Ultimate All-star Showdown: MVP vs SMC

Over the weekend, the MVP Sports Foundation made the unthinkable happen by bringing over a star-studded line-up for two exhibition games at the newly-christened Smart-Araneta Coliseum. It's been covered on ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, CNNSI, etc. primarily because of the amount of talent that came over. The Drew League in LA has seen stars drop in one-at-a-time, and the same things have happened in numerous Pro-Am leagues and Charity events, but never has a game seen a set of players with some many individual accolades:



2 League MVPs, 2 Scoring Champions, 3 Rookies of the Year, 2 5-time NBA Champions... and the list goes on!



Rave reviews of the basketball scene from fellow players, authors such as Rafe Bartholomew and countless sports company execs, not to mention a big pay day could have them hop on the next flight over to Manila. Also, now that there has been a precedent, making it happen a second time around probably wouldn't be as difficult.



Just to spark some thought into this, what if the San Miguel Corporation, a rival of the MVP group, would bring over a set of all-stars on their own. Who would they bring? And perhaps the better question, who would win in a Smart vs SMC battle?

1. Lebron James - Easy pick. LeBron vs. Kobe should happen. Why not in Manila?

2. Dwight Howard - Adidas needs Dwight here because D-Rose was with Smart.

3. Carmelo Anthony - Melo is the only one who could score with the ease of KD.

4. Rajon Rondo - Matches up with CP3 - assists, steals, boards

5. Steph Curry - Steph vs. Reke for the best scoring combo guard position.

6. Jodie Meeks - Meeks vs. the Beard shooting 3s while spotting in the corners

7. Andre Miller - the only other slow PG who Sol Mercado will again try to take advantage of

8. Darrell Arthur - young 3/4 with great athleticism to match up with Derrick Williams

9. Kyrie Irving - will probably be burned if he ends up matching up w/ Rose/CP3/Evans.

Clearly, advantage to this team is the Dwight vs. McGee match up. But to make things even, this team will clearly have a weaker back court opposed to the Rose-Paul-Evans-Fisher combination.

So who do you think will take this match up?

UAAP: Veterans vs Rookies

The first week of the UAAP is done. After a rainy, yet impressive opening ceremonies (that needed better camera angles), a week of the season is finally completed. The rains were not able to dampen the fireworks of week 1 though. Just a quick recap!

1. FEU starts off the season with a big win over DLSU.

2. AdMU holds AdU scoreless in the last 7 minutes.

3. Kobe Bryant plays with a UAAP selection in an FEU jersey.

4. UST and NU go on a shootout in the 4th quarter and overtime.

5. UP wins!

6. AdU bounces back to beat FEU soundly by 19.

7. Ateneo - La Salle Round 1 & Kiefer Ravena

8. Ray Parks goes for 30.

9. UE goes nuts in a blitz but falls short.

Photo courtesy of getblued.multiply.com

Now, most of the headlines so far are pointed to how this year's rookie class is seemingly stating their claim that the future is already here. The hype train for these talents isn't slowing down, and it leaves me wondering: Is the UAAP still owned by the veterans of the rooks?

So here's what I am going to do. I will keep tally of the Best Players of Each Game until the end of the season. Maybe then, we can decide if the torch has already been passed or experience still rules out:

FEU v DLSU: Aldrech Ramos (16 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls, 1 blk) - Vets
AdMU v AdU: Greg Slaughter (23 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blks) - Rooks

UST v NU: Jeric Fortuna (23 pts, 3 3fgm, 6 rebs, 2 asts, 1 stl) - Vets

UP v UE: Mike Gamboa (19 pts, 4 3fg, 5 rebs, 6 asts, 2 stls) - Vets

AdU v FEU: Alex Nuyles (22 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts) - Vets

AdMU v DLSU: Kiefer Ravena (24 pts, 10 rebs, 2 asts, 5 stls) - Rooks

NU v UP: Ray Parks (30 pts, 3 3fg, 9 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls) - Rooks

UST v UE: Kevin Ferrer (19 pts, 3 3fg, 5 rebs, 1 stl) - Rooks

Veterans: 4

Rookies: 4

Let's see how the rest of the season goes!

PBA: Deep Into The Second Season

We are on the brink of closing out the PBA's Commissioner's Cup, and I have to give it to Talk n Text. As hard as it is to say, they actually seem to be getting better. The statistics have speak for themselves. (And I have to give a shoutout to Solar TV's stats team. You finally showed something relevant, Boys!)

TNT is an impressive 9-0 when they hold opponents to below 90 points. Sure, that seems pretty straight forward in this day and age. Good professional teams should be able of scoring enough to get beyond 100. But this is crazy considering the pace that TNT Plays at. I'm not one of the great advanced stats people like the boys of patayangbutiki.net, but the sheer number of increase in possessions should kick up opponents scoring by even just a bit. So clearly, they are a disciplined and hardworking team on defense. That's a testament to their great system in place.

So aside from their system, what is the main reason why they've given Ginebra such a beating in this Finals series? And aside from that, why is it that Ginebra has seemingly dealt them so little damage as well. Two reasons - Ranidel de Ocampo & Paul Harris.

Ranidel de Ocampo was the unheralded member of the TNT roster coming into these playoffs. People were continually saying that he wasn't the same since his injury, and reintegrating him in an import-laced conference would be difficult. In the opposite direction, he has actually found a way to come back, improve his game and even complement their import. De Ocampo has once again shown signs of being a relatively unguardable player in the PBA, Dirk Nowitzki-esque - a great big with a sweet j, who can handle, pass and rebound. His ability to play in the open-court has spaced out the floor for Harris and given them that fast post option they couldn't get with Ali Peek. Ranidel gives TNT so many different "teams" to work with, and that's what has made them so difficult to guard for opponents.

Then, there's Paul Harris. The Texters import has fit the team perfectly. He's fast, long, athletic, smart, relentless and a smart basketball player. He knows their team is loaded with talent, so he doesn't have to shove his skills down their throat in order to succeed. He can do a lot of things well, and he suits that to complement their system, his teammates and his coach.. Perhaps, aside from the skills though, the leadership IQ of the person is clearly remarkable. His teammates are talented, so when he's asked, just just says "he's just doing his part of the job." And when asked about the Best Import Award (which should have been given to him), he said he's out there to win a championship and he's going to be able to do that best by boosting his teammates and how he thinks of them.

The versatilty and overall soundness of these two men's games has given them an edge in comparison to the dragsters over at Ginebra. Brumfield, Caguioa, Tubid, et.al. go at a quarter-mile in 10 seconds. Indeed, when they arrive, they are Fast and Furious. But when the going gets tough, the basket seems to shrink for them, and they can't play any other way. It's stop and have Brumfield or Caguioa create. Unlike their opponent, which can play fast, really fast, slow and deliberate, the Ginebra puzzle has apparently been solved by TNT.

So my vote, Ranidel de Ocampo for Local Finals MVP & Paul Harris for Finals MVP.

Thoughts on the NBA Playoffs

East

> Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers (3 - 1)

Indiana was playing too hard not to pull out a win. Even the Bulls fans out there might have to reward them and say that the undermanned Pacers deserved at least a win on their home floor. Either way, the Bulls will have to fly back to Chicago anyway, so they'll just have to play one more game before they get to the second round.

Who knows, it might actually be good for them to play another game. The Orlando and Atlanta series poses to drag on until game 6 or 7.

> Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers (3 - 0)

The 76ers are overmatched - plain and simple. Wade, LeBron and yes, even Bosh, have been excellent in the series. They've outplayed all 6 or 7 players that the Sixers have been depending on. I expect Miami to clean this out pretty quick since Boston is also going for a sweep.

Perhaps, if anything Miami should take this opportunity to stretch out their bench and see what they can get from those guys. After all, they're going to need the support in the second round.

> Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks (3 - 0)

The New York roller coaster for the 2010-11 season will probably end in 1 or 2 games. They got the guys they wanted, but the Knicks haven't been solid long enough to really make a run at the standard-bearers of the East. The road to the finals goes through Boston and Melo's crew hasn't proven themselves to be good enough.. Not yet.

The injuries have definitely not helped. Hopefully, the Knicks can rile up enough energy to win one in the Garden, but the Rondo-Allen-Pierce-Garnett combo is too much for this year.

> Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks (1 - 2)

Here's where it gets interesting. Game 4 will miss the presence of Orlando's Jason Richardson and Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia. In spite of the disparity in salary and career accomplishments, I think Atlanta might have actually gotten the short end of this. Zaza was defending Dwight best among the Hawk bigs, and without him Collins, Horford and Etan Thomas might have to deal with the Beast. Orlando, on the other hand, will miss J-Rich's shooting. But since SVG runs only one offensive scheme (Post Dwight / Kick for the 3 /Pick n Roll with Nelson), J-Rich's spot can actually be replaced with any shooter - in this case, probably JJ Redick.

I think Orlando will actually tie it 2-2 after the next game. It might need another monstrous effort from the 3-time DPOY, but he'll have to carry the load on his broad shoulders. If somehow, Horford and J-Smoove can match his production, then maybe Atlanta can pull it out. I'm still inclined towards the tie though.

West

> San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies (1 - 2)

The Grizz leading 2 to 1 was something I definitely didn't expect. Experts have been writing off the Spurs, but basketball wisdom would suggest otherwise. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker will find a way to get things back on track. Their only problem as of the moment is that their 3-point shooting hasn't been as consistent as before.

Randolph and Gasol are doing their jobs, and will probably do their jobs consistently for the rest of the series. The young perimeter players will probably crack once the Spurs put them under tremendous stress, as can be expected in the remaining games. I think the Spurs will still pull this out in 7.

> Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Hornets (2 - 1)

In game 1, CP3 needed 33 points and 15 assists to carve out a win against LA. Unfortunately for all Paul fans, he will be needing more efforts such as that to have more than 2 games left. Game 3 showed LA flexing their strength underneath and their adjustments on covering Paul. Carl Landry has been a gem for the Hornets but they're really missing David West and his reliable production because outside of those three, points are hard to come by for the bees.

The Lakers will wrap this up in LA after the fifth game. Kobe and company will just execute their defense against the Hornets, and sit back and wait for their opponents. It might be a while before the second round starts in LA.

> Dallas Mavericks vs Portland Trailblazers (2 - 2)

This series is finally shaping up to be all it's hyped up to be. Dirk, Aldridge and all those expected to produce have done their jobs. So far, it's been the team with the guy stepping up who has won the game. Kidd and Peja took care of games 1 and 2 respectively. Brandon Roy took over games 3 and 4. So we're probably looking at a seven-game series. Very good for the NBA, very bad for these 2 teams as the Lakers are resting and healing.

Game five will be nuts, simply put. Both teams will go out at all costs and I think the bench guards will determine the outcome. Terry-Barea-Beaubois vs Roy-Fernandez-Mills will determine who takes the lead. I still think the Mavs will pull this series out in 7.

> Oklahoma City Thunder vs Denver Nuggets (3 - 0)

This series has been all about closers - the Thunder's ownership of one of the best and Denver's absence of one. The Nuggets are a great team and that's the main reason why they weathered the whole storm built around trading Melo, but they're in a playoff series and they need that to close out games. We've seen the Nuggets offense struggle in the fourth quarter, and until they can get Nene to go up to that role (since's crushing dunks on the frontcourt of every team), Denver will fall short.

Similar to the Bulls-Pacers series, I think Denver will get hot enough to pull out the next game a home. But knowing OKC and how the organization is shaping up to be, they will not let the series go beyond 5 games. Then, they'll rest and heal up until they visit the Spurs probably after another week.

Back to Blogging: The PBA Expansion vs PBA D-League

As of yesterday evening, one of the most evenly matched and star-studded Philippine Cup Finals in recent memory is tied at 2-2. The San Miguel Beermen, led by Jay Washington and Arwind Santos, have won games 3 and 4, and look to get that penultimate win on Wednesday. Talk n Text will have to ride the shoulders of Ryan Reyes and Jared Dillinger to gun for the same advantage as well. These two teams were expected to be here, in the finals, tied, and they have not disappointed so far. What is more surprising though is that Olsen Racela and Danny Ildefonso are starting to taste like fine wine once again, and Jimmy Alapag and Jason Castro are seemingly running out of nitro.






With this kind of series, one might say that the PBA is in a pretty good place right now. The product on court has not been disappointing. Even the semifinal series that had Barangay Ginebra and Derby Ace, were also good games that filled up stadiums and made people tune in at home. However, I feel that the PBA still has a problem with their product - especially when we begin looking at the teams at the bottom and the upcoming D-League initiative.



Teams such as Red Bull and Air21, in recent years have been seemingly selling players in lopsided deals. Rumors have it that the cash considerations lumped with trades are being used to simply operate the teams, forgetting about the quality of the team fielded in. While this situation is sad, it is also an undeniable true part of business. Sometimes you have to liquidate your assets to make sure your business survives. This, understandably leads to blow out games against the more financially and talent loaded teams like SMB, TNT, Ginebra, Derby Ace and Alaska.



This downgrade in the quality of games is why I question putting up a D-League in the first place. In the NBA, the D-League was made to keep young, developing talent at home in the US. We, on the other hand, don't have that problem. Our good players aren't being imported (except for the Asean League), so why put them in lesser competition when the top competiton is already lacking in participants. Putting up a D-League would provide more reasons for powerhouses to stockpile talent and weaker teams would once again have to make do with less. The PBA could probably still survive and look like a more competitive league if there were 12 competitive teams playing, not just 8 teams with 2 feeders.



Just to elaborate on the topic, let's take San Miguel Beer as an example. Their depth chart can be seen below:
PG: Cabagnot, Racela, Artadi, Miranda
SG: Hontiveros, Yeo, Salvacion
SF: Santos, Seigle, Tugade
PF: Washington, Ildefonso
C: Pena, Pennisi



Their 4th string PG, Denok Miranda was the starter on the Sta.Lucia team that won the Philippine Cup years ago. If they can afford to keep a starter-quality point guard sitting on the bench, then what's going to stop them from getting good players and hiding them in the D-League for situations such as next year when an older player retires. If the PBA D-League works the same way the NBDL does, they might see sister teams SMB, Ginebra & Derby Ace fielding a team that could be competitive in the PBA itself.



The PBA's games have been struggling for a good quality product when it's not the playoffs. Probably because of the fact that only 2 teams are eliminated at the end of the classification phase. Put 2 more teams in and teams will have to value each game more as more teams can steal spots away from them. Maybe then, we won't have to wait for the playoffs to see good PBA basketball.