GSW·2012-13| WEEK 6: Dec 2- 8, 2012 + Player Profiles

[Clutch]

Decided to pitch this one forward a season after a trend of inconsistency and realizing the team was headed for yet another disappointing year sans playoffs. Here's a summary of how things went down leading into the off-season.


2010-2011 Anti-Climactic Season Finale

After a promising start, the Golden State Warriors would not escape old karmic tendencies of injury and inconsistency, eventually finishing the 2010-2011 regular season with a 33-49 record to miss the Playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

Despite the disappointment, the team's win record did improve by 5 games over the previous season so at least they seemed headed in the right direction.



Spurs: Business As Usual

Dominating the league yet again, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs marched into the post-season with a league-best 67-15 record, actually improving on their '09-10 league-leading record of 63-19. Meanwhile at the opposite end of the spectrum, Danny Granger's Indiana Pacers earned the pitiable distinction of worst team in the league finishing with a record of sub 25 wins.




2010-2011 Player Awards

Tim Duncan, 35, and Marcus Camby, 37, proved how some things only get better with age by capturing Regular Season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Awards respectively.

Phoenix's Channing Frye was recognized for his solid contributions off the bench with the Sixth Man Award while Kevin Durant collected an unprecedented back-to-back Most Improved Player Award* in recognition of his steady, continued growth and mastery of the game.

In bitter irony, Cavaliers' rookie center Haywood Faust, initially drafted 3rd-overall by Golden State but traded to Cleveland before opening night, finished the '10-11 season head-and-shoulders above his fellow rookie peers. Faust averaged 12.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and just under 1 steal per game to capture Rookie of the Year honors.





2010-2011 Team Awards





Coach of the Year & Rookie Challenge Award



Guiding his team to the best record in the league for the 2nd-consecutive season, Spurs' head coach Gregg Popovich rightfully claimed Coach of the Year.

Unfortunately no Warriors would garner any individual Player or Team Award recognition by season's end. However, 2nd-year guard Stephen Curry did lead the Sophomores to victory during February's All-Star Weekend and managed to walk away with the Rookie Challenge MVP prize.



Coming up... the 2010-11 NBA Playoffs & Finals.


* (Re: Durant's back-to-back "Most Improved Player" Honors... it's happened in this dynasty but I'm not exactly sure it's "unprecedented" IRL... either way, I thought it was a pretty amazing feat given all the variables that run the course of a full 82-game season!)

[Andrew]

Arenas on the All-Defensive team...a little out of place. Shame you didn't pick up any awards except the Rookie Challenge MVP, hopefully next season the team will show more improvement. Looks like the Spurs are headed for another championship.

[kibaxx7]

As you said Clutch, 5 more wins than last year, that's a good thing. I hate when I trade a player and ends up scoring 30+ against me or even worst, win an award by June!

Looking forward to the Finals and the offseason.

[Clutch]

Andrew, Arenas? not sure how he got there either but i'm certain guns were involved somehow lol

btw, when are you starting up again mate? dynasty-wise?

Thierry, thx man; yeah, tough to swallow seeing Faust up their with that RotY, but my decision so have to live w/it; interesting Finals & off-season coming (maybe later today)

[Martti.]

The MIP is messed up in Live 06, I created a 99 overall player, all ratings 99, and won the award 8 years in a row.

Sucks that you just won 33 games. Damn, the Spurs just keep on rolling in this one..

[Clutch]

The MIP is messed up in Live 06, I created a 99 overall player, all ratings 99, and won the award 8 years in a row.

Sucks that you just won 33 games. Damn, the Spurs just keep on rolling in this one..

8 yrs!? man that's wild lol

interesting developments regarding the Spurs, Playoffs and Finals in... a few minutes

[Clutch]

Continued...

2010-2011 Playoffs

Most of the usual suspects were invited to the '10-11 Playoffs: San Antonio, Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Dallas, Denver, LA (Lakers of course); but there were a few surprises as well, like a rejuvenated Allen Iverson reunited with Andre Iguodala lifting the Philadelphia 76ers to the top seed out East; or the Cavaliers' and Hawks' untimely position stumble, two teams distracted by the roller-coaster of future free-agent rumors; or Gilbert Arenas' return to All-Star caliber form amidst self-inflicted off-court turmoil to lead his Wizards back to the playoffs.



With San Antonio once again hitting full stride to end the regular season, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan seemed destined to erase the memory of last season's elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

However, this time Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks would upset San Antonio in a gritty 7-game conference semi-finals war, condemning the Spurs to yet another gut-wrenching off-season of questions, second-guessing and finger-pointing.



Finally getting past long-time nemesis Tim Duncan and the shadow of the Spurs empowered Nowitzki to new heights. Also fueling the Mavericks drive was the urgency which veteran point guard Jason Kidd instilled in the team during an informal team announcement that it would likely be his final season. This very fact was enough motivation to carry Dallas over the Denver Nuggets in another brutal 7-game series in the Western Conference Finals.

With ultimate victory in their sights, Kidd and Nowitzki clashed with powerhouse Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals and, for the third time in as many series, the Mavericks were pushed to a series-clinching game 7.

But just as they had all post-season, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks would overcome adversity and emerged as the 2010-2011 NBA Champions, forever dispelling any past stigma of being a "soft" or "choker" team.



"This has been an incredible journey for the team and me personally," said Dirk Nowitzki who was unanimously crowned the 2010-2011 Finals MVP. "From the opening series against the Jazz, battling back after being down 0-2… then finally getting past Timmy and the Spurs… then the dogfight with 'Melo and Nuggets… and finally surviving Dwight and the Magic here in the Finals. It's… amazing. Our guys just kept fighting whenever our backs were to the wall. We never gave up and just found a way to win; no one can ever question this team's heart or toughness after everything we've been through."



Nowitzki added, "I'm especially glad for Jason; he's a champion's champion and deserves this. He may be done, but I'm hoping I can convince him to stick around for another go at it again next season."




___


Nellie Resigns, Warriors Name New Head Coach

Early morning on Sunday May 2, 2011 Don Nelson placed a private phone call to an unsuspecting old friend, from a small beachfront property in Hawaii.

Less than an hour later, Nellie went public with news of his stepping down as head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

"This is my final retirement from coaching in the NBA, and it's been a long time coming. I'd like to thank everyone involved with the Warriors' organization. Over the years this franchise has been my family; they've given me the vehicle to explore every avenue I could've hoped for in my coaching career. But the time's come for me to step down and let someone else take the wheel."

___

June 1st, 2011. Team owner Chris Cohan and General Manager Larry Riley introduce Nelson's successor and new head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

"I'm sincerely appreciative to Chris (Cohan) and Larry (Riley) for the opportunity to come in and coach here at Golden State. I'm also grateful to have played for - and against - such a great man as coach Nelson. To say this man's been influential in my growth, both as a player and as a coach, is a understatement.

There's a lot of history and memories with me and this team, some of them good; some not so. When Nellie called me the morning just before announcing his retirement and explained he'd already recommended me as his successor, and that I had no choice but to accept the position, I was speechless… which doesn't happen very often, trust me. Most of all, I was honored.

Coach told me there'd be no better way of exorcising ghosts of the past than to take a team - not just "a team" but this this team in particular - to the next level… and you know? He's right.

We've a young and talented core of players that I'm excited about and we're in good position financially to make some impact changes over the next few months. Our goal is the next level… and I'm looking forward to seeing just how far we can take it."

(To reveal the new head coach of the Golden Sate Warriors, click the 'black box' below… also, if you comment? please refrain from naming names, so you don't ruin the reveal for other readers - thx! )


Avery Johnson appointed Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors 2011-2012

[Andrew]

Excellent presentation and write-up for the Finals! Nice hiring, too.

[Valor]

JASON KIDD!!!

Nice hiring too

[dare]

Finally Jason Kidd got one, he is a defensive coach right?

[Martti.]

dare, you ruined things for everyone.

Nice hiring though, maybe he can make an All-Star out of the 'Meal Ticket'.

[dare]

Martti., What? Did I spoil something?

[Martti.]

dare,

please refrain from naming names, so you don't ruin the reveal for other readers

[dare]

edited it

[kibaxx7]

Great hiring, but don't know the reason of spoiling it

[Andrew]

Just to create a little suspense while reading the write-up, I guess.

[Lamrock]

Nice signing. I still think he's a good coach. Looking forward to next season. Reminds me that I need to finally wrap up Nellieball.

[Clutch]

Excellent presentation and write-up for the Finals! Nice hiring, too.

thanks man

JASON KIDD!!!

Nice hiring too

You know it! Was actually pretty shocked and glad to see them (Mavs) pull it off;

dare, you ruined things for everyone.

Nice hiring though, maybe he can make an All-Star out of the 'Meal Ticket'.

that's assuming Meal Ticket is still with the team at opening tip-off... did i just slip that?

edited it

never caught the first version but thx for the edit man
no biggy anyways; the 'reveal' was just more for new readers who didn't catch it

Great hiring, but don't know the reason of spoiling it

what Andrew said; seriously, there's no method to the madness; so no point trying to figure anything out lol

Nice signing. I still think he's a good coach. Looking forward to next season. Reminds me that I need to finally wrap up Nellieball.

think the same about him too; he can't take the rap for the RL Mavs; Dirk has a way of becoming Clark Kent at totally inopportune moments... safe to expect a Nellieball update within the week?

[Lamrock]

Is it safe to expect a Nellieball update this week? Probably not. I'm just trying to wrap it up, maybe play GM for a couple seasons. Getting back into 2K10 after a couple fun games with my friend (drubbings in his favor, but I'm a good sport). Working on some sliders, and might continue Bullets, or work on a new project. (though half of the temptation is due to the clever title I made for it)

I will be sad if Meal Ticket goes. Unless of course it means he's going to the Blazers.

[Clutch]

Part Three...
The Johnson Administration Begins

Avery Johnson had taken over as acting head coach of the Golden State Warriors after Don Nelson's retirement. And with a likely top-10 selection in the 2011 Draft Lottery, plus the financial cap room to pursue even the biggest marquee players in a potentially blockbuster year of free agents, Johnson felt ready to make some aggressive, franchise altering decisions.



Draft Lottery

With only an 8/1000 chance, the Portland Trailblazers overcame staggering odds to take 1st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Needless to say after falling just six games shy of making the playoffs last season, the Blazers couldn't be happier.

Phoenix also had the benefit of good fortune, as the Suns moved up a few notches into 3rd pick overall.

Meanwhile, Golden State slipped a notch to the 9th draft selection overall, which was unfortunate but not nearly as painful as the Indiana Pacers, who possessed the worst record in the NBA a season ago plus best chance of securing the #1 pick, only to stumble into 4th pick behind the Suns.



Re-Signings: Morrow Inked for the Long-Haul

Coach Johnson knew that in order to remain competitive during the free agent signing period and possibly land an impact player such as a Bosh, Amar'e, or dare he dream it, King James, the Warriors needed to let go as many of their expiring players as possible.



However, one player Johnson did opt to re-sign was sharp-shooter, Anthony Morrow. Morrow's youth, work ethic and growth potential seemed worthy of locking in, despite his demands for a lengthy 6-yr contract. Morrow was a selfless role player always prepared and able to contribute, regardless of how many minutes he received.



On July 10, 2011 Anthony Morrow was inked to the roster in a back-weighted contract which would pay him 4M by the final year of it's term.

Players Begin Announcing Free Agent Eligibility

July 10, 2011



Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson both announced returning to the Spurs for the long-term, after being embarrassingly eliminated in two consecutive playoff appearances despite entering the post-season with the league's best regular season record both times. Only time would tell whether keeping the veteran core intact would eventually pay off.

In Houston, the "Great Wall" Yao Ming also announced his re-signing with the Rockets.

July 11, 2011



A pair of marquee players returned for the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder as Michael Redd and Kevin Durant re-signed with their respective teams.

July 12, 2011



Utah secured a long-standing icon of their line-up in Forward Andrei Kirilenko; meanwhile in Boston, the Celtics received commitments from big man Kendrick Perkins and franchise players, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

It was this day that coach Johnson seriously began to worry that the supposed cornucopia of available free agents might not be as large as initially anticipated. Immediately he consulted with his staff, having them assemble a list of possible contingency players to consider.

July 13, 2011



The 13th marked a major day for the Los Angeles franchise and Laker fans as superstars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol both agreed to re-sign for an additional 3-years.

July 14, 2011



The first a few potential worthy free agents made themselves known as both sharp-shooter Daequan Cook from Miami and defensive-all-around player Tayshaun Prince elected to test the FA market.

July 15, 2011



Many franchise owner's hearts sank in unison as King James renewed his commitment to the Cleveland Cavaliers for at least one more season. Full terms of his deal were not disclosed at the time and James remained quietly silent, electing not to address his fans nor comment about his re-signing to the media.

With nothing factual to go on, "Focused" versus "Childishly Arrogant" became keywords in the media's latest buzz regarding the King, which gossip-starved fans ingested wholeheartedly of course, and futilely dissected and argued over until blue in the face.

July 16-17, 2011



Over the next few days and perhaps hinged on the King's decision to remain in Cleveland, the potential free agent list continued to dry up as key big men dropped off the FA list to re-sign with their respective teams including Bosh, Stoudemire, Oden and Chandler. Coach Johnson's chances of landing a franchise-changing marquee player had all but fizzled.

July 19, 2011



The defending World Champion Dallas Mavericks inked their Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki in a no-brainer re-sign. However, one of their key elements, forward Caron Butler, decided to opt for free agency to take advantage of the exposure which the title run had allowed him to showcase his skills to the league.

With playoff averages of 17.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game plus a shiny new ring to his credit, Butler felt assured he would garner interest, not to mention cash in on a fatter paycheck.

July 23, 2011



At the vintage age of 37, after 15 years of NBA service, Marcus Camby, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year threw in the towel and retired as starting center of the Portland Trailblazers.

Camby told reporters, "Greg (Oden) is definitely ready to step in and assume the starting role at Center; in fact he's been ready for some time now. As I walk away from the game I feel blessed to have earned the Defensive Player award in my final season; I can't think of a better way to end my career and be remembered."


2011 NBA Draft: An Exercise in Mediocrity… plus Tom Cruise 2.0



The depth of the 2011-2012 draft class was projected as being "Average" at best; even the draft's top-prospect, Muenda Brewer, a 6'0" 208 lbs point guard out of Grambling, wasn't considered a lock for immediate starter by many NBA scouts nor a player of exceptional growth potential.

But even with a mediocre lot to chose from, all coaches and scouts agreed several solid role players existed in the draft that could potentially help their teams get over the hump.

The Portland Trailblazers ended up taking Shareef Traylor, a 6'1" 229 lbs shooting guard out of Notre Dame considered as the most "NBA ready" player, as the #1 overall draft pick of 2011. It was the Blazers hope that Traylor's contributions would pay off in the long-term by allowing superstar, Brandon Roy, more rest periods during games through the course of the season and ultimately fresher legs entering the playoffs.

Point Guard Muenda Brewer slipped to 3rd going to the Phoenix Suns who saw him as a potential heir to veteran Steve Nash, or at the least another capable backup alongside Goran Dragic.

With the #9 pick, Golden State would take a chance on 21 year-old Norweigian, Brantt Dvorak.



Brantt Dvorak
Age: 21
Number: 40
Position: SF-SG
School: n/a
Drafted 9th overall in 2011 by GS
Birth Place: Narvik, Norway

OVRL: 70 | Ht: 6' 7" | Wt: 233 lbs | Yrs Pro: R
FG 59 | 3PT 71 | FT 67 | Dunk 93 | Stl 60 | Blk 44 | Off Reb 41 | Def Reb 47 | Pass 49 | Off Aware 32 | Def Aware 78 | Spd 72 | Qck 78 | Jump 51 | Drib 52 | Str 67 | Hardy 57 | Sta 47 | Ins. Scr 23


Evaluation: Nicknamed "Maverick" for his striking semblance to a young Tom Cruise, Dvorak boasts a chiseled 6'7" 233lbs frame and has an incredible repertoire of pre-game dunks that would leave the great Julius Erving rolling over in his grave. Unfortunately however, all Dvorak's fancy dunks are essentially useless in game-time situations since he completely lacks any instincts of where to be on the court offensively nor is he even a threat to score in the paint should he somehow find himself in position to do so.

Even so, Dvorak does have redeeming qualities to justify his selection at 9th-overall draft pick. He has good strength especially when covering the guard position, exceptional speed and quickness and absolutely prides himself on being a tough-as-nails defensive stopper.

He'll be a defensive nuisance for other teams anytime he's on the court; offensively Dvorak becomes a huge liability, a roll of the dice which new head coach Avery Johnson will likely not cast too often. Plus with Azubuike's all-around game continuing to develop, the re-signing of swingman Morrow, and Martin's ability to cover both guard and small forward positions when necessary, not to mention the possible addition of any high-caliber free agents coach Johnson may pursue during the signing period, "Maverick" can expect to see very limited playing time.

Though he will likely never be the team's Top Gun, Dvorak should at least help the Warriors move tickets and jersey sales to a small but growing contingent of adoring female fans.

COMING UP: Off-Season Wraps up with Free Agent / Staff signings, Pre-Season trades, Retirements & Player Evolution...

[dare]

Damn I want Lebron to leave Cleveland, did you assigned a nickname to your rookie or the game just assigned automatically?

[Clutch]

Is it safe to expect a Nellieball update this week? Probably not. I'm just trying to wrap it up, maybe play GM for a couple seasons. Getting back into 2K10 after a couple fun games with my friend (drubbings in his favor, but I'm a good sport). Working on some sliders, and might continue Bullets, or work on a new project. (though half of the temptation is due to the clever title I made for it)

I will be sad if Meal Ticket goes. Unless of course it means he's going to the Blazers.

Cool man; sounds like you're gearing up for something again soon; nothing wrong with ditching past stuff either if you aint into it anymore or you just need to wring out the dynasty sponge (so to speak) and start clean; so Nellieball or whatever, looking fwd to it

dare - was hoping LBJ and other guys would move too but something about Live '06; they just seem to hang around forever just re-signing to the same team or they just drift un-signed in free agency replaced by comp gen'd players

ahh, the 'Maverick' was custom dbf-edited... i had to when i saw the actual player model 'cause he straight up looks like Cruise from Top Gun and had me cracking up lol

edit: super easy to do to; i can PM you a quick step 'how-to' if you need it

[Andrew]

I see where you're coming from with Dvorak; nice touch. Great work as always with the offseason re-cap, a shame so many big names stayed put but between stars staying put and stars changing teams like players on ten day contracts, the former is the lesser of two evils in my opinion.

[Martti.]

Funny that Daequan Cook is an "NBA Superstar". Of course in one my sim dynasties he started and D-Wade was on the bench for two seasons, before Cook was traded. Wade averaged like 5 ppg.

Not sure about that Norwegian kid, most CPU rookies are pretty useless.

[kibaxx7]

Hope Tom Cruise 2.0 can have some good contributions. Also nice to see Bron re-signing, IMO.