You're Moving Us To Toronto?!!

[Tim Moungey]

FWIW, I wouldn't rest all your starters at once, either. I'd rotate out which starters get rest for each game, so you avoid any potential rust issues.

[K.J.]

Thanks for the tip. I used to do that until two starters whom I was playing received relatively serious injuries. Henceforth, I started to rest all of my starters at once.

But you were right. My starters were often rusty for the first two or three games of the First Round. Still, we were able to win comfortably.

[Myles Nelson]

Seattle and Pittsburgh

[zike_42]

To be honest, I never thought of resting my starters because I have put the CPU in charge of depth charts/sub matrix and wrote it off as Rudy T taking care of it. I will have to have a few words with Coach about this.

[zike_42]

The last Player of the Month title went to Lebron James from Miami who averaged 28.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks in a truly dominant all-around showcase as the Heat went 14-3 in March.

Scott Channing from the Los Angeles Clippers won the Rookie of the Month title for March, averaging 14.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals with the Clippers going 8-7 in the month.

There are only 11 games left in the regular season and we have a 4.5 game lead of Miami, so I asked Rudy T to rest some starters before the playoffs to conserve their energy.

The first game of April Kevin King and Tim Mozgov were rested and we get pummelled 116-104 to Chicago as Willie Warren goes off for 31 points, helped by Derrick Rose’s 22 points and 11 assists. New starters Ed Davis and DeMar DeRozan were average with Davis going 2/13 for 7 points while DeRozan had 15 points.

Toronto Raptors 60-12

The next game is a 106-90 win over Washington with DeRozan having 19 points in 21 minutes and Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Gilbert Arenas top scored for the Wizards with 24 points.

Toronto Raptors 61-12

Dwight Howard has a triple double with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in our 111-102 win over Milwaukee. Andrew Reed beats up Reggie Williams for 25 points and Brandon Jennings shoots badly for 22 points.

Toronto Raptors 62-12

The next three games will be resting Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo and we lose to the Bulls again 116-102. Chicago has six players in double figures while we had Kevin King with 30 points and three bench players in double figures, led by Andrew Norwood with 13 points and 5 assists.

Toronto Raptors 62-13

New York puts up 140 points to our 119 as they shoot 65% from the field. Amar’e Stoudemire (31 points) and Raymond Felton (29 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds) lead the way with too many other players to list. Kevin King had 28 points while Trent Bailey starts and plays well with 15 points and 8 assists.

Toronto Raptors 62-14

Three losses for this group as we go down to Charlotte 99-81 as we shoot 37% from the field. Jason Beck plays well for 29 points and 12 rebounds while Tim Mozgov has 14 points and 11 rebounds with Ed Davis doubles up as well.

Toronto Raptors 62-15

We are only 2 games ahead of Miami but that is alright, there is only five games to go but I have put all the starters back.

We go into Cleveland and come out with a 123-107 behind Kevin King’s 27 points and 8 assists. Ed Davis continues to play like a starter with 22 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Carmelo Anthony shoots badly (8/22) for 27 points and Avery Bradley has 24 points but 5 turnovers.

Toronto Raptors 63-15

Shooting 57% from the field will nearly always guarantee a win and we do that just with a 134-109 win over Indiana. Dwight Howard had 38 points, Rajon Rondo chipped in with 24 points and 13 assists and Ed Davis again rose from the bench with 15 points. The Pacers had six players in double figures but were blown out in the first half.

Toronto Raptors 64-15

Three games to go and we are 2.5 games ahead of Miami so if we win this game we win the #1 seed for the playoffs. So it’s even better when we get past Boston 109-100 as Kevin King has 28 points and Reggie Williams 24 points. Tony Rein top scored for the Celtics with 25 points but for the Celtics to succeed they are going to have to break up their 6’1 Tony Rein/6’3 Jules Riley starting backcourt.

Toronto Raptors 65-15

Our new starting five –
PG Trent Bailey
SG DeMar DeRozan
SF Hassan Trivuncic
PF Ed Davis
C Matt Simpson

I don’t expect to win either of the two remaining games but it will give them some great experience.

Philadelphia is a great team and we get pummelled 107-86 as Chris Paul has 34 points and 11 assists while Wesley Johnson helps with 20 points. DeMar DeRozan leads the way with 24 points and Hassan Trivuncic shows some potential with 18 points and Ed Davis had 6 blocks.

Toronto Raptors 65-16

In our last game of the season is a 108-96 loss to Indiana. DeMar DeRozan again top scores with 21 points while Chuck Hayes has 12 rebounds and Andrew Norwood scored 11 points. Reggie Williams plays all of six minutes but sprains his finger and is injured for 11 days or so. Wonderful.

Toronto Raptors 65-17

We do win the #1 seed by 1 game but hopefully we are more rested than the Heat and it gets us over the line.

Eastern Conference –
1st – Toronto Raptors – 65-17 (.793)
2nd – Miami Heat – 64-18 (.780)
3rd – New York Knicks – 58-24 (.707)
4th – Philadelphia 76ers – 53-29 (.646)
5th – Charlotte Bobcats – 50-32 (.610)
6th – New Jersey Nets – 47-35 (.573)
7th – Washington Wizards – 46-36 (.561)
8th – Orlando Magic – 45-37 (.549)
Last – Atlanta Hawks – 20-62 (.244)

Who would have thunk it? We play the Magic in the first round, you could almost say the NBA is rigged.

Western Conference –
1st – Oklahoma City Thunder – 56-26 (.683)
2nd – Portland Trailblazers – 55-27 (.671)
3rd – Utah Jazz – 52-30 (.634)
4th – Dallas Mavericks – 48-34 (.585)
5th – Los Angeles Clippers – 39-43 (.476)
6th – Phoenix Suns – 37-45 (.451)
7th – Sacramento Kings – 37-45 (.451)
8th – Golden State Warriors – 35-47 (.427)
Last – New Orleans Hornets – 23-59 (.280)

This has to be one of the worst Western Conference in a LONG time, with five teams under .500 making the playoffs and a team that is a whopping 12 games under snuck in. #8 Orlando would have been a #5 seed.

Toronto Top Points – Kevin King (23.5), Dwight Howard (19.9), Reggie Williams (14.6), Tim Mozgov (14.2)
Toronto Top Rebounds – Dwight Howard (11.7), Tim Mozgov (8.6), Kevin King (5.1), Ed Davis (4.3)
Toronto Top Assists – Rajon Rondo (10.5), Kevin King (4.2), Reggie Williams (3.0), Trent Bailey (2.3)

League Top Points – Lebron James MIA (25.8), Kevin Durant OKC (25.5), Carmelo Anthony CLE (25.4), Dirk Nowitzki DAL (24.3)
League Top Rebounds – Dwight Howard TOR (11.7), Chris Kaman POR (11.6), Cole Aldrich OKC (11.3), Amar’e Stoudemire NYK (11.3)
League Top Assists – Rajon Rondo TOR (10.5), Chris Paul PHI (9.8), Russell Westbrook OKC (9.2), Deron Williams UTA (8.7)
League Top Blocks – Dwight Howard TOR (3.8), Justin Cabrera HOU (3.6), Claudio Carrera MEM (3.4), Andrew Bogut LAC (3.4)
League Top Steals – Monta Ellis GSW (2.2), Kevin King TOR (1.9), Xavier Henry PHO (1.9), Rajon Rondo TOR (1.9)
League Top FG% - Dwight Howard TOR (.587), Nikola Pekovic UTA (.549), Tim Mozgov TOR (.542), Anthony Morrow NJN (.530)
League Top 3P% - Anthony Morrow NJN (.480), Mike Miller MIA (.473), Channing Frye PHO (.461), Brandon Rush WAS (.461)
League Top FT% - Paul George POR (.932), Mo Williams DEN (.925), Manu Ginobili DAL (.921), Dirk Nowitzki DAL (.919)
League Top Turnovers – Aaron Brooks HOU (4.1), Boleslav Silajdic ATL (3.9), Tyreke Evans SAC (3.9), Devin Harris NJN (3.8)

THE OFFICIAL UNVIELING OF THE TOP FOUR EXPANSION CITIES IS UP NEXT!

[K.J.]

I shall be keeping my fingers crossed for your Raptors.

I have noticed two things about my Celtics. During the regular season, when the rotation was longer, we often won close games in the fourth quarter due to the sheer depth of our bench. However, in the playoffs, when the rotation was much shorter, we frequently won close games because of the relative freshness of our starters.

So, good luck for the playoffs!

[zike_42]

The four finalists for the 2016 expansion draft have been unveiled, with some surprises in the mix (in no particular order) –

Seattle, WA – Population 608,660

Seattle is the northernmost major city in the contiguous United States, and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and the state of Washington. The city hosted the Seattle Supersonics from 1967-2008 before they were relocated to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder. It is obvious that the public wants another team in Seattle and more than likely the team would use the name ‘Supersonics’ if they win. Has the best odds to acquire a team.

Seattle main sports teams are –
Baseball – Mariners
Football – Seahawks
Soccer – Sounders FC
WNBA – Storm.


San Diego, CA – Population 1,307,402

San Diego, named after Saint Didacus is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round climate, its natural deep-water harbor, and its long association with the U.S. Navy. Some people say that there are too many Californian teams (three) but San Diego is far enough south to be closer to Mexico and should have its own fan base to become successful. However, it does have the third worst odds to become successful in obtaining a team.

San Diego’s main sports teams are –
Baseball – Padres
Football – Chargers.


Honolulu, HI – Population 374,658

Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city and is the surprise player in the competition. Players will love the climate and pristine beaches which may give the home team an advantage, but it is a very long distance from the Eastern side of America which might hinder its chances. However, the public voted it in the top four which means there is a demand for a Hawaii team. Honolulu has the worst odds in getting a team.

Hawaii has no professional sports teams.


Pittsburgh, PA – Population 305,704

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States. While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today its economy is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, and financial services. It will be the second NBA team in Pennsylvania if successful with Philadelphia being over 300 miles away which is similar to San Diego who are far enough away from the other teams to grow their own fan base. They have the second best odds for being given an NBA franchise and will most likely be coloured yellow and black.

Pittsburgh main sports teams are –
Baseball – Pirates
Hockey – Penguins
Football - Steelers.


The two winning cities will be announced after the NBA Finals.

[Tim Moungey]

Concerns about gambling cost Las Vegas a franchise again, I see. That's been the story for years.

I think Seattle is a lock to get a franchise and return as the Supersonics and I'll keep voting them.

If it wasn't for the distance, I'd be switching my vote to Honolulu, but that's a long, long flight. I don't think basketball would catch on in Pittsburgh, personally. It's very much a football city. At the very best, I think that expansion team would be equivalent to the Bucks in terms of fan interest and support.

[zike_42]

Las Vegas is getting closer and closer to winning a team and I wouldn't be surprised if an existing team folds then they would be one of the frontrunners to take over, especially if Seattle gets one of these expansion teams.

[zike_42]

So the expansion cities have been announced and I would be shocked if Seattle doesn’t get a team, and I would love for a Honolulu team as the Canadian winter can get a bit much and a nice holiday in Hawaii would be great. But we can’t focus on that now, we have a first round to win against Washington as 41-41 Chicago won the Central division and are the 4th seed, keeping 45-37 Orlando at home.

2015 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference:
#1 Toronto vs. #8 Washington
#2 Miami vs. #7 New Jersey
#3 New York vs. #6 Charlotte
#4 Chicago vs. #5 Philadelphia

Western Conference:
#1 Oklahoma City vs. #8 Golden State
#2 Portland vs. #7 Sacramento
#3 Dallas vs. #6 Phoenix
#4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #5 Utah

We were 3-0 against the Wizards in the regular season but we were 3-1 against Chicago last season and that didn’t work out too well for us so I’m not taking any chances.

Eastern Conference 1st round Washington vs. Toronto

Point Guard
John Wall vs. Rajon Rondo
19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists vs. 12.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists
Great match-up between super quick scorer and super quick facilitator. Wall won’t get the looks he usually gets because Rondo is a fantastic defender.

Winner - Draw

Shooting Guard
Gilbert Arenas vs. Reggie Williams
20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists vs. 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Reggie Williams is battling a sprained finger so look for DeMar DeRozan and Trent Bailey to pick up more minutes which could be devastating for Toronto as Arenas is a magnificent scorer.

Winner - Washington

Small Forward
Shea Hines vs. Kevin King
7.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists vs. 23.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists
Usual starting SF Dontonio Seymour is injured so will only play limited minutes with 7’2 monster Hines filling in. Look for King to have a huge series as he will be able to get around the slow footed Hines at will.

Winner – Toronto

Power Forward
Rashid Shiran vs. Tim Mozgov
12.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists vs. 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists
One half of the Dynamic Duo, Mozgov has eaten up smaller PFs because of his size. He has three inches on Shiran but the Israeli is a fantastic player and should give Mozgov all he can handle.

Winner - Draw

Centre
Michael Nicholson vs. Dwight Howard
10.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 rebounds vs. 19.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists
What more to say that hasn’t all ready been said about Howard. In the past four seasons, he has won three MVP award. Nicholson is a below average defender and will be pushed around all series.

Winner - Toronto

Bench
Dontonio Seymour, Thadddeus Young, Jeramy Smith vs. Ed Davis, Trent Bailey, DeMar DeRozan
Seymour has a strained knee and won’t be back until at least game three while Young and Smith are average players. One the other side, all three Toronto players could start for lesser teams.

Winner – Toronto

Prediction – Toronto in 5.

The crowd in Toronto are as vocal as I have ever heard as they want to erase the memory of last season and the team doesn’t let down with a 127-98 win. Our big guys dominated the Wizards young’uns with a combined 41 points, 25 rebounds, 6 assists and 10 blocks to Washington’s 8 points, 10 rebounds and 27 minutes for Shiran and Nicholson. Ed Davis helped out with 12 points in 12 minutes while John Wall and Rajon Rondo played to a stalemate.

Toronto leads 1-0

Game two is a continuation of game one with a 116-73 win as our largest lead was 43 points. Tim Mozgov was again awarded player of the game with 23 points and 12 rebounds as we keep them to 38% to our 55%.

Toronto leads 2-0

Going to Washington we are greeted with a sea of blue and the Wizards played better but had no answer to the brilliance of Kevin King who dominated with 40 points and 8 rebounds. John Wall breaks out from Rajon Rondo with 25 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds but Gilbert Arenas shoots badly again for 21 points.

Toronto leads 3-0

Game four was similar to game three – Washington played well but had no answer to Kevin King. King had 32 points and 5 assists, helped out by Tim Mozgov with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks as we sweep the Wizards 109-102. Gilbert Arenas finally breaks out for 32 points and Rashid Shiran gets away from Mozgov’s suffocating defence for 34 points but 7 turnovers. The team collectively sighs as we get to the second round.

Toronto wins series 4-0

There was one other sweep, with #5 Utah providing a small upset over #4 Los Angeles Clippers.

The next night #3 New York gets past #6 Charlotte in five games.

#2 Miami wins in six games while two upsets happen the same game with #7 Sacramento beating #2 Portland and #6 Phoenix upends #3 Dallas.

The two series that went the distance were won by the lower seed with #5 Philadelphia beating #4 Chicago and #8 Golden State beating #1 Oklahoma City behind Steph Curry averaging 28 points in the series.