Something 2 Prove (10-2) :: corrupted again :(

[kibaxx7]

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ASSOCIATION SETTINGS

Season Length
82 Games
Team Chemistry
Off
Player Roles
On
Progressive Fatigue
On
Allow CPU Trades
On
Preseason Games
On
Injuries
On
Edit Prospects
On
Playoffs
7-7-7-7

IN-GAME SETTINGS

Skill Level
Pro
Quarter Length
10 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length
12 Minutes

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[tee-pane]

Back with another one! Good Luck!

[kibaxx7]

Last Season: 15-67; worst in Southeast Division, Eastern Conference, NBA, universe
Key Players Added: Michael Beasley (draft, Kansas State), Superintendent Mario Chalmers (draft, Springfield's school district), Yakhouba Diawara (free agent, Denver), the baby-faced assassin James Jones (free agent, Portland), Jamaal Magloire (surprisingly, free agent)
Key Players Lost: Earl Barron (signed a one-year deal with Bologna), Ricky Davis (signed a multi-year deal with the Clips), Stephane Lasme (/shrugs), Alonzo Mourning (injured, book), Kasib Powell (Geocities), Jason Williams (retired)

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There have been many storylines surrounding the Miami Heat since they finished the 2007-08 season with an NBA-worst 15-67 record. But the importance of one of them far exceeds that of the rest: Dwyane Wade is back. After two injury-riddled seasons, Wade showed that he is healthy, explosive and dominant again this summer in Beijing, helping the U.S. Men's Senior National Team win gold as the team's leading scorer and arguably, its best player. "Being healthy," Wade told New York Newsday, "my game picked right back up to where it left off." And as we saw in the 2006 Playoffs, a healthy Dwyane Wade is as good as it gets in this league. Before you even look at the rest of the Miami roster, witnessing Wade's performance in China will have you thinking that the Heat can get back to the playoffs right away. He was that good and he's back to being one of the five best players in the world. You can't stay in front of him when he wants to get to the bucket, and his jumper is ever-improving.

Realistically, after the top four or five teams, the Eastern Conference is wide open. So, going from 15 wins to the postseason is certainly feasible with a rejuvenated Wade. "It's going to be tough," Wade said, "but we're going to compete all year and get our playoffs." Of course, other than Wade, Udonis Haslem is the only current Heat player who won the NBA title (Dorell Wright was on the roster, but didn't play) with Miami three seasons ago. Even Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley has moved back upstairs (permanently or otherwise) to the front office. In addition, with the decline/departure of Shaquille O'Neal and the decline/departure/retirement of Jason Williams, the Heat had major holes at the center and point guard positions. And this was still a team that was 10-41 with Wade last season. They had Haslem, Shawn Marion and No. 2 pick Michael Beasley, a solid trio of forwards. That hole at the five (one which retread Jamaal Magloire is not going to fill), Riley traded Marion to Toronto for former Pacer Jermaine O'Neal; new coach Erik Spoelstra will likely play the three (Haslem, O'Neal and Beasley) together often in order to get his best players on the floor.

Filling the hole at the point may be more difficult. Chris Quinn, who started 25 games last season, may be the default starter, but rookie Mario Chalmers, the 34th pick from Kansas, will get a shot at the job. Either way, Wade will be asked to shoulder some of the ball-handling duties as well, but more touches for Wade is probably a good thing. He's ready to get back to the career arc that had him at the top of the basketball world after just three seasons. The supporting cast isn't quite the same (where have all the shooters gone?) as it was then, but the star is shining as bright as ever.

Expected Record: 46-36

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Word From People on the Street

• Lamrock, from Seattle: "Even though Miami were last in the league in team points per game last season, they will come back this year with Wade and Beasley to pump up their points. In all honesty, scoring should be one of their biggest strengths this season. They'll also be pretty good defensively with O'Neal, Wade, and Haslem anchoring things. It's hard to base much off last year since they had the worst record in the league, but in general fans should expect improvement in pretty much every category across the board."
• homicide1550, from Philippines: There are questions about Beasley's attitude. He's considered a bit of a goofball and there are countless stories to back up that particular classification. Taking part in the Rookie Transition Program incident in September and not cooperating with the investigation is just the latest example. Beasley has the ability to put the character issues behind him, though. He may be a goofball, but all indications are that he's willing to work hard on the court and be the best player he can be. And if that happens, he and Dwyane Wade will be a very dangerous duo in the near future. But I don't care, I'm rooting for the Cavs."
• Valor, from Hong Kong: "Riley had a good start to his offseason with the drafting of Beasley and Chalmers. He followed that up by signing a dead-eye shooter in James Jones. But from then on, Riley signed players who I've heard very little (Diawara) or players who I haven't heard of in a while (Magloire). Then, Riley traded Shawn Marion for the most pressing the Heat had, a center: O'Neal. He can still make things better. But right now I see Miami as a team that could squeak into the playoffs, but not go much farther. But I don't know why I'm answering this when everyone knows I'm a fan of the Bulls, so..."
• Martti, from Estonia: "In my mind, Beasley is a great talent who just doesn’t fit in to the NBA. I just cannot seem to be able to figure out how he will contribute in the NBA. Obviously he is either a SF or a PF. If he is a SF, he will get burned on defense. He can’t step out and guard anyone on the perimeter at all. He will also have trouble scoring because his perimeter game is underdeveloped. He has college 3-point range but hasn’t extended that to the new arc. NBA defenders are much quicker than what he faced in college and can cut him off before he gets to the rim as well. If he plays PF he may be more of a success on offense, but not by much. Post moves he has, height he does not. He will most likely gain his points off his post quickness. HELL YEAH!!!1!!111!!11!!!!¤"#% GO HEAT!!!!1!!!!111! WADES THA BEST EVVER!!!!11"¤¤32&!!""
• XpLosibo, from Philippines: "Everyone would love to see D-Wade back on center stage. He, LeBron and Kobe are the three most talented players in the NBA. Well, MJ was able to get his team to the playoffs time and again and if anyone can do this D-Wade can. Go Lakers!"
• Sit, from Australia: "Miami? Why you asking me about Miami? The Lakers are going to win it all and I don't really care about any of the other 29 teams in the NBA. Lakers, that's all anyone needs to care about."

[kibaxx7]

Back with another one! Good Luck!

Thanks man... hope this one lasts longer than the others...

[C-77]

good luck man dwade 4 mvp!!!

[33_ALLDAY_33]

LETS GO MV3!!!! Good luck with this man.

[Lamrock]

Really? 82 games? Really? The same format as your last 358237. This will be pretty, and probably high-quality, but I don't have high hopes for its life expectancy. Hope you thought this out well. Good luck.

[Fresh8]

You finally quoted me properly. Good work And good luck.

[kibaxx7]

Rules
Correct guess: 1 point.
If you guess at least 50% of the events: 5 extra points.
If you guess all the scenarios: 10 extra points.

:: October 29th, 2008 ::

• Who will have a better field goal percentage?

Mario Chalmers
Chris Duhon
Same percentage

:: October 31st, 2008 ::

• Who will have pull down less rebounds?

Spencer Hawes
Jermaine O'Neal
Same rebounds

:: November 1st, 2008 ::

• Who will post a double-double?

Udonis Haslem
Gerald Wallace
Both
None

:: November 5th, 2008 ::

• Who will score less points?

Elton Brand
Dwyane Wade
Same points

:: November 7th, 2008 ::

• Who will dish more assists?

Jamario Moon
Tony Parker
Same assists

:: November 8th, 2008 ::

• Who will win this game?

Miami
New Orleans

[kibaxx7]

Thanks everyone for the feedback... I'm already playing the games... and all recaps will be by weeks, so it goes a little faster.

[Cartar]

Mario Chalmers
Jermaine O'neal
Gerald Wallace
Dwyane Wade
Jamario Moon
New Orleans

[Alejandrov011]

Chalmers
O'Neal
None
Elton Brand
Parker
Heat

[cavs4872]

- Mario Chalmers
- Jermaine O'Neal
- None
- Elton Brand
- Tony Parker
- New Orleans Hornets

[Martti.]

1. Duhon.
2. Jermaine.
3. Haslem.
4. Brand.
5. Parker.
6. Miami of course.

Nice team selection, as mentioned and a good choice doing weekly recaps. My Wizards went pretty efficiently when I did weekly recaps.

But you should know, this won't be the best Heat dynasty on this forum.

[Valor]

You finally quoted me properly. Good work And good luck.

meh, he didn't quote ME properly...lol

anyhow, good luck with this one, hopefully the lifespan of this one is significantly longer then the previous ones

[Martti.]

My quote would have been something like this :

"HELL YEAH!!!1!!111!!11!!!!¤"#% GO HEAT!!!!1!!!!111! WADES THA BEST EVVER!!!!11"¤¤32&!!"

[kibaxx7]

Edited yours Martti Valor, I don't know what I could write from you. Something about the Bulls?

[ohvitser12]

duhon
hawes
both
brand
parker
miami

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Celtics ready to add another ring to collection

When you win 66 games and an NBA title, there's not much room for improvement. You might say that the only direction to go is down. And in the NBA, no team has repeated as champions since the 2002 Lakers. The Boston Celtics were clearly the best team in the NBA in 2007-08, and they certainly have the means to stay at the top of the league, but the circumstances for success might not be as perfect as they were last season. It all came together for the Celtics in '07-08: Three title-hungry All-Stars, a bunch of role players looking to silence their critics, no major health issues, and the right coach to bring them together and make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. The Celtics were the best team in the NBA from start to finish. And it started on the defensive end. While the rest of us saw the new Big Three and wondered about their offensive chemistry, coach Doc Rivers stressed defense from Day 1. The players bought in and made it their No. 1 priority. More important, they played like a team on both ends of the floor, and the result was banner No. 17.

"Our guys really bought in to what we were doing," Rivers told NBA.com as he prepared for the new season. "They understood that everybody wants to win, but if you really want to win, you're going to have to sacrifice some things and you may not be able to do it in your normal comfort zone. And I think they were willing to do that." The champion Celtics remain largely in tact, but they did lose James Posey, their most important bench player, to free agency. Though he was backing up All-Stars Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Posey was on the floor in key postseason moments. And Boston wanted him back, but not at the terms he eventually signed with New Orleans for. The more likely candidate to fill Posey's shoes is Tony Allen, who played less than five minutes per game in the 2008 postseason. Allen doesn't have the veteran savvy or experience that Posey did, but Rivers believes he's ready to take on a larger role, now almost two years after blowing out his knee.

And before predicting a step back for the Celtics, it shouldn't be overlooked that their two starters not named Kevin Garnett, Pierce or Allen have a lot of room to grow. Rajon Rondo is just 22 years old and Kendrick Perkins is just 23. While Rondo still needs to develop confidence in his jumper, he showed what kind of a player he can be with 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and six steals in the deciding game of the Finals, a huge performance on a huge stage. Perkins, who had offseason shoulder surgery, is a nice complement to KG down low. But even if Rondo and Perkins continue to improve, the Celtics' fortunes will come down to Allen, Pierce and Garnett. Boston's ability to repeat will depend on the Big Three's health and hunger. Allen is 33 years old, Garnett is 32 and Pierce turns 31 on Oct. 13. They missed only 22 games between them last season after missing a total of 69 the year before, further evidence that it was their year. With their first title, Allen, Garnett and Pierce forever changed their legacies, going from stars to stars with rings. Now the question is: How badly do they want to make more history?

Pierce believes he has the answer: "We have a number of guys who didn't get an opportunity last year who will be very hungry. I don't think we're going to have any problem with that with me, Kevin and Ray out there keeping everybody motivated."

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LeBron looking to put playoff loss behind him

After the Cavaliers acquired Maurice Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks in one of those wild-and-crazy three-team trades on Aug. 13, "that makes them the favorite in the East," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. Think about it. Two seasons ago, thanks to one of the greatest playoffs series in history by LeBron James, the Cavs knocked off the Pistons and made their way into The Finals, where they promptly got a four-game beatdown from the San Antonio Spurs. As brilliant as LeBron was against the Pistons, the Spurs put him on lockdown. The Cavs, lacking no other consistent option on offense against the Spurs, sputtered. Williams instantly becomes option No. 2. Last season, Williams averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 assists for the Bucks. In the season before that, Williams averaged 17.3 points per game and 6.1 assists. For a team who has had only one man (take a wild guess) average more points and more assists than that the past two seasons, those numbers look like manna from heaven.

After all, everyone knows the Cavs can play defense, but they didn't have the balance or firepower on offense to compete with the elite teams. Sure, you'll get a great game from Zydrunas Ilgauskas or a big three from Daniel Gibson, but consistency with the rock has been the Cavs' biggest concern. Cavs GM Danny Ferry knew this, and hence, the move for Williams: "Mo is a player that excels as a traditional point guard, but also brings an extra dimension with his scoring and versatility. His ability to push the tempo, get inside the lane, shoot from the perimeter and distribute the ball will be very valuable for us." Cleveland hasn't had a consistent offensive threat that can take the heat off LeBron in his five years on the Cavs. LeBron, who learned of the trade as he was helping lead Team USA to gold at the Olympics, went all Fonzie on the trade: ''It can help us. I think Mo is a very good point guard. He can create for himself and create for others, so it's a great move. I think it's an 'A'."

Williams' A-game wasn't always on display in Milwaukee, as he has missed 54 games in the past three seasons with a variety of maladies including a strained shoulder, a sprained thumb and something called pubic symphysis (you really don't want to know, but it sounds painful). If Williams misses his average of one month of games again, it could be the Cavs' offense that is painful to watch. The Cavs then re-signed Delonte West; with this move, they have a capable point to back up Williams or start alongside him if the Cavs don't mind moving Williams to shooting guard. They also have Gibson to provide firepower off the bench. Besides staying healthy, another thing Williams doesn't do particularly well is play D. But for a team that led the NBA with a +4.15 rebounding differential and was seventh in blocked shots at 5.2 per game, the Cavs' guards can have perimeter mistakes on defense erased by the front line of Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace and the Gumby-like Anderson Varejao.

Of course, the whole thing still revolves around LeBron, who will be a sure-fire MVP candidate. If he and Williams can sync quickly, the Cavs should be a major handful for the rest of the NBA.

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T-Mac, Yao optimistic for healthy 08/09 season

Ron Artest cometh. There was a time – not long ago – when those three words had fans scurrying for the hills. At least those sitting courtside. Oh, how times change. Ask just about any GM and certainly any NBA player, and they'd most definitely welcome Ron-Ron with open arms. So, the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady combo added a much-needed third wheel to navigate through the brutal Western Conference. Tired of first-round flats, the Rockets added a legitimate All-Star talent in a deal reminiscent of the Pau Gasol swindle. Though a deadly duo, Yao and T-Mac couldn't deliver more than a quick cup of playoff coffee. Sure, Artest has only been out of the First Round once, but would you bet against these three, if healthy, getting bounced before the calendar flips to May? "I'm sure Houston wants to get out of the first round, but I already know that's not what they want in the long term," Artest said in press conference to Rockets.com. "I know for a fact that they want to win big, come out on top and win a championship here."

Hungry yet? Artest satisfies any appetite with a mix of toughness, versatility and lockdown defense that not only eases the burden on the team's complementary pieces, but helps them focus more on their strengths: "First round, everybody is thinking about that, but the first round is not really in the Houston Rockets' or the city of Houston's vocabulary. We're thinking beyond." Shane Battier, one of the league's premier "glue" guys, can do a little bit of this and a little of that without disrupting the flow. Luis Scola offers muscle to go along with a dose of international flair. The Rockets can spread the floor with shooters – T-Mac, Artest, Battier – around Yao, and bring in another couple of long-range assassins in Brent Barry and Aaron Brooks off the pine. Rick Adelman suddenly has a wealth of matchup options to counterpunch the other West heavyweights.

Artest seems to have found basketball nirvana in Clutch City. Being in the last year of a contract often leads to good behavior. The Rockets can pray. Even though it's been more than a decade since Houston sniffed the second round, this newest triumvirate is drawing comparisons to the Boston Three Party. And we haven't forgotten what the KG-Allen-Pierce marriage produced in June. "A lot of players, some of my friends, were like, ‘Houston is a problem now,'" Artest said. "Like that old saying goes: ‘Houston, we have a problem.' Now, other teams in the league, they have a problem. Right now, I'm playing with two All-Stars, and I've gotten better. I'm better now than I was five years ago, even than when I got Defensive Player of the Year. Everybody's in their prime. This is my best opportunity to put a ring on my finger and help Houston get another championship."

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Fantastic Four ready to take Raptors to the next level

The word "if" is an important tool for sportswriters. It allows them to make predictions that won't come back and bite them too hard when they fail to come to fruition. For example, let's see the following prognostication: "The Toronto Raptors will be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference in 2008-09 IF Chris Bosh stays healthy, IF Shawn Marion's back is at full strength, IF Jose Calderon leads the squad, and IF Andrea Bargnani starts playing like a No. 1 pick". After reaching the playoffs for the first time in five years in 2007, the Raptors, young and on the rise, were expected to take a step forward last season. But they fell six games in the standings and didn't put up much of a fight in the First Round of the postseason, losing in five games to the Orlando Magic.

"We felt last year that we had improved our team," Toronto President Bryan Colangelo told NBA.com, "felt that perhaps the depth of the team was better. But we seemed, for whatever reason, to lack the chemistry that we had in my first year here." The overachievers of '06-07 were the underachievers of '07-08; part of the problem was a point guard controversy. T.J. Ford was the incumbent starter, but Calderon was more deserving of being the primary floor general. And even though Calderon played his best basketball while Ford was out for 24 games in the middle of the season, Ford was back in the starting lineup down the stretch and in the postseason. Ultimately, the Raptors limped into the playoffs and were eliminated quickly. Clearly disappointed, Colangelo didn't hesitate to shake things up, reaching a deal with the Pacers on draft day to send Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the No. 17 pick (Roy Hibbert) to Indiana in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal and the 41st pick (Nathan Jawai).

On paper, O'Neal had what the Raptors needed, someone who's historically averaged double-digit rebounds. Put him alongside Chris Bosh, who does the same, and they dramatically improve their rebounding capabilities. A great fit... on paper: O'Neal was later traded to Miami for Marion. But Colangelo realizes that games are won on the court. And in addition to his team staying healthy, they also need to develop chemistry in order for this move to pay off. "It's going to be up to our coaching staff to figure out how to best utilize the two individuals," he said, "and incorporate everybody else into the picture offensively."