Retro Pistons Association - Game 3 @ Magic!

[Lamrock]

Hello all, as you may know, my 360 got the E74 error and thus my Hawks dynasty and Warriors Association are on hold for at least a month. Because of this, I have decided to continue an old Association I haven't played with for a couple years; one with the Pistons. Granted, it isn't all that realistic, trade and record-wise. Additionally, the player ratings are quite out of date.

From here on out, I'll try to make it the best I can, and I hope you enjoy. It won't be as epic (heh) as my major dynasties, but hopefully you guys will follow and enjoy this retro Association, even if for now it looks bad.

Your 2005-06 Detroit Pistons

Center: Ben Wallace (90)/Alonzo Mourning (81)
Power Forward: Rasheed Wallace (87)/Udonis Haslem (80)/Jason Maxiell (75)
Small Forward: Tayshaun Prince (83)/Josh Smith (75)
Shooting Guard: Richard Hamilton (86)/Carlos Delfino (74)/Wesley Person (74)
Point Guard: Chauncey Billups (86)/Lindsey Hunter (77)

IR: Ronald Dupree (67), Darvin Ham (66)

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Recap Archive

Articles

1. Season Recap
2. End of Season Awards

Game Recaps

April 2006:

- April 2-April 8 Recap
- April 9-April 15 Recap
- April 16-April 22 Recap

NBA Playoffs: Vs. Magic:

- Game 1 Vs. Magic
Game 2 Vs. Magic

[Lamrock]

Season Review (Up to this point)

To this point, one team has dominated the NBA: the Detroit Pistons. After narrowly losing to the San Antonio Spurs in last year's NBA Finals, the Pistons have been playing with a vengeance. With a 61-11 record, the Pistons not only have homecourt advantage in the playoffs locked up, but have a chance to be the second team in NBA history to win 70 games in a season.

Meanwhile, it is business as usual in the rest of the Eastern Conference. Joining the Pistons in the upper echelon are the Miami Heat (40-32) and the Boston Celtics (45-28). Fighting for the 8th and final spot are the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats, both sporting a 35-38 record. The East's biggest disappointment is the 29-45 Washington Wizards, who are all but out of playoff contention.

The West is going mostly according to plan, but with the exceptions of the surprising 42-30 Portland Blazers, who are about to clinch their first playoff since 2003. Also, the Phoenix Suns have not been able to deal with the injury to star Center Amare Stoudamire and are 4.5 games out of the final playoff spot (held by the Warriors) with a 30-42 record.

Transactions

- Sacramento trades Bonzi Wells (SG, 82) to New York for Quentin Richardson (SF, 81)
- Phoenix trades Brian Grant (PF, 75) to Portland for Sebastian Telfair (PG, 74)
- New York trades Jamal Crawford (SG, 82) to the LA Clippers for Cuttino Mobley (SG, 81)
- Atlanta trades Dan Dickau (PG, 76) to New Jersey for Jeff McInnis (PG, 76)
- Sacramento trades Quentin Richardson (SF, 81) to Portland for Darius Miles (SF, 80)
- LA Clippers trade Jamal Crawford (SG, 82) to Utah for Mehmet Okur (PF, 83)
- Sacramento trades Eddie House (SG, 76) to LA Clippers for Zejiko Rebraca (PF, 73)
- Utah trades Keith McLeod (PG, 74) to Phoenix for Walter McCarty (PF, 70)
- Toronto trades Rafer Alston (PG, 81) to Seattle for Luke Ridnour (PG, 83)
- Portland trades Quentin Richardson (SF, 81) to Dallas for Jerry Stackhouse (SG, 79)
- Detroit trades 2006 First Rounder and Antonio McDyess (PF, 83) for Alonzo Mourning (C, 81) and Udonis Haslem (PF, 80)
- Utah trades Jamal Crawford (SG, 82) to Sacramento for Darius Miles (SF, 80)
- Denver trades Voshon Lenard (SG, 76) to Atlanta for Jeff McInnis (PG, 76)
- Detroit signs Wesley Person (SG, 74) to one year contract @ league minimum
- Detroit signs and trades Latrell Sprewell (SG, 81) to Atlanta for Josh Smith (SF, 75)

All-Star 2006!

Representing at the 2006 NBA All-Star game were three members of the Detroit Pistons: Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups. All-star MVP Billups led his Eastern Conference to a 131-120 victory with 34 points, 15 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Ben Wallace had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Rasheed Wallace had 13 points and 4 rebounds.

[Chaser7]

Haha what console is this on? (The haha refers to Ben Wallace being a 90 ovrl)

Anyways good luck, you'll do great.

[Lamrock]

Original Xbox. I'm amazed at how good the graphics are for a last-gen game. Granted, they aren't on the level of the 360 version's (though I swear the cyberfaces are better!) but they are solid. The gameplay is pretty decent as well.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'll add some more information to the first posts in a bit.

[Chaser7]

haha I just looked at the roster more closely, mind posting your trades if you remember?

[Lamrock]

Yeah, I'll look over the trade logs. I beefed the bench up quite a bit. (Though I think I cheated since there was a bunch of FA's rated in the low 80s/high 70's that you could sign for minimum and trade) Additionally, I'll post other teams' transactions, standings and all-star review.

[Mandich]

good luck with this

[Lamrock]

Okay, I added the transactions, and a paragraph about the All-Star game to the first posts. Enjoy.

[Chaser7]

How did you get josh smith though?

[Lamrock]

My bad, the game's messenger has a cutoff point. I traded Latrell Sprewell for him. Heh. Better add that.

[jonthefon]

Heh, I have NBA 2K7 on Xbox. My belief is that the graphics look funny, there's almost as much clipping as current-gen Live but overall, the gameplay is decent.

[deihatein]

Wow, you have many dynasty's created now. Like your bench, but i dont like Smith off the bench he doesn't fit for the role. Anyway hope this last long

[Lamrock]

jonthefon, I actually think 2K6 has better graphics than 2K7. Either way, up close 2K6 looks pretty solid. I hate how there is like 20 jump balls a game in 2K6 though.

+deidei+, Yeah, this is my seventh. This is Josh Smith back in his second season, so now he is just a spark off the bench. Don't think this will last that long. Its just to hold me over before I get my 360 back. I'll finish out the season/playoffs though.

[Lamrock]

April 2-April 8 Recap

123-98 Win Vs. Suns

The Suns fell to 2-4, and all but out of the race for the 8th seed in the West with a blowout loss to the Pistons in Detroit. Led by Chauncey Billups monster line of 26 points and 11 assists, Detroit steamrolled Phoenix in the first half en route to the blowout victory. With this win, Detroit improved to 62-11; with an 8-1 run or better to finish with 70 wins.

110-84 Win Vs. Hornets

Already out of the playoff race, Chris Paul and the Hornets had little to play for. Detroit destroyed them, and are now 7 wins away from 70. Rasheed Wallace's 33 and 10, couple with Chauncey Billups' 25-6-7 line was too much.

104-90 Loss @ Heat

The Pistons suffered their first loss in the month of April against the sreaking Miami Heat. After a 14-2 run in the second quarter, the Heat took control and never looked back. Led by Dwyane Wade's 27 points, and Shaquille O'Neal's 19-16 line, they bullied the Pistons. In the loss, Chauncey Billups still put up big numbers with 27 points and 8 assists. Billups is currently the leading MVP candidate. The Pistons must now win out their remaining 7 games to finish with 70 wins.

99-85 Win @ Magic

Richard Hamilton had a season-high 29 points, as he led his Pistons past the Magic. Just one night after losing to the Miami Heat, the Pistons beat Florida's other team. In the loss, Dwight Howard shined with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Detroit led throughout the game, and never gave Orlando much of a chance. Detroit is now six wins away from 70. Orlando fell one game behind the Nets for the final seed with the loss.

Playoff Picture:

#1 Pistons (64-12) Vs. #8 Nets (36-39)
#4 Cavaliers (47-29) Vs. #5 Pacers (43-32)
#3 Heat (44-32) Vs. #6 Bobcats (37-39)
#2 Celtics (48-28) Vs. #7 76ers (37-39)

#1 Rockets (53-23) Vs. #8 Mavericks (38-39)
#4 Spurs (45-31) Vs. #5 Clippers (41-34)
#3 Blazers (43-33) Vs. #6 Nuggets (41-36)
#2 Kings (45-32) Vs. #7 Warriors (38-38)

[Chaser7]

Sacramento is still overachieving since at this point most of their nucleus was broken up right? Anyways nice recap, looking forward to see how you do during the rest of the playoffs.

[Maree]

though loss against miami...back then they were really good...

Chauncey for MVP? interesting....hope he win it...

I smell one more defeat....will it be 69 or 70 we'll see

[Lamrock]

April 9-April 15 Recap

90-80 Win Vs. Pacers

The Pistons are now even closer to 70 wins after defeating the Indiana Pacers. Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince completely shut down Indiana with their defense, and managed to hold a 22 point at the half. While the Pacers managed to gradually close the gap to ten, the game was never close, as the Pistons improved to 65-12.

97-75 Win Vs. Cavaliers

Now just four wins away from the elusive 70 win season, Detroit managed to convincingly blowout their most difficult opponent remaining: The Cleveland Cavaliers. The first half had a playoff-like atmosphere in the building, as the two teams are division rivals. In the third quarter, Chauncey Billups exploded with 20 of his 39 total points to give his Pistons a big lead. Detroit coasted through the third to win it 97-75.

105-84 Win @ Raptors

Already out of playoff contention, the Raptors did little to fight against the Pistons, who improved to 67-12, and came within 3 wins of 70. Chris Bosh had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Playoff Picture:

#1 Pistons (67-12) Vs. #8 76ers (39-41)
#4 Cavaliers (50-30) Vs. #5 Pacers (45-35)
#3 Heat (45-35) Vs. #6 Nets (39-40)
#2 Celtics (50-29) Vs. #7 Bobcats (39-41)
Outside Looking In: Magic (39-41)

#1 Rockets (53-27) Vs. #8 Jazz (38-41)
#4 Spurs (48-32) Vs. #5 Clippers (44-35)
#3 Blazers (45-35) Vs. #6 Nuggets (42-38)
#2 Kings (47-33) Vs. #7 Warriors (41-39)
Outside Looking In: Mavericks (38-42), Timberwolves (38-43)

[Chaser7]

haha the quest 70! Maybe you won't match my 71-11 Warriors, but I think you'll get the job done. (Except don't restart games or anything haha)

[Lamrock]

Restarting games? Thats a no-no. However, the remaining three teams all have 50+ losses, so it shouldn't be too difficult. This is actually a pretty fun dynasty. Less work. I'm actually already done with game 1 of the playoffs.

[Lamrock]

Alright, I understand this presentation isn't the most exciting, nor is the team, but despite the lack of followers, I'm continuing this anyway. I eat my candy with pork and beans... Huge thanks to Chaser though for staying with it. Enjoy!

April 16-April 22 Recap

94-76 Win Vs. Knicks

The New York Knicks went in wanting to lose, and the Pistons came in wanting to win. New York, long out of playoff contention is in tanking mode. The Detroit Pistons are now 2 games away from 70 wins. "I'm not a number fetishist. I don't care whether we get 69, 82, 54, 70 wins, what ever, as long as we get the top seed. I'm all about keeping my players active, and making sure they don't get rusty, commented Pistons coach Flip Saunders. Leading the way for Detroit was Chauncey Billups with 23 points and 10 assists.

99-89 Win @ Bucks

Just one more win! The Bucks, already out of playoff contention put up a very strong fight, leading 53-46 at the half. However, Detroit's talent and will led to a huge fourth quarter, giving them the win. Chauncey Billups once again led his team with 21 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds. Rip Hamilton had 28 points and Ben Wallace had 16 rebounds additionally. The Pistons will try to make history on April 19 as they face Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards at home.

103-98 Win Vs. Wizards

A 30 win team came agonizingly close to defying history by ending the Pistons miracle run. Fortunately, a pair of Chauncey Billups threes with 2 minutes to go changed the game's course and led to a 103-98 win. With the victory, the Detroit Pistons finish with a record of 70-12, the second best in NBA history, and only the second with 70 wins. The sold out crowd went crazy upon the win. The Wizards, 30-52 will miss the playoffs, but the Pistons will face the 8th seed Orlando Magic in the first round.

Final Playoff Picture:

#1 Pistons (70-12) vs. #8 Magic (40-42)
#4 Cavaliers (50-32) vs. #5 Pacers (46-36)
#3 Heat (47-35) vs. #6 Nets (42-40)
#2 Celtics (52-30) vs. #7 Bobcats (41-41)

#1 Rockets (55-27) vs. #8 Mavericks (40-42)
#4 Spurs (50-32) vs. #5 Clippers (46-36)
#3 Blazers (45-37) vs. #6 Nuggets (43-39)
#2 Kings (48-34) vs. #7 Warriors (42-40)

Coming Up Next: End Of Season Awards + Pistons/Magic Preview

[Chaser7]

Whew you almost blew it against the Wizards who had 30 wins!!, but alas Mr. Big Shot came through. Nice to see the Warriors in there, your favorite

[Skills]

This looks nice. LOL, Jamal Crawford got traded three times in one season.
Anyway, you're lineup is pretty stacked!
You got Big Ben still, Josh Smith, Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem at 80 overall!
You're going to the Finals. I'm sure of it.

[Maree]

yayks! my prediction went but congrats on the season result though.

hmm magics? who's there? i know it's not Rashard, maybee Howard? as a rookie?

Pistons! Prepare yourself for sweaping..

[Lamrock]

End of Season Awards: (P/R/A/S/B)

Most Valuable Player: Chauncey Billups (Detroit, 26/4/8/2/1)
Rookie Of The Year: Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee, 17/8/2/0/1)
Sixth Man Of The Year: Damon Stoudamire (Memphis, 17/3/5/1/0)
Defensive Player Of The Year: Shawn Marion (Phoenix, 19/11/2/2/2)
Most Improved Player Of The Year: Juan Dixon (Portland, 8/2/2/1/0 ---> 18/3/4/2/0)

All NBA First Team: Billups/Bryant/Pierce/Garnett/Yao
All NBA Second Team: B. Davis/McGrady/Marion/Nowitzki/B. Wallace
All NBA Third Team: Nash/Iverson/L. James/Duncan/O'Neal

All-Defensive First Team: Kidd/McGrady/Marion/Garnett/B. Wallace
All-Defensive Second Team: Francis/Bryant/Kirilenko/Howard/S. O'Neal

All-Rookie First Team: D. Williams/McCants/M. Williams/May/Bogut
All-Rookie Second Team: Paul/Wright/Granger/Diogu/Frye

Coach Of The Year: Flip Saunders (Detroit, 70-12)
Executive Of The Year: Liam Washburn (Detroit, 54-28 ---> 70-12)

[The X]

Shite, 70 wins!!! 2nd best season of All-Time. Good luck in playoffs