Lv06|ROCKETS-2| Officially Closed.

[Clutch]

(FYI... In case you're new and want to see where it all began, 'Season 1' has been relocated and now starts on the 2nd post - Clutch)


* Scroll down for rules and details

165 (155) Martti **
160 (130) Oskar RF
150 (135) Valor *
125 Lamrock **
105 (90) Kaiser Kobe
100 (90) Oli
100 (75) PeeBo ***
100 (90) weechees *
95 (85) OrlMagic *
55 (50) Ratrac
50 (35) homicide1550 *
50 Chaser7
40 Jemesouviens
35 newc
30 Ipsofire
10 nba baller
- Skillmatic


single number = no points change
(x) = previous total
* = 'JUMBO' hits counter
red = ON FIRE!
RF = ROYAL FLUSH counter

'08-09 season start roster

PREFACE (Season 2 Begins on Pg 12)

"Houston Rockets: Season 2" kicks off with the departures of Deron Williams and Mike James to Atlanta for the reacquisition of Shane Battier and addition of Speedy Claxton.

But owner Les Alexander's blockbuster move would be sending Marvin Williams, Brevin Knight and a second-round draftee to Sacramento for defensive specialist, Ron Artest.

SEASON 2 CONTEST

New to Season 2 and inspired by Lamrock and others who have held mini-games and contests within their dynasties, I've decided to host my first contest beginning - now!

This is most likely Dikembe Mutombo's final season and he's always been one of my favorite players (who else can get away with wagging their finger after swatting the crap out of you, or crashing a Georgetown bar and yelling, "Who wants to sex Mutombo?" while everyone stares back in silence) so in tribute, this contest is rightfully called,

Fan of the Year, THE 'JUMBO MUTOMBO' CONTEST

THE GAME

It's a game of simple point accumulation - viewer with the highest total points at the end of the regular season, wins! (In the event of a tie, the contest will continue only for those qualified squaring off in 'sudden death' elimination thru the Playoffs)

Here's how it works.

SCORING POINTS

Anytime during the regular season and BEFORE I post the next game recap, you can enter just by posting the names of two (2) Rockets players and a 'Jumbo Mutombo' number (explained below)

If either or both of the players you chose qualifies for any categories below, you earn the points listed

Player of the Game: +5 points
Rockets Highest Scorer: +5 points
Rockets Best FG%: +10 points

If your choices match all three above (PotG, High Scorer AND best FG%) +5 additional bonus points

In the event that multiple players tie for a category after a game, all elligible players qualify as a 'win' and receive the points for the appropriate category (example: Both McGrady and Yao are Highest Scorers, ending the game with 29 points a piece; if you've selected either or both, each is worth +5 points)

Okay. The "2 names" part is simple enough, now here's the wildcard:

THE 'JUMBO' FACTOR

As the season is in honor of Mutombo, he'll play a huge role in the outcome of this contest.

In addition to two names, you'll also give me one number. This number represents your guess of what Dikembe's total stat line will be for the night (by 'line' I mean the 5 main categories: Pts+Rebs+Ast+Blk+Stl all added together)

It'll be tricky, but if you guess correctly? It's worth: +20 points

As you can see, you're never 'out of it' even if you're starting late. If you're vibin' Mutombo and guessing correctly, you can get right back in the game quick-style

Oh, and obviously Mutombo must play at least 1 minute. If coach Jackson doesn't play him, a "0" guess doesn't count as a win (Now, if he does log at least 1 minute of game time and comes up empty across the board and you've guessed "0", then that's +20 big ones for you!)

THE ROYAL FLUSH

Get ALL above correct (and I doubt this will happen often if ever) but if it does, that's pretty special so: +10 additional bonus points

Again, here's a quick summary,


POINTS SUMMARY

Player of the Game: +5 points
Rockets High Scorer: +5 points
Rockets Best FG%: +10 points
All three above (PotG, High Scorer AND best FG%) +5 additional bonus points

Correct 'Jumbo' number: +20 points

Royal Flush (everything above correct): additional +10 bonus points


ACCEPTABLE FORMATS

Acceptable entries are, 2 Rocket player names AND 1 number

Ex: "TMac, Yao, 12"
"Artest & Graham, two"
"Speedy, Ron, 5"

all perfectly understandable and acceptable (but be specific if players share the same last name; I think right now there are no double-ups so this shouldn't be a problem)

Unacceptable entries:

anything vague or unclear, like just numbers:

Ex: 14, 1, 11 (Unclear and thus voided/does NOT qualify)


CONTEST RULES

The only rule is that your selections/picks MUST be posted BEFORE the next game recap to be counted. Sometimes there are lapses between recaps; sometimes I do 'em right away. I'll try to keep at least once/week. But as long as you post picks before I post the next game results, your entry will qualify

Once a game is finished and recapped, everything 'resets' and any previous picks are void. You'll need to post/pick two new players and a 'Jumbo' number after each game to qualify for the next coming game. Previously posted selections do NOT "carry over" as selections for the next game (EXCEPTION: In the event that I post MULTIPLE games at once which rarely but sometimes happens, your picks DO carry over and qualify for ALL games posted in that lot of games)

I will post screen captures of both 'High Scorer' and 'FG% High' as well as the 'Mutombo Line' at the end of every recap along with the usual boxscores, pics etc. Also, I'll keep a running contest 'Leader' board somewhere accessible so you can see where you rank (most likely here on the first page, first post)

[EDIT: I previously mentioned not wanting to be the 'points police' and that you'd have to send me your totals after each game. Well, since we started, I've found keeping the totals myself to be easy, so I guess I AM the 'points police' lol]

Now… the Prize.

PRIZE WINNER

Aside from bragging rights among your fellow NLSCers, I've been trying to think of something cool and this is all I got but I think it's kinda fun

The winner of "Fan of the Year" will earn....... a 1-yr, minimum-salaried contract on the Rockets' Season 3 (next season) roster as a "create-a-player" walk-on!

That's right, YOU (or at least your 'virtual' self) will be right in the thick of things rubbin' elbows with Tracy and Yao trying to stop LeBron or swatting Kobe (Just don't expect to be replacing anybody in the starting line up anytime soon as you'll be realistically/low overall-rated and thus spend most of the times cheering from the bench)

Still, courtside seats and occasional scrub minutes and possible mention in future game recaps as a player - what more could you ask! I may have to do it by just DBF editing a CPU-created rookie or something like that, but I'll worry about those details later

That's the 'long-term' prize plan anyway and yeah, I know that's all a looong way off and who knows if this dynasty even makes it that far... but then again, who knew it'd make it this far?

Anyway, hope you guys participate and I'll try keep the momentum; the upcoming changes in Season 2 definitely make it more fun for me and hopefully for you the viewer as well

Enjoy,
Clutch

Last edited by Clutch on Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:58 pm, edited 217 times in total.

[Clutch]

SEASON 1, "REDEMPTION"



SEASON INDEX

2007-08 Regular Season Stats
2007-08 Playoff Stats

2007-2008 (Final roster/season start), 2006-2007, 2005-2006

2007-2008 REGULAR SEASON
* As most of these links are long broke over time due to server maintenance and what not,
I'll tag the page #s so at least you can gauge where a specific game can be found
- Clutch

Pg 1
HOU@SEA 109-102 (W); HOU@MIN 102-95 (W); SEA@HOU 91-100 (W); HOU@UTA 98-93 (W); HOU@GS 92-84 (W); NO@HOU 100-97 (L) OT; HOU@LAC 98-105 (L)

Pg 2
HOU@NY 108-100 (W) OT; SEA@HOU 97-105 (W); MEM@HOU 84-91 (W); SA@HOU 100-99 (L); ORL@HOU 123-129 (W) OT; HOU@SA 92-97 (L); HOU@SAC 97-93 (W); HOU@PHO 92-103 (L); HOU@SA 112-110 (W) OT; LAL@HOU 93-102 (W); HOU@PHI 94-92 (W); HOU@CLE 92-95 (L)

Pg 3
CHA@HOU 91-94 (W); HOU@NO 104-98 (W); HOU@LAL 105-94 (W); DAL@HOU 91-82 (L); IND@HOU 92-100 (W)

(Format Switch 8-13-07)
WEEK 8 RECAP (TOR@HOU 96-93; LAL@HOU 86-97; HOU@ATL 97-91)
WEEK 9 RECAP (DAL@HOU 111-108; NY@HOU 100-97; HOU@UTA 103-98; PHI@HOU 87-98)

Pg 4
WEEK 10 RECAP (DET@HOU 95-96 OT; HOU@NJN 104-96)
WEEK 11 RECAP (TOR@HOU 103-106; BOS@HOU 103-92; HOU@SAC 106-99)
WEEK 12 RECAP (HOU@DEN 111-119 OT; POR@HOU 110-98 OT; HOU@MIA 87-92)
WEEK 13 RECAP (HOU@MEM 100-105;MINN@HOU 93-87;HOU@DAL 93-104)
WEEK 14 RECAP (UTA@HOU 103-100)
"BIG FRIDAY" - Blockbuster Mid-Season Trade: 5 teams, 13 players

Pg 5
WEEK 15 RECAP (WAS@HOU 102-108;HOU@DAL 96-90;MIA@HOU 83-85)
WEEK 16 RECAP (HOU@DEN 99-92;HOU@IND 92-85;

Pg 6
ROOKIE CHALLENGE - Rooks 76 Sophs 63 Final; SLAM DUNK CONTEST/3PT SHOOTOUT; ALL-STAR GAME West 125 East 116 Final OT
WEEK 17 RECAP (HOU@LAL 106-109; HOU@MEM 85-83; MIL@HOU 87-96;

Pg 7
CHI@HOU 99-107 )
WEEK 18 RECAP (HOU@POR 95-82; SAC@HOU 96-99; GS@HOU 94-101)

WEEK 19 RECAP (HOU@CHA 113-104 OT; MEM@HOU 100-108; HOU@WAS 120-125 OT)

Pg 8
WEEK 20 RECAP (NOH@HOU 109-102 (W) OT;HOU@DET 101-95 (L);POR@HOU 86-89 (W));HOU@ORL 101-90 (W);UTA@HOU 90-99 (W); CLE@HOU 106-103 (L) OT; LAC@HOU 102-96 (L)

Pg 9
DEN@HOU 91-101 (W); HOU@MIL 80-82 (L); SAS@HOU 97-95 (L); HOU@NOH 98-91 (W); HOU@PHO 95-92 (w); HOU@CHI 95-92 (W); HOU@LAC 108-102 (L)

Pg 10
NJN@HOU 95-88 (L); DEN@HOU 103-110 (W); ATL@HOU 83-90 (W); HOU@BOS 104-99 (W); HOU@GS 102-96 (W); PHO@HOU 101-94 (L)

2007-08 WESTERN CONF QTR FINALS

GM 1, HOU@PHO 99-90 (W); GM 2, HOU@PHO 114-107 (W) OT; GM 3, PHO@HOU 83-95 W

Pg 11
GM 4, PHO@ HOU 91-101 W

2007-08 WESTERN CONF SEMI FINALS

GM 1, HOU@DEN 87-95 (L); GM 2, HOU@DEN 104-107 (L); GM 3, DEN@HOU 90-102 (W); GM 4, DEN@HOU 107-90 (L); GM 5, HOU@DEN 100-107 (L) - ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS

A LONG TIME AGO IN A DYNASTY FAR, FAR AWAY...



Hey folks - first off, thx to all who started following my GSW Dynasty started a few weeks back ('rulez, 3pk, scoop, naru etc); while I'll continue to develop the W's for my own pleasure, I also started having a lot of fun with a dynasty of my other 'favorite team' (pre-hometown W's exploding into the playoffs) - the Houston Rockets. Since it's still early in my Warriors dynasty and for variety's sake (as there are several sweet dynasties currently giving Golden State much justice already (looser's, 'rulez, ratrac's off the top of my head)), I've decided to switch gears and dedicate my online efforts/coverage to Yao, McGrady and - Phil Jackson. Yes, zen masta Phil.
Here's my take on a revamped Houston Rockets team and their quest for 'Redemption' taking place in a bizarro alternate timeline in our not so distance future… enjoy - BD5



DYNASTY SETTINGS

Sim Quarter length: 12 minutes
Playoff Length: 7-7-7-7
Sim Injuries: Yes
Sim Type: Intervention

IN-GAME SETTINGS

Skill Level: Superstar
Quarter Length: 10 minutes
CPU Assistance: Yes
Shot Control: CPU

GAME PLAY SETTINGS

Andrew's NBA Live 06 Sliders v1.0 (awesome, btw!)

FRANCHISE START 'HOUSE' RULES

NBA LIVE 2006 ver (D Wade box cover);
Dynasty begins in '05-06 BUT with '06-07 team rosters MINUS the '06-07 rookie class (CP3's rookie year; no Brandon Roy, Bargnani, Morrison etc);
Complete simulation (no intervention) of the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons;
No player trades allowed til 2006-07 off season (to avoid rookie 'hording' temptation);
Starting 2007-08: Intervention allowed in 'coaching' mode only (ie., calling timeouts, making subs); otherwise games are viewed CPU v CPU




COACHING STAFF

Oct 2005 - Houston Rockets GM, Carroll Dawson and Head Coach, Jeff Van Gundy, hire Assistant Coach, Marty Bettman, Trainer, Lee Workman and Scout, Willie Chow, each to 3 contracts:


Marty Bettman (Salary: 1.18M, Off: A, Def: A+, Ath: A+, Specialty: Big Man)
Lee Workman (Salary: 715K, Grade: A-, Specialty: Legs)
Willie Chow (Salary 382K, Grade: C, Off: C, Def: C-, Ath: C)

POST SEASON

Rockets end regular season 48-34 but lose in the first round to the Phoenix Suns; the Suns would advance to the NBA Finals and sweep LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, capturing the 2005-06 NBA Championship;

OFFSEASON

Apr 3, 2006 - Daryl Morey named assistant general manager of the Houston Rockets to replace Carroll Dawson as general manager in 2007;

Jul 10, 2006 - Center, Yao Ming, agrees to re-sign a 6-year, $56.40M dollar contract with the Houston Rockets;


Jul 25, 2006 - the New York Knicks select Cal St. Fullerton's 6'6" 206lbs Forward, Malcolm Stafford, as the #1 overall draft pick;


Jul 26, 2006 - Rockets lose versatile swingman, Bonzi Wells, to free agency;


Jul 28, 2006 - 11-year pro and defensive specialist, Alonzo Mourning, of the Miami Heat, retires from professional basketball;


Aug 16, 2006 - Houston make deal with Toronto to acquire 2nd-year Swingman, Joey Graham;


Aug 28, 2006 - Indiana Pacers and Seattle Supersonics shake up both franchises with a blockbuster trade;

TRAINING CAMP

Oct 2006 - Rockets' 12-year veteran Forward, Juwan Howard, showing signs of age, comes to camp thinner/lighter and weaker statistically overall than previous year; similar declines with backup Center and veteran defensive specialist, Dikembe Mutombo; Yao Ming, however, continues to thrive under the excellent tutelage of Assistant Coach and Big Man Specialist, Marty Bettman;
Howard/Mutombo - Progress report


Draft Class Scouting Report - A buzz begins around the league as team scouts project a very strong '07-08 draft class led by three impact big men: Jimiyo Wilkins, a 6'9" 246lbs Poward Forward from Tripoli, Libya; Jafari Cotton, a 6'9" 262lbs Power Forward from Bangui, C. African Republic; and Rufus Pare, a 6'10" 248lbs Power Forward out of UCLA; also highly anticipated in draft selection: Sergei Tankosic, a 6'1" 201lbs Point Guard from Beirut, Lebanon already rumored to be somewhat of a Steve Nash/Jason Kidd hybrid;


Dec 24, 2006 - Christmas Eve trade offer proposal comes from Los Angeles Clippers organization in attempt to deal/acquire Rockets' superstar swingman, Tracy McGrady, after rumors of his dissatisfaction with Rockets management's team direction surface in media; offer would be declined;


Jan 23, 2007 - 4th-year Guard/Forward, Kyle Korver, acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Center, Jake Tsakalidis in attempt to surround McGrady with stronger perimeter shooters;


May 11, 2007 - Daryl Morey officially succeeds Carroll Dawson as Rockets general manager

POST SEASON

Rockets end '06-07 season with a 53-49 record, improving 5 games over the previous year's record, and clinching 4th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. However, they would fall short yet again in the first round, eliminated 4-2, this time to the 5th-ranked Dallas Mavericks, led by All-Star, Dirk Nowitski. McGrady, a 7-time All-Star, would fail to advance past the 1st round for the sixth time in as many attempts


During the post-game press conference following the Rocket's elimination, McGrady took responsibility for loss

"Absolutely. I'm not shying away from that at all," he said. "I say this team is going to go as far as I take them. I tried my best. I tried, man. Maybe I could've made an extra play here. Maybe I could've gotten those loose rebounds that we didn't get down the stretch of the game. Maybe I could've done more. It didn't happen."

"I tried, man. I tried," he said before wiping away a tear and leaving the interview room

The Dallas Mavericks would continue on to the Western Conference Finals only to be eliminated by the defending Champion Phoenix Suns

The Suns would defeat the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, capturing back-to-back titles and their second NBA Championship

MAY 19, 2007 - Rockets Head Coach, Jeff Van Gundy, is fired after 2 years of first round exits with the Houston Rockets with 1 year remaining in his contract. Rockets' management inform the press their decision was based on Van Gundy's indecision about whether he wanted to return to coaching or not


"You're always disappointed when you're fired. It's difficult," Van Gundy said. "But I was a little bit more upset when it was being spun that I hadn't come to a decision about wanting to coach. I had told them long ago that I wanted to coach if they wanted me.

"And, obviously, they felt that they were better served going a different direction, which is well within their right," he said. "I both accept that and yet at the same time, respectfully disagree with that decision."

May 28, 2007 - Phil Jackson is fired from his position as Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach, after failing to advance the Lakers past the first round for the second straight time since his return to the organization on June 15, 2005. Lakers management informs the press that severance was the 'only possible solution' to secure the future of superstar Guard, Kobe Bryant, with the Lakers and remedy a long-standing off/on feud between Jackson and Bryant


When asked, Jackson shrugged and replied, "No, it had nothing to do with Kobe and wasn't what was agreed upon when I returned to coaching here; I'm as shocked as you."

May 31, 2007 - An enraged Kobe Bryant said on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York: "I would like to be traded, yeah. Tough as it is to come to that conclusion there's no other alternative, you know?"

In an interview with Stephen A. Smith, Bryant was asked if there was anything Lakers management could do to change his mind

"No," Bryant said. "You see, Phil and I had settled things between us a long time ago; there was no 'feud.' Management brought that up to cover their (expletive); we were on the same page and he was the only one I trusted up there on management side of things. After our season ended, Phil and I spoke; he was optimistic and determined that we'd both be back," Bryant told Smith. "Phil is somebody I listened to. I leaned on him a lot. He assured me things were going to be OK, things were going to be all right. He told me don't go full bore just yet. Take a deep breath and let us work these things out and everything will be all right. Which was very encouraging.

"I didn't want to go anywhere else. I wanted to be here for the rest of my career. It was encouraging to hear that… and now? [Jerry] Buss fires him and worse, paints a picture like I was the one that wanted Phil to go."

"[The Lakers] obviously want to move in a different direction in terms of rebuilding," Bryant said, adding he could have opted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls instead. "Three years ago when I was re-signing they should have told me they wanted to rebuild."

Asked if he had any preference for a trade destination, Bryant said, "At this point I'll go play on Pluto."

Jun 4th, 2007 - Former coach of Portland, Golden State and Sacramento, Rick Adelman, is named Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers


"My family and I are thrilled with this new opportunity," said Adelman. "From my perspective, this team is ready to win now. They had a great run last season that unfortunately fell short, but the pieces are in place for sustained success. Kobe Bryant is one of the league's brightest veteran stars and the team has done a good job of surrounding him with solid role players. We plan to do more of that this year in the upcoming draft. I have been very impressed with the team as an observer the past few years and now I am excited at the possibilities of coaching this group."

Jul 1, 2007 - Phil Jackson accepts position as Head Coach of the Houston Rockets


Phil Jackson has a total of 10 NBA championship rings: one as a player with the New York Knicks, six as coach of the Bulls, and three as coach of the Lakers. Nine NBA championships as a head coach ties him with Red Auerbach for the all-time lead in that category. Phil Jackson also holds the best playoff winning percentage of all-time. As of the end of the 2006-07 NBA Season, Jackson's regular season record stands at 919-393

Now, the former Lakers coach becomes the 11th Head Coach in Rockets history. When asked during his press conference announcement how he would manage Houston's two superstars, Jackson replied, "Hmm… a powerful Center who can dominate the paint and versatile Swingman who can cover just about everywhere else; for some reason it does feel vaguely familiar to me, so I'm not too worried about it."



More to come...

Last edited by Clutch on Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:36 am, edited 5 times in total.

[Chaser7]

sweet!!! wow this looks really really good
how did you get Jackson onto the Rockets, and did you just pretend to start another dynasty for that last image?
Why did you simulate 2 seasons as opposed to one like u did with your warrior dynasty?

[Cartar]

Very nice dynasty, very good presentation! I really like the deal what you made with Philly. Good luck with it and looking forward to it!

[Clutch]

@rulez - Thx man; always been a huge fan of Tmac and YAO even when they were still on separate teams; when they united it was a dream come true for me (remember the GSW's were suckin' for a looong while, so I'd go to games just to see the other team's superstars; HOU was always on that list whenever they came to town)

To answer you Q's: 1 - playing on a laptop so just modified the 'coaches.dbf' file; read up as much as I could about it first (thx tutorial writers!); 2 - yes; 3 - wanted to get caught up to current season so I could splice in 'real life' story bits and facts (not have to keep adjusting my numbers and years) for consistency sake; also the '06-07 random-created draft players sucked. j/k

@ratrac - thx too; will do my best to try get TMAC and co. past that first round; funny 'cause even simmed, the Rockets really still got bumped out in the first round - ouch!

[Clutch]

Jul 7-8, 2007 - Rockets are impressed by several rookies during open workouts, most notably, Jafari Cotton, the 21-year old, 6'9" 262lbs Power Forward from Bangui, C. African Republic; Cotton gets along well with players and staff and shows high potential in the post:
[Cotton, Jafari - practice session photos: DSC00421.JPG, DSC00422.JPG, DSC00423.JPG]

After the practice, Rockets veteran Power Forward, Juwan Howard, told reports, "He's amazing. Lots of skills and lots of potential; it's kids like him that make me feel really, really old." His words would later prove to be prophetic;

Jul 15, 2007 - Tracy McGrady agrees to re-sign a 5-year contract with Houston estimated to be worth 72M;

Jul 21, 2007 - 41-year old, Dikembe Mutombo agrees to a less lucrative contract of 4.60M over 2 years; "It would be nice to win a championship before I retire," Mutombo said

Jul 24, 2007 - Draft Day. Surprising everyone, the Utah Jazz would select, Sergei Tankosic, a 6'1" 201lbs Point Guard from Beirut, Lebanon as the #1 overall pick in the 2007-2008 draft; the decision would not be well received among Jazz fans, especially with the steady emergence of their current young Point Guard, Deron Williams; as projected, Atlanta would select Cotton as the 2nd overall draft pick;



Jul 25, 2007 - 13-year veteran Power Forward, Juwan Howard, would shock Rockets management by announcing his retirement at the age of 34. GM Daryl Morey was notably displeased with Howard's decision, expecting that he would play out the last season of his contract



"Well, that leaves us a hole in our roster now, for sure," Morey said. "We weren't expecting Juwan's retirement but we respect his decision; now we've gotta make some decisions of our own. It does free us some cap space so that's one good thing." Houston would decline to retire Howard's number to the [EA] Hall of Fame;



Jul 26, 2007 - the 2-time defending Champion Phoenix Suns would lose a key component of their championship success as sixth-man, Boris Diaw, would leave the team during free agency to accept a contract with the Orlando Magic worth 32.59M over 5 years and guarantee him a starting position in the coming season



"Here in Phoenix, with Shawn (Marion) and Amare (Stoudemire), I would never have had the opportunity to start," Diaw said. "I have two rings with this team and now I need to look at my future in the long-term."

Diaw's departure could jeopardize the Phoenix Suns chances at winning a third consecutive title. "I'm sorry to see him go," said Suns veteran Point Guard, Steve Nash, "he's a great defender and terrific asset to any team; I'm not sure we could've won those two titles without him coming off the bench and giving us energy night after night. But I'm glad for Boris and wish him well in Orlando."

With young Daryl Morey officially in place as Houston's GM and veteran Phil Jackson now set as Head Coach, the Rockets would look to make aggressive changes to their roster for the coming season, rebuilding around their two superstars, YAO and McGrady

Aug 15, 2007 - Huge trade acquisition takes place involving 4 players as the Atlanta Hawks accept a deal sending the 2007 2nd-overall draft pick, Rookie Power Forward, Jafari Cotton, and 3rd-year Forward, Marvin Williams, to Houston in exchange for emerging 4th-year swingman, Kirk Snyder and 7th-year defensive specialist, Shane Battier;



Aug 17, 2007 - Another big trade sends Rockets 2006 1st-round draft pick, Power Forward, Ayeshi Lee, and 5th-year sharp-shooter, Kyle Korver, to the Boston Celtics for athletic 3rd-year swingman, Gerald Green, and 7th-year Forward, Brian Scalabrine;



Aug 21, 2007 - Seattle Supersonics agree to trade negotiations and acquire 4th-year Point Guard, Andre Barrett, 2nd-round draft pick, Rookie Guard, Cy Hall, and recent Boston acquisition, Brian Scalabrine in exchange for 5th-year Guard, Luke Ridnour

2007-2008 TRAINING CAMP

Ahmad Rashad caught up with coach Phil Jackson after a pre-season workout session. Below is an excerpt of Jackson's comments:

"The talent we've assembled around our two superstars this season has a lot of potential. Jafari (Cotton), already shows skills and maturity beyond his years; he has nothing but tremendous upside and will be a welcome addition to the front court this year

Last season, turnovers were a huge factor for this ball club, so adding Luke (Ridnour) was a great addition; Luke's someone who can take care of the ball, control tempo, as well as distribute to Yao or Tracy in positions where they are comfortable and can make plays

It hurts to lose someone like Shane (Battier); he's not only a terrific defender but he also brought discipline to this ball club and became great friends with Yao; but Marvin (Williams) I think is out to prove something this year. I'm impressed by his efforts this off-season and I think he's going to surprise a lot of people

In the past, Tracy's been forced to carry so much of the offensive load for this team throughout the season that by the time the post-season arrives, he's near empty and running on fumes. Adding Gerald (Green), a young, athletic talent who can create his own shot and finish at the rim will hopefully buy McGrady some valuable rest this season. Gerald will need help on the defensive end but we'll work with him throughout the season on that

What can I say about Yao… he's a player unlike anything I've coached before. He took advantage of the off season to work himself back to full health so the injured knee from last year is no longer an issue; he trained almost every day with Hakeem Olajuwon and has made great strides in his game, both on the offensive and defensive end; I believe he's taken his game to a higher level. I've never seen him as focused and ready for the season as he is right now



Tracy? Well, he took last year's loss the hardest obviously. In the past, Tracy's put so much pressure on himself to carry his teams and by not getting past the first round again last season, after five previous missed opportunities, I think doubt has finally taken its toll and affected his game a bit, most notably on the defensive end. He doesn't seem to have that 'stoppers' mentality anymore; now, whether he'll be able to get that edge back remains to be seen. Tracy's a very proud and strong-willed individual and it's going to be up to him, not me; I think I've worked with enough proud, strong-willed individuals in my time and found that's usually the best way to handle it," said Jackson with a wink

Last edited by Clutch on Fri Jun 08, 2007 6:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

[The king]

Very nice dynasty, very good presentation!

Good luck

[Chaser7]

what changed about Mcgrady? You posted the same thing about him twice without showing his actual changes, but im def looking foward to this one!

[Clutch]

@king - hey thx man; was just checking out your dynasty (very nice - some super clean screen shots) then i came across Chris Paul, "JORDAN Miglior Giocatore" (Player of the Game I'm assuming) and realized - Whoa! that's the italian version of NBA Live; now THAT's cool

@'rulez - oh, there's no change from pic-to-pic; they both just show TMac all depressed that he lost his 'Stopper' Defensive Superstar status; maybe i'll nuke one pic so it's not confusing; thx for the heads up 'rulez

[Chaser7]

sweet whens the first update?

[Clutch]

STARTING LINEUPS

Overall Team Ranking: HOU 76; SEA 80
4th Qtr Intervention (subs/timeouts only)

GAME RECAP

If you doubled his age, 6'9" 262lbs rookie phenom, Jafari Cotton, would still only be one year older than teammate, Dikembe Mutombo, the NBA's oldest active player at age 41. But tonight, in his first game with the Houston Rockets, Jafari Cotton, or 'J.C.' as his teammates refer to him, did not play with the nerves of a young rookie in his NBA debut, but with the poise, skill and confidence of a seasoned veteran; a young man many years ahead of his time

Cotton, the #2 overall draft pick of 2007, acquired by trade from the Atlanta Hawks, would finish his first NBA game with 18 points, 11 rebounds off 8-for-9 shooting. But it wasn't flashy, not a single dunk; just a strong rebound here, a put back there, an occasional hook or bank-shot off the glass over a flat-footed opponent. Solid, fundamental basketball, almost as if Tim Duncan had possessed the young man's body for the night. Cotton would score the Rockets first 6 points before turning into a silent assassin and his seemingly invisible points and solid all-around play would help give the Rockets an 8 point lead going into the fourth. They would never trail

"Hahah. Nah, it's not really my game. I leave all the flashy stuff for Gee," J.C. said, referring to his new teammate, Gerald Green, recently acquired by trade from the Boston Celtics. Green, a lean, lanky swingman with tremendous atheletic ability provided instant firepower off the bench for Houston, contributing 8 points off 4-of-6 shooting and 2 assists; but more importantly, he helped hold the Rockets lead over the Sonics, even increased it at one point, while All-Star, Tracy McGrady, took valuable minutes of rest

"I love 'em, man. Gerald, I love 'em," McGrady said. "He's got so much energy and really just attacks the basket; reminds me of myself when I was his age."

McGrady led all Houston scorers with 32 points and 2 rebounds, doing most of his damage when it counted, in the final quarter. McGrady scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth: two back-to-back from beyond the three-point arc when the Sonics closed within 6 points; the rest going 7-of-8 from the free throw stripe during the closing minutes, sealing the Rockets' first victory of the season, on the road, and in impressive fashion

"It feels good. We came in here, kept them from getting anything going offensively, and just took it. I'm excited about this team, man. Real excited," McGrady said.

"It was a complete game for us," said Center, Yao Ming. "our young guys were impressive tonight, J.C., Gerald, Marvin; they were terrific." Power Forward, Marvin Williams, also acquired during the Atlanta trade, contributed solid numbers off the bench in his first game with the Rockets, finishing the night with 6 points, 7 rebounds off 3-for-4 shooting in 11 minutes while Yao would post his usual solid performance, finishing with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals

Jermaine O'Neal, acquired last season in a blockbuster trade that sent veteran Guard, Ray Allen, to the Indian Pacers, led the way for the Sonics with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in the loss

When asked about Cotton's debut O'Neal replied, "Yeah, the kid had a tremendous tonight; couldn't keep him off the glass. I think half his points were offensive put backs? Both he and Yao down there on the block are a real handful because if you double, it frees up shooters like McGrady; they become a tough team to cover if T-Mac's shot starts falling."

New Rockets Head Coach, Phil Jackson, downplayed the victory when asked if he were excited about his team's performance, saying, "I'm happy for our ball club that we got this first win under our belts, but it's really too early to get excited about anything."

Notes:

Sonics rookie Power Forward, Morris Sandler, the 7'2" 276lbs, 45th overall pick out of Oaklahoma would have a respectable rookie debut finishing the night with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists, shooting 4-for-6 from the field in 29 minutes;

The Rockets, on a back-to-back, fly out to face Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center tomorrow night

BOX SCORE
HOU 109
SEA 102 Final

Players at the Half
Player of the Game



Yao soars high for the rebound and maybe gets away with a foul against Seattle's Nick Collison (good thing the ref can't see)

PHOTOS

Green splits the defense
T-Mac from downtown
J.C. crashing the offensive boards
Yao baseline fade over O'Neal
T-Mac - money in the 4th

[jonthefon]

Hehe, shifty stuff by Yao.

Really NICE presentation on this, hopefully you can get past the first round this year

[Clutch]

Hehe, shifty stuff by Yao.

hahah thx JTF; yeah i was blown away by this particular rebound by YAO so i hit IR then i saw where his hand was; cracked me up

[Clutch]

NOTEWORTHY OFF-SEASON PLAYER MOVEMENT

[Clutch]

STARTING LINEUPS

Overall Team Ratings: Hou 77; Minn 76
4th Qtr Intervention (subs/timeouts only)

GAME RECAP

The Houston Rockets, led by their two superstars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, made it two straight on the road, this time ruining the season home opener for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Yao would get things going for the Rockets early with some terrific passing while McGrady would catch fire, connecting on 2-for-3 of his first attempts from downtown, pushing Houston to an 8-0 lead. They would lead by as many as 15 through the 2nd quarter, but a run led by All-Star, Kevin Garnett, and feisty sidekick Guard, Ricky Davis, would close the gap to 6 at the half

Midway through the third, Houston looked to be in trouble when both McGrady and Point Guard, Luke Ridnour, would collect their 4th personal fouls forcing them to the bench with the T-Wolves threatening to take the lead. But Houston's new trio of 21-year olds - Gerald Green, Marvin Williams and rookie sensation, Jafari 'JC' Cotton - would provide the much needed spark to keep the Rockets ahead by 1 going into the fourth

Jafari would not have as stellar a night, statistically, as his opening debut in Seattle but his influence would be no less felt. Early in the 4th, with Minnesota on a run and within 3 points, Cotton, on an isolation play defending, Garnett, would single-handedly snap the T-Wolves collective will with a tremendous 1-on-1 block of their superstar. It would be JC's only block of the night, but seemed to ignite the Rockets bench, shifting the momentum in Houston's favor for the remainder of the night

"It was sick! outright siiick," said swingman, Gerald Green. "When JC stuffed 'em, I was like, MAN! Did he just do that to Kevin Garnett!?" Green, would have another solid night, contributing 6 points and team-high 4 assists, even playing Point Guard for a few minutes late in the 3rd with Ridnour in foul trouble

"He's versatile," Coach Jackson said of Green after the game. "He can play at the 2 or 3 and today he's shown he can even play at the 1 if needed. I know it's early, but these two guys, JC and Gerald, are starting to remind me of a young Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen." Cotton would finish the night with 12 points and 4 rebounds off 5-of-8 shooting while Garnett would end with 17 points, 8 boards and 2 assists, shooting 8-for-15 on the night

While the young guns provided the energy and enthusiasm, it would be Houston's All-Stars to provide the leadership and closeout the game. Yao would control the glass, collecting 16 of the Rockets 34 rebounds, and was virtually unstoppable in the low-post, finishing the night with 18 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists

McGrady would once again take over the fourth quarter to finish with a team-high 31 points while collecting 5 rebounds. "That's what Phil wanted us to do - punch it inside to YAO; kick it out if there's no shot," McGrady said. "Get to the line, control the glass, control the tempo. We've got a lot of guys who can finish inside so we just keep attacking."

The Rockets would get to the free throw line 33 times, converting on 23 points, while the T-Wolves would make 9 of just 14 trips to the foul line

"F(expletive)'n refs! Gotta call it both ways, man! That's f(expletive)'n bullsh(expletive)!" said Minnesota Guard, Ricky Davis, who picked up his sixth foul and left the game in the final minutes. Davis would end the night with a team-high 19 points, 7 assists and collect 4 rebounds

Notes:

Minnesota's Mark 'MadDog' Madsen did not play due to food poisoning;

The Rockets enjoy a four day break and are off to Texas to prepare for a rematch against Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis and the Seattle Supersonics in Houston's season home opener

BOX SCORE
HOU 102
MIN 95 Final

Players of the Half
Player of the Game


Joey Graham on the steal breakaway

PHOTOS
T-Mac from downtown
Graham - lift off

Last edited by Clutch on Sat Jun 23, 2007 8:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Chaser7]

Great recap!
Looking forward to this one for sure, did you play these games a long time ago because you mentioned that you had been having a lot of fun with this dynasty in your warriors threat? Anyways good luck on your next game!

[jonthefon]

Another good win , Yao with nice passes.

And Bucks trade Redd for Chandler? Woah.

[Clutch]

@'rulez - thx man; yeah what i meant by that was just putting together the background story (jackson being fired from LA etc) and sim-ing the first two seasons to get to '07-08; the rookie phenom JC was just blind luck but i'm glad he showed up because Juwan Howard just retired on me! but yeah, the games are being played whenever i have time; hopefully i can try for a game/recap every other day (if not more so) since they do take some time to compile

@JTF - yeah man, YAO's too much to handle right now! and the Redd for Chandler deal was nuts (almost as crazy as the Jermaine O'Neal for Ray Allen blockbuster); i think Hornets got the best of that deal - CP3 with Redd on the wing? Man. But then again, now they've got nobody to stop YAO so i'll be looking forward to that matchup

[---]

Wow, you are an amazing writer and your graphics skills are nice. I gotta admit I never checked your Warriors dynasty (so many Warriors dynasties) but if it's anything like this I will mos def check it out. Great work thus far.

My favorite player is Tracy McGrady, so take him past the first round. He deserves it.

[Clutch]

shannon - amazing? lol; nah, i reserve words like that for web-slingin', crime-fightin' super heroes but thx man; appreciate the compliment; yeah, T-Mac's been in my top 3 favorite ballers since his Orlando days and this time, HE WON'T BE DENIED! (well, at least i hope not...?)

[Jing]

3rd coming of SIT?

[Clutch]

STARTING LINEUPS

Overall Team Ratings: SEA 80; HOU 76
Intervention: last 5 min (subs/timeouts only)

Chow's Scouting Report (SEA)

GAME RECAP

The Houston Rockets marched to the free throw line and to the victory in their '07-08 home opener at the Toyota Center, an early season rematch versus Jermaine O'Neal and the Seattle Supersonics

Yao Ming would lead the way for the Rockets with a dominating performance at both ends of the court including 7 trips to the free throw stripe. He would bring Houston back from an early 8 point deficit at the end of the 1st and put the Rockets up 6 by halftime

The second half would see teammate, Tracy McGrady, come to life and the dynamic duo would keep the Rockets ahead by 3 entering the final period
But the difference maker would be the Supersonics lack of composure down the stretch, as they would commit several senseless fouls with the game's outcome still in the balance. As a team, the Rockets would attempt 19 free throws to the Sonics 7 attempts. Yao and McGrady combined would get to the free throw line 3 more times than the entire Sonics team

"We couldn't do anything," a dejected Jermaine O'Neal said following the game. "They kept attacking inside and we couldn't do anything about it." O'Neal would finish with a team-high 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists as the Sonics fall to 0-3 on the season

"We came out anxious and tight at the start of the first quarter," Coach Phil Jackson said. "There was a lot of energy and excitement playing this first home game, probably too much, which made us turn the ball over a lot. But once Yao and Tracy calmed down a bit, so did the rest of the team."

McGrady would end the night with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while Yao would finish another solid performance with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks

Houston's rookie phenom, Jafari 'JC' Cotton, would start shaky but end with a terrific second half, including two rim-rattling dunks that brought Toyota Center to it's feet. When asked about the monstrous dunks, JC replied with a large, innocent grin, "Yeah, usually I let Gerald take the highlights; but that doesn't mean I can't throw 'em down just as fancy whenever I want to." Jafari would finish the night with 16 points, 6 rebounds while teammate, Gerald Green, would finish with 13 points, 2 rebounds

"Oh yeah, JC can dunk," Green said following the game. "But it's not flash and flair; it's just the mean and nasty, in-your-face kind that make you wanna go home if your playing against him."

Notes:

Slider adjustment: CPU Dunk/Layup Block Ability increased from 10 to 20 (YAO with 1 block in previous 2 games just aint right);

Houston Point Guards, Luke Ridnour and Rafer Alston, continue to struggle for a third straight game, shooting a combined 4-for-19 from the field and 1-for-9 from the three point line. Ridour would, however, have his best game as a Rocket, finishing with 11 points, 2 steals and dishing 9 assists;

The Rockets improve to 3-0 on the season;

The Rockets pack their bags and travel to Salt Lake City to face Western Conference rivals, the Utah Jazz, featuring the emerging young duo, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer

BOX SCORE
SEA 91
HOU 100 Final

Players at the Half
Player of the Game



Luke Ridnour, off the T-Mac assist, drains a trey with 1 on the shot clock

PHOTOS

Green walks on air and throws it down
O'Neal - quick start 12 points, 3 rebounds in the 1st Qtr
Green - slick reverse

[Chaser7]

your recaps are really good
How do you stand watching the entire game, don't you just want to play it sometimes? haha w/e

[Clutch]

@rulez - haha thx man; nah it's not like 'watching' the game is torture! for me, it's like watching a real game so it's fun (especially when the real NBA season is over and there's no more hoops); i used to play/control it all teh time but found i could do ridiculous things (like for ex: jon barry dunking on Shaq repeatedly or a friend dropping 60+ on me with Doug Christie); then one day i think i wanted to see how well/realistically the comp would play the games and it was like watching a real game
also EA started to really focus on 'Dynasty Mode' more and it became less of an afterthought gimmick 'new feature' probably because the demand was high/positive; for me personally it peaked @'06 - AI was good, DMode felt more involved (the draft, hiring assistants, trainers etc) w/o feeling clunky; i tried '07 but didn't feel the same way unfortunately; that happens in game dev sometimes; maybe i'll give '07 DMode another chance one day but for now, nah
oh, also teh only time i can't help but intervene is at the end of the game, say under 5 mins if the AI is doing something lame like keeping TMac or Yao on the bench when they're rested or if the game is close with less than a minute, I'll sub TMac into the PG position if I'm ahead since the comp seems to foul the PG 90% of the time and it's unrealistic to have Rafer Alston deciding the game in crunch time

[Chaser7]

haha in one of my other dynasties, the Sonics and Pacers made the same trade as what in your dynasty: Ray allen for Jermaine o'neal