[26-22] NELLIEBALL! - ASG Reserves + Clippers @ Warriors!

[dare019]

Meat Ticket is the nickname???

[Martti.]

I can try, but It won't be anything special.

[TheDee]

Im In.
What's your Go-to Guy?

[Lamrock]

Anthony Randolph, though Stephen Jackson leads the team in scoring and Nash in all-star votes.

[TheDee]

Nothing special,with my skills im limited to stuff like this.
At Least for now.

[dare019]

Nothing special,with my skills im limited to stuff like this.
At Least for now.

Your sig is much better than my sig...

[Lamrock]

Nellieball Chronicles

Chapter 4: To Be Freed Of Darko

Liam Washburn's return to the office after two weeks of absence went largely unnoticed to both his relief and chagrin. The time he missed proved disastrous as the Warriors, who at one point were doing as well as seven games over .500, had slumped to an unsatisfactory 20-19 record, and were fighting off the Mavs and the Clippers - yes, the Clippers for a playoff spot.

The players had grown apart following Monta's death. When the team was winning, the roster, mostly comprised of mercurial morons, had decent chemistry with each other. The death of their leading scorer seemed to create a divide between the dipshits and non-dipshits. The dipshits, led by Stephen Jackson, Darko Milicic and perennial injury reserve Kyrylo Fesenko, formed an outspoken faction in favor of sacking Don Nelson and replacing him with fellow dipshit Isiah Thomas.

The non dipshits, led by Steve Nash, Anthony Randolph and Joel Przybilla, defended the coach. Non-native speakers Andris Biedrins and Ricky Rubio had no idea what was going on, and during the many heated sessions of verbal sparring just made loud noise.

Eventually, enough was enough and owner Charles Barkley finally took notice of the team's drop in production, and arranged a meeting with Washburn. Barkley entered Liam's office, sporting golf pants and a "We Believe" tee.

Liam abandoned his search for discount sports photographers, and got up. "Hey, Sir Charles. Great to see ya man!", he said, shaking his boss's hand.

"Hey Liam. Where have you been? I've been trying to contact you for days, but no answer," said the hall-of-famer.

"Yeah, uh Stephen borrowed it, my phone I mean, and he decided to uh, go swimming, and er, I've just been so swamped with work that I didn't get it replaced until today," the younger man lied.

Barkley stroked his chin absorbing the story, and decided to accept it, as he had met Jackson earlier that day. "Anyway, I was wondering what you were planning on doing about the whole Darko situation."

"Well, I was thinking about... Wait. Darko Situation?, Liam asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, he has been antagonizing everyone. He even threatened to rape Nellie's mother! I mean, what the fuck, right?"

Liam, being Darko's friend, attempted to defend him. "Yeah, but he's producing, and that's what matters."

Barkley quipped, "You're joking, right? He's shooting 37.8-"

"Okay," Washburn conceded. "But how do we get rid of him?"

"You're the general manager. Are you telling me you can't handle your job?", asked Sir Charles.

"No no, I'll handle this."

"That's good to hear. Hey, check it out," Barkley said, pointing to Washburn's TV set.

Steve Kerr was giving a press conference. "Well, the way I see it, I'm either a genius or a total *bleep*ing retard."

"What happened?", Washburn asked, before ESPN's a caption on the screen appeared, saying "Suns trade Shaquille O'Neal and Grant Hill to Clippers for Chris Kaman, Jamario Moon and Al Thornton"

Kerr continued: "I believe that Al Thornton is a budding superstar in this league, and if healthy, we can win it all, THIS YEAR. I mean, when it really boils down to it, I am either a management guru or the complete epitome of a dumb*bleep*. Hey, wait a second, who is writing the-", before he was cut off, as Stephen A. Smith gave his joke of an analysis of the deal.

"You know, the Clippers are only a game-and-a-half behind us, and were already on a role. I gotta run, but let me just leave you with this: I expect to see something change by the trade deadline, or your head might just be on the chopping block", Barkley said, getting up.

"Will do," Liam said with shivers down his spine. "You're different than you are on TV."

Barkley shrugged and departed, while Liam hit himself for making such a stupid comment. He then noticed the bullet holes in his wall that he had forgotten to cover.

Just then, he got a call on his cell from a familiar number. He grimaced and picked up the phone. "Yes, I've managed to come up with the million. I'll meet you tomorrow in New York to arrange the transaction," Washburn said, hanging up and informed Don Nelson that he would be traveling with the team to New York, to, as he put it: "observe the team in its current state".

That night, following a blowout victory against the lowly Knicks to end the three-game skid, Washburn approached Nelson.

"Pad Anthony Morrow's stats for me."

[Sit]

I forgot that Monta Ellis died.

during the many heated sessions of verbal sparring just made loud noise.

Loved that part

[Lamrock]

Probably the weakest chapter so far. Hadn't done a Nellieball Chronicle in nearly three months, so I was a little rusty and out of touch. At least I captured lightning in a bottle with Chapter 3. Glad to have a couple entries, though the signature contest might turn out to be a bust. Guess it makes sense, since the nickname contest was far easier and less time-consuming. Eh, we'll see how it goes.

What do you think about the Shaq trade? Clippers are now my favorite team in this association with a starting 5 of Sessions - Eric Gordon - AK-47 - Griffin - Shaq with Camby, Baron and Hill off the bench.

[Sit]

Shaq sucks. He has not helped the Sacramento Kings and Moses Chara in mines at all.

But I do gotta say that Clippers lineup looks killer. Why is Baron on the bench?

[Lamrock]

Thats because Chara is a team cancer! Baron is on the bench because he missed the first 2.5 months of the season due to some injury, and by the time he came back, Sessions was having a near-all-star season (and has a slightly higher overall), thus relegating him to a sixth man role. (Which he is apparently content with, and striving in, shooting a phenomenal 54%)

[Sit]

Baron handles benching better than Iverson.

[hova-]

Oh Steve Kerr, once again a bad move. Rubio and Biedrins just make noise while the discussion ^^. Keep it up

[thierryhenry50]

Never liked Biedrins

[Martti.]

Biedrins actually speaks quite good English.

I'd say Darko is more dipshit and Biedrins.

[Cartar]

Biedrins actually speaks quite good English.

I'd say Darko is more dipshit and Biedrins.

When he first joined the league, his English was worse than his free throw shooting, but he learned it quite quickly.

[Lamrock]

Warriors Overcome Lewis's Season-High 35 To Stun Magic In Orlando
Warriors 109, Magic 105

Orlando, FL; January 23, 2010 - January has been an up-and-down month for the Warriors, but it can't be denied that there have been some great games. While it may not have been as inspirational or epic as the Warriors' first game of the post-Monta era against Sacramento, their upset victory over the #2 Eastern Conference team's home court was just what the doctor ordered. Though Ra$hard Lewis had a season-high 35 points, it would prove to be not enough, as the Warriors were led by a guy the Magic didn't even scout.

The home side seemed in control early on. Lewis got the hot hand, scoring 13 points in the first period, as the team took an eight point lead. In the second quarter, Anthony Morrow was subbed in for the struggling Stephen Jackson, which gave the Warriors a shot in the arm. Morrow caught fire, sinking consecutive three-pointers to help close the gap. Mickael Pietrus rotated on defense to stop the bleeding, and a three by sixth man JJ Redick put the Magic back up 7. With 3.4 seconds left in the half, Anthony Randolph threw a brilliant inbounds pass to Morrow, who subsequently sunk a long buzzer-beater to trim Orlando's lead to 51-47.

The third quarter was played at the Warriors' preferred up-tempo pace, but they never managed to get the lead. Morrow and Lewis had a scoring duel in the third, while Dwight Howard and Andris Biedrins had a rebounding duel as they scooped up their misses. In that quarter, Joel Przybilla would break his finger, and naturally miss the rest of the game. He is expected to miss two weeks, meaning the Warriors will now be without two rotation players. Following the big man's injury, the Warriors would take an 8-2 run to close the quarter down by just two points.


Left, Anthony Morrow sinking a long three at the buzzer. Right, Andris Biedrins with the fastbreak jam

Though Morrow won player of the game honors, it was Rudy Fernandez and Anthony Randolph that put the Warriors over the top. They picked up the slack with their reliable scoring when Morrow started to attract double teams. At the 8:12 mark in the fourth, the Warriors took their first actual lead of the game. Lewis began to shoot bricks, and Hedo Turkoglu was a defensive liability, letting Fernandez score 12 in the final period. Up nine with two minutes left, the Warriors faced a scare in the waning seconds of the game, as JJ Redick and Jameer Nelson hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions to trim the Golden State lead to 3. Dwight Howard swatted a Anthony Randolph jumper attempt to give the Magic possession, but Rudy Fernandez picked off his pass and dished it to Beans for the easy dunk. Rashard Lewis actually managed to hit a three-pointer after a timeout, but were forced to immediately foul afterwards. Steve Nash sank a pair of free throws to secure the win for the Warriors.

The victory was huge for Golden State. Despite coming off a blowout win in New York, the Warriors were falling fast in the Western Conference standings. With the Clippers making up huge ground on them for the eighth spot in the West, and having just acquired future hall-of-famer Shaquille O'Neal, the victory gave the Warriors breathing room, and a huge morale boost. The Magic meanwhile, are battling the Cleveland Cavaliers for second place in the East, and with the loss, their lead falls to just half a game. (The Cavs are current 25-16) Dwight Howard scored just 14 points, and after the game praised Anthony Randolph's defense, saying "that kid is something special. God bless him." Hedo Turkoglu's shooting struggles continued. Though he filled the stat sheet, the Turk shot just 5-16, and is shooting a paltry 41% from the field on the year. He is rumored to be on the chopping block with the team continuing to be interested in acquiring Nets guard Vince Carter.

GSW (22-19): 22 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 109
ORL (26-16): 30 | 21 | 28 | 26 | 105

Noteworthy Players:

Warriors:
Anthony Morrow (PotG): 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 5-8 3PT
Anthony Randolph: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks
Rudy Fernandez: 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Steve Nash: 10 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds
Andris Biedrins: 9 points, 12 rebounds

Magic:
Rashard Lewis 35 points, 6 rebounds
Dwight Howard: 14 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks
Jameer Nelson: 16 points, 6 assists
Hedo Turkoglu: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-16 FG
JJ Redick: 11 points, 3-4 3PT

Notes:
-Stephen Jackson scored 5 points on 1-7 shooting, and played just 14 minutes. Jackson was quoted as saying "I'ma pop a cap in Nellie if he ever pulls that *expletive* again." Jackson was fined $5,000 for his comment.
-The injury to Przybilla means that scrub Center Kyrylo Fesenko was activated for the first time this season. He was available for comment, but was never asked about it.
-Nelliepoints were awarded to Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph and Rudy Fernandez respectively.
-The signature contest looks to be a bust. 3 bonus points will be awarded to all who participated.

[dare019]

The signature contest looks to be a bust. 3 bonus points will be awarded to all who participated

points to what???

[Lamrock]

|---THE WARRIOR ZONE---|

Warriors Report: January 21-January 29

January 30, 2009, 4:21 PM - The Warriors actually posted a winning record in the last 5 games, a relieving change of pace, as they had lost 7 of 8 before them. Now finding themselves in a crowded battle for a playoff spot, every game from here on out will count - all 38 of them. It won't be easy, but as luck would have it, Ricky Rubio has recovered faster than expected, and should play in the team's final game of the month against Derrick Rose, Amare Stoudemire and the Bulls. Unfortunately, backup big man Joel Przybilla's injury in the Magic game will keep the Warriors from being 100%.

The Warriors finished a six-game Eastern Conference road trip in which they struggled to a 2-4 record (starting with last week's losses in New Jersey and Boston), but their two wins were huge ones: a blowout in New York and a stunner in Orlando. Unfortunately, they capped their trip with narrow losses in Washington and Charlotte, which they likely would have won had Rubio been playing. They returned home to defeat the slumping Grizzlies behind huge games by Anthony Morrow and Steve Nash. They will finish the month on January 31 against the Chicago Bulls in the Oracle. Be there or be square!



Golden State 114 @ New York 92 - The Warriors capped a three game skid in a big way, blowing the Knicks out of the MSG. Five minutes into the game, a trio of treys by Rudy Fernandez got the Knicks fans to cheer on the visiting team, as the perennially dismal Knicks suffered yet another loss. The game was never really close, as the Knicks simply didn't have their hearts in the game. Fernandez built on his performance to score a career high 28 points, while Steve Nash and Anthony Randolph put up solid stat lines. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the game was overweight center Eddy Curry scoring a team high 20 points while grabbing 3 surprising rebounds.The loss put the Knicks in the lead in the race for the #1 pick.
Player Of The Game: Rudy Fernandez (28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) | Nelliepoints: 1. Fernandez (28/3/2); 2. Nash (22/4/7); 3. Randolph (14/12/3)
RECORD: 21-19

Golden State 109 @ Orlando 105 - Click Here For Game Recap! - Nobody noticed it when I posted it, but its there. Check it out; it was a good game.
RECORD: 22-19

Golden State 101 @ Washington 107 - Washington seems to have the Warriors' number this season. The Wizards, who at one point were in last place in the Eastern Conference, continue to climb up the standings, with the playoffs suddenly becoming a possibility. While the Warriors stayed in the game the whole time, the Wizards would not let up. Anchored by yet another strong performance by Gilbert Arenas, the home team used a solid all-around performance to oust the Warriors for the second time in two weeks. Following the win, Antawn Jamison, who had 14 points and 8 rebounds, commented: "For a while there, it looked like I was to be traded to Cleveland, but then the talks fell through. I won't lie, at first I was a little disappointed, but now [the Wizards] are starting to do well and it has been fun the past couple weeks. I want to retire here". Washington moved within four games of the eighth seed in the Leastern Conference, while the Warriors fell into a tie with Denver for the seventh seed in the West.
Player Of The Game: Gilbert Arenas (27 points, 5 assists, 5 steals) | Nelliepoints: 1. Randolph (18/14/1); 2. Jackson (15/4/6); 3. Nash (15/3/7)
RECORD: 22-20


-
Golden State 99 @ Charlotte 103 - The Warriors finished their road trip with a heartbreaking loss. Despite a great game by Stephen Jackson where he had 20 and 8 assists on 8/9 shooting, the home team outlasted Golden State to pull out a four point win. The game went back and forth the whole time, keeping the crowd on their feet. Sixth man of the year front-runner Nate Robinson had an excellent game, scoring a game high 24 points along with having 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. In the end, the Warriors failed to perform down the stretch. Down by just a point with thirty seconds remaining, Anthony Morrow bricked a jumper. The Warriors opted not to foul on the Bobcats' next possession, and paid the price as rookie James Harden dribbled the shot clock down before drilling a three-point shot to seal the deal for the home team. After the game Don Nelson said "Nate was just on fire tonight. We couldn't stop the little guy and he punished us. I believe that if we had Ricky's defense in that game, it would have gone the other way".
Player Of The Game: Nate Robinson (24 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) | Nelliepoints: 1. Jackson (20/4/8); 2. Randolph (15/9/8); 3. Fernandez (18/0/5)
RECORD: 22-21

Memphis 102 @ Golden State 114 - The Grizzlies, led by young stars OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and offseason addition Mehmet Okur had a solid start to the season, seventh place in the West by New Years. However, since then, they have suffered a slump even worse than Golden State's and have fallen to 20-25, three games out of the playoff picture. Mayo had a quiet game, being outplayed by fellow sophomore shooting guard Anthony Morrow, and the Warriors helped extend the Grizzlies' losing streak to six games. The Warriors' big three of Stephen Jackson, Steve Nash and Anthony Randolph combined for a productive 51 points, 18 assists and 14 rebounds, leading the team's balanced attack on offense. The game was fairly close at the half, with Golden State up just 5. A 30-17 third period secured the game for the home team, who now occupy the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
Player Of The Game: Anthony Morrow (24 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) | Nelliepoints: 1. Morrow (24/5/2); 2. Nash (20/2/9); 3. Randolph (16/8/5)
RECORD: 23-21
Nelliepoints Standings:
January:
Randolph: 22
Nash: 19
Morrow: 12
Jackson: 11
Fernandez: 10
Biedrins: 3

Overall:
Randolph: 60
Jackson: 42
Nash: 39
Fernandez: 12
Morrow: 12
Biedrins: 10
Rubio: 7

Pacific Division Standings:
(1) Lakers 32-14 | GB: 0
(5) Kings 25-21 | GB: 7
(7) Warriors 23-21 | GB: 8
Clippers 23-24 | GB: 9.5
Suns 21-27 | 12

Playoff Picture:
5. Sacramento 25-21
6. Oklahoma City 25-22
7. Golden State 23-21
8. Denver 23-22
----------
9. Dallas 24-23
10. LA Clippers 23-24
11. New Orleans 20-23

[Lamrock]

NEWS ROUNDUP: January 30, 2010

Shaq, Hill to Clippers for Kaman, Thornton & Moon

<--->

January 20, 2010 - Just a day after sending Amare Stoudemire to the Bulls in a blockbuster, his frontcourt partner Shaquille O'Neal has been sent to the Clippers in a deal of similar magnitude. O'Neal, a fifteen time all-star will be sent along with fellow 37 year old veteran Grant Hill to the Los Angeles Clippers for center Chris Kaman and forwards Jamario Moon and Al Thornton. The Clippers (are one of the hottest teams in the league, and are looking to both trim the fat on their roster, while giving them veteran help as they attempt to develop into a powerhouse. Meanwhile, the Suns are staging a full rebuild around Jrue Holiday.

While some would argue that for a youthful team that's red hot like the Clippers, trading three of your rotation players for a pair of 37 year olds is an unwise move. However, the three players traded are doing horrible this year, and are receiving nearly 25 million dollars in expiring contracts. In the meantime, they get a class act and solid role player in Grant Hill, and still fairly dominant center in Shaq. The latter could teach rookie Blake Griffin a thing or two. Sure, the team is winning and you don't want to jeopardize that momentum, but this is the kind of deal you do not pass up. Highway robbery. This is yet another atrocious deal for Phoenix. Steve Kerr should be ashamed. If you are rebuilding, you don't trade nearly 25 million in expirings for three perennially injury prone, underachieving and/or inefficient players who are to be under contract for years to come. This deal may help the Suns get a good pick this offseason, but will hurt them not just this season, but in the years to come.

Clippers Get:
Shaquille O'Neal 2009-10: 34 games | 26.7 MPG | 13.1 PPG | 7.7 RPG | 2.0 APG | 0.8 BPG | 2.3 SPG | 1.4 TOPG | .586 FG%
Grant Hill 2009-10: 40 games | 30.2 MPG | 10.2 PPG | 2.8 RPG |3.4 APG | 0.3 BPG | 0.5 SPG | 1.6 TOPG | .441 FG%
Projected Starters: Ramon Sessions | Eric Gordon | Andrei Kirilenko | Blake Griffin | Shaquille O'Neal

Suns get:
Chris Kaman 2009-10: 26 games | 33.2 MPG | 8.2 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 1.0 APG | 1.7 BPG | 0.3 SPG | 1.7 TOPG | .484 FG%
Al Thornton 2009-10: 38 games | 28.2 MPG | 12.8 PPG | 2.6 RPG | 1.4 APG | 0.6 BPG | 0.8 SPG | 2.1 TOPG | .397 FG%
Jamario Moon 2009-10: 36 games | 14.5 MPG | 5.5 PPG | 1.6 RPG | 0.9 APG | 0.2 BPG | 0.4 SPG | 0.8 TOPG | .427 FG%
Projected Starters: Jrue Holiday | Jason Richardson | Al Thornton | Tyrus Thomas | Chris Kaman

Clippers Trade Grade: A | Suns Trade Grade: F

Millsap dealt to Thunder for Green, Watson

<--->

January 28, 2010 - The Thunder have been enjoying a surprise season in which they are currently sixth place in the tougher Western Conference. After a successful offseason in which they drafted Hasheem Thabeet and signed fringe all-star Ben Gordon, Oklahoma City has emerged as a strong young squad. However, they are only one game ahead of ninth place, and opted to make a move, so they could keep up with the rest of the conference during this very active trading period. GM Sam Presti saw that the Pacers were struggling, and was able to strike up a deal - one which addressed their two biggest deficiencies: low post scoring and a logjam at the swingman positions.

The trade sends fringe all-star power forward Paul Millsap to the Thunder for up-and-coming sixth man Jeff Green and expiring contract Earl Watson. The trade likely puts the Thunder above the Kings in the top five of the West, and should make them a perennial threat for years to come, with potential all-stars at every position. The Pacers meanwhile, fix their logjam at the four, with Troy Murphy not enjoying his sixth man role. They additionally find a starter caliber small forward in Green, as the projects acquired from Portland just weren't cutting it. Millsap himself has been a bit of a disappointment for them, with paltry averages of 11 and 6 rebounds. The trade looks pretty good overall for both teams, and each should see a boost from it.

Thunder Get:
Paul Millsap 2009-10: 45 games | 29.4 MPG | 11.1 PPG | 6.2 RPG | 2.3 APG | 1.1 BPG | 0.3 SPG | 1.0 TOPG | .550 FG%
Projected Starters: Russell Westbrook | Ben Gordon | Kevin Durant | Paul Millsap | Nenad Krstic

Pacers get:
Jeff Green 2009-10: 47 games | 28.2 MPG | 12.1 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 3.0 APG | 0.4 BPG | 0.8 SPG | 1.4 TOPG | .462 FG%
Earl Watson 2009-10: 18 games | 7.6 MPG | 2.5 PPG | 0.6 RPG | 1.3 APG | 0.0 BPG | 0.1 SPG | 0.5 TOPG | .347 FG%
Projected Starters: TJ Ford | Mike Dunleavy Jr. | Jeff Green | Troy Murphy | Greg Oden

Thunder Trade Grade: A+ | Pacers Trade Grade: A-

Kobe, LeBron Headline All-Starters

January 25, 2010 - Cleveland's LeBron James earned a record 3,774,065 all-star votes, while Los Angeles's Kobe Bryant led the West in votes with 3,410,062, as the all-star starters have been announced today. The game, to be played on Valentine's day in Dallas, will be the 59th NBA all-star game. The other four starters for the East will be Boston's Rajon Rondo, Miami's Dwyane Wade, Boston's Kevin Garnett and Orlando's Dwight Howard. The West's starting five will be rounded out by New Orleans's Chris Paul, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Houston's Yao Ming.

The biggest surprise is obviously first-timer Rajon Rondo. The young point guard has always been overshadowed by the Celtics' big three of Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, but his averages of 15.3 PPG, 9.6 APG and 7.5 RPG make him arguably the best player on the team, and an MVP candidate. Fellow first-timer Kevin Durant is averaging over 27 points per game the surprisingly solid Oklahoma City Thunder. Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich will coach the West team, while Celtics' coach Doc Rivers will be coaching the East.

Eastern Conference All-Starters:



Western Conference All-Starters:

[Martti.]

The Suns starting 5 is very exciting and fun to watch. No surprise with the All-Star Starters.

At least you rose a spot in the Playoff-picture.

[The X]

As always, I'm liking The Warrior Zone summaries and trade breakdowns and validations. In regards to the latter, probably only a small minority of dynasties manage to pull this off well (or at all) & yours is definitely one of them.

I traded in my NBA 2k9 plus 2 other games to get NBA 2k10. Haven't actually played it much, just waiting for patch hoping it sorts out some stuff before I start an offline Association for myself. Hopefully it's good as reading your dynasty & Sit's Rockets one makes me want to fire one up. Maybe I should track down NBA Live '04, '05 & '06 from my sister's place & see if they are still playable.

Btw, great trade for Thunder. Millsap is beast. Don't know what the Pacers were thinking

[Sit]

Nice updates man. Start winning more so that you become a lock for the playoffs though. You reckon any of your Warriors will be on the All-Star team?

[Lamrock]

dare019, This dynasty has a game where every month you predict the results of the association. Though its an easy way to rack up replies, I may discontinue it, and make it a playoff-only affair, along with little contests though. not sure.

Martti., I expect my Warriors to slide between 6th and 10th for the rest of the year. My lead on Denver and Dallas is razor-thin. Suns have a fun starting 5, but arguably the worst in the league. (And they certainly aren't a deep team either)

The X, Thanks for checking in. The trade breakdowns and summaries are my favorite parts to write too. I almost got 2K10, but I was unimpressed after a rental period. With the patch, My Player should be a blast though. Would be awesome if you started a dynasty. I actually like the trade a lot for Indiana. Not as much as for OKC, but they got rid of a guy who wasn't working out, and managed to save money, and fill a position of need for years to come. Troy Murphy isn't a long-term solution at the 4 though.

Congrats on the Moderator spot by the way.

Sit, I'll try. Sim engine doesn't like post-Monta Golden State though... As for all-stars, Steve Nash is putting up fringe all-star averages of 16 and 7 assists, but the West is chock full of good PG's. Randolph's 16 and 11 is also good, but doesn't quite hold up to the Dirks, or Boozers of the league. Here's hoping though. Monta was averaging similar numbers to Brandon Roy; he would have probably made it.

[The X]

Congrats on the Moderator spot by the way.

Just quietly I kind of didn't want the badge. I just wanted to secretly go about my business. All good though. It's only NCAA Basketball section which should die away shortly after I stop starting new threads

[Lamrock]

If the activity of the Live 10 forum compared to the 2K10 forum is any indication, (not to mention its an off year for 2K) you would have your hands full if there was a College Hoops 2K10. Hopefully the game turns out good though.

[The X]

I wouldn't be even contemplating NCAA 10 if CH2k10 came out. One can hope. I'll wait for demo before deciding whether to throw money at it.

Back on topic, Suns look crap & Clippers look pretty good. Who else do Clips have on their bench?

[Lamrock]

Clippers are looking great. Mike Dunleavy for surprise exec of the year! They are pretty deep. Coming off the bench is Baron Davis (who, 10 games in, is shooting well over 50% somehow), Von Wafer, Grant Hill, Marcus Camby and Mardy Collins.

[Sit]

Oh also Lamrock... activity on the forums has dipped a lot so don't worry and keep running the association.

[Lamrock]

Yeah, I can see that. Wonder why.. I've padded the reply total enough though. More substance in the next few pages.

[The X]

With my tutelage Lamrock will have number one 2k Association on the boards

On topic, damn, those Clippers look good. Only in a computer game after all could the Clippers be good Hopefully with this trade they can solidify a playoff position. You lovin' it that I'm digging the Clippers more than your Warriors

[Sit]

You're going good. My own Association will pick up in momentum soon too. Got an update in a few minutes. Big trade.

With my tutelage Lamrock will have number one 2k Association on the boards

About time we had another good association running.

[The X]

A bit of friendly competition always brings out the best. Either way, I'm on the Clippers bandwagon. If Shaq doesn't have his real life Shaq effect (see Suns & now Cavs) & can get into playoffs, they could surprise a few teams & make a deep run

[Lamrock]

Yep, clawed my way back into the #2 slot for associations. Took less than two weeks which is kind of sad. My Cli-Warriors will take your Stealth DOWN!

[Sit]

Yep, clawed my way back into the #2 slot for associations. Took less than two weeks which is kind of sad. My Cli-Warriors will take your Stealth DOWN!

Have fun. lol

You will have a much easier time doing that since I have nothing but text now lol

[Lamrock]

Your story updates are great, but I think my signature will put me over the top.

[Sit]

Your story updates are great, but I think my signature will put me over the top.

LMAO. Aight, I'ma get myself a sig now too. =)

[Lamrock]

I'm the design master. You can use it if you like.

[The X]

That's actually pretty bloody good Lamrock. Maybe ditch your current sig showing where Will's jump shot ends up front rimming because he's fading away too much for the new one

[dare019]

nice lamrock but I still like your current sig..

btw The X Im reading your dynasty, the bobcats.. it rocks

[Lamrock]

Warriors Edge Bulls, Jump To Fifth Place In Rubio's Return
Amare's Epic Game Not Enough
Warriors 113, Bulls 111

Oakland, CA; January 31, 2010 - The first half of the season was capped with a fantastic game. Amare Stoudemire and Andris Biedrins were dueling all night. STAT eventually put down the better stat line, but the Latvian's team got the win. In an intense game of runs, the Warriors edged out the Bulls to move up to fifth place in the tightly contested Western Conference Playoff Picture.

Despite Anthony Randolph's 1-6 showing from the field in the first period, Golden State got out to a fast start, opening the game with a lead of 15-10, with 8 of their points scored by Biedrins. However, fifteen unanswered points turned the game in Chicago's favor. A pair of treys by Anthony Morrow put them back in the game, but the end of the quarter saw the Bulls up 6. A series of bricks by Derrick Rose and John Salmons gave the Warriors a lead but then Amare Stoudemire showed why the Bulls acquired him. Going on a scoring tirade, the big man scored 11 of his 28 in the second to give his team a one point lead. Stephen Jackson sunk a three-pointer as the buzzer to give Golden State a 55-53 lead at intermission.

The third quarter saw Derrick Rose getting to the line at will, helping the visitors outscore Golden 13-4 in the first three minutes of the half. "I wasn't shooting the ball well at all, so coach told me to take a different approach, so I started taking it in". After a timeout, Ricky Rubio was subbed in for the first time since his injury. While he was fairly ineffective offensively, he helped contain Rose. Randolph started playing effectively again, and the Warriors managed to enter the final period up two points. In the third quarter, Biedrins recorded 4 of his career high 6 assists.


Left, Amare Stoudemire Posterizes Andris Biedrins. Right, Biedrins Returns The Favor

For a while, it looked like this one got away from the Warriors. After building a seven point lead, Francisco Garcia scored all twelve of his points in the fourth, while Amare had his way with the Warriors' rail thin front-court stars. With less than five minutes in the game, the score read Chicago 103, Golden State 94. A timeout led to back-to-back Nash-to-Biedrins alley-oops. Stephen Jackson converted a rare four-point play, Anthony Morrow continued to outshine fellow shooting guard Rudy Fernandez (who had 12 points on 3-9 shooting) and Anthony Randolph scored 10 of his 24 en route to a 19-5 run. With 33 seconds left, John Salmons bricked his fifth three, Joakim Noah grabbed his third offensive board, John Salmons bricked his sixth three, Amare grabbed his first offensive board as a Bull (!), and dished it to Ron Artest for a trey. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as the Warriors played keep-away to prevent the Bulls from intentionally fouling, and the Warriors won it 113-111.

Winning player of the game, Andris Biedrins had a fantastic night, filling up the stat sheet with a season-high 22 points, 10 rebounds, a career-high 6 assists, a season-high 5 blocks and 3 steals. with an impressive shooting clip of 10-13 to boot. Anthony "Meal Ticket" Randolph shook off a poor first half to score 24 and grab 8 boards. In a losing effort, Amare Stoudemire had an amazing game, scoring 28 points, grabbing 14 boards and dishing 6 assists on incredible 13-16 shooting. Unfortunately, his teammates did not shoot so well, with Rose going 9-27 (though his line of 25 points and 7 assists was nothing to scoff at), and John Salmons having an atrocious game, scoring 7 points on 2-15 shooting. The loss puts Chicago in a tie for fourth place with the Nets (who they own the tiebreaker with) in the Leastern Conference. The Warriors meanwhile, move up to fifth place in the Western Conference at 24-21, but are practically tied with the Thunder and Kings, who are both 25-22, and only lead the ninth place Dallas Mavericks by a half game.

CHI (24-24): 30 | 23 | 28 | 30 | 111
GSW (24-21): 24 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 113

Noteworthy Players:

Warriors:
Andris Biedrins (PotG): 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, 3 steals, 10-13 FG
Anthony Randolph: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Anthony Morrow: 17 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 7-10 FG
Stephen Jackson: 17 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds
Steve Nash: 12 points, 8 assists

Chicago:
Amare Stoudemire 28 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, 13-16 FG
Derrick Rose: 25 points, 7 assists, 9-27 FG
Ron Artest: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Joakim Noah: 12 points, 10 rebounds
Francisco Garcia: 12 points

Notes:
- The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded combo guard Ronald "Flip" Murray to the Denver Nuggets for forward Linas Kleiza.
- Joel Przybilla missed the game due to the broken hand sustained in the January 23 game against the Orlando Magic
- The 24-21 Warriors lead the 25-22 Thunder and Kings by 0.2%.
- Anthony Morrow is expected to start over Rudy Fernandez in the next game. Steve Nash will retain his starting spot.
- The next few updates will be a large overview of the league, providing reminders of who's on what team, and analysis on how all 30 teams are doing; along with awards races. Hope you enjoy.

[Martti.]

Wow, almost a five-by-five for Biedrins!

- The next few updates will be a large overview of the league, providing reminders of who's on what team, and analysis on how all 30 teams are doing; along with awards races. Hope you enjoy.

Can't wait.

[Lamrock]

ACTUAL RESULTS:

1/2: Vs. Kings W
1/7: Vs. Cavaliers L
1/9: Vs. Rockets L
1/11: @ Kings L
1/13: Vs. Wizards L
1/15: @ Jazz W
1/16: Vs. Blazers L
1/18: @ Nets L
1/19: @ Celtics L
1/21: @ Knicks W
1/23: @ Magic W
1/25: @ Wizards L
1/26: @ Bobcats L
1/29: Vs. Grizzlies W
1/31: Vs. Bulls W

Record (15 games): 6-9

East Player of the Month (JAN): LeBron James
East Rookie of the Month (JAN): James Harden
West Player of the Month (JAN): Kobe Bryant
West Rookie of the Month (JAN): Blake Griffin

Nelliepoints Leaders (January):
1. Anthony Randolph
2. Steve Nash
3. Anthony Morrow

Prediction Game Results: (games + record + players of the month + nelliepoint)

Valor: 7 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 11 points
Cartar: 7 + 0 + 1 + 3 = 11 points
Martti.: 8 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 12 points
Sit: 8 + 0 + 3 + 2 = 13 points
Clutch: 9 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 14 points
thierryhenry50: 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11 points
newc: 5 + 0 + 4 + 2 = 11 points
Skillmatic: 10 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 15 points

Leaderboard:

Sit: 45 points (32+13)
Martti.: 45 points (33+12)
newc: 43 points (32+11)
thierryhenry50: 42 points (31+11)
Cartar: 42 points (31+11)
Valor: 38 points (13+3)
Skilmatic: 33 points (18+15)
ratrac: 31 points (31+0)
jesrie: 27 points (27+0)
Clutch: 25 points (10+15)
magician: 21 points (21+0)

Two small changes: a point is now awarded for coming within a game of the team's actual record. Also, there will now be 5 NLSCers in the first draft. I will also be making some changes to the prediction game for next time, since all the scores this round were between 11 and 15, and newcomers to the association are currently being left in the dust.

[Valor]

nice updates man, too bad the Bulls lost to you though
great win over the Magic as well, 24-21 is not bad! keep it going!

[Lamrock]

Thanks Valor. Your Bulls are awesome in this association, They'll probably have a better record than me at season's end. 24-21 is alright. Good for fifth in the West for now. If Salmons didn't try to built a house of bricks, I would be on the outside looking in to the playoff picture.

[Sit]

That's actually pretty bloody good Lamrock. Maybe ditch your current sig showing where Will's jump shot ends up front rimming because he's fading away too much for the new one

For those who don't understand the inside joke: I tend to fade away even when I'm wide open.

EDIT:

*drumroll*

featuring Lamrock's favourite PG....

*drumroll please*



*applause*

[hova-]

Realistic ASG Starters except Rondo maybe. Nice win against the Bulls. They seem to click with Amare and Rose though. This Bulls team is really cool.

[The X]

We have a winner


On topic, just noticed you got Pryz-bizz. Nice work. Most underrated big man in the game (after Sean Marks of course)

[Lamrock]

Sit, Very nice work. Just the shot in the arm the signature contest needs.

hova-, Yeah, Rondo is putting up Kidd-in-his-prime stats, and the Celtics are by far the best team in the league, so its certainly deserved. I love the Bulls in this too now. Even though they are 3-3 with Amare, they are certainly improved, and were tough to beat.

The X, Yep, I love Przybilla on the real-life Blazers. While he doesn't get much PT due to Biedrins being a fringe all-star and not being foul prone, he is a very solid backup Center. Really been missing him lately, having to play Darko a lot more than I usually do. Mark Blount also saw his first minutes of the season against the Bulls. He posted a trillion...

[thierryhenry50]

Lol I missed when you got Przybilla. Can't wait for the 30-team update!