SSBA

Here come the Celtics, riding a 10 game losing streak into the most devastating part of the season: SIM # 8 !

10 Games, 8 of them on the road, ending with the new Shaq-Fu team and a home and home series with the wizards who trashed me by 46 last week !  :cry:

So will the Celtics run away, hide, shiver ?
No, I expect to go 3-7 and even hope for a balanced record this time.   :shock:

And HOW in the virtual world shall that happen ? Well, we give Barry one last run, have the vets lead the way and hope to avoid injury this time (it took me almost 2 hours to realize, that Andrew Sedran, a 3rd string SF backup had to take over PG duties for 6 games last sim - no wonder I stank !!!).  :lol:

NOW LET THE GAMES BEGIN ...


And quoting bods:


 8)

well, I'll only have 5 games this sim. I'm hoping to get a 4-1 in order for me to have the luxury in experimenting again on sim 9 since I will only have 3 games then.

6 games, all at home, and the first time with Rafael starting at center next to Gasol.  Would like to see a 4-2 sim.
Hoping for about a 60 point average between Araujo, Gasol, and Hinrich...

6 games.  3 easy (Lakers, Sonics w/out Shaq, Knicks).  3 tougher (Clippers, @Raptors, Pistons).  Hoping for 5-1, will settle for 4-2.

5 games. Realistically, 3-2. Hoping for 4-1.

Play the Nets and the Nuggets.

Tonight's sim will be late.  Real late.  Probably midnight or later.

A 6 game sim. Celtics, Sixers, Bucks twice(Hoiberg guarding Kobe  :? ), Nuggets and Pacers. I'm just hoping fr a 3-3, to hold it together in this last sim before my two trades go through.

Hope to go 6-2 but would settle for 5-3. Timberwolves 3 times and visit the Nets.

Sweet.  5-1 sim.

What's odd, won all the tough games (Clippers, @Raptors, Pistons), but got KILLED by the Sonics.  I mean destroyed.

Emeka had at least 20/10 in every game except for the Sonics.  He's been incredible.

So much for that easy contest with Seattle!

91-56!

Went 1-6.  My tinkering clearly went awry.  Calinoff contributed, Harpring disappeared, everyone else was everyone else.

went 3-3 as expected, but i lost against the hawks  :D
and one point against the Kings - unacceptable  :wink:

some hard facts:
redd avg. 25pts, 9rb :shock: , 3 ass and 2 stls
carmelo really surprised me with his play of the bench.
in very limited mins he avg. 11pts,4rb,3 ass and shot over 60% from 3
i will try to find more mins for him and see how he will respond
foster avg. his usual double double
int he next sim i will try to mix it up more

Well, an 2-8 record is nothing to celebrate about and my hopes to get 10 wins on the season took another beating, but there have been positive signs as well.
Beating the Cavs (Barry having fun with his new team - can'T wait for the replay next week AGAINST him) and the Shaq-less Hornets (who didn't this week) could've been expected and losing a lot on the road too and a close home-and-home series with the Atlantic-leading Wizards, losing both by a combined 8 points, gives hope.

Still I expected to do better but AGAIN I got hit by the injury bug losing the starting SF for 6 games (and AGAIN 2nd round pickup Sedran had to play big minutes, this time on his natural position), consequently winning only with the complete lineup (it's hard to win with a young AND injured team)  :cry:

Will be fun to see what my even younger team can do beginning next week, since it was mainly the veteran Barry carrying me to W's this season. But, as always, spirit's still high, the guys are great and life (at the bottom) goes on ...

 :wink:

8) SPECIAL: Other observations from last night  8)

Chris MIHM tying the All-time SSBA rebound record with 27 (!!!) from the PF position, playing behind YAO no less
(of course, his team getting just 58 points on 28% shooting MIGHT have contributed, ...)

KG, Mr. Do-it-all for the Wolves fouling out in 16 minutes against Dwight Howard (and his team losing 7 of 10 this sim)

The Nets scoring 56 against the kiddie corps from Seattle, more than doubling that the next game with 113 against the NY cameo D
and a few days later holding the Pistons to 58.

Dwyane getting a new career high points - guess he finally realizes the payday is just around the corner ...

The Hornets REALLY REALLY needing the Big Fella - and probably Giri wasn't crap after all ?

And - in related news - probably Deng ISN'T quite Marion yet (but I was probably the only one thinking that anyway).

Injuries start to pile up with the Grizzlies(after JJ now Biedrins breaks his leg - they should REALLY take a close look at their hardwood), Kings (CWebb for an extend period, just after putting up some nice little 20/15 games) and Bulls (losing both Pierce AND Jackson deserting the SF position) hit hardest.
[/list:u]

Dwight is once again showing glimpse of what to expect in the future.

as Tom said, KG fouled out in just 16minutes, defending Dwight. Dwight lit the Wolves with 35pts, 9 rebounds 2 blocks.

Kandi Man is playing great right now... Him and Woods have been outstanding.

Kidd also had a triple double against the Wolves.

Albeit Mobley will be out for the next sim, his absence will definitely be appreciated :D I need to give Josh some playing time. :D

jesus christ god almighty, muhamed, satan, belzebub and the rest of the crew....webber went down for 30 days...i'm fucking doomed...this is happeninig every.fucking.year.

I had a predictably terrible sim.

When have you ever had an injury?

BTW, 30 days will be back for the playoffs.

went 4-3 with really tough schedule, wizards twice, pacers, sonics, grizzlies, nuggets twice.

can't belive, darius songalia might be the best backup at this moment! also it seems like my team plays better WITHOUT brad miller. i'm 3-1 against the elite teams without my first center!

vs Grizzlies. 94:82 W. i just own the champs this year. 3 in a row against them. Songalia with 23 points and 13 rebounds & Webber with 21/19  :shock:  that's what i need from my frontcourt

vs Wizards. 117:115 W. Mcgrady with 54 points & Bibby with 24 pts, 18 asists, end of story

vs Nuggets. 97:120 L. Songalia again with 22 points and 13 rebounds! but it wasn't enough, i was playing WITHOUT Webber AND Miller :?

vs Pacers. 82:83 W. Songalia went mad AGAIN! 21 points and 17 rebounds

vs Wizards. 101:99 L. Songalia with 17 points and 10 rebounds! i can't belive. still, lost very tight one

vs Nuggets. 87:80 L. mediocre performance from my team. Tmac with 24 points and 11 rebs and that's about it. Songalia calmed down!

vs Sonics. 90:75 W. Swept the Sonics! Brad Miller with 26 points and 15 boards sealed the win.

what can i say, without webber and miller for the most of the games, i went 4-3 against the elite teams. i'm confident in my team and i just wish they'll all get healthy comes playoff time...

WOW! SWEET!

Baron goes down against the Pistons in 9 minutes. Including that game, I go 4-1 without him.

And hey Nets, that win doesn't count :) There's a reason I shot 28% - no B Diddy :)

The Wiz are on fire.

I still hae 2 major injuries in Outlaw and Jacobsen, but at least B Diddy is back now, thank God.

BTW, look who is leading the League in defense :)

you're kidding? how about Mcgrady went down 1 second before playoff in our first year of the league. i was 2nd seed in the West and Mcgrady was out for the first 3 games in the first round against the Sonics. i've lose 3-4 :?

last year everyone from bibby, mcgrady, webber and miller went down, i can't recall it for how much games but i just know i didn't make the playoffs

Mihm's 27 rebounds in Dalembert tied an SSBA record.

Raptors: so your last win against me doesn't count, either.



And yet you still got outrebounded in that game  :lol:

and this was already acknowledged in my "gameday special" on page 1

Hawks go 3-2 despite the trading of Carmleo Anthony...Allan Houston was tremendous and Alvin Schenk exceeded my expectations and played brilliantly my first 3 games and just average my last 2, Tanner also stepped up going w/3 20+ point games including being 2 blocks away from a triple double...overall a great sim for the Hawks, another + the Sonics are in the lottery as of now and I have their pick :lol:

The Warriors came back with a vengeance this week.  This team plays well together... 5-1 sim, all games at home, with a loss to the Wizards...

Rafael Araujo was a beast
37 mpg, 32 ppg, 12 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.8 spg, and 2.3 fpg on 46% shooting...
Just dominant play from my center. And his fouls came way down this sim.  Hope this continues...

Gasol is a great 1a option
34 mpg, 22 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.8 apg, and 2.5 bpg on 45% shooting.  Perfect sidekick to Rafael, and his blocks are helping defensively a great deal.

Turkoglu is a perfect SF with this group :
25 mpg, 7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 51% field, 71% from 3.
Just parking outside the 3 pt line, and receiving passes from the big three.

Hinkle does the job defensively, and is now 10th in FG% in the league as a rookie...
28 mpg, 4.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 spg on 61% shooting

Hinrich, while not scoring much, is becoming a true point guard...
39 mpg, 8 ppg, 10 apg, 4 rpg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 tpg, on 51% shooting
In the two sims (16 games) with Araujo, Hinrich has a better then 5:1 assist to turnover ratio  :shock:

Cardinal, Foyle, and Jaric have been great off the bench.
Cardinal : 24 mpg, 10 ppg
Foyle : 23 mpg,  9 ppg, 6 rpg
Jaric : 25 mpg, 4 ppg, 3 rpg, 3 apg

Team averaged 97 ppg on 47% field, and 52% from 3, while giving up 89 ppg on 45% field and 38% from 3.

Really excited about this new team...  Also moved up to 4th in the Pacific, with Seattle in my sights.

Damn.  These guys got after it defensively.

Only scored 89 ppg, but with the pace that slow that's fine.  But I gave up only 78 ppg on 36% shooting over this 6 games.  Won the turnover differential by +4.  25 apg vs, 16 apg for the opponent.

Emeka has been fantastic since slowing the pace and moving the focus to inside.  23 ppg (44% shooting), 13 rpg, 4.7 bpg.  Even hit 60% of his foul shots (which was good, because he took 13/game).  On defense, opposing C's shot 33.6% against him.

Pettit was even better.  27.5 ppg on 58.5% shooting, 71.4% from downtown (2.5 made/game), 96.3% from the line.  And on defense, opposing sg's shot 37.3%, and had nearly double as many turnovers as assists.

Billups had a game of 18 assists to only 1 turnover.  11 apg for the sim.

Dalembert was fantastic again.  12 pts, 12 rebounds, 2.9 blocks.  defensively pf's shot 31.1% against him.

Battier did his job again.  Had 3x as many steals as turnovers, hit his shots, and held opponents to under 40% shooting.

At last, AI's has found his game with the PG spot. :D

At last, I'm winning some games..

At last, I'm in the play-offs.

And as the holder of your first rounder I couldn't be happier.  Keep up the good work.   :P

The Spurs went 2-2 as they gear up for a 35 games in 40 day marathon to end the season.  Strickland did a great job filling Turkoglu's shoes as my third option - 13.3 ppg, 5.3 reb, 2 asst, 56.8 FG%, 55.6% from behind the arc.

Spurs still have a pg dilemma.  Parker & Bird both play great except for turnovers.  Given the opportunity both shoot well from the floor, rebound decently for a pg and distribute the ball.

Parker - 36.8 min, 14.8 ppg on 42% shooting, 5 reb, 6 assts, 1.8 stls
Bird - 27 min, 11.3 ppg on 47% shooting, 4.8 reb, 3.3 assts, 2.3 stls

Got that right, Im 24-5 in my last 29 games.

All right, so I'm still unbeaten against you then :)

in further analysis of this sim, my team played great...Josh Smith had 2 double-doubles in this sim which gives me hope that he can produce better than his ratings

I split with the Pacers which was a good feeling, seeing that they got Melo to add to their arsenal

Iggy averaged a little over 6 ppg in this sim off the bench which was surprising for me, seeing that I don't think he's ready to play backup minutes yet

I'm happy with my team this sim and the play of Tanner and Schenk is great for the future of my team as long as neither decides to decline in any more TC's

Went 3-3, good enough for me. Odom and Z are playing very nicely as my top two options. And finally, Barry and George are here. I'm gonna drop Z to the 3rd option and see how Barry does at #2. I hope that Miller can cut down the turnovers now that he's not an option, but still dish out a lot of assists. Let's see how the next sim goes, I'm looking forward to it...