Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 9

For this week, it was this first time this year that I was in such a hole that I benched my entire team to just try and win turnovers. It's a ploy you almost never want to go through with but sometimes, deep, deep holes leave you with no choice...

This week, the multiple positions eligibility will help me cheat with the top 5 players in the league...

The Director
Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 28.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 3.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG [2]

Cheat #1. Wade is given PG elibigility, so I'll place him here since he ranks behind Kobe in this week's show. Flash is showing his 5-cat prowess once again, and when asked about it in an interview, he said he was playing better because he slowed down. This means he's picking his spots more and better percentages can be expected as well.


The Skywalker
Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 1.7 3FGM, 37.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 6.0 APG,2.7 SPG [3]

If anybody was able to see the Sacramento game the other day, Kobe killed the Kings in 2OT with 2 3s that sent the young Kings packing. He ate Tyreke Evans for dinner too. Kobe, now with Artest gone, can be expected to jack most of the Lakers' 3 attempts now, so be wary of the risks coming.



The Triggerman
Brandon Roy (POR) - 2.0 3FGM, 32.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.5 SPG [1]

Brandon Roy was fantasy basketball's best player this week, and sadly for him, he had to be. The Blazers are so injured right now, it's not even funny. Their coach was injured a few weeks back because he had to complete the 10 people on-court during practice. So, with that many players, we can expect Roy to have to produce at this level to stay afloat in the West.


Captain Lionheart
Zach Randolph (MEM) - .650 FG%, 30.0 PPG, 16.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG [1]

Now, Z-BO is one of the players I hate most in the NBA, not just real basketball or fantasy. I just really don't like the guy. He's a pit for your offense, but apparently, he can put up numbers - and has been for the last few weeks now.


Tower of Power
Al Horford (ATL) - .658 FG%, 19.7 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.3 BPG [1]

J-Smooth gets most of the props for the Atlanta's improvement this year, but Horford has been steadily improving his game too. For the most part, gone are the single-digit scoring games and the bad percentages. He's confident and settling down in the fact that he is their #1 big guy, and he hopes to become a bigger presence to get guys off Joe Johnson.

NBA Christmas Preview

This year's NBA schedule will feature 5 games, which more or less were desgined to give some family entertainment during the "best time of the year." These 5 games all have interesting backstories behind them and aims to capture even those non-basketball fans because of the hype and telenovela like stories being built up.

The NBA made this schedule even before the season started. Let's see if they got their gut-feels right...

Miami vs New York

This game is simply all about one man. Dwyane Wade is on the free agent market next year, and is probably the 2nd target of the New York Knicks after LeBron James. HE provides the struggling Knicks franchise with a superstar big enough to handle the bright lights of the big city. Hell, even Jay-Z made a comment about Wade in New York...


Boston vs Orlando

Everybody was saying last year that D12 and the Magic were only able to get through the Celtics was because they were missing Garnett and the defensive tenacity he brings to the floor. This year, we get to see it. In the Finals, Paul Pierce even mentioned that he thought that the Magic was a "poodle" compared to the "rotweiler." Unfortunately for the Truth, he'll be observing this Christmas day game as he was diagnosed to miss the next 2 weeks with a knee injury.


Cleveland vs Los Angeles Lakers

With the help of these dudes, Nike has been building up this match since the playoffs started last year. They were hoping it would happen in the Finals, but we all ended up waiting another half year to see it. Individually, I think we cannot contest that Kobe and LeBron are the 2 best players in the league, and they hope to lead their star-studded teams in clash in Hollywood. Just enough of a bright lights, big stage, right time set-up for a primetime, national television broadcast. The Mamba vs the King.

LA Clippers vs Phoenix Suns


Initially, I was supposed to label this match-up as a battle of "failure of the 2009 season" with both teams having stocked line-ups, stubborn coaches and too little wins to get into the playoffs. Then I remembered the crazy stuff their 2 starting point guards do during their free time. Yes folks, that's Steve "Two Time" (MVP, not Tiger Woods two-time) Nash and Baron "Boom Dizzle" Davis. If you can find a clip of it online, these 2 made a video in the style of Will Ferrel's and C. THomas Reiley's Stepbrothers, hence the stupid outfits... Now, on the basketball side of it, The Suns are resurgent and now seem to be contenders in spite of their recent struggles, and the Clippers seem to be getting there. The added bonus of Blake Griffin was supposed to be highlighted here as well, but a broken kneecap has said no.


Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trailblazers

Here's is where the league was bitten in the ass by the injury bug. Oden, Roy, Outlaw, Batum, Pryzbilla, Billups and Martin might all miss the game due to one injury or another. It was supposed to be a battle for supremacy of the US Northwest, and instead it will be Carmelo Anthony vs LaMarcus Aldrigde. Sort of an anti-climactic way to end the night...

NBA Fantasy: Players of the Week 8

I won all leagues last week.. but forgot to set my team for this week and lost Bogut's 31-18 this week. Uphill battles once again..

The Director
Chris Paul (NOH) - 19.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 13.5 APG, 2.0 SPG [2]
Chris Paul is back, definitely... And the Hornets are winning. However, his points are down from the previous year's due to the increase in assists. At least we know the ball is definitely in his hands almost all the time.

The Skywalker
Joe Johnson (ATL) - 2.3 3FGM, 26.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.7 APG [1]
Joe Johnson finally cracks the list with a very, very solid week. Now, let's just see if he'll be able to keep some of these numbers consistent since he's still the hawk other teams want to keep from flying.

The Triggerman
Quintin Richardson (MIA) - 5.0 3FGM, 16.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG
If there's anybody that matches the "Triggerman" title this week, it was Q-Rich who posted 5 3's a game. Now, we know it's not going to be consistent, so this might be his first and last appearance on this list, especially since he's trying to be Miami's starting stopper this year.


Captain Lionheart
Tim Duncan - 26.7 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 3.3 BPG [2]
Duncan was fantasy basketball's best player last week with very crazy numbers. Reminds you actually of that Finals series where he man-handled the Nets. Now that Parker and Ginobili are back, Duncan is getting more open to operate. Not bad for the "old guy."

Tower of Power
Marcus Camby - 8.8 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 3.5 BPG [3]
Camby is back... again! It's his third time on the list and although the points are down, the rebounds are up. His assists are a surprise actually, and a great bonus for all those who picked him up late due to the injury scare.

Coach Tim Cone, Alaska Get an Assist from Coach Siot

Last week, the Alaska Aces took an overtime decision over the San Miguel Beermen. They withstood an all-out late 4th quarter run led by Arwind Santos who put up 22 pts and 14 rebs. It was a pretty big effort on their end as Willie Miller wasn't playing well. Thankfully, the other half of the league's top backcourt, LA Tenorio responded wth 29 pts and 5 asts. Tenorio has been playing well as of late and some would say is actually a candidate for the Best Player of the Conference and year-end MVP awards due to his much improved and stellar performance this season.

What people often forget about that game is that, in a rare moment of negligence, Coach Tim Cone, actually called for Joe Devance to miss his second free throw and allow SMB to rebound the ball with time left and them only leading by 2. The rare error by the multi-titled coach was that he thought the Beermen had no timeouts left and could not advance the ball. This cost them an extra-difficult 5 minutes of additional court time as Dondon Hontiveros received a backpick and took an alley-oop to tie the game.

Wednesday, the Aces seemed to be on the other end of a beatdown from Talk n Text and down deep into the 4th. Jimmy Alapag played the role of Willie Miller as he was absent due to a hamstring injury. Similarly, Mac Cardona rattled off 32 points to play LA Tenorio and carried the team late in the game. Alaska would stage a comeback and with around 2 seconds left, the game was tied and it was Aces ball.

Coach Tim picked up from the brillance of Coach Siot Tanquincen in their previous game and drew up a pretty familiar play. LA Tenorio, similar to Hontiveros, was given a backpick at the elbow and was spotted by Tony Dela Cruz for an alley-oop lay-up! Eeriely familiar? Alaska was up 2 points and they won the game as there was only 0.5 seconds left on the clock.

Now, in the stats, that assist was credited to Dela Cruz. I'd personally give it to Coach Siot.

Thanks to that, Alaska now sports an 11-1 record, leading the entire league.

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 7

I'm slipping out of playoff contention in 1 league, so I had to shift from playing big to relying on 3's and steals. Let's wait and see...

The Director
Raymond Felton (CHA) - 1.3 3FGM, 14.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.7 SPG [1]

Felton's 6 steal game is the primary cause of his jump up this week. We see that his numbers are not really that impressive, but he's pretty efficient. It also helped that Nash had no defense this week and Rondo was throwing up bricks.

The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG [3]

With Kobe dealing with a broken finger, Granger out 4 weeks and Wade missing lots of court time due to blowouts, we could see Durant here for a while. His numbers are stabilizing now and balancing with his defense.

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 3.0 3FGM, 36.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6.5 APG [4]

LeBron stays ahead of Durant for the most appearances in this list. He posted these averages over a span of 4 games, clearly establishing himself as the #1 fantasy pick this season so far.

Captain Lionheart
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) - 31.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG [2]

It's been a slow week for the often-considered carries of fantasy basketball - the power forwards. Dirk bests them all with these numbers, but they aren't reall that impressive overall.


Tower of Power
Pau Gasol (LAL) - 17.3 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.0 BPG [1]

Finally, Pau gets to crack this list. He's actually been posting pretty monster numbers the past few weeks, but Camby's defense got in the way. Gasol gave you 52 rebounds this week in head-to-head leagues. We can expect these numbers to be pretty consistent though as Kobe will have less touches due to that finger.

Other notes:
Yahoo actually posted Maurice Evans and Troy Murphy pretty high this week due to their percentages. Now, I'm not really a fan of those stats since it's a weighted average that is used in the head-to-head mode.

PCCL Finals: Ateneo, Jai Cap Dream Season

Yesterday, the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles won their 2nd Champions League title in school history and 3rd title in this year's basketball season. The Eagles also won this year's UAAP and Unigames titles, making it almost equivalent to the PBA's Grand Slam. They won a close 74-70 decision in their best-of-3 series for the PCCL title with the FEU Tamaraws who staged a late rally and took the lead deep into the fourth quarter. However, it was guard Jai Reyes who stood atop everyone as he bailed Ateneo out to tie the ballgame at 70 with his 4th three, gave the go-ahead assist to Oping Sumalinog, and won the Finals MVP award in his final tournament ever in an Ateneo uniform. For Reyes, an Atenean for 17 years, 16 years a varsity athlete, you could not have written a better script - back-to-back UAAP Champions, Collegiate Grand Slam and Finals MVP in his final year. You could say that he can hang up his jersey, that familiar Reyes #5, without any regrets.

Claiming the final gem in their cap this year wasn't just a Jai-namite show though, it took more of a team effort to buck the challenge of the Tamaraws. JR Cawaling, Aldrech Ramos and RR Garcia led a furious rally in the 4th quarter which utilized their superior length and athleticism on the boards to inch their way to the lead. The Ateneo offense sputtered to a halt and almost seemed to crumple to the floor along with Eric Salamat and his cramps. By the way it it looks too, Ateneo will be playing off Salamat next year, and teams will be more zoned in on stopping him to stop the Eagles.

In Game 2, seemingly reading some pages off 40 Minutes of Freedom, Salamat and Nico Salva led a 90 - 67 beatdown with their 26 and 20 points, respectively. Without a doubt, these 2 will be Ateneo's 1-2 punch next year as they are the best inside and outside scorers. But, by losing Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao on the frontline, playing faster will be key for the Eagles whose Grand Slam defense starts the next time they hit the practice floor of the Moro Lorenzo Sports Complex. As for FEU, RR Garcia will undoubtedly be the #1 guard of the Tamaraws and we will see them more ripe and hungrier to finally claim the UAAP title they hoped to gain so much this year. For the Eagles though, it seems that big man duties next year will be a job done by committee as Salva, Chua, Golla and Sumalinog have all spent time at the 4 and 5 in this last tournament. Sumalinog will be a crucial piece as he can play at the wing and a bit in the post.

So, that's a wrap for the collegiate basketball season for 2009. Let's just wait for 6 more months until the drums start beating again.

PCCL Finals: Tams could be Best PCCL Team Ever, Eagles could Collapse Again

The Philippine Collegiate Champions League has finally reach the Finals. Bucking some unexpected excitement that went on in the earlier rounds, it was still Metro Manila that stood tall atop the tournament. More specifically, the UAAP clearly demonstrated that it is still the number 1 collegiate basketball league in the country. With the Finals being contested by Ateneo and FEU, the UAAP will have it's seventh (7th) championship since the tournament's inception. Simply put, the UAAP has won and will win all the PCCL Crowns to date.


After this year's edition, win or lose, FEU will be the tournament's most successful team. The Tamaraws have won twice ('04 & '05) and lost in the Finals once ('03). With a win later today, they could be the first three-time champions, breaking the deadlock with UE (won in '03 & '06, Runner-up '05). Based on how they were playing earlier, we could see that they should already be favored to win next year's UAAP title. RR Garcia has been great and even without the full participation of the Gilas boys (Ramos & Cawaling), they're already looking like Barroca wasn't lined-up this year.

The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles are the third-most successful team in the history of the PCCL. They won in 2007 against the only non-Manila finalist ever, University of Visayas, and were second to DLSU last year. Now, on the verge of losing another PCCL title with another loss, the Eagles look to tie UE for second-best ever. It's been also very clear that they become pretty lost after winning the UAAP as they begin to transition to next year's system almost right away with their choice not to field their Championship team's graduating cornerstone (Tiu & Al-Hussaini).

Based on the participation of Ramos and Cawaling on the other end, it is clear that Coach Rajko Toroman and the SBP allow the Gilas players to join their mother teams to help validate the tournament. So, it can be assumed that not playing Rabeh is a choice done by Ateneo. They're trying to hand the reins over to the undergraduates right away, but they also keep some seniors (Jai Reyes & Nonoy Baclao) to make sure that they play decently. Their loss in Game 1 of the Finals showed this very blatantly. The gamble didn't pay off this time.

It is crystal that next year's Eagles team will rest heavily on the shoulders of Eric Salamat. While he might not become the Eagle's leading scorer next year (as I predict that Ryan Buenafe will have that role), he will be their playmaker throughout the year. His defense on the perimeter will set the tone and his slashing will be the main weapon on offense. If you're an Eagle fan, you might a bit nervous though as Salamat seems to disappear during the big games. He really hasn't played great in any Finals appearance and that was true again in this year's PCCL Game 1.


Another cause for concern, I feel has been the lackluster play of Nico Salva. With Rabeh out of the games, one would think Salva would begin exerting himself underneath with his high-post moves creating baskets or baiting fouls. He, however, has been very tenative. He's been floating too much to the perimeter, breaking spacing to ask for the ball. Naturally, since he is out of position, giving him the ball often just leads to isolation from the perimeter - the biggest killer of Ateneo's offensive efficiency. His floating to the perimeter 1) leaves Baclao as the only rebounder, 2) get everybody out fo the proper spacing and rebounding schemes and 3) leaves him vulnerable to frustration when he cannot get his offense going. Ateneo fans should hope that he doesn't try to freestyle too much as they can't be careless with their offensive possessions and waste possible scoring chances against this FEU team later today.

My prediction is that the Eagles will tie the series up. They take less shots from the perimeter, less turnovers and better offensive execution can be seen. Look for Salamat to be more present in the lane, kicking out to Reyes and Long for the outside shots. Also, Garcia will probably have Kirk Long in his face for most of the game. So, it could be a grind next game from beginning to end. Ateneo by 4.

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 6

9-0 in one of my leagues. That's probably the first time that it's happened in 2 years. We saw several injuries take out a couple of key pieces to teams, biggest of which (literally and figuratively) was Greg Oden going down. He wasn't producing much stats-wise but basketball-wise, he was a major part of what they were doing. Honorable mentions include the Pistons wings ad Jrue Holiday (damn you, Holiday!)

I say "Damn you, Jrue Holiday!" because it was your chance to finally get the starter role. The Sixers, I feel would be best with Holiday in the 1 with Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala at the wings. But he conveniently got hurt the same Allen Iverson comes rolling back into town. (Sorry, folks. But I've never been an Iverson fan.) Today, Iverson had 11 points on 4-11 shooting with 5 boards and 6 assists... without his wind or legs. We all know Iverson. With the losing streak at 10, it will only be a matter of time before he starts saying "If we don't win, I'm going to have to play my way" or something to that effect. Good luck to Fantasy Owners of the Sixers.

Going back to the business of big shots... Week 6!
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The Director
Jason Kidd (DAL) - 2.8 3FGM, 13.5 PPG, 8.5 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG [2]

The man is no longer a walking triple-double, but he still flirts with it every game. In addition to the flirting, he's carrying around things that come in 3's. Pretty good date if you get it 4 times a week.


The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 2.7 3FGM, 32.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG [2]

He was the only 30.0 PPG man this week (oddly), and 2.7 steals isn't shabby considering he's primary role in the Thunder is to score the ball. Not crazy about the 0.5 assist-to-turnover ratio though.

The Triggerman
Danilo Gallinari (NYK) - 3.5 3FGM, 18.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG [2]

I was actually conflicted with this pick since Rashard Lewis put up close (if not better numbers). But it's a head-to-head league that we play in and 4 games vs 2 for The Italian Stallion. We just hope he really starts hitting his stride so that he can get Al Harrington off his timesheet.

Captain Lionheart
Carlos Boozer (UTA) - .600 FG%, 27.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.0 APG [1]

Boozer put up very good and efficient numbers this week from the field. Thie FT line, not so much though. The 3.7 TOs are a bit of a downer too. But he still delivers, ala the mailman.

Tower of Power
Marcus Camby (LAC) - 10.5 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 3.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG [2]

Guess what, people? It's him again! He's healthy and doing what he does best. 18 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks are nuts. I'm hoping that Griffin plays a lot at the 3 this year so that they can keep on hammering people on the inside.


Comeback Kids:
Chris Paul (NOH) - 16.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 15.0 APG, 8.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG (I thought he was hurt?)
Kevin Love (MIN) - 2.0 3FGM, 14.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG (It has got to be the glove he's wearing.)

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 5

So what happens when I praise a player for his stellar play, the dude goes down... Kevin Martin, CP3 and most recently, Elton Brand. Dammit! Haha

For the fist time this season though, I was able to post 3 wins of 5-3-1, 6-3 and 7-2. Looks like either my fantasy teams are getting healthy and hot or my opponents have all been hit by the injury bug as well. At the rate the NBA is going though, it's more likely that it's the injuries. I think every NBA team has had a decent fantasy-relevant player miss games this year. I'll look into this in a related post.

Now, the players of the week...

The Director
Steve Nash (PHX) - 1.3 3FGM, 13.3 PPG, 14.3 APG 1.0 SPG [2]

It's been frustrating how the Suns have actually been blowing people out of the water as Nash is getting less minutes to pile on the stats. But even with the decreased minutes, the assists have actually stayed the same. It's just that the points and 3's have gone down. Any week that Nash posts a steal per game, that's a bonus.

The Skywalker
Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 2.3 3FGM, 28.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 SPG [2]

Kobe also shows up on this list for the second time because of his consistent play. Known to have a groin injury, he can actually play consistently since he does not have to carry the team every game. Thus, the numbers keep on coming. 3.3 SPG isn't a bad help either.

The Triggerman
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 28.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG [1]

Finally! I've been waiting for 4 weeks to finally have this guy perform well enough to be on the list. The scoring and the rebounds are very much expected of him in the team. It's his high potential for D that finally puts him up here. 3.3 combined Steals and Blocks per game is great from the offensive machine.

Captain Lionheart
Gerald Wallace (CHA) - 25.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG [1]

Crash seems t be the only one among the Bobcats who ha remained unaffected by the Capt. Jack trade from Golden State. Aside from him, the rest of the Bobcats fantasy value has tanked - Felton, Diaw, Augustin, etc. Damn you Larry Brown!

Tower of Power
Marcus Camby (LAC) - 12.0 PPG, 15.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 3.0 BPG [1]

The resurrection! Camby again proves that WHEN HEALTHY, he is one of the biggest stats stuffers there is. Defense is what Camby is known for and he did it for 4 games this week. I just wonder how this will figure in when Griffin returns.


Here's a list of who's been able to appear multiple times on the list this year:
3 - LeBron James
2 - Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh

Tainted Basketball - Is the PBA Really Behind Smart Gilas?

Basketball in the Philippines, as much as we hate to admit it, isn't pure. Just by the sheer number of people carrying interest in it, it would not be surprising that some would try to capitalize on the sport. There's game-fixing, commercialization, governing-body politics, spurned egos and much excess baggage that's tainting the "love for the game" which is so great when one is young.

What drove me to write this is actually something that I had just chanced upon in doing research for another post that I was about to write. I was supposed to write something about how the recent Smart Gilas success comes strangely at a time when they are dealing with a number of things on their plate. Not to take away anything from them, but it seems to be more than just a coincidence.

Here's an outtake from what I was intending to write:


Honestly, as a kid, what made me love Philippine basketball was the PBA, more specifically the San Miguel franchise. I was born in 1986, coincidentally the year San Miguel won the Grand Slam. Growing up, I idolized the man whom the Chinese called was "walking on air" - Samboy Lim. There was something about the athleticism and skill of the guy, the high socks and the brush of the hair before taking a free throw that was just mythical for a kid. I grew up idolozing the guy, wanting to wear the number 9 and wishing that I too could be a skywalker.

Sorry, to the Star Wars geeks out there, but Samboy was way cooler than Luke.

The San Miguel franchise was just awesome to me, and it saddened me that they sold out in their game against Smart Gilas. Not to take anything away from Gilas who played a great game, but I think SMB sold out by protecting their corporate interests over national ones. Somebody please explain to me how, 8 points down and 6 minutes to go, Eman and Calaguio are in the game's final minutes instead of Santos, Hontiveros, Miranda or Pena. The game was still win-able for San Miguel, but the starters were pulled out and Gilas was not tested. They weren't tested by the pro team who could have placed them in a very unique situation - late in the 4th and with the lead, but without your import and against a hot, veteran team pushing and pressing you, hoping that you quit.

That should be a very important scenario to the national program when we have to face off against Lebanon, Jordan, Iran, Korea and other Asian powers - all winning, veteran teams who will push, pressure and are relentless. It could have been a real learning experience, but it wasn't.


I was supposed to write the peace above in greater detail, present some numbers that would help me drive my point. During the TV coverage, they kept on harping about how impressive Chris Tiu's game was. He supposedly scored 24 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and had 11 assists. Now, I know all the Tiu fans are going to hate me, but Chris isn't that good yet, especially playing against Hontiveros, Cortez, Racela, Tugade, Santos, et al. He shouldn't be able to put those numbers up, and I checked the PBA's official website to get the real statistics from the game. But lo and behold, they weren't there. I checked the other Gilas games since the decision to render the games as "no bearing" and no stats either. This seemed a bit off to me, especially since 3 of those 4 games have been Gilas wins.

Giving the benefit of the doubt, I just thought that maybe it was the National Program's way of keeping the Gilas team a secret to surprise other countries. (Something completely irrational since other countries will scout us wherever the hell we may try to hide.) So, I checked the rest of the PBA's site, and there is very little mention of Gilas, except for results, the schedule and some photos. For me, there just seems to be something very wrong about that.

If the PBA, as it says, is completely behind the National program, shouldn't it help in helping them improve basketball-wise and making people believe in the Gilas Team?

Gilas entered into the PBA tourney to get better on-court and get more people's attention to support and drum up some excitement about the team. The team was supposed to grow up in front of our eyes like some telenovela and then lay it all out in battle during international competitions. However, I honestly believe now that the PBA (no longer just individual teams) as a whole is protecting it's interest as a professional league more than the national purpose. Sad to say it, but as I mentioned at the beginning. tainted basketball isn't surprising in the Philippines/

I think that the following pieces of evidence lead me to believe that PBA support to Gilas is half-assed:

1) The PBA nullifies all games played by Gilas.
2) They protect Arboleda roughing up Gilas, which eventually led to the mayhem with the fan. (Not to mention, Arboleda was only penalized was attacking the fan, but never his on-court actions more than 2 unsportmanlike fouls).
3) They chose not to control their teams, and allowed their teams to waive the white flag early to protect their players.
4) They do not make the public aware of the Gilas team's achievements since it comes at their expense. by news and statistics.
5) They continue to separate themselves from the concerted effort by focusing more on the entertainment rather than the basketball.

It seems to be that the PBA is becoming selfish with their resources. They have the best competition the country can supposedly offer, and yet they do not provide it to the team every night. They are trying to protect the brand from being upstaged by Gilas just because "they're the pros." In short, they really aren't fully behind Gilas after all.

To quote some lines from the Panatang Makabayan, hindi ba dapat

Ako'y kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan upang maging malakas, maliaya ay kapaki-pakinabang...

Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin bilang mamamayan...

Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan nang walang pag-iimbot at buong katapatan...

Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa...

PCCL Day 2: CSJL vs DLSU & ADMU vs. Lyceum

I finally was able to catch the PCCL games today and it's time for some thoughts on the games:

Letran vs La Salle

> Both teams played with about just 70% of their mother league line-ups. Letran was missing Jazul, Guevarra and Dela Paz, while La Salle didn't have Mangahas, Malabes and Co. (Not that La Salle was actually going to use this guys ever anyway.

> I was hoping that Franz would put the 4 RP Youth Boys (Tolentino, Marata, Banal & Andrada) some decent burn together and probably put them in with Bringas so we could see what DLSU has in store for the future. But it didn't happen...

> Somehow, Franz looked a bit disinterested in coaching what they were hyping to be his "last game." One of the commentators slipped too when he said that Franz would come back after the elections. We all know he's coming back anyway. If he weren't, DLSU would be in some deep trouble because they wouldn't be able to recruit.

> Belencion hits 10 threes. Damn!

> I don't know if anybody noticed but Jameson Cortez seemed to be wearing a different color uniform because his seemed a darker shade of red than everybody else... It's either a different colored uniform or the dude just really sweats a lot!

> New PCCL Champion!


Ateneo vs Lyceum

> I was expecting that Ateneo would actually not play Baclao since he's on duty with the Philippine Patriots, but they didn't have Al-Hussaini instead. For some reason, I was hoping that the Gilas boys would actually be present during games. Hopefully, they had practice or something, and that's why they missed attending the game.

> It was funny how Norman Black was put into a tight spot by Job De Leon. He was revealed to have not prepared at all for Lyceum. I bet he even forgot that they played them in last year's PCCL in the same game.

> As expected, Ateneo dominated the game, and was a bit careless in the latter portions. But again, too much talent for Lyceum to handle.

> Lyceum actually qualified because University of Manila fielded in ineligible players for the Zonals. They should be penalized by SBP just to send a message that they wouldn't be taking anything lightly from any team.

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 4

I got my first convincing win (7-2). My two other leagues are pretty competitive, as I sported 4-5 and 5-3-1 records. As with all leagues, the manager who is able to take advantage of injuries and suspensions with timely pick-ups and drops will succeed more often than not. Normally, that's the case... For my league though, it was a messed up pick that somehow made it's way into the starting 5...

The Director
Louis Williams (PHI) - .929 FT%, 2.3 3PM, 24.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG

Williams surprises this week with a signifcant bump up in scoring and steals. With the their shortage of big men due to Speights' injury, the Sixers are playing a fast pace with their already energized offense.

The Skywalker
Kobe Bryant (LAL) - .941 FT%, 29.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.7 APG

The return of Pau Gasol was actually beneficial for Kobe. Not that his numbers increased, but that the Lakers not leaning on him allowed him to play through the groin injury. Also, with the number of free throws he shoots, 94% will already carry you through the week. His 0.3 3's are a downer though.

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 1.8 3FM, 34.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 9.3 APG

Delonte West has now been put into the doghouse, and seemingly will no longer get consistent minutes. Thus, LeBron has had to take on more playmaking duties, thus the increase in assists. However, the turnovers are also getting higher.

Captain Lionheart
Elton Brand (PHI) - 19.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG, 3.7 BPG

Speights, please do not come back! In one of my leagues, where yahoo disconnected me from the draft and I ended up with Elton Brand from the big board. I dear hope that Speights does not come back if Brand keeps on pace like his injury-free Clippers self.

Tower of Power
Brook Lopez (NJN) - 18.3 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 4.0 BPG

There have been only 3 good points for the Nets this year - Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts and that they were able to ditch VC's contract. Sideshow Bob's twin brother is bringing it consistently and they're hoping he, Harris and Jay-Z could lure LeBron to Brooklyn.

Milo Warrior 3-on-3 Championship

The team over at patayangbutiki brought this tournament to my attention with their blog post linked. This is in connection with the Chris Tiu-Jayvee Casio ads we've been seeing all over tri-media recently. I first got some inclination of this when I played over at the Ateneo College Covered Courts over the weekend, and it seems that there was voting done to pick the teams for each school. Voting is now done, and they're all playing at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo on Dec. 1 @ 1 PM.



The teams are pretty interesting as their's a healthy mix of team B players for some exposure. Also, the imports from Africa are now being revealed to the public with NU and UP parading them in the tournament. The only exception being FEU, which nominated a line-up of Team A players + the UAAP juniors MVP, and will send a Cervantes-Sanga-Garcia combination.

The first thing you'll notice is that Milo has chosen to hold the tournament for UAAP Schools only. Since we all know this is a marketing tool, this might be just a target market deal kicking in. Not to be derogatory, they're probably targeting the A, B and C economic brackets, that's why they chose not to include the NCAA schools. Of course, I could be very wrong and this might just be a matter of convenience or sanctioning by the league.

Second, La Salle is the only UAAP school not participating. Why? We can conjure up a number of reasons why, but I'd rather not (to avoid sounding like a hater). I just think this is an unfortunate event that they didn't chose to participate simply because of the experience and exposure it could have provided to their young players. 3-on-3 is very, very different from a UAAP game, but just familiarizing themselves with possible UAAP opponents (like the FEU boys), could have been a direct benefit from the tournament. Also, what makes this more sad is that Jvee Casio is the co-endorser of the product along with Chris Tiu. The tourney snub from your alma mater would kind of hurt if I were him.

Well, there goes half of Milo's target market...

40 Minutes of Freedom by the NBA

I know this layout doesn't take well to embedding videos, but what the hell...

The whole point of this blog was verbalized from 0:23 to 0:33... 'Nuff said.

(this was the NBA on TNT's video for the 2009-2010 NBA Season)

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 3

Still no big wins or losses for me. 5-4. 4-5, 6-3. The way this is going, I might be limping into the playoffs for the whole year and just win that way. Possibly an underdog story in the making?

It's time for week 3. Fantasy-wise, the biggest news would have to be that Chris Paul (consensus top 2 pick) is out for the next 2 or 3 weeks with an ankle sprain. It's been a bad week for Paul, losing his coach and getting injured. Now, for owners, we have to see how long these events will cause his fantasy output to decrease. The new coach/GM might use him differently and Collison might take away some minutes... In spite of this, CP3 still posted great numbers... But he isn't this week's Director...

The Director
Brandon Jennings (MIL) - 4.5 3FGM, 43.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 7.0 APG
> This probably establishes that he will be the bar rookies measure up to this year. That one yearin Europe did him mighty well and he seems seasoned already. But, no steals???

The Skywalker
Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 33.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.3 APG, 3.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG
> Possibly a better 5-cat man than LeBron this year because of the clear dedication to the D that generate steals and blocks. Anderson Varejao has felt how much Wade can sky-walk. Boom!

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 30.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.7 SPG
> These are the numbers LeBron should be putting up. Ok, maybe a couple more rebounds and assists and he should be at that level, but a cut down on TOs boosts his stock.

Captain Lionheart
Tim Duncan (SAS) - 1.00 FT%, 22.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG
> Great numbers after coming back from an injury. Pretty strange that Duncan perfected the stripe this week too.

Tower of Power
Andrew Bynum (LAL) - 0.67 FG%, 22.0 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 3.0 BPG
> Making a strong case for the C spot in the west ballot, he's making the most of Pau being out. Could we see an adjustment with the Lakers going more to Bynum while Pau is still warming up to the season?

Bits on the Bantay Bata All-Star Game

Just a couple of notes on this year's UAAP vs NCAA Bantay Bata All-Star Games:

> The NCAA, as the commentators kept on reitarating, outworked the UAAP. Why? Simply put, the 2 people who most dictated the UAAP's games with their effort throughout the game weren't in the line-ups - Nonoy Baclao and Elmer Espiritu. More than the 5 or 6 blocks lost, the deflections, intimidated shots and just overall consciousness allowed the NCAA boys to feel confident around the rim. These 2 are bad, bad men around the rim and "Bad Boy" John Wilson and Jimbo Aquino better thank the gods they had Patriot duty.

> Kish Co was not an all-star!!!

> At first I thought that DLSU gave the whole Bantay Bata games a snub, I read in the papers that they were trying to qualify for the PCC in a zonals competition. Good job, La Salle. At least, we know now that there was no politicking involved here.

> The Smart Gilas Boys were holding back. You could see it in the way they were playing that they were protecting themselves from any injuries, so they were very sloppy. Also, I think Norman Black never fielded all 5 of them (Ramos, Ababou, Cawaling, Al-Hussaini, Buenafe) together. They're forgiven in my book.

> The San Sebastian Staglets combo of Salamat, Lee and Buenafe didn't do much actually. Naturally, everybody's bigger so they can't run people to the ground anymore. Kind of sad how they're recruitment suddenly died down. (Sorry, Delgado isn't a legit college prospect.)

> As usual, the match up was the UAAP's execution and the NCAA's run and gun. With the turnovers (and overall lax approach to the game), the UAAP's 20+ turnovers did them in.

Dwyaaaaaannnnneeee Waaaaaaade!

Wade is my personal favorite of the vaunted 2003 NBA Draft Class. He is also the man with the most success among all of them. He has a championship and Finals MVP Award, aside from the Gold Medal he shares with Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. Now, we could go on and on about it, but I think the most admirable thing about him is that he doesn't hold back... The video clip speaks for itself.

After this season, Wade will join the free agent fiesta, but he has a particular bargaining chip that none of the other free agents have. The Miami Heat will have enough cap space to sign 2 Maximum contract guys - a luxury no other team in the NBA will have. Yes, people, even the crazy spenders in New York can't get 2 guys anymore because of the decreasing salary cap. Although there have been no final arrangements, Wade has been stressing on how great a city Miami is to live in, and it sort of points to him staying.

So, question is, who will he convince to come over? My predictions...

1. LeBron James
LeBron is basically dictating how the Cavs spend their money. He asked for and got Shaq, but unfortunately, their slow or short mix of players will not push them over the hill. Perhaps, the only thing that would hold him back is perhaps that same fact. Whoever LeBron asks for, he will get. Unfortunately, the Cavs can't get him Wade.

Jordan's 23 is retired in Miami and Mario Chalmers better think of another number because he's going to have to give up that 6.

2. Chris Bosh
The cast in Toronto is weird, and it doesn't seem to be powerful and funded enough to really challenge for a title even with Turkoglu, Calderon and Bargnani all improving and making significant contributions.

3. Joe Johnson
In same type of situation as Bosh, Atlanta is a playoff team, but not elite. The cast around him is good, but he isn't a superstar. He could be Ray Allen to Wade's Pierce if he would come over, and I think having him as a #2 option would be a killer combination.

I think Jermaine O'Neal wouldn't be foolish enough to ask for the same type of money next year. I would bet that he'd be willing to step back on the cash if it meant a ring. Whoever he may get though, Wade has more than shown that he is worthy of being the Air-apparent.

Coach's Carousel: Bye Bye Byron

It was announced earlier today that Byron Scott, head coach of the New Orleans Hornets, has been fired for the underperformance of the past 2 seasons. Two years ago, the Hornets seemed to have carved themselves a seat in the upper echelon of the NBA with the emergence of David West as an All-Star, Chris Paul as a perrenial MVP Candidate (and fantasy beast) and the frequent showing of the CP3 lob to Tyson Chandler on Sportscenter. They were up and ready to take on the Lakers for the West title, but they busted before they even got off the ground.

It's unfortunate to think that this pink slip for Scott is actually very similar to how he parted ways with the Nets.

1. After playoff success, the team falls meteorically. (Nets-Finals twice; Hornets-West Semis)
2. Hall of Fame point guards ran the show on the floor (Kidd; Paul)
3. Very little scoring consistency from the wings. (Kittles-Van Horn-Jefferson; Peterson-Stojakovic-Posey)
4. Overrated big man who got a bloated contract because of Guard's briliance (Martin; Chandler)
5. Extremely shallow benches
6. Cash-strapped franchises

As bad as his record seems, we actually have to give Scott credit for a couple of things. He didn't win 2 Coach of the Year awards by just doing nothing. As "bad" as a coach he might seem, we have to give him credit for letting the reins go on his point guard. He knew that he had a great point guard, one that could take the team places. So, rather than impose himself and a system completely, he gives his 1's the freedom to call sets, be flashy, entertain and make his players better. Unfortuantely for him, a point guard without great finishers do not win titles.

Kidd made Martin, Jefferson, Van Horn and Kittles all borderline all-stars and Paul did the same to West (actually became an all-star), Chandler and revived Peja. But they could naturally only do so much. When teams would attack them, they would stop everybody except the PG and the guard would then try to win it by himself. We all know that's never a plan for success, and true enough, collapses took place.

Honestly, I don't think Byron Scott deserves all the blame for their drop offs. Yes, he can take a brunt of it since he has to develop his players into becoming deserving 2nd and 3rd options for his PGs, but we've seen him run practices and he isn't easy on them. It, however raises the question of "What if he didn't have an awesome point man?"

I think the front office of the Nets and Hornets have themselves to blame as well. Not enough talent was provided, and the teams sputtered. Thus, their demise inevitable. Think of placing Michael Schumacher behind a Kia Pride. The driver can push the hell out of the car, but it can only run so fast. Those are the parts Byron Scott had to work with.

So, there's no true escape on this. It's just unlucky for him that he doesn't do the hiring and firing.

UAAP All-Star Anomaly

Thanks, to Mr. Rick Olivares for providing the information in the link found below:
UAAP Line-up to the Bantay Bata All-Star Game

You, sir, are a great writer. So much passion for sports in general.

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If you read through the UAAP line-up 2 things will probably pop up at you:

1. Where are Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu, Val Acuna and Khasim Mirza?

> Simple answer is they will be on duty with the Philippine Patriots of the ABL. Games are played on weekends, and if I'm not mistaken, they will be in Kuala Lumpur to take on Rudy Lingganay, Tats Bandaying and Roel Hugnatan.

2. With all due respect to the guy, but...

What the crap is KISH CO doing on the All-Star Team???

The team has 4 Gilas boys and the top gun of all 7 other UAAP teams, and DLSU fields Kish Co?!? I know this might sound like I'm being a La Salle hater but where are the RP Youth Boys Bringas and Marata, PBL Draftee Bagatsing, Joshua Webb. C'mon... It only seems that there can be 2 things concluded from this - a) La Salle has completely lost all understanding of basketball thinking that CO is their star player or b) There's some scheme brewing in their camp not to send their building blocks for the future. Why would they do that? The hell should I know..

As a very big advocate of the fact that basketball is formative (both to the audience and the players), I really think that this move is a slap in the face of the kids that will benefit from the game. It's a charity exhibition game, yet they choose not to send players who will draw more onlookers and thus generate a bigger charitable contribution. I don't know, but that's just wrong... It sends the message that "we choose to keep our interests first instead of the growing needs of our nation." Selfish much?

Seriously, man. Kish Co, an all-star???

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 2

I didn't do too well this week again. All my teams were either escapes or slim losses, part due to bad drafts and some injuries.. Unfortunately, unlike real life, some Fantasy seasons can actually be broken in the first few weeks. Thankfully, I haven't been murdered yet.

Now for this week's players:

The Director
Chris Paul (NOH) - 2.0 3Pt FGM, 26.8 PPG, 11.8 APG, 1.5 SPG
> Maybe the Rondo scuffle woke up CP3.

The Skywalker
Kevin Martin (SAC) - 4.5 3Pt FGM , 38.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG
> Too bad he's out for 6-8 weeks after he broke it wide open.

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 28.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.0 APG, 2.3 SPG
> The LeBron NY Circus closed the week, and he was worth the hype. TOs, not so.

Captain Lionheart
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) - 27.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 2.0 BPG
> 29 points in 1 quarter then 14 for a game. Inconsistent much?

Tower of Power
Chris Bosh (TOR) - 62.9 FG%, 26.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.3 TPG
> Numbers are "down" from last week. Contract year effect?

The Fallen Score-first Point Guards

Flashback: Washington, D.C., 2001 - the East All-Stars defeat the West 111 - 110 behind the efforts of game MVP Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Vince Carter and Dikembe Mutombo. I remember then, they called them "Dikembe and 4 midgets" as they were going against Duncan, Garnett, Webber, Kobe and Kidd. It was an improbable come-from-behind win, and it was supposed to impose on everybody that height doesn't dominate as it used to... Later that year, Iverson wins the MVP and leads his Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Lakers in 5 games.

Flashforward: Memphis, Tenn., 2009 - Allen Iverson leaves the Grizzlies to attend to "personal matters" in his home in Atlanta. Most recently, Iverson has been in conflict with Head Coach Lionel Hollins about his coming off the bench and lack of playing time, which he considers to be the lynch pin for more victories. Stephon Marbury, on the other hand, has most recently been spotted being escorted out of Madison Square Garden. He had previously admitten to using drugs and consuming various other substances in his video blogs.

Boy how much have things changed...
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Back in 2001, Iverson and Marbury were seen to be prototypes for what people thought to be the evolution of basketball. Small, but fast, strong, and fiery Score-first guards who would dribble their way into and rip apart defenses. Despite their size disadvantage, people claimed that the amount of fight and heart in their bodies more than made up for their lack of ceiling. It was your classic David vs Goliath-Underdog story.

Then, Iverson, sporting his trademark cornrows (which are back, by the way) would score over 30 a game. He would quarrel with similarly hard-headed coach Larry Brown and drive then GM Pat Croce on the verge of going insane. In spite of their bickering though, they found a way to lead the Sixers to the NBA Finals that year by bringing Mutombo aboard, and taking out comback-mates Allen and Carter in the East playoffs, each in 7 games. He would win the MVP and high-step over "AI Simulator" Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the Finals, but Shaq eventually beat them down.

Starbury, on the other hand, was on his way home. He was to sign a big contract (which only ended last year) with his childhood New York Knicks. The boy from Coney Island would play under the lights of the Garden. Many New Yorkers thought he would usher in the true Knick renaissance after the departure of Patrick Ewing and make the much dramatic Sprewell- and Houston-led team during the lockout season a usual occurence. If Iverson had his mean crossover, Marbury had his trademark football carry and hop-step combo, and defenses couldn't stop him either.

Unfortunately, all that hype was nothing more than a flash in the pan. Once teams got down to it, both men's careers have tapered off. Now, they are nothing more than talented subs who could still change games had they been able to accept their roles. The point guard position is back to what it should have always been - floor general running the offense and setting-up teammates while also being the first line of D.

Honestly, it's sad and tough to see both of them still thinking it's the beginningof the millenium. They did actually give an alternative option to the game. They gave us a breed to cheer for and idolize as they brought so much excitement in spite of their frames. No one can discredit them for their accomplishments back then, but it's 2009 and the game, to some extent has normalized. Teams with great bigs have gone deep into the postseason and won, and more importantly, stars sacrificing for the team - something both AI and Starbury have yet to accept.

Saturday Night Bites

> Johnny A is playing again. C'mon Ginebra, c'mon PBA. You have good young players. Make them improve in practice and give them the minutes on-court instead of an over-the-hill veteran. Philippine basketball needs to move to the future. Hey, even Allen Iverson now has to sit.

> Smart Gilas won its first game in the PBA. Could it be a coincidence that it happens right after the league renders these games as no-bearing? Ok, maybe it's too soon to think of a conspiracy. After all, Coke isn't really that good anyway.

> Glen "Big Baby" Davis want to be an NFL player. I say bolt the NBA already, man. It doesn't need another big ego with too little talent to back it up, not to mention too little brains as well. Get your thumb fixed and realized that you only made that game-winner last year because they intentionally left you open. Thumbs up?

> Michael Jordan's son costs his entire university a sponsorship for breaching a contract with Adidas. I pity the guy. First, he can't play basketball without being compared to his dad. Second, he just stays loyal to his family by wearing his dad's shoes. Then, he becomes the bane of all the other athletes in his school. Damn, that sucks...

> A player from the Singapore Slingers gets into a staredown with Jerwin Gaco after Gaco steals the ball from him in an ABL game this afternoon. He obviously does not know who Gaco is and the beating he could give him on-court if he gets pissed.

Pido Goes to the 'Dogs

I was able to read in the Business Mirror today that Pido Jarencio is moving from the head coach spot of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers to the National University Bulldogs. He replaces Manny Dandan who has been there for the greater majority of ten years (Rico Perez coached for a year) and was able to lead NU to it's only appearance in the Final Four in 2002. He did this with the leadership of Alfie Grijaldo, Jeff Napa and Froilan Baguion.

This move comes as a shock to me, personally, after Coach Pido led his 2006 Cinderella UST team to the UAAP Championship during his rookie year. He was such a proud Goldie/Tiger back in his playing days when he was trading threes with Allan Caidic of UE. He brought that fiery approach to the PBA and had his best days with the Ginebra franchise. As a coach, he still carried that swagger, preaching his three P's of Pride, Puso and Palaban to his Tiger teams. There has been so much history with Jarencio and UST that it would just seem wrong not to see him in the black, gold, black, white, especially with 400 years of UST coming up. (Perhaps the only UST coach more deserving of that honor would be Aric Del Rosario, but he can't coach anymore because of his ailing heart.)

This leads us to two questions - 1) Did UST give up on Pido after falling short these last three years? 2) Were there greater forces that convinced him to move to NU? Let's go deeper...

1) It seems so sad that the school would give up so fast on a man who has rendered has service to the school with such passion and loyalty. Pido took the job in 2006 and won the title. He made the postseason all but one year, and made Jervy Cruz and Dylan Ababou into MVP's. Not pretty bad considering he also boasts of so many classic performances as a player. Not to mention, the gamut of emotion he displays in game is such pure entertainment and candidness. Could it be that some disgruntled alumni supporters are the ones actually calling for his ouster?

2) On the flip side of things, could it be that NU, boosted with the budget for the Sy's of SM have been able to buy some space into the coach's future? Players in the UAAP are tough to recruit, and these days, schools can't win without the budget to bring in some key players and provide for the "athletic and academic" needs. Maybe the coach thinks that he can build a winner with the support system he now has...

Of course, these are just things I ask. Who knows if they're real or not... This also then leaves the question, who's coaching UST? Ariel Vanguardia and Louie Alas are free agents...

PCC Struggling for Validation

The Philippine Collegiate Championship is now in its sixth year, and it is a much improved version than what started back then with the Collegiate Champions League. Previously, during the CCL days, it was basically Metro Manila schools and a couple of guest teams from Visayas and Mindanao. Now, it has grown to a much more credible tournament with schools winning to get in. The seeded Final Four teams from the UAAP and NCAA won in their respective leagues in one way or another, and champions of the "secondary" league also get a slot. Those who do not fall into this category have to qualify via the Zonals days before the actual March Madness style tournament. So, teams don't just get in because they're a big name school.

Although the format has made the tournament design to be more competitive, the results tend to prove otherwise. It is no surprise that a big school (specifically a UAAP) school has won the title all the years it has been held (UE & FEU twice, Ateneo & La Salle once). Naturally, recruitment muscle, superior grassroots programs and some would say better coaching all come to the forefront to show that the UAAP is still the best collegiate league in the country.

Aside from this lopsidedness of results though, it is validation that the PCC is struggling with. Schools and players do not provide it with the respect the organizers, including the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas, desire. Understandibly, this is part of the growing pains fo the league. To the schools, their collegiate championships mean more to them and have more tradition to substantiate the win. Think about it, 6 years as compared to 72 and 95 seasons for the UAAP and NCAA respectively. So, instead of featuring the best collegiate teams and players into the country, it is morphed into something resembling more of a "Pre-season" tournament for 2010 rather than a post-season tournament of the highest stature. Schools field next year's line-ups, elevate some team B players, lose star players to the PBL, PBA or ABL and even some head coaches to commentary. Not a nice way to draw credibility as a tournament and fans if you ask me...

Now, naturally, the bigger leagues are being stiff since they have the "most to lose" due to these extra games. Injury does not pick tournaments after all. There is also the lame excuse that students should be "focusing more on their studies." C'mon. You can't expect us to believe that. Unfortunately, we can't blame them. These bodies do have heaploads to lose and no monetary prizes (yes, there are folks) can compensate for the risks underlying another league.

What the SBP should do though is provide some other form of incentive to the schools and the players. The right to compete in Serbia in behalf of the Philippines that DLSU won last yearcan be a sweet prize just as long as some training budget comes along with it. So, what I would suggest is that they scrap the outirhgt cash and instead reform it into "training budget." All schools need the expense relief anyway. Also, another suggestion I'd have is to officially name the winning school as the "National Champion" or "Philippine Champion" instead of "PCC Champion" (yes, it's redundant, I know.). There's just more substance to it, not to mention it estblishes a tradition worth keeping.

Bottom line, the PCC is experiencing growing pains, and hopefully, the leaders can get the mother leagues and teams on the train as it has the best potential as of the moment to follow in the footsteps of March Madness. On our end, maybe we can support the league more - watch some games, discuss on online forums, watch on tv even. Just helping create a buzz for it could accelarate the pace for Philippine basketball development in general. Let's go, one country!

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On a side note, the Ateneo Blue Eagles won the Unigames Basketball Championship over the sem break. Congrats to the Blue Eagles! They did it without Jai Reyes, Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini in the line-up...

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week

The NBA started about a week ago with a kick-off by Eastern Conference contenders Boston and Cleveland. The Celtics gave the Cavs a beating, and I think they will raise banner 18 this year (if healthy).

In a parallel basketball universe though, Fantasy Basketball Season has started. Here, the intensity and intangibles don't matter. It's all about the numbers... I'm starting a feature here ala Rick Kamla and will give you my starting 5 as well as fantasy surprises for the week, given a PBA-twist though... And now!

The Director (Point Guard)!
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) - 1.00 FT%, 2.0 3Pt FGM, 18.4 PPG, 14.0 APG
Nash posted back-to-back games of 20 and 18 assists this last week, confirming that indeed the run and gun Suns are back. Naturally, with that pace and his aggressiveness, there is a risk of high turnovers (4.3 TPG). But, the bad comes with the good, and you live with the TOs. Hey, Nash even managed to sneak a game-winner this week over the Clippers.

The Skywalker (Shooting Guard)!
Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) - 3.3 3Pt FGM, 21.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG

The Celtic captain has a lot of talk to back-up after he called the Lakers and Magic a german shepherd and a poodle during the Finals. So far, he has backed it up with the Celtics posting an undefeated record and his stats establishing again that he is just as important to banner 18 as Garnett is. The steals are what sets his averages so far apart as he is known to be a good defender, but it has not provided the numbers. So far though, they're there.

The Triggerman (Small Forward)!
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) - 1.0 3Pt FGM, 37.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG

Carmelo has been making a statement that he is all-world by showing the heart and effort which people often criticized him about when compared to draft batchmates Wade and James. Possibly the most versatile scorer in the league now, Melo has been doing it all over the floor for 37.7 PPG - 3's, mid-range, high-post, low-post. For those that missed it, look for his poster on Paul Millsap on youtube.

Captain Lionheart (Power Forward)!
Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) - 1.0 3Pt FGM, 31.0 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 2.3 APG

CB4 is probably the best NBA video-maker, and he is also a free agent this year and people predict he will be the one bolting to tag team with Wade or LeBron. He is making no jokes and instead a statement so far that indeed he is worth the cap space by posting crazy averages in the first week. Of course, people are still asking more from the D (1.3 combined SPG and BPG), but I would take his 30-15's any day.

Tower of Power (Center)!
Channing Frye (Phoenix Suns) - 4.3 3Pt FGM, 19.7 PPG, 2.0 SPG

Stepping in for the departed Shaq and the injured Robin Lopez, Frye converts unconventional stats for your starting center. He shoots 3's and does not come up with blocks. He is definitely benefiting from the Suns offense and playing with Nash, making people think "Why did the Knicks give this guy up?" Now, he has a chance to make a name for himself, and he is a great complement to Amare if they want to try for a playoff run.


For the Surprise of the Week, we go to New York!
Danilo Gallinari (New York Knicks) - 6.0 3Pt FGM, 22.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG

I don't know about you, but 6 3's a game is no joke. The Italian Stallion (all pardon to Rocky Balboa) is making New York seem like a viable option for James, Bosh and Wade as he shows that they are not rebuilding. The obvious beneficiary of D'Antoni's Seven Seconds or Less, Gallinari will be starting at PF in place of Al Harrington, so we can expect him to be posting numbers consistently, making him and David Lee the most fun white boy combo in the NBA.



And those were the Fantasy studs this week. Can we expect these numbers to be this high consistently? Maybe not as teams will tune in to them, but if you're still waiting on some drafts, they might be worth getting before anybody realizes their value. More on these next week, and hope to see your teams alive come Week 24.

PBA Getting Selfish

It's been recently released that the PBA will no longer count games against the Smart Gilas National Team against all the PBA teams' records. This means that all games with Gilas will purely be exhibition and for seasoning.

I think this is a bad idea... And I believe that the PBA is getting selfish in doing so. Why?

1) Pro teams will hold back their starters against Gilas since the games no longer matter.

Let's face it. Once you get to the pros, basketball becomes a business and you logically decrease the risk in your assets (players). So, teams will hold back on fielding their best players in the game. They'll just put them in long enough to ensure the win and then, it's bench mob time. Naturally, less minutes on-court means less time for injuries. The exposure to second- and third-stringers is no push-over task still for the Gilas boys, but the progress they will gain will be significantly decreased. Thus, those minutes are lost opportunities for Gilas to get better.

2) The PBA would like to lessen untoward incidents between their players during Gilas games.

This is the PBA's way of becoming preventive, I would guess after the Arboleda incident. What I say is let them play it out and exert their own discipline. Yes, PBA players having chips on their shoulders, roughing up the Gilas boys might be temptations for suspensions, but they are already professionals. It's part of their job to stay under control or else face the necessary sanctions. Let them learn their own discipline.

Also, the international game is filled with physical play. Being unused to this is what did in Philippine teams of old and even the United States years before thier Redeem Team program. Let the Gilas boys be roughed up and let them learn that they have to push back. Maybe this is only when the team would start gaining a swagger and confidence that's needed in the international game.

Bottom line, I know that the PBA is running a business, but to get back to our status as an Asian basketball power, we all need to pay our dues as a country. Being the best league in the country, I hope that the PBA starts seeing that they should be leading the way. Their players might no longer comprise the team, but the "kanya-kanya" attitude does not help at all. We're all just under one flag, one nation...

The UAAP Invades the ABL

Last Sunday, the Philippine Patriots won 74 - 61 against the Thailand Tigers at the Ynares Center in Pasig City. As usual, the contributions of the Philippine locals brutally outmatched their Thai counterparts as the imports virtually cancelled each other out.

Perhaps, more important than the final score (which expected that the Patriots would win) was the debut of three of the UAAP's biggest stars in the Philippine Patriots' line-up. Nonoy Baclao (Ateneo), Elmer Espiritu (UE) and Val Acuna (UE) all debut as new additions to Louie Alas' line-up. I am not sure if this meant that Hafer Mondragon, Mark Andaya and Christian Coronel (who started last time) are off the team, but it definitely gives the team an upgrade defensively and more importantly, star power.

Louie Alas, as proven by his Letran teams year after year, is probably one of the toughest defensive coaches in the country. His teams come to battle every game are not afraid to carry scars from the fight. This is why we probably see that in the Patriots' wins, the defense has been great, whether it be in the half-court or full-court. Even in their loss, they poured it on with their full-court trap which put even Al Vergara fits. This is why I am not surprised that Alas jumped at getting the three UAAP gems. Baclao and Espiritu are known for their highlight stoppages of many who dare drive the lane, being awarded the last 2 seasons' Defensive Player of the Year respectively. Acuna, on the other hand, is an underrated defender with speed to handle guards and length to handle bigs. On the defensive end, these 3 contributed immediately and will be a great asset as the season comes along.

However, I think that more than their defense these people provide the Star Power that the Patriots so direly need. If you've seen the league, small venues are not even half-filled and this is because there are no stars so far, only imports who are fed the ball because of their athletic gifts. With Baclao, Espiritu Acuna and Khasim Mirza, the team now hopes to gain the following of other UAAP schools and other hoops followers, possibly even sponsors. Let's see if there's any difference in the team's next game on Sunday at the San Juan Arena.

In relation to this, I sure would hope that the ABL would coordinate with the PBA on their playing schedule. We are a basketball crazy country and we'd like to root for anything Philippine basketball-related as much as we could, but the ABL plays every Sunday at 4:00 PM, going head-on against the PBA's first game. I think that the ABL has to be realistic in that they cannot battle the PBA's popularity and star power, so I would wish that they just play on Saturdays when there is only 1 PBA game. TV ratings wouldn't have to cannibalize each other and gate sales as well.

Also, I think that the Patriots did not get very good imports. Powell, being straight-out of college is still very immature, not to mention playing out of position, and Dixon seems to be out of shape. I'm honestly glad that they are not completely dominant imports as the locals can contribute significantly, but they would be 3-0 if they got better imports.

Anyway, thats the buzzer for this entry...

Contra: Best Game Ever

For my first non-basketball post, I would like to pay homage to the very first video game that I developed a passion for: Contra (see bottom of the site)



I came across a Flash version of the game to share with everyone, and I was reminded of the game's perpetual greatness and unwaivering influence. As a kid, I think I made believe that the Terminator was the guy in blue and Rambo was in red when in reality they were just player 1 and player 2. Haha!

Anyways, enjoy the game, people. Stick to S for spread bullets, and unfortunate news, up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-A-B doesn't work here.

Where in the PBA is...?

After a week of PBA action, we've seen all teams in action already. There have already been some surprises like San Miguel being winless, Red Bull winning it's first game and (sadly) the biggest headline of them all Wynne Arboleda of Burger King being suspended for the rest of the season (more on this later)... But perhaps, the first surprise we all encountered was "(Player Name) is already with (Team Name)?!?"

Yes, the has been a huge amount of player movement during the off-season, some of which we did not even hear about in the broadsheets. (Sort of makes you wonder why the professional league of the country doesn't get much press. Haha) Nevertheless, this entry is dedicated to helping you, the fan, find out the new faces in the 10 teams in this year's PBA season. For all teams, I've also placed their current records and where their new players came from. Now, alphabetically...

1. Alaska Aces (2-0)
Mike Burtscher (Bacchus)

2. Barako Bull Energy Boosters (1-1)
Bryan Faundo (Letran)
Bruce Viray (San Sebastian)
Ben Fernandez (FEU)
Ogie Menor (San Beda)
Aris Dimaunahan (Burger King)
Chad Alonzo (Harbour Center)
Yousif Aljamal (Talk n Text)
Orlando Doroya (Arellano)
Paolo Hubalde (San Miguel)
Donbel Belano (Talk n Text)
Alex Crisano (Ginebra)
Gilbert Lao (Talk n Text)

3. Ginebra Gin Kings (2-0)
Celino Cruz (Purefoods)
Kevin White (PBL)
Enrico Villanueva (Purefoods)
Rich Alvarez (Purefoods)

4. Burger King Whoppers (1-1)
Ronjay Buenafe (Coke)
Ronnie Matias (PBL)
Carlo Sharma (Red Bull)
Richard Yee (Purefoods)

5. Coca-Cola Tigers (0-2)
Chris Ross (PBL)
Ken Bono (San Miguel)
Marvin Cruz (Burger King)
Dennis Espino (Sta. Lucia)
Larry Rodriguez (Red Bull)
Wesley Gonzales (San Miguel)
Norman Gonzales (Sta. Lucia)

6. Purefoods Giants (1-1)
Rico Maierhoffer (La Salle)
Rafi Reavis (Ginebra)
Paul Artadi (Ginebra)
Jonathan Fernandez (Harbour Center)
Marc Pingris (San Miguel)
Chris Timberlake (PBL)

7. Rain or Shine Elastopainters (0-1)
Jeffrei Chan (Red Bull)
Marcy Arellano (UE)
Jervy Cruz (UST)
Mark Telan (Coke)
Mike Hrabak (Red Bull)

8. San Miguel Beermen (0-2)
Arwind Santos (Burger King)
Dennis Miranda (Sta. Lucia)

9. Sta. Lucia Realtors (1-0)
Ardy Larong (Alaska Aces)
Joshua Urbiztondo (PBL)
Gabby Espinas (Red Bull)
Chito Jaime (PBL)
Jason Misolas (Coke)
Charles Waters (PBL)
Chris Pacana (Ginebra)
Mark Benitez (La Salle)

10. Talk n Text Tropang Texters (1-0)
Nic Belasco (Coke)
Mark Isip (Sta. Lucia)


With all the common shareholders in the teams (Ginebra-San Miguel-Purefoods and Burger King-Talk n Text), you would think trading would be more difficult if the non-sister teams would strangle the teams for better pieces for being third parties, but Red Bull, with it's limited budget, has become the Memphis Grizzlies of the PBA and they have taken all offers it seems.

Contrary to what was expected though, teams which stayed almost intact or did not have lots of new faces have actually been the ones that have succeeded so far - Alaska and Talk n Text. Naturally, team chemistry and familiarity is becoming an issue as of the moment. Maybe the other teams will round into shape come the latter portions of the tournament. However, I still predict that these 2 teams will probably get the semis incentives after the eliminations and prove thar solid teamwork can beat a band of mercenaries.

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In related news, Burger King will be short one point guard as Wynne Arboleda has been suspended for the season, losing close to Php 3 million in salaries and fines. He will not be allowed to participate in any games, practices and other leagues. This somewhat resembles the Malace at the Palace NBA suspension of Ron Artest.

This kind of surprised me, but then again, with the PBA trying to get credibility back as a top league in Asia, it was a right decision. The PBA is not a place for 6-foot and above bullies to bare down on simple fans. To the PBA fan though, hurl all the insults you want at the players, but please stay away from their families (like in the Marlou Aquino incident). You deserve your rights as a paying patron, but you have to know your limits just as much as the players do.