BuffsNation: Pistons/Nuggets Season

[BuffsNation]

BuffsNation
Detroit Pistons/Denver Nuggets Season

I was unhappy to find out after I got this game for Christmas, that you cant have a two team dynasty, so my bro and me are going to do a one year season. We're going with a 28 game regular season schedule, with 8 minute quarters on the All-Star level.

BuffsNation: Detroit Pistons



BuffsNation brother: Denver Nuggets

[ViNSaNiTy15UnC9]

Good Luck. You two play each other at all in the Regular Season?

[BuffsNation]

Detroit Pistons
Preview



Lineup

C Ben Wallace (6'9 240, Virginia Union)
PF Mehmet Okur (6'11 250, Turkey)
SF Tayshaun Prince (6'9 215, Kentucky)
SG Richard Hamilton (6'7 195, UCONN)
PG Chauncey Billups (6'3 202, Colorado)
-Bench-
F/C Elden Campbell (7'0 280, Clemson)
PG Chucky Atkins (5'11 160, South Florida)
SF Corliss Williamson (6'7 245, Arkansas)
SG Bobby Sura (6'5 200, Florida State)
PG Lindsey Hunter (6'2 195, Jackson State)
F/C Zeljo Rebraca (7'0 260, Serbia-Montenegro)
PF Darko Milicic (7'0 245, Serbia-Montenegro)
SG Huburt Davis (6'5 185, North Carolina



Outlook

Larry Brown takes over the Pistons who went 53-37 a year ago, and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, before their season ended. This core is a group of scrappy, defensive minded players, that are not afraid to play a very physical and aggressive game. Lead by the Beast in the Middle, Ben Wallace, the man that wrecks havoc in the lane with his great blocking and rebounding skills and a strong core of guards in Billups, Hamilton, and Prince. The Pistons are one of the most dangerous teams in the East. With Larry Brown moving to a lot of 1-3-1 and 2-3 zones this season, the Pistons will look to constantly confuse and change up the D on the opponet, to keep the offense constantly on their toes. On the offensive side of the ball, Brown will look to take advantage of the sharpe outside shooting of Billups and Prince, and get Hamilton on 1-on-1 situations, where he can take it to the hole. Also Brown is expecting big things this season from Mehmet Okur and Elden Campbell inside. Campbell was the teams biggest free agent pick up this off season and Okur is a big man that has the ability to go outside and shoot from the three point line. Also Darko Milicic could play a factor for the team this year, but Brown expects this season to be a developing year for Milicic, who was the 2nd pick in the last draft. Consider the Pistons to compete with the Nets, Pacers, and Hornets for the Eastern Conference title.

Strength

This team will get up on you, and play better defense than anyone else in the league. Ben Wallace is probably the best overall defender in the league, as most opponents are scared to drive the lane when Wallace is anywhere around. Prince also has the athletic ability to be one of the top defenders in the league with his God given 7'2" wingspan. On offense, Billups and Prince have had great pre-season's and both look like they could have big time break out years. Brown looks like he wants these two players, to be his go-to-guys in when they need to score. Richard Hamilton is a guy that can score as well, but his inability to score from the outside consistantly has affected his play somewhat, with Larry Brown's new offense.

Weakness

This team is still seaching for a guy that will be able to score down low for them. Ben Wallace is not a guy that's going to score much on the offensive side of the ball, which means that more than likely Brown is going to have to depend on either Elden Campbell or Mehmet Okur to score down low. Campbell is strong and has the ability to be a consistant scorer, but Okur is really the player that needs to fit in. Brown's offense depends on solid shooting from the perimeter, and Okur is the only big man on this team that can go outside 10 feet from the basket and hit shots. The Pistons really need for him to come through this season for them on the offensive side of the ball. Brown looks like he is going to go half and half on the defensive side of the ball, between man-to-man and zone. I dont know how this team will be able to play zone against some of the better teams in the league, who should be able to pick apart the zone from the outside. But only time will tell.



Starters Breakdown

Ben Wallace-Probably the best defender in the league, Wallace can block shots all day and makes opponents think twice before they drive the lane. Wallace is also a terriffic rebounder, but with the new zone D's that Brown has brought in, I have noticed that Wallace has become less effective on the boards as he often is brought away from the basket, by opponents.

Mehmet Okur-The Pistons' are really counting on him this year to be a offense punch for them. Okur can go out and shoot the ball from the perimeter and he also has some moves inside, but is consistancy is a question. Brown also needs Okur to hit the glass more often and be a much better rebounder.

Tayshaun Prince-Last year the rookie, didn't even take off his warmup's in 40 of the regular season games last year, but he became a new man for the Pistons' in the playoffs when he really came alive and showed fans what he can do. This season Prince will look to carry over his postseason success, as he will now be a starter and a big time key for the Piston's to get a W. Prince is a great shooter from the outside and also is very nifty around the basket.

Richard Hamilton-Not a very good shooter from the outside, and that has caused some pre-season scoring struggles for him, but Brown still knows that Hamilton has the ability to take over the game with his slashing play and ability to finish around the rim. Hamilton is also a very strong defender and great FT shooter.

Chauncey Billups-Early on in the pre-season it looks like Brown has given Billups the go to be the teams go-to-guy for points on the offensive end. Billups is a very solid outside shooter, and he is much bigger and stronger than the majority of the other PG's in the league, which cause match-up problems for opponents. In the pre-season he has been really utilizing his strenght by posting up other PG's and taking it to the glass strong. Billups is also a great FT shooter.

Central Division



Indiana
New Orleans
Detroit
Toronto
Milwaukee
Cleveland
Chicago
Atlanta

[BuffsNation]

Denver Nuggets
Preview



Lineup

C Marcus Camby (6'11 225, UMASS)
PF Nene (6'11 260, Brazil)
SF Carmelo Anthony (6'8 220, Syracuse)
SG Voshon Lenard (6'4 205, Minnesota)
PG Andre Miller (6'2 200, Utah)
-Bench-
PG Earl Boykins (5'5 130, Eastern Michigan)
SG Jon Barry (6'5 210, Georgia Tech)
G/F Rodney White (6'9 230, UNC-Charlotte)
F/C Francisco Elson (7'0 235, California)
SG Nikoloz Tskitishvili (7'0 225, Georgia-Europe)
SF Ryan Bowen (6'9 220, Iowa)
C Chris Anderson (6'10 220, Blinn College JC)



Outlook

The Nuggets tied with the Cavaliers for the worst record in the NBA a year ago at 17-65. They put that record to good use, when they got the 3rd pick in the Draft and used it on Carmelo Anthony, who was just coming off his Freshman year at Syracuse where he lead the Orangemen to the national championship. The Nuggets also went out and brought in a good group of free agents like Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, Voshon Lenard, and Jon Barry. In an effort to get rid of last year's horriffic season, the Nuggets brought in a brand new cast of players and even new jerseys. One of the few people that remain from last year's team, is their head coach Jeff Bzdelik who is back for his second season as the Nuggets head coach. Bzdelik now has two exciting PG's in Miller and Boykins and will look to use them to bring back the up-tembo, fast break team that Denver once had back in the days of Doug Moe. Bzdelik still wants to remain one of the hardest working teams in the NBA and will look for his team to be strong on defense and be very disciplined. The Nuggets will build their team around Carmelo Anthony, as the newest NBA phemon will be the go-to-guy and the player that will get people butts back in steats. But Melo isn't the only new weapon the Nuggs have. Andre Miller is a great PG who is solid in all the aspects of the game, Voshon Lenard brings a outstanding shooting aresenal to the team, and 2nd year big man Nene, has a ton of potential. The Nuggets also have a solid bench lead by little man Earl Boykins. The Nuggets now have a team that looks like they can contend with anyone in the league and will try to remain competive all season long. With the pack West, the Nuggs playoffs hopes look dim, but they have a outside shot.

Strength

This team should be very solid on defense and will try to out work you every night. This year, Bzdelik finally has some talent and will look to bring a exciting up-tembo offense to the table. The Nuggets have several scoring options like Anthony, Miller, Nene, and Lenard. The bench is strong and all the guys on there can come in the game and give this team a spark. This team can go as far as Melo can lead them.

Weakness

The Nuggets will look to rely on Melo as their guy that will lead them, but how well the rookie will hold up over the course of the season is hard to tell. Every night teams will be looking to target him, just like his good friend Lebron, as they are tired of the hype the two have been getting. The Nuggets are certainly a much more talented team, and have some guys this year that can put the ball in the hole, but still there offense isn't going to be able to hold up against teams like the Lakers, Mavs, and Kings who can all light it up.



Starters Breakdown

Marcus Camby-If healthy, Camby could be a big key to this team. He is a very solid defender and has the ability to score anywhere from 8-10 pts a night, but he must stay healthy. He is the only really big man they have.

Nene-As a rookie, Nene put together a very solid season and will look to continue to build on last season. Nene is both strong and athletic, and with some more experience, could become really tough to stop down low. He still has some things he needs to work on, but his game is getting there.

Carmelo Anthony-The rookie, will have his hands full, but he has shown he could deal with pressure last year, when as a freshman he lead his team all the way in college to the national championship. Melo has a nice arsenal of post moves and is a solid shooter, but he still has some aspects of his game he must improve on, like his defense.

Voshon Lenard-Lenard comes back to Denver, after leaving a couple of years ago. Lenard can light it up from the outside, when he is on. The only problem is he is getting older and the other area's of his game have been something to be desired for. But the Nuggets will really need him to be a scoring threat for them all season long.

Andre Miller-The Nuggets now have a PG to work with, something they were badly missing last year. Miller is great at taking the ball to the hole and either scoring or dishing, and he is also a rock solid defender. But his outside shooting has something to be desired for. Bzdelik thinks he can be the guy, but only time will tell.

Midwest



San Antonio
Minnesota
Denver
Dallas
Houston
Utah
Memphis

[BuffsNation]

Good Luck. You two play each other at all in the Regular Season?

Thanks man. Yeah it just happen to work out that, we play each other the very last game of the regular season. I cant wait for that showdown!

[BuffsNation]

Detroit Pistons
Pre-season Scores and Stats

www.nba.com/pistons/images/pistons_logo.gif
[/img]

C.Billups 34.7ppg 5.5rpg 3.5spg 4.0apg
T.Prince 21.5ppg 3.5rpg 2.2bpg 1.8spg
R.Hamilton 11.0ppg 2.5rpg 1.4spg
M.Okur 10.2ppg 4.5rpg
C.Atkins 6ppg
E.Campbell 3.7ppg 3.0rpg
B.Wallace 2.5ppg 7.0rpg 4.25bpg
C.Williamson 2.4ppg 1.3rpg

BOSTON W 81-73 OT



at Houston L 78-80



at Atlanta W 93-72



LA LAKERS W 103-93



------------------

Denver Nuggets



C.Anthony 23.4ppg 6.5rpg
V.Lenard 15.6ppg 2.3rpg
A.Miller 14.3ppg 4.5apg 1.3spg
J.Barry 11.3ppg 3.4apg
M.Camby 7.3ppg 4.2rpg 2.1bpg
Nene 5.5ppg 3.9rpg 1.9bpg
E.Boykins 5.5ppg 2.4spg

at Chicago W 79-74



CLEVELAND L 82-81



at Boston L 84-95



TORONTO W 91-75

[PJ520]

Looks great, keep up the good work!

[ViNSaNiTy15UnC9]

Yeah very nice.

[BuffsNation]

Schedule
2003-04



Detroit Pistons



INDIANA
LA LAKERS
at Memphis
NEW ORLEANS
at Philiadelphia
at Washington
at New York
MIAMI
at Houston
at Cleveland
SEATTLE
CHICAGO
UTAH
at Milwaukee
PHEONIX
GOLDEN STATE
at Boston
DALLAS
ATLANTA
at Toronto
at New Jersey
SACRAMENTO
NBA All-State Game
ORLANDO
at LA Clippers
at Portland
at Denver
at San Antonio

---------------

Denver Nuggets



SAN ANTONIO
at Indiana
LA CLIPPERS
at Chicago
at Minnesota
MILWAUKEE
WASHINGTON
at Dallas
CLEVELAND
at Golden State
BOSTON
at Atlanta
at Seattle
at LA Lakers
MEMPHIS
HOUSTON
TORONTO
at Sacramento
at Pheonix
at Utah
at New Orleans
PORTLAND
NBA All-Star Game
PHILADELPHIA
at Orlando
at Miami
NEW YORK
NEW JERSEY
DETROIT

[m11jp]

It's good to see another well-kept dynasty/franchise up on the boards. Good luck.

[BuffsNation]

It's good to see another well-kept dynasty/franchise up on the boards. Good luck.

Thanks man and congrats on the Best Dynasty award. I'm just try'in to live up to your standards

Looks great, keep up the good work!

Thanks All-Basketball

Yeah very nice.

Thanks Vinsanty and everyone else that has checked out my dynasty so far.

[BuffsNation]

One Game at a Time



The slogan for the 2003-04 Pistons season is "On Game at a Time," and Larry Brown has been consitantly banging that into his players heads as they get prepared to kick off the NBA season tomorrow night against the Indiana Pacers. "We need to be focus and come to play everynight," said Richard Hamilton. Larry Brown added, "We know we can play with anybody in the league, it's just how good do we want to be. In order to go all the way, we need to come to play night in and night out, and improve each game." The Pistons almost reach the finals a year ago before falling to the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals. "We were so close to the finals, we dont want to have that bad taste of leaving early again," said Chauncey Billups. The Pistons know that the East is wide open and is up for the taking, and that tomorrow night's season opener against the Pacers will be a strong test right away. "Looking at the East I think it's the Nets, Pacers, and us," added Ben Wallace. "We're ready to go and want to start off the year on a high note," said Tayshaun Prince. The Pistons will open up at home this year, as they welcome the Pacers, lead by Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, and Reggie Miller. O'Neal might be the best big man in the East, and Artest is a rising star. Also the game has extra meaning as Pacers coach Rick Carlisle returns to the Palace at Auburn Hills, where he has been the Pistons coach for the past two years before being fired. Carlisle went 100-64 during his two year stay. "We know coach Carlisle is going to get his team pumped to come in here and still a win from us," said Hamilton, "There will be a lot of emotions involved in this game." Gamtime is set for 7:00 ET and tickets are still available.


Rick Carlisle returns to Detroit, this time on the opposite bench as the Pistons. Carlisle was fired last year, despite having a 100-64 record in two seasons.

[BuffsNation]

New Year in D-Town



When a reporter asked Ryan Bowen what he remebers from last year's 17-63 season, Bowen said, "Nothing. This is a new year!" That remark, shows just how the new look Nuggets are looking at last year to this year. Although just a few players remain from last year's team, the Nuggets are anxiest to start over and show the rest of the NBA what they are made of. "We're a much different team this year," said second year head coach Jeff Bzdelik. "We have forgotten the past and were looking ahead to a very bright future." The future lays in the hands of Carmelo who will make his NBA debut tomorrow against the World Champion San Antonio Spurs. Melo has had a very solid pre-season, but knows that the regular season is a whole new level and it's when it really starts counting. "I just want to go out there and do what I need to do, to help our team win," said the rookie. "It's that simple." The Nuggets will open up at the Pepsi Center, and they will face a huge challenge as they host last year's NBA champs, the Spurs. Lead by probably the best player in the league right now, Tim Duncan, the Nuggets will face a tough defensive challenge. "He is a very good player," said center Marcus Camby. "He does it all. He really has no weaknesses." Despite the odds being agaist them, the Nuggets are pumped for the game and feel they have a very solid shot at winning the game. "We just have to play our game, and make a mistake free game," said Andre Miller. Only time will tell.


Nuggets open up the 2003-04 season against last year's NBA champs, the San Antonio Spurs

[BuffsNation]

San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets
October 24, 2003/6:00 p.m.



Melo Has Huge Debut, Nuggets Win

If tonights showing of the new Denver Nuggets is any indicator of what this season will bring, the future looks very bright. Lead by the rookie Carmelo Anthony who was making his NBA debut, Melo scored 37 points as the Nuggets won 95-82. "I felt we did a great job of moving the ball around and everyone got involved in the scoring," said Coach Jeff Bzdelik. "But I never would have guessed Carmelo would have had this type of game for his debut. He was really impressive tonight." The Spurs were lead by Tony Parker who scored 28pts, while Tim Duncan had a relatively quiet night after the first quarter, only scoring 14pts. "We did an excellent job on Duncan tonight. After the first quarter we really took him out of his game," said Bzdelik. The first half prove to be very close with both teams switching back with the lead, but in the 3rd quarter the Nuggets caught fire, while the Spurs went cold which allowed the Nuggets to pull away to a nice cushion. The Nuggets improve to 1-0 with the victory.

Player of the Game



Carmelo Anthony

37pts 4rb 4as 3st

Game Stats

Denver



C.Anthony 37pts 4rb 4as 3st
M.Camby 13pts 5rb 3blk
Nene 11pts 3rb 2st
J.Barry 10pts 2rb 2as
E.Boykins 10pts 6as 6rb
A.Miller 8pts 4rb 2st
V.Lenard 4pts 3rb 3st 2as
C.Anderson 2pts 2rb 1blk

47% FG, 33% 3PT, 79% FT

San Antonio



T.Parker 28pts 7as 3st
T.Duncan 14pts 9rb 2blk
S.Jackson 8pts 4rb 3as
E.Ginolibi 7pts 3rb 2st
B.Bowen 6pts 4as
R.Nesteravoic 5pts 5rb 2blk
R.Horry 2pts 3rb

41% FG, 34% 3PT, 81% FT

[PJ520]

Earl Boykins lead the team in rebounds?