East Rombo: The Blog with Balls

20-20!

2008-03-23T17:18:00.002+08:00

great game! woof!

phoenix faced the houston rockets earlier today (manila time), in a matchup of two of the top contenders in the wild, wild, western conference. for those who've been living under a rock for the past month, t-mac's rockets were only recently the biggest thing to ever happen to the league, given their historic 22-game win streak--which was put to an end by the nasty boston celtics just earlier this week.

but houston hasn't been the only team to get hot lately. the phoenix suns have been stringing up consecutive victories themselves, in their pursuit to stay within the playoff picture. after all, unlike in the eastern conference, a mere three-game losing slump could mean an early summer for a supposed west contender.

good thing the new-look, diesel-powered suns are finally coming together.

this game was convincing proof. the suns took it, 122-113, with the team looking pretty legit--at least, based on the stats that i followed online. here are a few key points from the game that have gotten me pretty excited all over again:

shaquille o'neal--all 36 years of him--with a 23-point, 13-rebound night. i never really expected numbers like this when he came in, but heck, of course i'll take it!
amare! monster game again! we've seen him score 38 points easily before, and he does get 13-rebound nights every now and then, but the franchise record-setting 20-for-20 from the stripe certainly merits kudos. oh, and the 4 blocks are very nice, too.
both shaq and amare nearly fouled out, each getting 5 fouls. but they didn't. if they really can't help but fall into the foul trouble trap, they should at least still manage to stay in the game during the crucial minutes--such as in this game.
raja bell was sidelined for this game with an injured ankle. thus, leandro barbosa was inserted into the starting lineup. he played pretty nicely, at that, finishing with 21 points with three 3-pointers and an awesome shooting percentage. veeeery nice. (we still need you though, raja, so please come back soon!)
grant hill didn't score much. he managed just 2 points, actually. he led the team with 10 assists though. that makes for some pretty cool possibilities moving forward...
i think the gordan giricek pickup is a positive move. the suns can get a good 8-10 points a game from him each night. not bad, i guess.
after this win, the suns are back in the west's top 4! hooray for homecourt advantage!

up next for the suns are a couple of major eastern conference threats--the two best, in particular: detroit and boston, in their respective homecourts--kicking off a four-game east coast swing. raja bell injury notwithstanding, i think the suns' confidence is really high right now. that should help them through the trip. hopefully they get the right breaks.

go suns! eyes on the prize, baby!

(image courtesy of Getty Images)

Seven Strong

2007-11-22T23:14:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, there was a story called Goldisuns and the Seven Wins. The End.

Glee abounds within me today as the Phoenix Suns continued coasting through 2007-08, earning their seventh straight W at the expense of their home-and-home (not home-and-away, as I dumbassibly described yesterday) opponent, the Sacto Kings. And they won big, too, 127-111, albeit with the Kings losing two more key pieces in Ron Artest and Beno Udrih (the main missing piece being Mike Bibby).

The Phoenix Suns big guns got plenty of time to rest even
before the final buzzer thanks to a incredibly hot start.
(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Speaking of Beno Udrih... Why, Beno, Why?! I've barely begun to enjoy your fantasy services (hold on... this does not sound right at all...) and you already fall to injury?! How could you, Beno? I thought we had something special...

Oh, well. Do get better soon, Beno (and by "soon," I mean "by your next game"), because I still have no intentions of dropping you at this point. Don't make me regret that choice, dude, or else suffer the wrath of Grant, as Kirk Hinrich had just a few games back...

Go Suns!

Let's Go Streaking!

2007-11-21T22:50:00.000+08:00

It's six straight wins for the Suns! And the sixth almost didn't happen! But anyway, before I get ahead of myself, allow me to make up for the time I lost due to the rigors of employment...

(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

Almost lost amid the mess that is the most recent turn of events for the New York Knickerbocker franchise, the Suns came home from their East Coast road trip to host the Knicks. Minus the tantrumizing Stephon Marbury and a couple other starters (Q-Rich and Z-Bo, due to injury and personal reasons, respectively), the Knicks witnessed the return to form of Amare Stoudemire, who played his best game since his knee surgery in October. STAT tallied 26 points and 12 boards in the Suns' 113-102 win.

(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

A couple of days later, the Suns hosted the struggling Chicago Bulls. Long story short, as shown in the pic above (which certainly deserves a spot in our Hardwood Lovin' gallery...), Phoenix pulled away in the end against Chicago for their fourth straight, 112-102.

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Then it was a Western contender's turn to test the Suns' mettle. Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets, main man Tracy Mcgrady was out for the game due to injury, leaving big man Yao Ming to handle the responsibility. Despite the 115-105 final score, it was all-Suns all throughout, as Yao struggled against the Suns' fast-paced game.

(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Finally, the most recent win that almost wasn't. This game was played just earlier (Manila time, of course) and was the front end of a home-and-away matchup against the Sacramento Kings (the 'away' game came first for Phoenix, though). Shawn Marion's pic above speaks volumes about his performance--which translated to only 2 points all game--as well as about the Suns' game as a whole. They nearly blew a 17-point lead to Ron Artest's spirited play, before holding on for a 100-98 win.

Tomorrow, it's Suns-Kings part 2 back in Phoenix. Let's hope Shawn starts playing well again, Raja starts playing again, period, and ultimately, for consecutive win number 7. Go Suns!

PBA and Basketball Schools: How do they Fare?

2007-11-14T02:01:00.000+08:00

Originally published at http://carloricohermoso.net/blogView.php?id=533

Yesterday night, I was resting my head back at home (after a basketball game with the CS Stromboys at Ateneo) while watching the PBL game between Harbour Center and Toyota Otis, when I got struck by familiar faces in both line-ups. It's kinda amusing (err... not to Rocky, of course) to see the core players from De La Salle University go at each other. On the Harbour side, they have TY Tang, Jerwin Gaco, and Rico Maierhoffer. Meanwhile at Toyota, they have JV Casio, Cholo Villanueva, and PJ Walsham. Meanwhile, I had to ponder on the fact that only Ford Arao and Team-B mainstay Jeff de Guzman are the only Ateneans playing in the PBL right now. Maybe if you add Chris Tiu in the list (who's trying out on the Harbour-RP squad for the SEA games), you have three.

Which makes you wonder, how do amateur players juggle playing in a commercial league and study (well, maybe) at the same time?

***
This evening, I watched the game between Welcoat and Talk 'n Text until Nic Belasco's winning trey at the buzzer. Great game, I must say. It's also amusing to see Ryan Arana and Mac Cardona defend each other. Renren Ritualo and Adonis Sta. Maria's also there. Man, is it just me or the basketball scene is full of Lasallians?

I tried disproving myself that there are plenty of Lasallians around by coming up with a list (done in Excel!) of current basketball players in the PBA against their respective alma maters. Great discoveries, I must say.

***
So who's the better basketball school? I'd say it's a tie between the green and the blue school with 12 players each. For Ateneo, there's the core of the 2002 UAAP champions in Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Larry Fonacier, Wesley Gonzales, LA Tenorio, Gec Chia, JC Intal, Doug Kramer, Macky Escalona, plus 2002 injured players in Paolo Bugia and Magnum Membrere. You've got Olsen Racela too.

Then for the green side, there's Mike Cortez and Junjun Cabatu (for Alaska), JR Aquino (for Ginebra), Willie Wilson (Magnolia), Carlo Sharma (Red Bull), Don Allado, Renren Ritualo, Macmac Cardona (TnT), Mark Telan (Coca-cola), Ryan Arana and Adonis Sta Maria (Welcoat), and Joseph Yeo (Sta. Lucia). Even if you add batchmate Mike Gavino (Coke, reserve list), they're still tied since Sta. Lucia's reserve player Ronnie Bughao came from Ateneo (although he never played for the Eagles). Adding CSB players in Sunday Salvacion (Ginebra), Jondan Salvador (Purefoods), and Jay Sagad (Welcoat -- err, where's he right now?) is subject to debate though.

Taking runner-up honors is FEU Tamaraws, with notable players from the 2003-2005 UAAP champs in as Arwind Santos (Air21), Mark Isip, RJ Rizada, and Cesar Catli (Coke), Denok Miranda (SLR), Jonas Villanueva (Magnolia), and Francis Barcellano (TnT). There's Johnny Abarrientos (Ginebra), Celino Cruz and Francis Adriano (Red Bull) which round them to 10 players. Where's Leo Avenido?

These top three schools have crowded the draft scene lately. It's either their exposure in the UAAP helped their careers or PBA's just entering a transition stage wherein the Fil-ams of the old are slowly replaced by UAAP holdovers.

Three NU Alumni are playing in the big league right now: Lordy Tugade and Danny Ildefonso (Magnolia), and Froilan Baguion (Welcoat). Baguion is a 2001 UAAP mythical five awardee but wasn't too lucky in the PBA draft until Welcoat picked him as a free agent. Tonight, he just played a great game with 20 points and crucial shots against Talk 'n Text.

UST have kalat-kalat players in the league right now, most of them played in various UAAP eras. There's Rey Evangelista (1994), Dennis Espino (1995), Estong Ballesteros (1997), Richard Yee (1999), Gilbert Lao (2002), and finally Cyrus Baguio and Nino Gelig (2004) and Jojo Duncil (2007).

UE meanwhile have franchise players in the league in Nino Canaleta and James Yap. There's Ronald Tubid, Paul Artadi, and reserve Philip Butel and Paolo Hubalde too.

NCAA players meanwhile are not doing bad either. San Sebastian and Letran are tied with 6 players coming from their schools that are playing in the PBA right now. Coming from Letran are Willie Miller (Alaska), Chris Calaguio (Magnolia), Kerby Raymundo (Letran), with recent NCAA players in frankenstein Mark Andaya (Red Bull), Aaron Aban (Alaska), and Jason Misolas (Coke). Knights Ronjay Enrile and Boyet Bautista once strutted their stuff in the PBA too.

For San Sebastian, Ginebra used to be the San Sebastian alumni club but everything's changed. The two remaining are Mark Macapagal and Rodney Santos. There's Topex Robinson and Leo Najorda for Red Bull, Christian Coronel for Sta. Lucia, and Baste's biggest player as of late: Romel Adducul (I think I saw in TV Romel Adducul's hardships in San Sebastian as far as sweeping the gym floor or eating little food. Great to see him where he's at right now).

Meanwhile, there are 26 recorded Fil-Foreigners who played their amateur hoops in the US. Most Fil-Am laiden team is Ginebra with 6 players. If you add former Ginebra players Rudy Hatfield and Andy Seigle, you've got 8 Fil-ams for Ginebra. Kinda ironic, since Ginebra's the team of the masses.

For more boring stuff, check out the Excel spreadsheet that I created. So much for trivia, I'm that bored. haha.

Game 2: Ginebra vs. TnT

2007-11-14T01:53:00.000+08:00

note: walang Game 3 - 6 notes kasi I never bothered to watch them live. Ginebra improved to 2-4 after their win against Welcoat. Next game is against Air21 on Friday. Originally published at http://carloricohermoso.net/blogView.php?id=525

The Long Way to Araneta. Now that Rocky's office is a bit far unlike early this year when she was a five minute walk away from our office in Ortigas, Rocky and I met at about 7:30 PM in Robinson's Galleria. My girl battled through traffic and time just to get to Ortigas and meet me before we head to Araneta Coliseum. Game starts at 7:20 PM, according to the ticket. I estimated that Rocky and I will be at Araneta by 7:40 PM, just enough to catch the second quarter of the game.

After waiting for 5 MRT trains (they were unusually full) to pass by on us, and after battling other crabs and singits in the train (sardinas kami ni Rocky sa 5th MRT train), we got at Araneta by 8:00 PM. I had to battle my way to surrendering my long umbrella (tsk, bawal ipasok), and rush to the green gate where I thought the PBA 31st Season HardCourt (PBA Annual for 2005-2006 season) was available pero it's not yet out pa pala. By the time Rocky and I got to our seats, it was 9 minutes into the third quarter. YES. Third quarter. At 8PM. What the hell (what do they gain anyway. I'd later learn that the RedBull-Welcoat game was played in less than 2 hours).

It was disappointing to arrive that late in Araneta, especially after our MRT experience. But what the heck, it's always better late than, err... nevermind. Baka humirit mga stromboys sa akin. haha.

A complete Talk 'n Text team. They're a really power-house team out there. Complete in all positions. There's Asi Taulava and Yancy de Ocampo exchanging the center slots, Yousif Aljamal (a great replacement for Vic Pablo), Harvey Carey, Don Allado at the paint (throw in Migs Noble and Jonathan Aldave too) with versatile Jay Washington who can play 2 to 4. And hoho, there's Mac Cardona, Renren Ritualo, Jimmy Alapag, and Donbel Belano at the guard spots (with big guard and ex-Ginebra Kalani Ferreria at the sidelines). Talk about completeness.

Meanwhile, as I have said it before, Ginebra seemed an imbalanced team loaded with 8 guards and 5 big men, that even former journeyman Gilbert Lao played extended minutes- something he didn't enjoy in his stints in Coca-cola and Welcoat. Should Caguioa come in anytime soon, Ginebra is still loaded with guards. Menk, I believe is far from what I saw back in 2005 when he was just really carrying the team on his back. I hope he will carry the attitude and the work ethic he learned from Tokushima, or else I will sell my Eric Menk jerseys. Ginebra is really short of a big man in the mold of Rudy Hatfield.

Highly fast paced, physical game. I thought I was seeing a fast paced WWE match. Geez, PBA's officiating really took a 180 degrees spin. Gone are the touch-fouls days. Salvacion and Carey were at each other, following a Carey block on Salvacion trey attempt. The next thing I saw, they were shoving over the possession and almost came into blows. Holper and Washington had their moments too. Funniest was Donbel Belano's angas against Billy Mamaril. The small guy wouldn't back down and even charged Billy Mamaril. I'm surprised no technical fouls nor warnings were called. Each player had to bleed before being whistled for a foul. Jeez, Jimmy Alapag was being squashed at the back court. Asi Taulava must have felt all the hacking fouls that Ginebra players have given him (hmp, that's for being a SNOB enough not to sign my PBA book back in November last year). Funny how Cardona almost picked a fight with someone who tangled his arm that when he turned, he realized that it was fellow Lasallian Sunday Salvacion that he quickly had his kiss-and-make-up session with him. I'm surprised that despite the loose officiating the refs had (with nameplates at their back), Ronald Tubid still managed to draw an offensive foul off Cardona. HAHA.

It's also note-worthy of seeing players rush to the court after each time-out, to avoid nakaw plays. This "rushed" feeling also affected Jong Uichico on one instance when he called on a 30 second timeout and asked his boys to run to him immediately, and run back immediately to the court after the timeout expired. No wonder the game ended at 9PM. YES. THE GAME ENDED AT 9PM. Suddenly, Rocky and I had all the time in the world.

Breaks of the Game, Ginebra comeback, and raining threes. Renren Ritualo is like a loaded gun. Nakakasa na yung kamay nya even before he touches the ball. Jeez, why didn't you do that in Tokushima? Every time he touched the ball, my heart squeezed. The most painful of all is his buzzer beating three points off the glass along the baseline -- it was a broken play for Talk 'n Text then that their three point attempt missed and landed into the hands of Ritualo as time expired. Kaboom. You know that shot will go in when he releases the ball. Talk 'n Text's rain men were just too hot to handle. Whenever Ginebra threatened to catch up with the Talk 'n Text lead, someone would release a trey -- whether it's Belano (coming off a pick and left unguarded) or Alapag (from the parking lot). Suddenly I missed Vince Hizon and Pido Jarencio's days with Ginebra. Sama mo na rin si Dudut.

It was nice to see Ginebra applying a full-court press. Over the years that I watched Ginebra, I've never seen them apply a full-court press. Too bad Talk 'n Text managed to throw in the ball just before they could commit a five second violation, or cross the court just before they could commit an eight second violation. But costly unforced turnovers and lapses in defense did it for Ginebra. There was Rafi Reavis rebounding the ball alone with one hand, and the ball goes off from his hands into the baseline. There was Jimmy Alapag missing both free throws but manages to get his own rebound. Mark Macapagal had his share of bad fouls too (it's a wonder why Jong Uichico opted to play with Macapagal instead of Tubid when Ginebra was trying to catch up that Tubid only got to play in the last two minutes). There was Lao opting to throw a long pass to Helterbrand at the other side of the court, only to be stolen by Washington. *sigh* Macky too had his share of backcourt boo-boos.

Ginebra's furious rally just fell short. Sayang. Well, it's the same old story, I guess. Jayjay Helterbrand shooting a trey and making those tight passes to Rafi Reavis. Tubid scoring a lay-up and one. Artadi making(!) those jump shots.

The Gin Kings' ball movement is a little bit stagnant though. It's as if there's a big guy who doesn't know whom to pass the ball to. Not much drives to the basket except on fastbreak plays. Ginebra's passing too much and rotating the ball too much that they're usually left with the low-percentage jump shot. No post-plays or daredevil lay-ups.

Game ends 111-102 for Talk 'n Text. :(

Outlook. Two more months and 16 games to go. Lots of games in Cuneta next month, most will be played during weekdays. What the hell. Too early to tell though.

Up next: Ginebra vs. Welcoat. Ginebra's big men will have their hands full against Joe Devance, JR Reyes, and Nic Belasco. I think Ginebra's guards can outplay Welcoat's. Like Ginebra, Welcoat is two players short of being contenders. Let's see. Ginebra vs. Alaska on the 31st. Cuneta. I don't know if I can go.

It must be my shoes. Back in November 12, 2006, Rocky and I watched the Ateneo-La Salle Fil-oil Flying V game at Ultra, and proceeded to Araneta for the Ginebra-Talk 'n Text game. We're such basketball junkies. On that day, I wore my then-new "Testify" Accel shoes (my officemate calls it a spaceman's shoe). Ginebra and Ateneo lost on that game. For this Ginebra-Talk 'n Text game, I wore the "Testify" shoes again. Ginebra lost.

You'll never see me wear those shoes again in any Ginebra-Talk 'n Text match.

PBA Season 33, Game 1: Ginebra vs. Red Bull Notes

2007-11-14T01:47:00.001+08:00

para hindi Suns infested ang blog na ito, infest naman natin ng Ginebra. Original post is at http://carloricohermoso.net/blogView.php?id=524

I can hear the background music. "Everybodehh... rock your bodehh" (Ok, that was from the Backstreet Boys). Props to Virgil for the photo.

Looking Back. There were two entirely different Ginebra teams that competed last PBA season. One was the power-house Philippine Cup champions led by its fil-am starting five of Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Rudy Hatfield, Eric Menk, and Rafi Reavis. They were followed by Romel Adducul (later traded), free agent Johnny Abarrientos, Ronald Tubid, Sunday Salvacion, Billy Mamaril, sophomores Mike Holper and Mark Macapagal, and Andy Seigle. Come Fiesta Conference time, all of the starting five were gone either to the national team, got injured, or left for personal reasons. The Ginebra bench, plus players such as Egay Echavez, Gec Chia, Rodney Santos, Paolo Hubalde, and import-do-it-all Rod Nealy did wonders for the team, which at one point rose to 9-2, before succumbing to the Alaska Aces and finishing 3rd place overall. The Ginebra boys of summer (the Fiesta Conference guys) weren't able to complete a grand slam of sorts for Ginebra when their real-all-filipino express were halted by the #6 seeded San Miguel squad (I can recall every moment leading to their defeat. huhu). The one thing that remained with Ginebra then was the classy coaching of Jong Uichico, anchored on pressing defense and free-flowing, run-and-gun offense. His coaching is so good that he made the summer guys into championship contenders (which was three points short off making it to the semis).

Moving Forward. Ginebra welcomes to its fold their national team members in Caguioa, Helterbrand (arguably the best point-guard in Asia), and the committed Menk. However, their stint came with a price as Caguioa injured his shoulder while Menk's calves got injured for the Nth time. In comes Gi-Raf-ee Reavis too, whose shoulder injury kept him out of the whole Fiesta Conference. Mainstays include juniors Macapagal and Holper, Sunday Salvacion, Johnny Abbarrientos, Billy Mamaril, and rising-Ginebra favorite Ronald Tubid. Gone are Egay Echavez (to Coca-cola) and Gec Chia, plus Andy Seigle (who tried out with Red Bull but tore his ACL again and finally called it quits) and Rodney Santos (released to the free agent market). Additions to the Ginebra squad are undrafted and free-agent JR Aquino, free agent Gilbert Lao, speedster Paul Artadi, and rookie draftee Macky Escalona.

New Blood. Left-Right: Paul Artadi. Still couldn't make those lay-ups.
JR Aquino. I don't know if he's better than Gec Chia or not. The difference is, they came from the opposite sides of the world in their collegiate career, pero I don't care anyway. Ginebra 'to pare.
Gilbert Lao. A journey man hoping to finally settle with Ginebra. Might be earning less than what Andy Seigle earned, but is effective as Andy Seigle in the twilight of his career. Props to Virgil for the photo.

Jayjay Helterbrand. Still the same old guy that glues Ginebra's offense together. Mr. 14-7-7 (points-rebounds-assists). Great point guard. Great hair too. Leading the way for Ginebra's point-guard TEAM (they're four). Props to Virgil for the photo.

From the looks of it, Ginebra's biggest hole came with Rudy Hatfield's departure. From the line-up, it seems that Holper is the closest guy who can play the way H-Bomb ruled the court. Ginebra's loaded with guards and becoming short of big men (they once had a surplus of them! Alaska, penge naman jan :P) On paper, Ginebra really seemed full of guards. There's four guys in Helterbrand, Escalona, Artadi, and Abarrientos sharing the point-guard spot. Then there's Tubid, Caguioa, and Macapagal on the two spot, with Salvacion and Aquino playing shooting guard or small-forward. That's nine guys on the guard/small forward spot, while five for the "big-men" positions. Seemed a little off-balance, me thinks.

But the game first. With Caguioa and Menk not in uniform in Ginebra's first game against Red Bull barako, Ginebra seemed to be looking for its identity once more. Good thing Rafi Reavis suited up. But there's no real powerful force inside the lane among Ginebra's big guys (Reavis, Holper, Lao) except for Billy Mamaril. It's a good thing though that identity-less Ginebra was going up against a rebuilding Barako team with quality players such as Cyrus Baguio, Carlo Sharma, Mick Pennisi, and Topex Robinson.

Ronald Tubid. Ginebra fans love him now! Man, you just have to hear the applause when he entered the court from the bench for the first time. All Ginebra fans missed his antics, his wild drives and hang-time moves, his emphatic rebounds (with matching elbows or butt shoving), or his sharp treys (with a matching crucifix). Props to Virgil for the photo.

It's either Ginebra played a real good first quarter with fresh guard legs on rotation, while Red Bull seemingly was looking for its groove. There was Tubid coming off the bench and welcomed and applauded by Ginebra fans (fine, kasama ako dun) and the guy didn't disappoint as he shot three treys in the first quarter alone. Ginebra shot so good from outside, even Billy Mamaril's jumpers went in! The UE connection came into play also with Artadi and Tubid leading the Ginebra fastbreak. Or what about Artadi's wild lay-ups, Tubid's hang-time jump shot, and Macky Escalona's buzzer beating awkward layup?

Defense crumbles. The fortunes of the two teams were reversed: Ginebra lost their defense (talk about nakaw plays on an inbound, plus Topex Robinson's offensive rebounds) and offense (the long Ginebra drought), while Red Bull finally played their "committed" (hey, I watched the primer on Red Bull) defense, which turned Ginebra's misses into Cyrus Baguio fastbreak opportunities. Tubid, Salvacion, and Mamaril were in foul trouble, which forced Uichico to dig deeper into the Ginebra bench. Worst of all, free throw shooting. ARGH. Ginebra was a big let-down in the charity stripe, with Tubid (2-8 FTs) and Helterbrand (2-5) leading the miss-the-free-throw-contest. Tubid wasn't a factor anymore, while Cyrus Baguio made a mockery out of Ginebra's defense. How can Ginebra let Topex Robinson, the smallest guy in the PBA, get the offensive rebound and shoot two crucial putbacks? It's either Ginebra's short of intimidating big men, or they weren't doing their defensive assignments.

Hero. Mark Macapagal's career with Ginebra is a roller coaster one, in terms of his spot in Ginebra's rotation: from being the top guy in his rookie year (he used to start for Ginebra in that All-filipino team that was supposed to run naked in Baywalk), to finding himself deeper in the rotation in Tubid's arrival. He didn't enjoy that much minutes in the Fiesta Conference back in summer. After his 28 point production against Alaska back in October 2006 (I watched that! I watched that! Mark Macapagal for threeeee!), his path became a downhill one.

Mark Macapagal.Redefining Mr. Clutch. Never lost my trust in this guy ever since he wore that red and white jersey. Props to Virgil for the photo.

He didn't shoot that well in the first half, by the way. He kept on firing blanks from outside in the first half. In fact, prior to his biggest trey in the evening which reminded Ginebra guys of Pido Jarencio's fireman ways (pamatay sunog) against the Red Bull uprising, he was 0-8 from trey land. With Ginebra's offense going down the drain (how many 24 second violations?), Macapagal rose to the occasion by firing a crucial trey and deuce, while consistently sinking his free throws in the last few minutes of the match. His heroics saved Ginebra from being a victim of Red Bull's 2nd half comeback. Where would Ginebra go without him? I never lost faith in that guy.

Rookie Jitters?. The last time I saw Macky Escalona play, he fired 28 points in the UAAP (yes, let us not be reminded of that painful game again). Finally, he's donning a Ginebra jersey. Yey for me. Too bad though, Ginebra's so deep in its point-guard rotation that he only got to play in the last minute of the second and third quarter. Seems he's hesitant to take the shot that at one point he was so free from inside when he opted to pass the ball to Sunday Salvacion from outside. In another play, I thought he's finally getting the rats out of him by spinning around his defender in a fast break play, only to be foiled by Junthy Valenzuela. With Ginebra having four point guards, I don't see him getting major minutes anytime soon.

Macky Escalona. What a way to start your first ever rookie game in the PBA by entering the court 30 seconds into halftime and managing to beat the buzzer with his familiar awkward looking looper lay-up. His only field goal in the game.

And many more. Unfortunately it's way really beyond bedtime now. Ginebra vs. TnT next. See you at the games!

I'm Going to Phoenix in 2009!

2007-11-13T05:51:00.000+08:00

Well, okay, I'm not too sure about that just yet, but I'd certainly like to see it happen. Particularly around February, because that's where the NBA All-Star Weekend 2009 is going to be! Woot!

The 2009 All-Star logo was revealed in Phoenix just before things got ugly between a Suns Dancer and the Suns Gorilla. (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

I've been waiting for this news for some time already, but at the same time, I never expected it to come this soon. Still, I'm hoping some stars would align and stuff and make things fall into place for me.

(Once I get this out of the way, it's going to be the San Diego Comic Con i'll be aiming for. Teehee.)

* * *

Speaking of wishful thinking, the Suns got Amare back in uniform and on the playing court to close out their East Coast road trip in Florida. Granted, he did get himself ejected in the third quarter in the first of those matchups (against Miami), but on a positive note, the Suns still gutted out a win, 106-101, behind an 11-0 Steve Nash run in the fourth quarter.

Even with STAT back, the Suns still unleashed their new secret weapon against the Heat: the ball-headed Shawn Marion clone. (Udonis Haslem seemed impressed, albeit somewhat amused, as this photo shows.) (Photo by Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

* * *

Raja Bell sprained his ankle in that Miami game, but somehow things all turned out for the better. In his place, Leandro Barbosa started in the next day's game at Orlando, and boy did he catch fire. Leandro scored a career-high 39 points to lead Phoenix to a 106-96 win to wrap up the road trip at a decent 3-1 finish.

Centers of attention: Two of my current favorite big men showing some pre-game love. Ahay. D-Ho's topless! Teehee. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

The Suns withstood a 33-point, 18-rebound game from Dwight Howard and game-long booing against former Orlando Magic Grant Hill. In the end though, there was just too much Leandro that night, with the youngster making as many three pointers as the whole Magic squad made all game.

Later on in the game though, it was all business in this clash of the titans!
Boom! Woo! (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Suns come back to Phoenix tomorrow to face the New York Knicks. Here's hoping Raja's ready to come back and play. Go suns!

A Dose of Their Own Medicine?

2007-11-09T05:52:00.000+08:00

Boy, the Suns sure could have used Amare yesterday.

The Phoenix Suns fell yesterday for the second time this season against the Atlanta Hawks, 96-105 at Atlanta. Unlike the previous game against Charlotte, youth wasn't the undoing of the Suns' opponent. Instead it was the opposite, as the Hawks used athleticism--Phoenix's own game, usually--against the Suns, resulting in a 56-40 rebounding edge.

Joe Johnson is no longer getting the shorter end of the stick in
the deal that sent him to Atlanta for Boris Diaw (and then some).
(AP Photo/John Amis)

The Suns were again without Amare Stoudemire, who's still biding his time to make sure his sore right knee is a hundred percent before stepping out on the court again. The aforementioned rebounding discrepancy shows just how much the Suns need him to come back soon.

If you ask me though, this latest setback doesn't really give me much cause for concern. For one, the Atlanta Hawks have shown so far this season that they're not the cellar-dwelling team that they used to be. They've already beaten the Dallas Mavericks on opening night, and their two other games--albeit being losses--were very close games.

Also, despite this loss, the Suns are still a game above .500, so they're from being a "losing team." It's very early in the season, and Phoenix has already shown in previous seasons that they have the poise, desire, and talent to keep putting up a sterling run for that elusive title.

This time, Steve Nash's heroics fell short.
(Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Well, ok, I do have a concern of sorts. So far, we've seen the Suns lose two games--both of which were the back ends of back-to-back games played in different locations. Are the Suns getting too tired too soon? Are they getting too old for their own system?

The latter question is especially important as many teams are also trying to adapt the run-and-gun style after the Phoenix Suns teams of recent years. While their games aren't quite as polished as Phoenix's, it'll only be a matter of time before they match or even overtake the Suns. I shudder at the thought... Well, not really. I think it's going to make the NBA a lot more exciting if and when that happens. Teehee.

Oh well, that's that. Next up are the also struggling Miami Heat. Bring it on, Anfernee. Go Suns!

Not a Scratch

2007-11-07T21:33:00.000+08:00

Ha! Betcha thought this is another Suns-related entry, huh? Well, you're right. But first...

Man, this dude sure knows his balls.
Thanks for the link, Bit!

To get the bad news out of the way, Amare again decided not to suit up for the Suns' most recent game against the Charlotte Bobcats. On the much brighter, sunnier-sidier-uppier side of things, Phoenix didn't need him at all.

The Suns came to Charlotte to kick off a four-game Eastern Conference road trip, and kick they did, schooling the young 'Cats, 115-83. Eight Suns scored in double figures, in a commendable balanced attack that saw the return of the prolific Phoenix Suns offense.

Phoenix was all over Charlotte in their last game, with even the
reserve corps chipping in in a big way. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

You know the Suns are clicking when the game recap includes stuff like this:

It was 59-37 at halftime after Sean Marks' thunderous dunk. The lead reached 30 midway through the third quarter.

Next up are the Atlanta Hawks, against whom Amare has announced that he expects to play. We'll find out about that tomorrow. Go Suns!

Amare out, but Suns still kick ass

2007-11-05T18:31:00.000+08:00

Alas, my greatest fear has been realized--just three games into the season. As it turns out, all's not well with Amare's recently surgerized right knee, and for this matchup against no less than Lebron James and the Cavs, he had to sit out.

Thankfully, we have a two-time MVP who can still play MVP-caliber ball even on 33-year-old legs.

Yep, good ol' Steve Nash bailed the Suns out with 30pts and 10assts--no small surprise, if you think about it--single-handedly bringing back the team from 12pts down to 11pts up as the final buzzer sounded. Final score: 103-92, Phoenix. Whew.

Steve Nash rose to the occasion to save the undersized Suns on a
night sans their biggest threat down low. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Granted, it wasn't the Lebron show throughout the whole game--and I'm pretty thankful for that. But at the end of the day, it was a fine show of resiliency for Phoenix, whose primary interior presence is considered day-to-day.

Here's hoping Amare's knee problems go away soon enough, and for good. Go Suns!

Home Opener Shutout

2007-11-03T19:27:00.000+08:00

Man, I hate losing.

And not just any kind of losing; losing big.

The Suns encountered some serious Hollywood pwnage in the desert earlier today, when the Lakers routed them, 119-98. Falling by as much as 33 points, it was an awful outing for Phoenix, especially considering it was their home opener.

Then again, they did come from a road game just the previous night (where they performed with a little more than expected rust, at that), so at least I have a lame excuse to use.

crushed! 'nuff said.

Oh well. so much for that 15-game winning streak to start the season... We're just two games into 2007-2008, anyway, so there's not much reason to worry.

Eyes on the prize! Go Suns!

* * *

Adding insult to injury was the fact that Lakers center Andrew Bynum played a monster game, stats-wise. He tallied 14 points on 7/10 shooting, to go along with 13 boards and a block. Why does this matter? Bynum's in one of my fantasy teams, that's why. But while he was in my roster, I benched him today in favor of Portland's Channing Frye, who only threw in a measly 6pts and 5rebs on just 43% shooting. *Sigh*

Credits:
- Thanks to the Associated Press (via Yahoo! Sports) for the photo.

Tipoff!

2007-11-02T19:58:00.000+08:00

1 down, 81 to go!

It's tipoff week this week in the NBA, and this morning (Manila time) is the big day for my Phoenix Suns in particular. So far, they're off to a positive start, topping the Sonics, 106-99, in Seattle. The Suns started out a little shaky and rusty, but they still managed to pull out a win (as they should over what's supposedly a weaker, rebuilding team). Kudos to Kevin Durant for his very impressive game though.

Amare is still in his exciting, explosive form despite yet another knee surgery
a month ago (he just needs to keep the bad fouls in check, though).

The Phoenix Suns' adventures continue tomorrow with their home opener against Kobe and the Lakers. Go Suns! Eyes (still) on the prize!

Credits:
- Thanks to Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports (again) for the pic used above.

The San Antonio Spurs Have Taken My Dreams and Ripped Them to Shreds (Yet Again)

2007-05-19T18:59:00.000+08:00

Sigh.

Images courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images, here, and here.

Amare Stoudemire Does Not Like Bruce Bowen

2007-05-12T21:24:00.000+08:00

Watch and be amazed. Or appalled. Or whatever. Just watch the damn clip:

When I saw this play while watching the Game 2 replay on TV, I became corncerned that Amare pulled something on his way up for what was supposed to be another monster dunk. He eventually played on until game's end, so big sigh of relief right there for me.

But after seeing this clip, though (thanks for the heads up, Joepoy)...

That's. Just. Not. Right.

Amare, who had already taken a Manu Ginobili knee in the nuts earlier in the season, had this to say about the incident:

"He kicked me purposely in the back of my Achilles'. I almost came down wrong and he almost caused an injury. He's known for doing that. I just hope the NBA and the commissioner take a look at that because it's definitely a dirty play."

"When I saw the replay and reviewed it three or four times, there was no doubt about it. It was a purpose kick to the Achilles' and he definitely tried to injure me."

"I was actually very, very, very upset. Me personally from last year, having to sit out the whole season because of injuries. And for a guy like Bruce Bowen, who is a two-time champion, he should have more class than that, should understand what it takes to be a professional."

In response, Bruce Bowen expectedly pleaded innocent:

"I saw the replay and it's obvious I did clip him, but to kick him, that wasn't the intention at all. It was an unfortunate situation and I'm sorry that he feels that way. ... I have a lot of respect for him, so I wouldn't do that."

As of this morning, I've heard that the NBA has merely dismissed STAT's claims. Oh, well. Let's hope Amare keeps his head in Game 3 tomorrow, instead of playing all distracted and hotheaded because of this.

Just 11 wins to go!
GO, SUNS!

Phoenix is not going to sweep San Antonio

2007-05-07T23:50:00.000+08:00

That's all we know for sure, as far as Game 1 of the Suns-Spurs Western Semifinals series is concerned. 'Nuff said.

Okay. So maybe not.

So yeah, it's round two. Conference semifinals time. Oh, yes.

Well, as one may observe, my bets for the first round of the Playoffs were 50% on the mark (my wishful thinking worked absurdly well in favor of those crazy Warriors from Golden State) and 50% off--but if you order now, you'll also receive not one, not two, but THREE Super Chamois ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! But hey, that's how the ball rolls. What matters most at this point is that my boys, the Phoenix Suns, are still alive and kicking. Or so it may appear...

And this, my friends, is basically my call on what cost the Suns Game 1 of their seven-game playoff against that darn San Antonio squad: Steve-o's badly cut nose had him stuck on the bench for that crucial final minute and a half, when Phoenix still had the chance to grab the game... Sigh. So much for sweeping the Spurs, then... *wink*

On a more serious note, Nash did give his official word on the game that transpired:

Uhh... okay. Here's a teammate's take:

Uh-huuuhhh... Of course, now just to show you that I'm a good sport, lemme show you that I also do pay attention to what the opponent has to say:

Ah.

Right.

Very well said then. See you in Game 2 indeed, Tony.

Photo credits go to NBAE via Getty Images and the AP.

Game One Done

2007-04-23T13:33:00.000+08:00

With all of the opening games of the 2007 NBA Playoffs already settled, this entry comes a little late (but I'm posting it anyway). Here are my favorites to hopefully take the first round:

- Eastern Conference -

Orlando Magic (8) vs Detroit Pistons (1) - Orlando
Washington Wizards (7) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (2) - Cleveland
New Jersey Nets (6) vs Toronto Raptors (3) - Toronto
Chicago Bulls (5) vs Miami Heat (4) - Chicago

My only concrete pick for the East is Chicago, since I don't want the Heat to repeat (because if that happens, it can only mean that the Suns obviously didn't make it to the top...). Orlando is cool by virtue of having D-Ho alone, while the same may be said of Cleveland with King James. I'm pretty torn about that Jersey-Toronto series, but I'd really like to see Chris Bosh prove that he can lead his team further.

- Western Conference -

Golden State Warriors (8) vs Dallas Mavericks (1) - Golden State
LA Lakers (7) vs Phoenix Suns (2) - Phoenix
Denver Nuggets (6) vs San Antonio Spurs (3) - Denver
Houston Rockets (5) vs Utah Jazz (4) - Houston

The West is pretty easy. Of course, since I'm picking the Suns to win it all, I'm hoping for the "lesser evils" (i.e. Golden State and Denver) to win their respective series. I'm quite indifferent about the Houston-Utah matchup, but I seem to like the Rockets better at this point (sorry, G).

This is it, for now.

Go Suns! Eyes on the prize!

Breaking News On The Destroyer

2007-03-19T16:05:00.000+08:00

Tough breaks don't get tougher than this, even for a former basketball star who has come to be known as "the Destroyer".

Rudy Distrito has been found guilty of murdering a Mexican national in 2004. He will serve a sentence of 4-12 years in prison in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Read about it here, but if you're too lazy, here's a clip from GMA7's Flash Report.

Oh, here's a related video, showing the reactions of Rudy's colleagues.

photo credit: ReviewJournal.com

Tim Hardaway has finally met his match

2007-02-22T00:23:00.000+08:00

And no, it's not John Amaechi.

For those who have no idea who the cute old asian fella is (much like me, at the start), just click here.

Amare coulda been All-Star MVP

2007-02-20T11:54:00.000+08:00

..but noooooo. Kobe had to ruin it.

Aw, heck. Kobe obviously did have the better all-around game anyway. Besides, it was a convincing victory from the Mike D'Antoni-coached West squad, so I'm still pleased.

Oh! Photo credit goes to NBA Entertainment via Getty Images, by the way.

Angas

2007-01-25T22:18:00.000+08:00

The Phoenix Suns Fill My Heart with Glee

2007-01-24T22:42:00.000+08:00

You can see it in his eyes...

The Phoenix Suns are streaking once again. As of this writing, they've won 14 straight anew (and 30 of their last 32 games), and they're doing so in spectacular fashion--showing fans and detractors alike just how enjoyable while also effective the running team game is. It is basketball the way i like it and it's making me happy.

But look, it doesn't seem to be just me whom the Suns are giving a good time...

Anyway...

Shawn Marion in flight is simply an awesome sight to behold:

Yes, yes. I am aware that the word balloons in the previous two images are a tad too tiny, but don't fret, my pets. A mere click on each image ought to enlarginize it to a decent enough size so as to properly display the make-believe dialogue that i made for the basketball-playing characters...

- end of weirdness -

Okay, so I've been catching up on some recent suns commentary online, and for the benefit of perennial doubters who may have come across this informal mashup of words and sunny feelings, this I say to you: I do not deny the fact that the Phoenix Suns' current fortune is the byproduct of a favorable schedule, as well as timely injuries or absences of opponents' key players. But hey, give the team credit for manning up (i think i just made that up) and taking advantage.

On another note, I am a smart person according to this dude, because I have an inkling as to what really spelled the late postseason falls of the Suns in their previous two campaigns. Teehee. Meanwhile, this guy shares my sentiment on what might have happened if that awful Denver weather never came into being. *sigh...*

In any case,
GO, SUNS!!!

(Oh, by the way, thank you NBAE via Getty Images!)

James Posey: Miami's ENFORCER

2006-12-30T09:22:00.000+08:00

Yep, it is official! James Posey is Miami Heat's enforcer. For the benefit of those who do not know what an enforcer is, it is the player, commonly a forward or center, who is assigned to throw the best player of the other team off his game, sometimes to the point of injuring him. He could also be assigned to protect his team's go-to guy from the other team's enforcer. Here are some examples of players who took on the enforcer roles: Dennis Espino during the Asian Games (correct me if I'm wrong) when he punched the other team's best shooter. Charles Oakley was both the enforcer of both the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks. In our team, Gerald is our enforcer. Despite playing as a guard, he uses dirty tactics to throw off the scoring threat of the other team.

Anyway, back to my point. To prove that James Posey has taken the role of an enforcer, here is a recent article about him.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Miami Heat forward James Posey was suspended one game without pay Friday by the NBA for a flagrant foul against Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng.
Posey was ejected for taking down Deng from behind with 7:16 remaining in the fourth period of the Heat's 109-103 loss to the Bulls on Wednesday at the United Center.
Posey missed Friday's game against the New Jersey Nets at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Bulls thought Posey should have received a longer penalty, especially since he was suspended a game in April for a flagrant foul against Kirk Hinrich during the first round of the playoffs.
"I thought it was light," Chicago coach Scott Skiles said.

As you know, Luol Deng is one of this season's scoring threats for the Chicago Bulls, slashing through the lane at will to lure the defense towards him. When he can't penetrate, he is free to kick out the ball to the open shooter. Since the Bulls don't have any threat on the low post, he's the next best thing.

James Posey apparently has taken his role to heart as this isn't the first time he's done it. So there you have it, James Posey: ENFORCER.

PBA rants

2006-12-28T07:47:00.000+08:00

Recently, I have been watching the PBA on ABC5 and I have noticed some things that they can improve on.

First of all, they should improve their motion graphics. From the ABC5 logo seemingly appearing from underneath the court to their promotional animations of "clashing teams", it just irritates me. It looked like as if it was made by beginners.

Second is their scoreboard. I don't know with you people but for me, the side with the clock seems crowded compared to the side where the team names and scores are. Plus the logos are separated on one end to the other, ABC on the leftmost and PBA at the rightmost. Why not make it into one logo, PBA on ABC and place on one side? That would lessen the clutter. Overall, it's not that bad but it can definitely be improved.

Finally replay games, I hate the fact that I was watching a replay game last night without realizing it as soon as I was tuned in. I mean is it so hard to just place a date somewhere when the game was held, just to avoid confusion?

So there you have it, my rants. Hopefully these could be improved in the near future. It would not only improve their image but avoid confusion from televiewers as well.

The Curse Strikes Back

2006-12-14T11:42:00.000+08:00

Trash talking(or smack talking in Yahoo! terms) is a cool way of enjoying fantasy basketball. Some 'smack talks' range from funny, absurd, serious, and some, like Jopoy, even put some 'words to live by'.

The regular smack talkers I know in East Rombo are Jason, Melvin, and me. Sometimes, Gerald also talks smack, which he usually does with his traditional lies, like disagreeing with Jopoy's words to live by, when in fact, he also lives by those words.

Jopoy's quote by the way is: "Wala nang edad-edad, kung tayo na ay hubo't hubad"(Age doesn't matter when we're naked together). Or something to that effect.

This week, smack talker Jason was paired up with me for the weekly head to head battle. His smack talk was a bit gloomy, "damn injuries". As for me, since I was at the top of the standings and I was feeling overconfident of my powerhouse team(not to mention there were currently no injured players on it), I responded with "apparently lahat ng players ko healthy. HOO!" (apparently, all my players are healthy. HOO!)

But that was the ultimate wrong move of the season. Minutes later, Gerald messaged me about the dreaded Eumir curse in fantasy basketball: Dwayne Wade is out because of his wisdom tooth. A few more minutes later, I see Lamar Odom only played 3 minutes, later reading that he "will be lucky to play before the end of January" There goes 2 starters right out of rotation. A few more minutes later, Corey Maggette doesn't play because of a bruised left knee.

To add insult to injury(in more ways than one) Mike Miller played the worst game of his career with 0 points. And to add more to that, J.R. Smith also gave me 0-5 shooting, 2 points AND 2 turnovers.

This is a bad week indeed. And to end, I will tell you a theory of mine: I just realized that every time I match-up with Bit(in any league) my team suddenly seems like it has a black cloud over it: injuries sprout out of nowhere, the teams of my players only have 2 games for the week as compared to his 4 games a week, my star players have off-nights, etc. Sometimes it makes me think if Bit is the successor of the Fantasy League Devil(formerly known as Du).

Beware, for your team will suffer at his hands.

Pre-All Star Promo

2006-12-12T08:50:00.000+08:00

The most recent NBA All Star games have been pretty predictable as to who's gonna be its starters. Probably since the pretty good teams have been the same all those years. This season's All Star, I am hoping for some changes.

If there is one match-up I'm really looking forward to in this year's All Star game, it's Dwight Howard vs. Amare Stoudemire. Here we are presented with two beasts of the league. Both are athletic and dominating in their own right, and both would probably have no qualms on dunking on others. Although the probability of the two engaging against one each other is quite slim (due to the fact of the other All Star players' desire to showoff and score), it would be interesting to take note on their games stat-wise to see who had the more impact in the game.

It's King Kong vs. Godzilla on All Star 2007!

So move over LeBron.

NOTE: Picture will come in later...

161-157

2006-12-09T00:51:00.000+08:00

The Associated Press couldn't have summed it up any better:

Two overtimes, 318 points, 34 lead changes, 21 ties and a dramatic showdown between two of the best point guards in the game.

Steve Nash: 42 points, 13 assists, 6-7 from 3-point land
Jason Kidd: 38 points, 14 rebounds, 14 assists (his 78th triple-double, which ties him with Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time triple-double list)

So which one really is the point guard supreme?

Actually, why even bother asking? Just sit back and enjoy the show (which I did, thanks to a replay on cable).

This matchup was a beauty. A classic. A treat made even sweeter by the fact that it was my team of choice which came out victorious.

One down on this hectic, five-games-in-seven-nights (with two back-to-back matchups, to boot--this matchup being part one of the first back-to-back) east coast road trip. here's hoping you don't burn out, Phoenix.

GO, SUNS!

Source photos courtesy of NBAE via Getty Images.

Return of the Monster

2006-12-06T16:21:00.000+08:00

The last time I said it, this dude spent the succeeding couple of games in an awful slump, before calling it quits on the season. This time, at the risk of jinxing him yet again (if one may recall, misfortune and I seem to have a flourishing relationship), I present to you, this:

Dec. 1, 2006 vs the Milwaukee Bucks

As of today, STAT has just barely missed logging in his fifth 20-10 game in a row, but he did manage yet another solid double-double. More importantly, the Suns have extended the league's current longest winning streak to seven in the process. (Frankly, had the Suns-Kings matchup not turned out to be a rout, Amare might just have gotten that 20-10, but I'm not one to complain against another 'W'.)

Next up for Phoenix is a pretty lengthy roadtrip. It's good to know that the team will be off carrying not only a swagger that only winners can pull off, but also an increasingly confident Amare Stoudemire among their ranks.

GO SUNS!!!

Credit where credit is due: to rdm2 for the video as well as to The Rising Suns for calling said video to my attention.

Houston Rocks

2006-11-17T13:05:00.000+08:00

Rock on, coach Van Gundy. Rock on, Rockets.
Image Source: AP/David J. Phillip

Nerdy cheerleaders

2006-11-11T08:03:00.000+08:00

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.

East Rombo Report #1

2006-11-09T17:46:00.000+08:00

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.

CAUTION: Accident Prone Team

2006-11-07T13:39:00.000+08:00

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.

Suns at Lakers: Opening Night Live Blog

2006-11-01T14:37:00.000+08:00

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).

NBA briefs. Or shorts. Or warmup pants.

2006-11-01T07:15:00.000+08:00

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.

250 dynasty points for a pair of shoes

2006-10-31T14:23:00.000+08:00

NBA Live 2005 introduced the concept of using Dynasty points to train your team or buy gear for your players. NBA Live 2006 pretty much scrapped the training part of that equation with the introduction of Assistant Coaches to do the training for you. The Dynasty points effectively became limited once again to just buying shoes and whatnot for your players. And that has been the case for the past year.

Our friend, Eumir, has only recently afforded to get a new PC that could run NBA Live 2006...

Eumir: sa live para san yung points na nakukuha mo sa task list?
Eumir: di ko makita yung training shit..di ba dapat nagiipon ka nung points na yun para dun sa training ng team?
Bit.S: Pambili ng gear.
Eumir: yun lang?!?!
Eumir: fuck shit
Eumir: sinira ko dynasty ko para dun?!
Eumir: pakshetttttttttt
Eumir: nagpapatalo ako minsan para lang makashoot yung mga bangko ko para may 250 ako dahil nakascore lahat,...tapos para lang sa SAPATOS?!?!? WTF
Eumir: FUCK YOU NBA LIVE!

Danny Fortson is not affected

2006-10-27T01:26:00.000+08:00

Update: It has been reported that Robert Swift's knee has suffered major damage that will force him to miss the entire season. :-(

Update: Danny Fortson won't be getting much playing time in the Sonics' season opener on November 1 against Portland. He just got suspended for one game for a flagrant foul against Ron Artest. Who do you think would win in a fight? Would Ron-ron go all Tru Warrior on Fortson's ass? Or would he get FORTIFIED?

Your 2006 Most Improved Player: Robert Swift

2006-10-10T01:04:00.000+08:00

The Transformation of Robert Swift

He looks like he could average a double-double this season. Amazing what a new look can do.

Go, Joe!

2006-09-27T14:41:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to East Rombo's very own Joe-poy Pandaraoan, as well as to his fellow patchers from UNLSC.org! Great job, mga 'pre! Can't wait to get my hands on the mod already!

1-0

2006-09-25T22:32:00.000+08:00

Boy, that was some win, huh?

In true Doug-~~style~~-fashion, with a mere second remaining in the game, Doug Kramer delivered Game 1 to the sea of Blue as he snuck in from behind to hit the game-clinching backdoor short-stab! Doug has truly made a statement throughout this season: that he, unlike Reggie Evans, has learned how to handle the ball in the clutch.

Of course, due credit goes out to Macky Escalona as well for his fantastic find. (But it's much harder to come up with tasteless, double-meaning jokes based on his name, so...)

We were there, by the way, but we only managed to grab tickets for upper b seats. Thus, this brief, poorly-lit clip of the post-game festivities. Of course, I didn't catch the game-winner on video myself--because, seriously, who watches a game live only to wait for a moment like this to unfold through the lens/es of a camera? (A professional photographer or videographer, of course, but that's not my point, smartass.)

Sana makakuha ng tickets for Thursday. At sana makapagpaalam ako.

GO ATENEO!
ONE BIG FIGHT!

Winning in Defeat

2006-09-12T13:51:00.000+08:00

*blog posted at http://carloricohermoso.net on September 9, 2006

In losing, they became winners. In defeat, there is dignity. That's what you may say about the Ateneo Blue Eagles who fell a good play short of scoring an upset victory over the UE Red Warriors.

It's a no-bearing game to begin with, except that this is a battle for pride. Curiously, this year's hosts UE has an advantage over Ateneo since the latter is coming off a hard-earned victory against the FEU Tamaraws last Thursday, hence a day of rest prior to this game (something very fishy *cough*). Ateneo's position at the top is well established as UE was handed down back-to-back defeats from the Adamson Falcons and the UP Fighting Maroons which relegated them to second place. In this game, it was all about Ateneo and UE's claim to supremacy over the other.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles had to overcome a lethargic 1st half marked by poor outside shooting and free throw shooting. They wouldn't just pound the ball inside and relied their luck on their ouside shooting. Too bad lady luck wasn't smiling at the Eagles. Meanwhile, UE's top-guns Marcy Arellano and Bonbon Custodio found their rhythm from the outside, and the UE guards were connecting on their lay-ups. UE's big men in Elmer Espiritu and Kelvin Gregorio were boxing out properly and were a threat to Ateneo's inside scoring. What kept Ateneo afloat were the successive technical fouls slapped on coach Dindo Pumaren (there was a foul at Escalona from our side, magugulang talaga boys mo), a stupid mockery by James Martinez on Zion Laterre (poetic justice), that stupid technical by Canizares for excessive complaining (Dindo Pumaren shouting at Canizares was a sight to behold), and a technical on Hans Thiele (wtf is wrong, Eric Salamat was just playing ball). Custodio's 6 turnovers and 15 by UE almost contributed to the Warrior's downfall.

The Eagles fell as big as 20 points down by the third quarter before Coach Norman Black used another of his "Black" magic tricks by putting in seldomly-used point-guard Eman Monfort. The heir to the "14" jersey number after 14 greats Enrico Villanueva (1997-2002) and Larry Fonacier (2003-2004) responded by hitting a trey which was enough to spark a rally by the Eagles to cut the deficit to from 20 points down to 12 by the end of the third quarter. His courage to drive in against UE's giants (and dish out an assist) earned him the Ateneo crowd's applause.

Again I stress that this is a no-bearing game and the Ateneo Eagles could have handed UE the win just to rest (as the saying goes, "A step backward, two steps forward"), but the Eagles have so much pride in them. Norman Black risked putting in his top stars JC Intal, Macky Escalona, Doug Kramer, and Chris Tiu along with Eman Monfort in the line of injury. The Ateneo defense (highlighted by Macky Escalona's block on Custodio and Kramer's block on Elmer Espiritu) gave JC Intal room to operate for two dunks - one which brought the deficit down to one 75-76 with 10s remaining following another Custodio turnover. Intal was the epitome of "never give up, never surrender" as he must have scored Ateneo's last seven points when the Blue and White were down by eight entering the last two minutes through a trey, "the" dunk, and a hard-work effort shot under the basket over Espiritu. Macky Escalona fouled Custodio and latter made up for all his boo-boos by scoring crucial freethrows to put the Warriors up by three, 75-78. Finally, Chris Tiu ran out of ammo on his trey as he fumbled his last second shot.

But in defeat, the whole of Ateneo crowd (including I), were in standing ovation for the Blue Eagles as if the Eagles won the game. No, it wasn't a sign of bitterness or denial. It was more of psychological edge over UE, that even if they won the game, they know in their hearts that Ateneo is a team that can come back from a 20 point deficit -- something that they aren't familiar with. The loss was a statement against the UE crowd - that even if they copied Ateneo, UST, and La Salle's cheers, they couldn't match Ateneo's "One Big Fight." The game showed how UE can be so cocky and aggressive (highlighted by Martinez's stupid facial on Laterre), that it really hides their insecurities.

In defeat, Intal and company won the hearts of the Ateneo faithful. After the game, Intal was still disappointed with the outcome -- you know he wanted to win the game badly. It was a good practice game, a warm-up for the final four, and finally a statement to UE -- you know Ateneo can get back at you guys.

In any case, it was a good game that UE played, highlighted by their tenacity in rebounds (55 as against 39), blocks (9 against 3), assists (17 as against Ateneo's 1o) and superior field goal (43% as against 32%) and free throw (78% against 67%) shooting.

Finally, the game was a mockery to the UE pep-squad themselves, who are fastly earning a reputation of copycats. I hope they'll come up with something original (their "Get That Ball" cheer's drum beat is almost the same as ours, their "Go UE, Beat Ateneo" is a ripoff of La Salle's "Beat Ateneo, Animo La Salle" cheer, plus their hand movements in a cheer were synonymous to UST's "Go USTe" hand movement). I think I'm going to make a poster "Copycats" next time UE and Ateneo face each other.

Go Ateneo, One Big Fight!

Jumbled up UAAP Standings

2006-09-12T13:49:00.000+08:00

*blog posted last August 30 at http://carloricohermoso.net

Five game-dates remaining. 8 crucial games. All because of Ateneo's upset loss against the UST Growling Tigers.

At the three fourths mark of the eliminations, we see Ateneo at 8-1, UE creeping at 7-2, UST at 5-5, and FEU at 5-6. Adamson catches up at 4-5, NU at 3-7 with UP at 2-8. Right now, Ateneo and UE are assured of a twice-to-beat-advantage, whatever happens to their remaining games (their placings will be another thing to decide on). UP is the only team assured of at least preparing for the next season. Meanwhile, UST, Adamson, FEU, and NU each have a crack at the last two slots of the final four.

For Ateneo, they will be up against NU, FEU, and UE . The odds are against Ateneo, since they will be facing a well rested FEU (who will have almost 10 days of rest before the match). To add insult to the injury, they will be up against UE two days after. Should they win against NU, the battle may be over for the Bulldogs. A win against FEU will boost UST's chances of securing a final four slot, and finally a win against UE may give them the top spot.

UE faces relatively easy tasks of going up against Adamson and UP, before facing Ateneo. Wins by the Warriors against Adamson and UP will not only boost their chances at the top spot and give Ateneo the boot off the top spot, but also will make things difficult for Falcons to make it to the next round.

For the Pido Jarencio-led UST Growling Tigers who are riding high on a three game winning streak from NU, FEU, and Ateneo (argh), they will be battling first round tormentors UP and Adamson. Should they win their remaining games, they may not only secure the third spot, but put pressure on the Falcons and the Tams and leave the two fighting on the last spot. Another possibility is that UST, AdU, and FEU each have a 6-6 record (which assumes all of them gain a win each).

The Tamaraws meanwhile are a waiting team, and their game against Ateneo may prove to be crucial for them. Currently having a 5-6 record, they may either gain a 6-6 record with a win against Ateneo or as far as 5-7, should they lose. As mentioned, they have an advantage over the Eagles with a long rest a burning desire to survive and move to the next round.

Adamson is another interesting team to mark, as they're aiming for a top four spot since the final four format was implemented in 1994. Their last appearance in a finals was way back in the days of EJ Feihl, Marlou Aquino, and Kenneth Duremdes in 1992 (against a Nestor Echano, Vic Pablo, and Johnny Abbarientos led-FEU). Currently spotting a 4-5 record, they're up against NU, UE, and UST. They may go as high as third place (and dislodge UST off that spot) or may even go as low as 5-7 and get the boot should UST win against them and FEU win against Ateneo. The UE-AdU game is a game of survival for Adamson, and their game against UST is a game for the right for the final four slot.

NU, as mentioned, has to win its last two games against Ateneo and Adamson if they want to make it to the next round. Not only those tasks, but also pray that UST loses its last two games, Adamson loses at least two games, and FEU loses to Ateneo, so that all of them (UST, FEU, Adamson, and NU all carry a 5-7 record). Ateneo shouldn't count the Bulldogs out- they were almost beaten by this ragtag scrappy team in the UAAP opening day.

To sum it up:

Ateneo must win its last three games if it wants a safe place on the top.

A UE loss (assuming Ateneo does well in the next 3 games) may permanently relegate them to second place.

FEU has two weeks rest before facing off Ateneo. If they lose and Adamson win two of its games and UST win one, they will be eliminated for the first time since 2002.

NU has to win its last two games and pray that UST,
Adamson, and FEU lose so they may at least tie those three schools with a 5-7 record.

UST needs at least a victory to assure themselves a slot in the final four.

UP is booted out.

It all sums up to one cliche: it's not how you start games, rather its how you finish them. Each of the teams will have to fight it out to the finish.

Let the last leg of the UAAP eliminations begin.

Evaluating the PBA Freshmen, Class 2005-2006

2006-09-12T13:48:00.000+08:00

*blog composed last May 11, 2006. Reposting at Eastrombo.

"Masaya ang rookie days namin. Para kaming mga bakang pinakawalan sa kural. Mga batang-bata. Kung maglaro, basta na lang maglaro. Sasabihin mo, 'Mga professional ba ito?'"
- Abet Guidaben

The eliminations of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup is nearing its end, as the playoffs will start at June, and the PBA will wrap up the season after about a month and a half. The PBA has been putting on a show for about seven months now. At this stage, we can safely evaluate how the PBA rookies, who first came into the league via the Rookie Draft back in August 2005, have performed so far for the PBA's 31st season.

First Round:

1. Anthony Washington (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
This former PBL Fantastic Freshman awardee and Rain or Shine player created a lot of brouhaha the moment he stated his intentions of joining the draft. He was one of two amateur aspirants whom National Team coach Chot Reyes included in the National Team lineup back when two Philippine Team squads went up against the Iran National team back in April 2005. Air21 Express drafted him as the first overall pick as a trade bait, since Washington is more of a wingman rather than a post player. Loaded with too much players at the wings, and lacking big men at the post, Air21 traded him to favorite trading buddy Talk 'n Text, in exchange for Yancy de Ocampo, who coincidentally was Air21's first overall pick in the 2002 draft. In a team loaded with big names in Willie Miller, Jimmy Alapag, and Asi Taulava, with a lot of veterans playing for the Phone Pals, Washington was seldomly used in the rotation, and was eventually put into the injured list for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. How ironic. I don't even remember a game when he produced decent numbers for a rookie.

*note: "J-Wash" started playing again for the Talk 'n Text squad just last Friday, May 12, sporting an afro he probably grew while being in the injured list. True to what the analysts say, he is more of a wing player than an inside player.

2. Alex Cabagnot (Sta. Lucia Realtors)
This rookie immediately became popular probably because of one thing: he erased Mark Caguioa's scoring record in Eagle Rock High School. I thought he also came with a blonde, undercut, gelled hair. He almost made a controversy and was almost banned from the league when he supposedly refused to sign up with the Sta. Lucia Realtors and left for the US after the draft. Fortunately for him, it was just a misunderstanding between the team and his agent. On his second game in the pro-league, he showed his stuff against schoolmate Caguioa and Helterbrand, and he owned the two by playing big in the fourth quarter back in October 9, 2005. The media immediately responded to the Caguioa-Cabagnot shaping rivalry as the two were seen trash-talking in that game. In their second elimination game against each other, Caguioa owned him as the glib-talker Caguioa declared, "C'mon men, you can't compare him (Cabagnot) with us. Look at the score. Hindi man lang siya lumaban." Cabagnot was 0/13 from the field en route to an egged game when his team went up against Purefoods back in December 14, 2005. His playmaking skills are still questionable, so is his consistent scoring. His tandem with Paolo Mendoza is something nice to look at. Unfortunately for him, while I may consider him to be at the top five of this rookie batch, his team is playing badly, as they ended up seventh in the PBA Fiesta Cup and right now, they're at bottom in the standings with a 3-10 win-loss slate.

3. Denok Miranda (Coca-cola Tigers)
Denok Miranda, a former UAAP mythical five awardee, flew in for SMB-RP Team's injured Willie Miller in the 2005 Jones Cup. In a team loaded with veterans, he played big in the last two minutes in their game against Japan, completing a three-point play with 18 seconds left. With his impressive stints in the UAAP and the PBL, he was drafted by the Coca-cola Tigers as the third overall pick. He's probably a perfect draft pick for the Tigers, as the Tigers are looking for a pure point-guard in their line-up, especially as Johnny Abarrientos is getting older. Unfortunately for him, he went down with an ankle injury in the earlier part of the Fiesta Conference. In the ongoing Philippine Cup, he has earned Coach Binky Favis' confidence to lead the Tigers five as he is inserted into the Tigers' starting line-up, with co-FEU alumnus Abarrientos coming off the bench. He's had his share of career high games, especially one against Red Bull wherein he registered 21 points and 6 assists. As I see it, he's not creating that much impact with the Coca-Cola Tigers as their offense is concentrated on John Arigo, Ali Peek, and Billy Mamaril. He's on my top 5 list, though, but he hasn't lifted his team enough for him to win the Rookie of the Year award.

4. Jondan Salvador (Purefoods Chunkee Giants)
Jondan Salvador is a veteran rookie, having played in the MBA with the Professional Davao Eagles back in 2002, before the league folded up. He moved on to the PBL with the Monta?a, eventually earning the MVP honors after bringing his ballclub to its first finals trip in their franchise history. He also had stints with the SMB-RP National Team in the Jones Cup before drafted by Purefoods as the fourth overall pick of the 2005 draft. It was most notable that he was immediately inserted into the starting line-up by Coach Ryan Gregorio. I believe Kerby Raymundo and Jondan Salvador could be the next Alvin Patrimonio-Jerry Codi?era tandem in their team. He can play in the paint as well as play good defense. He plays effectively like a center, despite his size. He could have been a hot candidate for the Rookie of the Year honors, if not for his MBA stint and his unfortunate ACL injury in Game Four of the Purefoods-Red Bull Fiesta Conference Finals match. Marc Pingris assumed his starting role and has been playing good basketball in Jondan's absence, and right now is a hot candidate for the Most Improved player award. Meanwhile, we'll probably see Salvador again in the next season.

5. Macmac Cardona (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
He doesn't probably need much introduction as he has established his reputation in the amateur wars in the UAAP with La Salle. We all know about his no-nonesense-attitude, his unorthodox shooting which earned him the monicker "Captain Hook" which earned him the UAAP Rookie of the Year award back in 2001 and the finals MVP award in 2004, powering the Archers into the 2001 and 2004 championships (the latter being nullified about a year later). We all know how much he has learned with his Translation studies degree. He was a scoring champion in the PBL with almost 22 points a game while strutting his stuff with the exciting Harbour Center Portmasters and the ICTSI Archers.

Whoops, I still did introduce him.

His drafting as the fifth overall by the Air21 Express was memorable, not only to him, but to his followers, as ol' trashtalking buddy and Ateneo rival Wesley Gonzales received him to the howl of the fans (Wesley even gave him a hug!) But he never got to play along side Wesley, as he was traded to Talk 'n Text for Patrick Fran, as the Express are overloaded with guards in Ritualo, Tubid, Gonzales, and David. In the Phonepals line-up, he filled in to injured Willie Miller's shoes, piling up decent numbers at about 6 points a game. Eventually Miller returned, knocking his spot at the starting line-up as he rode the bench more. Following Coach Joel Banal's resignation and Coach Derrick Pumaren's promotion as coach, he slowly gained his gungho play, doubling his scoring output with a consistent 13-14 points a game. His intensity and fire is back, plus his new-look hair. His hookshots still eludes the defense played on him. With Willie Miller's depature, he is expected to play more minutes, double his output, and talk more trash on the court. (Gawd, you should have seen that Ginebra-TnT game which I'll blog... after I finish this).

6. Ni?o "KG" Canaleta (Air21 Express)
He didn't play much in the PBL, as he concentrated more on playing with the Cebuana Lhuiller backed National team, which was eventually disbanded due to the BAP-POC mess. He siglehandedly brought the rookie-filled UE squad back in 2004. Even with UE, he brought the house down with his rim-rattling dunks. Air21 is just fortunate to use their 6th pick to choose him, bringing with him his afro styled hair.

The only draft pick ever to suit up for Air21, KG Canaleta has brought his acts with the team, entertaining fans with oohs and ahhs in every slam dunk that he throws down. His popularity rose, following the Slam-Dunk contest in Laoag back in November 2005, as well as a MVP-like performance in the Rookie-Sophomore Blitz game. He also extended his range from inside the paint to beyond the arc. Hopefully, he will not only enter the national consciousness as a dunking king, but also an unstoppable scorer and shot-blocker. With the departure of Renren Ritualo in a stupid move by the Air21 Express, he is expected to fill in the shoes of the "Rain Man." Consistency is one thing he should work on, if he is being groomed to as Air21's next franchise player. He just did score 27 points last Friday against Alaska, but we have yet to see him peak.

7. Michael Holper (Ginebra Gin Kings)
With all the big-name rookies drafted ahead of Mike Holper, I believe he was Ginebra's next-best choice in the rookie draft. He didn't make an impact in the PBL though, as his team, Bacchus-Air Philippines, had a forgettable stint in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup. What can I say? He has solved Ginebra's small forward problem, a position vacant since Jun Limpot's departure. He adds to the list of Ginebra's big men, and he complements Romel Adducul and Eric Menk presence inside the paint. He's so versatile he can play the power-forward, the center spot (a position he's forced to play on Adducul, Menk, and Seigle's injuries), and even the #2 spot (in a game we watched in Cuneta when Ginebra played against San Miguel, in that rare Caguioa-Holper-Lampley-Adducul-Menk line-up). He's an added muscle inside the paint, both in the offensive and defensive side. He emphatically swats shots, and sneaks inside the paint for the putback. He can also shoot from outside, although not on a consistent basis, but if he can work on more outside shots (and actually making them), he can be an inside-outside threat. Another thing he can work on is his post-play, although that post assignment usually goes to Menk or Adducul. The only thing that's preventing him to bloom is Ginebra's star-studded line-up and its guard-oriented offense, that's why he's expected to make the most of his minutes on Menk and Adducul's injuries. A rookie to watch for in the coming years. Truly fit for the Ginebra camp. He reminds me of Nic Belasco's rookie year back in 1997 with Pop Cola.

(Dammit, I wrote a longer write-up for Mike Holper but I wasn't able to save it and my website session expired. Cookies. Gotta code those cookies soon.)

8. Paolo Hubalde (San Miguel)
He was the BIGGEST surprise of the rookie camp. San Miguel pulled off a shock when it drafted the son of the 1977 MVP and one of PBA's 25 greatest players Freddie Hubalde of Crispa. He had a forgettable stint in the PBL with teammate Holper, as their team Bacchus-Air Philippines didn't play big in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup, although he blossomed in the UE camp under Coach Dindo Pumaren, following the departure of Coach Boysie Zamar, James Yap, Ronald Tubid and Paul Artadi. Noli Eala describes Paolo Hubalde as a product of the rookie camp wherein he probably impressed San Miguel coach Jong Uichico.

The only problem he is encountering at the moment is San Miguel's powerhouse line-up. Yuh, that's an understatement. He has to fight minutes with Olsen Racela, Denver Lopez, Dondon Hontiveros, Chris Calaguio, Brandon Cablay, and Wesley Gonzales (whew!). Jong Uichico drafted him as a future pointguard, should Olsen Racela retire in the coming years, but he has Denver Lopez and Cablay now. The only thing I'm seeing is San Miguel releasing him to the dispersal draft soon with Welcoat Paints coming in the PBA soon. I hope that the PBA fans would not remember him only as the winner of the Trickshot challenge in the 2005 PBA All Star Weekend.

9. Leo Najorda (Red Bull Barako)
The former PBL star from Welcoat, and the 2003 NCAA MVP who led his alma mater San Sebastian to the NCAA championship, was picked by Red Bull as the last pick of the first round. Red Bull, I believe, got a quality player in Najorda which he can add to his unpredictable starting line-up combinations. He's a big man who can shoot decent shots from outside, as well as grab those rebounds and score from the inside. Coach Yeng Guiao described him as "a veteran rookie" when he scored 14 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against Ginebra last November 11, 2005 (most of it he scored in garbage time). Unfortunately for him, he was sparingly given quality minutes in the floor in their championship run last 2005-2006 PBA Fiesta Conference. Right now, he's coming off the bench and usually subs Enrico Villanueva and is scoring a good 4-5 points a game. We've yet to see him make a difference in the Red Bull line-up again, but anytime he's given the opportunity, we know that he'll make the most of it.

Why the Eagles are on Top: A Look in the UAAP Stats

2006-09-12T13:45:00.000+08:00

*note: the stats that were compiled and used were at the end of the first round. The author is taking a break from his version 8 coding just to finish this entry.

The roller-coaster, suspense-filled first round of eliminations in the UAAP Men's basketball tournament has ended. The Ateneo Blue Eagles are on top with an immaculate 6-0 card with an emphatic win over the UST Growling Tigers. Trailing behind are the pre-season favorite UE Red Warriors (5-2) and Adamson Soaring Falcons (3-3). The last four teams NU Bulldogs, UST Tigers, UP Maroons, and FEU Tamaraws all share the fourth and last place with identical win-loss slates of 2 wins as against four losses.

There must be reasons why they're positioned as such, and they're shown by the statistics of each team, each player, and each game. Stats are like grades: they measure and reflect how each team is doing/ has done so far, though on the other hand they don't capture the game experience as a whole. Trying to point out reasons behind each team's performances in the first round, I printed the stats from UBelt.com studied and compiled them (with the aid of a calculator) while going home on one lazy early morning.

Grab some popcorn. There are lots of numbers and analysis involved.

Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Blue Eagles are second in scoring, with 86.3ppg. This is a far-cry from their 70.2ppg from last season. They're led by starters Doug Kramer (15.8ppg), JC Intal (15.3ppg), Macky Escalona (11.8ppg), Chris Tiu (9.5ppg), and Rabah Al-Hussaini (8.2ppg). The supporting cast of Jai Reyes, Ford Arao, Yuri Escueta, and Zion Lattere are contributing a good 3-5ppg. While they're at fourth in total field goal attempts (with 413 total field goal attempts), worst in three point shooting (17 treys out of 70 attempts - also worst in the league), and second most fouled team in the league (with 194 attempts from the stripe), the Blue Eagles are making their shots with better shot selection at 44% FG shooting - the league's best. This also explains why the Eagles are the worst offensive-rebounding team (12.5 offensive rpg): they're making their shots, so what's the use of getting the offensive rebound?

In terms of playmaking, the Blue Eagles are playing efficient and smooth basketball. They are playing selfless basketball with 19.5 assists a game, the most in the league. That's like 39 points in one game, or even 58 points if all of their assists are converted into treys. The assists department are led by Macky Escalona (with 5.8 assists) and JC Intal (5.2 assists), with Chris Tiu and Yuri Escueta dishing out 2 assists each. Most of their assists are converted into points when they feed the "dog" Doug Kramer, who is leading the league in field goal shooting. Incidentally, Escalona and Intal (who's playing like a point-forward) are 2-3 in the league in assists. It's also worth noting that Intal dished out 10 assists in their game against UE (and two rebounds shy of a triple-double), and Escalona dished 10 assists in their game against UST and 9 assists each in their games against FEU and UP. The Ateneans turning the ball over 15.3 times a game, the least in the league. Leading the pack are Intal (3.2 TOs - 6th in the league), Escalona (2.3 TOs) and the rest with about a turnover each. What are those compared to Marvin Cruz and Bonbon Custodio, who throw the ball away at least 5 times a game? With very few turnovers, they limit the chance of their opponents to score (well, sometimes - remember Ford Arao's third quarter booboos in their game against NU?).

Speaking of their defense, still the Ateneans are dominating the field as they're allowing their opponents to score 75.3 points a game, the lowest in the league tied with Adamson. That's like leading as much as 10 points in each game. They're hauling down 29.5 defensive rebounds/game - the best in the league tied with UP and behind Adamson. By grabbing defensive boards, they're limiting their opponents' opportunities of scoring. They're forcing their opponents at least 18.5 turnovers - that's like preventing their opponents to score at least 36 points. Their steals department is something to note also as the Blue Eagles are second in the steals department with 5.2 steals a game. Intal and Escalona belong in the top 10 thieves in the UAAP as they combine for 3.4 steals a game (with each stealing at least 1.2 times).

2nd highest scoring team, most accurate shooters, most efficient basketball, least turnovers, great defense, and most especially a great fighting unit. Great basketball.

NU Bulldogs
The NU Bulldogs, I say, are the most scrappy team around. They have thrown 442 shots and made only 164 attempts en route to a 37% FG shooting (worst in the league). While they're having the worst 2 point shooting and free throw shooting at 41% and 59% respectively, they have shot 57 out of 186 from the three point land (accounts to 171 points) which have kept them afloat in their ballgames (They've made 15 attempts against UP and 13 against UST). So explains why they're the third-most offensive rebounding team with 15 caroms: they grab offensive rebounds and aim their crosshairs on the ring, miss their target, get the offensive rebound (repeat cycle). What's puzzling is their assists department - they're only sharing the ball 13 times (which translate to 26 or 39 points).

Speaking of scrappy, yes while they lead the league in steals (6.7) and blocked shots (5) and forcing turnovers (with 21.83 opponent's turnovers/game), they're just limiting their opponents to at least 83.8 points - the third worst. This can be attributed to their excessive fouls as they're giving up 28 fouls a game - which translated to giving at least 26 free throw attempts to their opponents. They're second worst at grabbing the defensive boards with 25.5 defensive rebounds a game.

Edwin Asoro is like a man possessed, as he leads the Bulldogs' charge with 17.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, and woohoo- turnovers with 3.6 a game. Jonathan Fernandez, who incidentally hails from Pangasinan, seems to be the second coming of former NU Bulldog "Alaminos Assasin" Lordy Tugade because of his outside sniping

UP Fighting Maroons
UP tops the scoring parade with 88.5ppg: the reason being they're tied with UST having the second most opportunities to shoot the basket with 425 attempts, making 170 of them. They're also the most fouled team, attempting 209 free throws and making 146 of them. The triumvurate of Marvin Cruz, rookie Migs de Asis, and Nestor David account for half of the Maroons' output. The supporting cast led by another rookie Martin Reyes dish out about 8-7 points a game. The Maroons hauled down at least 16 offensive rebounds a game, giving them more opportunities to score (They're also the top rebounding team with 45.5rpg). However it is worth noting that the Maroons are averaging 13.7 assists per game, third lowest in the league. Either they're too trigger-happy (with 40% Field goal shooting - second worst in the league) or they have confidence in making their shots.

While the Maroons are the highest scorers in the league, they're also the worst defensive team as they gave up 91.8 points a game. That's horrible. Nine of them throw the ball at least once adding up to 18.5 turnovers a game (second worst), with highest honors going to Marvin Cruz (with 5 a game). They the most fouling team with 29.3 fouls a game (led by Buyco, Cruz, and David). In their game against Ateneo, they gave out 36 fouls (ouch), which allowed Ateneo to make 39 out of 49 free throw attempts (49 - that's half of Ateneo's points).

Leading the Maroons to the final four would be a hard task to Coach Joe Lipa, who led the Maroons to the 1986 UAAP Championship with the likes of Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Eric Altamirano in its line-up.

UE Warriors
They're the pre-season favorites. Their living-up to it with a 4-2 record (as of this writing). I mean, you can speak greatly of them. Really. This season's UE Warriors could be one of the biggest teams that came from Recto since James Yap's 2002 team, or Allan Caidic's 1985 team. The A-B-C connection of Marcy Arellano, Mark Borboran, and Bonbon Custodio are leading the Warriors attack with 13.1, 14.6 and 18.9 points a game - that accounts to more than 50% of the Warriors' 84.7 output. They're the second most unselfish team with 16.3 assists a game.

However, one statistic struck me: their turnovers. The Warriors are throwing the ball 21.3 times - the worst in the league. I mean, that's the least that I'd expect out of the Warriors - but no. Ew. They had 30 against NU, 27 against FEU, and 25 against UST. Fine, they're forcing 20.1 opponent turnovers (2nd best in the league) and limiting their opponents to 81.3 points a game (3rd best), but they're throwing their balls away - that just knocks me off. Leading the UE-Give-the-Ball-Away contest are the A-B-C, who account for almost half of UE's total turnovers (with Bonbon Custodio leading with 4.7 turnovers). Had they played better ball handling, they could have given Ateneo a run for its own money.

Dindo Pumaren ought to teach his team ballhandling 101.

***
That's it kids, forgive me if I failed to analyze the darkhorses Adamson, FEU, and UST. Besides, I haven't watched all of their games except once each in their games against Ateneo. Hehe. I have lots of blogs to do and code to write. :)

Until the end of second round ;)

SBC vs Letran (Round 2)

2006-09-07T14:20:00.000+08:00

I haven't been following the whole NCAA Season but I've managed to watch a few games. Among them was yesterday's thriller between San Beda and Letran College. Actually I never watched the whole game, but I saw glimpses of it from time to time while I was using the computer. Anyway, if you were rooting for San Beda, it was a game to remember. But this game would be one to be forgotten for the Letran faithful.

The first half belonged to Letran as their defense contained the Red Lions causing one of the lowest scoring quarters in NCAA history (don't know exactly but its less than 10 for both teams). You would hear the crowd shout in unison as big plays were made on the defensive end. As Bill Velasco said, "The Letran Knights are playing like the Detroit Pistons."

But the second half was a different story. The Red Lions, led by Yousif Aljamal and Pong Escobal, slowly began chipping off the lead, agressively attacking the defense. While the Letran Knights, on the other hand, were losing their defensive edge, commiting fouls, which would send San Beda to the freethrow line, getting them back into the game.

Yousif Aljamal finally made the game-deciding play, blocking Bautista with the shotclock winding running down leading to a fastbreak layup that gave the Red Lions the lead for good, 4:06 in the fourth quarter. Rookie Sam "the Slam" Ekwe, though did not contribute much in scoring with four points, made up with his rebounding, hauling in 21 boards.

If this is a sign for things to come for the semifinals, you can be sure that this year's NCAA Final Four would be one to remember.

KG Deserves to Win

2006-08-24T02:14:00.000+08:00

Whether it be with the Wolves, or elsewhere... KG deserves to win.

Eagles wrap up first round in fine fashion

2006-08-08T20:05:00.000+08:00

Wow. Talk about pwnage.

This will go down in history as one of the sweetest live ballgames I will ever see. It's like seeing Phoenix Suns basketball in Ateneo Blue Eagle bodies! Amazing!

My favorite moment of the night happened a few minutes after the final buzzer, though. As the spectators were filing out of the Araneta, lingering Ateneans were treated to a very thoughtful tribute courtesy of the UST band (also still lingering from right across the Big Dome). The said band played our all-too familiar drumbeat (yeah, the one that goes *jug! jug-jug-jugjug! jug-jug-jujug-jujujug! jug-jug-ju--GO! ATENEO!!! jug! jug-jug-jugjug...*), to which our Blue Babble Band responded with their rendition of the also-familiar "Go, USTe" beat. An amazing show of sportsmanship, if I may say so--especially from the UST side. Man, I love college ball!

GO, ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

Know Your NBA Superstars: Royal Ivey

2006-08-07T12:40:00.000+08:00

The NBA has long been a superstar-driven league. With so many of them, it's only natural that we aren't familiar with all the superstars that have carried this league since it's inception. That's why here at East Rombo, we strive to educate the masses about the superstars that are not so super. Not every player can trigger an arena-wide brawl or instigate a nickname change to Mamba, but there is still something special and unique about each and every one of them. Yes, even Tim Duncan occasionally shows a faint glimmer of a personality.

Royal Ivey is known as a defensive-specialist. Measuring at just 6'3 but with a wingspan of 6'11, Ivey uses his long arms and great footwork (honed from years of dance training) to neutralize opponents. "I just carved right up in him, and he didn't show up" Ivey describes after frustrating fellow NBA superstar Casey Jacobsen to a 3-17 shooting night.

Now a starter for the Atlanta Hawks, Ivey can be described as a pillar of the Hawks rotation, averaging 13.4 quality minutes per game. He leads the league in fewest turnovers per 48 minutes (1.2) while averaging 1.0 assists and 0.3 turnovers per game. “I don’t get that many assists but I sure don’t want to turn the ball over,” said the 23-year-old Ivey. “I just stay within myself and don’t try to do anything extra. If somebody’s open I get him the ball but if not, I’m not going to force the issue.” His coach Mike Woodson endorses this "better safe than sorry" approach, which is reflected on their 26-56 record during the 2005-2006 season. Any doubters need only to know this: The Hawks will stay within themselves and won't do anything extra. If they can win, they'll try. But they're not going to force the issue. A winning formula indeed!

Amare is number 1

2006-08-03T11:32:00.000+08:00

Time for more Suns love again, offseason style!

Amare Stoudemire is number 1. Well, just literally--at least, for the meantime (doubters, beware. haha).

I can't believe I missed this when it came out. I noticed this change seeing my boy play in the recently concluded Vegas Summer League, but thought it was just a summer league number. Apparently, STAT has, in fact, decided to sport the number 1 on his jersey entering this season.

My *ahem* ball-mates would know that 1 is the same number I prefer to wear on my basketball jerseys--the very few that I have, that is--even though Shawn Marion's 31 is starting to look attractive as well. Haha. STAT sure does know how to make this fanboy happy.

While my reason for wearing uno is simply because I really don't pass that much (teehee), it seems that this is Amare's way to tell the world just where he wants and deserves to be: at number 1. Well, his return will surely be Phoenix's biggest offseason change, so hopefully the Suns will already be able to get there by the end of June next year.

Oh, and please spare me the Penny Hardaway--or heck, even T-Mac--jokes. Penny and STAT played together for about a year and a half. I'm sure Amare knew what he was getting into by putting on that number one. Hmmm... come to think of it, I hope he really does know.

P.S. Many of us on this blog may already know this, but Mamba has also announced a number change. He will replace his number 8 with the number 24. Is that some way to imply that he is '1' better than MJ, LeBron, Q-Rich, and J.R. Smith?

photo courtesy of Steve Kyle/Basketball News Services, from Suns.com

The Blue Eagles are 5-0

2006-07-31T14:49:00.000+08:00

Ginebra goes BIG BIG BIG!

2006-07-30T01:43:00.000+08:00

This PBA trade news from Philippine Star made my jaws drop. To cut the long story short, the Ginebra Gin Kings, Air21 Express, and Coca-Cola Tigers entered a three-way trade which paved the way for the entry of Rafi Reavis and Billy Mamaril to the Gin Kings camp plus rights to Rudy Hatfield, should "H-Bomb" decide to return to the PBA (according to this news, Rudy Hatfield intends to play in the PBA again). Gone from Ginebra are role players Aris Dimaunahan (to Air21 Express), Kalani Ferreria (to Coca-Cola), Manny Ramos (back to Coca-Cola again), and Ervin Sotto (to Air21 Express), plus draft rights for this year's draft to Coke. The Express gives up Ryan Bernardo to the Tigers.

I feel I have yet to pick up my jaws because they fell when I read the news. Still, I could not believe what transpired.

Shet. Fuck. It's as if the tables have turned. Somebody wake me up.

One thing bothers me: what the hell is Ginebra thinking. Or what the hell is Coke thinking.

Minus the traded players, Ginebra currently have Eric Menk, Romel Adducul (still injured), Andy Seigle, Mike Holper, Allen Salangsang, Rodney Santos (still injured), Sunday Salvacion, Mark Macapagal, Mark Caguioa, Egay Echavez, and Jayjay Helterbrand. Ginebra then acquires two players in Rafi Reavis and Billy Mamaril (and possibly Rudy Hatfield).

While the Gin Kings grew taller, they got short on their back-court. They lost Aris Dimaunahan and Kalani Ferreria. A surplus in big men is seen also: you have Eric Menk, Billy Mamaril, Romel Adducul, Andy Seigle jockying up for the four/five slot. Rafi Reavis and Mike Holper (plus Sunday Salvacion and Allan Salangsang) will rotate on the number three spot. That leaves Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Macapagal, Santos, and Echaves to rotate on the guard spots.

How will the exodus of players and the entry of big men affect Ginebra's player rotation, most notably its front court and backcourt? While Ginebra may be big this time, it has lost its high-octane speed when they lost Ferreria and Dimaunahan. The trio of Ferreria, Caguioa, and Helterbrand did wonders to Ginebra back in the 2005-2006 season. Plus, who are the 10 players which Ginebra will protect when the PBA holds its dispersal draft to new Welcoat Paints?

Totoo ba itich na magbabalik-coach si Jaworski? There were rumors that the San Miguel Corporation talked with the Living Legend to coach a SMC-owned team.

Meanwhile the Air21 Express seems to be happy with what they got from the trade. The only team in the PBA which has no Fil-Ams in its line-up, The Express now have the triumvurate St. Francis Alumni de Ocampo brothers and Sotto. That's nice, plus they have Mark Telan with them also, plus another guard in Aris Dimaunahan whom they always wanted to get. They lost only seldomly-used Ryan Bernardo (who played with the Lina-owned franchise since the days of the Laguna Lakers in the MBA).

The balance of force in the PBA shakes again with these trades. The intrigues build up when the PBA holds its dispersal draft and the rookie draft in August. It makes it more interesting to watch the PBA when the big league opens its doors on October 1, 2006.

Viva PBA! Go Ginebra!

Blue Eagles Flying Higher and Higher

2006-07-29T03:00:00.000+08:00

A third of the elimination round has finished in the ongoing 69th UAAP Men's basketball tournament, and we're seeing the Ateneo Blue Eagles flying higher and higher. The Blue Eagles are currently carrying an umblemished 4-0 card, with wins against the NU Bulldogs (which I blogged here), UP Fighting Maroons, a come from behind victory against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, and another victory against the FEU Tamaraws.

Though they are not star-studded, the Blue Eagles are sporting a very balanced line-up in each game they're playing. In the game against the UP Fighting Maroons back in July 16, 2006, the Blue Eagles were carried by the late game heroics of rookie Eric Salamat behind an 11/12 FT shooting, plus the infinite hustle of Zion Laterre and the consistent plays of veterans JC Intal, Doug Kramer, and Macky Escalona. The Blue and White survived the attack of Marvin Cruz's 29 points and rookie Migs de Asis' outside sniping, by establishing a comfortable 10 point lead going to the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, in the game against the Adamson Falcons back in July 20, 2006, the Blue Eagles survived a horrific 2nd quarter field goal shooting, a scoring drought after leading as much as 10 points with 5 minutes left in the game, a late game rally by the Falcons, which they all overcame via a come-from-behind victory. Doug Kramer and JC Intal played their consistent games, but it was Yuri Escueta and Chris Tiu who played big in the home stretch by unleashing two timely triples. Yuri Escueta doubled up on Falcon Ken Bono on the final seconds of the game and forced big Bono into a turnover by stealing the precious basketball. It would have been an upset had Adamson won against Ateneo, but the late game breaks went to the Ateneans' favor.

Top met bottom as the Blue Eagles took their unblemished 3-0 record against a surprisingly winless but victory hungry FEU Tamaraws. The Tamaraws unleashed an 8-0 start behind Tamaraw Arvee Mangahas' game face (hehe), but the Blue Eagles kept their composure and crept on to the Tamaraws lead behind the solid plays of the trio Doug Kramer, Macky Escalona, and JC Intal to lead the half 43-40. The Blue Eagles padded their lead to a comfortable 10 point margin entering the fourth, but FEU eventually took the lead behind the guns of Jeff Chan. An Escalona triple tied the game before the Ateneans eventually took control of the game behind JC Intal's and Chris Tiu's timely assists to Doug Kramer at crunch time which gave them a comfortable 5 point lead, 78-73, with 10 seconds left. Doug was solid from the free throw line behind an 8 of 8 free throw shooting, and produced his third consecutive double-double performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

From the looks of those victories, it is the consistent plays of veterans JC Intal, Macky Escalona, and Doug Kramer (who are the last remnants of the 2002 UAAP Champions) which is doing the trick: JC Intal for those slashing and running baskets, Escalona for those assists under the basket, and Doug's consistent double-double performance inside the paint. The bench also provide a solid and balanced offense, most notably Chris Tiu, Yuri Escueta, Eric Salamat, Zion Laterre, and Ford Arao. It's also worth noting though that Ken Barracoso and Jai Reyes have been getting limited minutes. So far because of his limited minutes, Jai Reyes hasn't lived up to his reputation of the team's outside gunner. Eric Salamat hasn't followed up his 17 point performance against UP, which probably brings pressure on his part as some scribes has named him already the league's Rookie of the Year this early in the tourney. He is lucky though that this early, he is given enough minutes by Coach Norman Black for a rookie.

It's also worth looking at the other teams now that we're seeing a relatively balanced competition. UST this early is surprising everyone, scoring upsets against the FEU Tamaraws and UE Warriors, after getting a defeat from the UP Maroons. The NU Bulldogs also are showing everyone that they are for real when they almost scored upset wins over the UE Warriors and the Ateneo Blue Eagles, before finally taking a bite on the FEU Tamaraws. Adamson too, is back on its winning ways by drubbing UP Maroons and the NU Bulldogs, but absorbed defeats from powerhouses UE and Ateneo. UP too is an exciting team to watch with its outside sniping rookies and super-scorer Marvin Cruz.

Anything can happen in the coming days of competition as the league is nearing half the elimination mark. Nothing is certain in the league. For the first time in years, we're seeing two slots suddenly opening up for the last final four slots, assuming Ateneo and UE enter the final four. We're seeing FEU drop to give rise to either UST, NU, UP or Adamson to fill in those slots: a position they haven't gone in for years. It's worth watching every game.

And for La Salle, oh don't claim that the UAAP needs you more than you need the UAAP. Don't say that just because you got suspended, suddenly Ateneo or UE are on top. Just sit down and relax and just watch the competition. Hehe :D

Go Ateneo, One Big Fight!

Team Philippines would've been awesome

2006-07-23T22:33:00.000+08:00

Team USA has been preparing it's team for the past several months beginning when they selected legendary NCAA coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and his staff. They have selected 30 of the best players that will best fit the team and require from them a (relatively) long-term commitment. A far cry from the previous selection process - just getting the 12 biggest American stars and put them together for a few weeks.

Now, if you remember, this is EXACTLY how Team Philippines was being built... only we initiated this process well before these Americans ever even announced their own plans, and the American press make it look as if what they're doing is completely novel and revolutionary.

Obviously, we were going in the right direction and we were a few steps ahead of the supposed global leader in basketball in terms of process. Just think where Team Philippines could've gotten if not for all of the bullshit our local basketball politics has had to go through.

I'm not saying that we would've had a realistic chance at challenging Argentina, Lithuania, the U.S., or any of the established big teams in the international basketball scene any time soon, but we certainly would've been able to at least leave our mark in FIBA basketball and build for the future.

Manual's Make-Your-Own-Baller-Name-Contest

2006-07-14T14:19:00.000+08:00

Have you guys read MANual's mag for July? It has really interesting articles, like "PBA's 1985-1995 vs. 1996-2006 players: who will win." and this article which talks about how our player's monickers somehow deteriorated through the years, especially in the PBA scene.

Gone are the Julius "Dr. J" Erving (because he operates in the middle lane), Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, Dominique "the Human Highlight Reel" Wilkins, Larry "Basketball Jesus" Bird, Ervin "Magic" Johnson, and Michael "Air" Jordan. Even in the PBA, gone are the names like "Big J", "Fortune Cookie", "The Scholar", "Director", "Captain", "Flying A", "Point Laureate", "Tower of Power", "Triggerman", etc.

Instead, we have Bong "The Hawk" Hawkins (as pointed out by our very own Alvin Ang), Andy "the Eagle" Seigle (wtf), "Dynamite" Danny Seigle, Eric "Major Pain" Menk, Asi "The Rock" Taulava (this really sucks), Kalani "X-Factor" Ferreria (because of his stint in.. yep, Xerex the Movie), James "Boy Thunder" Yap, etc..

Monickers identify players. They stick with them. You identify players based on their monickers. You remember them. They become legends. But when you're named "The Hawk" or "the Eagle" or even "Mighty Mouse" because it rhymes with your name, or your height, that kinda sucks. Or just because you appeared on a movie or a show.

Which is why Manual launched this Make-Your-Own-Baller-Name-Contest. For details, well, buy the magazine. hehe. Basta it doesn't have to be pointed to a particular player. Think of a name. Just pour out your creative (err... not man) juice. I'll post the mechanics later. Maybe our blog could become famous because of this! haha.

Or maybe we could create one for each of us. haha. Like Eumir "Hindi na naeu-eumir" Gaspar. Or G "underhand-freethrow shot-na-hindi-pumapasok" Abrencillo. Alvin King "the King" Ang.

I personally like my monicker. Thanks Jeff S. :D

Goodluck to us! :D

2005-2006 PBA Leo Awards Predictions

2006-07-12T10:13:00.000+08:00

The 31st season of the PBA is coming to a close. Funny how the celebrated league opened with a Red Bull-Purefoods game back in October 2, 2005, and will close with the two teams disputing once more for the coveted championship. The Leo Awards (named after Leo Prieto, 1st Commissioner of the PBA) will be held before Game 4 of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup Championship. Once again I, the PBA follower and the Ginebra fanatic, will give my bold predictions on the awardees as unbiased as I can.

Go Ginebra!

Rookie of the Year
Darnit, I didn't finish part 2 of the evaluation of the PBA rookies. Anyway, it's no brainer that Larry Fonacier will win the award. How he got back at his playing form after suffering an ACL injury back in July of 2004 and reoperated again last year and not able to participate in the Rookie Camp is something wonderful and remarkable. He has become an integral part of the Red Bull offense, and was a key player in Red Bull's semifinals campaign against Ginebra early this year (which I still can't get over). He's one of three rookies (the others being Jondan Salvador and Mark Macapagal) who was awarded best player of the week award, and he did it twice. Amazing. Also, he's one of only few players who was drafted in the second round but emerged as the Rookie of the Year (the other being Gerry Esplana).

runner-ups include: Mike Holper and Mark Macapagal of Ginebra, Paolo Bugia and Leo Najora of Red Bull, and KG Canaleta of Air21.

Most Improved Player
I have four candidates for this one: James Yap, Marc Pingris, Roger Yap, and Lordy Tugade. For me, Marc Pingris showed his vast improvement after being traded to Purefoods from Air21. He gained his minutes, blocks shots, grabs rebounds emphatically, and also scores. Roger Yap, meanwhile, has become an integral part of the Purefoods offense as well. He was the solution to the point-guard woes of Purefoods in the past two years. Lordy Tugade, meanwhile is the most underrated player and most overlooked for this award, I believe. The "Alaminos Assassin" has reached his peak, as he has led Red Bull in scoring most of the time. Norman Black even commented that Lordy Tugade should really be considered in the Pilipinas National Team for his outside shooting.

However, I'm betting that it is James Yap who'll win the award. It's not just because he is the darling of the media, but also he has a game to back it up. Unbelievably, this former PBA rookie of the year runner-up is leading the MVP race in statistical points (whatever happened to you Rich Alvarez!). Kris Aquino must have done something to him.

Defensive Team
I can only think of three names at the moment: Wynnie "the snatcher!" Arboleda for his steals, Dorian "the Junkyard Dawg" Pena for his rebounds, and Marc Pingris.

Mythical Team
The following players will compose the mythical team selection: Mark Caguioa (for leading the league in points scored, and kasi Ginebra sya hahaha), Danny Seigle (for winning the Best Player of the PBA Philippine Cup), Nic Belasco (for leading the Alaska Aces to a final four finish in the PBA Philippine Cup), Marc Pingris (who disloged Mark Caguioa from the MVP race and is currently ranked 5th in statistical points), Kerby Raymundo, Enrico Villanueva, Lordy Tugade, and James Yap. So far, I'm missing two point-guards, and I bet they will turn out to be Roger Yap and Jayjay Helterbrand.

The first team will be composed of the following: Roger Yap (G), James Yap (G), Lordy Tugade (F), Kerby Raymundo (F), and Enrico Villanueva (C). They are there not only because of statistical points, but also for leading their respective teams to two finals appearances.

The second team will be composed of the back-court tandem of Jayjay Helterbrand (G) and Mark Caguioa (G; who's again disloged from the mythical five because of another player whom he plays the same position with and in this case it is James Yap), Danny Seigle (F), Marc Pingris (F; disloged by Enrico Villanueva), and Nic Belasco (C).

Most Valuable Player
Perhaps this is the most difficult award to predict, but we have five candidates based on the statistical points at the end of the semi-finals match of the PBA Philippine Cup in this order: James Yap, Enrico Villanueva, Kerby Raymundo, Lordy Tugade, and Marc Pingris. The top three candidates Yap, Raymundo, and Villanueva, are too close to call. Yap's lead in the statistical points is no guarantee of an MVP (which happened to Mark Caguioa last year) award. Before I give my verdict, I'll narrow down my choice into two first: Enrico Villanueva and Kerby Raymundo.

Enrico Villanueva may have an advantage for winning the PBA Fiesta Conference Best Player award, but has dipped his presence in the Philippine Cup. While there are a lot of players in the Red Bull camp who can provide good offense, there's no doubt about Enrico's role as Red Bull's top and franchise player. Same with Kerby Raymundo (who ironically came from Red Bull). Kerby has led the Giants on a consistent basis. Kerby is Purefoods main man. As I have said, Enrico's team has a lot of good players who can shine on any given time. Enrico plays with power, Kerby plays with smooth style.

Enrico may be a favorite because of his Best Player of the Fiesta Conference award and for leading Red Bull to the Fiesta Conference crown, but I'm rooting for Kerby Raymundo if the basis would be a player's worth to a given team. Purefoods go where Kerby leads them.

It's worth noting that back in the PBL when Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao was the commissioner of the amateur league, Guiao started the "Raymundo-Villanueva" rivalry, and he showcased the league between these two players. Meanwhile, another thing to note is that in between James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, this year's MVP votation is one of the closest between teammmates. Back in 1993, Jerry Codinera led the MVP race behind and Alvin Patrimonio, but the latter won the award. A teary-eyed Patrimonio hugged (awwh) Jerry Codinera as a sign of respect. Cool.

Another thing I'm betting on is Kris Aquino will rant on James Yap's loss to the MVP race in her show The Buzz!

Finally
The ongoing Philippine Cup finals between Red Bull and Purefoods is also too close to call, and I'm betting that it might reach a game 7. Purefoods may emerge as the victor, not only because I'm rooting for them and I don't like Red Bull, but because of their two-game advantage over Red Bull. But anything can go. Purefoods was down 0-2 and 1-3 in their semifinals assignment against Alaska but still won in the end. Same goes with the Miami Heat (ugh!!!). Besides, Purefoods has a point to prove.

And I'm watching the games tonight live. woohoo!

Floor is open for comments, deliberation, and tomatoes.

Still Rusty

2006-07-11T13:39:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since Rocky and I last watched an Ateneo UAAP basketball game. The last one was back in September 25, 2005, when La Salle defeated Ateneo in the final four. The Ateneo-La Salle Dream Games back in December 8, 2005 was close to a UAAP game, only that there was PBA music during play instead of the Babble/Pep Squad's drumbeat and cheers. Before I packed-up for this game, I made sure I brought the right jersey to wear (not a Ginebra jersey) and the right aura and attitude. I started chating "Gi-neb-ra" instead of "One Big Fight" during the UAAP game and Rocky had to constrain me (withdrawal symptoms). "This is UAAP and not PBA," I kept on repeating to myself those words so that I would be convinced that the PBA season, as far as I'm concerned (PBA season is the Ginebra season) is over, and the Blue Eagles' season has started anew.

Enough about the PBA. Let's talk about the Blue Eagles and their performance in the UAAP against the NU Bulldogs. Promise. No more talks about Ginebra. Go Purefoods!

***

This year's UAAP basketball season is exceptional with De La Salle University serving its one year suspension. On their absence the recruitment market was shaken, not only for basketball but also in other sports as well. Even before the UAAP started, the University of the East Warriors were labeled as favorites for this season, followed by the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, plus another team (which I'm betting will be the scary University of the Philippines Maroons! OMG Maroons!). The Warriors, who won their last championship back in 1985 with Allan Caidic and Jerry Codinera, are parading most of their players in their line-up last year, plus a number of "rookies" (or transferees, Pumaren style).

The Ateneo Blue Eagles meanwhile lost star point-guard LA Tenorio, Magnum Membrere, and Badjie del Rosario (must I say finally? hehe) to eligibility, plus Japeth Aguilar who's trying his luck in the US NCAA schools. Returning are Chris Tiu (with his elbow) from his Junior Term Abroad (JTA), Yuri Escueta and Johann Uichico from "Team Glory Be". Team-A returnees include veterans JC Intal, Doug Kramer, and Macky Escalona, plus Martin Quimson, Ford Arao (from an ACL injury he sustained last season), Ken Barracoso, Zion Laterre, and sophomores Jai Reyes and Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Completing the cast are rookies Eric Salamat, a former Staglet, and Eman Monfort from Ateneo de Iloilo.

From the looks of it, whether he likes it or not, this Blue Eagles team is JC Intal's team. Compared to the 2002 Champions Blue Eagles, one can see that other than JC Intal, there isn't a consistent scorer or someone who can pick up the scoring load (or a "super-star"). Back in 2002, the offense is spread to either Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Wesley Gonzales, Larry Fonacier, or LA Tenorio. I believe that this team will go where JC Intal goes. UBelt.com even believes that JC Intal may be awarded the Most Valuable Player at the end of the season, but the season has barely started anyway. If Japeth didn't leave for the US, I wouldn't worry about the Blue Eagles' chances this season. The Blue Eagles will also be defined by how big the supporting cast step up and back-up JC Intal.

Last Saturday's game between the Blue Eagles and the Bulldogs was anything but a game of spurts and runs. It was surprising to see that the Blue Eagles fell behind to the NU Bulldogs early in the first quarter. They managed to get back by the end of the half, but lost to NU at the third. The Blue and White conducted a run highlighted by an Intal slamdunk which was enough to survive the Bulldogs' late game rally. Surprisingly, in a game which many though would turn out as a lopsided game ("NU lang yan!" as Rocky would even claim. After all, we defeated them by 33 points last year), turned out to be a close game.

It was a game of opening day jitters and it was evident with how the Blue Eagles turned the ball over a couple of times (21 turnovers as against 17 turnovers by NU), the most notable was Ford Arao's inbound play in the dying seconds of the third quarter after an NU fastbreak, which the Bulldogs stole again and converted to put them up by one point, 56-57. NU's airball treys and Flor's airball freethrows were something also worth noticing (hehe).

Macky Escalona's ala-hoy shots and his treys weren't there, but he compensated these with timely passes inside the lane to Doug Kramer inside the paint. Also, another worth noticing was Ateneo's infinite hustle, led by fisherman Escalona (who must have caught a lot of fish on the floor). In one of the plays Macky Escalona tapped the ball off an NU player, and chased the ball from going out of bounds. JC Intal chased the loose ball from going out of the base line and passed it to streaking Yuri Escueta who again passed to Hussaini en route to a three-point play.

Rabeh Al-Hussaini, bucking on Japeth's absence, was easily shoved inside the paint but his hardwork to grab the rebound was rewarded with free throws thanks to NU's penalty situation. However, his style of play is really different from Japeth's. How I wish he could dunk the ball more or swat more shots next time. Meanwhile each of Jai Reyes' treys were very timely. His three point bombs could lift the Ateneo faithful from their seats. However, he was well defended in the second half as the Bulldogs must have respected Jai's outside shooting.

It was a well-balanced attack, with Ateneo's veterans leading the scoring spree, plus Jai Reyes, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Yuri Escueta. The others, I believe should step-up more in the next games: Ford Arao, Chris Tiu, Johann Uichico, Zion Laterre, Eric Salamat (who only attempted twice), Johann Uichico, and Ken Barracoso (who only played 3 minutes).

Defense should be another point to ponder for the Eagles, especially during the home-stretch. If NU's main man Edwin Asoro made his free throws in the last 2-3 minutes, the game could have been closer, worse, the Eagles could have lost the game. Their defense should be consistent and hard enough not to give NU a chance for a scoring run.

If this will be the way Ateneo plays in the ongoing UAAP tourney, they will encounter big trouble ahead. This, considering that they "only" played against NU. Hopefully they'll learn from their mistakes, spread out the scoring better, play better defense, and assert themselves enough to give UE a scare. And oh, I do hope that Ateneo's alma-mater song would be played better and faster next time. Ugh.

One Big Fight! Go Ateneo!

Go Purefoods! I'm not shouting One Big Fight to Red Bull!

There is a reason he is called "The Rock"...

2006-07-09T21:30:00.000+08:00

First, it was PBA legend Phillip Cesar. I didn't see that particular episode, so no comment about that (any help, Charlo?). But then, ABC5's Shall We Dance came up with this:

Nope, your eyes are not fooling you and neither are you drunk (or high--whichever applies more often in your case). That is Asi Taulava. Doin' the swing.

Mismo!

I get the feeling Noli Eala's responsible for this, somehow...

Seeing that I have no real authority to comment on his performance myself--because I'm sure there is no way in heck that I could do any better than Asi, haha--let's just hope someone puts this on YouTube some time soon.

Anyway, the judges were über-nice to Asi. They all gave him 8s and a lot of "he looked real cute on the dance floor" remarks. Apparently, TV viewers felt the same way, as Asi and his partner (sorry, ma'am, I was too distracted by the dancing Asi phenomenon to catch your name) now find their way to next week's show, thanks to text votes (and yeah, the fact that Regine Tolentino thinks that Asi's dimples are cute). I guess ABC5 is right in saying "Astig maging iba" (I'm not even sure if that's still their station catch-phrase).

Hwooh.

By the way, the pics are © 2006 Jason Marges. Haha. It was a spur-of-the-moment idea to post about this, so pardon the poor picture quality (not that it would have mattered if I had, in fact, planned for this beforehand... man, I talk too much).

Toronto, Portland, and Chicago go nuts

2006-07-05T11:11:00.000+08:00

And you thought the NBA was done with all of the craziness during the draft...

Last summer the biggest deals we witnessed were the Eddy Curry fiasco with Chicago trading him to the Knicks (it's almost tradition every year Thomas does something that leaves the world scratching their heads) and the Larry Hughes deal with Cleveland to play with LeBron. Sure, those were big-name deals, but nothing fantastic.

It seemed the Colangelo was going to set the tone for this crazy off-season by making two trades within the first two weeks after the finals - getting rid of Araujo to get Humphries, and (perhaps the better deal of the two) getting Rasho for Bonner.

Then... madness.

The draft was crazy as Eumir pointed out in the previous post. Fifteen trades occured that night, with Portland truly Blazing the way being involved in six of them. It's a bit amazing how they were willing to take on four rookies (although it seems likely that Freeland will stay in Europe). Also amazing is how Randy Foye has gone through three teams this early in his career. And don't forget about the unofficial-as-of-yet trade of Rudy Gay + Stro Swift for Shane Battier.

Two days later, surprise, surprise - Colangelo isn't done yet. He trades Charlie Villanueva for TJ Ford. Then - hold on to your horses - Portland picks up ~~Tsi~~ ~~Stk~~ ~~Shtk~~ Tskishvili! OMG.

Ben Wallace goes to Chicago and now the Bulls seem to want to trade Chandler for PJ Brown and JR Smith (this trade doesn't make complete sense for Chicago although it kinda works). Przybilla turns down the Pistons and stays with the Blazers(!!!) which in turn opens the door for Nazr Mohammed to get good minutes while still getting a chance at a title in Mo Town. Peja agrees to go to New Orleans, Radman goes to the Lakers (damn him again) then Tim Thomas leaves the Suns to replace Vladi with the Clippers. Nene signs for an insane 60M over six years despite coming off the bench for his entire career and just coming from an ACL injury last year, which puts Kenyon Martin and his 70M knees of glass on the trading block.

Players are getting dealt and/or overpaid left and right. The looks of entire teams are changing. It's only the first week of free agent negotiations.

After all of that insanity, what can I, as a Minnesota Timberwolves fan, look forward to? The improbable prospect of Paul Shirley making it to the Wolves final roster after this year's summer league. *sigh*

Go Foye!
Go Wolves!
True Blue, baby. (In more ways than one. OBG. Haha.)

___________
Images of Randy Foye and Ben Wallace: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)

Craziness

2006-06-29T12:09:00.000+08:00

Yep, that's what this year's draft is about. The picks being switched and traded like there was no tomorrow. Some were even questionable. Well, I think they were questionable. Maybe someone can shed light into some of the moves that I thought were questionable. Here are some of them:

1. Boston - Portland trade
Boston gets:
G Sebastian Telfair, C Theo Ratliff and 2008 second-round pick

Portland gets:
Rights to No. 7 pick (Randy Foye), F/C Raef LaFrentz and G Dan Dickau

First, Telfair has skills, and to trade him for Dickau is weirder. Sure, Dickau exploded 2 years ago when Baron Davis was injured (they were still in the Hornets then), but Telfair is still young and has potential. Dickau on the other hand is growing old, but we'll see. The questionable move here is Ratliff for LaFrentz. I don't know what style of play the Blazers will be running this year, but I think they're trying to run and gun like the Suns. Three-point shooters and runners are what they're after right now, especially when they traded Foye to get Brandon Roy.

Foye made twice the number of Roy's threes (although he also attempted twice as many) so if they're running and gunning, the logical choice would be Foye, which they traded for Minnesota. Which is just weird. But it's not as questionable as the other trades...

2. Minnesota - Portland trade:
Minnesota gets:
Rights to No. 7 pick (G Randy Foye)

Portland gets:
Rights to No. 6 pick (G Brandon Roy)

Boy, Portland sure is trading in high gear right now. Minnesota's pick was one pick higher than Portland's. They should've taken advantage of this and asked Portland for more cash or a throw away player (who knows, they might get the next Boris Diaw) instead of just trading outright.

3. Memphis - Houston trade
Memphis gets:
Rights to No. 8 pick (F Rudy Gay) and F Stromile Swift

Houston gets:
F Shane Battier

Waitaminute. Waitaf*ingminute. The news said they only traded Gay for Battier. Hmm. This isn't so questionable after all, since they will also be getting Stromile Swift back (why the hell did they trade him away in the first place?), BUT the real question here is why Memphis is giving away Shane Battier. This guy can do almost everything and he is the second-option for the Grizzlies. He can rebound, block, score, steal, and all and they traded it all for a rookie? Hmm, yeah, Gay has potential, but to trade Battier for him isn't a good idea. Maybe they should've just traded Brian Cardinal for him, even if they didn't get Stromile Swift. Sure, Gay and Battier both have the same position, but Cardinal also is in that position. It would've been better to start Battier then have Gay come off the bench first.

I SURELY doubt they'll be starting Brian Cardinal next season. If they do, then I guess I'll be waiting for the offseason as early as December.

4. Phoenix - Portland
Portland gets:
Rights to No. 27 pick (G Sergio Rodriguez)

Phoenix gets:
Cash considerations

Jason, do you know anything about this? I seriously don't get the point. Cash considerations? Pfft.

Well that's all for today. I don't want to look into the late first round and second round trades. I've been shaking my head for the past 5 minutes here.

Disclaimer:
I'm no expert draft analyst or anything but I just comment on what I see and know about. So if any of you could just kindly shed some light here on these trades, then please do so.

Sources:
Yahoo! NBA

Shawn Marion, I wuf you!

2006-06-27T20:30:00.000+08:00

It's amazing how Shawn Marion keeps popping up in trade rumors each and every year (twice a year, even--during Draft season and towards the trade deadline). It's not like he's disgruntled about his place on his team and is asking to be dealt. As a matter of fact, he's not; the only thing that's starting to bother him is the perennial lack of recognition of his achievements as an individual player. Guess it really is tough to be the most expensive player on a squad that has yet to go all the way in the postseason.

With Draft Day '06 fast approaching, there's been a lot of noise dragging the Matrix's name around in the mix:

Chicago is one of the teams rumored to be involved in a Marion deal. Pieces involved would be Tyson Chandler and their top pick, the smokin' No. 2 overall. Yummy (the second pick, I mean), but nah. The Suns have only been an injury away from the Finals the past two seasons. I see no reason for them to start "building for the future" again. In any case, the article has also stated that Bulls GM John Paxson himself has denied any truth to this rumor.

Another rumor involves Seattle, and this one makes me a little nervous, because it actually makes sense--from a "payroll predicament" point of view, that is. This deal would send Marion and Brazilian beefcake Leandro Barbosa to the Sonics for Rashard Lewis and Danny Fortson and maybe a coupla picks (the Sonics have the No. 10 and 27 picks). Player-wise, of course, I'm not buying. 'Shard, if I remember, has been a little injury-prone of late, and Fortson... well, let's just say it might be nice to see a lot more Fortification* go in favor of the Suns, but no thanks. He's just not Phoenix Suns material, methinks.

What scares me about these rumors is that:

Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver might just be inclined to consider his payroll in the coming seasons, taking into consideration the likely re-signing of...
A very all-around (just like Shawn) and young (not much quite like Shawn) Boris Diaw, who was originally intended to be a backup guard, but is now a part of...
The now rather crowded frontline on the Suns roster. (I think it's a little crowded for a team that thrives on small balls.) The yet unanswered question of coexisting and sharing playing time for the big guys might convince the Suns organization to make some moves. Diaw's emergence last season might put a hurt on Marion's state on the team, but I know that's just crazy talk.

As always, I place my trust in Coach Mike D'Antoni (who I believe has also taken over GM duties for Phoenix; am I right?) to make the right decision--i.e. keep Marion~~, dammit~~. But also as always, I remain very concerned. D'Antoni, at least, is saying the right words so far by publicly stating that the Suns intend to hold on to Marion, despite being open to listening to offers.

Here's hoping for the best.

GO SUNS!

* Read more about getting Fortified here and here.

Everybody Makes Mistakes

2006-06-27T09:33:00.000+08:00

As I was reading some articles. I came across this line from Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan from an article regarding Isiah Thomas having only one year to fix the Knicks.

Dolan acknowledged that the team "made a mistake" hiring Brown.

It sucks to be Larry Brown right now. However, how about all thosee moves the franchise made? Getting numerous players who want to be superstars, weren't those mistakes too? I guess we'll all have our answers after next season.

It Feels Good to be Right...

2006-06-22T23:09:00.000+08:00

And that is exactly how I felt after Miami clinched the championship. Everyone I know, except for maybe 3 people, were rooting for the Mavs. Everybody was saying that the Mavs are too good, they are too versatile, they can play fast or slow, they are well-coached and they can solve world hunger. Even my girlfriend was rooting for the Mavs just because Dirk looks like Shaggy.

Someone I know even said that the future of the NBA hangs in the balance. That if the Heat win we are going back to the dark ages, i mean the 90's, where teams try to pound the snot out of each other. While I don't believe that is going to happen partly due to the combo of high scoring stars, stricter rules and the lack of a true enforcer in the league, what is so wrong with that? While I love a high scoring game as much as anybody, I also like to see tough defense and well executed half court offense. Not to mention the amount of (near)fights we are going to see. Am I the only one who's willing to pay to see Artest and Bowen go at it?

On a completely unrelated note does any one remember this?

Does anyone notice something wrong with this? No? How about KG not pushing back? I don't mean retaliating in an all out war kind of way but just pushing back until refs and teammates separate you just to make a point. Just to prove to anybody that nobody messes with their alpha dog. I bring this up because of this.

What the hell? It looked like Dirk shook the stationary bike then put it neatly back in place. You think Dampier would've fumbled that crucial pass if Dirk broke that bike in two? No. He will be too afraid to fail. Sometimes the alpha dog needs to show genuine anger to wake his teammates up(not the chewing out teammates in public kind which Dirk used to do).

Ever wondered why Dennis Rodman never messed around when he was with the Bulls? Not just because he respected Michael but because he knew MJ would kick his ass. Same with the rest of the Bulls. Now consider Spree essentially dooming the T-Wolves' season right after they almost went to the West finals and ask yourself why he was able to do that. It wasn't just because he is a self-obssesed asshole. It was partly because he was not afraid of KG.

Am I saying Nash needs to start tossing things around? Not at all. It's just that sometimes to make your teammates better you have to make them be afraid to fail.

An Ode to Kobe

2006-06-22T21:31:00.000+08:00

I hate you, I hate you very much
I hate the way you play, I hate the words you say
I wake up everyday, thinking you are gay
Not a homo you might say, just lame in every way

I hate you, I hate you very much
I hate it when you lie, I hate it when you're high
I see the shit you try, and watch it til you cry
It's fun I will not lie, I'll love it til I die

I hate you, I hate you very much
I hate the names you choose, I hate the girls you use
I like it when you lose, get bitches and some booze
You might just blow a fuse, cause Mamba hates the blues

I hate you, I hate you very much
I hate the L.A. Lakers, I hate you bunch of fakers
I used to hate the others, Horry, Fox and Fishers
But then they left the Lakers, now they're like brothers

What's wrong with this picture?

2006-06-20T05:47:00.000+08:00

Nothing, actually. Until you check the caption from its original source.

Aw, what the heck, I'm posting it here anyway--before they edit it. Look closely. (Just click it to biggie up.)

Ginebra vs. Red Bull Game 4 Notes

2006-06-16T04:15:00.000+08:00

Taking a break from work and armed with lower box tickets, Virgil and I trooped to Araneta Coliseum for Game 4 of the ongoing quarterfinal round between Ginebra and Red Bull.

The game was so horrible, I could only come up with the following case points:

Case Point #1: Red Bull's Big "D"
From an 11-12 Red Bull lead by the time we arrived at the Big Dome, the lead bled up to 10... 20... and even for God's sake 30! Red Bull has finally put on the clamps on the receipients of the best players of the week Mark Macapagal and Eric Menk, who prior to the game were averaging 21 points and 28.5 points in the Gin Kings' back-to-back wins. By the end of the 1st half, Macapagal and Eric Menk had three points each. By the end of the third quarter, each had 10 points but stopped producing in the fourth. Eric Menk had 12 points, Mark Macapagal with 10 still. Aside from that, Red Bull's back-court press forced Ginebra into a lot of horrific turnovers, which the Bulls converted into baskets to pad up their lead. :( The Kings couldn't even pass the ball to Eric Menk at the post.

Case Point #2: Ginebra's horrific shooting
Allan Salangsang, is 0 out of 8 from three point land. Macapagal is 1 out 7 from beyond the arc, and 1 of 3 from the two-point area. Eric Menk was horrible also with 3 out of 11 baskets made. In fact, Eric Menk played so horrible that he had to be benched in favor of a faster Ginebra line-up with Mike Holper manning the paint. Mark Caguioa, once a consistent free throw shooter, missed 3 out of his 8 attempts. In the end, Ginebra was 17% from the three point distance, and 47.6% from two points, resulting into 38% field goal percentage on 35 out of 92 attempts. Ugh. Ginebra's bench contributed only 27 points. Trigger-happy Mark Caguioa tried to rally the Kings with his 39 points, but was eventually benched when the 25+ lead couldn't be brought down midway the fourth quarter.

Case Point #3: Red Bull's awesome field goal shooting
6 Bulls in double figures (you may add Rich Alvarez if you round off his 9 point production to 10). Mike Hrabak, Mick Pennisi, and Rich Alvarez firing treys. Topex Robinson hitting his jumpshots (aside from grabbing 4 offensive boards). Lordy Tugade scoring like his usual self (with a poker face after each basket made). Junthy Valenzuela hitting his fade-away shots. Ugh. 40 out 81 shots made, producing a 49.4% field goal percentage. (Larry was shooting airballs though! yay!) Leo Najorda scoring on perimeter shots. Enrico Villanueva making his free throws (9 out of 10!). Cyrus Baguio making his first baskets in the first quarter. WTF. All 12 Red Bull players fielded in produced points. WTF. WTF. WTF. Ginebra was just practically trading baskets with Red Bull as they couldn't defend Red Bull's field goal shooting.

Case Point #4: Bench
83 points scored by the Red Bull bench against 28 by the Ginebra bench??! WTF. Hmm... I wouldn't be surprised though, because Ginebra's scoring load is REALLY concentrated on their starters, and Red Bull's line up is so flexible, any player can be inserted at the starting line-up any time. Caguioa was fielded in almost the entire first half and played 43 minutes. Macapagal played 35, Menk played 33, Ferreria with 31, Holper with 29. Ginebra only fielded in 8 players (it was a surprise Manny Ramos didn't play), with Sunday Salvacion playing in pain. As contrast to Red Bull who fielded in all their 12 players, each played at least 20 minutes. The effect of the injuries on the key Ginebra players are finally kicking in. :( Sadly, we didn't see bench players Salangsang, Salvacion, Sotto, and Echavez stepping up (I have to note that at least one of the bench players in Ginebra plays big). This is really getting depressing. The bench will definitely play a role in game 5 tomorrow.

Case Point #5: Ginebra has won all Game 5 games and knock-out matches except twice since the 2004 season.
With the series tied at 1 apiece, Ginebra won its semi-final match against Talk 'n Text back in the Fiesta Conference in 2004. Tied at 2-2, Ginebra won game 5 against San Miguel in the Philippine Cup back in January 28, 2005. Also, tied at 2-2 in the best of 7 finals against Talk 'n Text back in February 9, 2005, Ginebra scored a victory in double overtime. In this year's Philippine Cup, Ginebra clawed their way back in order to defeat Air21 Express in that knock-out wild-card round.

They lost however, two important knock-out matches against ironically, Red Bull. Red Bull, armed with a twice to beat advantage, clawed their way from a 24 lead by Ginebra to win by one, 89-90 back in June 11, 2005. Red Bull likewise killed Ginebra back in Game 7 in February 5, 2006. Ugh, painful losses still in my head.

They have to f*ckingly beat Red Bull.

Case Point #6: Never-say-die spirit coming back
Losing Eric Menk to injury, the undermanned Ginebra squad defeated a revamped Talk 'n Text squad back in May 12, 2006. Without Jayjay Helterbrand, Ginebra won against Air21 in that knock-out wildcard round. They're clearly the underdogs this time, but Mark Telan has something fitting to say about Ginebra.

"Ginebra yan pare, walang disadvantage-disadvantage diyan."

Case Point #7: Keys to Ginebra win on Game 5
The trio of Caguioa, Macapagal, and Menk have to deliver the goods. If the defense will be concentrated on them, at least one or two bench players HAVE TO step-up. Aldric musn't watch the game live. The curse of the Ynares Center shouldn't be there! please oh please oh please.

As for defending Red Bull... err... I'm just praying Red Bull would lose their touch from the field. Play good defense on Red Bull's perimeter shooters, and get Villaueva in foul trouble!

That's it. I'll sleep now and watch the game this evening [darnit, I wasn't allowed to take a vacation leave for this day].

Pagbigyan nyo na ako... paminsan-minsan lang ito... gumaan ang naghihingalong pusooooo...

***
G: kumampi ka sa Ginebra, bertdey ni Caidic kahapon!

Old vs. New

2006-06-12T14:58:00.000+08:00

It's been mentioned many times before; this year's NBA Finals is a battle of the NBA of the old vs. the NBA of the new.

Heat vs. Mavs

Riley vs. Johnson

Power vs. Finesse

I believe it was Mr. Sportsguy himself that suggested that if either the Mavs or the Suns made it all the way, the emerging winner would pretty much change the face of the game in the NBA. I believe that is true.

The Heat seem to be the only winning team that is as orthodox as they are. They have a dominant big man in O'Neal, pure points in J-Will and Payton, a hussling PF in Haslem, (somewhat) versatile SFs in Walker and Posey, and a slashing SG in Wade. I could run through the whole team and describe how much this team resembles the prototypical championship team in the NBA for the past 50+ years. And with Pat Riley running the show, you can be sure that he'll be playing his team the way the NBA has played most of its champions the past few decades.

Then these Mavs come along. They used to be known for their offensive explosions, but with newcomer, Avery Johnson, at the helm, they've started to play some serious D. Who wudda thunk it. To add to the mix, this team is far from prototypical. When it comes to their regular bigmen, one was barely in high school when Shaq was named one of the 50 greatest players of all-time, and the other is as inconsistent as... umm... can be (?). No pure PG in the entire regular rotation, and no pure SG or SF either. After the centers, almost everyone else can play at least two positions. We won't even have to discuss how unique and utterly awesome Dirk Nowitzki is.

I won't be giving out a prediction (because the Mavs will win in 6), but I do want to point out that the future of the game of the NBA is at stake this year in the Finals.

The East Rombloggers are on strike

2006-06-11T22:47:00.000+08:00

It's the NBA Finals!

And our teams are all out of the running! (I think.) Coincidentally, no one's been posting anything here as of late. Ain't it funny? Haha.

Oh well, I'll go out on a limb and predict that the winner of this NBA Finals Series will be...

... whoever gets to four wins first! (Because whoever gets to five wins would just be stupid.)

Go Suns!

Dream's End

2006-06-04T11:02:00.001+08:00

(Click to enlarge. Apparently, the text is a tad too small.)

Ugh.

The Suns simply died in the second half. Again. Tough, tough, tough way to go out.

Call it an excuse--or me, a whiny loser--but hey, injuries couldn't have caught us at a worse time, for the second consecutive year (remember Joe Johnson from last year?)! I firmly contend that had Raja Bell not been out for two games in this series, Phoenix would have been the team closing it out today. Oh, well. Sayang lang talaga, kasi ang ganda sana ng chances ng Suns laban sa Heat.

Props to the Mavs for taking the series. Can't say I'll root for you in the Finals (because I want to spoil Antoine Walker and Gary Payton's bid for a title. Heehee), but I can't say I won't (because Dwyane Wade kicks ass).

Ooh, by the way, remember this? I won't go into something like that anymore, but I'll have to say this has been an even better Phoenix Suns team. Let's not forget that we're still missing a certain Amare Stoudemire in the mix, and yet the team ends up one win better than last year's Conference Finalists. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is. Let's just hope we can find enough room for Amare, Boris, Kurt, and Tim Thomas (gotta re-sign him first, though) next year. And for the love of all that is sunny, enough with the Marion trade rumors already! Baka magtampo pa yan, kayo din...

GO SUNS!

P.S. Hindi wrong grammar ung title ng post na 'to. Trust me.

What does RP Basketball need?

2006-06-02T13:10:00.000+08:00

In light of the little debate going on from one of the previous posts, and a little conversation I had with my mom while watching this morning's game between Phoenix and Dallas, I found myself wondering once again what it would take for Philippine basketball to become a competitive force internationally.

And I don't mean stuff like more height, or better athleticism - these are things we just can't help. Unless the country starts some kind of immigration and "inter-racial marriage" program to infuse the athleticism of people of African descent or the height of the Caucasians, we won't be getting any bigger or faster any time soon.

What I believe we need is a change of style of play. In the international scene, we would generally be considered to constantly playing small-ball because of our obvious lack of height. Why don't we take that to heart? Instead of keeping our 6'5" "bruisers" on the ground deep in the post as our official "big men", we need to start the trend of making our "big men" more like Euro big men - versatile with finesse. There's no possible way most of our bigs will win any shoving matches.

Look at Phoenix. Coach D'Antoni has successfully brought in the finesse/run-and-gun game of Euro-ball, and infused it with the amazing athleticism of NBA players. BOOM. Instant contenders.

Obviously, copying the Suns offense isn't very applicable. We don't have a Marion or a Stoudemire. We're more like a team of James Jones, a Raja Bell here and there, perhaps one Barbosa, and one Steve Nash... at best.

All I'm simply suggesting is that we should stop using the kind of half-court basketball that exposes our weaknesses once our game is brought to international competition. Filipinos aren't exceptionally athletic nor big, but I'm sure some basketball genius out there can find the right style of play that'll make RP basketball explode just like the Suns have learned to do.

Anticipation

2006-06-02T11:28:00.000+08:00

Heat or Pistons? Mavericks or Suns? Who will meet in the NBA Finals?

In this exciting playoffs, almost any team can get in. Miami? They need a win in their next 2 games to advance. Detroit? They play their best when 'their backs are against the walls' - just look at their recent win over Miami. Dallas? They have showed toughness and beating the defending champs makes them a force to reckon. Phoenix? Like the Pistons, they can jump back at you even in a 3-1 deficit.

So who will advance and who will win?

I'm rooting for Dallas and Detroit in this one. With Detroit winning Game 7. But Dallas is slowly making me a fan, with Josh Howard and Dirk being almost unstoppable when they're in the zone. Plus, the only reason why I hated Dallas back then was because of Steve Nash, so there's no reason anymore hehe.

As for going against Miami, I'm very impressed with Dywane Wade, but that's just it. Only he and Shaq are doing most of the work, with their iconsistent teammates alternately having a good game. In theory, as long as 1 or 2 of their teammates contribute well, they can win, but what if none of them do? That's the problem with this team - consistency.

I am rambling again here, with my actual point just two paragraphs above, but bear with me. For the scenario above to happen, Detroit MUST stay focused, with Sheed stopping his trash talk and doing what he should do - make his shots.

As for Dallas, since I am a stat whore, look at the Dallas win-loss ratio when Josh Howard gets 20 or m0re points - 24 wins - 0 losses(counting their recent Game 5 win over Phoenix today) So my suggestion for Dallas: give the ball to J Ho til he gets 20 pts, sit him, and then let Dirk and Jason Terry take over from there.

The Ultimate Pick-up Game

2006-05-30T09:27:00.000+08:00

Imagine a basketball game where we have to fight aliens for the fate of our planet. We have the entire NBA roster at our disposal. The game goes down the wire and with ten seconds left, and a giant death ray ready to fire once the buzzer sounds and we are at the losing end, here is where things get interesting.

Scenario 1:

With 10 seconds remaining we are down by 1. We have possession of the ball. Who will you put on the floor?

Scenario 2:

With 10 seconds remaining we are ahead by 1 point. They have possession of the ball. Who will you count on to play defense.

Choose wisely. The fate of the planet is in your hands.

My Picks:

Scenario 1:

PG - Steve Nash
SG - Lebron James
SF - Carmelo Anthony
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Tim Duncan

Scenario 2:

PG - Dwyane Wade
SG - Ron Artest
SF - Bruce Bowen
PF - Andrei Kirilenko
C - Ben Wallace

Dirk Nowitzki: A David Hasselhoff Disciple

2006-05-28T22:27:00.000+08:00

Remember in the Western Conference semifinals wherein Dirk made clutch free throws to lead Dallas to victory? After being asked what the secret was to his calm under pressure, he revealed that he sang songs to ease his mind (David Hasselhoff being the example he gave). For those unfamiliar with Hasselhoff's musical career, he is a favorite in countries such as Germany. The movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story even had a German team which worshipped David Hasselhoff. After witnessing this music video by the Hoff-man himself, I too became a believer in Dirk's free throw rituals.

Hooked On A Feeling, David Hasselhoff

Not content with this particular music video, I sought out even better ones to use in situations just like Dirk faced. This has nothing to do with basketball, but perhaps you will be able to forgive this off-topic foray after watching it.

Music Video 1 (4 min)
Music Video 2 (30 sec)
Music Video 3 (2 min)

stevie and dirk go head to head

2006-05-25T06:55:00.000+08:00

And rightly so. Because this is what they end up doing when they're together.

13 vs. 81

2006-05-23T17:27:00.000+08:00

I came across a YouTube clip of T-Mac's 13 points in 35 seconds to defeat the San Antonio Spurs from last year. It was absolutely amazing. Bruce Bowen - arguably the best perimeter defender in the NBA - was all over him. He did everything but grab McGrady by the arms and slam him down on the ground... and yet McGrady scores 13 points in 35 seconds. The Rockets were down by double digits with less than a minute to go, and T-Mac miraculously scores 13 points in the last 35 seconds to beat the 3-time NBA Champions, Spurs. Have I mentioned that he scored those 13 points in 35 seconds with Bruce Bowen all over him? Well, he did.

Now this got me thinking, how did this feat compare to Kobe's 81-point explosion to bring the Lakers back from a 26-point hole against the Raptors?

Kobe's 81:

Many would remind you that 81 points is second to only Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record, 100 points. Kobe also brought the Lakers back from a 26-point deficit. Being behind by 26 points is a whole other matter compared to being down by 10.
Kobe's shots just kept going in. To sustain that over the course of one quarter, much less three quarters, is simply amazing. Never mind 35 seconds. Kobe did it for more than 35 minutes.
With an entire second half, the Raptors had the opportunity to constantly change Kobe's looks. On one possession, he'd have Mo-pete on him. The next, Jalen Rose. Sure, none of them are Bruce Bowen, but Kobe was able to take whatever they gave him and take it to his advantage.

T-Mac's 13:

He did it against the San Antonio Spurs. That fact alone counts for a lot. The Raptors are no San Antonio Spurs. And T-Mac didn't just do it against the San Antonio Spurs; he was matched up with Bruce Bowen. C'mon. No on scores 13 points like that against Bruce Bowen.
This was all in crunchtime. A large chunk of Kobe's points came after the Lakers had already secured the win. All of McGrady's shots went in with his team down, except for that last miracle shot that gave them the lead with 1.7 left.
He did it against the San Antonio Spurs. 13 points in 35 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs in crunchtime.

It's a pretty close comparison, but I'd have to say T-Mac's feat takes the cake by a narrow margin. What say you?

Kinda feel sorry for Kobe now

2006-05-20T22:53:00.000+08:00

Scoop Jackson on ESPN.com explains why Kobe is caught in hoops purgatory.

His two theories say it all:

Theory 23/45/23: Had Michael Jordan never existed, Kobe Bryant probably would be the most celebrated basketball player in the world.

If MJ had "never existed", LeBron would probably be the next Kobe.

Theory 8/24: Had Kobe Bryant come into the league in 2002 with Amare or 2003 with LeBron, D-Wade, C-Bosh and Melo, or in 2004 with Dwight, or any year after Michael Jordan left the NBA, the comparisons would not haunt him the way they do.

So true. Kobe, Hill, Penny all had to become potential heirs to MJ's greatness and fail (Kobe, least so) before everyone gave up associating the next big thing to MJ.

I really suggest that you read the entire article if you have the time. It'll definitely make you reconsider your opinions about Mr. Bryant.

Can The Cavs Actually Pull This Off?

2006-05-19T21:45:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow the Cavs try to finish off the Pistons. That is amazing considering that nobody actually gave them a chance to win and if anybody tells you otherwise they are lying.

This may actually end up like the final battle between Eugene and Toguro. With the spectators (us) crying for blood and not giving Eugene a snowball's chance in hell to win. And you know we may have been right (Game 1 & 2) but something happened. Toguro got cocky and starts mouthing off. But just as he is about to finish off Eugene, Alfred (Gooden's shot in Game 4, Z's big first half and Marshall's block in Game 5) attacks. Of course he wasn't much help in the actual fight but he bought Eugene enough time to regroup and even pretended to die so that Eugene can dig even deeper. And you know what? In the end the audience turned on Toguro and start cheering for Eugene (us again), and he actually pulls it off. He pulled off the most freaking monumental upset in the history of anime in the Philippines.

So are we headed in that direction? I really can't say. As much as the Pistons are on the ropes they can still win. Just like Manny Pacquiao when he first became a champion against a Korean who the only thing I remember about is part of his name, 3K Battery. Remember Manny was definitely going to lose that fight but he got a lucky punch in and 3K Battery was knocked out. And that is exactly what the Pistons need, a window of opportunity and they can still turn this series around. The Cavs better not let their guards down.

Phoenix Must Win in 6

2006-05-19T10:39:00.000+08:00

As I write this, game 6 between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers takes the stage as the only game today in the playoffs, and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for the Phoenix Suns to win this one and advance to the next round. All-season long they've been running a 7-man rotation (with the occasional 8th man in the mix). Nash and Marion - the two stars who are making it all happen - are playing more than 40 minutes a game with their run-and-gun offense. They're human too; they need rest.

After going all the way to seven games in the first round (two OT games included), they barely had any time to recuperate before going back to LA to battle the Clips. This is the opportune time to get their rest if they are to even hope of getting a shot of getting to the finals. Dallas and San Antonio have a very good chance of going to seven games. If the Suns win now, they will earn at least a couple days of rest. Even if the Mavs were to pull an upset, the Suns would still have afforded themselves a little break before the next round.

If Phoenix were to advance to the Western Conference Finals, I highly doubt that they can possibly win in less than seven games against either the Mavs or the Spurs... so for everyone rooting for the Suns, you better hope that they win "tonight" and be able to regroup for the onslaught of the next round.

[Update: LAC. 118-106. Even if the Suns win the next one at home, I wouldn't bet on them getting to the finals now.]

At Least He's Still Rooting for LA

2006-05-17T19:56:00.000+08:00

As I was reading the results of this morning's NBA Playoff games, notably the Suns-Clippers game, I found this:

Noted Lakers fan Jack Nicholson was on hand to root on the other Los Angeles team from a seat behind the Clippers' bench.

Balimbing amp*ta! Hehehe. I guess the joke's on him. Pun intended.

Training

2006-05-17T16:16:00.000+08:00

Although my birthday and Christmas are months away, I just want to say that if I get a gift like this, I will love you forever.

Top Ten Similarities between LeBron James and John "Bradshaw" Layfield

2006-05-17T10:21:00.000+08:00

10. Both are 6 footers.

9. Both weigh more than 200 lbs.

8. Both are great Americans, living the American dream.

Through courage, hard work and determination, they have achieved prosperity many people could only dream about.

7. Both earn big money.

With their talent, do you think a million dollars is enough?

6. Both are men amongst men.

The Top 5 remaining reasons will further convince you of this claim.

5. Both are on the verge of achieving legendary status.

Bradshaw is slowly carving his own niche, defeating superstars who earned the respect of fans and of the business itself. Among those who have fallen to his mighty hand include the Undertaker, Chris Benoit, and the late Eddie Guerrero to name a few. He is also a highly decorated superstar, with numerous titles under his belt.

LeBron James on the other hand is known to be the player who will take the NBA to the next level. At his age of 21, he has achieved feats only a few could boast of. With his superior skill, he is often compared to the game's greats such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson etc. At such a young age, we could definitely expect more on the upcoming years.

4. Both have fame that most people could only dream about.

Talent + Money + Media Exposure = Fame

Enough said.

3. Both are their respective franchise's icons

Similar to the titan Atlas carrying the world on his broad shoulders, both LeBron and Bradshaw carry their frachises, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Smackdown respectively, on theirs. Not an easy task as many might say, but for these real men, "All in a day's work".

2. Both are anointed monickers that imply divinity of some sort, separating themselves from mere mortals.

LeBron = the Chosen One
Bradshaw = the Wrestling GOHD!

AND FINALLY...

1. Both men possess three letters that signify greatness: J-B-L

With such a similarity, could have there been any doubt? Hehehe

Attempt

2006-05-15T08:35:00.000+08:00

This is an attempt to rip-off YaySports with their photoshopped images. WHEE.

And yes, the crappy dialogue boxes were deliberate. And yes, I think by the look of LeBron's face, Ben just pulled off a Reggie Evans. It's just that the King liked it that's why he didn't punch or shove Ben. Besides, who would be crazy enough to punch or push Big Ben? Even Ron Artest wasn't.

Matchups

2006-05-14T22:03:00.000+08:00

This postseason has had exciting matchups since round 1 (with the exception of a few which I won't name since we all know who they are), but as always, everyone's looking forward to the matchup. The east side vs. the west side. The NBA Finals.

And although at first I thought that in the end, Detroit and San Antonio would have a rematch, the current matchups are saying otherwise. It's 'almost' everyone's ballgame.

Like almost everybody, I'd like to see some interesting matchups in the finals. And here are some matchups that I'd want to see:

1. Miami vs. Phoenix

Just because they both have names pertaining to 'heat'. This matchup would be blazing hot. Or not. Without Kurt Thomas, the Suns would get owned by Shaq. But hey, it'd be a good marketing thing for the Finals.

2. Detroit vs. Dallas

They split the season series 1-1. Although I don't want Dallas to win (there's no love for the team that sweeped Memphis - BOO!), I'd pick the 'lesser evil' since I also don't like the Spurs. So there. It'd be an exciting fight though - both teams have a balance on offense and defense.

3. Cleveland vs. Los Angeles

GO UNDERDOGS! WOO! I still think LA is the underdog in the LA-Phoenix matchup simply because they haven't been in the postseason for such a long time. Same with the LeBrons... I mean the Cavs. May the best underdog win.

And before you all scream bloody murder for me being biased on the teams I root for (well duh, why would I watch teams I don't like? hehe):

4. Miami vs. San Antonio

EW. But then, it'd be a matchup of Duncan vs. Shaq. And Wade vs. Ginobili and Parker. And Payton vs Horry? Hahaha or maybe Van Exel! Woo!

I just realized I'd be at a loss on who to root for when this matchup actually happens. So to choose which is the 'lesser evil', I'll pick the team with the fewest things I don't like.

Heat:
a. Shaq
b. Asshole Stalker
c. Shaq. I mean Pat Riley.

Spurs:
a. Duncan
b. Parker
c. Horry
d. Bowen

Yey! Go HEAT! -_-

We be ballin... with style

2006-05-13T18:40:00.000+08:00

I was walking around Greenhills with my mom, my sister and her boyfriend while they were shopping for a fake Louis Vuitton bag for my sister's boyfriend's mother. Lo and behold, in one of the stalls I found a Louis Vuitton basketball. I'm f*cking serious. So I thought that this wonder of wonders was simply some creative attempt at making fake unusual Vuitton goods. Sadly, it seems that I am wrong.

This a picture of a geniune Louis Vuitton basketball that I found on the Internet. (I have no idea why I didn't think of taking a picture of the ball I saw in Greenhills.) The fake one I saw even had a fancy brown leather ball-carry that came with it. No doubt that the real one also comes with one.

Picture from:
http://basketball-sporting-goods-cat.ioffer.com/i/Louis-Vuitton-Basketball-10227605
Another page:
http://basketball-sporting-goods-cat.ioffer.com/i/Louis-Vuitton-basketballs-Only-55-7792617

[First one is from a guy in LA. The second is from a guy in Singapore. Further proof that this is for real.]

I also think it's worth mentioning that there was also a Louis Vuitton soccer ball in the same stall.

NBA Thoughts with the Eraserheads

2006-05-08T18:45:00.000+08:00

I love OPM Music. I love basketball. And what better way to spend my idle time than to mix the two together. Of course I was also inspired by how Bill Simmons used Pearl Jam to hand out playoff predictions, so yes this concept has been ripped off from somebody. And with a tribute album released this year I have decided to pay tribute in my own way to one of the best bands ever, the Eraserheads. So here are my NBA thoughts with more than a little assist from the E-heads.

Hika ang inabot ko
Nang pinilit sumabay sa'yo

Precisely what will happen if anybody tries to run with the Phoenix Suns.

Sa wakas ay nakita ko na ang aking hinahanap
Sa wakas ay nakuha ko na ang aking hinahangad
Kay tagal ko ng naghintay at nagsunog ng kilay
Ngayon ay masasabi ko na ang matamis na tagumpay

To Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Lebron James and the LA Clippers who finally made the playoffs. Of course Reef was ousted in the first round while James will get his ass handed to him by the Pistons and I seriously doubt if the Clippers can get past Phoenix or the winner of the Spurs-Mavs series, but still...

Magda-drive ako...

What Vince Carter should do if the Nets would ever stand a chance against the Heat. Drive strong and get to the foul line. Don't settle for outside jumpers.

At ngayon, di pa rin alam
Kung ba't tayo nandito

To Pau Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies who after getting their twelfth straight playoff loss must be wondering if they really belong in the playoffs.

May mga kumakalat na balita
Na ang kaligtasa'y madaling makuha
Bago maniwala, magisip-isip ka muna
Marami ang namamatay sa maling akala

To Isaiah Thomas who for all intents and purposes killed the Knicks franchise because he thought stockpiling "assets" was the way to go.

Lift your head
Baby don't be scared

To all the teams who didn't make the playoffs because they aren't the New York Knicks, except maybe the Trailblazers.

Iba na ang 'yong ngiti.
Iba na ang 'yong tingin.
Nagbago nang lahat sa 'yo

To Boris Diaw who has improved vastly since being traded from Atlanta. On a related note...

Sana'y hindi nakita.
Sana'y walang problema

Yes Atlanta, hindsight is 20/20.

You're lightyears away from me

To the Milwaukee Bucks who was overmatched in every aspect against the Pistons in the first round. It sucks to be an eighth seed.

Sana noon pa man ay sinabi na sa iyo,
Kahit 'di na uso ay ito lang ang alam ko

To Tim Duncan whose style of play is said to be "outdated" and "boring" but like the El Bimbo, it will always be effective if used properly.

Alkohol, alkohol, utak mo'y buhol-buhol

To Mike James whose quotes can only come from someone who must be drunk. In fact I'm giving him a new nickname right here...The Walking Contradiction. Jalen Rose was a runner up by the way.

It's so hard to believe...

To Anthony Johnson, who I thought could never outplay Jason Kidd if Kidd had one hand tied behind his back, for proving me wrong. His performance was like watching Brokeback Mountain expecting only gay scenes and then out of nowhere Anne Hathaway shows her breasts. Amazing.

I've been standing here waiting for the bus
On a Saturday laundry on my back
Ultraviolet rays like i'm posing for a shot
In a magazine what the hell does it mean?

To Kobe Bryant who I was waiting for to take over in their winner take all matchup with Phoenix but you know what? It didn't happen! Damn you Kobe!

Everybody rise and shine

To Robert Horry and Manu Ginobili who appears to have suddenly awoken now that the playoffs are here.

Umiikot ang mundo
At hindi humihinto
Ngunit ang kalagayan mo
Ay hindi nagbabago

To the Golden State Warriors who, now that the Clippers and Cavs have reached the playoffs, must be the team with the longest non-playoff run and they should blame Baron Davis, the biggest cocktease in the NBA. After raising the fans' expectations and helping Golden State get a lower pick he suddenly injures his knee mid-season. Can you imagine what could have happened if they got Chris Paul or even Andrew Bogut? This guys was also responsible for destroying the Fantasy League campaign of someone I know.

Something to Think About

2006-05-08T11:51:00.000+08:00

Has anyone of you wondered what Lebron said to Arenas after his first miss on the freethrow line for a potential tie (tie nga ba?)? He sure looked so down after that talk from Lebron. Maybe he told Arenas, "Gilbert, it's time to let go now. Don't let the hate consume you..."

Another thing, Ben Wallace won the Defensive Player of the Year award again. Aside from his stats, I think what really helped him in winning this award is his reputation as a player who focuses on defense instead of offense hehe. I just wish other players would have received the award such as Kirilenko, Camby, even Bowen. I didn't include Ronnie since he has been sidelined much of the season.

Too bad it wasn't an underdog year for the playoffs. It would have been an interesting turn of events if a few of the underdog teams have won. Oh well, just hoping for the best on the upcoming games.

The Phoenix Suns are pacifists

2006-05-07T23:08:00.000+08:00

(or "Apparently, 4% is not 0%")

Oh, no. I've now officially read too much Yaysports! NBA, as I am now beginning to adapt the site's manner of writing entry titles (i.e. simple sentence structures). *cough*ripoff*cough* Haha.

PHOENIX SUNS 121, Los Angeles Lakers 90

Whew. That was some series, huh? I mean, heck, it's been a great round of the playoffs so far for nearly everyone--except perhaps for Bucks, Nuggets, and Grizzlies fans. But of course from a very personal standpoint, playoff series don't get any better than this here (at the same time, it doesn't get any worse than this, either--I missed the real fun games to watch live because I suddenly found work again, not that I'm complaining about it). And dare I say it again: it has only been the freaking first round! Hwooh.

Right now, though, disappointment (and yes, that H-word) spreads across the whole of the world--except in Arizona and deep within my heart--as a highly-anticipated civil war in a sunny California city has officially been dismissed. The Phoenix Suns are for peace and unity and free-flowing team play, I tell you.

But man, that was really some first round. Seriously, 1-3? Talk about beating the odds. The Suns practically had only one such odd going their way: that they never lost a first-round matchup. Everything else went against them--they were up against a very storied LA Lakers history, after all. Still, they recovered, they regrouped, and they kicked ass. Made me proud, boys. I love you all. Hugs and kisses. *heart bubbles*

Now, Phoenix challenges the perennial other team from the City of Angels--who all of a sudden became the greater threat just this season. The Suns and Clips split the season series. The Clips are rolling with a helluva swagger--and a big frontline. The Suns are just rediscovering theirs--and still hoping for Kurt Thomas' return...

I say, let's get this party started!

Looks to be another kickass series ~~which I'll miss again because of work~~. Hwooh.

GO SUNS!

Second Round Predictions

2006-05-07T16:47:00.000+08:00

It has been an exciting first round series but now it is time to look forward. So here are my second round predictions.

East:

Heat vs. Nets:
The Nets are in trouble. Seriously. If you look are their lineup there is no one who can matchup against Shaq. And as much as Shaq decimated Chicago's frontline, he's going to have an seasier time against New Jersey's. Of course they could have something (I hope they do have something) designed to stop Shaq so let's just watch out for that.

Series Factor: If Vince Carter drives strong to the hoop or settles for fade away jumpshots.

Prediction: Heat in 6.

Pistons vs. Cavs:
Lebron needs help. As good as he has been in the first round series against the Wizards he has to tackle an altogether different beast. For starters Prince is a much better defender than anyone the Wizards threw at Lebron. If he does get past Prince he has the Wallaces to look forward to.

Series Factor: Lebron's supporting cast. If they can help the Cavs stay close up to the time when Lebron has to take over they may have a chance.

Prediction: Pistons in 5.

West:

Suns vs. Clippers:
As much as I have wanted an LA vs. LA matchup this promises to be a very good matchup. As always the key would be to stop the Suns from running and that means controlling the tempo dumping the ball inside and reducing your turnovers. The Clippers have the advantage if the pace drags down into a half court battle.

Series Factor: Kurt Thomas's return. Without a legitimate big man the Suns are going to have trouble handling the Clippers down low. I actually thought the Suns are going to prove to everybody that they can win without a big man, now I'm having second thoughts. Oh, and if Dunleavy finally decides not to put Cassell on Nash.

Prediction: Suns in 6.

Spurs vs. Mavs:
I love the Mavs. Their transition from an offensive minded team to one that gives more importance to defense has been amazing and I consider the Spurs to be the underdog in this series. But I'm going to go with the Spurs on this one. Why? Because they have Tim Duncan. His numbers have been down lately but for someone playing on one foot his numbers are pretty good.

I actually have a friend who does not consider Duncan a factor and a leader in the Spurs team saying Duncan's production has gone down drastically. And I guess that is the problem when you play too much Fantasy League. You begin to focus too much on stats and not look enough at the intangibles players provide. How about Tim's leadership? How about him playing through an injury and not demanding to be the focus of the offense but instead provides the other things you would want from a big man? And I don't care what you say about Duncan but he is a proven winner.

Kevin Garnett may have posted better numbers but if Duncan plays 70 games the Spurs are making the playoffs. Tim Duncan in many ways is like Master Jeremiah from Ghost Fighter. She is old and is probably weaker than all the other fighters but the wealth of experience she has acquired from past battles still makes her formidable.

Series Factor: Experience. The Mavs and Spurs are evenly matched and whoever pulls out something extra would win the series.

Prediction: Spurs in 7.

You know who it sucks to be right now?

2006-05-07T10:48:00.000+08:00

The Wizards. Man, they lost three - THREE! - games to game-winning shots, two of which were from the same guy - the unstoppable King James, himself. The last game was definitely the worst loss. Arenas, an ~80% FT shooter misses the two FTs that could've clinched them the game.

Who else does it suck to be?

The LA Lakers. Damn. They were up 3-1. That's 3-to-frickin-1. One win away from advancing with three chances to do it. And they tire to let the Suns tie it, then get blown out in game 7. Geez.

I truly feel sorry for these two teams. I've become a big fan of Arenas and his eccentric (read: weird) ways and it really sucks to see him and company get eliminated. And while I really did want the Suns to win, I have a lot of newfound respect for Kobe. It's just unfortunate.

Oh well. While I wait for the Timberwolves to start preparing for next season...
Go Clips!

Offseason

2006-05-04T22:22:00.000+08:00

Yeah. Go sour grapes!

I just realized that if the Rapers win tomorrow (they are now officially the Rapers, because of Kwame's 'sexual assault' case), we will all be waiting for the offseason, with the exception of Joe-poy (who's actually rooting for Artest... I mean the Kings... who are also at the verge of elimination).

All the teams we rooted for have fallen one by one: G's Utah Jizz (who never were contenders anyways hehehe peace), my Grizzlies (Game 4 was a fluke. Dirk should have been called for a flagrant foul, not a measly personal foul), Bit's Supersonics and Timberwolves (same with G), Alvin's 76ers (got cut off from the playoffs at the last minute), Jason's Suns (Rapers! Rapers!), and Joe-poy's Kings (actually I also like the Kings to win, but still... the Spurs are STRONG).

Next season, let's just pick the worst teams instead of the best teams. It might be more exciting that way (well any team besides the Knicks).

Hurray for sour graping!

Finishing moves: Raja's Clothesline to Hell

2006-05-04T11:06:00.000+08:00

Almost as intimidating as PJ Brown's Baseline Piledriver.

Be careful of what you say: George Karl

2006-05-04T10:53:00.000+08:00

I love going through basketball news and rumors and finding quotes that are just screaming an implied but not explicit message.

"I want Kenyon Martin healthy, for him and maybe for the Denver Nuggets," Karl said. "It's got to be a mutual agreement."

So he wants Kenyon to be healthy. Good for him. He's a caring human being after all. But then he adds, "for him and maybe for the Denver Nuggets."

Karl is a good coach, undoubtedly, but if I was Kenyon, I'd have trouble even considering staying if given the choice.

Evans grabbing Kaman

2006-05-02T01:06:00.000+08:00

I'm surprised that no one has posted the video or even talked about it here yet. Well, here's a video. For your enjoyment, it also features the post-game interview with Kaman on the subject and some commentary by the TNT team.

I find it really curious that no one seems to even be attempting to get Evans' side of the story. It's also curious that I have only read one rumor on Hoops Hype that even mentions the possibility of Evans getting suspended.

Underdogs

2006-05-01T10:00:00.000+08:00

This year's playoffs is really exciting with teams really grinding each other out and even getting so emotional that they get fined, suspended and snap at each other.

Here's a recap of the matchups so far (the Cavs and Wizards are playing as I type, and the Spurs-Kings match is yet to start):

[sidenote: Let's check how long I write an article. The Cavs-Wiz score is at 90-98, respectively, with 2:48 to go]

1. Detroit vs Milwaukee (Detroit leads 2-1)
Since last year, I have been a fan of Detroit mainly because of two things: they beat Kobe's Lakers in 2004 and I really don't like Tim and the Spurs. I didn't like Kobe because he was egotistical (back then... right now, there's a different Kobe playing in LA), and I didn't like Duncan because he never smiles. Seriously. He looks like he's an emo guy who hates the world and takes his repression out by playing ball.

[update: Cle 92 Was 101, 25.5 seconds left. Oh well, I guess the series is tied 2-2, unless LeBron pulls off a TMac or a Reggie Miller.]

Anyways, given that, my team for the East is Detroit, obviously. They have the best starting lineup although their bench is a bit too limited. They COULD have used Darko and his defense (yes, he does have defense) as a reserve for Big Ben, and although they have Antonio Mcdyess, Lindsey Hunter and Tony Delk, these guys are already old and in a couple of years, are going to retire. Milwaukee is a good team, but not good enough, although I commend their deep bench. Mo Williams and Charlie Bell are good backups for Michael Redd and TJ Ford.

Still, I go with the Beast.

2. Chicago vs. Miami (series tied 2-2)
Although Chicago's wins over Miami were questionable (their home court REALLY is an advantage because most foul calls are called their way. Come on, 31 fouls to 5?), I really do think there's something going on in Chicago.

Still, I never liked Shaq (although he really is good) and although Dwyane Wade is a rising superstar (if not already), I'd want an upset in this one because it's been awhile since the Bulls were the team to beat and Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon are playing like crazy right now.

Shaq has never really wanted to perfect his game. He just focused on his strengths and relied on them to overshadow his weakness: his free throw shooting. Great players should focus on their strengths, but at the same time, work on their weaknesses, because sooner or later, it'll catch up to them. Thus, the Hack-a-Shaq play was born.

3. Indiana vs. New Jersey (series tied at 2-2)
For one thing, I was a Knicks fan back when they had a rivalry with Indiana. Back when Sprewell wasn't concerned about feeding his family and when Allan Houston was in his prime. And during my stay at my cousin's house in White Plains, we always picked different teams, because we were really competing with each other in almost everything (and yeah, I lost most of the video games we played. I think he's half-Korean). His team back then was the Pacers because he was a big Reggie Miller fan, and everytime Miller made the Pacers win, my hate increased. So there.

I want the Nets to win because of what they showed before the season ended (beating the top teams in a run of 14 straight wins) and because I'm a big fan of 'the original' Big Three (well for this season that is. The other Big Three is in Washington).

4. Washington vs. Cleveland (series tied 2-2)
Although Gilbert Arenas is really good right now, I'm sticking with Lebron James going deeper into his career's first postseason. I just hope LeBron doesn't take the path of the MFP (Most Frustrated Player), and no one has ever wrestled that title from none other than: Kevin Garnett.

5. Sacramento vs. San Antonio (Spurs lead 2-1, game 4 ongoing)
I was a big fan of Sacramento because: the first complete NBA game I ever watched (from start to finish, sitting through the commercials and halftime crap) was a Kings-Jazz playoff game with Jason Williams at the point. For one thing, Jason Williams was good, but John Stockton used his dirty plays to take advantage of the rookie, so there. Plus, Peja was a great shooter, and with Doug Christie and Chris Webber, they were almost playoff contenders... until Peja's deep dark secret came out: he is a choker. Maybe the biggest choker in NBA history. He's like the exact opposite of MJ in terms of clutch play. And did I mention that I dind't like Duncan and the Spurs? There. Obviously, I hope the Kings win.

6. LA Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns (Lakers lead 3-1)
This maybe the first upset in the first round. And I am a big fan of underdog teams (as seen in this entry's title). Although I still don't like Kobe (Kobe Blackhole that is. Right now, he's possessed by some playmaker spirit or something) the Lakers are playing REALLY well. Kobe is making his teammates better (There's no argument here. Look at Luke Walton's and Kwame Brown's numbers in the postseason).

Although I also want the Suns to win (no hate here, Jase. hehe) I'm sticking with the Lakers because the Battle of Los Angeles is just too good to pass up.

7. LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets (Clippers lead 3-1)
The Clippers are GOOD. Yeah, with Elton Brand and Sam Cassell leading the way, they are a team to beat. Although the Nuggets look like underdogs right now, the Clippers are THE underdogs. They haven't had a postseason since even before I was born and like I said, the Battle of Los Angeles is just to good to pass up. Plus, I don't like Carmelo Anthony (although I like Camby, because he used to be a Knick).

8. Memphis vs. Dallas (Dallas leads 3-0)
Damn. I really want Memphis to win because I never really liked Dallas. Oh and this is my cousin's team too (because he was born there) so there's that a bit of a rivalry thing. But still. Dirk is unstoppable right now, and Pau is choking like Peja. Darn it. You know, their beards really must make them better, but like Samson, their hair is their downfall in the end. I think their beards are the culprits of their choking. Pau should try shaving, just this once.

I still believe in miracles and maybe they can just pull it off (and be the first team to do it) although their path to winning is kinda hard: even if they miraculously survive the Mavericks, they are facing the Spurs or the Kings next, which will also make their playoff lives a living hell (although they are already living it right now)

In the end, I still want Memphis to win but if you want a more reasonable opinion, I want the Kings and Detroit to meet in the Finals. Or Cleveland and the Clippers. Or maybe even the Heat and the Suns. Or maybe a rematch of last year.

[aside: I hate Manu. He only becomes good in the postseason. If you have an NBA fantasy team, don't pick him.]

Rumor: Replacing Maggette with Radman

2006-05-01T01:11:00.001+08:00

Word is the Clippers want to re-sign Radmanovic but want to move forward Corey Maggette because the team considers him a selfish offensive player.
[from the Denver Post via Hoops Hype]

Two facts:

Radman was a total asshole since the pre-season right until he was traded.
He's in his contract year. You can expect him to play better now than he really would normally.

Beyond that, I'm not sure how to react to this...

Hardwood Love: A Universal Language Indeed

2006-04-29T07:07:00.000+08:00

From the Americas, to Asia and now Europe, hardwood love has become indeed a universal language of ballers from all corners of the globe. Here, Marvis Thornton (front) from Spanish Winterthur F.C.Barcelona gets a taste of some Euro League Lovin' from David Vanterpool from Russian CSKA Moscow during their Euro League Men Final Four tournament in Prague April 28, 2006. Now if only we could get some action from Africa.

David Vanterpool (White): Oh yeah baby! Move it! Move it some more! Yeeehaw!

*RIP!*

Marvis Thorton (Red): Whoops! That didn't come out right...

Crunch-time decision

2006-04-27T13:37:00.000+08:00

I just realized I witnessed this situation firsthand during a recent inter-color liga game here in our neighborhood. So now, I'd like to know what you would do given this scenario:

Your team is down in the closing seconds of the game, but a tie or a lead change is within reach. The opposing team has possession, so the strategy to use has to be to foul and send an opposing player to the free throw line.

Let's say you are one of your team's go-to guys, or the hot hand of the moment. However, you are also just one foul away from fouling out.

Will you or will you not commit the foul?

For those who wish to know, my teammate(s) did not foul so time wasted away and we lost the game. And, I did actually hear one of them reason, "ayokong mag-foul-out," to our bench. But hey, our game doesn't matter. I would just like to know how you would handle the situation. (I was on the bench at the time, by the way, so I couldn't have fouled even If i wanted to. Haha.)

photo source

Lovin'

2006-04-26T18:01:00.000+08:00

Bonzi: There there, Kevin. Everything will be alright. Don't cry, we'll beat them next time.
Kevin: But I'm OK! I'm fi --
Bonzi: There, there, Kevin. Don't cry. Here's a hug.

Bonzi: Here's the foot-in-ass position I was telling you about the other day.
Bowen: Man it hurts! Move your foot a little bit to the left... there... ahhh...

Brian: Don't leave me! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again!
Walter: Um... Ah... I...
Brian: Please! Don't leave me!

Cuttino: Yeah! Did you see that! C'mon give me a kiss.
Sam: No! People will learn about us! I'll just give you a complimentary handshake. Yeah a handshake.

--

By the way, besides that E.T. pic (does anyone of you have that pic of Sam Cassel with a towel on his head? The one in which he looked like E.T.?), here's another pic of Sam that shows he is not human:

Sources:
Yahoo! Sports NBA Gallery
Faux-News.com(for the alien pic)

Witness

2006-04-26T14:25:00.000+08:00

I've always been a fan of the ad campaigns that the athletic shoe companies (Nike, Adidas, Converse) put out. They always seem to make their whole campaigns about more than just the shoes. A lot of the recent ones give you that sort of tingly feeling that what you just saw was something magical.

Nike's newest "creation" Witness is almost as awesome as the Jordan ad they released earlier:

I couldn't find the Adidas Impossible is Nothing ads that I really liked but here's one that's not very magical but very entertaining. (plus it's KG. Yay!)

[aside: Apparently, this features many of KG's closest teammates, family members and friends. His sister, Sonya, his close friend, Wyakim, then-teammates, Fred Hoiberg and Gary Trent, and Wolves mascot, Crunch, all make appearances in the spot. Couldn't find Crunch though. Can you?]

And of course, the magic of Jordan:

My bet for the Defensive Player of the Year Award

2006-04-26T08:33:00.000+08:00

Waitaminit. Were those really “hate posts”? Because I never intended them to be so. They were supposed to be “I don’t want these other teams to win” posts, simple as that. (There’s a difference — probably a very subtle one, but I do believe there is.) This is simply what fans — well, probably those of the "die-hard" sort — do: we want our team(s) to win really bad. So of course for that to happen, we would want the rest to lose.

Apparently, my blog series didn’t turn out the way I had originally intended. It was supposed to be funny, or at the very least, amusing. My original idea was to post a “Why I don’t want the Nets to win,” where my reason would be that if the Nets win, then Richard Jefferson would be happy; thus, he would smile, to which I would add we don’t really want that, do we?

I shouldn’t have made it a series, because I really didn’t have enough ideas for the other playoff teams — that’s why the entries seemed to end up all related to my hardcore-Suns-fan-ness. I got carried away. I did realize that after my first three entries. And then the rest started to post their own. Two distinct posts against the Suns, at that. And another pair neatly posted in single entries. Ok, I get it. My bad. But I figured, hey, I started it, so I’m going to finish it.

As everyone has seen, recent developments have indeed made me decide to discontinue the series. My apology, as I had posted in the comments page a couple entries back, couldn’t be any more sincere — and I extend it, especially to the readers who are not part of the Contributors’ team.

Just my side of the story. Peace to everyone.

Go, Suns!

Players From U.S. Face Added Pressure in Philippines

2006-04-25T20:46:00.000+08:00

Found this article by Raphael Bartholomew [free registration required] in the New York Times.

Foreign players are expected to do "pretty much everything," according to Ronnie Magsanoc, assistant coach for the Purefoods Chunkee Giants. That includes averaging at least 20 points and 12 rebounds a game while being a vocal leader and guarding the other teams' best players.

In the 2005-6 Fiesta Conference, the association's nine teams were each allowed one import who could be no taller than 6-6. Only four of the nine imports lasted the entire regular season, and two of those four did not make it through the postseason. One team, the Santa Lucia Realty, played four different imports during the 16-game regular season.

It goes on to mention Darvin Ham's circumstances a few months ago:

"They try to put the pressure on the import," Ham said. "It's a team sport. Everyone should be held accountable. I think the imports suffer for the lack of performance the natives might put out."

Ham, who was described as "no extraordinary player" on the Philippine Basketball Association's Web site, said he was treated unfairly; Talk 'N Text went 1-2 and lost their playoff series with him in the lineup. "I averaged a double-double over here with like 16 and 12," he said, referring to points and rebounds. "These articles the P.B.A. is putting online are like propaganda."

Why I Don't Want the "I Don't Want This to Win" Posts to Win

2006-04-25T18:25:00.000+08:00

Inquiring minds want to know, why try and stop the latest and greatest phenomenon from sweeping the nation with "I Don't Want This to Win" fever? For one, they would absolutely beat the living light particles of the Phoenix Suns to submission. The team known as the "Ginebra Gin Kings" don't even warrant mentioning. But more importantly, they're not the Timberwolves. These movements have no other purpose than to serve as smoke and mirrors for the eventual christiening of the Philadelphia 76ers as NBA Champions.

Society has long been terrorized with maladies such as the Black Plague, Kobe Bryant and the BackStreet Boys. Each new addition only fuels the hate spewed forth from the giant hate-spewing machine in the sky. Every moment spent praying for something or someone to "not win" is a moment spent praying for something or someone to "not win". We live in a society where courage and nobility are words without meaning, savagely replaced by cunning and guile. Let me just give a shoutout to the Los Angeles Clippers for reminding me of this fact. All their years of losing has finally paid off, in a stunning and masterful display of losing the coveted 5th seed. It took them many years of losing to master the art of losing, but they were able to lose when it counted the most. Congratulations!

Once long ago, I too ascribed to this culture of hate. I didn't want the Lakers to win because they were skanky, whiny scum. They were skanky, they were whiny and they were scum. I watched, with great disgust, as the legendary Robert Horry sank clutch shot after clutch shot. Every Laker victory spiraled me further and further into depths of my manic soul. I remember one fateful night when I could no longer bear the strain as I ran the streets naked screaming, shouting, nay, imploring for both reason and reprise. As I sat in the silence of my own loneliness, I received no answer. Police would later watch in horror and wonder how a man such as this came to be. Prison helped little other than to hide me from the rest of the world. There was no place in this world for a being as lost as this. I spooned with a man that night. I felt not shame nor remorse, only emptiness. From that moment on I realized that the life I was leading could no longer be.

Just the other day, I was at the supermarket purchasing my usual pack of blueberry bubblegum. I approached the clerk and paid for the gum, an exorbitant sum to be sure but neccessary to taste the blueberry taste only this blueberry gum could provide. I was about to consume my purchase when he suddenly whispered "No". The pangs of blueberry addiction started rumbling inside me as I asked him why. "I don't want blueberry to win" he said in a tone that betrayed his allegiance to strawberry bubblegum. The rage bottled up in me all these years started yearning for release that I was barely able to resists its' call. He held out his hand offerring me a fresh pack of strawberry bubblegum. "The manufacter recalled the blueberry bubblegum. There was some kind of problem with the mixture". We stared at each other for seemingly an eternity. "Strawberry can't be so bad" I thought. I reached out slowly for the strawberry bubblegum. In that instant everything made sense to me and I knew that I must do the right thing. Like a bolt of lightning, I grabbed the blueberry gum and escaped into the darkness of the night. I devoured the blueberry gum that night, poisoned mixtures be damned. "I don't want strawberry to win" I repeated to myself. "I don't want strawberry to win."

Teams I don't want to win and why (Carlo Version)

2006-04-25T14:32:00.000+08:00

PBA teams I don't want to win and why:

Alaska Aces - They're probably the strongest team in the PBA right now, and that unforgivable trade between Bong Solomon and Ginebra's draft pick (which turned out to be Jeffrey Cariaso) back in 1995 really gets to me. Oh, that 4-1 Alaska win in the 1996 Governor's Cup at the expense of Ginebra en route to their Grand Slam season doesn't help matters.
Purefoods Chunkee Giants - For that humiliating defeat back in March 22, 2006 (when Ginebra scored 57 points and Artadi was just so good). Oh, and their 1997 All Filipino Cup champtionship victory (when they were Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys) against Gordon's Gin (Eric Altamirano's Cinderella finish as a coach)
San Miguel Beermen - For having defeated Ginebra twice this conference, and for that 2001 All Filipino Championship at Barangay Ginebra's expense (Caguioa's rookie year). They must be the hottest team right now.
Red Bull Barakos - I hate them with all of my guts for defeating Ginebra last Fiesta Conference Semifinals in Feb 5, 2006. Those treys by James Penny and Celino Cruz. UGH. And yeah, they're so damn good, Yeng Guiao can pluck somebody from his bench anytime to step up.
Air 21 Express - For that 3rd Place finish back in Feb 8, 2005 at Ginebra's expense (again). And oh, I hate Tubid's kiti-kiti defense.
Talk 'n Text Phone Pals - For those two defeats back in April 17, 2005 and May 28, 2005 (Yuh, I recalled the dates). Ah basta, I just hate them. I hate PLDT and their DSL connection at home. BOO.
Sta. Lucia Realtors - For that defeat back in October 9, 2005 (how Alex Cabagnot owned Mark Caguioa) and April 22, 2005. And bring some security on my GF's village! haha. And their winning streak against Ginebra back in 1997.
Coca-Cola Tigers - I hate them. They're #3 in the rankings right now.

Ginebra, don't make me add you to my list for your humiliating loss to Red Bull last Friday. GAAAAH.