40: A MyNBA Universe

[huge_bart_simpson]

1984 NBA Draft

1. Chicago - SG Michael Jordan (North Carolina)
2. Portland - C Akeem Olajuwon (Houston)
3. Kansas City - PF Charles Barkley (Auburn)
4. Philadelphia - PG John Stockton (Gonzaga)
5. Dallas - PF Ken Bannister (Indiana State)
6 - Indiana - SG Alvin Robertson (Arkansas)
7. Houston - PG Jay Humphries (Colorado)
8. Washington - C Tim McCormick (Michigan)
9. Dallas - C Michael Cage (San Diego State)
10. LA Clippers - SF Ron Anderson (Fresno State)
11. LA Clippers (traded to MIL) - C Sam Bowie (Kentucky)
12. New Jersey - PG Vern Fleming (Georgia)
13. Atlanta - PG Kevin Willis (Michigan State)
14. LA Clippers (acquired from MIL) - SF Jerome Kersey (Longwood)
15. Phoenix - PF Sam Perkins (North Carolina)
16. Philadelphia - PF Otis Thorpe (Providence)
17. Portland - PF Jeff Turner (Vanderbilt)
18. San Antonio - SF Oscar Schmidt (Brazil)
19. LA Lakers - SF Bernard Thompson (Fresno State)
20. Philadelphia - Michael Young (Houston)
21. Detroit - SG Steve Burtt (Iona)
22. Boston - C Melvin Turpin (Kentucky)
23. Dallas (acquired from UTA) - PG Othell Wilson (Virginia)

• The Clippers traded Michael Brooks and the draft rights to Sam Bowie to Milwaukee for Randy Breuer and the 14th pick, which was used to select Jerome Kersey.
• The Jazz traded the 23rd pick to Dallas for Brad Davis.

Notable Second Round Picks

• C Eddie Wilkins (25th overall - signed by NYK)
• SG Terence Stansbury (26th overall, Portland - signed by ATL)
• PG Leon Wood (29th overall, Dallas - signed by WAS)
• SG Lancaster Gordon (31st overall - signed by ATL)
  
  Projected Record: 39-43
  Projected Lineup: John Lucas/Jeff Malone/Greg Ballard/Lonnie Shelton/Jeff Ruland/Tim McCormick

Commentary

• And with the first pick, the Bulls select... Bwahahahaha! They did it again! It's funny at this point.
• Did the Clippers make the right move in trading Sam Bowie to pick Jerome Kersey? We'll see.

[huge_bart_simpson]

1984 NBA Free Agency News

• The newly rechristened Los Angeles Clippers made the biggest splash in free agency, inking Jim Paxson to a 4yr/$3.87M deal.
• The reigning champion Jazz just got even better, shoring up the 5 by giving 4 years and $3.54 million to Joe Barry Carroll. They also nabbed Mike Glenn (2yr/$410k) and Fred Brown (2yr/$364k).
• San Antonio nabbed Dan Roundfield with a 3-year, $1.5 million deal.
• The Knicks re-upped with Ray Williams for 2 years and $561K, and they also signed Eddie Wilkins (2yr, $381k), Steve Hawes (1yr/$81k) and George Johnson (2yr/$680k).
• Milwaukee brought back Nate Archibald for two years and $576,000 while also taking a cheap flyer on Lionel Hollins (1yr/$81k).
• Needing stability in their frontcourt after the retirement of rental minute sponge Calvin Murphy, Denver threw $659,000 and $422,000 at T.R. Dunn and Rob Williams, respectively, keeping them in town on twin two-year deals while also nabbing Three-Point Contest winner Brian Winters at $81K for one year.
• Seattle locked up David Thompson for 3 years and $2.32 million.
• The Kings grabbed Bob Lanier for 2yr/$762k.
• John Lucas moved to Washington for 3yr/$1.01M.
• The Rockets grabbed Pat Cummings (2yr/$612k) and Mickey Johnson (2yr/$342k) while re-signing Robert Reid for 3 years and $1.21M.
• Cleveland gave Frank Johnson 2yr/$588k to start at point guard, signed Terry Teagle for 2yr/$481k and brought in Wayne Cooper at 2yr/$606k.
• Phoenix added Gerald Henderson for 2yr/$362k and brought back Paul Westphal (2yr/$381k)
• The Mavericks brought in Mike Dunleavy (1yr/$81k) to compete with rookie Othell Wilson for the starting 1 guard spot left vacant by the draft-day trade of Brad Davis that was used to select Wilson.
• With Gerald Henderson gone, the Celtics gave Phil Ford 1yr/$81k and signed Campy Russell to the same deal.
• Golden State took Eddie Johnson from Atlanta for 2yr/$516k and nabbed Geoff Huston from Cleveland for 2yr/$590k. They also added Edgar Jones for 2yr/$272k.
• Indiana gave Antoine Carr 2yr/$994k, Elvin Hayes 1yr/$227k and Kelvin Ransey 2yr/$506k.
• Atlanta nabbed James Bailey for 2yr/$303k and Mike Sanders for 2yr/$381k.

[huge_bart_simpson]

Quote: Originally Posted by ShamWowNY

Wow, Adrian Dantley Finals MVP! Definitely an aberration from OTL, but glad to see the Jazz get one.

Surprised me as well. I definitely didn't expect Dantley, Rickey Green, and a hurt Darrell Griffith to hang with Boston, but they did that and more. Even so, they might be making a deep run again next season with the addition of Joe Barry Carroll to shore up the 5.

[huge_bart_simpson]

1984-85 Season Preview

Philadelphia 76ers (56-26)
Wanna get an idea of how deep this Philly team is? Rookie John Stockton isn’t even their first option off the bench. Their entire core remains intact, so a return to the playoffs is just the start for this hungry team looking to get back on the mountaintop after an exhausting six-game loss to Detroit in the second round.

Projected Record: 62-20
Projected Lineup: Maurice Cheeks/Andrew Toney/Julius Erving/Marc Iavaroni/Moses Malone/Bobby Jones

Milwaukee Bucks (41-41)
Losing in the conference semifinals to Boston was par for the course for this squad, but they decided to shake things up in the offseason. Bob Lanier signed with Kansas City, leaving a hole at the 5 that was filled with a draft-day trade for the rights to Sam Bowie, who should fill the hole and provide quality play. Junior Bridgeman also retreats into a bench role to make way for the younger Alton Lister. Even with some holes plugged, it might be time for a long, arduous rebuild in Brew City.

Projected Record: 39-43
Projected Lineup: Nate Archibald/Sidney Moncrief/Marques Johnson/Alton Lister/Sam Bowie/Junior Bridgeman

Washington Bullets (32-50)
This team wasn’t really expected to compete with the best in the East, and they didn’t, meekly bowing out to the Pistons in the first round. Their answer was to acquire a solid point guard in John Lucas and draft Jeff Ruland’s future replacement in Tim McCormick. Expect some improvement, but not much.

Projected Record: 39-43
Projected Lineup: John Lucas/Jeff Malone/Greg Ballard/Lonnie Shelton/Jeff Ruland/Tim McCormick

Chicago Bulls (27-55)
They already had promise with the play of rookies Ennis Whatley and Mitchell Wiggins, but getting Michael Jordan with the #1 pick in the draft transforms this team into a .500 squad. Who knows, maybe we’ll see Jordan, Whatley, and Orlando Woolridge in the postseason with enough of a turnaround.

Projected Record: 40-42
Projected Lineup: Ennis Whatley/Michael Jordan/Orlando Woolridge/Dave Greenwood/Dave Corzine/Quintin Dailey

Cleveland Cavaliers (30-52)
Yikes. Losing starting PG Geoff Huston to Golden State makes an already bad outfit even worse, and the lack of a first-round pick made Cleveland’s offseason even more dull than it already was. This team is going to be terrible and could see the departure of team leader World B. Free and solid bench forward Rick Mahorn via trade as the season unfolds.

Projected Record: 21-61
Projected Lineup: John Bagley/World B. Free/Phil Hubbard/Cliff Robinson/Jeff Cook/Frank Johnson

Boston Celtics (65-17)
They easily returned to the Finals but were shockingly ousted by Utah in six games. Gerald Henderson bolted for Phoenix, but the rest of the core remains the same, with Quinn Buckner and the newly signed Phil Ford expected to battle for his empty spot. They’ll regress a bit but not much.

Projected Record: 60-22
Projected Lineup: Quinn Buckner/Dennis Johnson/Cedric Maxwell/Larry Bird/Robert Parish/Kevin McHale

Los Angeles Clippers (29-53)
After a dreadful season that saw the departure of franchise cornerstone Bill Walton, the former San Diego Clippers decided to start this season with a clean slate, moving into La La Land to compete with the top-tier Lakers. They made some immediate splashes in the offseason, acquiring Ron Anderson and Jerome Kersey via the draft and landing star guard Jim Paxson in free agency. L.A. might be earmarked for a remarkable turnaround this season, but the window will stay open with no starters over the age of 30.

Projected Record: 45-33
Projected Lineup: Norm Nixon/Jim Paxson/Ron Anderson/Terry Cummings/James Donaldson/Ricky Pierce

Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
The departures of Dan Roundfield and Eddie Johnson turn a once-respectable team into a bottom-feeder. Kevin Willis and Lancaster Gordon are good pieces for the long haul, but James Bailey is not the total haul from free agency they needed. Expect them to slide back into the doldrums this season, even if they think they’re contenders.

Projected Record: 35-47
Projected Lineup: Johnny Davis/Lancaster Gordon/Dominique Wilkins/James Bailey/Tree Rollins/Doc Rivers

Utah Jazz (57-25)
The Jazz caught lightning in a bottle and claimed their very first championship by bouncing the mighty Celtics in six games, but they are set to get even better with the addition of Joe Barry Carroll via free agency, shoring up a big hole at the 5. They’re looking to prove that last year wasn’t just a fluke, and they have a very real chance to do so.

Projected Record: 60-22
Projected Lineup: Rickey Green/Darrell Griffith/Adrian Dantley/Thurl Bailey/Joe Barry Carroll/John Drew

Kansas City Kings (25-57)
Landing Charles Barkley could be the key to a return to relevancy for Kansas City, as long as they can surround him with talent. Their roster is already solid with Eddie Johnson, Larry Drew, Reggie Theus and LaSalle Thompson, but can they take the next step? It might be this year, but it might not. We’ll see.

Projected Record: 37-45
Projected Lineup: Larry Drew/Reggie Theus/Eddie Johnson/Charles Barkley/LaSalle Thompson/Mike Woodson

New York Knicks (31-51)
New York was terrible last season, but they didn’t own their first-rounder, so gloom and doom once again prevail in the Big Apple. Star center Bill Cartwright left in free agency and still hasn’t been signed, dealing a major blow to the Knicks frontcourt. Rookie Eddie Wilkins will take his spot but it will be enough to have them fighting for lottery odds this season amid rumors that Truck Robinson may be headed elsewhere.

Projected Record: 27-55
Projected Lineup: Rory Sparrow/Ray Williams/Bernard King/Truck Robinson/Eddie Wilkins/George Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers (54-28)
After almost allowing an unbelievable comeback to the Nuggets in the conference semifinal, the Lakers were easily handled by the eventual champion Jazz in the conference finals. With the same exact core, you can’t really expect different results, so they should be right back in the thick of the championship hunt.

Projected Record: 52-30
Projected Lineup: Magic Johnson/James Worthy/Jamaal Wilkes/James Worthy/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Michael Cooper

Dallas Mavericks (37-45)
A loss to Golden State in their final game kept them out of the playoffs, and they probably won’t be finding their way back anytime soon. The departures of Brad Davis and Pat Cummings drag this team further into the lottery hunt, and as solid as draft picks Ken Bannister and Michael Cage are, they aren’t the answer. A long season is in the cards in the City of Hate, and it won’t be getting better for a while.

Projected Record: 29-53
Projected Lineup: Derek Harper/Rolando Blackman/Mark Aguirre/Ken Bannister/Michael Cage/Dale Ellis

New Jersey Nets (40-42)
They suffered the unfortunate fate of being a solid team utterly smacked into the next dimension by Philadelphia in the first round. Darwin Cook replaces Micheal Ray Richardson as the starting point guard and Vern Fleming makes for a nice rookie sixth man, but expect New Jersey to hover around the same mark as last year with no sweeping changes to its roster makeup.

Projected Record: 42-40
Projected Lineup: Darwin Cook/Otis Birdsong/Albert King/Buck Williams/Darryl Dawkins/Vern Fleming

Denver Nuggets (42-40)
After acquiring Bill Walton at the trade deadline, they found their way into the playoffs before an injury to Kiki Vandeweghe crushed their dreams of pulling off the greatest comeback in playoff history against the mighty Lakers. Calvin Murphy retired, but all of the other major pieces are back, which should lead to another trip to the postseason as long as they stay healthy.

Projected Record: 43-39
Projected Lineup: Rob Williams/T.R. Dunn/Alex English/Kiki Vandeweghe/Bill Walton/Dan Issel

Indiana Pacers (24-58)
Last season was horrendous, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. The newly drafted Alvin Robertson will fit right in with the young nucleus of Clark Kellogg, Herb Williams, and Steve Stipanovich. However, starting rookie Kenton Edelin at the 3 after George Johnson’s departure isn’t going to do them any favors. Indiana will make some improvement, but not enough for a playoff spot.

Projected Record: 31-51
Projected Lineup: Jerry Sichting/Alvin Robertson/Kenton Edelin/Clark Kellogg/Herb Williams/Steve Stipanovich

Detroit Pistons (65-17)
They were two home wins away from the Finals after stealing the first two games of the conference finals in Boston Garden, but the Celtics took four straight to send a team full of promise to the offseason. Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson and the gang aren’t going away anytime soon, and if they get on a run in the playoffs, they have a shot to win the whole thing.

Projected Record: 63-19
Projected Lineup: Isiah Thomas/Vinnie Johnson/Kelly Tripucka/Cliff Levingston/Bill Laimbeer/John Long

Houston Rockets (30-52)
Another rough season is on the horizon in Houston. Even with the acquisition of Pat Cummings to fill a hole at the 4 and the selection of promising point guard Jay Humphries in the draft, the Rockets still need a better supporting cast behind Ralph Sampson if they want to make strides toward long-term success.

Projected Record: 34-48
Projected Lineup: Allen Leavell/Lewis Lloyd/Robert Reid/Pat Cummings/Ralph Sampson/Rodney McCray

San Antonio Spurs (50-32)
Losing John Lucas and Edgar Jones will hurt, but the Spurs assuaged the pain by signing Dan Roundfield away from Atlanta to be their sixth man. Roundfield provides elite defense whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. Unfortunately, the West’s heavyweights (mostly) improved over the offseason, while many of the bottom-feeders could challenge for a playoff spot, meaning that a decline (albeit small) is in the cards.

Projected Record: 47-33
Projected Lineup: Johnny Moore/George Gervin/Mike Mitchell/Gene Banks/Artis Gilmore/Dan Roundfield

Phoenix Suns (41-41)
Phoenix had the misfortune of meeting a red-hot Lakers team in the opening round, who quickly put them out to pasture with three quick wins. Gerald Henderson arrives from Boston to assume the starting 1 guard role, while Sam Perkins should be a solid bench option in his rookie year. The second round is a very distinct possibility for this team with the talent they have on this roster, but it certainly isn’t a foregone conclusion.

Projected Record: 43-39
Projected Lineup: Gerald Henderson/Walter Davis/Maurice Lucas/Larry Nance/James Edwards/Alvan Adams

Seattle SuperSonics (38-44)
After attaining a very questionable #3 seed, they were bounced by Denver in three straight after losing Gus Williams to injury. Bench piece Fred Brown left for Utah, but Williams, Jack Sikma, Tom Chambers and the rest of the core remain, which probably puts them in the playoff hunt once again if they can avoid the injury bug.

Projected Record: 39-43
Projected Lineup: Gus Williams/David Thompson/Danny Vranes/Tom Chambers/Jack Sikma/Al Wood

Portland Trail Blazers (49-33)
This is going to be a ride. Adding Akeem Olajuwon to an already great team that includes Clyde Drexler, Fat Lever and Kenny Carr makes them true championship contenders. Jim Paxson and Wayne Cooper’s departures doesn’t even seem to matter for this team, as Drexler can slide seamlessly into his spot. If this team doesn’t make it into May, the season will be considered a disappointment.

Projected Record: 56-26
Projected Lineup: Fat Lever/Clyde Drexler/Calvin Natt/Kenny Carr/Akeem Olajuwon/Mychal Thompson

Golden State Warriors (37-45)
After narrowly making the playoffs and getting smoked by Utah, the Warriors decided to blow it up, letting star center Joe Barry Carroll, solid forward Mickey Johnson and sixth man Mike Bratz walk in free agency with only Atlanta’s Eddie Johnson and Utah’s Rich Kelley coming in to replace them. The #1 overall pick seems more likely than the playoffs for this squad, who might eventually be forced to part with Purvis Short and Sleepy Floyd.

Projected Record: 25-57
Projected Lineup: Sleepy Floyd/Lester Conner/Purvis Short/Larry Smith/Rich Kelley/Eddie Johnson

[huge_bart_simpson]

10/26/84

• Detroit's Kelly Tripucka is recovering from a sore left knee, so his status is uncertain for today's game against Philadelphia.

(0-0) Detroit Pistons @ (0-0) Philadelphia 76ers

Pistons Lineup
PG - Isiah Thomas (21.0 PPG, 10.9 APG, 1.8 SPG, .555 FG%)
SG - Vinnie Johnson (16.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, .551 FG%)
SF - John Long (17.8 PPG, .515 FG%)
PF - Cliff Levingston (6.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG)
C - Bill Laimbeer (14.4 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG)
6th Man - Terry Tyler (8.5 PPG)

76ers Lineup
PG - Maurice Cheeks (9.7 PPG, 7.5 APG, 1.5 SPG)
SG - Andrew Toney (19.5 PPG, 5.8 APG)
SF - Julius Erving (23.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, .578 FG%)
PF - Marc Iavaroni (4.6 PPG)
C - Moses Malone (27.0 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG, .582 FG%)
6th Man - Bobby Jones (6.6 PPG, 1.3 BPG)

[huge_bart_simpson]

Detroit Pistons @ Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers kicked off their quest for the title by rolling over the fellow Eastern Conference heavyweight Pistons, defeating them 134-119. Philadelphia were led by a great game from Moses Malone, who put up 30 points and 13 rebounds on 14-19 shooting. Rookie Otis Thorpe (23 points, 9 rebounds) and dependable stalwart Julius Erving (21 points, 8 assists) also posted good numbers, while Andrew Toney, Marc Iavaroni and Maurice Cheeks also reached double figures. 4th overall pick John Stockton had 3 points and 6 assists in his debut. Bill Laimbeer (23 points, 14 rebounds) and Cliff Levingston (10 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double, while Isiah Thomas (21 points), John Long (20 points), and Vinnie Johnson (17 points) also had decent nights, but it was not enough in the defeat.

[huge_bart_simpson]

Update: Since my save file seems to have a bug where the team that would be the winner of the current Southwest Division is displayed as third place in the West (which could carry serious implications for future playoffs), I'm going to have to put this series on indefinite hold until a fix is released. Look for more projects like this in the very near future. I'm sorry if you were enjoying this.

[JAY_D1]

Quote: Originally Posted by huge_bart_simpson

Update: Since my save file seems to have a bug where the team that would be the winner of the current Southwest Division is displayed as third place in the West (which could carry serious implications for future playoffs), I'm going to have to put this series on indefinite hold until a fix is released. Look for more projects like this in the very near future. I'm sorry if you were enjoying this.

Noooo ah man this sucks