Post by Tampa Bay Bull Sharks on Apr 5, 2016 20:35:44 GMT -5
A Quest for Greatness
At the start of the season, 20 teams shared the common goal of winning an NBA GM League championship. 20 general managers schemed, strategized, and worked tirelessly to build a team capable of achieving fantasy royalty. But, for 19 of these owners, their dreams were never realized. Their goals never attained. Title ambitions that never came to fruition. One team, however, stood above the rest. One team, a team who is no stranger to the spotlight held the championship trophy high above their heads. One team, did what only one other team in league history has ever done by winning back to back titles. One team cemented their place in league history by winning their third title - more than any other team in the league. That team, arguably the greatest, most dominant team in league history, is your Tampa Bay Bull Sharks.
Adversity, Resetting, and Resilience
After losing their first two games to start the season, the first game of the season to the Houston Rockets, the Bull Sharks got even 17 weeks later.
Entering the season, expectations were high for the team from Tampa. The franchise had endured a miserable 0-16 season two years ago, but had rebounded nicely after making several changes to their team. Changes that included trading for Russell Westbrook and LaMarcus Aldridge. Changes that saw the team draft young sensations, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine. Changes that brought a championship to the city last season.
Title aspirations were the focus for this team from the beginning of the season. As one rival GM put it, "We knew they were the best team from the start, but they struggled early." Tampa Bay, who didn't even finish with the best record last season, prevailed in a dominant run to the finals. This tone would set not only the expectations, but also the premonitions about the team coming into the season. However, after an 0-2 start, the team seemed to be in flux, disarray even, and their championship readiness was quietly being questioned around the league. It wasn't until week 3 when the team hit their stride. The Bull Sharks began to show why teams around the league feared them before the season.
A dominant regular season, a season in which Tampa Bay won 14 in a row to close out the season after starting 0-2, propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference and the team earned the top seed in the East. The Bull Sharks drew division rival, Atlanta, in round one. While the series was competitive, Tampa Bay pulled away and won 7-2. As the Bull Sharks moved one step closer in their quest for a second consecutive championship, they would have to take out their long-time conference rival, the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets or Bull Sharks have represented the Eastern Conference in the Finals in the last 6 seasons.The Brooklyn Nets have made 3 appearances, going 2-1 in those finals, but their bid for a fourth was stopped when they fell to the Bull Sharks in the Eastern Conference Finals. This season represented Tampa Bay's third trip to the finals (third trip in five years), where they would seek a third championship in as many tries.
In their third finals match-up, Tampa Bay sought to do what no other team before them had ever done - win three championships. A win and the Bull Sharks would reach championship immortality. Three for three in the finals. More championships than any other franchise in league history. A spot in GM League history.
The Final Bout
The Bull Sharks entered the Finals, staring at the team they lost to in the first match-up of the season, and top seed of the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets came into the Finals with the league's second best record at 13-3. They had succeeded in taking down two very tough opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs - the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers. The stage was set for a battle between the league's two best teams.
Before the Finals even got underway, the Rockets were already facing some adversity when they, unbeknownst to them at the time, lost Ryan Anderson for the rest of the season. Nonetheless, the team still had the likes of Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton.
"You never want to see a guy get hurt," GM Richardson said. "But you have to deal with whatever comes at you. We lost LaMarcus for a couple games in the Finals last year. Lost some guys when we won our first title too. The only thing you can do is make adjustments to hang in there."
To add insult to injury, the Rockets lost Jrue Holiday to a toe injury, after getting just two games out of him. The door was open for Tampa Bay, but the team didn't seem ready to walk through it.
Down for the Count
March 30th was a day that the franchise had hoped would seal their future and allow them to cruise through the latter part of the Finals, but that plan never came to fruition. The Bull Sharks laid an egg - shooting 27% from the field, getting only 25 boards when Aldridge, Asik, and Faried were playing, put up only 33 points, and saw Andrew Wiggins commit 6 of the team's 11 turnovers on the day. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets shot 53% from the field, closed the rebounding gap by hauling in 66, got 21 assists, and got 133 points. Suddenly, the momentum had shifted and there was no certainty that the advantaged Bull Sharks would be able to complete their championship quest.
With the team reeling and Houston surging, Tampa Bay's season hung in the balance. The team was in dire straights. Another bad outing and they become the first team to historically collapse in the Finals. Another bad outing and the future of this franchise and its core of players could be in doubt. Another bad outing and they could kiss their hopes of a second consecutive championship goodbye.
Back on Their Feet for the Final Stretch
The Bull Sharks had to dig down deep and overcome their worst performance of the season. It would no longer be smooth sailing to the title. No. The team would have to do what they've done the last two years; they'd have to leave it all on the line to earn their spot in history.
After a solid showing on Friday and Saturday, Tampa Bay entered play Sunday having locked up points, blocks, and three pointers. The team led by 31 assists, 22 rebounds, and 4 turnovers. To the outsider, it seemed as if Tampa Bay was clearly in the driver seat, but to those inside the Bull Sharks clubhouse, their strategy was being discussed all through the night and until the 1:00 PM games on Sunday.
"We poured over ideas for hours. You may think - up 22 boards, play everyone and who cares what happens to turnovers? Playing everyone should assure rebounds and assists - you would think. But after we had the implosion a few days prior and since Houston had some strong rebounding guys playing today, we didn't want to run the risk of collapsing in the last day. We thought we'd start with Asik since he doesn't turn the ball over very often. Well two possessions into the game he committed two turnovers and didn't give us a single rebound. The plan was to play everyone today if Asik had gotten us 7 or 8 rebounds, but that didn't happen. We had to make a decision to overhaul our plan and use our previous experience to devise a new strategy."
That strategy, a bold one, was to sit Wiggins, LaVine, Wiiliams, and JR Smith. This left Russell Westbrook as the only player in the 3:30 slot.
Richardson went onto say, "It was a calculated risk. It's no secret that Russ is a high turnover guy. But he is also a high rebounding and high assist player. After the disastrous showing by Asik, we knew we couldn't afford very many turnovers from Russ, especially since we were essentially punting rebounds by benching everyone else. I guess you could say things didn't go as we had envisioned on the turnover front."
Westbrook delivered with 9 assists - locking up the category, while also grabbing 13 rebounds. The rebounds rejuvenated a Tampa team and extended their lead in the category. However, as great as Westbrook was, he also coughed it up 8 times. Entering the 6:00 PM games, the Bull Sharks had four categories locked up, but rebounds and turnovers were up for grabs.
"We had to decide whether we play Pau and Aminu, or do we we sit them and hope that Houston turned it over two more times," Richardson continued. "For us, the decision was easy. With a half left of Len and Green, three quarters from Jabari Parker, and a full game from Curry, we knew we had to play for turnovers. By the start of the second half, Len turned it over and it was over. It was over. We knew we were the champions."
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks had prevailed, defeating the Houston Rockets 5-4 and capping off a year that saw them rattle off 17 consecutive wins en route to a second consecutive championship.
"This team is unlike any other team I've been a part of" said free agent to be, Kenneth Faried. Faried, who was acquired in a deadline deal was injured during the Finals, but came back provide a spark in the limited action that he saw.
"Man, I almost blew it," Russell Westbrook, and probable Finals MVP, said with a smile during the team's championship press conference. "In all seriousness, gotta give it up to our management. They know what they're doing. Very good at collecting talent and putting us in a position to win. It's up to us to execute, but they have the vision."
"After last season, the goal was to be standing here again," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "We wanted seconds. This was about pulling together as a team and showing the 19 other teams that we were the top dog. If you want to be champions, it's gotta come through us."
We Are STILL the Champions
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks have done what no other team in league history has done; they've gone to the Finals three times and have emerged as champions in each of those occasions.
"I am so proud of our guys," Richardson said as he stood up with the microphone in hand, looking around the room and along the press table at his players. "We've built a dynasty in this city. We are the dynasty in this league. We are going to let the champagne flow tonight. We are going to celebrate through tomorrow. And we are going to hang another championship banner and raise the Larry O'Brien Trophy in front of our fans. We did this for the city of Tampa and for all of our fans here and across the globe. We are STILL the champions," Richardson concluded as he dropped the mic and walked off stage.
Two Straight Shining Moments
The swish of the net. The bounce of the ball. The ovation the fans give as the home team takes the court in the first game of the year and the even louder ovation they give when the team leaves the court after winning the final game of the season. These are the moments that have helped chisel the masterpiece of the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks season. On Sunday Night, in front of an arena full of some 25,000 fans, confetti fell from the rafters, "We Are the Champions" blasted over the PA system, and fans remained on their feet, cheering, for a second straight year, for their championship team. The team from Tampa did it again. The Bull Sharks emerged as back-to-back champions.
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks have secured their place among the greatest franchises in league history. Back-to-back champions. 3-0 in the Finals and the only team to have that many titles. The team will bring back many of their core players and with some tweaks to the roster, we expect the Bull Sharks to be in a position to go for yet another title. No team in league history has ever won three in a row (Brooklyn came close). Can the Bull Sharks do the unthinkable? Could they really run it back for a three-peat? Only time will tell. For now, the city and team will celebrate and enjoy raising another banner for the fans of the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks!
Behind Closed Doors
The Squad
Point Guards
Russell Westbrook $12,000,000 (2016, 2017x)
(SG) Zach LaVine $3,600,000 (2017, 2018x, 2019y)
Jose Calderon $250,000 (2016)
Shooting Guards
(SF) Andrew Wiggins $4,800,000 (2017, 2018x, 2019y)
(SF) JR Smith $4,700,000 (2017)
Gary Harris $250,000 (2019)
Small Forwards
Al-Farouq Aminu $250,000 (2016)
(SG) Wilson Chandler $3,000,0000 (2018, 2019x) - IR
(SF) CJ Miles $2,200,000 (2016)
Power Forwards
(C) LaMarcus Aldridge $9,000,000 (2019, 2020x)
(SF) Marcus Morris $500,000 (2017)
(PF) Marvin Williams $4,700,000 (2016)
Kenneth Faried $1,000,000 (2016)
Centers
(PF) Pau Gasol $5,000,000(2017)
Omer Asik $900,000 (2016)
At the start of the season, 20 teams shared the common goal of winning an NBA GM League championship. 20 general managers schemed, strategized, and worked tirelessly to build a team capable of achieving fantasy royalty. But, for 19 of these owners, their dreams were never realized. Their goals never attained. Title ambitions that never came to fruition. One team, however, stood above the rest. One team, a team who is no stranger to the spotlight held the championship trophy high above their heads. One team, did what only one other team in league history has ever done by winning back to back titles. One team cemented their place in league history by winning their third title - more than any other team in the league. That team, arguably the greatest, most dominant team in league history, is your Tampa Bay Bull Sharks.
Adversity, Resetting, and Resilience
After losing their first two games to start the season, the first game of the season to the Houston Rockets, the Bull Sharks got even 17 weeks later.
Entering the season, expectations were high for the team from Tampa. The franchise had endured a miserable 0-16 season two years ago, but had rebounded nicely after making several changes to their team. Changes that included trading for Russell Westbrook and LaMarcus Aldridge. Changes that saw the team draft young sensations, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine. Changes that brought a championship to the city last season.
Title aspirations were the focus for this team from the beginning of the season. As one rival GM put it, "We knew they were the best team from the start, but they struggled early." Tampa Bay, who didn't even finish with the best record last season, prevailed in a dominant run to the finals. This tone would set not only the expectations, but also the premonitions about the team coming into the season. However, after an 0-2 start, the team seemed to be in flux, disarray even, and their championship readiness was quietly being questioned around the league. It wasn't until week 3 when the team hit their stride. The Bull Sharks began to show why teams around the league feared them before the season.
A dominant regular season, a season in which Tampa Bay won 14 in a row to close out the season after starting 0-2, propelled them to the top of the Eastern Conference and the team earned the top seed in the East. The Bull Sharks drew division rival, Atlanta, in round one. While the series was competitive, Tampa Bay pulled away and won 7-2. As the Bull Sharks moved one step closer in their quest for a second consecutive championship, they would have to take out their long-time conference rival, the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets or Bull Sharks have represented the Eastern Conference in the Finals in the last 6 seasons.The Brooklyn Nets have made 3 appearances, going 2-1 in those finals, but their bid for a fourth was stopped when they fell to the Bull Sharks in the Eastern Conference Finals. This season represented Tampa Bay's third trip to the finals (third trip in five years), where they would seek a third championship in as many tries.
In their third finals match-up, Tampa Bay sought to do what no other team before them had ever done - win three championships. A win and the Bull Sharks would reach championship immortality. Three for three in the finals. More championships than any other franchise in league history. A spot in GM League history.
The Final Bout
The Bull Sharks entered the Finals, staring at the team they lost to in the first match-up of the season, and top seed of the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets came into the Finals with the league's second best record at 13-3. They had succeeded in taking down two very tough opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs - the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trailblazers. The stage was set for a battle between the league's two best teams.
Before the Finals even got underway, the Rockets were already facing some adversity when they, unbeknownst to them at the time, lost Ryan Anderson for the rest of the season. Nonetheless, the team still had the likes of Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton.
"You never want to see a guy get hurt," GM Richardson said. "But you have to deal with whatever comes at you. We lost LaMarcus for a couple games in the Finals last year. Lost some guys when we won our first title too. The only thing you can do is make adjustments to hang in there."
To add insult to injury, the Rockets lost Jrue Holiday to a toe injury, after getting just two games out of him. The door was open for Tampa Bay, but the team didn't seem ready to walk through it.
Down for the Count
March 30th was a day that the franchise had hoped would seal their future and allow them to cruise through the latter part of the Finals, but that plan never came to fruition. The Bull Sharks laid an egg - shooting 27% from the field, getting only 25 boards when Aldridge, Asik, and Faried were playing, put up only 33 points, and saw Andrew Wiggins commit 6 of the team's 11 turnovers on the day. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets shot 53% from the field, closed the rebounding gap by hauling in 66, got 21 assists, and got 133 points. Suddenly, the momentum had shifted and there was no certainty that the advantaged Bull Sharks would be able to complete their championship quest.
With the team reeling and Houston surging, Tampa Bay's season hung in the balance. The team was in dire straights. Another bad outing and they become the first team to historically collapse in the Finals. Another bad outing and the future of this franchise and its core of players could be in doubt. Another bad outing and they could kiss their hopes of a second consecutive championship goodbye.
Back on Their Feet for the Final Stretch
The Bull Sharks had to dig down deep and overcome their worst performance of the season. It would no longer be smooth sailing to the title. No. The team would have to do what they've done the last two years; they'd have to leave it all on the line to earn their spot in history.
After a solid showing on Friday and Saturday, Tampa Bay entered play Sunday having locked up points, blocks, and three pointers. The team led by 31 assists, 22 rebounds, and 4 turnovers. To the outsider, it seemed as if Tampa Bay was clearly in the driver seat, but to those inside the Bull Sharks clubhouse, their strategy was being discussed all through the night and until the 1:00 PM games on Sunday.
"We poured over ideas for hours. You may think - up 22 boards, play everyone and who cares what happens to turnovers? Playing everyone should assure rebounds and assists - you would think. But after we had the implosion a few days prior and since Houston had some strong rebounding guys playing today, we didn't want to run the risk of collapsing in the last day. We thought we'd start with Asik since he doesn't turn the ball over very often. Well two possessions into the game he committed two turnovers and didn't give us a single rebound. The plan was to play everyone today if Asik had gotten us 7 or 8 rebounds, but that didn't happen. We had to make a decision to overhaul our plan and use our previous experience to devise a new strategy."
That strategy, a bold one, was to sit Wiggins, LaVine, Wiiliams, and JR Smith. This left Russell Westbrook as the only player in the 3:30 slot.
Richardson went onto say, "It was a calculated risk. It's no secret that Russ is a high turnover guy. But he is also a high rebounding and high assist player. After the disastrous showing by Asik, we knew we couldn't afford very many turnovers from Russ, especially since we were essentially punting rebounds by benching everyone else. I guess you could say things didn't go as we had envisioned on the turnover front."
Westbrook delivered with 9 assists - locking up the category, while also grabbing 13 rebounds. The rebounds rejuvenated a Tampa team and extended their lead in the category. However, as great as Westbrook was, he also coughed it up 8 times. Entering the 6:00 PM games, the Bull Sharks had four categories locked up, but rebounds and turnovers were up for grabs.
"We had to decide whether we play Pau and Aminu, or do we we sit them and hope that Houston turned it over two more times," Richardson continued. "For us, the decision was easy. With a half left of Len and Green, three quarters from Jabari Parker, and a full game from Curry, we knew we had to play for turnovers. By the start of the second half, Len turned it over and it was over. It was over. We knew we were the champions."
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks had prevailed, defeating the Houston Rockets 5-4 and capping off a year that saw them rattle off 17 consecutive wins en route to a second consecutive championship.
"This team is unlike any other team I've been a part of" said free agent to be, Kenneth Faried. Faried, who was acquired in a deadline deal was injured during the Finals, but came back provide a spark in the limited action that he saw.
"Man, I almost blew it," Russell Westbrook, and probable Finals MVP, said with a smile during the team's championship press conference. "In all seriousness, gotta give it up to our management. They know what they're doing. Very good at collecting talent and putting us in a position to win. It's up to us to execute, but they have the vision."
"After last season, the goal was to be standing here again," LaMarcus Aldridge said. "We wanted seconds. This was about pulling together as a team and showing the 19 other teams that we were the top dog. If you want to be champions, it's gotta come through us."
We Are STILL the Champions
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks have done what no other team in league history has done; they've gone to the Finals three times and have emerged as champions in each of those occasions.
"I am so proud of our guys," Richardson said as he stood up with the microphone in hand, looking around the room and along the press table at his players. "We've built a dynasty in this city. We are the dynasty in this league. We are going to let the champagne flow tonight. We are going to celebrate through tomorrow. And we are going to hang another championship banner and raise the Larry O'Brien Trophy in front of our fans. We did this for the city of Tampa and for all of our fans here and across the globe. We are STILL the champions," Richardson concluded as he dropped the mic and walked off stage.
Two Straight Shining Moments
The swish of the net. The bounce of the ball. The ovation the fans give as the home team takes the court in the first game of the year and the even louder ovation they give when the team leaves the court after winning the final game of the season. These are the moments that have helped chisel the masterpiece of the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks season. On Sunday Night, in front of an arena full of some 25,000 fans, confetti fell from the rafters, "We Are the Champions" blasted over the PA system, and fans remained on their feet, cheering, for a second straight year, for their championship team. The team from Tampa did it again. The Bull Sharks emerged as back-to-back champions.
The Tampa Bay Bull Sharks have secured their place among the greatest franchises in league history. Back-to-back champions. 3-0 in the Finals and the only team to have that many titles. The team will bring back many of their core players and with some tweaks to the roster, we expect the Bull Sharks to be in a position to go for yet another title. No team in league history has ever won three in a row (Brooklyn came close). Can the Bull Sharks do the unthinkable? Could they really run it back for a three-peat? Only time will tell. For now, the city and team will celebrate and enjoy raising another banner for the fans of the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks!
Behind Closed Doors
The Squad
Point Guards
Russell Westbrook $12,000,000 (2016, 2017x)
(SG) Zach LaVine $3,600,000 (2017, 2018x, 2019y)
Jose Calderon $250,000 (2016)
Shooting Guards
(SF) Andrew Wiggins $4,800,000 (2017, 2018x, 2019y)
(SF) JR Smith $4,700,000 (2017)
Gary Harris $250,000 (2019)
Small Forwards
Al-Farouq Aminu $250,000 (2016)
(SG) Wilson Chandler $3,000,0000 (2018, 2019x) - IR
(SF) CJ Miles $2,200,000 (2016)
Power Forwards
(C) LaMarcus Aldridge $9,000,000 (2019, 2020x)
(SF) Marcus Morris $500,000 (2017)
(PF) Marvin Williams $4,700,000 (2016)
Kenneth Faried $1,000,000 (2016)
Centers
(PF) Pau Gasol $5,000,000(2017)
Omer Asik $900,000 (2016)