Post by sagapolutele50 on May 15, 2009 10:45:19 GMT -5
NOW ITS TIME FOR THE WEST!!!
NEXT UP THE WESTERN CONFERENCE!!!
1. Vancouver Grizzlies
Record - 23-0
Team MVP - Shaq 36 mins, 27 pts, 13 rebs, 3 assts, 3.7 blks and 53% from the field
Best Result - Grizzlies 128 - 83 76ers , Shaq 39 pts, 14 rebs, 5 assts, 4 blks
Worst Defeat - NA
The other undefeated team in the league with a record of 23-0. Noone has come close to these guys, but with a top of the league clash coming up next sim, all eyes will be on this clash to see who will have the early running favouritism for the league title. The Grizzlies are 13-0 at home and have been scoring 108 pts a game and giving up only 90 ppg. They are led by the big man Shaquille Oneal in the middle who has been totally dominant this season. Allan Houston, Rod Strickland, Purvis Ellison and the suprising play of Lionel Simmons have seen the Grizzlies top the Western Conference this season. They are in the top 5 in the league in rebs, blocked shots, assts amd steals. They are the fovourites out of the West and this looks like their year.
2. Phoenix Suns
Record - 16-5
Team MVP - Derrick Coleman 33.8mins 21.pts 11.rebs, 3.1 assts
Best result - Suns 131 - 100 Bulls, Derrick Coleman 31 pts, 10 rebs, 3 stls. 54 % from the field and 12 stls
Worst result - Knicks 103 - 82 Suns, Duane Causwell , 33 mins, 0-3 shooting , 1 -pt , 3 blks, 6 rebs.
Noone has been more surprised with the play of the Suns than their GM Jahallstar whos confidence in his team has been growing as the season has progressed. They are still a young team and are led by their star PF Derrick Coleman and veteran SG Hersey Hawkins who is averaging 40 mins a game. Bobby Hurley has taken the reigns and has led this team like a 8 year player. They shoot the ball well at 46% and know how to defend their leads. They are scoring at 100 ppg and giving up 93 ppg behind the play of DC, Hawkins, Christian Laettner ( shooting the ball at 50%) and their bench man Kendall Gill. They are a very athletic team and have Duane Causwell manning the middle. The have been very tough at home going 9-1 and have 11 of their next 19 games at home. This is good for the Suns and could see them put some distance between themselves and Kings.
3. Sacramento Kings
Record - 14-7
Team MVP - Tim Hardaway , 38 mins, 21 pts, 11 assts, 5 rebs, 2 stls, 49% from the field
Best Result - Kings 121 - 82 Heat, Steve Smith , 29 pts, 12 assts, 5 rebs. 51% from the field and 9-14 from behind the arc
Worst Result - Clippers 130 - 107 Kings, Roy Tarpley 9 mins, 1-4 shooting, 6 fouls 5 pts. Clippers shot 50% from field and outrebounded 51-41
Next up are the Sacramento Kings. After 3 sub par years, the Kings have come out of their corner throwing punches and landing. In the offseason they acquired Timmy Hardaway, Steve Smith, Andrew Lang and Roy Trapley via trades and have seen their team move up in the rankings. Hardaway and Steve Smith form one of the better back court tandems in the league where they average a combined 44 pts pg, 10 rebs, 16 assts and 4 stls a game. Jeff Webster has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 16 pts, 6 rebs, .9 tos and shooting 48% from the field. The league opening sim saw the Kings start off 3-4 but since then they have won 11 from their last 14 games. If they can keep this up, the will be tough to beat!!!
4. Dallas Mavericks
Team Record - 13 -8
Team MVP - Brent Barry 34 mins, 16 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assts, 2 stls, 1 TO
Best Result - Mavericks 108 - 89 Clippers, Finley 18 pts, 5-9 shooting, 2 rebs, 2 assts , 2stls. 50% from the field and 29-35 FTs
Worst Result - Sonics 111- 85 Mavs Dan Majerle 7 pts, 2-17 shooting, 6 fouls, 8 assts. Sent the Sonics to the line 38 times!!!
Another team that has missed the playoffs the last few years has seen them get off to a great start and 4th seed in the the West. They have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games but have been good at home going 9-5 and 4-3 on the road. Big Georghe Muresan is out for 12 more days and if they can get some help from Ostertag, they should stay in the top 4. They have a very young team and with this nice start, signs of bigger and better things are in the cards for the Mavericks franchise. They have been succesful thus far without a pure PG in their ranks but they may need one down the line if they want to compete in the playoffs. Finley, Barry, Fetisov and Ostertag are all young and could be a TC or two away from stardom. Jalen Rose hasnt been able to find any pt on this roster and could be looking for a new team pretty soon. If the Mavs can upgrade the PF spot they can be a very dangerous proposition for any team, if all else fails they still have theirs 1st round picks and two others which are currently out of the playoffs.
5. Golden State Warriors
Team Record - 10-9
Team MVP - Charles Barkley 35 mins, 27 pts, 12 rebs, 5 assts.
Best Result - Warriors 121- 70 Magic, Charles Barkley, 37 pts, 19 rebs, 7 assts , 0 TOs, 63-41 reb edge and 38 - 46 FTs
Worst result - Magic 117 - 69 Warriors Bruce Bowen 4 pts, 1-5 shooting, 38 mins.
The Golden State Warriors looked like they were heading for another year in the lottery until they managed to get Sir Charles in an off season trade with the TWolves. Barkely came in and started producing straight away and had fans talking of another championship run. They started their first 10 games going 7-3 losing to the Grizz and Rockets, but since then the Warriors have hit a speed bump and have gone 3- 6 since then. Scoring is not a problem, they are averaging 110 pts a game and hitting at 49% from the field. Its their def that is causing them some type of trouble. They are giving up 104 ppg with their opponents shooting 46% from the field. Ty Corbin and Mark Price have been solid as a back court duo Bruce Bowen is still finding his feet in the league. He has been placed on the trade block and is looking to be traded for an upgrade at SF. You could see Danilovic starting soon if they dont see any improvements out of their SF position
.
6. Houston Rockets
Team Record - 11-12
Team MVP - Dominique Wilkins, 39 mins, 24 pts, 7 rebs., 3 assts, 45% shooting
Best Result - Rockets 87 - 54 TWolves Duckworth 35 pts. 18 rebs, 13-20 shooting. Held the Twolves to 9 pt 4th quarter and a 62-42 reb edge.
Worst result - Warriors 107 - Rockets 84 Duckworth 22mins, 16 pts, 6 rebs, 6 fouls,-Warriors shot 50% from the field and Rockets shot 37% from the field
The Houston Rockets have been struggling lately with Hakeem going down with an injury and the Rockets going 2-4 in his absence. They started off pretty well going 5-3 after the 1st sim but have had trouble finding their way since then. You wouldnt think it with the players the likes of Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Duckworth and Kevin Johnson on their roster. They have only played 7 games at home going 5-2, but their main problems have been on the road where they just cant find a way to win. They have played 16 road games so far and have gone 6-10 on the road. If they can find a remedy for their road woes, this could be a long season. Somehow I dont think these guys will be down for long.
7.Los Angeles Lakers
Team Record - 7-8
Team MVP - Harold Miner 35 mins, 28 mins, 6 rebs, 4 assts, 52 % from field, 90% FT
Best Result - Lakers 120 - 92 Sonics, Miner 11-17 shooting, 31 pts, 6 assts, 3 rebs. 52% shooting, 57-44 reb edge
Worst result - 76ers 103 - 79 Lakers , Bryon Russell, 35 mins, 6 pts, 4 fouls, 3 assts, 5 rebs, 17 TOs, and 68 FGA for the game.
Up next are the LA Lakers and their 7-8 record. The Lakers have only played 15 games this season so far so they could be in for a very stressful 2nd half of the season. They have been linked with a possible trade with the Sonics which could team Gary Payton up with Harold Miner, forming one of the best young back courts in the league. This however also involved Yinka Dare going to Seattle leaving Rookie FA Antonio Davis to watch the post by himself. Only time will tell if this deal is to go through, but it should change the face of both franchises. If Payton does come to LA, he could get their offense going and creating more opportunities for wins. Davis has played very well since his arrival to the league, he is averaging a double double and stepping up for Dare who is having a slow start to the season.
8.San Anotnio Spurs
Team Record - 10-11
Team MVP- Patrick Ewing , 35 mins, 22 pts, 12 rebs,
Best Result - Spurs 110 - 88 Wolves, Patrick Ewing 30 pts, 17 rebs 5 blks, 64 - 50 reb edge, 25-32 FTs
Worst Result - Hornets 122-92 Spurs , Hot Rod Williams, 30 mins, 1-6 shootin, 4 pts, 4 fouls, Hornets shoot 55% from the field
Next up are the Spurs who are 8-4 at home but an abysmal 2 - 7 on the road which will not help them make the playoffs if they cant win on the road. I dont see the Spurs being down in the 8th seed come seasons end, I am sure they will be in the top half of the playoff ladder. They have a solid core in Patrick Ewing, Loy Vaught ( 16 pts, 12 rebs) , Reggie Lewis ( 25 pts, 6 rebs, 4 assts) , Mark Jackson ( 14 pts, 4 rebs, 10 assts) and the ageless but still declining Larry Bird. Mark Jackson has missed a 3rd of the teams games and went 3-4 which is a reaseon for their 10-11 start. They have gone 4-3 since his return and look to make a run heading into the all star weekend. They dont have their 1st this season, so making the playoffs is imperative!!
9. Utah Jazz
Team Record - 8-11
Team MVP -Arvydas Sabonis, 34 mins, 21 pts, 10 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl, 1 blk
Best Result - Jazz 115 - 91 Pistons, Sabonis 38 pts, 25 rebs, 3 assts. 51% FG and 65-40 reb edge
Worst result - Grizzlies 107 - 81 Jazz, Sherman Douglas, 33 mins, 1-6 shooting, 4 pts, 3 TOs, 5 assts. Grizz with a 59 -39 reb edge
The Jazz have just notified the league of their intention to rebuild, so everyone is up for grabs. The main pieces up for trade are Sabonis, Danny Manning, Kenny Smith and Sherman Douglas. They look like they will be re-building the team around Penny Hardway 14 pts, 4 rebs and 5 assts on the season. The Jazz have found it tough going 6-5 at home and 2-6 on the road and for their troubles will be looking at trading away their roster for a chance at some young stars coming into the league in the next few years. Def hasnt been a problem, finding another scorer on the wing to help Manning and Sabonis has been what they have been looking for and have failed to find. Hmmm come to think of it, I could do with Arvydas.... Look for the Jazz to drop out of the playoff picture and into the lotto frame.
10.Denver Nuggets
Team Record - 9-13
Team MVP -Terrell Brandon 39 mins, 18 pts, 9 assts, 4 rebs, 1.6 stls on 46 % shooting
Best Result - Nuggets 115 - 83 Bucks, Blair Rasmussen, 26 pts, 16 rebs, 4 blks, 2stls, 43 pt 4th quarter, 42 made FGs compared to Bucks 28.
Worst Result - Spurs 101 - 88 Nuggets, CRob , 0-4 shooting, 5 fouls, 2 pts, 2 TOs , 9 pt 3rd quarter and out rebounded 69 -49
The 9-13 Nuggets are another team who have had a slow start, and dont have their pick this season. If they cant find a way to win soon, they could have gifted someone with a lotto pick in what appears to be a deep draft. Terrell Brandon and Vlade Divac have been the Nuggets constants with 2nd year player Donyell Marshall playing some solid ball. Marshall has been a pleasant surprise for the Nuggets who has doubled his scoringand stls from last season. They have been actively trading Clifford Robinson, looking for picks, maybe for a rebuild? Who knows, but a PF would be nice to help give the Nuggets a balanced look to their lineup.
11. Seattle Supersonics
Team Record - 8-12
Team MVP - Gary Payton 39 mins, 25 pts. 9 assts, 4 rebs, 3 stls
Best Result - Sonics 111 - 85 Mavs, Payton, 31 pts, 5 stls, 12-24 shooting, only 9 TOs, and shot 32 - 38 FTs
Worst Result - Magic 126- 101 Sonics, Ken Norman 33 mins, 2-8 shooting, 6 pts, 5 fouls, 8 rebs, Magic shoot 52% from field and have a 63-47 reb edge
The Sonics are looking at rebuilding and stock piling their picks for the next few drafts. They have a trade in the works with the Lakers which needs tweaking and will see Payton leave the Sonics for LA in exchange for a load of picks and C Yinka Dare. When this happens, you can rest assured this team will drop to the bottom of the league standings. They will only have 5 players under contract at seasons end and plenty of money to spend and picks to use. If this is to happen, Bodriga and Dare become the teams future and get a chance to inflate their stats and refine their games with no pressure on the team to win. The Sonics have been averaging 101 ppg whilst giving up 108 ppg and shooting 42%, whislt going 3-4 at home and 5-8 on the road.
12. LA Clippers
Team Record - 4-13
Team MVP - Glenn Robinson 32 mins, 22 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assts, 48% shooting
Best Result - Clippers 130 - 107 Kings, Rick Brunson 35 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls , 11-14 shooting , 4-4 3pt, team shot 53% from field and 8-10 behind the arc.
Worst Result - Raptors 130 - 80 Clippers Anthony Bonner 23 mins, 2-5 shooting, 5 fouls, 4 pts, 6 rebs. Held to 7 pts in the 3rd quarter and allowed Raptors to shoot 54%
The Clippers dont have their pick this season and have to wait 33 more days before their 2nd year star Charlie Ward comes back from injury, in the mean time they are led by rookies Glenn Robinson, Rick Brunson and veterans Detlef Schrempf and Charles Oakley. Glenn Robinson looks like a star of the Future and Rick Brunson could become a great starting pg for the Clippers. Eric Murdoch had a chance to shine in LA but since signing with the Clippers he hasnt been able to take off after a promising first 2 years in the league. The Bucks will be hoping the Clippers keep losing...
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
Team Record - 7 -18
Team MVP- Jason Kidd, 40 mins, 17 pts, 6 rebs, 10 assts, 2 stls
Best result -Timberwolves - 118 - 97 Jazz, Kidd 25 pts, 15 assts , 7 rebs. 54% shooting from the field and 31 assts
Worst result - Rockets 125 - 89 TWolves , Doug Christie 6 fouls, 4 pts, 18 mins, 2 rebs, Rockets had 4 players with 20 pt games, allowed 56% shooting
The Twolves moved out playoff contention and into the lottery race after trading 3 big pieces of the team away this offseason. They have 3 1sts round picks for this years draft and Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Gary Trent to build around. They have been 5-7 on the raod and even worse at home going 2-11. They have a very young team and if any of them can develop , that will be a bonus for the TWolves and their rebuilding plans. Rebraca has been a solid man in the middle and could be a nice pick up for the Wolves.
14. Portland Trailblazers
Team Record - 5-16
Team MVP - Drazen Petrovic 36 mins, 27 pts. 4 rebs, 4 assts, 2 stls a game
Best result - Trail Blazers 108 - 87 Supersonics, Petrovic 42 pts, 5 assts, 2 stls. Blazers 9-16 from behind the arc
Worst result - Suns 113 - 88 Blazers, Theo Ratliff 7 pts, 5 fouls,3 tos, allowed Suns to shoot 62% from field and 32 assists
Last but not least, the Portland Trailblazers!!! The 5-16 Blazers are looking at taking the projected top pick for this offseason and look like they want it bad. Drazen is on the trade block and is not in their rebuilding plans. They have three young rookies in Theo Ratliff, Joe Smith and Bobby Sura playing 20+ minutes but need a season or two to truly develop into UOSLR type players. Drazen and Travis Best are the only real players of merit worth mentioning with Drazen being the teams MVP and Travis Best averaging 16 pts, 9 assts and 3 rebs on the season. If the Blazers can scoop the top prize and if the 6ers keep losing, they will have two top picks to go along with the young players on their roster and a bright future. Its a pity the future for them isnt this season.
Thats it from me!! Saga signing out.. time to sleep : p
NEXT UP THE WESTERN CONFERENCE!!!
1. Vancouver Grizzlies
Record - 23-0
Team MVP - Shaq 36 mins, 27 pts, 13 rebs, 3 assts, 3.7 blks and 53% from the field
Best Result - Grizzlies 128 - 83 76ers , Shaq 39 pts, 14 rebs, 5 assts, 4 blks
Worst Defeat - NA
The other undefeated team in the league with a record of 23-0. Noone has come close to these guys, but with a top of the league clash coming up next sim, all eyes will be on this clash to see who will have the early running favouritism for the league title. The Grizzlies are 13-0 at home and have been scoring 108 pts a game and giving up only 90 ppg. They are led by the big man Shaquille Oneal in the middle who has been totally dominant this season. Allan Houston, Rod Strickland, Purvis Ellison and the suprising play of Lionel Simmons have seen the Grizzlies top the Western Conference this season. They are in the top 5 in the league in rebs, blocked shots, assts amd steals. They are the fovourites out of the West and this looks like their year.
2. Phoenix Suns
Record - 16-5
Team MVP - Derrick Coleman 33.8mins 21.pts 11.rebs, 3.1 assts
Best result - Suns 131 - 100 Bulls, Derrick Coleman 31 pts, 10 rebs, 3 stls. 54 % from the field and 12 stls
Worst result - Knicks 103 - 82 Suns, Duane Causwell , 33 mins, 0-3 shooting , 1 -pt , 3 blks, 6 rebs.
Noone has been more surprised with the play of the Suns than their GM Jahallstar whos confidence in his team has been growing as the season has progressed. They are still a young team and are led by their star PF Derrick Coleman and veteran SG Hersey Hawkins who is averaging 40 mins a game. Bobby Hurley has taken the reigns and has led this team like a 8 year player. They shoot the ball well at 46% and know how to defend their leads. They are scoring at 100 ppg and giving up 93 ppg behind the play of DC, Hawkins, Christian Laettner ( shooting the ball at 50%) and their bench man Kendall Gill. They are a very athletic team and have Duane Causwell manning the middle. The have been very tough at home going 9-1 and have 11 of their next 19 games at home. This is good for the Suns and could see them put some distance between themselves and Kings.
3. Sacramento Kings
Record - 14-7
Team MVP - Tim Hardaway , 38 mins, 21 pts, 11 assts, 5 rebs, 2 stls, 49% from the field
Best Result - Kings 121 - 82 Heat, Steve Smith , 29 pts, 12 assts, 5 rebs. 51% from the field and 9-14 from behind the arc
Worst Result - Clippers 130 - 107 Kings, Roy Tarpley 9 mins, 1-4 shooting, 6 fouls 5 pts. Clippers shot 50% from field and outrebounded 51-41
Next up are the Sacramento Kings. After 3 sub par years, the Kings have come out of their corner throwing punches and landing. In the offseason they acquired Timmy Hardaway, Steve Smith, Andrew Lang and Roy Trapley via trades and have seen their team move up in the rankings. Hardaway and Steve Smith form one of the better back court tandems in the league where they average a combined 44 pts pg, 10 rebs, 16 assts and 4 stls a game. Jeff Webster has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 16 pts, 6 rebs, .9 tos and shooting 48% from the field. The league opening sim saw the Kings start off 3-4 but since then they have won 11 from their last 14 games. If they can keep this up, the will be tough to beat!!!
4. Dallas Mavericks
Team Record - 13 -8
Team MVP - Brent Barry 34 mins, 16 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assts, 2 stls, 1 TO
Best Result - Mavericks 108 - 89 Clippers, Finley 18 pts, 5-9 shooting, 2 rebs, 2 assts , 2stls. 50% from the field and 29-35 FTs
Worst Result - Sonics 111- 85 Mavs Dan Majerle 7 pts, 2-17 shooting, 6 fouls, 8 assts. Sent the Sonics to the line 38 times!!!
Another team that has missed the playoffs the last few years has seen them get off to a great start and 4th seed in the the West. They have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games but have been good at home going 9-5 and 4-3 on the road. Big Georghe Muresan is out for 12 more days and if they can get some help from Ostertag, they should stay in the top 4. They have a very young team and with this nice start, signs of bigger and better things are in the cards for the Mavericks franchise. They have been succesful thus far without a pure PG in their ranks but they may need one down the line if they want to compete in the playoffs. Finley, Barry, Fetisov and Ostertag are all young and could be a TC or two away from stardom. Jalen Rose hasnt been able to find any pt on this roster and could be looking for a new team pretty soon. If the Mavs can upgrade the PF spot they can be a very dangerous proposition for any team, if all else fails they still have theirs 1st round picks and two others which are currently out of the playoffs.
5. Golden State Warriors
Team Record - 10-9
Team MVP - Charles Barkley 35 mins, 27 pts, 12 rebs, 5 assts.
Best Result - Warriors 121- 70 Magic, Charles Barkley, 37 pts, 19 rebs, 7 assts , 0 TOs, 63-41 reb edge and 38 - 46 FTs
Worst result - Magic 117 - 69 Warriors Bruce Bowen 4 pts, 1-5 shooting, 38 mins.
The Golden State Warriors looked like they were heading for another year in the lottery until they managed to get Sir Charles in an off season trade with the TWolves. Barkely came in and started producing straight away and had fans talking of another championship run. They started their first 10 games going 7-3 losing to the Grizz and Rockets, but since then the Warriors have hit a speed bump and have gone 3- 6 since then. Scoring is not a problem, they are averaging 110 pts a game and hitting at 49% from the field. Its their def that is causing them some type of trouble. They are giving up 104 ppg with their opponents shooting 46% from the field. Ty Corbin and Mark Price have been solid as a back court duo Bruce Bowen is still finding his feet in the league. He has been placed on the trade block and is looking to be traded for an upgrade at SF. You could see Danilovic starting soon if they dont see any improvements out of their SF position
.
6. Houston Rockets
Team Record - 11-12
Team MVP - Dominique Wilkins, 39 mins, 24 pts, 7 rebs., 3 assts, 45% shooting
Best Result - Rockets 87 - 54 TWolves Duckworth 35 pts. 18 rebs, 13-20 shooting. Held the Twolves to 9 pt 4th quarter and a 62-42 reb edge.
Worst result - Warriors 107 - Rockets 84 Duckworth 22mins, 16 pts, 6 rebs, 6 fouls,-Warriors shot 50% from the field and Rockets shot 37% from the field
The Houston Rockets have been struggling lately with Hakeem going down with an injury and the Rockets going 2-4 in his absence. They started off pretty well going 5-3 after the 1st sim but have had trouble finding their way since then. You wouldnt think it with the players the likes of Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Kevin Duckworth and Kevin Johnson on their roster. They have only played 7 games at home going 5-2, but their main problems have been on the road where they just cant find a way to win. They have played 16 road games so far and have gone 6-10 on the road. If they can find a remedy for their road woes, this could be a long season. Somehow I dont think these guys will be down for long.
7.Los Angeles Lakers
Team Record - 7-8
Team MVP - Harold Miner 35 mins, 28 mins, 6 rebs, 4 assts, 52 % from field, 90% FT
Best Result - Lakers 120 - 92 Sonics, Miner 11-17 shooting, 31 pts, 6 assts, 3 rebs. 52% shooting, 57-44 reb edge
Worst result - 76ers 103 - 79 Lakers , Bryon Russell, 35 mins, 6 pts, 4 fouls, 3 assts, 5 rebs, 17 TOs, and 68 FGA for the game.
Up next are the LA Lakers and their 7-8 record. The Lakers have only played 15 games this season so far so they could be in for a very stressful 2nd half of the season. They have been linked with a possible trade with the Sonics which could team Gary Payton up with Harold Miner, forming one of the best young back courts in the league. This however also involved Yinka Dare going to Seattle leaving Rookie FA Antonio Davis to watch the post by himself. Only time will tell if this deal is to go through, but it should change the face of both franchises. If Payton does come to LA, he could get their offense going and creating more opportunities for wins. Davis has played very well since his arrival to the league, he is averaging a double double and stepping up for Dare who is having a slow start to the season.
8.San Anotnio Spurs
Team Record - 10-11
Team MVP- Patrick Ewing , 35 mins, 22 pts, 12 rebs,
Best Result - Spurs 110 - 88 Wolves, Patrick Ewing 30 pts, 17 rebs 5 blks, 64 - 50 reb edge, 25-32 FTs
Worst Result - Hornets 122-92 Spurs , Hot Rod Williams, 30 mins, 1-6 shootin, 4 pts, 4 fouls, Hornets shoot 55% from the field
Next up are the Spurs who are 8-4 at home but an abysmal 2 - 7 on the road which will not help them make the playoffs if they cant win on the road. I dont see the Spurs being down in the 8th seed come seasons end, I am sure they will be in the top half of the playoff ladder. They have a solid core in Patrick Ewing, Loy Vaught ( 16 pts, 12 rebs) , Reggie Lewis ( 25 pts, 6 rebs, 4 assts) , Mark Jackson ( 14 pts, 4 rebs, 10 assts) and the ageless but still declining Larry Bird. Mark Jackson has missed a 3rd of the teams games and went 3-4 which is a reaseon for their 10-11 start. They have gone 4-3 since his return and look to make a run heading into the all star weekend. They dont have their 1st this season, so making the playoffs is imperative!!
9. Utah Jazz
Team Record - 8-11
Team MVP -Arvydas Sabonis, 34 mins, 21 pts, 10 rebs, 3 assts, 1 stl, 1 blk
Best Result - Jazz 115 - 91 Pistons, Sabonis 38 pts, 25 rebs, 3 assts. 51% FG and 65-40 reb edge
Worst result - Grizzlies 107 - 81 Jazz, Sherman Douglas, 33 mins, 1-6 shooting, 4 pts, 3 TOs, 5 assts. Grizz with a 59 -39 reb edge
The Jazz have just notified the league of their intention to rebuild, so everyone is up for grabs. The main pieces up for trade are Sabonis, Danny Manning, Kenny Smith and Sherman Douglas. They look like they will be re-building the team around Penny Hardway 14 pts, 4 rebs and 5 assts on the season. The Jazz have found it tough going 6-5 at home and 2-6 on the road and for their troubles will be looking at trading away their roster for a chance at some young stars coming into the league in the next few years. Def hasnt been a problem, finding another scorer on the wing to help Manning and Sabonis has been what they have been looking for and have failed to find. Hmmm come to think of it, I could do with Arvydas.... Look for the Jazz to drop out of the playoff picture and into the lotto frame.
10.Denver Nuggets
Team Record - 9-13
Team MVP -Terrell Brandon 39 mins, 18 pts, 9 assts, 4 rebs, 1.6 stls on 46 % shooting
Best Result - Nuggets 115 - 83 Bucks, Blair Rasmussen, 26 pts, 16 rebs, 4 blks, 2stls, 43 pt 4th quarter, 42 made FGs compared to Bucks 28.
Worst Result - Spurs 101 - 88 Nuggets, CRob , 0-4 shooting, 5 fouls, 2 pts, 2 TOs , 9 pt 3rd quarter and out rebounded 69 -49
The 9-13 Nuggets are another team who have had a slow start, and dont have their pick this season. If they cant find a way to win soon, they could have gifted someone with a lotto pick in what appears to be a deep draft. Terrell Brandon and Vlade Divac have been the Nuggets constants with 2nd year player Donyell Marshall playing some solid ball. Marshall has been a pleasant surprise for the Nuggets who has doubled his scoringand stls from last season. They have been actively trading Clifford Robinson, looking for picks, maybe for a rebuild? Who knows, but a PF would be nice to help give the Nuggets a balanced look to their lineup.
11. Seattle Supersonics
Team Record - 8-12
Team MVP - Gary Payton 39 mins, 25 pts. 9 assts, 4 rebs, 3 stls
Best Result - Sonics 111 - 85 Mavs, Payton, 31 pts, 5 stls, 12-24 shooting, only 9 TOs, and shot 32 - 38 FTs
Worst Result - Magic 126- 101 Sonics, Ken Norman 33 mins, 2-8 shooting, 6 pts, 5 fouls, 8 rebs, Magic shoot 52% from field and have a 63-47 reb edge
The Sonics are looking at rebuilding and stock piling their picks for the next few drafts. They have a trade in the works with the Lakers which needs tweaking and will see Payton leave the Sonics for LA in exchange for a load of picks and C Yinka Dare. When this happens, you can rest assured this team will drop to the bottom of the league standings. They will only have 5 players under contract at seasons end and plenty of money to spend and picks to use. If this is to happen, Bodriga and Dare become the teams future and get a chance to inflate their stats and refine their games with no pressure on the team to win. The Sonics have been averaging 101 ppg whilst giving up 108 ppg and shooting 42%, whislt going 3-4 at home and 5-8 on the road.
12. LA Clippers
Team Record - 4-13
Team MVP - Glenn Robinson 32 mins, 22 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assts, 48% shooting
Best Result - Clippers 130 - 107 Kings, Rick Brunson 35 pts, 8 assts, 2 stls , 11-14 shooting , 4-4 3pt, team shot 53% from field and 8-10 behind the arc.
Worst Result - Raptors 130 - 80 Clippers Anthony Bonner 23 mins, 2-5 shooting, 5 fouls, 4 pts, 6 rebs. Held to 7 pts in the 3rd quarter and allowed Raptors to shoot 54%
The Clippers dont have their pick this season and have to wait 33 more days before their 2nd year star Charlie Ward comes back from injury, in the mean time they are led by rookies Glenn Robinson, Rick Brunson and veterans Detlef Schrempf and Charles Oakley. Glenn Robinson looks like a star of the Future and Rick Brunson could become a great starting pg for the Clippers. Eric Murdoch had a chance to shine in LA but since signing with the Clippers he hasnt been able to take off after a promising first 2 years in the league. The Bucks will be hoping the Clippers keep losing...
13. Minnesota Timberwolves
Team Record - 7 -18
Team MVP- Jason Kidd, 40 mins, 17 pts, 6 rebs, 10 assts, 2 stls
Best result -Timberwolves - 118 - 97 Jazz, Kidd 25 pts, 15 assts , 7 rebs. 54% shooting from the field and 31 assts
Worst result - Rockets 125 - 89 TWolves , Doug Christie 6 fouls, 4 pts, 18 mins, 2 rebs, Rockets had 4 players with 20 pt games, allowed 56% shooting
The Twolves moved out playoff contention and into the lottery race after trading 3 big pieces of the team away this offseason. They have 3 1sts round picks for this years draft and Jason Kidd, Jerry Stackhouse and Gary Trent to build around. They have been 5-7 on the raod and even worse at home going 2-11. They have a very young team and if any of them can develop , that will be a bonus for the TWolves and their rebuilding plans. Rebraca has been a solid man in the middle and could be a nice pick up for the Wolves.
14. Portland Trailblazers
Team Record - 5-16
Team MVP - Drazen Petrovic 36 mins, 27 pts. 4 rebs, 4 assts, 2 stls a game
Best result - Trail Blazers 108 - 87 Supersonics, Petrovic 42 pts, 5 assts, 2 stls. Blazers 9-16 from behind the arc
Worst result - Suns 113 - 88 Blazers, Theo Ratliff 7 pts, 5 fouls,3 tos, allowed Suns to shoot 62% from field and 32 assists
Last but not least, the Portland Trailblazers!!! The 5-16 Blazers are looking at taking the projected top pick for this offseason and look like they want it bad. Drazen is on the trade block and is not in their rebuilding plans. They have three young rookies in Theo Ratliff, Joe Smith and Bobby Sura playing 20+ minutes but need a season or two to truly develop into UOSLR type players. Drazen and Travis Best are the only real players of merit worth mentioning with Drazen being the teams MVP and Travis Best averaging 16 pts, 9 assts and 3 rebs on the season. If the Blazers can scoop the top prize and if the 6ers keep losing, they will have two top picks to go along with the young players on their roster and a bright future. Its a pity the future for them isnt this season.
Thats it from me!! Saga signing out.. time to sleep : p
