Road to Glory II

[C-77]

Magic in 6!

[Martti.]

Come on Dwight! You can do it.

[Valor]

Everybody hating on the Lakers and their possible three-peat

[kibaxx7]

Wow, some blowouts by the Magic over the C's. And the Thunder, well, they got killed

Lakers in 7 over Orlando.

[puttincomputers]

orlando in 4

[Bucket]

Magic in 6

[Valor]

2011 NBA Finals Recap


NBA Finals Results
Los Angeles Lakers (1) v Orlando Magic (2)

Lakers Win Series 4-2

Top Performers
LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant - 26.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 3.3 spg | Pau Gasol - 15.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 bpg | Lamar Odom - 9.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg
Orlando: Dwight Howard - 16.8 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 3.2 bpg | Vince Carter - 20.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.2 apg | Jameer Nelson - 11.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 7.7 apg, 1.5 spg

Comment: In what was a rematch of the 2009 NBA Finals, the two time defending world champions prove why they were worthy of a three-peat.

The Orlando Magic gave it their best shot and put up a helluva good fight, taking the Lakers on pound for pound until losing in the deciding game 6, 107-112. The loss of Rashard Lewis to injury in game 2 proved to be too much of a hurdle to overcome as despite the efforts from Dwight Howard and most notably Vince Carter, who had a spectular 41 point performance in the loss in game 6.

Kobe Bryant was named the Bill Russell Finals MVP for the third consecutive time. His 26.3 points per game average in the finals included a 30 point effort in game 5 and a career finals high 42 points in the title-clinching game 6.

The play of fellow Lakers Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Derek Fisher and Shaquille O'Neal were also worthy of mention as they have all had significant games during the series that altered the flow these 2011 NBA Finals.

These efforts have now given the Los Angeles Lakers their 17th NBA Championship, they are now tied with their arch-rival Boston Celtics for the most Championships ever in the NBA. Coach Phil Jackson also adds to his record ring collection as a coach, winning his 12th championship.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher has become 6 time NBA Champions while Shaquille O'Neal's return to the top nets him his 5th ring


2011 World Champions - Los Angeles Lakers


2011 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player

[Valor]

Chapter 10

"It's unfortunate that this is how it ended, but you guys played hard and I'm proud of you all" concluded Byron Scott "We will be scheduling end-of-season interviews soon so just wait for the notice. I'll see you all"

The locker room was in a still silence after Scott left. The players are all fustrated at their elimination from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
Evan Turner got up to leave.
"Hey, where the fuck do you think you're going rook?" Deng stopped him in his tracks
"Get out of my way" Turner stated "It's none of your business"
"What did you say rook?" Deng continued "Why did you come back anyway? We lost cause of your dumbass plays"
"Not like you were any better" Turner muttered under his breath
"Oh talking trash now rook? Why don't you say that to my face?"
Turner took a deep breath, he knew the consequences "I said, It's not like you were playing any better. Old Man"
The last words had barely left his mouth before he felt his world turn upside down, Deng had knocked him over with a right hook and is landing blows on him.
"Hey!"
"Stop that shit!"
Their teammates saw what was happening and ran over to seperate the two. Turner had a bloody nose and a swollen eye.

It was not pretty.

"Hey calm down Luol, this ain't like you" Derrick Rose said to Deng "Leave the kid alone, we are all fustrated here"
"As if you can talk" Wade suddenly spoke up
"What do you mean?" Rose was puzzled
"You played like shit, Rondo kicked your ass tonight" replied Wade "You were pretty shit throughtout the series too, I don't know why you can go and take credit for what I do"
"What are you talking about man?" Rose was even more confused "I don't take nobody's credit"
"Oh yeah? Sure, keep denying it" Wade stated before leaving the room "You can do that fucking press conference yourself"

✧✧✧✧✧

"Are you serious?" Bulls GM Leo Lai exclaimed as he listed to assistant coach Ron Harper illustrating the confrontation between the players following game 7 "This is a god-damn fiasco"
"The main problem is with Deng and Turner, it's like they can't co-exist" noted Byron Scott "I've heard the trainers tell me about their arguments and stuff over the season"
"They were fighting ever since Turner came in for a pre-draft workout" said Lai "Fucking immature kids"

The phone rang "Sir? You have Dwyane Wade waiting for you" it was Lai's secretary "Shall I send him in?"
"Yes, please do" replied Lai "Well, lets just get this out of the way first"
"We'll excuse ourself then" Scott said as he and Harper left the room

"Morning Dwyane, good to see you" Lai greeted Wade
"Morning" Wade nodded towards his coach and GM
Lai sat down and motioned for Wade to take a seat "So, what do you think about the season that we just had?"
"Honestly?" asked Wade
Lai nodded, and Wade continued "I was really disappointed"
"Obviously we need to re-tool if we want to win a championship" He finished
Lai thought for a second, and decided to go straight to the point "What do you have in mind?"
"I want a few guys out of here, they are a burden on the team" Wade replied
"Such as...?" Lai asked "Anyone in particular?"
"The rook and Derrick Rose" Wade stated, much to the shock of Lai
Lai understood the tension between Turner and a few members of the team, but he didn't expect Wade to say that he wants Rose out.
"Any reasons why you want them out?" Lai forced a smile and asked calmly "As far as I know, Evan has been a solid option off the bench and Derrick is the team's backbone"
"Turner is an asshole and Rose...."Wade let his voice trail, he can't exactly state the jealousy that he had towards Rose being seen as the top dog on the team
"Either way, it's either him or me. Trade him, or trade me" he stated firmly "I would rather go back to Miami if you are going to keep making Derrick Rose the face of this franchise"

There was an awkward silence in the room for a moment before Lai broke the tension.
"Look, I'm sure things are not as bad as you imply, but I'll look into ways to improve the team" said Lai, avoiding Wade's request "It'll be an interesting summer either way. Thank you for seeing us" He concluded, standing up and extending his hand for a handshake.
Wade took it reluctantly and left the room, he wanted a sure answer from Lai to get rid of Turner and Rose.

Lai watched as Wade left the building, he sat back down on his chair and let out a deep sigh

"Fuck it"

[George7]

Wow! I'm shocked! Trade this jealous primadonna away! Please don't trade Rose!!!!!

As for the Turner- Deng thing, trade him away and find a great sg instead of the flash and a great sub for Turner on the sf.

Damn.Lakers again champs...

[rise]

Damn. Luol really is a dick.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher has become 6 time NBA Champions while Shaquille O'Neal's return to the top nets him his 5th ring

You forgot the most important part of the Lakers winning. Adam Morrison has another ring!

[Axel The Great]

Ammo, with another ring! That epic 'stache is working wonders for LA!

Luol, get over yourself! Pickin' on a 20-year old (or so) rookie? So much for being a vet.

[Houndy]

Luol can fuck himself when he gets traded

[Fresh8]

Luol is awesome. Stop hating on him!

But judging from what I've read, seems like he's on his way out of the Chi.

[megarover]

That was an unexpected request by Wade. Lakers are just dominating though.

[kibaxx7]

I would trade Deng...

[|)e8*]

FUCK LA

[Valor]

Wow! I'm shocked! Trade this jealous primadonna away! Please don't trade Rose!!!!!

As for the Turner- Deng thing, trade him away and find a great sg instead of the flash and a great sub for Turner on the sf.

Damn.Lakers again champs...

I ain't gonna trade Rose for sure, but it's hard to trade Wade since he has a NTC, if he keeps bitching i'll have to trade him to wherever he wants to go, with much less compensation
As for Deng, i'll love to have a taker for his big ass contract

Damn. Luol really is a dick.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher has become 6 time NBA Champions while Shaquille O'Neal's return to the top nets him his 5th ring

You forgot the most important part of the Lakers winning. Adam Morrison has another ring!

Yes, how can i forget 3 time champion Adam Morrison

Ammo, with another ring! That epic 'stache is working wonders for LA!

Luol, get over yourself! Pickin' on a 20-year old (or so) rookie? So much for being a vet.

Rook is also riling him up

Luol can fuck himself when he gets traded

If i can trade him that is...he's a former all-star but his contract is too gay i think, unless the other team's desperate

Luol is awesome. Stop hating on him!

But judging from what I've read, seems like he's on his way out of the Chi.

I ain't hating on him, it's all between him and Turner

That was an unexpected request by Wade. Lakers are just dominating though.

Flash is a jealous bitch

I would trade Deng...

I would if i could

FUCK LA

[Valor]

Auditing The Chicago Bulls 2010-11 Season
June 5th 2011


Could this be the end of the line for the superstar duo of Chicago?

Record: 55-27
Seed: 1st in East
Playoff Result: Eliminated by Boston Celtics in Confernce Semifinals Game 7

The Bulls made a tremendous bounceback from their horrid 2009-10 season after adding superstar Dwyane Wade amongst other key acquisitions Josh Smith, Kyle Korver, Jason Williams and Anthony Morrow in the offseason as well as drafting number 3 overall pick Evan Turner.

With these additions, they had the second best record in the NBA at 55-27, became the best defensive team in the NBA by giving up just 86.1 points per game to opponents, has the second highest point differential at 8.0 points per game. Anchored by Joakim Noah, the Chicago Bulls grabbed the most rebounds per game as a team at 44.7 and blocked 8.2 shots per game as a team.

This allowed them to go as far as game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they lost to last season's Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics.

It isn't all a cinderella story, however, as Luol Deng, an all-star selection in 2010, regressed somewhat quite a bit and struggled down the stretch in the playoffs. Rookie Evan Turner, who was the team's sixth man, went down with an injury in the middle of the season that took him out until game 4 of the Conference Semifinals.

Most of all, there had been reports if internal strife between various players. Notably rookie Evan Turner and Luol Deng, as well as new reports of a conflict between the superstar backcourt duo of Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose.

Rumors of trade requests have been leaking out of the organization, and things look worrying for Chicago fans.

It will be a difficult offseason for general manager Leo Lai and his front office staff, as the Bulls do not have a 1st round pick (sent to Atlanta in the Josh Smith deal). As for free agency or possible trades, Luol Deng's contract will be hard to sell, and the Bulls would probably have to be on the short end of the deal.

Additionally, Dwyane Wade's contract has a No Trade Clause, which means if he does request for a trade, he will be handpicking the team he goes to.

Either way, the Bulls are at a disadvantage.

2009-10 Chicago Bulls Player Statistics

- Bold Indicates Team Leader

[Valor]

Fisher, Brown headlines list of Retirees
06/21/11

It is a sad day for the world of basketball today, as a total of 7 players and one coach announces their retirements from the National Basketball Association.

The player retirees are headlined by the Los Angeles Lakers Guard Derek Fisher, who would retire as a champion after winning his sixth NBA championship earlier this month. The 36 year old, 15 year veteran entered the league in the 1996 NBA draft where he was drafted 24th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, and has since made big shots when it counts the most, including the famous "0.4 Shot" against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 Western Conference Semi-finals.

Other notable retiring players includes two time NBA Champion James Posey, and former All-Star Antonio McDyess.

Meanwhile, the lone coach that has decided to hang up his playbook is Hall of Famer Larry Brown of the Charlotte Bobcats. Brown is the only coach to win a NCAA title, ABA title, as well as a NBA title. The Hall of Famer has coached on 9 different teams over his 31 years of coaching, the most recent being the Charlotte Bobcats - which he took to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in the 2009/10 season and again in this past season.

Below is a complete list of the player retirements.

Name	Team	Years Pro	Age
Derek Fisher	Los Angeles Lakers	15	36
James Posey	New Orleans Hornets	12	34
Antonio McDyess	San Antonio Spurs	16	36
Antonio Daniels	Los Angeles Clippers	13	36
Mike James	New Orleans Hornets	9	36
Tony Battie	New Jersey Nets	14	35
Jeff Foster	Indiana Pacers	12	34

[Valor]

2011 NBA Draft Scouting Report: NLSC Prospects


Will Sit
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 195
Age: 23
Position: PG
College: North Carolina
Projected: Lottery
Overall: B+
Potential: B
Strengths: Very good finisher at the rim....Sound defensive fundamentals....Decent athletic ability....Can contribute right away
Weaknesses: Lack of rebounding ability....Post game on either end does not exist for him....Ball hog and trigger happy....weird haircut
NBA Comparison: Gilbert Arenas, Allen Iverson
Comment: Will Sit, the Australian Born Chinese (ABC) Tar Heel product, could very well be the second best point guard prospect in this year's draft behind Avery Bradley of the University ofTexas. The 23 year old is a terrific scorer, able to get his own from just about anywhere on the court, he's fast, quick, and has great instincts on both ends of the court. A highly confident character, Sit had grown up watching Kobe Bryant play, and had emulated his moves over, and over again, eventually making them his own. Although some had complained that he is a ball hog at times, he gets the job done, and if the game is on the line, you would want someone of his ability to take the final shot. He does need to work on his point guard skills and decision making, but the kid has potential and could be a star for years to come. Sit averaged over 20 points a game in his 3 seasons with North Carolina.


Liam Washburn
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210
Age: 22
Position: PG
College: Washington
Projected: Lottery
Overall: A-
Potential:B-
Strengths: Great playmaker....NBA Ready....Good shooting ability.....Possesses sound fundamentals
Weaknesses: Lack of athletic ability....non existing post game....could have trouble on the defensive end
NBA Comparison: Steve Nash, Steve Blake
Comment: A standout at the University of Washington, Liam Washburn was stripped of his natural athletic abilities that made the crowd rethink on the theory of "white boys can't jump" in a freak injury on the court. However, Washburn has made a solid bounceback and has relied on his basketball iq and solid fundamentals to continue the pursuit of his dream - an NBA career. Growing up rooting for the Seattle Sonics, Liam's favourite player is actually Steve Nash, and it is not hard to see Nash's game integrated within Washburn's game. He possesses a sweet shooting touch, has tremendous passing ability and court vision and always makes the correct decision.


Martti Must
Height: 6'9"
Weight: 245 lbs
Age: 23
Position: PF
College: Arizona
Projected: Mid-Late First
Overall: B
Potential: B+
Strengths:Tremendous Shooter from anywhere on the floor....Decent Rebounder....Good defender
Weaknesses: Not much athletic ability....Not much of a passer....Very slow and sluggish movements
NBA Comparison: Dirk Nowitzki, Rashard Lewis
Comment: Arizona's Martti Must is from Estonia, and will become the second Estonian to play in the NBA ever. Standing at 6'9" and weighing around 245 pounds, Must comes with a sweet shooting stroke as well as having decent rebounding ability. He might not be quick, but he's a pretty good defensive player as well. Must had worked his whole life in order to get to this point, and it had paid off, as he shined for the Wildcats in his lone season in the NCAA, averaging 17.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting over 40% from behind the 3 point line. There has been concerns with the lack of athleticism that Must has showed, but he plays with great effort and intensity out on the floor, always giving his all in every game, even when it's blowouts. Must's efforts will certainly be rewarded come draft night.


Thierry Tirieux
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 250 lbs
Age: 21
Position: SG/SF
College: Argentina
Projected: Mid-Late First
Overall: C+
Potential: A
Strengths: Freakish Athletic Ability, Jumps out of the Gym....Fantastic finishing ability at the rim....Decent playmaker....Good shot mechanics, could be improved....Great potential
Weaknesses: One of the worse defenders in the draft....Very bad rebounder for his size....Cannot handle anyone in the low post....Desire and commitment has been questioned
NBA Comparison: JR Smith, Joe Alexander
Comment: He watched Manu Ginobili's successes in the NBA as a child, and ever since then, had worked towards the goal of meeting Ginobili in the NBA as a fellow player. Standing at 6'8" and 250 pounds, Thierry's game is very much different from Manu's game. Tirieux gets to the rim at will, creates contact, and finishes. The 20 year old has spent 4 years with the Argentina National Team, and has recently been selected to represent Argentina in the 2012 London Olympic Games. He does, however, need to work very hard on his defensive game right now, as it is almost non-existent. In addition, Thierry needs to show that he can fully be committed, as he has a tendency to give up and quit after a bad play or a bad game.


Octavius Ocho
Height: 7'1"
Weight: 288
Age: 23
Positon: C
College: Sudan
Projected: Mid-Late First
Overall: B-
Potential:B
Strengths: Dominates on the defensive low block....An absolute beast on the boards....Unusually quick and athletic for his size
Weakness: Limited on offense....brick-layer at the line....bad passing ability
NBA Comparison: Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace
Comment: A 7'1", 288 lb Center from Sudan, the 23 year old Otacavius Ocho could very well be the best prototype center prospect since Dwight Howard. Ocho is simply, a beast on defense. He has the athletic ability of Dwight Howard, the body of Shaquille O'Neal, and the work effort of Yao Ming. Ocho has the potential to become one of the best centers in the NBA today. What he does need to work on, however, is to gather that "aura" of dominance that Shaq had always possessed. As evident by Yao Ming, "gentle giants" in the NBA will be targetted.

[dare]

Am I included in the draftees?

[George7]

I think you're in the next draft.(and i'm on the one after you! )

[Valor]

Am I included in the draftees?

I think you're in the next draft.(and i'm on the one after you! )

Correct, and don't worry, i'll def keep this going for a few seasons

[Valor]

Cleveland's miseries continue as Bucks snatch top pick

Dan Gilbert sat in the lottery room, stunned.

In what had been a disastrous season following the departure of LeBron James to the Sacramento Kings, in which the Cavaliers ended up with the worse record in the NBA at 21-61, Gilbert had hoped for a silver lining with the arrival of the NBA draft lottery.

The Cavaliers held the highest odds to obtain the number 1 pick, but alas, The Cleveland Curse continued to strike.

Maybe next year, Dan.

With the second highest odds (19.9%), the Milwaukee Bucks has grabbed the rights to draft first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Milwaukee finished the season at 23-59, but has had flashes of promise from their young point guard Brandon Jennings and Australian center Andrew Bogut. Last season's rookie Derrick Favors also proved himself to be a solid pro and a correct pick here could send the Bucks up to the playoff contenders in the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers would have to settle with the second overall pick, much to the dismal of their owner Dan Gilbert.

The top three was rounded off with the Minnesota Timberwolves jumping ahead one spot, switching places with the equally horrible Toronto Raptors.

Below is the complete draft order for the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft.

1. Milwaukee Bucks
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Golden State Warriors
7. New York Knicks
8. Detroit Pistons
9. New Jersey Nets
10. Los Angeles Clippers
11. Utah Jazz
12. Memphis Grizzlies
13. San Antonio Spurs
14. Portland Trailblazers
15. Atlanta Hawks
16. Washington Wizards
17. Miami Heat
18. Charlotte Bobcats
19. Boston Celtics
20. Dallas Mavericks
21. Sacramento Kings
22. New Orleans Hornets
23. Philadelphia 76ers
24. Denver Nuggets
25. Houston Rockets
26. Phoenix Suns
27. Oklahoma City Thunder
28. Orlando Magic
29. Atlanta Hawks (via Chicago)
30. Los Angeles Lakers

[kibaxx7]

In addition, Thierry needs to show that he can fully be committed, as he has a tendency to give up and quit after a bad play or a bad game.

That's around all dynasties I've been in, so far.

Cavs in the 2nd overall pick...