New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

Looking at the starting five of the Spirs reminded me of the Heat's roster in my Sonics expansion franchise I am running. The offseason before the third season of my league, the Heat signed Dirk to a 1-year, $3 mil deal. They then dealt away a couple of their stiffs off the bench for Kevin Garnett when Bksh went down with an injury. Next they traded for Jameer Nelskn and at the deadline swung a deal for Tim Duncan. Their first 7 in the rotation were:

PG - Jameer Nelson
SG - Dwyane Wade
SF - LeBron James
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Chris Bosh
6 - Kevin Garnett
7 - Tim Duncan

Somehow the New Orleans bounced them out in the ECF (Hornets moved East due to two expansion teams in the west) en route to winning the title.

Holy hell that is a stacked team. What year is it? Are they all decrepit old fools going for last ring. Imagine how much money that team would have made over all of their careers.

[zike_42]

Nice 11 game winning streak you had going there.

I'm quite happy with this team at the moment, not so happy next month when I try a trade.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves – 30.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Ernest Jameson, Los Angeles Lakers – 13.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

We’re up against the 4-41 Magic and it’s a massacre. Out biggest lead was 42 points, we kept Orlando to 28% shooting on our way to a 106-69 win. Rudy Gay had 23 points while Anderson Varejao and Ekpe Udoh combined for 29 rebounds as we utter demoralised them. Marshon Brooks was the only Magic player in double figures with 17 points while Al-Farouq Aminu had a game to forget with a 1/12 shooting night.

New York Knicks 33-12

I don’t know how Kevin Durant does it but in their 126-105 win over Atlanta he had 67 points and 9 rebounds. 25/40 from the field, 8/17 from three and 9/10 from the line in yet another game over 60 points. Didn’t shoot as well as the other games but you can’t really complain much when he puts up two thirds of a century in one game.

The next night is a bittersweet one for the Knicks. We beat Boston 125-90 behind Anderson Varejao’s 32 points and 7 rebounds but halfway through the game Avery Bradley goes down with a torn knee tendon, keeping him out for the majority of the next calendar year. Crap. Rookie Ben Chambers top scores for the Celtics with 19 points but he has to be one of the worst defenders in the league which is why AV could rack up 32 points on him.

New York Knicks 34-12

Raymond Felton gets the nod to start at SG but I like him coming off the bench so I go shopping, maybe Memphis will trade Dion Waiters back to us. I don’t get Waiters but I get someone better.

New York trade:
SF Paul Pierce
SF Josh Howard
PG Aaron Brooks
SG Jodie Meeks
2016 1st round pick (NYK)

Charlotte trade:
SG Andre Iguodala
SF Omri Casspi

Winner – New York. Without a doubt the Knicks won this trade. They didn’t have to shell out the first rounder from Milwaukee and three out of the four players they traded are bench fillers. Iguodala was a All NBA Third teamer last season. Massive steal from the Knicks.

I absolutely love this trade but it puts us even more into luxury tax territory so I’m going to have to win the championship now because there will not be any leeway. I sign Sundiata Gaines, Alan Anderson and Hassan Whiteside to end of bench roles because of their stellar D-League play.

How about the first game from AI, huh? 13 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds in our 120-109 win over Brooklyn. Wow! Rudy Gay had 26 points and 8 rebounds to lead the way. Apparently Joe Johnson is coming off the bench all the time now which is strange, but he did have 21 points. That’s a good waste of $20 million; play him 28 minutes a game.

New York Knicks 35-12

**TRADE**

Atlanta trade:
PG Jeff Teague

Sacramento trade:
C Chuck Hayes
SF Travis Outlaw
2015 1st round pick

Winner – Sacramento. Sure the Hawks have Jose Calderon to play point but Teague is a great player and they didn’t get anything substantial for him. The pick won’t be in the lottery either.

For some reason Mike Woodson wanted Raymond Felton to start at SG in our 121-115 win over the surging Pistons. Felton went 1/5 from the field but did have 13 assists. Rudy Gay was our best again with 30 points and 14 rebounds, closely followed by Chris Paul’s 29 points and 9 assists. Greg Monroe was close to a triple double with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists for the losers.

New York Knicks 36-12

I talk to Mike about putting AI back into the starting line up and he said he would think about it but he likes Ray and Chris together. I’m not too sure about that but I guess I have to trust him.

The other superstar Kevin (Love) got into the action the next night, here is his statline –

44 minutes, 19/31 FG, 3/6 3P, 9/12 FT, 27 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks, 50 points. Yep, in their 100-79 win over Phoenix Kevin Love had 50 points and 27 rebounds, talk about taking care of business.

The Bobcats weren’t a challenge since they lost AI, as we beat them 97-70 in a very early night. Chris Paul had 27 points with AI putting up 9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists against his old team. Our old players combined for 14 points off the bench.

New York Knicks 37-12

Sacramento come to town the next night and we nearly squander a 21 point lead as we hold onto a three point win 104-101. Rudy Gay had 33 points while DeMarcus Cousins shows just how good he is when he wants to be with 35 points (on 10/30 shooting!) and 17 rebounds, matched in the boards category by his teammate Thomas Robinson.

New York Knicks 38-12

The Hornets are a very surprising 36-15 but they don’t stand a chance against us, beating them handsomely 108-77. Anderson Varejao had 28 points and 17 rebounds while Andre Iguodala had 21 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Yep Mike is sticking with the two PG rotation. Ah ha! I know why the Hornets didn’t put up much of a fight, Anthony Davis has torn his Achilles (a lot of that going around) and will be out for aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages.

New York Knicks 39-12

It’s All Star weekend time and it will be interesting to see who will replace Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Anthony Davis as they were locks for the All Star game.

First up is the Long Distance Shootout with Novakane himself, Steve Novak (BKL), showing the rest how it is done. In the final he scored 27 out of 30 to win over Brandon Rush (GSW) and Luke Babbitt (POR).

In the always exciting Slam Dunk Contest Cameron Ray (LAC) was the favourite throughout all of the event, winning the preliminaries as well as the final over Zamiro Kettle (PHI).

In one of the most one sided Rookie/Sophomore games I have ever seen, the second year players dominated the rooks 155-100. John Johnson (DET) had 34 points while hitting 10/14 three pointers to go along with his 9 rebounds and 7 assists as six other players were in double figures, three of those scoring 20 or more. For the Rookies Ernest Jameson (LAL) was their best with 18 points but it was embarrassing. I’m sure the rookies will come out firing next year as sophomores to get some pride back.

The All Star game was more exciting, with both teams getting out to double digit leads, with 16 lead changes, but it was the visiting East who triumphed 137-126. Kyrie Irving was named All Star MVP with 33 points while Paul George helping out with 20 points and 14 rebounds. For the West Kevin Durant had 34 points with James Harden being his backup with 23 points. We had three players become All Stars with Rudy Gay (13 points) starting in place of the injured Lebron James as well as Anderson Varejao (7 minutes 2 rebounds) and Chris Paul (15 minutes, 8 points).

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Rudy Gay, New York Knicks
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons
Al Jefferson, Charlotte Bobcats

Western Conference All Star Starters
Brandon Jennings, Dallas Mavericks
James Harden, Houston Rockets
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Dwight Howard, San Antonio Spurs

It’s back to business two night later but we were still in All Star mode as we get demolished 96-71 to Detroit. Greg Monroe was great with 21 points and 10 rebounds as we shoot 28% from the field in a terrible display for a championship quality team.

New York Knicks 39-13

Quite a few trades happened today as the trade deadline is only a couple of days away.

Oklahoma City trade:
C Kendrick Perkins

Miami trade:
PG Jameer Nelson
2015 2nd round pick

Winner – Both. Although the Thunder now have five PGs on their roster, Nelson is now their second best and will be a great asset off the bench. Perkins isn’t as good as he used to be but he is decent and is a $9 million expiring contract. Win for both teams.

Portland trade:
SG Will Barton
PF Jared Jeffries
2015 2nd round pick

Boston trade:
PF Brandon Bass

Winner – Portland, by a mile. Barton and Jeffries are slotted in at 12th and 13th men for Boston while Bass is the Blazers’ first big man off the bench and will help hold the fort until LaMarcus Aldridge comes back from injury. He is also a $7 million expiring contract as well.

New Orleans trade:
SF Marvin Williams

Golden State trade:
SF Brandon Rush
2015 2nd round pick

Winner – Golden State. It’s not the best trade for either as Rush is a one dimensional sharp shooter while Williams isn’t as good as his bloated contract but he is a better player and will help the Warriors at times.

Houston trade:
2015 1st round pick

Toronto trade:
SG Terrence Ross

Winner – Houston. Ross is better than anything they could have got with their first round pick this season and it really looks like the Raptors are in tanking mode, but they are trading away all their good young prospects, so I have no idea what they are doing.

Indiana trade:
PG Myron Nee
PF Darrell Arthur

Utah trade:
PG Darren Collison
2015 2nd round pick

Winner – Indiana. Collison goes back to the Pacers after three seasons abroad and will help out the already stacked Indiana team. Nee and Arthur are average players but Collison is the better basketballer and will be a great bench PG behind Iman Shumpert.

Detroit trade:
SF Kyle Singler

Phoenix trade:
C Timofey Mozgov
2015 2nd round pick

Winner – Phoenix. Mozgov is the better player (just) but the Pistons have Greg Monroe, Pau Gasol, Andre Drummond and Larry Sanders as their big men so just where is Mozgov going to get his minutes from? Singler slots into the Suns’ sixth man.

I decide to bolster our bench stocks by burning our only expendable asset.

New York trade:
C Hassan Whiteside
PG Sundiata Gaines
SF Omri Casspi
2015 1st round pick (MIL)

Brooklyn trade:
SF Andrew Seitz

Winner – Push. Seitz is a very good all around young player and an excellent defender like the Knicks like. At the moment the pick will be in the lottery but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Bucks will get into the playoffs as an eight seed.

I sign John Lucas and Josh Boone to one year deals to round out the squad. Seitz will make an excellent companion to AI as the one-two punch off the bench.

The Thunder get a huge shock when they came into the Garden as we call ourselves ‘Lightning’ because thunder always comes second. Meaning we won 102-79 if that wasn’t clear. Chris Paul lights up Russell Westbrook for 39 points with Rudy Gay and AV doubling up. Kevin Durant plays a lone hand with 30 points for the Thunder.

New York Knicks 40-13

More trades:

Oklahoma City trade:
SG Marco Belinelli

Orlando trade:
SG JJ Redick

Winner – Both. Much of a non-event trade it’s just interesting that the Thunder now have eight of their thirteen players as PGs or SGs. There are only two SFs (one injured), two PFs and one C on the team now.

Denver trade:
SG Evan Fournier
PG Andre Miller

Indiana trade:
PF Drew Gooden
2015 2nd round pick

Winner – Denver. The Pacers now have eight guards on their team as well which isn’t the best squad management. Gooden has been known to be bad luck for team though.

New Orleans trade:
2015 1st round pick

Miami trade:
PG Norris Cole

Winner – Both. Cole is a welcomed addition to the Hornets trying to keep their head above water post Anthony Davis while the Heat are in full tank mode and are jettisoning any dead weight for first rounders.

Anderson Varejao monsters the Bobcats in our first game back since the trade deadline with 21 points and 19 rebounds as we win in Charlotte 98-85. Raymond Felton isn’t playing as well as he could at SG so I’m really going to hint to Mike that AI should start there. Ty Lawson has 25 points on 24 shots in a losing effort.

New York Knicks 41-13

Mike Woodson gives Ray freaking Allen the start at SG which really makes me mad on our 101-92 loss to Boston. Kevin Garnett has 26 points in 20 minutes on 8/8 shooting off the bench for the winners as Rudy Gay is our best with 34 points.

New York Knicks 41-14

AAARRGGHH. Why do you make me mad Mike Woodson!

We go into Orlando and beat up the nearly 10 win Magic 102-79. Ray Allen gets another start and this is really making me mad.

New York Knicks 42-14

It’s the end of February and apart from this whole coach battle we are doing quite well. We’re only half a game behind Indiana for the first seed (so is Cleveland) while Orlando might just get to 10 wins next month at 9-48.

In the West San Antonio have taken over first spot with a 40-17 record, only half a game ahead of Minnesota. Phoenix are still last with a 16-43 record.

New York Top Points
Rudy Gay – 23.1
Chris Paul – 17.0
Anderson Varejao – 14.2

New York Top Assists
Chris Paul – 9.1
Raymond Felton – 4.1
Andre Iguodala – 3.5

New York Top Rebounds
Anderson Varejao – 11.5
Ekpe Udoh – 6.8
Rudy Gay – 6.3

League Top Points
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 32.4
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.8
Kevin Love (MIN) – 29.1

League Top Assists
Rajon Rondo (BOS) – 10.7
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 10.4
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – 10.3

League Top Rebounds
Kevin Love (MIN) – 13.6
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 12.4
Kenneth Faried (DEN) – 11.9

League Top Efficiency
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.4
Kevin Love (MIN) – 28.4
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 27.7

Rookie Top Efficiency
Ernest Jameson (LAL) – 15.8 (12.4 points, 1.2 assists, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks)
Ben Chambers (BOS) – 10.9 (11.1 points, 0.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks)
Charles Canady (LAC) – 10.5 (8.2 points, 5.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks)

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects (previous rank in brackets)

1. (1) SF Wesley Fields (LSU), Sophomore, 6’7”, 221lbs
22.1 points, 5.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.1 steals

2. (2) PF Nate Roberts (Boston College), Junior, 6’10”, 251lbs
22.1 points, 2.6 assists, 16.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 0.9 steals

3. (4) SF Antoine Martin (Colorado), Junior, 6’5”, 208lbs
19.3 points, 4.9 assists, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.2 steals

4. (5) SF Paul Orvis (UT-Chattanooga), Sophomore, 6’6”, 199lbs
24.3 points, 3.2 assists, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.6 steals

5. (NR) PF Dave Webb (Indiana), Junior, 6’9”, 241lbs
21.5 points, 6.7 assists, 12.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 2.0 steals

[Rizzo]

Holy hell that is a stacked team. What year is it? Are they all decrepit old fools going for last ring. Imagine how much money that team would have made over all of their careers.

The year is 2014-2015 so they aren't ancient but they are in their last legs. I'm just glad to see that they lost in the ECF.

[zike_42]

The year is 2014-2015 so they aren't ancient but they are in their last legs. I'm just glad to see that they lost in the ECF.

I reckon you should do a dynasty about your Sonics team!

[zike_42]

February Player of the Month – Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder – 35.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game.

February Rookie of the Month – Ernest Jameson, Los Angeles Lakers – 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

I really don’t like this current rookie crop, there are too many terrible defenders and too many mediocre players compared to last year.

Our first game for March is a 106-74 away win over Toronto with Rudy Gay doing the damage with 27 points and 9 rebounds while AI got the start at SG for 17 points. The Raptors had no offence all game with DeMar DeRozan the leading scorer with 14 points on 6/21 shooting.

New York Knicks 43-14

It looks like Mike has listened to reason as we beat our bogey team Washington 104-87. Ai had 22 points but Ekpe Udoh was the superstar with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks to record his first ever triple double. Trevor Ariza was perfect from the field with 22 points on 10/10 shooting.

New York Knicks 44-14

Memphis comes to town and we get out to a 13 point lead to see it evaporate to a seven point deficit. Luckily for us we had Rudy Gay on our side as we eek out a 96-94 win. Gay had 26 points and 6 steals while CP3 was everywhere with 12 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Zach Randolph was the best for the Grizzlies with 21 points and 14 rebounds as ex-Knick Gerald Wallace is now starting at SF and had 21 points of his own. Apparently Dion Waiters is unhappy with his playing time and has stated in a couple of interviews that he wants to come back to New York but since it’s past the trade deadline there is nothing I can do about it.

New York Knicks 45-14

Even though the Hornets are missing Anthony Davis they are still a worthy opponent and it took us quite a while get shake them off, the last quarter in fact where we went 36-20 for a 111-98 win. Andre Iguodala had 24 points and 9 rebounds as he is finally settling in to the starting position while Anderson Varejao had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Lewis Vines is looking like a damn good point guard recently and in my opinion will be vying for an all star selection in the future. He had 19 points, 8 assists and 4 steals in this game.

New York Knicks 46-14

We travel to Portland the next night and have our winning streak broken 98-93. Damian Lillard is also a PG to look out for as he had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as Chris Paul was frustrated all night, shooting 8/23 from the field. Rudy Gay led us with 34 points.

New York Knicks 46-15

Philadelphia have been pretty terrible this season but stuck around with us, even forcing overtime but we got there in the end, winning 113-111. Rudy Gay took player of the game honours with 34 points but Anderson Varejao was my best with 14 points and 21 rebounds. AI nearly had a triple double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Jrue Holiday was also close to a triple double with 25 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in the loss.

New York Knicks 47-15

Milwaukee comes to town so it gives us a great chance to see Thomas Cooper and how he is doing. Too bad for him he went 2/11 from the field for 7 points and 5 fouls in our 112-94 win. Rudy Gay was again in the 30 point mark with a flat 30 while AI was again near a triple double with 12 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds. I will never get sick of reporting that Rudy Gay was over 30 points and Andre Iguodala nearly had a triple double because we usually win when that happens. Grevis Vasquez was the Bucks best with 28 points but turned the ball over seven times.

New York Knicks 48-15

Thomas Cooper hasn’t been lighting it up in Milwaukee, dropping his scoring average to 11.9 but increasing his rebounding 6.0 a game. He even got a block in late January but that is the only one he has ever recorded in his short career. I’m glad I traded him.

If anyone is interested Charlotte’s Dennis Freymond still hasn’t recorded a block shot.

Freymond and his Bobcats come to the Garden and we take them down 99-82. I only get half of my record player with Rudy Gay scoring 30 points and 10 rebounds but AI did not come close to a triple double that was Chris Paul. CP3 had 8 points, 10 assists and 7 steals. Al Jefferson was amazing with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks in their loss.

New York Knicks 49-15

After the game Anderson Varejao and Andrew Seitz have an argument about something, I’m pretty sure it was about a girl. It seems all arguments between two guys are about some woman. I tell them to knock it off and be better teammates. AV cools down but Seitz walks out of the room still fuming and I’ll have to keep an eye on him so he doesn’t cause problems.

Chris Paul plays his old team and puts on a show with 39 points and 4 steals as we beat the Clippers 121-107. He was everywhere and rookie Charles Canady could not slow him down. Canady was still decent with 16 points and 9 assists but tonight it was all Paul. Blake Griffin had the triple double no-one wants with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

New York Knicks 50-15

Woo, 50 wins!

Going into Sacramento we thought it would be an easy win as DeMarcus Cousins has torn his MCL and will be out for over a year but the whole Kings team pulled together to beat us 99-95. A whopping nine King players were in double figures with the highest being only 16 from Jeff Teague, that is what you call a team effort. Chris Paul was our best with 20 points and 10 assists.

New York Knicks 50-16

The Lakers are a shell of the team we played in the NBA Finals and it showed in our 103-89 win in LA. Ernest Jameson is bringing some class to the team with 18 points and 7 rebounds but they shot 36% from the field. Rudy Gay is our best with 25 points and 6 rebounds.

New York Knicks 51-16

The Phoenix Suns are very young and it showed as they turned the ball over 29 times in our 112-90 win. Chris Paul and Rudy Gay combined for 66 points and 10 steals to make sure there was no upset.

New York Knicks 52-16

The addition of Andre Iguodala has really given Chris Paul the opportunity to score more and not having to worry about distributing the ball as much, with AI having another 10 assists in this game. It really creates match ups with Paul taking poor PG defenders to the cleaners.

We shoot 48 free throws (hitting 34) in our 108-100 win over the very good Denver team. Chris Paul had 25 points and 6 assists with Jordan Hill putting up 8 points and 9 rebounds off the bench as Ekpe Udoh gets into foul trouble trying to guard Kenneth Faried. Speaking of Faried he had 25 points and 8 rebounds for the game. Pretty good for a guy that is only earning $2.2 million a year.

New York Knicks 53-16

How about that Grevis Vasquez huh? Scoring nine points in the Bucks’ 118-102 win over Orlando, pretty impressive. Oh wait, the fact that he had 25 assists is the impressive statistic.

What’s that about Chris Paul scoring more now Ai is on board? He put up 44 points (and 9 assists) in our 112-93 win over Utah. AI was also excellent with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. This is what you didn’t want huh Mike? Derrick Favors is doing his thing with 29 points and 15 rebounds but the rest of the team wasn’t up to standard.

New York Knicks 54-16

We run out of steam in our last game of the month as we go down to Atlanta 102-91. Josh Smith is fantastic with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Chris Paul is our best with 24 points and 13 assists. It doesn’t help when Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala combine for 9/30 shooting.

New York Knicks 54-17

So at the end of March we are 54-17 after going 12-3 in the month, which puts us first in the Eastern Conference, half a game ahead of Indiana. Cleveland has dropped off a bit, now 5.5 games behind us. Orlando have got into double figures, right now with a 13-61 record. Miami are falling like a stone, now third last in the conference at 22-51. What’s funny is that Miami traded this year’s first round draft pick along with Mike Miller for Jerryd Bayless, I’m sure they would love to go back in time and not do that trade.

In the West Minnesota have taken back the lead with a 51-21 record, one game in front of San Antonio and five games ahead of Houston and Portland. Phoenix is still on the bottom with a 18-53 record.

New York Top Points
Rudy Gay – 23.9
Chris Paul – 18.0
Anderson Varejao – 13.4

New York Top Assists
Chris Paul – 9.1
Andre Iguodala – 4.0
Raymond Felton – 3.6

New York Top Rebounds
Anderson Varejao – 11.2
Ekpe Udoh – 6.8
Rudy Gay – 6.1

League Top Points
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 32.7
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.8
Kevin Love (MIN) – 29.5

League Top Assists
Rajon Rondo (BOS) – 10.8
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – 10.8
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 10.2

League Top Rebounds
Kevin Love (MIN) – 13.5
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 12.3
Kenneth Faried (DEN) – 12.1

League Top Efficiency
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.4
Kevin Love (MIN) – 29.1
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 28.6

Rookie Top Efficiency
Ernest Jameson (LAL) – 15.6 (12.0 points, 1.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks)
Charles Canady (LAC) – 11.0 (8.6 points, 5.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks)
Ben Chambers (BOS) – 11.0 (11.4 points, 0.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks)

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects (previous rank in brackets)

1. (2) PF Nate Roberts (Boston College), Junior, 6’10”, 251lbs
22.7 points, 2.6 assists, 17.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals

2. (1) SF Wesley Fields (LSU), Sophomore, 6’7”, 221lbs
23.5 points, 5.8 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.2 steals

3. (4) SF Paul Orvis (UT-Chattanooga), Sophomore, 6’6”, 199lbs
27.3 points, 3.5 assists, 11.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 3.0 steals

4. (3) SF Antoine Martin (Colorado), Junior, 6’5”, 208lbs
24.1 points, 5.9 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.5 steals

5. (NR) PF Leonard Hale (Auburn), Junior, 6’8”, 228lbs
21.8 points, 3.8 assists, 10.7 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 0.9 steals

[Rizzo]

I reckon you should do a dynasty about your Sonics team!

I would really like to write about my dynasty on the Sonics but I am really strapped for time. If I did it, I would probably do it like yours giving a quick wrap up on each game.

I just finished my draft heading into the Sonics' 3rd season (4th overall for my league) and I hope we can challenge for a playoff spot.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder – 33.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Ernest Jameson, Los Angeles Lakers – 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

With eleven games to go and only a half game lead in the conference I don’t think we will be resting any of our stars, especially since those eleven games are against some tough teams.

Our first game of April is against the third placed Cavs and we completely demoralise them 106-82 in Cleveland. Chris Paul has a blinder with 22 points and 9 assists as Andrew Bynum is disappointing with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Bynum has been disappointing the whole season with all of his numbers being down apart from blocks that has gone up a whopping 0.2 of a point.

New York Knicks 55-17

We get our revenge on Miami after they clobbered us last time, winning this one 104-71. Rudy Gay had 22 points but it was our bench who excelled. John Lucas had 14 points and 12 minutes while Andrew Seitz had 11 points and 4 rebounds in only 18 minutes. Chris Bosh was the lone stand out with 16 points and 9 rebounds but nothing else of value from the team.

New York Knicks 56-17

At three quarter time it was level against Chicago but they pulled out a 23-12 last quarter as we go down 107-96. Derrick Rose is another casualty on the long list of injured superstars so it was Carlos Boozer that took over with 23 points and 16 rebounds, helped out by second year Jake Chase who had 19 points. Rudy Gay had one of his inefficient games with 23 points on 27 shots and 8 turnovers.

New York Knicks 56-18

Andrew Bynum disappoints me again with 16 points and 7 rebounds as we beat the Cavs again 117-92. Rudy Gay had 36 points but it was Chris Paul who stole the show with 26 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds and 8 steals to display his all around game.

New York Knicks 57-18

In our game against Boston is a real track meet as both teams shot over 50% from the field, too bad for us we lost 120-116 as the Celtics outscore us 43-36 in the last. Rookie Ben Chambers was electric with 27 points on 12/14 shooting while Jeff Green had 17 points in only 15 minutes. Rudy Gay was our top scorer again with 27 points as all five of our starters are in double figures.

New York Knicks 57-19

Chris Paul, Rudy Gay and Anderson Varejao combined for 76 points in our 110-99 win over Atlanta as no other Knick scored in double figures. Louis Williams was great for the Hawks with 35 points on 13/17 field goals but they missed 13 free throws.

New York Knicks 58-19

AI is close to a triple double as we never lose our lead in a 107-84 win over Milwaukee. Iguodala had 14 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds as we outrebounded the Bucks 50-30. Thomas Cooper was again subpar with 15 points (3/10 FG), 2 rebounds and four turnovers. Good win by a great team.

New York Knicks 59-19

It’s the battle of the top two seeds of the Eastern Conference and we get our 60th win over Indiana 93-87. Rudy Gay was in fine form with 36 points and 13 rebounds while Jordan Hill had 12 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Paul George was the Pacers’ best with 19 points and 12 rebounds as we shoot 32% from the field and still win, somehow.

New York Knicks 60-19

The next night Anderson Varejao had 17 points and 20 rebounds in our 111-86 as we stitch up the first seed in the East and probably the league. Dorell Wright was the Sixers best with 27 points but they shot a terrible 38% from the field.

New York Knicks 61-19

With that win we are now the first seed in the playoffs so Mike and I decide the rest a few starters, trotting out a starting line-up of –

PG – Raymond Felton
SG – Andre Iguodala
SF – Andrew Seitz
PF – Jordan Hill
C – Greg Oden

Great, both Ray and AI strain various body parts in our 112-94 loss to Brooklyn. Deron Williams had 33 points for the victors while Andre Iguodala was our best with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. The big news was that Greg Oden went 8/8 from the field for 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. Good on him.

New York Knicks 61-20

In our last game we only suit up eight players so obviously we lost 106-92 to Indiana. Andrew Seitz had 30 points while Jordan Hill put up 17 points and 8 rebounds. Paul Millsap was the Pacers’ best with 24 points and 16 rebounds but it really didn’t matter.

New York Knicks 61-21

That means we were two games ahead of Indiana for the best record in the league and home court advantage throughout the playoffs which is always good.

Eastern Conference Standings
1. New York Knicks – 61-21 (.744)
2. Indiana Pacers – 59-23 (.720)
3. Detroit Pistons – 55-27 (.671)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – 54-28 (.659)
5. Brooklyn Nets – 45-37 (.549)
6. Washington Wizards – 45-37 (.549)
7. Charlotte Bobcats – 41-41 (.500)
8. Atlanta Hawks – 39-43 (.476)
Last – Orlando Magic – 17-65 (.207)

Western Conference Standings
1. San Antonio Spurs – 59-23 (.720)
2. Minnesota Timberwolves – 58-24 (.707)
3. New Orleans Hornets – 52-30 (.634)
4. Houston Rockets – 51-31 (.622)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – 49-33 (.598)
6. Portland Trailblazers – 49-33 (.598)
7. Denver Nuggets – 47-35 (.573)
8. Golden State Warriors – 44-38 (.537)
Last – Phoenix Suns – 21-61 (.256)

The West is the better conference as both the Grizzlies and Kings would have made the eight in the East.

New York Top Points
Rudy Gay – 24.2
Chris Paul – 18.0
Anderson Varejao – 13.3

New York Top Assists
Chris Paul – 9.0
Andre Iguodala – 4.0
Raymond Felton – 3.4

New York Top Rebounds
Anderson Varejao – 11.0
Ekpe Udoh – 6.6
Rudy Gay – 6.1

League Top Points
Kevin Durant (OKC) – 33.2
Lebron James (MIA) – 29.8
Kevin Love (MIN) – 29.1

League Top Assists
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – 11.0
Rajon Rondo (BOS) – 10.6
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – 10.1

League Top Rebounds
Kevin Love (MIN) – 13.3
Kenneth Faried (DEN) – 12.5
Derrick Favors (UTA) – 12.2

League Top Blocks
Anthony Davis (NOH) – 4.2
JaVale McGee (DEN) – 3.7
Ekpe Udoh (NYK) – 3.6

League Top Steals
Kawhi Leonard (SAS) – 2.6
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – 2.5
Lebron James (MIA) – 2.5

Rookie Top Points
Ben Chambers (BOS) – 11.9
Ernest Jameson (LAL) – 11.8
Hayletts Smith (ORL) – 10.2

Rookie Top Assists
Charles Canady (LAC) – 6.0
Marcus Sarpy (WAS) – 2.5
Kent Graves (SAC) – 1.7

Rookie Top Rebounds
Ernest Jameson (LAL) – 8.2
Hayletts Smith (ORL) – 5.6
Ben Chambers (BOS) – 5.1

Up next – Playoffs! The Atlanta Hawks come to town.

[zike_42]

2015 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New York vs. #8 Atlanta
#2 Indiana vs. #7 Charlotte
#3 Detroit vs. #6 Brooklyn
#4 Washington vs. #5 Cleveland

Western Conference
#1 San Antonio vs. #8 Denver
#2 Minnesota vs. #7 Portland
#3 New Orleans vs. #6 Oklahoma City
#4 Golden State vs. #5 Houston

We went 3-1 in the regular season and I really have high hopes for this team.

Eastern Conference First Round – Atlanta vs. New York

Point Guard
Jose Calderon vs. Chris Paul
8.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds vs. 18.0 points, 9.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds

With Atlanta trading away Jeff Teague to Sacramento Calderon has had to step into the starting position which is why his numbers don’t look good. He isn’t a very good defender which is going to hurt the team because Paul is too quick for better defensive guards and will run rings around Jose.

Winner – New York

Shooting Guard
Louis Williams vs. Andre Iguodala
18.0 points, 3.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds vs. 11.4 points, 4.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds

Lou Williams is the Hawks best scorer but he is only 6’2” and AI is an excellent defender who will beat down on the Hawk all series long. If Williams doesn’t fire then it’s lights out for Atlanta.

Winner - Atlanta

Small Forward
Derrick Brown vs. Rudy Gay
12.9 points, 1.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds vs. 24.2 points, 2.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds

The Knicks’ best scorer against the Hawks’ fifth best starter. Obviously New York are looking for Gay to have a huge series.

Winner – New York

Power Forward
Josh Smith vs. Ekpe Udoh
14.9 points, 3.3 assists, 8.6 rebounds vs. 9.1 points, 1.1 assists, 6.6 rebounds

Two of the best big man defenders go up against each other and expect lots and lots of blocked shots. Smith is a part of the Hawks’ fantastic big man duo with Horford and will need to play out of his mind for the Hawks to sniff victory.

Winner - Atlanta

Centre
Al Horford vs. Anderson Varejao
14.9 points, 1.7 assists, 7.6 rebounds vs. 13.3 points, 1.4 assists, 11.0 rebounds

Horford has been disappointing this season but he is still a very dangerous centre in the league. These two will be banging down low all series long and it will be so fun to watch.

Winner - Draw

Bench
Demond Lewis, Ronnie Brewer, Chuck Hayes vs. Raymond Felton, Andrew Seitz, Jordan Hill

Lewis is a great young centre who should start one day but the Knicks just have too much talent on their bench for the Hawks to battle.

Winner – New York

Prediction – New York in five.

The New York crowd knows that this team is built for a championship and also know about the problems that I have had with management so are ready for the win. Because as you all know, winning solves everything. Game one is closer than I would have wanted but we do get the win, a 104-98 grinder. Rudy Gay was amazing with 37 points on 15/15 from the line while Chris Paul put up 24 points. Al Horford and Josh Smith combined for 48 points and 21 rebounds while Lou Williams added 22 points of his own. We only shot 42% from the field but went 34/46 from the line to stitch up the win.

New York leads 1-0

The crowd is in a frenzy halfway through our second game and with good reason, we were leading 41-12 at quarter time and 70-39 at halftime. The game slows down as all the energy is sapped out of it as we win 120-83 in a statement. Rudy Gay matches his 37 points from the first game while Anderson Varejao had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Smith and Al Horford reversed their output with 26 points on 7/26 shooting combined. We took care of business at home we just need to win in Atlanta and onto the next round.

New York leads 2-0

Going into Atlanta I think the Hawk crowd is a little nervous that they are going to be run over by the New York juggernaut but until that happens they are backing their team. Scarves are waving, fans are jumping and there is an infectious joy that ran through the team like electricity. You know what? It worked. The only lead that the Hawks had was their winning one as we were leading through the first three quarters but Atlanta came back from double digits to win 94-88. Josh Smith had 19 points and 11 rebounds while his buddy Al Horford helped out with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Anderson Varejao was our only light with 28 points and 10 rebounds as Rudy Gay and Chris Paul combined for 30 points on 8/31 shooting. Not good.

New York leads 2-1

Lou Williams had 30 points in game four, helped by Al Horford’s 25 points and 10 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as we take them to the brink with a 109-98 win. Chris Paul finally gets out of Jose Calderon’s surprisingly good defence with 34 points while AI had 22 points of his own but fouled out late trying to defend Williams. One more game and we can have a rest before the next round.

New York leads 3-1

Houston causes a minor updated, beating #4 Golden State in four games to bring out the brooms.

The New York crowd has an inevitable feeling about them, thinking that this game will be a walk over and we will go through to the next round. The Hawks have a different idea though, limiting us to only 36% from the field as they claw one back 104-97. The Hawks shot 52% themselves as Al Horford is one of six players in double figures with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Rudy Gay went 9/23 as Andre Iguodala was our best with 24 points. One more win, preferably the next game.

New York leads 3-2

Two more series have finished with #3 Detroit taking care of #6 Brooklyn in five, as did #2 Indiana over #7 Charlotte.

Yessssssssssssss. Rudy Gay led the way with 38 points as I don’t have to sweat anymore as we take the series 100-91. Anderson Varejao had 20 points and 16 rebounds but in a worrying trend our bench didn’t really do anything again, scoring a massive five points for the game. Josh Smith tried his best with 15 points and 12 rebounds but with a team like ours it’s only a matter of time before we click away from home.

New York wins series 4-2

#5 Cleveland did a Houston as they beat #4 Washington 4-2 which takes care of one of our bogey teams. #2 Minnesota took out #7 Portland in six games as well.

Wow. Massive news. #8 Denver has shocked the basketball world by beating #1 San Antonio in seven games, while #6 Oklahoma City beat #3 New Orleans which is impressive by the Hornets as they still don’t have Anthony Davis. Did I say that a bogey team has been eliminated with Washington? Make that two with San Antonio.

Up next – The very dangerous but streaky Cleveland Cavaliers.

[zike_42]

2015 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 New York vs. #5 Cleveland
#2 Indiana vs. #3 Detroit

Western Conference
#2 Minnesota vs. #6 Oklahoma City
#5 Houston vs. #8 Denver

We went 2-1 against the Cavs and I’m a little worried about this team. I’m confident with my team but the Cavs can be amazing on their game.

Eastern Conference Semi-Final: Cleveland vs. New York

Point Guard
Kyrie Irving vs. Chris Paul
19.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists vs. 21.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists

It may be a little premature but the torch has been passed as the best PG in the league from Chris Paul to Kyrie Irving which is amazing since Irving is only 22 years old. However that doesn’t mean that Irving is going to win this match-up as Paul has been an excellent scorer lately with the addition of Andre Iguodala.

Winner - Draw

Shooting Guard
Altron Johnson vs. Andre Iguodala
12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists vs. 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists

The second year Johnson has been decent but AI has been fantastic for the Knicks. He hasn’t put up gaudy numbers but does everything needed for this team to win. Altron will need to slow down AI’s play making to get a tick.

Winner – New York

Small Forward
Alonzo Gee vs. Rudy Gay
19.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists vs. 29.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Gee has been phenomenal lately and was a scoring machine in the previous series. Unfortunately Gay was outstanding and will continue his scoring blitz on the below average defender Gee.

Winner – New York

Power Forward
Brennan Weber vs. Ekpe Udoh
10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists vs. 6.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists

What a surprise Weber has been for this Cavs side. He was picked #24 last season and has well and truly entrenched himself in this starting line-up. He can get to the line like no-one’s business and will cause problems for Udoh.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Andrew Bynum vs. Anderson Varejao
21.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists vs. 15.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists

Finally! Andrew Bynum has shown what he can do when he puts his mind to it. He totally demolished the Wizards last series and will be looking to do that against Varejao.

Winner - Cleveland

Bench
Tristan Thompson, Tyson Chandler, Amir Johnson vs. Raymond Felton, Andrew Seitz, Jordan Hill

The Cavs have great frontcourt depth but their backcourt depth is severely lacking with #10 Daniel Gibson being the first guard off the bench. Chandler will have a bone to pick with his old team so look for a big series from him.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – Cleveland in seven.

Game one had Alonzo Gee and Rudy Gay trade buckets with both players ending with 24 points, Chris Paul and Anderson Varejao added 22 points each while Kyrie Irving had 17 points and 10 assists to go with his seven turnovers. There were nine lead changes, all in the first three quarters. Luckily for us our crowd is amazing, AMAZING, and we held our nerve to take first blood by winning 114-102.

New York leads 1-0

In a game where Kryie Irving had 20 points and 11 assists, Andrew Bynum had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Tristan Thompson had 14 rebounds off the bench would equate to a Cavs win, right? Nope, they shoot 38% from the field as we clobber them 107-88 to take a 2-0 lead. Anderson Varejao had another great game with 14 points and 13 rebounds but it was Elton Brand who gave us a boost in the third quarter with all of his 13 points coming in that term.

New York leads 2-0

The Cleveland crowd haven’t been this rowdy since they got swept in the 2006 NBA Finals so right now they are screaming for some New York blood. And holy hell did they get it. We shoot 32% from the field, led by Rudy Gay’s 4/25 night to go down 98-78 in our second lowest scoring total of the season. Andrew Bynum has found his stride with 25 points and 10 rebounds and fouling out AV in only 14 minutes. Kyrie Irving also chipped in with 20 points and 8 assists.

New York leads 2-1

Mike goes in before the game and gives the team a massive pep talk to get them going again, we don’t want the crowd to get the better of us. So we score three less points than last game and lose 100-75. Chris Paul is our only light with 29 points but we shoot 37% from the field in another woeful display. Andrew Bynum is tearing it up now, this time with 26 points and 11 rebounds. I’ve never wanted to be in New York as badly as I do now.

Series tied 2-2

Ah New York City. Where if we win we are crowned as kings, but if we lose we are shunned. Luckily for us we have been winning lately. The trend continues as we get to within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of 113-98. Rudy Gay had 34 points and 12 rebounds while Andre Iguodala put up 26 points and 9 rebounds. Andrew Bynum doesn’t like away cooking it seems as he could only manage 19 points and 7 rebounds. I would love to win the next game in Cleveland to take the series because Chris and Rudy have been playing massive minutes lately.

New York leads 3-2

#2 Minnesota have moved onto the next round with a 4-1 series win over #6 Oklahoma City.

The roof is rocking in Cleveland and seeing as it is a fairly balmy night (for Cleveland’s standards) there is a massive television outside for the people who couldn’t get seats inside. We keep it close early but there must be something in the walls of this place because we just can’t score here, as the series goes to a game seven with the Cavs win 103-82. Kyrie Irving loves it here, putting up 26 points and 11 assists while keeping Chris Paul to 9 points and 4 turnovers and Andrew Bynum had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks. I guess all of the regular season trouble to get home court advantage has come in handy.

Series tied 3-3

#8 Denver has continued their Cinderella story with a 4-2 series victory over #5 Houston.

Damn. The Cavs outscore us 29-11 in the final term to take the series 94-72 and I’m almost certainly out of a job. Kyrie Irving is most definitely the best PG in the league, showing it with 31 points while Andrew Bynum shot 5/17 from the field but ripped 21 rebounds. We shot 32% from the field as boos rained down for the majority of the last quarter. What a sad, depressing way to go out.

Cleveland wins series 4-3

#3 Detroit got over the line against #2 Indiana to face off against Cleveland.

Oh wow, #8 Denver has made it to the NBA Finals after sweeping #2 Minnesota in four games. What a massive upset and many people are backing the Nuggets to go all the way. The next night #3 Detroit beat #5 Cleveland in five games to set up the NBA Finals match-up.

In terrible news for the Nuggets their best player, Kenneth Faried, has broken his elbow and will not play in the NBA Finals which is devastating. It doesn’t matter because they force a game seven in Detroit but the Pistons won out, winning the last game and the championship 122-93. That is a very impressive showcase by the Nuggets to get that far without Faried.

Time to face the music...