Hov's Kings - Retired

[Fresh8]

I tired to do a Race to the MVP feature like yours but I just was not patient enough to do it. I did the top 2 and got bored.

Good work getting the update up. It looks great man!

[Valor]

Noah is putting up better number then Bogut all across the board, except for blocks, I fear he might get the coaches vote.

As he should, Noah is an all-star

On topic, D-Rose should be in the MVP talks as well as Boozer

[hova-]

The X, I'm converting a lot of old stuff from my Cats one, simply because I did not feel like I really finished it (at least not on my own wish). Glad you like it. After playing some Pro Evo 2011 I'm back with 2k11 and it's more fun than ever, playing something else in between is always a good idea to get back some fun & motivation.

Sit, thanks, bro. It takes some time, mainly because of the portraits and the comments on each player. The sample is always the same, so that's not a big deal.

Valor, Noah's not yet an All-Star imho. He's a top notch defender, but that's not enough for being an All-Star if you ask me. (but maybe you get him into, Ben Wallace has also been a multiple All-Star)

For Rose: He's posting like 22 and 8 dimes and is definitely playing well. But Booze has a PER of 26 and it's tough to not link the Bulls' success with a new acquisition rather than a player who has been there before.

[hova-]

Troublesome start of the year
January 4th, Game at home vs Atlanta

....

Another trey. Donte was on fire. He raised his arms and yelled "let's go, guys!". It was his fourth three pointer of the game and his 2nd in a row. The crowd applauded civilly, but everybody knew it was too late.

We were still down by 20, only four minutes left to play. The Hawks did a great job in the first quarter, scored 38 points (Mr. "I make money" Johnson had 18 of them) and after three quarters we were down by 20 points exactly. The team gave up in a way and as we were almost down by 30 I took a timeout.

"Wow, that's embarrasing, guys. We don't give a shit about playing defense, do we? They already have 115 points with four minutes left in the quarter! Now let's get out there and defend. We'll go with Hassan, Thompson, Donte, Stack and Luther. C'mon - 1,2,3 defense!"

"Defense!", all but one shouted.
"I ain't going out there, Coach. This is over", Stack said.
"You injured?", I asked suprised.
"Nah, but this game is fucked up once again. They just can't get it done. I ain't gonna play", he returned.
"I think I make the decisions, now get your goddamn ass on the court", I replied defiantly.
"Go fuck off", Stack said throwing his towel on the floor and leaving the court towards the locker room.



January 5th, 3 a.m. After the loss to the Hawks

It was tough to find some sleep. Loosing the first three games of 2011 and being at 9-23 did not really help me to calm down from the Stackhouse incident.

This time it felt worse than with the Cats last season. MJ was not really interested in the team. It was more a financial thing for him and his co-owners, trying to save taxes.
The Maloof bros were different. They wanted this franchise to succeed. And right now, we didn't.
My PDA rang. A short message.

Okay, Mr. Hova ... let's say you'll get him and our next season's first rounder for your two future first rounders. That's the offer, pmb soon.

I wasn't sure wether or not I should pull the trigger on the deal. Hinrich's a top notch PG, just what we needed. But I did not want to shake things around right now.

Omri injured his shoulder in the first game of the year against the Nuggets (a 44 point loss) and will be back by mid of January.
I did not want to change the roster as long as we were not complete on the court.

The game after the tough loss to the Nuggets, we played pretty well vs Phoenix and lost the game in the last quarter (106-103). Cousins played really well and had 15 and 8 and Reke had 28 points. The Suns just had the more balanced roster, more options on offense. Six players in double figures.

Against the Hawks we played very bad basketball, but especially Greene and Hassan Whiteside showed some heart in the last. Hassan had 10 points and 7 boards in 10 minutes, he shot 5-5. Greene had 15 points in the last quarter. These guys have heart and talent ...

I wrote back

Sry, Mr. Grunfeld, it's a decent offer but I think we might move on with something else. Thanks. Hova.

It took him only 1 minute to write back that this was my only chance and he won' bother replying to any other deals. Fuck him ...





"How are they doing", I asked Geoff Petrie.
"Tyreke is doing very well, he has definitely improved his mid-range shot", he replied. "He is hitting shot after shot after shot today."

"Good to hear that, you got anything else?", I asked.
"Well, Donte's been pretty eager today. He's really motivated and I like how he's doing so far. You should play him more in my opinion", Petrie gave advice.
"We have quite a lot guys who can play small forward you know ... but I think you're right ... as long as Omri's out, he should see more minutes", I told him writing down a notice in my PDA.
"Ah and you know what", I added, "Tell Jerry he's out. You don't fuck with Coach Hova".

Geoff raised his eyebrows and seemed surprised but also approvingly.
"You're just right ... shall I try to get a deal going?", he asked.
"To help him get on another team and fuck around there?", I asked back quizzically. "Just waive this moron, do me that favor", I replied.

Geoff went on to his office as I pulled over Donte Greene. "Hey Donte, come over, I got great news for you ..."

...

[The X]

The X, I'm converting a lot of old stuff from my Cats one, simply because I did not feel like I really finished it (at least not on my own wish). Glad you like it. After playing some Pro Evo 2011 I'm back with 2k11 and it's more fun than ever, playing something else in between is always a good idea to get back some fun & motivation

I can understand that. I'll go a week or two without playing, then play some games with Warriors, then see Beas rip it up IRL & it re-invigorates me to want to play as T-wolves again (I just need to ensure I sort out player roles issue though).

[Lamrock]

Loving the November/December recaps. Impressive restraint not putting Dirk at #1 in the MVP rankings.

[Mandich]

Man this is really looking great, your r2mvp is terrific

[hova-]

Lamrock, Glad you like it. Dirk wasn't even in the Top 10 before he decided to just go nuts. I mean he averaged like 24 points in the first 10 games and now he's at 29. But he surely has the better players around him and KD is just awesome.

mandich, thank you man, glad you like it.


So what about the deal? Dunno if anyone bothered to read ... I could have gotten Kirk Hinrich & the Wizards' 2011 first rounder for my 2011 & 2012 first rounder.

Actually, I like the deal pretty much ... I mean, the Wizards are the worst team in the East and getting their first rounder for mine would not hurt my chances for a top 5 pick. My 2012 first rounder won't be a lottery pick I hope ... so I could have gotten Kirk Hinrich for a 2012 first round pick that I hope could be only pick 10-15.

I decided against it, and now they don't offer it anymore. What do you guys think?

[dare]

If that was me I'll accept it, having a chance to have a top 5 pick and get a quality PG is good enough for me. The only I'm worried is about the draft class, is it a strong draft or a weak one?

[hova-]

dare, It's not a very strong draft. The jackpot will be Lance Meredith, I will post another article about him soon. Apart from him, there are like three PGs who could be in the top 10, but none of them is really a complete player.

But with the acquisition of Hinrich I would have had a solid PG anyway.

It would have been a risky deal, just because my 2012 1st rounder could be a very high pick if I fail to win games. Swapping 2011 first rounders is not really risky, because the Wizards have a worse record than me.

[dare]

Then here's hoping for a Lance pick

[The X]

I probably would've been hesitant on pulling the trigger since you are giving up two 1st Rounders unless you love Hinrich & he was going to be your PG for the next few seasons.

Actually to think about it, I wouldn't do the deal for the sole reason that IRL you can't deal your own 1st Round pick in two consecutive years. Good rules for fans

[hova-]

dare, Lance would be a no-brainer. He could turn around the whole franchise and relieve Evans from his franchise player duties.

The X, I didn't know that. Good that I did not pull the trigger on it.
I love Hinrich from my 2k8 days with the Bulls. But the other offers always include Cousins or Evans. Looks like I might have to get a solid PG in the draft.

btw: where's your avatar? I loved the Magic/Bird one. Get it back.

[The X]

btw: where's your avatar? I loved the Magic/Bird one. Get it back.

Can't seem to find it now. Will sort one out sometime this week.

[kibaxx7]

"Tell Jerry he's out. You don't fuck with Coach Hova" ... "Just waive this moron, do me that favor"

Man, you were angry! I would have liked Hinrich around, but not for two 1st's.

[Valor]

I concur with The X for holding back, for the same reason. Hinrich is good but not worth those picks

[john26]

IMO I think its good you kept your picks so you can add some more youth in the future.

[hova-]

███ Butler, Mavs edge Thunder in clash of Western Titans
DALLAS (AP)

In the matchup of the two top teams of the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks were able to pull away with a broad win as they beat the Thunder 87-105 at American Airlines Center.

The Mavs outscored the Thunder by 17 in the 3rd to cruise to their 2nd win in a row after an embarassing loss @Cleveland.

Caron Butler scored a game-high 33 points and Brendan Haywood added 20 points and 11 boards to overcome a tough night for Dirk Nowitzki. The german All-Star only scored 13 points in 28 minutes and struggled with a heel injury he sustained in the first quarter.

Kevin Durant, the league's leading scorer had 25 points and 7 assists and Russel Westbrook added 24 as the Thunder lost their second out of the last three.

███ Sonics waive veteran Jerry Stackhouse
SEATTLE (AP)

The Seattle Supersonics today announced that they have waived recent signing Jerry Stackhouse.

Stackhouse averaged 4.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 23 games for the Sonics this season.

They 16-year veteran and the Sonics agreed on parting their ways after recent controversies on and off the court. Stackhouse's salary will come off the books after this season for the Sonics. The 36-year old has a guaranteed salary of 1.5M $.

Coach Hova is also cited that the Sonics want to give more playing time to their young talents as the Playoffs seem slightly out of reach for the franchise right now.

███ Casspi's return will take at least another week
DALLAS (AP)

Sonics Small Forward Omri Casspi will need at least another week to come back from his shoulder injury, which occurred in the Sonic's 2011 opener against the Nuggets.

"He dislocated his shoulder and although there were no ligaments hurt, the swelling and pain take him some time to pause", Sonics Doc Nick Hibbert told media.

Casspi has missed the last two games and will miss at least another four to five games as the Sonics will have a tough five games scheduled next week.

The Israeli sophomore is so far averaging 18.3 points and 5.3 rebounds for Seattle this season.

███ Kobe, LeBron lead All-Star voting
NEW YORK (AP)

Heat Forward LeBron James and Lakers Guard Kobe Bryant headline the All-Star voting of their Conference respectively at the moment.

LeBron already has 2.111.030 votes, a feat no player has ever managed to get that early. It seems like the King will also be the first player to get over 2.5 million votes on four consecutive seasons.

Kobe Bryant also already has over 2 million votes (2.025.129), being first among the West and also among the league's guards. Take a look at the All-Star votes below.

West Centers: Yao Ming (877.691), Al Jefferson (745.868), Chris Kaman (652.553), Andrew Bynum (599.493)
West Forwards: Kevin Durant (1.654.333), Tim Duncan (1.394.312), Carmelo Anthony (1.372.212), Pau Gasol (1.321.259), Dirk Nowitzki (1.123.997)
West Guards: Kobe Bryant (2.025.129), Chris Paul (1.614.425), Brandon Roy (1.152.904), Manu Ginobili (1.097.390)

East Centers: Dwight Howard (1.221.217), Andrew Bogut (759.277), Al Horford (697.881)
East Forwards: LeBron James (2.111.030), Amar'e Stoudemire (1.195.147), Chris Bosh (1.18.501), Carlos Boozer (964.490)
East Guards: Dwyane Wade (1.076.913), Joe Johnson (987.568), Gilbert Arenas (957.878), Rajon Rondo (950.560)

███ Randolph sets new UNC record
RALEIGH (AP)

George Randolph, UNC small forward, set a new record for three pointers made in a game.

The 6-6 sharpshooter hit 9 of his 10 three point attempts in North Carolina's 67-60 win over Vanderbilt.

Randolph scored 33 points and set a new Tar Heels record as he topped the 8 three pointers by Hubert Davis from 1992.

The NCAA Division I record for three pointers is currently held by Keith Vaney out of Marshall, who hit 15 threes in 1996.

Randolph has not yet announced wether or not he wants to play his last season at UNC or declare for the 2011 NBA draft.

[Mandich]

East-guards are really close in voting. only about 120, 000 in between 1st and 4th . .

[The X]

Lovin' the NCAA line

[Fresh8]

Going strong man. And good to see a Laker in the five liners.

[john26]

Hope Casspi returns ASAP

[hova-]

Tyreke Evans' impressive play has helped the Sonics snatch some Ws

Some sparks of hope in Rain City
Sonicsfan88 for Sonics.com
Posted on January 11th 2010 2:16PM

It does not always rain in Seattle. Well, at least not literally. For Sonics fans, there was more rain than ever this season. Whilst the last season of the franchise in 07/08 was surely a pretty big downpour (finishing with 20-62), there was at least some hope for the supporters that there will be better, sunnier days. Kevin Durant was a big reason for these sunshine hopes in Rain City.

Well, we all know, that instead of sunshine, all we got was a thunderstorm, actually, more Thunder then storm. After this big disappointment, the hope for some shafts of sunlight completely died.

When the Kings franchise announced their move from Sac-town to Seattle, these hopes lived up again. Only to get smashed away after the first two month of NBA basketball in Seattle. At 9-23 our team did almost everything to become worse than the Clippers (thank god it did not happen so far) and it seemed like heavy rain just again.


Let the sun shine

The last three games were definitely some sparks of hope. Coming of three straight losses at the beginning of January (@DEN, vs PHX, vs ATL), our home squad managed to take revenge and beat the Denver Nuggets at Seattle.

It was once again Tyreke Evans, who carried the torch as the Sonics already led by 13 at half time. He scored 36 points on a very efficient 15-22 from the field, hit all his free throws (6-6) and added 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. His 7 turnovers should not be unspoken of, but that's what happens you're missing your 2nd scoring option in Omri Casspi.

Carl Landry had a double double (10/10) and Antoine Wright hit all of his four shots en route to 12 points.

Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets go-to-guy and leading scorer struggled with fouls all game long and only had 14 points in 26 minutes of action. Game-high man for Denver was Earl Smith with 20.


Where is the goddamn consistency?

After beating the Denver Nuggets, a Playoff team in the West, you can expect to beat the Raptors, who might also make the Playoffs in the East, despite their below .500 record.

But our Sonics this season have the characteristic of being one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. Where Carmelo Anthony struggled the night before because he got attacked on where he's weak (his defense), the Sonics did not manage to do the same with italian big man Andrea Bargnani.

Bargnani scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and added 2 blocks on 12-16 shooting to give the Raptors a 96-108 home win. Leandro Barbosa added 20 and Jose Calderson had 15 and 12 dimes.

For the Sonics? Well, Tyreke only had 19 points but once again too many turnovers with 5. Donte Greene had a team-high 22 and hit 3-4 from downtown, being a solid replacement for Omri Casspi.

"This game was really really bad, but I like how Donte (Greene) is playing. He's really earning a soft spot in my plans, I like him", Coach Hova said after the game.


Our rookie breaks out once again

Talking about inconsistency. Demarcus Cousins had 10 and 5 in the W against the Nuggets, but just 4 and 6 against the Raptors (in 20 minutes).

Both does not sound that impressive. But impressive was his game @Washington just two days after the L to Toronto.



SPALDING shot of the week: Demarcus Cousins vs the Washington Wizards (01/11/2011)



Cousins had 20 points, 12 boards and 2 blocks, hitting 8 of his 9 shots from the field in only 23 minutes playing time. The Wizards led by 5 after the first quarter, but Seattle rallied away in the 2nd and led by 12 after three quarters.

"Today, we played the pick&roll to perfection. Demarcus (Cousins) showed that he is not only a low post threat, but can also be an agile pick&roll player", Chris Hova told media after the game.

Tyreke Evans led all Sonics with 28 points whilst Gilbert Arenas had a team-high 22 for the struggling Wizards, who fell behind the Sonics after the game (2nd worst record in the league).

"This 94-81 road win was definitely a big sign from the Sonics that they still hang in there, they are no bottom feeders. I love those superstar flashes of Demarcus Cousins, I think he can be a dominant big men in this league", TNT analyst Charles Barkley said after the game, also dissing Wizards top rookie John Wall.
"Right now it seems like the Wizards did a bad job drafting this guy. I mean he's quick, but I was never quick and still was one of the best players in the league. You need heart to make it out there", the former All-Star said.

Wall only had 4 points and 3 assists in 30 minutes and is averaging 15 points and 5.5 dimes per game, shooting only .41% from the field and .21% from down town.


All in all, a solid three game span for our Sonics, who will now head to Boston to play the Eastern Champion. It's raining outside as I write these last lines of the Sonics blog, but I'm pretty sure that I can see some light behind those clouds. Catch the next blog, take care!



Pierce hits last second shot to lift Cs past Rockets 98-99 ...
T-Wolves upset Spurs 119-125 ...
Westbrook wants clearness about contract situation ...
Jazz sign D-leaguer Kenny Adams...


Check Sonics stats and League Standings here ...

[Fresh8]

The article makes me think of that song that goes 'Aint no sunshine when she gonnneee...'

Anyways, I'm starting to think of the Thunder when I see the Sonics... It's not good.

It's good to see you getting through the season so quickly boss!

[The X]

I really like what you've done with this pic. Makes it a look a lot more life-like