The 2K10 & Beyond Project - Season 19/20: Trade Deadline

[jubba910]

Conference Semifinals: Playoff Tree



Season Review – First Round Eliminations

16. Atlanta Hawks (39-43)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Joe Johnson (83), Jamal Crawford (75) - Player Option

On paper, not many teams looked more well-rounded than the Hawks heading into the season. The #8 seed was certainly not where most expected them to be, and they challenged the league leading Magic to a 7th game but came up short. With most talent locked up for the next few years, the Hawks can only get better. The one piece they need to retain is their star man, Joe Johnson. With lower end contracts still on most of their upcoming talent, a large extension is on the cards.


15. Utah Jazz (42-40)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Carlos Boozer (84), Ronnie Brewer (71)

An early exit for the Jazz, and now all focus points towards whether they retain Carlos Boozer, or officially hand over the reigns to Paul Millsap. Deron Williams earned All-NBA 2nd team honours in another great season which sees him as one of the best PG's in the league. Key defending wingman Ronnie Brewer also enters free agency, and after All-NBA Defensive 2nd team honours, is a chance of securing a lucrative deal with another contender or a team on the rise looking for a defensive boost. This offseason sees a possible chance for the Jazz to regress, or strive forward through a new pairing of Williams & Millsap with AK47 and Mehmet Okur surrounding them.


14. Indiana Pacers (43-39)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: TJ Ford (76) - Player Option

Most would say the Pacers overperformed this year, mainly due to Danny Granger playing out of his skin and earning All-NBA honours. Roy Hibbert has made progress towards potential All-Star status, but the Pacers are lacking a solid sidekick to help push them further. TJ Ford looks likely to cash in on his player option, but could see him moved for a younger replacement. Look for them to boost their SG and PF stocks in the offseason.


13. Charlotte Bobcats (44-38)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Tyson Chandler (76) - Player Option, Raymond Felton (74), Steve Blake (72), Raja Bell (71)

Coming off the first playoff berth in Franchise history, the Bobcats are another team that is potentially a piece or two away from being a real contender. It seems, especially from his performances during the playoffs, that they have their point guard of the future in Raymond Felton, and likely will retain the services of center Tyson Chandler. The real question lies in to what extent can they rely on Gerald wallace as a first option, and if he needs a running mate?


12. Portland Trail Blazers (44-38)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Rafer Alston (74)

The Blazers pushed their chips into the middle of the table and came up empty this season. Nash, Roy & Aldridge will need a solid offseason and preseason together to come back stronger in the 2010-11 season. The only plus they can take out of this season is the fact they did take out the Northwest Division title, in one of the tightest races in recent memory. Not much needs to change from a roster standpoint, though they look thin at center.


11. Toronto Raptors (46-36)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: None

With Chris Bosh locked up, this offseason looks to be far less damaging for Toronto. If it weren't for aquisition Caron Butler going down with a broken ankle, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see the Raptors challenge the Magic in the next round. Poor performances by Bosh and Turkoglu in Game 7 didn't go unnoticed, and may haunt them moving forward. With Bosh, Hedo & Butler leading the way, there's a true contender in Toronto for years to come.


10. Los Angeles Clippers (48-34)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Marcus Camby (76)

Premature success for a diverse squad? The Clippers showed clear postseason rust as they dropped to an 0-3 deficit that they couldn't dig their way out of. It's expected with this Playoff experience that stalwart Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon will carry the torch for the Clippers next year. With Marcus Camby likely not re-signing, Chris Kaman will need to step up in the paint, with the continued development of DeAndre Jordan in the wings. The pressure is truly on to build on this season and deliver a solid postseason run to LA's less known franchise.


9. San Antonio Spurs (49-33)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Manu Ginobili (83), Roger Mason (71)

A broken ankle for Tim Duncan proved more than costly to the Spurs, with ZBo and the Grizzlies shocking the basketball world. Time is the biggest enemy for the Spurs, with Tim Duncan & Ginobili aging, it becomes a point of whether the big three can continue this level of play for years to come. Ginobili looks set to sign another 1-2 year deal, with Parker and Duncan signed up for 3+ each. Young talent is still growing, with DeJuan Blair and George Hill proving valuable off the bench. Certainly not the desired result, but the Spurs don't look to be going anywhere soon.

[Andrew]

Looks like the Lakers are poised for an underdog run, a la the 1995 Houston Rockets. Interested to see if the Celtics/Cavaliers series goes down the same way it did in real life.

[jubba910]

Playoffs: Conference Semifinals - Elimination Games


HOU 108 @ MEM 111
HOU leads 3-1

Grizzlies avoid sweep, take series back to Houston


The Grizzlies held on to their season with a tough performance by young star Rudy Gay, finishing with 29 points, 5 rebounds & 6 assists.






MIA 94 @ ORL 116
ORL wins 4-1

Magic head back to the ECF over Heat


The Magic are heading back to the Eastern Conference Finals with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Amare/Wade Heat duo.






CLE 112 @ BOS 104
BOS leads 3-2

Shaq leads Cavs back into series


Shaquille O'Neal turned back the clock with a dominant performance in the paint against the Celtics, leading the way with 30 points.

[jubba910]

Playoffs: Conference Semifinals - Elimination Games


MEM 99 @ HOU 101
HOU wins 4-1

TMac, Rockets use OT to eliminate Grizzlies


The Rockets will now face either the Lakers or Hornets to determine the best in the West, with Tracy McGrady winning the first two playoff series of his career this postseason.






NO 63 @ LAL 94
Series tied 3-3

Lakers trounce West-less Hornets


The Lakers are now in the drivers seat as the series heads back to New Orleans, with David West suffering a lower back strain in Game 5 which will see him miss most of the WCF if the Hornets survive.






BOS 98 @ CLE 111
Series tied 3-3

LeBron leads Cavs to Game 7


LeBron James and the Cavaliers survive their second straight elimination game to make Game 7 in TD Garden winner take all.

[jubba910]

Playoffs: Conference Semifinals - Game 7's


LAL 105 @ NO 69
LAL wins 4-3

Lakers batter wounded Hornets, take series in 7


With David West out, the Lakers completed their series comeback against the #1 seed Hornets, with Chris Paul struggling to carry the load alone.






CLE 119 @ BOS 96
CLE wins 4-3

LeBron, Cavs take series in Beantown, return to Conference Finals


LeBron returns to the ECF against the Magic for the second year in a row, hoping for a different result this season.

[jubba910]

Conference Finals: Playoff Tree



Season Review – Conference Semifinals Eliminations

8. Memphis Grizzlies (42-40)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Allen Iverson (79), Rudy Gay (77)

A seemingly overachieving year from the Grizzlies, and unlucky to find the Rockets in such red-hot form in the second round after upsetting the Spurs. The offseason additions of Allen Iverson & Zach Randolph seemed to be the missing pieces their young core needed, which should hopefully stick together. Rudy Gay looks set to lead this team for years to come, pending he puts pen to paper this offseason, alongside another probably one-year deal for Iverson, who proved vital off the bench. With further development, the sky's the limit for the Grizzlies.


7. Miami Heat (53-29)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Dwyane Wade (97) - Player Option, Amare Stoudemire (85) - Player Option, Jermaine O'Neal (76)

Not the ideal result, however Miami looks set to keep their two stars for their player options this offseason, and with O'Neal's $23m off the books, can go hunting for the supporting pieces to surround them with. One of those pieces seems to be locked into a role will be Quentin Richardson, leading the team in their elimination game against the Magic, proving he's still got more to give.


6. Boston Celtics (56-26)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Ray Allen (83)

The Celtics have failed to reach the pinnacle for the second straight year, with arguably their strongest squad to-date. Ray Allen is favoured to return to Boston on at least a 2 year extension, however can he be lured away to another contender? With Rondo, Pierce and Garnett all locked up for multiple years, with or without Allen the Celtics have the pieces to go round again at the top of the Conference.


5. New Orleans Hornets (50-32)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: None

A truly disappointing and deflating way to end the season for the Hornets, leading the West from All-Star break. Even with their major three pieces (Paul, West & Okafor) all signed up for next season, it's very unlikely to see the Hornets follow up with a similar performance in the 2011 season.

[Andrew]

Celtics let that one get away. I'm guessing it'll be Kobe vs LeBron in the Finals.

[jubba910]

Playoffs: Conference Finals - Elimination Games


CLE 107 @ ORL 125
ORL wins 4-1

Howard, Magic make quick work of Cavs, return to Finals


The Magic have officially made it back to the NBA Finals after their loss to the Lakers last year, with Dwight Howard and co. looking to take the crown for the first time in Orlando's history.






LAL 106 @ HOU 117
HOU wins 4-2

Rockets overwhelm Lakers, head to NBA Finals


The white-hot run of the Houston Rockets rolled through the Western Conference Finals, sending them to the Finals for the first time in 15 years.

[jubba910]

NBA Finals: Playoff Tree



Season Review – Conference Finals Eliminations

4. Los Angeles Lakers (48-34)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: Kobe Bryant (98) - Player Option, Derek Fisher (74), Jordan Farmar (72)

A true rollercoaster of a season for the defending champions, struggling to get out of the gates but clawing their way back into the playoff picture. Many would consider them lucky to have made it this far in the Playoffs, with the Hornets in a comfortable position against them until a series-changing injury to David West. Much like the Celtics, this is their best lineup to-date in this Kobe-Pau era, and look likely to retain the services of many key pieces. With this finish, the question becomes is it one more go-round for Phil Jackson to try and chase ring #10?


3. Cleveland Cavaliers (53-29)
Notable upcoming Free Agents: LeBron James (96) - Player Option, Shaquille O'Neal (81), Zyndrunas Ilgauskas (74)

Will he stay or will he go? With another disappointing postseason exit, LeBron James is set to make a decision that could determine the future of Cleveland's basketball franchise. With O'Neal and Ilgauskas coming off the books also, it could be an opportunity to reset the Cavs lineup with youthful promise around the King, or double down on experience and try and chase a ring. If LeBron leaves, the Cavaliers will find themselves in a massive hole, with a team built for a star no longer there. No offseason has been more noteworthy in recent history, and all eyes in the basketball universe will be on LeBron James.


Finals Preview: Houston Rockets vs Orlando Magic

We've finally hit the crescendo of the 2009-10 season, seeing one of the most consistent teams all year coming up against another on a truly amazing run. With both boasting top-flight centers, and a cousin on each side, it's a unique matchup that will crown one franchise the champions of the basketball world.

Previous matchups

23/12: HOU 102 @ ORL 106, Dwight Howard - 28 pts, 12 reb
24/2: ORL 95 @ HOU 122, Yao Ming - 35 pts, 11 reb

Centers of attention


Much like the last time these two teams met in the Finals, this matchup will have a lot of focus on the men in the middle. In Orlando, Dwight Howard has lead the Magic on a mission to avenge their Finals loss last season, and has done so in dominant fashion, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks as well as collecting All-NBA First Team honours. However, in a best of seven series, it's going to be hard to outmatch the 7-6 monster that is Yao Ming. Averaging 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks of his own, he's spearheaded the Rockets inside attack alongside Luis Scola, in the sort of year we'd always hoped we could see from him bar injury. It's very likely that games will be won or lost on the block and on the boards in this series, in a true sign of who wants it more.

The Battle of the Cousins


Once teammates in Toronto, cousins Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter now find themselves on different sides, facing off for an NBA Championship. Both have had different journeys since their early days as Raptors, but both have settled into facilating roles in the latter parts of their careers. Carter has proven as the missing piece to the Magic puzzle, replacing Courtney Lee from their 2008-09 Finals campaign, providing scoring and wing defense as well as veteran leadership as Orlando took the Eastern Conference by storm. After an unsuccessful stint in New Jersey, this is his chance to hoist a Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time. On the other side, Tracy McGrady was once touted the most dangerous scorer in the NBA, even besting Kobe Bryant. Though we still see glimpses, TMac is no longer what he once was, but has proven to be as valuable around the Houston pieces as he's ever been, as they've finally broke his postseason curse and have ridden it all the way to the Finals. Whichever the way the end of this season goes, it's a great story to see either of these stalwart relatives finally reach the top of the mountain.

[Andrew]

Well, I was wrong! Rematch of 1995 it is.

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 1

HOU 93 @ ORL 105
ORL leads 1-0

Yao's monster game not enough to beat Magic, lose Game 1


Vince Carter lead the way for the Magic with 23 points, however Yao Ming was the most dominant man on the floor, finishing with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks in a losing effort.





Game Recording

phpBB [video]

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 2

HOU 104 @ ORL 101
Series tied 1-1

Rockets tie up series in Orlando


Trevor Ariza brought his best in the closing moments of Game 2, sinking the game-winning dagger with 6 seconds left to send the Finals to Houston tied 1-1. TMac avoided some of his first game shooting woes, finishing with a double double including 11 assists.





Game Recording

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[Andrew]

Makes you wonder what could've been if Yao hadn't broken down so young.

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 3

ORL 101 @ HOU 115
HOU leads 2-1

Nelson's late game heroics not enough, Rockets outlast Magic in OT


Jameer Nelson hit a game-saving 3 to end regulation, however the Magic ran out of gas in overtime, with the Rockets outscoring them 16-2.





Game Recording

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[Andrew]

Will the Curse of T-Mac be broken? Or have I just jinxed it?

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 4

ORL 102 @ HOU 108
HOU leads 3-1

Rockets take commanding 3-1 lead


Rockets' bigs Yao Ming and Scola dominated on both ends of the floor, with Yao grabbing a 18 rebounds and Scola leading scoring with 24. It's officially "do or die" for the Magic as they look to make it back to Orlando.





Game Recording

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[Andrew]

Has to be academic from here.

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 5

ORL 100 @ HOU 97
HOU leads 3-2

Magic stay alive, take series back to Orlando




Despite the late game heroics of rookie Johnny Flynn, Dwight and the Magic survived an OT challenge of the Rockets to take the series back to Orlando with a chance to tie the series.





Game Recording

phpBB [video]

[Dee4Three]

This game still looks so great.....

[Andrew]

Has to be academic from here.

Or maybe not...

[jubba910]

NBA Finals - Game 6

HOU 99 @ ORL 91
HOU wins 4-2

Rockets complete upset, win NBA Championship




The Rockets finally put the pieces together for the first time in 15 years, repeating their own 1995 feat of winning the Championship from the #6 seed, the lowest in NBA history.


Yao Ming completed his reign of dominance on the way to the Finals MVP trophy, averaging 20 points & 12 rebounds.


Another second place finish for Dwight Howard, coming even more agonisingly close than last year. No franchise in the league now has a bigger chip on their shoulder than the Orlando Magic.





Game Recording

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[jubba910]

Player Retirements & Player/Team Options

Player Retirements


Grant Hill, Phoenix Suns
Michael Finley, San Antonio Spurs
Rasho Nesterovic, Toronto Raptors


Player/Team Options

Philadelphia 76ers
Jason Kapono (P) – Accepted

Charlotte Bobcats
Tyson Chandler (P) – Accepted
Vladimir Radmanovic (P) – Accepted

Milwaukee Bucks
Michael Redd (P) – Accepted
Roko Ukic (P) – Accepted

Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James (P) – Declined
Leon Powe (T) – Accepted

Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce (P) - Accepted
Shannon Brown (P) – Declined

Los Angeles Clippers
Sebastian Telfair (P) – Accepted

Memphis Grizzlies
Kris Humphries (P) – Accepted

Atlanta Hawks
Jamal Crawford (P) – Accepted
Maurice Evans (P) – Accepted

Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade (P) - Accepted
Amare Stoudemire (P) - Accepted
James Jones (T) - Accepted
Mario Chalmers (T) - Accepted

New Orleans Hornets
Marcus Thornton (T) - Accepted

New York Knicks
Jared Jeffries (P) - Declined
Eddy Curry (P) - Declined

Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant (P) - Accepted
Bill Walker (2YR T) - Declined

Orlando Magic
Matt Barnes (P) - Accepted

Dallas Mavericks
Josh Howard (T) - Accepted
Dirk Nowitzki (P) - Accepted
J.J. Barea (T) - Accepted

Denver Nuggets
Kenyon Martin (P) - Accepted

Indiana Pacers
T.J. Ford (P) - Declined
Josh McRoberts (T) - Declined
A.J. Price (2 YR T) - Accepted

Detroit Pistons
Chris Wilcox (P) - Accepted

Toronto Raptors
Darius Songaila (P) - Accepted
Sonny Weems (T) - Accepted

Houston Rockets
Yao Ming (P) - Accepted
Chuck Hayes (T) - Accepted
Joey Dorsey (2 YR T) - Declined

Phoenix Suns
Channing Frye (P) - Declined

Oklahoma City Thunder
Nenad Krstic (P) - Declined

Portland Trail Blazers
Joel Przybilla (P) - Accepted
Derrick Brown (T) - Declined
Jeff Pendergraph (2 YR T) - Accepted
Dante Cunningham (T) - Declined

LeBron officially opts-out of Cleveland


The hunt is officially on, with LeBron James officially opting out of his Player option for the Cavaliers. Rumours are circling that a strong supporting piece will need to be in the cannon for Cleveland to retain their hometown hero. A battle of New York is leading the way for the King's services, with the New York Knicks opening up cap space through the declined player options of both Jared Jeffries and Eddy Curry, while the New Jersey Nets look to bolster their impending move to Brooklyn surrounding their already two All-NBA award winners in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. A darkhorse favourite is following LeBron's idolisation of MJ, and heading to the Cavs' division rival in the Windy City.

[Andrew]

I remember those #6 jersey mock-ups for LeBron back in 2010! I ended up re-creating them in NBA Live 10: https://www.nba-live.com/wayback-wednes ... a-live-10/

[jubba910]

I remember those #6 jersey mock-ups for LeBron back in 2010! I ended up re-creating them in NBA Live 10: https://www.nba-live.com/wayback-wednes ... a-live-10/

Also funnily enough, I bumped into your wayback wednesday on Yao Ming in video games the other day, seemed like the "What if" you were referring to back then was what was seen in season 1 of this project!

[Andrew]

Pretty much! He was a great player, and probably would've had more success if not for his injuries. That broken foot was the beginning of the end, sadly.