[08] Flying High In The ATL-NBA Finals - Complete!

[Cartar]

Western Conference:

(1) Dallas (61-21) Vs. L.A. Clippers (44-38) 4-1

(4) Utah (50-32) Vs. (5) New Orleans (53-29) 3-4

(3) Phoenix (54-28) Vs. (6) Houston (52-30) 4-2

(2) L.A. Lakers (56-26) Vs. (7) San Antonio (48-34) 2-4


Eastern Conference:

(1) Atlanta (62-20) Vs. Milwaukee (42-40) 4-1

(4) Chicago (49-33) Vs. Miami (46-36) 4-2

(3) Cleveland (55-27) Vs. Indiana (45-37) 4-1

(2) Boston (56-26) Vs. (7) Orlando (43-39) 4-1

[Valor]

Valor, Wow, thanks for the praise! Yours is actually pretty good, and there is a lot of effort put into it. Fantasy drafts just aren't very popular, since keeping track of all the teams is difficult, and the player always ends up with a stacked roster. Anyone can jump in at any time, so of course you can make predictions. You just trail ratrac by 40 points.

thanks!! it means so much to me, coming from one of the best dynasty makers in this forum/community, i am still planning to update my dynasty, but thinking of starting a more realistic one, with improvements in recap and everything, just not sure about some things, maybe you could give me some tips?

lol yeah, hopefully i would be able to catch up....

[Lamrock]

Well, one of the biggest things is to have fun with the dynasty yourself. I don't like playing the regular season out, so I intervene most games during it, but that's just me.

The biggest things that I would recommend are checking out the dynasty archives, and some of the ones with a lot of replies (my favorite, The X's Bobcats is 25 pages!) to draw inspiration, and make your own unique recap style. I have monthly recaps with occasional storyline, Chaser has his template and occasional story, almightyx and Clutch have their own individual game recaps... Find your niche.

Back on topic: Keep the predictions coming. Series vs. Hawks preview, an article and Game 1 vs. Milwaukee coming soon!

[Valor]

thanks Lamrock, i am looking at starting a more realistic dynasty with a bit of twist to things hopefully make an unique dynasty that people would enjoy, including myself.
the first one i ever read was Sir Andrews' Bulls Dynasty, then i am just sorta hooked to these threads lol..

Good luck in your series against the Bucks!!

[dansensei]

Western Conference:

(1) Dallas (61-21) Vs. L.A. Clippers (44-38) DAL 4-1
(4) Utah (50-32) Vs. (5) New Orleans (53-29) NO 4-3
(3) Phoenix (54-28) Vs. (6) Houston (52-30) PHO 4-3
(2) L.A. Lakers (56-26) Vs. (7) San Antonio (48-34) LAL 4-3

Eastern Conference:

(1) Atlanta (62-20) Vs. Milwaukee (42-40) ATL 4-1
(4) Chicago (49-33) Vs. Miami (46-36) CHI 4-2
(3) Cleveland (55-27) Vs. Indiana (45-37) CLE 4-1
(2) Boston (56-26) Vs. (7) Orlando (43-39) BOS 4-2

[Lamrock]

April 31, 2009 | Sports | Basketball | Hawks

Hawks Coach Washburn Gets In Car Accident, Expected to Miss 3-4 Weeks

Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Hawks coach and general manager Liam Washburn was admitted to the hospital yesterday following a car accident. The incident occurred on the intersection of Decatur and Courtland street, just blocks away from the Philips Center.

Washburn's Lotus Elise was totaled when a male in a Hummer struck him. The driver did not stop, and was unable to be identified.

A witness of the scene, a man who referred to himself as "Sauru" called the ambulance. "I tried to get the Hummer's license plate but I couldn't. All I knew was that it was an Asian guy, but I didn't get a good look at him. I remember I told Liam, 'I'll call 911, but you gotta promise me your Hawks won't beat the Celtics', but he was unconscious at that point".

Washburn would have likely been killed by the crash, if not for the European car's driver's seat being located on the right side.

The Hawks will likely be without their head coach for three to four weeks, meaning that at the earliest, he would return late in the conference semi-finals, provided that the Hawks advance. Coaching in his place will be Assistant Coach Ben Bailey. Bailey is in his first year with the Hawks as well, but was a part of the Detroit Pistons staff for many years.

Washburn was unavailable to comment on the matter. Whether there was foul play has been brought up as a possibility, but there has been no other evidence pointing to this possibility.

Can the Hawks make it without their leader and coordinator? Tomorrow's Game 1 vs. the Bucks will show us the Hawks mental toughness, and Bailey's prowess as a head coach.

[dansensei]

at least liam/lamrock is still alive...

LOL on sauru and his celts....
now you must treat him to lunch when you get well...

i think you could still make to the conference semis without liam, with milwaukee winning just one game against you (in my prediction)...

[Valor]

ouch..i bet the guy in the hummer is someone with relations to Knight...
gd luck in recovery

[homicide1550]

(1) Dallas (61-21) Vs. L.A. Clippers (44-38) 4-1
(4) Utah (50-32) Vs. (5) New Orleans (53-29) 2-4
(3) Phoenix (54-28) Vs. (6) Houston (52-30) 4-2
(2) L.A. Lakers (56-26) Vs. (7) San Antonio (48-34) 4-2

(1) Atlanta (62-20) Vs. Milwaukee (42-40) 4-1
(4) Chicago (49-33) Vs. Miami (46-36) 4-1
(3) Cleveland (55-27) Vs. Indiana (45-37) 4-0
(2) Boston (56-26) Vs. (7) Orlando (43-39) 4-1

[Martti.]

(1) Dallas (61-21) Vs. L.A. Clippers (44-38) 4-0
(4) Utah (50-32) Vs. (5) New Orleans (53-29) 3-4
(3) Phoenix (54-28) Vs. (6) Houston (52-30) 4-3
(2) L.A. Lakers (56-26) Vs. (7) San Antonio (48-34) 4-1

(1) Atlanta (62-20) Vs. Milwaukee (42-40) 4-0
(4) Chicago (49-33) Vs. Miami (46-36) 4-2
(3) Cleveland (55-27) Vs. Indiana (45-37) 4-2
(2) Boston (56-26) Vs. (7) Orlando (43-39) 4-1

Good article. Some funny shit is always essential.

[Lamrock]

2008-09 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Preview

May 1, 2009 | Sports | Basketball | NBA | Hawks

#1 (62-20) Vs. #8 (42-40)

In what could be the most interesting series of the first round (though we have our money on Hornets/Jazz to not disappoint), the hot Hawks will take on the 42 win Bucks without their coach. The Bucks split the season series with Atlanta and served them their only loss in the month of April. The match-up of the back-courts will be an exciting one. Craig Smith, who Milwaukee acquired from Atlanta will not play in this series, as he did not make the Bucks playoff roster.

Season Series: 2-2

MIL 98 ATL 110
MIL 117 ATL 111 (OT)
ATL 102 MIL 87
ATL 92 MIL 95

Average score: Milwaukee 99.25 Vs. Atlanta 103.75 - Differential: 4.5

Breaking It Down:

Center: Al Horford Vs. Andrew Bogut

A very even match-up. Both players have put up similar numbers and are among the top Centers in the East. Horford's stats are slightly stronger, but Bogut is taller and has more playoff experience (5 games to 0). Due to age and superior defensive prowess, Bogut has the edge here, but only slightly.

Horford: 14.6/9.5/1.9/0.7/0.6
Bogut: 13.0/9.2/2.5/1.8/0.4

Edge: Slight Milwaukee

Forwards: Josh Smith/Josh Childress Vs. Charlie Villanueva/Bobby Simmons

Charlie has had an amazing season, and is a leading candidate for the most improved player award. After a rough start, Josh Smith has put up 20 point, 9 rebound, 4 assist, 3 block averages in the new year, and is one of the league's great defensive forces. CV is one of the best PF's in the game right now, but Josh Smith is a legitimate star now.

Childress and Simmons are both undersized SF/SG's playing complementary positions. Childress has been a perrennial sixth man, but fill-in coach Bailey has decided to start him over Rudy Gay. Simmons is mostly just a three-point gunner, but if he gets starter minutes, Childress could be huge for the Hawks.

Smith: 17.7/7.7/3.6/2.7/0.8
Childress: 9.2/2.5/2.2/0.5/0.4
Villanueva: 19.6/8.4/2.9/1.1/0.2
Simmons: 8.8/4.8/1.6/0.2/0.9

Edge: Atlanta

Guards: Joe Johnson/T.J. Ford Vs. Michael Redd/Jose Calderon

Joe Johnson and Michael Redd are both sharpshooters in their primes who lead their respective teams in scoring. While Michael Redd has more impressive P/R/A stats, Joe Johnson shoots 53 to Michael Redd's 47%, and is widely considered a superior defender. He also has more playoff experience.

Meanwhile, T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon are a rivalry that goes back a year to when they both played for the Raptors. They both competed for the starting position, and at the end of the season, Toronto decided to choose Ford, and let Calderon go to free agency. The Raptors would soon trade Ford, after Calderon was signed by Milwaukee. Both players are pass-first point guards, but T.J. Ford scores and attacks the basket more often. In the end what the matchup comes down to is that T.J. Ford is a better defender, averaging nearly two steals a game, and has a bit more experience than his former backup.

Johnson: 24.7/3.4/4.2/0.1/1.2
Ford: 14.3/3.5/9.2/0.2/1.9
Redd: 26.6/4.7/4.2/0.1/0.7
Calderon: 8.6/3.1/9.8/0.3/0.6

Edge: Atlanta

Bench: Gay/Bargnani/Milicic/Johnson/Johnson/Barnes/Szczerbiak* Vs. Mason/Hollins/Sefolosha/Hudson/Pavlovic/Price/Wells (R)

Even with Wally Szczerbiak out due to injury, the Hawks are still by far the deepest team in the NBA. With Rudy Gay, a legitimate 20 point threat, solid big man Darko Milicic, sharpshooting 7 footer Bargnani and more, the rotation five could be a decent starting lineup in this league. Meanwhile, the Bucks have a weak, swingman heavy bench, led by veteran Desmond Mason. Serviceable for when Redd and Simmons go down (which is often), but one of the weaker rotations in the league.

Edge: Atlanta

Intangibles:

The Hawks have homecourt advantage and have won 14 of their last 15 games. The Bucks however, are coming off a hard-fought battle to keep the 8th seed, and match up well with Atlanta. The Washburn dilemma is enough to sway the intangibles to the Bucks favor, however. This will be a real test for both Bailey and the Hawks players.

Edge: Milwaukee

Prediction:

The Hawks are undoubtedly a more talented team than the Bucks. However, the Bucks former success against them and the loss of coach Washburn makes this a series that could possibly sway. Nevertheless, it is our professional opinion that the Hawks will pull this one out.

AJC Prediction: Hawks in 6.

[Chaser7]

(1) Dallas (61-21) Vs. L.A. Clippers (44-38) 4-2
(4) Utah (50-32) Vs. (5) New Orleans (53-29) 2-4
(3) Phoenix (54-28) Vs. (6) Houston (52-30) 4-1
(2) L.A. Lakers (56-26) Vs. (7) San Antonio (48-34) 4-2

(1) Atlanta (62-20) Vs. Milwaukee (42-40) 4-1
(4) Chicago (49-33) Vs. Miami (46-36) 2-4
(3) Cleveland (55-27) Vs. Indiana (45-37) 4-3
(2) Boston (56-26) Vs. (7) Orlando (43-39) 4-2

[dansensei]

nice preview

will you play the whole series or sim some games??/

btw, you didn't include simmons' name on the forwards matchup...

[Lamrock]

Thanks for catching that. I'm going to play all of the games. I intervened almost every game in the season, but now that the games actually matter, I'm playing them, and it has been pretty fun.

Game 1 coming up soon. Keep posting predictions!

[Lamrock]

Hawks Dominate On Both Ends of the Floor, Blow Out Bucks

Atlanta 110, Milwaukee 95

Atlanta, GA - May 1, 2009, 7:03 ET - The 2009 NBA Playoffs kicked off with the teams with the best and the worst records that qualified, the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks were without veteran Forward Wally Szczerbiak and more importantly, their coach Liam Washburn. It did not seem to matter however, as their talent was too much for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks opened the game with a 10-2 run, but as the quarter winded down, the Hawks used their talent to deplete their lead. It was tied at 25 by the end of the quarter. The Hawks continued to play well in the second quarter. Bucks Center Andrew Bogut got himself into early foul trouble, and Al Horford dominated the inferior Ryan Hollins. By halftime, the score was 56-46 in favor of Atlanta.

[align=center]Top Players At The Half:

Al Horford: 12/5/4/2/0
Jose Calderon: 9/3/5/0/2[/align]

[align=center] [/align]
[align=center]Left, Josh Smith Dunks On The Fastbreak. Right, Al Horford Swats Bogut's Shot.[/align]

The third quarter saw the Hawks lead only grow. Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva fought hard to keep their team in the game, but the deficit swelled regardless. 83-66 was the score going into the final period. The Hawks decided to sit their starters midway through the fourth quarter, but Scott Skiles persisted to keep his in. It was all for naught however, as Darko dominated Bogut, and Andrea Bargnani lit up Bobby Simmons. The final score was 110-95.

Bailey's debut as a head coach was a success. Despite T.J. Ford and Rudy Gay not playing well, the Hawks used their talent and chemistry to decimate the young Bucks. It remains to be seen whether the Bucks can regroup and tie this series in Game 2, but if tonight was any indication, it is not likely.

JORDAN Player of the Game: Joe Johnson: 22 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Block, 8-15 FG, 4-8 3PT, 2-2 FT (32 Minutes)
MCDWYANE Shitass of the Game: Troy Hudson: 7 Points, 4 Assists, 2 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 2-8 FG, 3 Turnovers (19 Minutes)

MIL 25 21 20 29 95
ATL 25 31 27 27 110

Player Stats:

Atlanta:
Horford: 14/10/4/2/0 - 4-8 FG, 6-8 FT | 36 minutes | 4 Fouls | 1 TO
Smith: 17/7/3/2/1 - 8-15 FG, 1-1 FT | 26 minutes | 2 Fouls | 1 TO
Childress: 17/2/3/1/0 - 7-10 FG, 3-4 FT, 0-1 3PT | 34 minutes | 2 Fouls | 2 TO
J. Johnson: 22/4/3/1/0 - 8-15 FG, 4-8 3PT. 2-2 FT | 32 minutes | 2 Fouls | 2 TO
Ford: 5/3/10/1/5 - 1-10 FG, 3-4 FT, 0-1 3PT | 37 minutes | 2 Fouls | 4 TO
Gay: 9/4/1/0/1 - 4/14 FG, 1-1 FT, 0-3 3PT | 23 minutes | 2 Fouls | 3 TO
Milicic: 12/7/3/0/1 - 5-8 FG, 2-2 FT | 28 minutes | 3 Fouls | 2 TO
Bargnani: 10/5/5/1/1 - 4-9 FG, 2-5 3PT | 16 minutes | 1 Foul | 0 TO
Anthony Johnson: 4/0/2/0/2 - 2-3 FG | 8 minutes | 2 Fouls | 2 TO
Amir Johnson - DNP
Barnes - DNP
Szczerbiak - DNP

Milwaukee:
Bogut: 13/7/0/0/1 - 5-11 FG, 3-5 FT | 31 minutes | 5 Fouls | 3 TO
Villanueva: 16/8/1/1/0 - 8-17 FG, 0-2 3PT | 38 minutes | 4 Fouls | 1 TO
Simmons: 11/1/4/2/2 - 4-11 FG, 3-8 3PT | 31 minutes | 2 Fouls | 2 TO
Redd: 22/2/4/2/0 - 7-19 FG, 4-6 FT, 4-8 3PT | 37 minutes | 1 Foul | 4 TO
Calderon: 14/3/10/0/1 - 6-13 FG, 2-4 FT, 0-2 3PT | 39 minutes | 2 Fouls | 5 TO
Mason: 6/1/0/1/0 - 2-3 FG, 2-2 FT | 19 minutes | 0 Fouls | 1 TO
Hollins: 2/4/0/0/1 - 2-2 FT | 17 minutes | 2 Fouls | 0 TO
Hudson: 7/2/4/0/1 - 2-8 FG, 3-4 FT | 19 minutes | 0 Fouls | 3 TO
Sefolosha: 4/3/0/0/1 - 2-5 FG | 9 minutes | 1 Foul | 1 TO
Price - DNP
J. Wells (R) - DNP
Pavlovic - DNP

Hawks | Bucks
PTs: 110 | 95
REBs: 42 | 31
ASTs: 33 | 23
BLKs: 8 | 6
STLs: 9 | 7
Fouls: 20 | 17
T/O's: 17 | 20
FG: 43/92 | 36/86
3pt: 6/18 | 7-20
FT: 18/22 | 16/23
Bench: 35 | 19

Hawks lead series 1-0

Other Results:

LAC 76 DAL 103
Mavs lead 1-0

UTA 81 NOH 86
Hornets lead 1-0

HOU 95 PHX 99
Suns lead 1-0

SAS 82 LAL 89
Lakers lead 1-0

MIA 104 CHI 100 (OT)
Heat lead 1-0

IND 75 CLE 73
Pacers lead 1-0

ORL 92 BOS 102
Celtics lead 1-0

[Chabalaba]

Woah nice win, only leaving them at 41% from the field. Joe Johnson: 8-15,4-8 from 3 sick.

[Clutch]

solid but expected start you're just too deep, at least against this team; Darko with some solid minutes and is that Matt Barnes on there too? barring major injury this should be a clean sweep

[Valor]

i bet even with major injury this would be an easy series for you

[Lamrock]

Tyson Chandler Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award

New Orleans, LA - May 2, 2009 - League sources have confirmed that Tyson Chandler of the New Orleans Hornets has won the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year award. Chandler, in his eighth season, had not even made an All-NBA defensive team prior to this season.

The 26 year old Chandler led the league in rebounding with 12.7 per game, and registered 2.5 blocks per game, second best in the league. The Hornets finished the season with a 53-29 record. The runner-up was Hawks forward Josh Smith, the favorite to win the award. Also receiving votes were two-time defending DPOY Marcus Camby, reigning MVP Kobe Bryant and teammate Chris Paul.

A panel of 124 sportswriters from the United States and Canada awarded a first, second and third place vote, worth 5, 3 and 1 points respectively. Tyson Chandler finished with 393 points, and 51 first place votes. Runner-up Josh Smith finished with 53 first place votes, but only 359 points. 2007/2008 winner Marcus Camby came in third with 219 points and 15 first place votes. Chris Paul got fourth with 98 points and 4 first place votes. Finally, Kobe Bryant have 37 points, and one first place vote.

"Its an honor to win such a prestigious award. However, my real focus is winning the championship," Chandler posted on his blog. David Stern will be in New Orleans to present the award before Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals versus the Utah Jazz. Chandler is the first Hornet to receive the award.

[align=center][table][mrow]Player[mcol]1st[mcol]2nd[mcol]3rd[mcol]Points[mcol]PPG[mcol]RPG[mcol]APG[mcol]BPG[mcol]SPG
[row]Tyson Chandler[col]51[col]38[col]34[col]393[col]9.9[col]12.7[col]2.3[col]2.5[col]0.4
[row]Josh Smith[col]53[col]22[col]28[col]359[col]17.7[col]7.7[col]3.6[col]2.7[col]0.8
[row]Marcus Camby[col]15[col]40[col]24[col]219[col]9.1[col]10.8[col]2.0[col]2.2[col]0.7
[row]Chris Paul[col]4[col]17[col]27[col]98[col]22.0[col]4.7[col]10.5[col]0.2[col]2.7
[row]Kobe Bryant[col]1[col]7[col]11[col]37[col]30.5[col]4.5[col]5.5[col]0.5[col]1.0[/table]

[/align]

[Valor]

woah...Go Former Bull and Current Hornet CHANDLER!!!

[homicide1550]

Nice article! Chandler is a good defender.. He plays a lot like the young Marcus Camby..

[Lamrock]

I was disappointed that J-Smoove didn't win, but I like Chandler. (At one point, I was thinking of dealing Marvin for him)

I just discovered how to make these nifty tables. They work so much better than MS Spreadsheets. Expect them to be more prominent in future recaps.

Inching towards that 10,000 view mark that my 2K7 association reached today. 13 to go!!! [/numberfetish]

[dansensei]

shame on josh smith for not winning the DPOY , he almost leads every stats compared to chandler...

[Chaser7]

How did you make those tables? And sucks about Josh Smith, though you never know what the CPU is thinking. Hell he might not have really been their "runner-up". Good win vs. Bucks too.

[Lamrock]

dansensei, I'm assuming you mean Chandler, because Camby came in third. I guess rebounding goes a long way for the CPU.

Chaser7, Thanks. I'm not sure if Smith was runner-up. However, I do know that he was top 5 since he made the All-Defensive first team.

As for the tables, it would be kind of hard to explain, so here's an example:

Code: Select all

[table][mrow]Member[row]Post Count
[row]Lamrock[col]2589
[row]Chaser7[col]1178
[/table]

[table][mrow]Member[col]Post Count
[row]Lamrock[col]2589
[row]Chaser7[col]1178
[/table]

Game 2 should be up soon. Thanks for following!