Hawks dynasty - all in one post

[Goldberg]

I really enjoy reading people's dynasties since it is not just entertaining but also you learn about the different approaches people have about the GM job. Seeing the development of someone else's dynasty is quite interesting.

I see that there are many GM styles. But some of the people who complain the most about a lack of realism in the wishlist are often those who make the least realistic trades such as two 35 year old guy at ratings of 75-80 for a young franchise player like 20 year old Lebron James or 19 year old Emeka Okafur... or similar trades. Eh, I ain't against it if that makes the game more fun for them but... while others have an more realistic approach, and would prefer a realistc loosing season then a non-realistic championship, as is my approach to it also.

So since I enjoy reading other people's dynasty, I tought I would share mine.

I play every game at all-star with sliders exactly the same for users and cpu so no advantange (rather than the common 5 percent advantage). Blocks are at zero percent (but still a lot of blocks anyway.) 29 games per season and 3-3-3-3 in playoffs. Rosters are the one that comes with the game since I started this dynasty before I found this site. My team is the Atlanta Hawks and I am in season 3. Quarters are 12 minutes, teams shoot for .400 and score is realistic... (90-105 per game)

Year 1: 16-13
Year 2: 13-16
Year 3: 5-4 (next game at Houston who is 4-6)


Lineup year 1: 16-13 (Division champion)

C: I signed FA Tyronne Hill (51) at one-third of the season and had him as my starter with Kevin Willis (54) as back up. After I signed Hill, I trade center Predrag D.(55) to Chicago for SG Piakowski(48) to free up the contract one year sooner. Piakowski did not play much.

PF: Walker (81) with Hill moving from C to PF as backup. (A three man rotation C-PF, with Crawford getting some minutes also). Walker was the point leader but with about 9.5 rebounds, he missed the double-double.

SF: Harrigton(75) (double-double season)

SG: Boris Diaw with Josh Childress(63) as backup getting around 25 and 20 minutes each respectively.

PG: Tony Delk(56) with some guy at 49 rating as backup. Biggest weakness was here.

Playoff: The team won the first 2 series, both 2-1. All the favorites fell in the first round, including 1st seed Detroit Pistons. We loss in the conference final 2-1 against Boston Celtics. Celtics won the Championships.

Offseason: Hill and Willis retired. Walker resigned for 4 years. Signed Cliff Robinson to a one year deal; 5 million. Drafted a SG with my 1st round pick, 21st overall, rating of 52 and a terrible center with my 2nd round rated at 46. I also signed two undrafted guy; a SG (52) and a C (51) to minimum salary.


Lineup year 2: 13-16 (made playoff... but barely)

C: Cliff Robinson (65) and an undrafted guy (51) named Williams.

PF: Walker (down year with 17 points and 9 rebounds per game.)

SF: Harrington(now 77) (double-double season again, and point leader with 21.)

SG: Childress (now 67) with my first round pick as backup. Diaw was the backup for both Harrington and Childress.

PG: Tony Delk with Childress moving to PG and Diaw to SG as back up. My 1st round pick had some good hands but was not good enough to move to PG on a permenant basis. Needless to say that PG was my biggest weakness, AGAIN, for a second straight year.

Playoff: The team loss in the first round 2-0. And it was a cake walk for them. Dallas won the championships.

Offseason: Robinson retires. Harrington is not resigned to free up some cap space. My two draft picks were bust (both below 50 of ratings)! But I signed 2 undrafted SF with ratings about 53. I also resigned my undrafted center Williams to a four year 1 million a year countract, as well as my undrafted SG to a 2 year, 1 million a year.

In the free agency, I signed PG Stodaumire (71) to a 4 year deal.

Lineup year 3: 5-4 so far; next game at Houston who is 4-6

C: Williams (now a 58 rating) and my 2nd round pick of a year ago who is now a 53 rating.

PF: Walker (now a 85 rating)

SF: Shootin guard Diaw (6'8 I think) gets 20 minutes a game at SF position, with the two undrafted SF guy getting 10-12 minutes each. My biggest weakness now is SF.

SG: Childress (now 70 rating).

PG: Stodaumire (71)

There it is. I tried to explain it as simple as possible. Currently, I won 5 of 9 games with a somewhat tough schedule, which should get easier in the last 2 months of the season and I expect a 18-11 year if no major injury. I had to choose between re-signing SF Harrington(77 and 26 years old), signing Ben Wallace (85 I think), or signing PG Stodaumire at 71.

I decided to give a decent chance to my sophomore center Williams and and fix my PG problem which had been lingering for way too long. For the past two season, I had to move the ball through my SG/SF, and it is not my style of play. Now I can bring the ball with confidence through my PG and maximize Childress's potential while relieving him of the pressure. I like to move the ball between my PG and SG, and either pick-and-roll or pass to PF Walker.

Signing Ben Wallace this offseason would have been very nice but my system of play is based around my PG, SG, and a strong PF/C. So the best way for me to win is to have a PG that can pass, a SG that can shoot mid and long range shot, and either a PF or C that can score inside. Once I have this guy (in this dynasty, its Walker), then I look for a PF/C that can rebound, pass and has toughness. SF Harrington was my best player for the past 2 seasons but it forced me to adapt my plays around him rather than a more natural and comfortable set of plays. I just couldn't trade him for a PG because that would have let me vulnarable under the basket as my centers just weren't on par as far as rebounds and toughness are concerned. All that seem to have change since sophomore center Williams is good (but not excellent) in all three categories, and has great defence awaresness; and at 22, he has much room to improve even more.

Also I prefer 29 games over the 82 games schedule because I want to play every game but still go deep in the dynasty, or else I find that I loose interest and either make unrealistc trades, or stop and start another dynasty, or just sim a bunch of games, just to keep it fresh and interesting. At 29 games, I begin to lose interest after 20 games but end of season is near, and if my team is not too good, then qualifing for the playoffs makes the 9 remaining games interesting. After this, the playoffs and offseason moves, and the cycle begins again.

I really don't want my team to become a top 5 team, as it gets boring to always win, and then I find myself making useless trades to fix minor details, just to keep the dynasty interesting... and even if I won 8 of the last 10 games for example, I still make trades. In real life, this would destroy team chemistry and player moral. If my team were to become a top 5 team, I would enjoy it, but knowing that I would not resign my FA's at season end - who ever they might be.

In NBA LIVE 2005, I find that using a mix of old player (Hill, Willis, Robinson, etc) with young players of 0 to 4 years of experience, and one or two stars in mid-career, it insures that the team will always stay fresh as old players strugle and retire, young players struggle and develop, and the one or two stars carry your team... we win when the young and old perform, and we loose when the young and old stuggle.

There it is, my approach to the dynasty mode, my third season with the Atlanta Hawks, and a lot of fun. I turned down an offer to manage to Utah Jazz after season 2, which tells me that I still enjoy this dynasty.