Friday, November 17, 2006
Houston Rocks
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Nerdy cheerleaders
Most of us are. Come on, admit it, we all sit in front of our computers, refreshing every 30 seconds and cheer silently when our teams get a point(in real life and fantasy-wise). I'm here to talk about our real-life favorite teams, as I think most of us had enough fantasy articles for the week.
First of, let's start with my two teams. Some say I might not be loyal but I actually am. I just want to root for two teams because they're two teams that I would want to meet in the finals. One for each conference. Anyway, the two teams are the Memphis Grizzlies(of course) and the Charlotte Bobcats(I almost typed Hornets there)
Why root for these teams? Well for one thing, Pau Gasol is the man. Sure he's doesn't have much of the power moves that Amare or Shaq has, or even the Range of Dirk, but we all know he can score. In fact he's the only option in Memphis, well besides Mike Miller. So now that he is injured, Memphis is off to a slow start at 1-3. At least with this, Hakim Warrick has the chance to prove himself and be part of the Grizzlies' future(as if he's not already part of it - but this will really pave his way to be one of the main men of Memphis) Rookie Rudy Gay(Oh we all love that name, here's to the next best selling jersey next to Wade) is a bit inconsistent right now, but most rookies are. He's actually a younger version of shane Battier, so that move with Houston was a wise trade, although Battier was also known as a great leader off the court. In Rudy's case, with a last name like that, we'll see how much respect he'll garner.
Next team, Charlotte Bobcats. They also have a dominating big man, but not in the Shaq range where he just uses his size and height to destroy opponents(yes, yes I'm not a fan of Shaq) I'd prefer big men being able to use not only their size and height but also their athleticism. An example of which can be seen below:
Anyway, back to the Bobcats. They have an athletic big man who can score AND block shots. Plus, their team is full of young stars in the making like Raymond Felton, Sean May, Emeka Okafor and rookie Adam Morissson. And by next year, they can sign a pretty good free agent with all that cap space. They have raw talent and the only thing left is to harness it and teach these young stars how to play well together. These guys are also at 1-3, so it's kinda sad really. As I am writing this, I am still waiting for their tip off against Seattle, so I hope they win that one.
Enough of my teams, the current people I know who are die-hard fans of their teams are Gerald and Jason. Joe pretty much goes wherever Ron Artest goes(so he's rooting for Sacramento right now - which was my very first NBA team to cheer on - and yeah I still cheer for them sometimes because of Kevin Martin). Bit also goes where KG goes, and he also roots for another team(Seattle Supersonics) like me although both his teams are in the Western Conference.
Jason's team, the Phoenix Suns are off to a bad start as well, which is pretty puzzling because Amare is back in the starting lineup and they even signed Jalen Rose(www.jalenrose.com) Maybe because Boris Diaw isn't playing well as of now, but whatever the cause, the Suns are at a disappointing 1-5 record right now. Are they being beaten at the trend that they started(run and gun style of basketball)? We'll know in a few weeks if this keeps up.
Gerald's team also has talent, and that's why they're at a great 4-1 start. AK47 is healthy, and Mehmet Okur is playing well, not to mention Deron Williams is doing his job as Utah's "point guard of the future" plus they also signed veteran play-maker, Derek Fisher. Let's all just hope he doesn't die of old age before the season ends. Carlos Boozer is also playing well, but the question for this team is: will they stay healthy? Before any of you say "HELL YEAH", I just want to point out that Mehmet Okur and Derek Fisher are both in my fantasy teams.
For Bit's two teams, Seattle is at 1-4 and Minnesota is at 2-3. I think Minnesota is improving right now, and they better - KG is starting to get REALLY frustrated, and we wouldn't want to see him when he's mad. Seattle may be missing their starting center by the name of Robert Swift, who recently had tattoos and grew a freaky looking afro. He's sidelined for the season because of ACL(from now on, we will call any big man who gets ACL at the start of the season, "the Nene factor")
Joe's Sacramento Kings are also on a roll at 3-2. Too bad, Brad Miller is out, as he's the main play-maker of this team(not Mini Me). Kevin Martin is developing into a real shooter(kinda like a white Michael Redd) and Ron Artest is behaving pretty well, plus he has a new rap album.
It's still early in the season to judge things, but right now, injuries are the main cause of the slides of our teams. Maybe some players are still rusty too, but they will have to step up, if they want a shot at the NBA championship, which if I may repeat what most experts say, is literally up for grabs. Almost any team can take it, and this is what makes this season more exciting.
First of, let's start with my two teams. Some say I might not be loyal but I actually am. I just want to root for two teams because they're two teams that I would want to meet in the finals. One for each conference. Anyway, the two teams are the Memphis Grizzlies(of course) and the Charlotte Bobcats(I almost typed Hornets there)
Why root for these teams? Well for one thing, Pau Gasol is the man. Sure he's doesn't have much of the power moves that Amare or Shaq has, or even the Range of Dirk, but we all know he can score. In fact he's the only option in Memphis, well besides Mike Miller. So now that he is injured, Memphis is off to a slow start at 1-3. At least with this, Hakim Warrick has the chance to prove himself and be part of the Grizzlies' future(as if he's not already part of it - but this will really pave his way to be one of the main men of Memphis) Rookie Rudy Gay(Oh we all love that name, here's to the next best selling jersey next to Wade) is a bit inconsistent right now, but most rookies are. He's actually a younger version of shane Battier, so that move with Houston was a wise trade, although Battier was also known as a great leader off the court. In Rudy's case, with a last name like that, we'll see how much respect he'll garner.
Next team, Charlotte Bobcats. They also have a dominating big man, but not in the Shaq range where he just uses his size and height to destroy opponents(yes, yes I'm not a fan of Shaq) I'd prefer big men being able to use not only their size and height but also their athleticism. An example of which can be seen below:
Anyway, back to the Bobcats. They have an athletic big man who can score AND block shots. Plus, their team is full of young stars in the making like Raymond Felton, Sean May, Emeka Okafor and rookie Adam Morissson. And by next year, they can sign a pretty good free agent with all that cap space. They have raw talent and the only thing left is to harness it and teach these young stars how to play well together. These guys are also at 1-3, so it's kinda sad really. As I am writing this, I am still waiting for their tip off against Seattle, so I hope they win that one.
Enough of my teams, the current people I know who are die-hard fans of their teams are Gerald and Jason. Joe pretty much goes wherever Ron Artest goes(so he's rooting for Sacramento right now - which was my very first NBA team to cheer on - and yeah I still cheer for them sometimes because of Kevin Martin). Bit also goes where KG goes, and he also roots for another team(Seattle Supersonics) like me although both his teams are in the Western Conference.
Jason's team, the Phoenix Suns are off to a bad start as well, which is pretty puzzling because Amare is back in the starting lineup and they even signed Jalen Rose(www.jalenrose.com) Maybe because Boris Diaw isn't playing well as of now, but whatever the cause, the Suns are at a disappointing 1-5 record right now. Are they being beaten at the trend that they started(run and gun style of basketball)? We'll know in a few weeks if this keeps up.
Gerald's team also has talent, and that's why they're at a great 4-1 start. AK47 is healthy, and Mehmet Okur is playing well, not to mention Deron Williams is doing his job as Utah's "point guard of the future" plus they also signed veteran play-maker, Derek Fisher. Let's all just hope he doesn't die of old age before the season ends. Carlos Boozer is also playing well, but the question for this team is: will they stay healthy? Before any of you say "HELL YEAH", I just want to point out that Mehmet Okur and Derek Fisher are both in my fantasy teams.
For Bit's two teams, Seattle is at 1-4 and Minnesota is at 2-3. I think Minnesota is improving right now, and they better - KG is starting to get REALLY frustrated, and we wouldn't want to see him when he's mad. Seattle may be missing their starting center by the name of Robert Swift, who recently had tattoos and grew a freaky looking afro. He's sidelined for the season because of ACL(from now on, we will call any big man who gets ACL at the start of the season, "the Nene factor")
Joe's Sacramento Kings are also on a roll at 3-2. Too bad, Brad Miller is out, as he's the main play-maker of this team(not Mini Me). Kevin Martin is developing into a real shooter(kinda like a white Michael Redd) and Ron Artest is behaving pretty well, plus he has a new rap album.
It's still early in the season to judge things, but right now, injuries are the main cause of the slides of our teams. Maybe some players are still rusty too, but they will have to step up, if they want a shot at the NBA championship, which if I may repeat what most experts say, is literally up for grabs. Almost any team can take it, and this is what makes this season more exciting.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
East Rombo Report #1
It has been reported that the Bit Bang Boomers has finalized a deal with the Teaminang Yan to trade Boris Diaw (PF,C) and Caron Butler (SF) for Zaza Pachulia (PF,C) and Manu Ginobili (SG). This marks the first agreed upon trade this year.
"Trading Zaza and Manu was a tough decision to make," admits G Abrencillo of Teaminang Yan. "Zaza has been a powerful presence in his short stay with the team while Manu has provided us with consistent production." Abrencillo admits though that the franchise feels that this is a solid step forward. "But we are getting two potent all around players in Boris Diaw and Caron Butler who we feel will further improve our team."
"With that said we wish Zaza and Manu the best and hope that Bit loses all his games," adds Abrencillo with a smile.
Bit Santos of the Bit Bang Boomers also had a tough time making the trade. "It was a tough decision to make", Santos confesses. "Both of them were valued members of our team. We have appreciated Boris's and Caron's contributions to the team and wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors."
But Santos is confident that they did the right thing. "We feel that getting a young rising bigman in Zaza and a steady swingman in Manu has greatly improved our team. We strongly believe that they provide the things we needed to truly become a formidable force in the league. Hopefully, the league's Board of Owners will allow it to happen."
Who got the better end of the deal? Only time will tell. And that's if the Board of Owners approve the trade. A decision regarding the trade will be released next week, on Monday, November 13.
"Trading Zaza and Manu was a tough decision to make," admits G Abrencillo of Teaminang Yan. "Zaza has been a powerful presence in his short stay with the team while Manu has provided us with consistent production." Abrencillo admits though that the franchise feels that this is a solid step forward. "But we are getting two potent all around players in Boris Diaw and Caron Butler who we feel will further improve our team."
"With that said we wish Zaza and Manu the best and hope that Bit loses all his games," adds Abrencillo with a smile.
Bit Santos of the Bit Bang Boomers also had a tough time making the trade. "It was a tough decision to make", Santos confesses. "Both of them were valued members of our team. We have appreciated Boris's and Caron's contributions to the team and wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors."
But Santos is confident that they did the right thing. "We feel that getting a young rising bigman in Zaza and a steady swingman in Manu has greatly improved our team. We strongly believe that they provide the things we needed to truly become a formidable force in the league. Hopefully, the league's Board of Owners will allow it to happen."
Who got the better end of the deal? Only time will tell. And that's if the Board of Owners approve the trade. A decision regarding the trade will be released next week, on Monday, November 13.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
CAUTION: Accident Prone Team
Okay. It's only been the first week and no surprise, my teams in the 5 fantasy leagues I joined already have injured players. My fantasy teams have always been the Baron Davis/Marcus Camby/Corey Magette/Grant Hill/ of fantasy leagues.
In my first stint in fantasy play about 2 years ago, I ahd the mistake of drafting Baron Davis. And truth be told, he got injured in the middle of the season while I was making a playoff push.
Last year, I thought a new team would mean a new Baron, so I picked him as a second round pick. Not to mention Larry Hughes and Emeka Okafor for the succeeding picks. Apparently, Hughes had been playing with an injured finger and Okafor sprained an ankle which lasted for almost the whole year. So my fantasy team was the Bobcats of the league last year. I think I also drafted Manu Ginobili so that pretty much destroyed my fantasy year(not to mention one certain 'friend' picking up a certain Hawk I was supposed to pick, to which Gerald responded with: "Walang kaibi-kaibigan sa fantasy")
This year, I still haven't learned. I drafted Okafor and Davis again, although not as high as last years so that's okay. One thing though: I drafted another high risk-high reward player by the name of Gerald Wallace. And he got injured during his first game. Luckily it wasn't serious.
Right now, Davis and Okafor are playing, but my 4th pick this year isn't. Brad Miller now has a torn plantar fascia and he's out for 4 weeks. I have another center by the name of Joel Pryzbilla and he's out for 2-3 weeks. Way to start off the year right.
This post was rather pointless, but I guess there's a lesson to be learned here as well. No matter who the player is, if I draft him, he's destined to be injured.
Yes Jason, even your beloved Shawn Marion. To prove a hypothesis that I am the injury magnet of fantasy teams, I will only draft players who played 82 games this season, next year. If one of them goes down before the end of the first month, I will have a new career as the NBA's injury radar. Or maybe even Yahoo! Sports' injury prophet or something.
*EDIT*
Another one bites the dust, as Raymond Felton got injured in their overtime loss against the Boston Celtics. In other news, there's a countdown timer on Baron Davis' and Emeka Okafor's heads. I have this bad feeling...
*EDIT 2*
And yet another one goes down, this time, my second round pick got injured: Jason Richardson. This really is a bad sign of things to come.
In my first stint in fantasy play about 2 years ago, I ahd the mistake of drafting Baron Davis. And truth be told, he got injured in the middle of the season while I was making a playoff push.
Last year, I thought a new team would mean a new Baron, so I picked him as a second round pick. Not to mention Larry Hughes and Emeka Okafor for the succeeding picks. Apparently, Hughes had been playing with an injured finger and Okafor sprained an ankle which lasted for almost the whole year. So my fantasy team was the Bobcats of the league last year. I think I also drafted Manu Ginobili so that pretty much destroyed my fantasy year(not to mention one certain 'friend' picking up a certain Hawk I was supposed to pick, to which Gerald responded with: "Walang kaibi-kaibigan sa fantasy")
This year, I still haven't learned. I drafted Okafor and Davis again, although not as high as last years so that's okay. One thing though: I drafted another high risk-high reward player by the name of Gerald Wallace. And he got injured during his first game. Luckily it wasn't serious.
Right now, Davis and Okafor are playing, but my 4th pick this year isn't. Brad Miller now has a torn plantar fascia and he's out for 4 weeks. I have another center by the name of Joel Pryzbilla and he's out for 2-3 weeks. Way to start off the year right.
This post was rather pointless, but I guess there's a lesson to be learned here as well. No matter who the player is, if I draft him, he's destined to be injured.
Yes Jason, even your beloved Shawn Marion. To prove a hypothesis that I am the injury magnet of fantasy teams, I will only draft players who played 82 games this season, next year. If one of them goes down before the end of the first month, I will have a new career as the NBA's injury radar. Or maybe even Yahoo! Sports' injury prophet or something.
*EDIT*
Another one bites the dust, as Raymond Felton got injured in their overtime loss against the Boston Celtics. In other news, there's a countdown timer on Baron Davis' and Emeka Okafor's heads. I have this bad feeling...
*EDIT 2*
And yet another one goes down, this time, my second round pick got injured: Jason Richardson. This really is a bad sign of things to come.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Suns at Lakers: Opening Night Live Blog
I've always wanted to do one of these live play-by-play blogs. Check it out if you have the time.
On one hand, I was lucky to have NBA Opening Night on a holiday (which, come to think of it, is actually quite often the case). On the other, it was an awful game to do the live blog with, as the result didn't really turn out as expected (of course I expected the Suns to win this one, what with Kobe sidelined; didn't you? haha).
On one hand, I was lucky to have NBA Opening Night on a holiday (which, come to think of it, is actually quite often the case). On the other, it was an awful game to do the live blog with, as the result didn't really turn out as expected (of course I expected the Suns to win this one, what with Kobe sidelined; didn't you? haha).
NBA briefs. Or shorts. Or warmup pants.
In anticipation of the start of the new season, I've decided to jot down a few notes about what I expect to see from each of the 30 teams in the NBA. Read 'em and weep.
trash talk is welcome.
trash talk is welcome.
