[Hov's Cats]

[TomCat]

I've never liked Eddy Curry, no matter how good he is or who he plays for, I just don't like the guy. I don't know why but I don't

Anyway I think that's a decent trade in terms of the talent you traded away compared to who you got..

[|)e8*]

A decent trade, a Fatman for a Fatman, haha

[Martti.]

Curry can be effective. I like this deal.

[dare]

I like this deal very risky but it can be very effective too

[Fresh8]

Curry + Chandler... I had high hopes for them when they were with the Bulls... maybe they will do it right this time!

[hova-]

Glad that most of you are liking this trade. I just thought it was a trade in which every team would profit. But with the high risk on Curry I decided to throw in some 2nd rounders for me. As written above one of these 2nd rounders will go for Tim Ohlbrecht . His rating sucks and I am sure he won't get drafted by any other team, but he has some talent and is the best german prospect right now.

I actually thought everybody would moan about how bad Curry is. But just like myself you seem to remember the old Eddy Curry.

[Martti.]

Bring back the days.

[The X]

Coach Hov is said to use one of his now three second rounders for german talented big man Tim Ohlbrecht.[/b][/size]

Tim Ohlbrecht, now there's a name I haven't heard in a while. If he had declared as an 18 year old he probably would've been a 1st Rounder. He's definitely falled off the radar, that's for sure. Euros now have to show more than just raw potential to be high lottery picks these days.

[Mark.]

Good trade I think, especially when I remember you saying that you have no post offense as Chandler can't seem to buy as basket under there.

[Lamrock]

Interesting trade. It makes sense for your offensively challenged team, but in terms of talent, you definitely lose here. I have a feeling Curry has a renaissance year since this is 2K, but if this was real life it would be awful. Does this deal mean Chandler starts at the 4 now?

[kibaxx7]

I'm with TomCat. Not liking Curry

[The X]

The Bobcats are so bad at the moment it's probably worth rolling the dice on Eddy Curry. And to all the doubters, if it worked for Grizzlies & Randolph, it can work for Bobcats & Curry

[hova-]

Martti., hell yeah, thats a cool pic, but Curry looks way thinner on that one for sure

The X, well Ohlbrecht is not that good honestly, but he has some Euro style (i.e. shooting, agility, handling) combined with a decent post game and good rebounding skills. His biggest problem is that he makes silly fouls all the time. Still for a 2nd rounder, I'd love to have a german guy on my team

Mark., thanks. You can't imagine how bad Tyson Chandler moves on offense around the basket. He cant even make the easiest layins if he has some average defender near him. Chandler's offense is just frustrating. His defense is very good though as well as his rebounding.

Lamrock, Ye, it would not work in real life because Curry does not get any playing time on the Knicks and thus no one would trade for him. In my Dynasty he has been seeing good minutes and showed up so I thought a trade could make sense. Diaw is not playing that well in real life, too. I mean he's their starting PF but is averaging about 4 boards per game. If Wallace was not that good on the boards, which he is not in my Dynasty, they would also have a problem with rebounds I guess.
Just as you say it, Chandler should start on the four. Curry cannot guard anybody, but especially none of these guys who can drive and shoot.

Thierry., Well okay But you did not like Diaw either I hope.

[Fresh8]

The Bobcats are so bad at the moment it's probably worth rolling the dice on Eddy Curry. And to all the doubters, if it worked for Grizzlies & Randolph, it can work for Bobcats & Curry

For the record, I always thought Randolph and AI would form a potent 1-2 punch and get Grizz to the playoffs... at least a part of that turned out good.

[kibaxx7]

Well okay But you did not like Diaw either I hope.

I like Diaw more than Curry, that's for sure, but I didn't like Diaw in this story

[The X]

If you want German then sign Ademola Okulaja (did I get the name correct?). I was always a fan of his high IQ play at UNC

The Bobcats are so bad at the moment it's probably worth rolling the dice on Eddy Curry. And to all the doubters, if it worked for Grizzlies & Randolph, it can work for Bobcats & Curry

For the record, I always thought Randolph and AI would form a potent 1-2 punch and get Grizz to the playoffs... at least a part of that turned out good.

I never thought playoffs. Maybe 35 wins. But yeah, Randolph is underrated only because he's considered such a cancer. I think Blazers need him back at the moment

[cavs4872]

I don't know much about Curry's game, but hopefully he will end up being a positive addition to your squad.

[hova-]

If you want German then sign Ademola Okulaja (did I get the name correct?). I was always a fan of his high IQ play at UNC

Ye Okulaja rocks, unfortunately he suffered from cancer 1 1/2 years ago and thus retired more or less unofficially.

[hova-]

Christmas special: Report

The lonesome Cat


Tyson Chandler does not show emotions very often on the court



Tyson Chandler has often felt what it is like to feel alone. What it feels like when no one believes in you. And what it feels like when you have to work hard to achieve something. Born in Hanford, California, Chandler attended powerhouse Compton Dominguez highschool leaving his mark with some striking performances.
As a senior, Tyson led the Dons to a 31-4 record and the California state championship behind his 26 points, 15 boards, and eight blocks a game.
Coming into the NBA, Chandler was said to be next big thing and got drafted as the second pick of the first round by the Clippers who sent him to the Bulls immediately. This was when things got harder. Averaging only 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds along with a team-high 1.3 blocks per game, Tyson had difficulties to match up the big expectations. "That's when you start feeling lonely. Like no one else has a strong believe in you on the basketball court. And that is also when you start to loose confidence.", the 7-2 center says.
So the at that time tall but skinny Chandler started to work even harder on his game. Tyson managed to improve on almost every category in his five seasons in Chicago and turned out to be one of the better post defenders in the league. In 2004 Chandler and the Bulls agreed on a new contract keeping him bound to the Bulls for another six years . But after a solid 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game season in 05/06 Tyson Chandler again had to find out what it means to be alone.
"When the Bulls told me that they had traded me right away to New Orleans it made me really sad at first. It felt like they betrayed me. Still I knew I could not be sad for long, because the Hornets were waiting for me and I already knew what I had to do as a pro basketballer. Just play the game.
The Chicago Bulls traded Chandler to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for PJ Brown and JR "Earl" Smith. "It was tough you know. We had married and my daughter was only 2 month old at that time. We wanted to settle down in Chicago".
But the next three years in New Orleans should be the best in his NBA career. Tyson posted a career high 12.4 rebounds per game in 06/07 and playing alongside Chris Paul, he averaged his first double-double for the season in 07/08 with 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Chandler further improved his game by working hard on it and shot over .62% from the field in consecutive season. He also gained even more attention for his stellar post defense.
But then, right on top of his career, Chandler again experienced what it feels like to be alone. Struggling with injuries, especially a complicated toe injury and with the Hornets experiencing economical problems, Chandler found himself faced with another dissappointment. The Hornets tried to trade him to the Thunder, but the trade failed since Chandler was not able to pass the medical. "I felt like, great, now I can stay with my beloved Hornets and my beloved teammates". But just after the season, the Hornets again executed a trade and this time Chandler did not fail the medical. In exchange for Emeka Okafor, Chandler was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.
"That was a hard one. They even could not tell me that it was for the money this time, with (Okafor) having this huge contract coming alongside him", a still angered but tempered Chandler says today. "It hit me, but it wasn't the first time, so I just handled it like a pro".

And how he handled it. On a semi-talented Bobcats squad, Chandler is the defensive insurance. He is scoring a career-low 4.4 points per game but is still effective at .602% from the field. "I do not need to score a lot of points and I know that. Coach told me what he wants me to do and I trust him 100%", Tyson says. His 10.7 boards per game are good enough for 9th in the league, and his 1.8 blocks match a career-high for him.
With Eddy Curry arriving in Charlotte, Chandler feels even more enthusiastic about the whole situation, despite the Cats struggling at 6-19. "We have a lot of combinations now and Coach also loves that. We can put up twin towers with me and (Curry), we can defend well in the post or against smaller guys with me and (Wallace) and we can also be stellar on offense with (Curry) and (Mohammed) or (Wallace).", Chandler says. He does not need to touch the ball on offense and he even takes seat on the bench if the Cats need some inside offense. "I'm a pro, you tell me to sit down on some possessions I'm gonna do that" All I want is winning."

Chandler is glad that they do not talk about him anymore like they did in his rookie days. He is glad that the Bobcats have other players drawing the attention. That there are guys like Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace who have the mic in their hand as well as the ball on offense. He does not want to stand out anymore. All he wants is winning. Getting back to playoffs, defending and cover the teammates' backs. And one thing.
He does not want to be left alone again.


Text: Ris Chov

[kibaxx7]

I like more Chandler than Curry Shame those injuries he had in his career.

[Fresh8]

I want Tyson and Curry to decimate opponent teams

[Valor]

nice acquisition, a fat boy for another fat boy
go Chandler!

[hova-]

ONLY THREE QUARTERS PLAYED

Knicks beat Bobcats in Curry's debut

New York, December 20th

The Charlotte Bobcats suffered their 7th consecutive loss and their 3rd consecutive against the Knicks last night, as they simply could not get it done on both ends of the floor. Having problems against the high-octane Knicks offense for both of the last games, the Bobcats were still not able to adjust and also lost the 3rd meeting clearly.
The Knicks already led by 20 at the halftime thanks to a big game by Nate Robinson. "KryptoNate" scored 28 points, dished out a season-high 12 assists and shot an effective 11-20 from the field including 3-7 from downtown. The Knicks had 31 assists and were only outscored by the Bobcats in the 3rd.
For Charlotte, Eddy Curry had a solid first outing, scoring 13 points and grabbing 4 boards in 29 minutes of action. But you also noticed that he is a liability on defense with the Knicks running up and down the court. Stephen Jackson scored 23 and Wallace added 14 in what was never a close game.
For the Knicks, David Lee had 11 and 15 boards and Jordan Hill had a double-double off the bench, 10 and 10.

Knicks Boxscore
Bobcats Boxscore







SIMULATED GAME

Bobcats snap seven game loosing streak vs Detroit

Charlotte, December 22th
After dropping seven in a row, a very strong defensive outing helped the Bobcats to finally grab a win. Behind 17 points and 7 assists from Stephen Jackson, Charlotte dominated the game after halftime, where they outscored the Pistons by 9. DJ Augustin added 13 points and Nazr Mohammed and Tyson Chandler combined for 21 boards. For the Pistons, one of the worst offensive teams in the league, Rip Hamilton had 21 and Ben Gordonadded 12, no other Pistons climbed the double figures. Flip Murray added 13 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Pistons Boxscore
Bobcats Boxscore








Stephen Jackson's buzzerbeater lifts the Bobcats past the Thunder

Jackson hit the game winner to fall Thunder

Oklahoma City, December 26th
The Charlotte Bobcats win their second game in a row in what was a very exciting matchup against the OKC Thunder. Eddy Curry came up big for the first time for his new team as he scored 25 points, 10 of them in the first quarter, and also grabbed 6 boards. He shot an superb 11-14 from the field.
But the star of the game was Stephen Jackson. Despite shooting not so well, Jax had already scored 23 points with 00:25 left in the game. The Bobcats were up by two after a made shot from Raymond Felton and the Thunder were up to inbound the ball. Charlotte played pesky defense but OKC managed to score as Russell Westbrook threw the ball over the top of the defenders to find James Harden for an alley-oop layin with 18 seconds left on the clock to tie the game. It was Westbrook's 15th assists, a new career-high for the young jumper out of UCLA. Harden scored 24 points.
"It was a very intelligent play. You know, (Westbrook) still has to learn the game and it was a risky pass, but the right one with the Cats being all over us defensively on that play", Coach Scott Brooks said later.
The Bobcats called a timeout and Coach Hov set up a play for Stephen Jackson. Despite the play not working properly, Jackson got the ball and went inside to fake a drive against Kevin Durant. With Durant all over him, Jackson stopped and went for a pull-up jumper as time expired. And he hit it. 99-97 Bobcats.
"That's his game, that's what he likes to do. Decide games. I'm proud of him but also proud of the other guys. Everyone stepped on the court and did his job, I don't remember a game where the rotation worked that well", an euphoric Hov told media afterwards.
And he was right. The Bobcats played superb defense on Kevin Durant, credits go to Gerald Wallace, who also had 13 defensive rebounds, and Gerald Henderson who gave Wallace a rest and did the same fantastic job on making Durant feeling uncomfortable on the court. "KD" scored 14 of 6-14 shots.
"Our plan was him not even getting the ball, and we did a great job", team captain Wallace said.
When Durant was on the bench, the Bobcats went with a combination of Chandler and Curry to prohibit the drive of Westbrook and Harden.
Both had problems with Jeff Green though, who scored 24 points. On the other side, the Thunder could not stop Eddy Curry inside.
The Bobcats celebrate a great win and hope to keep their streak going against the Bucks next week.

Thunder Boxscore
Bobcats Boxscore
Play Of The Game: Stephen Jackson hits the game winner at the buzzer.

phpBB [video]

Cavs loose three in a row
For the first time of the season the Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped three games in a row. On their western road trip, the Cavs lost consecutive games against the Mavs (82-115/Terry, Nowitzki 28p) and the Suns (103-106/ Amare 29/16) before heading to Los Angles on Boxing day for the big showdown between LeBron and Kobe. Black mamba had the better end as the Lakers beat the Cavs in a convincing way 92-103. Kobe scored 40 points and Lamar Odom added 12 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists off the bench to beat LeBron's monster stat line of 23 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals.

Williams sets career-high, pushes Jazz to 3-0
Deron Williams and the Jazz are back streaking from win to win as they went 3-0 for the week and still sit atop of the Western Conference. Williams had a career-high 21 assists along with 16 points in a 89-113 blowout win against the Philadelphia 76ers @Energy Solutions Arena.

Mavs get back on winning track, take 3 in a row
Thanks to Dirk Nowitzki's stellar week the Dallas Mavericks have won three in a row, all on their homecourt. Dirk scored 28 in a 82-115 win against the Cavs and had 25 and 15 boards in a close games against the Blazers, 102-103. His highest scoring output came against Memphis, as he scored 23 and grabbed 12 boards in a blowout win against the Grizzlies, 78-98.

LeBron, Ariza take home Players of the week honors
Trevor Ariza of the Rockets and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers were named players of the week despite both teams experiencing loosing weeks. The Cavs went a very surprising 1-3 this week whilst the Rockets lost two of their three games this week.
LeBron averaged 30.5 points, 9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and very decent 3.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game. But James also had 5.75 turnovers per game.
Ariza averaged 24.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as well as 5.3 assists and 4.6 steals per game.

Knicks react on trade, sign Mihm
The New York Knicks decided to bolster their frontcourt with Eddy Curry leaving last week by adding Chris Mihm to their roster. Mihm will earn around the minimum for one year. He hols career averages of 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

McGrady is back
The Houstons Rockets will welcome back Tracy McGrady on the court next week. McGrady who missed half of last season and is yet to play this season said that his knees feel very good and he cannot await to come back on the court.

[The X]

Congrats on buzzer beater. You must've been jumping out of your seat on that one

[hova-]

The X, That game was just so cool to play. Realistic all the way. Wallace had the task to deny Durant the ball and did that very very well, BUT his stamina went down like hell then. So Gerald Henderson had to come in and did really well on denying Durant.
But Green got hot then, because Chandler cannot stop him one-on-one and they ran isolations for him. So I had to put Wallace in at PF to contain Green and Henderson had to deny Durant the ball. When Jackson and Felton could not score, I put Curry on C to score inside. But as he is a liability I always take him out when anybody else is hot on offense.

My new rotation worked really well against the Thunder. And when I hit this shot I was like HELLYEAH!