(63-19) First Round Wraps Up [4-0]

[karlsanada10]

Well, it's always LeBron James! He has been always the number one since 2k9.(PS2,PSP,PC)

Somebody, please injure him.-.-

[kibaxx7]

He won MVP in France two years straight before committing to Kansas, then Kansas State, then Butler, then the University of Florida, then the University of Texas, then Villanova, then the University of Kentucky, then UConn, before finally coming to a final decision in Michigan State. His commitment to Michigan State has been a great decision however

[|)e8*]

That Xavier Nelson guy looks like he could be a star

[Axel The Great]

karlsanada10, LeBron just doesn't play fair. He's just a pure freak of nature.

Thierry •,

|)e8*, yep, tremendous upside. You could end up being the next Steve Nash w/ defense.

[kibaxx7]

Thierry •,

I proved my commitment over the last year, or not?

[Bucket]

Nice article about prospects
NBA Comparison: Kendrick Perkins
Excellent from bench? Wow

[George7]

Really liked that draftees article
If you pick me in the draft,you will be a really lucky GM!
Am i the only one coming overseas among NLSCers?

[|)e8*]

karlsanada10, LeBron just doesn't play fair. He's just a pure freak of nature.

Thierry •,

|)e8*, yep, tremendous upside. You could end up being the next Steve Nash w/ defense.

So it means I could end up being the point-god!!!!!!!

[Justine.]

Excellent report Not liking the comparison though

[Stress Fracture]

Really liked that draftees article
If you pick me in the draft,you will be a really lucky GM!
Am i the only one coming overseas among NLSCers?

Don't you worry George. I'll tell Axel. that I'm also coming from overseas.

[Houndy]

Watch me become the next Jason Kidd

[Axel The Great]

Thierry •, imo, yes you have. Finish that one season with your Spurs, and you'll prove to everyone else that you in fact can fully commit to a story.

Valdis, the game actually compared you to Alexis Ajinca. To me, your player is more of a Kendrick Perkins; tough, excellent rebounder, shot blocker, and an enforcer down low.

George7, even if you are available, I'm gonna pass you up on the draft (in the first round). My plan is to draft Brad Halstead. And yes, you're the only one of this draft class coming overseas among NLSCers. Thierry came from France to Michigan State, not sure if that counts.

|)e8*, if you get drafted by a team that's thin at the point, you'll be able to show your full potential.

Justine., what? You don't like the comparison to Peja? Depending on what the game means, though, it's a good thing if they're comparing you to his prime days in Sacramento.

Stress Fracture, yep, you'll be the only Pinoy in the NBA.

Houndy, except you're a much better shooter from mid-range.

Week 17 recap next, then the RL trades, then the ASW.

[Axel The Great]

[38-17] Houston Rockets 109-100 Denver Nuggets [30-25]


Budinger with the poster over three Nuggets. | Billups continues his struggles against the Rockets this season.

It was a blowout from the beginning; the Rockets set out to an 18-point lead early on. They had a 29-point lead at one point in the third quarter, despite Kevin Martin's sub-par 7/19 shooting, on route to 28 points. A good chunk of his points came from the free throw line, as he went a perfect 13/13 from there. Helping him with the scoring load was Luis Scola, who contributed 20 points, grabbed five boards and blocked three shots. With the Nuggets downed going into the fourth, the Rockets brought out the bench for garbage time.

The Nuggets just wouldn't give up. They went on an offensive tear. After being held to 3/10 shooting in the first half, Carmelo Anthony stepped up big in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 26 in the final period. He went 13/25 from the field, and not only was he the one with the hot hand. J.R. Smith and Arron Afflalo scored three combined triples to swing the momentum to Denver's side. They came within eight, but the Rockets were able to hold them down to split the season series, 2-2.

"They gave us a bit of a scare there; with a lead that big you tend to relax a little too much and let it slip through your fingers. Just great to see we held our composure in the end," said rookie Patrick Patterson.

Player of the Game-

Kevin Martin
28 points | 5 assists | 2 rebounds | 1 steal | 7/19 FG | 13/13 FT

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Luis Scola - 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 8/14 FG
Yao Ming - 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 5/6 FG
Aaron Brooks - 12 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound, 4/12 FG
Kyle Lowry - 8 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 3/6 FG

Nuggets:
Carmelo Anthony - 26 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 13/25 FG
J.R. Smith - 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 6/8 FG, 2/3 3P
Arron Afflalo - 14 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 3 steals, 6/10 FG, 2/3 3P
Chauncey Billups - 12 points, 14 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 5/14 FG

32 25 31 21 109
17 19 27 37 100

[39-17] Houston Rockets 108-92 Philadelphia 76ers [19-36]


Luis Scola had a monstrous double-double, again. | Iguodala with the highlight of the game, a windmill dunk on the fast break.

Philadelphia was missing Elton Brand, but yet, they still managed to outrebound the Rockets 49-46. That was pretty much the only plus side for the 76ers in this game, as they were taken out in Houston.

They kept the game close in the first quarter, with Jrue Holiday making the big plays. Andre Iguodala got off to a slow start, but managed to find his rhythm in the second half. The Rockets led by as many as 24 at one point in the second quarter, but the 76ers managed to chip that margin away to just 16 at the end of the first half.

With the game seemingly won, the Rockets continued to cruise in the second half. However, Iguodala had a nice start in the third quarter, scoring on three of his first four attempts of the half. He'd ultimately bulldoze his way through the Rockets' defense after a sub-par first half. He would finish with 25 points, but his effort was not enough to chip away at the big deficit. They managed to chip it down to nine with about 5-6 minutes left in the game, but thanks to Luis Scola, the Rockets pulled away.

Worthy of notice: Jrue Holiday missed on a triple-double by one point, scoring just nine points, but grabbing 10 boards and dishing 11 assists. The Rockets shot 48% from the field, while the 76ers shot a mediocre 43% from the field.

The Rockets are in great shape heading into All-Star Weekend; they currently hold a four-game win streak and have an easy schedule after the All-Star break. They capitalized on this four-game homestand going undefeated, still showing that they're the best home team in the league.

Player of the Game-

Kevin Martin
27 points | 3 assists | 3 rebounds | 2 blocks | 10/21 FG | 7/8 FT

Key Performers:
Rockets:
Aaron Brooks - 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 6/15 FG, 3/4 3P
Luis Scola - 16 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 7/12 FG
Terrence Williams - 8 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3/3 FG
Kyle Lowry - 8 points, 5 assists, 3/5 FG
Yao Ming - 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3/7 FG

76ers:
Andre Iguodala - 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 11/22 FG
Thaddeus Young - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 7/14 FG
Marreese Speights - 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4/10 FG
Evan Turner - 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3/11 FG
Jrue Holiday - 9 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3/8 FG

29 28 29 22 108
24 17 31 20 92

[Houndy]

Nice win. All-Star weekend and trade deadline are coming up. Dragic?

[kibaxx7]

Great games from my Argentinian brother, Scola, and nice poster from Budinger.

[karlsanada10]

Nice win. All-Star weekend and trade deadline are coming up. Dragic?

THIS.

[hova-]

Hohoo, Budinger dunking on three guys like Luis Chase in my thread. Must be the "Chase" in the name. Two decent wins, looking forward to your All-Star squads and how you gonna cover it up. Jrue Holiday almost with the triple double is nice to see. Also, props on defending Melo decently this time

[Stress Fracture]

BUDINGER

A pair of blow-out (yeah, I consider the Nuggets game a blowout) games are really awesome.

Oh my, that's a Pinoy dream to enter the NBA. Though it would just happen in a game.

[Nutellar]

Nice win over the 76ers

Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday had a big game also Thaddeus Young.

[Axel The Great]

Nice win. All-Star weekend and trade deadline are coming up. Dragic?

Nice win. All-Star weekend and trade deadline are coming up. Dragic?

THIS.

Nope, no Dragic. We didn't carry out any trades.

Great games from my Argentinian brother, Scola, and nice poster from Budinger.

Scola is solid as always, and Bud is a solid entry for the dunk contest.

Hohoo, Budinger dunking on three guys like Luis Chase in my thread. Must be the "Chase" in the name. Two decent wins, looking forward to your All-Star squads and how you gonna cover it up. Jrue Holiday almost with the triple double is nice to see. Also, props on defending Melo decently this time

Yep, definitely. They go around "Chase-ing" those posters.

I'm not really one that emphasizes much on ASW, kind of like The X, but I guess I've never had an in-depth ASW to cover in the first place. And yeah, glad that Melo didn't drop 40+ on me again.

:bowdown: BUDINGER

A pair of blow-out (yeah, I consider the Nuggets game a blowout) games are really awesome.

Oh my, that's a Pinoy dream to enter the NBA. Though it would just happen in a game.

It might happen irl eventually.

Nice win over the 76ers

Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday had a big game also Thaddeus Young.

Yeah, Iggy and Holiday were tough to stop. Had they both combined for a good effort in the second half, they may have been able to evaporate that double-digit lead.

Thanks for the 5K views guys!

[Axel The Great]

2011 NBA Trade Deadline Deals

Posted by Axel Gomez, February 19, 2011 at 7:08 AM
As always, teams procrastinate trades until the deadline in the NBA. It was no different this year. There were a total of 10 trades before the deadline this year, with the Melo drama coming to an end, and with some teams pulling the trigger on some unexpected trades. Here's a quick review of each trade:

Bobcats get:
+ 2011 First Round Pick
TrailBlazers get:

With the TrailBlazers struggling to get above .500, they've added an excellent wing defender alongside Nicolas Batum in Gerald Wallace. Meanwhile, the Bobcats have entered a rebuilding phase, trading away their star player and the last original Bobcat for expiring contracts. Still, they get excellent size in Joel Przybilla, and a young forward in Dante Cunningham, both of whom were stuck inside Nate McMillan's dog house in Portland. Sources say that the Bobcats will waive Sean Marks.

Bobcats get:

Thunder get:

The Bobcats have made another move, sending away their starting center Nazr Mohammed to Oklahoma City in exchange for the expiring contracts of Morris Peterson and DJ White. The Thunder have been able to get through the season without a big body (other than Serge Ibaka) down low, so Mohammed adds depth to their thin center position.

Celtics get:
+ 2012 First Round Pick
Thunder get:

A very unexpected deal for the Celtics, and according to some sources, Kendrick Perkins was not happy with his minutes in Boston, having to split them with the corpses of Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal. The Thunder have probably just completed their last piece of the championship puzzle, as they are currently tied with Boston for the league best record at 39-15. This trade arguably makes Oklahoma City better, as they now have an enforcer down low, and with the league best record, who knows how far they will get.

Clippers get:

Cavaliers get:
+ 2011 First Round Pick
This trade was obviously requested by Clippers owner Donald Sterling to drive Baron Davis out of town. He was playing his best basketball in a long time, having the time of his life throwing lob passes to Blake Griffin. The Clippers are in ninth place in the Western Conference, and now Davis moves on to a worse situation in Cleveland, as they own the third worst record in the East. Mo Williams will have to share the limelight with Eric Gordon, as they are both score-first mentality guards. Jamario Moon adds depth to the wing positions, and will probably start over the rookie Al-Farouq Aminu.

Wizards get:
+ 2011 First Round Pick
Hawks get:

Along with a 2011 first round draft pick, the Wizards have acquired Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, and Maurice Evans from Atlanta, in exchange for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong. Atlanta has upgraded at the point guard position as Hinrich brings the same shooting ability as Bibby, except that he's a much better defender. Meanwhile, the Wizards add a veteran to their young squad in Maurice Evans, and a young, up-and-coming rookie in Jordan Crawford, who will not be confused with Jamal Crawford in the box scores anymore. It is believed that Mike Bibby will be waived to sign with the Miami Heat.

Nets get:

Warriors get:

This move was done to free up cap space for both teams. The Warriors will buyout Troy Murphy's contract, while the contracts of Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright expire after the season's end.

Nets get:

Jazz get:
+ 2011 First Round Pick
Another surprising trade here, it is believed that Deron Williams was fed up with coach Jerry Sloan, and so the franchise pulled the trigger on this trade, acquiring a solid point guard in Devin Harris and a young promising forward in Derrick Favors. Meanwhile, the Nets have acquired a star; this trade will help them short-term, but whether Williams re-signs with them after the end of next season is the question of their long-term future.

Kings get:

Hornets get:

With a bunch of young forwards stuck on their bench, the Kings made a move to acquire a scorer to play alongside Tyreke Evans, and they got one in Marcus Thornton. Meanwhile, Carl Landry will be an excellent backup for David West in New Orleans. The Hornets also offered cash considerations in this deal.

Nuggets get:

Knicks get:

Well, the Melo drama is finally over. Carmelo Anthony got his wish fulfilled in going home to New York, but at the expense of taking a happy Chauncey Billups with him. The Knicks' offense should have no problem clicking, but they lose an excellent wing defender in Wilson Chandler. The Nuggets got as much as they could in return, acquiring three solid role players who look like they'll fit in well with George Karl's offense in Denver. With the contracts not adding up, the Knicks also offered Denver cash considerations.

Like in every trade, there are winners, and there are losers. Some of these trades have obvious winners, but others, well, time will tell which teams came out the winners, and which ones came out the losers. After the All-Star break, these trades will be put to the test.

Since this is a Rockets blog, they are worthy of mention. Why didn't they make a trade? Rockets GM Daryl Morey summed it up, saying "We didn't want to make a trade just for the sake of making a trade. The team is in a great position right now; they are going to improve from last season's record by a bunch, and everyone's healthier than they have been in years. Sometimes, the best trades are ones that you don't make, and I think that's our case here."

Dead accurate in that statement. Health will be a major factor come playoff time, and if the team can stay healthy, they have a chance at a championship.

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As this was too time-consuming, I just did the important trades. I had to do a bit of salary-editing for the Melo trade as I couldn't find out a way to make it work out like in real life.

[kibaxx7]

WHERE'S GORAN????

[mp3]

Nice job with the updated trades, i noticed that K=Mart is playing like 8-10 minutes less than the rest of that class no ?

[Houndy]

Dragic?

[karlsanada10]

Goran Dragic? No.?