daltontr

Tales from the front office: DDSPB

Recommended Posts

hX9CBli.jpg
2019-2020 SEASON

Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf purchased the team in 1985 and the franchised flourished in the 90s, winning six NBA Championships between (1991-1993 and 1996-1998). Unfortunately, it's been more than two decades since Michael Jordan and the Bulls reigned supreme and at the ripe old age of eighty-three, Jerry isn't getting any younger. If Jerry wants to live long enough to see the Bulls return to their former glory, it's time for some tough choices and some serious house cleaning, starting with the front office. Consequently, the first order of business was ridding the franchise of former mafia underboss, Gar Forman. Yes, I said Mob Boss. Seriously, look at him in that pinstripe suit and tell me he hasn't broken a few legs in his time. Wiki would also have you believe he has served the Bulls as a scout, director of player personnel and special assistant to executive vice-president of basketball operations (Whatever the hell that is). Please...if Forman doesn't have mob connections, then Joe Pesci is a catholic priest.

Enter new bulls GM Troy Dalton...yours truly.

As the new Bulls GM I waste no time in handing Jim Boylen and Roy Rogers their walking papers. Seriously, hit the skids boys and make room for new head coach Randy Wittman. Why Randy? I could afford him, that's why. Ole Jerry might be a billionaire, but he's a cheap bastard and if I was going to have any chance of turning this franchise around, I needed somebody, anybody, better than Boylen. No, Randy wasn't my first choice, but as I said, he's pretty much all I could afford and since he was unemployed he had some time on his hands. As his assistant, well...drum roll please...welcome back to the team Fred Hoiberg! Yep, former Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg returns as Wittman's right hand man. Hoiberg was a no brainer. He is a good judge of talent and an offensive specialist. I know what your going to say, "Why would he come back to a team that fired him one year ago?!?" That easy, money, money and being the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Seriously, who really wants to coach basketball in Nebraska? Guys named Elmer, Ewald, Ernest, Moe, Doc and five others who were so ashamed of their life choices that they were only known by their initials. Seriously, T.P., R.G., T.J., E.J, and L.F. were all coaches at Nebraska. I would have included their last names, but I chose to respect their need for anonymity.

So, with Wittman and Hoiberg in the fold, it's time for some roster changes. A weeding of the herd, so to speak. Let's begin with the overpriced talent. PF Thaddeus Young, SF Otto Porter, SG Tomas Satoransky and C Cristiano Felicio are stealing money. Okay, Porter is a decent player, but there are better options in the $27 mil price range. Young isn't playing up to his salary level either, plus his name is Thaddeus and that is reason enough to ship him off. Obviously, moving all this high priced dead weight is a problem. The rest of the GMs in the association aren't likely going to want to absorb any this over paid talent with the trade restrictions in place. I'm going to have to get creative, but I'm a clever guy and I'm motivated. I'm not interested in going back to my day job, with all those OSHA locust hovering around...but I digress. My other problem, my owner insists on getting a four star talent and that isn't going to be easy.

Before I get started wheeling and dealing, I immediately assign PF Daniel Gafford to the G-League. Why? Because he belongs there and he'll likely tole away there until his contract expires. He isn't NBA talent. He knows it, I know it, his parents know it and it's simply not going to work out; but some people just have to chase their dreams; so...off to purgatory disguised as a development league. Now it's time to get down to business and after burning the midnight oil and blowing up the phones, I pull off a deal that should be written on my epitaph. SF Otto Porter, PG Kris Dunn, SG Tomas Satoransky and our 2020 1st round pick to the Nets for C Jarrett Allen and PG Uncle Drew...err...Kyrie Irving! Seriously, no commish mode here, this was legit and I even managed to shave money to get us under the cap. Wow...Kyrie Irving on the Bulls! Man, Jerry is going to wet himself.

Okay, I could stop there and rest on my laurels, but I'm really feeling it. Kind of like Kevin Costner in Draft Day. You know, that feeling he gets when he confuses incredible blind luck with misplaced talent, after he miraculously extricates himself from a monumental blunder that would have hamstrung the Browns for decades, if not for a favorable script...again I digress. My next move is to move "Thaddeus" and that boat anchor Cristiano Felicio. Some how, I manage to catch Wizards GM Tommy Shepard during happy hour and I take advantage of his drunken stupor, unloading both Young and Felicio for SF Rui Hachimura, PG Chris Chiozza, PG Isaiah Thomas and PF Davis Bertans...and...our 2022 1st round pick. See, I told you I was the channeling the ghost Sonny Weaver Jr.!

Phew...that was very nearly better than sex. I don't smoke, but if having a cigarette post coitus is satisfying, releasing PG Shaquille Harrison was a good substitute. So, what to do next, well pour an adult beverage seems like the only reasonable thing to do. So, until next time.

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

2019-2020 SEASON

OCTOBER 2019
After all of the off season excitement, it was a rather inauspicious start to the season. We opened with a 96-112 road loss to the Raptors and during a 121-113 home win against the Spurs, PF Lauri Markkanen broke his elbow and is out until late December.

On the bright side, Davis Bertans(PF), is surprisingly putting up similar numbers to Markkanen, avg. 12.2 ppg coming off the bench as the sixth man. I'm not sure why he isn't starting, but coach Wittman must have his reasons. I'm not overly concerned, but starting Wendell Carter (C) in place of Markkanen is an interesting move by Wittman.

Denzel Valentine (SG) and Coby White (PG) are also getting significant minutes, with White being the most productive offensively. Starting shooting guard Zach LaVine leads the team in scoring, avg. 22.8 ppg, with Kyrie close behind contributing 22.6 ppg.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
2-3 (3rd - Central Div 0-0)

Key Injuries
10/22 - PF Lauri Markkanen (Broken Elbow - Out 69 days)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

NOVEMBER 2019
Disappointing month of basketball. We are a wretched 2-10 on the road and 0-2 in the division. The problem is pretty clear, defense or a lack there of. The team is ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 112.2 ppg, but we are also ranked 29th in points allowed per game (113.2) and ranked 30th overall defensively. I would be lying if I didn't say this was a concern. If we keep trending this way, something is going to have to be done. That something is probably me getting fired, so I'm really hoping coach Wittman can turn this thing around.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
8-12 (4th - Central Div 0-2)

Key Injuries
10/22/20 - PF Lauri Markkanen (Broken Elbow - Out 30 days)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

DECEMBER 2019
Back from injury and playing in only his second full game for the team, Lauri Markkanen (PF) returns to the starting lineup and went 4-12 for 14 points in a lackluster game that Washington dominated from the opening tip. The 101-114 loss was disappointing and embarrassing as we never once held the lead. Not surprisingly, we are statistically the worst defensive team in the league and that is really grating. Clearly the team was built around offense, but the shear lack of defense is astonishing. I'm not exactly sure how to rectify this in the short-term and that isn't really something the GM should be saying out loud.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
17-19 (3rd - Central Div 5-3)

Key Injuries
None

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

JANUARY 2020
It's a new year, but as the saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." We are marginally better on defense, having moved out of the cellar in points allowed. However, we are still allowing 110.6 ppg and that isn't cutting it. The crazy thing is that we really seem to play well against good competition, but roll over and play dead against teams we should beat. It's maddening, but when you really sit down and take a hard look at the team, there are a lot of average defensive players...and that's my fault. We are hanging onto the final playoff spot by our fingernails, but it's clear to me now that the players I have assembled are not going to take us far. Hell, at this point I'll be happy if we make the playoffs.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
24-27 (3rd - Central Div 7-4)

Key Injuries
None

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

FEBRUARY 2020
One game above .500...must be time to celebrate! I wasn't sure we would see this day and we are getting better on defense. Although the schedule has been easier this month, it's time to be positive and hope this trend continues. I nearly pulled a trade to bring in a defensive specialist, but I didn't believe Wittman was going to stray from his depth chart and since I'm no Billy Bean, I wasn't prepared to trade away half the team just to get my coach to start players who were better defenders. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against analytics, I'm just choosing to trust in the coaching staff and pray he can get Uncle Drew & Company to play better "D". Things are looking up though.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
31-30 (3rd - Central Div 7-4)

Key Injuries
2/27/20 - C Jarrett Allen (Sprained Ankle - Out 15 days)



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

CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EASTERN | WESTERN
BOS 44-19 | LAL 50-10
MIL 38-23 | UTA 48-13
PHI 35-24 | DEN 42-19
CLE 31-29 | LAC 34-26
CHI 31-30 | MEM 32-38
NYK 31-31 | POR 32-29
DET 30-31 | NOP 32-30
ORL 30-31 | SAS 32-30
----------|----------
IND 30-32 | HOU 31-30
TOR 26-34 | GSW 30-32
ATL 25-37 | MIN 30-34
BKN 20-42 | DAL 28-34
WAS 20-42 | SAC 26-35
MIA 18-43 | OKC 26-37
CHA 14-48 | PHO 25-38
Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

MARCH 2020
The month started out pretty good and there was a stretch where we went 8-1! I briefly had visions of a fifty win season, but that dream was quickly dashed by the Grizzlies and Nuggets. Two teams that are irritatingly good and seem to find ways to help us snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Six games remain. Wizards, Hornets, @ Boston, a home-at-home versus the Nets and then the final regular season game at home against the Pistons. So, fifty wins is out of the question, but I'm confident that we are playoff bound. That is not something I would have said a month ago.

Kyrie Irving leads the team in scoring, averaging 26.1 ppg, which ranks him 12th in the league. Kyrie is also ranked 15th in assists per game with 6.9, ranked 9th in steals, ranked 8th in free throw pct. and 1st in line at the bank. He is by far the most expensive player on the roster and the second highest paid player in the league, with a total value that exceeds $136 mil over four years. Not surprisingly, he is Jerry's...I mean...Mr. Reinsdorf's favorite player. So much so, that one of his demands is "KEEP KYRIE IRVING!" For some reason that seemed funny too me, but rest assured Mr. Reinsdorf isn't joking.

The owners other demands are keeping the player budget under $130 mil, staff budget under $11,050,000, keep Uncle Drew of course and then make a deep playoff run. Now, I've got the first three covered. We are a whopping $13.1 mil under the cap, I have $64k left on my staff budget and Kyrie puts a lot of asses in seats, so he isn't going anywhere. However, I'm worried about being able to "Go Deep" in the playoffs. For one, what does it even mean? Second round? Semi-Finals? I don't know, but getting out of the first round isn't going to be easy.

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
40-36 (2nd - Central Div 11-4)

Key Injuries
None

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

APRIL 2020
Undefeated in April! A six game winning streak is a great way to finish off the regular season and it gives us a lot of momentum entering the playoffs. Jarrett Allen is nursing a sore calf and he will miss the first game of the post season, but the team is healthy otherwise. Speaking of the post season, as the fourth seed in the East, we will face off against the Cavaliers. We went 3-1 versus Cleveland in the regular season and gave them a memorable beat down on April 14th. Kyrie recorded his only triple-double of the season in the 128-95 drubbing and Bulls fans are hoping for more of the same in the playoffs.

FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD
46-36 (2nd - Central Div 12-4)

Key Injuries
4/9/20 - Jarrett Allen (C) (Sore calf, out until 4/16/20)

FINAL
CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EASTERN | WESTERN
BOS 56-26 | LAL 69-13
PHI 52-30 | UTA 62-20
MIL 49-33 | DEN 55-27
CHI 46-36 | LAC 51-31
CLE 43-39 | POR 46-36
NYK 41-41 | MEM 43-39
IND 39-43 | SAS 42-40
DET 38-44 | NOP 41-41
----------|----------
ORL 38-44 | HOU 41-41
ATL 34-48 | GSW 40-42
BKN 31-51 | DAL 39-43
TOR 28-54 | MIN 37-45
MIA 25-57 | SAC 35-47
WAS 25-57 | PHO 34-48
CHA 17-65 | OKC 33-49

 


PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Celtics
(8) Pistons

(4) Bulls
(5) Cavaliers

(3) Bucks
(6) Knicks

(7) 76ers
(8) Pacers


WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Lakers
(8) Pelicans

(4) Clippers
(5) Trail Blazers

(3) Nuggets
(6) Grizzlies

(2) Jazz
(7) Spurs

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

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS

ROUND 1/GAME 1 (April 14th)
Cavaliers 105, Bulls 102

Game one was a disappointing loss for sure, but it could have been much worse. The Cavs outscored us 29-16 in the third quarter and it looked like a blowout was in the works. However, we bounced back with a 36-25 fourth period and made the game respectable at the end; we simply ran out of time. Cleveland's guard Collin Sexton led all scorers with 29 points, but that really doesn't tell the whole tale. The Cavs outscored us 44 to 34 in the paint and logged 19 second chance points to our mere 3! To suggest our defense was non existent in the third period would be an understatement. It also didn't help that Kyrie had an off night and was held to only 16 points. Kyrie shot a paltry 4-17 from the field, 2-11 from the three point line and without LaVine's 29 point contribution, it would surely have been an ugly result. On the positive side, if Kyrie had been just average, we could have easily won the game and although Kyrie can be streaky, I have a feeling he'll bounce back in game two.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS 103 (1) 
(8) DET  81 (0)

(4) CHI 102 (0) 
(5) CLE 105 (1)

(3) MIL 122 (1)
(6) NYK 108 (0)

(7) PHI 121 (1)
(8) IND 107 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) LAL (0)
(8) NOP (0)

(4) LAC (0)
(5) POR (0)

(3) DEN (0)
(6) MEM (0)

(2) UTA (0)
(7) SAS (0)

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

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1/GAME 2 (April 15th/16th-Western Conference)
Bulls 124, Cavaliers 106

Oh what a difference a day can make. After a 36-36 first period, we outscored the Cavs 44-32 in the second period and never looked back. Irving, LaVine and Markkanen were all in double figures, with Kyrie leading the way with 29 points. We outscored the Cavs 42-40 in the paint and split the second chance points 18 a piece. With the series now even, we head to Cleveland for two games. Cleveland will likely be favored in games three and four, as we are not a very good road team, but Jarrett Allen returns to the starting lineup after missing two games to injury. Allen's presence should bolster the defense and his rebounding prowess may give us the edge we need to steal a game or maybe two.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS 111 (2) 
(8) DET 106 (0)

(4) CHI 124 (1) 
(5) CLE 106 (1

(3) MIL  99 (1)
(6) NYK 109 (1)

(7) PHI 108 (2)
(8) IND  92 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 14th)

(1) LAL 102 (0)
(8) NOP 112 (1)

(4) LAC 116 (0)
(5) POR 124 (1)

(3) DEN 100 (0)
(6) MEM 107 (1)

(2) UTA 101 (1)
(7) SAS  88 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 15th)

(1) LAL 126 (1)
(8) NOP 117 (1)

(4) LAC  89 (0)
(5) POR 103 (2)

(3) DEN  89 (0)
(6) MEM 109 (2)

(2) UTA 126 (2)
(7) SAS 114 (0)



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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1/GAME 3 (April 17th)
Cavaliers 126, Bulls 124

Frustrating loss after being up 14 at the half. Cleveland just kept chipping away at the lead and Sexton hit a last second bucket to send the game into overtime. In overtime we traded the lead more than a half dozen times, but when Irving fouled out late in the extra period, the Cavs took advantage of his absence and sealed the game with a Tristan Thompson three. Cleveland guard Collin Sexton led all scorers with 38 points, shooting 10-24 from the field and 5-7 from three point range. As predicted, Allen's presence was surely felt, as we dominated points in the paint 54 to 34, but Sexton wasn't to be denied and he couldn't have picked a better time to have his best game of the year. As bad as it was to lose game one, this one felt worse and unless we can comeback and tie the series before heading home, I have a fear we won't make it to the second round.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS 124 (3) 
(8) DET 106 (0) 

(4) CHI 124 (1) 
(5) CLE 126 (2) OT

(3) MIL  98 (1)
(6) NYK 118 (2)

(7) PHI  94 (2)
(8) IND 102 (1)

 


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

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1/GAME 4 (April 18th/19th-Western Conference)
Bulls 126, Cavaliers 106

It was a dominating performance, with all five Bulls starters in double figures. Bulls guard Zach LaVine led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 11-15 from the field and 3-3 from the three point line. Cavs scored first, but that was the last time they would hold a lead and the Bulls cruised to an easy twenty point victory. With the series now tied at two games a piece, the teams will head back to Chicago for a key game five. Unfortunately for the Bulls, both power forwards Lauri Markkanen and Davis Bertans are injured and will miss the remainder of the series. This poses a major hurdle for coach Wittman and it leaves the Bulls very thin at the position. Center Wendell Carter is the obvious choice to step into the starting lineup in place of Markkanen, but the loss of Bertans means Luke Kornet will likely see increased playing time. Kornet is a better than average defender with an excellent touch at the free throw line and his defensive skills might just be what the Bulls need to shut down the Cavs Offense. Only time will tell if Kornet is up to the task.

In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics swept the Pistons in four and now await the winner of the Bulls/Cavs. The Knicks are a game away from upsetting the Bucks and the 76ers and Pacers are all knotted at two games a piece. In the Western Conference, the Spurs were swept by the Jazz and both the Trailblazers and Pelicans are poised to advance. The Pelicans 3-1 lead over the L.A. Lakers is the most unexpected. The Lakers finished the season a league best 69-13, while the Pelicans finished the season 41-41 and sure the Lakers are without Demarcus Cousins, due to a torn ACL, it's hard to believe that a LeBron James, Anthony Davis led team might get ousted by Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS 122 (4) 
(8) DET  96 (0) 

(4) CHI 126 (2) 
(5) CLE 106 (2)

(3) MIL 113 (1)
(6) NYK 128 (3)

(7) PHI  98 (2)
(8) IND 103 (2)

WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 18th)

(1) LAL 108 (1)
(8) NOP 111 (2)
	
(4) LAC 101 (0)
(5) POR 106 (3)

(3) DEN 111 (1)
(6) MEM  94 (2)

(2) UTA 116 (3)
(7) SAS 112 (0)

WESTERN CONFERENCE (April 19th)

(1) LAL 100 (1)
(8) NOP 103 (3)

(4) LAC 111 (1)
(5) POR 104 (3)

(3) DEN 106 (2)
(6) MEM 105 (2)

(2) UTA 109 (4)
(7) SAS  98 (0)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1/GAME 5 (April 20th/21st)
Cavaliers 127, Bulls 113

Disaster! Kyrie went down in the third minute with a broken elbow and he will miss the remainder of the playoffs. Kyrie is the key to this franchise's success and his shoes will be all but impossible to fill. Regardless, Coby White will now be asked to carry on in Kyrie's absence and it must be noted that despite the loss, White played well, scoring 21 points in the Bulls defeat. White has excellent ball handling skills, has a high basketball IQ and is a better than average defender. Unfortunately, he is also quite young and prone to rookie mistakes. At 19, he is the youngest player on the team and has not been asked to provide significant minutes all year. White is used to coming off the bench to spell Irving for a few minutes, but he now steps into the starting lineup with the team down 3-2...so...no pressure.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS --- (4) 
(8) DET --- (0) 

(4) CHI 113 (2) 
(5) CLE 127 (3)

(3) MIL 126 (2)
(6) NYK 110 (3)

(7) PHI 107 (3)
(8) IND  95 (2)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) LAL 131 (2)
(8) NOP 104 (3)

(4) LAC 127 (2)
(5) POR 112 (3)

(3) DEN 111 (3)
(6) MEM  92 (2)

(2) UTA --- (4)
(7) SAS --- (0)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1/GAME 6 (April 22nd/23rd)
Cavaliers 126, Bulls 108

Despite all five Bulls starters being in double figures, the game was never in doubt. The Cavaliers opened up an early lead and never trailed in the 126-108 victory. The highlight of the game for the Bulls was guard Denzel Valentine, who came off the bench to score 21 points in 25 minutes. Valentine, a good long range shooter, could never have imagined having such a great night. Valentine shot 8-10 from field and 5-6 from the three point line, but unfortunately for him and the Bulls, Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Love combined for 53 points and Collin Sexton added 24 points of his own. It was just too much to over come and the season sadly comes to an early end.

In the Eastern Conference the Knicks upset the Bucks and will face the winner of the 76ers/Pacers series. In the Western Conference, both the Lakers and Clippers stave off elimination, sending their respective series to a seventh game. The Nuggets finally put away the Grizzlies in a game that set back the NBA by approximately four decades. Neither team shot better than 32% from the field and Memphis could only muster 31 points by the half. That's only one point more than Memphis guard Jamal Murray had for the entire game. Denver didn't play much better and if not for Jaren Jackson's 24 points, the series would surely have gone to a game seven...and nobody wanted to see that.

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS --- (4)
(8) DET --- (0)

(4) CHI 108 (2)
(5) CLE 126 (4)

(3) MIL 106 (2)
(6) NYK 120 (4)

(7) PHI  96 (3)
(8) IND 109 (3)

 


WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) LAL 133 (3)
(8) NOP 120 (3)

(4) LAC 131 (3)
(5) POR 124 (3)

(3) DEN  84 (4)
(6) MEM  79 (2)

(2) UTA --- (4)
(7) SAS --- (0)

 


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

 

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS (Completing the 1st Round)

The 76ers win game seven and both the Lakers and Clippers come back from 3-1 deficits to advance to the next round. Now I don't necessarily follow the other games as closely as my own, but I was very interested to see how the Lakers avoided getting bounced in the first round. I'm not a LeBron hater per se, but I must admit that I was routing for a Pelicans upset. When I glanced at the box score I noticed that LeBron put up 37 points, 11 assists and 9 rebounds. Just one rebound away from a triple-double.

Impressive...then I looked a little closer and noticed he made less that half of his 25 shots from the field and he was only 1-9 from three point range. How did he manage to score 37 points? I'm glad you asked. LeBron went to the free throw line no less than 19 times! NINETEEN! He was 12 of 19 from the charity stripe. The next closest player in the game was Zion Williamson who was 2-6 for New Orleans. For perspective, the entire Pelicans team only shot 16 free throws! That's three less that LeBron alone. Who said the NBA doesn't play favorites. [Insert eye roll here]

The crazy thing, he isn't even the most fouled player on the team. LeBron is only averaging 9.0 FTA per game, while Anthony Davis is a whopping 10.4 FTA per game, which is highest in the league. As a matter of fact, way back on November 21st we played the Lakers, losing 132-123. Davis went to the line 24 times! He was 20-24 from the free throw line...yea...he scored twenty points from the line and that's not all. Rondo went 10-14, James 8-14, Howard 3-4 and McGee 1-2. The Lakers shot 58 free throws to our 29...Did somebody let Tim Donaghy back in the league!?! 😉

PLAYOFF TREE
EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) BOS --- (4)
(8) DET --- (0)

(4) CHI --- (2)
(5) CLE --- (4)

(3) MIL --- (2)
(6) NYK --- (4)

(7) PHI 110 (4)
(8) IND 101 (3)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) LAL 131 (2)
(8) NOP 104 (3)

(4) LAC 127 (2)
(5) POR 112 (3)

(3) DEN 111 (3)
(6) MEM  92 (2)

(2) UTA --- (4)
(7) SAS --- (0)


 

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS (2nd Round)

PLAYOFF TREE

EASTERN CONFERENCE
     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) BOS 122 (1) | BOS 113 (2) | BOS 122 (3) | BOS 144 (4) |
(5) CLE 103 (0) | CLE  98 (0) | CLE 115 (0) | CLE 105 (0) |

(6) NYK 114 (1) | NYK  87 (1) | NYK 109 (2) | NYK 103 (2) | NYK  98 (2) | NYK  93 (2) |
(7) PHI 107 (0) | PHI 100 (1) | PHI  94 (1) | PHI 126 (2) | PHI 115 (3) | PHI  97 (4) |

WESTERN CONFERENCE
     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) LAL 114 (1) | LAL 139 (2) | LAL 133 (3) | LAL 113 (3) | LAL 126 (4) |
(4) LAC  86 (0) | LAC 127 (0) | LAC 121 (0) | LAC 124 (0) | LAC 115 (1) |

(3) DEN  92 (0) | DEN  85 (0) | DEN 114 (1) | DEN 123 (2) | DEN  91 (2) | DEN 106 (3) | DEN 113 (4) |
(2) UTA 105 (1) | UTA 106 (2) | UTA  98 (2) | UTA 119 (2) | UTA 102 (3) | UTA  88 (3) | UTA 108 (3) |

 

 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS (CONFERENCE FINALS)

PLAYOFF TREE

EASTERN CONFERENCE
     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) BOS 122 (1) | BOS 105 (1) | BOS 103 (2) | BOS 110 (3) | BOS 100 (3) | BOS 114 (3) | BOS 104 (4) |
(7) PHI 119 (0) | PHI 115 (1) | PHI  92 (1) | PHI  99 (1) | PHI 113 (2) | PHI 126 (3) | PHI  90 (3) |

WESTERN CONFERENCE
     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) LAL 113 (1) | LAL 119 (2) | LAL 103 (2) | LAL 122 (3) | LAL 116 (4) |
(3) DEN 110 (0) | DEN  98 (0) | DEN 117 (1) | DEN 120 (1) | DEN  99 (1) |



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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

PLAYOFFS (FINALS)

NBA FINALS
     GAME 1     |    GAME 2   |    GAME 3   |    GAME 4   |    GAME 5   |    GAME 6   |    GAME 7   |
(1) BOS 105 (0) | BOS 115 (0) | BOX 104 (1) | BOS 109 (1) | BOS  96 (1) |
(1) LAL 121 (1) | LAL 119 (2) | LAL  98 (2) | LAL 120 (3) | LAL 122 (4) |

GAME 1 (Staples Center)
Boston versus Los Angeles for the NBA title. Adam Silver must have been thrilled at his good fortune. Obviously, with two storied franchises meeting in the finals, the marketing machine was on full tilt. In the early going, the game seemed destined to live up to all of the hype and the two teams end the first period all knotted at 24 a piece. Unfortunately, the Celtics came unraveled in the second period and were outscored 42-19. The Lakers went in the locker room with a 66-43 lead. The game was never really in doubt at that point. 
POTG:  Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 37 points / 4 assists / 19 rebounds / 5 blocks / 4 steals 

GAME 2 (Staples Center)
Well LeBron haters, your greatest nightmare is nearly upon you, as the Lakers inch ever closer to an NBA title. Once again the Lakers jumped out to a big halftime lead (67-50) and then held off a late Celtics charge to go up two games to none. Although neither team could have been happy with the officiating, there were a total of 57 fouls called between the two teams, James once again seemed to get more than his fair share of calls. James was 11-17 from the free throw line, which was more than twice as many as Kemba Walker, who went to the line only eight times. 
POTG:  LeBron James - forward (LAL) 35 points / 11 assists / 3 rebounds / 0 blocks / 2 steals 

GAME 3 (TD Garden)
Although Boston fans will rejoice in the Celtics 104-98 victory, Laker fans will point to their teams horrendous 3-point shooting as the reason for the loss. L.A. shot a dismal 1-17 (5.9%) from three, with Rajon Rondo making the lone three pointer for the team. The game was once again a festival of fouls and although the 81 total fouls doesn't come close to a league record, the referees were once again at the forefront of the post game banter. 
POTG:  Kemba Walker - guard (BOS) 38 points / 8 assists / 2 rebounds / 1 blocks / 2 steals 

GAME 4 (TD Garden)
LeBron James scored 31 points and moved one step closer to his fourth NBA title, as the Lakers thumped the Celtics 120-109. Javale McGee dominate the paint, scoring a series high 26 points and Anthony Davis provided 28 points of his own in the victory. The only bright spot for the Celtics was guard Kemba Walker, who went 15 of 30 from the field and 6 of 14 from three to finish the game with 38 points. 
POTG:   Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 28 points / 6 assists / 15 rebounds / 5 blocks / 1 steals 

GAME 5 (Staples Center)
This wasn't a basketball game in as much as it was a coronation for LeBron and obnoxious Laker fans. For Boston fans and LeBron haters around the world, the loss certainly was a difficult pill to swallow, but they way the Celtics laid down in the second half made it all that much worse. Trailing 63-55 at the half, Boston was very much still in the game, but a 38-31 third quarter put the Lakers up by 14 and the fourth quarter was a complete debacle. The Lakers only managed 21 points, but that more than doubled the Celtics paltry 10 points...yes...a professional basketball team in the NBA finals could only manage 10 points in the final quarter. Pathetic.
POTG:   Anthony Davis - forward (LAL) 34 points / 9 assists / 21 rebounds / 6 blocks / 2 steals 

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg
2019-2020 SEASON AWARDS

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Stephen Curry (Guard GSW) 32.7 ppg / 5.5 apg / 5.8 rpg / 1.7 spg / 0.6 bpg.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Forward MIL) 21.5 ppg / 6.4 apg / 11.8 rpg / 2.3 spg / 1.9 bpg

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Hassan Whiteside (Center POR) 11.1 ppg / 0.8 apg / 7.5 rpg / 0.6 spg / 1.4 bpg

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Ja Morant (Guard MEM) 22.1 ppg / 7.3 apg / 4.3 rpg / 1.5 spg / 0.4 bpg

COACH OF THE YEAR
Quin Snyder - Utah Jazz 62-20

ALL-LEAUGE 1st TEAM
G Stephen Curry (GSW)
G Devin Booker (PHO)
F LeBron James (LAL)
F Anthony Davis (LAL)
C Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)

ALL-LEAGUE 2nd TEAM
G Damian Lillard (POR)
G Bradley Beal (WAS)
F Paul George (LAC)
F Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
C Nikola Jokic (DEN)

ALL-LEAGUE 3rd TEAM
G Kemba Walker (BOS)
G Jrue Holiday (NOP)
F Kawhi Leonard (LAC)
F Kristaps Porzingis (DAL)
C Joel Embiid (76ers)

ALL-DEFENSIVE 1st TEAM
G Kemba Walker (BOS)
G Jrue Holiday (NOP)
F Paul George (LAC)
F Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
C Joel Embiid (76ers)

ALL-DEFENSIVE 2nd TEAM
G Stephen Curry (GSW)
G James Harden (HOU) **cough**bullshit**cough**
F Kyle Anderson (MEM)
F Kristaps Porzingis (DAL)
C Rudy Gobert (UTA)

ALL-ROOKIE 1st TEAM
G Ja Morant (MEM)
G R.J. Barrett (NYK)
F Rui Hachimura (CHI)
F Brandon Clarke (MEM)
C Bruno Fernando (ATL)

ALL-ROOKIE 2nd TEAM
G Darius Garland (CLE)
G Kendrick Nunn (MIA)
F De'Andre Hunter (ATL)
F P.J. Washington (CHA)
C Goga Bitadze (IND)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

OFF SEASON REPORT

League News
The salary cap for the 2020-2021 season has been set at $115.5 mil and the luxury cap is now $140.9 mil. That puts us $13.1 mil under the cap. 

Contract News
I decided to pick up the rookie options for guard Coby White, forward Rui Hachimura and center Wendell Carter. I can still option a fourth year for both White and Hachimura later. Chandler Hutchison, forward, also has a rookie option available, but I don't plan on picking it up. 

Contracts for forward Davis Bertans, guard Denzel Valentine and guard Isaiah Thomas are expiring at the end of the year. Bertans played significant minutes for the team and was a valuable player. Is he worth $7 mil a year, maybe not, but he was solid coming off the bench. I'm sure he is going to test the free agent waters, but I wouldn't mind having him back at a reasonable price. Valentine is also a solid contributor off the bench, logging solid minutes all year long. He is a bargain at $3.3 mil a year, but I'm certain he is going to demand a lot more. Like Bertans, he would be a welcome addition at a reasonable price. Thomas played less than ten minutes all year long and although his contract is a mere $2.3 mil a year, there might be better options available. Thomas, Bertans and Hachimura were part of the Young, Felicio trade with the Wizards.

Meeting with Jerry Reinsdorf
If I had to sum up my meeting with Jerry in one word, the word would be pleasant. Surprisingly, Jerry is quite affable when your not throwing away his money. He was not thrilled about us getting bounced in the first round, but who would be. Jerry actually asked me rather nicely if I'd like to return as the Bulls GM and I didn't hesitate to accept his offer. 

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

hX9CBli.jpg
2020-2021 SEASON

PRE SEASON REPORT 

OWNER MEETING
Jerry wanted to know what to expect this year and I told him that I thought we could make a good playoff run. He said, "A deep run in the playoffs is certainly respectable and maybe we can win it all next year?" I'm thinking this guy has dementia, because even though we might be a solid playoff team, there is no way this lineup is going to win an NBA championship unless we get Kyrie some help. Plus, the annual salary increases were more than I expected and I still have three roster spots to fill! 

Jerry then says, "Success comes at a price-what's the cost of our success going to be? Which I took as an opportunity to see just how deep a dive I could take into the Reinsdorf wallet. No owner wants to pay the luxury tax, but we were going to have to exceed the cap to bring in real talent, so I said, "You won't have to pay the luxury tax" and then held my breath. He said, "Okay" and I knew it was time to start combing the free agent market. 

STAFF CONTRACTS
Both Chris Fleming and Nate Loenser are in the final years of their respective contracts. I don't think I'm going to find two better assistants for the money, but I'm going to wait until the end of this season to renegotiate their contracts. The problem is that it will be virtually impossible to give both of them what they want. I really need Jerry to pony up more money for staff contracts, but there doesn't seem to be a mechanism to do so. If the staff budget isn't increased by the end of the year, we will easily exceed our budget next year and Jerry hates paying too much for staff. Meaning, my job is going to be in jeopardy. 

DRAFT REPORT
We only had a single draft pick and since it was the 54th overall pick, I didn't put much effort into evaluating rookies. Ultimately I chose Torrence Jackson, a shooting guard from Oklahoma State, where he averaged 7.5 ppg and 4.1 rpg. In my opinion, he isn't NBA talent. I considered signing him to a rookie contract, just to fill a roster spot, but I knew I would immediately send him down to the G-League. Since I had no confidence that he would ever develop into an NBA caliber guard, I didn't see the point in tying up nearly $1 mil on a player that would never see the court. He will be released.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Forward Davis Bertans - I was really hesitant to renounce his rights. He is an excellent outside shooter and a welcome addition to the team, but his asking price of $14 was simply too much. Plus, I have my eyes on a couple of free agent power forwards and I need the cap space.

Guard Denzel Valentine - I felt that the $5 mil a year asking price was rather reasonable for someone with Denzel's talents. I chose to retain his rights and I would happily resign him at that price. 

Guard Isaiah Thomas - He never really played a role on the team and there wasn't much of a future for him here with so many talented guards ahead of him on the bench. I renounced his rights. 

After all was said and done, I managed to free up an additional $17 mil in cap money that will go a long ways towards signing a big name free agent.

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

SUMMER LEAGUE ASSIGNMENTS 
(Active Roster)
G Chris Chiozza
G Torrence Jackson
F Chandler Hutchison
F Daniel Gafford
F Luke Cornett

(Free Agents)
C Ante Zizic
C Angel Delgado
G Yogi Ferrell
G Rashad Vaughn
G Tyrone Wallace
F Julius Perry
G Morgan Spruel

I don't really give a lot of credence to the summer league, but the team we assembled went a surprising 8-0. Even more surprising was the play of center Ante Zizic. The 23 year-old from Croatia was originally drafted by Cleveland with 23rd overall pick. Although I don't ever see him as a starting center, he definitely could provide some valuable minutes coming off the bench. I'm seriously thinking about signing him, but his $5 mil asking price might be more than I'm willing to pay. 

---------------------
 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

FREE AGENCY

We did not fair well in the free agent market. We weren't looking to hit the lottery, but the players we were targeting were far too expensive and since we are using this year to get our young players some experience, all we really need is some seasoned veterans to provide some stability coming of the bench. However, since we were unable to sign a single player, we will have to wait now until the season starts to fill out the roster. 

SIGNINGS
SG Pat Connaughton 6-5 / 209 lbs / 28 years old (1-Year $1.9 Mil)
SG Allen Crabbe 6-5 / 212 lbs / 28 years old (1-year $2.2 Mil)
SF Torrey Craig 6-7 / 215 lbs / 30 years old - (Two-Way G-League Contract - $75000 for 2 years)  
C  Zhou Qi 7-1 / 210 lbs / 25 years old - (Two-Way G-League Contract - $75000 for 2 years) 

---------------------
 

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

2020-2021 SEASON 

We are currently $23.3 million under the cap and we have six players who will become free agents at the end of the season. Two of those free agents are starters; C Jarrett Allen and PF Lauri Markkanen. Both players are young and each has three bird years remaining, so signing each of them to an extension is certainly a possibility. I'm also toying with the idea trading for someone who can compliment Kyrie and provide us some much needed defense, but I know I'm going to have to give up a lot to do that. Parting with Markkanen would be a difficult decision, but I guess that's why I get paid the big bucks. 

Lastly, I picked up the rookie option for SF Chandler Hutchison. He doesn't play much, but he is still young and could develop into a decent bench player and it never hurts to have a little depth. 

ROSTER
PG | 4.0 | Kyrie Irving
SG | 3.5 | Zach Lavine 
SF | 3.0 | Rui Hachimura
PF | 3.5 | Lauri Markkanen
 C | 3.0 | Jarrett Allen
BENCH
 C | 2.5 | Wendell Carter
PG | 3.0 | Coby White
SG | 2.0 | Pat Connaughton
SG | 2.0 | Allen Crabbe
PF | 2.0 | Luke Kornet
SF | 2.0 | Chandler Hutchison
PG | 2.5 | Chris Chiozza
PF | 2.0 | Daniel Gafford
G-LEAGUE
SF | 2.0 | Torrey Craig
 C | 2.0 | Zhou Qi
CONTRACTS
Player              | Pos|  Ht | Wt  |Age | Contract
Wendell Carter Jr.  | C  | 6-9 | 259 | 21 | $5,448,840/2y 
Daniel Gafford      | PF | 6-10| 234 | 22 | $1,517,981/3y
Chandler Hutchison  | SF | 6-7 | 197 | 24 | $2,443,440/2y
Luke Kornet         | PF | 7-2 | 240 | 25 | $2,304,878/1y 
Zach LaVine         | SG | 6-6 | 181 | 25 | $19,500,000/2y
Lauri Markkanen     | PF | 7-0 | 240 | 23 | $6,731,508/1y
Coby White          | PG | 6-4 | 185 | 20 | $5,572,680/2y (RO)
Kyrie Irving        | PG | 6-2 | 195 | 28 | $33,329,100/3y 
Jarrett Allen       | C  | 6-11| 243 | 22 | $3,909,902/1y
Rui Hachimura       | SF | 6-8 | 230 | 22 | $4,692,840/2y (RO)
Chris Chiozza       | PG | 5-11| 175 | 25 | $1,517,981/1y
Pat Connaughton     | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 28 | $1,954,634/1y
Allen Crabbe        | SG | 6-5 | 212 | 28 | $2,257,194/1y
Torry Craig         | SF | 6-7 | 215 | 30 | $75,000 (2W-GLG)
Zhou Qi             | C  | 7-1 | 210 | 25 | $75,000 (2W-GLG)

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

uKt6NPm.jpg

TRADE UPDATE

Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen were in the final years of their contracts, so my first order of business was to try and extend their deals. Unfortunately, we couldn't settle on a mutually beneficial salary structure and I decided to trade them instead. Obviously, I wanted to secure players of similar talents, with an emphasis on shoring up our defense. Ultimately, I traded Markkanen to the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson and Allen to the New Orleans Pelicans for Derrick Favors and their 2022 1st round pick. Favors salary is far higher than Allen's, but we'll have him for the next four years and he brings some veteran talent to a team that is quite young. We are certainly giving up some offensive power, but we should be able to counter that with better defense. Well, at least that's the plan. 

ROSTER
PG | 4.0 | Kyrie Irving
SG | 3.5 | Zach Lavine 
SF | 3.0 | Rui Hachimura
PF | 3.5 | Jaren Jackson
 C | 3.0 | Derrick Favors
BENCH
 C | 2.5 | Wendell Carter
PG | 3.0 | Coby White
SG | 2.0 | Pat Connaughton
SG | 2.0 | Allen Crabbe
PF | 2.0 | Luke Kornet
SF | 2.0 | Chandler Hutchison
PG | 2.5 | Chris Chiozza
PF | 2.0 | Daniel Gafford
G-LEAGUE
SF | 2.0 | Torrey Craig
 C | 2.0 | Zhou Qi
CONTRACTS
Player             | Pos|  Ht | Wt  |Age | Contract
Wendell Carter Jr. | C  | 6-9 | 259 | 21 | $5,448,840/2y 
Daniel Gafford     | PF | 6-10| 234 | 22 | $1,517,981/3y
Chandler Hutchison | SF | 6-7 | 197 | 24 | $2,443,440/2y
Luke Kornet        | PF | 7-2 | 240 | 25 | $2,304,878/1y 
Zach LaVine        | SG | 6-6 | 181 | 25 | $19,500,000/2y
Jaren Jackson      | PF | 6-11| 242 | 21 | $7,257,360/2y
Coby White         | PG | 6-4 | 185 | 20 | $5,572,680/2y (RO)
Kyrie Irving       | PG | 6-2 | 195 | 28 | $33,329,100/3y 
Derrick Favors     | C  | 6-9 | 246 | 29 | $15,404,013/4y
Rui Hachimura      | SF | 6-8 | 230 | 22 | $4,692,840/2y (RO)
Chris Chiozza      | PG | 5-11| 175 | 25 | $1,517,981/1y
Pat Connaughton    | SG | 6-5 | 209 | 28 | $1,954,634/1y
Allen Crabbe       | SG | 6-5 | 212 | 28 | $2,257,194/1y
Torry Craig        | SF | 6-7 | 215 | 30 | $75,000 (2W-GLG)
Zhou Qi            | C  | 7-1 | 210 | 25 | $75,000 (2W-GLG) 

TEAM SALARY $103,209,941  
CAP STATUS +$12,209,059

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

Edited by daltontr

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create a GM profile or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create a GM profile

Sign up for a GM profile in our community. It's free & easy!

Create a GM profile

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.