(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[kibaxx7]

Man, David West murdered you! But great wins in the other matches.

[Stress Fracture]

There goes Bud again.

[Axel The Great]

Nice wins, the Kings are a pesky team..

Frustrating how they always find ways to score. Had to give a 110% effort to come away with that win.

Man, David West murdered you! But great wins in the other matches.

He's so hard to stop! The Hornets are a potential first round matchup for us, we'll have to make adjustments to keep his scoring to a minimum.

There goes Bud again.

Yep. I think the "Poster Delivery Boy" should be his nickname.

Last round of the NLSC Tournament next. Will tiebreaker hell break loose?

[Axel The Great]

(2-4) Liam Washburn vs. George Koukoulis (2-4)
Score: 15-21
Length: 14 minutes


Neither of these duos had a shot at being crowned NLSC Tournament Champions, but this was a battle of which cellar dwellar is superior. John Wall and Liam Washburn got off to a hot 15-8 start, taking advantage of the lack of defense in the paint. That is when Carlos Boozer decided he'd had enough. Boozer went 12/14 from the field, and took both Wall and Washburn to school on the low block. He also began to play some defense, as he had two blocks, and his big body clogging the lane held the opposing duo scoreless for the rest of the game. George Koukoulis deserves some credit though, as he had two momentum-swinging nasty jams near the end to propel him and Boozer away from the bottom of the standings.

Stats:
Carlos Boozer - 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 12/14 FG
George Koukoulis - 9 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 9/18 FG
John Wall - 10 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 10/17 FG
Liam Washburn - 5 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 5/12 FG

(3-3) Thierry Tirieux vs. Justine Jones (4-2)
Score: 8-21
Length: 11 minutes


It's official. With this game, Justine Jones and Michael Beasley have clinched the NLSC Tournament Championship. This was a must-win game for them in order to prevent any tiebreakers from applying all around. It was apparent as they came out and viciously attacked the rim, and despite Andre Iguodala's attempts on defense, Jones and Beasley prevailed. Beasley rallied for a 10-0 run to put him and Jones up 18-6, and from then on, Jones took over by scoring the last three championship-clinching points.

Stats:
Michael Beasley - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 12/16 FG
Justine Jones - 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 9/14 FG
Andre Iguodala - 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 4/8 FG
Thierry Tirieux - 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4/10 FG

(3-3) Willie Lewis vs. Valdis Iesalnieks (4-2)
Score: 21-9
Length: 13 minutes


Willie Lewis was straight up ballin' in this game. He scored a tournament high 11 points, on 11/16 shooting. Any clean look to the basket was automatic for him. Combine that with the excellent team defense he played with Josh Smith, and they crushed the opposing duo's hopes of the NLSC Championship. Lewis' defense on Chauncey Billups rendered him useless, as Billups had a tournament low 0 points. It was Valdis Iesalnieks who had to bring the scoring load, but he managed only a decent 9 points. Iesalnieks was kept off the boards, and the ugly game from Billups just made things worse.

Stats:
Willie Lewis - 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 11/16 FG
Josh Smith - 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 10/19 FG
Valdis Iesalnieks - 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 9/13 FG
Chauncey Billups - 0 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0/6 FG

(3-3) Xavier Nelson vs. Zee Otoo (3-3)
Score: 15-21
Length: 16 minutes


All tournament long, Kevin Martin has wrecked any defense that's been in his way. This game was no different. Martin went for 15 points, shooting 15/23 from the field. His teammate, Zee Otoo didn't sit back and enjoy the ride, however, as he contributed six points of his own, and crashed the glass for a game-high 11 rebounds. Ultimately, Xavier Nelson's poor 2/12 shooting was the deciding factor. Nelson just could not get things going, he wasn't converting on any open looks, nor was he allowed any easy shots in the paint. Gerald Wallace's all-around game kept the game close. Wallace set a tournament record eight steals in this one, and also had eight rebounds, shooting 13/20 from the field. In the end, Martin and Otoo's offense was clicking, as they finish the tournament above .500.

Stats:
Kevin Martin - 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 15/23 FG
Zee Otoo - 6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6/10 FG
Gerald Wallace - 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 8 steals, 13/20 FG
Xavier Nelson - 2 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2/12 FG

Final Tournament Standings:

Player	W/L Record
Justine Jones	5-2
Zee Otoo	4-3
Willie Lewis	4-3
Valdis Iesalnieks	4-3
Thierry Tirieux	3-4
George Koukoulis	3-4
Xavier Nelson	3-4
Liam Washburn	2-5

[Houndy]

Owange........

How will second be decided

[rise]

It'll be the player who chose the highest jersey number.

[shadowgrin]

L(oser)-Train in last place.

[Axel The Great]

Houndy, z02, it's already been decided. z02 defeated both Valdis and Houndy earlier in the tournament so therefore he wins the tiebreaker. Houndy also beat Valdis so therefore he gets third place.

shadowgrin, . Lamrock had a poor choice of a teammate in John Wall, and this being a PG duo, they lacked size every game. Had he chosen a big man as his teammate I'm sure he could've won one or two more games.

Next is a review of the tournament. Also, anyone excited to see their overall tournament stats?

[Houndy]

No because I got 3rd

[George7]

Not bad at all! The best ending possible in the tournament for me. Well I believe if I had chosen a better defender as a teammate I would have won some more. But good job in the end Boozy

[Justine.]

Now gotta get that ring in NBA

[rise]

Houndy, z02, it's already been decided. z02 defeated both Valdis and Houndy earlier in the tournament so therefore he wins the tiebreaker. Houndy also beat Valdis so therefore he gets third place.

Yeahhhh... I liked this tournament!

[Axel The Great]

Houndy, at least third place is something.

George7, you and Boozer weren't able to play well at the same time. By that I mean on some games when Boozer was shooting lights out, you were slumping, and vice-versa. You guys won three in a row to end the tournament, so props. Had you started better, you might've given Justine. a challenge for the championship.

Justine., if you can make whichever lottery team you go to a contender, then it's possible you'll be able to win a ring right away. It'll be a lot harder in the NBA.

z02, I'm sure you liked standing back and watching K-Mart go to work.

Next is the tournament in review, awards, and the presentation of the trophy.

[Axel The Great]

NLSC Tournament in Review

Below is a review of each of the eight duos that took part in the first ever NLSC Two-on-Two Tournament, their performance grade, and stats.

Liam Washburn, John Wall
Record: 2-5
Points Per Game: 14.7
Performance Grade: C+

Despite lacking size all around, this duo was able to win two games out of the seven played. Where they lacked size, they made up for in speed and point guard skills. Judging from all seven games, John Wall was the primary ballhandler as his 3.9 assists per game shows that. Liam Washburn would make some neat backdoor cuts and receive passes from Wall for easy buckets. They were both usually able to take their opponents one-on-one, crossover, and leave them in the dust for an open lane to the basket. They were an exceptional offensive duo, but not a very good defensive duo. Wall is known as a pretty good defender, but having to guard big men in this tournament, he (and Washburn) were taken to school on the low block. Despite that, they were able to close off passing lanes pretty well, averaging 2.6 steals per game. Had Washburn chosen a big man for a teammate, he'd have maybe been higher up on the standings for the tournament, but even with a guard for a teammate, the duo earns a decent C+ grade.

Thierry Tirieux, Andre Iguodala
Record: 3-4
Points Per Game: 15.1
Performance Grade: C+

Thierry Tirieux and Andre Iguodala had a great start to the tournament, going 2-0 before slacking off and moving down in the standings to 2-3. They both began to shoot poorly and Iguodala got a bit too greedy on offense, wanting to score all of the points. Defensively they were excellent, averaging a combined 3.9 steals per game, but at times, they were way too unorganized on offense to be able to win games. Had they continued their stellar play from the first two games, they would not have a C+ grade, but as said before, they slacked off as the tournament went on and didn't give themselves a chance at the tournament crown.

Xavier Nelson, Gerald Wallace
Record: 3-4
Points Per Game: 16.3
Performance Grade: B-

Gerald Wallace had a tremendous tournament. He was the defensive enforcer of the duo, averaging 2.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game. He was fourth overall in scoring for the tournament, and second overall in rebounds. This all sounds good, but what broke this group was Xavier Nelson's slump. Nelson shot a dismal 31% from the field for the whole tournament, and most of it was due to his shot selection. At times he took shots that were way too difficult. At the young age of 19, it's understandable; he'll get himself together as the years go by in the NBA. With Nelson's poor shooting, he didn't just disappear out of games, he found other ways to get his voice heard. He threw lobs to Wallace, quite a few, as he was second overall in assists for the tournament. He also found ways to keep his opponents from easy baskets, and crashed the boards pretty well despite his height. Wallace's stellar play earns this duo at least a B+, but Nelson's shooting slump puts them at borderline B-.

George Koukoulis, Carlos Boozer
Record: 3-4
Points Per Game: 17.6
Performance Grade: B

After starting a terrible 0-4, George Koukoulis and Carlos Boozer got their acts together and won three straight. At the beginning, they had a tough time keeping other duos from scoring at will, despite their excellent offensive efforts. Boozer would play exceptionally well on some games, and Koukoulis would play exceptionally well on some games, but most of the time they couldn't put that together. They ran the pick and roll to near perfection every game, as Boozer would receive crisp passes for easy dunks and layups. Other times, Boozer would dominate games on the low post. You'd want to give them a B- grade for their record, but the effort this duo gave every game (they were never held to single digit points) is reason enough to bump them up to a regular B grade.

Willie Lewis, Josh Smith
Record: 4-3
Points Per Game: 15.9
Performance Grade: B+

Arguably the best defensive duo in the tournament. They averaged a combined 3.9 steals per game, and Josh Smith averaged a tournament high 2.3 blocks per game. They defeated the two most dominant duos in the tournament: Justine Jones and Michael Beasley, and Valdis Iesalnieks and Chauncey Billups. Smith's inside presence combined with Willie Lewis' perimeter presence created a consistent defensive duo that made shots difficult for other duos. Their offense was far from fluid, but it was their defense that propelled them to finish the tournament over .500 and defeat the aforementioned duos.

Zee Otoo, Kevin Martin
Record: 4-3
Points Per Game: 18.4
Performance Grade: A-

The last duo discussed was possibly the best defensive duo, this is possibly the best offensive duo. Kevin Martin led the entire tournament in scoring at 12 points per game, including a 16-point outburst against the best defensive duo. Martin established a reputation for beating his opponents off the dribble and taking it to the hole for easy dunks. He was way too fast for a lot of defenders, and with defenses paying him a lot of attention, Zee Otoo was left with easy, wide open looks. Otoo contributed with rebounding and setting good screens for Martin. Even though Martin is not the most well-known rebounder, he had three double-doubles this tournament which came in points and rebounds. With a high-powered offensive team, their lack of defense was hardly ever exposed. They did play defense at times however, and that's what earns them an A- grade.

Valdis Iesalnieks, Chauncey Billups
Record: 4-3
Points Per Game: 18.1
Performance Grade: A-

It was Valdis Iesalnieks who earned this duo an A- grade. He would tear up teams with a healthy amount of points (third in the tournament in scoring), gobble up rebounds (first in the tournament in rebounds), and block shots left and right (third in blocks). He shot a stunning 64% from the field to top it all off. Chauncey Billups did contribute as much as this team needed to be successful too. Billups led the tournament in assists, and they were all usually off pick and rolls and dunks by Iesalnieks. This duo had the firepower to be champions of the tournament, but they didn't have the best of starts nor the best of finishes to get it. Still, their A- grade is well-deserved, as they were heard all throughout the tournament.

Justine Jones, Michael Beasley
Record: 5-2
Points Per Game: 19.6
Performance Grade: A

The ideal type of duo in this kind of tournament is a guard and big man duo. Looking at this champion duo will tell you otherwise. A swingman-swingman duo is just as good if not better than that ideal duo. Justine Jones has great ballhandling and passing like that of a guard, while Michael Beasley has the inside presence and rebounding of a big man. These two were pests on defense, as every time other duos thought they had them beat, they came up with a momentum-swinging defensive stop and rally right back to win the game. Even though Jones is the better ballhandler, every time he passed it to Beasley he'd never see the ball again. Jones averaged less than an assist per game, while Beasley averaged 3.1 assists per game. Still, no matter the numbers, I'm sure they'll take the championship, and the tournament high grade of A.

Tournament Awards

Most Valuable Player
Valdis Iesalnieks - All tournament long, Iesalnieks was unstoppable. He was third in the tournament in scoring, first in rebounding, and an intimidating inside presence. He shot 64% from the field, mostly off of dunks and shots inside, but he did show a decent 12-15 foot jumpshot in his game. Iesalnieks could've been paired with any competent player and still have dominated the tournament the way he did.

Defensive Player
Gerald Wallace - Three great candidates for this award, Iesalnieks, Josh Smith, and Wallace himself. However, Wallace makes the strongest case for his versatility on defense, guarding players inside and blocking shots, to being a pest on the perimeter and playing the passing lanes. Averaging 2.9 steals and 1.9 blocks is a testament to that. His great, consistent, all-around defense helps him to be recognized as the best player on defense in the tournament.

Scoring Champion
Kevin Martin - Pretty self-explanatory. Martin led the entire tournament in scoring, and shares the record for most points in a game (tied with Beasley, Iesalnieks) at 16. Martin averaged 12.4 points in the seven games of the tournament, as no defense ever had an answer for him.

Second-Tier Award
Justine Jones - Jones played second fiddle to his teammate Michael Beasley all tournament. Whatever Beasley didn't do in a game, Jones brought the effort there. He scored well, rebounded well, and played good defense, but despite that, Beasley always had the spotlight shine on him. Liam Washburn came in a close second, but he just didn't have the wins to be worthy of the award.

Noob Award
Xavier Nelson - Doesn't necessarily mean worst player of the tournament, it just means the player in question had ways to go to be recognized in a good way. In other words, a needs improvement award. Nelson's shot selection was questionable; he took jumpshots in traffic, went for layups when the lane was clogged, and always tried to do things one-on-one. Gerald Wallace's successful tournament bailed him out of the bottom of the standings, but he really needed to perform up to par in order to have had a real shot at the championship.

All Tournament Team
G: Willie Lewis
G: Kevin Martin
F: Gerald Wallace
F: Michael Beasley
C: Valdis Iesalnieks

So with the review and awards out of the way, I now present Jones and Beasley the coveted NLSC Tournament Championship Trophy:

Not my best work Justine., but I hope you still like it.

[Bucket]

You kidding me? My player MVP
Looks like I will be drafted by Knicks Nice presentation, and cup

[Houndy]

Yes I'm on the All-Tourney team

[kibaxx7]

Screw you, Iggy

[rise]

Hooray for Gerald Wallace (who I wanted before he was taken )

[|)e8*]

IM NOT A NOOB

[Axel The Great]

You kidding me? My player MVP
Looks like I will be drafted by Knicks Nice presentation, and cup

Thanks. You probably find it hard to believe that your player is MVP, but you completely destroyed the competition in the tournament. Chauncey Billups just needed to shoot better for you guys to have a better record.

Yes I'm on the All-Tourney team

I would've given it to George, but you were more consistent on defense the whole tournament.

Screw you, Iggy

Regret picking him as your teammate?

Hooray for Gerald Wallace (who I wanted before he was taken )

That's what sucks about first come, first serve. Still, you have the last laugh, as K-Mart destroyed everyone with his scoring!

IM NOT A NOOB

You're not. But your player is.

Next is everyone's statistics, and records. See where your player stands in scoring, rebounding, assists, and much more!

[George7]

Come on Axel. you should have given the spot to me!

[Axel The Great]

Double-posting so this next update doesn't get stuck at the bottom.

[Axel The Great]

George7, I could've, but Houndy had more wins and he made Josh Smith a better player on offense with his passes.

NLSC Tournament Records and Statistics

NLSC Leaders

Scoring
Valdis Iesalnieks - 80 points (11.4 ppg)
Justine Jones - 54 points (7.7 ppg)
Willie Lewis - 53 points (7.6 ppg)
Liam Washburn - 49 points (7.0 ppg)
George Koukoulis - 49 points (7.0 ppg)
Thierry Tirieux - 45 points (6.4 ppg)
Zee Otoo - 42 points (6.0 ppg)
Xavier Nelson - 37 points (5.3 ppg)

Rebounding
Valdis Iesalnieks - 75 rebounds (10.7 rpg)
Zee Otoo - 66 rebounds (9.4 rpg)
Justine Jones - 62 rebounds (8.9 rpg)
Liam Washburn - 55 rebounds (7.9 rpg)
Thierry Tirieux - 46 rebounds (6.6 rpg)
Xavier Nelson - 43 rebounds (6.1 rpg)
George Koukoulis - 38 rebounds (5.4 rpg)
Willie Lewis - 34 rebounds (4.9 rpg)

Assists
Willie Lewis - 31 assists (4.4 apg)
Xavier Nelson - 29 assists (4.1 apg)
George Koukoulis - 28 assists (4.0 apg)
Thierry Tirieux - 27 assists (3.9 apg)
Zee Otoo - 9 assists (1.3 apg)
Valdis Iesalnieks - 6 assists (0.9 apg)
Justine Jones - 6 assists (0.9 apg)
Liam Washburn - 4 assists (0.6 apg)

Steals
Willie Lewis - 17 steals (2.4 spg)
Justine Jones - 12 steals (1.7 spg)
Valdis Iesalnieks - 11 steals (1.6 spg)
Thierry Tirieux - 9 steals (1.3 spg)
Liam Washburn - 9 steals (1.3 spg)
Zee Otoo - 7 steals (1.0 spg)
Xavier Nelson - 6 steals (0.9 spg)
George Koukoulis - 4 steals (0.6 spg)

Blocks
Valdis Iesalnieks - 12 blocks (1.7 bpg)
Zee Otoo - 2 blocks (0.3 bpg)
Xavier Nelson - 2 blocks (0.3 bpg)
George Koukoulis - 1 block (0.1 bpg)
Willie Lewis - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)
Liam Washburn - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)
Justine Jones - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)
Thierry Tirieux - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)

Field Goal Shooting
Valdis Iesalnieks - 80/125 (64%)
Justine Jones - 53/110 (48.2%)
Liam Washburn - 49/107 (45.8%)
Zee Otoo - 38/86 (44.2%)
Willie Lewis - 53/122 (43.4%)
Thierry Tirieux - 43/101 (42.6%)
George Koukoulis - 49/120 (40.8%)
Xavier Nelson - 37/118 (31.4%)

Minutes
Xavier Nelson - 120 minutes (17.1 mpg)
Zee Otoo - 114 minutes (16.3 mpg)
Willie Lewis - 112 minutes (16.0 mpg)
George Koukoulis - 111 minutes (15.9 mpg)
Thierry Tirieux - 110 minutes (15.7 mpg)
Valdis Iesalnieks - 109 minutes (15.6 mpg)
Justine Jones - 104 minutes (14.9 mpg)
Liam Washburn - 104 minutes (14.9 mpg)

NBA Leaders

Points
Kevin Martin - 87 points (12.4 ppg)
Michael Beasley - 83 points (11.9 ppg)
Gerald Wallace - 77 points (11.0 ppg)
Carlos Boozer - 74 points (10.6 ppg)
Andre Iguodala - 61 points (8.7 ppg)
Josh Smith - 58 points (8.3 ppg)
John Wall - 54 points (7.7 ppg)
Chauncey Billups - 47 points (6.7 ppg)

Rebounds
Gerald Wallace - 71 rebounds (10.1 rpg)
Carlos Boozer - 66 rebounds (9.4 rpg)
Josh Smith - 58 rebounds (8.3 rpg)
Andre Iguodala - 55 rebounds (7.9 rpg)
Kevin Martin - 54 rebounds (7.7 rpg)
John Wall - 42 rebounds (6.0 rpg)
Michael Beasley - 38 rebounds (5.4 rpg)
Chauncey Billups - 33 rebounds (4.7 rpg)

Assists
Chauncey Billups - 35 assists (5.0 apg)
John Wall - 27 assists (3.9 apg)
Michael Beasley - 22 assists (3.1 apg)
Kevin Martin - 16 assists (2.3 apg)
Carlos Boozer - 13 assists (1.9 apg)
Gerald Wallace - 9 assists (1.3 apg)
Josh Smith - 9 assists (1.3 apg)
Andre Iguodala - 2 assists (0.3 apg)

Steals
Gerald Wallace - 20 steals (2.9 spg)
Andre Iguodala - 18 steals (2.6 spg)
Chauncey Billups - 10 steals (1.4 spg)
Josh Smith - 10 steals (1.4 spg)
John Wall - 9 steals (1.3 spg)
Carlos Boozer - 8 steals (1.1 spg)
Kevin Martin - 7 steals (1.0 spg)
Michael Beasley - 6 steals (0.9 spg)

Blocks
Josh Smith - 16 blocks (2.3 bpg)
Gerald Wallace - 13 blocks (1.9 bpg)
Michael Beasley - 10 blocks (1.4 bpg)
Carlos Boozer - 4 blocks (0.6 bpg)
Chauncey Billups - 2 blocks (0.3 bpg)
Andre Iguodala - 1 block (0.1 bpg)
John Wall - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)
Kevin Martin - 0 blocks (0.0 bpg)

Field Goal Shooting
Carlos Boozer - 74/106 (69.8%)
Michael Beasley - 81/129 (62.8%)
Gerald Wallace - 77/129 (59.7%)
Kevin Martin - 87/147 (59.2%)
Andre Iguodala - 61/115 (53.0%)
Josh Smith - 58/110 (52.7%)
John Wall - 54/110 (49.0%)
Chauncey Billups - 44/121 (36.3%)

Tournament Records/Highs

Game Highs
Most Points in a Game: 16 (by: Kevin Martin (Round 5), Michael Beasley (Round 3), Valdis Iesalnieks(Round 6))
Most Rebounds in a Game: 18 (by: Thierry Tirieux (Round 3))
Most Assists in a Game: 10 (by: Chauncey Billups (Round 6))
Most Steals in a Game: 8 (by: Gerald Wallace (Round 7))
Most Blocks in a Game: 5 (by: Josh Smith (Round 3))
Most Field Goals Made in a Game: 16 (by: Valdis Iesalnieks (Round 6), Kevin Martin (Round 5))
Most Field Goals Attempted in a Game: 26 (by: Willie Lewis (Round 3), George Koukoulis (Round 6))
Most Three-Pointers Made in a Game: 2 (by: Zee Otoo (Round 1), Chauncey Billups (Round 5))
Most Three-Pointers Attempted in a Game: 6 (by: Chauncey Billups (Round 5))

Tournament Highs
Most Points in a Tournament: 87 (by: Kevin Martin)
Most Rebounds in a Tournament: 75 (by: Valdis Iesalnieks)
Most Assists in a Tournament: 35 (by: Chauncey Billups)
Most Steals in a Tournament: 20 (by: Gerald Wallace)
Most Blocks in a Tournament: 16 (by: Josh Smith)
Most Field Goals Made in a Tournament: 87 (by: Kevin Martin)
Most Field Goals Attempted in a Tournament: 147 (by: Kevin Martin)
Best Field Goal Percentage in a Tournament: 69.8% (by: Carlos Boozer)
Most Three-Pointers Made in a Tournament: 3 (by: Zee Otoo, Chauncey Billups)
Most Three-Pointers Attempted in a Tournament: 7 (by: Chauncey Billups)
Most Double-Doubles in a Tournament: 3 (by: Kevin Martin)

[Cruzerr]

Valdis is a boss ! Are you doing this next season or so ? I would love to join.

[Justine.]

That trophy sure rocks