~ [10-6] Motor City | Monthly recap - NOVEMBER.

Tell stories based on your franchise and career mode games here.

~ [10-6] Motor City | Monthly recap - NOVEMBER.

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:34 am

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Hello people. After a long break from NLSC, I decided to start a story once again. I have had that mood many times in the past and I can't say that I have ever gotten far with any of my stories. I'm not going to lie, the chances of this lasting for a long time are slim, too, but I can't say I'm too worried about that. I'll still give it a shot in attempt to make my gaming experience more fun and realistic.

I'm not exactly sure how this one will play out in terms of format, recaps and such. Most likely I will go the usual route - a neat look on all articles & recaps, plus a few 'behind the scene' or 'blog' type posts every now and then, mainly to make it easier to connect to the story and it's characters on a personal level, if that makes any sense.

After some thought, I decided to choose the Detroit Pistons as the team. The team has some overhauling to do, while still having some promising names on the roster. Clearly there are pieces that I like more than others, and you will most definitely find that out sooner rather than later. I'll be using my own rosters - some players ratings have been changed for a more realistic game play.

Off we go.
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:35 am

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    STARTING 5:

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      PG: Isaiah Thomas
      SG: Lance Stephenson
      SF: Andrew Wiggins
      PF: Greg Monroe
      C: Andre Drummond

    BENCH:

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      G: Brandon Jennings
      C/F: Anderson Varejao
      G/F: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
      F/C: Josh McRoberts

    DEEP BENCH/INACTIVE:

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      F: Tony Mitchell
      F: Quincy Acy
      G: Will Bynum
      G: Shabazz Napier
      F: Steve Novak
      C: Hasheem Thabeet

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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:35 am

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INDIVIDUAL RECORDS:

    Points: 48 by Lance Stephenson (6th November, 2014)
    Rebounds: 20 by Greg Monroe (23rd November, 2014)
    Assists: 13 by Lance Stephenson (15th November, 2014)
    Blocks: 5 by Andre Drummond (1st November, 2014), (9th November, 2014); Lance Stephenson (16th November, 2014)
    Steals: 5 by Isaiah Thomas (16th November, 2014)
    FG Made: 16 by Lance Stephenson (6th November, 2014)
    3PT Made: 6 by Isaiah Thomas (25th November, 2014)
    FT Made: 9 by Lance Stephenson (6th November, 2014)

OUTSTANDING STATLINES:

    Lance Stephenson vs Indiana on 6th November, 2014 (W) - 48 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 16-27 FG, 5-11 3PT, 9-11 FT
    Andre Drummond vs Miami on 12th November, 2014 (L) - 32 points, 11 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 blocks, 14-23 FG
    Lance Stephenson vs Chicago on 15th November, 2014 (L) - 30 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 13-23 FG, 4-4 FT
    Isaiah Thomas vs Denver on 16th November, 2014 (W) - 25 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 10-22 FG, 5-9 3PT
    Lance Stephenson vs Toronto on 22nd November, 2014 (W) - 33 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 12-20 FG, 3-7 3PT, 6-6 FT
    Greg Monroe vs Charlotte on 23rd November, 2014 (W) - 30 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 12-21 FG, 6-7 FT

ACCOLADES/AWARDS:

    Player of the week - Lance Stephenson (Nov 2-8)


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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 4:25 am

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    Pistons fire Joe Dumars, hire Grant Hill to run basketball operations.

    23rd September, 2013 -- After more than a decade as the President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars has been fired. According to multiple sources, the ownership of the franchise was not fully behind the use of cap space in the off season, after Dumars signed Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith to long-term, lucrative contracts.

    Grant Hill, another all-time great that spent his early career in a Pistons uniform, has allegedly been signed to a 1-year, 1M deal. Hill, 41, is expected to overhaul the roster to the best of his abilities, while also increasing the likelihood of long-term success.

    "I'm definitely excited by the chance to run a team - help build it and watch it grow." said Hill. "Even more so, to do it here in Detroit, where I spent some of the brightest years of my career, it's a blessing. The Pistons have a solid core with some potentially great players and even though there's a lot work to do in order to climb the rankings, I'm intrigued by the challenge."


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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:24 am

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    BLOCKBUSTER: Josh Smith, Peyton Siva traded to Philadelphia in exchange for Kwame Brown, draft pick.

    December 16th, 2013 -- After numerous of trade rumors surrounding Josh Smith and Greg Monroe, the summer signing has been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers along with guard Peyton Siva. In exchange for the two, the Pistons will receive the rights to Philadelphia's this years 2nd round draft pick and the expiring contract of Kwame Brown.

    During his rather short tenure in Detroit, Josh Smith averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, shooting only .37 and .27 percent from the field and three pojnt territory, respectively. Smith found himself battling for minutes at the power forward spot with Greg Monroe, and thanks to the Pistons preference for Monroe alongside Andre Drummond, Smith had to play majority of his minutes at the small forward position - one where his shooting flaws stood out too much.

    The Philadelphia 76ers felt that sliding Smith to his natural position at the 4 would help him reestablish his form, in effort to earn his rather big contract. They also received the 23-year old point guard in Peyton Siva.

    "It had been clear for a while that Josh Smith and Greg Monroe, while both great players, can not co-operate too well in the front court. As we weighed our options, this trade seemed about as good as it could get. In this deep draft, a high second round draft pick can be a valuable asset to us going forward, and Kwame is definitely someone that can provide us with some quality minutes when it matters the most." said Grant Hill, the first year President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.


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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:49 am

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    Pistons and Kings swap Kyle Singler, Quincy Acy.

    February 3rd, 2014 -- The Detroit Pistons and the Sacramento Kings have completed a minor swap including the two of Kyle Singler and Quincy Acy.

    After recently being traded to the Kings, Acy hasn't seen too much playing time, producing just over a point and a rebound per game. However, Grant Hill was quick to encourage Acy for his enthusiastic playing style, saying that if the forward continues to work hard and improve, he could very well be a part of the Pistons future.

    The 6'8" Kyle Singler posted just about 4 points, 2 rebounds and an assist a game for Detroit. However, with Tony Mitchell showing glimpses of potential and first year wingman Kevin Caldwell-Pope quickly emerging as a quality player, Singlers presence on the bench was not exactly essential.


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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:58 am

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    Stars team demolishes the Elites in the Rising Stars Challenge.

    February 14th, 2014 -- The Rising Stars Challenge was once again a blast, as the Stars team cruised to a 120-86 win in a thunderous fashion. Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans received the MVP award honors, as he chipped in with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists. However, there was clearly not clear cut best player for the Stars team - Damian Lillard finished with a game high 30 points and 7 assists, Otto Porter with 20 points, Michael Carter-Williams with 18. Detroit's big man Anthony Davis had a stellar performance as well, as he scored 14 points to go with a massive 21 rebounds.

    The most outstanding for the losing side were Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Dion Waiters had 13, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley had 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Trey Burke also had a solid all-around performance with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

    The Elites team was outplayed immediately, as they fell behind by 22 points in the first half alone, in which Damian Lillard scored 22 of his 30 points. Despite a poor 4th quarter, the Stars team quickly capitalized in the 4th quarter and pulled away for the big win.



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    Kevin Martin and Terrence Ross, respective winners of the 3PT Shootout and Slam Dunk competition.

    February 15th, 2014 -- This years All-Star Saturday proved to be a great one, with the extremely competitive 3PT Shootout leading to the highly anticipated Slam Dunk Contest.

    3PT Shootout results:

      1st round:
      Kevin Martin - 22
      OJ Mayo - 15
      Klay Thompson - 23
      Randy Foye - 21
      Jeremy Lamb - 19
      Jason Richardson - 16


      final:
      Kevin Martin - 20
      Klay Thompson - 18


    Advancing to the Slam Dunk Contest, where Blake Griffin, Terrence Ross, Jeremy Evans and Jared Cunningham had gathered in order to showcase their leaping ability and dunking skills.

    In a tightly contested first round, Terrence Ross and Jared Cunningham were the two to advance to the final round. The final round, however, was a huge letdown for Jared Cunningham. On the other hand, Terrence Ross displayed some ridiculous dunks which skewed the percentages in the fan voting for his favor by a huge margin. The Toronto Raptor finished his night with an amazing 180 dunk over his teammate, DeMar DeRozan.

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    Kevin Durant and LeBron James, the leading vote receivers.

    February 16th, 2014 -- The final event of the entire All-Star Weekend, the infamous All-Star Game, turned out to be exciting until the very end. The Western All-Stars, led by Kevin Durants stellar performance, won the game, 120-113.

    Kevin Durant won the MVP award after finishing with a phenomenal 25-12-5 line (P/R/A). Kobe Bryant was the leading scorer for both sides, finishing with 29 points on 10-15 shooting. Blake Griffin was another bright point for the Western All-Stars, chipping in with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

    For East, LeBron James led the way with 25 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. His teammate, Dwyane Wade, ended with 22 points, Derrick Rose with 16, and Paul George had a solid game with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

    Stats:
    west:
    Kevin Durant - 25 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 10-15 FG, 9-10 FT
    Kobe Bryant - 29 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 10-15 FG
    Blake Griffin - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists
    Russell Westbrook - 10 points
    Dwight Howard - 9 points, 5 rebounds
    Chris Paul - 7 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists
    LaMarcus Aldridge - 6 points
    Andre Iguodala - 6 points, 4 rebounds
    James Harden - 5 points
    DeMarcus Cousins - 4 points, 3 rebounds
    Kevin Love - 3 points, 3 rebounds
    Tony Parker - 0 points, 2 assists

    east:
    LeBron James - 25 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists
    Dwyane Wade - 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
    Derrick Rose - 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
    Paul George - 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
    Kyrie Irving - 11 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
    Carmelo Anthony - 8 points, 3 rebounds
    Joakim Noah - 6 points
    Carlos Boozer - 6 points
    OJ Mayo - 4 points
    John Wall - 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
    Kyle Lowry - nothing but a damn assist
    Josh Smith - 1 point, 1 assist


__________________________________

In case anyone is wondering - the reason I'm going this fast to start off, is that I am simulating the entire 2013-2014 season and going on to 2014-2015. I forgot to clarify that in the OP, sorry for that. Anyway, stay tuned.
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Re: ~ Motor City | ASW.

Postby Martti. on Wed Feb 19, 2014 2:25 pm

You dislike Smith that much? You could've at least asked for a player, who can play. :D (Though his contract sucks, I agree) I traded Monroe for Kawhi Leonard to move Smith to the 4.

Good luck, waiting for updates, though this section has been pretty dead the last couple of months.
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Re: ~ Motor City | ASW.

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:12 am

Martti. wrote:You dislike Smith that much? You could've at least asked for a player, who can play. :D (Though his contract sucks, I agree) I traded Monroe for Kawhi Leonard to move Smith to the 4.

Good luck, waiting for updates, though this section has been pretty dead the last couple of months.


First of all, glad to see you're still around, heh.

I do hate Smith, lol. I honestly felt like this trade was a bit unfair as well, I don't think the Sixers would accept such trade in real life, trading away a pick and screwing up their financial situation in the process. However, this was the most realistic one I could come up with, they actually offered me a first round pick in the trade finder, but I refused to rob them by that much for the sake of realism. I wanted to unload his contract mainly because I want to make the off-season as interesting as possible, and this trade should give me plenty of cap space to afford some enjoyable players.

And yeah, I can clearly see that the section is not what it was years ago. I don't really mind. I doubt my association will go too far and I can't say I care about it, I just made this to make my gaming experience more fun.

And thanks, stick around :)
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:01 am

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    LeBron James - once again the Regular Season MVP and Finals MVP, with arguably the best season in the modern era.

    AWARDS:

      MVP - LeBron James: 29.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, .54 FG, .40 3PT, .81 FT, 33.3 PER, .64 TS%, Team record 66-16

      runnerup: Kevin Durant: 32.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.4 BPG, .50 FG, .40 3PT, .91 FT, 31.4 PER, .61 TS%, Team record 58-24

      ROTY - Trey Burke: 15.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG, .41 FG, .33 3PT, .81 FT

      6TH - Michael Carter-Williams: 10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.1 BPG, .50 FG, .27 3PT, .80 FT

      DPOY - Dwight Howard: 24.0 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG, .58 FG, .00 3PT, .52 FT

      MIP - Brandon Knight: 17.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.0 BPG, .45 FG, .40 3PT, .79 FT

      COTY - Tom Thibodeau: 63-19


    ALL-NBA TEAMS:

      1ST TEAM ALL-NBA: Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard
      2ND TEAM ALL-NBA: Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, DeMarcus Cousins
      3RD TEAM ALL-NBA: John Wall, James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Joakim Noah
      1ST TEAM ALL-DEFENSIVE: Mike Conley, Tony Allen, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard
      2ND TEAM ALL-DEFENSIVE: Dwyane Wade, Lance Stephenson, Kevin Durant, Kenneth Faried, Joakim Noah
      1ST TEAM ALL-ROOKIE: Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller, Nerlens Noel
      2ND TEAM ALL-ROOKIE: C.J. McCollum, Ben McLemore, Tony Mitchell, Anthony Bennett, Steven Adams


    LEAGUE LEADERS:

      PPG: Kevin Durant 32.5, LeBron James 29.5, Derrick Rose 28.1, Dwyane Wade 24.9, Kyrie Irving 24.1
      RPG: Andre Drummond 11.9, Dwight Howard 11.6, Kevin Love 11.1, Anderson Varejao 10.6, DeMarcus Cousins 10.5
      APG: Rajon Rondo 9.2, Ricky Rubio 9.1, Ty Lawson 8.3, Isaiah Thomas 8.3, Steve Nash 8.2
      SPG: Mike Conley 2.1, Mario Chalmers 2.0, Corey Brewer 1.9, Chris Paul 1.9, LeBron James 1.7
      BPG: Samuel Dalembert 2.1, Dwight Howard 2.0, Anthony Davis 2.0, Joakim Noah 1.9, Serge Ibaka 1.9


    DETROIT PISTONS STATISTICS:

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    NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS:

      11/11 Cavaliers extend Luol Dengs contract - 4YR/24.05M (WTF 2K14)
      11/30 Nuggets trade: Nate Robinson; Washington trade: Al Harrington, 2015 2nd round draft pick
      12/4 Bulls trade: Marquis Teague, Tony Snell; Warriors trade: Jermaine O'Neal, Draymond Greene
      12/12 Raptors trade: Amir Johnson; Kings trade: Jason Thompson
      12/12 Washington trade: Nené, Garrett Temple; Nuggets trade: Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov
      12/22 Celtics trade: Courntey Lee; Spurs trade: Danny Green
      12/23 Mavericks trade: Jose Calderon; Bulls trade: Nazr Mohammed, Kirk Hinrich (Merry Christmas, Chicago)
      1/6 Knicks trade: Beno Udrih, Jeremy Tyler; Spurs trade: Dahntay Jones
      1/8 Knicks trade: J.R. Smith, Metta World Peace; Cavaliers trade: C.J. Miles, Alonzo Gee
      1/8 Suns fire Jeff Hornacek, hire Dustin Fleming (Hornacek is so underrated in 2K14)
      1/10 Bobcats fire Steve Clifford, hire Samuel Pittman
      1/12 Warriors trade: Toney Douglas; Hawks trade: 14 1st round draft pick
      1/30 Bobcats trade: Gerald Henderson, Anthony Tolliver; Magic trade: Aaron Afflalo, Ronnie Price (wow)
      2/1 Nuggets trade: Andre Miller, Quincy Miller; Timberwolves trade: Shabazz Muhammad, Dante Cunningham
      2/2 Pacers trade: Danny Granger, 15 2st round draft pick; Nuggets trade: Javale McGee
      2/10 Nets trade: Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans; Lakers trade: Antawn Jamison, Wesley Johnson


    INTERESTING FACTS AND/OR WORTH MENTIONING:

      - Klay Thompson, new 3PT record with 278 made 3PT shots on .45%.
      - Mike Conley with new Grizzlies franchise records in steals in both, a Regular Season game (9) and Playoff game (5)
      - Dwyane Wade set the new Heat franchise record in points (55) and steals (7) in a Playoff game, LeBron James in FG Made (21)
      - Dwight Howard set the new Rockets franchise record in FG Made in a Playoff game (21)
      - Kevin Durant set the new Thunder records for both Points in a Regular Season game (59) and in Playoff game (55)
      - Kevin Martin set the new Timberwolves records in 3PT Made in a Regular Season game (9) and in a Playoff game (8)
      - Ray Allen and Steve Nash announce retirement (among other players)


    PLAYOFFS

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____________________________

I might've left out some meaningful stuff, but I am not sure. I think that's about it for what matters to me or the few that read this, going forward. Either way, off to this fictional summer, we'll see how it's going to pan out. Stay tuned!
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Re: ~ Motor City | 2013/2014 RECAP.

Postby Martti. on Sun Feb 23, 2014 12:03 am

Pretty interesting season. Deng stays for 6M per year in Cleveland?? I'm glad Wade got the franchise record for points in the Playoffs. ;)

How did your starting line-up look like btw? I'm guessing Dre, Monroe, Jennings, Stuckey and ??
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Re: ~ Motor City | 2013/2014 RECAP.

Postby Oskar on Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:10 am

Martti. wrote:Pretty interesting season. Deng stays for 6M per year in Cleveland?? I'm glad Wade got the franchise record for points in the Playoffs. ;)

How did your starting line-up look like btw? I'm guessing Dre, Monroe, Jennings, Stuckey and ??


About Deng staying for 6M, I think 2K14 has some huge flaws in the financial aspect. Borderline all-stars and such are extremely cheap - and this case of Deng accepting 6M per year is the perfect example. And yeah, in the same game that Wade had 55, I think LeBron had a line of like 40-10-10. Great stuff by the two.

And my starting line-up after the Smith trade changed every now and then, especially because of the lack of a definite starting 3. I played KCP there at times, then Tony Mitchell and for a few times, Kyle Singler (before eventually trading him for Quincy Acy).
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:05 am

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    With the draft lottery finished, lets take a quick look at the possible outcome of the 2014 Draft.

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    May 20th, 2014 -- The Sacramento Kings have received the 1st overall draft pick for the first time since 1989, and are allegedly looking to round out their roster with a scoring wing - thus they are most likely to go after Duke's Jabari Parker, who sealed Duke to the NCAA Championship Finals, where his great efforts were not enough to beat Arizona, who were led by Aaron Gordons stellar performances.

    The Charlotte Hornets, who have announced going back to their legendary purple and teal look, are likely to go after another big in the draft. They are most likely going to pick one of Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle or Joel Embiid, despite KU's poor play in the final tournament. With Kemba Walker playing the point with Aaron Afflalo by his side, the versatile Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at the 3 spot and combining Al Jefferson with one of the three big men, the Hornets could finally turn it around, if everything goes according to plan.

    Other than Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Joel Embiid and Julius Randle, who are likely to be picked high in the draft? Clearly, Andrew Wiggins was nearly a household name earlier in the season, but after he broke his right foot in the beginning of the tournament, his draft stock might fall by a bit. Despite the injury, Wiggins will probably still go in the top 5, as Phoenix, Utah and Detroit have all shown interest in him. As Wiggins went down with the injury, Wayne Selden took the best of the opportunity and played terrific basketball, which can definitely improve his draft stock.

    Marcus Smart is another talented guard that could go high in the draft, but ever since the incident in which Smart went after a fan, his attitude has been questioned. Other guards that could go high in the draft are guys such as James Young, Dante Exum, Gary Harris, Mario Hezonja and perhaps, PJ Hairston.

    Among possible lottery forwards you have a few good picks to choose from, as well. Of potential small forwards: Glenn Robinson III, Jerami Grant, Dario Saric, Rodney Hood and a few other possible candidates. However, at the 4 spot, besides Aaron Gordon and Julius Randle, only Chris Walker is being talked about more often. You also have players such as Montrezl Harrell and James McAdoo, but the two are more likely to go in the late first round according to rumours.

    At center, you have the already mentioned Joel Embiid, who's a lock to go in the top 10, probably top 5. Outside of Embiid, there are two names that might sneak into the lottery, William Cauley-Stein and Isaiah Austin, but the chances of that happening are slim.

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Re: ~ Motor City | Draft lottery & speculation.

Postby Martti. on Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:14 am

Hopefully Wiggins can drop to #5, he would fit in great for you. I got Parker at #5 in one of my associations, couldn't believe my luck. :)
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:04 am

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    Kings select Jabari Parker with the first pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.

    July 17th, 2014 -- With the 1st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select - Jabari Parker from Duke University! As it was already anticipated by majority of the analysts and fans, the opening pick of the draft was no surprise. However, let's take a look at the entire list of draftees, which will certainly raise some interesting points.

      1ST PICK: Sacramento Kings - Jabari Parker
        Grade: A
        Jabari Parker can definitely help the Kings with his tremendous scoring ability. Of the other candidates who were allegedly of interest to the Kings, no one was as great of a fit as Parker, who finished his freshman season in Duke with the averages of 21 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists a game, and all that on great efficiency. Only time will tell how great of a fit Parker will be in Sacramento, but going forward with a 1-2 punch of Jabari Parker and DeMarcus Cousins is definitely intriguing.

      2ND PICK: Charlotte Hornets - Aaron Gordon
        Grade: B
        Once again, the pick was highly anticipated. The Hornets were mainly linked to the two of Aaron Gordon and Joel Embiid, and Gordons terrific tournament run (in contract to Embiid and Kansas) probably sealed it. The Hornets are now looking at a lineup of Kemba Walker, Aaron Afflalo, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Aaron Gordon/Tyler Zeller and Al Jefferson, with some key players on the bench and a lot of cap space, which could definitely lift them high in the Eastern conference.

      3RD PICK: Phoenix Suns - Julius Randle
        Grade: C-
        Although Julius Randle is a player with a lot of talent, his fit in Phoenix is definitely a question mark. The common thought pre-draft seemed to be that the Suns would go after one of the Kansas duo in Andrew Wiggins or Joel Embiid, mostly the latter. However, the Suns chose to go with Randle, who in some ways appears to be similar as the Morris brother who played majority of the minutes at the power forward spot last year in Phoenix. However, if everything pans out, it may definitely be interesting to witness Randle running in the transition with Bledsoe and Dragic handling the ball.

      4TH PICK: Utah Jazz - Chris Walker
        Grade: F
        Bizarre. With no actual need at any certain position, you usually use the 4th pick on the best player available. Chris Walker, however, was more likely to go in the late lottery according to majority of the mock drafts. It'll be interesting to see how "Skywalker" will show in Utah, in a front court that already has Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and a very similar player to Chris Walker - Jeremy Evans. But who knows, Russell Westbrook was once considered a bad pick at 4.

      5TH PICK: Detroit Pistons - Andrew Wiggins
        Grade: A
        The Pistons were extremely fortunate to have Wiggins on board at 5. The Canadian wonderkid will definitely fill the immediate need at the 3 spot for the Pistons. Some consider Wiggins a potential bust thanks to his "lack of on ball skills", but on the other hand, his ceiling is off the charts, thus making him a low risk, yet high reward player for Detroit. According to many front offices, the wingmans broken foot late in the season (and thus the inability to take part in the pre-draft workouts) was a big reason why Wiggins fell out of the top 3.

      6TH PICK: Orlando Magic - Wayne Selden
        Grade: C-
        You have to wonder if the Magic have some more plans ahead, as Selden, while a terrific player, does not fill any kind of need and is unlikely to see much playing time at the two spot. With Victor Oladipo and perhaps Gerald Henderson ahead of him, you have to wonder if Orlando would've been better of picking a point guard (such as Marcus Smart or Dante Exum) or the BPA (probably Joel Embiid).

      7TH PICK: Boston Celtics - Joel Embiid
        Grade: A+
        There were talks earlier about the Celtics looking to trade up in order to draft Embiid, so they were definitely fortunate to have Embiid slide to the 7th pick. Embiid fills the biggest need for the Celtics and similarly to his teammate Andrew Wiggins, he too seems to have all-time great potential.There seems to be no reason to question Embiids work ethic, so the Celtics, for now, get a clear A+ for their pick.

    [Reveal] Spoiler: 8-30
    8TH PICK: New Orleans Pelicans - James Young
    9TH PICK:Dallas Mavericks - Gary Harris
    10TH PICK: New York Knicks - Mario Hezonja
    11TH PICK: Philadelphia 76ers - PJ Hairston
    12TH PICK: Los Angeles Clippers - Marcus Smart
    13TH PICK: Denver Nuggets - Glenn Robinson III
    14TH PICK: Los Angeles Lakers - Dario Saric
    15TH PICK: Washington Wizards - Andrew Harrison
    16TH PICK: Milwaukee Bucks - Dante Exum
    17TH PICK: Toronto Raptors - Jerami Grant
    18TH PICK: Brooklyn Nets - Semaj Christon
    19TH PICK: Toronto Raptors - Doug McDermott
    20TH PICK: Indiana Pacers - Perry Ellis
    21ST PICK: Memphis Grizzlies - LaQuinton Ross
    22ND PICK: Minnesota Timberwolves - Willie Cauley-Stein
    23RD PICK: Portland Trail Blazers - Rodney Hood
    24TH PICK: Golden State Warriors - Montrezl Harrell
    25TH PICK: Golden State Warriors - James McAdoo
    26TH PICK: San Antonio Spurs - Alessandro Gentile
    27TH PICK: Houston Rockets - Cory Jefferson
    28TH PICK: Oklahoma City Thunder - Markel Brown
    29TH PICK: Chicago Bulls - Alex Poythress
    30TH PICK: Washington Wizards - Isaiah Austin




    DRAFT NIGHT TRADES:

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    "I have to say, we have been extremely fortunate today." said the President of Basketball Operations for the Pistons, Grant Hill. "Obviously, Andrew Wiggins is an unbelievable talent and we're definitely looking forward to working with him. There's no question that he will be a big part of the Pistons future going forward and we're looking for ways to help him get accustomed to the culture we're trying to build here in Detroit. We're also glad to have Shabazz Napier here, there's no doubt that the talent is there and he should be a great fit here."

    The Pistons also pulled off a trade that sent Jonas Jerebko and a 2nd round draft pick to the Charlotte Hornets, in exchange for big man Josh McRoberts. The Hornets used the draft pick on Serbian guard Vacilije Micic.

    "Josh McRoberts is a player we consider to be extremely underrated. He has a terrific feel for the game - his passing can be a quality that we can use off the bench, and there can't be enough of veteran leadership in the locker room, especially if the core of the team is as young as ours." said Hill.

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Re: ~ Motor City | Draft lottery & speculation.

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:07 am

Martti. wrote:Hopefully Wiggins can drop to #5, he would fit in great for you. I got Parker at #5 in one of my associations, couldn't believe my luck. :)


There you go! :) It's weird, I've often seen guys like Wayne Selden, James Young and like this time, Chris Walker, go extremely high in the draft. I can't complain though, like you said, Wiggins should be a great fit.
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:55 am

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    18 years later, Kobe Bryant signs a stunningly cheap contract with the Charlotte Hornets.

    July 24th, 2014 -- It was nearly two decades ago when the Kobe Bryant put on an insanely popular Charlotte Hornets snap-back hat, but back then, he surely wouldn't have thought of that happening again in 2014. Surely enough, no one but a select few would've thought a week ago that the all-time great would put on a Hornets jersey this upcoming season, but barring a bizarre miracle of some sort, it seems like that will most certainly happen within a few months from now.

    The thing that leaves the crowd stunned is the surprisingly short and cheap contract that Bryant accepted, at just 1 year and 15 million dollars. According to multiple sources, the Lakers were not willing to offer much more than that either, which set fire between the Laker great and the organizations front office.

    "People are stunned at the move, I know." said Bryant, grinning widely as if he knew something that others did not. "I remember knowing I was not going to stick around in Charlotte when my name was first associated to them, but this time, I am definitely going to exchange the purple and gold for the fresh purple and teal. I have nothing to add, you shall all wait and see for yourself."

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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:05 am

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    The Pistons have extended Greg Monroe to a 5 year, 37.5M contract.

    July 25th, 2014 -- The Detroit Pistons and their starting power forward, Greg Monroe, have finally agreed on a long-term contract extension at 37.5 million US dollars in a total of 5 years.

    Monroe finally found his groove late in the season after the departure of Josh Smith, and produced well alongside Andre Drummond ever since. The Georgetown Hoya finished the season averaging slightly over 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists per contest, on .50 percent shooting from the field.

    Read more...

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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:52 am

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    From left - Lance Stephenson and Isaiah Thomas, the newest Detroit Pistons.

    July 27th, 2014 -- The Detroit Pistons have announced the signings of two free agent guards, Lance Stephenson (24) and Isaiah Thomas (25).

    Lance Stephenson played the last 4 years in Indiana, and improved gradually each and every year, after being picked 40th in the 2nd round of the 2010 NBA Draft. Last season was clearly his breakout season, as he averaged 13.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting .48 percent from the field and .40 percent from downtown. That earned him a 4 year, 38 million dollar contract with the conference rivals, Detroit Pistons.

    Isaiah Thomas, often mistaken for the all-time great Pistons guard, Isiah Thomas, has had a similar career path as Lance Stephenson. The Sacramento Kings used the last pick of the 2011 draft on the 5'9" point guard, and clearly did not have to regret that decision, as Thomas has received fair comparisons to the 1st pick of the very same draft - Kyrie Irving. Isaiah finished last season with the averages of 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and all that on surprisingly good efficiency for an undersized player.

    For now, it is uncertain whether Isaiah will become a starter or if he'll be the 6th man off the bench, backing up Detroits last years singing, Brandon Jennings, or vice versa. Lance Stephenson will most definitely become the full-time starting 2-guard for the Pistons, as the Pistons have not shown much effort in resigning Rodney Stuckey, who, according to rumors, has been negotiating with the Los Angeles Lakers.

    "The two of Isaiah and Lance will bring an immense amount of energy to the locker room, and even more so to the court. They are both extremely talented and will clearly speed up our game plan." said Grant Hill, President of Basketball Operations for the Pistons. "We have talked to Isaiah and Brandond (Jennings) and they're both on the same page - willing to accept a 6th man role if that's what it takes to win, so we'll weigh our options in the near future. We're certainly pleased to have the two aboard and we can't wait to have them in a Piston jersey."

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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:28 am

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    Anderson Varejao, one of the new additions to the Pistons.

    July 29th, 2014 -- Shortly after announcing the additions of Lance Stephenson and Isaiah Thomas, the Pistons have added their final pieces to the roster, signing F/C Anderson Varejao, forward Steve Novak and center Hasheem Thabeet.

    Varejao has been a vital part of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the past decade, but has now taken his talents to the Motor City. The Brazilian big man has been a nightly double-double threat for at least the past 4 years and will clearly look to be a big spark off the bench for the Pistons this year. According to multiple sources, the two sides completed their negotiations at a 1 year, 3.5 million deal.

    In addition to Varejao, forward Steve Novak and center Hasheem Thabeet have also been signed to one year, minimum contract deals in order to round out the roster.

    Read more...


    OTHER NOTABLE SIGNINGS:

      - Hornets sign Shawn Marion, 1Y/1.77M
      - Knicks sign Jermaine O'Neal, 1Y/1.95M
      - Lakers sign Ramon Sessions, 3Y/12.45M
      - Mavericks sign Antawn Jamison, 1Y/1.42M
      - Bulls sign Vince Carter, 1Y/1.96M
      - Heat sign Shannon Brown, 3Y/8.76M
      - Lakers sign Rodney Stuckey, 3Y/14.4M
      - Plus a lot of scrubs.

    Read more...

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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:50 am

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    Pistons head coach Maurice Cheeks has been fired, replaced by Justin Cobb.

    August 2nd, 2014 -- The Detroit Pistons organization has announced that coach Maurice Cheeks has been fired.

    Surprisingly enough, the Pistons have hired a rather unknown name as the replacement in the 43-year old Justin Cobb. For the past 2 years, Cobb has been an assistant to the Pistons NBA Scout Danny Williams and according to the Front Office, has proven to be reliable in terms of knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball. Cobb has been signed to a 1-year deal, and although it is a short one for now, the first year coach will be paid 4.4M dollars for his opening year.

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      List of the main staff.

    "Justin, he been around the team for quite a while now, so he's most definitely been a part of the organization for a while now." said the Pistons Assistant Coach, Rasheed Wallace. "He's obviously not a household name, but Detroit fans must've seen him around earlier. Cobb is a smart man, he really know what he do, you know, so I'm glad to have this chance of working alongside him on a daily basis from now on."

    "Justin Cobb is an incredibly intelligent mind that is extremely dedicated to what he does. His ability to understand the game is off the charts, and even though he has no experience as a head coach, his input and advice has meant a lot to the team in the past years." said Grant Hill, President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons.



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Re: ~ Motor City | OFFSEASON: + Wiggins, Stephenson, Thomas.

Postby Vespasian92 on Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:09 pm

Acy and now my guy Isaiah... I'm intrigued :)

I hope you can find time to keep this going.
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Re: ~ Motor City | OFFSEASON: + Wiggins, Stephenson, Thomas.

Postby Martti. on Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:35 am

Kobe ditched LA? Wow, didn't see that coming.

Love your additions, I think Isaiah will make a great sixth man. Interesting choice for the new head coach, I always pick some real life coach personally.

Drummond, Monroe, Wiggins, Stephenson, Jennnings is a real strong starting line-up. (Y)
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Re: ~ Motor City | OFFSEASON: + Wiggins, Stephenson, Thomas.

Postby Oskar on Fri Feb 28, 2014 2:09 am

Vespasian92 wrote:Acy and now my guy Isaiah... I'm intrigued :)

I hope you can find time to keep this going.


Glad that you find this intriguing, hehe. And I too hope to find enough time to keep this going, we'll see. Thanks for checking in, stay tuned! :)

Martti. wrote:Kobe ditched LA? Wow, didn't see that coming.

Love your additions, I think Isaiah will make a great sixth man. Interesting choice for the new head coach, I always pick some real life coach personally.

Drummond, Monroe, Wiggins, Stephenson, Jennnings is a real strong starting line-up. (Y)


That was really a 'wtf' moment, while it can make for a nice story in the long run, I would have preferred for him to stay for the sake of realism, but oh well.

I'm not exactly sure about whether Isaiah will be a sixth man or not, I love playing with him more so than I do with Jennings, plus I consider him a lot better player in both real life and in 2K, so I'm still undecided which path to go. I'll definitely try both options out before I start off with the season.

And about picking the generated coach, the main reason is to create some sort of a fictional story about him, to build up a character of some sort. I'm not sure if I will be doing a lot (or any) behind the scene type of stories, but I'll try to make the characters of this association easy to relate to, through interviews and what not.
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Re: ~ Motor City | The beginning..

Postby Oskar on Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:02 am

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    Kentavious Caldwell-Pope flying in for a reverse layup.

    Chapter 1 -- Drops of sweat all over the floor, exhausted muttering and sounds of squeaking shoes echoing all over the practice facility, the training camp was running like a well-oiled machine. President of Basketball Operations, Grant Hill, and the newly hired Head Coach, Justin Cobb, were sitting on the sideline as the two teams were going back and forth during the intra squad scrimmage.

    "Our passing from the post is going to be terrific, man." said Hill, as Greg Monroe delievered a terrific behind the back pass to a cutting Lance Stephenson.
    Cobb remained his usual self, as he nodded his head a few times in a rather calm demeanor.
    Just then, on the other end, Brandon Jennings banked in an ill-advised three pointer from about 30 feet, taking jabs at Isaiah Thomas as he ran back on defense.
    Cobb rolled his eyes slightly, replying to Grant Hill's earlier comment: "When your two point guards are as trigger happy as they are, that can't be a bad thing. A lot of our offense is going to be played through the post - inside-out, slashing, cutting. Lance and Wigs will make a living out of slashing."

    After about twenty minutes of scrimmaging, the teams sat down for a breather. Drummond stood up in front of Andrew Wiggins, staring at him with a stone cold poker face. Wiggins was confused at first, glaring around himself in a confused manner, only to see the entire squad stare at him with wide smirks on their faces. At the very same moment, Shabazz Napier ran to the team, holding on to a large bucket of Dunkin Donuts.

    "Oh, shit, fuck.. Hold on!" said Wiggins, as he got himself up in a nanosecond, quickly making his way to the locker room. The team shared a buzzing laughter as they watched him run as if his life depended on it. He returned soon after and quickly tossed a bucket of donuts towards Andre.

    "You best check that expiration date on that one, Dre! Boy been late!" shouted Steve Novak in a mocking manner, smirking widely as he looked around the crowd, expecting some feedback for his joke.
    "Yeah, expiration date.. Yeah. They most definitely expired, I think you're in for a treat, Wigs!" said Drummond before throwing the donuts back at Wiggins.

    The entire team stared at the scene, laughing hysterically. Only Jennings appeared somewhat reluctant to join in on the fun, as he lied down on his back a few feet away, juggling with a basketball. It was clear that his mind was not there, but the rest of the squad didn't seem to pay attention to his mood.

    "What's with Brandon?" Hill asked, pointing his index finger towards Brandon.
    "Him going back and forth with Isaiah might be getting to him." Cobb replied, shrugging casually as he got up from the bench, walking off.

    __________

    2 AM, at a penthouse in downtown Detroit. Loud hip-hop music, tens of intoxicated, barely dressed young women, boxes of pizza stacked up on top of one another, smell of alcohol and marijuana all over the messy apartment. Another shot of Jack Daniels. And another. And another.

    "Bitch, get that pretty ass over here." said Brandon, as he picked out a 20-something-year old girl from the crowd of the party, grabbing her by her wrist before dragging her all the way to the backroom, leaving the rest of the crowd partying in the living room of the penthouse. The last thing you could hear was a loud bang as Brandon slammed the door shut after the girl had finally made her way to the room.


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