X's Blazers Dynasty (NBA Live 06)

[ShAuN]

Good job man. I like those updates. One question....I keep forgetting, Am I in the 2007 or 2008 or 2009 draft? Thanks, anyways great job.

[The X]

"Coldsmoke's" best game was 0 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists? Man, he must not be playing a lot.

that must be tough for him


cool update on the NLSC-players and the Will Sit feature

i'm lookin forward to your next update =D
can't wait

cheers & yep, he said he could average more than that IRL for an NBA team than he is in the game

Thanks for wrting bout me!

np, it helps that you've been the most impressive & you also had a game against me during that time

lol nice. Yo X is that a new Sit cyberface or did you use a different headshape? at any rate hows about sending it to me

same cyberface as the one you made....I just used good old Carlos Arroyo for the headshape though....

*Anthony15 received an extra 0.005 for correctly picking all 4 win-loss results correctly

Holy crap I'm on fire!!!

yip, you did aight

Good job man. I like those updates. One question....I keep forgetting, Am I in the 2007 or 2008 or 2009 draft? Thanks, anyways great job.

cheers & you are in the 2008 draft....

[ShAuN]

Sweet. I hope you get to it before Live 07 comes out

[The X]

Sweet. I hope you get to it before Live 07 comes out

don't worry, I will

[The X]

ROOKIE WATCH (DEC '06)


This is a section that will highlight the different plights of a rookie in the NBA. Whilst Vince Dehere & Rudy Gay are ripping it up for their respective teams, we cross to Texas to check on an unheralded rookie who is slowly trying to make a name for himself.


SF- Akinlabi Benjamin, 6'8", 196lbs, SE Illinois State (56th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by Houston Rockets)


This unhearlded rookie shocked the Blazers as he torched them on debut


Benjamin's statline on debut against the Portland Trailblazers

A team is not suppose to get a player who can make the team, let alone make an impact with the 56th overall pick in the draft, especially if they're from SE Illinois State. The Houston Rockets once again made a good 2nd Round pick in Akinlabi Benjamin. He might be closer to Rodrick Rhodes (Rockets' 1st Rd pick from yesteryear) than Cuttino Mobley (Rockets' 2nd Rd pick from yesteryear), but the early signs are positive in Texas as Benjamin showed on his debut against the Blazers. Benjamin showed the ability to score from anywhere on the court. If he can prove he can play at the defensive end as well, he could earn himself a solid NBA career.

Akinlabi Benjamin's 2006/07 Stats:
4 games, 7.3ppg, 68.8% FG, 50.0% 3pt, 85.7% FT
7.10 NBA Efficiency Rating
7.10 Raw Birdie Score
2.58 Weighted Birdie Score


BLAZERS' ROOKIES


On debut, Watson (above left) & Harding (above right) didn't fare so well against the Rockets as Benjamin did against them. Watson finished with 5pts, 1reb & 2asts in 10mins. Meanwhile, Harding had only 3rebs & 1ast in 6mins as he struggled with his shot whilst on the court.

[Jugs]

Nice looking retro jerseys. Houston got a huge steal there with Akinlabi. I love getting steals in the draft

[Jing]

ah good coverage X

akinlabi haha

[The X]

Nice looking retro jerseys. Houston got a huge steal there with Akinlabi. I love getting steals in the draft

don't know if he is a steal yet, check back in a couple of seasons to see if he's still around....I just had to cover the guy, because he came out of nowhere....I knew he was a 2nd Rder so I wasn't giving him respect & I paid for it, & even when I played tight D, he still scored....a warrior from SE Illinois State

& yep, I luv the retro jerseys too

ah good coverage X

akinlabi haha

yep, he's very akin to Rodrick Rhodes (pun intended)

[H Rock]

& yep, I luv the retro jerseys too

Rockets retros rock.

Nice coverage. When will you start scouting (and scout me)?

[pHLo]

nice rookie watch =)
but your rookies are a lil bit disappointing =/

i hope they will improve quickly !

When will you start scouting (and scout me)?

i think he will do this some time after the All-Star Game, starting about a month before the Playoffs

[Shing]

Your rookies will probly come good during the season (i hope!), but Benjamin did really well, maybe just a lucky game?

Cool recaps!

[Fresh8]

wow... that Benjamin is really ripping it up... no 56 pick? Dang. So whens the monthly recap due X? work starting again for u tomoz?

[The X]

& yep, I luv the retro jerseys too

Rockets retros rock.

Nice coverage. When will you start scouting (and scout me)?

yep, I luv those retros too....reminds me of Clutch City

nice rookie watch =)
but your rookies are a lil bit disappointing =/

i hope they will improve quickly !

When will you start scouting (and scout me)?

i think he will do this some time after the All-Star Game, starting about a month before the Playoffs

yep, pHLo is correct in his assessment give or take

as for my rookies, yep, they are a little disappointing, although X is a 2nd Rder so we can't expect too much I guess

Your rookies will probly come good during the season (i hope!), but Benjamin did really well, maybe just a lucky game?

Cool recaps!

cheers....yep, it probably was a lucky game, but as I said before, he's definitely worth a further look....

wow... that Benjamin is really ripping it up... no 56 pick? Dang. So whens the monthly recap due X? work starting again for u tomoz?

I will finish trimester stuff today & as for January recap, we'll see....maybe tomorrow, maybe Tuesday....not sure....will see for time....& yep, I start the new job tomorrow, that's why I'm making no guarantees from now on

glad you like Benjamin....let's hope he's no Benoit or Corey....

[The X]

GAME OF THE TRIMESTER (DEC '06)

Each trimester I will do a quick recap of what I considered to be the best game of the month. This month sees the struggling Portland Trailblazers travel to Concesco Field House to face the battle-weary Indiana Pacers.


Dec 14, 2006 - Portland 102 at Indiana 110 [3rd Qtr INTERVENTION GAME]



According to scouting reports, supposedly this rookie Asian giant from Down Under is pretty strong. I'm sure he ain't that strong

The 1st half was close as the Pacers & Blazers exchanged baskets on there way to a 51-52 ballgame, with the Pacers having the 1pt advantage heading into the 2nd half. The 3rd quarter was pretty much one-sided as the Pacers flexed their muscles & dominated the Blazers, outscoring the Blazers by 13pts to lead 70-84 going into the final quarter.


Whilst David Lee (above left) auditioned for this season's Slam Dunk Contest; rookie Will Sit (above right) made his presence felt at both ends of the court

Unhappy with what was going on, Blazers' coach Nate McMillan changed it up, going with an inexperienced lineup of Harding-Outlaw-Webster-Watson-Telfair & was able to cut into the lead behind hustle & desire from the youngster, as well as the hot shooting by Webster from long range. This combo got the Blazers within 3pts late in the game.


Rookie Andrew "The X" Watson (above left) surprised all with his impression of Latrell Sprewell as a rookie. Guess all that plyometrics really does help after all. Meanwhile improving PG Sebastian Telfair (above middle & right) used a key steal & breakaway dunk to cap the Blazers' run

However, it was not enough as the Indiana Pacers stepped up in the final minutes to hold off the Portland Trailblazers, 102-110, as Stephen Jackson & Sarunas Jasikevicius iced the game for the home team.


Aussie rookie Will Sit put the final exclamation point on the game with a backdoor cut for an emphatic one-handed slam

In the end, the Blazers' poor showing in the 3rd quarter was the difference as they could not completely peg it back. Another disappointing loss for Nate McMillan & his boys.

The Player of the Game was Stephen Jackson who had a monster game with 36pts, 4rebs, 6asts, 1stl and some key baskets and FT's down the stretch.

[Buckley]

nice coverage........

wow, sits stronger then ron artest?
sit, can u bench press a truck

[Malfa]

tough loss

[Jing]

wow looks like sit did pretty well.
7 points aint bad

[The X]

LINE OF THE TRIMESTER (DEC '06)


Each trimester I'll post a statistical line that really jumped out at me during the month. It might be an outstanding performance or a very poor performance by a player. Hope you enjoy.


Dec 27, 2005 - Portland 118 vs Chicago 97



We've seen it time & time again over the last couple of seasons, but once again star forward Zach Randolph has stepped up in a big way to help his team win an important game. On the back of 4 game losing streak, this Bulls' game was an important one for the Portland Trailblazers & Zach knew it. Not only did he score with such great efficiency (16-19 from field & 5-5 from the FT line), he rebounded (13, including 4 offensive), defended (2stls, 1blk & held rookie Tiago Splitter to 7pts on 2/11 shooting & 5rebs) & protected the ball (only 1 turnover). The end result was the Blazers blowing out the Chicago Bulls by 21pts.

If Zach Randolph can keep putting up performances like these & help his team get wins, he can erase the immense disappointment of last season's All-Star snub by solidifying his spot as one of the league's elite PF's & a subsequent All-Star berth this season. Last season's snub could have been the best thing to happen to Randolph as he has come out this season as a man on a mission, & this game was just one small example of it. Look out for bigger & better things from Zach for seasons to come as he tries to put his personal stamp on the entire Portland Trailblazers' franchise.

[The X]

nice coverage........

wow, sits stronger then ron artest?
sit, can u bench press a truck

cheers....I'd still take Ronnie in an arm wrestle over Sit though

tough loss

yep, it was....especially considering Martell got hot & looked like he was gonna help me get over the line....

wow looks like sit did pretty well.
7 points aint bad

yep, he had only 2 points less than Watson

Sit was tough physically & handled Ha with ease

[The X]

PLAYER CARD OF THE TRIMESTER (DEC '06)



Sebastian Telfair's game seems to be maturing with each passing night. He's slowly improving & showing improved consistency. That's is why he has earnt his 1st player card

[The X]

PLAY OF THE TRIMESTER (DEC '06)



Darius Miles received the ball on the break & had only shot-blocking forward Tyson Chandler inbetween him & the hoop. So what does he do, he just explodes over the top of Chandler, & gives Tyson one of the nastiest facials seen in the league for a long time. This dunk helped set the tone in the Blazers' huge home victory over the Bulls


That's it for the Trimester coverage guys. Hope you enjoyed.


Cheers
X

[ShAuN]

Sweet good job man. Chandler got owned.

[Jing]

thats a good dunk man.

though when did miles before a high flyer?

[The X]

Sweet good job man. Chandler got owned.

that he did, Miles drooped all over him after dunking on him....very Shawn Kemp-like finish

(Y) thats a good dunk man.

though when did miles before a high flyer?

yep, that dunk was pure brilliance from Darius, who incidentally as been a high-flyer since I started this dynasty

on a side note, the only rookie in this year's class to be a Freestyle Superstar is Toronto Raptors' swingman Rodney Carney....

[The X]

3 TEAM TRADE ANNOUNCED

By 'Chad Forde'
NLSC Insider


Updated: Jan. 22, 2007, 10.28 AM ET --

After failing in their attempts to trade Travis Outlaw for Delonte West, the Portland Trailblazers looked at other available avenues to improve their team, hooking up with the Golden State Warriors & Minnesota Timberwolves to hammer out a 3 team, 9 player deal.

Here's how each team fared out of the trade:

Golden State gets: Travis Outlaw & Steve Blake
Minnesota gets: Cameron Rand, Sergia Monia & Ha Seung-Jin
Portland gets: Eddie Griffin, Monta Ellis & Apollo Carnegie

The trade took a couple of days to form, but once the groudwork was worked out (Outlaw, Rand & Griffin), the rest really just fell into place. Each team got players they coveted (Warriors got Outlaw, T'wolves got Rand & Ha, & Blazers got Griffin & Ellis). However, the trade almost fell through at the final moments with the Blazers not wanting to give up both Monia & Ha, but eventually they realised that their team would be better off with the addition of Griffin to the lineup.

Let's look at the trade from each team's perspective:

GOLDEN STATE:

The Warriors picked up a swingman that Chris Mullin has coveted for years. They now have someone who can push Mike Dunleavy Jr, & have a few months to establish whether they will invest in Outlaw long-term. I don't really like that the team gave on rookie PG Cameron Rand, but he just wasn't going to get minutes, nor was he ever going to get minutes in Oakland. He was behind established PG's Baron Davis & Derek Fisher who are both tied up long-term. I guess Rand was a trade chip all along, & never figured into the team's long-term plans. Steve Blake provides a steady 3rd PG on the roster & is a really good insurance policy if either of the other two are injured. I don't like how the Warriors gave away Monta Ellis, who has a ridiculous amount of potential. Apparently the trade would not have passed through had the Blazers not got Ellis, so I guess the Warriors weren't willing to wait for him to develop. The Blazers will be.


MINNESOTA:

Minnesota got quite a bit out of this deal as far as talent, but had to give up on one of their key, but often troublesome players, Eddie Griffin. The loss of Griffin really hurts the Wolves in the short-term, but this deal is obviously more of a long-term deal. They received rookie PG Cameron Rand, who might be ready to step straight into the starting lineup for the PG-weak T'wolves. Whilst Monia isn't ready, his development is well beyond that of previous bust draft pick Ebi, & he will probably have more of a chance to earn minutes in Minnesota than he did in Portland. The final guy that the Wolves got was Korean giant Ha Seung-Jin. The deal almost got thrown out the window as GM Kevin McHale was steadfast that he would receive Ha in any deal that went down. McHale got it done as he eventually pried Ha from the Blazers, only having to give up 2nd Rounder Apollo Carnegie of Syracuse as a cap throw-in to get the deal to go through. Word from insiders suggest that Ha will be starting immediately for the T'wolves as he will become their only legit centre. This seems like a surprising move considering he didn't figure to play for Portland for the next couple of years.


PORTLAND:

Portland got arguably the best, most established player in forward Eddie Griffin. Griffin is a guy that can come in and play any of the frontcourt positions, can hit the outside shot if open & can rebound. However the biggest asset he brings to the Blazers is his shot-blocking ability as he & Ratliff will combine off the bench to make for a very intimidating shot-blocking duo. Although questions must be raised about this trade due to Griffin's character, which is often in question. The Blazers were looking to get 'good guys' to help bring the fans back. I guess winning is more important in the end I guess. The Blazers also got combo guard Monta Ellis who really has some nice upside in the league in his 1st one & a half seasons. Ellis came straight out of high school & no one is really sure if he is really a PG or a SG, but he'll get a chance to play at both those positions for the Blazers. Definitely a nice pick-up. The final player they got was forward Apollo Carnegie, who was Minnesota's 2nd Round pick (#46 overall) out of Syracuse. Carnegie was essentially a throw-in to seal the deal, but the thing is this saavy senior's game is already beyond that of Sergia Monia, especially on the offensive end, when Apollo is like a coach on the court. Carnegie isn't expected to play much, but he's a cheaper option than Monia & his minimum contract expires next season, so it might not be such a bad move in acquiring him.

The Blazers gave on the under-achieving Outlaw who was always going to be traded before February's trade deadline. Steve Blake wasn't playing at all this season, so his loss will not really be felt, especially with the solid PG play of rookie Andrew Watson & newcomer Monta Ellis can play the PG spot too. Russian forward Sergia Monia, whilst developing nicely, the Blazers weren't willing to wait, so he was dealt. The final piece was Ha, who the Blazers would have liked to have kept, but the Wolves demanded that he be part of any potential deal, so he was, & the deal went through.


We won't really know the true impact of this trade for a couple of seasons, as it depends on the development of the players involved. I'll keep you posted on any other trades that go down in the next month.