Post by sagapolutele50 on Jan 21, 2009 8:57:31 GMT -5
Welcome to Opening Day of UOSLR and SIM ONE POWER RANKINGS... This highly anticipated moment has finally arrived and after a highly eventful and sometimes contraversial draft, UOSLR finally got underway!!! Many teams are far from having their starting lineups set in stone but will now have a fair indication as to who
they can rely on during the season... Here is my attempt at ranking the teams from1 to number 20!!!
1. Golden State Warriors. 6-1
With a 6-1 record, the Warriors start the season off at the top!! In a trade that saw Brad Daugherty come to Golden State from the Grizzlies for 3 picks ( Rivers, Pierce, Eckells), John Stockton and Big Dukie have formed a formiddable combo. Stockton is averaging 14.9 pts, 11.7 assts and 2.3 steals a game, whilst the behemoth in the
middle Daugherty is bringing home 35.9 pts and 10 brds a game whilst shooting 50% from the field. Their front court is their strength with solid contributions from Mark Eaton ( 10, 8 and 2.6 blks) and Dennis Rodman ( 9 and 9). They are 4-0 at home and 2-1 on the road with their solitary loss coming to the Rockets. Defense and limiting turnovers are getting this team ahead, they give up a paltry 84.3 pts a game ( 2nd best in the league) and turn the ball over 12.7 times a game ( tied 7th). Great start for the Warriors!!
2. Philadelphia 76ers 5-1
They take 2nd spot behind the 2nd overall pick in the draft David Robinson who leads his team 28 pts, 10 brds and 2 blks pg as well as shooting 52% from the field. This team has a veteran look to it, with Tony Campbell(17, 4 and 4) and Mark Aguire (16, 7 and 3) helping the 6ers to a 5-1 record behind their stellar shooting %s. They lead the league in shooting percentage with a staggering 50%. Their defense is scary, they limit their opponents to 87.8 (6th in the league) pts a game on 32% (1st in the league) shooting, which is surprising considering the admiral is their only A rated defender! However, 18 turnovers a game is a little worrying, but not much of a
worry if their def can win the ball back.
3 .San Antonio Spurs 5-1
The Spurs are 3-0 on the road and 2-1 at home. They are carried by the play of their Star SG, Clyde "the glide" Drexler(24 pts, 8brds 5assts), Hotrod Williams (14 pts, 7 brds, 1.8 blks) and Cadillac Anderson( 14pts, 9 brds,1.2 blks) . Mark Jacksons leadership at PG provides the Spurs with a solid back court. Their defense is exceptional where the team ranks in the top ten in Points Allowed, Steals and Rebounds. Key statline, in a win over the Bucks, Drexler had a near Triple Double with 25 pts, 11 brds and 9 assts whilst holding Reggie Lewis to 5-18 shooting 15 pts and 5 turnovers.
4. Toronto Raptors 4-0
Boasting the number 1 pick in the draft, these guys have been spurred on by the play of their back court, Michael Jordan ( 32 pts, 7 brds, 4 assts) and Pooh Richardson(23pts, 4brds, 9 assts). Richardsons start to the season has surprised many and have people thinking this wont last. Richardson and Jordan are shooting a
combined 53 % from the field and 75% from behind the arc. They have had great support from the "rifleman" Chuck Person who is chiming in with 19 pts and 7 brds.Their unheralded PF and C combo of Andrew Lang and Horace Grant are doing enough insided to help their perimeter players thrive. They lead the league in scoring at
114 pts per game along with FGs attempted and made. Their 4-0 record consists of 3 road wins and 1 home win, but all these wins were against sub 500 teams. So this prob wont be there next sim.
5. Miami Heat 4-1
Picked 19th in the 2nd round, Armen Gilliam thought he should have gone earlier. After sim 1, some people are beginning to think the same thing. He has earned to player of the game awards with solid outings with wins over the Suns ( 27 pts, 12 brds 4 stls) and Hornets ( 30 pts, 10 brds and 5 assts). He has been supported by
"Thunder" Dan Majerle ( who was picked 8 places ahead of him) and the ageless one Moses Malone!! Harvey Grant and Vinnie Johnson have also been solid contributors to the Heats cause. One disappointment has been the play of Doug West, 33 mins a game with modest returns of 4 pts and 3 assts wont see him starting anytime soon and could see him move close to the edge of the bench and sitting with the cheerleaders.. They allow a modest 84.8 ( 3rd best) pts a game and limit their opponents to 42 brds a game ( tops the league). The reason I put the Heat ahead of the Sonics and Pacers, strictly due to them playing more road games..
6. Seattle Supersonics - 4-1
The 12th pick in the 2nd round, Roy Tarpley has led his team to a solid 4-1 record and 3 players of the game awards. These games were against very good PFs, vs theHawks he outplayed Karl Malone keeping the mailman to 7-20 shooting, whilst putting together 31 pts 14 brds and 2 stls in a 93 -66 demolition. In a loss to the Jazz he had 36 pts and 17 brds, but couldnt help his team beat the Jazz. In his 3rd game he helped his team Danny Manning and the Kings with 27 pts and 13 brds whilekeeping Manning to 6 pts and 9 brds in 39 mins. His Centre partner Will Pedue has allowed Tarpley to dominate by picking up the loose ends on both sides of the court,
shooting 65 % and averaging a double double. Rookie Gary Payton is showing alot of promise with 7 pts , 8 assts and 1 turnover a game. Im sure as time goes on, Payton will be something special. As a team you cant get any better, the Sonics lead the league in points allowed with only 81 per game, making it pretty tough to score on this team. They allow only 44 brds and 19 assts a game( 2nd in the league), if you dont score the first time down, its highly likely you wont get another chance.
7. Indiana Pacers 4-1
And now for the third and final 4-1 team. These Pacers are led by Chris Mullin, their 1st round draft pick. They have one of the better shooting teams in the league at 48%. Their 4-1 record is helped by playing 4 games at home, its always good to start your season at home, and the Pacers had that luxury. Their only loss was to the
top seeded Warriors. When you look at their home games, they won by margins of 21, 19, 1 and 21, which makes them a tough team to beat on their home turf! They have 8 guys averaging 20 mins + per game and their front court looks very tough. Bill Laimbeer and Lasalle Thompson are both averaging double doubles with Thorpe
and Joe D both averaging 15 points per game. They are 5th in scoring at 100 pts a game and look after the ball well with only 11 turnovers ( 4th best in the league). They are shooting the ball well at 48 % and have a few tough schedule coming up with 10 games in a row and 6 on the road, they have a strong bench so Im sure they will handle it without too much trouble.
8. Utah Jazz 4-2
Who the hell is Rodney Mcray?!?!? You might ask? Well he is the goto guy in the Utah Jazz, 25 pts, 8 brds, and 4 assts on 52% shooting are numbers youd expect from a 1st round not someone selected in the 6th round!! They started off slowly with losses to the 6ERS and Nuggets but finally awoke and are on a 4 game winning streak over Suns, Sonics, Clippers and Bulls. I dont think the Jazz expected to be good, they traded out of the creation draft for a stack load of future 1sts, however Im sure this is a pleasant surprise for them. They are shooting the ball remarkably well at 47% and turn the ball over only 9 times a game. Jack Haley. Jack Haley, Walter Davis and Rickey Green are thriving in Utah and Steve Kerr is a scoring machine shooting the ball at 60% !! The Jazz have a tonne of picks, cap space and are winning, what more would ya want?
9. Boston Celtics 4-3
A UOSLR today gm poll had the Boston Celtics as the team who had the best draft ( granted its only 3 votes but hey, they got them). Boston got busy on draft day and secured a whole lot of 2nd and 3rd round picks to put together a solid roster to help them win. They drafted Rony Seikaly, Larry Nance, Bernard King and Derek Harper
in the 2nd round and Jeff Hornacek and Jay Humpheries in the 3rd round. They have a solid lineup and Im sure they will move up the ladder!! Their Veterans Nance, Harper and King lead the way with Nance being the best of the 3 averaging 27 pts , 11 brds and 2.3 blks a game. Rony Seikaly provides a great young center who could
become a big time player. Their highlight of the sim was the shootout with the Larry Bird led Bulls, where Nance led the team with 40 pts, 11 brds and 4 assts in a 125 - 116 victory!!
10. New York Knicks 3-2
In another place and time, Reggie Miller is the sworn enemy of the New York Knicks franchise. In the UOSLR, hes the leader of the Knicks and adored by the fans. The Knicks started their season on the road to the Warriors, Hornets and Rockets where they came away with 1 win and 2 losses. Against the Warriors, Daugherty was too much for Sam Bowie and Co, edging the Knicks by 3 pts. Bowie sought redemption and found it against the Hornets and their undersized Cs. Against the Rockets, a 32 -21 4th quarter wasnt enough to get them the win. Back home they are a totally diff team and everyone contributes, Charles Smith is a pleasant surprise and if he can stay on the court long enough he will be something special...The two Reggies are shooting the ball extremely well and if Kenny Smith can get his turnovers down he could be come one of the elite PGs in the league.. Very promising start for the Knicks!!
11. Orlando Magic 4-3
The Magic had the 4th pick in the draft and proceeded to draft Scottie Pippen who is a player that can do a bit of everything, he defends very well, can handle the ball and can also score. They got Clifford Robinson in the 2nd round and Michael Williams in the 3rd, this is a solid young core to build around. Michael Williams is taking on the scoring load along with Jerry Reynolds. If Pippen can get his shooting % up he could help this team out alot. It seems CRob is a year away from logging in serious minutes for the team but looks to be showing promise. They are 4-1 at home with solid wins over Hawks, Bullets, Cavs, Hornets and a loss to the Mavs. In a win over the Hawks, CRob played 27 mins and had 22 pts, 4 stls, 4 brds on 9-12 shooting. They are 0- 2 on the road with losses to the Mavs and Pistons.
12. Memphis/ Vancouver Grizzlies 3-3
Grizzlies come in 12th when they could have easily come in 1st, their three losses were by 2 to Warriors, 1 to Clippers and 1 to the Hawks!! How heartbreaking I tell ya!! They had a busy draft day, trading into the 1st round to get Big Brad and then trading Brad to get Rivers and Mchale. Very solid offseason for the Grizzlies. They have a very strong trio in Isaiah Thomas, Nique and Mchale who all had a great start to the season. Ricky Pierce and Big Dawg Antoine Carr round out the starting 5 for the Grizzlies. They are in the top ten in PPG, BPG and Assts per game. Statline of the sim- the held the Kings to just 64 points on 27% shooting and forced 19 turnovers.. Very nice work indeed. Dont expect to see these guys down here much longer.
13. LA Clippers 3-3
The Clippers are led by their Star PG Terry Porter (who is avg 13 pts, 4 brds, 9 assts and 1.3 steals) and Saxophone playing Wayman Tisdale ( 29 pts, 9 brds and 1blk). If they had a SG to compliment Porter, they would be a very good team indeed. However, that spot is shared by Mcmillan and Ceballos who are solid players but not SGs. Tisdale has been playing awesome at SF and Willis at PF with Williams at C rounds out the SL. Statline of the sim - in a win over the Suns, Tisdale had 21 pts 12 brds, 6 assts and 2 blocks. Its going to be hard next sim with 8 of their next 10 games on the road where they are 2-2. Look for Willis and Williams to up their production rate next sim.
14. LA Lakers 2-2
The lake show comes in at 14, led by their floor General, Michael Adams!! They have played only 4 games to kick off their season and the look to move up the ladder wiith 4 of their next 5 games being played at home. They started off their season also on the road with a win over the Twolves and losses to the Pistons and Bucks. They lead the league with the fewest turnovers a game at only 9.5!! Michael Adams is joined in the lineup by Never Nervous Pervis Ellison, Scott Brooks, Johnnie Newman and Mark Bryant. Not many household names but they have won the only home game and that was over the Nuggets by 16 points where Adams had 37 pts 9 assts and 4 brds.
15. Minnesota TWolves 3-3
The Twolves were also very busy on draft day trading out of earlier rounds for future 1sts and a chance at bigger and better things for their future. The funny thing about their record is that they were unable to win at home, but were undefeated on the road.. Go figure lol. They had solid wins on the road over the Kings, Nuggets and Suns but lost at home to the Warriors ( everyone lost to them), Lakers and the Kings. Scott Skiles has been a beast for them averaging 19 pts and 11 assts a game and shooting the ball at over 50%. He has a solid young group of big men to help him out down low. Power Forwards White, Foster, Vaught and Acres all average 20 mins or better and rebound the ball at 6 + per game. The former three are averaging double digits in scoring also. In a win over the Nuggets, Skiles had 21pts, 16 assts and 2 stls for a 109 - 79 blowout victory.
16. Sacramento Kings 4-4
Led by the Dynamic Duo of Magic Johnson and Reggie Theus, the Kings round out the .500 or above teams. They are 1-1 at home and 3-3 on the road, when you look at this team on paper, they look a team that is better than their 4-4 record suggests. Magics numbers are impressive at 16 pts, 6 brds, 12 assts and 2.3 steals, but its somewhat tempered by the 5.3 turnovers against his name. There is no doubt these will fall, but the turnovers for the team alone can be a reason for their .500 start. Reggie is shooting the lights out with 20 pts per game average at 50% shooting and Ron Harper is doing well with 16 pts , 6 brds and 2 stls. I think we expected a bit more from Parish, but I think his ageing legs are getting the better of him. Danny Manning has had a solid start, in a win over the Suns he had 26 pts on 12 - 16 shooting, 10 brds and 2 blks. The big three are always going to get theirs, but if Manning and Parish have big nights, then theres no stopping em..
17. Denver Nuggets 4-5
Denver comes in at 17 behind the play of their man in the middle, Vlade Divac ( 14 pts, 12 brds, 4 assts). Sherman Douglas at SG and Craig Hodges give the Nuggets a different look allowing the better shooter Sherman Douglas more oppotunities to score. Dennis Scott at PF gives him an advantage at the offensive side of the ledger against the bigger, slower PFs but leaves him a little over matched when it comes defending the post. AC Green however is there so he is prob sure to help out. Otis Smith has been solid for the Nuggets off the bench giving them scoring when needed. Statline for the sim - In awin over the Mavs, Vlade had 21 pts, 19 brds and 4 assts.
18. Detroit Pistons 4-5
So many back court duos in the league are playing well and the Pistons duo of Price and Rice are no exception. The two of them combine for half of their teams points and half of their turnovers also, but when its just the two of them, youd expect that. AJ English is their next highest scorer with 9 ppg. Their front court is made up of Charles Oakley, Jack Sikma and Tony Massenberg. The Pistons are 4-2 at home and 0-3 on the road, home is where the heart is and so they will love being at home and despise the road games. At home vs the Suns Glen Rice had a great game, recording 42 points 16-29, 7 brds and 3 stls, Mark Price had 25 points 9 assts and 2 stls.
19. Houston Rockets 4-5
16 turnovers and 19 assts a game = no team game, guys lookin for their own shots? They have one of the premier PGs in Kevin Johnson who is only 24 and will look at leading this team for many years to come. They have a solid nucleus with Drazen Petrovic, Xavier Macdaniel, Detlef Schrempf, James Worthy and Kevin Duckworth. This team has the talent, it just needs to get it right on the night. They are 3-2 at home and 1-3 on the road. They had a great win over the Warriors but couldnt close out the sim and went 0-4 in their last 4 games. In a win over the Clipper KJ had 11 pts 9 assts 5 stls and 2 brds which helped them to a 103 - 86 victory!!
20. Buffalo Braves 2-4
The round out the top 20. Their shooting % is one of the lowest in the league, if they can up that, then they can see themselves move up the ladder!! The round mound of rebound Charles Barkley and Mitch Richmond lead this team, and Im sure they wont want to be down here any longer. Barkley has had a great start to the season with 22 pts and 11 brds whom, along with Richmond, Simmons and Rasmussen look to stay competitive and up near the playoffs. They had a tough opening night scoring only 64 points but rebounded with a 130 -105 drubbing of the Bulls. In a win over the 6ers, Charles had 35 pts, 19 brds , 4 stls on 13-29 shooting.
Well thats all I could do, sorry to the other 9 teams but its 3 in the morning and I ve got work in 5 hours lol. Sorry no pictures but let your imagination go wild!! Woohhooooo !!!! ;D
they can rely on during the season... Here is my attempt at ranking the teams from1 to number 20!!!
1. Golden State Warriors. 6-1
With a 6-1 record, the Warriors start the season off at the top!! In a trade that saw Brad Daugherty come to Golden State from the Grizzlies for 3 picks ( Rivers, Pierce, Eckells), John Stockton and Big Dukie have formed a formiddable combo. Stockton is averaging 14.9 pts, 11.7 assts and 2.3 steals a game, whilst the behemoth in the
middle Daugherty is bringing home 35.9 pts and 10 brds a game whilst shooting 50% from the field. Their front court is their strength with solid contributions from Mark Eaton ( 10, 8 and 2.6 blks) and Dennis Rodman ( 9 and 9). They are 4-0 at home and 2-1 on the road with their solitary loss coming to the Rockets. Defense and limiting turnovers are getting this team ahead, they give up a paltry 84.3 pts a game ( 2nd best in the league) and turn the ball over 12.7 times a game ( tied 7th). Great start for the Warriors!!
2. Philadelphia 76ers 5-1
They take 2nd spot behind the 2nd overall pick in the draft David Robinson who leads his team 28 pts, 10 brds and 2 blks pg as well as shooting 52% from the field. This team has a veteran look to it, with Tony Campbell(17, 4 and 4) and Mark Aguire (16, 7 and 3) helping the 6ers to a 5-1 record behind their stellar shooting %s. They lead the league in shooting percentage with a staggering 50%. Their defense is scary, they limit their opponents to 87.8 (6th in the league) pts a game on 32% (1st in the league) shooting, which is surprising considering the admiral is their only A rated defender! However, 18 turnovers a game is a little worrying, but not much of a
worry if their def can win the ball back.
3 .San Antonio Spurs 5-1
The Spurs are 3-0 on the road and 2-1 at home. They are carried by the play of their Star SG, Clyde "the glide" Drexler(24 pts, 8brds 5assts), Hotrod Williams (14 pts, 7 brds, 1.8 blks) and Cadillac Anderson( 14pts, 9 brds,1.2 blks) . Mark Jacksons leadership at PG provides the Spurs with a solid back court. Their defense is exceptional where the team ranks in the top ten in Points Allowed, Steals and Rebounds. Key statline, in a win over the Bucks, Drexler had a near Triple Double with 25 pts, 11 brds and 9 assts whilst holding Reggie Lewis to 5-18 shooting 15 pts and 5 turnovers.
4. Toronto Raptors 4-0
Boasting the number 1 pick in the draft, these guys have been spurred on by the play of their back court, Michael Jordan ( 32 pts, 7 brds, 4 assts) and Pooh Richardson(23pts, 4brds, 9 assts). Richardsons start to the season has surprised many and have people thinking this wont last. Richardson and Jordan are shooting a
combined 53 % from the field and 75% from behind the arc. They have had great support from the "rifleman" Chuck Person who is chiming in with 19 pts and 7 brds.Their unheralded PF and C combo of Andrew Lang and Horace Grant are doing enough insided to help their perimeter players thrive. They lead the league in scoring at
114 pts per game along with FGs attempted and made. Their 4-0 record consists of 3 road wins and 1 home win, but all these wins were against sub 500 teams. So this prob wont be there next sim.
5. Miami Heat 4-1
Picked 19th in the 2nd round, Armen Gilliam thought he should have gone earlier. After sim 1, some people are beginning to think the same thing. He has earned to player of the game awards with solid outings with wins over the Suns ( 27 pts, 12 brds 4 stls) and Hornets ( 30 pts, 10 brds and 5 assts). He has been supported by
"Thunder" Dan Majerle ( who was picked 8 places ahead of him) and the ageless one Moses Malone!! Harvey Grant and Vinnie Johnson have also been solid contributors to the Heats cause. One disappointment has been the play of Doug West, 33 mins a game with modest returns of 4 pts and 3 assts wont see him starting anytime soon and could see him move close to the edge of the bench and sitting with the cheerleaders.. They allow a modest 84.8 ( 3rd best) pts a game and limit their opponents to 42 brds a game ( tops the league). The reason I put the Heat ahead of the Sonics and Pacers, strictly due to them playing more road games..
6. Seattle Supersonics - 4-1
The 12th pick in the 2nd round, Roy Tarpley has led his team to a solid 4-1 record and 3 players of the game awards. These games were against very good PFs, vs theHawks he outplayed Karl Malone keeping the mailman to 7-20 shooting, whilst putting together 31 pts 14 brds and 2 stls in a 93 -66 demolition. In a loss to the Jazz he had 36 pts and 17 brds, but couldnt help his team beat the Jazz. In his 3rd game he helped his team Danny Manning and the Kings with 27 pts and 13 brds whilekeeping Manning to 6 pts and 9 brds in 39 mins. His Centre partner Will Pedue has allowed Tarpley to dominate by picking up the loose ends on both sides of the court,
shooting 65 % and averaging a double double. Rookie Gary Payton is showing alot of promise with 7 pts , 8 assts and 1 turnover a game. Im sure as time goes on, Payton will be something special. As a team you cant get any better, the Sonics lead the league in points allowed with only 81 per game, making it pretty tough to score on this team. They allow only 44 brds and 19 assts a game( 2nd in the league), if you dont score the first time down, its highly likely you wont get another chance.
7. Indiana Pacers 4-1
And now for the third and final 4-1 team. These Pacers are led by Chris Mullin, their 1st round draft pick. They have one of the better shooting teams in the league at 48%. Their 4-1 record is helped by playing 4 games at home, its always good to start your season at home, and the Pacers had that luxury. Their only loss was to the
top seeded Warriors. When you look at their home games, they won by margins of 21, 19, 1 and 21, which makes them a tough team to beat on their home turf! They have 8 guys averaging 20 mins + per game and their front court looks very tough. Bill Laimbeer and Lasalle Thompson are both averaging double doubles with Thorpe
and Joe D both averaging 15 points per game. They are 5th in scoring at 100 pts a game and look after the ball well with only 11 turnovers ( 4th best in the league). They are shooting the ball well at 48 % and have a few tough schedule coming up with 10 games in a row and 6 on the road, they have a strong bench so Im sure they will handle it without too much trouble.
8. Utah Jazz 4-2
Who the hell is Rodney Mcray?!?!? You might ask? Well he is the goto guy in the Utah Jazz, 25 pts, 8 brds, and 4 assts on 52% shooting are numbers youd expect from a 1st round not someone selected in the 6th round!! They started off slowly with losses to the 6ERS and Nuggets but finally awoke and are on a 4 game winning streak over Suns, Sonics, Clippers and Bulls. I dont think the Jazz expected to be good, they traded out of the creation draft for a stack load of future 1sts, however Im sure this is a pleasant surprise for them. They are shooting the ball remarkably well at 47% and turn the ball over only 9 times a game. Jack Haley. Jack Haley, Walter Davis and Rickey Green are thriving in Utah and Steve Kerr is a scoring machine shooting the ball at 60% !! The Jazz have a tonne of picks, cap space and are winning, what more would ya want?
9. Boston Celtics 4-3
A UOSLR today gm poll had the Boston Celtics as the team who had the best draft ( granted its only 3 votes but hey, they got them). Boston got busy on draft day and secured a whole lot of 2nd and 3rd round picks to put together a solid roster to help them win. They drafted Rony Seikaly, Larry Nance, Bernard King and Derek Harper
in the 2nd round and Jeff Hornacek and Jay Humpheries in the 3rd round. They have a solid lineup and Im sure they will move up the ladder!! Their Veterans Nance, Harper and King lead the way with Nance being the best of the 3 averaging 27 pts , 11 brds and 2.3 blks a game. Rony Seikaly provides a great young center who could
become a big time player. Their highlight of the sim was the shootout with the Larry Bird led Bulls, where Nance led the team with 40 pts, 11 brds and 4 assts in a 125 - 116 victory!!
10. New York Knicks 3-2
In another place and time, Reggie Miller is the sworn enemy of the New York Knicks franchise. In the UOSLR, hes the leader of the Knicks and adored by the fans. The Knicks started their season on the road to the Warriors, Hornets and Rockets where they came away with 1 win and 2 losses. Against the Warriors, Daugherty was too much for Sam Bowie and Co, edging the Knicks by 3 pts. Bowie sought redemption and found it against the Hornets and their undersized Cs. Against the Rockets, a 32 -21 4th quarter wasnt enough to get them the win. Back home they are a totally diff team and everyone contributes, Charles Smith is a pleasant surprise and if he can stay on the court long enough he will be something special...The two Reggies are shooting the ball extremely well and if Kenny Smith can get his turnovers down he could be come one of the elite PGs in the league.. Very promising start for the Knicks!!
11. Orlando Magic 4-3
The Magic had the 4th pick in the draft and proceeded to draft Scottie Pippen who is a player that can do a bit of everything, he defends very well, can handle the ball and can also score. They got Clifford Robinson in the 2nd round and Michael Williams in the 3rd, this is a solid young core to build around. Michael Williams is taking on the scoring load along with Jerry Reynolds. If Pippen can get his shooting % up he could help this team out alot. It seems CRob is a year away from logging in serious minutes for the team but looks to be showing promise. They are 4-1 at home with solid wins over Hawks, Bullets, Cavs, Hornets and a loss to the Mavs. In a win over the Hawks, CRob played 27 mins and had 22 pts, 4 stls, 4 brds on 9-12 shooting. They are 0- 2 on the road with losses to the Mavs and Pistons.
12. Memphis/ Vancouver Grizzlies 3-3
Grizzlies come in 12th when they could have easily come in 1st, their three losses were by 2 to Warriors, 1 to Clippers and 1 to the Hawks!! How heartbreaking I tell ya!! They had a busy draft day, trading into the 1st round to get Big Brad and then trading Brad to get Rivers and Mchale. Very solid offseason for the Grizzlies. They have a very strong trio in Isaiah Thomas, Nique and Mchale who all had a great start to the season. Ricky Pierce and Big Dawg Antoine Carr round out the starting 5 for the Grizzlies. They are in the top ten in PPG, BPG and Assts per game. Statline of the sim- the held the Kings to just 64 points on 27% shooting and forced 19 turnovers.. Very nice work indeed. Dont expect to see these guys down here much longer.
13. LA Clippers 3-3
The Clippers are led by their Star PG Terry Porter (who is avg 13 pts, 4 brds, 9 assts and 1.3 steals) and Saxophone playing Wayman Tisdale ( 29 pts, 9 brds and 1blk). If they had a SG to compliment Porter, they would be a very good team indeed. However, that spot is shared by Mcmillan and Ceballos who are solid players but not SGs. Tisdale has been playing awesome at SF and Willis at PF with Williams at C rounds out the SL. Statline of the sim - in a win over the Suns, Tisdale had 21 pts 12 brds, 6 assts and 2 blocks. Its going to be hard next sim with 8 of their next 10 games on the road where they are 2-2. Look for Willis and Williams to up their production rate next sim.
14. LA Lakers 2-2
The lake show comes in at 14, led by their floor General, Michael Adams!! They have played only 4 games to kick off their season and the look to move up the ladder wiith 4 of their next 5 games being played at home. They started off their season also on the road with a win over the Twolves and losses to the Pistons and Bucks. They lead the league with the fewest turnovers a game at only 9.5!! Michael Adams is joined in the lineup by Never Nervous Pervis Ellison, Scott Brooks, Johnnie Newman and Mark Bryant. Not many household names but they have won the only home game and that was over the Nuggets by 16 points where Adams had 37 pts 9 assts and 4 brds.
15. Minnesota TWolves 3-3
The Twolves were also very busy on draft day trading out of earlier rounds for future 1sts and a chance at bigger and better things for their future. The funny thing about their record is that they were unable to win at home, but were undefeated on the road.. Go figure lol. They had solid wins on the road over the Kings, Nuggets and Suns but lost at home to the Warriors ( everyone lost to them), Lakers and the Kings. Scott Skiles has been a beast for them averaging 19 pts and 11 assts a game and shooting the ball at over 50%. He has a solid young group of big men to help him out down low. Power Forwards White, Foster, Vaught and Acres all average 20 mins or better and rebound the ball at 6 + per game. The former three are averaging double digits in scoring also. In a win over the Nuggets, Skiles had 21pts, 16 assts and 2 stls for a 109 - 79 blowout victory.
16. Sacramento Kings 4-4
Led by the Dynamic Duo of Magic Johnson and Reggie Theus, the Kings round out the .500 or above teams. They are 1-1 at home and 3-3 on the road, when you look at this team on paper, they look a team that is better than their 4-4 record suggests. Magics numbers are impressive at 16 pts, 6 brds, 12 assts and 2.3 steals, but its somewhat tempered by the 5.3 turnovers against his name. There is no doubt these will fall, but the turnovers for the team alone can be a reason for their .500 start. Reggie is shooting the lights out with 20 pts per game average at 50% shooting and Ron Harper is doing well with 16 pts , 6 brds and 2 stls. I think we expected a bit more from Parish, but I think his ageing legs are getting the better of him. Danny Manning has had a solid start, in a win over the Suns he had 26 pts on 12 - 16 shooting, 10 brds and 2 blks. The big three are always going to get theirs, but if Manning and Parish have big nights, then theres no stopping em..
17. Denver Nuggets 4-5
Denver comes in at 17 behind the play of their man in the middle, Vlade Divac ( 14 pts, 12 brds, 4 assts). Sherman Douglas at SG and Craig Hodges give the Nuggets a different look allowing the better shooter Sherman Douglas more oppotunities to score. Dennis Scott at PF gives him an advantage at the offensive side of the ledger against the bigger, slower PFs but leaves him a little over matched when it comes defending the post. AC Green however is there so he is prob sure to help out. Otis Smith has been solid for the Nuggets off the bench giving them scoring when needed. Statline for the sim - In awin over the Mavs, Vlade had 21 pts, 19 brds and 4 assts.
18. Detroit Pistons 4-5
So many back court duos in the league are playing well and the Pistons duo of Price and Rice are no exception. The two of them combine for half of their teams points and half of their turnovers also, but when its just the two of them, youd expect that. AJ English is their next highest scorer with 9 ppg. Their front court is made up of Charles Oakley, Jack Sikma and Tony Massenberg. The Pistons are 4-2 at home and 0-3 on the road, home is where the heart is and so they will love being at home and despise the road games. At home vs the Suns Glen Rice had a great game, recording 42 points 16-29, 7 brds and 3 stls, Mark Price had 25 points 9 assts and 2 stls.
19. Houston Rockets 4-5
16 turnovers and 19 assts a game = no team game, guys lookin for their own shots? They have one of the premier PGs in Kevin Johnson who is only 24 and will look at leading this team for many years to come. They have a solid nucleus with Drazen Petrovic, Xavier Macdaniel, Detlef Schrempf, James Worthy and Kevin Duckworth. This team has the talent, it just needs to get it right on the night. They are 3-2 at home and 1-3 on the road. They had a great win over the Warriors but couldnt close out the sim and went 0-4 in their last 4 games. In a win over the Clipper KJ had 11 pts 9 assts 5 stls and 2 brds which helped them to a 103 - 86 victory!!
20. Buffalo Braves 2-4
The round out the top 20. Their shooting % is one of the lowest in the league, if they can up that, then they can see themselves move up the ladder!! The round mound of rebound Charles Barkley and Mitch Richmond lead this team, and Im sure they wont want to be down here any longer. Barkley has had a great start to the season with 22 pts and 11 brds whom, along with Richmond, Simmons and Rasmussen look to stay competitive and up near the playoffs. They had a tough opening night scoring only 64 points but rebounded with a 130 -105 drubbing of the Bulls. In a win over the 6ers, Charles had 35 pts, 19 brds , 4 stls on 13-29 shooting.
Well thats all I could do, sorry to the other 9 teams but its 3 in the morning and I ve got work in 5 hours lol. Sorry no pictures but let your imagination go wild!! Woohhooooo !!!! ;D
