The 2K10 & Beyond Project - Season 18/19: First Round Completed Series

[Andrew]

From what I've seen in my own games and other people's alike, Beasley's virtual hardwood career has tended to be much better than real life.

[jubba910]

DET 103 @ UTA 104
12th January 2019

Jazz hold off Pistons in thriller


The Energy Solutions Arena continued to be a fortress in a tightly fought game against the Pistons, with a Rudy Gobert dunk punctuating a late flurry from Anthony Davis to improve the Jazz's home record to 16-1.

[jubba910]

CHA 106 @ IND 98
20th January 2019

Tatum's 34 extends Pacers losing streak


It was another rough night in Indianapolis, with the rising Hornets lead by superstar sophmore Jayson Tatum dealing the Pacers their ninth straight loss, sinking them to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

[jubba910]

WAS 109 @ SA 77
28th January 2019

Wizards demolish Spurs


Continuing their championship defense, the East's best beat down on the currently fourth-placed Spurs on their home floor, with Kevin Durant putting up a cool 31 points and 8 rebounds.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: January 2019

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

DeMarcus Cousins

East

Kevin Durant


Injury Report




Stories

Pistons ride 8-game streak to 3rd in East

With the Detroit Pistons comfortably ten games above .500, and on a 8-game win streak, the league's longest playoff drought looks set to finally end in the Motor City.

Trade Deadline looms large for bottom of the pack

It's that time of year again, as the strong looks to get stronger and the weak tend to get weaker through the trade deadline. With an 8.5 and 6.5 game gaps between the Conference leaders and second place, contenders will be assessing all angles to cut down the current leads held by the Jazz and Wizards.

Pelicans on the outside looking in

Last year's West leader in the Big Easy is on the ropes heading into the All-Star Break, sitting just outside the playoff picture and Karl-Anthony Towns still on the mend. Boasting arguably one of the most talented starting lineups, the Pelicans have their hands full to have their shot in the postseason.

[Andrew]

LeBron has a fairly comfortable lead for now, but that could turn into a fun scoring race with Curry down the stretch.

[jubba910]

LeBron has a fairly comfortable lead for now, but that could turn into a fun scoring race with Curry down the stretch.

In this universe, crazy to think Curry got a ring before he's in his prime!

[jubba910]

TOR 120 @ PHI 113
5th February 2019

DeRozan puts 47 on Philly


DeMar DeRozan set a season high against the Sixers in Philadelphia, dropping 47 to close the gap to their division rival to a single game.

[jubba910]

All-Star Teams Announced

All Star Game

Team Stephen


Team LeBron



Dunk Contest




3-Point Shootout

[jubba910]

Trade Deadline & Player Re-signings
8th February 2018

Pels add big man depth for postseason push



With Karl-Anthony Towns stuck on the sidelines, last year's West leaders in New Orleans have gone all-in on going the next step this season, pulling the trigger on Brooklyn's long-time centerpiece Pau Gasol. Sitting just outside the playoff picture, the return of Towns and the soft touch of Gasol off the bench is sure to keep fans in the Big Easy optimistic about a strong charge through the second half of the season.

Cavaliers stock up around LeBron


Limping to a 27-27 record at the deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers have restructured their lineup, picking up pieces from the lowly Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers to boast a revitalised starting lineup for their playoff push. Shipping Jeff Teague, and prospects Skal Labissiere & Kyle Anderson for Dennis Schroder, Bojan Bogdanovic & Kelly Olynyk, the Cavaliers will look to hit the ground running behind another stellar individual season from their hometown hero.

Favors heads North


Looking to bolster their stocks for the second half of the season, the Toronto Raptors have taken on the sizeable contract of Derrick Favors in an upgrade to Tristan Thompson. The Raptors also acquired another respectable big man in Gorgui Dieng, whilst sending Aaron Holiday and Mindaugaus Kuzminkas to the Kings as they wallow in the depths of the Western Conference.


Blazers add firepower


The Portland Trail Blazers were the biggest movers from the contending group in the West, adding Andre Iguodala and Jeremy Lamb in a bid to keep pace with the likes of the Jazz and Warriors in the top echelon of the conference. In a bid to reset further with some stability, the Pacers added further to their youthful stock with promising big man Jusuf Nurkic.

Superstar trio re-commit, whilst Pelicans duo hold out



Three franchises can breathe a sigh of relief, with their franchise pieces locking in new deals to stick around for at least another three years in Utah's Anthony Davis, LA's Kawhi Leonard and OKC's Russell Westbrook. It's nervous times in the Big Easy however, despite adding Pau Gasol, Klay Thompson and Nikola Jokic look set to test free agency.

You can find the full list of deadline deals here.

[jubba910]

All Star Weekend

WLD 86 - USA 112
16th February 2019

Spida leads USA to glory


Donovan Mitchell lead all comers in the first USA v World Rising Stars game, finishing with 22 points on 72% shooting from the field.






3 POINT SHOOTOUT
17th February 2018


Sharpshooter Klay Thompson was at his absolute best yet again, clincing back-to-back 3 point titles.

DUNK CONTEST
17th February 2018


Rondae Hollis-Jefferson took home the dunk contest crown, besting teammate Ben Simmons with his dunk tribute to Vince Carter.

STEPH 119 - LEBRON 122
18th February 2018

LeBron strikes captain performance vs Team Steph


Showcasing the incredible form that sees him leading the league in scoring, LeBron James had a near triple-double to deliver his team the win.

[jubba910]

POR 106 @ ATL 87
23rd February 2019

Deadly Portland duo lay waste to Hawks


Damian Lillard and Marc Gasol could not be stopped in Atlanta, sending a powerful message to the rest of the Western Conference for the final month of the season.

[jubba910]

MIN 124 @ BOS 116
27th February 2019

Plumlee stars in the Garden


Two-time reigning Sixth Man of the Year Mason Plumlee was the spark for the Timberwolves in Boston, scoring 22 points on an efficient 84% clip.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: February 2019

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Stephen Curry

East

LeBron James


Injury Report




Stories

Embiid blow sours Clippers season

The biggest free agent of last season won't see any more playing time this year, with Joel Embiid set to miss the rest of the season with a dislocated patella, derailing the Clippers hopes of a fruitful postseason run.

Acquisition Favors provides spark for Raptors

Riding a 9-win streak heading into the last 5 weeks of the season, the Toronto Raptors are running like a well-oiled machine in the East, hunting down the Hornets for second place in the East.

Pressure mounting on Cavaliers

Despite the improvements on paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers still find themselves on the bubble for a playoff spot, facing a surprising foe in their division rival Chicago Bulls to lock out the East with only 20 games left in their season.

[jubba910]

MIL 130 @ LAL 121
1st March 2019

Walker goes for 47 in Staples Center


Adding to his extensive scoring outbursts throughout the season, Kemba Walker again took over for the Bucks with an outstanding 47-point 13-assist performance against the Lakers.

[jubba910]

UTA 93 @ UTA 105
18th March 2019

Durant shines in possible Finals preview


It was a packed house in DC for the top of the East & West battle, with hometown star Kevin Durant leading all comers with 44 points for the Wizards against the Jazz.

[jubba910]

IND 92 @ PHX 111
27th March 2019

Suns inch closer to postseason berth


With the Pelicans and Rockets nipping at their heels, John Wall and the Phoenix Suns took a vital win on their home floor against the Pacers to further their lead to the lucrative 8th spot in the Western Conference.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: March 2019

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Chris Paul

East

Kevin Durant


Injury Report




Stories

Cavaliers, Pelicans on the outside looking in

Despite making moves at the deadline, two of the top teams from last season now find themselves clamouring for a playoff spot. With mounting pressure, the Cavaliers and Pelicans are well and truly in panic mode trying to make the 8th seed.

Unlikely Bulls set for return to the Playoffs

After finishing a measly 17-65 last season, the Chicago Bulls are on the verge of a postseasonn berth for the first time in three years, spurred by their exciting trio of Jaylen Brown, Julius Randle and Malcolm Brogdon.

Pistons officially break playoff drought

After 9 long years, the Detroit Pistons have finally clinched a playoff spot this decade, giving significant hope to the Motor City that they're back to the glory days that saw them as a permanent fixture in the East throughout the 2000's.

[jubba910]

CHI 96 @ NY 108
1st April 2019

Drummond rocks Bulls in the Garden


Dealing a shaky blow to the Bulls playoff hopes with the rising Cavaliers beckoning, Andre Drummond put up another outstanding double-double for the Knicks' faithful.

[jubba910]

CLE 116 @ GS 127
5th April 2019

Cavaliers playoff hopes dealt harmful blow in Oakland


Despite a 30-point first half performance from LeBron James, the Warriors ran away in the second half, snuffing out Cavaliers 3-game win streak and putting their postseason charge in dire straits.

[jubba910]

CHA 92 @ DET 113
7th April 2019

Pistons in full swing vs Hornets


With the pressure of making the postseason released, the Detroit Pistons were in full force against the middling contender Hornets on their home floor, shooting a warning shot to the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs behind Harrison Barnes' career-high 47 points.

[jubba910]

Monthly Report: April 2019

Conference Standings






League Leaders





Players of the Month

West

Chris Paul

East

Kevin Durant


Injury Report




Stories

April injury madness robs Jazz

The top seed in the West is all of a sudden left with little hope, with the injury curse hitting the Jazz at the worst possible time. Anthony Davis & Rudy Gobert will both sit out the rest of the season, leaving it all on the shoulders of Jimmy Butler to cash in on their best finish in over 20 years.

Cavaliers, Pelicans fail in postseason bids

It's set to be a long offseason for two of the league's most lauded franchises of the last 5 years, who's futures of their stars in doubt without a postseason appearance.

Wizards gear up to repeat

Cruising to the top of the East once again, Kevin Durant and the Wizards are red-hot favourites to take the East once again, and another championship with the shock injury shortfalls in Utah.

[jubba910]

Awards & Playoff Tree

Most Valuable Player


Rookie of the Year


Sixth Man of the Year


Most Improved Player


Defensive Player of the Year


Coach of the Year




ALL-NBA TEAMS

ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM


ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM


ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM



ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAMS

ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM


ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM



ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS

ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM


ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM

[Andrew]

With all the ways that this journey has deviated from real world results, Anthony Davis having an inopportune injury is one of the tethers to reality!

I'd say the virtual media voted well on the 2019 award winners.

[jubba910]

Season Review – Lottery Teams


30. Indiana Pacers (22-60)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Kyle Anderson (79), Derrick Rose (77), Ekpe Udoh (77), Anthony Tolliver (76), Andrew Harrison (76), Skal Labissiere (75) (T)

Wallowing in the doldrums of the East, the Indiana Pacers see another year in the lottery ahead of them. Doomed from the start with a season-ending injury to their top pick Lonny Walker IV within the first month of the season, the Pacers are banking on their deadline pickup Jusuf Jurkic and a top 3 pick this year to turn Indiana's fortunes around.


29. Brooklyn Nets (25-57)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Khris Middleton (86) (P), D.J. Augustin (78), Pascal Siakam (78) (T), Dennis Smith Jr. (78) (2YRT), Al Jefferson (77), Aron Baynes (76), Norman Powell (76), Solomon Hill (75)

Finishing with the same record as last year was not the plan for these Nets when the season began. The acquisition of Gary Harris in replacement of Marcus Smart has sent the Brooklyn franchise backwards, however, can have considerable hope that Dennis Smith Jr. can overcome his injury plague, and that continued development of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Pascal Siakam can set them up for success. The biggest question heading into the offseason is Khris Middleton, and whether he'll decide to stay put with this youthful core, or head elsewhere to chase championship success?


28. Dallas Mavericks (28-54)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Lauri Markannen (83) (2YRT), Andre Roberson (81), Tim Hardaway Jr. (80), Jordan Bell (78), Dwight Powell (77), Stanley Johnson (75), Darius Miller (75)

It was a sad ending for an illustrious career for Dwyane Wade, unable to be moved at the deadline due to an injury, the 12-time All-Star's time has come to an end in Dallas. His season-long scoring buddy, Tim Hardaway Jr. is likely to be a hot commodity in free agency as the Mavericks re-tool around Lauri Markannen. Could the Mavs steal the 1st pick in the draft and land the once-in-a-lifetime talent Zion Williamson?


27. Sacramento Kings (28-53)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Kyle Kuzma (86) (2YRT), Dion Waiters (80), Taurean Prince (79) (T), Greg Monroe (78), Willie Reed (77), Amir Johnson (76), Mindaugas Kuzminskas (75)

Despite a postseason run last year behind All-NBA honours from Greg Monroe, it was clearly abandon ship in Sacramento halfway through the season. Shipping out Derrick Favors to Toronto, the Kings are attempting to build around Kyle Kuzma and Mike Conley, the latter of which has been less than stellar since joining the North California franchise. Hoping to turn the corner, another lottery pick (if not higher) alongside Kuzma can give Sacramento hope that they'll be back in the playoffs before too long.


26. Denver Nuggets (31-51)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: D'Angelo Russell (84), Frank Kaminsky (78), Caris LeVert (77) (T), Brandan Wright (76), Tarik Black (75)

A disappointing season for the Mile High franchise after landing the #1 pick DeAndre Ayton in last year's draft. Struggling to put all the pieces together all year, the hopeful re-signing of D'Angelo Russell alongside Andrew Wiggins and Ayton has to give hope that the Nuggets won't be in this situation again next season.


25. Atlanta Hawks (32-50)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Jamal Murray (82) (T), Myles Turner (82), John Collins (81) (2YRT), Nick Young (76), Mike Muscala (76), Ty Lawson (76), Malcolm Delaney (75)

Despite landing LaMarcus Aldridge in the offseason, the Hawks underperformed all year, and now stare down the barrell of franchise center Myles Turner heading to greener pastures. Jamal Murray looks set to be their franchise piece of the future, however without considerable support, and a mediocre season from Jordan Clarkson, ATL can only look to a Hornets-type uprise to have any hope of touching the postseason with their current outlook.


24. Orlando Magic (33-49)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Donovan Mitchell (89) (2YRT), Nikola Vucevic (82), Dario Saric (81), Josh Jackson (79) (2YRT), Lance Stephenson (78), George Hill (77)

Boasting the most picks in the upcoming draft, the Orlando Magic have all the weaponry available to build around superstars Donovan Mitchell and Gordon Hayward. Big men Vucevic and Saric both out of contract does leave Orlando vulnerable down low, however look short-priced favourites for the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns or Nikola Jokic from the Pelicans to bring them back to East contendership.


23. Miami Heat (36-46)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Bobby Portis (81), Marcus Morris (79), Avery Bradley (79), Kent Bazemore (79), Delon Wright (78), Daniel Theis (76), Patrick McCaw (75)

It's likely to get a lot worse before it gets better in Miami, with Most Improved honours for Bobby Portis likely to increase his contract demands. Alongside him down low was another great season from Dwight Howard, possibly robbed of All-NBA honours at the center position. Shifting out contender-type players such as Howard, Avery Bradley and Delon Wright for youthful promise will be the main aim in South Beach, likely to be heavily investing in the next generation in a way to reset a franchise that's been tied to winning for the better part of a decade.


22. Memphis Grizzlies (35-47)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Bam Adebayo (80) (2YRT), John Henson (79), Michael Beasley (78), Malik Monk (77) (2YRT), Dragan Bender (75) (T), Juan Hernangomez (75) (T)

A solid season from the most youthful team in the league, boasting two All-Rookie first team honours and a Rookie of the Year trophy. Doncic, Bagley, Monk, Adebayo and Knox are likely to be the next wave of stacked Grizzlies squads, following the team that boasted Conley, Mayo, Leonard, Gay, Randolph, and Gasol only five years ago. Time will tell if this mix of youthful talent can have more success than the previous.


21. Boston Celtics (35-47)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Jarrett Allen (80) (2YRT), Garrett Temple (76), Omri Casspi (76), Jordan Crawford (75)

An expected dip for the Celtics with the loss of Embiid during the offseason. With little lost due to free agency, Beantown will be looking for an additional piece to assist C.J. McCollum due to Isaiah Thomas' significant downturn in production. However, Thomas' bloated contract seems likely to cause salary cap headaches for the league's most successful franchise.


20. Cleveland Cavaliers (36-46)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Dennis Schroder (83), Nemanja Bjelica (76)

A strong Eastern Conference rocked The Land hard this season, with the strong play of the likes of Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago leaving Cleveland as the fourth team in the Central division. With three years left on his contract, LeBron's runner-up honours for MVP suggests he's far from done, however without significant acquistitions in the offseason, could we see LeBron abandon the Cavaliers for the second time in his career for championship success elsewhere?


19. Los Angeles Lakers (36-46)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Rudy Gay (79), Emmanuel Mudiay (76), Rodney McGruder (76), Shelvin Mack (75)

Not what was expected from landing two of the biggest stars in the league during the offseason, the Lakers suffered from growing pains from the start. Despite a DPOY honour for Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers are in dire need of stronger support around Irving and Leonard to crack the upper echelon of the West. Could they add a third star in free agency to take them to the next level?


18. Houston Rockets (39-42)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Kristaps Porzingis (90), Joffrey Lauvergne (77), Trey Burke (76), James Ennis (76)

A promising time for H-Town, with star Kristaps Porzingis' 4-year rookie deal now coming to an end, and has shown all signs that he'll be locked in long-term for the Rockets. With Eric Bledsoe dropping down the scoring pecking order, questions could be asked whether Houston made the right decision signing a large 3-year extension last offseason. Brandon Ingram will be the one to watch alongside Porzingis as the Rockets attempt to break out of the middle third of the West.


17. New Orleans Pelicans (40-42)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Karl-Anthony Towns (91), Klay Thompson (91), Nikola Jokic (90), Patrick Beverley (80), Marco Bellinelli (78), Gerald Green (78), Nene (77), Langston Galloway (76), David West (75)

Falling from the top of the West last season to sub-500 despite getting better on-paper, the Big Easy sweepstakes appear to be on the horizon, with all three of the Pelicans' superstars now out of contract in the one offseason. With Thompson and Jokic both confirming they'll be testing free agency, eyes turn to former #1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns to stay put and carry the franchises future.