Post by New York Knicks on Feb 7, 2023 2:49:00 GMT -6
Who's Hot
Portland is blazing hot right now. There's nobody even in their stratosphere. Just look at what they're doing. They're on a 23 game winning streak. 23 consecutive wins. There's 8 teams in this league that don't even have 23 wins for the WHOLE SEASON. Portland hasn't lost since day #51. We're on day #91. That's TWO MONTHS. Two months without losing a basketball game. Who does Sid think he is? The Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals? Portland's perfection is fueled by their flawless offense. 113.9 PPG (1st in the league), 48.1 FG % (1st), 25.3 APG (4th) against 7.6 TPG (1st).
Individual Player Stats
C Billy Paultz - 18.5 PPG 73.1 FT %
PF Elvin Hayes - 22.1 PPG 47.4 FG %
SF Dan Issel - 21.7 PPG 49.1 FG %
SG Ron Boone - 11.5 PPG 49.8 FG %
PG Randy Smith - 20.8 PPG 10.5 APG
6th Man Sidney Wicks - 13.5 PPG 49.2 FG %
See what I mean? Flawless. Not a single wart in that group.
Who's Not
The Toronto Raptors just had their best win of the season, defeating the 48-15 San Antonio Spurs, who have the 3rd best record in the entire ITP. Hell of a win Beatz, but it's not enough to keep you out of today's "Who's Not" column. Because prior to the victory, the Raptors lost 11 straight games. Their defense surrendered 100+ in all 11 of those losses, and over that timeframe the Raptors have given up on average 117.4 points per game. That's some prehistoric defense by the Raptors. Shelden Williams aka "The Landlord" is not living up to his nickname. Opposing big men are snatching away his rent money every night, and embarrassing him on the low block. The good news is Brandon Roy has elevated his game to all-star status this season. Killian Hayes is the odds on favorite to win rookie of the year. Theo Ratliff is top 5 in the league in Shot blocking. And then there's the cherry on top - The Raptors are probably adding a top 5 pick to this nucleus. The futures bright. There's promising days ahead. But not today. Today we talk Shit about the Raptors.
Injury News
Darnell Hillman - Darnell just had successful surgery to repair his torn ACL. He is expected to be ready by the start of the 2002 season. But his 2001 season is obviously over. So what does this mean for the Clippers? They lost a key defender/rebounder on their bench. A guy that gives his team quality minutes when star center Artis Gilmore needs a breather. Now its gonna be up to 3rd stringer Jessie Edney to fill that void. The 309 pound Edney is gonna have to put cheeseburgers down and contribute.
Mike Green - Unfortunately, Hillman wasn't the only regular season ending injury. Jazz power forward Mike Green has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back. It's estimated that he will miss about 2 1/2 months, which means he might be able to return for the 2nd round of the playoffs (IF the Jazz get that far). Because it's gonna be hard to accomplish that without Green. Green has been the backbone of the Jazz defense, leading the team with 2.8 BPG. He also contributes nearly 1 steal per game + he's 3rd on the team in rebounding (9.4). Bad News Marvin Barnes might be looking at an expanded role down the stretch. So he might have to keep black masks and black gloves in his locker. And keep the robbery attempts to a minimum. Cause the Jazz cant afford to lose him too.
Antonio McDyess - ANOTHER injured big man. Antonio McDyess suffered a fractured hip recently, and he's gonna be out for the next 13 days (9 games over that stretch). The Wolves aren't exactly crying about the news. At this point they're in tank mode. And Less McDyess = More Losses = Even More Lotto Balls.
Rasheed Wallace - Here's a little more positive news on the injury side. Rasheed Wallace, who has missed the last 19 games for the Philadelphia 76ers, is expected to return in 1 week. His torn hamstring is healing well, and he has recently started practicing with his teammates. Hide the women. Hide the children. And of course hide the refs. Because Sheed is coming.
More News Around The League
- Circling back to Philadelphia/Sheed. The Sixers actually went 9-10 without Wallace. For a 500 team to maintain their record without their best player is pretty impressive. Jojo White is the guy Philly fans should thank for keeping their team afloat. He's averaging 20.6 PPG and 8.6 APG for the season. But he's been even more productive since the Wallace injury. The League recently recognized him for his efforts by naming him Player of the Week. That's the 2nd one he's won in the last 6 weeks. Jojo is one of the more underrated players in this league. I mean he went in the damn 6th round in the dispersal draft. It's good to see him finally get his respect.
- The 76ers are presently locked into the 5 seed in the East. But they got some company. The #6 seed New York Knicks are catching up thanks to a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. I kinda wanna see the Knicks pass Philadelphia. Miami vs New York would be a cool 4-5 playoff matchup. Brings back those 90s memories.
- Another team thats trending upward in the East is Milwaukee. In our last article we shredded them in the "Who's not" column. They lost 9 straight games at the time. They dropped to 16-30 (#13 seed in the East). And I said "tear that piece of shit apart". Since I uttered those words the Bucks are 12-5, and playing their best basketball of the season. You're welcome Milwaukee.
- Now let's elevate up to the top floor of the East, where we find both the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic racking up Ws. Brooklyn has won 8 of their last 10. While Orlando has won 9 of their last 10. Both teams going back and forth, fighting for Eastern Conference supremacy. Nets are currently ontop of the East at 42-18, putting them 4 games ahead of the Magic (39-23). Can Brooklyn takeout the defending East Champs? Or is Orlando still the favorite?
- Teleporting to the Pacific we gotta mention the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix looked like they were about to tear their team apart, with EVERYBODY being put on the trade block. Then out of nowhere they won 7 straight games this sim. Even the Suns own GM was stunned. So what does this mean for Phoenix? Are they still wheeling and dealing? Because now they're only a game back of the #8 seed.
- Speaking of the #8 seed Houston Rockets (33-28), it's everybodies favorite GM Joshhouston. I don't know how he's doing it this year. His team doesn't look very good on paper. They have a -1.5 point differential. They don't play much defense - they rank 24th in opponent field goal percentage. But somehow they keep finding ways to win. Especially at home, where they're 21-9.
- Seattle is another team fighting for a playoff spot out West (32-27 - #9 seed). They got a nice little 3 game winning streak going. Problem is they lost 6 in a row before that. During that streak they were held under 90 points in 4 of 6 games. In two of them they scored 70 or less. Scoring has been a problem in Seattle. The Sonics are the fourth lowest scoring team in the Western Conference (only ahead of Dallas, Sacramento and Minnesota - three teams that combine for a 68-123 record). They play great defense. But if you can't score in this league, you're gonna struggle to win games. And with all due respect, Giannis gotta step the fuck up.
- We gotta end this with a Giannis rant. You were the #1 overall pick in the entire dispersal draft. Ahead of MVP candidates like Larry Kenon, George McGinnis, Randy Smith, and Dr J. Ahead of budding all-stars like B.Roy and Damon Stoudamire. That was supposed to be you Giannis. What are you doing? 14.6 PPG? I was watching him the other night vs Utah. He scored 2 points on 0/5 shooting. That was 1 day after he went 1/7 for 5 points vs Denver. That same week he had more turnovers (4) than field goals (3) in a game vs the Nets. It's no coincidence all this occurred during that 6 game losing streak. When Giannis is passive, and refuses to attack. The Sonics lose. So Giannis it's time to grow up. It's time to step up. It's time to become the star you were drafted to be.
Portland is blazing hot right now. There's nobody even in their stratosphere. Just look at what they're doing. They're on a 23 game winning streak. 23 consecutive wins. There's 8 teams in this league that don't even have 23 wins for the WHOLE SEASON. Portland hasn't lost since day #51. We're on day #91. That's TWO MONTHS. Two months without losing a basketball game. Who does Sid think he is? The Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals? Portland's perfection is fueled by their flawless offense. 113.9 PPG (1st in the league), 48.1 FG % (1st), 25.3 APG (4th) against 7.6 TPG (1st).
Individual Player Stats
C Billy Paultz - 18.5 PPG 73.1 FT %
PF Elvin Hayes - 22.1 PPG 47.4 FG %
SF Dan Issel - 21.7 PPG 49.1 FG %
SG Ron Boone - 11.5 PPG 49.8 FG %
PG Randy Smith - 20.8 PPG 10.5 APG
6th Man Sidney Wicks - 13.5 PPG 49.2 FG %
See what I mean? Flawless. Not a single wart in that group.
Who's Not
The Toronto Raptors just had their best win of the season, defeating the 48-15 San Antonio Spurs, who have the 3rd best record in the entire ITP. Hell of a win Beatz, but it's not enough to keep you out of today's "Who's Not" column. Because prior to the victory, the Raptors lost 11 straight games. Their defense surrendered 100+ in all 11 of those losses, and over that timeframe the Raptors have given up on average 117.4 points per game. That's some prehistoric defense by the Raptors. Shelden Williams aka "The Landlord" is not living up to his nickname. Opposing big men are snatching away his rent money every night, and embarrassing him on the low block. The good news is Brandon Roy has elevated his game to all-star status this season. Killian Hayes is the odds on favorite to win rookie of the year. Theo Ratliff is top 5 in the league in Shot blocking. And then there's the cherry on top - The Raptors are probably adding a top 5 pick to this nucleus. The futures bright. There's promising days ahead. But not today. Today we talk Shit about the Raptors.
Injury News
Darnell Hillman - Darnell just had successful surgery to repair his torn ACL. He is expected to be ready by the start of the 2002 season. But his 2001 season is obviously over. So what does this mean for the Clippers? They lost a key defender/rebounder on their bench. A guy that gives his team quality minutes when star center Artis Gilmore needs a breather. Now its gonna be up to 3rd stringer Jessie Edney to fill that void. The 309 pound Edney is gonna have to put cheeseburgers down and contribute.
Mike Green - Unfortunately, Hillman wasn't the only regular season ending injury. Jazz power forward Mike Green has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back. It's estimated that he will miss about 2 1/2 months, which means he might be able to return for the 2nd round of the playoffs (IF the Jazz get that far). Because it's gonna be hard to accomplish that without Green. Green has been the backbone of the Jazz defense, leading the team with 2.8 BPG. He also contributes nearly 1 steal per game + he's 3rd on the team in rebounding (9.4). Bad News Marvin Barnes might be looking at an expanded role down the stretch. So he might have to keep black masks and black gloves in his locker. And keep the robbery attempts to a minimum. Cause the Jazz cant afford to lose him too.
Antonio McDyess - ANOTHER injured big man. Antonio McDyess suffered a fractured hip recently, and he's gonna be out for the next 13 days (9 games over that stretch). The Wolves aren't exactly crying about the news. At this point they're in tank mode. And Less McDyess = More Losses = Even More Lotto Balls.
Rasheed Wallace - Here's a little more positive news on the injury side. Rasheed Wallace, who has missed the last 19 games for the Philadelphia 76ers, is expected to return in 1 week. His torn hamstring is healing well, and he has recently started practicing with his teammates. Hide the women. Hide the children. And of course hide the refs. Because Sheed is coming.
More News Around The League
- Circling back to Philadelphia/Sheed. The Sixers actually went 9-10 without Wallace. For a 500 team to maintain their record without their best player is pretty impressive. Jojo White is the guy Philly fans should thank for keeping their team afloat. He's averaging 20.6 PPG and 8.6 APG for the season. But he's been even more productive since the Wallace injury. The League recently recognized him for his efforts by naming him Player of the Week. That's the 2nd one he's won in the last 6 weeks. Jojo is one of the more underrated players in this league. I mean he went in the damn 6th round in the dispersal draft. It's good to see him finally get his respect.
- The 76ers are presently locked into the 5 seed in the East. But they got some company. The #6 seed New York Knicks are catching up thanks to a 7-3 record over their last 10 games. I kinda wanna see the Knicks pass Philadelphia. Miami vs New York would be a cool 4-5 playoff matchup. Brings back those 90s memories.
- Another team thats trending upward in the East is Milwaukee. In our last article we shredded them in the "Who's not" column. They lost 9 straight games at the time. They dropped to 16-30 (#13 seed in the East). And I said "tear that piece of shit apart". Since I uttered those words the Bucks are 12-5, and playing their best basketball of the season. You're welcome Milwaukee.
- Now let's elevate up to the top floor of the East, where we find both the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic racking up Ws. Brooklyn has won 8 of their last 10. While Orlando has won 9 of their last 10. Both teams going back and forth, fighting for Eastern Conference supremacy. Nets are currently ontop of the East at 42-18, putting them 4 games ahead of the Magic (39-23). Can Brooklyn takeout the defending East Champs? Or is Orlando still the favorite?
- Teleporting to the Pacific we gotta mention the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix looked like they were about to tear their team apart, with EVERYBODY being put on the trade block. Then out of nowhere they won 7 straight games this sim. Even the Suns own GM was stunned. So what does this mean for Phoenix? Are they still wheeling and dealing? Because now they're only a game back of the #8 seed.
- Speaking of the #8 seed Houston Rockets (33-28), it's everybodies favorite GM Joshhouston. I don't know how he's doing it this year. His team doesn't look very good on paper. They have a -1.5 point differential. They don't play much defense - they rank 24th in opponent field goal percentage. But somehow they keep finding ways to win. Especially at home, where they're 21-9.
- Seattle is another team fighting for a playoff spot out West (32-27 - #9 seed). They got a nice little 3 game winning streak going. Problem is they lost 6 in a row before that. During that streak they were held under 90 points in 4 of 6 games. In two of them they scored 70 or less. Scoring has been a problem in Seattle. The Sonics are the fourth lowest scoring team in the Western Conference (only ahead of Dallas, Sacramento and Minnesota - three teams that combine for a 68-123 record). They play great defense. But if you can't score in this league, you're gonna struggle to win games. And with all due respect, Giannis gotta step the fuck up.
- We gotta end this with a Giannis rant. You were the #1 overall pick in the entire dispersal draft. Ahead of MVP candidates like Larry Kenon, George McGinnis, Randy Smith, and Dr J. Ahead of budding all-stars like B.Roy and Damon Stoudamire. That was supposed to be you Giannis. What are you doing? 14.6 PPG? I was watching him the other night vs Utah. He scored 2 points on 0/5 shooting. That was 1 day after he went 1/7 for 5 points vs Denver. That same week he had more turnovers (4) than field goals (3) in a game vs the Nets. It's no coincidence all this occurred during that 6 game losing streak. When Giannis is passive, and refuses to attack. The Sonics lose. So Giannis it's time to grow up. It's time to step up. It's time to become the star you were drafted to be.
