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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [Off-Season] Draft Lottery

Postby Lamrock on Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:54 am

2K doesn't factor non-NBA accomplishments into HOF distinction. Manu's obviously an easy first-ballot guy.

The real travesty is the league expanding to 32 teams, and still no Seattle. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [Off-Season] Draft Lottery

Postby Phil89 on Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:47 pm

Lamrock wrote:2K doesn't factor non-NBA accomplishments into HOF distinction. Manu's obviously an easy first-ballot guy.

The real travesty is the league expanding to 32 teams, and still no Seattle. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Maybe the league doesn't need to be expanded for Seattle to get a team again :wink:

You actually just gave me an interesting idea. But it will have to wait until next season.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [Off-Season] Draft Lottery

Postby Phil89 on Fri Feb 24, 2017 6:03 pm

16/7/17

2017 Expansion Draft

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For the eleventh time in NBA history an expansion draft was held to construct the rosters of new franchises. Each NBA team was allowed to protect up to 8 players on their roster to make them exempt from selection.

A lot of teams used this opportunity to try and dump unwanted contracts, leaving experienced players unprotected in the hopes that one of the expansion franchises would take the salaries off their books.

Portland were the most aggressive with this strategy. General manager Neil Olshey made the decision not to protect Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe because of salary cap issues. They are overloaded with guaranteed wages right now and they desperately want to get away from the luxury tax threshold.

Other teams to employ this strategy included the Sixers (Marcin Gortat), Bucks (Greg Monroe), Lakers (Luol Deng + Timofey Mozgov), Pelicans (Omer Asik), Wizards (Ian Mahinmi), Raptors (DeMarre Carroll), Timberwolves (Nikola Pekovic) and Suns (Jared Dudley).

Locker room unrest was reportedly the reason why the Bulls chose to leave Rajon Rondo unprotected. Rumours leaked out last season that Rondo was allegedly trying to undermine head coach Fred Hoiberg during training sessions.

Meanwhile, Denver reportedly left Wilson Chandler unprotected because they are confident that Danilo Gallinari will re-sign next month.



2017 Expansion Draft Results


Pick 1 - Louisville Lions - Rajon Rondo (Chicago)

Pick 2 - San Diego Eagles - Greg Monroe (Milwaukee)

Pick 3 - San Diego Eagles - Wilson Chandler (Denver)

Pick 4 - Louisville Lions - Evan Turner (Portland)

Pick 5 - Louisville Lions - Marcin Gortat (Philadelphia)

Pick 6 - San Diego Eagles - Arron Afflalo (Sacramento)

Pick 7 - San Diego Eagles - Devin Harris (Dallas)

Pick 8 - Louisville Lions - Jared Dudley (Phoenix)

Pick 9 - Louisville Lions - Joe Johnson (Utah)

Pick 10 - San Diego Eagles - Jordan Hill (Minnesota)

Pick 11 - San Diego Eagles - CJ Miles (Indiana)

Pick 12 - Louisville Lions - Brandan Wright (Memphis)

Pick 13 - Louisville Lions - Marco Belinelli (Charlotte)

Pick 14 - San Diego Eagles - Montrezl Harrell (Houston)

Pick 15 - San Diego Eagles - Jonathon Simmons (San Antonio)

Pick 16 - Louisville Lions - Delon Wright (Toronto)

Pick 17 - Louisville Lions - Wesley Johnson (LA Clippers)

Pick 18 - San Diego Eagles - Tomas Satoransky (Washington)

Pick 19 - San Diego Eagles - Boban Marjanovic (Detroit)

Pick 20 - Louisville Lions - Richard Jefferson (Cleveland)

Pick 21 - Louisville Lions - Damian Jones (Golden State)

Pick 22 - San Diego Eagles - James Young (Boston)

Pick 23 - San Diego Eagles - Anthony Bennett (Brooklyn)

Pick 24 - Louisville Lions - Anthony Brown (LA Lakers)

Pick 25 - Louisville Lions - CJ Wilcox (Orlando)

Pick 26 - San Diego Eagles - Josh Huestis (Oklahoma City)



It was interesting to see the different strategies of the two franchises. Louisville had no issue taking guys with big contracts, whilst San Diego took a more cautious approach. Perhaps this indicates a different mentality between the two ownership groups. Or maybe picking first just gave the Lions a better shot at building a stronger team.

In a quirk of fate that I doubt he ever thought could happen, Rajon Rondo now has the opportunity to spend the final years of his career playing for an NBA team based in his hometown of Louisville. The controversial point guard was taken with the first pick of the expansion draft and will be a key part of building the team.

Rondo spent two seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats before being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2006. The four-time all-star helped the Celtics win a championship in 2008.

Making the playoffs isn't a huge stretch of the imagination of the Lions. The veteran core of Rajon Rondo, Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley and Evan Turner should be good enough to get them into the race for the eighth seed in the weak eastern conference.


San Diego were more conservative with their player selection and will subsequently find themselves with a bunch of salary cap room, should they decide to use it. The availability of Greg Monroe and CJ Miles is still up in the air due to their free agent status.

It's probable that they are planning on building through the draft and keeping their salary cap very flexible in order to target a big name in the future. Who knows, maybe DeMarcus Cousins could be lured away from the dysfunctional environment in Sacramento and become the cornerstone of this exciting new franchise.


Both franchises also confirmed the appointments of their inaugural head coaches. Louisville have hired former Memphis and Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins on a three year contract. He should be an ideal coach to guide them in their playoff quest after his experience in leading the Grizzlies to the western conference finals in 2013.

Meanwhile, San Diego have signed Boston Celtics legend and former Minnesota and Houston coach Kevin McHale, also on a three year deal. McHale will return to coaching duties after sitting out last season following his departure from the Rockets.


Both Louisville and San Diego be aiming to fulfill the modest goal of avoiding finishing with the worst record in their respective conferences.



Projected Line-ups

Louisville Lions

Starting line-up:
Marcin Gortat - Jared Dudley - Evan Turner - Joe Johnson - Rajon Rondo
Reserves:
Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli, Delon Wright, Wesley Johnson, Richard Jefferson, Damian Jones, Anthony Brown, CJ Wilcox

Inaugural Head Coach: Lionel Hollins (3yr/$9.6m)



San Diego Eagles

Starting line-up:
Greg Monroe - Jordan Hill - Wilson Chandler - Arron Afflalo - Devin Harris
Reserves:
CJ Miles, Montrezl Harrell, Jonathon Simmons, Tomas Satoransky, Boban Marjanovic, James Young, Anthony Bennett, Josh Huestis

Inaugural Head Coach: Kevin McHale (3yr/$12m)





2017-18 Division Alignment

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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [Off-Season] Expansion Draft

Postby Phil89 on Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:19 pm

27/6/17

2017 NBA Draft

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First Round - Top Ten Picks


Pick 1
Image Boston Celtics

Harry Giles | Power Forward | 20 years old | Duke | 6'10" | 220 lbs


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"With the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics select, Harry Giles from Duke University".

As predicted, the Celtics go with Harry Giles from Duke. Many experts believe that his ceiling is slightly lower than that of Josh Jackson and Markelle Fultz, but he is a much better fit for Boston right now. The fact that the athletic forward was taken with the first overall pick a few years after suffering two ACL injuries is a massive credit to his recovery and determination to follow his dream of playing in the NBA.

We're hearing whispers that Giles may not be staying in Boston. More to follow...

NBA Comparison: Chris Webber


Fan Opinion: "Interesting choice. Giles isn't the best player in this draft, but he is the best fit for us out of that top group of guys. No point picking one of the point guards when we already have Isaiah and Marcus."



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Hold on. Adam Silver is walking back out to the podium with a interesting expression on his face.

"We have a trade to announce..", he declares.

"The Boston Celtics have traded Harry Giles, Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown and a 2018 first round pick (via Brooklyn) to Indiana in exchange for Paul George and Thaddeus Young".


Wow! This is a surprise.

There were rumours that Celtics GM Danny Ainge had tried to acquire DeMarcus Cousins and Jimmy Butler last season, but he wasn't able to agree a deal for either player. Paul George's name was barely raised in trade discussions, which is why this trade caught most people off guard.

It seems as though the Celtics have decided that the time is right to fully commit to an all-out pursuit of a championship. They have cashed in a lot of their valuable assets to acquire the four-time all-star. Before now they had been reluctant to part with so much to get a deal done.

George is exactly the type of player who can lift them to equal billing with Cleveland in the race for eastern conference supremacy. With a core of Paul George, Al Horford, Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, Boston will surely be able to match it with the Cavs' big three in any future playoff meetings.

Suddenly the eastern conference landscape is changing. Boston and Philadelphia are strengthening in the hopes of knocking LeBron off his perch. It's been nine seasons since a team that wasn't led by the four-time league MVP made it to the NBA finals from the eastern conference.

Danny Ainge clearly feels that this is the moment to strike with a deal like this, as Al Horford is 31 years old and key guards Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley are entering the final years of their current contracts. It's very much an "all in" move for Boston.


The Pacers are following Washington's lead by cashing in on their star player whilst he still has high value and are now adjusting their goals. After two consecutive conference finals appearances in 2013 and 2014, they have had three disappointing seasons and it became apparently to management that this group wasn't capable of leading them to where they wanted to go.

George was about to enter the final year of his contract. Indiana's failure to make the playoffs last season reportedly left him questioning his future, even though his absence through injury for a large chunk of the season was a major contributor to their poor record.

The path that the Pacers are now on will see them build around Myles Turner, Harry Giles and Jaylen Brown, as well as whoever they select with pick 13. Not to mention the high likelihood that they will be getting a top 5 pick in a year's time if the Nets have another horrible season.

It's unclear at the moment whether this deal was arranged before the draft and if Giles was the preferred choice of the Pacers. I guess we'll find out whether or not he is staying in Indiana in the next ten minutes or so.

We know Minnesota were very interested in Giles before the draft. Could they look to make a deal with the number two pick?


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Full details

Boston Celtics receive: Paul George, Thaddeus Young
Indiana Pacers receive: Harry Giles (pick 1), Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, 2018 first round pick (Brooklyn)



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Pick 2
Image Minnesota Timberwolves

Markelle Fultz | Point Guard | 20 years old | Washington | 6'4" | 180 lbs


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The Timberwolves decide to go with Washington combo guard Markelle Fultz with the second overall pick. This could mean that they are working on a deal with Indiana for Harry Giles. Why else would they take a point guard when they already have Kris Dunn and Ricky Rubio?

You would have thought that they might have taken Josh Jackson from Kansas if they were picking for themselves. Who knows, maybe they just see Fultz as a much better prospect than Dunn.

The fit may not be perfect right now, but the talent the Fultz possesses has led to many draft experts dubbing him the next James Harden. His elite skills and athleticism, combined with his good size should allow him to become an all-star one day.

We'll have to wait a few more minutes before finding out what is truly happening.

NBA Comparison: James Harden


Fan Opinion: "Thibs must be working on a deal. Either that or David Kahn is back in control."



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"We have another trade to announce", proclaims commissioner Silver.

The Indiana Pacers have traded Harry Giles to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Markelle Fultz, a 2020 first round pick and a 2018 second round pick.

Larry Bird isn't kidding around today. Just minutes after trading superstar Paul George for the first overall pick Harry Giles, he is now sending Giles to the Minnesota Timberwolves for second overall pick Markelle Fultz and future draft picks.

Minnesota were reportedly very high on Giles after scouting him extensively. They view him as the final piece of the puzzle to becoming a legitimate contender in the next few years. His athleticism and mobility will make him the perfect frontcourt partner for Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Opposition teams will find it tough to contain the relentless physical play of this trio.

The Pacers are gathering as many assets as they can now and picking up a future first round pick to drop down one spot is a no-brainer for them. Especially if Fultz does end up having a better NBA career than Giles, as many experts believe he will.

Having Fultz, Myles Turner and Jaylen Brown to build around isn't too shabby for the Pacers. If they draft well over the next few seasons we could well see them become a better team than they ever were during the Paul George era.
Full details

Indiana Pacers receive: Markelle Fultz (pick 2), 2020 first round pick (Minnesota), 2018 second round pick (Minnesota)
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Harry Giles (pick 1)


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Pick 3
Image Denver Nuggets

Josh Jackson | Small Forward | 20 years old | Kansas | 6'8" | 207 lbs


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After all that excitement we get back to the draft in progress. Denver picks explosive Kansas wing Josh Jackson with the third overall pick. This is a great result for them after losing Wilson Chandler to San Diego in the expansion draft and having Danilo Gallinari reportedly ready to test his free agency options next month.

Jackson has received a lot of comparisons to Minnesota star man Andrew Wiggins during his time at Kansas thanks to his speed and athleticism. He has the ability to not only create his own shots, but also to create good looks for his teammates.

Denver are absolutely stacked with young talent now with Jackson, Nikola Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez. Having the speed of Jackson and Mudiay, the outside shooting of Murray and the interior scoring power of Jokic will make the Nuggets a scary prospect for a lot of teams for years to come.

Hopefully this exciting young group can follow the path taken by Oklahoma City and Golden State in the past decade. Building through the draft can be incredibly effective if done correctly.

NBA Comparison: Kawhi Leonard


Fan Opinion: "I love this pick. Jackson is gonna be the best player from this draft. Bookmark it!"



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Pick 4
Image San Diego Eagles

Dennis Smith Jr | Point Guard | 19 years old | NC State | 6'3" | 180 lbs


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What an exciting day for the San Diego Eagles franchise. They use the fourth overall pick to make NC State guard Dennis Smith Jr their first ever drafted player. He looks very proud as he walks onto the stage to shake Adam Silver's hand.

Smith has been likened to Derrick Rose due to his explosive athleticism and play above the rim. He attacks the rim with aggression and is a very good finisher, even whilst under high pressure. He did tear his ACL in his senior year of high school, but looks to have recovered fully from that and has a clean bill of health.

NBA Comparison: Chris Paul


Fan Opinion: "I don't really follow college hoops, but I hear this kid is the real deal. Let's hope he becomes an all-star for us."



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Pick 5
Image Louisville Lions

Lonzo Ball | Point Guard | 19 years old | UCLA | 6'6" | 190 lbs


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And now it's time for Louisville to also pick up their first drafted player. And they have used the fifth overall pick on UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball.

Ball is perhaps the most intriguing prospect in this draft. He has the size of a shooting guard and a solid shooting range, but his excellent playmaking abilities mean that he is most comfortable playing as a point guard. It remains to be seen if his unorthodox shooting stroke will be as effective at NBA level as it was with the Bruins.

Having veteran Rajon Rondo to mentor him in Louisville will be a massive boost to his development.

NBA Comparison: Jason Kidd


Fan Opinion: "I'm surprised they didn't go with [De'Aaron] Fox or [Malik] Monk from Kentucky. They seem to like the local products. Ball is gonna be a star though."



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Pick 6
Image Miami Heat

Frank Ntilikina | Point Guard | 19 years old | France | 6'5" | 170 lbs


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The heat came into this draft looking to draft a point guard and that's exactly what thy have done. The only surprise is that they have opted for the international man of mystery Frank Ntilikina over Kentucky star De'Aaron Fox.

The main strengths that Nitlikina possesses are his size and quickness. And he is probably the best natural playmaker in this draft and loves finding his teammates. He has elite wingspan for a guard, but needs to hit the weight room and bulk up to be able to guard NBA point guards more effectively.

Between Justise Winslow and Ntilikina, the future looks very nice for Miami.

NBA Comparison: Gary Payton


Fan Opinion: "I've never seen this guy play, but I hear he is good. I trust Riley's judgement on this."



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Pick 7
Image Dallas Mavericks

De'Aaron Fox | Point Guard | 19 years old | Kentucky | 6'3" | 187 lbs


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After a horrible season, the Dallas Mavericks were hoping for for a high draft pick. But the addition of the two new franchises, coupled with Denver's rise in the lottery saw them slide down to the seventh overall pick. It's not all doom and gloom though because they have used that selection to draft Kentucky point guard De'Aaron Fox.

The Texas native was actually born just a few hours south of Dallas, so his family will be thrilled with this outcome. Fox was known at Kentucky for his explosive athleticism and high skill level, coupled with an aggression to always attack on offense that made him a nightmare to guard.

He will probably get a lot of playing time in his rookie season with Deron Williams set to leave the Mavericks next month.

NBA Comparison: Dennis Schroder


Fan Opinion: "I really like this pick. This kid has John Wall written all over him. I'm excited."



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Pick 8
Image Washington Wizards

Malik Monk | Shooting Guard | 20 years old | Kentucky | 6'3" | 200 lbs


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With the pick they received from the Sixers in the John Wall trade, the Wizards select Kentucky shooting guard Malik Monk. Washington had probably hoped to draft a long-term replacement for Wall, but all the top tier point guards are now off the board.

So they instead went for one of the best scorers in the draft, Malik Monk. He can play as a combo guard at times, but he is definitely more comfortable creating shots for himself, rather than his teammates. He is a little small for his position, but makes up for that lack of height with a highly polished offensive game.

It's another new era for the Wizards. This time built around a core of Bradley Beal, Jahlil Okafor, Brandon Knight, Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre and now Malik Monk. They also have the fourteenth overall pick still to come.

NBA Comparison: Bradley Beal


Fan Opinion: "I love this pick. Monk is gonna be one of the best scorers to come outta this draft. A real steal like Devin Booker was for the Suns a couple of years ago."



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Pick 9
Image Orlando Magic

Jonathan Isaac | Small Forward | 19 years old | Florida State | 6'10" | 210 lbs


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The Orlando Magic select Florida State forward and native Floridian Jonathan Isaac with the ninth overall pick. This is a great result for both parties as the Magic get a versatile forward with immense upside, whilst Isaac gets to begin his NBA career with a team that is located directly between the campus where he attended College and the town where he grew up.

Isaac's draft stock really gained upward momentum late in the college season as more and more people noticed his impressive play for the Seminoles. Some experts even suggested that he may go in the top five. So the Magic can consider this a steal at pick nine.

Despite his 6'10" frame, Isaac runs the floor like a guard and has good ball handling ability and athleticism. He also has a smooth shooting stroke with solid range. He could be an all-star one day.

NBA Comparison: Rashard Lewis


Fan Opinion: "Keeping things local, I like it. I watched every game he played this season and let me say this, this guy is gonna be a beast."



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Pick 10
Image Charlotte Hornets

Terrance Ferguson | Shooting Guard | 20 years old | USA | 6'7" | 182 lbs


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This is a very surprising selection by the Hornets. Ferguson took the gamble of skipping college and opted to play professionally for a year in Australia instead. It seems as though that gamble paid off as he'll now get to live his NBA dream. The Hornets must be confident in their scouting reports because the high-flying shooting guard wasn't expected to go inside the top fifteen picks.

Ferguson is known as a big-dunking showman in a similar mould to Vince Carter or Terrence Ross. He will need to keep working hard to expand his game if he wants to become a consistent scorer in the NBA.

I'm sure Hornets fans are just happy that they didn't draft another stretch four white guy in the lottery. It's too bad, because both Isaiah Hartenstein and Lauri Markkanen were still available too. They will have to make do with Cody Zeller and Frank Karminsky.

NBA Comparison: Terrence Ross


Fan Opinion: "I'm not really sure about this pick. Why did we pass on Jayson Tatum?"



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First Round - Continued


11.) Chicago Bulls - Lauri Markkanen - Power Forward - 20 years old - Arizona - 7'0" - 230 lbs

12.) New York Knicks - Jayson Tatum - Small Forward - 20 years old - Duke - 6'7" - 206 lbs

13.) Indiana Pacers - Grayson Allen - Shooting Guard - 21 years old - Duke - 6'5" - 206 lbs

14.) Washington Wizards - Bam Adebayo - Power Forward - 19 years old - Kentucky - 6'8" - 261 lbs

15.) Utah Jazz - Miles Bridges - Small Forward - 20 years old - Michigan State - 6'7" - 231 lbs



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For the third time tonight commissioner Silver utters that familiar phrase, "We have a trade to announce".

The New Orleans Pelicans have traded the sixteenth overall pick, Quincy Pondexter and Alexis Ajinca to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter.

This trade isn't as exciting as the previous two, but it could be important for the two teams involved. It sees the Pelicans acquire center Enes Kanter for the sixteenth overall pick and two veterans.

For the Thunder, this deal is about shedding salary whilst still remaining competitive. With the extensions of both Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo taking effect next season, Oklahoma City faced a salary increase of over $30 million. So they really needed to ditch the $18 million contract of backup center Enes Kanter.

Sending him to New Orleans landed them two much more manageable contracts and a chance to enter the draft much earlier than they usually do.

This is a solid move for the Pelicans. Superstar Anthony Davis desperately needs help and adding one of the best offensive centers in the NBA to play alongside him is a good move. Kanter is often criticized for his weak defensive play, but having Davis cover for him should reduce that issue.

The Pelicans still need to add a lot more shooting to their team, but this move is a good start to their off-season.
Full details

New Orleans Pelicans received: Enes Kanter
Oklahoma City Thunder received: Pick 16, Quincy Pondexter, Alexis Ajinca



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16.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Jaron Blossomgame - Small Forward - 23 years old - Clemson - 6'7" - 220 lbs

17.) Milwaukee Bucks - Marques Bolden - Center - 20 years old - Duke - 6'11" - 245 lbs

18.) Atlanta Hawks - Ivan Rabb - Power Forward - 20 years old - California - 6'11" - 221 lbs

19.) Toronto Raptors - Isaiah Hartenstein - Power Forward - 20 years old - Germany - 6'11" - 251 lbs

20.) Phoenix Suns - Jonathan Jeanne - Center - 20 years old - France - 7'2" - 191 lbs

21.) Denver Nuggets - O.G Anunoby - Small Forward - 20 years old - Indiana - 6'8" - 229 lbs

22.) Toronto Raptors - Devonte Graham - Point Guard - 22 years old - Kansas - 6'2" - 186 lbs

23.) Phoenix Suns - Allonzo Trier - Shooting Guard - 21 years old - Arizona - 6'5" - 205 lbs

24.) Detroit Pistons - Nigel Hayes - Power Forward - 22 years old - Wisconsin - 6'8" - 241 lbs

25.) Houston Rockets - Jarrett Allen - Center - 20 years old - Texas - 6'11" - 235 lbs

26.) Chicago Bulls - Thomas Bryant - Center - 19 years old - Indiana - 6'10" - 255 lbs

27.) Brooklyn Nets - Edmond Sumner - Point Guard - 21 years old - Xavier (OH) - 6'6" - 187 lbs

28.) Portland Trail Blazers - Frank Jackson - Point Guard - 20 years old - Duke - 6'3" - 206 lbs

29.) Cleveland Cavaliers - Malcolm Hill - Small Forward - 21 years old - Illinois - 6'6" - 221 lbs

30.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk - Shooting Guard - 20 years old - Kansas - 6'8" - 205 lbs



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Out comes Adam Silver, "We have a trade to announce". Here we go again.

The New York Knicks have traded Jayson Tatum and pick 56 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Jaron Blossomgame, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a 2018 second round pick (via Boston).

Sam Presti is having fun tonight. He has turned Enes Kanter and some draft picks into highly-rated Duke forward Jayson Tatum. The gifted scorer has some huge shoes to fill as the media will now likely proclaim him as Kevin Durant's replacement in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder did still make it to the western conference finals without Durant, but they really lacked another wing scorer. That is exactly what Tatum was at the college level and what the Thunder will be hoping he becomes in the NBA.

This is an interesting move from the Knicks' perspective. A lot of people would have been happy to stick with Tatum, but they clearly feel that the package they received was better value overall. Both of the guys they picked up here have pretty good upsides.

Maybe they have developed a new marketing ploy which prices jerseys by how many letters they have in the name on the back. They now have Porzingis, Kuzminskas, Hernangomez, Blossomgame and Mykhailiuk on their roster.


Full details

New York Knicks received: Jaron Blossomgame (pick 16), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (pick 30), 2018 second round pick (Boston)
Oklahoma City Thunder received: Jayson Tatum (pick 12), pick 56



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31.) San Antonio Spurs - Kyle Kuzma - Power Forward - 21 years old - Utah - 6'9" - 218 lbs

32.) Utah Jazz - Tyler Lydon - Power Forward - 21 years old - Syracuse - 6'9" - 224 lbs




Second Round


33.) Louisville Lions - Rodions Kurucs - Small Forward - 20 years old - Latvia - 6'8" - 191 lbs

34.) San Diego Eagles - Omer Yurtseven - Center - 20 years old - NC State - 7'0" - 241 lbs

35.) Atlanta Hawks - Frank Mason III - Point Guard - 23 years old - Kansas - 5'11" - 191 lbs

36.) Indiana Pacers - Carlton Bragg Jr - Power Forward - 21 years old - Kansas - 6'9" - 230 lbs

37.) Memphis Grizzlies - Bennie Boatwright - Power Forward - 21 years old - USC - 6'10" - 221 lbs

38.) Dallas Mavericks - Jalen Brunson - Point Guard - 20 years old - Villanova - 6'3" - 190 lbs

39.) Houston Rockets - Melo Trimble - Point Guard - 22 years old - Maryland - 6'3" - 185 lbs

40.) Los Angeles Lakers - V.J. Beachem - Small Forward - 22 years old - Notre Dame - 6'8" - 202 lbs

41.) Sacramento Kings - Caleb Swanigan - Power Forward - 20 years old - Purdue - 6'9" - 250 lbs

42.) Charlotte Hornets - Monte Morris - Point Guard - 22 years old - Iowa State - 6'3" - 175 lbs

43.) Orlando Magic - Devin Robinson - Small Forward - 22 years old - Florida - 6'8" - 201 lbs

44.) Milwaukee Bucks - London Perrantes - Point Guard - 22 years old - Virginia - 6'2" - 192 lbs

45.) Washington Wizards - Johnathan Motley - Power Forward - 22 years old - Baylor - 6'10" - 218 lbs

46.) Indiana Pacers - Dwayne Bacon - Shooting Guard - 21 years old - Florida State - 6'7" - 221 lbs

47.) Utah Jazz - Keita Bates-Diop - Small Forward - 21 years old - Ohio State - 6'7" - 235 lbs

48.) San Antonio Spurs - Justin Jackson - Small Forward - 22 years old - North Carolina - 6'8" - 207 lbs

49.) Utah Jazz - Josh Hart - Shooting Guard - 22 years old - Villanova - 6'5" - 215 lbs

50.) Minnesota Timberwolves - Luke Kornet - Power Forward - 22 years old - Vanderbilt - 7'1" - 252 lbs

51.) Toronto Raptors - Dillon Brooks - Small Forward - 21 years old - Oregon - 6'7" - 225 lbs

52.) Boston Celtics - Malik Pope - Small Forward - 20 years old - San Diego State - 6'8" - 211 lbs

53.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Kennedy Meeks - Center - 22 years old - North Carolina - 6'11" - 260 lbs

54.) New Orleans Pelicans - Alec Peters - Power Forward - 22 years old - Valparaiso - 6'9" - 236 lbs

55.) Toronto Raptors - Dedric Lawson - Small Forward - 19 years old - Memphis - 6'9" - 228 lbs

56.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Moses Kingsley - Power Forward - 22 years old - Arkansas - 6'8" - 230 lbs

57.) New York Knicks - Amida Brimah - Center - 23 years old - Connecticut - 7'0" - 230 lbs

58.) Utah Jazz - Kris Jenkins - Power Forward - 23 years old - Villanova - 6'6" - 235 lbs

59.) Brooklyn Nets - Chris Boucher - Power Forward - 24 years old - Oregon - 6'4" - 191 lbs

60.) Houston Rockets - Ross Welsch - Shooting Guard - 22 years old - Penn State - 6'6" - 194 lbs

61.) Boston Celtics - Antoine Ball - Center - 21 years old - George Mason - 7'2" - 277 lbs

62.) Oklahoma City Thunder - Homer Snyder - Shooting Guard - 20 years old - Duke - 6'5" - 234 lbs

63.) San Antonio Spurs - Ervin Spencer - Center - 20 years old - Florida International - 6'10' - 270 lbs

64.) Utah Jazz - Luke Fischer - Center - 22 years old - Marquette - 6'11" - 250 lbs




Unsigned Draftees


Getting selected in the draft isn't always a guarantee that you'll be joining the NBA ranks.

Several second round pick each year miss out on being signed by the teams who drafted them due to roster size and salary cap issues.

Here are the unlucky players who missed out this year:

Pick 45 - Dedric Lawson - Toronto Raptors
Pick 50 - Luke Kornet - Minnesota Timberwolves
Pick 53 - Kennedy Meeks - Oklahoma City Thunder
Pick 58 - Kris Jenkins - Utah Jazz
Pick 60 - Ross Welsch - Houston Rockets
Pick 61 - Antoine Ball - Boston Celtics
Pick 62 - Homer Snyder - Oklahoma City Thunder
Pick 63 - Ervin Spencer - San Antonio Spurs
Pick 64 - Luke Fischer - Utah Jazz
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - 2017 NBA Draft Coverage

Postby Lamrock on Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:30 pm

Dang. Indiana came out of that draft with a ton of assets. Fleeced the Celtics IMO.

Jonathan Jeanne is a nice pick-up. I know nothing about him other than that he's french and really tall. Maybe if he puts on 50 pounds he'll become the next Gobert? If not, you still have Len I guess.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - 2017 NBA Draft Coverage

Postby Phil89 on Mon Feb 27, 2017 5:57 pm

The funny thing is that this PG13 trade happened before all the real life deadline stuff. So it was probably an overpay in the end. But I don't think the Celtics will be complaining if they win a title or two.


I was excited to have two first round picks. But sadly my knowledge of this draft class kind of ran out just before it was my turn to pick. Taking a 7'2" guy seemed like move that could pay off huge if he pans out. Hopefully he'll add some mass once he gets on an American diet :wink:

I also needed some backup for Devin Booker, so I figured "why not take the guy who went to college in-state?" I like adding little elements like that to he overall story of this game.

Hopefully I can sign someone good in free agency and have another run at the playoffs next season.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - 2017 NBA Draft Coverage

Postby Valor on Wed Mar 01, 2017 5:55 pm

#1 pick Rajon Rondo :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Love the draft coverage, very in-depth stuff (Y)
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - 2017 NBA Draft Coverage

Postby Phil89 on Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:53 pm

13/8/17

2017 Off-Season Transaction Summary

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Atlanta

Re-Signed
Paul Millsap - $132m - 4 years
Tiago Splitter - $7m - 2 years
Thabo Sefolosha - $6m - 2 years
Jarrett Jack - $4m - 2 years
Mike Muscala - $3m - 2 years
Kris Humphries - $3m - 2 years
Mike Scott - $2m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Ivan Rabb (Pick 18)
Frank Mason III (Pick 35)

Released
Kyle Korver (Cleveland)
Walter Tavares (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Dwight Howard - Paul Millsap - Thabo Sefolosha - Kent Bazemore - Dennis Schroder


Boston

Re-Signed
Kelly Olynyk - $10m - 3 years
Tyler Zeller - $8m - 3 years
Marcus Smart - $4.5m - 1 year (Team Option)
Terry Rozier - $2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Jordan Mickey - $1.3m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
RJ Hunter - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Kevin Martin - $1m - 1 year
Alonzo Gee - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Malik Pope (Pick 52)

Released
James Young (Expansion Draft)
Amir Johnson (Indiana)
Gerald Green (Phoenix)
Jonas Jerebko (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Al Horford - Thaddeus Young - Paul George - Avery Bradley - Isaiah Thomas


Brooklyn

Re-Signed
Bojan Bogdanovic - $4.7m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson - $1.5m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Chris McCullough - $1.2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Sean Kilpatrick - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Rudy Gay - $89m - 4 years
JR Smith - $22m - 3 years
Ryan Hollins - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Edmond Sumner (Pick 27)
Chris Boucher (Pick 59)

Released
Anthony Bennett (Expansion Draft)
Greivis Vazquez (Denver)
Randy Foye (Golden State)
Joe Harris (Free Agent)
Luis Scola (Retired)

Projected line-up: Brook Lopez - Trevor Booker - Rudy Gay - JR Smith - Jeremy Lin


Charlotte

Re-Signed
Ramon Sessions - $6.3m - 1 year (Team Option)
Spencer Hawes - $6m - 1 year (Player Option)
Frank Kaminsky - $2.8m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Aaron Harrison - $1.4m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Christian Wood - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Thomas Robinson - $1.2m - 1 year
Sasha Vujacic - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Terrance Ferguson (Pick 10)
Monte Morris (Pick 42)

Released
Marco Belinelli (Expansion Draft)
Roy Hibbert (Philadelphia)
Brian Roberts (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Cody Zeller - Marvin Williams - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Nicolas Batum - Kemba Walker


Chicago

Re-Signed
Dwyane Wade - $23.8m - 1 year (Player Option)
Doug McDermott - $3.3m - 1 year (Team Option)
Jerian Grant - $1.7m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Bobby Portis - $1.5m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Cristiano Felicio - $1.4m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Isaiah Canaan - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Ty Lawson - $8m - 2 years

Draftees Signed
Lauri Markkanen (Pick 11)
Thomas Bryant (Pick 26)

Released
Rajon Rondo (Expansion Draft)
Taj Gibson (Minnesota)
Spencer Dinwiddie (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Robin Lopez - Nikola Mirotic - Jimmy Butler - Dwyane Wade - Michael Carter-Williams


Cleveland

Re-Signed
Jordan McRae - $3m - 2 years
Toney Douglas - $1m - 1 year
Kay Felder - $900k - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Kyle Korver - $4m - 2 years
Carl Landry - $1m - 1 year
Kendrick Perkins - $1m - 1 year
Caron Butler - $1m - 1 year
Joel Anthony - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Malcolm Hill (Pick 29)

Released
Richard Jefferson (Expansion Draft)
JR Smith (Brooklyn)
Chris Andersen (Retired)
Mike Dunleavy (Retired)
James Jones (Retired)
Dahntay Jones (Retired)

Projected line-up: Tristan Thompson - Kevin Love - LeBron James - Iman Shumpert - Kyrie Irving


Dallas

Re-Signed
Justin Anderson - $1.6m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Salah Mejri - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Quincy Acy - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Pat Connaughton - $3m - 2 years
Mitch McGary - $1.2m - 1 year
David West - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
De'Aaron Fox (Pick 7)
Jalen Brunson (Pick 38)

Released
Devin Harris (Expansion Draft)
Deron Williams (Sacramento)
Andrew Bogut (San Diego)
Jonathan Gibson (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Dwight Powell - Dirk Nowitzki - Harrison Barnes - Wesley Matthews - De'Aaron Fox


Denver

Re-Signed
Emmanuel Mudiay - $3.4m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Jusuf Nurkic - $2.9m - 1 year (Team Option)
Gary Harris - $2.5m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Jared Sullinger - $63m - 4 years
Greivis Vazquez - $1.5m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Josh Jackson (Pick 3)
OG Anunoby (Pick 21)

Released
Wilson Chandler (Expansion Draft)
Danilo Gallinari (Sacramento)
JaKarr Sampson (LA Clippers)
Mike Miller (Retired)

Projected line-up: Nikola Jokic - Jared Sullinger - Josh Jackson - Jamal Murray - Emmanuel Mudiay


Detroit

Re-Signed
Aron Baynes - $6.5m - 1 year (Player Option)
Reggie Bullock - $3.3m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Stanley Johnson - $3.1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Michael Gbinije - $900k - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Marcus Thornton - $1m - 1 year
Omri Casspi - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Nigel Haye (Pick 24)

Released
Boban Marjanovic (Expansion Draft)
Ray McCallum (Free Agent)
Darrun Hilliard (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Andre Drummond - Marcus Morris - Tobias Harris - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Reggie Jackson


Golden State

Re-Signed
Kevin Durant - $27.7m - 1 year (Player Option)
Ian Clark - $6m - 3 years
James Michael McAdoo - $2m - 2 years
Kevon Looney - $1.2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Zaza Pachulia - $1m - 1 year
Anderson Varejao - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
JaVale McGee - $2m - 2 years
Mario Chalmers - $1m - 1 year
Brandon Rush - $1m - 1 year
Randy Foye - $1m - 1 year
Aaron Brooks - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
-

Released
Damian Jones (Expansion Draft)
Andre Iguodala (Phoenix)
Shaun Livingston (Milwaukee)
David West (Dallas)
Elliot Williams (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Zaza Pachulia - Draymond Green - Kevin Durant - Klay Thompson - Stephen Curry


Houston

Re-Signed
KJ McDaniels - $3.5m - 1 year (Team Option)
Tyler Ennis - $2.7m - 1 year (Team Option)
Clint Capela - $2.3m - 1 year (Team Option)
Sam Dekker - $1.8m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Nene - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Jarrett Allen (Pick 25)
Melo Trimble (Pick 39)

Released
Montrezl Harrell (Expansion Draft)
Pablo Prigioni (Retired)

Projected line-up: Nene - Ryan Anderson - Trevor Ariza - James Harden - Patrick Beverley


Indiana

Re-Signed
Rodney Stuckey - $7m - 1 year (Player Option)
Myles Turner - $2.6m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Joseph Young - $1.1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Glenn Robinson III - $1.1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Amir Johnson - $10m - 2 years
Ersan Ilyasova - $7m - 2 years

Draftees Signed
Markelle Fultz (Pick 2)
Grayson Allen (Pick 13)
Carlton Bragg Jr (Pick 36)
Dwayne Bacon (Pick 46)

Released
CJ Miles (Expansion Draft)
Lavoy Allen (New Orleans)
Aaron Brooks (Golden State)
Jeremy Evans (Free Agent)
Georges Niang (Free Agent)
Rakeem Christmas (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Myles Turner - Amir Johnson - Jae Crowder - Monta Ellis - Jeff Teague


LA Clippers

Re-Signed
Blake Griffin - $144m - 5 years
Chris Paul - $132m - 4 years
Luc Mbah a Moute - $2.3m - 1 year (Player Option)
Marreese Speights - $1m - 1 year (Player Option)
Raymond Felton - $1m - 1 year
Brandon Bass - $1m - 1 year
Alan Anderson - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Lance Stephenson - $4m - 2 years
James Johnson - $1m - 1 year
JaKarr Sampson - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
-

Released
Wesley Johnson (Expansion Draft)
JJ Redick (Philadelphia)
Paul Pierce (Retired)

Projected line-up: DeAndre Jordan - Blake Griffin - Lance Stephenson - Jamal Crawford - Chris Paul


LA Lakers

Re-Signed
Nick Young - $5.7m - 1 year (Player Option)
D'Angelo Russell - $5.6m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Julius Randle - $4.1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Tarik Black - $4m - 2 years
Larry Nance Jr - $1.3m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Marcelo Huertas - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Festus Ezeli - $50m - 4 years
Brandon Jennings - $9m - 2 years

Draftees Signed
VJ Beachem (Pick 40)

Released
Anthony Brown (Expansion Draft)
Jose Calderon (Utah)
Yi Jianlian (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Festus Ezeli - Julius Randle - Brandon Ingram - Jordan Clarkson - D'Angelo Russell


Louisville

Re-Signed
Rajon Rondo - $13.4m - 1 year (Team Option)
CJ Wilcox - $2.2m - 1 year (Team Option)
Delon Wright - $1.6m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Anthony Brown - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Lonzo Ball (Pick 5)
Rodions Kurucs (Pick 33)
Rajon Rondo (Expansion Draft)
Evan Turner (Expansion Draft)
Marcin Gortat (Expansion Draft)
Jared Dudley (Expansion Draft)
Joe Johnson (Expansion Draft)
Brandan Wright (Expansion Draft)
Marco Belinelli (Expansion Draft)
Delon Wright (Expansion Draft)
Wesley Johnson (Expansion Draft)
Richard Jefferson (Expansion Draft)
Damian Jones (Expansion Draft)
Anthony Brown (Expansion Draft)
CJ Wilcox (Expansion Draft)

Released
-

Projected line-up: Marcin Gortat - Jared Dudley - Evan Turner - Joe Johnson - Rajon Rondo


Memphis

Re-Signed
Zach Randolph - $11m - 2 years
Tony Allen - $3m - 1 year
Jordan Adams - $2.4m - 1 year (Team Option)
Jarell Martin - $1.3m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Vince Carter - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Bennie Boatwright (Pick 37)

Released
Brandan Wright (Expansion Draft)

Projected line-up: Marc Gasol - Zach Randolph - Chandler Parsons - Tony Allen - Mike Conley


Miami

Re-Signed
Josh McRoberts - $6m - 1 year (Player Option)
Derrick Williams - $4m - 2 years
Dion Waiters - $3m - 1 year (Player Option)
Justise Winslow - $2.7m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Willie Reed - $1.1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Josh Richardson - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Luke Babbitt - $1m - 1 year
Beno Udrih - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Terrence Jones - $5m - 2 years
Kevin Seraphin - $1m - 1 year
Kirk Hinrich - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Frank Ntilikina (Pick 6)

Released
Wayne Ellington (Orlando)
James Johnson (LA Clippers)
Udonis Haslem (Retired)

Projected line-up: Hassan Whiteside - Chris Bosh - Justise Winslow - Josh Richardson - Goran Dragic


Milwaukee

Re-Signed
Jabari Parker - $6.8m - 1 year (Team Option)
Rashad Vaughn - $1.9m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Shaun Livingston - $7m - 2 years
Chase Budinger - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Marques Bolden (Pick 17)
London Perrantes (Pick 44)

Released
Greg Monroe (Expansion Draft)
Michael Beasley (Orlando)
Steve Novak (Free Agent)
Jason Terry (Retired)

Projected line-up: John Henson - Jabari Parker - Giannis Antetokounmpo - Khris Middleton - Shaun Livingston


Minnesota

Re-Signed
Andrew Wiggins - $7.6m - 1 year (Team Option)
Karl-Anthony Towns - $6.2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Zach LaVine - $3.2m - 1 year (Team Option)
Tyus Jones - $1.4m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Taj Gibson - $9m - 2 years
Jeff Green - $9m - 2 years
Gerald Henderson - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Harry Giles (Pick 1)

Released
Jordan Hill (Expansion Draft)
Adreian Payne (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Karl-Anthony Towns - Harry Giles - Andrew Wiggins - Zach LaVine - Kris Dunn


New Orleans

Re-Signed
Tyreke Evans - $73m - 4 years
Langston Galloway - $5.4m - 1 year (Player Option)
Dante Cunningham - $3.1m - 1 year (Player Option)

Free Agents Signed
Lavoy Allen - $1m - 1 year
Jodie Meeks - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Alec Peters (Pick 54)

Released
Terrence Jones (Miami)
Alonzo Gee (Boston)

Projected line-up: Enes Kanter - Anthony Davis - Tyreke Evans - Buddy Hield - Jrue Holiday


New York

Re-Signed
Kristaps Porzingis - $4.5m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Justin Holiday - $1m - 1 year
Maurice N'Dour - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Shelvin Mack - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Jaron Blossomgame (Pick 16)
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Pick 30)
Amida Brimah (Pick 57)

Released
Brandon Jennings (LA Lakers)
Sasha Vujacic (Charlotte)
Louis Amundson (Free Agent)
Marshall Plumlee (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Joakim Noah - Kristaps Porzingis - Carmelo Anthony - Courtney Lee - Derrick Rose


Oklahoma City

Re-Signed
Joffrey Lauvergne - $2.3m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Cameron Payne - $2.2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Jerami Grant - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Nick Collison - $1m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Jayson Tatum (Pick 12)
Moses Kingsley (Pick 56)

Released
Josh Huestis (Expansion Draft)
Anthony Morrow (Philadelphia)
Ronnie Price (Waived)

Projected line-up: Steven Adams - Domantas Sabonis - Andre Roberson - Victor Oladipo - Russell Westbrook


Orlando

Re-Signed
Aaron Gordon - $5.5m - 1 year (Team Option)
Mario Hezonja - $4.1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Elfrid Payton - $3.3m - 1 year (Team Option)
Cliff Alexander - $1.4m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Stephen Zimmerman - $1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Michael Beasley - $5m - 2 years
Tony Wroten - $2m - 2 years
Wayne Ellington - $1m -1 year

Draftees Signed
Jonathan Isaac (Pick 9)
Devin Robinson (Pick 43)

Released
CJ Wilcox (Expansion Draft)
Jeff Green (Minnesota)
Jodie Meeks (New Orleans)
CJ Watson (Washington)
Damjan Rudez (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Nikola Vucevic - Serge Ibaka - Michael Beasley - Evan Fournier - Elfrid Payton


Philadelphia

Re-Signed
Joel Embiid - $6.1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Nik Stauskas - $3.8m - 1 year (Team Option)
Robert Covington - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)
TJ McConnell - $1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Richaun Holmes - $1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
JJ Redick - $21m - 2 years
Anthony Morrow - $6m - 2 years
Roy Hibbert - $2m - 2 years
Tibor Pliess - $900k - 1 year

Draftees Signed
-

Released
Marcin Gortat (Expansion Draft)
Ersan Ilyasova (Indiana)
Gerald Henderson (Minnesota)
Hollis Thompson (Sacramento)

Projected line-up: Joel Embiid - Nerlens Noel - Ben Simmons - JJ Redick - John Wall


Phoenix

Re-Signed
Alex Len - $75m - 4 years
Sergio Rodriguez - $4m - 2 years
TJ Warren - $3.1m - 1 year (Team Option)
Devin Booker - $2.3m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Alan Williams - $1.4m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)

Free Agents Signed
Andre Iguodala - $28m - 2 years
Gerald Green - $2m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Jonathan Jeanne (Pick 20)
Allonzo Trier (Pick 23)

Released
Jared Dudley (Expansion Draft)
Kevin Martin (Boston)
Leandro Barbosa (Portland)
Archie Goodwin (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Alex Len - Dragan Bender - Andre Iguodala - Devin Booker - Eric Bledsoe


Portland

Re-Signed
Noah Vonleh - $3.5m - 1 year (Team Option)
Mason Plumlee - $3.4m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Shabazz Napier - $2.4m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
JJ Hickson - $1m - 1 year
Chris Kaman - $1m - 1 year
Leandro Barbosa - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Frank Jackson (Pick 28)

Released
Evan Turner (Expansion Draft)
Festus Ezeli (LA Lakers)
Pat Connaughton (Dallas)
Luis Montero (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Mason Plumlee - Ed Davis - Al-Farouq Aminu - CJ McCollum - Damian Lillard


Sacramento

Re-Signed
Matt Barnes - $6.4m - 1 year (Player Option)
Willie Cauley-Stein - $3.7m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Danilo Gallinari - $88m - 4 years
Deron Williams - $7m - 2 years
Boris Diaw - $1m - 1 year
Norris Cole - $1m - 1 year
Hollis Thompson - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Caleb Swanigan (Pick 41)

Released
Arron Affalo (Expansion Draft)
Rudy Gay (Brooklyn)
Ty Lawson (Chicago)
Omri Casspi (Detroit)
Anthony Tolliver (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: DeMarcus Cousins - Skal Labissiere - Danilo Gallinari - Ben McLemore - Darren Collison


San Antonio

Re-Signed
Pau Gasol - $16.2m - 1 year (Player Option)
Dewayne Dedmon - $3m - 1 year (Player Option)
Kyle Anderson - $2.1m - 1 year (Team Option)
David Lee - $1m - 1 year (Player Option)

Free Agents Signed
Gary Neal - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Kyle Kuzma (Pick 31)
Justin Jackson (Pick 48)

Released
Jonathon Simmons (Expansion Draft)
Manu Ginobili (Retired)

Projected line-up: Pau Gasol - LaMarcus Aldridge - Kawhi Leonard - Danny Green - Tony Parker


San Diego

Re-Signed
Greg Monroe - $78m - 4 years
Arron Afflalo - $12.5m - 1 year (Team Option)
CJ Miles - $9m - 2 years
Devin Harris - $4.4m - 1 year (Team Option)
Josh Huestis - $1.2m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Anthony Bennett - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Andrew Bogut - $7m - 2 years

Draftees Signed
Dennis Smith Jr (Pick 4)
Omer Yurtseven (Pick 34)
Greg Monroe (Pick 2 - Expansion Draft)
Wilson Chandler (Expansion Draft)
Arron Afflalo (Expansion Draft)
Devin Harris (Expansion Draft)
Jordan Hill (Expansion Draft)
CJ Miles (Expansion Draft)
Montrezl Harrell (Expansion Draft)
Jonathon Simmons (Expansion Draft)
Tomas Satoransky (Expansion Draft)
Boban Marjanovic (Expansion Draft)
James Young (Expansion Draft)
Anthony Bennett (Expansion Draft)
Josh Huestis (Expansion Draft)

Released
James Young (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Andrew Bogut - Greg Monroe - Wilson Chandler - Arron Afflalo - Dennis Smith Jr


Toronto

Re-Signed
Kyle Lowry - $132m - 4 years
Lucas Nogueira - $2.9m - 1 year (Team Option)
Bruno Caboclo - $2.4m - 1 year (Team Option)
Norman Powell - $1m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
-

Draftees Signed
Isaiah Hartenstein (Pick 19)
Devonte Graham (Pick 22)
Dillon Brooks (Pick 51)

Released
Delon Wright (Expansion Draft)
Jared Sullinger (Denver)

Projected line-up: Jonas Valanciunas - Patrick Patterson - DeMarre Carroll - DeMar DeRozan - Kyle Lowry


Utah

Re-Signed
Gordon Hayward - $144m - 5 years
Jeff Withey - $5m - 2 years
Dante Exum - $5m - 1 year (Team Option)
Joe Ingles - $2.9m - 1 year (Qualifying Offer)
Trey Lyles - $2.4m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Rodney Hood - $2.4m - 1 year (Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
Jose Calderon - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Miles Bridges (Pick 15)
Tyler Lydon (Pick 32)
Keita Bates-Diop (Pick 47)
Josh Hart (Pick 49)

Released
Joe Johnson (Expansion Draft)
Boris Diaw (Sacramento)
Shelvin Mack (New York)
Raul Neto (Free Agent)
Joel Bolomboy (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Rudy Gobert - Derrick Favors - Gordon Hayward - Rodney Hood - Dante Exum


Washington

Re-Signed
Jahlil Okafor - $5m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)
Kelly Oubre Jr - $2.1m - 1 year (2yr Team Option)

Free Agents Signed
CJ Watson - $1m - 1 year
Dorell Wright - $1m - 1 year

Draftees Signed
Malik Monk (Pick 8)
Bam Adebayo (Pick 14)
Johnathan Motley (Pick 45)

Released
Tomas Satoransky (Expansion Draft)
Marcus Thornton (Detroit)
Jarell Eddie (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Jahlil Okafor - Markieff Morris - Otto Porter - Bradley Beal - Brandon Knight






Off-Season Trades



Cavs bring a familiar face to Cleveland


Image


Cleveland received: Chris Bosh
Miami received: Kevin Love


Cleveland were already expected to make some changes during this off-season after their disappointing showing in the NBA finals against Golden State a little over ten weeks ago. Then the Paul George trade went down on draft day and suddenly the stakes were raised dramatically for them. The Celtics became an instant threat to their status as top dogs in the eastern conference.

All kinds of stories started popping up once the news got out that the Cavs were looking to acquire a big-name player to help them better combat the talent-filled Warriors juggernaut. A host of stars were linked with moves to Cleveland including Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol.


After reportedly failing to agree upon a deal with the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony, Cavs GM David Griffin then called up Pat Riley in Miami with the hope of getting a deal done for twelve-time all-star Chris Bosh. Cleveland didn't really have a bunch of valuable assets, and the star duo of LeBron and Kyrie Irving were untouchable. That left Kevin Love as the odd man out after a poor showing in the finals.

Although no one will ever admit it publicly, there is no doubt that LeBron James was consulted about this trade. Not only because the Cavs wouldn't pull the trigger on a trade of this magnitude without his approval, but also because Chris Bosh is a good friend of his and someone who he won two titles with during their time together in Miami.

LeBron was reportedly quite upset in private with the way Kevin Love played in the finals series. And bringing in a guy like Bosh, who he already has good chemistry with, seems like something he would want to do. Bosh may be 33 years old now, but he is still playing at a high level.

Despite his team being absolutely rubbish last season, he still managed to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. It was good enough for him to make the All-NBA third team, which was only the second time in his career that he has made an All-NBA team.


The Cavs really needed a big-time move like this to kick-start their off-season. They had lost JR Smith to the Nets because of salary cap restraints and Richard Jefferson to Louisville in the expansion draft. They also had veteran role players like Mike Dunleavy, Chris Andersen, James Jones and Dahntay Jones retire from the NBA last month. The signing of sharpshooter Kyle Korver is a big boost though.

It's rare to see two all-stars traded in a straight-swap deal, but it seems as though both parties felt that the trade was fair. Arguably Bosh is the better player right now, but Love having several more years left in the league evened up the value.


After four trips to the NBA finals in as many years and two championships, the Heat have missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons without LeBron James. Pat Riley is not the kind of guy who sits back and accepts mediocrity, so an off-season rebuild was always likely after they finished with the third-worst record in the league last season. They begin by trading for all-star big man Kevin Love.

It's actually a very smart move because Love fits their age profile much better than Bosh did. Their new frontcourt pairing of Love and Hassan Whiteside are both in the prime of their careers and should compliment each other nicely at both ends of the court. Whiteside's strong interior defense will make up for Love's deficiencies, whilst Love's ability to stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting should allow them to work well together offensively.

Love also has a year more on his current contract than Bosh, albeit a player option. His salary numbers will help the Heat a bit as they are several million per season cheaper than what Bosh is making.


Suddenly the Heat's window has opened right up. The trio of Love, Whiteside and Dragic should be able to make them competitive enough to reach the playoffs, whilst youngsters Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Frank Ntilikina give them room for improvement in the next few seasons. The two big men should still be solid NBA players when those younger guys hit their prime.

This may not be the final deal made by Riley this off-season. The Heat don't own their first round pick next season, so they have no reason to tank. It's entirely possible that we could see them re-emerge as a strong playoff team after a few inconsistent years.


Cleveland
Projected line-up:
Tristan Thompson - Chris Bosh - LeBron James - Iman Shumpert - Kyrie Irving
Reserves:
Kyle Korver, Channing Frye, Jordan McRae, Carl Landry, Kay Felder, Toney Douglas, Kendrick Perkins, Caron Butler, Malcolm Hill, Joel Anthony
Miami
Projected line-up:
Hassan Whiteside - Kevin Love - Justise Winslow - Josh Richardson - Goran Dragic
Reserves:
Dion Waiters, Josh McRoberts, Tyler Johnson, Frank Ntilikina, Terrence Jones, Kevin Seraphin, Derrick Williams, Beno Udrih, Willie Reed, Luke Babbitt, Kirk Hinrich




________________________________________________________________________________




Riley adds some Spanish flair to Heat rebuild

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Miami received: - Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng
Minnesota received: - Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Josh McRoberts, 2018 New Orleans second round pick


Just over a week after acquiring Kevin Love from Cleveland, the Miami Heat agree upon a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng. In return the Timberwolves received Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, Josh McRoberts and a 2018 second round pick.

Pat Riley continues to strengthen his team with his second trade so far this off-season. This isn't a deal that landed him a star player, but he did get two very solid role players who will certainly push his team into playoff contention next season. It's just the latest way that he has reinvented this successful Miami team.


Spain international Rubio is known as one of the craftiest playmakers in the league thanks to his excellent passing vision and skill. He has become surplus to requirements in Minnesota after the emergence of Kris Dunn last season. Hopefully a change of scenery will restart his NBA career.

Adding Gorgui Dieng is a good move for Miami as they seriously lacked support for Hassan Whiteside. Now they have a quality three-man rotation with Whiteside, Dieng and Love.


Minnesota are on the cusp of becoming a dynasty if you believe the hype. They recently added number one pick Harry Giles to an already impressive young core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn. The free agent signings of Taj Gibson, Gerald Henderson and Jeff Green add to a handy group of veterans that also includes Goran Dragic and Nikola Pekovic.

This deal does a few things for them. First, it will free up some more playing time for rookie Harry Giles and give him an opportunity to develop a partnership with Towns. Secondly, it gives them a better offensively-minded backup for Dunn at point guard.

Perhaps most importantly, it gives them more salary cap flexibility ahead of the vital 2018 off-season when Wiggins and LaVine become free agents. Dragic may have a monster contract for a reserve player, but it works out as much cheaper than the combined salaries of Rubio and Dieng would have been.

The salaries are almost exactly the same for next season. In 2018-19 Dragic will save them over $11 million. In 2019-20 he saves them over $12 million. The fourth year of his contract is a player option, but it's the same time that Rubio will be a free agent anyway.

Minnesota are expected to waive Josh McRoberts in the next few days.


Miami
Projected line-up:
Hassan Whiteside - Kevin Love - Justise Winslow - Josh Richardson - Ricky Rubio
Reserves:
Gorgui Dieng, Tyler Johnson, Frank Ntilikina, Terrence Jones, Kevin Seraphin, Derrick Williams, Beno Udrih, Willie Reed, Luke Babbitt, Kirk Hinrich
Minnesota
Projected line-up:
Karl-Anthony Towns - Taj Gibson - Andrew Wiggins - Zach LaVine - Kris Dunn
Reserves:
Goran Dragic, Harry Giles, Jeff Green, Cole Aldrich, Nemanja Bjelica, Shabazz Muhammad, Gerald Henderson, Nikola Pekovic, Tyus Jones, Dion Waiters




________________________________________________________________________________




Kings strengthen in hopes of keeping Boogie

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Dallas received: Willie Cauley-Stein, Ben McLemore, Matt Barnes, 2018 Portland second round pick, 2019 Milwaukee second round pick
Sacramento received: Wesley Matthews, Salah Mejri, Quincy Acy


This upcoming season could be the most important for the Sacramento franchise since they reached the western conference finals in 2002. All-star big man DeMarcus Cousins is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and as of yet he hasn't committed either way, to staying or leaving.

So Kings general manager Vlade Divac has been working overtime to get some moves done this month that will hopefully help the Kings make the playoffs next season and convince Boogie to stay. Things got off to a bad start when Rudy Gay opted to leave California and head to Brooklyn.

But Vlade did manage to sign Danilo Gallinari on a four year deal worth around $88 million as his replacement only days later. He also brought in highly respected veterans Deron Williams and Boris Diaw to add some depth and leadership to their bench. His latest move is to acquire veteran wing scorer Wesley Matthews from the Dallas Mavericks.


The shooting guard position has been a trouble spot for the Kings in the last decade. They have tried addressing the issue through the draft, but Tyreke Evans (pick 3, 2009), Ben McLemore (pick 7, 2013) and Nik Stauskas (pick 8, 2014) all failed to live up to their potential. They haven't had a good shooting guard since Kevin Martin was traded to Houston in 2010.

Wesley Matthews could be the answer to their problems. The veteran has established a reputation for being both an efficient scorer and a competent defender. Those are two things that the Kings desperately need, as are his leadership abilities.

This looks like a good deal for them. They had a surplus of seven-footers, so losing Cauley-Stein shouldn't hurt them too much. Thirteenth overall pick from 2016 Georgios Papagiannis will be the happiest person at the news of this deal. He should finally get some decent playing time behind DeMarcus Cousins and Kosta Koufos now. Salah Mejri is expected to be waived in the coming days.


Dallas take the gamble that a couple of former lottery picks can be de-Sacramento'd and turned into solid NBA players. Willie Cauley-Stein and Ben McLemore both failed to live up to expectations with the Kings, but will be hoping to get their NBA careers back on track with the Mavericks.

This move is aimed squarely at adding some more youth to the team as Dirk Nowitzki winds down his illustrious career. The post-Dirk Mavs will likely be built around a core of Harrison Barnes, De'Aaron Fox, Dwight Powell, Justin Anderson, Seth Curry and the two new arrivals. They needed a center after Andrew Bogut left to join San Diego and Cauley-Stein could be a solid replacement.

Apart from adding the foundation for life after Dirk this trade also clears Matthews' large salary from their books. Owner Mark Cuban has always tried to sign star free agents in the past and mostly failed. There is little doubt that he will be targeting the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Paul George, DeAndre Jordan, LaMarcus Aldridge or Derrick Favors should any of them test their free agency options next season.

Dallas are reportedly planning to waive Matt Barnes. He could be off to either Golden State or Cleveland once he clears waivers.


Dallas
Projected line-up:
Dwight Powell - Dirk Nowitzki - Harrison Barnes - Ben McLemore - De'Aaron Fox
Reserves:
JJ Barea, Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Anderson, David West, Seth Curry, AJ Hammons, Mitch McGary, Pat Connaughton, Jordan Hamilton, Jalen Brunson
Sacramento
Projected line-up:
DeMarcus Cousins - Skal Labissiere - Danilo Gallinari - Wesley Matthews - Darren Collison
Reserves:
Kosta Koufos, Deron Williams, Garrett Temple, Norris Cole, Boris Diaw, Georgios Papagiannis, Quincy Acy, Hollis Thompson, Malachi Richardson, Caleb Swanigan




________________________________________________________________________________




Nuggets and Suns complete swap of rotation players

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Denver received: TJ Warren
Phoenix received: Will Barton


The Nuggets and Suns make a rather straightforward swap of backup wing players with this deal, with the Nuggets acquiring TJ Warren and the Suns receiving Will Barton. Both players are entering the final year of their current contracts.

Denver had some roster balancing to do after losing both Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari this month. They did manage to add both Josh Jackson and OG Anunoby through the draft, but they needed a veteran scorer to fill the hole at small forward. With youngsters Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Malik Beasley all needing more minutes at shooting guard, that made using Barton dispensable.

TJ Warren has the potential to be a solid second or third scoring option on a good playoff team, but just found himself being overshadowed on offense by the likes of Alex Len, Terrence Ross and Dragan Bender last season. Hopefully this new start will do him good.

The Nuggets have one of the best young cores in the NBA based on potential. Nikola Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay, Josh Jackson, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Jusuf Nurkic, Juan Hernangomez and Malik Beasley could all be very good players one day. They just need to start winning games so that they can gain some experience in the playoffs.


For Phoenix, this deal is about acquiring a quality backup for Devin Booker. TJ Warren's future had been in doubt since the arrival of Terrence Ross midway through last season, and the recent signing of Andre Iguodala pushed him further down the pecking order.

It was looking increasingly unlikely that the Suns would be willing to offer Warren an extension at the end of the season based on the salary he would have asked for, so he probably would have been dealt before the deadline anyway if this trade hadn't come up.

Barton should provide a nice scoring boost for the Suns bench. They twenty-six year old wing player has been showing an improved outside game this year and of course he is always good for a spectacular dunk. There should be plenty of high-flying action from the Suns' second unit between Barton, Ross and the surprisingly-lively Marquese Chriss.

After surprising everyone by making the playoffs last season, Phoenix have made a conscious effort to add veterans to their young team this off-season in order to help them in future series. Their lack of playoff experience really showed last season as they were humiliatingly swept by the Golden State Warriors in the first round.

The addition of respected veteran Andre Iguodala on a two year deal could be a wise investment. Iguodala has been involved in the recent success that Golden State have enjoyed and he can bring that knowledge to the Suns. He can offer guidance and advice to Devin Booker as to how he can improve his game and become a similar player to Klay Thompson.


Denver
Projected line-up:
Nikola Jokic - Jared Sullinger - TJ Warren - Jamal Murray - Emmanuel Mudiay
Reserves:
Kenneth Faried, Gary Harris, Josh Jackson, Greivis Vazquez, Jusuf Nurkic, Darrell Arthur, OG Anunoby, Malik Beasley, Juan Hernangomez, Jameer Nelson
Phoenix
Projected line-up:
Alex Len - Dragan Bender - Andre Iguodala - Devin Booker - Eric Bledsoe
Reserves:
Terrence Ross, Will Barton, Sergio Rodriguez, Tyson Chandler, Marquese Chriss, Allonzo Trier, Jonathan Jeanne, Gerald Green, Tyler Ulis, Alan Williams




________________________________________________________________________________




Kings and Nuggets continue to reshape their teams

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Denver received: Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple, Skal Labissiere, 2018 Sacramento first round pick, 2020 Detroit second round pick
Sacramento received: Kenneth Faried, Malik Beasley, Jameer Nelson


The final major transaction of a busy off-season period saw the Denver Nuggets send power forward Kenneth Faried, guard Malik Beasley and veteran Jameer Nelson to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple, Skal Labissiere and two future draft picks.


This could be the final piece of the puzzle in Vlade Divoc's off-season overhaul. Sacramento sorely lacked an experienced power forward, so acquiring Kenneth Faried is a solid move for them. Faried will add rebounding and defensive pressure to the Kings line-up. He will hopefully take some of the burden off of DeMarcus Cousins.

After more than a decade with playoff basketball, it seems like the Kings may actually have a squad capable of fighting for the eighth seed next season. It's always a difficult task in the stronger western conference, but the additions of veterans Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams, Boris Diaw and Jameer Nelson should give them a massive boost.

Youngster Malik Beasley will be pretty happy to find himself at a new home. The shooting guard was taken by the Nuggets with the nineteenth overall pick in 2016, but he didn't play a single minute in his rookie season. That was thanks to being behind the likes of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton in the rotation. Now he will only have to compete with Malachi Richardson to be Wesley Matthews' backup.


The Nuggets had reportedly been looking to trade Faried ever since they signed Jared Sullinger to a four-year $63 million deal this month. The two main reasons behind that were freeing up salary cap space and also giving youngster Juan Hernangomez a shot at playing more.

One downside of having so many talent young players is that they will all soon be coming out of their rookie contracts and wanting big pay rises. In just the next few years the Nuggets will have to deal with extensions for Nikola Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris, TJ Warren and Jusuf Nurkic. So they need as much salary cap flexibility as they can get.

Veterans Kosta Koufos and Garrett Temple will likely only be staying in Denver for one season, but Skal Labissiere could be a great pickup for them. He can play at either of the center or power positions and has great potential at both ends of the court.


Denver
Projected line-up:
Nikola Jokic - Jared Sullinger - TJ Warren - Jamal Murray - Emmanuel Mudiay
Reserves:
Gary Harris, Greivis Vazquez, Josh Jackson, Jusuf Nurkic, Darrell Arthur, Kosta Koufos, OG Anunoby, Juan Hernangomez, Skal Labissiere, Garrett Temple
Sacramento
Projected line-up:
DeMarcus Cousins - Kenneth Faried - Danilo Gallinari - Wesley Matthews - Darren Collison
Reserves:
Deron Williams, Norris Cole, Boris Diaw, Georgios Papagiannis, Quincy Acy, Hollis Thompson, Malachi Richardson, Jameer Nelson, Malik Beasley, Caleb Swanigan
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - 2017 NBA Draft Coverage

Postby Phil89 on Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:58 pm

Valor wrote:#1 pick Rajon Rondo :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Love the draft coverage, very in-depth stuff (Y)

Yeah it does sound funny, but he was the best player available. I liked the funny coincidence of him being from Louisville.

I like doing the detailed off-season summaries, but I'm also lazy. So it always takes way longer than I want it to :lol:
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - Off-Season Transactions Summary

Postby Phil89 on Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:46 pm

2/10/17

Suns announce new uniforms and court design for 2017-18 season

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The Phoenix Suns today unveiled new home, road and alternate uniforms for the upcoming 2017-18 season, as well as an overhauled court design. Reinventing the look of the franchise has been a common practice for the Suns over the last decade, with several different variations having been used in recent seasons.

All three uniforms share the same simplistic design. The Suns will stick with their tradition of wearing a white home uniform, which they have been doing that since their creation in 1968. This latest version features orange trim and lettering.

The new road uniform has a predominantly purple design, with black trim and white lettering. Meanwhile, the alternate uniform is mainly black and has orange trim and lettering.

Phoenix's senior director of marketing Sarah Roberts is hoping that they will be a big hit with the fans. She explained the decision behind the updated uniforms today. "We wanted to come up with something that was simple but elegant. I think we succeeded".

She added, "We felt that the purple look was really clean and fresh. But we're most proud of the third uniform. Believe it or not, it took a while to find the right shade of black to use to make it work. I think it looks great".


The new court design at the Talking Stick Resort Arena is reminiscent of one that they used several years ago. The outside area of the court is black, whilst all the lines and text are in orange.

The design team even went as far as replacing 19,023 previously dark purple seats with brand new black ones. The idea being that it will create a more intimate atmosphere and draw all the attention to the vibrant new court. "We like to think of the court as a stage and the players as actors", explained Roberts. "We want you to be focussed 100% on the action throughout the game".

It could be a smart move by the Suns to update their arena. With the addition of Andre Iguodala and the growth of Alex Len, Dragan Bender and Devin Booker over the past year, they are expected to be a playoff contender for the next few seasons. That means that they should be getting more nationally televised games, which in turn could help them gain more fans.

“When you look at what we’re trying to accomplish as a team this season, there is an excitement about the new campaign. An excitement around all these new arrivals and younger players who are becoming NBA stars right before our eyes. It was important to us to utilize a more modern feel on the court”, said Roberts.


The Suns open their new season on October 31st with a road trip to Oklahoma City to face reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and his formidable Thunder team. They will get to show off their new court a day later as DeMarcus Cousins and his new look Kings team comes to Phoenix.




New Court Design

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Rockets and Pacers freshen up their threads

Elsewhere in the league, both Houston and Indiana also unveiled new-look uniforms.

The Rockets kept their traditional white home and red road uniforms, but added a touch of class with some gold features. The Pacers went with a more retro look.

Indiana's use of number two pick Markelle Fultz to model the new uniform for the media was a not-so-subtle way of showing everyone that they have moved on from the Paul George era and are entering a new and exciting period.

Their young core of Markelle Fultz, Myles Turner, Jaylen Brown and Grayson Allen now have a great opportunity to take the reins of this franchise and become the next generation of stars for the Pacers fan base to cheer on.


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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - Off-Season Transactions Summary + New Uniforms

Postby Lamrock on Sun Mar 05, 2017 6:00 am

Classy new uniforms. Reminds me of the Kings'
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - Off-Season Transactions Summary + New Uniforms

Postby Phil89 on Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:16 pm

20/10/17

Busy off-season raises plenty of interesting questions ahead of 2017-18 season

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A busy off-season period has left many questions to be answered in the new season. Here are some to think about.


Will the Cavaliers and Warriors meet in the NBA finals for a fourth straight season?

Both teams seemingly lost some roster depth over the off-season. Cleveland had several role players retire and saw key scorer JR Smith leave for more financial security in Brooklyn. They did pull off a trade for all-star Chris Bosh though and also signed sharpshooter Kyle Korver.

Golden State retained superstar Kevin Durant and most of their bench players, but lost key depth players Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and David West. They will still be the team to beat out west though, thanks to their fearsome foursome.



Will Cleveland finally be challenged for top dog status in the east?

It seems like this season could be the best chance in a long time of having someone knock LeBron off his perch in the eastern conference. The Boston Celtics recently added superstar Paul George in a shock draft day trade and now boast one of the strongest line-ups in the league.

Philadelphia meanwhile are also expected to pose a serious threat to the Cavs. All-star John Wall has had a full pre-season with his new team and rising stars Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric are all expected to take the next step this season. The Sixers also signed veterans JJ Redick and Anthony Morrow to add some much-needed outside shooting.




Will San Antonio fall back to the pack with Ginobili gone?

For the past 18 years the Spurs have been a perennial contender who have managed at least 50 wins each season. The majority of that success was due to their star trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Now that Duncan and Ginobili have retired, Parker finds himself as the only remaining member of that successful period.

Luckily though, they still have a formidable team which is built around breakout superstar Kawhi Leonard. He is joined by Parker and fellow veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Danny Green and Patty Mills. Young forward Kyle Anderson will need to take a step up in order to fill the hole left by Ginobili's departure.



Will Miami's big moves push them back into playoff contention?

Pat Riley got some big things done this off-season. The Heat completed two trades, which landed them Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng. They also drafted exciting French point guard Frank Ntilikina with the sixth overall pick.

Clearly these moves to strengthen the roster were done with a return to the playoffs in mind. It's hard to see them missing out on that goal, given how much talent they have on their team.



Is this the year that the Timberwolves finally make it to the playoffs?

Minnesota haven't made the playoffs since 2004 when Kevin Garnett led them to the western conference finals. Thirteen barren seasons and a bunch of lottery picks later, they seem poised to have a really successful period.

These days they are led by future all-stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. They traded for number one pick Harry Giles on draft day and then signed veterans Taj Gibson and Jeff Green. The talent is certainly there, but they'll need to find a a way to play together in Tom Thibodeau's system.



Will Andre Iguodala help the Suns take the next step?

Last season Phoenix surprised almost everyone by taking the eighth seed out west. They crashed out in four games against the unstoppable Warriors, but their young players like Devin Booker, Dragan Bender and Alex Len showed greats signs for the future.

Clearly Andre Iguodala believes in that bright future, because he left the reigning champions to sign on for two years with the Suns. The western conference is always tough, but you would expect the Suns to be challenging for the eighth seed again, at least.



Are Sacramento's off-season moves enough to keep Boogie in town?

Vlade Divac had a simple objective for this off-season: add as much talent to his team as possible. All-star big man DeMarcus Cousins is just about the only good thing the Kings have going for them, but he is entering the final year of his contact and hasn't committed to re-signing yet.

The Kings have added Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams, Boris Diaw and Jameer Nelson through trades or free agency. This new-look group certainly has the talent to make a playoff push. It just remains to be seen how they all fit together on the court.



Can Shaun Livingston cut it as a starter in his second stint with Milwaukee?

Livingston proved himself to be a brilliant backup to Stephen Curry with Golden State, but now he has the chance to prove that he can be the main man. He returns to Milwaukee, a team which he played 58 games for in the 2011-12 season.

Interestingly, the Bucks now have two championship-winning backup point guards competing for the starting role. Matthew Dellavedova averaged 9 points and 6 assists per game after signing with the Bucks last season.



Will Brooklyn be better after big-money signings?

The Nets were the worst team in the league last season, finishing with a modest 24-58 record. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov has shown that he is willing to spend money on improving the team once again though, with both Rudy Gay (4yr/$89m) and JR Smith (3yr/$22m) signing on.

It's hard to see those two signings being enough to lift this team into playoff conversation however. But maybe Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin will have amazing seasons. They are both in contract years after all.



What can we expect from the Pacers without Paul George?

A team that finished with the eleventh seed last season and then lost a superstar talent isn't exactly gonna be aiming high this season. We'll likely see Indiana prioritising playing time for their new young core and perhaps making a few trades to maximise future cap room.

It's quite probable that we will see the Pacers have two top five picks in the 2018 draft as they also own Brooklyn's pick. They have stated that they are aiming to replicate the Oklahoma City and Golden State model of building a contender through the draft.



How much do the aging Grizzlies have left in the tank?

Memphis have become famous for their hard-nosed, gritty style of play over the past half dozen years or so. Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley have been the main forces behind that, with Tony Allen and Vince Carter also being key contributors.

But father time is surely knocking on the door. Randolph (36), Allen (35) and Carter (40) are all fast approaching the end of their careers. Chandler Parsons will need to stay healthy if they hope to make the post-season once again.



Who will finish higher: the Nuggets or the Timberwolves?

Minnesota and Denver both have a wealth of young talent at their disposal. The Timberwolves have Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Goran Dragic, Taj Gibson, Jeff Green, Harry Giles and Kris Dunn.

Whilst the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, Jared Sullinger, Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Josh Jackson, TJ Warren and Jusuf Nurkic. It's tough, but you would probably have to give it to Minnesota on account of Tom Thibodeau's experience with taking Chicago to the playoffs.



How is the Wizards rebuild going?

Washington were forced to make a tough call last season by trading all-star guard John Wall to Philadelphia. They subsequently entered a rebuilding period and used picks 8 and 14 in the 2017 draft to pick up Kentucky duo Malik Monk and Bam Adebayo, respectively.

They are probably further along in the rebuild process than the likes of Indiana and Dallas because they still had Bradley Beal and Otto Porter after Wall left. Combined with Jahlil Okafor, Brandon Knight and Kelly Oubre, the future isn't looking too bad in Washington.



What should we expect from the two expansion teams in their debut seasons?

Louisville and San Diego actually did pretty well in building their rosters. Both picked up solid veterans in the expansion draft and landed exciting point guard prospects in the actual draft, Dennis Smith Jr and Lonzo Ball.

It's quite unlikely that either will make it anywhere near playoff contention this season, but they both look to have enough talent to at least avoid the embarrassment of finishing bottom of their conferences.



Who will win Rookie of the Year?

This draft class is rated as one of the best to enter the league in nearly two decades. Literally a dozen or more candidates could be realistically in contention to take out the Rookie of the Year award.

Dennis Smith Jr (San Diego), Josh Jackson (Denver), Harry Giles (Minnesota) and De'Aaron Fox (Dallas) all look like safe bets because of the amount of playing time that they will likely get.

The Likes of Jonathan Isaac (Orlando), Jayson Tatum (Oklahoma City), Marques Bolden (Milwaukee), Markelle Fultz (Indiana), Malik Monk (Washington), Ivan Rabb (Atlanta) and Lonzo Ball (Louisville) could all be outside chances as well, despite most likely playing bench minutes.

Players from Minnesota and Philadelphia have taken out the award in each of the last four years. The Sixers didn't have any picks in the 2017 draft, so the pressure to keep this streak going rests solely on the shoulders of Harry Giles.

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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - Off-Season Transactions Summary + New Uniforms

Postby Phil89 on Mon Mar 06, 2017 4:32 pm

Lamrock wrote:Classy new uniforms. Reminds me of the Kings'

I like them :)

Funnily enough, I originally had the home uniforms with purple instead of the orange. But it looked too similar to the Kings.


Off-season is done and it's time to start actually playing the game again. We begin with a tough game in OKC. Thanks 2k :wink:
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] - New season is almost here

Postby Phil89 on Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:03 pm

31/10/17

Oklahoma City Thunder [0-0] vs Phoenix Suns [0-0]

Reigning MVP Westbrook burns Suns in season opener

Image

OKC - 18 24 27 21 90
PHX - 21 17 22 18 78

Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook
(28pts, 5reb, 3ast, 2stl)

(12-28 FG, 1-5 3PT, 3-3 FT)


Top Scorers
Russell Westbrook - 28
Victor Oladipo - 15
Domantas Sabonis - 14
Marquese Chriss - 14
Terrence Ross - 13
Steven Adams - 13
Andre Iguodala - 10
Eric Bledsoe - 10
Jayson Tatum - 8

Rebounds
Steven Adams - 9
Alex Len - 9
Russell Westbrook - 5
Domantas Sabonis - 5
Devin Booker - 5
Terrence Ross - 5

Assists
Andre Roberson - 8
Eric Bledsoe - 6
Cameron Payne - 6
Alex Len - 5

Steals
Russell Westbrook - 2
Andre Roberson - 2
Joffrey Lauvergne - 2
Victor Oladipo - 2
Marquese Chriss - 2
Eric Bledsoe - 2

Blocks
Steven Adams - 3




Simmed Game

PHX - 20 20 30 29 99
SAC - 25 27 19 21 92

POTG: Eric Bledsoe (20pts, 5reb, 3ast)

Record: 1-1




Booker and Bender shot a combined 4-23 (2-10 3PT). They only had 14 pts, 6reb, 2 ast, 1blk between them.

Turns out I need my best two players playing well to have any chance at winning :wink:
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [1-1] - New season begins in OKC

Postby Phil89 on Sat Mar 11, 2017 1:25 pm

4/11/17

Atlanta Hawks [1-1] vs Phoenix Suns [1-1]

Booker shakes off poor start to the season to lift Suns over Hawks

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ATL - 26 23 22 25 196
PHX - 31 23 16 31 101

Player of the Game: Devin Booker
(26pts, 1reb, 6ast)

(8-13 FG, 4-6 3PT, 6-6 FT)


Top Scorers
Devin Booker - 26
Kent Bazemore - 23
Dragan Bender - 19
Alex Len - 14
Paul Millsap - 13
Dwight Howard - 12
Thabo Sefolosha - 10
Tiago Splitter - 9
Marquese Chriss - 8
Tyson Chandler - 8
Dennis Schroder - 8

Rebounds
Alex Len - 14
Dwight Howard - 10
Ivan Rabb - 8
Dragan Bender - 7
Thabo Sefolosha - 6
Kris Humphries - 5
Tyson Chandler - 5

Assists
Dennis Schroder - 8
Andre Iguodala - 8
Devin Booker - 6
Jarrett Jack - 6

Steals
Kris Humphries - 2
Eric Bledsoe - 2

Blocks
Dragan Bender - 3
Alex Len - 2
Ivan Rabb - 2
Kris Humphries - 2




Simmed Game

DET - 28 23 23 23 97
PHX - 18 28 30 23 99

POTG: Devin Booker (31pts, 3reb, 4stl, 1stl, 3blk)

Record: 3-1
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [3-1] - Trip to Atlanta

Postby Phil89 on Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:26 am

9/11/17

Phoenix Suns [3-1] vs Louisville Lions [2-3]

Bender dominates as Louisville visit Phoenix for the first time

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PHX - 21 23 24 31 99
LOU - 18 18 30 21 87

Player of the Game: Dragan Bender
(36pts, 4reb, 3ast, 2blk, 1stl)

(12-22 FG, 4-7 3PT, 8-9 FT)


Top Scorers
Dragan Bender - 36
Joe Johnson - 18
Marquese Chriss - 15
Marcin Gortat - 13
Rajon Rondo - 13
Jared Dudley - 13
Devin Booker - 11
Lonzo Ball - 9
Evan Turner - 8
Alex Len - 8

Rebounds
Marcin Gortat - 11
Alex Len - 10
Marquese Chriss - 7
Devin Booker - 6
Jared Dudley - 6
Brandan Wright - 5

Assists
Eric Bledsoe - 10
Lonzo Ball - 5

Steals
Wesley Johnson - 4
Eric |Bledsoe - 3
Dragan Bender - 2
Marquese Chriss - 2
Brandan Wright - 2

Blocks
Andre Iguodala - 3
Alex Len - 3




Simmed Game

PHX - 21 27 26 25 199
GSW - 27 25 24 31 107

POTG: Stephen Curry (33pts, 8reb, 5ast, 3stl)

Record: 4-2
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [4-2] - First look at Louisville

Postby Phil89 on Mon Mar 20, 2017 4:35 pm

13/11/17

Brooklyn Nets [2-4] vs Phoenix Suns [4-2]

Booker leads Suns to solid win in Brooklyn

Image

BKN - 29 17 22 24 192
PHX - 27 26 24 25 102

Player of the Game: Devin Booker
(23pts, 2reb, 3ast ,1blk)

(6-14 FG, 2-3 3PT, 9-9 FT)


Top Scorers
Rudy Gay - 29
Devin Booker - 23
Dragan Bender - 19
Marquese Chriss - 19
Brook Lopez - 15
Alex Len - 12
Trevor Booker - 11
Jeremy Lin - 11
JR Smith - 9

Rebounds
Trevor Booker - 7
Alex Len - 7
Dragan Bender - 6
Caris LaVert - 6

Assists
Jeremy Lin - 12
Bojan Bogdanovic - 5

Steals
Trevor Booker - 4
Eric Bledsoe - 4
Marquese Chriss - 2
Brook Lopez - 2

Blocks
Caris LaVert - 2
Tyson Chandler - 2




Simmed Game

PHX - 32 24 17 27 100
NOP - 25 18 29 24 196

POTG: Anthony Davis (29pts, 16reb, 3ast, 3blk)

Record: 6-2
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [6-2] - Winning streak continues in Brooklyn

Postby Lamrock on Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:03 am

I could see all-star berths for Bender and Booker this year!
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [6-2] - Winning streak continues in Brooklyn

Postby Phil89 on Fri Mar 24, 2017 4:43 pm

18/11/17

Louisville Lions [4-7] vs Phoenix Suns [6-2]

Bender stars again as Suns complete sweep of season series against Lions

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LOU - 24 26 22 21 193
PHX - 30 26 23 26 105

Player of the Game: Alex Len
(22pts, 13reb, 1ast, 3stl, 3blk)

(10-12 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-4 FT)


Top Scorers
Dragan Bender - 28
Alex Len - 22
Rajon Rondo - 18
Marco Belinelli - 13
Lonzo Ball - 13
Devin Booker - 11
Joe Johnson - 11
Jared Dudley - 11
Marquese Chriss - 8
Will Barton - 8
Evan Turner - 8
Marcin Gortat - 8

Rebounds
Alex Len - 13
Marcin Gortat - 10
Tyson Chandler - 8
Brandan Wright - 6
Evan Turner - 5
Andre Iguodala - 5

Assists
Lonzo Ball - 8
Eric Bledsoe - 8
Marco Belinelli - 5

Steals
Marcin Gortat - 3
Jared Dudley - 3
Alex Len - 3
Tyler Ulis - 3
Rajon Rondo - 2
Brandan Wright - 2

Blocks
Marcin Gortat - 3
Alex Len - 3




Simmed Game

PHX - 29 17 26 22 94
WAS - 27 14 19 26 76

POTG: Eric Bledsoe (26pts, 3reb, 5ast, 6 stl)

Record: 8-2
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [6-2] - Winning streak continues in Brooklyn

Postby Phil89 on Fri Mar 24, 2017 4:52 pm

Lamrock wrote:I could see all-star berths for Bender and Booker this year!

I think Bender is probably more likely at this stage.

For some reason I haven't been able to find a way to consistently score with Booker yet. He misses too many open threes.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [8-2] - Bender & Len dominate in Louisville

Postby Valor on Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:24 pm

So, the big question....

When will virtual Booker drop 70? :lol:
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [8-2] - Bender & Len dominate in Louisville

Postby Phil89 on Sat Mar 25, 2017 8:19 pm

Probably not anytime soon. Unless I turn down the difficulty :wink:

It's actually frustrating how inconsistent his shooting is. Maybe I just don't have the timing down on his release yet.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [8-2] - Bender & Len dominate in Louisville

Postby Valor on Sun Mar 26, 2017 4:05 pm

Phil89 wrote:t's actually frustrating how inconsistent his shooting is. Maybe I just don't have the timing down on his release yet.

Ah yes, that's why I use real%s actually, shot timing for me makes some good players bad and some bad players really really good....
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [8-2] - Bender & Len dominate in Louisville

Postby Phil89 on Wed Apr 05, 2017 4:20 pm

22/1/17

Phoenix Suns [8-2] vs Memphis Grizzlies [7-3]

Len dominates at both ends as Suns outlast Grizzlies

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PHX - 26 18 22 32 98
MEM - 26 22 23 18 89

Player of the Game: Alex Len
(21pts, 10reb, 5ast, 3stl, 5blk)

(9-10 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-3 FT)


Top Scorers
Alex Len - 21
Devin Booker - 19
Dragan Bender - 19
Marc Gasol - 17
Chandler Parsons - 16
Mike Conley - 12
Deyonta Davis - 11
Jonathan Jeanne - 11
Marquese Chriss - 10
Zach Randolph - 9
Tony Allen - 8

Rebounds
Alex Len - 10
Zach Randolph - 8
Marc Gasol - 6
Devin Booker - 5

Assists
Mike Conley - 6
Will Barton - 5
Alex Len - 5
Devin Booker - 5
Eric Bledsoe - 5

Steals
Mike Conley - 3
Chandler Parsons - 3
Alex Len - 3
Dragan Bender - 3
Tony Allen - 2
Marc Gasol - 2
Will Barton - 2

Blocks
Alex Len - 5
Marquese Chriss - 3
Devin Booker - 2
Dragan Bender - 2




Simmed Game

SAC - 32 25 23 23 17 110
PHX - 29 23 23 28 12 115

POTG: Eric Bledsoe (27pts, 2reb, 6ast, 3stl, 1blk)

Record: 10-2
Last edited by Phil89 on Thu Apr 06, 2017 9:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [Enter the Dragan] [8-2] - Bender & Len dominate in Louisville

Postby Lamrock on Thu Apr 06, 2017 2:08 am

Phil89 wrote:It's actually frustrating how inconsistent his shooting is. Maybe I just don't have the timing down on his release yet.

Have you thought about changing his release? It's kind of daunting because the game has so many of them, but changing his release could make him a completely different player for you.

Nice win - it's early but you look to be headed for a high seed this year.
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