A LEGEND IS BORN III

[Fresh8]

Bingo also to my basketball coach

Big game tonight for your pupil, you gonna be able to catch amy of my game?

[The X]

Unlikely. Got Stef's family dinner thing beforehand so I'll be lucky to get to my game on time, especially trying to get Brad into order

[Fresh8]

Eh, well hope all is going well then. I've installed the motion and realised how little basketball IQ everyone other than me and Jona have... It's really killing me but I guess that's why I'm a point guard. Hopefully we can score with the new offense.

[Fresh8]

THANK YOU READERS!

Another public announcement!

Thank you to those who voted for my story and got me back to Association of the Year! Hopefully there's enough cross-story appeal to get me across the line for Story of the Year. Been fun making this story and especially recently with the playoffs. I am really looking forward to trying to win this title.

Putting the thank you aside, do all of you think that having a break after the playoffs or NBA Draft/free agency is preferred? It would just mean that when I come back, I either start from the beginning of the season or the beginning of the draft/free agency.

You feedback is appreciated.

As I gear up for my next season, please let me know the pros and cons and anything you want to see in this thread. I want to continue improving the story!

[dare]

Congrats on the Association of the Year, well deserve man. As for this I think this should take a break after the off season transactions to get us all hype for the next season.

Anyways here is what I tried for the gif:

[Houndy]

Take a break when preseason starts.

Don't be thanking us sit, we should be thanking you for your beautiful association chapters, giving us thrills every night. Thank you

[megarover]

That story felt so familiar I was thinking I was reading a wrong chapter.

[Valor]

Eh, well hope all is going well then. I've installed the motion and realised how little basketball IQ everyone other than me and Jona have... It's really killing me but I guess that's why I'm a point guard. Hopefully we can score with the new offense.

damn, you guys have PLAYS?! my high school team almost hardly ever run plays, only those that me and my co-captains call for and then it's "Free play" basically...

Now i wish i'm applying for QLD instead of SYD so i can join your team (Well, i'm still gonna go to syd...sucks but i guess it's better for other reasons than basketball)

As for the break, i think you should take it at the end of the post-season, so the break would be like an offseason period
and the improvements? write more chapters cause i'm loving the story

[The X]

Valor, we don't run plays, we just try to run a bit of Motion to keep players moving. No set plays, just keep the offense in Motion. We would do plays if we actually practiced & had people on same page. Btw, Sit & I don't play on same team anymore. He deserted the team & took 2 players with him to move on to bigger & better things

[Fresh8]

Congrats on the Association of the Year, well deserve man. As for this I think this should take a break after the off season transactions to get us all hype for the next season.

Anyways here is what I tried for the gif:

Next time get rid of the spoiler cause I couldn't see it man.

EDIT: Nice try... but any other ideas man? Also, I want David Lee in there... would it be too hard to show each player and then blank background with the title of the story? And the players would be Bogut, Lee, KD, Ty, Kidd, Iverson...

Take a break when preseason starts.

Don't be thanking us sit, we should be thanking you for your beautiful association chapters, giving us thrills every night. Thank you

Thanks Hondo. Happy I got a new fan.

That story felt so familiar I was thinking I was reading a wrong chapter.

I didn't get it?

Eh, well hope all is going well then. I've installed the motion and realised how little basketball IQ everyone other than me and Jona have... It's really killing me but I guess that's why I'm a point guard. Hopefully we can score with the new offense.

damn, you guys have PLAYS?! my high school team almost hardly ever run plays, only those that me and my co-captains call for and then it's "Free play" basically...

Now i wish i'm applying for QLD instead of SYD so i can join your team (Well, i'm still gonna go to syd...sucks but i guess it's better for other reasons than basketball)

As for the break, i think you should take it at the end of the post-season, so the break would be like an offseason period
and the improvements? write more chapters cause i'm loving the story

Valor, we don't run plays, we just try to run a bit of Motion to keep players moving. No set plays, just keep the offense in Motion. We would do plays if we actually practiced & had people on same page. Btw, Sit & I don't play on same team anymore. He deserted the team & took 2 players with him to move on to bigger & better things

Slight correction. We don't usually run plays but the level of competition is pretty high and we have been 1-3 against the top 2 teams that we had to mix it up. Our defense is great but our offense has stalled. So I did teach my team a 4-out 1-in motion offense. And we've gone a step ahead. I've established some set plays. One is an on-ball screen to get a pick and roll happening at top of key, another is an off-ball screen to get a cutter to the basket, and another is a double screen to set up two players on the low and high posts.

We were a lot better tonight. We beat the team we tied with by 31 points. Held them to 20 points for the game and held them scoreless for the entire final quarter. The shots were dropping because we had a ton of open space and could have even scored 60 if some things went our way. It was a satisfying win... 3 wins till we win it all as semi final is next week.

EDIT: Good thing bout tonight was that Alco (one of our better scoring forwards) was out with a sprained ankle. Gives us a lot of confidence.

[Valor]

Even that's a lot better than my old team Our trips on the offensive end of the floor involves either one on one isolations for me, 2-4/3-4 pick and rolls, or just letting our shooter shake off his man for a shot..and offensive rebounding, most of the time it's 3v5 on offense cause the other 2 (pg, c) doesnt do anything

It takes so much effort to let them know they have to be moving and setting screens, getting into good position so we can actually score the ball

The X, Yeah i heard from Sit, well if by any chance (slim) that i somehow end up in QLD instead of NSW for uni, i'll def join one of your two teams

Sit, Nice, so how did you personally do today? shook off the shooting woes yet?

[Fresh8]

The practice showed as I had 18-20 points on close to 50% shooting (2 three pointers, 3 lay ups, 3-4 jumpshots, a tip in). We had 51 as a team so it was a good team effort. The other Will must have had about 20 as well and the scoring was shared by everyone else (4 other players). I had great open looks tonight which was a huge luxury. Less solo work meant that I could actually sprint on the fast break in the last quarter whereas I'm usually tired by second half. I played 37 of 40 minutes tonight. Also had a few assists and *surprise surpise* 3 rebounds, all on the offensive end (including putback tip in at end of first half).

Yeah, what you write reminds me of last Friday I crusied down to the outdoor courts. Absolutely dominated on 3 on 3 as I scored all my team's points although we fell to the other team 11-9 because my two friends are soccer players... then more guys came down and in the end we formed a full court game... me and 4 other asians. The asians were good in halfcourt but boy was it a disaster when it became a fullcourt game. Never again will I go down there. Pretty bullshit with guys who think they are awesome but they actually suck at basketball.

BTW, The X - you're welcome back on the team anytime.

[hova-]

J-Kidd retiring ... he definitely needs that ring. I don't like to see HoFamer without a ring. Looking forward to the series against the Kings!!

[Fresh8]

J-Kidd retiring ... he definitely needs that ring. I don't like to see HoFamer without a ring. Looking forward to the series against the Kings!!

Thanks Hov my man. Will definitely try hard to bring home a title to Seattle and also to Kidd.

[Valor]

Sit, thats why i avoid playing 3 on 3, it gives no indication of your true ability to play

[George7]

Congratulations Sit!You really deserved it!

As for my predictions I will say

Stealth in 7
Bucks in 6

[kibaxx7]

Just read Ch.13 Hopefully J-Kidd can retire with a ring. Don't let me down.

[puttincomputers]

Am i missing something? I dont see who made it to the EC Finals.

[megarover]

I'm bout to try out for my school team and I'm gonna tear them up .

[Fresh8]

Am i missing something? I dont see who made it to the EC Finals.

No you're not. Some people are just guessing. >.<"

I'm bout to try out for my school team and I'm gonna tear them up .

Good luck megarover I miss the high school basketball days. haha

[Fresh8]

Around-The-League Wrap-Up: Game 5

Western Conference

Mavs 96 (Bayless 24 pts, Nowitzki 21 pts, 8 reb, Turkoglu 12 pts, Lai 5 pts)
@
Kings 108 (Redd 27 pts, Jeffersn 19 pts, 10 reb, Westbrook 16 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, Chara 13 pts, 6 reb, 11 ast, 3 stl)

[Kings lead series 3-2]

Eastern Conference

Bucks 90 (Gray 28 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast, Conley 17 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, Washburn 2 pts, 3 reb)
@
Hawks 105 (Smith, Prince 19 pts, Bass, Horford 15 pts)

[Bucks lead series 3-2]

Nets 106 (Anthony 24 pts, Yi 20 pts, 9 reb, Steele 10 pts, 11 ast, 9 reb, 4 stl, 2 blk)
@
Cavs 95 (Gay 32 pts, James 19 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk, Williams 18 pts)

[Cavs lead series 3-2]

Around-The-League Wrap-Up: Game 6

Western Conference

Kings 116 (Chara 34 pts, 12 ast, 7 reb, Jefferson 22 pts, 7 reb, Stackhouse 16 pts)
@
Mavs 98 (Nowitzki 26 pts, 10 reb, Bayless, Lai 11 pts)

[Kings win series 4-2]

Eastern Conference

Hawks 94 (Ginobili 17 pts, 7 reb, Smith, Bargnani 16 pts)
@
Bucks 98 (Gray 19 pts, 12 reb, Stevenson 14 pts, Washburn 13 pts, 8 reb)

[Bucks win series 4-2]

Cavs 116 (James 32 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, Gay 25 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, Williams 22 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast)
@
Nets 105 (Anthony 29 pts, 6 reb, Steele 13 pts, 10 ast, 7 reb, Outlaw 12 pts)

[Cavs win series 4-2]

[Fresh8]

Improve Your Player and All-NEW Player Influence

Improve Your Player

Every participant has a certain number of points that they will be able to use on improving attributes of their virtual player. You only have one chance to use all these points so don’t waste your points (i.e. any leftover points are not able to be brought forward to the next tipping competition).

For every Skill-based attribute, it costs you 4 points in order to improve that certain attribute by 1. For every Physical-based attribute, it costs you 8 points in order to improve that certain attribute.

Skill-based attributes are skills like shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, etc. Physical-based attributes includes attributes like strength, speed, endurance, as well as mental attributes such as awareness. If you are unsure whether the attribute you want to include is a skill-based or physical-based one, you are able to post and pose your question.

A quick example of how to let me know how you want to improve your player:

Player: 75 points
Three point shooting + 5 (20 points)
Mid range shooting + 4 (16 points)
Layup + 3 (12 points)
Stamina + 3 (24 points)
3 Points left over that cannot be spent

All-NEW Player Influence

Here is a brand new scheme that gives you more control over the fortunes of your virtual player.

Complain About Role On Team: 100 points
Demand Trade: 200 points
Demand Trade and Request Destination: 250 points

The points listed are minimum values. The more points you spend, the stronger your request will be. If you don’t like being a benchwarmer, you can complain about your role. The more points you use, the stronger your complaint will be. It may result in a teammate being traded away or you forcing your way into the starting five. For example, spend 150 points to complain about your role and you are more likely to succeed with your complaint than spending just 100 points.

If you don’t like your team, spend at least 200 points to demand a trade. To ensure your trade demand does not fall upon deaf ears, spend more points to get your point across.

There are no guarantees that your player’s wishes will be heard and the only way to get past this is to spend more points.

Points

You can accumulate points during any time of the season by participating in contests and also by posting articles that provide a different view of my story. These points may be cashed in: at the conclusion of the postseason, before the regular season begins and All-Star weekend.

Good luck!

Points As Of End Of Second Round

Playoff predictions, awards predictions and other points have all been accounted for. As you will see below, all those who participated in the ‘random’ contests or posting articles have the most points. You can still post articles if you wish!

Martti. 140
Shadowgrin 65
The X 105
Lamrock 145
Valor 230
Puttincomputers 150
Durantula_MVP -30
Houndy 145
Dare 195* (will receive only half of these points because of trying to bargain with me. Shame on you. You can have your points back if you make me a .gif sig. Thank you.)
Thierry 85
Eirsej 135
Justine 125
De8 110
Chriso0 110
King Dee 120
Clutch 95
Newc 100
Megarover 80
Cartar 82
Mark. 55
Hova 185
George7 135
Z02 75
Kaiser_Kobe: 45

I remind you that grand prizes of +70, +50 and +30 points are up for grabs for the top 3 place getters in the playoff tipping comp. After Round 2, the top 6 are:

1. Dare 170
2. Valor 155
3. Justine 140
4. Martti, Clutch 135
5. Lamrock, ChrisO0 125
6. Puttincomputers, Eiserj, King Dee 120

[Fresh8]

Conference Finals Previews At-A-Glance

Eastern Conference

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (46-36) vs 4. Milwaukee Bucks (44-38)

The Skinny: What Lebron says is what Lebron will do. Don’t expect the Cavs to miss out on the Finals this time around. James is healthy and motivated to get the Cavs back to the NBA Finals. He wants to prove to the World that he is the best player on the planet. The first step is to get Cleveland to the Finals. He has carried his team to this stage and I wouldn’t bet against him sealing the deal. But don’t expect the Bucks to not give up without a fight. They’re back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Jay Gray and Lebron James will make things interesting.

NBA.com Prediction Cavs in 6
ESPN.com Prediction Cavs in 6
Our Prediction Cavs in 6

Western Conference

1 Seattle Stealth (59-23) vs 3. Sacramento Kings (52-30)

The Skinny: This is the matchup everyone has been waiting for and crossing their fingers to see. League MVP Moses Chara leads his team into battle against NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and his young side. The Stealth have the deeper team. They have three All-Stars and a legendary quarterback. They also boast one of the greatest of all-time on the bench. The Kings look like they may not make it to the Finals again, merely because their second and third best players aren’t as good as Seattle’s fifth or sixth. Chara didn’t have much difficulty against defensive talent Kenneth Dela Cruz in the last round and even on off-nights, he still dominated. That does not bode well for Seattle as the Stealth don’t have anyone to stop him. The team coming out of the West is not certain at all!

NBA.com Prediction Sacramento in 7
ESPN.com Prediction Stealth in 7
Our Prediction Stealth in 6

[Fresh8]

NBA Playoff Predictions
Get Your Tips In, Earn Points, Your Virtual Player Reaps The Benefits

Get your tips in guys for each playoff series and earn points that you will be able to use on your virtual player in this Association! Please participate even if your player has not appeared in this Association because it will be worthwhile. All rewards will be announced at the completion of the Postseason.

How This Works?

The playoff matchups will be posted in a series-by-series playoff preview. You will then be given some time to post your predicted outcome of each series. Don’t forget to choose the winner and amount of games won by each team.

Scores will be accumulated and posted prior to the commencement of the next round.

What Implications Does It Have For You?

All the points accumulated, no matter if you finish first or last, will be able to be used on your virtual player.

Ok, I will now announce how you can use your points.

1) To Improve Your Player

2) And I am glad to announce... the all- Player Influence scheme!

More details at end of the playoffs.

Scoring System

General Scoring

If you pick the winner of the series - +10 Point
If the winner has a worse record than their opponent - +5 Points
If you correctly pick the amount of games won by each team - +5 Points

Other

If you come first in the competition - +70 Points
If you come second in the competition - +50 Points
If you come third in the competition - +30 Points



If you come fourth - +15 Points
If you come fifth - +10 Points
If you come sixth - +5 Points

Happy tipping!

[kibaxx7]

Stealth in 6, Cavs in 7