The Rebuild - Minnesota Timberwolves MyLeague (2k15)

[MitchDaCr3ator]

My League Info
Difficulty: All-Star w/Sliders
Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Draft Classes: Generated by 2k
How Games will be Played: Pretty much playing one game per week. This MyLeague is going to be about me building up the Wolves as opposed to playing every game.
Start Date: Opening Night of the 2015-16 Season

Stay tuned, the next few posts will review the 2014-15 season!

[MitchDaCr3ator]

Stephen Curry Named 2014-15 NBA Most Valuable Player



Stephen Curry culminated a fantastic season, both individually and as a teammate, into a NBA Most Valuable Player trophy. He led the Golden State Warriors to a 55-27 record which was good enough for the second seed in a deep Western Conference. The Warriors led the NBA with an average of 111.1 points scored per game, and Curry chipped in with 25.2 of those points (2nd in the NBA).

Alongside the 25.2 points a night, Curry had some video game-like statistics with 10.2 assists per game (2nd in the NBA), 6.5 rebounds per game (2nd in the NBA amongst point guards), and 2.5 steals per game (2nd in the NBA). Curry was also the newest entrant into the NBA's elite 50-40-90 club with shooting percentages of .505 FG%, .463 3P%, and .927 FT%.

Some say the award comes with an asterisk as perennial MVP Candidates Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Durant all sustained season ending injuries.

The Warriors led by Curry will do battle with the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

__________________________________

Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors
25.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 10.2 APG, 2.5 SPG, .505 FG%, .463 3P%, .927 FT%

Rookie of the Year: Marcus Smart, PG, Boston Celtics
10.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, .444 FG%, .286 3P%, .706 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year: Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns
14.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, .473 FG%, .396 3P%, .725 FT%

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
21.9 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 2.2 BPG, .517 FG%, .793 FT%

Most Improved Player: Reggie Jackson, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
14.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, .433 FG%, .358 3P%, .900 FT%

Coach of the Year: David Blatt, Cleveland Cavaliers
58-24 Record, .707 Win Percentage

All-NBA First Team:
Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors
James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets
LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers
Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies

All-NBA Second Team:
Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jimmy Butler, SG, Chicago Bulls
Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks
Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
Chris Bosh, C, Miami Heat

All-NBA Third Team:
John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards
Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors
Gordon Hayward, SF, Utah Jazz
Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers
DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

All-Defensive First Team:
Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
Jimmy Butler, SG, Chicago Bulls
Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers
Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers

All-Defensive Second Team:
Rajon Rondo, PG, Dallas Mavericks
Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors
LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tim Duncan, PF, San Antonio Spurs
Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls

All-Rookie First Team:
Marcus Smart, PG, Boston Celtics
K.J. McDaniels, SG, Philadelphia 76ers
Andrew Wiggins, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves
Jabari Parker, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF, Brooklyn Nets

All-Rookie Second Team:
Dante Exum, PG, Utah Jazz
Shabazz Napier, PG, Miami Heat
Elfrid Payton, PG, Orlando Magic
Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers
Nerlens Noel, PF, Philadelphia 76ers

[MitchDaCr3ator]

Butler, Bulls Win the NBA Championship


It's safe to assume the Chicago Bulls felt their championship window closed right before Christmas. Derrick Rose had ruptured his Achilles and the prognosis was that he would be out for the season. The Bulls entered panic mode and had even placed center Joakim Noah on the trade block.

It's a good thing they didn't trade him.

Despite being without their former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls secured the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and went 16-2 during an amazing playoff run including series wins over Milwaukee, Toronto, Cleveland, and the LA Clippers.

That run was fueled by NBA Finals MVP Jimmy Butler who joins Michael Jordan in hallowed company as the only Chicago Bulls to ever win the trophy. Butler went bananas in the Finals series against the Los Angeles Clippers as he averaged 22.2 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game, and 6.6 assists per game. Butler saved his best for the championship clinching game as he went off for 29 points and 10 rebounds.

The championship culminates the Ultimate Contract Year as Butler has not yet signed an extension with the Bulls. He hits the market as a restricted free agent though and Chicago would be foolish not to match any offer for the 25-year old.

___________________________

Playoff Results
Round One
(1)Spurs over (8)Mavericks: 4-1
(5)Clippers over (4)Thunder: 4-0
(3)Grizzlies over (6)Rockets: 4-2
(7)Trail Blazers over (2)Warriors: 4-1

(1)Bulls over (8)Bucks: 4-0
(4)Raptors over (5)Hawks: 4-1
(6)Pacers over (3)Heat: 4-1
(2)Cavaliers over (7)Wizards: 4-3

Round Two
(5)Clippers over (1)Spurs: 4-2
(3)Grizzlies over (7)Trail Blazers: 4-3

(1)Bulls over (4)Raptors: 4-1
(2)Cavaliers over (6)Pacers: 4-2

Conference Finals
(5)Clippers over (3)Grizzlies: 4-1

(1)Bulls over (2)Cavaliers: 4-0

NBA Finals
Bulls over Clippers: 4-1
Jimmy Butler NBA Finals MVP

[MitchDaCr3ator]

New York Knicks Win NBA Draft Lottery


The future is now for these teams stuck in the NBA Draft Lottery. The worst teams of course have the best shot at drafting the next young star, and the Orlando Magic had the best shot to land the number one overall pick.

The crown jewel of the 2015 draft class looks to be Dimitris Giannou, a legit stretch four from Greece. Giannou is very familiar with young Bucks' star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Giannis has said that Giannou has a very bright future in the NBA.

Now for the draft lottery results:
1. New York Knicks (19.9% chance to land top pick)
2. Orlando Magic (25.0%)
3. Phoenix Suns [via Lakers] (11.9%)
4. Philadelphia 76ers (15.6%)
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (8.8%)
6. Atlanta Hawks [via Nets] (6.3%)
7. Detroit Pistons (4.3%)
8. Phoenix Suns (2.8%)
9. Utah Jazz (1.7%)
10. Boston Celtics (1.1%)
11. Charlotte Hornets (0.8%)
12. Houston Rockets [via Pelicans] (0.7%)
13. Chicago Bulls [via Kings] (0.6%)
14. Denver Nuggets (0.5%)
15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Washington Wizards
17. Dallas Mavericks
18. Portland Trail Blazers
19. Los Angeles Lakers [via Rockets]
20. Oklahoma City Thunder
21. Boston Celtics [via Clippers]
22. Indiana Pacers
23. Toronto Raptors
24. Memphis Grizzlies
25. Brooklyn Nets [via Hawks]
26. Philadelphia 76ers [via Heat]
27. Golden State Warriors
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Cleveland Cavaliers
30. Chicago Bulls

[MitchDaCr3ator]

LeBron James Heads List of Top Free Agents to Opt Out


In a move that isn't much of a surprise, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James has opted out of the contract he signed just a year ago. Sources close to LeBron say that he wants more job security and is simply looking for a long-term deal as he reaches an advanced age. After an emotional homecoming just a year ago, it is unlikely that James would leave the Cavaliers, but anything can happen in the wild fiesta that is free agency.

LeBron's former Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade has also opted out of his contract, and there are strong rumors that the two stars are looking to team up with each other again. It's conceivable that the two could wind up playing in Cleveland, as forward Kevin Love has also opted out of his contract to test the market.

For the Minnesota Timberwolves, both Thaddeus Young and Chase Budinger both decided to accept their player options to come back to the team. However, forwards Luis Scola and Chris Copeland (acquired in our only trade which sent Kevin Martin to Indiana), Robbie Hummel, and Mo Williams have all decided to test their worth in free agency.

Notable Players Who Opted Out:
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Al Jefferson
Kevin Love
Monta Ellis
Goran Dragic
Roy Hibbert
Brook Lopez
Jamal Crawford (Los Angeles declined Team Option)
Wilson Chandler (Denver declined Team Option)

[MitchDaCr3ator]

Knicks Take Maggette Number One Overall


There was never a clear cut number one prospect in this draft. There was a top tier of maybe five players who could've gone number one; Barry Adrien, Dimitris Giannou, Doyle Maggette, Jeff Mitchell, and Terry Samuel. So it's pretty easy to assume that the Knicks had absolutely no clue what direction they were going with their until the pick was made.

Then commissioner Adam Silver stepped to the podium, announced the Knicks had taken Doyle Maggette out of Alabama, and pandemonium had begun.

The Timberwolves were lucky to own the fifth pick in what looked like a five man draft. Their draft board had Mitchell, Giannou, Adrien, Maggette, and Samuel in that order. Most teams would be sad ending up with their fifth pick, but that's what happened in Minnesota's case.

Terry Samuel has a slender build at 5'11" and weighing 177 pounds and probably projects as a legitimate 6th man in the NBA. He has some Nate Robinson potential, and has the hops to give fans the occasional dunk. Samuel is a wizard with the ball and can bring some elite play making to the Timberwolves from day one. He is a player that'll make his teammates better and has the skills to hunt his own shot. But for all the positives, he will need to get A LOT better on the defensive end and become a better shooter.

The Timberwolves didn't have a second round pick in this years draft.

NBA Draft Results
1. Knicks - Doyle Maggette, PF, Alabama (81)
2. Magic - Dimitris Giannou, PF, Greece (77)
3. Suns (via Lakers) - Barry Adrien, SG, Arizona State (79)
4. 76ers - Jeff Mitchell, SG, NC State (79)
5. Timberwolves - Terry Samuel, PG, Louisville (79)
6. Hawks (via Nets) - J.J. Taft, SF, Georgetown (74)
7. Pistons - Ronald Holmes, SF, Fresno State (75)
8. Suns - Craig Dudley, C, Colorado State (76)
9. Magic (via Jazz) - Leo Eaton, PF, Penn State (73) *Draft Night Tade to Brooklyn*
10. Celtics - Brent Frank, PG, West Virginia (75)
11. Hornets - Paul Petersen, SF, St. John's (71)
12. Rockets (via Pelicans) - Stanley Phillips, PG, Washington (72)
13. Bulls - Mac Floyd, PF, Oregon (70)
14. Nuggets - Pat Morgan, SF, UTEP (68)
15. Blazers (via Bucks) - Victor Whitney, C, Syracuse (68) *Draft Night Trade*
16. Wizards - Bradford Barrett, C, UCLA (67)
17. Mavericks - Harvey Cassell, SG, Ohio State (72)
18. Bucks (via Trail Blazers) - Alexey Winston, SG, Texas (69) *Draft Night Trade*
19. Lakers (via Rockets) - George Gray, PG, West Virginia (66) *Draft Night Trade to Boston*
20. Thunder - Jeffery Claxton, SF, St. Louis (67)
21. Celtics (via Clippers) - Gary Harlan, PF, Michigan State (66)
22. Pacers - Pandazis Patsatzoglou, C, Greece (66)
23. Raptors - Frank McCoy, SG, Oregon State (69)
24. Grizzlies - Wallace Norris, SF, Duke (69)
25. Nets (via Hawks) - Wil Gardner, SG, Temple (67)
26. 76ers (via Heat) - Lonnie Haywood, SG, Washington State (71)
27. Warriors - Len Hughes, SF, Central Michigan (69)
28. Spurs - Alonzo Warren, PG, Georgia (65)
29. Cavaliers - Oscar Mullin, SF, Stanford (69)
30. Bulls - Matthew Buckner, SG, UCLA (67)

31. 76ers - Dell Franklin, SG, Cincinnati (66)
32. Rockets - Taylor Wilkins, PG, Florida State (65)
33. Celtics - Vin Wagner, PF, UCLA, (64)
34. Magic - Gabe Singleton, SF, Georgia Tech (68)
35. Nuggets - Ulf Sundin, SF, Sweden (59)
36. Magic (via Nets) - Jamal Craig, SG, Syracuse (68) *Draft Night Trade*
37. Pistons - Jaime Andersen, PF, Indiana (61)
38. Suns - Reggie McMillan, SF, Mississippi State (63)
39. Jazz - Gregory Rollins, SG, Arizona (63)
40. Jazz (via Celtics) - Oleg Kolomak, PF, Ukraine (62) *Draft Night Trade*
41. Hornets - Rudolph Black, C, Pacific (65)
42. 76ers - Raymond Bryant, SG, Villanova (65)
43. Rockets - Randy Newsom, PG, Purdue (62)
44. Rockets - Kenneth Cartwright, PG, Purdue (60)
45. Bucks - Howie Price, PG, Temple (59)
46. Wizards - Peter Gray, SF, Arizona (66)
47. Mavericks - Lyle Miller, SG, Western Illinois (61)
48. Nuggets - Mark Bolton, SF, Villanova (61)
49. Rockets - Corie Cassell, C, Georgia Tech (64)
50. Thunder - Sean Bullard, SG, Kansas (60)
51. Lakers - Roy Terrell, SF, LSU (60)
52. Pacers - Tracy Gardner, PG, Texas (65)
53. Hawks - Marshall Keefe, SG, USC (60)
54. Nuggets - Gregg Bates, SF, Canada (59)
55. Hawks - Donald McInnis, SF, Alabama (62)
56. Heat - Chuck Hines, SF, Arizona (60)
57. 76ers - Derek Banks, SF, UCLA (60)
58. Spurs - Alexi Markov, SG, Ukraine (60)
59. Jazz - Glenn Mason, PF, Ohio State (62)
60. Suns (via Magic) - Fred Rose, SG, Memphis (59)

[MitchDaCr3ator]

LeBron James Signs With Sacramento Kings


Woah. LeBron James is used to being referred to as "King James" among other nicknames, but it's actually a more literal nickname now. LeBron James, the summer's biggest fish in the free agency pool, has signed a 3 year/$69.89 million dollar deal to play for the Sacramento Kings. James cited playing alongside a dominant big man in DeMarcus Cousins and young guard Ben McLemore as the top reasons he wanted to head to the west.

While LeBron will be going to a new team, plenty of free agents decided to stay put. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard have all pledged to return to San Antonio, which is a major coup for the franchise. Finals MVP Jimmy Butler will make Chicago his home for the next four years as well.

While the Kings were probably the biggest winner in free agency, the Knicks hauled in a nice coup with Patrick Beverley, Monta Ellis, and Roy Hibbert joining the #1 overall pick in the draft Doyle Maggette as well as superstar Carmelo Anthony.

Notable Free Agency Contracts
Marc Gasol re-signs with the Grizzlies -- 5 Years/$103.76M
Al Jefferson re-signs with the Hornets -- 4 Years/$72.59M
LeBron James signs with the Kings -- 3 Years/$69.89M
Kevin Love signs with the 76ers -- 4 Years/$64.02M
Jimmy Butler re-signs with the Bulls -- 4 Years/$60.48M
Paul Millsap signs with the Pistons -- 4 Years/$57.35M
Kawhi Leonard re-signs with the Spurs -- 4 Years/$49.86M
Monta Ellis signs with the Knicks -- 4 Years/$49.80M
Dwyane Wade re-signs with the Heat -- 3 Years/$48.99M
Roy Hibbert signs with the Knicks -- 4 Years/$47.99M
Rudy Gay signs with the Bucks -- 4 Years/$47.57M
Rajon Rondo signs with the Jazz -- 4 Years/$47.57M
Goran Dragic signs with the Nets -- 3 Years/$47.35M
Brandon Knight signs with the Lakers -- 4 Years/$46.21M
Brook Lopez signs with the Mavericks -- 4 Years/$45.53M
Greg Monroe re-signs with the Pistons -- 4 Years/$39.65M
Draymond Green signs with the Bucks -- 4 Years/$38.26M
Enes Kanter re-signs with the Jazz -- 4 Years/$30.01M
Danny Green signs with the Trail Blazers -- 4 Years/$26.82M
Wesley Matthews signs with the Pacers -- 3 Years/$26.34M
Reggie Jackson signs with the Lakers -- 3 Years/$25.19M
Patrick Beverley signs with the Knicks -- 3 Years/$13.07M
Tim Duncan re-signs with the Spurs -- 1 Year/$9.49M
Amare' Stoudemire signs with the Cavaliers -- 1 Year/$6.37M
Tobias Harris re-signs with the Magic -- 1 Year/$3.58M
Manu Ginobili re-signs with the Spurs -- 1 Year/$3.39M