New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

December Player of the Month – Marshod Anderson, Brooklyn Nets – 30.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

December Rookie of the Month – Deon Fox, Charlotte Bobcats – 14.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

Even though we won against Golden State 117-103 with Cam having 27 points and 9 assists the best news was that Abel Williams is finally back playing basketball! He’s coming off the bench at the moment and had 18 minutes but it’s great news to have him back. Winston helped out with 22 points as we force 21 turnovers to our eight as Darnell Kimbrough still isn’t happy that I traded him and had 29 points and 10 rebounds in protest.

Phoenix Suns 19-13

That was fast. Even with around a week to go until he’s fully fit, Abel has been thrust into the starting line-up in lieu of Art. He had 8 points and 7 rebounds with Cam leading the way with 37 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists as we stack on the hurt against the Neon 112-100. I’m sure Abel will get plenty of time to slowly work back to his best, especially when we have a solid back up in Art Stevenson behind him. Oliver Roe was the best for Nevada with 20 points and 11 rebounds while Israel Payne did something pretty uncommon, he got a double double. Oh wait, the hard way with 4 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Phoenix Suns 20-13

It was our guards who did the trick against Chicago as Winston and Cam combine for 44 points as we beat the Bulls 108-101. Abel is getting to his best with 15 points and 10 rebounds as we again force more turnovers than we create with a 16-11 stat. DJ Forbes had 30 points for the losers and it’s great to see Kevin Morrison get some burn as he’s averaging 15 points, 7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game this season.

Phoenix Suns 21-13

Dang, the Spurs ride a hot shooting Mack Haston to beat us 100-81 on our home court. We just don’t have that dominance of our home turf yet to be a contender. Haston went 12/16 for 32 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds and ruined everyone in his way. We shot horribly and lost every single statistical category so we’ll just skip past this game and move on.

Phoenix Suns 21-14

The Kings are a very good team when they’re on and they were on tonight, shooting 54% from three to beat us 118-101. Chris Horvath did his best with 31 points but was helped by a combined 48 points from Joe Adras and David Baxley. Muck was our best with 24 points and 6 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 21-15

We get our revenge against the Warriors with a 113-104 win with Cam leading the way as usual with 36 points. He was helped by JJ’s 20 points and 10 rebounds while Muck had 19 points and 6 steals. Darnell Kimbrough had 24 points for the losers but again we forced turnovers, this time 18 for GSW.

Phoenix Suns 22-15

All five of our starters were in double figures with Cam leading the way with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists but it just wasn’t enough as we go down by two shots to Portland 108-103. It was Chris Waters that did the damage with 27 points and 9 rebounds as they shot 52% to our 39% so getting to within five points was alright.

Phoenix Suns 22-16

We seem to be playing the Warriors every second game which is good because we’ve won most of them, this time 127-107 behind Cam’s 39 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. The other guys didn’t have off nights, with Winston (17 points, 12 assists), Muck (23 points, 7 rebounds), Abel (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Art (14 points, 9 rebounds) all got in on the fun. I feel like a broken record saying that Darnell Kimbrough was the best for GSW but it’s always true as he had 25 points and 8 rebounds tonight.

Phoenix Suns 23-16

We lead from wire to wire with 67 points from Muck and Cam to win 115-95 against Toronto. JJ and Abel combined for 25 rebounds as well as we thoroughly smashed them. Joe West was the best for the Raptors with 27 points but BJ Watson was held to 15 points.

Phoenix Suns 24-16

If we lose to the 10-26 Neon I’m going to be pretty ticked off. Luckily we won 111-98 after a slow start as Cam had 23 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Winston and Muck also chipped in 23 points apiece as we shoot 18 more free throws than Nevada with Russell Haymon going 7/10 for 14 points in 13 minutes (and a strained calf). Oliver Roe was again the star for the losers with 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 25-16

Another terrible team and another comfortable win, this time a 119-97 win over New York as Cam had 31 points. He’s got a running mate recently, with Muck really getting into his groove with 22 points while Abel had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Lou Beck is loving it in the Big Apple (maybe not the losing but definitely the city) and had 20 points and 12 assists, the exact numbers for Reggie Smith who had 12 rebounds instead of 12 assists.

Phoenix Suns 26-16

Abel and Cam each had 23 points but we were blindsided by 31 points and 12 assists but the up and coming star Gamal Hicks as we go down to Utah 121-103. Nathaniel Jackson even had a terrible game (but his standards) with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Scott Oates is being restrained with 13 points and 12 minutes and he really needs to start. He’s averaging 14.4 points in 17.7 minutes a game off the bench which is insane. Give him a chance Utah!

Phoenix Suns 26-17

Cam has been a revelation for us, really showing us what a superstar can do as he had 37 points in our 116-106 win over Denver, finally. It was our defense that did the trick as apart from Gustavo Fonseca (30 points, 13/24 shooting) we held them good as Brett Felts went 0/10.

Phoenix Suns 27-17

After a 9-3 month we have skyrocketed into third spot in the West behind the 37-12 Blazers and 28-13 Kings. It’s close between third and sixth with only two games separating them. Golden State are at the bottom with an 11-28 and unfortunately Houston have had a winning spurt and are at 15-21.

With a record of 37-12 Detroit are sitting pretty on top of the East with Indiana hot on their heels at 35-12. There is a massive gap to third spot as Cleveland are on 27-20. Philadelphia should be sent down to the D-League at 6-39 after three straight number one picks.

Phoenix Top Points
Cameron Brown – 25.4
Rich Muckle – 16.0
Abel Williams – 13.2

Phoenix Top Assists
Ryan Cornell – 8.6
Cameron Brown – 6.1
Winston Shannon – 4.0

Phoenix Top Rebounds
Jeffrey Johnson – 9.2
Abel Williams – 8.4
Art Stevenson – 6.1

League Leaders
Points – Cliff Havens (SDR) – 29.6
Assists – Earl Harris (DAL) – 14.8
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (MIN) – 11.5
Blocks – Adam Bell (MEM) – 3.1
Steals - Gamal Hicks (UTA) – 2.9
Efficiency – Michael Harmon (IND) – 30.3

Rookie Leaders
Points – Deon Fox (CHA) – 13.2
Assists – Ezra Kidd (NYK) – 3.8
Rebounds – Tim Williams (MIL) – 7.4
Blocks – Gellies Haswell (MIA) – 1.1
Steals – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 2.0
Efficiency – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 14.4

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects –
1. C Tip Smith (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 283lbs
2. C Mark Burton (High School), Senior, 6’9”, 251lbs
3. SG Ronald Nielsen (High School), Senior, 6’4”, 192lbs
4. C Pin-zhen Yuan (China), 18 years old, 6’10”, 266lbs
5. PF Jon Przybilla (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 238lbs

Thoughts – It’s the battle of the young guns as there is only three college seniors and one junior in the top 20. Smith has broken away from the group as the number one pick but there is still plenty of time.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Cliff Havens, San Diego Riders – 33.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Tim Williams, Milwaukee Bucks – 12.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

He’s on the move again.

Dallas trade:
C Pete Anderson

Cleveland trade:
SG Jason London
2040 2nd round pick

Winner – Cleveland. You know the deal. It’s London’s ninth team in 14 years which is surprisingly not the most ever, as Jim Jackson went through 13 teams from 1992-2006.

Our first game of February is against those Mavericks and surprisingly Jason London isn’t starting. I’m sure that will make him feel good. Onto the game, we give up a 15 point lead heading into the last quarter as Dallas forces overtime and then it was all them, running off a 17-9 extra period to win 127-119. Earl Harris had 27 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds and 4 steals as he put that team on his back. Cam had 34 points for us but shot 13/28 from the field.

Phoenix Suns 27-18

Winston has his best game in the pros, going 18/22 for 42 points and 10 assists as we beat the Kings 126-108 on their home turf. Cam played back-up nicely with 32 points and 10 assists while JJ and Abel combined for 29 rebounds. Joe Adras nearly stayed with Winston with 38 points and 8 assists.

Phoenix Suns 28-18

In nearly an identical scoreline, we beat the Jazz 121-108 with Cam taking the lead this time with 29 points and 10 assists. Winston did well for 19 points and 8 rebounds but was beaten easily by Gamal Hicks’ 27 points, 12 assists and 6 steals. We shot 18 more free throws than Utah so if you ever hear me complaining about free throw differences then just shoot me.

Phoenix Suns 29-18

Well that was disappointing. The Mavericks were on fire, going 56% from the field to beat us 121-91. Tobe Slaughter had 27 points while Earl Harris was so close to a triple double again with 19 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds and has taken over the ‘walking triple double’ mantle from Kevin Epps. Cam had 27 points but JJ and Abel combined to shoot 2/16.

Phoenix Suns 29-19

This Hell Week is even more hellish than usual with ten games in eleven days. Ugh. We go and see Arthimus Smallwood in Houston but we weren’t very good guests as we win 104-85. Cam had no mercy for the team where he spent eight and a bit years at with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Arthimus is coming off the bench for some reason and only had 6 points in 15 minutes.

Phoenix Suns 30-19

It’s not like we’re playing easy teams either and tonight was no exception against the Spurs. Mack Haston has changed things out there for the better and had 43 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds in their 121-110 win. Shaheen Mason also did well with 28 points. Art Stevenson was our best with 23 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes as Haston went to the foul line 18 times for 15 makes.

Phoenix Suns 30-20

We shoot 57% from the field with seven players in double figures to outlast the Celtics 135-123. Cam had 28 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds while Andrew Brown came alive with 11 points and 4 assists in only nine minutes. Alan Patton is a scoring machine in Boston and had 38 points in the loss.

Phoenix Suns 31-20

Art strained his knee and Cam sprained his finger in our 105-103 heart stopping win over Indiana. Winston was the man of the hour with 21 points while JJ and Abel again both had double doubles, combining for 22 points and 22 rebounds. Michael Haymon was of course brilliant with 26 points and 9 assists but Ish Faye was held to only 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 32-20

Phew, a rest day.

Next day we’re up against Houston and even with the rest day we’re puffed and it showed in our 109-89 loss to the Rockets. We just had no legs left as Flavian Pesmazoglou led all scorers with 28 points as we shot 40% from the field. Abel was our best with 12 points and 15 rebounds but when JJ and Cam shoot 7/27 we’re sunk.

Phoenix Suns 32-21

Muck piped up with 21 points which was matched by Winston as we outscore the Wolves by ten points in the last to take home the 108-97 win. Abel was the best on court though with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Hughes and Paul Cunningham combined to shoot 14/37 which isn’t a good number.

Phoenix Suns 33-21

Our last game of our hellish Hell Week is unsurprisingly a 129-101 loss to Indiana as we just need a rest. Gerrod Phelan and Michael Harmon combined for 56 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds as they shot 58% to our 42%. Clifton Scholl had 18 points and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes which is great as he hasn’t had much of a run with Abel, JJ and Art stealing most of the minutes.

Phoenix Suns 33-22

Ugh, finally get get a break. Anyway, James Hansen from OKC won the dunk contest over Indiana’s Lamar Traylor pretty comfortably. In the long distance shootout, Mack Haston implodes, going from first in the preliminaries to last in the finals. Not just last, but Denver’s Jehiel DeSantis had 26 points (which must be a record) while Haston only had ten.

The rookie game wasn’t a close one as the Sophomores got out to a 36-18 first quarter lead to cruise to victory with a 139-113 score. Moses Perry was named MVP with 28 points as we had two players represented with Winston Shannon starting and having 15 points and 6 assists while Rich Muckle came off the bench for eight points. Aaron DeManby did his best for the first year guys with 28 points while Anthony Miller and Johannes Stankevicius doubled up.

The All Star game was extremely close, with 17 lead changes and a huge fightback from the West to come back from 15 points in the last term. They fell agonizingly close, going down 168-164. Michael Harmon was named All Star MVP with 34 points and 14 assists but he was helped all around with 26 points and 11 assists from Lou Beck and 23 points in 19 minutes from Juia Henchoz. Nathan Gordon was the best for the West with 25 points and 10 assists but we had no All Stars which was a bit dodgy seeing as we are at 33-22 and Cameron Brown is ripping up the league.

Western Conference All Star Starters
Joe Adras, Sacramento Kings (5th selection)
Nathan Gordon, Los Angeles Lakers (1st selection)
Tiburcio Tommasini, Milwaukee Bucks (9th selection)
Nathaniel Jackson, Utah Jazz (8th selection)
Neil Prato, Seattle Supersonics (1st selection)

Western Conference All Star Reserves
Earl Harris, Dallas Mavericks (2nd selection)
Tobe Slaughter, Dallas Mavericks (5th selection)
Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs (2nd selection)
Brandon Bailey, Oklahoma City Thunder (1st selection)
James Carroll, Houston Rockets (1st selection)
David Baxley, Sacramento Kings (1st selection)
Zan Tepavac, Oklahoma City Thunder (1st selection)

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers (6th selection)
Daniel Brazzle, Toronto Raptors (1st selection)
Marshod Anderson, Brooklyn Nets (5th selection)
Reggie Smith, New York Knicks (8th selection)
Jamie McMillian, Detroit Pistons (4th selection)

Eastern Conference All Star Reserves
Alan Patton, Boston Celtics (1st selection)
Jack Dawkins, Memphis Grizzlies (11th selection)
Ishmael Faye, Indiana Pacers (5th selection)
Rick Erickson, Miami Heat (1st selection)
Lou Beck, New York Knicks (5th selection)
Frank Slaughter, Cleveland Cavaliers (5th selection)
Juia Henchoz, Orlando Magic (4th selection)

In our first game back from the All Star break it seems we are still in party mode as we get smashed by Cleveland 121-84. Frank Slaughter continues off from his All Star selection with 30 points while new recruit Pete Anderson had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Our highest scorer was Cam with 14 points on 19 shots as we only hit 35% of our attempts. Wake up guys!

Phoenix Suns 33-23

8-51, are you freaking kidding me Philly? This should just be a bye game as they shouldn’t be in the NBA. Cam led us with 24 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds as we play garbage time for a looooong while to win 106-93. Abel and JJ combined for 29 points and 26 rebounds while Chad DeWitt went 6/6 for 14 points in only 11 minutes. If a team is now 8-52 why aren’y you playing your young guys all of the minutes? So dumb.

Phoenix Suns 34-23

We’ve dropped to fourth in the West but after that brutal ten games in eleven days I don’t care. Portland have opened up a big game at 46-16, with San Antonio at 37-21 and Sacramento in third with a 33-20 record. Golden State have dropped to 13-39 but unfortunately for us, Houston have bounced up to 27-27 and sniffing the playoffs.

Indiana have a five game lead over Detroit with a 49-13 record with the Pistons at 42-18. As you know, Philadelphia are at 8-53 but in better news for us New York are second last at 17-37.

In even better news, Cornell is back from his injury and is fully healed!

Phoenix Top Points
Cameron Brown – 24.4
Rich Muckle – 15.0
Winston Shannon – 14.3

Phoenix Top Assists
Ryan Cornell – 8.6
Cameron Brown – 6.0
Winston Shannon – 4.2

Phoenix Top Rebounds
Abel Williams – 9.7
Jeffrey Johnson – 9.2
Art Stevenson – 5.8

League Leaders
Points – Marshod Anderson (BKL) – 28.4
Assists – Earl Harris (DAL) – 14.7
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (MIN) – 11.0
Blocks – Adam Bell (MEM) – 3.1
Steals – Gamal Hicks (UTA) – 3.0
Efficiency – Michael Harmon (IND) – 30.3

Rookie Leaders
Points – Deon Fox (CHA) – 12.6
Assists – Ezra Kidd (NYK) – 3.7
Rebounds – Tim Williams (MIL) – 7.6
Blocks – Gellies Haswell (MIA) – 1.0
Steals – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 1.8
Efficiency – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 14.8

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects –
1. PF Jon Przybilla (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 238lbs
2. C Tip Rice (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 283lbs
3. C Mark Burton (High School), Senior, 6’9”, 251lbs
4. C Pin-zhen Yuan (China), 18 years old, 6’10”, 266lbs
5. SF Antonio Sears (High School), Senior, 6’5”, 231lbs

Thoughts – Yep, it’s the battle of the diaper dandies. I feel that Przybilla is being overrated here and someone will pick him number one over Rice which isn’t the right pick at this stage. Still no point guards in the top 25.

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Nathan Gordon, Los Angeles Lakers – 30.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

February Rookie of the Month – Jordan Williamson, Atlanta Hawks – 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

Deadline trades:

Portland trade:
SF Josh Davis
2040 2nd round pick

Orlando trade:
SG Kenneth Long

Winner – Portland. This gives the Blazers yet another quality player to their already star studded roster. Even though Long is 34 years old and on the way out he can still bring the noise backing up Shaun Tebbs.

Detroit trade:
2040 2nd round pick

Boston trade:
SG Curtis Anderson

Winner – Detroit. I almost never do a trade recap of one that is just a second rounder being swapped for someone but this is crazy. Curtis Anderson is worth much more than a second round pick and makes the Pistons much more dangerous. He’ll come off the bench and he’ll do plenty of damage for the playoff bound Detroit Pistons.

Cornell gets his first start in freaking ages and has 4 points and 6 assists as we outlast the Neon 109-101. Abel was our best with 24 points and 16 rebounds while Muck and Cam combined for 50 points. Glen Abrams was Nevada’s best player with 21 points but for once we shot better from three than our opponents, going 12/32 to their 5/12.

Phoenix Suns 35-23

It was a battle between Mark Lyday and Cameron Brown and unfortunately Lyday had the best of us, going 17/25 for 41 points to Cam’s 39 points as the Heat beat us 134-121. Rick Erickson has come out of nowhere to be a near 20/10 guy and had that exact stat line tonight. Cornell is getting back into it with 12 points and 12 assists while Muck had 22 points.

Phoenix Suns 35-24

It’s always good to play the Knicks as we usually win, and we do tonight with a 107-97 beat down. Abel, JJ and Cam went form 72 points and 32 rebounds while Cornell shrugged off a 1/6 shooting night to add 15 assists. Reggie Smith went 8/21 for 24 points and 9 rebounds as he is really hating losing in New York.

Phoenix Suns 36-24

Nathan Gordon had 40 points but no other Laker was in double figures as we cruise past them 125-90. Muck was our best with 26 points and 8 assists while Cam added 24 points. Art and Russell added 22 points in 24 combined minutes off the bench as well as everyone had a good run.

Phoenix Suns 37-24

Oh my God. We got down to the stinky Sixers by 19 points before turning it around to level it going into overtime. We lost in overtime though as that really should never happen, going down 100-98 in a horrible lapse in concentration. Josiah Williams is battling it out with 25 points and 21 rebounds as we shoot 40% from the field with Cam the only highlight with 33 points but had 6 turnovers.

Phoenix Suns 37-25

Hmm, we get a bit of dignity back by beating the Hornets 103-93 behind Cam’s 32 points and 7 assists. JJ and Abel combined to shoot 6/25 but Abel had 13 rebounds and JJ blocked 7 shots so it’s (sort of) excusable. David Stetson had 23 points and 7 rebounds for the losers.

Phoenix Suns 38-25

Well that was disappointing. We play the Riders without Cliff Havens (torn ACL) and they shoot sub-40% and we still lose! Brian Burks had 18 points and 11 assists as we go down 99-97. Cam might have had 28 points but he shot 8/24 as we don’t shoot that well either. Ugh.

Phoenix Suns 38-26

Whenever we need a pick me up we just play the Hornets and all is forgiven. Cam had 32 points while JJ put up 19 points and 8 rebounds as we win 103-90, even though we shot 39% from the field. The reason we still won so easily is that we forced 20 turnovers and went to the line 42 times. Schuyler Vanderwerken had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the losers.

Phoenix Suns 39-26

I don’t know what the Sonics are doing with their team as they have no good, young potential and most of their best players are 30+ years old. We beat them 114-98 but it seems that they are happy in mediocrity. Cam had 27 points while Muck, JJ and Cornell double up. Drew Martin needed 26 shots to get 25 points for Seattle.

Phoenix Suns 40-26

It was close in the first two quarters, then we burst out of the gate after half time with a 41-24 quarter to beat the Cavs 123-100. Cam is on fire with 39 points while Winston and Art had 27 points off the bench. Steve Howard was Clevaland’s only shining light with 31 points and 9 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 41-26

I just don’t know what to do any more. The good news is that we beat the Bobcats in overtime 101-92 but JJ broke his elbow two minutes into the game and will be out for a while. Seriously, this kid has massive talent but he just can’t stay out there on the court. We had six players in double figures with Winston, Art and Adrian Harris had great games off the bench to offset Muck and Cam’s 10/39 night. RT Adams had another triple double (his third for his career) with 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 42-26

Art will fill in for JJ.

In our 116-89 win over Sac-Town, Art did quite well with 11 points and 10 rebound but it was the Muck and Cam show as they combined for 51 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists and 5 blocks to lead the way. Abel kicked in a lazy 17 rebounds a well. David Baxley had 22 points for the vanquished.

Phoenix Suns 43-26

That’s six wins in a row as we take care of the Lakers 110-94 behind three players with 20 points or more. Cam led with 26 points but Cornell (22 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds) and Muck (20 points) all chipped in. There’s good and bad for the Lakers as Nathan Gordon had 22 points and rookie Aaron DeManby had 18 points and 11 rebounds but Jim Meeking went 1/10 for 4 points.

Phoenix Suns 44-26

Our last game of the month was a fantastic 102-84 beat down of the Blazers to really put the rest of the league on notice. Cam had only 13 shots but finished with 29 points while Abel had 24 points and 11 rebounds to school Chris Waters. Danny Perez might have had 19 points but Curtis Mueller went 1/12 for a shocking night.

Phoenix Suns 45-26

We’re back up to third in the West (barely) with Portland still in control at 52-21 with San Antonio right behind them at 47-22. The Warriors are the worst team in the West at 21-50 but in bad news for our draft stocks, Houston are roaring ahead at 38-34 and could even sneak into the playoffs as they are only a half game out of eighth spot.

The Pacers have broken away from the Pistons and are sitting at 58-17, while Detroit are back at 50-24 and Charlotte was back in third at 42-32. Philadelphia have at least won 15 games but at 15-59, they’re not going anywhere good soon.

Phoenix Top Points
Cameron Brown – 25.5
Rich Muckle – 15.0
Abel Williams – 13.2

Phoenix Top Assists
Ryan Cornell – 8.4
Cameron Brown – 5.8
Winston Shannon – 3.7

Phoenix Top Rebounds
Abel Williams – 9.8
Jeffrey Johnson – 8.9
Art Stevenson – 5.7

League Leaders
Points – Marshod Anderson (BKL) – 28.8
Assists – Earl Harris (DAL) – 14.6
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (MIN) – 11.0
Bocks – Adam Bell (MEM) – 3.2
Steals – Gamal Hicks (UTA) – 2.7
Efficiency – Rick Erickson (MIA) – 30.0

Rookie Leaders
Points – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 12.1
Assists – Ezra Kidd (NYK) – 3.6
Rebounds – Tim Williams (MIL) – 8.0
Blocks – Gellis Haswell (MIA) – 1.1
Steals – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 1.8
Efficiency – Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 15.1

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects –
1. PF Jon Przybilla (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 238lbs
2. C Tip Rice (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 283lbs
3. C Pin-zhen Yuan (China), 18 years old, 6’10”, 266lbs
4. C Mark Burton (High School), Senior, 6’9”, 251lbs
5. SG Ronald Nielsen (High School), 6’4”, 192lbs

Thoughts – This is probably the best top five I’ve seen for the draft and as long as no-one does something stupid, it should be fairly similar come draft night.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs – 29.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Aaron DeManby, Los Angeles Lakers – 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

With eleven games to go I don’t want any brain fades from this team.

Well that was disappointing as we go down to the Raptors 115-108 on our home court. Muck and Joe West both had 33 points as we double Toronto’s turnover number 14-6. Daniel Brazzle was second best with 21 points and 8 assists.

Phoenix Suns 45-27

That’s more like it. We blank the Grizzlies 124-99 with Cam leading the way with 37 points. He wasn’t best on ground though as Ryan Cornell had his first career triple double with 17 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds which was a fantastic highlight for him. Jerry Benton had 25 points for the losers while Jack Dawkins (still weird seeing him in a Memphis uniform) had 17 points.

Phoenix Suns 46-27

Oh no. That’s exactly what we didn’t want as Cornell broke his hand right at the end of our 107-102 win over OKC and will be out for at least a month which will definitely cut into playoff time. He had 23 points and 10 assists in a great game with Cam leading us with 37 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Mike Bickerstaf is still coming off the bench but that didn’t stop him from dropping 23 points on us.

Phoenix Suns 47-27

Like before, Winston will start for Cornell.

This team was so slow to start our game against Atlanta and I don’t blame them after losing Cornell, going down by 20 at half time and we couldn’t get back, losing 123-115. Cam and Winston combined for 63 points while Nuh Shushud, John Meliet and Chip Hickerson matched them with 64 points.

Phoenix Suns 47-28

If we didn’t have Winston on the team to back up Cornell I don’t know what we would do, and his 28 points on 15 shots just proves it in our 128-114 victory over Chicago. Six other players were in double figures for us while Paul Wilder had 10 rebounds off the bench. DJ Forbes had 20 points and 11 assists for the Bulls but we shot 20 more free throws than them.

Phoenix Suns 48-28

Grr, another loss as I really want to get to 50 wins with this team. Gamal Hicks is a bonafide superstar PG now and had 23 points as we just couldn’t get it going, turning the ball over 19 times. Cam had 25 points on 13 shots but turned it over 6 times, one more than Winston.

Phoenix Suns 48-29

One more win to go after our 114-101 win over Seattle as again Cam shot often and efficiently, going 10/19 for 29 points but he was outdone by Abel’s 16 points and 19 rebounds. A guy I traded, Calvin Ash, had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. One more win!

Phoenix Suns 49-29

Seattle were quite receptive to my desires as we beat them again 125-118 to do what no Phoenix team has done in 16 years and that’s win at least 50 games. No pressure guys! We had four players with 20 points or more with Winston, Cam, Abel and Muck combining for 88 points, 25 rebounds, 18 assists, 6 blocks and 5 steals. All in all, a great effort. Drew Martin had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Sonics.

Phoenix Suns 50-29

Woo, 50 wins!

Three games to go and we are just in playoff mode so our guys are getting rests when they can. That means we lose to Los Angeles 113-91 behind Nathan Gordon's 30 points. It goes to show how deep we are going in these final games with Andrew Brown top scores with 17 points and Paul Wilder grabs 9 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns 50-30

We play the Lakers again but this time we come out on top, withstanding a 30 points barrage from Nathan Gordon to win 101-98. Andrew Brown was again in double figures with 10 points while Cam had 29 points in as many minutes.

Phoenix Suns 51-30

Our last game of the season was a bit of a disappointment as we lose to Miami by the barest of margins, 109-108. Rick Erickson had 20 points and 9 rebounds while Paul Wilder had 15 rebounds but we are looking to the post season.

Phoenix Suns 51-31

Western Conference Final Standings
1 – San Antonio Spurs – 57-25 (.695)
2 – Portland Trailblazers – 56-26 (.683)
3 – Phoenix Suns – 51-31 (.622)
4 – Dallas Mavericks – 50-32 (.610)
5 – Utah Jazz – 45-37 (.549)
6 – Denver Nuggets – 44-38 (.537)
7 – Sacramento Kings – 44-38 (.537)
8 – Houston Rockets – 43-39 (.524)
Last – Golden State Warriors – 25-57 (.305)

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1 – Indiana Pacers – 64-18 (.780)
2 – Detroit Pistons – 54-28 (.659)
3 – Miami Heat – 47-35 (.573)
4 – Charlotte Bobcats – 46-36 (.561)
5 – Boston Celtics – 45-37 (.549)
6 – Brooklyn Nets – 44-38 (.537)
7 – Chicago Bulls – 43-39 (.524)
8 – Cleveland Cavaliers – 43-39 (.524)
Last – Philadelphia 76ers – 20-62 (.244)

Phoenix Top Points
Cameron Brown – 25.7
Rich Muckle – 15.0
Winston Shannon – 13.1

Phoenix Top Assists
Ryan Cornell – 8.5
Cameron Brown – 5.9
Winston Shannon – 3.8

Phoenix Top Rebounds
Abel Williams – 10.0
Jeffrey Johnson – 8.9
Art Stevenson – 5.8

League Top Points
Marshod Anderson (BKL) – 28.6
Cliff Havens (SDR) – 27.9
Nathan Gordon (LAL) – 27.7

League Top Assists
Earl Harris (DAL) – 14.5
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 12.4
Lou Beck (NYK) – 11.5

League Top Rebounds
Julius Hobbs (MIN) – 11.0
Kurt Lewis (TOR) – 10.2
Abel Williams (PHO) – 10.0

League Top Blocks
Adam Bell (MEM) – 3.2
Brandon Bailey (OKC) – 2.6
Dan Bonney (UTA) – 2.6

League Top Steals
Gamal Hicks (UTA) – 2.7
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 2.5
Earl Harris (DAL) – 2.4

League Top Efficiency
Rick Erickson (MIA) – 30.0
Michael Harmon (IND) – 29.1
Mack Haston (SAS) – 28.1

Rookie Top Points
Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 12.3
Deon Fox (CHA) – 11.9
Johannes Stankevicius (NEV) – 11.0

Rookie Top Assists
Ezra Kidd (NYK) – 3.8
Bryant Reeves (HOU) – 2.3
Gellies Haswell (MIA) – 2.0

Rookie Top Rebounds
Tim Williams (MIL) – 7.8
Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 5.7
Gellies Haswell (MIA) – 4.1

Rookie Top Efficiency
Aaron DeManby (LAL) – 15.2
Tim Williams (MIL) – 13.7
Deon Fox (CHA) – 11.1

[zike_42]

2040 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Indiana vs. #8 Cleveland
#2 Detroit vs. #7 Chicago
#3 Miami vs. #6 Brooklyn
#4 Charlotte vs. #5 Boston

Western Conference
#1 San Antonio vs. #8 Houston
#2 Portland vs. #7 Sacramento
#3 Phoenix vs. #6 Denver
#4 Dallas vs. #5 Utah

We lost the season series 1-3 and to be honest, the Nuggets are a bogey team of ours and without Cornell we will need to be really good to win this.

Western Conference First Round – Denver vs. Phoenix

Point Guard
Jehiel DeSantis vs. Winston Shannon
12.6 points, 9.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds vs. 13.1 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds

With Ryan Cornell out with a broken hand, Shannon has been tasked with leading this team. He’s not the best passing point guard but his scoring attributes make up for it. He’s going against a guy who has been there and done that with this Denver side and just knows how to play the right way.

Winner - Denver

Shooting Guard
Gustavo Fonseca vs. Cameron Brown
22.2 points, 2.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds vs. 25.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds

Coming over in a mid season trade, Brown has been the man on this Suns team. He’s the guy who knows how to fill up the basket when needed and is a very willing passer to make him even more dangerous. He’s going up against a pure scorer in Fonseca who has been a massive surprise for these Nuggets.

Winner - Phoenix

Small Forward
Leon Oliver vs. Rich Muckle
15.1 points, 1.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds vs. 15.0 points, 1.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds

When Leon Oliver came into this league as a rookie, Muckle was all of seven years old. That doesn’t matter now because these two are very similar. Oliver is bigger but Muckle is quicker but they both have that mid-range game that gets the job done at a slightly below average efficiency. If Oliver wins out it could be lights out for the Suns.

Winner - Draw

Power Forward
Scott Dwiggins vs. Abel Williams
15.9 points, 1.4 assists, 6.4 rebounds vs. 13.1 points, 1.6 assists, 10.0 rebounds

One of the best rebounders in the whole league, Williams is more than just a one trick pony. He averages over one steal and block a game to go with his excellent defence. In contrast, Dwiggins is a picture of averageness (is that a word?) as he’s decent but doesn’t bring anything stellar to the table.

Winner - Phoenix

Centre
Jason Harriman vs. Art Stevenson
12.9 points, 1.3 assists, 6.4 rebounds vs. 11.2 points, 1.0 assist, 5.8 rebounds

Another fill in for Phoenix, Stevenson is starting for the ever injured Jeffrey Johnson which is a bad sign for Phoenix. Harriman may have below average numbers but he can still take over a game at age 33.

Winner - Denver

Bench
Brad Felts, OJ Brown, Jay Crane vs. Paul Wilder, Russell Haymon, Andrew Brown

Phoenix’s second unit is a little bare with Johnson, Cornell and Romanos Demosthenous (D-League) out of the roster it’s going to take more from the guys left who aren’t usually big minute players. Denver’s bench isn’t that better so it’s going to be down to the starters to win it for either team.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – Phoenix in six. This battle will be closer than people think with Denver really being a thorn in Phoenix’s side for a while now.

You know those games where it’s close for three quarters and then one team finally wakes up and it’s all over? Well that happened here, as we turn a one point deficit into a 17 point win as we outscore the Nuggets 37-21 in the last to win 116-99. Muck had a blinder with 29 points while Cam turned distributor with 17 points and 12 assists. Leon Oliver was the best for Denver with 24 points as both teams shot the ball over 50%.

Phoenix leads 1-0

We make it two from two in the coming up big in the last quarter, downing the Nuggets 39-29 in the fourth to win 117-110. Winston was great with 23 points while Cam was again a wiling passer with 18 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. This team played really well, even our bench as Paul Wilder had 6 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks to make up for Art’s 16 minutes of fouls. Gustavo Fonseca had 23 points to push on the Nugs but they couldn’t stick with us at the end.

Phoenix leads 2-0

Game three was a weird one as neither team shot badly but didn’t turn the ball over. From what I’ve learned, both of those stats go hand in hand. Cam had 23 points but only 4 assists which made the difference as most of our play was iso stuff and it hurt us down the stretch to lose 98-93. Scott Dwiggins came alive with 28 points and 11 rebounds while Jehiel DeSantis had 19 points and 9 assists.

Phoenix leads 2-1

Scott Dwiggins was again the best for Denver with 22 points and 10 rebounds while Cam bested him with 32 points. It only came down to a third year bench player called OJ Brown to win the game as his third block of the game on Cameron Brown sealed a 109-107 series tying win for Denver. Winston had 20 points and 8 assists but Art was again saddled with foul trouble, fouling out in 16 minutes.

Series tied 2-2

There was only one sweep with #1 Indiana getting past #8 Cleveland like they weren’t even there.

This series is really turning heads with its close games and back and forth momentum. And Scott Dwiggins demolishing everyone in his path, like tonight’s 28 points and 9 rebounds. Didn’t Abel Williams get praised for his great defense in the write-up? Anyway, Dwiggins had help in Gustavo Fonseca who added 26 points and 9 rebounds. Winston was our best with 23 points and even though Cam had 17 points and 12 assists we shot 43% to their 55% which will never win us games, let alone playoff games.

Denver leads 3-2

#2 Portland moves onto the next round with a 4-1 series win over #7 Sacramento.

This is it, win or go home. Guess what we did? That’s right, fold like the old Superman on laundry night joke. The Nuggets got out to a whopping 26 point lead before we chipped away at it in garbage time, going down 116-102. And guess who did the damage? Right again, Scott Dwiggins! He had 21 points and 13 rebounds to really put Abel Williams to shame. Jehiel DeSantis wasn’t too shabby either with 25 points, 10 assists and 4 steals. I guess this is a real lesson for us to re-tool in the off season and come back harder and stronger.

Denver wins 4-2

#4 Charlotte and #5 Utah beat their opponents in six games which means that we have three series going the distance.

#2 Detroit faught off a spirited #7 Chicago to move on while #1 San Antonio nearly had a heart attack to beat #8 Houston in seven games. The biggest shock wasn’t that someone got upset but how the favourites won. Here’s a boxscore –



DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNN.

[interstellarshadow]

Concerning the Maimi game, may I say, where was the Defense?

[zike_42]

Concerning the Maimi game, may I say, where was the Defense?

Miami is a hyper efficient shooting team in general (55.8% FG during the season) but this was something else. I don't think it was bad defense by Brooklyn I just think that Miami had one of those games where they could have played blindfolded and only using their off hand and they still would have won.

[zike_42]

2040 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
#1 Indiana defeat #4 Charlotte 4-1
#2 Detroit defeat #3 Miami 4-2

Western Conference Semi-Finals
#1 San Antonio defeat #5 Utah 4-1
#2 Portland defeat #6 Denver 4-3

Eastern Conference Finals
#1 Indiana defeat #2 Detroit 4-1

Western Conference Finals
#2 Portland defeat #1 San Antonio 4-2

2040 NBA Finals – Portland vs. Indiana

Point Guard
Michael Harmon vs. Curtis Mueller
28.6 points, 8.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds vs. 13.3 points, 7.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds

The three time consecutive MVP (and most likely fourth this year) has no business with a mere mortal like Mueller, and will sweep him aside like so many other wannabe points. Mueller has, HAS to slow down Harmon if the Blazers have any thoughts of winning this.

Winner - Indiana

Shooting Guard
Brant Jackson vs. Shaun Tebbs
9.4 points, 7.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds vs. 21.3 points, 8.1 assists, 5.2 rebounds

Tebbs is definitely in the running to be the best all around shooting guard in the league, and you can’t argue with those numbers. He can do it all and he should against the 6’0”, 156lb point guard masquerading as a two guard that is Jackson.

Winner - Portland

Small Forward
Ratko Nedic vs. Danny Perez
14.6 points, 2.5 assists, 8.8 rebounds vs. 18.1 points, 1.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds

As good as Nedic has been in the post season he just doesn’t have the talent or the speed to match it with Perez. If Nedic can slow his opponent down all the power to him but it’s going to be a tough ask.

Winner - Portland

Power Forward
Ishmael Faye vs. Chris Waters
22.1 points, 1.6 assists, 8.1 rebounds vs. 14.1 points, 1.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds

Usually the Blazers start the undersized Patrick Blizzard at the four to give them another scoring option but with Ish Faye suiting up on the other side they thought they would send out a proper power forward. It’s not going to matter (no offense to Chris Waters) because like Michael Harmon, it doesn’t matter who goes up against him, Faye will win. Good luck Chris.

Winner - Indiana

Centre
Gerrod Phelan vs. Damon Ashburn
16.2 points, 0.9 assists, 7.2 rebounds vs. 8.6 points, 0.9 assists, 6.6 rebounds

It’s disappointing to see that the usual starting centre for Portland, Derrick Culuko, did his ACL in their last game and will be out for a long time because the Culuko/Phelan battle would have been intriguing. Ashburn is a good backup now at age 33 years old but he doesn’t have the legs to run with a guy like Phelan anymore.

Winner - Indiana

Bench
Josh Mayers, Anthony Palmer, Anthony Williams vs. Kenneth Long, Patrick Blizzard, Steve Mapp

To be blunt, this isn’t a contest as with the likes of Kenneth Long and Patrick Blizzard on the same team it’s not even close.

Winner – Portland

Prediction – Indiana in six. I just can’t see anyone on Portland’s roster that will stop Michael Harmon or Ishmael Faye and that spells doom for the team looking to go back to back.

Game One
Portland 112 – Indiana 128 (IND 1-0)
Player of the Game – Ishmael Faye (IND) – 33 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks

Game Two
Portland 103 – Indiana 105 (IND 2-0)
Player of the Game – Michael Harmon (IND) – 27 points, 9 assists, 3 steals

Game Three
Indiana 104 – Portland 128 (IND 2-1)
Player of the Game – Danny Perez (POR) – 35 points

Game Four
Indiana 111 – Portland 100 (IND 3-1)
Player of the Game – Ishmael Faye (IND) – 33 points, 8 rebounds

Game Five
Indiana 104 – Portland 123 (IND 3-2)
Player of the Game – Chris Waters (POR) – 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals

Game Six
Portland 101 – Indiana 135 (IND 4-2)
Player of the Game – Ishmael Faye (IND) – 30 points, 8 rebounds

Congrats to the Pacers who have won their second title in three years and third in seven years. As you can probably guess Ishmael Faye won the Finals MVP award with averages of 27.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 3.0 blocks per game and I’m sure they’re delirious out there in Indiana.

[zike_42]

Somehow we got the third best odds from our trade with New York to win the lottery so that’s great news. If we stay there is another story.

16 – Toronto (0)
15 – New Orleans (0)
14 – Oklahoma City (0)
13 – Washington (0)
12 – Milwaukee (0)
11 – Los Angeles (0)
10 – Seattle (0)
9 – Minnesota (0)
8 – Memphis (-1)

San Diego have jumped.

7 – Orlando (-1)
6 – Nevada (-1)
5 – Phoenix (-2)

Sucks, so much. So very much.

4 – Philadelphia (-3)

At least something good came out of it, I wouldn’t have been able to cope if the Sixers got another number one pick.

3 – Atlanta (+1)
2 – San Diego (+6)
1 – Golden State (+1)

Awards time and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cam get a slot in an All NBA squad.

Most Valuable Player:
Rick Erickson, Miami Heat – 25.4 points, 1.2 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 2.4 blocks

Wow, didn’t see this coming I was sure that Michael Harmon would win it again.

Defensive Player of the Year:
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers – 24.4 points, 10.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 0.6 blocks

That’s more like it.

Sixth Man of the Year:
David Forrest, Utah Jazz – 15.3 points, 5.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks

Started the first bit of the season but with the emergence of Gamal Hicks he was banished to the bench.

Rookie of the Year:
Aaron DeManby, Los Angeles Lakers – 12.3 points, 1.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks

No doubt about it, he was the best all year.

Coach of the Year:
Lawrence Frank, Indiana Pacers – 64-18 (.780)

Best team in the league usually has the best coach in the league.

All NBA First Team:
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers
Tobe Slaughter, Dallas Mavericks
James Carroll, Houston Rockets
Ish Faye, Indiana Pacers
Rick Erickson, Miami Heat

All NBA Second Team:
Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs
Nathan Gordon, Los Angeles Lakers
Marshod Anderson, Brooklyn Nets
Mark Lyday, Miami Heat
Luigi Cannavaro, Brooklyn Nets

All NBA Third Team:
Joe Adras, Sacramento Kings
Daniel Brazzle, Toronto Raptors
Ben LaLane, Detroit Pistons
Reggie Smith, New York Knicks
Charles Dubbs, Charlotte Bobcats

All Defensive First Team:
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers
Paul Cunningham, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tim King, Charlotte Bobcats
Ish Faye, Indiana Pacers
Darryl Abrams, Milwaukee Bucks

All Defensive Second Team:
Joe Adras, Sacramento Kings
Fletcher Sears, Philadelphia 76ers
Kenroy McPherson, Utah Jazz
Tarrell McMahon, San Antonio Spurs
Brandon Bailey, Oklahoma City Thunder

All Rookie First Team:
Josh Worthing, New Orleans Hornets
Ezra Kidd, New York Knicks
Gellies Haswell, Miami Heat
Tim Williams, Milwaukee Bucks
Aaron DeManby, Los Angeles Lakers

All Rookie Second Team:
Anthony Miller, Golden State Warriors
Bryant Reeves, Houston Rockets
Adam Stewart, Milwaukee Bucks
Deon Fox, Charlotte Bobcats
Jordan Williamson, Atlanta Hawks

I hire Neil Dixon as our third assistant as I slowly fill our coaching staff with guys I want instead of guys that were left over.

The mock draft has been announced and it’s so frustrating that I might not get my two top targets.

1 – Golden State – C Tip Rice
2 – San Diego – C Pin-zhen Yuan
3 – Atlanta – SF Justin Marshall
4 – Philadelphia – SF Denny Lawson
5 – Phoenix – C Syniker Smalls
6 – Nevada – SG Eddy Wooley
7 – Orlando – PF Gavin Harvey
8 – Memphis – SF Ryan Holcomb
9 – Minnesota – SF Santo Tommasini
10 – Seattle – SF Kent Johnson
11 – Los Angeles – PF Jon Przybilla
12 – Milwaukee – PG Marcus Settles
13 – Washington – C Sam Russell
14 – Oklahoma City – C Dario Lima
15 – New Orleans – PG Dan Rayner
16 – Toronto – PG Steven Fletcher

It’s not a bad mock but I can’t see Przybilla drop out of the top ten. And in case anyone is wondering, Santo Tommasini IS related to Tiburcio as he is Tiburcio’s nephew. Will he be as good? Only time will tell but most signs point to no.

[zike_42]

End of Season Rookie Six Report – Year 15

This report is going to be a fairly short one as most of them are at the end of their careers and I’ll do a much more in-depth one then.

#17 PG Cort Majishun, Brooklyn Nets
Season Stats – 18.1 points, 8.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.1 blocks
Career Stats – 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks

Another year another great performance from Cort Majishun. At age 35 he’s getting up there but he is still going strong. His numbers are down across the board but I would kill to be able to average those stats at his age.

#31 SF Jack Dawkins, Memphis Grizzlies
Season Stats – 19.8 points, 5.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks
Career Stats – 21.2 points, 6.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks

The biggest move of last off season, the man many thought would die a Maverick jumped ship to Memphis. It seems to have paid off for him as his numbers are the highest in three years to fill the gap left by Arthimus Smallwood. Can he keep it up? Memphis are hoping so.

#25 SG Kenneth Long, Portland Trailblazers
Season Stats – 14.3 points, 2.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.7 blocks
Career Stats – 16.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.0 block

Traded part way through the season from Orlando to Portland, he became a key component of the Blazers’ second unit and got all the way to the NBA Finals before falling. If he stays with Portland his numbers will drop but he’ll still be a quality bench player for them.

#43 C Art Stevenson, Phoenix Suns
Season Stats – 11.2 points, 1.0 assist, 5.8 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 1.2 blocks
Career Stats – 14.3 points, 1.0 assist, 7.0 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 1.5 blocks

Stevenson played brilliantly for the Suns, starting 40 games for them when their usual starting centre went down with injuries. He still has plenty left in the tank as a fringe starter/sixth man and will be sought after in free agency.

#4 SG Chris Jones, Houston Rockets
Season Stats – 0.4 points, 0.6 assists, 0.8 rebounds, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks
Career Stats – 13.7 points, 7.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.0 blocks

After playing three minutes in five games for Phoenix he was traded to Houston before getting cut from the Rockets. At age 36 he’s pretty much done and expect him to retire either this season or next season.

#43 PF Terry McKenzie, No Team
Season Stats – N/A
Career Stats – 17.0 points, 1.2 assists, 8.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks

No team took a shot at 37 year old McKenzie and as the oldest of the Rookie Six his career is probably over. He has had a fantastic career but it seems that it’s time for him to hang up the boots.