Tuomas' Raptors - Raptors Fall To Bulls, VC nets 48

[Tuomas]

I don't have a good computer, I don't have Live 06. That's why I'm still playing NBA Live 2001. And it's still fun. So I figured that I could start writing stuff here, so I started a new franchise to share with you, if anyone even checks this section
This franchise is all about retro. A retro video game, old rosters. I am replaying the 2000-2001 season, when in real-life Lakers won the chip over Philly. Let's see what happens now...

ROSTER INFO: I am using EA:s default rosters but I have edited most of the players so they are as good as they are today or good as they have been, so for example Latrell Sprewell is still at top of his game and Kenyon Martin could have one hell of a rookie season.

Anyways, here is the info for the franchise:



Game: NBA Live 2001
Team: Toronto Raptors
Game Length: 12 min
Sim Length: 12 min
Difficulty: Superstar

[Tuomas]

Toronto Raptors (5-2)
Season 2000-2001


Updated April 2nd 06


Click here for first week's player stats



Oct. 31 : Det @ Tor - 82-75 (L)
Nov. 1 : Tor @ Phi - 77-72 (W)
Nov. 3 : Tor @ Bos - 99-87 (W)
Nov. 4 : Was @ Tor - 80-95 (W)
Nov. 7 : Bos @ Tor - 87 - 93 (W)
Nov. 10: Cle @ Tor - 81 - 85 (W)
Nov. 11: Tor @ Chi - 116-117 (L)
Nov. 16: Por @ Tor
Nov. 18: Mil @ Tor
Nov. 20: Cha @ Tor
Nov. 23: Tor @ Ind
Nov. 25: Tor @ Nyk
Nov. 26: Chi @ Tor
Nov. 28: Tor @Dal
Nov. 29: Tor @ Cha

[Tuomas]

Standings for week 1:








League Leaders for week 1.:

Points:
1. S. O'Neal (LAL) - 31.0
2. V. Carter (TOR) - 30.0
3. Karl Malone (UTA) - 27.5
4. Gary Payton (SEA) - 27.2
5. Larry Hughes (GSW) - 26.3

Rebounds:
1. D. Fortson (GSW) - 18.0
2. D. Mutombo (ATL) - 14.2
3. S. O'Neal (LAL) - 13.5
4. T. Duncan (SAS) - 13.0
- K. Garnett (MIN) - 13.0

Assists:
1. J. Kidd (PHO) - 11.2
2. J. Stockton (UTA) - 9.5
3. T. Brandon (MIN) - 9.2
4. M. Bibby (VAN) - 9.0
5. G. Payton (SEA) - 8.5

Blocks:
1. A. Davis (TOR) - 6.2
2. V. Carter (TOR) - 4.0
3. A. Mourning (MIA) - 3.6
4. S. O'Neal (LAL) - 3.5
5. M. Olowokandi (TOR) - 3.3

Steals:
1. M. Jackson (TOR) - 6.0
2. A. Griffin (BOS) - 5.0
3. A. Iverson (PHI) - 3.6
4. E. Jones (MIA) - 3.0
- M. Smith (WAS) - 3.0

Minutes:
1. K. Anderson (BOS) - 40.3
2. S. O'Neal (LAL) - 39.7
3. S. Marion (PHO) - 39.5
- G. Payton (SEA) - 39.5
5. L. Sprewell (NYK) - 39.0

[Tuomas]

2000-2001 Season preview

Last season Lakers beat the Pacers in the finals with Shaq and Kobe capturing their first championship. It could be one for many for the dynamic duo. One night away of the season tipoff, let's look at some of the teams in the league:

Boston Celtics:
The Celtics have a good starting lineup with Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Jerome Moiso. The duo of Pierce and Walker have to bring it early since the teams bench can't provide much firepower, althought they have some good role players in Tony Battie, Adrian Griffin and Walter McCarty.

Charlotte Hornets:
Will Baron Davis erupt this season? That might be the question that defines Charlotte's success this season since the roster isn't among the best in the league. Jamal Magloire is going to bring some production inside, while Jamal Mashburn and Damon Wesley will bring outside shooting.

Chicago Bulls:
As one of the most interesting teams entering this season, Chicago has the potential to surprise anyone. Althought their bench is weak, they have a strong all-around starting lineup of Brad Miller, Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Jamal Crawford and Bryce Drew.

Dallas Mavericks:
Dallas is pretty solid in every aspect but the faith of the team lies on the shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash.

Indiana Pacers:
If Jermaine O'Neal comes out like he should, the Pacers could be in for a monster season. The team begins the season with high hopes for O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose.

Los Angeles Clippers:
It finally seems like the Lakers are going to get some competition from their hometown rival. The Clippers are going to be a fun team to watch with Lamar Odom, Corey Maggette, Darius Miles, Earl Boykins, Quentin Richardson and Jeff McInnis.

Los Angeles Lakers:
A repeat is more than possible for LAL. The duo of Kobe and Shaq should and will continue their domination from the start of the season. LA also sports a strong supporting cast, for example Horace Grant, Devean George, Robert Horry and Isaiah Rider.

Miami Heat:
Is this the year Miami will take over? If Alonzo Mourning keeps dominating the post, it could be a long playoff run. The team is expecting a strong season for rising swingman Ricky Davis and starters Eddie Jones and Tim Hardaway. They also have some great role players in Bruce Bowen, Eddie House and Anthony Mason.

Milwaukee:
The Bucks have a frightening backcourt of Ray Allen, Sam Cassel, Michael Redd and Rafer Alston. Glenn Robinson and Tim Thomas should provide inside scoring.

New York:
New York looks to it's three biggest stars; Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and Marcus Camby to lead them to the finals again like 1999. Help should come in their strong bench: Larry Johnson, Kurt Thomas, Glen Rice.

Orlando:
Orlando's success depends on the duo of Grant Hill-Tracy McGrady.

Philadelphia:
Allen Iverson has now a supporting cast of Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, Jumaine Jones and Speedy Claxton. It could be a great season in Philly if things start clicking.

Portland:
Portland has one of the most solid rosters of the league. Rasheed Wallace leads the pack with Arvydas Sabonis, Scottie Pippen, Steve Smith, Damon Stoudamire, Dale Davis, Shawn Kemp and Bonzi Wells.

Sacramento:
Offence is the name of the game here but don't think they will let you easy on the other end... Sacramento's starting lineup at the moment: Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, Predrag Stojakovic, Doug Christie, Jason Williams.

San Antonio:
Champs in 1999, the Spurs are looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the league, lead by the Twin Towers, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Youngsters like Malik Rose and Anthony Daniels are bringing some needed support from the bench.

Seattle:
Gary Payton's team is looking forward to a good season with Vin Baker, Rashard Lewis, Desmond Mason, Ruben Patterson and Brent Barry.

Utah Jazz:
Is the duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton finally getting too old? We will see that soon. In the meantime newcomer DeShawn Stevenson looks to rock the rims in Utah.

Vancouver:
Vancouver could be a surpriser with Stromile Swift, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Michael Dickerson and Mike Bibby.





Raptors start season against the Pistons

Toronto's season begins tomorrow at home against the Detroit Pistons.
This season the Raptors need Vince Carter to be the man of the franchise more than ever and that is what is expected tomorrow. Toronto also needs solid contributions from center Antonio Davis and forward/guard Mo Peterson.
Detroit will be a tough on the defensing end with Ben Wallace guarding the post. Toronto needs to succeed in outside shooting and Jerry Stackhouse needs to be tamed in order to earn the W.

[Tuomas]

Scroll down for recap, player of the game, box scores, play of the game (video) and game analysis.



Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons started the season facing off in Air Canada Centre. The fans were waiting for a good season opener and of course a W, so everyone was amped when it got close to the tipoff.



1st Quarter
Detroit starts the quarter with very strong defense and Toronto tried to match the intensity. Both teams commit lots of turnovers and there hasn't been much scoring. Both teams struggle at shooting. Vince Carter comes up strong and gets a few dunks, including a massive tomahawk over two pistons that ended up as the play of the game.


2nd Quarter
Corliss Williamson gives the Raptors a spark off the bench with a dunk and a couple of easy baskets. Detroit keeps struggling on offense except for Jerry Stackhouse, who makes some big shots to keep the score close.

Left: VC with one of his highlights in the first game of the season. - Right: Joe Smith hits his only points at the buzzer to cut Toronto's lead to two points.


3rd Quarter
Vince Carter starts the quarter with a dunk on his defender but later on gets his 4th foul and sits down. After that Toronto's struggles on the offensive end and is forced to some bad shots around the hoop.

4th Quarter
Ben Wallace keeps patrolling the post and comes up with some big defensive plays down the stretch. Toronto seems to lost control of the game but hangs on within a couple of points. Detroit records 7 steals and 11 more than Toronto in the game. Vince Carter can't lift his team in the end, while Jerry Stackhouse finishes a solid performance with 21 pts and 10 rebs. Detroit wins the game 82-75.

Left: Vince Carter opens the second half with a huuuuge slam! - Right: Ben Wallace played strong on the defensive end, her blocking Antonio Davis' layup.







CLICK FOR BOX SCORE




Shot Chart for Toronto:


Player Of The Game:


Top Performers
Detroit - Mikki Moore: 12pts, 60%fgp, 12rebs, 2blks
Toronto - Vince Carter: 22pts, 8rebs, 2stl, 11to

Play Of The Game:

Vince Carter slams a monster tomahawk over two Pistons.
Click here for video

Analysis:
Both teams seemed very intensive at the start of the game but that might have been frustration, since both teams had lot of turnovers in the first quarter. Shooting was poor through the whole game; Raptors struggled from the 3pt line (1/16 ) and the free throw line (14/23).
Vince Carter didn't have his best game. The 22 points he scored don't compensate the 10 turnovers he made. Toronto made bad decisions as a team during the whole game and Detroit took advantage of it. Stackhouse had a great game and the whole Pistons squad did a great job on defense.

[Tuomas]

Raptors to face Sixers

Toronto looks to win the second game of the season against the 76ers tomorrow. The 76ers are coming off from a 84-91 loss to the New York Knicks. Raptors have a tough task to contain Allen Iverson and get around Theo Ratliff and Nazr Mohammed in the paint.
Toronto's Morris Peterson:
"Our shooting yesterday was awful to look at. We are looking to bounce back and our next task is to keep Allen Iverson as quiet as possible."
Defense is the name of the game tomorrow but Toronto also needs to get more points from it's starter.
Last night's low scoring season opener was the first game for rookie Morris Peterson.

Probable starters for the 76ers:
C - Theo Ratliff
PF - Nazr Mohammed
SF - Jumaine Jones
SG - Allen Iverson
PG - Eric Snow


Big men needed

Raptors weren't very satisfied with the offseason moves and they are currentyl looking for atheltic big men and scoring guards. Rumors are that Charles Oakley, Muggsy Bogues and Alvin Williams have been part of some of trade negotiations.

[Jing]

wow a 2001 dynasty nice

[alexboom]

nice start, why didn't you give a try to Live 2000?

[Tuomas]

I don't know, maybe I prefer 2001 over 2000 or something... but 2003 was out of the question

[Jugs]

Nice, a live 2001 dynasty. Live 2001 was my first ever nba live game. Tough loss against the Pistons.

[Pera]

Good dynasty so far.

I just played the game yesterday and its still a lot off fun.

[Ruff Ryder]

Yea, nice start. VC is gonna dominate the league. BTW, can you post your ratings?

[Tuomas]

thanks everyone, I didn't believe this could get this much feedback in a few hours

I can post ratings, you want player ratings? I can do that...

btw, I changed quarter length to 12... I don't know what I was thinking, must have rememberd the scoring system wrong or mixed with another Live.

[Tuomas]

Scroll down for recap, player of the game, box scores, play of the game (video) and game analysis.



Both the 76ers and the Raptors had suffered a bitter loss so neither one didn't seem to back down. There were many expectations especially with the teams superstar's, Carter and Iverson. These two teams have a chance to meet in the playoffs (remember what really happened in 2001) so the 76ers had supportive homecrowd behind them.

1st Quarter
Vince Carter and Morris Peterson start the quarter driving to the basket. Philadelphia doesn't seem to be ready and Toronto opens the game with a 10-2 run. Theo Ratliff wakes up the crowd with a vicious putback that was the play of the game. Allen Iverson is clearly shadowed by Carter, who racks up 10 points in the quarter.

2nd Quarter
Allen Iverson makes the first two baskets of the quarter and Philadelphia starts to gain momentum. Toronto steps up on D and contains Iverson but Philly's supporting cast racks up points and finish the quarter with a 7-0 run and cuts the lead to 4 at halftime.

Left: VC drives to the hoop on route to 10 first quarter points. - Right: VC again, this time serving a huge facial on two defenders.


3rd Quarter
3rd quarter is about Vince Carter again. Philadelphia switches defenders from George Lynch to Jumaine Jones and Aaron McKie but nothing helps. Meanwhile Iverson has been locked down tightly and is held scorless for the quarter. Toronto starts to force Philadelphia to make poor decisions and manage to get plenty of blocked shots.

4th Quarter
Philadelphia starts shooting and gains some results and offensive rebounds. Toronto still manages to hold on to the lead and doesn't let Philadelphia into strike distance. Iverson tries to bail out his team at the end by shooting threes but nothing helps. Toronto wins it's second game of the season 77-72.

George Lynch reacts after a foul call. Desperation starts to rise.







CLICK FOR BOX SCORE




Shot Chart for Toronto:


Player Of The Game:


Top Performers
Philadelphia - Nazr Mohammed: 13pts, 12rebs, 2blks
Toronto - Morris Peterson: 17pts, 9rebs, 3ast, 1stl

Game Leaders:
Pts: Vince Carter - 33 (TOR)
Rebs: Nazr Mohammed - 12 (PHI)
Ast: Vernon Maxwell - 4 (PHI)

Play Of The Game:

Theo Ratliff with a big putback dunk.
Click here for video

Analysis:
Vince Carter had a terrific game for the Raptors, but like against Detroit he and the rest of a team have a hard time dealing with the ball pressure and it has cost too much turnovers. Philadelphia had very many offensive rebounds, especially in the 4th quarter. Toronto needs to develop in rebounding and handling the ball in under pressure. Again it was a terrible shooting day for both teams. Toronto managed to shoot 40% from the floor while Philly's FGpg was a lousy 27%!! The Raptors had a mediocre day from the stripe (22/35) and the 3pt line (3/13), when Philadelphia missed it's every one of the 19 shots behind the arc.

Player breakdown:
Vince Carter won the battle against Iverson, who had a miserable 10 points, must have been a bad day. Philadelphia's bench couldn't step up when needed. Only Nazr Mohammed and Matt Geiger got decent numbers. Toronto got a big lift from Morris Peterson's 17 and Antonio Davis' 19 points but their bench was pretty quiet as well.


Next Game

Tomorrow Toronto will continue their three game roadtrip visiting the Boston Celtics. The Celtics lost their only game to Detroit 85-90.
Both teams need to get a big load of points from their stars (Pierce, Walker). Defense plays a big part too for Toronto since that is one area they need to step up in addition to poor shooting the team has displayed in the first two games.




Here are the scores for all games for the day:

[Abctest123]

2001 raptors? this brings back so many memories. carter was so dominant back then.

by the way, i have one suggestion, why dont you put mopete at sg and carter at sf?

[Mikki]

Oh my Finnboy! You have come back from the NLSC Graveyard! lol

[Cloudy]

SHIT! This is tight man!! Really like the dunk animations! Oh and facial expression!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tuomas]

@drunkmofo: I might do that later on... depends on the matchup, right now I want to take advantage of VC:s outside shooting.

@Mikki: haven't just got myself checking here too often lately. Live 2001 owns all. But Live 07 is something I will get either on pc or ps3, if the console comes out this year.

[Marquis]

Great!!!

Glad to see that Carter is still at Toronto

Great presentation man, keep going

[shadowgrin]

Player Of The Game:

VC with a triple-double!

[Tuomas]

haha I don't know if you can count a triple double with 33 points, 10 blocks and 15 turnovers

[zmac]

Nice man, liking it so far....
Makes me feel like getting 2001 and doin one of my own .

[Tuomas]

Scroll down for recap, player of the game, box scores, play of the game (video) and game analysis.

Raptors squeezes the W
Celtics' offense collapses in the 4th quarter, Carter nets 35.
Toronto - Boston : 99-87




Toronto was coming off a road win against Philadelphia while Boston was coming off a loss against Detroit. This night the two teams would test their early season condition and of course battle for the win.

1st Quarter
Antonio Davis and Walter McCarty showed some early battle under the basket and both got some easy baskets. At the end of the quarter Boston started to get some points in the paint from all their forwards and the team jumped to a 7 point lead at the end of the quarter.

2nd Quarter
Once again Toronto gets back into the game thanks to Corliss Williamsons' intensity. This quarter is a battle and both teams are getting points from inside. Meanwhile Vince Carter is starting to heat up in a duel against Paul Pierce. The Raptors have a five point lead at halftime.

Right: Kevin Willis goes high for the blocked shot. - Left: Vince Carter slams it on three Celtics.


3rd Quarter
Both teams start the second half consentrating on defense and the game slows down. Charles Oakley is having an awful game downlow and Toronto doesn't seem to get the job done in the paint. Once again Vince Carter catches fire and scores 10 quick points but the Celtics bounce back. Paul Pierce hits a two pointer at the buzzer to cut the lead to 9 points.

4th Quarter
Toronto's two top guns, Carter and Morris Peterson were ready to put the game away and the Celtics offense seemed to collapse. Paul Pierce is struggling from the field and Antoine Walker is invisible on the floor. At the end Toronto comes up with a fairly easy win with a 12 point difference.

Right: Paul Pierce hits a fadeaway two-pointer at the 3rd quarter buzzer. - Left: Carter celebrates after the game.







CLICK FOR BOX SCORE




Player Of The Game:


Top Performers
Boston - Jerome Moiso: 14pts, 13rebs, 4stls, 1blk
Toronto - Vince Carter: 35pts, 6rebs, 2ast

Game Leaders:
Pts: Vince Carter (TOR) - 35
Rebs: Jerome Moiso (BOS) - 13
Ast: Kenny Anderson (BOS) - 13

Play Of The Game:

Tony Battie hits a shot, gets fouled hard and goes to the free throw line.
Click here for video

Analysis:
Vince Carter came through for Toronto and seems ready to be the man of the team. Boston needed much more from Pierce and Walker and their bench couldn't provide any relief. Once again Toronto didn't take good care of the ball but it was a clearly better game than the previous two. Boston won rebounding but Toronto shot great from the field, a season high 45% and due to a good defensive effort managed to record 20 blocked shots.

Player breakdown:
In addition to Carter, Antonio Davis had great game on both ends of the floor with 18 points, 11 rebounds and a huge 8 blocks. Peterson added a respectable 16 pts and Corliss Williamson gave the team some momentum in the second quarter.


Next Game
Toronto meets the Washington Wizards at home. The Wizards have lost their all three games so it looks like it could be a blowout. If Toronto can keep turnovers low and be competive on the glass the game could be over early. Look out for Richard Hamilton, though.

Probable starters for the Wizards:
C - Jahidi White
PF - Juwan Howard
SF - Mitch Richmond
SG - Rip Hamilton
PG - Rod Strickland







Scores for the rest of the games:


Injury update:
Indiana lost it's rising big man Jermaine O'Neal to an ankle injury. Denver's center Keyon Clark is out with a knee injury.

[Pera]

Great against Boston.
Carter is a monster.

[Tuomas]

Toronto trades for Olowokandi

Toronto Raptors agreed with Los Angeles Clippers to complete a six man trade which sends center Michael Olowokandi, point guard Jeff McInnis and forward Derek Strong to Toronto. In exchange the Clippers get veteran forward Charles Oakley, point guard Muggsy Bogues and guard Tyrone Corbin.
This trade will benefit both teams. Olowokandi will bring interior defense and much needed rebounding, McInnis will be a good backup point guard to veteran Mark Jackson while also looking to score some points from outside.
The Clippers got some well needed leadership to it's young squad. Charles Oakley looks to be a better fit to the team. With his games with the Raptors Oakley clearly wasn't playing at the level a starting forward should be playing.

Here is Toronto's roster after the trade:





The Raptors informed later today that both Olowokandi and McInnis are ready to play right away in Toronto the next day. The team also made some position changes after the trade and this is how the starting 5 looks now:

C - Michael Olowokandi
PF- Antonio Davis
SF- Vince Carter
SG- Morris Peterson
PG- Mark Jackson