|
In fitting fashion, we opened the season on the road in Boston against the highly touted Celtics. I'm hoping to have a gritty, d-first team representing the big apple and it showed on opening night with a 101-85 win. We were in double digets in both steals and blocks, and held Boston well under 40% shooting. It was an up and down road to start the year though. Following the win, we played .500 ball basically. At day 30 we sit at 12-12. While our defensive field goal percentage has been great, our offense often fails us...even with the league's leading scorer (Harshman, at just under 30 a game). We lost Gerhart to an injury and picked up C Battaile Shaw to take his roster spot. He's C C- C A- B- C and likely won't last past the offseason as he's already on IR.
With the team struggling offensively, I move Friedman to the bench and bring Gerhart (back from injury) into the SF spot. The move has no real impact though, as we're still a one-dimensional team. On day 41 we head to Chicago and get destroyed by the Stags, 93-69 despite a 36 point effort from Harshman. At the all-star break, we're 17-24 and sucking. Harshman ends up the starting SG on the all-star team, but had minimal input in a 113-110 east win.
A lot more losing up until day 89, where we lose another game and Harshman for the season. We sit at 23-40 and are pretty much waiting for the lottery.
The team played tough the last stretch of the year, but we were essiently outmatched every night as good defense could only get us so far. We finished 31-51, the 2nd worst record in the league. The Miami Floridians end up with homecourt after a 60-22 campaign led by MVP point guard LaDon Elliott. Seattle takes the west with 50 wins.
Playoffs
First Round
Supersonics 4 Chaparrals 2
Suns 4 Stars 1
Rockets 4 Lakers 3
Warriors 4 Nuggets 3
Floridians 4 Olympians 0
Cougars 4 Rebels 3
Falcons 2 Huskies 4
Hawks 3 Capitals 4
Second Round
Supersonics 4 Suns 0
Rockets 0 Warriors 4
Floridians 4 Cougars 0
Capitals 4 Huskies 2
Conference Finals
Supersonics 4 Warriors 2
Floridians 2 Capitals 4
NBA Finals
Supersonics 4 Capitals 0
The big story of the postseason was the Capitals' sudden charge to the finals. After toppling Milwaukee in 7 games, they outlasted Toronto in 6, setting up a believed mismatch with Miami (who didn't lose a game in the first two rounds). Buuuut, that's why they play the games. After getting thrashed by 22 in game one, Washington came back to win three straight, and won the series in 6. However...they were no match for Seattle in the finals. Led by post dominator Randy Gordon (who averaged over 5 blocks a game in the postseason) the Supersonics D was too much for Washington.
|
