Rewriting History of 04 : Pistons, 6-0: Warriors next

[Yougi]

Around the league, as of January 7, 2004

Players of the Month:

Western Player of November:
Kevin Garnett, from the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaged 19 points, 4.9 dimes, 14.2 boards and 1.9 in both defensive cats in November, in addition to leading his team to a 8-1 month.

Eastern Player of November:
Eddie Jones, from the Miami Heat, scored 20.2, in addition to dishing out 3.4 dimes and getting 1.6 steals per game this month, leading the Heat to a 6-2 month.

Western Rookie of November:
Carmelo Anthony, of the Denver Nuggets, scored 15.5, dished 3.8 assists, grabbed 5 boards per, despite leading the Nuggets to a 1-3 month only.

Eastern Rookie of November:
Dwayne Wade, of the Miami Heat, lead the Miami Heat to a 6-2 month while averaging 22.4 points and 4.1 assists per game.


Western Player of December:
Chris Webber, of the sacramento Kings, scored 19.5, grabbed 9.9, dished 4.6, and blocked 1.8 per, getting him the award despite his team's 3-5 record in December.

Eastern Player of December:
Tracy McGrady, of the Orlando Magic, scored 29.9, dished 4.7, and rebounded 9.4, in addition to his 2.3 steals per, good enough for the award, despite a 2-5 record this month.

Western Rookie of December:
Carmelo Anthony, of the Denver Nuggets, repeated as the winner, getting 12.7 points per with 3.3 assists per, despite a 1-2 record for his team.

Eastern Rookie of December:
Chris Bosh, of the Toronto Raptors, got the award, with 10.4 points, 5.2 boards, 3.4 dimes and 1.4 blocks per, on a 2-3 team in December.

Standings:

West:
1. Portland (8-1) (W8)
2. Minnesota (11-2)
3. Dallas (5-2) (W4)
4. LA Lakers (6-3)
5. Utah (7-4)
6. San Antonio (7-4) (W3)
7. Memphis (5-4)
8. Golden State (7-8)
9. LA Clippers (5-7) (L3)
10. Phoenix (4-6)
11. Sacramento (4-6) (L3)
12. Denver (3-5)
13. Seattle (3-5)
14. Houston (3-7)

East:
1. New Jersey (10-4)
2. Indiana (7-4)
3. New York (9-6) (W4)
4. Boston (6-4)
5. Miami (7-6)
6. Toronto (5-5) (L3)
7. Detroit (4-5) (L3)
8. Chicago (3-4)
9. Milwaukee (4-6)
10. New Orleans (4-6)
11. Philadelphia (3-5)
12. Atlanta (4-7) (L4)
13. Cleveland (3-7)
14. Orlando (3-8)
15. Washington (2-11)

League Leaders:

Points:
Tracy McGrady, ORL (30.8)
Kobe Bryant, LAL (28.9)
Shaquille O'neal, LAL (28.4)
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (28.3)
Allen Iverson, PHI (26.2)

Rebounds:
Kevin Garnett, MIN (13.5)
Shaquille O'neal, LAL (12.9)
Tim Duncan, UTAH (11.8)
Jermaine O'neal, WAS (10.7)
Ben Wallace, DET (10.2)

Assists:
Jason Kidd, GSW (8.6)
Jason Williams, MEM (8.3)
Gary Payton, NJN (7.8)
Marc Jackson, UTAH (6.9)
Jamal Tinsley, IND (6.9)

Blocks:
Ben Wallace, DET (4.56)
Dikembe Mutombo, DET (2.67)
Shaquille O'neal, LAL (2.56)
Tim Duncan, UTAH (2.45)
Clifford Robinson, DET (2.44)

Steals:
Jason Kidd, GSW (2.67)
Allen Iverson, PHI (2.63)
Ron Artest, CLE (2.30)
Doug Christie, SAC (2.20)
Tracy McGrady, ORL (2.18)

Guys on the hot seat:

Atlanta: Glenn Robinson to try to shake things up. Probably for a bit of depth at the guards spot.

Boston: With the success they are having, unlikely to make a trade.

Chicago: Said to be looking to get Phoenix' Stephon Marbury, making Rose and Crawford very possibly on their way out.

Cleveland: Ron Artest, Rafer Alston, Carlos Boozer and Darius Miles. In fact, every one not named James or Z. They are looking to enter the James era. Everyone will be expendable.

Dallas: After the success they are having, plus the Van Exel trade, they are probably set for the season.

Denver: Jackson, Camby, Nene, White, Parker. Only Melo and Terry are keepers. Probably going to speak with Cleveland.

Detroit: Williamson, Prince, Okur and Curry. In dire need of a scorer of the bench, and possibly of an additionnal shooter.

Golden State: Unless they can unload Dunleavy for a faster player, they are set for the season.

Houston: Francis. Franchise is not playing his best ball this year, and it looks like he and Maggette can't play together.

Indiana: Won't trade. They are looking to get the ring, and they have to keep that chemistry going.

Clippers: Odom and either Jaric or Richardson. They are a single trade away from the postseason.

Lakers: Despite numerous offers, the Lakers are proably going to take their cance in the playoffs, with a tested line-up. Maybe a little shaking on the bench, but not much.

Memphis: Battier, Swift. They are said to be shopping for Cleveland's Artest, to get a tough body for the postseason.

Miami: Not looking to trade because of the few assets and the record, but might be interested if they start losing in stretches before the deadline.

Milwaukee: The Bucks are ferociously trying to trade Desmnd Mason, who is repotedly unhappy in the Bucks' new offense.

Minnesota: High record makes them unlikely to trade.

New Jersey: Same as Minnesota.

New Orleans: Will look if the additions are working, and if they are not, will probably start trading again at the deadline.

New York: Are said to be the number one option to land Houston's Francis, and are reportedly offering McDyess and Sprewell for him.

Orlando: Will give a chance to the newcomers before trading. Will probably wait until the offseason.

Philadelphia: Will try the new line-up for this season. Hoping to keep Malone in Philly.

Phoenix: Marbury and Bobby Jackson. Reportedly looking to complete a trade with Washington.

Portland: Same as Minnesota an New Jersey.

Sacramento: Christie, Stojakovic and Wallace are on the hot seat. Wallace is buried on the bench behind both JJ's, and is said to be Detroit-bound.

San Antonio: Seem to be pleased with the way things are going.

Seattle: Rashard Lewis and Vladimir Radmanovic have reportedly asked for a trade. Lewis is probably going to the Clippers, and Rad to Golden State.

Toronto: Looking to keep the line-up the way it is now, despite recent failure to win games. Still started the season 4-1.

Utah: Very pleased with the DC. Said to be looking to get Milwaukee's Desmond Mason or Seattle's Brent Barry for Matt Harpring, but their GM heavily denied it.

Washington: Hughes and Stakchouse are the odd mans out, with the team's 2-11 line-up. Looking to get a big time wing scorer, to complement Jermaine O'neal. Phoenix' Stephon Marbury is said to be their first option.

[Yougi]

Detroit sends four players to California

Detroit's GM today announced the completion of three trades, involving a total of 4 players. Sweet shooting power forward Mehmet Okur was sent to Sacramento for hard nosed swingman Gerald Wallace, veteran Michael Curry was sent to the Lakers for sharpshooter Damon Jones, and Big Nasty Corliss Williamson was sent along young defender Tayshaun Prince to Golden State for do-it-all Mike Dunleavy and low-post warrior Danny Fortson.

Detoit' coach commented the new acquisitions, and the departure of his players:

"I know what people thinks. I love my players. Everyone of them. Deeply, passionately. If Okur and Prince did not play much so far under me, it's simply because other players were doing better. But I talked to each of them, and they are, despite unhappy to move house, quite eager to get on new teams.

"The acquisitions we made will all help our troops. Gerald Wallace is an hard nosed defender, and an open court threat. Plus, he is young and will definitely get better over time.
Damon Jones is an additionnal shooter, and with our very limited number, it can only help. Bringing back Jones will bring us a scorer on the second unit, which we've been in dire need of.
You can't ever have too many guys like Danny Fortson on your club. A guy like that, who will do the dirty work and enjoy it, will also pump your guys to playing better.
Last but not least, Mike Dunleavy, although I'm not sure yet what role he will be put in. One thing is sure, we'll find something. A guy with that talent will help the team. He'll sure get minutes on days when Diaw ain't confident enough in his skills."

Kings' GM commented the trade with Detroit: "You know, with Jim and Joe backing up Doug and Peja, Gerald was getting only very limited minutes after Dickau arrived. We were looking to get a main power forward back-up, and I think Memo is the best guy to fill that gap."

Lakers' GM: "We are eyeing the ring, everybody knows that. We want to get that 4th ring for Shaq and Kobe. Horry, Fisher, George and Fox are guys which we know will play even better in the postseason than in the regular one. We weren't sure about Jones, who has not been as explosive in the postseason in the past. Michael Curry, who played with Jones, is one that will though. His leadership and high basketball IQ will really help that team."

Warriors" GM: "With our new fast break offense, I think Dunleavy and Fortson were looking out of order. We brought in Corliss, who will be an excellent and as athletic back-up to Troy, and Tayshaun Prince, who, with Kirk and Jason, will form our back-court of the future!"

DETROIT PISTONS :
PG: Chauncey Billups (67) / Lendrinho Barbosa (53)
SG: Rip Hamilton (67) / Jon Barry (60) / Damon Jones (53)
SF: Boris Diaw (61) / Mike Dunleavy Jr. (61) / Gerald Wallace (57)
PF : Clifford Robinson (67) / Zarko Cabarkapa (51)
C: Ben Wallace (75) / Dikembe Mutombo (62)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS :

PG: Jason Kidd (89) / Kirk Hinrich (53)
SG: Jason Richardson (71) / Voshon Lenard (59) / Tayshaun Prince (51)
SF: Bob Sura (62) / Chris Mills (58) / Mickael Pietrus (48)
PF: Antawn Jamison (76) / Corliss Williamson (61)
C: Troy Murphy (64) / Adonal Foyle (47)


LOS ANGELES LAKERS:
PG: Derek Fisher (65) / Mike James (59)
SG: Kobe Bryant (86) / Kareem Rush (48)
SF: Devean George (64) / Rick Fox (61) / Michael Curry (53)
PF: Robert Horry (67) / Brian Cook (50) / Stanislav Medvenko (46)
C: Shaquille O’Neal (92) / Horace Grant (49)

SACRAMENTO KINGS :
PG: Mike Bibby (67) / Dan Dickau (50)
SG: Doug Christie (66) / Joe Johnson (62) / Anthony Peeler (52)
SF: Peja Stojakovic (73) / Jim Jackson (61)
PF: Chris Webber (86) / Mehmet Okur (58) / Tony Massenburg (50)
C: Vlade Divac (67) / Scot Pollard (58)

Today's game: vs 6-3 Lakers

Today, in the Staples Center, the Lakers will meet the Pistons. Both team are chasing for the ring, yet only the Lakers are looking in good shape as of this year. Detroit's recent struggles makes the odds at bet machines of around 7:1 for the Lakers. Ouch.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS:
PG: Derek Fisher (65) / Mike James (59)
SG: Kobe Bryant (86) / Kareem Rush (48)
SF: Devean George (64) / Rick Fox (61) / Michael Curry (53)
PF: Robert Horry (67) / Brian Cook (50) / Stanislav Medvenko (46)
C: Shaquille O’Neal (92) / Horace Grant (49)

Average 99.9 (4th) on offense and 93.8 (12th) on defense

Best player: Shaquille O'neal and Kobe Bryant are both averaging 28 points, yet Shaq will be the most dreaded, with his 12.9 boards and 2.56 swats per.

PS: For your info, Detroit is 9th in Offense with 97.9 and 12th in Defense, with 95.2.[/i]

[Yougi]

TRADE WATCH:

Cleveland traded Jason Kapono to Golden State for Michael Pietrus

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS :
PG: Jason Kidd (89) / Kirk Hinrich (53)
SG: Jason Richardson (71) / Voshon Lenard (59) / Tayshaun Prince (51)
SF: Bob Sura (62) / Chris Mills (58)
PF: Antawn Jamison (76) / Corliss Williamson (61) / Jason Kapono (49)
C: Troy Murphy (64) / Adonal Foyle (47)

PG: Rafer Alston (58) / JR Bremer (56)
SG: Ron Artest (71) / Kendall Gill (59) / Michael Pietrus (48)
SF: LeBron James (78) / Darius Miles (63)
PF: Carlos Boozer (66) / Austin Croshere (58)
C: Zydraunas Ilgauskas (70) / Chris Mihm (55) / DeSegana Diop (50)

Lakers win a close one

After an astonishingly close game, where the lead never went over 3 in the first 3 quarters, the Lakers' big guns unloaded in the fourth, getting a 105-97 win in Detroit, despite Detroit's 16 total blocks. Detroit's had a few players in a slump, including Boris Diaw and Rip Hamilton, to name only those two.

Detroit's new assets played different roles: Danny Fortson was in a suit, behind the bench. Gerald Wallace was used for a great part of the game, in place of Boris Diaw, who did not play all too well. Damon Jones multiplied the numbers of different looks the Pistons could show, and his range really helped. But it was Mike Dunleavy who was the star of the night: the ex-Warrior had 17 points, and finished the game. With Diaw's play as of late, he might be a starter as soon as tomorrow.

I will have pictures in a zip file once i find where to host it...

Player of the Game (decision by commentator): Shaquille O'neal
Piston of the Game (decision by coach): Clifford Robinson
6th Player of the Game (decision by writer): Rick Fox
Supersub of the Game (Pistons only, decision by coach): Mike Dunleavy
Rookie of the Game (decision by writer): Zarko Cabarkapa

Players Stats:

LA Lakers:

Bryant had 27 points (13 in the fourth) on 11-18
Fisher had 15 points on 5-10, with 10 dimes and 2 thefts
Fox had 17 points on 6-8 (3-4 from 3), with 3 dimes
George scored 8 points on 4-14 (0-8 from 3)
Horry scored 8 on 4-6, had 6 boards and 4 assists
James was 0-7 for 2 points, and had a single dime
O'neal scored 22 (9 in the fourth) on 9-13, had 14 boards, 3 thefts, 2 blocks and 3 dimes
Rush scored 4 in 5 minutes on 2-4 shooting

Detroit:

Barbosa played only 7 minutes, and did not score
Barry played 14 minutes, and did not score
Billups was 6-10 for 15 points, with 6 dimes
Cabarkapa was 5-11 for 10, had 7 boards and 3 rejections in 11 minutes
Diaw scored 2 on 1-3 in 12 minutes, and did not have any blocks or dimes, and only a single rebound
Dunleavy scored 17 in 7-15
Hamilton got only 6 on 3-9, yet had 5 boards and 2 thefts
Jones had 7 points on 3-6 in 11 minutes
Robinson had 24 on 11-18, with 6 boards and 6 blocks, in 22 minutes
B. Wallace had 8 points on 4-5, with 10 boards, 5 blocks and 3 dimes
G. Wallace had 8 points on 4-5 in 10 minutes

[Yougi]

Today's game: vs 3-5 Nuggets

Today's game features the Detroit Pistons in Colorado against the Nuggets. While both team are two games under .500, the Nuggets are favorite, coming off two straight wins in Cleveland and Seattle, while the Detroit have lost their last 4.

DENVER NUGGETS :
PG: Jason Terry (69) / Kenny Anderson (58)
SG: Stephen Jackson (62) / Vincent Yarbrough (56) / Smush Parker (55)
SF: Carmelo Anthony (66) / Rodney White (57) / Nikola Tskitishvili (51)
PF : Nene (60) / Shawn Kemp (57)
C: Marcus Camby (67) / Jelani McCoy (53)

Average 92.0 (19th) on offense and 93.5 (11th) on defense

Best player: Jason Terry is averaging 19.1 points per, and dishing out 5 times a game. The offense starts with him, and he's not lacking bodies to throw the ball to.

PS: For your info, Detroit is 9th in Offense with 97.8 and 18th in Defense, with 96.2.[/i]

PPS:

[Yougi]

Detroit finally wins one

After a stretch of 4 straight unsuccesful nights, the Pistons finally got a win yesterday against the Nuggets. After his poor 6 points game versus the Lakers, Rip Hamilton promised to play up to his potential, and had a dominating game.

Of course you can say the Nuggets are a rebuilding team. That Jason Terry and Carmelo Anthony got injured during the game. Or even that the Pistons almost dropped it. But whatever you say, the Pistons still won it, 98-95.

What surprised the most is that the Pistons, for the first time this season, changed their starting 5: Gerald Wallace started instead of Boris Diaw, who recorded his first NBA DNP-CD.

Player of the Game (decision by commentator): Rip Hamilton
Piston of the Game (decision by coach): Rip Hamilton
6th Player of the Game (decision by writer): Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Supersub of the Game (Pistons only, decision by coach): Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Rookie of the Game (decision by writer): Carmelo Anthony

Players Stats:

Detroit:

Barbosa scored 4 points in 6 minutes
Barry couldn't connect on 3 attempts in 5 minutes of play
Billups scored 16 on 5-13, and had 3 dimes and 2 steals
Cabarkapa scored 8 on 3-9 and had 2 blocks in 11 minutes
Dunleavy scored 10 on 4-8, with 7 boards and 2 dimes, in 14 minutes
Hamilton scored 28 on 10-17, with a perfect 8-8 from the stripe
Mutombo had 6 points on 3-3, with 6 boards and 2 blocks and 2 dimes in 11 minutes
Robinson had 12 on 6-12, with 2 blocks and 3 dishes
B. Wallace scored 6 on 2-4, with 12 boards, 4 blocks and 2 steals
G. Wallace scored 5 points on 1-4, with 2 dimes, 2 blocks and a theft, in 18 minutes

Denver:

Anderson scored 5 on 2-11, in 16 minutes, and had 5 dimes
Anthony scored 18 on 7-15, had 5 boards and as many thefts
Camby scored 6 on 3-4, had 6 boards, 3 denials and 3 assists
Jackson scired 18 on 9-17 and had 4 steals
Kemp had 6 points on 2-5 and 4 boards in 16 minutes
Nene scored 15 on 7-8, with 2 blocks and 3 steals, in 22 minutes
Parker scored 11 on 3-5, with 2 dimes, in 11 minutes
Terry had 6 points and 2 dimes in 6 minutes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Today's game: vs 4-5 Sixers

Today's match-up will be between to teams who have won their last game to close a losing streak. The question is: who will be the one to start on another one tonight?

PHILADELPHIA 76ers :
PG: Allen Iverson (90) / Shammond Williams (59)
SG: George Lynch (62) / Jeryl Sasser (53)
SF: Keith Van Horn (66) / Maurice Williams (53) / Greg Buckner (51)
PF: Karl Malone (72) / Brian Skinner (56)
C: Jamal Magloire (63) / Samuel Dalembert (54) / Todd MacCulloch (51)

Average 96.9ppg (11th) on offense and 100.3ppg (25th) on defense

Best player: Allen Iverson is one of the best players in the league, averaging 26.6ppg (4th) and 6.6apg (7th).

[Yougi]

Detroit wins second

I'm sorry though, that was a long time ago (had internet problems... you guys have no idea how internet is not working properly in Quebec), so I kind of forgot about the game, but I took notes!

Final Score: 115-82 DETROIT

Key numbers:
Iverson scored 3 points, had no FG in 1st half
Malone had 16 and Van Horn had 13 in 1st half
In the 3rd Quarter, Damon Jines had a stretch of 10 points in the last 1:28.

In the game:
Detroit's bench outscored Philly's 51-20
Detroit outshot Philly 51% - 41%
Detroit had 17 blocks, Philly only 5
Detroit had 22 assists, Philly only 11

Player of the Game:
Damon Jones
24 points
8-16 shooting
1 block
2 steals
2 assists
16 minutes

Other contributors:
Philadelphia:
Karl Malone scored 16 (all of them in the first half), had 12 boards and 3 steals
Keith Van Horn scored 17 on 7-9, including 2-4 for beyond
Allen Iverson scored 10 points on 3-16, had 6 assists

Detroit:
Clifford Robinson scored 19 on 9-13, had 6 boads and 2 blocks
Chauncey Billups scored 17 on 6-13
Gerald Wallace had 11 points on 5-9 in 11 minutes
Ben Wallace had 10 boards, 5 points and 4 blocks

Rookie Watch:
Zarko Cabarkapa: 12 points, 6-12 shooting, 7 boards, 2 blocks, 15 minutes
Boris Diaw: 6 points, 3-4 shooting, 5 boards, 7 minutes
Leandrinho Barbosa: 4 points, 2-6 shooting, 6 assists, 2 steals, 16 minutes

Pictures:
Mismatch in the post
Mailman still delivering (I learned only recently that Philly retired #32, and I'm sorry)
Funny picture of the day

[Pistol]

big win, very nice...Loving Gereald Wallace with the 11 points, is he coming off the bench?

[Yougi]

Since I acquired him, he's been coming off the bench in the first, and starting the last 2. But the PT is limited though, since Dunleavy and Diaw also take minutes.

[Yougi]

I'll try to have my dynasty a bit more loose from now on. Next game is at Orlando. T-Mac right now is scoring 32.3 per, getting 9.2 boards. He's the one I'll have to look out for. David Wesley is their quiet assassin, he could get hot, and I don't want that.

Straight after that is Golden State. Jason Kidd, Tawn and J-Rich are going to be quite a good trio. Dunleavy will start for good mesure, playing his former team. I'll just have to slow things down, as I can't keep up at their speed.

Double Update should come either Monday or Tuesday.

[Yougi]

Sorry to the (very few) readers, but I sure will be late for the double update, as I have an essay to hand out tomorrow (which I kind of forgot). I can say I dominated the Orlando game, Golden State ain't played yet. So recaps are gonna be posted tomorrow around noon, with a half-season (oh yes, that's how fast it comes in a 28-games season) report.

[Yougi]

Orlando:
1st Q:
Strategy was to attach Dunleavy to McGrady for a bit, just to see how the rest of the Magic was feeling. After a few minutes, Wallace was put back in, to keep Mike fresh when the second unit kicked in. Cliff had an incredible quarter, with 6 points, 8 boards and 2 dimes, with a block. McGrady was held to a single dunk in the quarter. No Magic player scored over a single FG. 24-10 Detroit. Domination.

2nd Q: Started with a small line-up: Zarko, Diaw, Mike, Barbosa and Damon Jones. Diaw played awesome at the 4 against a small defender (Garrity). Barbosa was doing awesome also, scoring almost at will. In a small line-up, the three rookies seem like all-stars. The small line-up is alsoan incredible way to add to the offensive potential of the second unit, which is lacking in some incredible way. The starters (except Mike, who was replaced by Gerald) were back on to close the half. 55-33 Detroit. Clifford already has a double-double.

3rd Q: Started with those that closed the half, everything seemed in control until, after a minute, Chauncey Billups commited his 4th foul, aiming for the bench to keep him avaible in the fourth. Jon Barry took his place. A Rip-Cliff offense was used, until the small line-up came in. 93-50 Detroit.

4th: Game was decided a long time ago, not much to say really... Final score was 117-70

Player of the game:
Clifford Robinson
12 points
6-9 shooting
12 rebounds
3 blocks
4 dimes
14 minutes

Other key stats:
Detroit:
Billups had 14 on 5-8, in 16 minutes
Zarko had 23 on 8-11, in 15 minutes
Diaw, in 15 minutes, had 8 points, 9 boards, 4 dimes, a teal and a block
Rip got 16 on 7-8 in 14 minutes

Orlando:
Hill had 18 points on 6-13 shooting
T-Mac scored 11 points on 4-9
Garrity got 10 points on 4-7, yet no boards
Wesley scored 8 on 3-9, got 5 boards and 7 TO

Pictures:
Great dunk my McGrady
Good dunk by Rip
Funny picture of the day

Golden State:
1st Q:
The starters at the 3 were Corliss and Dunleavy Jr., which were traded a few days ago for one another. I wanted to keep the game slow paced, which didn't happen. The Warriors scored a lot, bringing the score to 34-21 after only a quarter.

2nd Q:
If the game was to be played at an hundred miles an hour, I would follow. The small line-up (the 3 rookies, Gerald and Damon) did not work though. Despite the fact that they put both Tawn and Kidd into foul Trouble, they were outscored 14-4. The starters, when back on the court, did play a bit better though, yet the score at the half is 66-46 GSW.

3rd Q:
A strong push by the starters helped bring the margin back to single digit. Billups was incredible, bringing his points total to 23. They eventually brought in Deke instead of Mike, trying to outmuscle the Warriors, to which they replied by moving Tawn to the Center position, and Prince to the 4. At the end, the score was 87-78.

4th Q:
A strong push led by Chauncey and Cliff was not enough, as even though they got the lead within three, they still dropped the game 111-102.

Player of the game:
Jason Kidd
19 points
7-10 shooting
4-4 from the line
8 assists

Other Contributors:
Golden State:
Williamson scored 23 points, on 9-10 shooting, with 5 boards
J-Rich had 18 points, on 8-11, 3 steals and 2 dimes
Jamison got 15 points on 7-12, with 5 boards and 2 dimes

Detroit:
Billups scored 31 points, on 11-22, and 8-8 from the stripe, and had 3 steals and 3 dimes
Clifford Robinson scored 25 on 12-21, had 11 boards and 3 assists
Hamilton scored 18 on 7-15

Pictures:
Today, Corliss had the better end of the match-up of the day
Powerful slam by Jamison
Reverse dunk by Gerald Wallace
Jamison outhustling Wallace
Richardson dunking over former teammate Dunleavy Jr.

I also simmed the next game, against Boston, a 94-89 loss. It was accidental, yet not so bad since I'm really looking forward to seeeing the All-Star selections.

[Yougi]

Midseason Report:

MVP Candidates:


League Leaders:


Standings:


Atlanta 4-10



Rookie Challenge:
Sophomore team:
Jay Williams (CHI)
Manu Ginobili (SAS)
Caron Butler (MIA)
Amaré Stoudemire (PHO)
Yao Ming (HOU)

Nene (DEN)
Mike Dunleavy (DET)
Gordan Giricek (ORL)
Carlos Boozer (CLE)
Drew Gooden (NOH)

Rookie Team:
TJ Ford (MIL)
Dwayne Wade (MIA)
LeBron James (CLE)
Carmelo Anthony (DEN)
Chris Bosh (TOR)

Nick Collison (SEA)
Boris Diaw (DET)
Josh Howard (DAL)
Chris Kaman (LAC)
Zarko Cabarkapa (DET)

3Point Shootout participants:
Vladimir Radmanovic (SEA)
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
Earl Watson (MEM)
Jim Jackson (SAC)
Jamal Mashburn (NOH)
Troy Hudson (MIN)

[Yougi]

Pistons' Individual Mid-Season Recap

Chauncey Billups (PG/SG); 20.2-4.1-3.9-0.3-1.6, 50.0%
Born on 9/25/76; 6'3, 202 lbs; 6 yrs pro; Top Piston Scorer
-Awesome shooter, either on catch-and-shoot or on the drive, and from anywhere
-Can lead an offense, either by scoring or by playmaking
-Can hold his own on defense, but seems intimidated by All-Star points
-Go-to guy on offense

Richard "Rip" Hamilton (SG/SF); 18.1-3.3-1.4-0.7-1.3, 48.3%
Born on 2/14/78; 6'7, 215 lbs; 4 yrs pro
-Great mid-range shooter, even better when on the drive
-Disrupts defense with ease
-An athlete on the fast break

Leandrinho "Rhino" Barbosa (PG/SG); 3.5-1.1-1.5-0.2-0.8, 30.6%
Born on 11/28/82; 6'3, 176 lbs; Rookie
-In the begginning, unable to shoot or to lead an offense in any way
-Now, can drive past most defenders with ease
-Jumper still needs work
-Lightning-speed fast

Damon "DJ" Jones (SG/PG); 4.3-1.6-1.1-0.4-0.6, 37.5%
Born on 8/25/76; 6'3, 185 lbs; 5 years pro; acquired from LA Lakers
-Awesome, but still a bit sreaky shooter
-Can make some plays happen when needed
-Good dribbler
-Can drive inside for a mid-range jumper

Jon Barry (SG/PG); 6.7-1.1-1.7-0.2-0.8, 46.4%
Born on 7/25/69; 6'5, 210 lbs; 11 years pro
-Started the season like a lion
-Now, playing under what he is supposed to do
-Good shooter in the end of a game
-Great teacher to Billups, Rip and Barbosa

Clifford "Cliff" Robinson (PF/C/SF); 16.2-7.1-2.3-2.4-0.9, 49.1%
Born on 12/16/66; 6'10, 225 lbs; 14 years pro
-Streaky scorer, but a very reliable one
-Does everything well
-Very good high post scorer
-Great on defense also
-Great shooter from mid-range, good only from beyond the arc

Mike "Dun" Dunleavy Jr. (SF/PF); 8.4-2.3-1.8-0.2-0.5, 46.7%
Born on 9/15/80; 6'9, 221 lbs; 1 year pro; Aquired from Golden State; Selected for the Rookie Challenge as a Sophomore
-Streaky shooter from three
-Good scorer in general
-Seems lost when playing with Cliff, Rip and Billups
-Above average on defense, good blocker

Boris Diaw (PF/SF); 4.7-4.5-1.7-0.9-1.2, 40.9%
Born on 4/16/82; 6'8, 203 lbs; Rookie; Selected for the Rookie Challenge
-Started the season as an awesome wing defender an a second playmaker
-Recently, showed flashes of brilliance as an undersized PF
-Great passer
-Very strong physically
-Good mid-range jumper; not much from beyond that
-Awesome defender from the wings

Zarko "Zark" Cabarkapa (PF/C/SF); 8.7-4.1-0.5-1.5-0.3, 36.5%
Born on 5/21/81; 6'11, 235 lbs; Rookie; Selected for the Rookie challenge
-Good on D in the post
-Good, yet streaky shooter
-Will need time, but will be an All-Star

Gerald "Raldy" Wallace (SF/SG); 3.9-1.9-0.7-0.6-0.4, 40.6%
Born on 7/23/82; 6'7, 215 lbs; 2 years pro
-Awesome on D and for blocking shots
-An awesome asset on the break
-Streaky scorer; will score ten in a row, then disappear completely from the offense

Ben "The Beast" Wallace (C/PF); 5.9-10.0-2.5-4.6-1.0, 47.5%
Born on 9/10/74; 6'9, 240 lbs; 7 years pro
-Awesome defender, shotblocker and rebounder
-Starting to become an established low-post passer
-Not looking to score, but can do so a few times per game

Dikembe "Deke" Mutombo (C); 3.8-4.5-1.1-2.3-0.1, 75.0%
Born on 6/25/66; 7'2, 265 lbs; 12 years pro
-Awesome on defense
-When he looks to score, very few center can guard him
-Passing out of the double team is becoming a second nature to him

[Yougi]

So the schedule for the near-future;
Maybe tomorrow in the evening, or more probably Saturday morning/night, I'll post the San Antonio game, and I'll sim the Milwaukee one (I hate playing the Bucks, and I sure don't know why, but I never have fun playing them). This update will also include the All-Star Rosters.

Either Saturday or Monday night, I'll post the All-Star results, and (hopefully) the players of January.

Either Monday night or Tuesday morning, I'll post the New Orleans game, plus the trade deadline results and the players of March (NOH is my only game in March).

I hope that is enough for now

PS: When I say Monday night, you guys gotta know I work 'till midnight on Sunday-Monday, and therefore drink about 8-10 coffees, to come back and be unable to sleep, forcing me to play NBA Live. So really, the updates planned for Monday night are going to be out somewhere around 2 in the morning (ET) in the night from Monday to Tuesday.

[Yougi]

1st: 22-22
What a game it is looking to be. In this quarter, the great play of the frontcourt is what helped the most the Pistons: Cliff played great on O (8 points) and on D (2 blocks), Ben rocked the boards (9 of them in the first quarter) and Raldy lead the offense. The Spurs' bench, which is usually their weakness, played great this quarter.

2nd: 54-52 DET
Still close, and that despite Detroit's bench being on for most of the quarter. San Antonio's bigs are not producing as much as expected, but Tony Parker is red hot from downtown, knocking down 3 threes and multiple mid range fade away jumpers in the 2nd.

3rd: 73-73
What of a thriller ladies and gentlemen. The game is on the line, everybody seems to play well, and everyone seems more hungry then his opponent to get the win. One man though is standing out, and that man is Detroit's Ben Wallace. Totalling 10 points, 14 boards, 3 blocks and 2 dimes through 3 quarter (one in which he didn't even play), he is playing out of his mind.

4th: 104-96 Pistons
Mostly, the thriller didn't really finished as one, with a few great plays from the Pistons giving them a double-digit lead in the fourth. The spurs weren't capable of coming back.

Player of the Game:
Ben Wallace
10 points
4-6 shooting
14 rebounds (6 offensive)
3 blocks
2 assists

Other contributors:
Detroit:
Leandrinho Barbosa: 12 points, 2 assists and a block in 15 minutes
Chauncey Billups: 19 points in 18 minutes
Zarko Cabarkapa: 14 points on 6-10, 4 blocks, 15 minutes
Boris Diaw: 12 points on 5-5, 8 rebounds (3 on O), a block, 2 assists in 15 minutes

San Antonio:
Chucky Atkins: 10 points on 4-7, with 3 assists and 2 steals, in 12 minutes
Bruce Bowen: 14 points on 6-12, with 3 assists
Mike Miller: 14 points on 7-8, 12 boards, 4 blocks, 3 steals
Tony Parker: 20 points on 8-18, 4-8 from 3, 8 dimes, 3 steals

Pictures:
Awesome lay-up by Parker
Tony Parker shooting a three
Brand scoring on a powerful dunk
Important block on Brand
Great dunk by Diaw
Funny picture of the day: A shot from Ben Wallace

All-Star Game:

The Wolves, Nets, Hornets and Cavaliers all had a pair of All-Star this year, but only the LA Lakers got a pair of starters.
Joining Shaquille O'neal and Kobe Bryant on the Western starters were Golden State's Jason Kidd, Portland's Bonzi Wells and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. Garnett was followed this year by teammate Sam Cassell. Utah's Tim Duncan, Phoenix' Shawn Marion, Houston's Steve Francis, Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, Sacramento's Chris Webber and Memphis' Pau Gasol completed the Western All-Star team.
In the East, the starting line-up was constitued of New Jersey's Kenyon Martin, Washington's Jermaine O'neal, Toronto's Vince Carter, Orlando's Tracy McGrady and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson. On the East's bench were Boston's Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, New Orleans' Ray Allen and Jamal Mashburn, Cleveland's Zydraunas Ilgauskas and LeBron James, and New Jersey's Gary Payton.

All-Star MVP: Kobe Bryant (West won 110-102, Kobe had 29 points and 4 blocks)

TRADE WATCH:
A few days before the trade deadline, a total of 4 teams were included in two deals that made ten players change house during the All-Star break. The two trades are as follow:

Cleveland sends Ron Artest, Rafer Alston and DeSegana Diop to Los Angeles Clippers, and get Lamar Odom and Marko Jaric.

Dallas sends Raef LaFrentz, Bryon Russell and its 2004 1st rounder to Seattle, Seattle sends Rashard Lewis to Dallas and Walter McCarty to Los Angeles, Clippers send Michael Olowokandi to Dallas.

[Yougi]

Ok... well New Orleans Game was awful... So I don't feel like doing a long recap

NOH 120 - 88 DET

Player of the Game:
Ray Allen
33 points
14-17 shooting
2 steals

Other contributors:
NOH:
Mashburn had 25 points (9-15, 3-6 from beyond) and 5 boards
Strickland had 19 points (9-15) with 2 steals and 9 assists in 16 minutes
Van Exel had 15 points and 9 assists in 17 minutes

DET:
Billups had 16 points on 7-16 shooting
B. Wallace had 9 boards and 6 blocks, with 2 dimes
Robinson had 13 points on 6-14, with 4 boards, 2 blocks and 2 dimes

No other Pistons scored in double figures... That's how you lose an important game.

Now, the trade deadline!

Detroit sent Zeljko Rebraca to New york for Jeff Foster
Denver sent Marcus Camby to Sacramento for Vlade Divac and Sacramento's 2nd rounder
Indiana sends Jonathan Bender to Cleveland for JR Bremer and Cleveland's 1st rounder (Top 7 protected in 04, then Top 5 protected forever)
Orlando sends Grant Hill to Houston for Maurice taylor and Houston's Unprotected 1st rounder

Also, 2 five-team deals:

1st: New York gets Jalen Rose, Tony Parker, LAC's 2nd rounder, LAC gets Peja Stojakovic, Charlie Ward, Chicago gets Antonio McDyess, Ira Newble, San Antonio gets Andre Miller, Tim Thomas, Chris Wilcox, Sacramento gets Manu Ginobili, Quentin Richardson

2nd: Memphis gets Eddie Griffin, Stephen Jackson, Kenny Thomas, Denver gets Shane Battier, Kendall Gill, Houston gets Lorenzen Wright, Miami gets Nene, Cleveland gets Earl Watson

I do take comments on the trades, and in fact, on anything happenning in here.

[Yougi]

Again guys, I'm sorry about the time since last update, but i'm in a school, rush, so updates are not gonna be as often.

Anyways, yesterday I lost a nailbiter against Phoenix, in which Zarko Cabarkapa, probably the best player on the court, missed a possibly game-tying three. We lost the game 98-95. I know usually what people like about my writing is the way i writeclose games, but right now I don't really have time to... So I'll just post a quick update.

Team - 1- 2- 3- 4 (total)
PHO 30-27-14-27 (98)
DET 28-16-25-26 (95)

Player of the game:
Shawn Marion
26 points
10-14 shooting
1-2 from three point land
4 assists
1 block
1 steal

Other contributors:
PHO:
Penny scored 19 on 9-17, and added a steal and four boards
Bobby scored 10 points in 12 minutes, with 3 assists
Starbury scored 15 on 5-15, including 0-4 from three, with 10 dimes and 4 steals

DET:
Chauncey had 20 on 8-17, with 6 boards (3 offensive), 7 dimes and 2 steals
Zarko scored 19 points on 9-16 (1-2 from 3), with 12 boards, 4 blocks and 4 dimes
Diaw had 7 boards (3 offensive), 4 dimes in 12 minutes

Really, the game was highly entertaining, loads of lead changes, played at such a speed, and with so many players playing great, yet the finish is deceiving.

[Stella-Artois]

indepth, good reading for someone bored right now, cheers

[Yougi]

Well thaks darren! Right now, with the rush at school, i've played a few games on live to try and relax myself, until I realised I finished the season without taking a single note... So soon enough (I hope) are going to be posted the end of season results, and then the off-season!

[Yougi]

After almost 2 months without notice, I'll soon be back and running this dyn! I'm sorry for the delay, my school session took every single second of my time. But now that school's over, I can give time to my dynasty!

[3PK]

Good to see another Detoit Pistons dynasty going i can't wait for this to be re-started as of such, good luck

BTW: are u a pistons fan?

[Yougi]

My god, not at all. I'm not really a fan of any team, i'm a fan of the sport

[TSquared]

wow..love the screenies there..i almost forgot how live looked back then..but the animations of the live series before were better than now..they got cutscenes for released players and added players..while on now's version there aint..

[Yougi]

Well... it ain't like it changed the whole world! But hey, I didn't even try other Live than 03 and 04, so I can't really tell.

[The king]

good luck for the next game