NBA Franchise of the Year: Passion. Pride. Pacers.

[mfbmike]

2008/2009 Award Winners:

Most Valuable Player:

Lebron James - Cleveland Cavaliers

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=40em"]PPG|RPG|APG|SPG|BPG
28.9|7.1|7.2|2|0.7[/table]

Rookie Of The Year:

O.J. Mayo - Memphis Grizzlies

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=40em"]PPG|RPG|APG|SPG|BPG
17.9|4.3|4.8|1.4|0.1[/table]

6th Man Of The Year:

Jamal Crawford - Golden State Warriors

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=40em"]PPG|RPG|APG|SPG|BPG
18.4|2|4.4|0.8|0.1[/table]

Defensive Player Of The Year:

Chris Kaman - Indiana Pacers

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=40em"]PPG|RPG|APG|SPG|BPG
15.6|10.4|2.2|1.9|3[/table]

Most Improved Player:

Bobby Jackson - Sacramento Kings

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=40em"]PPG|RPG|APG|SPG|BPG
15.4|3.8|5.9|1|0[/table]

All NBA 1st Team:

Chris Paul - New Orleans Hornets
Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
Lebron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic

All NBA 2nd Team:

Chauncey Billups - Denver Nuggets
Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat
Carmelo Anthony - Denver Nuggets
Chris Bosh - Toronto Raptors
Chris Kaman - Indiana Pacers

All NBA 3rd Team:

Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks
Brandon Roy - Portland Trailblazers
Caron Butler - Washington Wizards
Pau Gasol - Los Angeles Lakers
Marcus Camby - Los Angeles Clippers

All-Defensive 1st Team:

Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks
Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
Shawn Marion - Miami Heat
Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
Chris Kaman - Indiana Pacers

All-Defensive 2nd Team:

T.J. Ford - Indiana Pacers
Andre Iguodala - Philadelphia Sixers
Josh Smith - Atlanta Hawks
Kevin Garnett - Boston Celtics
Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic

All-Rookie 1st Team:

Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder
O.J. Mayo - Memphis Grizzlies
Danilo Galinari - New York Knicks
Michael Beasley - Miami Heat
Greg Oden - Portland Trailblazers

All-Rookie 2nd Team:

Jerryd Bayless - Portland Trailblazers
Courtney Lee - Orlando Magic
Brandon Rush - Indiana Pacers
Kevin Love - Minnesota Timberwolves
Brook Lopez - New Jersey Nets​

 

[mfbmike]

great writeup for the players, good luck against the heat, did dwade put up mvp numbers this year?

He put up decent numbers. He was at the bottom of the MVP race though. Lebron/Kobe and all the others outshined him.

I can't help but question those sliders again lol. Those 3pt percentages are way too high. Everyone on your team seems like Jason Kapono....

Everyone on my team shot close to 50% from beyond the arch like Kapono does? Hmm, that's funny. Only person who shot close to that who actually played serious time with me is Granger. All of my other "frequent" 3 point shooters shot under 40% which is pretty norm. Quinn's % is high because he came to me with a high percentage and played maybe what, 20 games for me? I didn't exactly chuck up a lot of 3's with him but his % did go down since joining me. Dermarr is a rare case. His rating sucks but he can knock down jumpers/3's. Dude is 6'9 so game mechanics reads it like an open shot I guess and they fall for me. But again, he didn't log heavy minutes and played in maybe 20 games tops.

hope u beat the heat!

I hope so too. Going to be a tough series.

 

[LC AAU]

You mentioned DerMarr!!!

Good job with Kamen.

 

[mfbmike]

2008/2009 NBA Staff Winners:

Coach Of The Year:

Mike Brown - Cleveland Cavaliers

Brown led the new look Cavs to 50 wins this year with a new look roster including Mo Williams and Troy Murphy.

GM Of The Year:

Steve Kerr - Phoenix Suns

Swinging a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats earlier this season to add Jason Richardson to an already incredibly talented squad, Steve Kerr has allowed the Suns to reach a league best 56 wins this season.​

 

[LC AAU]

^^^LOL

Steve Kerr GM of the year :jonesy:

 

[The Messenger]

Everyone on my team shot close to 50% from beyond the arch like Kapono does? Hmm, that's funny. Only person who shot close to that who actually played serious time with me is Granger. All of my other "frequent" 3 point shooters shot under 40% which is pretty norm. Quinn's % is high because he came to me with a high percentage and played maybe what, 20 games for me? I didn't exactly chuck up a lot of 3's with him but his % did go down since joining me. Dermarr is a rare case. His rating sucks but he can knock down jumpers/3's. Dude is 6'9 so game mechanics reads it like an open shot I guess and they fall for me. But again, he didn't log heavy minutes and played in maybe 20 games tops.

So defensive lol.

I didn't see how many players on the Magic shoot 40% and higher. They got 4 of them. You got 3 of them. So I guess it could happen.

BTW, fuck you and this chise!

FUCK IT!

 

[packersfan4eva]

danny granger didn't make ANY of the all-star teams? That's crazy

 

[Primetime]

Granger got shafted. Amazing write ups. I might steal your layout for that if it's ok with you. I've still got a long way to go this season though.

 

[Flight24]

Great job mike. Contrats on making it through an entire season

 

[mfbmike]

danny granger didn't make ANY of the all-star teams? That's crazy

His injuries kept him out of the voting for everything except for Most Improved Player. He missed 25/26 games or so and that's the main reason. I can't be bitter. I'm lucky for him to have even make the All-Star team earlier this season.

To be honest though, I do feel like Granger got snubbed for MIP, but oh well. Bobby Jackson deserved it as well.

Granger got shafted. Amazing write ups. I might steal your layout for that if it's ok with you. I've still got a long way to go this season though.

Thanks, and you know I don't mind. Good luck getting there. It's been a long time coming for a primetime chise.

Great job mike. Contrats on making it through an entire season

Thanks man. Hopefully I can get through the playoffs with this one unlike that first Nets chise back on the old SH. lol.

 

[mfbmike]

2009 NBA Playoffs 1st Round Breakdown:

#1

vs

#8

The Suns have flourished under new Head Coach Terry Porter's system and have become one of the best teams in the league. The Clippers busted out of the gates this season but have since fallen in the standings. Regardless, the Clippers have returned to the postseason after a long hiatus and have something to prove.

Our Prediction: Suns in 5

#2

vs

#7

The Lakers were atop the Power Rankings for a majority of the season but fell ever so slightly in the last playoff push to earn the #2 seed in the West. The Warriors addition of Jamal Crawford has given them a deadly combo gaurd off the bench which has spearheaded them back into postseason contention. The Warriors are one of the hottest teams in the league right now while the Lakers look to be losing steam. Will the Lakers be able to hold off the surging Warriors?

Our Prediction: Lakers in 6

#3

vs

#6

The Rockets have found a way to stay healthy(well, sorta) this season and are serious championship contenders at this point. However, T-Mac may find it a challenge to get out of the first round against a very hot Nuggets team, who found themselves low in the standings before going on a tear to jump up to the 6th spot. Carmelo Anthony has won the last two player of the month awards in the Western Conference and will be a force to be reckoned with.

Our Prediction: Rockets in 7

#4

vs

#5

The young faces off against the old in this series. With 2 rookies in their starting lineup, the Blazers were able to return to postseason contention and managed to win the Northwest division title. However, we think experience will be the factor to push the Spurs into round 2. I wouldn't count the Blazers out though.

Our Prediction: Spurs in 6

_________________________________________

#1

vs

#8

The Heat managed to wiggle themselves into the #1 spot despite being tied with Cleveland atop the Eastern Conference with 50 wins. The Pacers have returned to the playoffs after a 2 year hiatus and an upset isn't too far out of the picture if rising star Danny Granger can get it going early in the series.

Our Prediction: Heat in 6

#2

vs

#7

The new look Cavaliers were one of the top teams in the East. Lebron James has his eyes set on an NBA Championship but standing in his way is the Superman himself, Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic. This will be a series to watch.

Our Prediction: Cavs in 7

#3

vs

#6

The young and exciting Hawks with the addition of seasoned veteran P.J. Brown have emerged as a serious playoff contender in the East. While the new look Pistons along with Allen Iverson were actually 15-2 at one point to kick off this season, have since fallen from grace and a 1st round exit doesn't seem to unlikely at this point.

Our Prediction: Hawks in 6

#4

vs

#5

The reigning NBA champs have seen their share of adversity this season with injuries and their record shows it. They could never muster up enough momentum to get into the top 3 in the East but still can be dangerous in the postseason with their Big 3. After giving the Pistons a run for their money in last year's playoffs, the Sixers once again face a championship contender in round 1.

Our Prediction: Celtics in 7​

 

[Onez]

The Heat are not easy to beat. I'm hoping for a first round upset here.

 

[mfbmike]

Hey i predicted you would make the playoffs no problem.....i'm predicting a Game 6 series win for Pacers.....

I wouldn't call 8th seed only 2/3 games ahead of the 9th spot no problem. :einstein:

lol, but thanks though.

 

[LC AAU]

Thanks for stealing my picture idea, douche bag :shifty:

Should I go for mike, or my team?

 

[mfbmike]

Pacers-Heat: First Round Breakdown And Analysis

#1

vs

#8

We’ve all heard it over and again, the Pacers were 8-16 and somehow, someway, found their game and made it to the 2009 NBA playoffs. We’ve heard about young guys bringing new depth to their game, Danny Granger as the stoic leader, and the transition game. We know about their ability to run on the fast break, and we know that down the stretch they beat teams like Cleveland, Houston, and the Lakers. That’s all fine and good but as they say, none of that means anything now. It’s the second season for the Pacers, and they got what they wanted: a spot in the playoffs. So now that they made it, what’s the limit for this team? Their first round opponent is the Miami Heat. The Pacers fast break against the Heat's in your face defense, grind it out style. Let’s take a deeper look into the series...

Chalmers Out With Injury

One of the biggest stories surrounding this series will be the absence of rookie point guard Mario Chalmers. Chalmers went down with a severe ankle sprain at the end of the March. Heat trainers says it will be another 1 to 2 weeks before Chalmers can return to the court. Unless this series stretches to 6 or 7 games, we may not even see Chalmers in the 1st round. Now, here's the real kicker. The Pacers and Heat agreed to a trade deadline deal exchanging Chris Quinn and Jarrett Jack. Jack, the former Pacer, and starter for the Blazers a season ago, will more than likely get the starting nod in Chalmers absence. This is one matchup the Pacers will have to exploit if they hope to squeeze out any sort of upset.

Front Court Play:

The Heat often run a small ball setup with 6"9' Michael Beasley and 6"8 Udonis Haslem holding down the 4 and 5 spots, while the Pacers big man rotation includes the 6"10' Chris Wilcox, 7"0' Chris Kaman. Not to mention Sean Williams and Roy Hibbert off the bench. Again, the Pacers have the advantage down low and should look to force the issue inside. Kaman has become a strong offensive force since finally finding himself in the Pacers offensive system and should produce big with smaller defenders on him.

Granger/Wade:

In clutch situations, both teams will be looking to get the ball into their star player's hands. Wade has been to the playoffs before and has shown he can handle the pressure in clutch situations. Granger will have to continue to produce as he has done all season to help his team win. Whether it be a big defensive play, shot, or drive to the rim drawing a foul. Granger has shown he can put up big numbers this season. The only thing keeping him from being great as opposed to good, is the fact that he is unproven in clutch situations. On that same token, the Pacers must find a way to prevent Wade from going off and taking over games late in the 4th quarter.

3 Matchups This Season:

The Pacers managed to take the season series 2-1 over the Heat with both wins coming at the Conseco in Indiana.

November 22nd - Pacers 131, Heat 133
http://www.vsngaming.com/forum/showpost.php?p=76396&postcount=147

With Danny Granger out with an injury and Chris Wilcox making his Pacer debut, the Pacers fell in an overtime thriller to the Heat in Miami. Kaman had a solid 23/12 performance but a game high 42 points by Michael Beasley helped lead the Heat to victory.

January 30th - Pacers 122, Heat 121
http://www.vsngaming.com/forum/showpost.php?p=116823&postcount=481

This time with a healthy squad and in front of their home crowd, the Pacers managed to hang on to defeat the Heat. Danny Granger posted a monster triple double while Chris Kaman put up another big double double with a 28/13 performance to help the Pacers edge out the Heat despite a 35 point showing by Michael Beasley. A Chris Wilcox block on a Shawn Marion buzzer beating jumper sealed the deal in the final seconds.

March 25th - Pacers 112, Heat 96
http://www.vsngaming.com/forum/showpost.php?p=165480&postcount=747

With Dwyane Wade out nursing an injury late last month, the Pacers took care of business and easily disposed of the Heat with a 112 - 96 win. Chris Wilcox posted a solid 24/15 performance while the Pacers bench outscored the Heat's bench 34-22 in a solid team effort.​

 

[mfbmike]

No Chalmers? No Problem! Beasley, Wade, Marion Combine For 84 And Take Game 1 Over Pacers

Starting Lineups:
T.J. Ford PG Jarrett Jack
Wally Szczerbiak SG Dwyane Wade
Danny Granger SF Shawn Marion
Chris Wilcox PF Michael Beasley
Chris Kaman C Jamaal Magliore

(0-0) 110

@

120 (0-0)

Danny Granger was swarmed all night by the Heat defense but still managed to put up 21 points in a losing effort in game 1.

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=30em"]|1|2|3|4|Final
IND|23|27|31|29|110
MIA|29|32|27|32|120[/table]

Top Performers:
[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=50em"]|Pts|Reb|Ast|Stl|Blk|FG-A|3PT-A|FT-A
C. Kaman|25|9|3|1|4|10-20|0-0|5-5
D. Granger|21|3|6|6|3|8-20|2-4|3-4
W. Szczerbiak|16|1|2|1|1|6-12|4-8|0-0
C. Quinn|14|0|2|2|0|5-6|2-2|2-2
C. Wilcox|13|12|5|1|2|6-11|0-0|1-1[/table]

[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=50em"]|Pts|Reb|Ast|Stl|Blk|FG-A|3PT-A|FT-A
M. Beasley|37|11|3|3|1|15-20|2-2|5-6
D. Wade|24|8|4|3|1|9-14|2-4|4-5
S. Marion|23|11|7|6|1|10-18|1-2|2-3[/table]

Player Of The Game:

Michael Beasley

Quote Of The Game:
"The same matchups we looked to exploit with Beasley and Marion being undersized for the center and power forward spots proved to be the matchups to hurt us most. Shawn and Mike ran circles around our slower big men when we were on defense and just ripped us apart. We need to be quicker on the help defense in upcoming games." - Pacers Head Coach Jim O' Brien

Next Game:

Game 2 @ Miami​

 

[mfbmike]

Around The League Scores:

Barbosa Leads Suns Past Clippers For 1-0 Lead

98

76

PHX|32|14|23|29||98
LAC|25|17|15|19||76

L. Barbosa | 20 pts, 2 ast, 3 stl
S. Nash | 18 pts , 3 reb , 14 ast
J. Richardson | 16 pts , 5 reb , 2 ast

B. Davis | 19 pts , 4 reb , 7 ast , 2 stl
M. Dunleavy | 14 pts , 4 reb
Z. Randolph | 10 pts , 7 reb

___________________________

Rockets Dominate Nuggets In Game 1

126

87

HOU|31|29|34|32||126
DEN|16|28|18|25||87

A. Brooks | 25 pts , 4 reb , 2 ast , 2 stl
T. Mcgrady | 19 pts , 4 reb , 7 ast
R. Alston | 18 pts , 4 reb , 4 ast

C. Billups | 30 pts , 5 ast
C. Anthony | 17 pts , 4 reb
Nene | 10 pts , 7 reb

___________________________

Pistons Can't Slow Down Johnson, Lose Game 1

82

65

ATL|16|31|15|20||82
DET|25|17|10|13||65

J. Johnson | 19 pts , 4 reb , 5 ast , 2 stl
A. Horford | 14 pts , 13 reb , 2 stl
M. Bibby | 11 pts , 5 reb , 4 ast

A. Iverson | 14 pts , 5 ast , 2 stl
R. Hamilton | 12 pts , 4 reb
T. Prince | 10 pts , 8 reb , 4 ast

___________________________

Hill Stars In Spurs Win; Blazers Now Trail 1-0

91

98

POR|21|24|24|22||91
SAN|27|24|26|21||98

L. Aldridge | 16 pts, 6 reb , 2 stl
T. Outlaw | 13 pts , 8 reb , 3 ast , 2 stl
R. Fernandez | 13 pts , 2 ast

G. Hill | 14 pts , 2 reb
M. Ginobli | 14 pts , 3 reb , 3 ast
M. Finley | 12 pts , 2 reb

___________________________

Game 1 Goes To Cleveland

93

89

CLE|24|24|26|19||93
ORL|31|13|24|21||89

M. Williams | 19 pts , 2 reb , 2 ast
Z. Ilgauskas | 15 pts , 10 reb , 2 stl
L. James | 15 pts , 4 reb , 5 ast

H. Turkoglu | 17 pts , 3 reb , 9 ast , 3 stl
J. Nelson | 17 pts , 6 ast
D. Howard | 15 pts , 11 reb , 6 blk

___________________________

Captain Jacks Big Game Lifts Warriors To 1-0 Lead

110

132

LAL|20|33|29|28||110
GSW|39|30|23|40||132

J. Farmar | 22 pts , 4 ast
K. Bryant | 16 pts , 10 reb , 5 ast , 2 stl
S. Vujacic | 14 pts , 3 reb , 2 ast

S. Jackson | 33 pts , 4 reb , 4 ast , 4 stl
J. Crawford | 31 pts , 2 reb , 9 ast
C. Maggette | 14 pts , 9 reb , 6 ast

___________________________

76ers Take 1-0 Series Lead Behind Brand's 23

83

88

BOS|21|16|16|30||83
PHI|19|18|26|25||88

R. Allen | 17 pts , 5 reb , 4 ast
P. Pierce | 16 pts , 2 reb , 4 ast , 2 stl
R. Rondo | 14 pts , 4 reb , 3 stl

E. Brand | 23 pts , 8 reb , 2 blk
A. Miller | 19 pts , 2 reb , 8 ast , 2 stl
A. Iguodala | 17 pts , 4 reb , 3 ast , 2 stl​

 

[Maestro]

Tough loss.

 

[packersfan4eva]

dang, you still better win the series

 

[mfbmike]

Magliore Goes Down With Strained Abdomen; Will Miss Rest Of Series

With Mario Chalmers already out nursing an ankle sprain, the injury bug has spread to Heat center Jamaal Magliore.

Magliore attempted to draw a charge as T.J. Ford drove to the basket in the 2nd quarter of game 1 of the Pacers/Heat series but instead took Ford's shoulder to the midsection.

Magliore would hit the floor in pain and get up clutching his midsection.

Tests would reveal he had strained his abdomen, an injury which takes anywhere between 2-4 weeks to heal.

The injury may have proved to be a blessing in disguise though as the Heat inserted Michael Beasley to play center and Shawn Marion to play power forward in Magliore's absence.

The smaller, quicker and more versatile forwards ran circles around the Pacers big men. Beasley led all scorers with 37 in the Pacers game 1 loss.

What starting lineup Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will go with from this point on has yet to be seen, but the Pacers will have to take advantage of the injuries currently plaguing the Heat if they hope to recover from their game 1 defeat.​