random round-up: 10.13.09

So, it finally took Manny Pangilinan's "divine intervention" to sort out this Japeth Aguilar mess. How messy was it? Well let's just say that practically, Aguilar's rights went from BK to Smart Gilas to BK to Red Bull to Talk N Text then back to Smart Gilas--all in about a month's time.

* * * * *

Speaking of Japeth, he and Rico Maierhoffer should consider enlisting in the rescue teams for flood victims. They probably won't need rubber boats to reach out to the victims.

* * * * *

The NBA off-season has been pretty quiet recently, with the only significant news this past week being that of Andre Miller lashing out on his "reserve role." I wouldn't be too happy if I'm Steve Blake.

* * * * *

Quiet or not though, it's about time we all get ready for the brand new fantasy hoops season that beckons. I'm betting a lot of people are more excited with that than with the actual games themselves.

* * * * *

Me? I'm also excited with this.

* * * * *

Apparently, a pro team in Indonesia is parading an import who goes by the name Rensy Bajar. In the inaugural game of the Asean Basketball League, the Indonesians faced the Philippine Patriots. Does that make Bajar the "Un-patriot?"

* * * * *

Is it just me or does it feel like the current NCAA season has been extended to 82 games? And apparently, they're still not done with the qualification round.

* * * * *

Over at the other side of the college fence, is this Ateneo team really that strong or are the other teams just a tad weaker? How do you think would they have fared against the champion teams of Cortez-Cardona-Ritualo, Santos-Miranda-Isip, or maybe even against Ateneo's own 2002 squad of Villanueva-Fonacier-Alvarez? Frankly, I think they could beat those, but they probably would not be able to in a best-of-three affair.

at long last

Let me begin by stating how (mostly) bored I am with the current UAAP season. I cannot remember going to these many games and not feeling any thrill --or feeling very little thrill--over the outcome.

You see, Ateneo has been lording it over in Season 72 that the only question left in their every game is how much garbage time...err...playing time will Vince Burke get.

To some, building these 30-point leads is loads of fun. But if you ask me, it gets tiring after some time.

I've always been a fan of underdogs, and I've never been used to being "spoiled" by this much. Call me a lunatic but I must admit that at some point in the season, I was really wishing that the games were more tightly contested, even if it means sending an "L" along Katipunan's way.

That never happened, as you probably know by now. Very few games--and opponents--offered a legit challenge to the defending champs.

But of course, you can't blame them for that. It's not their fault that they ran roughshod over the competition.

But that is also precisely the reason why I've been waiting for the Playoffs to begin (more like the Finals really, since I had doubts that UST could offer a stiff challenge after running their offense through 2 players the entire year).

Now I don't want to sound like an arrogant bastard to the opposing fans here, but God knows how long I've been waiting for someone or something that would give Rabeh Al-Hussaini and company a run for their money.

And as such, it wasn't surprising that I found myself grinning from ear-to-ear when the Eagles were smothered by the silky smooth hair of Lawrence Chongson last Sunday.

Okay, I wasn't really grinning (lest I get shot by Dick Gordon), but I also wasn't carrying a long face. Bottomline is that finally, after 17 matches and 40,800 seconds of playing time, we've got ourselves a ballgame.

And that is exactly how I like it.

the random round-up

Adrian Wojnarowski apparently does not like how Michael Jordan acted like Michael Jordan during his induction to the Hall of Fame. Well, some things are just hard to change, especially if those same things turned you into the greatest player of all time.

* * * * *

For all the talks about how Allen Iverson could potentially mess up the Memphis Grizzlies, I have a feeling that his signing could actually bring something good to the table. Besides, how can you mess up something that's already as messed up as these Grizzlies?

* * * * *

If he were anything, Jason Williams was the epitome of cool. Now that he's back with the Magic, you can say all you want about him being slow and being a liability on defense, but you can never take the coolness out of WHIT EBOY.

* * * * *

How in the world can Stephon Marbury have only 32,000 Twitter followers? Twitter must have reset that count after he reached whatever maximum limit is allowed, right? RIGHT?

* * * * *

Watching the finals of the FIBA- Americas last Monday reminded me that before Ricky Rubio, there was this guy. Ladies and gentlemen, let me reintroduce Mr. Carlos Alberto Arroyo.

* * * * *

Incidentally, that same championship match also reminded me that before Napoleon Dynamite, there was Daniel Santiago.

* * * * *

To cap things off on the FIBA- Americas, I still don't understand how Brazil's Anderson Varejao a.k.a. Sideshow Bob is worth 50 MIL in the NBA. The Cavs must have seen something with that hair.

* * * * *

And oh, before I forget, Juan Manuel Marquez admitted on HBO's 24/7 that he drinks his own pee during training. He also chews on his own poop during his sparring sessions. (Okay, that second one was made-up, but still? Extracting vitamins from your urine?)

the day japeth aguilar upstaged ricky rubio

There definitely is something fishy going on with this Japeth Aguilar situation. You can say all you want about "wanting to help the country" and "sacrificing a career in the pro league," but all those big words are just secondary to the biggest one of them all: MONEY.

I'm pretty sure there are "forces" out there who led to this (with Ronnie Nathanielsz as your manager, anything is possible), but the poor kid will certainly be the one facing all the rap here. At the end, it's not exactly the decision that will forever be criticized but the flip-flopping involved.

But what's done is done, and there is only one thing left for me to say at this point: Boy, I can't wait to watch Smart-Gilas play Burger King in the All Filipino Cup.

While I imagine that, you can read the rest of the press release here.

two quick things on the quickest man alive

One: Usain Bolt is damn good.

The fastest man on the planet, Bolt has turned the sprint competitions into a one-man show. And in case you haven't heard of his latest exploits, go google them up. It won't be long before he runs to 100-m faster than Google returns your search results.

Two: Usain Bolt is damn good--and he damn knows it.

Quotes such as "I'm on my way to being a legend" and "I've written history, pretty much" are quotes you can't just throw around without having walked the talk. In his case, Bolt didn't just walk, he breezed through it.

you know it's another boring day

When this continues to remain as the headline on Y!Sports.

the tianjin report card

For the nth time, the RP Team's campaign ended in frustration and disappointment. And I'm still in a state of shock. Period. But I'm not gonna dwell on the what-if's and what-might-have-been's anymore. That just makes it all the more depressing.

Instead, allow me to dish it like your least-favorite highschool teacher. The make-up of the 2009 NT is arguably the most arguable in years, mainly because of the non-selection of guys like Jimmy Alapag, Dondon Hontiveros, and Homer Se. So I guess it would be nice to look back and rate how the Chosen 12 represented the P.I.

Jay-Jay Helterbrand, PG.
Now I remember why I hated him in Tokushima. He keeps on dribbling outside the arc, rarely drives to the basket, and almost always ends up chucking a desperation trey or a long two. The consolation in Tianjin is that he limited his TO's and actually had an exceptional 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio midway through the tournament. But if you're coming off an MVP season in the pros, you simply have to do better than that. Grade: D.

Willie Miller, PG.
If there's one thing this NT first-timer was successful at, it's making the rest of Asia realize that he's a legit scoring threat even at this level. The knock on "Thriller Miller" though is that he was actually playing pointguard, and his playmaking often left much to be desired. But he compensated for this by being the second best rebounder on the team (discounting the 2 games he was out). Hence, his final grade stays. Grade: B+.

Cyrus Baguio, SG.
Undoubtedly the most maligned member of Team Pilipinas, "Skyrus" (yes it's corny but it somehow works) proved that he deserves the spot if only for his open-court brilliance. I would have given him a higher grade if his defense was not limited to ball-hawking and passing-lane incursions. Grade: B+.

James Yap, SG.
When on fire, Yap showed he can be one of the most dangerous shooters in Asia. He was a marked man a few days into the tourney and not surprisingly led the team in conversions made from behind the arc. Unfortunately, he also led the league in crappiest fouls made and was not too far behind in giving the "pa'no-naging-foul-'yun" look after every stupid foul. Grade: B.

Gabe Norwood, PG/SG/SF.
There were two Norwoods who showed up in Fiba-Asia. GabeV1.0, who played in the first 4 games, was a waste of roster space, firing blanks from all over and was hesitant with the leather. Fortunately, GabeV.2.0 emerged during the Iran game and was an absolute stud thereafter. Who knows what would have happened if that version was present against Korea? When the dust settles though, people will remember him for that all-guts performance versus Jordan (and then maybe for his passionate tweets). Grade: C+.

Jared Dillinger, SG/SF.
He continues to suck from the foul line, but Dillinger's contributions goes beyond the boxscores. He is practically the only guy on the roster who had no second thoughts in challenging the 8-foot-6 Hamed Haddadi and the 9-foot-2 Ha Seung Jin. He provided energy on both ends of the floor, and while he may appear out of control from time to time, there's no questioning this guy's heart. He has earned my respect as well as my Twitter following. Grade: B.

Arwind Santos, SF.
The former FEU star was touted as the do-it-all man before the tourney started. Can shoot, can run, can block, can defend. But a few games in, he appeared lost on the court--was a tad slow against athletic wingmen and was too thin against the bigger forwards. From do-it-all, he eventually ended up doing only one thing: cheering from the bench. Grade: D.

Kerby Raymundo, PF.
If this were any other player, I would have given a passing grade. But this is Kerby Raymundo folks, one of our top 3 players in 2007 and probably the most offensively gifted power-forward we've had in years. In Tokushima, his inside forays resulted in one of two things: free throws or field goal conversions. In Tianjin, it resulted in one of three things: turnovers, wild shots, or even wilder shots. I'm starting to believe his head was never into this at all. He complained about the practice schedules months ago, threatened to quit, and then was seen laughing his way around during the Jones Cup. It's just sad that one of the heroes of the Chot Reyes-mentored squad would go out like this. Grade: F.

Japeth Aguilar, PF/C.
If I were to rate a player's performance by virtue of one's dunk attempts, the former Hilltopper would definitely be tops. But I don't think it would be fair to grade him at all as he was MIA for majority of the tournament. Grade: N/A

Sonny Thoss, PF/C.
There were days when Thoss played like an A. But there were also days when he was a non-factor out there. The thing with him is that although he's relatively quick and mobile for a center, he spent lots of time at the 4-spot, where he was not that effective against versatile power-forwards. And he still needs to be consistent with that outside jumper of his. Grade: C+.

Asi Taulava, C.
There's only so much you can ask from a 58-year old Fil-Tongan center. And generally speaking, we got what we asked for. I would have wanted more playing time for the NT veteran but his non-existent range probably factored in on the coaching staff's decision. Nevertheless, he still had his moments despite going up against bigger and tougher centers. Grade: B.

Mick Pennisi, C.
You know what you're gonna get from this guy everytime he steps on the court: three-pointers and the occasional hard foul. And for the most part, he delivered. I only wish he could jump and rebound, and maybe avoid getting himself into spots he's not comfortable in. But then again, you have to take the bad with the good. Grade: C+.

And so, at the bottom of the ladder are Helterbrand, Santos, and Raymundo. If Ryan Reyes and Kelly Williams were healthy, they probably would have taken the spots of the first two--but I promised not to dwell on the "what-if's" so that discussion ends there.

I just hope this learning experience does not result in another learning experience. I'm sure we've all had enough heartbreakers in the bag.

whoever thought of this deserves a pat on the back

And if you haven't noticed, using Yeng Guiao's head as the "sun" is the icing on the cake here.

shooters never die

It's not everyday that you get to play a pick-up game with a former pro--more so, with a former pro who happens to be one of the 25 greatest Filipino players of all time.

You can just imagine when still-in-kick-ass-shape Ronnie Magsanoc joined us in one of our early Saturday morning scrimmages. One of the legendary pointguards of the late 80's and 90's, "Coach Ronnie," as he's more commonly known nowadays, still plays...well, legendary.

And it took a 43-year-old sharpshooter-slash-court general to remind us of how badly, guys almost half his age, are out of shape.

things i learned from draft day

• Sonny Barrios is like that school principal you never listen to. Seriously, insomniacs could get cured by his talking.

• Mark Andaya, in formal garb, still looks like...well, Mark Andaya.

• You can't judge health conditions by one's biceps. Anyway, it was nice to see Kelly Williams back. Hope he completely gets past his blood disorder soon.

• Edwin Asoro is officially 6'1?!? This guy played the 4-spot for NU (even guarding centers from time-to-time) and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought he was at least 2 inches taller.
  

• Jong Uichico has a fetish for pointguards. As if Jayjay Helterbrand, Paul Artadi, Chico Lanete, Macky Escalona, and Chris Pacana aren't enough, they drafted another pure PG in Chris Timberlake in the first round, making him the team's 764th ballhandler.

• Good thing the guy is a blogger too.
  

• You can say "First of all..." to begin all your sentences and get away with it. I know these guys are nervous but you have to hear Rico Maierhofer's interview after being selected second overall (technically third since the 2nd pick was forfeited).
  

• Subsequently, it seems like the longer the interviewer's question is, the shorter is the interviewee's response. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon asked an equally shaky Japeth Aguilar a three-page question and the top draft pick responded with a Twitter-esque answer.

• Ronald Tubid is the man.

the hard truth

Ever heard of the saying "the rich keeps getting richer, the poor keeps getting poorer?"

That seems to be the storyline of the current free agent race, as the contenders continue to stockpile on talent while the rest of the league are left with breadcrumbs.

Cleveland got Shaq and his 1.9 million Twitter followers. Orlando had Vinsanity delivered to them from Jersey-land. San Antonio bolstered its line-up with Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess. Detroit inked Ben Gordon and Charlie V for 90 MIL. Boston caught a specie named Sheed. And then, as if they needed help, LAL signed Ron Artest and rights to 42% of his antics.

But who are the teams at the bottom end of the standings getting? Jake Voskuhl? Kevin Ollie? Lorenzen Wright?

These days, it's doubly hard for squads like Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Memphis, to get out of the rut because stars who have already made their dollars are only joining the top teams in an attempt to earn a run at the title.

And you can't blame them for that. You never can blame someone for choosing a winning environment over some additional cash and a 20-62 record.

Strange as it may sound, this appears to be a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. Are these teams losing because they can't get any talent, or are they not getting any talent because they're losing?

The fact remains though that it's a vicious cycle, regardless of how you look at it.

Unfortunately for them, they really have no choice but to start from scratch--live with their draft picks and then build as they go along.

Fortunately for them, the recipe does work from time to time.

And you don't need to look further than the 2009 Playoffs. Portland, and to a certain extent, Atlanta and Orlando, are three prime examples of squads who were able to get out of their losing ways with the development of young talents and some timely pick-ups (the first one does not include you, Greg Oden).

But for now, these teams all have to buy some time. And buying some time may really mean signing Voskuhl, Ollie, and Wright to whatever they're worth.

non sequitur

• UP beats Ateneo. Therefore, UP will be this year's UAAP Champions.

• Joshua Saret of JRU scores 89 points with 14 treys, 11 boards, 12 assists, and 13 steals. Therefore, he is better than Kobe Bryant.

• Team Pilipinas struggles in Jones Cup. Therefore, we are the worst basketball team in Asia.

• Stephon Marbury "streams" himself on the Net for 24 hours. Therefore, he is crazy. (Oh wait, this last one might be true).
  

tough luck

Want to earn money the fastest way?

Bet against me.

I have officially sunk to the lowest of lows in the betting game (and I'm not even talking about the odds game here, just plain old me-against-you bets). Somehow, all the teams I've been picking this year have found a way to screw it over and over again.

To name a few, I chose Boston over Orlando, Houston over LA, Denver over LA, Orlando over LA (Game 4), and Ginebra over SMB.

And in the several instances wherein I backed out of bets, the team which I was supposed to choose went on to win (case in point: Orlando over Cleveland, Ateneo over FEU).

Anyway, the best part of all these losing is that you get to have the feeling that you're really going to win the next one.

The worst part of it is that you get to have that feeling several times before it finally comes true (if it does come true).

But I'm not giving up now, mind you. The pro-leagues may be over, but there's still lots of games to be played on in the collegiate ranks.

Lots of games to be played on equals lots of games to bet on equals more chances of breaking out of this losing skid.

You just wait and see.

thank god for mike baldos

If not for his sudden ineligibility, we wouldn't have seen Eman Monfort and his six treys last night.

And I bet this won't be the last time I'm gonna thank him for (inadvertently) allowing the return of the 4-foot-10 spitfire.

suicidal attempt

(Photo taken from wikipedia.com)

Saturday's pick-up game was one for the books.

You see, I've played in quite a number of games where we were literally demolished by the opposing teams, but this one tops them all. Better yet, this one TRUMPS them all.

Welcome to Philippine Army Basketball.

One Saturday morning, we found ourselves looking for opponents at a gym in Fort Bonifacio. Because of the low turnout of players, we were basically aching to challenge every single biped with a hint of testosterone who passed our way.

And after more than an hour of waiting, we finally found some "worthy opponents." Actually, we found more than just opponents--we got ass-kicking and humiliation to the 97th power as well.

Just imagine a bunch of long, athletic, pseudo-6-footers, with biceps five times our legs, and endurance of a horse--or maybe six horses--running at you. Yes, it's those guys who do pull-ups in their sleep, jog to Baguio for warm-ups, and eat combat lessons for breakfast, going up against a group of, well, guys who can barely go up a flight of stairs without swearing to high heavens.

And the worse thing (as if that ain't bad at all), is that this basketball team from the Army got skills. Plenty of them actually. One of the privates went like 24-for-25 from the outside. One showed one-on-one moves that could easily put to shame a lot of pro ballers. Another one was running fastbreaks as if he's chasing the MILF. While the rest, were either happy being on the receiving end of alley-oops, attempting dunks, or swatting shots that came within a two-meter radius.

Those guys weren't even playing serious ball out there. It was so bad we could have cut the arms and legs of two of them and they would have still murdered us by a huge margin. (I don't think I need to elaborate any further now, I'm sure you get the picture).

Simply put, it was a massacre --a demolition job like no other. It was a beating so bad you start thinking of alibis the moment you step on the floor.

At least, at the end of it all, I got something to blog about--and some newfound respect for the protectors of our land too.

As for them, they probably would have had a much better time--and a better workout at that--doing a thousand one-hand push-ups than playing us that morning.

a motivational speaker is born

Remember the time when Paul Artadi couldn't hit a shot from outside four feet?

Well, those days are now as historic as the time Magellan killed Lapu-Lapu (or was it the other way around?).

Artadi, who three years ago can be beaten by a blindfolded chimpanzee in a shooting contest, suddenly gained newfound confidence in his outside shot ever since joining Ginebra (or ever since sporting that mini-mohawk, whichever came first).

He still won't win a three-point shootout, but the lightning quick pointguard can now make defenders pay for leaving him open from 18 feet out. And to think that people gave up on him and his pro future after being the butt of all jumpshot jokes known to man.

I'm not saying this just because he's on my favorite team, but his shooting improvement is really nothing short of tremendous. Most of the time, I just accept that a player will never be able to do this and that in his career, but this guy proved me wrong. He proved all of us wrong.

And someday, when you need someone to talk about how "practice makes perfect" or how you should "never say never," hiring him to tell his story won't be a bad idea. Or maybe, you can just go ahead and submit his to some inspirational magazine out there.

temper your expectations, people

(Photo taken from insidesports.ph)

Japeth Aguilar went to Western Kentucky to play Division 1 ball and everyone seems to have expected him to return as Kobe Bryant.

Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not hating on the kid. In fact, I'll be the first to salivate over Aguilar's tremendous upside.

But the hype generated by the media over his US NCAA stint is simply insane. The moment he was accepted into the Hilltopers roster, he was already being penciled in as NBA material.

Creating hope for the millions of basketball-crazy Filipinos is one thing. Creating a myth is another.

So before we proclaim "savior" now that he's back to try out for the National Team, let's also not forget a few facts, shall we?

First, the former Blue Eagle was often injured in his 2-year stint at WKU (he actually spent 3 years there but was reshirted in his first year). This could have prevented him from reaching his full potential as he was only able to play a grand total of 17 games, while barely logging double digits in minutes.

Second, for all the talks of him bulking up in the States, he remains reed thin. For someone who plays forward/center, he sure could use at least 10 more pounds.

Third, despite his superior athleticism, amazing hops, and impressive wingspan, his offensive game still needs a lot of tweaking. The 6'9-phenom has a natural flair for defense, particularly in blocking shots, but until he adds a go-to move in his arsenal, and perhaps, a more consistent perimeter game, he's not going to be as dominant as people imagined him to be.

The good thing despite all these, is that Aguilar is only 22. He still has lots of time to build on his game and be the player the media is touting him to be.

But it also wouldn't hurt to keep our expectations a bit more grounded.

three-in-a-row

Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo Sports seems to have drunk too much Haterade these past few days.

First, he criticized teams trying to sign Jason Kidd. Next, he mocked Detroit for adding just Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. And then, he lambasted Portland for chasing Hedo Turkoglu.

Three separate articles. Three different stories. All in one day.

I'm not saying that Dwyer is out of his mind here. Dude really has valid points--and good ones at that. What I do not seem to understand though (after realizing that he wrote all three pieces) is that he appears to be expecting every single team to catch the best fish out there.

Of course, in the real world, that is not possible. It never will be. Basic law of supply and demand (or maybe even just plain common sense) would tell us that if there are 3 prizes and 30 competing parties, not everyone will be be able to get hold of them, right?

And in this race for the best free agent pick-ups, someone has to settle for second-best, third-best, or even ninety-seventh best.

That is just the way it is. And that is just the way it will always be.



(LATE EDIT: Make that four.)

the guessing game continues

Up until now, no one seems to have an idea as to where 5th overall pick Ricky Rubio will end up.

Will he really play for Minnesota, which "his mom apparently despises because of the cold"? Will he get traded to more marketable cities such as New York, where the bright lights and the moolah are? Or will he eventually remain in Spain, where he has to serve out his existing contract with DKV Joventut?

I don't think anyone is sure at this point as to what the Rubio camp has in mind.

Me? All I know is that this draft day promotional photo of him ain't cool at all. (And it also doesn't help that J.E. Skeets' column pic on the right appears to be mocking the 18-year-old pointguard's facial expression.)

Oh well, I guess we all have to stay tuned to this soap opera for some more time. Not that I'm complaining.

all up to us now

I must admit I was among those who felt real excited when the groupings for the FIBA-Asia Championships were announced last week.

The Philippines, in case you haven't heard, found itself in Group A, along with old rivals Japan and Korea plus expected-to-be-booted-out Sri Lanka (let's get straight to the point, shall we?).

Now this is not exactly a walk-in-the-park. Far from it. But compared to 2007 wherein we found ourselves holed up against China, Iran, and Jordan, one can understand why we're calling ourselves lucky this time around.

But that is not the primary reason why I suddenly felt like we could put up a better fight in this year's hostilities. At around the same time, FIBA also announced a new tournament format, which if we put in a nutshell, basically means that Team Pilipinas will have a total of 6 classification round games before the top 8 teams are decided (4 each from Groups A and B, and then another 4 from Groups C and D).

I really feel that this is more of a blessing to us than the actual groupings as I've always believed that an all-pro national team will never ever get accustomed to shorter elimination round formats in big tourneys such as these. In other words, the greater the number of games we play (before we plunge into the knockout stage), the better our chances are.

But of course, the classification stage is just half the battle (or exactly 40% if you're into math or just plain bored). Once the seedings are determined, then that's where the real fun--or real trouble--depending on how you look at it, begins.

I'm not trying to sound too prophetic here, but on paper, it looks like the following teams will enter the knockout stage: Iran, Korea, Philippines, and Japan from Groups A and B; China, Jordan, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan from Groups C and D. Depending on the seedings, those teams are expected to figure in do-or-die quarterfinal pairings to determine the Final Four, from which another set of win-or-go home match-ups will be played to come up with the top 3 teams that will advance to the 2010 FIBA World Championships.

Will RP be one of them?

Tough to say or even predict at this point. All I know is that the breaks are there. It's up to the team to grab their fair share. Or perharps even more of it.

postmortem

The LA Lakers did not win the NBA Finals.

That is not a bitter statement coming from a self-confessed Kobe-hater (for at least 70% of his basketball-following existence) who incidentally has lost all four bets he made against the Lake Show throughout these Playoffs.

The Lakers did not win the NBA Finals because the Orlando Magic lost it.

The latter had all the chances in the world to turn it into their fairytale. You know, the one with an unlikely character facing multiple stumbling blocks then defying the odds and singing happy songs at the end.

This one had the unlikely character and the multiple stumbling blocks, just not the rest. And the Magic have no one to blame but themselves.

Sure, the Lakers were good. I do understand that they have the best scorer on earth today, an offensively gifted center, two versatile inside-out forwards, and a veteran sweet-shooting court general.

And then they also have Sasha Vujacic. (The last one was sarcastic, in case you didn't notice).

But you would be foolish to think that Dwight Howard and his crew did not have enough in them to stay competitive and shock the Purple and Gold. They did. They just weren't able to show it when it mattered the most.

And for this debacle, most pundits are putting the blame on Stan Van Gundy. The Ron Jeremy-clone turned from being touted as a miracle worker (after they disposed of the top-seeded Cavs) to being labeled as "Stan Van Goofy." His personnel and play-by-play decisions have been questioned by even the little known taho vendors on the streets.

But now that it's done and over with, do I really think that he made stupid decisions? No, I don't. I stand by my belief that those are not stupid decisions, just ineffective ones. Unfortunately for him, the repercussions of his strategies (or non-strategies as some may point out) were huge. And he ended up as the biggest goat out there.

Now where do they go from here? Can they make the big leap next year or is this the Dallas Mavericks circa 2006 all over again?

Well, first things first, they need to retain the core of this team and allow the youngsters to polish up on their individual talents. If they can also add a low-post scoring power forward who fits into their offensive system and can defend taller 4's or 5's, I think they'll have another good shot.

After all, these kids have shown that they can learn. And then maybe, when they find themselves in a similar stage anytime soon, the happy songs will finally be there.

why talk about the finals

When you can talk about this?

welcome to heartbreak

The look on Stan Van Gundy's face says it all.

carmela anthony

(Photo taken from interbasket.net)

No, Melo did not grow curly locks overnight. This was taken during the Western Conference Finals--in an instance wherein the said Denver superstar was standing directly in front of the Lakers' caveman-slash-baller Pau Gasol.

And that is the reason why he's staying bald the rest of his life.

it's that time of the year again

One thing that excites me the most about the NBA Finals is having our own local commentators covering the games live.

Sorry, let me be rephrase that.

One thing that excites me the most about the NBA finals is having Quinito "The Dean" Henson covering the games live.

Right now, I'm not sure if he'll be doing it again (like he has done for the past several years) but I'm gonna be disappointed if he doesn't. Seriously.

Just think of all the awesome things we might learn: Marcin Gortat is a half-brother of Borat. Trevor Ariza's high school prom's neighbor's second cousin's driving instructor's wife is half-Filipino. Rafer Alston wears underwear made from Divisoria.

Now if those don't excite you at all, I don't know what will.

It's the NBA Finals ladies and gentlemen--where Quinito and 1001 non-basketball related trivias happen.

no more promises

Last time I announced I was back in business, I was out of business the very next day. So I'm not making any promises this time; less I jinx myself again.

As always, comments and profanities are welcome (as is cash). If by any chance you don't like what you're seeing...go away. It's that simple. (And just in case you want to take a trip down memory lane, all of the old, great stuff are still present on the old, great blog: goaltending.livejournal.com.)

See you around.

the best possible match-up of these playoffs

Is not Kobe-Lebron.

(Photos taken from the net)

It's Wally Szczerbiak vs. JJ Redick.

And it just took place.

While everyone was talking about Lebron-Dwight, Lebron-Kobe, Kobe-Melo, and all those intriguing pairings, these two silently (but greatly) waged a private war of their own--and it's not even about basketball.

Both play the same position. Both are streaky shooters. Both are languishing on the bench. And more importantly, both seem to care more about their hair than their defense.

At the end of it all, Sexyback got more burn than the former Duke star. I'm not quite sure though if he's happy with that, as apparently, playing basketball causes some hair strands to end up out of place.

synergy

(Pardon the title, I just came out of a 7 Habits class.)

I know many will argue with me on this, but I don't think there's another playoff team who has blended as nicely as these Denver Nuggets. Yes, they are now out of it all (I read the news too y'know), but is there another roster out there as "interesting" as this bunch that has learned to play to each other's strengths in such a short period of time?

Just think of who they have: (1) a clutch (homecoming) veteran who was just acquired in a midseason trade, (2) a new-age superstar whose maturity and leadership has always been questioned, (3) an athletic big man who has stepped up after suffering from cancer just a year ago, (4) an injury-prone former No.1 pick who's been both a "thug" and an All-Star, (5) a talented off-the-bench guard who for much of his career has been a walking timebomb, (6) a hustling, shotblocking dynamo who has turned from drug-dependent to fan favorite, (7) a sweet-shooting, versatile Lithuanian who is overrated and underrated at the same time, (8) an athletic wingman who transitioned from D-Leaguer to NBA starter, and (9) a coach who looks like he's going to be mugged anytime by his own heavily tattooed players.

The way these characters have come together to put up this run, is simply a thing of beauty. They did end up a bit short, but for the most part, they played the best basketball out there.

The NBA wants to know where amazing will happen this year. It already did--in Denver, Colorado.