Melanie's Bulls dynasty... start a new Bulls dynasty?

nice title for the srticle. solid win, but for the highest scoring team in history, you aren't doing thst anymore.

hah... yeah, playing 8 min qtrs instead of 12 min qtrs makes a big difference! so does playing superstar instead of all-star (since i get no shot blocks on superstar), which i'm doing regularly now.

When you're shooting 73.3%, there's gotta be something wrong.

Well, to each his own, as long as you enjoy the game, eh?

Great your wwinning again ....good luck next game...can't wait for playoffs

When you're shooting 73.3%, there's gotta be something wrong.

there's always someone open near the hoop so they go in for a layup/dunk. high % shots. and they're good finishers.

i suppose i could up the layup/dunk block ability slider, but then blocks would be unrealistically high b/c they're pretty accurate right now with andrew's slider.

i dunno. suggestions?

more shooting rather than just going straight to the hoop would certainly lower your FG%. But again, what are you gunning for: realism or wins? With your team, I'm guessing it's the Dubyas..ahem...Ws.

good luck next game...can't wait for playoffs

thanks. yeah, i'm anxious for the playoffs too

more shooting rather than just going straight to the hoop would certainly lower your FG%. But again, what are you gunning for: realism or wins?

even in the real nba, if a guys is open near the hoop, the coach is going to (or should) chew him out for taking a lower-percentage shot instead of trying to find the open man.

if all i wanted was wins, i'd play on rookie level and score 400 points a game. so i'm definitely into realism. but as a guy who just started playing live 2005 two months ago, i don't really know how to make it more realistic besides using andrew's sliders and playing fewer min/qtr. i could crank up the cpu interception ability so that it rapes all my passing lanes but that wouldn't be realistic either.

i do have a lot of good finishers in the game...and if they're open near the hoop, they're gonna have a high FG%

superstar level is tough so i'm going to take the best shot the computer defense gives me...whether it's a low-percentage three or an open man near the hoop.

as you can see, i've implemented several good suggestions from people posting here, so if any live 2005 vets have more suggestions, do let me know...

My Nuggets shoot a very high percentage too. There's no point shooting from the outside if you can go inside. Where's the fun in trying to make tough shots for yourself!?

I'm on Superstar and I put CPU on-ball physical defence to 46, adjusted shot to 46 and dunk vs layup to 25. I still get many dunks, but when you go up for a dunk you almost know it's going in, with a layup it rattles in or out and it's more exciting to follow the shot that way. The best shot blocker on the CPU gets many blocks with the on-ball physical defence high and blocks at 5, KG got 7 and Foyle got 4. Right now these are very good settings for me.

well, i tried your sliders with only two modifications (FTs, cuz i suck at it big-time; and on-ball defense assist, which i personally like higher for when my guy blows past me). although i lost by three, i liked the results EXCEPT for three things:

- dunk vs layup frequency is waaaaaay too low. i have some big-time dunkers and even though they have a clear path to the hoop, they'll lay it up instead. that's just not realistic .
- lay up percentage is waaaaaaay too low. maybe it's just my players, but i've got some of the best finishers in the league on my team and at one point, they must have blown 15 layups in a row. it kept the score close, which is fun, but it's just not realistic either when lebron, dwyane and amare can't finish 15 layups in a row (it's actually more than 15...i stopped counting after that). missing a few is understandable but this was ridiculous
- interception ability for the cpu is waaaay too high. andrew's slider for cpu interception ability is dead-on.... total steals come out to between 7-10, which is what the real-life nba average is. but this slider resulted in 20 total steals, which is supernatural

i'll try these sliders with the above three sliders swapped out for andrew's versions and we'll see if that's more realistic. thanks

you cant dunk with my sliders? did you press turbo before you dunk? you got james and wade on your team and you cant dunk with them? even if the dunk frequency set at two, you can still dunk with them...... juz wanna share you this below, to let you know that it's possible. click on the photos, there are a lot of dunks there..... those are from my dynasty using my sliders...

Game Results - 12/31/04


[Preview] [Recap] [Box Score]

ESPN Photo Wire:
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

ESPN Frames in Motion:
[1][2]

Other Games:
BOS @ GS 71-75
SAC @ SEA 89-82
SA @ CHA 110-80

check out the box scores and you'll see that it's almost realistic...... anyway, if you can't still do it just increase it according to your preference.... what's your score by the way when you lose by three? is it still that high? dont get me wrong dude, just wanted to help you because i really like your fake espn website and it'll be really nice to see close scores on your dynasty and site.... enjoy and big ups for you.....

I'm on Superstar and I put CPU on-ball physical defence to 46, adjusted shot to 46 and dunk vs layup to 25.

dunk vs layup on 25 sounds like a good idea. i was using 30 (andrew's slider) but i think 25 is better. i'll give that a shot.

you cant dunk with my sliders? did you press turbo before you dunk?

only about 3-4 times during the game. yes, i pressed turbo before i dunked.

you got james and wade on your team and you cant dunk with them? even if the dunk frequency set at two, you can still dunk with them

i must be doing something wrong then. they do dunk but it's pretty rare. 97% of the time, they do layups. it seems consistent with the slider setting at 3, but i'm not sure why your guys dunk a lot while mine dunk rarely

check out the box scores and you'll see that it's almost realistic

agreed.

what's your score by the way when you lose by three? is it still that high?

the score when i lost was actually by two: 107-109. but the problem isn't unrealistic high scores anymore... found out that that problem was fixed by simply dialing down the mins per qtr to between 8-10. the problem i'm having is winning by blowout too often.

just wanted to help you because i really like your fake espn website and it'll be really nice to see close scores on your dynasty and site.... enjoy and big ups for you.....

i definitely appreciate the help. i actually like your sliders...they're more competitive for my style of play than andrew's sliders. they seem totally realistic for your style of play, but for my style of play, i'm gonna have to tweak 'em a little b/c a couple things were too unrealistic. but overall, i do like your sliders a lot. hate to be experimenting with sliders during the playoffs, tho' but i don't have time to play exhibition games to fine-tune the sliders first either

thanks for everyone's help/suggestions

latest fake ESPN Insider article by Chad Ford:

How to beat the Bulls


By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

As the Bulls march to an NBA record for most wins in a season, the question in our ESPN SportsNation poll asked how many times you thought the Bulls would lose before the regular season ended.

Regardless of the results of the poll, the Bulls appear indestructible as they roll into the final month of the regular season. But are they really?

The team has an incredible starting lineup. It sports future Hall-of-Famers and perennial All-Stars. Each player is quick, a good ball-handler, a good jumper, a good finisher, and unselfish.

But they're not unbeatable. Now, I'm not saying it's easy to beat them. I'm just saying it's not impossible to beat them. It will require darn near perfection. But it can be done.

First, the opposing team must take care of the basketball. Sounds obvious enough but the Bulls feast on steals. These turnovers do two things: first, it prevents the opposing team from scoring, and second, it usually means a transition basket for the Bulls. That's a four-point swing. And if the Bulls get, say, 10 steals a game, that's potentially a 40-point swing. Most opposing teams cannot afford that.

Second, the opposing team must shoot well. This goes without saying, but it holds especially true when teams play against the Bulls. If you don't shoot well, you might as well go home early. Three-pointers are particularly crucial. The Bulls score early and often and if you can't keep up, then obviously, you'll lose.

Third, the opposition needs help from the zebras. The Bulls are an aggressive team that attacks the basket a lot. If you can play physical defense against them and not get whistled for it, you'll be able to stop them from scoring. In the Bulls' three losses, there were a plethora of plays where Bulls players drove to the hoop, got hammered, got no call, and the opposing team went racing back the other way. The "Bad Boy" Pistons of the late 80s benefitted from referees who swallowed their whistles, allowing them to hack Michael Jordan and keep him from scoring.

Fourth, offensive rebounds are a Bulls weakness. If the opposing team can consistently crash the offensive boards and get second and third chance opportunities, that team can make up for shooting sins.

Fifth, get the Bulls in foul trouble. The Bulls bench is widely known as the weakest in the league. If the other team can get the Bulls in foul trouble, it forces Scott Skiles to use the bench earlier than he would like, and the opposing team can exploit those matchups. After all, would you rather face LeBron James or Lucious Harris?

Lastly, stop the Bulls post game. The Bulls thrive in the paint, and their unselfishness means they don't usually stay content to launch outside jumpers. They're willing to be patient until something opens up down low. If teams can neutralize that, whether it's fronting the post-up, double-teaming, playing a full-court press to keep the Bulls from settling into their half-court offense, or something else, opposing coaches must be able to prevent an explosion by the Bulls' big men.

Naturally, opposing teams won't accomplish all of these in the same game, but if they can achieve at least three of these keys to the game, they'll put themselves in position to compete.

And that's not something many teams have done with the Bulls this season.

Great article. Too bad Chad Ford isn't with ESPN anymore.

Too bad Chad Ford isn't with ESPN anymore

really? he wrote something in his espn insider blog today (8/15). in fact, he wrote that the rumor he was leaving espn "have been slightly exaggerated"...

glad to see you're back. nice new avatar too

Nice article there. Very straightforward and to the point.

thanks, man. your interviews are great. i'm not very creative with this stuff...

nice article ...when are you playing your next game

recap coming in a few...

latest on the fake ESPN site:

Kicking a franchise while it's down
Tue, April 19, 2005


Colicky Boy times his block perfectly on Marbury

----------------------
63
102
>> Boxscore <<
----------------------

Two storied franchises are going in different directions.

While Bulls GM Melanie has the Bulls on a historic winning season with the ability to compete for a championship for many more years, Knicks President Isiah Thomas has choked his team with aging, selfish, overpaid players.

The differences between the two franchises were evident Tuesday night as the Bulls drubbed the Knicks 102-63 at the United Center.

Amare Stoudemire led all scorers for the fourth straight game with 36 points and also had a game-high 7 rebounds for the Bulls. LeBron James, who was declared 100% before the game, chipped in 13 points, 5 rebounds and a game-high 12 assists. Colicky Boy had a double-double with 31 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.


Kurt Thomas comes tumbling down as Stoudemire ratchets up for two

In contrast, the Knicks (30-51) were led by Jamal Crawford's 17 points. Crawford has been widely criticized as a player who never met a shot he didn't like. Stephon Marbury, who was held to 10 points, has been similarly accused as being a selfish player.

"I don't want to comment on anyone else's team," said Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. "I don't coach the Knicks. I coach the Bulls. If you have any questions about my team, I'll be happy to take them."

"I think it depends on how talented the veterans are," said Dirk Nowitzki when asked if the trend nowadays is to stock teams with young players instead of veterans. "When you have Jordan, Pippen and Rodman, you don't mind a veteran team like that. On the flip side, there are young players who are considered 'busts', like Darius Miles and Kwame Brown. So it depends on who you're talking about.

"For some of the good young players, they're instantly good, like Dwyane, LeBron and Carmelo [Anthony]. For others, like Eddy [Curry] and Tyson [Chandler], it was a maturity issue. It takes them a while to 'get it'. So just stocking a team with young players isn't a smart thing; you have to pick the right young players at the right time."

The Bulls travel to Indianapolis for the final game of the regular season and a chance to finish an unprecedented 79-3.

"78 or 79 wins...doesn't matter either way," said James. "If we were playing for #80, that'd be a bigger deal. We just don't want to get any more injuries heading into the playoffs."

dude i love this dynasty how do you make the fake espn site?

A little unrealistic but nice win. Yeah I like my Avatar too, it matches my username.

WOW your craziest win yet...or is it....yay one more game till playoffs...good luck on your last game

how do you make the fake espn site?

my friend made it for me. she just looked at the real espn site, copied some of their images, then pieced it together to recreate the likeness. glad you like it.

[quote="{SAC-1}]
yay one more game till playoffs...good luck on your last game
[/quote]

yeah...finally, the playoffs! this whole april seemed to take forever to get through. thanks...will need some luck vs indiana...unlike in real-life, these pacers have artest...

latest on the fake ESPN site:

Bland finale
Wed, April 20, 2005


Colicky Boy does a reverse jam on an alley-oop

---------------------
76
97
>> Boxscore <<
---------------------

INDIANAPOLIS - Some results are unexpected. Like Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson. Or Tiger Woods winning the Masters by a record 12 strokes at age 21.

Then there's Indiana's 97-76 rout over the NBA's all-time winningest team in the season finale for both teams.

The Bulls trailed the entire game, including by as much as 27 in the third quarter.

"This was an embarrassment of epic proportions," said Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. "We couldn't shoot, couldn't rebound, couldn't defend. This is not how we want to head into the playoffs."

Jamaal Tinsley scored 30 points for the Pacers (51-31), snapping the Bulls' streak of five games without an opposing player scoring at least 20 points. The Pacers got a lot of balance, with Bulls archnemesis Reggie Miller scoring 18, Jermaine O'Neal with 10 and a game-high 14 boards, Jonathan Bender 12, and Ron Artest 14.

"I don't know what happened," said LeBron James, who had 6 rebounds and 8 assists but only 14 points. "They scored, we didn't."

Amare Stoudemire led all scorers with 40 points, the fifth-straight game where he has led the Bulls (78-4) in scoring. But Stoudemire got no help, as Colicky Boy only had 12 points and Dirk Nowitzki had only 7. Dwyane Wade was on the bench in street clothes due to his injury.

"Jermaine and Artest were big defensively," said Colicky Boy. "They blocked shots, stole the ball... they kept us from finding a rhythm. And then we couldn't stop them from scoring...which means we couldn't get any momentum."

Some had argued that the Bulls needed to lose to get it "out of their system".

"That's crap," said Colicky Boy. "People were saying the Fighting Illini needed to lose one before heading into the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Tournament, and they did. But that didn't help them win a championship."

Are the Bulls concerned about facing the Pacers in the playoffs?

"Any team we face in the playoffs will be tough," said Skiles. "Whether it's Indiana, Detroit or whoever, we can't play like we did tonight or we'll be going home and people can laugh at us as a team with a gaudy record who couldn't win a championship."

Last edited by colickyboy on Tue Aug 16, 2005 4:58 am, edited 1 time in total.