OKC - 2011/12 - Thunder Three-peat

[Andrew]

Another close one down the stretch. Good thing it came down to a halfcourt shot for the Sixers, though in my experience the CPU is not against drilling unlikely Hail Marys when the comeback logic kicks in.

[Phil89]

1/1/10

Conference Standings

Eastern Conference
1. BOS | 21-8 | N/A | .724 | +1 | [10-3]
2. ORL | 19-13 | 3.5 | .594 | -1 | [6-7]
3. CHA | 18-13 | 4.0 | .581 | +2 | [8-5]
4. TOR | 18-13 | 4.0 | .581 | +5 | [11-4]
5. IND | 18-17 | 6.0 | .514 | -2 | [7-9]
6. CHI | 17-16 | 6.0 | .515 | +4 | [10-6]
7. CLE | 15-14 | 6.0 | .517 | -1 | [6-6]
8. MIA | 14-14 | 6.5 | .500 | -4 | [5-7]
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9. DET | 14-16 | 7.5 | .467 | -2 | [5-8]
10. NYK | 11-17 | 9.5 | .393 | +3 | [6-5]
11. MIL | 10-17 | 10.0 | .370 | +4 | [6-6]
12. PHI | 11-20 | 11.0 | .355 | -4 | [3-11]
13. ATL | 9-20 | 12.0 | .310 | +1 | [4-7]
14. NJN | 9-21 | 12.5 | .300 | -2 | [4-10]
15. WAS | 9-21 | 12.5 | .300 | -4 | [2-11]


Western Conference
1. OKC | 24-5 | N/A | .828 | = | [12-1]
2. PHX | 21-7 | 2.5 | .750 | +4 | [11-2]
3. LAL | 20-8 | 3.5 | .714 | +1 | [9-3]
4. SAS | 21-11 | 4.5 | .656 | -2 | [7-6]
5. DAL | 19-13 | 6.5 | .594 | +1 | [8-6]
6. LAC | 19-15 | 7.5 | .559 | +1 | [8-7]
7. HOU | 16-13 | 8.0 | .552 | -4 | [5-8]
8. POR | 17-14 | 8.0 | .548 | +3 | [9-5]
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9. NOH | 16-17 | 10.0 | .485 | +1 | [6-7]
10. UTA | 15-17 | 10.5 | .469 | +2 | [8-6]
11. DEN | 12-15 | 11.0 | .444 | -2 | [4-8]
12. MEM | 12-17 | 12.0 | .414 | +1 | [6-7]
13. SAC | 12-17 | 12.0 | .414 | -5 | [3-10]
14. GSW | 11-21 | 14.5 | .344 | +1 | [8-9]
15. MIN | 7-25 | 18.5 | .219 | -1 | [3-10]

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League Leaders

Points Per Game
1. Rudy Gay - OKC - 26.3
2. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 24.5
3. Kevin Durant - OKC - 23.7
4. Steve Nash - PHX - 23.5
5. Richard Hamilton - DET - 23.3

Rebounds Per Game
1. Yao Ming - HOU - 10.1
2. Ben Wallace - OKC - 10.0
3. Marcus Camby - POR - 9.7
4. Al Jefferson - MIN - 9.4
5. Dwight Howard - ORL - 9.1

Assists Per Game
1. Luke Ridnour - MIL - 7.3
1. Jameer Nelson - ORL - 7.3
3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 7.1
4. Andre Miller - POR - 7.0
5. Jason Kidd - DAL - 7.2
5. Derek Fisher - LAL - 6.9

Steals Per Game
1. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 2.8
2. Dwyane Wade - MIA - 1.8
3. Kevin Martin - HOU - 1.7
4. Ray Allen - BOS - 1.6
4. Manu Ginobli - SAS - 1.6

Blocks Per Game
1. Yao Ming - HOU - 2.2
1. Marcus Camby - POR - 2.2
3. Ben Wallace - OKC - 2.1
3. Josh Smith - ATL - 2.1
5. Tim Duncan - SAS - 2.0
5. Rudy Gay - OKC - 2.0

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Awards

Players of the Month
East - Dwyane Wade - MIA
West - Jeff Green - OKC

Rookies of the Month
East - Jrue Holiday - PHI
West - Stephen Curry - GSW


MVP Candidates
Rudy Gay - 26.3 PPG - 6.5 RPG - 2.7 APG - 2.0 BPG - 1.2 SPG
Kevin Durant - 23.7 PPG - 5.1 RPG - 2.3 APG - 1.7 BPG - 1.2 SPG
Jeff Green - 22.3 PPG - 6.1 RPG - 2.2 APG - 1.3 BPG - 1.0 SPG
Steve Nash - 23.5 PPG - 1.2 RPG - 6.3 APG - 0.0 BPG - 0.9 SPG
Kobe Bryant - 22.6 PPG - 3.0 RPG - 2.5 APG - 1.2 BPG - 1.5 SPG

Last edited by Phil89 on Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:42 am, edited 3 times in total.

[Andrew]

If one of your players doesn't win the MVP with three players currently pegged as candidates, then the sim engine's got it in for you.

[Phil89]

Haha yeah, I tried to reduce Gay's dominance by sharing the scoring a bit, but it just added Green onto the list.

[Martti.]

Damn, 3 top MVP candidates.. You should start losing.

[kibaxx7]

You should start losing.

Told ya, Phil

[Phil89]

I get that it's a bit unrealistic for OKC to have such a record, but this game isn't reality you know

In every sport you see teams have great years out of nowhere. A new coach or new signing can change the environment at the club and things just click.

Just in case you didn't see the article I posted a link to:

Too young to win? Thunder shouldn't lean on that one
They can win 50 games, make the playoffs, enjoy first-round home-court advantage and suit up the NBA's leading scorer and MVP and still have zero chance at winning a championship.

Such is life for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who must settle for a nice little run, a few playoff crumbs and a pat on the head for a job well done, all because the basketball gods have already declared them too weak, as in years, to carry the trophy.

Strange how that works in the NBA. Michael Chang won a Grand Slam tournament in tennis when he was 17. The Michigan Fab Five came a timeout away from possibly taking an NCAA title. Every now and then, in other sports, a young athlete or team defies the odds and conventional thinking by claiming a championship. This dynamic apparently is against the law in the NBA.

Any team must put at least four veterans in the playing rotation before they can think about sipping champagne in June. The NBA is unique that way. Young players and teams can prove themselves through an 82-game schedule and be applauded for their "maturity" and "poise" and whatnot. Then suddenly, in May and June, they're too "inexperienced" to win games.

What, does the court widen or lengthen in springtime? The hoop get squeezed? The rules change? The ball turn square?

"You've got to have players who've been there before," said Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets guard, citing the pressured atmosphere of the postseason. "You need veterans."

The results don't lie. Go back and examine the rotations of previous NBA champions, and they all were sprinkled with veterans who brought wisdom along with talent, with one stubborn exception. The Trail Blazers of 1976-77 had no business winning, considering the average age of their playing rotation was just under 25. Four of their starters were in college just three years earlier. Win a title with a bunch of twentysomethings? That's never been done, before or since.

Therefore -- and this is no surprise -- the hippie rebel of that Blazers team has a big problem with everyone writing off the Thunder as being too young.

"When I hear about Oklahoma City and how their age is being held against them, I totally disagree with that," said Bill Walton. "If they don't win a championship, it won't be because they weren't old enough. It'll be because they weren't good enough."

If Oklahoma City even wins two rounds, it'll be remarkable for a few reasons, among them: They're too weak offensively in the post, there's no expectations, and if you placed their hands on a Bible, even they would admit to thinking that they don't belong on the floor deep into the postseason. Walton and the Blazers never let that stop them. They caught fire midway through the season, swept the Lakers in the conference finals and upset the star-studded Sixers, led by Julius Erving and George McGinnis, in the Finals.

"Once we made the playoffs, we thought we were good enough to win it all," Walton said. "We weren't just happy to be there."

That's the problem with young teams. They listen too much to folks who say they're too young. They're content with just making the playoffs and satisfying the home fans. The Orlando Magic, with a young nucleus of Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson in 1995 reached the Finals and weren't especially devastated over losing to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets. Why? They were too confident of their future to put so much emotional stock into losing that series. Shaq and Penny even bragged about being the Kareem and Magic of the 1990s and predicted they'd be back in the Finals multiple times. How'd that work out?

The people of Oklahoma City are so thrilled to (A.) have a team, (B.) watch a superstar in Kevin Durant and (C.) enjoy winning basketball, that there's no anticipation of the Thunder doing anything special or historic in the postseason. As little as a month ago, while Durant was in the midst of his amazing scoring streak and the Thunder were clearly on a roll, coach Scott Brooks said the team wasn't even thinking ahead to the postseason. You think George Karl or Phil Jackson would ever say that?

But Brooks has a young team and didn't want his players distracted by what might lie ahead. That was totally unlike Walton and the Blazers, who dared to think ahead and dream big.

They also had a great player, who made all the difference. So it'll be interesting to see the mentality adopted by the Thunder, assuming they reach the playoffs. Do they ride Durant the way Portland did Walton?

Or do they see Kobe or Carmelo or Dirk on the other bench, a more experienced bench, and cling to the youth excuse?

[Andrew]

No doubt. As I said you've already had 5 losses within your first 30 games so your record is a lot more reasonable/realistic than a lot of Dynasty games can turn out to be. User controlled teams usually have the potential to do at least a little better than their real life counterparts but you're having some great games and not blowing the CPU out each and every time so you're not an invincible 24-5. It seems like you're having fun with it and that the important thing, it usually means an interesting Dynasty thread too and you're certainly doing a good job with yours, so keep up the good work.

[Azzdogs]

You have a great record so far and it looks like your on the way for a record breaking season.

[Phil89]

No doubt. As I said you've already had 5 losses within your first 30 games so your record is a lot more reasonable/realistic than a lot of Dynasty games can turn out to be. User controlled teams usually have the potential to do at least a little better than their real life counterparts but you're having some great games and not blowing the CPU out each and every time so you're not an invincible 24-5. It seems like you're having fun with it and that the important thing, it usually means an interesting Dynasty thread too and you're certainly doing a good job with yours, so keep up the good work.

Thanks, it's fun and I'm glad people are following it. I appreciate the feedback too.

You have a great record so far and it looks like your on the way for a record breaking season.

Franchise record seasons: Seattle 64-18, OKC 23-59. I've already improved on the OKC best season, now I have a target of 65-17.

If I make the play-offs maybe I'll wear the Seattle jerseys for old times sake

[Andrew]

At least for one game in the Finals.

[Phil89]

Well if I somehow end up playing the Bulls in the Finals, I'll wear them and try and get revenge for 1996

[Andrew]

That's probably not going to happen, you might have to go with a Plan B for a retro night.

[Phil89]

You never know. Chicago are leading the Central Division at the moment. It's pretty tight in the East. With a good run in they could easily finish second behind the Celtics. Then throw on the old black shoes and socks for the play-offs and who knows what might happen

[Andrew]

Quite true. The post-championship era Bulls have conditioned me to be cautiously optimistic at best.

[Phil89]

3/1/10

Oklahoma City Thunder [24-5] vs Miami Heat [15-14]

Wade explodes, but Thunder grab the win



Oklahoma City started the new year with a trip to Miami to take on Dwyane Wade and his Heat team.
In a game with such scoring potential, it was surprising that both teams came out with massive defensive pressure. Thunder lead 17-10 after one.
In the second Wade started to get his touch and brought the Heat to within 1 at the half, 34-33. It was the lowest half time score all season for both teams.
The Thunder finally broke free of Miami's choking defense in the third and outscored them by 11 points. Thunder lead 57-45 with one to play.
In the fourth both teams switched from defense to offense and suddenly the game came to life. The Heat produced a brave comeback lead by Wade.
They got to within 2 points of Oklahoma City in the last 3 minutes of the game, but the Thunder hung on to record their 11th straight win.

Player of the Game: Dwyane Wade

OKC - 17 17 23 29 86
MIA - 10 23 12 36 81

Top Scorers
Dwyane Wade - 44
Rudy Gay - 20
Kevin Durant - 19
Jeff Green - 18

Assists
Russell Westbrook - 9
Rafer Alston - 8
Dwyane Wade - 5

Rebounds
Kevin Durant - 13
Jermaine O'Neal - 13
Ben Wallace - 8
Dwyane Wade - 8
Jamaal Magloire - 8

[Andrew]

Good win, great defensive effort in the first and third quarters.

[Phil89]

That game showed why I brought Gay in. So Durant wouldn't be like Wade, having to put up big numbers to get a win.

I like that my guys share the scoring load. Takes a lot of pressure of when I'm behind in games.

Wallace - 9
Green - 18
Durant - 19
Gay - 20
Westbrook - 10

O'Neal - 6
Beasley - 10
Haslem - 6
Wade - 44
Alston - 12

[Andrew]

Definitely. As I said before I find it evens out a little bit over the course of a Dynasty, I tend to rely more heavily on a particular player at the start of the season until I've worked how to score most effectively with all my players. Then I can use a more balanced attack and find a Plan B when my top scorer is struggling.

[Azzdogs]

Great win but feel a little sorry for Wade that nobody helped him

[Phil89]

5/1/10

Oklahoma City Thunder [25-5] vs Utah Jazz [15-18]

Jazz snatch thriller at home to end Thunder streak



The Utah Jazz welcomed Oklahoma City to EnergySolutions Arena and looked to level the season series after a loss in Oklahoma City a month ago.
The Jazz certainly meant business and had the home crowd involved early as they raced to a 16-4 lead in the first few minutes.
Oklahoma City got their act together late on in the first quarter though, but the Jazz still lead 30-27. Deron Williams in particular was in good shooting touch.
The second quarter was much of the same. Both teams were shooting well and the game was turning into a shoot-out. Jazz lead 52-50 at the half.
For much of the third quarter it looked as though neither team would get a decisive advantage. But a 6-0 run late on saw the Thunder lead 80-74 with one to play.
The fourth quarter was an exciting back and forth contest, with the lead changing almost every trip down the court. The home crowd was buzzing.
The Thunder looked like they had an answer for everything Utah threw at them. But late on the Thunder missed a shot and the Jazz got out to a 3 point lead.
With 30 seconds left Kevin Durant tried a three to level the scores. He missed and the Jazz got the rebound, got fouled and made the free throws to seal the win.
Jeff Green had an exceptional night for the Thunder with 29 points and 16 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Jeff Green

OKC - 27 23 30 23 103
UTA - 30 22 22 34 108

Top Scorers
Jeff Green - 29
Deron Williams - 27
Kevin Durant - 25
Andrei Kirilenko - 25

Assists
Russell Westbrook - 11
Deron Williams - 10
Ronnie Price - 8

Rebounds
Jeff Green - 16
Mehmet Okur - 11
Carlos Boozer - 9
Ben Wallace - 8

[Azzdogs]

Tough loss but great game by Jeff Green. To bad Durant couldn't come up in the clutch.

[Phil89]

Yeah it was disappointing, but I've had a few of those type of games go my way this season so I won't complain.

[Phil89]

6/1/10

Fans everywhere stunned after massive trade



The sporting world was shocked today when the Los Angeles Lakers announced that they had traded Superstar guard Kobe Bryant to Western Conference rivals the San Antonio Spurs for guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
There was no official reason given for the trade, but there is speculation that Bryant and Lakers coach Phil Jackson had a falling out which resulted in Bryant asking to be traded.
This is the second time this season that a Western Conference powerhouse has traded it's superstar player, after Denver traded Carmelo Anthony to Indiana a month ago.
Player Facts--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Bryant - 31 - 4 championships with Lakers - 12x All Star - 2 years left $19.5 contract.
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- Parker - 27 - 3 championships with Spurs - 3x All Star - 2 years left $10.5m contract.
- Ginobili - 32 - 3 championships with Spurs - 1x All Star - 1 year left $9.1m contract.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other trade news, Sacramento have traded forward Donte Greene to Orlando for forward Marcus Haislip.

[Azzdogs]

The computers very odd with the moves they make