[Offseason] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Retired

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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Rosters!

Postby hova- on Thu May 23, 2013 4:15 am

Always the same, Ellis and Jennings on the ASG - I hate it and I will try everything editable possible to avoid it in my story as it already happened when I was simming all the time.

Sessions sneaking in is nearly ridiculous, but I like him.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Rosters!

Postby Valor on Thu May 23, 2013 7:00 am

hova- wrote:Always the same, Ellis and Jennings on the ASG - I hate it and I will try everything editable possible to avoid it in my story as it already happened when I was simming all the time.

Sessions sneaking in is nearly ridiculous, but I like him.

2K has some secret love with those two for sure...it's ridiculous, and so is Sessions :facepalm2:
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Postby Valor on Thu May 23, 2013 11:06 am

Chapter 5

“What did you say?”
“Rudy Gay got traded to the Raptors” Paxson repeated
Lai shot Paxson with an annoyed look “and that concerns me because?”
Paxson fell speechless as Lai continued, “The Raptors are 24-29, and they got one of the most overpaid and overrated bums in the league. Why would I be interested in crap like that?”
“I…I thought you were going after Bargnani? This might make them reconsider” Paxson finally said, stuttering as he spoke
“John, you might as well go back to the golf course if you believe those rumors” Lai rolled his eyes at Paxson, “Why on earth would I trade Booze for a 7 footer who can’t rebound”
“Okay, my bad” Paxson coughed, “We still got to get under that tax threshold though, clocks ticking”
“You got any ideas?”
“Not really”
“Then what the hell are you talking about Pax? Quit bothering me” Lai muttered as he browsed through a bunch of text on his cellphone, most of which are rubbish offers
“Because I asked him to”
Lai looked up as their boss, Jerry Reinsdorf, entered the room
“I ain’t paying that damn tax kiddo, so get us under it or I’ll ask Isiah to replace you” Reinsdorf stated
“You trust Isiah Thomas with managing a team?” Lai asked with a disgusted look on his face,
“Just a bit of motivation for you to get the deal done, deadline’s coming up kid” Reinsdorf replied, “Now John, let’s head off. Lunch is on you”

Lai watched in disbelief as the stingiest owner in the history of sports walked out of his office.

✧✧✧✧✧

Richard Hamilton shook free of his defender, curled around the screen, and fired up a 15 footer. Nothing but net.
“You can’t guard me!” Hamilton shouted as a timeout was called. The Bulls have rallied back from a 14 point deficit and Rip had just tied the game at 98 with a second remaining in the game.
“You got a long way to go greenhorn” Richard Hamilton said to Celtics guard Avery Bradley as the teams walked back out onto the court
“Whatever, old man.” Bradley shot back as the referee gave the ball to Paul Pierce to resume the game. Bradley gave Hamilton a shove before running to the open spot on the floor, Hamilton stumbled a bit from the push and was late getting back as Bradley caught the pass from Pierce and sank the jumper as the buzzer sounded. Hamilton screamed at the ref for missing the push off but it was a futile effort as the Celtics took the 100-98 win.

“Fucking blind refs” Hamilton cursed as he pulled off his jersey and threw it at the ground in disgust as coach Tom Thibodeau walked into the locker room
“Cool it” Thibodeau growled at Hamilton before addressing the team,
“Tough loss tonight, we didn’t play good enough on the defensive end and our execution wasn’t great. Come back Monday morning for practice” Thibodeau concluded as the team let out a collective groan
“Coach, it’s all-star weekend man, can’t we get Monday off?” Vladimir Radmanovic exclaimed
Thibodeau stared at the Serbian intently, “Is that because waving a towel on the bench is too tiring Vlad?”
The team laughed and cracked jokes as Thibodeau left to do the press conference

✧✧✧✧✧

“Thanks for coming Rip, take a seat” Lai said as Hamilton entered the office
“You wanted to see me?” Hamilton asked, making little attempts to hide his displeasure as he sat down. It was Thursday night and Hamilton had made plans to go to Houston for the festivities but got called in for a meeting at the last minute.
“I apologize for having to make you cancel your trip man, but it would be better for you to stay back at home over this weekend.” Lai explained as he noted the discontent in the 35 year old veteran
Hamilton raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything.
Lai decided to get straight to the point, “We might be looking to move you before the deadline”
“With all I’ve done for this club, you are just going to dump me?” Hamilton asked incredulously.
“I am sorry man, I don’t really have a choice” Lai replied and quickly explained the salary cap situation, “You are one of the few movable assets we have, is there anywhere you would like to go?”
“I just want a chance to win a ‘chip, man” Hamilton finally said after a brief silence

Lai watched as Hamilton left the office, he had just assured the guard he’ll do his best to find a contender for him to go to, Fat chance, Lai thought to himself, Hamilton’s decline has been evident and although there were still a few games where he scored big this season, his body seems to be giving up on him. Still, time really was running out and Hamilton is their best bet to getting under the tax. Lai took a deep breath as he picked up the phone.

“Rips on the block, you’re my first call.”
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 5!

Postby Mark. on Thu May 23, 2013 1:12 pm

Nice chapter (Y) As old and decrepit as Rip is, I could see someone like SA or another of the title contenders having a use for him.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 5!

Postby Valor on Thu May 23, 2013 2:52 pm

Mark. wrote:Nice chapter (Y) As old and decrepit as Rip is, I could see someone like SA or another of the title contenders having a use for him.

Cheers Mark, it's going to be hard though 'cause everybody's over the cap, hard to shed salary when they can't take any back....
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 5!

Postby hova- on Thu May 23, 2013 7:34 pm

I like Hamilton in the game, IRL he is really stumbling over the court. Don't know about dealing him. Funny how I cannot imagine him talkin trash. Hope you don't try to get Bargs.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 5!

Postby Valor on Fri May 24, 2013 1:26 am

hova- wrote:I like Hamilton in the game, IRL he is really stumbling over the court. Don't know about dealing him. Funny how I cannot imagine him talkin trash. Hope you don't try to get Bargs.

Yeah I actually dropped 20+ in multiple instances with him in the game last month or something. A bit too unrealistic considering he can't even run properly anymore IRL with his body breaking down the way it has been...I'll see what I can get
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Postby Valor on Sat May 25, 2013 8:48 pm

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Barnes MVP as Team Chuck wins BBVA Rising Stars
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game

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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist literally jumped over the 6-11 Valanciunas for this jam


Houston, TX -- With Team Shaq featuring last year’s Rising Stars MVP Kyrie Irving and this year’s early favorite for rookie of the year Damian Lillard, many thought that they would have some revenge on last year’s loss to Team Chuck.

Harrison Barnes and Ricky Rubio had different plans.

Following a 42 point performance, including 6 three pointers, Harrison Barnes and Team Chuck walked away from All Star Friday Night with a 147-139 victory over Team Shaq.

As you might notice from the final score, not a whole lot of defense was being played, as typical of these exhibition games.

It was, however, very competitive, with the intensity only kicking up a notch after Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Team Shaq did a tribute to Vince Carter by leaping over Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas for a monster jam. Kidd-Gilchrist also made a vulgar gesture following the dunk but no technical were called as both the officials and Valanciunas did not see it.

“We felt like it was a bit disrespectful on his part, to be honest with you” Valanciunas’ teammate on Team Chuck, Ricky Rubio said, “That definitely got our competitiveness going, we didn’t want to lose to a guy like that”

Rubio certainly picked up his game, as he dished out 22 assists – tying John Wall’s record set in 2011 – and added a further 12 points and 7 assists as he and Barnes led the charge for Team Chuck. Chander Parsons of the hometown Rockets dropped 31 of his own, as Team Chuck outscored Team Shaq 87-68 in the second half to take home the W.

Kidd-Gilchrist, who can be viewed as the spark that ignited his opposing team, didn’t do too badly himself, knocking down 10 of his 13 shot attempts for 21 points.

Team Shaq was led by the efforts of Warriors guard Klay Thompson, who, like Barnes, hit a game high 6 three-pointers and ended up with 34 points. Thomas Robinson of the Kings notched 22 of his own, while Orlando’s Gustavo Ayon continues his breakout season run with a 16 point, 11 rebound, 6 steals effort.

Last year’s MVP Irving, however, only shot the ball 7 times in 28 minutes to end up with 11 points and 16 assists. His rookie counterpart Damian Lillard of the Blazers had a modest 12 points and 10 assists in just 18 minutes played.

“Coach asked me not to play too many minutes to save my legs for the second half so that’s what happened.” Lillard said when asked about the limited minutes, “It was a lot of fun though and I’m just glad to be a part of it”

This now makes it two in a row for Team Chuck, as they also won it last year with Irving leading the charge.



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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Rising Stars Challenge!

Postby hova- on Sat May 25, 2013 9:23 pm

WTF is MKG doing there. Making JV look silly on that one. Nice to see some high scores, sick game by Barnes and no defense and at all. Must be great for Bulls fan to have these games to see some offense at all :P
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Rising Stars Challenge!

Postby Valor on Mon May 27, 2013 1:19 am

hova- wrote:WTF is MKG doing there. Making JV look silly on that one. Nice to see some high scores, sick game by Barnes and no defense and at all. Must be great for Bulls fan to have these games to see some offense at all :P

Best dunk I've ever seen on 2K to be honest, that one was sick :applaud:
Yeah I used the "Casual" sliders and watched it with CPU vs CPU, it really was nice to see scoring for a change :lol:
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Postby Valor on Mon May 27, 2013 6:35 am

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White clinched the title with this lefty windmill dunk from the foul line

White wins 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk
Official release
Posted Feb 17, 2013 2:50 AM

Houston, TX -- After spending years as an internet sensation for his various free throw line throw downs, the New York Knicks’ James “Flight” White finally had the ultimate trophy to vindicate his status as one of the best dunkers of all time.

In his third stint in the NBA after signing with the Knicks in the offseason, White proved himself worthy this season as an NBA player, appearing in 47 of the Knicks’ 50 games so far. The guard/forward then showed his world class dunking ability last night at the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk contest, defeating the 2011 champion Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the final round with an array of dunks that lives up to his “Flight” nickname and impressed judge Clyde “The Glide” Drexler.

“Very impressive stuff” said Drexler, “He (White) is definitely a special dunker”

White captured 61 percent of the fan votes in the final round to edge out Griffin, the favorite to take home another title coming into the contest. The other competitors, Taj Gibson of the Bulls and Alonzo Gee of the Cavaliers, finished 3rd and 4th, respectively.

White becomes just the third Knick to win the contest, the others being Nate Robinson (3 times) and Kenny Walker.






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Ryan Anderson edged out Stephen Curry in the final round to win the Foot Locker Three Point Contest.

Anderson wins Foot Locker Three-Point Contest
Official release
Posted Feb 17, 2013 2:50 AM

Houston, TX -- Coming into the event, there was only one word on Ryan Anderson’s mind.

Redemption.

In last year’s event, the then hometown favorite did not even make it out of the first round, citing being “star-struck” and caught off guard. This year, he made sure to prove everybody he’s the best in the business, as the league’s leading three point shooter (151 makes) edged out All Star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, 23-20 in the final round to win the competition.

His Hornet teammate Eric Gordon finished in third place with 17 points in the final round; while JR Smith of the Knicks, Chauncey Billups of the Clippers, and Louis Williams of the Hawks ended up as 4th, 5th, and 6th place respectively after being eliminated in the first round.

“I really wanted to come in and get that trophy” said Anderson, “I felt like last year I kinda lost it away being so nervous and I’m glad that I managed to get that win”

Anderson becomes just the first New Orleans Hornet player to win the contest. Last year, Kevin Love bested Kevin Durant in the final round to take home the title.


Last edited by Valor on Mon May 27, 2013 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby Mark. on Mon May 27, 2013 7:19 am

Man cool Rookie game. Good idea watching on casual. I think I will do that next time too (Y)
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby Valor on Wed May 29, 2013 2:54 am

Mark. wrote:Man cool Rookie game. Good idea watching on casual. I think I will do that next time too (Y)

Cheers, it was pretty fun to see crazy stuff on the offensive end being done and such high scores despite it being on 10 min quarters (Y)
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby Axel The Great on Thu May 30, 2013 5:11 am

Nice presentation of the ASW so far. (Y) I never imagined MKG arrogant enough to pull off a vulgar gesture. :lol: Also cool to see Parsons drop 31.

You know, it never once crossed my mind to just watch the Rising Stars Challenge/All-Star Game instead of playing it, having done two years' worth of ASW coverage in my association. I think that neutral approach is much better, letting the CPU do its thing and seeing what highlights can arise.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby Valor on Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:24 pm

Axel. wrote:Nice presentation of the ASW so far. (Y) I never imagined MKG arrogant enough to pull off a vulgar gesture. :lol: Also cool to see Parsons drop 31.

You know, it never once crossed my mind to just watch the Rising Stars Challenge/All-Star Game instead of playing it, having done two years' worth of ASW coverage in my association. I think that neutral approach is much better, letting the CPU do its thing and seeing what highlights can arise.

Cheers man, I've always done it with CPU vs CPU but this is the first time I did it with the casual sliders cause I've gotten a lot of low scoring games in the past. Pretty happy with the results, and it's definitely a fun watch (Y)

Apologies for the slow updates, exam periods coming up and I caught the flu in the last few days so no idea when I can put up the rest of the ASW. Will definitely do it when I have enough time :)
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby kibaxx7 on Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:42 am

Just read the chapter. Hamilton in San Antonio would be nice, he would do better than T-Mac :lol:
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ All Star Saturday!!

Postby Valor on Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:21 am

#thierry wrote:Just read the chapter. Hamilton in San Antonio would be nice, he would do better than T-Mac :lol:

Cheers Thierry, Spurs is definitely a possible destination for Rip (Y)
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Postby Valor on Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:51 am

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MVP Curry Breaks Three Point Record as West Wins in OT
Game Story | Box Score | Team Stats | Player of the Game

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Curry’s three at the buzzer gave the West the victory


Houston, TX -- While he was all smiles as he congratulated Ryan Anderson on winning the Foot Locker Three Point Contest the previous night, Stephen Curry was silently fuming at himself for conceding the title of the three-point king to another person.

He took to another avenue to prove his skills as a deadly marksman.

Playing in his first All Star Game, Stephen Curry shattered the All Star game individual three point record, making 10 of his 13 attempts and dropped a game high 32 points in 20 minutes of play, including sinking the game winning 3 point dagger at the buzzer in overtime, to lead the Western Conference All Stars to a 146-145 victory over the East.

The previous record for threes made in the All Star game by an individual was 6, held by Mark Price in the 1993 game.

“Shots felt good, so I kept shooting” said Curry, who was named MVP of the game, “As a shooter, you don’t think, you just shoot. I just emptied my clip out there and they dropped in the hole”

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant both had 21 apiece for the West, while the Rockets’ own Jeremy Lin finished with 8 points and 9 assists in front of the hometown fans in his first appearance.

The East was led by the forward duo of Lebron James and Carmelo Anthony, who had 31 and 25 points, respectively. James also added 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 steals in the losing effort.

Chicago’s Joakim Noah, starting at center for the East in his first All Star appearance, finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists.

As typical of an All Star game, the abundance of dunks, flair, and up-and-down action were definitely in presence on Sunday, but there was also an elevated level of competitiveness, as the game saw endless lead changes and neither team leading for more than the East’s 13 point lead early in the third quarter.

“We wanted to win badly and so did they” said Bryant, “That’s what the fans came to see, competitive basketball”

Not everybody had it easy though, as a bunch of first timers showed their nervousness from the very start. Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks threw up 2 airballs for his first two attempts while Orlando center Gustavo Ayon forgot to pull his warm-up pants off before checking into the game.

The game capped a weekend of change in Texas, where David Stern presided over his final All-Star game as commissioner and players' association executive director Billy Hunter was voted out of office - a result he seems likely to contest.


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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ ASG OT Thriller!

Postby Mark. on Mon Jun 17, 2013 1:10 pm

Very nice stats there. Looks like it would have been a fun ASG to watch.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ ASG OT Thriller!

Postby Valor on Wed Jun 19, 2013 9:38 pm

Mark. wrote:Very nice stats there. Looks like it would have been a fun ASG to watch.

Cheers Mark, what made it even more fun to watch was how close it was! Steph Curry was amazing :P
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Postby Valor on Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:25 pm

Chapter 6

“Jo, you do know that this is supposed to be fun right?” Lebron James asked Noah as they jogged back down the floor. It was the Eastern Conference All Stars practice and Spoelstra decided to do a little scrimmage, Noah, a first time All Star, was playing as though it was a playoff game.
“Well, with the way you’ve been flopping around, I’d say you are taking this seriously as well” Noah shot back
Lebron stopped marking his man and walked up to Noah, the rest of the team stopped playing and looked at the two quietly.
“What did you say?” James said ominously,
Noah laughed and looked right into Lebron’s face, “You don’t scare me, flopper. How’s your mom and Delonte?”
Noah’s teammate Luol Deng quickly stepped in as Lebron lunged himself at Noah, Dwyane Wade did likewise and held back James while the two continued to seethe at each other.
“Cut it out Jo”
“Calm down, Bron”
Brandon Jennings, who was watching the scrimmage on the sidelines, squeezed himself into the crowd. "You know all y'all suck compared to me right?"
Everybody ignored him and continued trying to separate Noah and Lebron.
“Hey! What do you lot think you are doing” Spoelstra yelled as he came back onto the practice court, running over as he saw what was happening. The assistant coaches went around and confiscated all the tapes from the media members that were present, warning them not to leak out what had just transpired.
“Nothing coach, just getting acquainted” Lebron chirped as the team concluded practice and got out to meet the media.

The East would end up losing the All Star game in overtime after Noah and James both refused to pass to one another.

✧✧✧✧✧

“Like I said, Jerry, I’m trying my best but there’s no deal out there so far.” Lai explained without a single attempt to hide his displeasure, “I’ll call you back after I get something done”
“What does he think I am? a miracle worker or something?” Lai complained to Paxson as he hung up the phone
“Relax, something’s gonna come up soon” Paxson replied. It was All Star weekend but the two were back in the office again, they had mere days left before the trade deadline and owner Jerry Reinsdorf was adamant about getting under the luxury tax. Lai had been shopping around Richard Hamilton but to no avail as everybody was cautious with the new CBA being in full effect.
Lai picked up the coffee pot, it was empty. He sighed and was about to call his secretary for the refill when his phone rang, he put down the coffee pot and answered.
“Hello?”
“Leo! It’s Mark, how’s it going?”
“Cuban?” Lai said, recognizing the voice of the Dallas Mavericks owner, “What can I do for you?”
“Heard you were shopping Rip” Cuban replied,
“Yeah, you interested?”
“Absolutely, what are you looking for in return?” Cuban asked,
“Look Mark, just get me under the luxury tax” Lai decided to get straight to the point
Cuban chuckled, “That Jerry is still being stingy again”
“Tell me about it” Lai muttered under his breath as Cuban continued
“I can’t take him off your hands straight up but I got something working with Phoenix right now and we need you to finish the deal off.” Cuban stated, “I’m sending the proposed deal to you now “
Right on cue, Lai’s smartphone lit up as a new email had been received. “Yep, got it Mark, hold on a minute while I read this through. Call you back”
“They are giving us a protected first rounder and some bigs, but we are gonna have to trade away either Marco or Nate as well” Lai said to Paxson as he read through the proposal, “That’s going to be a huge blow to our backcourt”
“It’s all we got Leo” Paxson shrugged, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Lai bit his lip; it was the bitter truth after all. Time was running out. He nodded at Paxson and reached back to reconnect the call with Mark Cuban.
“So, which one are you giving them?” Paxson asked while they waited for the call to connect
Lai looked at the offer again and took a deep breath, “Marco”
“We got a deal?” Cuban said as soon as he picked up
“Only if that pick isn’t top 20 protected Mark, you guys are not going to get that good of a record so lets stop the bullshit” Lai stated adamantly,
“Give me a second rounder in return and I’ll make it lottery protected instead” Cuban replied, he didn’t make billions of dollars by being generous
“Mark, I’m doing you a favor taking that first rounder off your hands already,” Lai said sternly, “Top 10, and we got a deal”

“It’s done”

✧✧✧✧✧

“Before we introduce these two new members of our organization, I would like to take the time to thank Rip for his two years here in Chicago. He was a consummate professional and we wish him all the best in Dallas” Lai announced. It was the press conference to introduce the Bulls’ new acquisitions in the Richard Hamilton trade and despite it being a minor transaction, the room was unusually packed. Lai had a hunch they didn’t come to interview the 34 year old Jermaine O’Neal, certainly not Luke Zeller, the two pieces that the Bulls had received in return for Hamilton.
As expected, after Lai had introduced O’Neal and Zeller, and presented them with their Bulls jerseys, the press ignored the two completely and began to fire questions at the young GM.
“Scott Friedell, ESPN Chicago. Mr. Lai, word has it that you were threatened to be replaced with Isiah Thomas if you didn’t get under the tax, is that true?”
Lai kept a smile on his face, he had expected these. Word travels quickly and rumors had been building, “We thought this move gives us flexibility in the long term while adding the presence of two big bodies that can take some minutes off Joakim and Carlos”
The team spokesperson then pointed to the reporter at the back, “K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune. Could you elaborate on what you just said?”
“We managed to move our second round pick and turn it into a mid-late first rounder so that will give us a lot more options in the draft, we are also better off in the long run without the repeated tax penalty” Lai replied and took a slip of water and continued to field off the barrage of questions.
“Alright guys, last one” the team spokesperson said as a man walks in and sat down with his hand raised.
“Isiah Thomas, NBA.com writer, Hall of Famer, Legend, Would’ve kicked MJ’s butt if he was my size…”
Lai held up his hand and cut him off, “Okay, we get it, enough. Just ask your damn question”
“You guys lose a lot of your backcourt depth, does that mean either you are tanking or do you anticipate Derrick Rose coming back? I heard the doctor cleared him” Thomas asked, annoyed that he was interrupted.
So this one is finally here, Lai groaned quietly to himself as he spoke once more into the microphone, “First of all, we don’t tank. Second, I haven’t heard anything about Derrick being cleared or anything. He will be back when he’s ready, and as of right now, he isn’t.”
Before Thomas could speak once more, the team spokesperson quickly announced the conclusion of the press conference as Lai got up and left the building.

✧✧✧✧✧

Lebron James blocked the Jimmy Butler shot attempt and proceeded to dunk it while Joakim Noah looked on helplessly after conducting the futile chase. The Heat were up by 10 early in the second quarter and Tom Thibodeau signaled for a timeout.
“What’s wrong pussy? King James too much to handle for you bitches?” James gloated at Noah as he walked past him. Noah spun around and shoved Lebron to the ground. Wade came over and pushed Noah back and it became a shoving match as the referees blew their whistles and struggled to separate the two sides. Technicals were handed out to 8 different players and both coaches had to calm their guys down. It was always chippy between the two teams and after what happened in the All Star game, things got even worse between them.
“Jo, use that fucking energy to play basketball instead of shoving matches.” Thibodeau yelled in the locker-room at half time, the Bulls were trailing by 14 and struggled to score, more than usual with the backcourt of Butler and Hinrich missing most of their shots. Noah heeded those words and led the Bulls on a furious comeback attempt in the second half, but would fall short as Lebron led Miami to their 12th straight win.

“You know, I would’ve liked to get that last assist for the triple double and stuff, but I am an unselfish player and I don’t pay attention to those kinds of things.” Lebron was saying in the post game press conference, “I do whatever it takes to win, I mean I got 15 rebounds and a few steals and blocks along with my 19 points and 9 assist. I consider myself an all-around player and I carry this team when they need King James to shine.”

Noah watched on from the corner in silent fury, he would feel better though as the Heat’s streak ended two games later in Cleveland.
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 6

Postby hova- on Sat Jun 22, 2013 9:48 pm

Freaky All-Star game with Curry stealing the show.

I like the deal, getting some bigs is important for you as your bench is very thin on this end. Mid-round picks are my favorite picks as you can get very solid players there that can contribute right away and you don't feel like you have to do too much with them just because you drafted them with a high pick.

Rivalry heating up between Heat and Bulls. I guess you are already preparing for a nice Playoff story ;)
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 6

Postby kibaxx7 on Sun Jun 23, 2013 5:36 am

Solid deal for you man, but yeah, the backcourt is suffering now. Keep it up :wink:
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Re: [31-15] ✖ Legacy Arise ✖ Chapter 6

Postby Valor on Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:08 am

hova- wrote:Freaky All-Star game with Curry stealing the show.

I like the deal, getting some bigs is important for you as your bench is very thin on this end. Mid-round picks are my favorite picks as you can get very solid players there that can contribute right away and you don't feel like you have to do too much with them just because you drafted them with a high pick.

Rivalry heating up between Heat and Bulls. I guess you are already preparing for a nice Playoff story ;)

Yeah it was crazy, he was pullin up from 30 and knocking it down over defenders (like the game winner on DWade) (Y)
I think I came away ok in that deal, lost both of my SGs and a pick but I got some tax room to sign somebody for a playoff push if Jimmy Buckets don't work out at SG like he did IRL.
Can't wait to play Miami in the playoffs :P

#thierry wrote:Solid deal for you man, but yeah, the backcourt is suffering now. Keep it up :wink:

Cheers man, yeah like I said I might have to sign somebody to a minimum deal for the playoff run, but gonna give Jimmy B a try first. He's not scoring at all for me though
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Postby Valor on Mon Jun 24, 2013 6:46 am

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Grading the Deals: NBA Trade Deadline 2013
Feb 16th, 2012 09:56 PM EST

The 2013 NBA Trade deadline came and went on Thursday afternoon, and the word quiet doesn’t even begin to describe this year’s transaction cutoff date that has otherwise been historically frenetic. A grand total of six deals were completed as of the deadline, and you’ll have to count in everything that happened in the month of February to make up that number, with the first deal coming all the way back on February the 5th, and the final deal being on the 20th. The high-profile guys who were rumored to be on the block, like Paul Pierce, Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green, all stayed put. Below you can find all the deals made before the trade deadline in chronological order and some analysis as to why they were completed.[/size]

Celtics Trade Brandon Bass to the Bobcats for Tyrus Thomas

This trade is really mind boggling at first glance. Actually, it is still very mind boggling after a million glances, as it makes very little sense for the Celtics to give up on Brandon Bass for Tyrus Thomas. The only strand of argument that could be made in defense for Danny Ainge is that Thomas, at 6-10 and ultra-athletic, can add to the Celtics length in the front court and maintain such length when Kevin Garnett and/or Fab Melo needs a breather. Both LSU products, Bass is just 1 year older than Thomas and makes $6 million less while having a much more polished offensive game, as evident by the career high 32 point outburst in just his 5th game as a Bobcat just 8 days ago. Thomas’ best game so far in a Celtics uniform is a 14 point, 7 rebound performance in a loss against the Raptors.

This is easily the best move by Michael Jordan as an executive, surpassing his draft selection of rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the #2 overall pick, and also one of the worst moves ever in the renowned career of Danny Ainge.

Grade for Celtics: D-
Grade for Bobcats: A




Mavericks Trade Chris Kaman to the Hornets for Jason Smith

Kaman, a former all-star was signed in the offseason in the hopes of being a dominant one-two punch in the Mavericks front court with Olympic teammate Dirk Nowitzki, but things quickly turned downhill and sour when another former All Star – Elton Brand – won the job in the middle during training camp. Brand was claimed off waivers for the Mavericks after being amnestied in the offseason and has since been a solid contributor to a Dallas squad that has struggled to keep in the playoff race with Dirk sidelined for most of the first two months of the season with averages of 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The Mavericks finally parted ways with the disgruntled center, sending him to New Orleans for the ever-solid Jason Smith. Smith, an excellent mid-range shooter and a decent rebounder, will contribute well coming off the bench for the Mavericks while Kaman will get to start alongside the Hornets’ #1 overall pick Anthony Davis, who slides down to the power forward position.

This is a good trade for both teams, with the Hornets perhaps coming out as the better end in terms of talent, but the chemistry issues solved by the veteran Mavericks might just be addition by subtraction as they prepare for a playoff push to end the regular season.

Grade for Mavericks: B
Grade for Hornets: B+




Grizzlies Trade Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi to the Raptors for Ed Davis, Jose Calderon, and the Raptors’ 2013 second round pick
Grizzlies Trade Jose Calderon to the Pistons for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince


The Grizzlies, in a money-saving motivated move, was able to find a taker for Gay in the form of the Raptors without too much of a loss. They were able to do a slight downgrade at small forward to Tayshaun Prince that saves the team about $10 million per season while still fitting what they do on the floor. Considering the money they have committed to other players, that flexibility allows them to add depth and continue to be a more versatile and challenging team moving forward. They were also able to get Ed Davis, who’s revelation this season with the Raptors and gives Memphis an incredibly deep big man rotation. That depth can be used to withstand injuries since an injury to anyone other than Marc Gasol could be weathered by just moving everyone’s minutes up or it could be used in a trade down the line to strengthen the perimeter.

The Raptors, being who they are, got their big name star one of the only two ways possible – trading and taking on a big cap hit star, the other being developing their own star in the draft. Rudy Gay gives the Raptors some more scoring punch at the wing and Gay now forms a very athletic and capable duo with DeMar DeRozan. However, as aforementioned, they take a big cap hit and now with DeRozan and Gay alone have committed a $27.3M investment each season for at least the next two years.

The Detroit Pistons, on the other hand, gets rid of Tayshaun Prince’s long term contract and continues on their rebuilding phase. Jose Calderon should be a nice fit shepherding the young guards Detroit already has on roster, it will be possible to sign him to a reasonable deal after this season and then make a decision about whether Brandon Knight actually makes sense as the future lead guard of the team or to trade him for a swingman and try again without the team falling off a cliff. A logical and practical trade for a team in desperate need of one.
Grade for Grizzlies: B
Grade for Raptors: C+
Grade for Detroit: A-




Bulls Trade Richard Hamilton and Bulls’ 2013 second round pick to the Mavericks for Mavericks’ 2013 first round pick
Bulls Trade Marco Belinelli to the Suns for Jermaine O’Neal and Luke Zeller
Mavericks Trade Dahntay Jones and Bernard James to the Suns for Sebastian Telfair


This certainly falls into what was the likely story of the deadline: avoiding the tax.

It was no secret that the Bulls have been shopping around what little assets they have, namely Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton, in a bid to get under the luxury tax as owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who has never paid the tax, wants no part of it this season either, especially with the new CBA rules in place to punish repeated offenders. So it comes to nobody’s surprise that they have finally pulled the trigger and shipped out the few tradable assets they have outside of former MVP Derrick Rose and the All Stars Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. Despite having little to no leverage in these negotiations when everybody knows your back is against the wall, the Bulls were still able to come up with a pretty decent deal for Tom Thibodeau’s squad, despite it costing them both of their shooting guards in Richard Hamilton and Marco Belinelli.

The Bulls’ biggest addition would be the veteran Jermaine O’Neal, who despite being far from his former All-Star days with the Pacers, is still a skilled big body down low who is definitely an upgrade over Nazr Mohammed coming off the bench and would relieve Noah off some of those heavy minutes. In addition, they managed to get what is projected as a mid-late first round pick from the Mavericks, although at the cost of their own second round pick in the same draft.

Mark Cuban is known for splashy moves one after the other and this is no surprise as he looks to further improve his squad’s chances of a postseason run without sacrificing future cap spaces. The 35 year old Hamilton gives them a much needed veteran presence in the backcourt and a solid scoring punch off the bench behind the ever erratic OJ Mayo, especially with Vince Carter sidelined indefinitely with a leg injury. Hamilton has a team option after this season for $5M, which will probably be declined as the Mavericks look to make a run at free-agent-to-be Chris Paul. In addition, the Mavericks also traded away their guaranteed contract to the first-rounders in what is widely considered a weak draft, swapping it with a second round pick (non-guaranteed contracts) from the Bulls.

The Suns, added into the deal to make finances work under the constraints of the cap, really didn’t do anything that impacts their short or long term prospects. Currently holders of the league’s worst record, they got rid of disgruntled guard Sebastian Telfair, who has fallen out with both the coach and the rest of the locker-room, and hopes that this is addition by subtraction as they eliminate a bad influence for their young guys. Belinelli, a capable point guard as well as a deadly shooter, is a great pickup for their injury-plagued backcourt and might just be young enough to still be in the Suns’ future despite having already gotten 6 seasons under his belt.

Grade for Bulls: B-
Grade for Mavericks: B
Grade for Suns: B




Magic Trade Glen Davis, Dequan Jones, and Kyle O’Quinn to the Nuggets for Timofey Mozgov, Jordan Hamilton, and Evan Fournier

Another case of addition by subtraction by the Orlando Magic, as they continue to move on from the Dwight Howard saga by unloading one of his best buddies on the roster in Glen “Big Baby” Davis. True to his nickname, Davis has been moaning about playing time and shots all season long despite being out of shape and have fallen completely into the dog house, averaging a career low 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 52 contests. The Magic, who are a rebuilding team that is surprisingly competing for a playoff berth at 25-27, both gets rid of a locker-room cancer and saves money in the process.

Meanwhile for Denver, George Karl has been known for his ability to deal with troublesome players (see: JaVale McGee) over the years, and between Mozgov being stuck behind McGee and Koufos on the depth chart and Kenneth Faried going down with a broken jaw, the addition of the 27 year old forward from LSU will certainly help. Davis’ ability to stretch the defense will definitely be beneficial to the team provide that he’s in the right mindset, and that doesn’t look to be a problem for George Karl.

Grade for Magic: A
Grade for Nuggets: B-




Rockets Trade Cole Aldrich, Tony Douglas, and Patrick Patterson to the Kings for Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, and Tyler Honeycutt

Effectively moving Patrick Patterson for Thomas Robinson (and some pieces) absolutely makes a ton of sense for a Rockets team that has had plenty of time to evaluate Patterson and his fit with what they have. Robinson has a ton of potential and possesses the additional benefit of two extra years of team control. On top of that, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt could absolutely contribute to a team set at the starting perimeter spots but lacking somewhat when it comes to swingman depth.

The difference in years under rookie deals could end up hurting Sacramento relatively soon. After all, having a player closer to his peak makes remarkably little sense for a team who should not be looking to win the rest of this season and likely cannot make much noise next year. He could help try [emphasis on try] to stabilize former Kentucky teammate DeMarcus Cousins, but that is not enough of a benefit to outweigh the other costs. Now is far too early to give up on Thomas Robinson, especially when doing so for a guy who helps them more at a less valuable time in the team’s progression.

Grade for Rockets: A-
Grade for Kings: D+

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