (.476)
8 – Cleveland Cavaliers – 37-45 (.451)
Last – Memphis Grizzlies – 27-55 (.329)

Western Conference Final Standings
1 – Dallas Mavericks – 61-21 (.744)
2 – Milwaukee Bucks – 58-24 (.707)
3 – Seattle Supersonics – 51-31 (.622)
4 – Minnesota Timberwolves – 48-34 (.585)
5 – Portland Trailblazers – 47-35 (.573)
6 – Phoenix Suns – 46-36 (.561)
7 – Oklahoma City Thunder – 45-37 (.549)
8 – Nevada Neon – 45-37 (.549)
Last – Los Angeles Lakers – 11-71 (.134)

Brooklyn Top Points
Tiburcio Tommasini – 24.0
Reggie Smith – 17.1
Kenneth Long – 16.8

Brooklyn Top Assists
Cort Majishun – 9.9
Kenneth Long – 4.5
Nashon Smith – 2.9

Brooklyn Top Rebounds
Reggie Smith – 10.4
Marlin Bain – 7.8
Kenneth Long – 5.1

League Top Points
Michael Taylor (MIL) – 28.7
Jason London (PHO) – 28.6
Michael McQuay (ATL) – 28.3

League Top Assists
Earl Harris (PHO) – 11.1
Jason Collins (OKC) – 10.4
Russell Haymon (NEV) – 10.1

League Top Rebounds
Julius Hobbs (NYK) – 11.4
Reggie Smith (BKL) – 10.4
Damon Ashburn (CHI) – 10.2

League Top Blocks
Schuyler Vanderwerken (POR) – 2.7
Justin Robinson (PHI) – 2.6
Antonio Henderson (NYK) – 2.4

League Top Steals
Earl Harris (PHO) – 2.6
Jason Collins (OKC) – 2.4
Jamaal Lewis (PHI) – 2.4

League Top Efficiency
Michael Taylor (MIL) – 28.7
Ish Faye (IND) – 27.6
Tobe Slaughter (POR) – 27.1

Rookie Top Points
Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 17.6
Chris Bailey (NOH) – 14.1
Tarrell McMahon (SAS) – 13.6

Rookie Top Assists
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 3.6
Jason Jones (NYK) – 3.3
David Forrest (UTA) – 2.1

Rookie Top Rebounds
Renard Hawkins (SEA) – 6.4
Ipolitas Margolis (DET) – 5.9
Matt Hackett (LAL) – 5.6

Rookie Top Efficiency
Marshod Anderson (TOR) – 15.7
Tarrell McMahon (SAS) – 13.4
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 12.9

[zike_42]

2035 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Brooklyn vs. #8 Cleveland
#2 Indiana vs. #7 New Orleans
#3 Atlanta vs. #6 Chicago
#4 Washington vs. #5 Philadelphia

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #8 Nevada
#2 Milwaukee vs. #7 Oklahoma City
#3 Seattle vs. #6 Phoenix
#4 Minnesota vs. #5 Portland

We won the season series 3-1 and the one loss was by four points in overtime so we are the huge favourite for this series.

Eastern Conference First Round – Cleveland vs. Brooklyn

Point Guard
Jamil Fleming vs. Cort Majishun
18.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds vs. 15.8 points, 9.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds

This match-up is much closer now that Majishun is still recovering from his broken nose. His numbers have been down from his usual excellent values and Fleming could take advantage for that as he torched the Nets last season.

Winner - Brooklyn

Shooting Guard
Frank Slaughter vs. Kenneth Long
20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds vs. 16.8 points, 4.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds

The opposite of the last match-up as many think that this will be very much in favour of Long. He’s turned his game around and even though he isn’t averaging eye popping numbers he’s doing all the little things as he doesn’t have to do everything imaginable for his team to win.

Winner - Brooklyn

Small Forward
Oskar Carlsson vs. Tiburcio Tommasini
2.3 points, 6.5 assists, 7.3 rebounds vs. 24.0 points, 1.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds

At 35 years old, Carlsson is still surprisingly a good player. He’s lost a step and doesn’t even look to score anymore but his defence is still top notch and will trouble Tommasini. If he can it will go a long way from slowing the star Italian down as “TT” is the scoring maestro of this Brooklyn squad.

Winner - Brooklyn

Power Forward
Jesse Rucker vs. Reggie Smith
15.9 points, 1.3 assists, 7.9 rebounds vs. 17.1 points, 1.3 assists, 10.4 rebounds

It was very surprising to see Smith come aboard to this stacked Nets team and he has behaved himself (by Smith’s standards). He is one of the best rebounders in the game today and can explode in any given game. Rucker will need to score as well as try and slow the beast down.

Winner - Brooklyn

Centre
Art Stevenson vs. Marlin Bain
17.1 points, 1.1 assists, 7.6 rebounds vs. 13.2 points, 0.7 assists, 7.8 rebounds

The sole bright spot for the Cavs, Stevenson was named to the East’s All Star game this season. He’ll have to play like an All NBA player to give his team any kind of chance and it’s going to be hard against the surprise player of these Nets.

Winner - Cleveland

Bench
Tip Smith, Torraye Driggers, Drew Thorne vs. John Brown, Robert Williams, Mitch Wolthers

John Brown would start for many teams in the league but he’s after a ring and this team is his best bet. Williams is good and Wolthers can give good spare minutes which is more than Driggers and Thorne can say. Smith is the Cavs bench star as he also could start for a lot of lower teams.

Winner – Brooklyn

Prediction – Brookln in four. Bring out the brooms because it’s sweeping time.

Game one goes to script as we blast out to a 29-16 first quarter to cruise into a 118-100 first win. TT had 28 points while Cort and Marlin doubled up. We shot horribly at 41% from the field but we forced 23 turnovers to our six which gave us many, many extra possessions to make up the difference. Jamil Fleming had 28 points and 12 rebounds but Art Stevenson was held to only 7 points and 5 rebounds.

Brooklyn leads 1-0

Reggie Smith has a mild concussion and will be under the weather for at least two games and it screwed up our balance as the Cavs steal home court advantage with a 107-94 win. Frank Slaughter was amazing in every sense of the word with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists as they held us to only 36% from the field. Marlin was our best with 23 points and 11 rebounds but TT and Ken combined to shoot 8/33.

Series tied 1-1

The Cavs knocked us out of the playoffs last season and are itching to do the same again as their defence has been amazing so far. They hold us to 39% from the field in game three as Art Stevenson wakes up for 23 points and 13 rebounds as the battle went into extra time. In the overtime it was all Cleveland, outscoring us 17-10 to take another win 118-111. Jamil Fleming had 17 points and 13 rebounds as well. Marlin is doing all he can, going 10/11 from the field for 24 points and 18 rebounds while TT added 34 points but we just can’t get good shots for long periods of time as our starting backcourt went 10/37.

Cleveland leads 2-1

If we lose game four we’re in deep trouble, so luckily for us we had a 17 point quarter time lead and a 24 point half time advantage to bring the series back to level with a 106-88 win. Marlin was again our best with 20 points and 18 rebounds but he was helped by John Brown’s 14 points in 16 minutes, mostly in the first half. Frank Slaughter had a tough time with a 5/23 night as the Cavs shot 32% from the field.

Series tied 2-2

There were two sweeps in the first round with #2 Indiana taking care of #7 New Orleans and #4 Minnesota eliminated #5 Portland.

Our fans are a little anxious at the moment and they probably have a good reason to be as this team is definitely a bogey team. They should be excited about the play of Marlin Bain, who nearly singlehandedly was game five for us with 26 points and 12 rebounds as we wrestle back to series lead with a 106-95 victory. Reggie helped him out with 19 points and 19 rebounds but went 5/20 but it was enough. Art Stevenson and Frank Slaughter both had 21 points but again Slaughter shot badly, going 6/24.

Brooklyn leads 3-2

#1 Dallas move on in five games, as does #4 Washington.

I really don’t want to go to a game seven but Cleveland and Jamil Fleming have other ideas. Fleming was outstanding with 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds as the Cavs do in fact force a sudden death game with a 109-95 win. Art Stevenson is loving his battle with Marlin Bain with 31 points and 10 rebounds with Bain putting up 8 points and 14 rebounds. TT was our best with 29 points and 9 rebounds but again we shoot badly, this time 33% from the field and again it’s our starting backcourt, going 13/42 which needs to change.

Series tied 3-3

#3 Atlanta and #3 Seattle move on to the next round in six games while the biggest upset of this playoffs was the #7 Thunder bowling over last season’s runners up Milwaukee in six games.

I’ve been harping on our shooting this series but it’s not without merit. Look at these field goal numbers –

Marlin Bain – 62.5%
Tiburcio Tommasini – 39.8%
Reggie Smith – 32.5%
Kenneth Long – 30.3%
Cort Majishun – 29.3%

Marlin Bain and Mitch Wolthers (60% on 1 FGA/game) are the only two players over 44% from the field for the whole team. I don’t have the team stats but we must be clearly the worst shooting team in the playoffs.

After all that worry about our shooting woes we go 50% from the field and 56% from three on 25 makes to blast the Cavs 132-94 to take the series. This is the Brooklyn everyone was expecting at the start of the series and luckily it came through in the end. Cort is practically healthy and had 41 points and 9 assists while TT added 32 points. Unfortunately Marlin sprained his toe and will be less than 100% for just over a week. He’ll still play but he’ll be hampered. Torraye Driggers was the best for the Cavs with 22 points.

Brooklyn wins series 4-3

Phew.

[zike_42]

2035 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Brooklyn vs. #4 Washington
#2 Indiana vs. #3 Atlanta

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #4 Minnesota
#3 Seattle vs. #7 Oklahoma City

Yes we won the season series 3-0 against the Wizards if we have to go seven games with 37-45 team then this is dangerous. Especially against one of my all time bogey teams.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final – Washington vs. Brooklyn

Point Guard
Eric McIntyre vs. Cort Majishun
14.2 points, 6.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds vs. 17.1 points, 10.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds

Again Majishun won’t be fully healthy until game three but his numbers are good enough. Good enough, you say? They look great! Remember he shot an anemic 37% from the field and that was boosted by game seven’s 16/22. Before that, 29%. He will beat McIntyre though who is a thoroughly average point guard.

Winner - Brooklyn

Shooting Guard
JD Lawson vs. Kenneth Long
14.0 points, 4.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds vs. 13.7 points, 5.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds

Another player who shot atrociously, Long hit on only 30% of his attempts. He will need to pick his game up because Lawson is much better than McIntyre and can win games off his own back. He can’t do it consistently any more as he’s getting up there in age but if Long doesn’t look out he could get extremely embarrassed.

Winner - Brooklyn

Small Forward
Michael Graham vs. Tiburcio Tommasini
12.0 points, 3.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds vs. 23.7 points, 2.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds

One of two shining lights for the Nets, TT was the scoring they needed when Majishun and Long failed. He’s going to have a hard time this series as not only is Graham four inches taller than TT, he’s a fantastic defender that loves shutting down star players. If Graham can limit Tommasini then the Wizards are in a great position to move on.

Winner - Brooklyn

Power Forward
Brian Benton vs. Reggie Smith
22.2 points, 1.2 assists, 14.0 rebounds vs. 11.6 points, 0.4 assists, 12.1 rebounds

One half of the dominant twin towers of Washington, Benton has been on fire, shooting 65% from the field to add to those gaudy numbers above. With Smith’s output from last series, I don’t see Benton slowing down any time soon and he’ll need to keep it up for the Wizards to go to the ECF.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Rowan Taylor vs. Marlin Bain
29.0 points, 0.6 assists, 6.6 rebounds vs. 17.6 points, 0.4 assists, 13.4 rebounds

Let me put it as simply as possible – Rowan Taylor is averaging 29 points a game on 67% shooting for Washington while Marlin Bain is playing injured for most if not all the series. Bain has been great but it’s going to be a bloodbath.

Winner - Washington

Bench
Kelly Pryor, Jason Sanders, Lamont Nelson vs. John Brown, Robert Jackson, Mitch Wolthers

In all honesty, Pryor and Sanders don’t belong on the bench. They should be starting and playing well and making a lot of money. It goes to show how deep this Washington team is and can really give Brooklyn’s bench a run for their money.

Winner – Slight edge to Washington

Prediction – Washington in six. After going seven games with Cleveland the Nets are reeling and it’s a ripe time for the Wizards to blow past them.

Ouch, but I don’t blame them for thinking that. The crowd doesn’t care though as they are pumped for a brand new series. Forgive and forget I guess. Reggie finally has a good game with 33 points and 12 rebounds while Marlin holds Rowan Taylor to ‘only’ 21 point as we get out to a 15 point lead in the third quarter. And that’s when the wheels fell off. Kurt Minahan (who?) had 10 points and 10 rebounds IN THE LAST QUARTER as the Wizards fought back with a 33-15 term to snatch the 110-105 home court advantage win. Brian Benton didn’t play well either for only 12 points but Jason Sears had 11 points in 6 minutes for the Wiz. Ken had a better game with 20 points on 7/14 shooting but this has made things much, much harder.

Washington leads 1-0

Game two was simply unimaginable. We didn’t score below 32 points in any quarter while Washington had a 39 point and a 40 point quarter. Marlin Bain fouled out in five minutes. Five. He was guarding Rowan Taylor who went 21/29 from the field and 17/21 from the line for a ridiculous 59 points while Brian Benton chipped in a lazy 20 points and 15 rebounds. The best part? We still won, outlasting our opponents 139-131 behind TT’s 38 points. Cort is finally back to full fitness and had 23 points and 8 assists while Mitch Wolthers (fouled out as well trying to guard Taylor) and Robert Jackson both had 14 points off the bench. There were a whopping 93 free throws shot in the game, 47 for them and 46 for us. Phew, I need to sit down just thinking about this game.

Series tied 1-1

If we’re going to get back into the series we need to win either game three or four (preferably both) because I don’t want to be staring down a game five with us down 3-1. Luckily we had the heart to smother Rowan Taylor who fouled out in only 22 minutes with 15 points to his name as we take back HCA with a 122-100 away win. TT continued his fine form, going 13/19 from the stripe for 33 points as Robert Jackson filled in for the injured Marlin with 17 points off the bench. Eric McIntyre led the Wiz with 23 points but they just couldn’t get any flow going as they turned the ball over 25 times.

Brooklyn leads 2-1

If you thought game two was crazy then game four is right up your alley. There were 16 lead changes and 11 ties in the game as TT and Reggie combined for 74 points and 21 rebounds as the game was forced into overtime at the score of 121 each. JD Lawson and Eric McIntyre both had 25 points at the end of regulation but that’s where their totals would end as both fouled out early in OT. After that it was all us, outscoring the Wizards 21-11 in the extra time to take a commanding series lead with a 144-134 win. Cort shot badly but still had 14 assists while Rowan Taylor shot well but only had 20 points before fouling out.

Brooklyn leads 3-1

One sweep this round and it’s not who you would think. The Cinderella Thunder cruised past the #3 Sonics in four games to continue their merry way. The reason? Mike Bickerstaf, who has just come back from a broken wrist injury to energize his team. Unfortunately their starting point guard, Jason Collins, has just done his ACL and will be out for a long time. He was averaging 19 points, 12 assists and 4 steals a game in the playoffs so he will be missed. Rookie Axel Rancik has done a bang up job filling in, averaging 18 points and 6 assists in the three games he’s started.

It would be really nice if we won the series on our home turf without having another game seven because I don’t think my heart could take that. Brian Benton had 25 points and 15 rebounds but had no help as we take a 12 point quarter time lead and that ballooned to a 29 point lead at the half time break and then from there we were in party mode. Cort had his best game of the series with 22 points and 14 assists as everyone on our team scored at least four points to take the game and the series 118-82. Rowan Taylor was horrible, going 1/3 for only 8 points as Washington shot 31%. If you take Benton out of the equation (and he didn’t shoot particularly well either) they went 29% from the field.

Brooklyn wins 4-1

The other two series finished up in five games as well with higher ranked Dallas and Indiana take care of Minnesota and Atlanta to give everyone a nice long break.

[zike_42]

2035 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Brooklyn vs. #2 Indiana

Western Conference
#1 Dallas vs. #7 Oklahoma City

We won the series 2-1 against the Pacers and that loss was at the very end of the season when we rested all of our starters so we can’t really count that one. This is the real test of the playoffs as even though we just got past Cleveland we were supposed to beat them just like we were the favourites for the Washington series. This could go either way as Indiana are unbelievably good.

Eastern Conference Finals – Indiana vs. Brooklyn

Point Guard
Michael Harmon vs. Cort Majishun
23.3 points, 6.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds vs. 17.7 points, 11.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds

At only 21 years old and in his second season, Harmon has become one of the best point guards in the league with his scoring and defensive tenacity. He will never be a top flight passer but the rest of his game is outstanding. Too bad Majishun is better and now fully healthy after his broken nose should take this match-up. Not by much because of Harmon’s excellent defence but enough.

Winner - Brooklyn

Shooting Guard
Tom Phillips vs. Kenneth Long
11.2 points, 7.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds vs. 14.5 points, 4.8 assists, 6.1 rebounds

For some dumb reason the Pacers traded away two very good shooting guards in Curtis Anderson and Kelly Pryor, leaving SG duties to bench SG at best Phillips. He will need all the help he can get because after Long’s atrocious first series he has bounced back into nearly the player people know. This should be a blood bath, and will need to be for the Nets to take this series.

Winner - Brooklyn

Small Forward
Marcus Sanders vs. Tiburcio Tommasini
19.0 points, 0.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds vs. 26.4 points, 1.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds

It’s strange to see Sanders in anything other than a Toronto uniform where he spent the last eleven years but here he is, gunning for his first title with the Pacers. He’s long, big and is an above average defender which could cause problems for Tommasini who will need to continue his great scoring to make it easier for Brooklyn.

Winner - Brooklyn

Power Forward
Ish Faye vs. Reggie Smith
24.1 points, 2.1 assists, 6.0 rebounds vs. 15.9 points, 0.8 assists, 11.4 rebounds

Let’s get it out of the way, Ish Faye is the best player in the league. His numbers aren’t great because of his supporting cast but when he takes over a game he’s a beauty to watch. Reggie Smith isn’t a slouch either and could be classed as a top 5-10 player but his main goal for this series is to slow down Faye.

Winner - Indiana

Centre
Josiah Williams vs. Marlin Bain
15.1 points, 0.4 assists, 9.7 rebounds vs. 13.0 points, 0.6 assists, 10.2 rebounds

This will be an interesting match-up as even though Williams has more talent than Bain, Bain has been on fire so far this post season. He cooled off a little last series but is still having a great showing. If Bain can get on top of Williams then it could have a trickle down effect on the rest of the match-ups.

Winner - Indiana

Bench
Gerrod Phelan, Billy Jefferson, Lamar Iversen vs. John Brown, Robert Jackson, Ben Herrion

Obviously Phelan, Brown and Jackson should be starting for other teams while Jefferson and Iversen have been great for their team. Brooklyn have a problem with Mitch Wolthers, their best centre off the bench, has a sprained toe and will be out for at least the first two games.

Winner – Indiana

Prediction – Brooklyn in seven. This is why NBA playoff basketball is so exciting, two crazy good teams duking it out for the chance to battle the Dallas Mavericks juggernaut (presumably). The Nets just have too many weapons while Indiana focus mainly on Faye and Harmon.

This crowd is bonkers. I have never heard them so loud and crazy before and they’ve been loud and crazy a lot of times. I think they believe that we have a real shot of not only beating the Pacers but get our revenge against Dallas after losing to them two years in a row before last season.

It’s a complete white out as even though Mr Hill is stingy with his money spending he had enough to put a white shirt on each seat that says, “Brooklyn losing? Fugheddaboudit!” which I think is fantastic. Our players however weren’t so excited. Only Kenneth Long and Nashon Smith have made it this far into the playoffs and our nervousness showed as the Pacers got out to a 17 point lead in the second quarter. Michael Harmon was amazing with 29 points and 10 assists and even though Ish Faye only scored 15 points he did have 7 rebounds and 7 blocks. After halftime was our time as TT blasted 20 of his 33 points after the long break as we take the win 129-122 and I can’t hear a thing. Reggie and Marlin were also great, combining for 46 points and 17 rebounds with Cort adding 19 points and 13 assists. Phew.

Brooklyn leads 1-0

Game two was a black out, no slogan on the shirt just pure darkness. It was eerie having so many players in the crowd and with the lights slightly lowered it was like a monster that you can’t see but can definitely hear. It worked as well as TT hit 39 points and again it was a monster score as we take a 2-0 lead with a 130-120 win. Reggie had 24 points and 8 rebounds but his main contribution was holding Ish Faye to only 15 points while Marlin had 21 points and 10 rebounds in only 28 minutes before fouling out trying to guard Josiah Williams who had 24 points.

Brooklyn leads 2-0

Mitch Wolthers is back which is great news bolstering our bench.

It seems that the whole Indiana population is in the crowd at the moment and cheered every point that the Pacers scored. Until three quarter time. TT had 34 points while Ken had his best game so far with 28 points as we outscore the Pacers by 15 in the second quarter and 11 in the third to take a stranglehold on the series with a 119-100 victory. Cort was probably the best in the game even though his stats don’t say so with 20 points, 14 assists and held Michael Harmon to only 8 points. Ish Faye went 22/24 from the foul line (the rest of Indiana went only six times) for 30 points and 10 rebounds but his only help was Josiah Williams with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Brooklyn leads 3-0

If you were to say that before the series started that we would sweep the Pacers then I would smack you upside the head for your foolishness. Good for your head because the Pacers finally had a complete game with Ish Faye having 34 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals while Michael Harmon added 23 points and 10 assists for a 125-118 monkey-off-the-back win. They shot 58% from the field which is just absurd for an ECF game so we had no chance. TT was again great with 36 points while Cort added 25 points and 13 assists but we couldn’t stay with them.

Brooklyn leads 3-1

As I said last series we need to win game five because I don’t want to be having to win a game seven on our home court as I don’t think my heart could take it. And what a game, here are some stats.

We shoot 61% from the field with TT leading the way with 30 points. Marlin and Reggie combine for 42 points and 26 rebounds while John Brown and Ben Herrion combine for 22 points in 16 minutes. We score 35 points in three separate quarters and our largest lead was a stunning 47 points. So much for first in the East playing second as we win the game and the series 130-84 with Indiana leaving Brooklyn very much with their tails between their legs. Gerrod Phelan had 22 points for the losers but this game was a party since the four minute mark in the first quarter.

Brooklyn wins 4-1

Up next: redemption as Dallas halts Oklahoma City’s chances with a 4-1 series win.

[zike_42]

How Yaxley MacMillan Created the NBA Finals

The Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets are battling for the eternal glory of an NBA Championship for the third time in four years and it is all because of one man – Yaxley MacMillan. The now 55 year old super-GM who has six championships to his name has been a revelation to the NBA. His savvy and ability to make the right trade at the right time has molded the league like few before him. This is evident in this year’s NBA Finals as both teams have his fingerprints all of them.

Starting with the Dallas Mavericks juggernaut who have won seven of the last thirteen titles and four in the last six they have so many ways to beat a team. And they were all recruited by MacMillian.

Four time league MVP, Ledaryl McMillian, was brought over in 2030 when Yaxley MacMillian traded C Jeff Cunningham, SG Tom Phillips, PG Nashon Smith and a first round pick that ended up being Magnus Carlsson to the Golden State Warriors for McMillian and C Corey Barnes. It might not sound like much with Cunningham out of the league, Smith and Carlsson playing bench minutes and Phillips a so-so starter but at the time it was huge. Cunningham and Smith were top ten players in their position and the pick ended up being the number one selection in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Even though McMillian was already a league MVP, some experts were saying that the Warriors actually won that deal.

Captain Jack Dawkins has been the example that all Mavericks strive to be. He’s passionate, a leader and a damn good player. Which just makes it worse for the Indiana Pacers when they traded him away for peanuts. He was drafted at #13 out of the small school of Fairfield after dropping like a stone, many thought he would be too raw to be any good. Only Yaxley MacMillan saw potential and traded bench PG Marquis Teague and a first round pick that no-one can remember who was taken with it. All in all, Dawkins played one game with the Pacers before going on to take his team to four titles and a career average of 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Many thought that Terry McKenzie was a good player but wasn’t a great one, only putting up great numbers because he was on the horrible New York Knicks at the time. How they were wrong after MacMillian traded young stud PF Julius Hobbs, C Tyrus Barnes, PG Nathan Howard, C Joe Duggins and another first round pick. After coming to Texas, McKenzie slotted perfectly into the team as the go to guy down the stretch. With ice water in his veins, McKenzie hit game winner after game winner and his clutch performances have become great stories in Dallas. A great rebounder and scorer, this guy has it all.

It’s not all trading from the super-GM, as four years ago he got the steal of the draft in Kresimir Balas. Again, many thought he would be too raw and too slow to be any good in the league. How they were wrong. Drafting him at #19, Balas has been a fantastic addition to the big three with his high efficiency and great defence. He’s not as good as the other three but he’s still a damn good player.

It’s not all about Dallas as a career 27 points per game player arrived in Brooklyn in the off-season to change the culture of the Nets. Tiburcio Tommasini was traded to Portland for disgruntled C Schuyler Vanderwerken, PF Michael Ellis, SG TJ Dabbert and PF Brad Largent. The last three are irrelevant but it’s been a pretty good trade for both teams. “Shoo” wanted out of Brooklyn while the Nets got a dominant scorer that harks back to when Kevin Durant first came to Dallas.

Some say that MacMillan got lucky when he signed both Cort Majishun and Kenneth Long in the same off-season but that’s not true. He already had the basis of a good team with Schuyler Vanderwerken, Lou Beck and Marlin Bain as well as tons of cap space. There is also a rumour that Majishun called MacMillan to pitch his case as he was sick of Memphis. It seemed to have worked as even though MacMillan had a top class point guard in Lou Beck who was on a great contract and only in his second year, he signed Majishun anyway. That worked out as now that he had Majishun on the squad, superstar Kenneth Long wasn’t that far behind to the star studded team.

His other mega trade was a strange one as Reggie Smith isn’t exactly a MacMillan type of player. He is a massive headcase who alienates every team he has been on and his defence really isn’t that good. That didn’t stop MacMillan trading up and coming superstars SF Juia Henchoz, PG Lou Beck as well as SF PJ Fowler and SF Raul Lopez to Orlando. Smith has been good for the Nets but not amazing as his shooting percentage has been below average but his rebounding is world class. One of only three players to average double digit rebounds in the league, so when he wasn’t scoring much he was doing other things. All is not lost of the Magic as Beck and Henchoz have bright futures with the team.

All in all, this isn’t just an NBA Finals series, it’s either revenge for the Nets or beating up little brother for the Mavericks and even though Yaxley MacMillan still has ties with Dallas I’m sure he would do anything for a Brooklyn win.