Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:20 am
Seattle Stealth Roster
Accurate As At 28 Oct, 2008
Name (Player Rating) – Player Role/Morale
C. Nick Collison (74) – Starter/Content
PF. Chris Wilcox (74) – Starter/Satisfied
SF. Jeff Green (74) – Starter/Content
SG. Kevin Durant (83) – Starter/Satisfied
PG. Russell Westbrook (77) - Starter/Content
6. SF Adam Morrison (73) – Starter/Satisfied
7. PG Earl Watson (75) – Sixth Man/Satisfied
8. SG Damien Wilkins (74) – Role Player/Content
9. SF/SG Desmond Mason (72) – Role Player/Content
10. F Darius Miles (71) – Role Player/Content
11. C Mouhamed Sene (66) – Bench Player/Satisfied
12. SG Kyle Weaver (73) – Bench Player/Satisfied
13. PF DJ White (74) – Prospect/Content
14. C Johan Petro (69) – Prospect/Satisfied
15. C Robert Swift (66) – Prospect/Content
Head Coach: Gary Payton
Accurate As At 28 Oct, 2008
Name (Player Rating) – Player Role/Morale
C. Nick Collison (74) – Starter/Content
PF. Chris Wilcox (74) – Starter/Satisfied
SF. Jeff Green (74) – Starter/Content
SG. Kevin Durant (83) – Starter/Satisfied
PG. Russell Westbrook (77) - Starter/Content
6. SF Adam Morrison (73) – Starter/Satisfied
7. PG Earl Watson (75) – Sixth Man/Satisfied
8. SG Damien Wilkins (74) – Role Player/Content
9. SF/SG Desmond Mason (72) – Role Player/Content
10. F Darius Miles (71) – Role Player/Content
11. C Mouhamed Sene (66) – Bench Player/Satisfied
12. SG Kyle Weaver (73) – Bench Player/Satisfied
13. PF DJ White (74) – Prospect/Content
14. C Johan Petro (69) – Prospect/Satisfied
15. C Robert Swift (66) – Prospect/Content
Head Coach: Gary Payton
Last edited by Fresh8 on Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:11 am
Seattle Stealth
Head Coach: Gary Payton | 07-08 Record: 22-60 | Projected 08-09 Record: 20-62
PLAYERS ADDED
G Russell Westbrook (Draft)
F D.J. White (Draft)
G-F Kyle Weaver (Draft)
F Desmond Mason (Trade)
F Adam Morrison (Trade)
PLAYERS LOST
F Francisco Elson (Free Agent)
G Luke Ridnour (Trade)
G Adrian Griffin (Trade)
F Joe Smith (Trade)
F Donyell Marshall (Waived)
PROJECTED ROTATION
Player | 07-08 Stats (PPG, RPG, APG)
PG Russell Westbrook | --, --, --
SG Kevin Durant | 20.3, 4.4, 2.4
SF Jeff Green | 10.5, 4.7, 1.5
PF Chris Wilcox | 13.4, 7.4, 1.2
C Nick Collison | 9.8, 9.4, 1.4
- - -
F Adam Morrison | --, --, --
G Earl Watson | 10.7, 2.9, 6.8
F Desmond Mason | 9.7, 4.3, 2.1
F Darius Miles | --, --, --
2007-08 TEAM LEADERS
PPG Kevin Durant | 20.3
RPG Nick Collison | 9.4
APG Earl Watson | 6.8
SPG Kevin Durant 1.0
BPG Kevin Durant | 0.9
2007-08 TEAM STATS
Points Scored 97.5 (16th)
Points Allowed 106.3 (27th)
Field-Goal Percentage .444 (24th)
Opponents’ FG% .461 (18th)
PLAYER TO WATCH
Although Kevin Durant is the undoubted face of the franchise, there is one player that Head Coach Gary Payton has urged members of the viewing public to keep an eye on. He is rookie point guard Russell Westbrook. The 6’4’’ point guard, coming out of UCLA, caught the eye of Payton from the get-go and it has resulted in him being promised a starting spot; much to the disgust of former starting point guard Earl Watson.
“He (Westbrook) reminds me a bit of myself. We’re both about the same size and I just love his defensive tenacity. He has an ability to lock down on players and I believe with my coaching, he can become a very good point guard,” Payton praised his 19 year old rookie.
Westbrook, known for his athleticism and defence, has plenty to work on but the upside is there which is why he was taken with the fourth pick in the Draft. He uses his athleticism to get by defenders and attack the rim. In addition to this, he is an able ballhandler capable of passing the ball extremely well. Westbrook has also been praised for being an unslefish player.
Westbrook understands that the pressure is on him. He’s a raw player being shoved straight into the starting point guard spot; arguably the most important position on the floor. He understands the pressure and is ready to face it, “I’m not the most skilled player right now but I believe I have what it takes to handle this challenge. I have confidence in myself to be able to survive any troubles on the floor and as I learn from my mistakes, I should become a better player.”
SEASON OUTLOOK
The Seattle Stealth is like an expansion team. They may have been the Sonics for so long but take a look at their roster and you will see that they are indeed expansion-team calibre. No disrespect but the roster is assembled as a squad of college has-beens. The only relevant NBA player on the team is last season’s rookie of the year Kevin Durant.
Durant has been working hard to add some meat to his rail-thin 6’9” frame over the Summer and it looks like he will be playing the shooting guard position again this season. He had much success in his rookie season and it is expected that he will improve on last season’s averages of 20 points and 4 rebounds a game.
Well, that is only semi-true as there are a number of players on this very young roster (the average age being somewhere around 23) who have shown that they can play at the NBA level. Jeff Green averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds in last season’s final month. He ended the season with averages of 10 and 5, making the All-Rookie First Team. Chris Wilcox is a good forward who could improve his interior defence but is still an able scorer.
Desmond Mason’s toughness has been cited as one of the reasons for his addition to the team. He figures to be part of Coach Payton’s plans for a strong defensive squad. The only concern is his inconsistency on offence however Mason’s role of coming off the bench should dampen that concern. The Stealth took a flier on Darius Miles, who remains to be an intriguing prospect, after the Boston Celtics waived him. Miles is still relatively young, being in his mid-20s, and before his knee injuries had shown potential to be a solid all-around player.
Earl Watson is a steady-headed veteran who should be a solid sixth man, backing up rookie Russell Westbrook at the point guard position. Both point guards are strong defenders which is what Gary Payton wants to see in his team. Just a few days ago, The Glove compared the Westbrook-Watson tandem to the one he formed with Nate McMillian back in the 1990s.
New comer Adam Morrison had a strong preseason and the former third overall Draft pick is looking to get his career going with new surroundings. Nick Collison is a solid player who could average a double double this season for the first time in his career after averaging 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds a game in limited minutes last season.
At the end of the day, although this young squad is laden with potential; it lacks the talent and experience to make a tilt at any postseason activity. Not to mention the fact that they also have a rookie coach. If we are right to specualte that Payton wants his team to be able to keep teams out of the paint from scoring; this team is definitely not strong enough defensively to do that. On the perimeter, most of their gaurd rotation are strong defenders however when it comes to defending the paint, the big men on this team defend like sloths.
The move of trading Joe Smith for Adam Morrison and the signing of Darius Miles proves the fact hat Seattle is tinkering with their team with a view to the future and not the present. Seattle will be lucky to win more than 20 games.
Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:06 pm
Nice preview, it is interesting how Westbrook can handle being the starting point guard of such a young team...
Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:19 am
"cringe" as in i'm not a fan of 'stache and definitely not of stinky Miles; the team name i've since warmed up to but those two cats will really need to play their asses off before i give them my support
don't get me wrong, this dynasty rocks
absolutely cannot wait to see the starting five in action
don't get me wrong, this dynasty rocks
absolutely cannot wait to see the starting five in action
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:19 pm
Seattle Opens Season With Narrow Win
Preview | Box Score | Recap
29 Oct, 2008
SEATTLE (AP) – Kevin Durant missed a key free throw in the dying seconds of an exciting season opener for Seattle’s new NBA team. Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva missed a potential game-tying three pointer at the buzzer, as the Milwaukee Bucks lost their second game of the NBA season. The Bucks had looked lifeless, as they fell behind by 15 points midway through the final quarter, before a flurry of baskets from Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson aided in their failed comeback attempt.
Second year Stealth forward Durant led five scorers in double figures, with 18 point. The Stealth could have had six players scoring over 10 points if super sub Earl Watson had hit his free throws; going 5 for 8 from the charity stripe to finish with 9 points off the bench. Adam Morrison, who joined the team yesterday, was a pivotal contributor from off the pine as he finished with 16 points. Other players in double figures for Seattle were Jeff Green (13), Nick Collison (14), and rookie Russell Westbrook (10).
The Bucks were in disappointing form, putting in a performance as poor as the night before against the Chicago Bulls, in which they lost by 16 points. Michael Redd started the game cold before regaining his shooting touch in the second and fourth quarters.
Redd finished the game with 27 points but needed 26 shots to get to that total; though he was impressive from behind the arc by hitting seven triples. Richard Jefferson provided ample support with a 17 point effort while Luke Ridnour added 13 points and 8 assists.
Stealth rookie Russell Westbrook had a great debut as he dazzled the home crowd with an array of acrobatic layups. Westbrook opened up his account, as well as the first ever points scored by the new Stealth franchise, with a quick drive to the hoop. Soon afterwards, the UCLA product stripped the ball from Ridnour and scored on the fast break.
“All I can say is wow to Westbrook,” Coach Payton said, “He showed a lot of poise out there tonight. He hustled and played great defence. He and Earl Watson were a big reason for our team’s win. Those two really executed the full court press to perfection.”
The Stealth showed plenty of promise throughout the game; with periods of each quarter where they would dominate and gain a lead close to 20 points before allowing the Bucks to slowly chip back at them. Payton’s side took advantage of a cold Michael Redd by playing a zone and forcing outside shots. They were in trouble though when Redd started hitting them.
Leading by just 7 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Payton started a small team of Watson, Westbrook, Morrison, Green, and Durant. The strategy worked as Watson led a punishing full court press which yielded instant dividends. Watson started the last quarter with an assist to Durant before stealing the ball in two successive possessions that led to two trips to the charity stripe. Watson added 2 points of his own before assisting a Jeff Green fast break dunk and the Stealth watched their lead balloon to 15 points with half a quarter to go.
Seattle seemed to be in control of the match before Redd came to the rescue. He sunk two treys late in the quarter to cut the difference to 5 points, with the score being 74-79. Durant’s errant pass allowed the Bucks to inbound the ball in their attacking half and with 20.9 seconds remaining, newly acquired Jefferson split the Stealth defence and drew the foul. His three point play cut the lead to 2.
A quick foul sent Green to the charity stripe and he made good use of it by hitting both shots to keep Seattle up by 4. Luke Ridnour immediately took the inbounds pass to race up court and hit a floater in the lane to make the score 83-85. Seattle then ran the clock down to 5 seconds; Milwaukee to slow to foul any of the players on the floor. They would later pay for this with not enough time to put up a good look to tie the match.
Durant was sent to the line where he missed his first shot. He made his second and with a slim 3 point lead, the Stealth were able to hold onto the win thanks to Durant’s lockdown defence on Ridnour, forcing the PG to rush a pass to Villanueva – not Milwaukee’s number one option in circumstances, such as those that arose.
“KD made up for missing that free throw by shutting down Ridnour,” team mate Green stated, “But I would have preferred him to hit his free throws and icing the game.”
Notes: Australian big man Andrew Bogut had a quiet match on the offensive end, finishing with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks but only 6 points on 3-3 shooting… Watson and Westbrook combined for 13 of the team’s 22 assists… The Seattle Stealth have decided that its’ record books will be started from scratch, meaning that the Supersonics’ old records are not those of the Stealth…
Preview | Box Score | Recap
29 Oct, 2008
SEATTLE (AP) – Kevin Durant missed a key free throw in the dying seconds of an exciting season opener for Seattle’s new NBA team. Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva missed a potential game-tying three pointer at the buzzer, as the Milwaukee Bucks lost their second game of the NBA season. The Bucks had looked lifeless, as they fell behind by 15 points midway through the final quarter, before a flurry of baskets from Michael Redd and Richard Jefferson aided in their failed comeback attempt.
Second year Stealth forward Durant led five scorers in double figures, with 18 point. The Stealth could have had six players scoring over 10 points if super sub Earl Watson had hit his free throws; going 5 for 8 from the charity stripe to finish with 9 points off the bench. Adam Morrison, who joined the team yesterday, was a pivotal contributor from off the pine as he finished with 16 points. Other players in double figures for Seattle were Jeff Green (13), Nick Collison (14), and rookie Russell Westbrook (10).
The Bucks were in disappointing form, putting in a performance as poor as the night before against the Chicago Bulls, in which they lost by 16 points. Michael Redd started the game cold before regaining his shooting touch in the second and fourth quarters.
Redd finished the game with 27 points but needed 26 shots to get to that total; though he was impressive from behind the arc by hitting seven triples. Richard Jefferson provided ample support with a 17 point effort while Luke Ridnour added 13 points and 8 assists.
Stealth rookie Russell Westbrook had a great debut as he dazzled the home crowd with an array of acrobatic layups. Westbrook opened up his account, as well as the first ever points scored by the new Stealth franchise, with a quick drive to the hoop. Soon afterwards, the UCLA product stripped the ball from Ridnour and scored on the fast break.
“All I can say is wow to Westbrook,” Coach Payton said, “He showed a lot of poise out there tonight. He hustled and played great defence. He and Earl Watson were a big reason for our team’s win. Those two really executed the full court press to perfection.”
The Stealth showed plenty of promise throughout the game; with periods of each quarter where they would dominate and gain a lead close to 20 points before allowing the Bucks to slowly chip back at them. Payton’s side took advantage of a cold Michael Redd by playing a zone and forcing outside shots. They were in trouble though when Redd started hitting them.
Leading by just 7 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Payton started a small team of Watson, Westbrook, Morrison, Green, and Durant. The strategy worked as Watson led a punishing full court press which yielded instant dividends. Watson started the last quarter with an assist to Durant before stealing the ball in two successive possessions that led to two trips to the charity stripe. Watson added 2 points of his own before assisting a Jeff Green fast break dunk and the Stealth watched their lead balloon to 15 points with half a quarter to go.
Seattle seemed to be in control of the match before Redd came to the rescue. He sunk two treys late in the quarter to cut the difference to 5 points, with the score being 74-79. Durant’s errant pass allowed the Bucks to inbound the ball in their attacking half and with 20.9 seconds remaining, newly acquired Jefferson split the Stealth defence and drew the foul. His three point play cut the lead to 2.
A quick foul sent Green to the charity stripe and he made good use of it by hitting both shots to keep Seattle up by 4. Luke Ridnour immediately took the inbounds pass to race up court and hit a floater in the lane to make the score 83-85. Seattle then ran the clock down to 5 seconds; Milwaukee to slow to foul any of the players on the floor. They would later pay for this with not enough time to put up a good look to tie the match.
Durant was sent to the line where he missed his first shot. He made his second and with a slim 3 point lead, the Stealth were able to hold onto the win thanks to Durant’s lockdown defence on Ridnour, forcing the PG to rush a pass to Villanueva – not Milwaukee’s number one option in circumstances, such as those that arose.
“KD made up for missing that free throw by shutting down Ridnour,” team mate Green stated, “But I would have preferred him to hit his free throws and icing the game.”
Notes: Australian big man Andrew Bogut had a quiet match on the offensive end, finishing with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks but only 6 points on 3-3 shooting… Watson and Westbrook combined for 13 of the team’s 22 assists… The Seattle Stealth have decided that its’ record books will be started from scratch, meaning that the Supersonics’ old records are not those of the Stealth…
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Milwaukee (Away) 20 – 18 – 18 – 27 – 83
Seattle (Home) 16 – 27 – 20 – 23 – 86
Jordan Player of the Game
Kevin Durant
18 Points
7-13 FG
4 Rebounds
2 Assists
1 Steal
Key Performers
Milwaukee
M Redd: 27 pts, 10-26 FG, 7-13 3PT
R Jefferson: 17 pts, 7-12 FG, 4 ast
L Ridnour: 13 pt, 5-7 FG, 6 ast
C Villanueva: 12 pt, 8 reb
A Bogut: 6 pt, 3-3 FG, 10 reb, 2 blk
Seattle
A Morrison: 16 pt, 7-12 FG, 2-4 3PT
J Green: 13 pt, 5-5 FG, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl
N Collison: 14 pt, 7-7 FG
R Westbrook: 10 pt, 5-9 FG, 6 ast
E Watson: 9 pt, 7 ast, 3 stl
Last edited by Fresh8 on Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:28 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:31 pm
Homicide wrote: Westbrook can handle being the starting point guard of such a young team...
He played well on debut.
Clutch wrote:"cringe" as in i'm not a fan of 'stache and definitely not of stinky Miles; the team name i've since warmed up to but those two cats will really need to play their asses off before i give them my support
The Stache was quite awesome on debut.
Also some things guys, what do think of size of the text in the recap?
And I am having some concerns about 82 games being a bit long. You guys think I should do shorter seasons?
Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:36 am
Very professional, kind of like a real recap of sorts.
Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:22 am
ROOKIE DIARY
With Russell Westbrook
30 Oct, 2008
Last night was my first real NBA game. It was amazing. The crowd in the Key Arena was really into it. It wasn’t a full house but there was still a great atmosphere. I heard from one of the guys that the team has got a new strategy. They move the crowd as close in as they can so that it seems like we have a sold out game. That’s what it felt like last night. The fans didn’t stop cheering.
I think I played a pretty good game. I scored a few buckets and had a couple of dimes. Earl and I rocked it in the last quarter. I wasn’t expecting Glove to ask me and Earl to start in the backcourt because we are both so small but we can easily hold our own on defence. And that’s what we did! We really shut down the Bucks! Luke Ridnour had no idea what was happening!
When KD missed that free throw and we were only up by 3, part of me was wishing that the Bucks would get the ball to Redd – who I am pretty sure would have tied the game. It would have been great going into overtime! How exciting would that be!
KD stuck it to Ridnour on that last possession and showed how good he is. The dude is lanky as and he’s playing the 2 spot for us. It’s crazy. He’s such a freak that he can guard someone literally half his height.
Settling into this new team has been easy. The transition back to Seattle has been seamless and I am really enjoying my time with the Stealth. I’m pretty good friends with everyone because we are all young guys. I’m turning 20 soon and most of the roster is around that or close to their mid 20s. I think the oldest guy is D-Mase (Desmond Mason). He’s like only 30 or something.
We had a bit of a warm down session in the pool this morning, something that our new manager suggested. It was only then that I found out Adam Morrison couldn’t swim! He was stuck at the shallow end. It was pretty funny.
And speaking of Morrison, I didn’t know he was as good as he is. Last night, he came off the bench and lit up the scoreboard. I guess many people are in for a shock! If we didn’t have KD and Jeff, Adam would definitely start. We’re loaded with talent at those positions. It won’t help Coach when Darius comes back from suspension. And I can tell you guys that from what I have seen, Darius Miles may still have a few good seasons left in him.
I’m really excited for this team. We play Houston in a few days. I’m feeling fairly confident that we can pull out a win.
With Russell Westbrook
30 Oct, 2008
Last night was my first real NBA game. It was amazing. The crowd in the Key Arena was really into it. It wasn’t a full house but there was still a great atmosphere. I heard from one of the guys that the team has got a new strategy. They move the crowd as close in as they can so that it seems like we have a sold out game. That’s what it felt like last night. The fans didn’t stop cheering.
I think I played a pretty good game. I scored a few buckets and had a couple of dimes. Earl and I rocked it in the last quarter. I wasn’t expecting Glove to ask me and Earl to start in the backcourt because we are both so small but we can easily hold our own on defence. And that’s what we did! We really shut down the Bucks! Luke Ridnour had no idea what was happening!
When KD missed that free throw and we were only up by 3, part of me was wishing that the Bucks would get the ball to Redd – who I am pretty sure would have tied the game. It would have been great going into overtime! How exciting would that be!
KD stuck it to Ridnour on that last possession and showed how good he is. The dude is lanky as and he’s playing the 2 spot for us. It’s crazy. He’s such a freak that he can guard someone literally half his height.
Settling into this new team has been easy. The transition back to Seattle has been seamless and I am really enjoying my time with the Stealth. I’m pretty good friends with everyone because we are all young guys. I’m turning 20 soon and most of the roster is around that or close to their mid 20s. I think the oldest guy is D-Mase (Desmond Mason). He’s like only 30 or something.
We had a bit of a warm down session in the pool this morning, something that our new manager suggested. It was only then that I found out Adam Morrison couldn’t swim! He was stuck at the shallow end. It was pretty funny.
And speaking of Morrison, I didn’t know he was as good as he is. Last night, he came off the bench and lit up the scoreboard. I guess many people are in for a shock! If we didn’t have KD and Jeff, Adam would definitely start. We’re loaded with talent at those positions. It won’t help Coach when Darius comes back from suspension. And I can tell you guys that from what I have seen, Darius Miles may still have a few good seasons left in him.
I’m really excited for this team. We play Houston in a few days. I’m feeling fairly confident that we can pull out a win.
Last edited by Fresh8 on Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:07 am
nice win/write ups; 'Stache came through... this time
minor typo "KG stuck it to Ridnour on that last possession"; i know you meant KD and any other combo KE, KS, i would've overlooked but in NBA hoops sense, the "KG" significance threw me for a sec
Westbrook is tight! Watson's been a sport letting him takeover the starting PG position; wonder how long that will last...
hope Yao and Co. don't kill you TOO bad
minor typo "KG stuck it to Ridnour on that last possession"; i know you meant KD and any other combo KE, KS, i would've overlooked but in NBA hoops sense, the "KG" significance threw me for a sec
Westbrook is tight! Watson's been a sport letting him takeover the starting PG position; wonder how long that will last...
hope Yao and Co. don't kill you TOO bad
Sat Nov 01, 2008 1:19 am
Less of your bums and more about the 'stache!
Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:12 am
Three Game Wrap Up
Seattle at Houston
Nov 1, 2008 (AP) – The Seattle Stealth continued their winning start to the season with a last minute win against the Houston Rockets. Kevin Durant made amends for missing a free throw in the dying seconds of the Stealth's season opener, which gave Milwaukee a chance to tie the game in a three point Seattle win, by hitting the game winning bucket with 2.3 seconds left.
Durant led six Stealth players in double figures; 8 Stealth players scored at least 9 in an impressive team effort. Yao Ming led Houston with a 22 point haul while Ron Artest was dissapointing finishing with just 9 points on 3-12 shooting from the field.
---
Minnesota at Seattle
Nov 2, 2008 (AP) – Minnesota had their hands full but Kevin Durant's season high 32 points couldn't help Seattle to a third win on the trot to start the 08-09 NBA season. Minnesota came from behind in a tightly contested game to win by a slim margin of 4 points.
Randy Foye scored 11 of his 13 points in the dying minutes of the game; including three buckets from beyond the arc. Foye's long range barrage ensured that the Wolves won their first game of the season. Foye also had 6 assists and 2 steals.
Ryan Gomes led his team in scoring with 18 points on 8-13 shooting while Kevin Love (17) and Al Jefferson (15) provided valuable support.
Seattle had been leading but once again let a sizeable margin slip away. Foye's hot hand allowed the Wolves to get back in the game and Jefferson scored twice in the paint in the final 45 seconds to help seal the deal.
---
Boston at Seattle
Nov 5, 2008 (AP) – The defending NBA champions made sure Kevin Durant and the Stealth would not have an easy time. Kevin Garnett was a one-man wrecking crew as Seatte struggled to contain him. 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce looked out of sorts on the offensive end but made up for it by locking down on Durant and forcing him into a terrible shooting night.
Seattle did get off to a good start, leading after one quarter but foul trouble and injury would ruin the home team's night. Three key players were in severe foul trouble; most notably PG Russell Westbrook who only managed to play 5 minutes.
It got worse as Earl Watson succumbed to a leg injury and the Stealth's frustration showed in the Celtic's 29 point mauling of the Seattle side. In an illustration of how one-sided the match was, Boston went to the free throw line 49 times compared to Seattle's 12 trips.
"We just weren't expecting to lose both of our point guards in the same game. And when it happens against a team of Boston's caliber, you get decimated like we did tonight," Seattle coach Gary Payton said after the game.
Seattle at Houston
Nov 1, 2008 (AP) – The Seattle Stealth continued their winning start to the season with a last minute win against the Houston Rockets. Kevin Durant made amends for missing a free throw in the dying seconds of the Stealth's season opener, which gave Milwaukee a chance to tie the game in a three point Seattle win, by hitting the game winning bucket with 2.3 seconds left.
Durant led six Stealth players in double figures; 8 Stealth players scored at least 9 in an impressive team effort. Yao Ming led Houston with a 22 point haul while Ron Artest was dissapointing finishing with just 9 points on 3-12 shooting from the field.
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Seattle (Away) 27 – 25 – 22 – 25 – 99
Houston (Home) 23 – 22 – 23 – 29 – 97
Key Performers
Seattle
K Durant: 16 pt, 6 reb, 2 stl, 2 blk
R Westbrook: 15 pt, 5 ast
C Wilcox: 14 pt, 9 reb, 2 stl
E Watson: 11 pt, 3 ast
D Mason: 10 pt, 3 reb, 4 ast, 4-7 FG
J Green: 10 pt, 6 reb, 5-8 FG
A Morrison: 9 pt, 8 reb
D Wilkins: 9 pt
Houston
M Yao: 22 pt, 11 reb, 6 blk, 9-16 FG
R Alston: 17 pt, 5 ast, 6-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT
T McGrady: 16 pt, 4 reb, 7 ast
L Scola: 12 pt, 10 reb, 6-8 FG
---
Minnesota at Seattle
Nov 2, 2008 (AP) – Minnesota had their hands full but Kevin Durant's season high 32 points couldn't help Seattle to a third win on the trot to start the 08-09 NBA season. Minnesota came from behind in a tightly contested game to win by a slim margin of 4 points.
Randy Foye scored 11 of his 13 points in the dying minutes of the game; including three buckets from beyond the arc. Foye's long range barrage ensured that the Wolves won their first game of the season. Foye also had 6 assists and 2 steals.
Ryan Gomes led his team in scoring with 18 points on 8-13 shooting while Kevin Love (17) and Al Jefferson (15) provided valuable support.
Seattle had been leading but once again let a sizeable margin slip away. Foye's hot hand allowed the Wolves to get back in the game and Jefferson scored twice in the paint in the final 45 seconds to help seal the deal.
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Minnesota (Away) 33 – 23 – 21 – 29 – 106
Seattle (Home) 31 – 20 – 30 – 21 – 102
Key Performers
Minnesota
R Gomes: 18 pt, 4 reb, 2 ast, 8-13 FG
K Love: 17 pt, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 8-13 FG
A Jefferson: 15 pt, 11 reb, 7-14 FG
R Foye: 13 pt, 6 ast, 2 stl, 3-4 3PT
R McCants: 13 pt
C Smith: 10 pt, 4-6 FG
Seattle
K Durant: 32 pt, 5 reb, 2 blk, 10-20 FG, 11-12 FT
E Watson: 13 pt, 3 reb, 5 ast
J Green: 13 pt
C Wilcox: 12 pt, 10 reb
R Westbrook: 10 pt, 6 reb, 6 ast
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Boston at Seattle
Nov 5, 2008 (AP) – The defending NBA champions made sure Kevin Durant and the Stealth would not have an easy time. Kevin Garnett was a one-man wrecking crew as Seatte struggled to contain him. 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce looked out of sorts on the offensive end but made up for it by locking down on Durant and forcing him into a terrible shooting night.
Seattle did get off to a good start, leading after one quarter but foul trouble and injury would ruin the home team's night. Three key players were in severe foul trouble; most notably PG Russell Westbrook who only managed to play 5 minutes.
It got worse as Earl Watson succumbed to a leg injury and the Stealth's frustration showed in the Celtic's 29 point mauling of the Seattle side. In an illustration of how one-sided the match was, Boston went to the free throw line 49 times compared to Seattle's 12 trips.
"We just weren't expecting to lose both of our point guards in the same game. And when it happens against a team of Boston's caliber, you get decimated like we did tonight," Seattle coach Gary Payton said after the game.
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Boston (Away) 23 – 33 – 27 – 31 – 114
Seattle (Home) 27 – 23 – 12 – 23 – 85
Key Performers
Boston
K Garnett: 33 pt, 15 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk, 10-15 FG, 13-16 FT
P Pierce: 16 pt, 3 reb, 5 ast, 4-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 6-6 FT
S Cassell: 14 pt, 5-6 FG, 4-6 FT
R Rondo: 12 pt, 7 reb, 4 ast, 5-11 FG
Seattle
K Durant: 28 pt, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 11-27 FG, 1-8 3PT, 5-5 FT
A Morrison: 16 pt, 3 reb, 7-11 FG
D Mason: 8 pt, 4 reb, 2 ast, 4-8 FG
Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:34 am
2-2 is a good start, although I feel you want stay at or above .500 for too long
Sun Nov 02, 2008 9:23 pm
You are really hyping up Westbrook, that'll be a good 1, 2 punch with KD. If you can get a solid 4 or 5 next year's draft, you should have a solid team. If the stache plays better then you should be on the right track. Nice rookie dynasty.
Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:00 am
Nice touch on highlighting and underlining the player names. Makes it easier to see particular players and how they performed.
Mon Nov 03, 2008 1:40 am
2-2 is a nice start for your team... The last game against the champs was just disgusting... The game was really not meant for you coz of foul trouble and the injury to WAtson..
Mon Nov 03, 2008 6:58 pm
Nice work dude, loving the writing (Just caught up on all the chapters etc then) The stats aint looking too bad for 6min quarters, especially since you arent showing full box scores as then I would be looking at the mins played column and thinking Yuck!.
Keep it up dude
Keep it up dude
Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:33 pm
Jing wrote:Very professional, kind of like a real recap of sorts.
Thanks Jing Xu
Clutch wrote:hope Yao and Co. don't kill you TOO bad
We beat you
X wrote:2-2 is a good start, although I feel you want stay at or above .500 for too long.
Who knows! We might have a surprising season.
coco wrote:You are really hyping up Westbrook, that'll be a good 1, 2 punch with KD. If you can get a solid 4 or 5 next year's draft, you should have a solid team. If the stache plays better then you should be on the right track. Nice rookie dynasty.
Thanks man. Right now, I am needing a 5... thinking of a way to get one!
shadowgrin wrote:Nice touch on highlighting and underlining the player names. Makes it easier to see particular players and how they performed.
Your old mate Morrison has been playing well off the bench, I smell a starting berth soon.
You excited?homicide wrote:2-2 is a nice start for your team... The last game against the champs was just disgusting... The game was really not meant for you coz of foul trouble and the injury to WAtson..
Wait till you see how we got our asses kicked by Utah.
Mark wrote:Nice work dude, loving the writing (Just caught up on all the chapters etc then) The stats aint looking too bad for 6min quarters, especially since you arent showing full box scores as then I would be looking at the mins played column and thinking Yuck!.
Yeah, I'm not liking the minutes played column either
Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:45 pm
Seattle Held To Record-Low 65 Points
Preview | Box Score | Recap
7 Nov, 2008
UTAH (AP) – The Seattle Stealth slumped to their third loss in a row, whilst setting a franchise-record low team score. The Utah Jazz proved that they will be lethal contenders for the NBA title this season with a scintillating performance on the offensive end as well as stifling play on defence. With Deron Williams leading the way, Utah boasted its depth with six players reaching double figures.
The Jazz outplayed the Stealth in the first half as they built a handy 17 point lead with Williams doing most of the damage and leading the way from the jump ball. Williams scored two easy layups to start the match and helped Utah to a 12-6 lead before the score ballooned to 24-8, as Williams had the hot hand. “He (Williams) was just on fire from the start of the game,” rookie PG Russell Westbrook said after the game, “We didn’t have an answer for him.”
It was not as much of a blowout as the score would suggest. As Durant mentioned, it was a matter of Seattle not being able to sustain momentum over longer periods of the game. “We kept making big runs to close the gap but Utah kept getting back into it. It just wasn’t our night I guess.” Seattle showed much promise at the end of the second quarter by finishing the first half on a 12-0 run and then came out strong in the third quarter; matching Utah basket for basket.
Although the Jazz played well in the first half; it was the final quarter which opened everyone’s eyes as the Jazz not only held onto a win, after a ferocious Stealth fight back, but dominated the away team in the final minutes of the game. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green both tried to help Seattle make a comeback, successfully staging a 10-0 run at the start of the final period to cut Utah’s lead to 11 points. As things started to get tense and Jerry Sloan was preparing to send stars Williams and Carlos Boozer back into the fray, backup PG Brevin Knight led a terrific attack to hold the young Seattle team at bay.
Knight scored all 16 of his points in the final quarter, with 10 of them coming from the charity stripe. The veteran was slicing in between defenders and drawing fouls every time he dared to foray into the painted area. He also had 4 of his 6 assists in the final period; meaning that more than half of the team’s final quarter points were a result of his play. “Brevin was a factor in the last quarter; I didn’t even know he still had it in him!” Jazz Coach Sloan joked.
Seattle’s players were clearly frustrated towards the end of the game and it was evident with 1:05 remaining as Durant was called for a technical foul after he complained about a goaltending call. “We thought that we were going in the right direction but these two losses (to Boston and Utah) really hurt,” Durant said in the locker room after the game.
Head Coach Gary Payton pleaded for calm and patience from his team, “You win some and you lose some. That’s basketball and life for you.”
Seattle missed Earl Watson on the floor when Westbrook was suffering against his more experienced opponent in Williams and needed a breather. The Stealth had no one they could turn to and were forced to play Damien Wilkins and even Durant, in stretches, at the point. “We don’t have a third string point guard, so we had to improvise,” Gary Payton laughed half-heartedly after the match.
Notes: Seattle PG Watson will be sidelined for another week due to a leg injury he sustained in the loss to Boston two nights ago… After a string of strong performances from off the bench, Gary Payton has hinted at starting F Adam Morrison in the near future, “Adam has really played well. At first it was a case of him being new on the team but now I think he’s playing fine and everyone on the team likes him. It’s a case of deciding who I can move onto the bench.”…
Preview | Box Score | Recap
7 Nov, 2008
UTAH (AP) – The Seattle Stealth slumped to their third loss in a row, whilst setting a franchise-record low team score. The Utah Jazz proved that they will be lethal contenders for the NBA title this season with a scintillating performance on the offensive end as well as stifling play on defence. With Deron Williams leading the way, Utah boasted its depth with six players reaching double figures.
The Jazz outplayed the Stealth in the first half as they built a handy 17 point lead with Williams doing most of the damage and leading the way from the jump ball. Williams scored two easy layups to start the match and helped Utah to a 12-6 lead before the score ballooned to 24-8, as Williams had the hot hand. “He (Williams) was just on fire from the start of the game,” rookie PG Russell Westbrook said after the game, “We didn’t have an answer for him.”
It was not as much of a blowout as the score would suggest. As Durant mentioned, it was a matter of Seattle not being able to sustain momentum over longer periods of the game. “We kept making big runs to close the gap but Utah kept getting back into it. It just wasn’t our night I guess.” Seattle showed much promise at the end of the second quarter by finishing the first half on a 12-0 run and then came out strong in the third quarter; matching Utah basket for basket.
Although the Jazz played well in the first half; it was the final quarter which opened everyone’s eyes as the Jazz not only held onto a win, after a ferocious Stealth fight back, but dominated the away team in the final minutes of the game. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green both tried to help Seattle make a comeback, successfully staging a 10-0 run at the start of the final period to cut Utah’s lead to 11 points. As things started to get tense and Jerry Sloan was preparing to send stars Williams and Carlos Boozer back into the fray, backup PG Brevin Knight led a terrific attack to hold the young Seattle team at bay.
Knight scored all 16 of his points in the final quarter, with 10 of them coming from the charity stripe. The veteran was slicing in between defenders and drawing fouls every time he dared to foray into the painted area. He also had 4 of his 6 assists in the final period; meaning that more than half of the team’s final quarter points were a result of his play. “Brevin was a factor in the last quarter; I didn’t even know he still had it in him!” Jazz Coach Sloan joked.
Seattle’s players were clearly frustrated towards the end of the game and it was evident with 1:05 remaining as Durant was called for a technical foul after he complained about a goaltending call. “We thought that we were going in the right direction but these two losses (to Boston and Utah) really hurt,” Durant said in the locker room after the game.
Head Coach Gary Payton pleaded for calm and patience from his team, “You win some and you lose some. That’s basketball and life for you.”
Seattle missed Earl Watson on the floor when Westbrook was suffering against his more experienced opponent in Williams and needed a breather. The Stealth had no one they could turn to and were forced to play Damien Wilkins and even Durant, in stretches, at the point. “We don’t have a third string point guard, so we had to improvise,” Gary Payton laughed half-heartedly after the match.
Notes: Seattle PG Watson will be sidelined for another week due to a leg injury he sustained in the loss to Boston two nights ago… After a string of strong performances from off the bench, Gary Payton has hinted at starting F Adam Morrison in the near future, “Adam has really played well. At first it was a case of him being new on the team but now I think he’s playing fine and everyone on the team likes him. It’s a case of deciding who I can move onto the bench.”…
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Seattle (Away) 17 – 18 – 14 – 16 – 65
Utah (Home) 26 – 26 – 18 – 32 – 102
Jordan Player of the Game
Deron Williams
13 Points
5-10 FG
2-4 3PT
3 Rebounds
8 Assists
1 Steal
Key Performers
Seattle
A Morrison: 13 pt, 5-15 FG
K Durant: 12 pt, 3 ast, 2 stl, 5-9 FG
R Westbrook: 12 pt, 5 ast, 3 TO, 5-7 FG
J Green: 11 pt, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4-6 FG
Utah
B Knight: 16 pt, 6 ast, 2 stl, 3-4 FG, 10-11 FT
A Kirilenko: 12 pt
M Okur: 12 pt, 4 reb, 5-6 FG
K Korver: 11 pt
C Boozer: 10 pt, 5 reb
Last edited by Fresh8 on Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:52 am
Three Game Wrap Up
Atlanta at Seattle
Nov 9, 2008 (AP) – The Seattle Stealth snapped their three game losing streak with a convincing triumph over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson’s 36 points were not enough for his side to pull out a win against Seattle as Kevin Durant led five others in double figures. Durant had 27.
Hawks F Josh Smith was a major disappointment as he was held to 1for 8 shooting from the field by Jeff Green. Green outplayed Smith by finishing with a double double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Russell Westbrook and F Chris Wilcox also put in solid efforts; each finishing the night with double doubles of their own.
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Seattle at Indiana
Nov 10, 2008 (AP) – Kevin Durant and Adam Morrison were perfect from behind the arc as they combined for eight made three pointers from eight attempts. Troy Murphy only wishes he got going as he was 0 from 5. “I had a lot of open looks but they just weren’t dropping. If they did, I’m sure we could have won that game,” Murphy was ruing his missed chances. He wasn’t any better closer to the hoop as he went 2 for 6 for 2-point baskets.
Durant had 27 points and Morrison chipped in 22 from off the bench and Wilcox added 18 as Seattle held off an energetic Pacers outfit. Danny Granger led Indiana with 32 points on some hot shooting, including an impressive stretch in the final quarter where he hit back to back treys and had a three point play to have his team leading by 1 point with 2 minutes left.
Unfortunately, the Stealth would regain the lead and watch their margin grow to 6 as Murphy missed three wide open shots in the final minute of the game. “They kept going back to him and he did have really good looks,” Durant commented, “But he just wasn’t hitting them. I’m not complaining as we got the win.”
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Orlando at Seattle
Nov 12, 2008 (AP) – Seattle was playing their third game in four days and it looked like all the travel and fatigue had caught up with them by the second quarter of this contest. The Orlando Magic held off the Stealth in the final quarter preventing Seattle from reaching three wins in a row for the first time in their franchise history.
Rashard Lewis led all players with 26 points, which included four threes. Dwight Howard added 19 points and 14 rebounds and caused trouble for the Seattle players in the paint; making it tough to score. Kevin Durant was his consistent self with 22 points and 11 rebounds while his team mates, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green , both had mixes success.
Seattle looked lost in the second quarter as they allowed a 2 point deficit grow into a 14 point one. It got worse as Orlando started on a 6-0 run, extending the lead to 20, at the start of the third. The Stealth picked up their play towards the end of the third period with some crucial buckets from Durant.
Both teams were neck and neck throughout the final quarter before Lewis hit a three with 46 seconds remaining; putting Orlando ahead 100-87. Durant missed his only free throw of the night on his second attempt at the stripe. Howard put the Magic ahead by 3, with 7.3 seconds left in the match, with a three point play.
Atlanta at Seattle
Nov 9, 2008 (AP) – The Seattle Stealth snapped their three game losing streak with a convincing triumph over the visiting Atlanta Hawks. Joe Johnson’s 36 points were not enough for his side to pull out a win against Seattle as Kevin Durant led five others in double figures. Durant had 27.
Hawks F Josh Smith was a major disappointment as he was held to 1for 8 shooting from the field by Jeff Green. Green outplayed Smith by finishing with a double double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Russell Westbrook and F Chris Wilcox also put in solid efforts; each finishing the night with double doubles of their own.
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Atlanta (Away) 30 – 18 – 20 – 18 – 86
Seattle (Home) 25 – 26 – 26 – 26 – 103
Key Performers
Atlanta
J Johnson: 36 pt, 3 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, 14-22 FG, 3-3 3PT, 5-7 FT
M Williams: 17 pt, 4 reb, 7-11 FG
J Smith: 4 pt, 13 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 blk, 1-8 FG
Seattle
K Durant: 27 pt, 4 reb, 3 ast, 9-18 FG, 8-8 FT
J Green: 15 pt, 11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 6-10 FG
C Wilcox: 14 pt, 10 reb, 6-8 FG
R Westbrook: 13 pt, 10 ast, 6-12 FG
D Wilkins: 11 pt, 3 reb, 3 ast, 5-8 FG
A Morrison: 10 pt, 3-11 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 4TO
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Seattle at Indiana
Nov 10, 2008 (AP) – Kevin Durant and Adam Morrison were perfect from behind the arc as they combined for eight made three pointers from eight attempts. Troy Murphy only wishes he got going as he was 0 from 5. “I had a lot of open looks but they just weren’t dropping. If they did, I’m sure we could have won that game,” Murphy was ruing his missed chances. He wasn’t any better closer to the hoop as he went 2 for 6 for 2-point baskets.
Durant had 27 points and Morrison chipped in 22 from off the bench and Wilcox added 18 as Seattle held off an energetic Pacers outfit. Danny Granger led Indiana with 32 points on some hot shooting, including an impressive stretch in the final quarter where he hit back to back treys and had a three point play to have his team leading by 1 point with 2 minutes left.
Unfortunately, the Stealth would regain the lead and watch their margin grow to 6 as Murphy missed three wide open shots in the final minute of the game. “They kept going back to him and he did have really good looks,” Durant commented, “But he just wasn’t hitting them. I’m not complaining as we got the win.”
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Seattle (Away) 31 – 24 – 33 – 27 – 115
Indiana (Home) 29 – 19 – 33 – 28 – 109
Key Performers
Seattle
K Durant: 27 pt, 5 reb, 2 stl, 4 blk, 9-16 FG, 5-5 3PT, 4-4 FT
A Morrison: 22 pt, 6 reb, 2 ast, 9-13 FG, 3-3 3PT, 1-1 FT
C Wilcox: 18 pt, 7 reb, 8-16 FG
D Wilkins: 12 pt, 3 reb, 5 ast
R Westbrook: 9 pt, 3 reb, 11 ast
Indiana
D Granger: 32 pt, 7 reb, 4 blk, 12-19 FG, 3-6 3PT, 5-7 FT
R Nestorovic: 16 pt, 13 reb, 7-12 FG
TJ Ford: 16 pt, 4 reb, 9 ast, 2 stl, 8-16 FG
M Dunleavy: 12 pt
T Murphy: 8 pt, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2-11 FG, 0-5 3PT
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Orlando at Seattle
Nov 12, 2008 (AP) – Seattle was playing their third game in four days and it looked like all the travel and fatigue had caught up with them by the second quarter of this contest. The Orlando Magic held off the Stealth in the final quarter preventing Seattle from reaching three wins in a row for the first time in their franchise history.
Rashard Lewis led all players with 26 points, which included four threes. Dwight Howard added 19 points and 14 rebounds and caused trouble for the Seattle players in the paint; making it tough to score. Kevin Durant was his consistent self with 22 points and 11 rebounds while his team mates, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green , both had mixes success.
Seattle looked lost in the second quarter as they allowed a 2 point deficit grow into a 14 point one. It got worse as Orlando started on a 6-0 run, extending the lead to 20, at the start of the third. The Stealth picked up their play towards the end of the third period with some crucial buckets from Durant.
Both teams were neck and neck throughout the final quarter before Lewis hit a three with 46 seconds remaining; putting Orlando ahead 100-87. Durant missed his only free throw of the night on his second attempt at the stripe. Howard put the Magic ahead by 3, with 7.3 seconds left in the match, with a three point play.
Stats At A Glance wrote:Quarter-by-Quarter Team Score
Orlando (Away) 23 – 23 – 28 – 29 – 103
Seattle (Home) 21 – 11 – 36 – 30 – 98
Key Performers
Orlando
R Lewis: 26 pt, 9-15 FG, 4-9 3PT
D Howard: 19 pt, 14 reb, 2 blk
H Turkoglu: 12 pt, 8 reb
J Nelson: 11 pt, 8 ast
Seattle
K Durant: 22 pt, 11 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk, 8-15 FG, 6-7 FT
R Westbrook: 14 pt, 3 reb, 6 ast, 4 TO
J Green: 13 pt, 2 reb, 2 stl, 4-12 FG
C Wilcox: 12 pt, 13 reb
N Collison: 10 pt, 9 reb
Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:20 pm
I smell an All Star season for Durant! Stache is developing into a solid player for you. Westbrook looks like the second coming of Jason Kidd --not a lot of points but he just does everything very good.
Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:51 pm
coco, I was thinking Westbrook would be the second coming of the head coach: The Glove. I'm still trying to learn to play effective defence on 2k9... any hints from seasoned 2k players would be helpful!
I'm still trying to learn to play effective defence on 2k9... any hints from seasoned 2k players would be helpful!
Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:21 am
even though you lucked out a buzzer-beater against HOU, i'm starting to dig the 'Stache especially since he schooled Bumleavy and the Pacers for 22 
Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:17 am
I hope you will like the next game then because the Stache was quite awesome in it!
Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:44 pm
Nice lot of games there dude, you know you were always gonna lose to the Magic though I like the idea of Westbrook following in The Glove's footsteps.
I like the idea of Westbrook following in The Glove's footsteps.
Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:16 pm
Yeah Yeah, Mark and his Orlando Magic
Are you gonna be doing a dynasty this year?
Are you gonna be doing a dynasty this year?