[46-36]History in the Making ※ Playoffs Preview!

[Valor]

Signing six fouls ... guess you could have gotten that cheaper than 3.5M$

Hey, it's cheaper than the $7M the Warriors paid IRL!! didn't have a choice really, it's only a one year deal so won't hurt me much, if at all

Well, for a moment I thought you signed Kobe, then I wondered, "What would the Panthers give up to sign a player that good?" And it occurred to me, there WAS another KB in the league...

That was the joke! Yep, there's ANOTHER player with the K.B. initials. This one a little less impressive than the Black Mamba

It could have been worse: trading for DeSagana Diop.

I'm not THAT bad of a GM....or am I? Maybe I should've tried to get Brendan Haywood in that deal for Nash, but his contract is way too long for my liking

[Valor]

Iverson drops 34 as New-Look Panthers Rally Past Clippers for Third Straight Win
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game


It took him a while (and a lot of shots), but The Answer was still able to welcome Steve Nash with a W

Los Angeles, CA – Larry Brown had but one simple message to the struggling Allen Iverson at halftime.

“I told him to just keep being aggressive” Brown said, “He’s never let his teammates down before and I never had a doubt that tonight won’t be the same”

Iverson did just that, scoring 26 of his game high 34 points in the second half (14/40 FG for the game) and leading the new-look Panthers to a 100-94 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center following a 17 point deficit in the first half.

“I was playing [expletive] in the first half” Iverson said, “I mean, it would’ve been easy for me to sit back and say we (the team) are not familiar with each other; but that’s just some bs excuses. I ain’t going to turn my back on my teammates. They got my back and I’ve got theirs”

The Panthers have just gone through a massive four-team deal that saw the arrival of former two-time MVP Steve Nash, rookie Iman Shumpert, and free agent signing Kwame Brown.

Nash, who finished with 15 points and 9 assists in his Panthers debut, said that he was unsure of what to expect from Iverson, but it was a pleasant surprise for him.

“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest.” Nash said, “So many different stories about him here and there, but tonight I saw it with my own eyes. He’s a great teammate and a fiery competitor. I’m glad to be on this team.”

“It wasn’t just him that played bad in the first, the whole team stank.” Nash continued, “But we fought hard as a team and came out with the W”

It was indeed a gritty effort for New Zealand, as evident by the career high 18 rebounds grabbed by center Omer Asik, who also added 10 points and 5 blocks. Yi Jianlian had 17 points and 11 boards, while Harrison Barnes and Thabo Sefolosha added 8 and 7 points respectively.

After shooting just 29% in the first half (LAC went 42%), the Panthers reversed their fortunes in the second as they finished the game having went 41 for 93 from the field. In comparison, the Clippers’ field goal percentage dropped to 38% (34/89) and went 1/9 from distance in the second half.

Eric Gordon led the charge for the Clippers with 29 points. Chris Kaman notched a double double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, Rudy Gay added 12 points of his own while Blake Griffin grabbed 15 rebounds.

However, Griffin was shut down by the Panthers Omer Asik, as he went 3 for 11 from the floor to finish with just 8 points. Mo Williams was also struggling in the game, going 2 for 12 and finished with 7 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds.

“We relaxed and got our [expletive] kicked in the second half” Vinny Del Negro said, “Bottom line is, we don’t stop playing until the final buzzer sounds”

Early on, it seemed like nothing was going to go wrong for LA. Eric Gordon was on fire from the get-go and already had 18 points by the end of the half, which included improbable fadeaway 3 pointers as well as shots from 30 feet out.

It all went downhill after that.

The Panthers now possess a 20-12 record, rising up the standings and are just half a game behind the 3rd seeded Clippers (19-10) and one game behind the Southwest Division leading Hornets (20-10).

Notes: Late in the second quarter, Yi Jianlian grabbed the ball out of Clippers center Chris Kaman’s hands on a put-back dunk attempt. Yi was called for goaltending…Rookie Iman Shumpert had two dunks for four points in his Panthers debut…New signing Kwame Brown notched 2 rebounds and 2 steals in his first game of the season...This is the first time in the last 16 games that Blake Griffin has failed to score in double figures…The Clippers have been said to be in discussions for Hornets guard Chris Paul, but a deal looks unlikely at this point…

Game Highlights






Player of the Game Highlights

[Martti.]

That was a BS call, an awesome block by Yi.

[Valor]

That was a BS call, an awesome block by Yi.

I didn't know Yi had THAT kind of defense in him! Sucks about the refs bailing Chris Kaman out

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part One: New Zealand Panthers Monthly Recap

December Results - 9W 5L



December 1st @ Atlanta Hawks
Win 101-99
Outstanding Players:
Atlanta: Joe Johnson - 23 points, 6 assists; Josh Smith - 21 points, 6 rebounds; Marvin Williams - 21 points, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 29 points, 9 assists; Yi Jianlian - 24 points, 9 rebounds; Omer Asik - 6 points, 17 rebounds, 7 blocks (career high reb, blk)

December 3rd vs Dallas Mavericks
Loss 91-92
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki - 22 points; Caron Butler - 22 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 32 points; Eric Maynor - 5 points, 10 assists

December 5th @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Loss 89-91
Outstanding Players:
Oklahoma City: Richard Hamilton - 25 points, 4 assists; Kendrick Perkins - 16 points, 16 rebounds; Kevin Durant - 17 points, 6 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 27 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 9 rebounds; Eric Maynor - 17 points

December 6th @ Portland Trailblazers
Win 88-87
Outstanding Players:
Portland: Gerald Wallace - 18 points, 12 rebounds; Brandon Roy - 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists; Wesley Matthews - 15 points
New Zealand: Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 6 rebounds; Omer Asik - 16 rebounds, 4 assists; Eric Maynor - 14 points, 7 assists

December 8th @ Phoenix Suns
Win 98-96
Outstanding Players:
Phoenix: Jared Dudley - 17 points, 7 rebounds; Aaron Brooks - 17 points, 4 assists; Steve Nash - 16 points, 8 assists
New Zealand: Yi Jianlian - 17 points, 18 rebounds; Allen Iverson - 32 points, 5 assists; Omer Asik - 13 rebounds, 4 blocks

December 11th @ Sacramento Kings
Win 102-91
Outstanding Players:
Sacramento: DeMarcus Cousins - 20 points, 17 rebounds (career high); Zach Randolph - 21 points, 6 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 34 points, 7 assists, 5 steals; Yi Jianlian - 18 points

December 13th vs Utah Jazz
Loss 83-95
Outstanding Players:
Utah: Devin Harris - 22 points, 9 assists; Al Jefferson - 18 points, 5 rebounds; Paul Millsap - 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 27 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian - 23 points, 7 rebounds; Eric Maynor - 11 points, 10 assists

December 15th vs Charlotte Bobcats
Win 128-101
Outstanding Players:
Charlotte: DJ Augustin - 26 points, 7 assists; Marcus Thornton - 22 points; Tyrus Thomas - 8 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 29 points, 8 assists; Omer Asik - 12 points, 15 rebounds (career high pts); Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 8 rebounds; Harrison Barnes - 19 points (career high)

December 17th @ Dallas Mavericks
Win 114-87
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki - 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals; Rudy Fernandez - 23 points; Jason Terry 19 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 32 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks

December 18th @ San Antonio Spurs
Loss 94-102 Game Recap

December 21st vs New York Knicks
Loss 87-113
Outstanding Players:
New York: Carmelo Anthony - 29 points, 8 rebounds; Chauncey Billups - 23 points, 9 assists; Amare Stoudemire - 14 points, 9 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 26 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Harrison Barnes - 15 points

December 26th @ Indiana Pacers
Win 103-87
Outstanding Players:
Indiana: Darren Collison - 22 points, 10 assists, 3 steals; Paul George - 23 points; Danny Granger - 20 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 30 points, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian - 22 points, 8 rebounds; Enes Kanter - 8 points, 9 rebounds (career high)

December 27th vs Toronto Raptors
Win 90-83
Outstanding Players:
Toronto: Leandro Barbosa - 21 points; Michael Conley - 14 points, 8 assists; Ed Davis - 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks
New Zealand: Allen Iverson - 30 points, 7 assists; Yi Jianlian - 26 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks; Omer Asik - 5 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks (career high)

December 29th @ Los Angeles Clippers
Win 100-94 Game Recap

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part Two: Around the Association

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part Three: Rookie Ladder

[Martti.]

Kyrie for ROY, not Rubio. And Wade for MVP.

Team chemistry at 13%? At least you're winning.

Also, you can get rid of those green triangles in Excel quite easily, just drag from the [24] (Bulls wins) and select all. A little window should appear on the top left corner of the selection and click ignore error.

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: December 2011
Part Four: Race to the MVP

The consistently good play from Derrick Rose has the Bulls with the best record in the league

Race to the MVP: Rose's intangibles land him in the top spot in MVP (and Title) Race
By Adrian Nelson, NBA.com
Posted Dec 31 2011 10:57AM

Although it's nice to have a clear cut winner (there will be less debate and less work to do), it does tend to get a little boring here at The Race. So it's only to our utter most happiness that this year's race is again, that of an competitive and exciting one.

Another month has gone by in this 2011-12 NBA season, and true to the slogan, this is truly where amazing happens.

The biggest story of the month, of course, is the Atlanta Hawk's sudden resurgence as of late, winning their last 13 straight games after a disappointing start to the season that made many to believe it's time for the Hawks to break it all up and rebuild. Contrary to the fact, following a players only meeting held by Joe Johnson, the Hawks are back to playing winning basketball. Soaring up (no pun intended) the standings from being a sub .500 team to a respectable record of 21-14, sixth in the East and still have streak alive. It'll be interesting to see just how long this can go for.

Other big news around the association would have to be the four team trade that saw Steve Nash finally being dealt out of Phoenix, only to land in...New Zealand? The Panthers perhaps too quickly gave up on the 6-11 project that they drafted with the 20th overall pick - Enes Kanter, in exchange for the 38 year old two time MVP. Nash will team up with another former MVP in Allen Iverson, who's somehow been able to turn back the clock and regained some of his MVP form.

However, it's not all good news in Kiwi-land as Yi Jianlian, who started the season spectacularly, has hit a wall of some sort and his production has fallen considerably as of late. The Panthers also recently lost starting point guard Eric Maynor, who was having a breakout year thus far, for the season. Which is a factor in them bringing in Steve Nash.

As they've only played one game together so far, it remains to be seen how things will work out. Nash is no longer the MVP caliber player, or perhaps even an All-Star caliber player, but his veteran skills and crafty-ness at the point guard position should still be able to help the Panthers.

The deal also saw the addition of Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Jared Dudley and Eddy Curry to the Dallas Mavericks, a move that could perhaps give Dallas that shot to contend this season. Dirk is completely healthy again and has responded to his critics with his MVP-caliber play again, his numbers are slowly climbing back up to his usual standards and more importantly, the Mavericks are starting to win again.

Not at all lost in all this excitement, however, would be the usual powerhouses. Wade, Lebron, and the Miami Heat didn't do anything outrageous or had another media worthy slump, but they did hand the Lakers a 2 point defeat on Christmas day and had a 5 game win streak near the end of the month. Kobe and the Lakers, on the other hand, struggled to get wins in the month, as they end the month having lost 4 of their last 5 games.

All of this has lead to our believe that Chicago's very own Derrick Rose, who has been producing day-in, day-out for the league-best Bulls; should surely be situated at the very top spot in this edition of The Race.

Aside from scoring at a ridiculous rate and efficiency level (28.2 ppg on 55% shooting), Rose has also gotten his teammates involved (9.2 assist per game) and the Bulls just seem nearly impossible to stop. They won 10 of their 13 games in the month of December and seemed like nothing could go wrong. With the level of focus that everyone in that Chicago locker-room is having, one might think it's game 7 of the NBA Finals, every single night; and without Rose to fuel that drive, they would certainly not be that engaged.

This is the kind of stuff a leader of a championship caliber team does. He works hard, he plays hard, and he leads by example. Jordan did it in the 90s, Derrick Rose is doing it now in the 2010s.

It's exactly the reason why the Bulls, alongside the Heat and the Lakers, are considered to be title favorites this season.

[Valor]

Kyrie for ROY, not Rubio. And Wade for MVP.

You are really biased against Rubio but yeah, it's a close one between those two right now. As for Wade, the Heat will have to win more first, they are not as good as the Bulls or the Lakers right now, having LeBron on his team also hurts his bid for MVP a bit

Team chemistry at 13%? At least you're winning.

Yep, it just due to the big roster changes I reckon though, once I start getting some wins with them it should go back up to normal

Also, you can get rid of those green triangles in Excel quite easily, just drag from the [24] (Bulls wins) and select all. A little window should appear on the top left corner of the selection and click ignore error.

Cheers for the heads up, now I can make things look cleaner next time

[hova-]

Really great effort on these updates. The Hawks are sick ... 13 in a row, damn. Finally Yi is regressing, was hoping for that because I can't stand his soft game (okay, he's exactly like my man Dirk, but hey, Dirk is Dirk)


Apart from that, Iverson is really turning back the hands of time. Thinking of R. Kelly now. Great updates

[Valor]

Really great effort on these updates. The Hawks are sick ... 13 in a row, damn. Finally Yi is regressing, was hoping for that because I can't stand his soft game (okay, he's exactly like my man Dirk, but hey, Dirk is Dirk)


Apart from that, Iverson is really turning back the hands of time. Thinking of R. Kelly now. Great updates

Cheers hova, much appreciated
Yeah man Hawks have been balling for the last while, dunno what happened but they've snapped out of it and look like the Eastern Conference Finalists they were a season ago. As for Yi, him struggling was unexpected (as he was always so consistent up to this point for me) but I guess everyone hits a wall sometime. Lucky AI is around to pick up the slack

[Valor]

Alright fellas, as my interest in the NBA has peaked back up once again and NBA 2K13 isn't coming out anytime soon, I have decided to pick this one back up and continue where I left off! Hope you guys are as excited as I am Stay tuned for updates!

[SuperHueyNewton]

Shoot I know I am

[Lamrock]

Good shit. Get AI-YI that title!

[Valor]

Block Party in Portland as Panthers top Blazers
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game


Omer Asik Had Himself A Game Last Night

Portland, OR– Omer Asik and the Panthers decided to kick off the New Year by throwing a party during last night's game.

It was a block party, and the Blazers were invited.

Led by Asik's career high 9 blocks, the visiting New Zealand Panthers dominated the Blazers on the defensive end, holding them to 27 first half points, had a plus 10 rebounding edge, and blocked 18 of Portland's shots, holding the Blazers to just 32% shooting from the field.

The 7 foot center out of Turkey also grabbed 12 rebounds, and was just one block shy of completing a double double with the block-rebound combination, only seven players in NBA history has accomplished that feat.

Asik wasn't alone either, as the whole team stepped up and played well as a whole. Yi was named Player of the Game following a 19 point, 13 rebound performance. Allen Iverson added 25 on just 14 shots, while the bench mob added 26.

The Blazers were led by Brandon Roy, who finished the game with a respectable 20 point, 7 rebound, 8 assist performance. However, the rest of the team looked relatively out of sync thanks to the Panthers' D.

Five players were in double figure scoring for Portland, but none aside from Roy really stood out or made an impact on the game. In fact, most of Portland's points came during garbage time in the fourth quarter.

"They played well and gave us pressure," said Roy, "I think the guys just got a bit intimidated by the shot blockers and we kinda laid back as a whole"

Sure enough, the Blazers mostly resorted to long jumpers that more often than not missed the mark.

"We've got to be more aggresive." said LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 14 and 10.

With this win, the Panthers now improve their record to 21-12, on pace to finish much better than their inaugural campaign last season, when they went 30-52 and missed the playoffs.


Game Highlights






Player of the Game Highlights



Block of the Night: Omer Asik



Nightly Notable: Omer Asik

[Valor]

Shoot I know I am

Good shit. Get AI-YI that title!

Cheers guys, here's a treat: 4 highlight clips in one recap

[Valor]

Iverson signs extension, drops 50 on Cavaliers
Jan 17th, 2012 11:32 PM EST



Allen Iverson and the New Zealand Panthers have agreed upon a 2 year, $20 million contract extension with a third year player
option attached worth just over $11 million, the team announced earlier today.

This "marks" the completion of Allen's comeback to the NBA following a leaguewide fallout after disastrous seasons following the trade
that sent him from Denver to Detroit.

Perhaps to celebrate the occasion and to thank the organization for giving him the chance and recognition, Iverson dropped a franchise
record-tying 50 points on the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers following the announcement of the contract extension. The Panthers won the
game 135-91, setting a franchise record for points scored in a game.

"I'm just really glad that this organization gave me a chance when nobody would," Iverson said, "I'm gonna continue to play my heart
out every game and hopefully win a championship here before I'm done with my career"

Playing in his 16th NBA season, the 6 foot guard out of Georgetown is currently averaging a league 4th best 27.4 points, alongside 5.3
assists and 1.5 steals per game through 41 games. Led by Iverson, the Panthers are currently atop the Southwest division standings
and hold the second overall seed in the Western Conference.

[George7]

Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!

[Valor]

Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!

Cheers George7! It's been a while hey? Yeah I had some time off as well before finally wrapping things up with my Bulls Asso, thanks for the support!

[George7]

Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!

Cheers George7! It's been a while hey? Yeah I had some time off as well before finally wrapping things up with my Bulls Asso, thanks for the support!

Yeah,it's been a while indeed. Can't wait for 2k13 or Live 13 and finally start my next story! The last one ,because of the school exams didn't end that well. (though if I find the savegame I may do a little resurection )

[harriskh]

D-Rose for MVP! great association man.

[Valor]

Good job getting AI to sign the extension! He's playing really big games! Nice to see this still up and running,had some time off the boards,but now that school's over and I'm back,I'm going to follow for sure! Congrats on the induction of your Bulls' Association as well!

Cheers George7! It's been a while hey? Yeah I had some time off as well before finally wrapping things up with my Bulls Asso, thanks for the support!

Yeah,it's been a while indeed. Can't wait for 2k13 or Live 13 and finally start my next story! The last one ,because of the school exams didn't end that well. (though if I find the savegame I may do a little resurection )

Totally understand, real life stuff always take priorities over the stories here, best of luck buddy

D-Rose for MVP! great association man.

I wouldn't mind seeing my boy Rose get the MVP here either Cheers mate

[Valor]

Magic Acquires Glen Davis for Brandon Bass
Jan 19th, 2012 07:17 PM EST



The Orlando Magic have acquired forward Glen Davis from the Boston Celtics in exchange for
Brandon Bass. The team announced earlier today.

Also in the deal alongside Davis is Luke Harangody, while the Magic sends Kevin Seraphin alongside Bass
to Boston.

Despite being relatively solid at with a record of 23-17, the Dwight-saga still continues and this move
is yet another one that Otis Smith hopes will please Howard enough to sign an extension to stay in Orlando.

Davis is a long time friend of Howard.

For the Celtics, this is a great deal as they have just had about enough with Davis' erratic play, from the
childish antics off the court to the wild shot selections on the court. This trade now gains them a tough
interior presence in Brandon Bass, who will anchor the paint when Garnett takes a breather.

"I never could understand why they wouldn't play Brandon," said Dutt, agent of Brandon Bass, "I never could
figure it out. One of the reasons I had Brandon go there (to Orlando) and Brandon wanted to go there was,
at the time, that they would give Rashard Lewis a chance to play his natural position (of small forward)
and Brandon would play the 4."

Rip Hamilton traded to Minnesota for Wesley Johnson
Jan 31st, 2012 10:21 PM EST


There's an old saying that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, their Hamilton experiment has failed to produce a fruitful outcome, so
they're gonna fix it.

The Thunder have announced earlier today that they have sent offseason acquisiton Richard Hamilton to
the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the sophomore swingman Wesley Johnson. Also included in
the deal were Nick Collison and Marcus Morris from the Thunder and Kosta Koufos for the Timberwolves.

Despite averaging just over 12 points off the bench for OKC, the 3 time allstar guard never fit quite in
with the Thunder offense, shooting a career low .367 from the field while the Thunder as a whole are
sitting at 9th place in the Western Conference with a record of 25-23, 1 1/2 games behind the 8th
seeded Hornets.

The addition of Johnson enables them to add another athletic, young prospect back on the squad, Johnson's
long arms and quick feet makes him a potential potent defensive stopper.

On the oher hand, it is reported that Hamilton will look to negotiate a buyout with the Timberwolves in
the hopes of landing with a title contender, but he is still owed more than $24 million over two years so
things might get difficult. Minnesota currently boasts a record of 19-28 and are 12th in the Conference.

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: January 2012
Part One: New Zealand Panthers Monthly Recap

January Results – 10W 7L


January 1st @ Portland Trailblazers
Win 93-84 Game Recap

January 2nd @ Los Angeles Lakers
Win 93-91
Outstanding Players:
LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant – 34 points, 7 rebounds; JJ Barea – 11 points, 14 assists; Andrew Bynum – 11 points, 12 rebounds
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 20 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists; Allen Iverson – 30 points, 7 rebounds; Yi Jianlian – 12 points, 12 rebounds

January 4th vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Loss 94-102
Outstanding Players:
Minnesota: Michael Beasley – 20 points, 11 rebounds; Wesley Johnson – 20 points; Kevin Love – 15 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals (career high stl)
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 37 points, 6 assists, 4 steals; Yi Janlian – 18 points, 12 rebounds

January 7th vs Portland Trailblazers
Win 110-108
Outstanding Players:
Portland: Raymond Felton – 29 points, 9 assists; LaMarcus Aldridge – 27 points, 6 rebounds; Brandon Roy – 20 points
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 22 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists; Allen Iverson – 34 points; Harrison Barnes – 21 points, 5 rebounds

January 8th @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Loss 98-105
Outstanding Players:
Minnesota: Ricky Rubio – 18 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists; Michael Beasley – 23 points, 12 rebounds; Kevin Love – 16 points, 10 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 36 points, 8 assists; Yi Jianlian – 23 points, 12 rebounds; Omer Asik – 12 rebounds, 4 blocks

January 10th @ Charlotte Bobcats
Loss 101-106
Outstanding Players:
Charlotte: Marcus Thornton – 33 points, 6 steals; Tayshaun Prince – 23 points, 6 rebounds; Tyrus Thomas – 12 points, 13 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 30 points, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian - 25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks; Steve Nash – 19 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists

January 12th @ Detroit Pistons
Win 95-90
Outstanding Players:
Detroit: Charlie Villanueva – 20 points, 8 rebounds; Kemba Walker – 19 points, 7 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 34points; Yi Jianlian – 23 points, 10 rebounds; Steve Nash – 11 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists

January 15th vs New Orleans Hornets
Win 105-102
Outstanding Players:
New Orleans: Chris Paul – 31 points, 7 assists; Emeka Okafor – 15 points, 12 rebounds; Trevor Ariza – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 31 points; Yi Jianlian – 20 points, 8 rebounds; Omer Asik – 9 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals

January 17th vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Win 135-91
Outstanding Players:
Cleveland: Kyrie Irving – 16 points, 10 assists; Baron Davis – 19 points, 7 asissts
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 50 points, 7 assists; Steve Nash – 13 points, 13 assists; Kirk Penny – 14 points

January 19th @ Houston Rockets
Win 84-77
Outstanding Players:
Houston: Kevin Martin – 16 points; Kyle Lowry – 16 points; Yao Ming – 7 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 27 points; Steve Nash – 11 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists; Yi Jianlian - 17 points, 12 rebounds

January 21st vs Dallas Mavericks
Loss 102-106
Outstanding Players:
Dallas: Vince Carter – 35 points; Jason Kidd – 20 points, 11 assists; Dirk Nowitzki – 16 points, 8 rebounds
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 37 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists; Yi Jianlian – 13 points, 15 rebounds

January 22nd @ Chicago Bulls
Loss 105-108
Outstanding Players:
Chicago: Derrick Rose – 30 points, 7 assists (GW); Rodney Stuckey – 21 points; Carlos Boozer – 16 points, 14 rebounds; Luol Deng – 20 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 32 points, 5 assists; Yi Jianlian – 22 points, 10 rebounds; Harrison Barnes – 16 points

January 24th @ Toronto Raptors
Win 99-90
Outstanding Players:
Toronto: Andrea Bargnani – 19 points, 11 rebounds; Demar DeRozan – 17 points, 7 rebounds; Mike Conley – 17 points, 7 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 30 points, 8 assists; Yi Jianlian – 20 points, 12 rebounds

January 26th @ New York Knicks
Loss 92-100
Outstanding Players:
New York: Chauncey Billups – 30 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists; Landry Fields – 23 points; Carmelo Anthony – 19 points
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 24 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists; Harrison Barnes – 21 points; Yi Jianlian – 11 points, 16 rebounds

January 28th @ Philadelphia 76ers
Loss 97-131
Outstanding Players:
Philadelphia: Andre Iguodala – 28 points, 8 rebounds; Elton Brand – 15 points, 8 rebounds; Jrue Holiday – 14 points, 10 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 28 points, 5 assists; Harrison Barnes – 19 points; Steve Nash – 10 points, 7 assists

January 29th vs Orlando Magic
Win 104-103[b]
[b]Outstanding Players:
Orlando: Dwight Howard – 16 points, 14 rebounds; Jason Richardson – 23 points, 6 rebounds; Hedo Turkoglu – 18 points; Jameer Nelson – 15 points, 13 assists
New Zealand: Steve Nash – 13 points, 17 assists; Yi Jianlian – 25 points, 13 rebounds; Allen Iverson – 26 points, 7 assists; Harrison Barnes – 21 points

January 31st vs Washington Wizards
Win 121-113
Outstanding Players:
Washington: Nick Young – 27 points; Andray Blatche – 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals; John Wall – 20 points, 8 assists
New Zealand: Allen Iverson – 32 points; Harrison Barnes – 23 points, 6 rebounds (career high pts); Steve Nash – 15 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists

[Lamrock]

Your backcourt is awesome.

[SuperHueyNewton]

I like the originality of this story, A.I. too

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: January 2012
Part Two: Around the Association

[Valor]

Your backcourt is awesome.

On one side of the floor they are unstoppable, on the otherside of the floor they can't stop anybody

I like the originality of this story, A.I. too

Thanks for the support man, much appreciated

[SuperHueyNewton]

Nice win column but it looks like the East is actually a little stronger, pretty puzzling to me actually

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: January 2012
Part Three: Rookie Ladder

[Valor]

Nice win column but it looks like the East is actually a little stronger, pretty puzzling to me actually

Cheers, definitely doing a lot better than last season but defense is starting to look a bit dodgy due to the small backcourt, dunno if the winning record can keep up soon
Milwaukee has been a surprise in the East, and didn't expect the Nets and Hawks to be winning that much either...on the flip side, it's just crazy that the Spurs are playing that bad lol

[Lamrock]

Love the Rookie Reports. I'd say Irving has a really good shot at winning RotY. Does Barnes come off the bench? Is he a 6MotY candidate?

[Valor]

Monthly Recap: January 2012
Part Four: Race to the MVP

At the midway point, it's looking like a two man race between Bryant and Rose

Race to the MVP: Midseason awards edition
By Adrian Nelson, NBA.com
Posted Jan 31 2012 11:17PM

Within the blink of an eye, here we are again at the midway point of the NBA Season, and this is just the perfect time to present to you the individul accolades for the first half of the season. Of course, they don't actually exist, but this will give you all an idea of who's dominating so far in this 2011-12 season.

Most Valuable Player: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
As you'll read on later in our rankings below, D-Rose has been playing like a man possessed this season, seemingly having perfected his game in just his 4th NBA season. If he keeps up this pace and the Bulls keep winning, even the reigning MVP Kobe Bryant won't be able to take this award from him at the end of the season.

Rookie of the Year: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
While Kyrie Irving will give Rubio a run for his money and Harrison Barnes has been great as of late, don't be surprised if the Spanish phenom takes home the trophy at the end of the season. Rubio would be advised to find himself a shooting coach at the end of the season though, as of now him passing off the backboard to the basket might be a better way to score as opposed to his shot, which is horrendous to say the least.

Coach of the Year: Tyrone Corbin, Utah Jazz
With his best players being Al Jefferson and Devin Harris, what Tyrone Corbin has done with the Jazz is simply amazing. Utah is currently 4th in the West and definitely overachieving. Larry Brown deserves some love for what he's been able to do with the Panthers as well.

Sixth Man: JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers
He's been involved in trade rumors all year long, but there's no denying what JJ Hickson has brought to the table for the Cavaliers off the bench. Averaging a career high 14 and 8, Hickson brings a combination of energy and offensive output that few has in the second five. Lamar Odom of the Lakers and Gilbert Arenas of the Magic might have something to say about the award at years' end though.

Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
Joe Johnson hit a wall in January and couldn't find the bucket, but Atlanta was still able to maintain their winning ways and keep their 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference Standings due to the defensive dominance of Josh Smith, who is doing everything right now for the Hawks. Omer Asik and Lebron James are both legitimate contenders for the honor as well.

Most Improved Player: JJ Barea, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers took a gamble and added JJ Barea to replace the retired Derek Fisher as their starting point guard, and it's sure paid off big time as Barea has tripled his scoring output and added 5 more assists per game than last season, making him a solid contributor next to Kobe in the Lakers backcourt. Other contenders for the award would be the Panthers' Omer Asik, Nuggets point Ty Lawson, as well as Sixers center Spencer Hawes.

First Team All NBA
C - Dwight Howard, Magic
F - Carmelo Anthony, Knicks
F - LeBron James, Heat
G - Kobe Bryant, Lakers
G - Derrick Rose, Bulls

[Valor]

Love the Rookie Reports. I'd say Irving has a really good shot at winning RotY. Does Barnes come off the bench? Is he a 6MotY candidate?

Cheers, I think Irving will shake off the slack soon and give Rubio a serious run at the end, wouldn't be surprised if either one won it Barnes does come off my bench and has taken over from Sefolosha as the Sixth man of the team, but still pales in comparison to the other candidates for the award for now.

[Justine.]

Wow at Iverson's numbers, he's shooting % is pretty low though. Yi!

[Valor]

Wall, Irving, Rubio headlines 2012 Rookie Challenge

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2012 -- Reigning Rookie of the Year John Wall of the Washington Wizards, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie sensation Ricky Rubio, lead a list of 20 players selected for the 2012 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge to be held on All Star Friday during this year's NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando.

Joining Wall from the Sophomore class are: Evan Turner (Philadelphia), Blake Griffin (LA Clippers), Ed Davis (Toronto), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento), Armon Johnson (Portland), Wesley Johnson (Oklahoma City), Al-Farouq Aminu (LA Clippers), Larry Sanders (Milwaukee), and Omer Asik (New Zealand).

Irving and Rubio are joined by fellow first-year players Harrison Barnes (New Zealand), Perry Jones (Washington), Jonas Valanciunas (Cleveland), Brandon Knight (Sacramento), William Buford (Indiana), Kris Joseph (Utah), Enes Kanter (Phoenix), and Mike Benson (New Orleans).

The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge were selected by the NBA's assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot.

Last year in Los Angeles, the Sophomore squad edged out the Rookie team in a tightly contested game, 119-108. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors took home Most Valuable Player honors after talling 22 points and 9 assists.

Below are the rosters for the 2012 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam.






All Star Rosters Set, Panthers' Yi, Iverson makes history

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2012 -- The second year franchise Panthers have been turning heads and changing opinions all season long, so it's only appropriate that they were honored with having not one, but two players named to the 2012 NBA All Star Game, the first time in franchise history.

Thus, the 12th time All-Star Allen Iverson will make Panthers history on All-Star Sunday in Orlando alongside first time All-Star Yi Jianlian as the first ever All Stars for the New Zealand Panthers franchise.

Joining Yi and Iverson on the West reserves are second time selections Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Golden State Warriors' Monta Ellis; followed by 3 other first timers in Emeka Okafor (New Orleans), Tyreke Evans (Sacramento), and Terrence Williams (Houston). Okafor was selected by commissioner David Stern as an injury replacement for voted-starter Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, who will not participate due to a broken finger.

Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Chris Paul of the Hornets, Kevin Durant of the Thunder, and the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki will be joined by first time All-Star Andrew Bynum (LA Lakers) in the starting lineup of the Western Conference All-Stars.

Meanwhile for the East, first timer Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets will be joining a very similar East bench that features second time All-Stars John Wall of the Wizards, Stephen Jackson of the Bucs, Andre Iguodala of the Sixers, and Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks. Also on the East reserves are 7 time All Star Amare Stoudemire of the New York Knicks, and Lopez's teammate, 3 time All Star guard Deron Williams.

Dwight Howard of the hosting Orlando Magic leads a pack of Perennial All-Stars in the East starting lineup that features five time All Star Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks, 8 time All Star LeBron James of the Miami Heat, 7 time All Star Dwyane Wade of the Heat, and three time All Star Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S. and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

[Valor]

Wow at Iverson's numbers, he's shooting % is pretty low though. Yi!

He is, mainly attributed to the fact that he was basically the first second and third option earlier in the season when Yi was slumping prior to the arrival of Stevie Nashty Since then Yi's been great!

[Valor]

Chapter 8

For every team around the league that isn't undefeated, February 16th 2012 is an important date. It is the trade deadline of the 2011-12 season and the last chance for teams to make big changes to their lineups in preparation for the second half of the season. The half where some calls the "real" season.

In the case of the New Zealand Panthers, that is no different. Despite making big time roster moves all season long, with the latest being the acquisition of Steve Nash back in late December. Despite that, however, the Panthers haven't exactly been great. Sure they've dominanted the weaker opponents, but more often recently, they've been losing a lot to playoff caliber teams, and is looking more like a team contending for the 8th spot more than their current 3rd seed in the conference. Something has to be done and the owner Leo Lai hasn't exactly been shy about gunning for deals.

✧✧✧✧✧

"Play that again" Lai said as he spat out the old piece of gum to the trash can before putting a fresh piece in, watching intently at the screen.
"See that there? We have a problem covering this and that's been a big issue" Larry Brown paused the tape and scribbled something onto the touchscreen monitor. When it comes to basketball related technology, Lai isn't hesitent to spend to ensure that the best equipment is used.
After watching the rest of the tape for another two, three times, Brown looked at the clock and stopped the screen. "Alright guys, we got a game tonight so get some rest and I'll see you at the arena later. Dismissed"
As the guys got up, stretched, yawned and filed out of the room, Lai turned to Brown and motioned for him to go to his office, afterall, the trade deadline was tomorrow and they need to get working. On their way out, however, he notices there was one player left in the room, walking towards him. It was Steve Nash.
"What's up, Steve? Not heading home yet? We need you for tonight's game man, you should get some rest" Lai asked as he turned towards Nash
"I got a meeting with you today, remember?" Nash said
"It was today? Oh christ I'm sorry Steve, completely forgot about it" Lai smacked himself on the head as he took a quick thought, "Alright, I guess you should be in this meeting as well." He turned to Larry Brown, "Let's go Larry"

Once in the comforts of his office, Lai motioned for his secretary to pour them some coffee, and sat down. It was a plush office, but there was no time to relax. They had work to do.

"So, Steve, how can I help you" Lai asked as he took the cup of coffee from his secretary Michelle.
"Well, I've only been here for one and a half months or so, but this is a really professional organization, everyone's really good around here and stuff, I just want to say thanks for making me a part of the Panthers organization." Nash said
"You're welcome! We are glad to have you here as well" Lai replied
"The thing is, if you are willing, I want to extend my contract immediately."
The words "yes, let's do that" stopped the moment Lai was about to say them, and there was an awkward silence in the room.
"...is there a problem, sir?" Nash asked, breaking the silence.
Lai took a deep breath, and sighed
"Steve," Lai said, looking solemnly at Nash, "I got a question for you"
Nash raised his eyebrows, puzzled but waited for it,
"Do you think with this group of guys, we can win the title?"
"Well, we don't know unless we try..." Nash began to answer, but was cut off
"Steve? Do you think we can win a title with this group?" Lai asked again, a little more firmly than before,
"...No, I don't" Nash finally admitted, "But I'm sure we can improve as a whole and be a real contender in a few seasons!"
"Steve, you are 38 years old, Allen's 36, and you guys have 16 years of NBA millage on your legs, I don't think we can afford to talk about maybes in 3, 4 seasons time." Lai stated
"I don't want to waste away the last years of your career, or Allen's for that matter. I want to win as badly as any of you, and we gotta be smart about doing that. Being blindfully optimistic isn't going to help." Lai concluded,
"So you are saying you're not going to extend me right now because we won't win it all?"
"Yeah, that's what I'm getting at. Look, lets play out the season, see what happens and then decide what happens, ok?"
"I could live with that, but you're not worried that I might leave?" Nash asked
"Steve, if you want to leave, that's your wish, and I'll respect that." Lai replied, "Anyhow, lets look at the present. The reason why I called you in here as well is that, as you know, the trade deadline is tomorrow"
"You want my opinion on potential deals?"
"Exactly. Now, What do you think about...Dwight Howard"
Both Nash and Larry Brown looked up immediately. Brown, who's mind had been wandering off while Lai and Nash were having their discussions, suddenly snapped back into the present.
"You are thinking big right there" Brown said
"Well, it's not just me, everybody in the league's asking for him, arn't they?"
"Can you get him?" Nash asked
"That'll depend if Orlando takes the offer..."

✧✧✧✧✧

The game against the Sixers went well, as Iguodala's potential game winner clanked off the rim badly at the buzzer, it was a 104-103 victory, but Lai wasn't concerned about it. In fact, he wasn't even in attendance, a rare sight considering he usually sits behind the team's bench with the other assistant coaches.

Of course, Lai was more concerned with making the roster tweaks. He even had dinner delivered to him instead of going out to dine. Being on the phone all day is nerve-wreaking, especially since Orlando is asking for half your roster in exchange for one man, Dwight Howard.

"Sir, Mr Forman of the Bulls is on line two" Lai's secretary, Michelle said as Lai picked up the phone yet again, the first time, however, listening to a call instead of making one.
"Gar, how are you doing?"
"I'm good, yourself?"
"Good, good, so how can I help you?"
"Noah's a bit hurt so I need some help up at the five spot"
"Well, you're not getting Omer back, so I'm guessing you want Kwame?" Lai said as he took a took at the Bulls roster on the big board.
"Yeah, he's at least better than Alexis Ajinca, I don't even know why I traded you Omer" Forman remarked,
"Hey don't complain now, you got Stuckey from Detroit and he's been pretty good for you" Lai said, "So, Kwame huh? I want either Taj or Ronnie Brewer for him"
"That's highway robbery Leo, come on now."
"It was worth a shot, well, who you got in mind?"
"What about Kyle?"
"Korver? He's averaging what, 1.5 points this season? Plus he's got another 10 million dollars on his contract. No way"
"He's still a good shooter" Forman said, "Come on, I need to get that salary off the books or Jerry's gonna make me trade Noah and Deng for picks just to get under the tax rate"
"That bad?" Lai chuckled, "Well, I want some picks with him"
"I can give you your second rounder back" Forman offered,
"Throw in your first rounder too and we'll call it a deal" Lai countered
"Kwame for two picks and Korver? You're crazy"
"You need a decent backup at center more than I need a wing man buddy, losing salary space and getting better for a championship run? I almost feel like I'm getting robbed."
"....Alright, but you gotta give us B-Scal as well" Forman finally said after a moment of silence, "Thibs wants him back to help teach his system"
"Cool, lets get the papers drawed up, we got ourselves a deal" Lai said as he hung up the phone, clenching his fists and celebrated for a moment. It was good to get a win, but this was nothing. Lai drank up the rest of his coffee and got back to the board once again.

To win the title this season, he must strike a deal with the Orlando Magic.

[Woogie98]

Dwight??

[Martti.]

Seeing as what Orlando actually got for Dwight, robbing them a bit in this reality isn't too bad.

[Valor]

Dwight??

If I could get him, instant title contender for sure...problem is actually doing it

Seeing as what Orlando actually got for Dwight, robbing them a bit in this reality isn't too bad.

Virtual Rob Hennigan is smarter than his real life counterpart so far I'll see what I can do though

[Valor]

Grading the Deals: NBA Trade Deadline 2012
Feb 16th, 2012 09:56 PM EST

Historically speaking, the NBA trade deadline is usually a hectic one, with a million rumors flying around and a few handfuls of deals being done. This year was, of course, no exception, as blockbuster trades, not-so blockbuster trades, free agent signings, coaching changes, and contract extensions happened within the span of the last 48 hours, leading to this annual big recap of who went where and what on earth happened. It is interesting to note that, there is a very interesting situation as this year's deadline is before the All-Star weekend, which means perhaps for the first time ever, we will have some of the All-Stars being in the "wrong team" so to speak as they got traded across the conference prior to the game. Weird situations, wild surprises, what a perfect way to start the second half of the season.

Without further ado, here are our grades of the parties involved in all those deals (and non-deal) in the second most exciting time (behind the playoffs, naturally) of the NBA season.

Bulls Trade Ronnie Brewer and Alexis Ajinca to the Pacers for James Posey and Dahntay Jones

We are kind to our readers so lets start with the easier ones rather than bomb you with the hardcore stuff from the get-go.

Ronnie Brewer had been complaining about a lack of playing time behind this season's new addition Rodney Stuckey, and he was becoming expendable anyways so Chicago went ahead and traded him, along with six fouls in Ajinca for two defensive minded veteran wing players that Thibs would be ecstatic to have on the roster.

At 17-36, the Pacers were not going anywhere this season, so they now add a relatvie young piece in Brewer, who's athletic, can shoot a bit, and is a good defender. This is a win-win situation for both teams, but nothing fancy.

Grade for Bulls: B+
Grade for Pacers: B+

Panthers Trade Kwame Brown and Brian Scalabrine to the Bulls for Kyle Korver, the Panthers' 2012 second round pick, and the Bulls' 2012 first round pick

Again, another minor move by the league best Bulls (41-14) as they continue to tweak their roster to prepare for a title run this postseason. By trading away Korver alongside picks that they really don't need, the Bulls were able to acquire a solid 7 footer to hold down the fort when Noah needs a breather. Yes Kwame Brown's still a bust as a number 1 overall player, but he's been solid as a role player over his career, and will serve them well in his limited role.

For the Panthers, Kyle Korver is still a good shooter, but he had become expendible when Chicago acquired Jones and Posey. He has 10 million dollars over two years left on his contract and was hardly playing this season, averaging a career-low 1.5 points in 3.9 minutes per game over 55 contests. What's more valuable to them is the acquisiton of those two draft picks, one of them their own that they traded away on draft night in the four team deal that brought them Omer Asik. The Panthers had no draft picks until this point and in a relatively deep class, they could prove to be valuable assets, no matter how low they will be.

Grade for Bulls: B+
Grade for Panthers: B

Hornets Trade Chris Paul and Xavier Henry to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman

We hope you were ready, but if not, here it is anyways. The highlight of the evening - CP3 finally saying goodbye to the city of New Orleans after a whole season of wanting out, and now finds himself in the bright lights of Los Angeles, only that it's the Clippers and not their more successful cotenant at the Staples Center.

After spending months listening to offers and exploring their options, the Hornets management finally decided to take the offer presented by the Clippers, who offered them the valuable rebuilding assets in youth (Eric Gordon and Aminu) and cap relief (Chris Kaman). While New Orleans isn't completely out of the playoff race at 28-26, Paul didn't want to be there from the start of training camp and it was time to have a fresh start. Expect them to kind of tank the rest of the season in order to get a high draft pick.

For the Clippers (29-23), this immediately puts them in contention for the top 4 seeds in the Western Conference. With Paul leading the way, the frontcourt dynamic duo of Rudy Gay and Blake Griffin are going to score at a much more efficient pace and at a higher clip. Paul is also an excellent defender, with quick hands and feet that'll certainly turn opponent possessions into a lob-fest on the other side of the floor.

Although Paul didn't end up going to a more storied franchise such as the Knicks or Lakers, he still got his wish and left New Orleans, and went to a team that will be ready for contention with just one or two more pieces. Plus he's still going to be in one of the largest markets in Los Angeles. He might have to endure Clippers' punchlines, but my guess is he's ok with that.

Grade for Hornets: B+
Grade for Clippers: A
Grade for Paul: A-

Hornets Trade David West to the New Jersey Nets for Travis Outlaw and Tyler Honeycutt

After trading their franchise player away, the Hornets figured they might as well just purge the roster and start over completely from scratch, which isn't exactly a bad idea, but when you give up a two time All Star in David West for just Travis Outlaw and rookie benchwarmer Tyler Honeycutt, there is a problem.

The Nets obviously win this one by far, and it's not even close. David West, with his deadly 17 foot jumper, is a perfect complement to Brook Lopez, one of the few centers in the game who is most comfortable scoring in the low post with back to the basket moves. Adding on the fact that West can continue his infinite amount of pick-and-pop plays with yet another great point guard in Deron Williams makes this trade seem more lopsided than it really is.

Grade for Hornets: C-
Grade for Nets: A

Hornets Trade Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza to the Washington Wizards for Rashard Lewis and the Wizards' 2012 2nd round pick

And so the purging continues. Don't worry, this is the last one they make...before the offseason that is. Remember how I said there will be All-Stars playing for the opposite conference because they got traded? Well, Emeka Okafor is one of them. What a way to have your first All-Star appearance than to play for the wrong team?

New Orleans continues to stack up the assets for a complete rebuilding effort. At least they are being consistent about it. Lewis has the most overinflated contract in the entire league, with $46 million dollars and two years left on his deal, he'll probably be lift up some of that scoring load left behind by Paul and West the rest of this season, and will become a very valuable trade chip with a 20+ million dollar expiring contract next season. An extra pick never hurts, and a second round pick from the 20-37 Wizards is basically a late first-rounder.

The Wizards, on the otherhand, also reap the benefits of this deal, as they get rid of Lewis and really hand the keys to reigning rookie of the year John Wall. Okafor, again, is an All-Star this season alongside his new teammate in Wall, and Trevor Ariza is another young, athletic defender that will help install a defensive mindset into the nation's capital.

Grade for Hornets: B-
Grade for Wizards: A-

Wizards Trade JaVale McGee, Nick Young, Chris Duhon, and Andray Blatche to the Nuggets for Nene, Andre Miller, and Al Harrington

Part of getting better is addition by subtraction, and the Wizards did exactly that by getting rid of perhaps the biggest bonehead in the history of the NBA in JaVale McGee. McGee is a athletic beast, but his head needs to be screwed on straight and that responsibility now lands on Denver's George Karl instead. God praise his soul.

Wizards send away a lot of talent here, but also get a lot back in the form of Nene. The big solid center will always give you somewhere around 12 points and 10 rebounds a game, he scores, rebounds, clogs the paint well, and will form a formitable low post duo with Emeka Okafor. Andre Miller should be a good veteran guid for Sophomore John Wall, and Harrington would provide some valued bench scoring.

For the Nuggets, if George Karl can snap the heads of McGee, Young, and Blatche on straight, then they wouldn't really have lost out in this deal, seeing as that's a whole load of talent. Again, I really feel for Coach Karl's right now. The man has a tough job, to say the least.

Grade for Wizards: B
Grade for Nuggets: B-

Warriors Trade Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Ekpe Udoh to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson

The Warriors and Bucks exchanged problematic situations in a five-player trade where Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson are heading to Golden State for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Andris Biedrins.

Experts and fans of both sides are somewhat bewildered by how the trade truly benefits John Hammond and Joe Lacob. It is a classic NBA blockbuster trade made by two teams without a top-20 player that won’t put either of them into the top-eight of the NBA.

All of those wonders aside, both teams really didn't gain or lose much here in terms of value or overall impact. The Warriors traded offense for defense and the Bucks got offense for defense. If it sounds confusing, it's probably 'cause it is. The two teams completely change their identity in the process, but Milwaukee clearly loses out here. Scott Skiles preaches defense, good luck preaching that to Monta Ellis.

Grade for Warriors: C+
Grade for Bucks: C-

Warriors Trade Stephen Jackson to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson and the Spurs' 2013 2nd round pick

Stephen Jackson never even got on a taxi to the airport before he was traded yet again by his new/old team. The Warriors was going on a solid direction towards building for the future, and Jackson's erratic behaviour doesn't really fit the bill.

San Antonio, however, would love to have a bit of that spark from Jackson as even the great Gregg Popovich has ran out of solutions for the unexplained slump by the San Antonio Spurs, who have been egregious thus far this season at 23-32. They are still just 6 games behind the 8th seeded Rockets, but it's going to take a complete turn around for them to have a chance of cracking the postseason.

Grade for Warriors: C+
Grade for Spurs: C+

Spurs Trade Chris Andersen and Gary Neal to the Mavericks for Jared Dudley and Eddy Curry

Again, the Spurs are trying everything to save their season from crashing into the depths of hell. While this isn't exactly a homerun tyle deal, it is a solid one that'll boaster the Spurs chances of getting back into the playoff picture. Neal was't really getting minutes with the guard spots being so stacked and Jared Dudley is going to fit right into the vacant three spot left behind by Jefferson. He can defend, he can knock down threes. A great presence in the team.

The Mavericks didn't have much to lose here, they didn't really need Dudley with Marion and Brewer at the three, and Neal would be insurance in case one of the older guards go down (Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Vince Carter). No harm in getting a better defensive big in Chris Andersen for Eddy Curry either.

Grade for Spurs: B-
Grade for Mavericks: B

The Dwight Howard Trade that never happened

Even more so than CP3, Dwight Howard was the subject of trade rumors all season long, and it is really a surprise, more than any of the deals above, that Dwightmare hasn't ended in Orlando. Despite a number of reported talks with numerous teams such as the Nets, Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, Knicks, and Panthers, the Magic apparently decided to stay put and test their chances in the offseason and see if they could convince the three time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to stay with the Orlando Magic.

In my estimation, they got pretty much no shot at retaining him, and now probably will lose some value, if not all of the any possible assets they could've gotten back for Howard if he decides to walk at season's end.

Grade for Magic: D
Grade for Howard: B

Miscellaneous Transactions

- Tim Duncan signs with Spurs for 1 yr/$12.76M extension with $13.92M player option

- Pacers sign G Delonte West for 1 yr/$5.76M

- Clippers sign C Nazr Mohammed to 1 yr/$480K deal

- Suns (12-41)Fire Head Coach Alvin Gentry, Hires Byron Scott

*Note: As some of you may notice, a few of those trades mirror real life events. I orchestrated those ones who were plausible and made sense even in this virtual reality just to allow for a sense of realism to it.

[Its_asdf]

There is a lot of detail in this, especially with all of the write-ups. I can empathize with the amount of work that can take to come up with original things to write about. Much respect to that!

[Woogie98]

Was looking forward to see a Nash,Iverson,Howard type line-up

[Lamrock]

Glad to see the real life deadline deals being made. Shame you weren't able to upgrade your roster, but we'll see what they can do.

[Valor]

There is a lot of detail in this, especially with all of the write-ups. I can empathize with the amount of work that can take to come up with original things to write about. Much respect to that!

Thanks for the praise buddy, it is a tedious effort writing these all up but that's part of the fun too

Was looking forward to see a Nash,Iverson,Howard type line-up

Yeah that was my original plan but Orlando didn't bite

Glad to see the real life deadline deals being made. Shame you weren't able to upgrade your roster, but we'll see what they can do.

Cheers Lamrock, yep I think it should be solid for now, but unless Omer learns to catch the ball I don't think this team can go all the way, just too little post play on the offensive end unfortunately

[Valor]

Wall, Griffin Dominates as Sophomores Top Rooks
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game


While Blake had a lot of dunks, DeMarcus Cousins had the best one

Orlando, FL -- Anytime you have an All-Star on your roster and your opponents don't, chances are you are probably going to win.

That was exactly the case for the Sophomore squad Friday night in the annual T-Mobile Rookie Challenge.

Led by the second time All-Star John Wall and Clippers' high flying Blake Griffin, the Sophomores held off a valiant effort from the rookie squad en-route to a 116-107 victory, extending the Sophomore steak to two.

Wall took home MVP honors after dropping 28 points and dishing out 9 assists in the win, while Blake Griffin, who had 33 points and 17 rebounds in their loss in last year's game against Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans, finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, putting up highlight dunks at every turn.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Sophomores, as the Rookie squad, led by Rookie of the Year favorite Ricky Rubio and the New Zealand Panthers' scoring machine Harrison Barnes put up a solid fight.

Rubio finished with just 8 points but showed off his court vision by dishing out 13 assists, while Harrison Barnes went 12 for 21 from the field for a game-high 32 points. Number 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving, however, had a bad night shooting from the field as he went 4 for 16 and finished with 16 points.

"It's on me, I just wasn't good enough tonight" said Irving, "Lucky this doesn't count towards the season but still, you never want to lose any game"

The Sophomore team, on the other hand, had a different take.

"They definitely have potential to be very good players, all of them" Wall said, "They showed it tonight, gave us a hell of a fight"

"It's just an exhibition game though so I'd chill a bit if I was him" added Griffin when asked about Irving's comments

The Sophomore team, who also won last year's contest 119-108, now extends their all-time record on the Rookies to 10-3.


Game Highlights






Rookie Challenge MVP Highlights

[SuperHueyNewton]

Slam, slam, slam... Uh theres another slam. Need i say more?

[Ourumow]

Pretty close game, did you play it? Must have been fun