Hov's Kings - Retired

A collection of memorable stories from NBA 2K's franchise and career modes.

Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Atlantic Division

Postby maksie on Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:30 pm

the knicks look really scary and unstoppable..
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Atlantic Division

Postby Houndy on Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:09 pm

Love the preview bro. The Knicks are going to have a good season
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Atlantic Division

Postby kibaxx7 on Fri Mar 11, 2011 3:48 am

Knicks finally a contention team after many years. (Y)
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011 NBA Preseason - Rookie Photo Series

Postby hova- on Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:02 pm

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D-Rose and the Bulls could be the best team in the East if they stay healthy.



Dark horses in the making - Central Division Preview
By Carl Column, NBA.com
Posted on October 26th 4:14PM


Just a few days ahead of the NBA season, let's have a breakdown of each division to deliver you the information you need to have when NBA action starts and you'll sit next to your mates watching the first matches of the season.

Up today - the Central Division, a mixture of dark horses (Bucks, Bulls), an only-East playoff team (Pacers) and two teams that dominated the East three years ago and find themselves down now (Cavs, Pistons).


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(Last year: 48-34, 1st Central, 3rd East)

• Players lost: K. Thomas (r), J. Johnson, K. Weaver, K. Bogans, B. Scalabrine

• Players added: R. Butler, T. Flowers*, T. Porter*


• Projected Rotation:

C J. Noah - O. Asik
PF C. Boozer - T. Gibson
SF L. Deng - K. Korver - R. Butler
SG R. Brewer - T. Flowers* - G. Porter*
PG D. Rose - CJ Watson

• Outlook:

The Bulls are definitely once again a team to watch out for. Due to injury problems (Korver and Noah out) the Bulls could not play their best basketball in Playoffs and still forced seven games in a stellar series against the Celtics (those two meeting is turning into classic once again). The Bulls had the best FG% and 3PT% last year and the fourth best defense. The three point shooting should be even better this year with the addition of Rasual Butler and rookie Tim Flowers, two well-known sharpshooters.
Last year it was difficult to decide who is the real MVP for the Bulls: Carlos Boozer (24.0ppg/9.3rpg) and Derrick Rose (20.1ppg/7.9apg) both had very good seasons. But it is clear that the team belongs to Rose in the upcoming years and the point guard is said to work on his game hard. After only shooting .23% from downtown last year, Rose has been hitting the gym and improved his jumper during offseason.
The Bulls were a contender to win it all if it wasn't for their thin bench, especially on the big positions. Still - they are a dark horse for this year's Playoffs - if they stay healthy.




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(Last year: 46-36, 2nd Central, 5th East)

• Players lost: L. Mbah A Moute, M. Redd, C. Delfino, K. Dooling, J. Brockman, D. Hobson, E. Boykins

• Players added: Z. Randolph, H. Whiteside, D. Green, B. Cardona*, S. Lawrence*


• Projected Rotation:

C A. Bogut - D. Gooden - H. Whiteside
PF Z. Randolph - E. Ilyasova - L. Sanders
SF C. Maggette - D. Green
SG C. Douglas-Roberts - J. Salmons - B. Cardona*
PG B. Jennings - S. Lawrence*

• Outlook:

The Milwaukee Bucks were able to get rid of some horrid contracts this offseason and instead tried to make only few moves which could turn out great for them.
The Bucks did not resign former franchise player Michael Redd (13.5 ppg last season) and instead spent their money on ex-Grizzly Zach Randolph, a walking double-double (20.2ppg/10.4rpg) and one of the best offensive rebounders in the league. Now looking pretty deep on the power forward spot, the Bucks also let Luc Mbah A Moute go and decided to resign Chris Douglas-Roberts who will probably start on the shooting guard spot, although he only scored 6.4 points per game last season.
By adding Hassan Whiteside and Danny Green, the Bucks also got some talent off the bench. Still, the Bucks expect their biggest impact from Brandon Jennings (17.8ppg/6.3apg) and Andrew Bogut (15.4ppg/10.7rpg). The third-year point guard is still working on his passing and shooting and needs to improve his consistency to turn into an All-Star type of player. Bogut already has been an All-Star last season, for the first time of his career, and is said to have added a 12-feet jump shot to his repertoire to have a bigger impact on offense.
All in all, the Bucks have an above-average team on offense and on defense and should be able to survive the 1st round of the playoffs and make some noise. Win it all? Not really.



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(Last year: 38-44, 3rd Central, 8th East)

• Players lost: J. Posey (r), J. Foster, AJ Price, S. Jones

• Players added: JR Smith, M. Thornton, O. Brady*, M. Carlson*


• Projected Rotation:

C R. Hibbert - J. McRoberts
PF T. Hansbrough - O. Brady*
SF D. Granger - P. George - D. Jones - M. Dunleavy
SG M. Thornton - JR Smith - B. Rush - L. Stephenson
PG D. Collison - TJ Ford - M. Carlson*

• Outlook:

The Pacers sneaked into Playoffs last year with a negative record and the team showed that they had the potential for a Playoff upset if it wasn't for the Heat to meet them.
Still, the Pacers' offseason was far away from being good. Larry Bird added two shooting-guards to a team already stacked with wing players and did not manage to get a deal done in order to get some help downlow. JR Smith (18.5ppg) and Marcus Thornton (11.5 ppg) could both start on other teams and - just by the way - three of the Pacers' four shooting guards have already been suspended by the league in their career (Rush, Smith, Stephenson).
Under the basket, the Pacers hope to get more improvement from Georgetown center Roy Hibbert (11.0ppg/7.6rpg) and former Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough (13.5/6.6rpg). It's not tough to understand why Bird drafted Orlando Brady, since the guy was a beast at College and led Montana to the Finals on his own, but he seems to be too similar to Hansbrough and does not give the team the size it needs. Danny Granger has still to prove that he can lead the team, not only in scoring (24.0ppg), but also in difficult situations on the court.
A player who is spreading hope is Darren Collison, who played great last year (17.4ppg/7.6apg) and has turned into a floor general.
Summarized, the Pacers are once again competing for this 8th spot, but the East has gotten better this year (NYK) and so they won't make the Playoffs. Bird needs some trades, the roster seems put together without a plan, let's hope he can prove us wrong.



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(Last year: 37-45, 4th Central, 9th East)

• Players lost: M.Williams, A. Parker, W. Green, J. Moon, D. Green, P. Stojakovic, M. Harris, J. Williams, L. Powe

• Players added: B. Davis, V. Carter, L. Harangody, S. Erden, W. Woods*


• Projected Rotation:

C A. Varejao - S. Erden - R. Hollins
PF JJ Hickson - S. Samuels - L. Harangody
SF J. Graham - W. Woods*
SG V. Carter - D. Gibson - C. Eyenga
PG B. Davis - R. Sessions

• Outlook:

Did I miss something or is Cleveland a pensioner's paradise? Not really, the city is rather known as one of the uglier and more boring ones in the NBA. Still the Cavs managed to get Baron Davis and Vince Carter to join them in a season that is like going nowhere.
Carter (19.5ppg) will give the team some scoring and leadership, Davis (14.9ppg/7.9apg) will help the planless offense (last in apg last season) to improve a bit, but honestly, what does Cleveland expect from two players who have already passed their prime? It's described as a marketing move by many, just to keep the (already very good) attendance average high.
More important will be the development of JJ Hickson. The young power forward has shined during last season after the trade of Antawn Jamison and averaged 14.6ppg and 5.9rpg).
But if you look at the roster, those three are the only players who have any offensive potential, which will definitely not be enough to make the Playoffs.
Ex-Hoya Wayne Woods is not LeBron (although he's wearing his number, take that, King James) but will definitely help the team to play a strong team defense Byron Scott likes.
Retrospectively, the Cavs are still rebuilding and giving up Mo Williams (22.4ppg) and Antawn Jamison was the sign for a big cut. No Playoff basketball in Cleveland for the 2nd straight season!



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(Last year: 22-60, 5th Atlantic, 15th East)

• Players lost: T. Prince, T. McGrady, J. Maxiell, S. Telfair

• Players added: J. Thompson, G. Randolph*, G. Hope*, B. Turner*


• Projected Rotation:

C G. Monroe - B. Wallace
PF J. Thompson - C. Villanueva - C. Wilcox
SF G. Randolph* - J. Jerebko - A. Daye
SG B. Gordon - D. Summers - T. White - B. Turner*
PG R. Stuckey - A. Bynum - G. Hope*

• Outlook:

Oh, Joe D ... The Pistons are still looking to rehab from the tough offseason two years ago when Ben Gordon and Charlie V got their horrible contracts. But instead of rehabilitating, the Pistons fell back into their addiction. Rodney Stuckey averaged 13.4 points and 4.5 assists per game last season, but he will earn double-digit millions in the next five years after resigning with the Pistons this offseason. Jonas Jerebko is a solid small forward, but I would not like to spend the MLE for the next five years for him. Joe D does want. Oh and how about having the highest chances for the number one pick and dropping down to fourth?
The Pistons had a tough time once again, but at least they managed to get rid of Tayshaun Prince (12.4 ppg) and Jason Maxiell (8.2 rpg), not because they were bad, but because those guys of the "better time" did not deserve to get stuck into the rebuilding process. Rookie George Randolph will help the Pistons to get better on offense (last in ppg last season) and the deal for Jason Thompson wasn't a bad move at all by Dumars. But what about the C? Greg Monroe is coming off an horrid rookie season (2.3ppg/2.1rpg) and will start next season.
The Pistons will once again compete for that number one draft pick, but how long will it take until Joe D has to leave is the main question. Or will it be the new coach Brian Hill who will have to leave? We will see.


*= Rookies; fat=added this season; r= retired; took the images of Agent420's association list, props to him!
Last edited by hova- on Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Central Division

Postby Martti. on Sat Mar 12, 2011 9:38 pm

The Bulls are still among contenders, but I think Milwaukee can surprise people as well.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Central Division

Postby Houndy on Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:44 pm

Nice coverage. I think the Pacers are a darkhorse for this division
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Central Division

Postby |)e8* on Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:13 am

GO CAVS!!
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Thank you maksie for this kick-ass sig
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Central Division

Postby hova- on Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:11 am

Martti., yeah, I find both to be pretty solid squads, but you're right, Milwaukee just looks a bit deeper, especially down low.

Houndy, really? I don't like their power forward spot and I don't like the fact that they have like 8 players who could play SG.

|)e8*, good to see some fans who like the Carter/Davis duo. Doubt they gonna rock though.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Central Division

Postby kibaxx7 on Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:11 am

Wow I like that Bucks roster. Hope they can post a surprise.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011 NBA Preseason - Rookie Photo Series

Postby hova- on Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:21 pm

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Bobcats rebuild: Can Tyrus Thomas be a go-to-guy?



Eastern Powerhouse? South East Division Preview
By Carl Column, NBA.com
Posted on October 27th 5:11PM


Just a few days ahead of the NBA season, let's have a breakdown of each division to deliver you the information you need to have when NBA action starts and you'll sit next to your mates watching the first matches of the season.

Up today - the South East division, home of three teams who set the Conference Finals as their goals, with the Heat trying again to win it all.


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(Last year: 66-16, 1st South East, 1st East)

• Players lost: C. Arroyo, P. Beverley, D. Pittman, J. Howard (r), J. Magloire

• Players added: M. Bibby, R. Tiner*, O. Gordon*


• Projected Rotation:

C C. Bosh - Z. Ilgauskas
PF U. Haslem - R. Tiner* - O. Gordon*
SF L. James - J. Jones
SG D. Wade - M. Miller - E. House
PG M. Chalmers - M. Bibby

• Outlook:

The Miami Heat are still angry. After loosing vs the Cs in seven games in the Conference Finals last year, Miami is looking to bounce back and make their first trip to the finals since 2006.
There is no reason to doubt that they have what it takes to make it to the Finals and even win it all. LeBron James is the current MVP of the NBA and averaged 26.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game last season. Dwyane Wade, the Heat's topscorer posted numbers of 26.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. And to complete the Thrice, Chris Bosh was also named All-Star last season as he had numbers of 24.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. These three alone make the Heat contenders. But you have to doubt the bench of the number one defensive and number two offensive team of the league last year.
The only solid addition could be Mike Bibby, but he has also reached his peak already and will only come off the bench behind Mario Chalmers.
Sure, it's great to have Udonis Haslem back, who missed the complete last season with a knee injury, but his backups are two rookies drafted at 27th and 55th respectively.
Moving Chris Bosh to center will make the Heat playing quicker, but who should guard big man like Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum? And what does Zydrunas Ilgauskas (8.0ppg) have left in his tank?
The big three make the Heat contenders, but Playoff basketball is different and Miami did not really boost their bench and deepen their roster. If you ask me, they won't win it all.




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(Last year: 47-35, 2nd South East, 4th East)

• Players lost: V. Carter, M. Pietrus, J. Williams (r), R. Lewis, M. Gortat, M. Allen, S. Robinson

• Players added: H. Turkoglu, G. Arenas, J. Richardson, O. Dsida*, F. Lucas*


• Projected Rotation:

C D. Howard - D. Orton
PF B. Bass - R. Anderson - O. Dsida*
SF H. Turkoglu - Q. Richardson
SG G. Arenas - J. Richardson - JJ Redick
PG J. Nelson - C. Duhon - F. Lucas*

• Outlook:

The Magic saw themselves playing one of the worst season since the arrival of Dwight Howard last year and decided to make a big cut. It wasn't Howard's fault though, that made the Magic only winning 47 games, the worst since 2006-2007. The self-named "Superman" averaged 20.3 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game and was once again named DPOTY.
But it seemed like the Magic were a bit stuck in the mud as especially Vince Carter (19.5ppg) and Rashard Lewis (17.1ppg) showed a lacklustre on defense and did not win games on offense at all.
So the Magic made big moves which brought Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu as replacements. Arenas is coming off a good season statistics-wise (21.7ppg/4.8apg) but the Wizards were one of the worst teams in the league. But his knee seems fine again and he can help the Magic. Turkoglu did never manage to set feet in Phoenix and only scored 11.2 points per game, but is the prototypical player for Van Gundy's offense in Orlando. Jason Richardson, who was resigned in the summer, can be a valuable asset off the bench.
The power forward spot looks a bit weak though, and the Magic also did not resign their best wing defender in Mickael Pietrus. Daniel Orton will have to proove that he can be a solid backup for Dwight Howard with the departure of polish hammer Marcin Gortat. It's an experiment in Orlando, and it's a quite expensive one. Let's see how it turns out.



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(Last year: 44-38, 3rd South East, 6th East)

• Players lost: Ja. Crawford, Jo. Crawford, M. Bibby, M. Evans, J. Powell, E. Thomas, P. Sy, J. Collins

• Players added: T. Prince, K. Hinrich, L. Mbah A Moute, M. Redd, A. Gee, G. Hollins*


• Projected Rotation:

C A. Horford - Z. Pachulia
PF J. Smith - L. Mbah A Moute - G. Hollins*
SF T. Prince - M. Redd - M. Williams
SG J. Johnson - A. Gee
PG K. Hinrich - J. Teague

• Outlook:

The Hawks were pretty satisfied with the core of their roster but tried to shake things up after three years of stagnation by totally substituting their role-players and key-guys off the bench this year. These moves make them really look good on paper. Jamal Crawford and his isolation play (15.5ppg) were not really effective and the team decided to put Joe Johnson (22.6 ppg) back at shooting guard by adding Tayshaun Prince. Prince (12ppg) won't play a big part on offense and do a little bit of everything a team needs to win. Competing for the Playoffs should reincinerate his fire again.
Michael Redd will only come off the bench after years of injury woes, but can still be effective as an elder statesman from beyond the arc. Adding Kirk Hinrich should help the team on defense, since Mike Bibby was a walking mismatch last year. Luc Richard Mbah A Moute (what a name) and Alonzo Gee are also hard-working, defensive-minded athletes.
The bench and key players look really good, but most important will be that the team's go-to-guys keep improving. Johnson can score 20 points each night, but Al Horford (15.0ppg/11.2rpg) needs to work on his offensive game and will have to take more shots now. Josh Smith is the best all-around player in the team (15.5ppg/8.7rpg/3.5ap/2.0spg/1.7bpg), but he needs to take the next step and turn into a consistent offensive weapon. If this happens, the Hawks have potential to make it to the Conference Finals.



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(Last year: 28-54, 5th South East, 13th East)

• Players lost: G. Arenas, K. Hinrich, A. Thornton, J. Howard, C. Martin,

• Players added: R. Lewis, Jo. Crawford, D. Spencer*, M. Dixon*, R. Huffman*


• Projected Rotation:

C J. McGee - H. N'diaye
PF A. Blatche - T. Booker - R. Huffman*
SF R. Lewis - Y. Jianlian - M. Dixon*
SG D. Spencer* - N. Young
PG J. Wall - Jo. Crawford

• Outlook:

Compared to the Bobcats' rebuild, the Wizards are pretty conservative, but they also already have their future franchise player on their roster. John Wall (16.9ppg/6.0apg) will improve further and turn into an All-Star soon, that's why the Wizards also gave up on G. Arenas, who was ruining their image anyway.
Apart from Wall, Andray Blatche has caused hope among fans due to his strong season in 2010, posting 15.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The addition of Rashard Lewis was maybe expensive, but gives the Wizards some veteran fire power on their weak forward spot. The best addition of the offseason must be Darryl Spencer though. Heavily underrated and sometimes misunderstood, Spencer was one of the best shooting guards that have ever player for the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons and posted 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. The 6-6 guard should not have problems to transist his game to the NBA and will form a dynamic backcourt duo with John Wall.
The Wizards are still not a Playoff team, but they have the right puzzle parts. It's a question of how to put them together now.



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(Last year: 34-48, 4th South East, 11th East)

• Players lost: G. Wallace, S. Jackson, D. Brown, N. Mohammed, K. Brown

• Players added: R. Gomes, L. Graham*, M. Barker*, D. Barrett*


• Projected Rotation:

C B. Diaw - D. Diop
PF T. Thomas - E. Najera
SF R. Gomes - M. Barker*, D. McGuire
SG G. Henderson - S. Livingston - M. Carroll - D. Barrett*
PG DJ Augustin - L. Graham

• Outlook:

Wow! The Bobcats really look worse than the team they had when the franchise was founded in 2004. Michael Jordan decided to rebuild the franchise and honestly, although Jordan is not known for great decisions, it was a wise choice and he really managed to clear cap quickly. He gave away the two biggest contracts in Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson and got two first-rounders in return. The team will miss the 37 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists both combined for, but there's no reason to believe in success this year anyway.
The Bobcats have a lot of young talent and did a good job in drafting UCLA prospect Leroy Graham who could start over DJ Augustin soon, although Larry Brown does not like rookies.
Melvin Barker is a raw jewel and by many seen as the big sleeper of the draft.
The most important guy on the roster will be Tyrus Thomas. The 6-9 power forward has finally improved and matured (12.7ppg/6.3rpg) and will now have a starting spot and get 35 or more minutes per game. He's the only guy who has a long-running contract, and the Bobcats will have over 25M $ of cap space next season.
A move which is also very nice to see is the return of the orange away jerseys. All hail to Charlotte's rebuild!


*= Rookies; fat=added this season; r= retired; took the images of Agent420's association list, props to him!
Last edited by hova- on Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Martti. on Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:52 am

Heat playing Bosh as the C? Oh dear..
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Houndy on Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:21 am

Charlotte needs to rebuild better. They really don't have a pure center besides Diop.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby kibaxx7 on Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:17 am

Well, that Bobcats roster sucks :lol: Hopefully the Magic can make a deep run, but I doubt it...
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby hova- on Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:29 am

Martti., well a Bosh-Haslem combination is better than Z and Bosh, because Z is old and slow and only takes jumpshots.

Houndy, they suck from the 5 to the 1, but they will be a huge player in the offseason.

Thierry •, dunno either, but they have quite a similar roster with a lot of guys who can shoot around the defnesive beast Howard.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby thatwizardguy on Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:36 am

very nice preview, very well done, simply yet very nice design to it.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Justine. on Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:05 am

RePaul at C!
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Fresh8 on Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:49 pm

As usual, this is looking top quality. I got a lot to catch up on though!

I'm guessing Kobe Bryant is going to be a threat after working out with Michael Jordan in the Summer?
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby hova- on Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:45 pm

thatwizardguy, thanks man. Glad you like it. It's not the best of writing, but I hope ya'll have an idea about which teams are good or bad after reading.

Justine., RePaul?

Sit, nice to see you stopping by. You at least have to fly over the previews to have a clue bout my league, man.
Bryant dominated before, but working out with MJ should make him unstoppable on his run for ring nr. 7.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Justine. on Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:50 pm

I mean RuPaul
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: South East - Powerhous

Postby Fresh8 on Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:38 pm

hova- wrote: Sit, nice to see you stopping by. You at least have to fly over the previews to have a clue bout my league, man.
Bryant dominated before, but working out with MJ should make him unstoppable on his run for ring nr. 7.


Definitely will look over previews in more detail when I have more time to sit down and just read. (Y)
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011 NBA Preseason - Rookie Photo Series

Postby hova- on Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:13 pm

Image


No pic: 2k server down
Another title for L.A.? Kobe does everything to win - even working out with his idol&rival.



War in the city of Angels? Pacific Division Preview
By Carl Column, NBA.com
Posted on October 27th 3:21PM


Just a few days ahead of the NBA season, let's have a breakdown of each division to deliver you the information you need to have when NBA action starts and you'll sit next to your mates watching the first matches of the season.

Up today - the Pacific Division, a pretty weak division with two teams from the same city having two different goals: to get on top - and to stay on top.


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(Last year: 59-23, 1st Pacific, 1st West)

• Players lost: M. Barnes, S. Brown, S. Vujacic, T. Johnson, T. Ratliff (r), D. Ebanks, L. Walton, S. Blake

• Players added: A. Kent*, S. Nash, K. Brown, G. Siler, B. Turner*


• Projected Rotation:

C A. Bynum - K. Brown - G. Siler
PF P. Gasol - L. Odom - D. Caracter
SF R. Artest - A. Kent*
SG K. Bryant - B. Turner*
PG S. Nash - D. Fisher

• Outlook:

The L.A. Lakers won the last three titles of the NBA and everything else than defending that title just once again would be a disappointment for the Lakers. Phil Jackson decided to retire but with Mike Brown the Lakers have brought back a coach who has already proven himself. The reality looks a bit different. Kobe Bryant, the league's 2nd best scorer last year, is still hungry and that alone can really boost his team. The self-named "Black Mamba" has worked out together with Michael Jordan for the first time of his career at the age of 32. Never before did both really show any special relation but with Kobe trying to take the next step and beating MJ's six rings, the shooting guard decided to finally admit his "I want to be like MJ attitude".
"We're great, you know. We were working as hard as anybody could work and he showed me a lot of the little things you have to do at my age. He's still in top shape and gave me a hard time with his moves", Bryant said about the all-time greatest, who said that he never doubted that one day somebody could take over his heritage. "I just said that I feel like I was the greatest. That does not mean that there will never be any other guy who could take over". The acquisition of Steve Nash, former two-time MVP and still one of the best offensive point guards, is another exclamation mark on the Lakers' ambitions.
Apart from Kobe and Nash, Pau Gasol is the most important factor of the Lakers. The Spaniard played a career-season last year (21.2ppg/9.7rpg) and took off this summer to recover from many smaller injuries.
But the Lakers don't look as deep as last year as Matt Barnes (still no contract) and Shannon Brown (GSW) decided to test the FA market. The biggest problem could be that the Lakers lack of any backup for Andrew Bynum, well known for being injury prone. Theo Ratliff retired with the first ring of his career, Kwame Brown and Garrett Siler don't look like great backups on paper.
The Lakers will have to build on their younger players like Derek Caracter and Alan Kent to give the stars time to rest.




Image
(Last year: 24-58, 5th Pacific, 15th West)

• Players lost: B. Davis, R. Gomes, D. Jordan, R. Butler

• Players added: S. Jackson, M. Williams, J. Clemons*, T. Snyder*


• Projected Rotation:

C C. Kaman - K. Perkins
PF B. Griffin - J. Clemons* - B. Cook
SF S. Jackson - A. Aminu
SG E. Gordon - R. Foye - W. Warren
PG M. Williams - E. Bledsoe - T. Snyder*

• Outlook:

Wow, what an offseason by the Clippers who suddenly challenge the Lakers for the number one place in the Pacific Division - and - in L.A.
The Clippers were able to get rid of Baron Davis who never ever was a great fit and rather destroyed the team chemistry leading to the worst record in the West last season. Instead, Clippers GM Neil Olshey did a great job and added Mo Williams (22.7ppg) and Stephen Jackson (19.4ppg/4.4apg). Williams is not the great playmaker Davis can be, but he already has proven next to the "King" that he can be a valuable scorer with a point-forward leading the way, a point-forward like Stephen Jackson.
Almost as important as these two moves was the resigning of Kendrick Perkins. The ex-Celtic will most likely come off the bench behind Chris Kaman (18.7ppg/10.6rpg), but is the best post defender the team has and brings something "mean" to the often soft squad. Soft is also the new jumpshot of Blake Griffin, at least that is what people say who watched the power forward during work-out.
Griffin is looking to attack this season after a good rookie performance (14.7ppg/8.7rpg). Same goes for Eric Gordon (15.7ppg) who had his fair share of problems with "B-Diddy" leading the way.
Oh and don't forget about rookie Jonathon Clemons. The young Canadian will come off the bench and has All-Star potential.
Summarized, the Clippers are the 2nd best team in the Pacific Division and when was the last time you could say that?




Image
(Last year: 40-42, 3rd Pacific , 10th West)

• Players lost: R. Williams, B. Wright, D. Gadzuric, J. Lin, J. Adrien, V. Radmanovic

• Players added: S. Brown, T. McGrady, A. Thornton, C. Stinson*, L. Mark*


• Projected Rotation:

C A. Biedrins - E. Udoh
PF D. Lee - A. Thornton - L. Amundson - L. Mark*
SF S. Brown - D. Wright - C. Stinson*
SG M. Ellis - T. McGrady - R. Carney
PG S. Curry - A. Law

• Outlook:

The Warriors played pretty well last season after changing to a more slowly half-court style of play under Keith Smart. The front office only tried to get some help on the thin wing positions, adding three-time NBA champion Shannon Brown from the Lakers and Al Thornton. There is no need to change much because the team has rather to grow from inside.
The Warriors were the only team last season with three scorers over 20 ppg with Monta Ellis (23.6ppg), David Lee (20.5ppg) and Stephen Curry (20.3ppg). It's always good to have three decent scorers but it also made the Warriors easy to defend (most turnovers of all teams last season).
If the role players can give them more depth on the offensive end and also punish opponents who try to double-team more often, the Warriors can once again compete for that 8th spot in the West. On defense the team has already improved with Keith Smart having an eye on his guys working hard at the defensive end.
All in all, nothing new in Oakland, but no news is good news, and at least we don't have to watch Nellieball anymore.



Image
(Last year: 45-37, 2nd Pacific , 6th West)

• Players lost: S. Nash, J. Richardson, H. Turkoglu, B. Knight, M. Janning, G. Dragic, J. Collins, G. Siler, B. Turner*

• Players added: L. Walton, D. Ebanks, S. Blake, M. Gortat, D. Hood*, M. Green*,


• Projected Rotation:

C M. Gortat - R. Lopez - C. Frye
PF H. Warrick - L. Walton - D. Hood*
SF G. Hill - J. Dudley - D. Ebanks
SG J. Childress - B. Turner*
PG S. Blake - M. Green*

• Outlook:

The Suns have started their rebuild. Finally. That's the Suns right now. By trading Steve Nash, the heart, brain and face of the franchise, the Suns made clear that they didn't think they could be successful with their current roster and had to make moves.
The two time MVP already played one of his worst seasons last year (15.5ppg/8.5apg) and had no chance of winning a championship at Phoenix.
This team lost its best scorer Jason Richardson (18.8ppg) and has no real hope that anybody can replace him, but maybe Devin Ebanks can come up bigger than most people expect. Rookie Michael Green out of Duke is a very talented point guard but will have to wait for his time to come behind former Laker Steve Blake, who did well for LA in the Finals against Boston.
The Suns have no real chance of making the Playoffs unless Alvin Gentry manages to improve at least four guys by a lot in only a few months. Sounds unrealistic ... it is, but nobody expects anything from this team right now.



Image
(Last year: 28-54, 4th Pacific, 14th West)

• Players lost: C. Landry, J. Thompson, S. Dalembert, F. Garcia, L. Head, D. Jackson, V. Spanoulis, E. Jeter, H. Whiteside, D. Cunningham, O. Casspi

• Players added: N. Mohammed, J. Maxiell, Da. West, De. West, K. Dooling, A. Gray, L. Chase*, D. Rogers*


• Projected Rotation:

C D. Cousins - N. Mohammed - A. Gray
PF Da. West - J. Maxiell
SF D. Greene - A. Wright
SG T. Evans - D. West - D. Rogers*
PG L. Chase* - K. Dooling - B. Udrih

• Outlook:

Things were uncomfortable in the offseason for Chris Hova and his Seattle Supersonics. The team moved back to Sacramento after just one year of Seattle basketball. The reason: bad attendance numbers and a changing owner, as Chris Webber took over from the Maloof brothers. The Kings changed quite a lot of players but quality-wise does not look better than last season. It's one of the youngest squads in the league, but not everybody of these youngsters as high potential. The Sonics hope that Tyreke Evans (23.1ppg/4.7apg) will be able to lead the team.
He will get help from newly acquired David West (17.1ppg) and Indiana State rookie Luis Chase, who averaged 13.4 points and 7.2 assists per game last year at college.
Offensively, Chris Hova also hopes that Demarcus Cousins can take the next step and turn into a mature player after a rough rookie season (9.3ppg/6.6rpg). The Kings will definitely miss Carl Landry (12.1ppg/7.5rpg) and Jason Thompson on offense though.
On defense, the Kings look quite good given that they lost Sam Dalembert and Francisco Garcia. Jason Maxiell is a tough guy down-low and offseason addition Delonte West from Boston has the reputation of being a good defender.
A whole lot will depend on Luis Chase and how he will adapt to NBA basketball. He can be everywhere from CP3 to D-Will or rather Jay Williams. Let's hope for the best for Sacramento.
The team won't make the Playoffs, but there will be enough cap space to sign a big free agent in the NBA's new "old" franchise.


*= Rookies; fat=added this season; r= retired; took the images of Agent420's association list, props to him!
Last edited by hova- on Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Pacific Division LA BA

Postby Fresh8 on Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:24 pm

Mo and Jack are interesting signings but yeah - on paper, Clippers look ready to go for a playoff spot.

Your team sucks :)
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Pacific Division LA BA

Postby hova- on Wed Mar 16, 2011 12:19 am

Sit, pretty much right. When I looked through my roster just once again I noticed that it will be a tough season. But I will have about 30M $ of cap space in the end so maybe it's going alright.
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Pacific Division LA BA

Postby The X on Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:41 am

Damn, you're going into insane detail. Hopefully you can keep it rolling (Y)
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Re: Hov's Sonics - 2011-2012 Preview: Pacific Division LA BA

Postby Grandmama Johnson on Wed Mar 16, 2011 8:41 am

Hoping the Sonics can improve on their record, despite losing Landry. If I remember correctly, Larry Bird was the last Indiana State product to enter the NBA, so I got my fingers crossed for Luis Chase :)

In general, tons of great storylines in the Pacific and I'm really glad you touched on all of them. Another Laker title would be amazing and I'm optimistic for the Clips too. Looking forward to the new season!
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