Guess Who's Back? (NBA 2k11-Create A Legend Mode)

[nickjames]

August 2nd, 2010 - It's being called one of the greatest feats in human genetics - of all time. The Genetics Research Institute of Los Angeles, California, with a large sum of money donated from Michael Jordan and his company, the Jordan Brand, have discovered a way to "de-age" human cells and make a person younger. Tests on rats and mice were successful, and Jordan decided to make himself the first - and only, so far - human subject.

Jordan's reason - to play in the NBA again, at his rookie level - but with today's stars. The procedure was successful, and the press was stunned to see Jordan looking exactly like he did in 1984 at a special press conference at the LA Institute.

"It's all to play the game again. I've missed it for so long, and with my previous old age, there was no way I'd be able to be competitive in the NBA again. This was the perfect opportunity for me to get back in the game, and prove that I'm better than these new guys out there," Jordan said. When asked who he was going to play for Jordan had a clever idea.

"I'm going to ask the fans," he said. "I played for Chicago for many years, it was my home. But I'm ready to play somewhere else, where I'm really needed. To create a new dynasty. I'm going to choose uh, five or so teams that really need help and let the fans vote for which one I should go to. Ya know, what LeBron should've done, haha."

Fan voting is scheduled to start soon. The five teams Jordan chose, released to the media after the press conference, are the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Indiana Pacers, and New Orleans Hornets. Check back soon for a full look at each team Jordan has picked - how he can help them and what he can do for them at both sides of the ball.

John Smith has been covering NBA basketball for three years for the NY Times. He wants MJ to go to the Knicks. Please, Mike?

[nickjames]

Association Settings And Details
Difficulty: Pro (if it gets too easy I'll move it up)
Sliders: Default
Quarter Length: 5 minutes (may change)
CPU Quarter Length: 7 minutes (also will change)

Details: So guys, welcome to my first dynasty-related project on OS, and my first in about 4 years (estimated). I posted on Madden Mania back in the day and had a few failed NFL 'chises there. This one should be a lot of fun though. I know the premise is kind of ridiculous, but I wanted to figure out a slightly realistic way to get a young Jordan back in today's NBA.

If you guys are interested, I think it'd really be cool if you guys voted for what team you wanted Jordan to go to (between the five in the first post. I chose those based on need with some solid teams that just need a few more pieces to make it far in the playoffs). Just send me a PM with your pick - I'll leave voting open for a few days. If there's not a lot of votes, I'll just choose myself. I'll keep this updated however, even while voting is going on - with press reaction, etc.

It should be fun and thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoy it, and any tips, advice, comments etc would be much appreciated!

It's fine for you guys to post now.

[nickjames]

August 3rd, 2010 - We promised it folks, and here we go - the first of our look into the new and improved MJ's "five." Today we're looking at the hometown favorites, the New York Knicks. As writer John Smith said in his breaking news article about Jordan's de-aging, most of us here at NYT want Jordan to come and play in New York. Here's a look at what the probable Knicks starting lineup would be if Jordan chose the team.

PG: Raymond Felton
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Danilo Gallinari
PF: Amare Stoudamire
C: Ronny Turiaf

Jordan definitely solidifies a fairly decent, but not amazing starting crew. He will instantly make everyone around him better based on his pure skill - if he plays anything like he did when he played last. Raymond Felton should have a break out year with Jordan and Amare Stoudamire to dish to, and he'll open up the floor for Danilo Gallinari to drain some jump shots. In addition, the Knicks could also play Jordan at small forward and put a guy like Kelenna Azubuike or Wilson Chandler out there at the two spot. Jordan will surely draw double teams if he's on, which will give these guys some solid chances at making some baskets.

Jordan should also bring a strong defensive presence to a team not known for its defensive skill. He was always a strong defender when he played before, and maybe he will fire up the other players to do the same. Even if he doesn't, however, he should still have no trouble scoring or dishing assists in coach Mike D'Antoni's high powered, fast paced offense.

Jordan has announced that fan voting be underway immediately, and official site NBA.COM is running a poll as we speak.

Liz Johnson has been writing sports opinion pieces for New York Times on the web for five months. She wants Jordan too!

[nickjames]

August 5th, 2010 - Welcome to the second part of our extended coverage of Michael Jordan's third return to basketball. Today we're discussing the Cleveland Cavaliers and how Michael would fit on the team.

The Cavs as an organization and the city of Cleveland have been dealing with a lot lately - mainly because of LeBron James' departure from the team. Cleveland fans feel betrayed that this player who was supposed to shoot them into greatness and finally get the city a championship victory left to play on an all-star team. Whether or not you think LeBron made a good or bad decision, there's no denying that MJ would reignite the hope for the fans. Lets take a look at the Cavs' probable lineup with Jordan.

PG: Mo Williams
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Jamario Moon
PF: Antwan Jamison
C: Anderson Varejao

The Cavs' lineup with MJ looks a lot worse on paper than the Knicks' who we analyzed two days ago. However, it's easy to believe that Michael could really give some of these players a boost because of his presence on the court. Mo Williams is a solid starting point guard, and Antwan Jamison would be great as a second or third option on this squad.

The main reason why fans across the world are more likely to vote for the Cavs, however, is because of the events that conspired with LeBron this offseason. It would be an interesting storyline to follow throughout the NBA - how each player individually does, and how each team does - and what happens during the inevitable LeBron/MJ showdowns. Hate for LeBron is at an all time high, and I'm sure many fans of basketball would like to see the city get revenge.

Preliminary Ranking of Most Likely Destinations for Jordan

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. New York Knicks

[nickjames]

August 7th, 2010 - How likely of a destination is Indiana for Michael Jordan? It's an odd pick by him and his staff, for sure. But if you take a deeper look at their roster, it could be quite a good place fit for MJ. Indiana doesn't seem very likely - because most fan votes will probably be for the Cavs, who need a new hero, and the Knicks, who play in a huge market and despite recent failures, are an extremely popular team.

However, lets take a look at the Pacers roster with MJ included and see how he could fit in and help the team.

PG: Darren Collison
SG: Michael Jordan
SF: Danny Granger
PF: Tyler Hansbrough
C: Roy Hibbert

The 1-3 spots in this lineup look extremely solid. Darren Collison was a great backup to Chris Paul, and he should put up decent numbers as a starter, at the very least. PG has been a weak position for the Pacers for a while now, so there's hopes in the organization that Collison will help take the offense to a new level. Danny Granger has had a great start to his career so far, and he has potential to become one of the best forwards in the league. He's one of the most underrated and overlooked players in the game, simply because he plays for a fairly unpopular team like Indiana.

Power forward and Center stick out as the weakest positions here. But if Jordan were to join the team, the combination of Collison, Jordan, and Granger could be effective and take an average Pacers team to the next level. They could be competitive for a few years.

Most Likely Destinations for Jordan

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. New York Knicks
3. Indiana Pacers

[djp73]

knicks get my vote