Operation Sports Sims the NBA Season (NBA 2K8) - Part 2

Welcome back to the ’07-’08 NBA Season as seen through the crystal ball of 2K Sports’ NBA 2K8 on the Xbox 360. When we last left our heroes, the NBA All-Star Game was in the books and teams were getting ready for the stretch drive to the playoffs. Would the Suns continue their dominance of the West? Could the Bulls or Cavs make run and slide into the race? Can Steve Nash win another MVP? Will the Kevin Durant coming out party end with the Rookie of the Year trophy or are his sights set on loftier team goals? Halftime is over. Game on.

February (Post All-Star Game)/March

Teams were forced to get focused quickly to put together the two month sprint for playoff positioning. Kobe Bryant and his 30.7 points per game lead his Lakers on a surge and got them within a stone’s throw of the playoffs as of April 1st. In the East, the Baby Bulls finally started showing some maturity and pulled themselves out of their season long funk, putting together a stellar month and planting their flag deep inside the conference playoff picture.

With about 10 games left to play, the playoff race looked like this:

Eastern Conference

#1 – Boston Celtics
#2 – Miami Heat (3.5 back for best record in the East)
#3 – Detroit Pistons
#4 – New Jersey Nets
#5 – Toronto Raptors
#6 – Chicago Bulls
#7 – Milwaukee Bucks
#8 – New York Knicks
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Atlanta Hawks (0.5)
Indiana Pacers (1.5)
Orlando Magic (2.5)

Western Conference

#1 – Phoenix Suns
#2 – Houston Rockets
#3 – San Antonio Spurs (0.5 back for #2 seed)
#4 – Seattle Sonics
#5 – Dallas Mavericks
#6 – New Orleans Hornets
#7 – Golden State Warriors
#8 – Memphis Grizzlies
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Utah Jazz (0.5)
Denver Nuggets (1.0)
L.A. Lakers (1.0)
L.A. Clippers (1.0)

NBA Playoffs

Round 1 – Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (1) over Milwaukee Bucks (8) – 4-1
New York Knicks (4) over Chicago Bulls (5) – 4-2
Detroit Pistons (3) over Toronto Raptors (6) – 4-2
New Jersey Nets (7) over Miami Heat (2) – 4-2

While three of the top seeds managed to hold serve in Round 1, the Miami Heat showed their age in getting taken out in six games by the New Jersey Nets. The Knicks made their return to the playoffs and showed that they may be the real up and comer in the Eastern Conference by taking out a lot of “expert’s” pick in the Bulls.

Round 1 – Western Conference

Phoenix Suns (1) over Utah Jazz (8) – 4-1
Dallas Mavericks (5) over Seattle SuperSonics (4) – 4-0
San Antonio Spurs (3) over Golden State Warriors (6) – 4-3
Houston Rockets (2) over New Orleans Hornets (7) – 4-0

The Kevin Durant Cinderella run ended with a playoff beating by the more experienced Mavericks. The Rockets showed that they are a team to contend with, easily putting away the young Hornets. Last year’s fantasy run by the Warriors fell just a game short of a repeat in 2008 as the defending champs lived to fight another day in the only seven game series of the first round.

Semifinals – Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics (1) over New York Knicks (4) – 4-3
New Jersey Nets (7) over Detroit Pistons (3) – 4-3

Four teams fought tooth and nail for the two spots available in the Eastern Conference Finals with the #1 seeded Celtics outlasting the young Knicks in seven. Meanwhile, the Pistons could not defend the Palace in their own Game 7 as the Nets came to Auburn Hills and upended Detroit’s quest for yet another trip to the ECF.

Semifinals – Western Conference

Phoenix Suns (1) over Dallas Mavericks (5) – 4-3
San Antonio Spurs (3) over Houston Rockets (2) – 4-0

While the Mavs and Suns battled in an epic series, the defending Champs finally found their rhythm and took out Yao and the Rockets in four straight thrashings. A healthy and rested Spurs team watched as the Suns ran up and down the court for seven games as they lied in wait for a Western Conference Finals clash.

Eastern Conference Finals

Boston Celtics (1) over New Jersey Nets (7) – 4-2

The new “Big 3” in Boston was simply too much for the other “Big 3” in New Jersey as the boys from Beantown make their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1987.

Western Conference Finals

San Antonio Spurs (3) over Phoenix Suns (1) – 4-3

In a series that will go down in the annals of NBA lore, the Spurs and Suns exchanged wins throughout a tough seven game series before the Spurs took it to the Suns in their own building.

’07-’08 NBA Finals

San Antonio Spurs (3) @ Boston Celtics (1)

Game 1 (@ Boston) – Boston Wins 103-89
Game 2 (@ Boston) – San Antonio Wins 99-85
Game 3 (@ San Antonio) – Boston Wins 105-90
Game 4 (@ San Antonio) – Boston Wins 98-94
Game 5 (@ San Antonio) – San Antonio Wins 91-69
Game 6 (@ Boston) – San Antonio Wins 110-71
Game 7 (@ Boston) – San Antonio Wins 74-70

The San Antonio Spurs are the 2007-2008 NBA World Champions!

Though Celtics jumped out to a 3-1 series lead, the Spurs showed the hearts of Champions as they rallied back with three straight wins (two on the road) in route to their first back-to-back World Championships. San Antonio turned up the defensive pressure in the last three games, allowing only 70.0 ppg in their three wins. In the pivotal Game 7, the Celtics actually lead by five going into the 4th before losing the series.

Tim Duncan was named the Finals MVP by averaging 20 points and 9.9 rebounds.

End of the Season Awards

MVP – LeBron James (25.6 – 6.2 – 7.1) – Cleveland Cavaliers

Rookie of the Year – Kevin Durant (16.5 – 3.9 – 2.0) – Seattle SuperSonics

Sixth Man of the Year – Boris Diaw (9.6 – 5.2 – 5.3 – 28.1 mpg) – Phoenix Suns

Defensive Player of the Year – Shawn Marion (19.6 – 12.0 – 2.0 – 2.0) – Phoenix Suns

Most Improved Player – Randy Foye (13.1 pts – 4.3 assists) – Minnesota Timberwolves

All NBA First Team

• Jason Kidd
• Kobe Bryant
• LeBron James
• Kevin Garnett
• Dwight Howard

All NBA Second Team

• Chris Paul
• Dwayne Wade
• Ron Artest
• Shawn Marion
• Amare Stoudamire

All NBA Third Team

• Gilbert Arenas
• Tracy McGrady
• Josh Howard
• Chris Bosh
• Marcus Camby

All NBA Defensive Team – First

• Jason Kidd
• Dwayne Wade
• Ron Artest
• Shawn Marion
• Marcus Camby

All NBA Defensive Team – Second

• Baron Davis
• Rudy Gay
• Josh Smith
• Kevin Garnett
• Dwight Howard

All NBA Rookie Team – First

• Mike Conley
• Juan Carlos Navarro
• Kevin Durant
• Al Horford
• Marcin Gortat

All NBA Rookie Team – Second

• Gabe Pruitt
• Marco Belinelli
• Corey Brewer
• Luis Scola
• Spencer Hawes

NBA Coach of the Year -- Mike D’Antoni – Phoenix Suns

That’s it for the 2007-2008 NBA Season according to Operation Sports and NBA 2K8 from 2K Sports. If you don’t like it, take the future and a controller in your own hands and see if you can change it.

Operation Sports Sims the NBA Season (NBA 2K8)

With the NBA officially tipping off the ’07-‘08 season this week, Operation Sports, with a little help from 2K Sports’ NBA 2K8 on the Xbox 360, has broken out the crystal ball to save you eight months of games and let you know who is going to win it all next summer. Can the Spurs win back-to-back titles for the first time? Will LeBron and the no-name Cavs make it back to the top of the Eastern Conference? Or will the new “Big Three” in Boston take the Celtics to the promise land? Can Kobe and the Lakers play nice? Will a full season in Denver for AI make the difference? We have the answers that even Tim Donaghy doesn’t!

October/November

Opening Night in the NBA featured a feast of Western Conference contenders and new bloods. Though the NBA masterminds anticipated a coming out party for Greg Oden, injuries and pre-season surgery have left the NBA with only one marquee Rookie this season. The Oden-less Blazers headed to San Antonio to take on the defending champs and left with a 83-74 loss to the Spurs and two more players banged up as LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Przybilla both left the Alamo OUT for at least two weeks.

In other opening night action, the Rockets took a 90-77 win at the Staples Center. Kobe Bryant did score 33 points in the loss for the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors, last year’s playoff darlings, opened with a home win against the Jazz 123-111. Baron Davis opened with a double-double (15 points and 15 assists).

When the dust settled on the first full month of action, while the usual suspects had emerged atop the individual leaders, there were unexpected shakeups through the divisions on the NBA. In the Northwest Division, the young guns in Seattle sat in the first place going into November with a 10-7 mark, leading an overall weak conference that had the Nuggets in a second place at an unimpressive 8-9. The Southwest Division, to no one’s surprise showed the Spurs at the top at 11-6, but sitting in a tie with the New Orleans Hornets. The Pacific Division, meanwhile, was once again all looking at the Phoenix Suns as they ran out to a 14-2 start.

Over in the East, it was about new blood and a slow start for some of last year’s powers. In the Central Division, it was no surprise to see the Pistons playing solid ball and leading the way at 9-5, it was the Bulls and Cavs sharing last place with matching 4-9 records that had most experts in shock. The Heat found themselves outside of first in the Southeast Division as well, with the Orlando Magic claiming the early lead at an Eastern Conference best 12-6. The Atlantic came out of the gate as a horserace with the Raptors, Nets and Celtics separated by only a 0.5 game.

December/January

Two months later, February 1st was upon us and the Contenders started to distinguish themselves from the pack. The Heat, Pistons and Suns all pulled out to bigger leads in their respective divisions, while the Boston Celtics took hold of the Atlantic playing 19-8 basketball in that stretch in route to the best record in the East. The Sonics had lost some of their boom in the Northwest, dipping all the way to third place, relinquishing the top spot to the Nuggets. The Houston Rockets, finally looking like they may live up to some of their potential, slid past the Spurs to take over the lead at 29-16 in the NBA’s toughest division. In fact, all five teams in the Southwest currently sit at least three games above .500, with the last place Mavericks holding the 6th best record in the entire Western Conference.

With over half the season’s games behind us, the League Leaders continue to read like a “Who’s Who” of the NBA’s elite. Kobe Bryant leads the league in scoring averaging 30.3 a game, nearly five full points better than Vince Carter (25.5). Shawn Marion has been the chairman of the boards in ’07-’08 pulling down 12 per game, while Chris Paul is dishing out dimes at an 11 per game clip. The ageless Jason Kidd and the always interesting Ron Artest lead the league in steals with 2.3. Not to be out done, Tim Duncan is sending away shots at the same 2.3 per game clip as he shares the league lead in blocks with Utah’s AK-47.

The Kevin Durant Rookie Tour continues to roll up impressive results. Though perhaps diminished by Oden’s injury0, Durant is playing nearly 30 minutes per game for Seattle and chipping in 16.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

All-Star Break

It’s a Mid-February tradition that seems to become bigger in both scale and corporate sponsorship every year, the 2008 NBA All-Star Game invades New Orleans! From Vegas to the Big Easy in 12 months – NBA Action… it’s FAN-tastic!

Before we hit the game itself, a quick look at the Playoff Picture at the break.

Eastern Conference

#1 – Boston Celtics – 34-16
#2 – Miami Heat – 34-18
#3 – Detroit Pistons – 30-22
#4 – New Jersey Nets – 28-25
#5 – Milwaukee Bucks – 26-27
#6 – Toronto Raptors – 25-26
#7 – Washington Wizards – 25-27
#8 – Indiana Pacers – 24-29

Outside Looking In: Chicago and Cleveland

Western Conference

#1 – Phoenix Suns – 42-11
#2 – Houston Rockets – 33-19
#3 – San Antonio Spurs – 31-20
#4 – Denver Nuggets – 27-25
#5 – Dallas Mavericks – 32-21
#6 – New Orleans Hornets – 30-21
#7 – LA Clippers – 27-23
#8 – Utah Jazz – 27-26

Outside Looking In: LA Lakers and Golden State

While we won’t venture a guess at who will participate in all of the fringe events at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game like the Dunk Contest and the Rookie Game, the event itself read like a Fantasy Team. The Eastern Conference starters were made up of top vote getter LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard and East newcomer Kevin Garnett. The voting in of Howard may signify a changing of the guards as Shaq was not only not voted in as a starter, but he did not make the team at all. Also noticeably absent from the East squad were members of the Detroit Pistons, who had become a prominent part of the team in the past few seasons.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

• Gilbert Arenas
• Andre Iguodala
• Caron Butler
• Chris Bosh
• Emeka Okafor
• Jermaine O’Neal
• Vince Carter

In the Western Conference, the dream team was headed by Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, who joined Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire in the starting five. Perhaps concentrating more on the upcoming Olympics than the NBA, Chinese voters failed to stuff the ballot boxes this season resulting in Yao Ming’s absence from the team.

Western Conference Reserves:

• Chris Paul
• Tracy McGrady
• Ron Artest
• Shawn Marion
• Marcus Camby
• Allen Iverson
• Lamar Odom

The game itself was tame a defensive-minded by typical All-Star standards. After jumping out to a half-time lead, the East buckled to the West in the final 24 minutes losing 114-98 in front of the sold out crowd. Kobe Bryant was named the game’s MVP for his 28 point effort in the win.

With just about 30 games left to play, it’s time to make that final push towards the playoffs. Who has a run in them? Whose luck has run out? Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 to find out who is going hoist the trophy and what players will take home the individual hardware.