New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Axel Rancik, Oklahoma City Thunder – 27.9 points, 11.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Chad DeWitt, Philadelphia 76ers – 13.3 points, 1.0 assist, 5.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.8 blocks per game.

Only one trade this month.

Indiana trade:
C Jason Alexander
PG Tarvis Lawrence

Orlando trade:
PF Ratko Nedic
2038 2nd round pick

Winner – Indiana. Even though Nedic is classed as a PF he’s a good SF where he is now starting. Alexander on the other hand is terrible and is fifth in line at the centre position in Orlando. Lawrence has been released.

Shaun Tebbs is injured and now his back up Fletcher Sears has a sore foot and will be down for about two/three games.

Tim Martin is now our starting SG and he did well with 10 points and 11 assists as we take the Raptors to the cleaners with a 114-94 win in Canada. Danny Perez was our high man with 23 points as we keep Toronto to 40% shooting. Courtney Boykin led them with 21 points but BJ Watson had a stinker with 4 points on 2/11 shooting.

Portland Trailblazers 13-1

Damn, we lose again, this time to Houston who put up one hell of a fight as neither team had a double digit lead. Cameron Brown was just too much for us with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as they win on our home court 103-98. Derrick had a blinder with 24 points and 14 rebounds as Lou nearly had a triple double with 21 points, 13 assists and 9 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 13-2

Lou Beck went 3/9 for 7 points. He also had 24 assists as we stomp the Riders 113-102. Those 24 assists were mostly to Danny, Chris and Derrick who combined for 84 points which was amazing. Cliff Havens had 21 points and 13 rebounds and even though San Diego shot 50% from the field we took 13 more shots and hit eight more which did it for us.

Portland Trailblazers 14-2

Two games ago Cameron Brown had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a Houston win. Tonight Cameron Brown had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a 115-101 Houston win. Spooky. Traves Parker was our best with 20 points on 9/10 shooting in 21 minutes but we turned the ball over way too many times with 20 compared to their 13.

Portland Trailblazers 14-3

Derrick Culuko went 10/12 for 25 points but strained his abdominal muscle as we win 121-97 over Philly so it’s a win some, lose some kind of game. Shaun seems to be better with 21 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds as we shoot a blistering 65% from the field. Padorin Ivelitsch had 27 points and 8 rebounds for the losers. Traves Parker will start for the week and a bit that Derrick is out.

Portland Trailblazers 15-3

Our starters score 106 points as we rout the Suns 121-103. Shaun led the way with 30 points but as you can see, the rest did pretty well also. Our old player Calvin Ash played decently with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks but was undone by Brian Stackhouse’s 0/11 shooting night for 0 points and 10 assists.

Portland Trailblazers 16-3

That’s three games in a row where we scored 121 points, this time it’s also a win as Charlotte only got to 110. Shaun had a massive game, going 18/26 for 44 points and 7 assists while Danny Perez had 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7 shots. RT Adams had 24 points for the vanquished as they really don’t have any top flight players or even any potential coming through, they’re just sitting.

Portland Trailblazers 17-3

The Thunder are going great guns at 12-4 but we’re better, winning easily 115-82 and there is a ball rolling it seems. Derrick is back in the starting line up with 13 points and 6 rebounds but it was our defense that did the job, holding OKC to only 38% shooting. Axel Rancik, the best player in the league at the moment, was held to only 3/14 shooting for 13 points and 15 assists.

Portland Trailblazers 18-3

Hopefully our defence is a hallmark of this team as we are keeping teams well below the 100 point barrier, this time the Suns got caught up as got smashed 117-85. Shaun was our high man with 24 points but it was Derrick who stole the show with 22 points and 10 rebounds on a crazy 10/11 shooting. Calvin Ash wasn’t so good, going 2/9 for 6 points.

Portland Trailblazers 19-3

Danny Perez seems to be the under appreciated guy on our squad, always putting up good numbers but never the best player on any given night. Until our 125-102 win over Golden State where he missed only six shots for 39 points and 10 rebounds to blow everyone away. He’s up to 19.6 points a game this season which is insane, talk about silent assassin. Aolinary Dembowski had 26 points and 6 rebounds for the losers.

Portland Trailblazers 20-3

Our last game for 2037 was a disappointing 101-90 loss to OKC to snap our streak. Zan Tepavac had 23 points and 8 rebounds which counteracted Mike Bickerstaf’s 11 points. Shaun Tebbs had 20 points but we shot 41% from the field and just couldn’t get into the game and it seems that some of our guys were just hankering for a New Year’s party.

Portland Trailblazers 20-4

Another fantastic month (even though we lost a whopping three games) still has us first in the conference with OKC breathing down our neck at 19-6. Milwaukee and Denver are further back at 21-10. It seems that we played Phoenix every second game that month which put them at 7-24 and last in the West.

If you thought we were going gangbusters, then the Nets are out of this world at 30-3 and on track to break the single season record so far. Indiana are second at 24-9 while Memphis are actually decent this season at 19-11. New York are far from decent at 5-20 and they really haven’t been good since I left all those years ago.

Portland Top Points
Shaun Tebbs – 20.3
Danny Perez – 19.1
Lou Beck – 14.3

Portland Top Assists
Lou Beck – 11.6
Shaun Tebbs – 5.5
Tim Martin – 2.7

Portland Top Rebounds
Chris Waters – 6.3
Derrick Culuko – 6.0
Danny Perez – 5.5

Kevin Morrison is averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in the D-League so next season look out for this guy.

League Leaders
Points – Michael McQuay (ATL) – 30.9
Assists – Lou Beck (POR) – 11.6
Rebounds – Reggie Smith (NOH) – 11.7
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 3.2
Steals – Axel Rancik (OKC) – 2.9
Efficiency – Axel Rancik (OKC) – 29.9

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mack Haston (SAS) – 13.1
Assists – Mack Haston (SAS) – 5.6
Rebounds – Chad DeWitt (PHI) – 5.1
Blocks – Jeffrey Johnson (ATL) – 1.0
Steals – Andy Bowman (NOH) – 1.2
Efficiency – Mack Haston (SAS) – 13.3

First Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. PF Lewis Jones (Auburn), Sophomore, 6’8”, 231lbs
2. SF Rich Muckle (High School), Senior, 6’7”, 231lbs
3. C Tavorris Hancock (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 251lbs
4. SF Chris Bannon (High School), Senior, 6’10”, 219lbs
5. SG Tom Julius (Souther Illinois), Junior, 6’6”, 210lbs

Thoughts – This looks like the first draft where the high schoolers are taking over, as six of the top eight players are still in high school. Lewis Jones stands out though with his strength and back to the basket game but right now there is no real clear cut player like last year.

[OzzieLaker]

Kevin Morrison is looking very, very good. May I ask what his current/potential ratings are?

[zike_42]

Kevin Morrison is looking very, very good. May I ask what his current/potential ratings are?

I have such high expectations from Morrison, probably too much. He is already a fantastic rebounder and he'll get better, he's an above average defender who (hopefully) get to the great level and his work ethic is stellar at only 19 years old. The best part is that he can draw fouls like the best can, and once he has grown into his body he should be unstoppable. He's attempted 109 FTs in 16 games so far in the D-League which is crazy and he's shooting it at 57% which is passable for a big man.

[zike_42]

November Player of the Month – Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks – 34.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

November Rookie of the Month – Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs – 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

Two pretty sizable trades last month which is a change.

Washington trade:
C Brian Caldwell
2038 2nd round pick

Toronto trade:
PG LaZelle Brown

Winner – Washington. Even though Brown is a lazy, prissy guy he is still better for the team than Caldwell and his contract is shorter. To make matters worse, Caldwell is going to drag down their two potential all star centres in BJ Watson and Courtney Boykin.

Boston trade:
PG Gamal Hicks
2038 2nd round pick

Utah trade:
PG Ryan Cornell

Winner – Both (neither?). This is a real strange one as both a very young, very high potential point guards that haven’t made their mark yet. I like Cornell a little more in the long run but Hicks is slightly better now. Weird trade.

We start the new year with a 112-102 win over Miami and surprisingly it was level at three quarter time before we turned on the jets. Lou had 15 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals against his old team but he was not to be upstaged by the guy who he was traded for as Mark Lyday put up 25 points and 6 rebounds. He’s averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds a game so far this season so it was a good deal all around.

Portland Trailblazers 21-4

Our starters have 16, 17, 17, 18 and 19 points which is enough for a 107-91 away win over Boston. If anyone was wondering, Shaun was the high man with 19 points. Ben Jensen had 29 points and 10 rebounds to validate his enormous contract but was undone by Alan Patton’s 3/17 night.

Portland Trailblazers 22-4

Ah ha! We get our revenge against the Rockets by overcoming a slow start to win 108-97. Again it was a team effort as we had seven players in double figures led by Danny and Shaun with 18 points. Of course it was Cameron Brown who led Houston with 18 points.

Portland Trailblazers 23-4

What a massive game by our guys as we shoot 62% from the field and everyone on the active roster scored at least three points as we smash the Jazz 133-102. Shaun led the way with 31 points while Kevin Coley made an appearance, going 5/5 for 10 points in 11 minutes which was matched by Traves Parker, 10 points in 11 minutes. David Stetson shot badly for 23 points while Utah’s superstar, Nathaniel Jackson, had only 13 points.

Portland Trailblazers 24-4

The Spurs are still quite bad with only their rookie sensation Mack Haston doing any damage. He had 20 points and 7 assists but they just couldn’t stop our class as we win again, this time 111-94 behind Andrew Brown of all people who had 24 points to make up for Lou’s foul trouble. Chris Waters is fully healthy after a knock on the knee and had 21 points.

Portland Trailblazers 25-4

The Knicks are even worse at 6-24 and are sinking very, very quickly. We help on more misery, out shooting them 59% to 35% to totally obliterate my first team 116-79. Andrew Brown is getting his play worth with 19 points in only 13 minutes as everyone played at least 11 minutes as this game was done and dusted very early on. Chris Jones is still chipping away in New York and had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

Portland Trailblazers 26-4

It’s the battle everyone and their dog have been waiting for – 26-4 Portland vs. 37-3 Brooklyn. That Brooklyn record is not a typo. It’s in Brooklyn as well. The game goes back and forth before we bust out a 32-23 last quarter to shock the world with a 94-87 win. And it all came down to one man, that’s right: Traves Parker. Our bench dynamo had 23 points and 10 rebounds to really put a kink in the Nets’ game plan while Danny had 22 points and 13 rebounds to help out. Marshod Anderson had 22 points to lead the losers but they shot 36% from the field in one of the lowest scoring games we’ve been in this season.

Portland Trailblazers 27-4

Indiana is up next and even though Ish Faye went crazy with 29 points, Lou won the battle of the star point guards as we beat another elite team, this time a smooth 120-97 shellacking. Lou had 25 points, 19 assists and 7 rebounds in a dominant display of power while Michael Harmon was held to a paltry 13 points and 11 assists while being in foul trouble all game.

Portland Trailblazers 28-4

It just blows my mind how good this team is playing. Who would have thought that a team consisting of a bust #1 pick (Derrick Culuko), a guy who only had one suitor in free agency (Shaun Tebbs), a minimum salary guy who got looked over (Chris Waters), a skinny, short SF (Danny Perez) and the best pure point guard in the league (Lou Beck) would have a record of 28-4 so far. I guess having a superstar point guard who knows what he’s doing really makes all the difference.

Interesting fact – Derrick, Shaun and Chris were picks #1, #2 and #5 in the 2032 draft so they would know all about each other, maybe that’s why they play so well together.

That teamwork was on show as we held the Riders to 37% from the field. Granted we only shot 39% but that two percent made all the difference as we held on to win 91-81. Lou was fantastic with 26 points and 8 assists and was the only player on either side to find the basket consistently. Cliff Havens had 22 points and 10 rebounds but went 6/21 for the losers.

Portland Trailblazers 29-4

It’s back to our best for our tenth win in a row as Shaun had 27 points and Lou, Derrick and Danny had 22 points each as we win 117-89 over New Orleans. No repeat of our 39% shooting from last game as we shot a blistering 58% to the Hornets’ 47%. Reggie Smith led the way with 15 points but went 5/19 from the field and he is already starting to grumble about being in New Orleans.

Portland Trailblazers 30-4

Lou Beck went 8/12 for 20 points, 18 assists and 6 rebounds as we win again, this time getting out early and cruising to a 112-104 which is flattering to the Cavs. Chris and Danny combined for 47 points on 22/33 shooting as no team seems to be able to stop our balanced attack. Art Stevenson tried his best with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists but fell short.

Portland Trailblazers 31-4

The Lakers finally have a bit of help around Lars Ray but let’s face it, nothing compared to us. Danny had 19 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks as we run out winners 113-86. Lou Beck continued his double doubles with 18 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Lars Ray had 19 points while Jim Meeking also had 19 points on 9 shots. I really like the look of Arthinus Smallwood, a third year guy who hasn’t had the chance to start yet but could be a really good defensive, glue guy like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was before. A really, really good player who won’t give you heaps of points but will do everything else.

Portland Trailblazers 32-4

New York are still stuck on 6 wins for the season which is embarrassing for a city like that but we don’t let up on them, smashing them to kingdom come with a 103-89 win. Lou had a great game with 27 points and 12 assists while Derrick and Danny went 9/11 and 7/7 respectively for 20 points each. Brandon Meade led the Knicks with 21 points but this team is in a meltdown.

Portland Trailblazers 33-4

Another big name shot down by the Blazers as we win every quarter against Dallas to win 103-93. Lou had 21 points while Shaun went 1/14 from the field. He also went 11/12 from the line for 13 points and 10 rebounds so it wasn’t all bad. The reason we won is that we held their three stars, Jack Dawkins, Tobe Slaughter and Terry McKenzie to 12/38 shooting for 30 points. That’s how you win basketball games.

Portland Trailblazers 34-4

That’s an insane 15 wins in a row as Lou shot the ball like he used to, going 12/17 for 29 points and 8 assists as we take down the Jazz 112-100. Derrick also had a great game with 20 points and 11 rebounds as Shaun played distributor with 11 points and 13 assists. Utah only had one player and surprise, surprise it was Nathaniel Jackson who went 13/24 for 36 points and 8 rebounds but got exactly no help from his teammates.

Portland Trailblazers 35-4

Our last game of January is the rematch of the season, as the 46-5 Nets come and try and get revenge against us and our 15 game winning streak. Without Marlin Bain and for some reason bringing Kenneth Long off the bench they were no match for our zen like teamwork as we send a message to the league that we are the best team in the game today with a 115-82 win. Shaun had 22 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds while Kevin Coley of all people had 15 points in 13 minutes off the bench. Marshod Anderson was the high man for Brooklyn with only 16 points as they were suffocated by our stellar defence.

Portland Trailblazers 36-4

With that current 16 game winning streak we have jumped above Brooklyn as the best team in the league but surprisingly the West isn’t a runaway, with OKC right on our tails at 30-6, then Denver at 31-15. Phoenix are last at 11-33 but have company in Golden State and San Antonio.

The Nets have played twelve more games than us at 46-6 so us being the best team is a bit misleading, while Indiana and Memphis have fallen behind the eight ball at 34-13 and 27-18. It seems again that the East Brooklyn’s to lose. New York also has some company down the bottom at 6-37 with New Orleans keeping up at 9-36.

Portland Top Points
Shaun Tebbs – 19.4
Danny Perez – 18.0
Lou Beck – 16.2

Portland Top Assists
Lou Beck – 11.3
Shaun Tebbs – 5.7
Tim Martin – 2.3

Portland Top Rebounds
Chris Waters – 6.5
Derrick Culuko – 5.9
Danny Perez – 5.5

League Leaders
Points – Michael McQuay (ATL) – 31.4
Assists – Lou Beck (POR) – 11.3
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (SEA) – 10.8
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 3.1
Steals – Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 2.6
Efficiency – Axel Rancik (OKC) – 28.8

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mack Haston (SAS) – 13.1
Assists – Mack Haston (SAS) – 6.7
Rebounds – Chad DeWitt (PHI) – 5.1
Blocks – Jeffrey Johnson (ATL) – 1.1
Steals – Andy Bowman (NOH) – 1.0
Efficiency – Mack Haston (SAS) – 14.6

Second Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. SF Chris Bannon (High School), Senior, 6’10”, 219lbs
2. PF Lewis Jones (Auburn), Sophomore, 6’8”, 231lbs
3. SF Rich Muckle (High School), Senior, 6’7”, 231lbs
4. C Tavorris Hancock (High School), Senior, 6’1”, 251lbs
5. SF Shaun Ashman (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 210lbs

Thoughts – Again the top spot is up in the air but it feels like Jones still is the slight favourite. If teams are looking for a forward then this is the draft, with ten SFs or PFs in the top 15 players.

[zike_42]

January Player of the Month – Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks – 32.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

January Rookie of the Month – Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs – 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

One trade last month but it was a good one.

Chicago trade:
SG Paul Cunningham

Minnesota trade:
PG Randy Canal
2038 2nd round pick

Winner – Minnesota. Cunningham is a slightly better player but his situation is so much better. Now starting in Minny after being a back up for the Bulls, he will give the Wolves an important piece while Canal has gone from backing up Camah Williams to backing up DJ Forbes.

We start February like we finished January, with a win. This time it was a Traves Parker and Fletcher Sears led 114-106 away win over Utah. With Chris, Derrick and Lou all saddled with foul trouble, our super bench duo combined for 48 points which is insane and makes me feel very good about the team I have created. Nathaniel Jackson was held to only 17 points as David Stetson picked up the slack with 26 points and 9 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 37-4

It was back to our starters to do the damage as Lou and Chris had 41 points between them for a 108-95 win over Detroit. Traves wasn’t going to be left out though as he had 12 points in 18 minutes before fouling out. Jamie McMillian is looking like the best of his draft crop and tonight had 23 points and 11 rebounds before also fouling out.

Portland Trailblazers 38-4

We haven’t lost this year (yet) as we take care of business against the Celtics 115-100. Lou was so close to a triple double with 18 points, 14 assists and 9 rebounds and was helped out by Danny’s 9/11 night for 21 points. Rob Hearns had 18 points to lead Boston and it’s great to see Ryan Cornell starting at SG to give him some much needed minutes and he had 7 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 39-4

That’s an amazing 20 wins in a row as we stomp the Bulls 112-96 and I’m delirious about how this team is going. Shaun had 20 points and 8 rebounds and again our star bench guy Traves Parker piped up with 9 points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes. It helps our bench to get good numbers when our starters get out to great starts as we outscored Chicago 29-19 in the first. DJ Forbes continues his fine season with 20 points and 12 assists.

Portland Trailblazers 40-4

It was a case of “404 loss not found” as we win our 21st (woo, party!) by slaughtering the Kings 133-78. Seven players on our side were in double figures and with such a blow out everyone played at least ten minutes. Danny led us with 24 points and 9 rebounds but when we outscore our opponents 73-31 in the first half it’s not the closest of contests. Diego Acosta had 17 points for Sac-Town.

Portland Trailblazers 41-4

As you know, all good things come to an end and after such an unbelievable run we just ran out of gas, getting pumped by the Wolves 122-98. At least we won’t have an avalanche of pressure on us anymore. Enrique Mendez showed why he is one of the best with 41 points and 9 rebounds while Fletcher Sears filled in for a flu ridden Shaun Tebbs with 21 points for us.

Portland Trailblazers 41-5

Danny scored 20 points and 8 rebounds, Chris had 18 points and 12 rebounds and our bench got a great run as we blow out the Kings again 116-98. At least it wasn’t as bad as last time. The main reason we won is that we forced 17 turnovers compared to our seven which is really, really good control. Diego Acosta was again the best for Sacramento with 27 points while David Baxley had 16 points and 16 rebounds at the SF position which is huge.

Portland Trailblazers 42-5

It’s another loss, this time to the ever improving Denver Nuggets 103-93. Jason Harriman is a name from the past and put up 16 points which was matched by Jehiel DeSantis and Scott Dwiggins, with DeSantis having 6 steals as well. Derrick was great, going 10/13 for 24 points but only played 28 minutes because of foul trouble and had 5 turnovers. Ok, maybe great is not the best word to use.

Portland Trailblazers 42-6

Next up is the Wolves and we want to get our revenge against them snapping our winning streak and we do it brilliantly, bursting out to a 35-18 first quarter lead and extending it to a 67-38 lead at the long break. Lou was the star with 26 points and 12 assists while Chris only scored 10 points on 5/14 shooting but he did have 17 rebounds and 4 blocks. Enrique Mendez had 31 points and 8 rebounds for the losers but only had rookie Axel Aspe’s 15 points as help.

Portland Trailblazers 43-6

Our last game before the All Star weekend is a simple task as we breeze past the Lakers 121-107. Our big three did the damage with Lou having 25 points, 16 assists and 4 steals, Shaun adding 28 points and Danny pouring in 26 points. Lars Ray was his usual self with 27 points but they need to play Arthimus Smallwood more than 9 minutes.

Portland Trailblazers 44-6

It’s a little sad that we won’t have any participants in the Slam Dunk Contest now that I’ve moved away from perennial favourite Marshod Anderson but that’s OK, I’m happy being 44-6. Anderson does win the contest, besting Phoenix’s Darnell Kimbrough by a measly two points.

In the Long Distance Shootout, we do have an entry, in fact we have two! Shaun Tebbs and Danny Perez were selected and even though they did well, they were eliminated in the first round while Phoenix’s Tony Solverson creamed everyone else to win the crown.

In one of the closest rookie games in recent history, there were 18 lead changes and 11 ties before the second year guys held on to the lead when it counted, winning 144-140. LaZelle Milsap must have leather poisoning after taking 26 shots but he did finish with 35 points and 8 assists to take home the MVP award while Steve Respert helped out with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Two other sophomores had interesting games, with Andre Betts going 2/12 for 8 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists while Gamal Hicks added 21 points in 16 minutes. Daniel Brazzle led the rookies with 35 points and 11 rebounds with Drew Martin dishing out 15 assists to go with his 19 points.

The All Star game was not a close game, as the East burst out of the gate and didn’t look back, winning 152-122. Guess how many All Stars we got, the best team in the league and gunning for the best record ever? Zero. That’s right, no Lou, no Shaun and no Danny. This is an outrage as we should have got all three! Guess who is going to have even more motivation to smash the rest of the league? That’s right, us. Anyway, Pete Edgerson led everyone with 27 points to take home the All Star MVP award as the East hit 29 threes from a crazy 66 attempts! Reggie Smith had 23 points in 20 minutes and Michael Harmon added 18 points and 16 asists. For the West, Apolinary Dembowski led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds, which was matched by Jack Dawkins.

Western Conference All Star Starters
Michael Taylor, Milwaukee Bucks (9th selection)
Cliff Havens, San Diego Riders (3rd selection)
Tiburcio Tommasini, Milwaukee Bucks (7th selection)
Apolinary Dembowski, Golden State Warriors (2nd selection)
Jim Meeking, Los Angeles Lakers (1st selection)

Western Conference All Star Reserves
Joe Adras, Sacramento Kings (3rd selection)
Tobe Slaughter, Dallas Mavericks (4th selection)
Jack Dawkins, Dallas Mavericks (10th selection)
Julius Hobbs, Seattle Supersonics (3rd selection)
Mike Bickerstaf, Oklahoma City Thunder (10th selection)
Cameron Brown, Houston Rockets (1st selection)
Diego Acosta, Sacramento Kings (5th selection)

Eastern Conference All Star Starters
Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers (4th selection)
Gustavo Fonseca, Chicago Bulls (1st selection)
Marshod Anderson, Brooklyn Nets (3rd selection)
Michael McQuay, Atlanta Hawks (7th selection)
Jamie McMillian, Detroit Pistons (2nd selection)

Eastern Conference All Star Reserves
Jamil Fleming, Cleveland Cavaliers (7th selection)
Pete Edgerson, Orlando Magic (1st selection)
Mark Lyday, Miami Heat (1st selection)
Ish Faye, Indiana Pacers (3rd selection)
Reggie Smith, New Orleans Hornets (6th selection)
Schuyler Vanderwerken, Miami Heat (7th selection)
Juia Henchoz, Orlando Magic (3rd selection)

Zero All Stars my butt. We show how good a team with no All Stars can be as we beat up the elite Thunder 101-91 on their floor to send a message, do not ever disrespect us again. Shaun had a fantastic game with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists while holding Mike Bickerstaf to only 15 points. Axel Rancik, who didn’t play in the All Star game because of a strained abdominal but he had 22 points and 8 assists tonight.

Portland Trailblazers 45-6

In one of the craziest games of the season, my two previous teams ran up the scoreboard like nothing else. In two overtimes, the Nets outscored the Mavericks 154-147 as both teams hit 53% or higher and 43% from three. Cort Majishun was amazing with 37 points and 10 assists while Tobe Slaughter went 15/30 for 35 points for Dallas.

We keep on rolling, as we smash the Pacers 119-98 behind two guys: Shaun and Danny. They combined to go 22/25 from the stripe for 59 points as we shoot 57% from the field. Ish Faye was decent with 22 points but Michael Harmon had a shocker with 15 points and 6 turnovers.

Portland Trailblazers 46-6

Shaun continues his fine form with 28 points as we blast past the Cavs 116-97 to add to our ridiculous season. Lou had 20 points and 18 assists and this team has the biggest chip ever on their shoulders which is amazing to watch. Art Stevenson is like a fine wine as he gets better with age and had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland.

Portland Trailblazers 47-6

This team is just too good for teams like Golden State. Don’t get me wrong, GSW are good but they aren’t clicking like us and we show them just how good this Portland team is with a 113-95 shellacking. Derrick was our star with 23 points and 9 rebounds while Shaun added 21 points. Apolinary Dembowski had 30 points and 15 rebounds and how I regret saying that I wish he would get out of the league because of his name because he just won’t go away. Good for him though, seriously I love his work.

Portland Trailblazers 48-6

Since the new year this team has gone 28-2 so as you could expect, we’re leading the league and conference. OKC are behind us in the conference at 42-12 with daylight behind them. Phoenix have taken the mantle as worst team in the conference at 15-42 with GSW and San Antonio trying to catch them.

The Nets have lost a few games this month and are back at 51-10, losing their favouritism to be a 70 win team. There is daylight behind them with Indiana at 44-18 and Memphis 37-22. The Knicks are obviously last at 10-45 but they have some competition with New Orleans at 12-48 and Philadelphia 12-42 knocking on their door.

Portland Top Points
Shaun Tebbs – 19.3
Danny Perez – 18.0
Lou Beck – 16.2

Portland Top Assists
Lou Beck – 10.9
Shaun Tebbs – 5.6
Tim Martin – 2.3

Portland Top Rebounds
Chris Waters – 6.7
Derrick Culuko – 5.8
Danny Perez – 5.3

League Leaders
Points – Michael McQuay (ATL) – 30.9
Assists – Lou Beck (POR) – 10.9
Rebounds – Julius Hobbs (SEA) – 10.2
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 3.0
Steals – Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 2.6
Efficiency – Michael Harmon (IND) – 28.0

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mack Haston (SAS) – 14.4
Assists – Mack Haston (SAS) – 6.9
Rebounds – Chad DeWitt (PHI) – 5.1
Blocks – Jeffrey Johnson (ATL) – 1.2
Steals – Mack Haston (SAS) – 1.1
Efficiency – Mack Haston (SAS) – 15.6

Third Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. PF Lewis Jones (Auburn), Sophomore, 6’8”, 231lbs
2. SF Shaun Ashman (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 210lbs
3. SF Chris Bannon (High School), Senior, 6’10”, 219lbs
4. PF Kurt Sutton (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 239lbs
5. SF Rich Muckle (High School), Senior, 6’7”, 231lbs

Thoughts – Jones hits the top again which is where he will be probably end up with all the turnover in the top ten. This draft could come down to team preference instead of best player available.

[PointGuard]

OK, new house rule: zike can only use 1 star players in his dynasties from now on (ok, ok, he can have one 1.5 star player).

[zike_42]

OK, new house rule: zike can only use 1 star players in his dynasties from now on (ok, ok, he can have one 1.5 star player).

Hmm, not a bad idea.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Cliff Havens, San Diego Riders – 37.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs – 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.0 blocks per game.

There were quite a few nice trades at the deadline, with one guy that I like moving to (hopefully) greener pastures.

San Diego trade:
SF Rick Ballis
PG Marcus Barnes

New York trade:
PF Matt Reid
2038 2nd round pick

Winner – San Diego. The Riders get a new starting SF while the Knicks get two scrubs who both still have two years on their contracts. Terrible for NY.

Memphis trade:
SF Tim King
C Charles Robinson

Charlotte trade:
SG Kenyatta Havey
2038 2nd round pick

Winner – Charlotte. It’s not a bad trade for the Grizz because Harvey is a good player but they way overpaid for him. Robinson is a $7 million expiring contract while King is a young stud that at the least will be an All Defence candidate every year.

Brooklyn trade:
SG Curtis Anderson

New York trade:
PG BB King

Winner – Both/Neither. It’s a head scratcher from both sides as Brooklyn has traded one of their best guards on the squad for another PG while the Knicks now have no decent point guards on their roster. I hope Chris Jones likes playing PG again because he hasn’t liked it yet.

Memphis trade:
PF Dustin Marshall

Los Angeles trade:
SF Arthimus Smallwood

Winner – Memphis. People are really sleeping on Smallwood, he’s only 21 years old and has the potential to be a Defensive Player of the Year type player. Marshall isn’t worth a player like Smallwood.

Hmm, I knew the Hornets were bad but they aren’t this bad. We shoot 66% from the field to totally blow them out of the water with a 141-89 win. Shaun went 16/21 for 40 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals in only 33 minutes while Derrick actually hit a three pointer for 25 points on 9/10 shooting. Seriously, this game was embarrassing for NOLA. Reggie Smith must be hating it there but still had 24 points and 9 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 49-6

Lou went into beast mode with 27 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds as we take care of the Hawks 116-106. Derrick was again second in command with 24 points and surprisingly he’s shooting 64% from the field this season which is awesome. Michael McQuay was again the lone hand with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 50-6

Woo, 50 wins!

It’s been a while since Chris has had a really good game but in our 124-88 win over Houston he was on song, going 11/16 for 26 points and 7 rebounds. This team is just locking teams down as the Rockets shot 43% from the field which is around what we are holding our opponents to on average.

Portland Trailblazers 51-6

We’re averaging 115.2 points a game (9th best) but are holding opponents to only 97.2 points which is well and truly first while holding them to only .450 shooting (compared to our .533. So you can see why we are 51-6 just going off these statistics alone.

Our defence was again on show as we hold Tiburcio Tommasini and Michael Taylor to 11/29 shooting to beat the Bucks 115-92. Shaun was on the other spectrum, going 14/21 for 28 points and 8 assists as we shoot 55% to get the easy win for our tenth in a row.

Portland Trailblazers 52-6

Damn, we lose! I know, what a surprise as the Pistons withstood a comeback from us from 22 points down to hold a 102-91 win. Jamie McMillian is pleading his case to be the best centre in the league and showed it with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks as the tables were turned as they shot 52% to our 43%. Shaun was our best with 25 points.

Portland Trailblazers 52-7

When we lose we bite back on whoever we’re playing next and we did just that, opening up a 41 point lead to beat the Lakers 127-88. Danny Perez was a man possessed, going 13/16 for 36 points as everyone had ample playing time. Pete Anderson was the best of a bad bunch with 18 points as LA just couldn’t hold onto the ball, turning it over 23 times to our ten.

Portland Trailblazers 53-7

Wow, there hasn’t been a big man experience like the one Damon Ashburn put on for quite a while as Chicago’s man in the middle decimated us with 36 points and 17 rebounds to single-handedly beat us 103-95. Sure Patrick Blizzard had 24 points and 8 rebounds but it was all Ashburn. Shaun and Lou combined for 45 points and 18 assists but when Derrick, Kevin Coley and Traves Parker all foul out trying to defend Ashburn, you know you’re in for a bad time.

Portland Trailblazers 53-8

In a low scoring game (by 2038 standards) we blank the Nuggets 97-74 as they shoot 31%. We also cause 19 turnovers to our nine which is fantastic. Shaun and Danny combine for 22 points but Shaun gets the PotG award as he added 9 assists and 7 rebounds. Leon Oliver was the only Nugget with 50% or better shooting with 24 points and 11 rebounds as the rest of the starters went 8/35, ouch.

Portland Trailblazers 54-8

The Mavericks just aren’t as good as they used to be, as both Ledaryl McMillian and Terry McKenzie are both past it and Jack and Tobe Slaughter can do so much. Sure they are still quite good but not they dynasty they were. This was painfully clear from our 121-99 thrashing as Derrick had his best game yet, going 10/14 from the field and 14/20 from the line for 34 points and 13 rebounds while fouling out both Kresimir Balas and Mark Frasier. Shaun added 25 points while Tobe Slaughter bested him with 30 points and 6 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 55-8

Looks to be another hell fortnight with ten games in fourteen days. The Denver and Dallas games were the first two so we are off to a good start, but it ended there. Milwaukee still won 114-92 even with a 1/7 night from Michael Taylor because of their depth. They had six players with 16 points or more, led by Brian Jones’ 19 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. Talk about teamwork Our teamwork wasn’t as good, with Danny having 25 points and the rest watching him do his thing as our starting back court went 7/28.

Portland Trailblazers 55-9

Well, we can’t get the best record ever, set by 2023 Dallas Mavericks. Psst, I was GM of that team too. You know the one, with a Matt Brown/Jake Chase/Kevin Durant/Marcus Randle/Andre Drummond starting five? Those were good times, until it had to be blow to smithereens.

We don’t let the loss get us down as we wallop the Raptors 118-104 behind Chris’ 30 points and Shaun’s 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. BJ Watson might well be the in the top three centres as soon as next season if his 20 point, 8 rebound outing is a sign for the future.

Portland Trailblazers 56-9

Kennedy Bracey was crazy good for the Grizzlies with 37 points and 7 rebounds but he had no help as we brush past them 121-98. Lou and Shaun put on a guard clinic with 37 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds to blast Nathan McNeill and Kenyatta Harvey in the atmosphere.

Portland Trailblazers 57-9

After leading by four points and three quarter time we seem to stop playing, as the Neon went on a 28-17 last quarter to give us our tenth loss of the season with a 102-95 scoreline. Phillip Rude had 22 points and 9 rebounds but it was our inability to do anything down the stretch as we had set the game up pretty well in the first three quarters. Lou and Shaun combined for 44 points but was undone by Traves and Chris’ 5/24 shooting.

Portland Trailblazers 57-10

Lou sprained his toe falling into an advertisement billboard on one side of the court and will be out for around two weeks but we still got the win, beating down the Magic with our defence 95-77. Shaun had 20 points and 12 rebounds as we suffocated Orlando into shooting 32% with Juia Henchoz being the prime suspect with a 4/17 night.

Portland Trailblazers 58-10

Tim Martin got the nod for the starting PG position and struggled in our next game against OKC, but most players struggle against Axel Rancik. Tim went 1/9 for 5 points and 9 assists but he did hold Rancik to only 7/21 shooting which was matched by Mike Bickerstaf as we rode their poor form to a 101-81 win. Our front court did it for us as Derrick, Chris and Danny combined for 65 points and 29 rebounds compared to the Thunder’s front court of 24 points and 17 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 59-10

After only four lead changes and two ties in the first 38 minutes of the game against Nevada, things decided to do a complete 180 degrees as the Neon fought back from 20 points down to lose by just five, giving us another win 114-109. Clifton Collier had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Neon, but Chris didn’t go down swinging with 24 points and 9 rebounds of his own. Shaun had a bit of the flu which was shown by his 1/10 shooting night.

Portland Trailblazers 60-10

Woo, 60 wins!

We’re starting to get injuries at the wrong time of the season as we lose to the horrible Spurs 114-112 somehow. Actually I do know how, they shot better, rebounded better, passed better and defended better as Shaheen Mason did his best Rowan Taylor impression with 27 points and 7 rebounds while Paul Gilbert had 23 points in only 15 minutes. Danny shot 8/23 for 20 points but this team is walking wounded in this Hell Fortnight.

Portland Trailblazers 60-11

Lou, Andrew Brown, Shaun, Traves and Kevin Coley all have some kind of injury ranging from two weeks to playing but hurt.

Thankfully we get a rest day on the last day of March because we needed it. We have broken out to a seven game lead over the Thunder who are at 54-18 while Denver are ten games back from them at 42-28. Phoenix, Golden State and the team that just beat us the San Antonio Spurs are all on 24 wins.

We’ve got a two game lead over the Nets who are at 62-13 and have also broken away with Indiana at 54-21 and Memphis at 46-28. New Orleans have stolen last place from the Knicks at 13-58 but the Knicks are right there, one game behind (ahead?).

Portland Top Points
Shaun Tebbs – 19.5
Danny Perez – 18.0
Lou Beck – 16.4

Portland Top Assists
Lou Beck – 10.8
Shaun Tebbs – 5.8
Tim Martin – 2.3

Portland Top Rebounds
Chris Waters – 6.7
Derrick Culuko – 6.0
Danny Perez – 5.3

League Leaders
Points – Michael McQuay (ATL) – 30.2
Assists – Lou Beck (POR) – 10.8
Rebounds – Damon Ashburn (CHI) – 10.5
Blocks – Ish Faye (IND) – 2.9
Steals – Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 2.6
Efficiency – Michael Harmon (IND) – 29.6

Rookie Leaders
Points – Mack Haston (SAS) – 15.1
Assists – Mack Haston (SAS) – 6.7
Rebounds – DJ Brown (PHI) – 6.9
Blocks – Axel Aspe (MIN) – 1.3
Steals – Mack Haston (SAS) – 1.1
Efficiency – Mack Haston (SAS) – 15.5

Last Round of NBA Draft Prospects
1. PF Lewis Jones (Auburn), Sophomore, 6’8”, 231lbs
2. SF Chris Bannon (High School), Senior, 6’10”, 219lbs
3. SF Rich Muckle (High School), Senior, 6’7”, 231lbs
4. C Tavorris Hancock (High School), Senior, 6’11”, 251lbs
5. SF Shaun Ashman (High School), Senior, 6’6”, 210lbs

Thoughts – I’m not qute sold on Hancock in the top five at the moment as even though he’s still playing high school ball he’s still looking quite raw. Junior Steve Howard out of Texas A&M who is ranked #6 has crazy stats, going for 18 points, 19 rebounds and 3 blocks a game in his third year.

[zike_42]

March Player of the Month – Michael Harmon, Indiana Pacers – 28.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

March Rookie of the Month – Mack Haston, San Antonio Spurs – 17.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.0 blocks per game.

If Mack Haston doesn’t win the Rookie of the Year award they should just do it again until he does. He has been the premier rookie this season and it hasn’t been close.

Eleven games to go and we start with a win, beating the Riders 95-83. Danny had 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists in a nicely rounded stat line as we force 22 turnovers from San Diego. Cliff Havens might not have shot well, going 7/16 but still had 19 points and 12 rebounds to nearly offset Dave Coulter’s 9 turnovers.

Portland Trailblazers 61-11

Chris Waters went into beast mode in our 111-97 win over Golden State as he took advantage of no Apolinary Dembowski to have 28 points and 10 rebounds which obviously got him the player of the game award. It was important because no one else on our side played that well, but Matt Piatowski made a cameo for 7 points and 9 rebounds which probably doubled his season output in one game. Neil Prato is turning into a nice serviceable centre and had 25 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Portland Trailblazers 62-11

Miami might not be very good on the season (even with two All Stars) but they were good against us, forcing us into giving up the ball 20 times and shooting 41% to beat us 97-83 in our lowest scoring game of the season. Mark Lyday is loving it in Miami as he had 27 points and 9 rebounds to continue his stellar season. Shaun went 8/24 for 22 points and 11 rebounds for us.

Portland Trailblazers 62-12

We bounce back in a big way, smashing the Hawks to get our revenge with a 107-82 victory behind firstly Danny with 26 points but also our back court who had 23 points and 29 assists between them which is huge. The Hawks had nothing as Michael McQuay had probably his worst night of the season, going 3/13 for only 8 points and 7 rebounds before being sat early.

Portland Trailblazers 63-12

Grr, we finally let Tiburcio Tommasini off the leash and he punishes us, going for 38 points and 5 steals as the Bucks knock us over 125-105. We didn’t play bad, shooting 49% with Shaun having 28 points but we can’t let a generational scorer like TT get free like that.

Portland Trailblazers 63-13

Much better. We shoot dead on 60% for a 133-103 win over the Grizzlies as Lou got back to his best with 25 points and 15 assists. Shaun and Chris helped too, adding 45 points as we got out early and often. Jerry Benton has done wonder for this Memphis side who are looking at a three seed after being in the doldrums for a long time and had 26 points and 9 rebounds.

Portland Trailblazers 64-13

With five games to go we have wrapped up the conference first seed but we are still only one game ahead of the Nets for Home Court Advantage for the whole playoffs which is what I’m chasing as I don’t think we can beat Brooklyn in seven games on their home court.

It’s a good start as we have double digit blocks in our 107-88 defeat of Nevada which was punctuated by our stellar defence once again. Chris was the instigator with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks while Derrick had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Clifton Collier led the Neon with 16 points and 12 rebounds but they shot a woeful 37%.

Portland Trailblazers 65-13

It’s nose to nose at the moment as we are 65-13 and the Nets are 65-14 so we can’t slip up at all. We don’t against the Spurs, beating them 122-96 behind Shaun’s 28 points and Lou’s 21 points and 13 assists. This team is a great ‘team’, not just a group of guys playing together as we just wouldn’t be anywhere near what we are if everyone didn’t trust each other. Shaheen Mason is playing really well lately and had 32 points in the loss.

Portland Trailblazers 66-13

12/15 FG, 27 points and 15 rebounds was the statline for Chris which is insane but he still didn’t win player of the game in our 106-80 win against Seattle. That honour went to Lou Beck who had his first triple double in a Blazer uniform with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Hell, Shaun nearly had one as well with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Alfons Dietz must not have trusted his teammates to shoot the ball because he went 8/26 for 24 points.

Portland Trailblazers 67-13

In our second last game, we outscore the Nuggets 31-18 in the first quarter to cruise home comfortably 108-88. Danny was the star this time with 20 points and 10 rebounds and even with a bout of food poisoning which saw him come off the bench, nothing could stop Chris’ 17 points in 22 minutes. Jason Harriman was great with 18 points and 13 rebounds for the losers.

Portland Trailblazers 68-13

This is it, one game to go and we have a one game lead over the Nets. If we win, we get home court advantage throughout the playoffs. If not, then I don’t know who wins the tiebreaker. Actually it’s us as we won both regular season games against the Nets. Anyway, that’s good because we play terribly, going down to the Wolves 93-82 in a really, really bad shooting game. Camah Williams has a great triple double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as we shoot 39% with Shaun being our best with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Ugh, moving on.

Portland Trailblazers 68-14

Western Conference Final Standings
1 – Portland Trailblazers – 68-14 (.829)
2 – Oklahoma City Thunder – 60-22 (.732)
3 – Dallas Mavericks – 51-31 (.622)
4 – Utah Jazz – 50-32 (.610)
5 – Denver Nuggets – 47-35 (.573)
6 – Milwaukee Bucks – 47-35 (.573)
7 – San Diego Riders – 45-37 (.549)
8 – Houston Rockets – 44-28 (.537)
Last – Golden State Warriors – 27-55 (.329)

Eastern Conference Final Standings
1 – Brooklyn Nets – 68-14 (.829)
2 – Indiana Pacers – 61-21 (.744)
3 – Washington Wizards – 50-32 (.610)
4 – Boston Celtics – 47-35 (.573)
5 – Memphis Grizzlies – 47-35 (.573)
6 – Chicago Bulls – 44-38 (.537)
7 – Detroit Pistons – 41-41 (.500)
8 – Toronto Raptors – 40-42 (.488)
Last – New Orleans Hornets – 14-68 (.171)

Portland Top Points
Shaun Tebbs – 19.3
Danny Perez – 17.9
Lou Beck – 16.2

Portland Top Assists
Lou Beck – 10.5
Shaun Tebbs – 5.9
Tim Martin – 2.4

Portland Top Rebounds
Chris Waters – 6.9
Derrick Culuko – 6.1
Danny Perez – 5.2

Kevin Morrison averaged 16.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks down in the D-League.

League Top Points
Michael McQuay (ATL) – 29.5
Cliff Havens (SDR) – 29.4
Tiburcio Tommasini (MIL) – 27.8

League Top Assists
Michael Harmon (IND) – 10.7
Lou Beck (POR) – 10.5
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 10.1

League Top Rebounds
Damon Ashburn (CHI) – 10.6
Julius Hobbs (SEA) – 10.1
Diego Acosta (SAC) – 9.6

League Top Blocks
Ish Faye (IND) – 2.9
Schulyer Vanderwerken (MIA) – 2.6
Jim Meeking (LAL) – 2.3

League Top Steals
Jehiel DeSantis (DEN) – 2.6
Axel Rancik (OKC) – 2.5
Earl Harris (DAL) – 2.3

League Top Efficiency
Michael Harmon (IND) – 29.8
Ish Faye (IND) – 27.4
Michael McQuay (ATL) – 25.8

Rookie Top Points
Mack Haston (SAS) – 14.8
John Meliet (PHO) – 14.0
Daniel Brazzle (TOR) – 13.4

Rookie Top Assists
Mack Haston (SAS) – 6.7
Gyasi Marsh (NYK) – 1.7
Darrell Favors (CHI) – 1.6

Rookie Top Rebounds
DJ Brown (PHI) – 6.0
Axel Aspe (MIN) – 5.2
Chad DeWitt (PHI) – 5.1

Rookie Top Efficiency
Mack Haston (SAS) – 15.3
DJ Brown (PHI) – 13.1
John Meliet (PHO) – 13.1

[zike_42]

2038 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference
#1 Brooklyn vs. #8 Toronto
#2 Indiana vs. #7 Detroit
#3 Washington vs. #6 Chicago
#4 Boston vs. #5 Memphis

Western Conference
#1 Portland vs. #8 Houston
#2 Oklahoma City vs. #7 San Diego
#3 Dallas vs. #6 Milwaukee
#4 Utah vs. #5 Denver

After losing the first two games against the Rockets we won the next two to tie the season series.

Western Conference First Round – Houston vs. Portland

Point Guard
Ehrhart Albertz vs. Lou Beck
11.5 points, 7.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds vs. 16.2 points, 10.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds

The German floor general is pretty good, he can pass without turning it over and score when needed. Unfortunately for him, Beck is one of the best pure point guards in the league, leading everyone in assists for the season. He can also fill up the cup when his team needs a bucket so it’s going to be a long series for Albertz.

Winner - Portland

Shooting Guard
Cameron Brown vs. Shaun Tebbs
24.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds vs. 19.3 points, 5.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds

He may not have the most appealing personality but it doesn’t really affect his game and his game is gold as Cameron Brown would be a top three SG in the league today. Shaun Tebbs is good and probably should have been an All Star this year he is no match for Brown.

Winner - Houston

Small Forward
James Carroll vs. Danny Perez
10.3 points, 1.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds vs. 17.9 points, 1.7 assists, 5.2 rebounds

The under appreciated third best player in the Portland side, Perez quietly went about his business and before you know it he had 25-30 points. He should do this again here in this series, as Carroll is still young and still learning and it will be a good lesson for someone who might end up like Perez when he has finished growing.

Winner - Portland

Power Forward
Andy Kante vs. Chris Waters
17.9 points, 1.3 assists, 6.6 rebounds vs. 14.1 points, 1.3 assists, 6.9 rebounds

It feels like Kante has been in the league for what seems like forever but he is still only 29 years old and still got plenty of game left. He will need to dominate Waters as he is an important piece of this Rockets team. Cameron Brown will get his but if Kante doesn’t fire as that second option it’s going to be a short series. Waters has had games where he has looked like an All Star and will need to do that again for the Blazers to get some rest days.

Winner - Houston

Centre
Andre Sheppard vs. Derrick Culuko
8.7 points, 1.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds vs. 13.2 points, 1.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds

Usual starter Marquis Bowen has broken his leg and won’t be back for the rest of the season which is a huge blow as he averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds and a block and a half per game. Sheppard is a 6’9”, stick thin SF masquerading as a centre and will be blown out of the water by the hyper efficiency of Culuko. He may not have lived up to his number one selection but Derrick Culuko has been a solid addition to this Portland side and should pay his way here.

Winner - Portland

Bench
BB Henderson, Lannce Whitworth, Ely Campbell vs. Traves Parker, Fletcher Sears, Tim Martin

Henderson started most of the season at SF and for some reason he has been moved to the bench for the playoffs. They are going to need him to be on song as the rest of the bench hardly plays and more importantly don’t play any meaningful minutes. The Blazer bench is better (not as good as other Yaxley MacMillan teams) and should best Houston’s second unit.

Winner – Portland

Prediction – Portland in six. The Rockets are good and have some growing to do but this Portland game won 68 wins for a reason – their teamwork.

Game one was the blowout most people thought it would be as we outscore them 40-21 in the first and 30-14 in the last to take first blood 114-86. Danny was great with 28 points while Shaun bested him by a single point with 29 points. We shoot 57% to their 43% which is all I should say on the matter. Cameron Brown had a shocker with only 6 points.

Portland leads 1-0

Hmm, same old same old as we get out to a double digit lead in the first quarter to win by 20+, this time 108-83. Chris was fantastic with 18 points and 18 rebounds while holding Andy Kante to 14 points. When Chris went off, Traves came on, going 6/6 for 14 points. Cameron Brown did much better with 20 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds but he couldn’t change anything.

Portland leads 2-0

That’s more like it; a little fight in the Rockets. Andy Kante had 20 points, Ehrhart Albertz was close with 13 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds and the Houston crowd were excited. Oh, that’s right, Cameron Brown was insane with 50 points and 8 assists but it still wasn’t enough as Chris and Derrick combine for 45 points and 24 rebounds as we win again, this time by a single basket 117-114. After a shocking game one, Cameron Brown has done everything he can to try and get a win.

Portland leads 3-0

And that’s the end of that. We withstand a double digit deficit to lazily come back to take the series 111-101. Lou had his best game of the series with 29 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds as we force a whopping 26 turnovers which gave us 12 more shot attempts. Fletcher Sears had 13 points in 19 minutes to help our starting five. Cameron Brown looked to have ran out of gas, going 8/19 for 19 points as Andy Kante led the Rockets with 24 points. Onto the next round!

Portland wins 4-0

#2 OKC swept #7 San Diego as the only two white washes. #2 Indiana took care of #7 Detroit in the next game while #1 Brooklyn, #3 Washington and #5 Memphis took their series’ in six games. That means that two battles went the distance with #3 Dallas and #4 Utah taking the pressure to move onto the next round.