Skip's Orlando Magic Dynasty: Just Like a New Car Smell

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Orlando Magic Dynasty: Just Like a New Car Smell

Introduction
Hello, I am Stuart and welcome to my Orlando Magic Dynasty for NBA Live 2005 on the Playstation 2. I chose Orlando because they have an exciting future and a good blend of new players, hence the title. Add in Grant Hill and this is a team that could make some noise at the playoffs.......................providing they make it. I would appreciate it if no-one posted until I have set everything out and then you may post.

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Off Season
October 20, 2004: Orlando gets Pre-season training underway
The Orlando Magic went through their gruelling Pre-Season training and it was a success. Almost every player on the Magic roster got better and they all showed their new GM that they deserved to stay on the roster, but would they fit into the rotation? One player who was definitely staying on was big man Andrew DeClercq. DeClercq worked hard all off-season and he increased he’s ability to score in every category. “I knew my head was on the chopping block if I didn’t improve over the off-season and so far, so good. But I’ve got to use the skills in games.” Declercq said.

October 13, 2004: Wilson announced as new Magic GM
The Orlando Magic has announced today that Stuart Wilson has been named their new General Manager. Wilson, who has dreamt of controlling an NBA team since he was a child, was ecstatic. “It still hasn’t sunk in and I just can’t believe I was picked over the other applicants, there was some real talent there.” Wilson said. “Orlando has such a great future and I will do everything in my power to enhance that”.

Transactions

October 31, 2004: Bell signed by Magic

With one spot remaining on the Orlando roster, the Magic signed Point Guard Troy Bell to a one year contract, the amount of money was not disclosed. GM Wilson completed his Free Agent search for now by signing the 23 year old who was waived by Memphis after just he’s first year. “I think Troy was a real steal for us and he can really benefit from being around guys like Steve Francis to enhance his game.” Wilson said. Bell was a second backup option for Memphis last season and he didn’t find much court time but he was optimistic about joining the Magic. “They have a nice blend of younger and older players, and I can’t wait to get started” Bell said.

October 29, 2004: Minard signed by Magic

Orlando has announced today that they have signed Shooting Guard Ricky Minard to a one year deal; the amount of money was not disclosed. Just one day after GM Wilson waived two players, he signed the 22 year old rookie. “Not much is known about Ricky but he is more of a long term player for us and although he may not get the minutes he wants just yet, he will become a part of our rotation in the near future,” Wilson said at the press conference. Minard said he was hopeful a team would sign him, but had nearly given up hope. “I was already talking with NBDL teams about signing a contract with one of them but when Stuart called me I was over the moon. I didn’t expect to get a second chance” he said.

October 28, 2004: Kasun, Hunter waived before first game

With about a week to go before Orlando’s first game GM Wilson has waived Centre Mario Kasun and Power Forward Brandon Hunter. “These two guys haven’t been around the team for long and they just weren’t going to get the minutes they wanted here.” Wilson said. “We already had enough players filling their spots and we need a couple more guards now to top off our roster.” The signing of two guards are to be named in the next 2-3 days.

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Roster
C Kelvin Cato
PF Dwight Howard
SF Grant Hill
SG Cuttino Mobley
PG Steve Francis
SG Hedo Turkoglu
C Tony Battie
SG Deshawn Stevenson
C Andrew DeClercq
PF Pat Garrity
PG Jameer Nelson
SF Stacey Augmon
PF Michael Bradley
PG Troy Bell
SG Ricky Minard

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Around the League

Transactions
November 5, 2004: Los Angeles Clippers sign Marcus Haislip
November 3, 2004: New York Knicks sign Donnell Harvey
Los Angeles Clippers release Rick Brunson

Injuries
Team Injury type Duration
Dajuan Wagner Cle strained calf muscle 11 days
Dirk Nowitzki Dal sprained thumb 7 weeks
Chauncey Billups Det broken nose 2 weeks
Stacey Augmon Orl sprained ankle 6 days
Joe Johnson Pho broken nose 2 weeks
Howard Eisley Utah strained shoulder 8 days

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Awards

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Retired Jerseys and Misc.

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You may now post!

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Milwaukee @ Orlando
Pre-Game Outlook
Orlando and Milwaukee start off their seasons against eachother and both of these teams had remarkably different seasons last season. Milwaukee made it through to the playoffs thanks to the always on-fire Michael Redd and solid contributions from Keith Van Horn and Desmond Mason. Orlando on the other hand finished up in the lottery but did get some compensation when they selected Dwight Howard with the first pick.

Milwaukee was quiet during the offseason. They signed some minor players here and there but overall they pretty much kept their roster like it was. However, Orlando acquired playmaker Steve Francis and traded away Tracy McGrady to Houston.

Starting Lineups

Milwaukee
C Dan Gadzuric
PF Joe Smith
SF Keith Van Horn
SG Michael Redd
PG T.J Ford

Orlando
C Kelvin Cato
PF Dwight Howard
SF Grant Hill
SG Cuttino Mobley
PG Steve Francis

1st Quarter
Milwaukee jumped out of the blocks quickly with T.J Ford scoring and finding everyone open on the floor. Michael Redd didn't touch the ball for a long time suprisingly but when he finally got it he started shooting the lights out. The Magic rallied but a quick steal by Desmond Mason which led to a jam at the other end extended the Bucks lead to seven. But thanks to the red hot shooting of Cuttino Mobley the Magic managed to close the gap and eventually take the lead by 1 point at the first change.

2nd Quarter
The second quarter was going well for the Magic until their best player of the game so far, Cuttino Mobley, got fouled hard and ended up spraining a finger. With him out of the picture for now the Bucks started to take over with Joe Smith grabbing every rebound in sight and Michael Redd continuously scoring over the smaller Jameer Nelson. Stacey Augmon came on and immediately made an impact by stripping Keith Van Horn of the ball then racing up court to jam it home like the 'Plastic Man' of old. Orlando lost a bit of ground with Mobley off and they found themselves down 44-39 at the half.

Best Players at the Half
T.J Ford 14 points and 3 steals
Kelvin Cato 3 points and 6 rebounds

3rd Quarter
With the game slipping away from the Magic Cuttino Mobley found the courage to come back onto the court and was instantly a part of the action. With one quick swipe he stole the ball, raced up court and slammed it home with one hand to bring it back to an 11 point game. Dwight Howard in his first game did exactly the same then and he dunked on T.J Ford and sent him flying to the ground. The crowd went wild. But no matter how pumped the Magic got they just could not play defence and Milwaukee had a 12 point advantage heading into the final term. Redd scored 11 points in the 3rd while Howard and Mobley got 6 each in the 3rd.

4th Quarter
The last quarter was almost basket for basket the whole way until the Play of the Game occured. Michael Redd found himself open (at least he thought he was) but to his surprise Dwight Howard came sailing from the side to swat the ball in Orlando's direction, then Mobley ran onto it and slammed one down to bring it back to 10 points with 4 minutes to go. Orlando tried their best but they just could not get the win.

Final Score
Milwaukee 102 Orlando 91

Player of the Game
Dan Gadzuric: 9 points, 15 rebounds, 9 blocks, 1 steal.

Cuttino Mobley was the standout player for Orlando scoring 17 points in only 19 minutes. One positive out of this loss though was the return of Grant Hill. He showed that his injuries are behind him with two high soaring jams. Dwight Howard also recorded a double-double in his first ever NBA game.

Francis and the Magic were trying to hide after this poor display

Cuttino Mobley is being placed on the injured list momenterily after spraining his finger. Even though the doctors said he is right to play the Magic do not want to risk it this early in the season and new signee Ricky Minard will come off the IR and onto the bench. Hedo Turkoglu will now start.

[Ataraxia]

nice, Troy Bell is a nice pickup

Good luck to u man....this dynasty should be interesting.

[kibaxx7]

It will be more interesting if you post at least one image

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It will be more interesting if you post at least one image

I'm thinking of having images from the game but cos it's on PS2 they might not look to good with my digital camera. If anyone knows how to take effective photos of a TV without all the bluriness please tell

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Orlando@ New Orleans
Pre-Game Outlook
Orlando will try to regroup after their opening game loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and will have to try and do that without the services of starting shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. Mobley sprained his finger while going for a layup against the Bucks, and was OK to return to the game, but scans afterwards discovered he could play the next two games with it, but the Bucks decided not to risk it. Deshawn Stevenson will take his place in the starting lineup. Turkoglu was said to be the man to start but when New Orleans released their starting lineup Stevenson was the better option.

Starting Lineups
Orlando
C Kelvin Cato
PF Dwight Howard
SF Grant Hill
SG Deshawn Stevenson
PG Steve Francis

New Orleans
C Jamaal Magloire
PF Rodney Rogers
SF Jamal Mashburn
SG Baron Davis
PG Junior Harrington

1st Quarter
Orlando again got off to a slow start as the Hornets got out to a 10-2 break thanks to the poor defence of Orlando. It didn’t get better for Orlando either when Stacey Augmon was fouled and hurt his calf. It wasn’t a game ending injury but it still took it’s toll as the Hornets stretched their lead even further. But then Baron Davis found himself injured and out for the remainder of the quarter after a heavy bump. One highlight for the quarter was when Steve Francis found himself open on the break and he did a tomahawk dunk from the dotted line. Jamal Mashburn was unstoppable for the Hornets though, scoring 13 points in the first. At the end of the quarter New Orleans led by 6.

2nd Quarter
The second quarter started with a courageous Stacey Augmon rejoining the lineup after his injury. It pumped up the team immensely. Augmon picked off a pass, charged up the court and slammed it home to bring it back to a 4 point game. And then Tony Battie swatted a shot into Dwight Howard’s hands and he slammed one home up the other end. Orlando kept with the Hornets and then tied the game when Steve Francis slammed another one home. But New Orleans still took a narrow lead with them into the second half leading by 4.

Players of the Half
Jamal Mashburn 19 points and 6 rebounds
Kelvin Cato 5 points and 8 blocks

3rd Quarter
Baron Davis and Steve Francis traded dunks to tie the scores up and it was close all the way in the third with Davis nailing a 3 pointer to tie the game once more with 2 minutes to go in the third. Orlando had one last chance to take the lead heading into the final quarter and they did it in emphatic style as Francis dunked the ball home just beating the clock. Magic up by 2.

4th Quarter
Orlando collapsed. The Hornets gave everything they had and soon had a 10 point buffer to ease them towards victory. Every time Davis touched the ball the crowd chanted “MVP”. It was another loss to the Magic.

Final Score
Orlando 90 – New Orleans 98
Player of the Game
Jamal Mashburn: 31 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 assists.

Cato jams it on P.J Brown
Steve Francis was the lone hand for the Mobley-less Magic scoring 17 points and dishing out seven assists. Stacey Augmon was placed on the IL after Doctors confirmed it would be best if he rested. Michael Bradley came on to the roster.

[SkipToMy_Lou]

Looks good, but your nicks to similar to mine

[Yessie]

Looks good, but your nicks to similar to mine

one of you just call yourself Rafer or Alston. just playing
nice dynasty Skip

[Micchy_boy]

Looks good, but your nicks to similar to mine

ows i thought it was you.

well great dynasty so far. keep it up

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Orlando @ Charlotte
Pre-Game Outlook
The new Charlotte Bobcats won their first ever game against Washington, and were looking for their second when they came up against the winless Magic. Now with no energetic Stacey Augmon coming off the bench and still without Cuttino Mobley, the Bobcats had no better opportunity to beat the Magic. Just like the LeBron V Carmelo matchups of last season, the Howard V Okafor battle will be just as special, with Emeka grabbing 20 rebounds in his first ever game.

Starting Lineups
Orlando
C Kelvin Cato
PF Dwight Howard
SF Grant Hill
SG Deshawn Stevenson
PG Steve Francis

Charlotte
C Emeka Okafor
PF Melvin Ely
SF Gerald Wallace
SG Steve Smith
PG Brevin Knight

1st Quarter
For once Orlando was the team that got off to a flyer, with Steve Francis and Grant Hill holding down the fort against a young, running Bobcats side. One highlight was when Emeka Okafor blocked Kelvin Cato, led the fast break, went up for the dunk, but then Cato came back and blocked his shot. Charlotte took the lead momentarily but a Steve Francis 360 jam gave the Magic the lead and they found themselves up by 6 at the first change. Okafor already had accumulated 8 points.

2nd Quarter
Charlotte regrouped in the second quarter and took it to the Magic, eventually taking control and taking the lead. Steve Smith went crazy for the Bobcats. After not scoring, he scored the next 10 points by himself including two 3 pointers to create a buffer. A funny moment during the quarter occurred when Brevin Knight found himself being posted up by Dwight Howard, then he was dunked on and sent flying to the ground. But Charlotte had done enough to be up by 7 at the half.

Players of the Half
Dwight Howard: 14 points and 3 rebounds
Melvin Ely: 6 points and 7 rebounds

3rd Quarter
The third quarter was one of the biggest scraps that the NBA had ever seen. Every point was well earnt, mostly from the free throw line, and Orlando was better adjusted to this type of play. Kelvin Cato hit a mid-range jumper to give the Magic the lead and at the end of the quarter they had a 3 point lead. Tony Battie shocked all with a 7 point performance in the quarter.

4th Quarter
Orlando continued where they left off as they powered to a 7 point lead on a Grant Hill jumpshot, but in a huge turn of events Charlotte held the lead with 5 minutes left. But that all changed when maybe Play of the Year occurred. Steve Smith drove to the bucket and was set to lay it in when Dwight Howard came out of nowhere and swatted it out to the 3 point line. Grant Hill gathered, spun round an opponent, went up for the dunk over Ely, changed his shot and flipped it in for the 2 points and the foul! After that incredible play the Magic weren’t going to lose this and they came out victorious on the road.

Final Score
Orlando 93 – Charlotte 86

Player of the Game
Kelvin Cato: 4 points, 13 rebounds, 7 blocks, 2 steals

Stevenson played well when he started
Orlando Head Coach Johnny Davis was filled with pride after the game. “It may have only been a win against the expansion team, but this type of win can set up a season” he said. With Cuttino Mobley coming back into the starting lineup for their next game, Deshawn Stevenson would have to take his place back on the bench. “It’s a real shame for Deshawn you know” Davis said. “He played extremely well when he started for us, but it will be great to have Cuttino back”. Stevenson averaged 12.5 ppg and 4 rpg as a starter.

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Dallas @ Orlando
Pre-Game Outlook
Orlando takes to the floor tonight knowing that star guard Cuttino Mobley is right and ready to add to the scoring. Mobley missed two games with a sprained finger and Orlando went 1-1 in his absence. They take on a Dallas outfit that will be without star forward Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki will miss at least 7 weeks after a freak injury where new guard Jason Terry passed the ball a little too hard to him and it sprained Dirk’s thumb.

Starting Line-ups
Dallas
C Erick Dampier
PF Alan Henderson
SF Jerry Stackhouse
SG Michael Finley
PG Jason Terry

Orlando
C Kelvin Cato
PF Dwight Howard
SF Grant Hill
SG Cuttino Mobley
PG Steve Francis

1st Quarter
You know when you are playing the Dallas Mavericks that it’s going to be a high-scoring affair, and this was no exception. Orlando got the upper hand at the start and soared to a 10 point lead after, once again, a Steve Francis slam. Orlando ended up leading by 7 points at the quarter, with Dwight Howard dominating the rebounds with 6.

2nd Quarter
The second quarter surprisingly slowed down in pace, as each team now had time to think about what they were doing. Cuttino Mobley showed he was back when he missed a layup, got it back, layed it back in and got fouled to tie up the game. Orlando were only just able to hang on to the lead at the half, leading by 2.

Players of the Half
Jason Terry: 8 points and 3 steals
Dwight Howard: 11 points and 11 rebounds

3rd Quarter
Dallas started well with 3 pointers by Finley and Terry, and looked like they were going to take off, but Mobley’s steal and dunk brought it back to a 4 point deficit. But Dallas shrugged that off to surge forward once more. Orlando made a slight comeback and capped off the quarter with a great play. Terry drove and went to lay it in, but Kelvin Cato had other ideas and swatted it straight back to Grant Hill who slammed with 9 seconds to go and bridged the gap.

4th Quarter
The Magic started off strong in the last quarter and Deshawn Stevenson showed why he should be named in the Slam Dunk Competition after his up and under jam to tie the game up. After two more Dallas scores Cuttino Mobley put down a jam of his own, and then the very next play Howard blocked rookie Devin Harris, Francis soared up the other end and tomahawked it down to tie the game once more. Dallas then had a bit of a run going but the Magic pulled them back, and when Francis made two free throws, scores were level with 1:30 remaining in the game. With 11 seconds left Orlando trailed by three and called a timeout. They called a pick and roll for Cuttino Mobley, no one came out so he spotted up and shot the three......................it swished! This game was going to overtime.

Overtime
Orlando didn’t have the legs to go with Dallas and they lost barely and were utterly disappointed. The experience of Stackhouse and Finley was too much for the Magic who turned the ball over regularly.

Final Score
Dallas 117 – Orlando 112

Player of the Game
Jerry Stackhouse: 29 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 assists

Francis lays it in
Orlando had many great contributors, including Steve Francis who scored a season high 26 points, while Dwight Howard and Kelvin Cato both recorded double-doubles. Coach Johnny Davis was far from pleased. “We came here tonight to win and we believed we could win with their best player out. Our inexperience at crunch time really shone through” Davis said. “We really let down our fans on our home court and we are going to have to bounce back and show them that we can still win” captain Grant Hill said.

[Yessie]

wow must have been a rough game even without Dirk dallas seems to get it done in Live, very much doubt they be able to do the same in real life. great update.

any trades rumors in orlando?