by zike_42 » Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:38 pm
November Player of the Month – Lebron James, Miami Heat – 30.3 points, 4.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
November Rookie of the Month – Ernest Jameson, Los Angeles Lakers – 11.5 points, 0.9 assists, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
I’m going to give Thomas Cooper a few more games to work things out but I do have an understanding with a team that when free agent signings can be traded (mid December I think) then I’ll pull the trigger.
Our first game of December is a killing of Brooklyn 129-110. Rudy Gay is fantastic with 36 points while Avery Bradley scored 23 points on only 15 shots. Paul Pierce steps up off the bench with 14 points (on 6/6 shooting) in 12 minutes. Joe Johnson is coming off the bench for now with an injured hand, but still totalled 22 points and 12 assists in the loss.
New York Knicks 10-6
I did say a few games but the other team is getting antsy so I trade Cooper now.
New York trade:
PF Thomas Cooper
PG Kirk Hinrich
SF Josh Howard
2016 2nd round pick
2017 2nd round pick
Milwaukee trade:
PF Ekpe Udoh
2015 1st round pick
Winner – New York. Cooper has been disappointing while Udoh is an amazing defender and shot blocker while the draft pick should be in the lottery.
Although Udoh is probably a downgrade from Cooper he fits in with this team magnificently. We finally have defender of the paint and will do all the dirty work. I can’t wait until other front courts take a look at Udoh and Varejao. Remember when I was over the moon when Cooper fell to #8 in the draft and I traded Iman Shumpert for him? That seems such a long time ago.
This is awkward; our next two games are a home and home against Milwaukee. The first game is at our home and we blank the Bucks, keeping them to only 76 points compared to our 92. Ekpe Udoh only had 9 points and 4 blocks but kept Thomas Cooper to 3/17 shooting. Cooper did have 16 points and 14 rebounds but turned the ball over five times. Our best was Rudy Gay with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks.
New York Knicks 11-6
Great start to the Udoh era as I would love to keep teams to less than 80 points every game.
Over to Milwaukee and even though the scores were a lot different the result was the same as we win 122-106. We had four players over 20 points, led by Chris Paul’s 25 points and 13 assists as we shot 54% from the field. Thomas Cooper fouls out in only 23 minutes which was fun as Monta Ellis led the way for the Bucks with 28 points.
New York Knicks 12-6
Some absolutely massive news out of Oklahoma City but I’ll let the box score tell the story –
Kevin Durant – 41 minutes, 26/31 FG, 9/11 3P, 7/9 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 blocks, 68 points.
That’s right he scored 68 points. SIXTY EIGHT POINTS! My mind has been well and truly boggled.
**TRADE**
Toronto trade:
PG Charles Canady
LA Clippers trade:
2015 1st round pick
Winner – Clippers. Although the Clips are 6-10 at the moment the addition of Canady will get them on the right track. I wonder why the Raps gave up on Canady so quickly, he is great with the fans and the other players. Dumb trade by Toronto.
The Clippers come into town and it seems whenever a trade happens we play that team. We keep LA in the 70s as well, winning 105-73. Chris Paul and Rudy Gay both had 23 points as the Clips shot 34% from the field, led by Blake Griffin’s 7/20 for 16 points.
New York Knicks 13-6
Damn we go to Cleveland 105-96. It wasn’t Kyrie Irving nor Andrew Bynum who killed us, it was SF Alonzo Gee who put up 21 points and 7 rebounds. Rudy Gay wasn’t the best as he shot 9/27 for 23 points while Chris Paul doubled up.
New York Knicks 13-7
I re-up Anderson Varejao for a surprisingly cheap three year, $31 million deal. He is a double double machine and getting a great attitude guy as well for only $10 million a year is fine by me.
It’s always great to see Amare Stoudemire again as the Celtics come to town. STAT showed the crowd that he still has it with 25 points and 13 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as we beat them 102-87. Anderson Varejao rewarded me for the contract extension with 27 points and 15 rebounds which made me smile.
New York Knicks 14-7
**TRADE**
New Orleans trade:
SF Al-Farouq Aminu
2015 2nd round pick
Orlando trade:
SF Moe Harkless
Winner – Orlando. Aminu for Harkless is pretty much a push so getting a second rounder out of it gives them a win.
Speaking of Orlando, they still haven’t won a game, going 0-18 so far.
**TRADE**
Chicago trade:
SG Thabo Sefolosha
Oklahoma City trade:
PF Nick Collison
C Hasheem Thabeet
2015 2nd round pick
Winner – Oklahoma City. After spending two seasons away from the Thunder Sefolosha is back and will be a great defensive punch off the bench. Thabeet was released while Collison is pretty rubbish now so it’s not a good trade by the Bulls.
We don’t play the Bulls or the Thunder but we do beat up on the Pacers, winning 95-85. Ekpe Udoh finally does something with 14 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 blocks to take the player of the game award while Raymond Felton is dynamite off the bench with 20 points. Paul Millsap has 13 points and 19 rebounds while Iman Shumpert just can’t play against Chris Paul, this time shooting 2/12 from the field for 10 points.
New York Knicks 15-7
It’s another home and home as we go into Indiana and win again 94-87. Chris Paul has 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists to nearly notch a triple double but it’s our defensive who won us the game. The team held the Pacers to 37% shooting while forced a massive 23 turnovers.
New York Knicks 16-7
Huzzah! The Magic have won a game! They beat Brooklyn 117-108 as seven Orlando players score in double figures. How humiliating to the Nets.
Orlando come to town and I pray that we win as it would be very embarrassing for us to lose to a 1-19 team. Luckily for me we win easily 110-82. Rudy Gay is the star with 31 points but it was Orlando rookie Hayletts Smith who impressed me with 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
New York Knicks 17-7
I’m really enjoying this team now and even though the fans loved Thomas Cooper I didn’t really think he fitted in with the philosophy of the team. This is shown by our 115-102 win over Chicago as everyone put in. Anderson Varejao had 26 points and 12 rebounds while Ekpe Udoh had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks. I need to think of a nickname for those two. Derrick Rose had the terribly triple double with 19 points, 17 assists and 11 turnovers.
New York Knicks 18-7
**TRADE**
Oklahoma City trade:
SF Perry Jones III
Memphis trade:
PG Tony Wroten
2015 2nd round pick
Winner – Memphis. Jones is better than Wroten but both teams gets a new sixth man out of the trade which is pretty good.
Washington trade:
SG Jordan Crawford
Minnesota trade:
PG Alexey Shved
2015 1st round pick
Winner – Minnesota. Not only is Crawford a devastating bench scorer but the Wizards didn’t get anything out of this. Shved is a bench warmer and the pick will be at least #27.
Rudy Gay has 29 points to lead six other players in double figures as we beat up on Orlando 128-89. Raymond Felton misses both of his two shots but dishes out 11 assists. Glen Davis had 16 points off the bench for the losers as we have a ridiculous 80 points in the paint.
New York Knicks 19-7
The Pistons are still average at 13-13 as they are still working things out. We make them 13-14 with a 102-89 as this team is really gelling as a defensive unit. Rudy Gay has his best game as a Knick with 28 points and 14 rebounds while Chris Paul dominates Brandon Knight with 22 points and 13 assists and kept Knight to 0 points.
New York Knicks 20-7
Another win over another rival, this time a 110-99 beating of Brooklyn. Ekpe Udoh misses two shots on his way to 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks while Rudy Gay had 24 points. Deron Williams was the lone hand for the Nets with 30 points but had no help from anyone else.
New York Knicks 21-7
Kevin Durant goes 10/18 for 36 points but the rest of the team goes 16/47 as we beat Oklahoma City 105-76 to send a warning sign to the rest of the league. It’s an all around team effort as five players are in double figures, led by Rudy Gay’s 21 points.
New York Knicks 22-7
**TRADE**
Orlando trade:
PF Glen Davis
Boston trade:
SG Shannon Brown
2015 2nd round pick
Winner – Boston, by a mile. Big Baby goes back home and will be a big contributor off the bench while Brown will suck up over $6 million for the next two years to be the 13th man on a terrible team. Awful trade by the Magic, no wonder they are 1-26.
What a change one month can have. We went 13-1 and are currently on a nine game winning streak. That puts us second in the East, half a game behind Cleveland and two and a half games in front of Indiana. Orlando are well and truly at the bottom of the ladder with a 1-27 record.
In the West Minnesota are leading with a 25-7 record with San Antonio three games behind and the rocketing New Orleans Hornets one game behind them. Phoenix are still on the bottom, currently on 6-25, only one game ahead (behind?) Dallas.
If anyone was wondering, here is the comparison of Thomas Cooper and Ekpe Udoh since the trade –
Ekpe Udoh – 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.9 blocks per game.
Thomas Cooper – 14.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.
Pretty much the extreme opposite of each other. Cooper has a better offensive game but I love when big guys go for over two steals and two blocks a game.
New York Top Points
Rudy Gay – 23.6
Chris Paul – 16.1
Anderson Varejao – 13.7
New York Top Assists
Chris Paul – 9.2
Raymond Felton – 4.3
Rudy Gay – 1.8
New York Top Rebounds
Anderson Varejao – 11.9
Ekpe Udoh – 6.4
Rudy Gay – 5.9
League Top Points
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 31.5
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.8
Kevin Love (MIA) – 28.0
League Top Assists
Rajon Rondo (BOS) – 11.9
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 10.5
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – 10.4
League Top Rebounds
Kevin Love (MIN) – 14.2
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 12.5
Anderson Varejao (NYK) – 11.9
League Top Efficiency
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.4
Kevin Love (MIN) – 27.6
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 27.4
Rookie Top Efficiency
Ernest Jameson (LAL) – 14.3 (11.5 points, 1.1 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks)
Hayletts Smith (ORL) – 10.7 (10.3 points, 1.4 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks)
Ben Chambers (BOS) – 9.4 (9.5 points, 0.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks)
What a terrible draft class this one is at the moment.
First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. PF Nate Roberts (Boston College), Junior, 6’10”, 251lbs
21.2 points, 2.5 assists, 15.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 0.9 steals
2. SF Paul Orvis (UT-Chattanooga), Sophomore, 6’6”, 199lbs
23.2 points, 3.0 assists, 10.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 2.5 steals
3. SF Wesley Fields (LSU), Sophomore, 6’7”, 221lbs
22.1 points, 5.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.1 steals
4. SG Murman Andronikov (Estonia), 20 years old, 6’8”, 211lbs
19.4 points, 5.6 assists, 6.9 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 1.3 steals
5. SF Antoine Martin (Colorado), Junior, 6’5”, 208lbs
21.6 points, 5.4 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.4 steals