Blue & White: Ignite (7-2) :: Corrupted :(

[hulkamaniac9876]

I just noticed the blinking pictures (starting lineups). Freaking awesome man. Is it too late to join the game?

[Valor]

1. Spencer Hawes
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Antawn Jamison
4. None
5. No
6. Russel Westbrook

[Martti.]

1) Hawes.
2) Lakers.
3) Jamison.
4) Neither.
5) Yes.
6) Westbrook.

Once again, should be an easy victory.

[kibaxx7]

I think you will smash the Queens. Do it for me man, your favourite Laker fan

Of course, they ain't got any chance.

I just noticed the blinking pictures (starting lineups). Freaking awesome man. Is it too late to join the game?

Thanks It's not late at all, post your predictions.

Once again, should be an easy victory.

Yeah Kevin Martin isn't playing that good, so the options for Sac-Town are either Hawes or Nocioni.

[Cartar]

Spencer Hawes
LA Lakers
Antawn Jamison
None
Yes
Russell Westbrook

[kibaxx7]

Hedo Turkoglu Set To Explore Free Agency?



Small forward Hedo Turkoglu was the last Magic player to return to Orlando and reunite with teammates after the offseason, arriving from his native Turkey. Turk hopes this won't be his last summer with the town and the team he adores. He said Tuesday that he likely will opt out of his contract after the season to become a free agent, signaling the end of his six-year, $39-million deal with the Magic; this means he could play his final season in 2009-10 at $7.3 million. But he seemingly has gained enough leverage and equity after earning the NBA’s most improved player award last season. He turns 30 next March, meaning this is likely his last shot at a lucrative longterm contract. "It does make sense (to opt out), actually," Turkoglu said, adding with a laugh, "I’d be one year younger. I would love to stay in Orlando... but this is a business. My business is to play my game. If you don’t play your game, you can’t get a deal anywhere. Hopefully, Orlando will agree and we will sign, but we’ll wait and see. It’s hard to tell if I’m staying or leaving."

Magic General Manager Otis Smith said the club "would like to keep Turk" and expects to have several conversations before the February trade deadline with Lon Babby, Turkoglu’s agent. "It’s a conversation we have to have as opposed to allowing him to become free," Smith said. "We should have a pretty good idea." Turkoglu could ask for a contract similar to small forward Corey Maggette’s. Maggette signed a free-agent contract worth a reported $50 million for five years this summer with Golden State. The Magic already have three hefty contracts in place: Rashard Lewis ($116 million over six years), Dwight Howard ($85 million over five) and Jameer Nelson (about $40 million over five). Asked if the Magic could afford Turkoglu at an average of $10 million a season -given the punitive luxury tax- Smith said, "Anything is doable if you want to remain competitive. It’s a matter of how creative we can get as it relates to his contract. I’m not sure how the numbers will come in."

If it appears Turkoglu and the Magic can't agree, the Magic could trade him instead of possibly losing him without compensation. Turkoglu said he realizes he could be dealt, adding, "It’s not on my hands. Orlando can trade me. As I said, it's a business." Smith said he feels confident in retaining Turk, in part, because of Babby, saying, "Lon's not unreasonable." And also because Turk has blossomed as a player since arriving to Orlando, especially in Stan Van Gundy’s pop-a-shot offense. "If he's going to decide to opt out... he's had his best year with me. And there's a reason for that," Smith said. "We fit what Turk does, and we allow him certain freedoms. But like (Keyon) Dooling, he’s going to have to do what’s in his best interest."

[homicide1550]

Losing Turkoglu will be a big blow to your lineup.. If he wants to opt out then I guess trading him is a great idea...

[Srbija]

Those gifs for the starting line ups are unbelieveable. Always knew you were great at presentation but that is crazy.

[C-77]

Losing Turkoglu is bad he's the only Magic Player I like because of his gamewinners,and yeah those presentations are amazing

[DonDavido]

Blocks: Hawes.
Matchup: Nuggets.
Rebounds: Wallace.
DD: none.
Jefferson: no.
FG%: Telfair.

[kibaxx7]

"We started out with three tough games against three quality opponents and we faced some adversity, but we didn't waiver from what we've been wanting to do and what our goals were, and we stay at home with a perfect record,'' the Magic' Rashard Lewis said after Orlando routed the Sacramento Kings 109-81.

Orlando began the game with a 14-0 run, shooting 72% in the first quarter. The Magic, now an NBA-best 3-0 record along Houston and Boston, had virtually no trouble rolling over the Kings as they shot 59 percent from the field. Lewis and Dwight Howard led the Magic's well-balanced offense, with a game-high 22 and 17 points, respectively, and swingman Mickael Pietrus added 11. Howard, who shot 81 percent (21-for-26) against Sacramento last season, said he and his teammates weren't going to take the Kings lightly. "They were on the mend, but we didn't want to change anything we were doing,'' he said. "We've been trying to get back to playing the type of basketball we want to play. So we didn't look at this team any differently than any other team.'' Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy called it a "professional win. I thought we just needed to have a great focus and our guys did that. It's good to get this win and maintain our perfect record.''

Hedo Turkoglu had 9 points and five assists in 4-of-7 shooting for the Magic, who moved in front for good five minutes into the game. Both teams used reserves for most of the fourth quarter as Kevin Martin led the Kings with 17 points, and Jason Thompson had 15. Center Spencer Hawes, who replaced Ike Diogu in the starting lineup after Sacramento's 99-92 win at Miami, and point guard Bobby Jackson posted 14 and 11, respectively, with Hawes pulling down 15 rebounds and Jackson dishing 7 assists. Kings coach Reggie Theus gave the Magic their due. "They overpowered us with size and they shot the ball well from the 3-point line, so they stretched the court,'' he said. "I think they defend well, for sure. They are a very physical team and they get after it. Even when we had decent looks, we struggled to make shots. It was an extremely tough game for us. We didn't play well.''

Game Notes
• Orlando's 3 consecutive treys five minutes into the second half gave them a 70-45 lead and made Lewis the first player on either side to reach double figures as the Magic pulled away to a 80-58 lead by the end of the third quarter;
• Orlando were one of the best offensive teams in the NBA last season and one of the best defensive this season, as their opponents are averaging only 85.0 points, a league-best;
• Sacramento had 15 offensive rebounds out of 38, but Orlando had 5 out of 40;
• Magic's bench outscored Kings' 42-20;
• Following Orlando Sentinel's article about Turkoglu's opting out of his contract, Rashard Lewis urged Orlando to re-sign the Turkey forward and keep the team's core group intact to remain a contender. "Hopefully, we get Turk back. That’s very important. We need him," Lewis told the Sentinel today. "We got a group of guys who can grow together for a while. Hopefully, we can go for a couple of championships. It’s important to try to get Turk back into the organization so we can have that main core here for the next five or six years and that gives you the chance to compete for more than just one year."

[homicide1550]

You demolished the Kings.. Great win!

[kibaxx7]

You demolished the Kings.. Great win!

Thanks a lot man, it was easy Just a note, will post the prediction results in around 1 1/2 hours, if someone wants to predict, do it quickly

[Martti.]

Man again, 30 assists and 6 turnovers.. Impressive.

Nice job killing the Kings in the first half.

[mol]

1) Hawes.
2) Lakers.
3) Jamison.
4) Neither.
5) Yes.
6) Telfair.

[kibaxx7]

Jameer Nelson Takes Hold Of Starting Job



The Orlando Magic think they have the best center in the NBA. After months of tinkering with the rest of the roster, they hope they've finally built a backcourt to make him even better. The Magic brought in veteran two free agents, swingman Mickael Pietrus and point guard Anthony Johnson, and drafted SG Courtney Lee, but believe the ultimate key to building a title contender around Dwight Howard is instilling more confidence in a player they already had. Entering training camp, the club assured guard Jameer Nelson the starting job is his.

"In order for a player to show confidence, you have to show confidence in him," General Manager Otis Smith said. Nelson's role may be as vital as Howard's. Along with forward Hedo Turkoglu, he'll be entrusted with making sure the young All-Star gets the ball. Nelson was at times spectacular last season, and at times the third option at point guard behind Carlos Arroyo and Keyon Dooling, but with a strong second half of the season, he made those two players expendable. Arroyo signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dooling was dealt to the New Jersey Nets in a sign-and-trade. Nelson says he's not taking Smith's assurance for granted. He showed up the morning before training camp started, and didn't stop until he made 100 shots. "I'm always looking over my shoulder, always in attack mode," Nelson said. "If I thought I was 'the guy,' I wouldn't have been here this morning working on my game."

The Magic went 52-30 last season, reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals before losing in five games to the Detroit Pistons and are now 3-0 after defeating Atlanta, Memphis and Sacramento, but it was during the postseason that the 6-foot, 190-pounder solidified his role as the No. 1 point guard. Nelson averaged 16.2 points and in the postseason, nearly seven above his regular season average. "That has to give him confidence," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Now what we're looking for, and what he's looking for, is for him to be more consistent from start to finish. When Jameer is attacking, he is a very, very difficult guy to keep out of the paint." Nelson made 48.4 percent of this 3-point shots and averaged 4.7 assists in 10 playoff games, continuing a trend of steady improvement from the second half of the season.

"If you check his numbers from the All-Star break on last year, there weren't many point guards in the league who played better," Van Gundy said. Van Gundy thinks the new additions will also alleviate some of Nelson's pressure to create. Pietrus, signed away from Golden State, will battle Lee and Tyronn Lue for time at shooting guard. Johnson, entering his 12th season, will likely back up Nelson, although Rafer Alston will also get a look. "Jameer's been one of the leaders on the team since he's been here," said Howard, one of Nelson's closest friends on the team. "He's never been afraid of telling us when we do wrong. He's got all the qualities of a leader."

[kibaxx7]

Losing Turkoglu is bad he's the only Magic Player I like because of his gamewinners,and yeah those presentations are amazing

Losing Turkoglu will be a big blow to your lineup.. If he wants to opt out then I guess trading him is a great idea...

Thanks guys for your opinion. Yeah I think trade him is the best option...

Those gifs for the starting line ups are unbelieveable. Always knew you were great at presentation but that is crazy.

Thanks man, I always try to innovate and add something

Oh, almost forgot, made like a "calendar" so you guys know what to expect, starting tomorrow:

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: Prediction Results + Game Previews
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays: Prediction Game + Game Recaps
Wednesdays + Saturdays: Articles.

[kibaxx7]

:: Results for November 1st, 2008 ::

• Who will record more blocks?

Sacramento 81 (Kevin Martin 17 pts., 6-24 FGs; Jason Thompson 15 pts., 7 rebs., 7-13 FGs; Spencer Hawes 14 pts., 15 rebs., 3 blocks)
Orlando 109 (Rashard Lewis: 22 pts., 7 rebs., 1 block; Dwight Howard 17 pts., 13 rebs., 8-11 FGs; Mickael Pietrus 11 pts., 5-7 FGs


Correct option: Spencer Hawes

• Who will lose this matchup?

LA Lakers 86 (Pau Gasol 22 pts., 9 rebs.; Kobe Bryant 16 pts., 4 rebs.; Derek Fisher 14 pts., 7 ast.)
Denver 107 (Carmelo Anthony 22 pts., 3 steals; Chauncey Billups 14 pts., 10 ast.; Nene 13 pts., 13 rebs.)


Correct option: LA Lakers

• Who will pull down more rebounds?

Washington 106 (Antawn Jamison 20 pts., 4 rebs., 7-14 FGs; Gilbert Arenas 15 pts., 5 rebs., 5 ast.; Nick Young 14 pts., 6-9 FGs)
Detroit 87 (Allen Iverson 29 pts., 5 ast., 11-23 FGs; Kwame Brown 11 pts., 4-4 FGs; Rasheed Wallace 2 pts., 8 rebs., 1-7 FGs)


Correct option: Rasheed Wallace

• Who will post a double-double?

Oklahoma City 109 (Russell Westbrook 21 pts., 5 rebs., 6 ast.; Kevin Durant 19 pts., 7 rebs.; Nenad Krstic 11 pts., 4 rebs.)
Houston 120 (Tracy McGrady 27 pts., 11 ast., 10-21 FGs; Yao Ming 26 pts., 9 rebs., 10-14 FGs; Aaron Brooks 5 pts., 5 ast., 2-5 FGs)


Correct option: None

:: Results for November 2nd, 2008 ::

• Will Richard Jefferson score 20 or more points?

Milwaukee 92 (Michael Redd 30 pts., 3 rebs.; Richard Jefferson 17 pts., 6-9 FGs; Ramon Sessions 15 pts., 8 ast.)
New York 105 (Al Harrington 18 pts., 4 rebs.; David Lee 17 pts., 9 rebs., 7-9 FGs; Eddy Curry 14 pts., 5 rebs.)


Correct option: No

• Who will have a worst field goal percentage?

Minnesota 84 (Al Jefferson 19 pts., 13 rebs.; Mike Miller 14 pts., 5-14 FGs; Sebastian Telfair 2 pts., 1-3 FGs -.333%-)
Oklahoma City 101 (Kevin Durant 24 pts., 9 rebs.; Jeff Green 20 pts., 8 rebs., 9-15 FGs; Russell Westbrook 15 pts., 9 rebs., 5-16 FGs -.312%-)


Correct option: Russell Westbrook

:: Scores for November 1st & 2nd, 2008 ::

1. Sit :: 9 points (4 guesses + 50% guesses right)
   Valor :: 9 points (4 guesses + 50% guesses right)
   Martti. :: 9 points (4 guesses + 50% guesses right)
   ratrac :: 9 points (4 guesses + 50% guesses right)
   DonDavido :: 9 points (4 guesses + 50% guesses right)
2. mol :: 8 points (3 guesses + 50% guesses right)
3. Shabron :: 2 points
   
   Looks like it was pretty easy this time.

:: Leaderboard after November 2nd, 2008 ::

Current points (points before + points today)

1. Valor :: 28 points (19 + 9)
2. Martti. :: 23 points (14 + 9)
3. ratrac :: 22 points (13 + 9)
4. Sit :: 21 points (12 + 9)
5. XpLosibo :: 14 points (14 + 0)
6. DonDavido :: 11 points (2 + 9)
   magician :: 11 points (11 + 0)
7. mol :: 10 points (2 + 8)
8. buzzy :: 8 points (8 + 0)
9. IM2FLASHY_330 :: 6 points (6 + 0)
10. Shabron :: 4 points (2 + 2)
11. Asder :: 1 point (1 + 0)

[kibaxx7]

Derrick Rose has been steadily adjusting to the NBA, and the Chicago Bulls expect the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to continue developing into a star. Rose will try to help the Bulls avoid a fifth straight loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday when the teams meet at Amway Arena. Rose is coming off his best game with Chicago (2-1), scoring 17 points in a 105-82 win over Memphis on Saturday. The point guard, who was 7-of-15 from the field and added three rebounds and six assists, leads rookies with 19.7 points per game. "All I'm trying to do is win the game," Rose said. "If that takes me to score 20 some points or five points it doesn't matter as long as we win."

Coach Vinny Del Negro said he's looking for more from Rose, who led Memphis to the NCAA championship game last season, as he tries to get the Bulls to be more aggressive offensively. "He's so athletic and he can get to the basket and finish," Del Negro said. "I told him when he comes off the pick and roll and they let off him to let it fly. He had more control of the game tonight. He competes." The Bulls didn't do that against the Magic last season, dropping all four matchups and getting outscored by an average of 22.0 points in the final three games. To avoid a fifth straight loss, Chicago needs to improve its shooting. The Bulls shot a league-low 43.5 percent from the field last season, and after hitting 53.4 percent in a 124-95 victory over Milwaukee in their season opener, shot 50.5 percent (but lost 133-113) at Boston on Friday and 51.8 percent against the Grizzlies on Saturday, an important improvement. "Right now the ball is going in," Del Negro said. "Even this percentage, we have to do a better job of moving the ball and getting shots in transition and we will get into the playoffs, no doubt."

Orlando (3-0) only struggled offensively in the win over the Grizzlies, scoring 87 points. The Magic, though, defeated Atlanta 110-95 in the opener for both teams and are coming off a 109-81 win over Sacramento on Saturday in which they shot a season-high 59.7 percent. "This was good for our confidence," said Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, whose team are allowing the opponents to score only 85.0 points, a league-best. "People don't realize how fragile confidence can be. They think when you hit the major league level, confidence is a given because you have so much success, but a couple of bad nights and all the sudden you're pressing. We're still a long way from where we want to be, even with this record, but I like what I saw tonight."

Only Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis scored in double figures, with Howard posting 17 points and 13 rebounds for his third double-double and Lewis scoring 22 points; Mickael Pietrus added 11 and Tony Battie had his best game this far with 8 and 12 rebounds. Howard was 8-of-11 from the field and is shooting 55.3 percent on the season. He averaged 20.3 points and 13.0 rebounds against the Bulls last season.

:: Starting Lineups ::

[IM2FLASHY_330]

Hey good luck against the Bulls

[Oskar]

Amazing dynasty, great pictures, etc. Though, I'll have to agree with Lamrock, so long recaps and all, tough to follow.

Btw, hope you lose to the Bulls ..


.. just 'cause it's the Bulls, though

[kibaxx7]

Hey good luck against the Bulls

Thanks man, good luck with your Bobcats

Amazing dynasty, great pictures, etc. Though, I'll have to agree with Lamrock, so long recaps and all, tough to follow.

Btw, hope you lose to the Bulls ..


.. just 'cause it's the Bulls, though

Thanks man, I'm trying to make the recaps and previews a little shorter to make it a more interesting read, also posting articles, but hey, you read all Sit's chapters, you can't read one recap? Just kidding

[Valor]

sorry mate, i am rooting for the Bulls on this one

[kibaxx7]

Rules
Correct guess: 1 point.
If you guess at least 50% of the events: 5 extra points.
If you guess all the scenarios: 10 extra points.

:: November 3rd, 2008 ::

• Who will have more personal fouls?

Tyrus Thomas (This season FPG: 2.3)
Dwight Howard (This season FPG: 1.3)
Same fouls

• Who will pull down less rebounds?

Kevin Martin (This season RPG: 3.3)
Andre Miller (This season RPG: 3.0)
Same rebounds

• Who will post a double-double?

LeBron James (This season PPG: 25.3 / This season RPG: 8.7)
Dirk Nowitzki (This season PPG: 24.0 / This season RPG: 9.5)
Both
None

:: November 4th, 2008 ::

• Will Amare Stoudemire get 3 or more assists? (This season APG: 0.7)

Yes
No

• Who will win this game?

Boston (This season record: 3-0)
Houston (This season record: 3-0)

• Who will score more points?

Josh Howard (This season PPG: 19.0)
Matt Bonner (This season PPG: 15.0)
Same points

[Shabron]

tyrus
kevin
dirk
no
boston
howard