ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Minnesnowta Chill GM Matt Taylor remembers this time last season, when his team was No. 1 in the COMO standings and dreaming of a playoff run.
But the squad fell apart, and was left one piece short of making things interesting. Currently sitting in 4th this season, Taylor doesn't want to risk another setback, especially with star center Dwight Howard on the IR. So he called up the struggling Colorado Hilltoppers and inquired about one of their prized pieces. The results stunned the league on Sunday night: Colorado agreed to part ways with star point guard Kyrie Irving, while Taylor and the Chill sent 2013-2014 COMO Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams to Greeley. "Winter Weather Advisory in St. Paul, MN, in effect until April," Taylor told our league reporter. "An extreme cold front is approaching. With Melo, Dwight, Tyson, and now Kyrie, we are poised to freeze out the rest of the league." Meanwhile, Colorado GM Collin Atkinson sounded happy to be rid of Irving, a 22-year-old who is now on his third COMO team in one-plus seasons. "Kyrie doesn't fit the current system and has been too inconsistent to be a Hilltopper," Atkinson said. "We're hoping that bringing in some young talent in MCW helps us this year as we build into the future." The Chill are already wiping their hands of Carter-Williams, who was by far the most effective rookie last season and seemed to be making good strides this year. But all that is over now, and Monday night is Kyrie Iriving Bobblehead Night at The Icehouse.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Kevin Love and Michael Carter-Williams were named February/March Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month, respectively.
Love averaged 35.29 bones in 17 starts for Chaska, the COMO regular season champions. Carter-Williams won his fourth straight ROM, and is essentially a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year. He averaged 14.73 bones in 15 starts for Minnesnowta. League award schedule: Monday, March 24 — League MVP / Rookie of the Year Tuesday, March 25 — All-COMO teams (1st, 2nd) COLUMBIA, Mo. — As the trade deadline draws nearer, which players are mortal locks to stay off of the transfer wire? We've already gone through the summer Free Agency Preview (and some of the league's worst contracts), but these are the guys franchises can build around for years to come:
20. Spencer Hawes, C ($1 million, 25 years old) — Newport Beach Grizzlies The Grizzlies picked up this seven-footer in November, and he's been nothing but solid ever since, averaging 20.0 bones in all NBA contests this season. 19. Chandler Parsons, SF ($2 million, 25 years old) — Chaska Moose Parsons has potential to fulfill more of a starring role in seasons to come with the NBA's Houston Rockets, where he's lingered over the 20-bone mark this year. 18. John Wall, PG ($14 million, 23 years old) — Newport Beach Grizzlies Wall is one of a handful of players who possess the potential to one day be a top-five player. His price tag is the largest of any player on this list, which knocks him down to No. 18, but it's tough to argue with a 23.6-bone kid who still isn't close to his ceiling. 17. Eric Bledsoe, SG ($3 million, 24 years old) — Minnesnowta Chill Before injuries derailed his 2013-2014 season, Bledsoe looked like one of the league's most promising young backcourt stars. If he heals up correctly, he has an opportunity to become and elite player. 16. Kyle Lowry, PG ($3 million, 27 years old) — Chaska Moose Chaska general manager Joseph Fafinski was savvy enough to pluck Lowry off waivers at the beginning of the season. While he's not exactly prime young talent, he was robbed of an NBA All-Star selection this year, and should continue his strong play for at least the next few years. 15. Derrick Favors, PF ($2 million, 22 years old) — Duval United Bold City fans are enthralled by Favors' potential. While he's hovering slightly below the 20-bone line, he is still very young and has a chance to grow in Duval's system. Rumors have it that Favors has recently been dangled in trade discussions, so the door might be open for another team to swoop in on the big man. 14. Goran Dragic, PG ($1 million, 27 years old) — Hollywood Hornets The Slovenian guard has been having a career year in Hollywood (22.0 bones in NBA contests) and has been one of the few bright spots for a floundering franchise. 13. Isaiah Thomas, PG ($1 million, 25 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz Picked No. 60 overall in the NBA Draft a few years back, Thomas had an enormous amount of work to do to establish himself as a solid everyday player. But he's done just that this year in Minneapolis, and the Player Haterzz have a nice backcourt piece to build around if (when) Ricky Rubio leaves via free agency. 12. Lance Stephenson, SG ($1, 23 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz Speaking of nice backcourt pieces, Stephenson should team with Thomas for the next few years to make the Player Haterzz a truly disruptive force with plenty of cap space available to make sure LeBron James returns for more title runs. 11. DeMar DeRozan, SG ($1 million, 24 years old) — Shorewood Show Like his Toronto teammate Lowry, DeRozan was picked up on waivers at the very beginning of the season after slipping through the auction draft. One All-Star appearance later, he appears headed for stardom in Shorewood. 10. Paul Millsap, PF ($4 million, 29 years old) — Chaska Moose The league is still shaking its collective head after Rio general manager traded away Millsap's beautiful contract in exchange for a $3 million Victor Oladipo. Only time will tell if this was truly a stupid move, but for now, Chaska is reaping some serious benefit with Millsap in its frontcourt. 9. Russell Westbrook, PG ($11 million, 25 years old) — Shorewood Show This is a player who is a top-five option when fully healthy, and to get him at a third of the cost that he would command on the open market is simply highway robbery. Westbrook will likely return to the Show's lineup this week or next after missing lengthy time with a knee injury. 8. Brook Lopez, C ($4 million, 25 years old) — Kansas City Monarchs Lopez has been hurt almost all season, but he managed 23.5 bones per game while healthy, and is an extremely important piece to build around for seasons to come in western Missouri. 7. Blake Griffin, PF ($12 million, 24 years old) — Minneapolis Player Haterzz This season has clearly been a breakout year for Griffin, who has shown a strong scoring ability and all-around improvement in his game. League owners were unsure about his potential ceiling, which shied them away in the inaugural auction draft. Minneapolis pulled the trigger, and is seeing its decision pay off with a playoff run. 6. Michael Carter-Williams, PG ($1 million, 22 years old) — Minnesnowta Chill The clear choice for Rookie of the Year, Carter-Williams has been playing well beyond his years this season for the Chill. Starting with the first COMO Rookie Draft this summer, most picks will cost at least $3, meaning the Chill snuck out a serious amateur bargain in the auction last October. 5. Rajon Rondo, PG ($3 million, 27 years old) — Duval United Rondo has not seen the court much this year due to injury, but he's averaged 28.75 bones in his past four starts, and clearly still has the ability to be an elite COMO player. The Bold City Brigade took a chance on the Beantown assist-machine in the auction, and surprisingly came away with him for $3 (in the same auction where Kobe Bryant went for $14 million). 4. Anthony Davis, C ($12 million, 20 years old) — Hollywood Hornets Davis has the look and numbers of a future COMO MVP, and he's well over the 30-bone mark in NBA contests this season. The Hornets obviously have a tremendous piece to build around for years to come, and Davis undoubtedly would have been a strong contender for COMO Finals MVP if Hornets management had not messed up this season so awfully. 3. DeAndre Jordan, C ($1 million, 25 years old) — Duval United Jordan has been the biggest surprise of the 2013-2014 season. Duval picked him off the scrap heap in late October, and he's proceeded to mash the rest of the league for 26.5 bones per NBA contest. Production like that is not supposed to come off the waiver wire, but the Bold City Brigade front office duo of Matthew Fairburn and Joe Dreyer nailed this one. 2. DeMarcus Cousins, C ($6 million, 23 years old) — Chaska Moose Cousins' primary issue is his hot head, but he has the ability to be a star in his current setting for several years. That's what puts him over the top of Jordan, who leans on the mastery of point guard Chris Paul for most of his opportunities. Cousins can whip up bones no matter where he lands in the NBA, and his current price tag is unfathomable when compared to his 28.3 bones per game. 1. Andre Drummond, C ($3 million, 20 years old) — Rio Rainmakers Drummond caps off this list of four straight underpaid centers. At the green age of 20, he has compiled 26.5 bones per NBA contest this season, and will be a force to be reckoned with for several years in Rio. It's impossible to guess how high Drummond's ceiling is, making him as trade-proof of a commodity as there is. REMINDER: The trading deadline is next Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. ET. ST. PAUL, Minn. — After hanging on for dear life in the playoff race, Minnesnowta owner Matthew Taylor has had enough. Effective today, the Chill will begin planning for next season.
"Bring on the trade offers," Taylor encouraged his fellow league members. "I'm looking for young talent to build around. Anyone can be had at the right price." The Chill are currently 9.5 standings points out of the fourth and final playoff spot, a margin that has grown larger and larger since Minnesnowta's free fall began roughly a month and a half ago. Once the top team in the league, the Chill have had to lean more and more on young players like Michael Carter-Williams, who just picked up his third straight COMO Rookie of the Month award. "The kid is an absolute freak," Taylor said. "In a season filled with disappointment for the Chill, MCW has definitely been a bright spot. Rumor has it that MCW just bought a cabin in Duluth, so one can assume he'll be in Minnesnowta for a long time." The Chill's pending trade(s) effectively take them out of the playoff race, which means there are now five dogs left for four spots. Fourth place Minneapolis (70.5 points) and Newport Beach (66) are separated by 4.5 standings points with four weeks to go in the regular season. ST. PAUL, Minn. — COMO's most exciting rookie played just five games in December, but he still made enough of an impact to run away with his second straight Rookie of the Month nod.
Minnesnowta's 6-foot-6 point guard averaged 28.0 COMO points in his five starts, significantly outpacing his competition. "You might as well pencil him in for Rookie of the Month every month from here on out," Chill owner Matthew Taylor said. "The kid is a stud." Very few rookies are even getting minutes for their teams. Kansas City's Trey Burke, Chaska's Victor Oladipo and Shorewood's Giannis Antetokounmpo are still a season or two away from making a significant impact on their squads' playoff runs. Not Carter-Williams. "He has already become a leader on this team," Taylor said. "Even though we've had a rough couple weeks I have the utmost confidence that MCW will help lead this team back to the top of the standings, where we belong." |
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