Lamrock's Blazers - Retired

[Durant35]

Yeah! Playoff birth!

[Lamrock]

I really appreciate the enthusiasm, guys. I'm fairly busy these days so recaps will likely come on a weekly basis. Let me promise you now though that this will be my best association story to date.

FEATURES
-Full NLSC and NCAA integration
-Monthly Recaps
-Contests
-Shad O'Greene
-MS Paint

Should be fun. Another draft article up next.

[hova-]

I dont like that I have to bet against my Mavs, but at least one Playoff series with your team would be nice.

Features sound good, except Shad O`Greene. But nice to see some MS in the future

[Mark.]

Looking forward to more recaps man. Lets see you grab a playoff spot!

[Lamrock]

2013 Draft Prospects: Part 2

Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)
PG/SG - 6'4", 225 lbs | Age 19 | DRAFT STOCK: Top 5
Marcus Smart is a combo guard with fantastic court vision and intriguing skills at the guard position. While Smart may have difficulty choosing a position at the NBA level, he looks like a star in the making.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: Brandon Roy
WORST CASE: Rodney Stuckey

Cody Zeller (Indiana)
C/PF - 6'11", 240 lbs | Age 20 | Draft Stock: Mid-Lottery
Cody Zeller is a solid scoring center with post skills. His defense and upside may be questionable but Zeller has the tools to be an effective player at the 5.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: Brook Lopez
WORST CASE: Spencer Hawes

Chris Hova (Germany)
SG/SF - 6'4", 195 lbs | Age 24 | DRAFT STOCK: Mid-First Rounder
Chris Hova is one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft, and should make one of the most immediate impacts. While his offensive skills are nothing to write home about, Hova should be able to help out right away, behind a seasoned veteran of European play.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: rich man's Tony Allen
WORST CASE: poor man's Keith Bogans

Leo Lai (New Zealand)
SG - 6'6", 200 lbs | Age 21 | DRAFT STOCK: Mid-First Rounder
New Zealand swingman Leo Lai is known to be unpredictable, but has too much talent not to be picked up in the first round. There are a lot of question marks about Lai's game, but he likens himself to Kobe Bryant. However, it remains to be seen whether he can put it all together to be a good NBA player.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: Poor man's Kobe Bryant
WORST CASE: Dominique Jones

Kelly Olynyk
C/PF - 7'0", 240 lbs | Age 21 | Draft Stock: Mid-First Rounder
Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk has emerged as an NBA-caliber player this past season and is yet another intriguing big man prospect. Olynyk has been labeled as "soft" but he'd prefer to argue he's skilled.
BEST CASE SCENARIO: Chris Kaman
WORST CASE: Johan Petro

[Kenny]

The reboot is looking great so far. It's a nice feature that NBA 2k13 allows you to pick up from where the season is currently, rather than starting again. The layout of the draft prospects as well. Since I like Duke, I'm looking forward to your analysis of Mason Plumlee... if you do one.

Speaking of your prospect reports, I thought I'd point out that you called Cody Tyler. Easy mistake to make, since there's three (?) Zeller brothers.

[Mark.]

Nice prospect profiles. Looking forward to your one on CJ McCollum.

[Solaris Phase Two]

Cant wait to read my prospect profile

[Andrew_Wiggins]

Im so hyped to see my draft review!!

[Valor]

since there's three (?) Zeller brothers.

Yeah there's three if my memory serves me right

Nice profiles, and damnnn....from Kobe to Dominique Jones? That's a pretty big drop off

[Lamrock]

Thanks guys - typo fixed. Stay tuned for a March recap in the next couple of days.

[Lamrock]

MARCH 2013 IN REVIEW



An 11-5 March puts the Blazers in an unlikely position: just a half game out of the 8th seed in the Western Conference. Damian Lillard has solidified his status as the league's top rookie with his high-level play, and the starters have played heavy minutes to keep the team in playoff contention.

It looks more likely that their first round draft pick will go to the Charlotte Bobcats (top-12 protected). With seven games remaining, each match from here on out will have major playoff implications. The Jazz sit a win above them while the Lakers are a loss behind. Their next game will be in Utah. "I can't wait", says former Jazz guard Wesley Matthews.

Team Record: 37-36
March Record: 11-5
Games Left: 7
Games Behind 8th: .5

Lillard Carries Blazers To Blowout Victory In New Orleans
3/10/2013 - Trail Blazers 104 @ Hornets 90

POR 33 26 24 21 | 104 [30-32] - Lillard: 34/7/6, 13-18 FG; Matthews: 19/5/6
NO 20 29 21 20 | 90 [25-40] - R. Anderson: 19/6/2; G. Vasquez: 11/3/13

Grizzlies Again No Match For Portland
3/12/2013 - Grizzlies 81 @ Trail Blazers 97

MEM 24 16 20 21 | 81 [39-23] - T. Prince: 14/9/3; Z. Randolph: 4/5/1, 3-6 FG
POR 37 15 20 25 | 97 [31-32] - Aldridge: 28/6/0; Batum: 17/3/7

Melo Drops 45 To Lead Knicks Past Blazers In Shootout
3/14/2013 - Knicks 123 @ Trail Blazers 115

NY 29 35 24 35 | 123 [39-24] - C. Anthony: 45/5/4, 15-18 FG, 11/12 FG; J.R. Smith: 22/5/4
POR 23 33 24 35 | 115 [31-33] - Aldridge: 25/7/4; Lillard: 18/4/3

Blazers Dominate Lowly Pistons
3/16/2013 - Pistons 89 @ Trail Blazers 109

DET 27 12 23 27 | 89 [24-44] - J. Calderon: 24/2/6, 9-12 FG; B. Knight: 15/5/5
POR 24 31 25 29 | 109 [32-33] - D. Lillard: 27/2/8; Matthews: 25/1/3, 10-14 FG

Portland Ekes Out Narrow Win In Philadelphia
3/18/2013 - Trail Blazers 91 @ 76ers 90

POR 30 24 14 23 | 91 [33-33] - Batum: 24/6/5; Aldridge: 24/6/4
PHI 23 27 18 22 | 90 [27-39] - Holiday: 21/7/11; Hawes: 15/7/3

Blazers Win Third Straight Behind Aldridge's 27
3/19/2013 - Trail Blazers 108 @ Bucks 93

POR 24 30 20 34 | 108 [34-33] - Aldridge: 27/12/2; Batum: 19/6/8/4 stls
MIL 33 25 18 17 | 93 [32-34] - M. Ellis: 23/5/3; Ilyasova: 13/10/2

Bulls Shut Down Blazers
3/21/2013 - Trail Blazers 81 @ Bulls 97

POR 23 17 25 16 | 81 [34-34] - Hickson: 11/13/0; Lillard: 13/4/6
CHI 23 26 21 27 | 97 [37-30] - D. Rose: 20/2/5; Boozer: 17/9/2

Portland Steals Win In Atlanta
3/22/2013 - Trail Blazers 93 @ Hawks 90

POR 29 19 20 25 | 93 [35-34] - Aldridge: 25/6/1; Lillard: 12/11/9
ATL 31 20 22 17 | 90 [39-30] - J. Smith: 18/8/3; A. Horford: 4/12/2, 1-5 FG

Blazers Fall Short In Oklahoma City
3/24/2013 - Trail Blazers 99 @ Thunder 101

POR 27 20 22 30 | 99 [35-35] - Hickson: 17/10/1; Batum: 17/5/8
OKC 14 29 27 31 | 101 [51-20] - Durant: 21/10/4; R. Westbrook: 16/5/10

Batum Leads Blazers Past Nets
3/27/2013 - Nets 95 @ Trail Blazers 102

BKN 18 26 29 24 | 95 [39-32] - K. Humphries: 16/9/0; B. Lopez: 18/4/0
POR 28 28 25 21 | 102 [36-35] - Batum 33/6/1; Lillard: 16/3/5

Blazers Back In Playoff Picture With Win Over Jazz
3/29/2013 - Jazz 83 @ Trail Blazers 92

UTA 12 27 28 16 | 83 [37-36] - A. Jefferson: 14/13/0; G. Hayward: 17/0/4
POR 17 20 21 24 | 92 [37-35] - Lillard: 22/3/4; Aldridge: 18/8/2

Warriors Hold Off Blazers
3/30/2013 - Trail Blazers 93 @ Warriors 101

POR 19 26 17 31 | 93 [37-36] - Batum: 20/9/2; Hickson: 8/15/0
GS 16 25 32 28 | 101 [42-32] - J. Jack: 24/2/5; S. Curry: 15/10/6

HEADLINES



76ers sign Andrew Bynum to 5 yr, $81M extension
Bynum has returned to the Sixers, likely too late to make the playoffs, but not to sign a big extension.

Mavericks sign Darren Collison to 4 yr, $35M extension
Despite a shaky start, the Mavs commit to Collison long-term

Kings sign Tyreke Evans to 4 yr, $31M extension
Kings get a steal at under $8 million a year, but will they keep him?

Thunder sign Kevin Martin to 4 yr, $26M extension
OKC extends Kevin Martin for less than half of Harden's salary.

Jazz sign Mo Williams to 4 yr, $26M extension
Mo Williams has quietly had a solid year in his second stint with the Jazz, but this move keeps them in mediocrity.

Spurs sign Manu Ginobili to 1 yr, $6M extension
Ginobili has said he is likely to retire after the 2013-14 season.

Bobcats sign Gerald Henderson to 3 yr, $12.5M extension
Charlotte gets a very solid value for one of their few decent players.

Magic Sign Hedo Turkoglu to 2 yr, $3M extension
Turkoglu will be much more palatable at $1.5 million per year.

Ersan Ilyasova out for season with broken ankle
Odds of Bucks being swept in first round increase from 70% to 85%.

Ben Gordon Out For Season With Torn MCL
Bobcats fans couldn't care less.

Harrison Barnes Tears MCL, Out For Season
Harsh blow to Warriors' chances, with David Lee also out.

Joakim Noah Out 4-6 Weeks With Torn Meniscus
Bad timing once again for the Bulls, who just got Derrick Rose back.

Playoff Picture

Western Conference

y-1 San Antonio 55-18 | .753%
x-2 Oklahoma City 53-23 | .716%
x-3 LA Clippers 48-26 | .649%
4 Denver 46-28 | .622%
5 Memphis 44-29 | .603%
6 Golden State 42-32 | .568%
7 Houston 38-35 | .521%
8 Utah 38-36 | .514%
Portland 37-36 | .507%
LA Lakers 37-37 | .500%
Dallas 35-38 | .478%

Eastern Conference

y-1 Miami 55-18 | .753%
x-2 New York 46-26 | .639%
x-3 Indiana 44-30 | .595%
x-4 Atlanta 41-33 | .554%
5 Brooklyn 40-33 | .548%
6 Boston 40-33 | .548%
7 Chicago 39-33 | .542%
8 Milwaukee 36-36 | .500%
Philadelphia 31-42 | .425%
Toronto 31-42 | .425%
Cleveland 29-43 | .403%

Big Board - Top 30 Prospects

1. PG Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)
2. C Nerlens Noel (Kentucky)
3. SG Ben McLeMore (Kansas)
4. SF Martti Must (Duke)
5. SG Shabazz Muhammad (UCLA)
6. PF Julian Martin (UCLA)
7. SG Fresh Smith (North Carolina)
8. SF Otto Porter (Georgetown)
9. C/PF Cody Zeller (Indiana)
10. SG Leo Lai (New Zealand)
11. PG/SG CJ McCollum (LeHigh)
12. PF Mason Plumlee (Duke)
13. PG Axel Gomez (Houston)
14. SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Georgia)
15. SG Chris Hova (Germany)
16. PF Rudy Gobert (France)
17. SG Victor Oladipo (Indiana)
18. SG Archie Goodwin (Kentucky)
19. PF Anthony Bennett (UNLV)
20. PG Trey Burke (Michigan)
21. C/PF Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga)
22. PF James McAdoo (North Carolina)
23. SF Deshaun Thomas (Ohio State)
24. C Alex Len (Maryland)
25. SF Kyle Anderson (UCLA)
26. SF LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State)
27. SF/PF Alex Poythress (Kentucky)
28. SF J.R. Young (Duke)
29. SG X Watson (Portland State)
30. PG Brandon Young (Arkansas)

[Martti.]

Holy crap, fourth? That was unexpected.

And a great stretch run late, as long as you or the Jazz can keep the Lakers out of the post-season.

[Fresh8]

Nice. I hope I go higher than that!

And LOL at the Bynum pic.

[hova-]

Did you change the contracts a bit by yourself? They look quite realistic. I do that in my D - because there are just no 4 years / 8M$ contracts in RL. Nobody would commit for so long on such a small salary.

Not sure about the Mavs signing Collison for 4 years. I like him in my D, but he is not effective at all. Good luck in the race for postseason.

[Mark.]

Yeah the contracts look pretty good. Loving that Hedo one!!

[Valor]

10th aint bad! but damn....Noah's out for my Bulls

[Lamrock]

2013 Draft Prospects - Part 3

Ben McLemore (Kansas)
SG - 6'4", 195 lbs | Age 20 | DRAFT STOCK: Top 5
Ben McLemore is one of the top prospects in the draft thanks to his explosiveness and potential. Though he's very much still a work in progress, especially in the ball-handling department, he has the tools to be an all-star swingman in this league.
Best Case Scenario: Dwyane Wade
Worst Case: Terrence Williams

C.J. McCollum (LeHigh)
PG/SG - 6'3", 190 lbs | Age 21 | DRAFT STOCK: Late Lottery
Following in the footsteps of Damian Lillard, McCollum is a sharpshooting combo guard from a small school. Shooting over 50% from three point range and 24 points per game in his senior season, he could be a big-time scorer in the NBA.
Best Case Scenario: rich man's Louis Williams
Worst Case: Javaris Crittenton

J.R. Young (Duke)
SF/SG - 6'5", 185 lbs | Age 23 | DRAFT STOCK: Late First Round
J.R. Young's invaluable shooting touch should give him a niche in the NBA almost immediately. In four years at Duke, Young put up big scoring numbers and dominated from behind the arc. However, his defense his suspect to say the least and few expect him to be an all-star.
Best Case Scenario: Kevin Martin
Worst Case: Anthony Morrow

Ryan Alexander (Syracuse)
SF/PF - 6'10", 228 lbs | Age 20 | DRAFT STOCK: Late First Round
Ryan Alexander had a fantastic run in the tournament, helping Syracuse reach the final four with his ability to take over a game with his scoring. Alexander stretches the floor with his shooting but isn't terribly fast or athletic.
Best Case Scenario: Rashard Lewis
Worst Case: Adam Morrison

Da'Vonte Hughes (Georgia)
PG/SG - 6'4", 224 lbs | Age 19 | DRAFT STOCK: Early Second Round
Freshman guard Da'Vonte Hughes is very raw and a bit of a tweener but is among the crop of intriguing point guard prospects. Hughes can stay in front of his man and create his own shot. Unfortunately, he can't make those shots. Hughes may fall out of the first round, but he insists his decision to enter the draft was a good one.
Best Case Scenario: poor man's Russell Westbrook
Worst Case: Jonny Flynn

[Lamrock]

APRIL 2013 IN REVIEW
Record: 39-43 (2-7) | 4th in division, 11th in conference



Things fall apart. A surge late in the season put the Blazers in the driver's seat to make the playoffs but a sloppy six game losing streak cost them their season, leaving them with a 39-43 mark. The silver lining is that they just barely get to keep their top 12 protected pick that was owed to the Bobcats, but ultimately it's a devastating result for a young team and a coach with an expiring contract.

Making the playoffs instead are the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, who edged out Houston (who finishes ninth for the fourth straight year) and Utah for the final two seeds. The Blazers will now look to the offseason, in which they have three draft picks (two in second round), lots of cap room but also lots of choices to make.

Blazers Leapfrog Jazz With Win
4/1/2013 - Trail Blazers 96 @ Jazz 84

POR 30 20 23 23 | 96 [38-36] - Lillard: 21/4/10, 5-14 FG, 8-8 FT; Aldridge: 18/3/2, 8-13 FG; Matthews: 11/5/2
UTA 22 25 19 18 | 84 [38-37] - Millsap: 20/9/1, 9-14 FG; Favors: 14/10/0; A. Jefferson: 12/13/1, 2/13 FG, 8-10 FT

Conley Leads Grizzlies Past Portland
4/3/2013 - Grizzlies 94 @ Trail Blazers 84

MEM 21 20 30 23 | 94 [45-30] - M. Conley: 24/2/9, 9-11 FG, 5-7 3pt; M. Gasol: 16/9/2; T. Prince: 21/6/0
POR 23 23 18 20 | 84 [38-37] - Lillard: 18/3/8; Batum: 15/5/4; Matthews: 14/5/3

Blazers' Comeback Falls Short Against Rockets
4/5/2013 - Rockets 101 @ Trail Blazers 91

HOU 25 30 20 26 | 101 [38-38] - Harden: 27/5/9; Lin: 26/6/8
POR 18 23 14 38 | 93 [39-37] - Batum: 25/5/6; Aldridge: 19/13/1

Mavs Shock Blazers To Hand Them Third Straight Loss
4/7/2013 - Mavericks 117 @ Trail Blazers 100

DAL 31 32 24 30 | 117 [38-39] - Mayo: 20/3/5; Nowitzki: 20/7/2
POR 23 25 30 22 | 100 [38-39] - Lillard: 24/1/7; Aldridge: 15/10/1

Kobe Carries Lakers Past Blazers in Thriller
4/10/2013 - Lakers 104 @ Trail Blazers 103

LAL 17 32 31 24 | 104 [42-37] - Bryant: 30/4/8; World Peace: 19/5/3
POR 25 25 28 25 | 103 [38-40] - Batum: 29/5/5; Aldridge: 26/4/3

Durant Sends Blazers To Fith Straight Defeat
4/12/2013 - Thunder 102 @ Trail Blazers 87

OKC 26 30 22 24 | 102 [58-22] - Durant: 35/13/3, 13-18 FG, 7-11 3pt; Westbrook: 13/5/13
POR 12 17 29 29 ] 87 [38-41] - Lillard: 15/3/6; Hickson: 16/9/1

Despite Aldridge's Big Game, Portland Loses Sixth Straight
4/14/2013 - Trail Blazers 108 @ Thunder 113

POR 30 39 16 23 | 108 [38-42] - Aldridge: 33/14/6; Batum: 17/4/4
DEN 22 23 31 37 | 113 [49-31] - McGee: 19/11/0; Gallinari: 19/3/1

Crawford Scores 33 As Clippers Outs Blazers In OT
4/16/2013 - Trail Blazers 107 @ Clippers 116

POR 28 25 25 25 4 | 107 [38-43] - Batum: 24/6/6; Aldridge: 16/13/0
LAC 21 27 30 25 13 | 116 [54-27] - Crawford: 33/2/1; Griffin: 23/9/6/5 stls

Final NBA Standings

Western Conference

zyx-1 San Antonio 63-19
vy-2 Oklahoma City 59-23
yx-3 Los Angeles Clippers 54-28
x-4 Denver 51-31
x-5 Memphis 47-35
x-6 Golden State 45-37
x-7 Los Angeles Lakers 43-39
x-8 Dallas 42-40
Houston 40-42
Utah 40-42
Portland 39-43
Minnesota 36-46
Sacramento 32-50
New Orleans 32-50
Phoenix 27-55

Eastern Conference

zyx-1 Miami 63-19
yx-2 New York 50-32
yx-3 Indiana 46-36
x-4 Atlanta 45-37
x-5 Boston 45-37
x-6 Chicago 45-37
x-7 Brooklyn 44-38
x-8 Milwaukee 38-44
Toronto 36-46
Cleveland 35-47
Philadelphia 34-48
Washington 27-55
Detroit 27-55
Charlotte 25-57
Orlando 20-62

[Martti.]

Damn, even 2K cheesing to get LA to the Playoffs.

[Mark.]

Damn sucks you missed out dude.

Like the scouting reports too. Did you do the comparisons or was that 2K?

[Fresh8]

Nice work Lakers!!! Woohoooo!

[Lamrock]

Martti., Having played through the off-season yesterday, I will say things get interesting for the Lakers.

Mark., Thanks, man. I know the reports are inaccurate, since I don't watch much college basketball, but it's a good way to learn about the upcoming draft class. I made the comparisons myself. Not sure if that feature exists anymore, but I don't much miss comparisons like Rubio / Arenas.

Sit, For the sake of not watching the Spurs sweep Utah again, I really hope life imitates art here.

[Mark.]

Nice, I was wondering if they were your own, as they are some comparisons that I hadn't considered but make a lot of sense, especially the McCollum one

[Lamrock]

2013 NBA Playoffs First Round - Headlines


From the brink of missing the playoffs, to the second round for Dirk and the Mavs

San Antonio 2-4 Dallas
Denver 3-4 Memphis
LA Clippers 2-4 Golden State
Oklahoma City 3-4 LA Lakers

Miami 4-3 Milwaukee
Boston 4-0 Atlanta
Indiana 4-1 Chicago
New York 3-4 Brooklyn

Spurs Ousted By #8 Seed The Second Time In Three Years
Mavs defeat Spurs in six games to avenge their 2007 heartbreak

Grizzlies Outlast Nuggets in 7 Game Brawl
Things were looking up for the Grizzlies, who were up 3-1 on Denver, until Zach Randolph goes down. They did eke out a game 7 victory though.

Warriors Shock Clippers To Advance
Division champs win first two, drop next four to shorthanded Warriors.

Thunder Out In First Round As Lakers Find Groove
In one of the most epic playoff series in recent history, the Lakers came out of a seven game series with the conference champs victorious.

Heat End 7 Game Series With 49 Point Thumping, Will Face Celtics For Fourth Straight Year
Celtics/Hawks 2008 anyone?

Led By Paul Pierce, Celtics Sweep Hawks
Familiar opponent, familiar result for Boston.

Pacers Easily Eliminate Bulls
Bulls win in five as Derrick Rose is a non-factor.

Knicks Come Out Victorious In First Battle Of The Boroughs
Yet another series goes to seven as Melo and the Heat edge out the Nets for basketball supremacy.

Zach Randolph Out For Playoffs With Broken Arm
"Man, this is bulls***" - Randolph

Lin Gets Surgery On Torn MCL
Hopes to return by 2014 all-star break



Damian Lillard wins Rookie of the Year
18.6 Points Per Game
3.4 Rebounds Per Game
6.6 Assists Per Game
.876% Free Throw Percentage

Joakim Noah wins Defensive Player of the Year
11.4 Rebounds Per Game
1.8 Blocks Per Game
1.3 Steals Per Game

Jrue Holiday wins Most Improved Player award
19.6 Points Per Game
4.0 Rebounds Per Game
8.7 Assists Per Game
1.8 Steals Per Game

Jamal Crawford is your Sixth Man of the Year
17.9 Points Per Game
2.7 Rebounds Per Game
.384% Three Point Percentage
.870% Free Throw Percentage