a season of association…
January had come, and the meat of the league (i.e., Western Conference) approached. Oklahoma City’s Thunder came to Roanoke with a 98 rating (to 81 for ARG), 1st in defense, 4th offense, and 1st overall. 15-game winning streak, 26-6 [3-3 SIM]
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| blocking Durant’s three-point attempt! |
Time for a visit to Cali and the Warriors. The first meeting in Roanoke, Curry was not in the game. He was healthy in
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| “Chef Curry” is very talented. |
January…. Immediately, we saw the difference, as in the OKC game. Curry and the other Warrior starters were very quick. Shifty moves and in-air shot adjustments. If a skilled gamer used this team, he might be nearly unbeatable.
By the time the starters came back, Roanoke [ARG] was on track. Up 61-38 in the 3rd. 100-68 final, stripped Curry 9 times and Klay Thompson 6. This was the team we mostly bought 2K16 for, but in that pixelated world, Golden State was a middling 17-16 and a 7 seed in the West…. Oklahoma City was more of a challenge, top to bottom. But still a long way to go.
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John Havlicek was courted by several teams during the season, and we rejected them all. But the fourth time, we let him go to the Nets for Joe Johnson and a first round pick. So we will win the championship and get two first rounders? Done.
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| This is called the Temple of Doom defensive technique |
Three-for-three on the drills in February. Maybe it would make the unsatisfied players settle a bit…
On to a sad-looking team, Milwaukee. Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe are the only names we recognize. And sadly, the Bucks were beating us until midway in the second quarter.
Already Coach could see that the Havlicek-Johnson trade had a huge effect on the team. Joe Johnson is slower, older, and not automatic when he’s open, the way Havlicek was. Other players would not get the same out–if they were fed up and wanted a trade, they’d have to wait till free agency. That is, if they were good. Peddling flesh…
Mack Long, one of the angry players who got ‘offended’ when we checked for a trade on him in December, went off in the second quarter… well, life is full of adjustments. Final: 75-48.
The Railguns went to Brooklyn next to step on the Nets and their new guy, John Havlicek. So he finally was a starter as he had campaigned to be. “Congrats on the promotion.” We knew how dangerous he was. The initial plan was to hack him and his new boys unconscious. 78-47.
Headed to Cleveland. We avenged our only other human-controlled losses this season, to the Hawks and Heat. The Cavs were the last target for vengeance. The Railguns are ten games up on Cleveland in the East, seven ahead of the Bulls.
Railguns out to a 29-14 lead after one, but Cleveland was breathing on our necks soon after. Every player on our roster was 5 to 12 points down in overall rating (team rating down to 72). The long season was taking its toll. Interestingly, no other team except Roanoke had lowered player ratings like that. CPU trying to take us down a peg since we were on a record pace?
Maybe so. CLE took ARG to overtime, first of the season. They came back from about twenty down. John Derry Stevens, still the best player on the team, shot horribly, 6-19, 0-6 from three. Both teams stealing the ball from each other in the open court, and missing lots of contested shots. That’s what you call, ‘dogging it out’. Still a win, 72-68…
Roanoke Railguns: 49-7 (21-4 in simulated games) and a flawless month of February….