With the 2011 playoffs having commenced with all teams getting a taste of the playoff action, it is time to peer into what I see.
Since no one is aware, this is how I picked the West 1st round: San Antonio in 6, Los Angeles in 4, Portland in 6, Oklahoma City in 7.
1 -San Antonio
The Good: They missed Manu in Game 1. His presence is essential in their win on Game 2. Tony Parker has been fine in the three games. We know Tim Duncan is on a decline, but he still can dominate if he wants to.
The Bad: The Gasol-Randolph bruise brothers are just dominating against TD, Blair, Dice, Bonner.
The X-Factor/s: Richard Jefferson can be lost in the shuffle with TP9, TD and Manu all afoot, but he has been a modest contributor.
2 -Los Angeles
The Good: Kobe Bryant and his determination. After his performance in Game 1, he decided to use the energy to try to D up CP3. It limited his production on the offensive end, but it did affect Chris' numbers. However, all eyes are now on his ankle. Lamar Odom just won the 6th Man of the Year and showcased the reason why in Game 2 as Kobe focused on the defensive end. Ron Artest making major offensive contributions (31 pts in the first 2 games).
The Bad: Pau Gasol has been really soft in this series. Someone needs to knock some sense into him.
The X-Factor/s: The steadiness of Andrew Bynum continues. Double-double average so far. He's a major reason why they're controlling the boards.
3 -Dallas
The Good: The Mavs deciding to use a time machine and use it for Jason Kidd in this series and Peja Stojakovic in Game 2. Dirk being Dirk as he goes for 28 in Game 1 and 33 in Game 2, while making 28/30 shots in this series from the charity stripe.
The Bad: Minimal rebounding numbers. Shawn Marion being really quiet on the stat sheet.
The X-Factor/s:Without Beaubois, It's up to the liliputian backcourt (Terry, Barea) to step it up offensively, as you're pretty much getting next to nothing from Deshawn Stevenson. Having Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood tag-teaming on Aldridge makes sense.
4 -Oklahoma City
The Good: That someone has stepped up to provide offensive oomph alongside KD and Russ. Has been different guys. From Maynor in Game 1 to Ibaka in Game 3, someone has joined in the offensive cudgels.
The Bad: Not much, but they are still prone to being victimized by spurts. That's mainly due to the team's relative youth as a whole, especially their core guys. Oh, as you saw in Game 4, Russell Westbrook took more shots than Durant, 30 to 18.
The X-Factor/s: We know what KD and Russ would do. We don't know how much Serge can do alongside Perk. Well, Ibaka has been a monster alonside the Scowl, especially in Game 3.
5 -Denver
The Good: The relative balance. Virtually anyone can rack up points anytime at any point.
The Bad: Lack of a real go-to-option late in games. That happens when you trade Carmelo. George Karl will probably go with the hot hand, but it has be from whatever Ty Lawson sees. Defense has been an issue with how they have been lit up by Durant and Westbrook and in Game 3, Ibaka.
The X-Factor/s: JR Smith. He simply can shoot you into games, like he almost did in Game 3. Or drive you crazy. All in a matter of minutes. The most volatile person on the Nugget roster. Oh, and the health of Arron Afflalo is a key. He's one of the sought after defenders that they can put on either Durant or Westbrook.
6 -Portland
The Good: Lamarcus Aldridge's emergence continues into the post-season. Someone from the wings has been stepping up. Still needs them most, if not all, to click to ensure victory.
The Bad: Brandon Roy being reduced to a non-factor early, no thanks to the mismatches caused by the lilliputian yet speedy Mavericks backcourt, although he proved us wrong in the last 2 games (especially in Game 4).
The X-Factor/s: Andre Miller has to have a heady and steady play at the point, because of Roy's state.
7 -New Orleans
The Good: CP3 made sure people know that it is not just about the likes of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. Trevor Ariza in Game 2 showing why the Lakers immediately sought his services when he was in Orlando during their Finals tussle. He has been the other major minute burner for the team.
The Bad: Lack of rebounding strength, and that is without Pau for the Lakers.
The X-Factor/s: Carl Landry needs to approximate the numbers David West had. Jarret Jack also needs to keep the offense going as both CP3's chief reliever and wingman. Aaron Gray's ankle.
8 -Memphis
The Good: Marc Gasol has been the better Gasol in the playoffs. Zach Randolph has been a beast, giving San Antonio fits alongside the Wendigo. Tony Allen has personified how the Grizzlies are now as a team.
The Bad: They're still a turnover-prone bunch, which is a given due to their lack of experience and relative youth. They also get into stretches where they go into droughts, which would be minimized if Rudy Gay was not injured.
The X-Factor/s: OJ Mayo seems to have accepted his role as the key 6th Man for the Grizz. A team with little oomph offensively as it is right now without Gay, OJ needs to literally juice things up.
Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.
Happy Easter, everyone. The significance of the holiday for Christians all across the world signifies one's faith.
"If you have faith, you have hope. And if you have hope, you have life."
I love that quote. And more impressively, that quote came from Sixers head coach Doug Collins.
Easter means the end of Lent. It means the end of my sort of penance. Mine has been to not to order burgers and fries for the entire span. Yup, 39 days of no burgers. (I did have a one day cheat by havingthis). Now I can finally have my taste ofBaconators,Big Macs,Double Downs,Champs, etc.
Lots of great action over the past two days in the Association. It would be a total shame if both the owners and the players decided to chuck it all away with a stupid lockout, I tell you.
So what went on in the NBA Playoffs? Here is my take on the scene. The Celtics easily dispatched the Knicks via asweep (c/o Newark Star-Ledger). Quite simply, no Billups? Gimpy Amar'e? No chance. That buys time for the C's withShaq (Boston Herald), whom they'll need in the next round. As for the Knicks, all about whetherDonnie (c/o Sporting News) stays and to a lesser extent, D'Antoni.
The Sixers denied Miami the privilege ofsweeping them (c/o Miami Herald). Heat can be great when they have their 2 1/2 Men on full blast, but sometimes, just 5 five field goals from your seven other players might not cut it on some days.
Just like the Sixers, the Indiana Pacers also denied Chicago a chance at asweep (c/o Indianapolis Star).Derrick Rose (c/o Chicago Now) will be just fine, so never fear. In other notes, Jeff Foster has beenupgraded (c/o Chicago Daily Herald).
The shocker has been how Atlanta has continued their in-season form against the Magic. They'reone game away from advancing (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Yup, they won their latest withoutZaza Pachulia (c/o SB Nation) and withstood the charge fromGilbert Arenas (c/o Magic Playoff Beard). With Rick Adelman just wandering around, the pressure is on for Stan Van Gundy.
The maddening JR Smith. He first hints hemay not sign with the Nuggets (c/o Scoop Du Jour). Then, he almostsingle-handedly got them back in Game 3 (c/o The Oklahoman). Still, the Thunder are up 3-0 and are looking towards advancing. Brandon Roy may be far from his all-star days due to his knees, but he can still get it done for the Trail Blazers (c/o Portland Tribune). Mavs paranoia reigns again.
Lakers gotJack'd up (c/o New Orleans Times Picayune). Chris Paul has the same number of triple-doubles as a Hornet with Baron Davis.Kobe sprained his ankle, spawning lots of buzz against low-cut sneakers (c/o OC Register).
Speaking of Gasols, the one who's playing better is the one in Memphis, as they have a2-1 lead over the top-ranked San Antonio Spurs (c/o Today). Nope, there will be someDice action later (c/o Project Spurs).
Here forth are the other links:
Yes, my belovedBolton Wanderers beat the Kroenke Gunners (c/o The Guardian).
Real Madrid get areplica after they dropped it. (c/o Inside World Soccer) Meanwhile,they (c/o Scottish Daily Record) andBarcelona (c/o Tribal Football) did fine in their warm-up for their huge Champions' League donnybrook this week.
Shakira and her boyfriend are getting it on whilst the game is going on. (c/o Dirty Tackle)
Can you imagine if there waspromotion-relegation in the four major American professional sports? (c/o MLS Talk)
Eric Cantona has a plan for the New York Cosmos. I think it is inevitable that if LA has two teams in MLS, NY should have two of their own as well. (c/o ESPN)
With the 2011 playoffs having commenced with all teams getting a taste of the playoff action, it is time to peer into what I see.
Since no one is aware, this is how I picked the East 1st round: Chicago in 4, Miami in 4, Boston in 6, Orlando in 6.
1 -Chicago
The Good: Derrick Rose stamping his class so far. 39 in Game 1 and 36 in Game 2. 66 free throw attempts in 2 games is amazing.
The Bad: The Game 1 performance of Carlos Boozer is not ideal. At least, the bounce back was admirable Also, poor shooting numbers from Joakim Noah in both games. The rebounding numbers and the defense have been ok, to his credit.
The X-Factor/s: The Bulls are totally dependent on Rose for their rhythm. It is essential and important that they need to dispatch this Pacer team to get him rest. At least, for their sake, they are not getting the Heat or the Celtics in the next round. CJ Watson needs to be a really adequate back-up. They also need production from their other guard complementing Rose. Kyle Korver was that in Game 1 with 13 and CJ scored 7 on Game 2.
2 -Miami
The Good: Their team defense has been holding up well as the Sixers have shot 41% and 34% on both games. They're slowly figuring things out on how they can succeed. Game 2 was a blowout, but in Game 1, Wade was doing the closing.
The Bad: Mike Miller being a total dud so far, with a combined total of 5 minutes in 2 games. The specter of migraines for Dwayne Wade almost cost him Game 2.
The X-Factor/s: Joel Anthony. The Heat need someone to do the dirty work and be the defensive workhorse and enforcer, especially since your fellow big man is Chris Bosh. So far, he's been doing the job that Udonis ought to be handling. With Lebron now doing most of the ballhandling chores, perimeter shooting is a need, and the likes of James Jones, Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby need to make 'em jumpers.
3 -Boston
The Good: Jermaine O'Neal being alive. He was 6/6 in Game 1. He wasn't needed that much in Game 2 because of Amar'e situation. The RPGA Tour is humming. Jesus Shuttlesworth scored the winning basket in Game 1. Rondo flirted with a sneaky trip-double (10-9-9) in that game, then scored 30 in Game 2. 2 playoff games, 2 double-doubles for Garnett.
The Bad: Still no Shaq in sight. Bench contributions have been minimal at best, but they could do much better.
The X-Factor/s: Jeff Green needs to convince us all that he's a quality reserve. I am also a little disappointed that Big Baby really not getting much love in the 6th Man voting.
4 -Orlando
The Good: Dwight Howard being a modern facsimile of what Wilt was back in the day. Jameer Nelson's scoring output during the 3rd quarter of Game 1. Their defense in Game 2.
The Bad: Outside shooting has been bad. 45 attempts and 22% shooting from beyond the arc so far. Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu have been really disappointing.
The X-Factor/s: Someone other than Dwight and Jameer need to step up. Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson scored 8 apiece after getting goose eggs on Game 1.
5 -Atlanta
The Good: Hawks coach Larry Drew taking a page from the Doc Rivers / Gregg Popovich playbook on how to handle Dwight Howard. It has worked somehow in both games. Kirk Hinrich being a steady presence at the point. The J's presence offensively (Joe, Jamal, Josh).
The Bad: Their shooting in Game 2. Larry Drew's bench Horford if he gets 2 fouls for the rest of the 1st half principle.Marvin Williams so far.
The X-Factors: They amassed a roster of role bigs (Jason Collins, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Powell, Etan Thomas in Game 1, Hilton Armstrong in Game 2) designed to shadow Dwight one-on-one. That's a lot of fouls they can use. Any positive contributions they produce is a bonus.
6 -New York
The Good: Amar'e had his way with whoever guarded him in Game 1.Carmelo also had his way, especially when he was the only one left standing with the injuries. He scored 42 in the loss. Another thing, considering their situation, they have not yet been blown out to smithereens.
The Bad: The final minute of Game 1 was a head-scratcher for the Knicks. Chauncey Billups missed Game 2 and is still unknown when he'll return. Amar'e had back spasms and only played 17.5 minutes in Game 2. The 0/11 Bill Walker put up. The non-existence of Landry Fields in both games.
The X-Factor/s: Toney Douglas has been a bright surprise for New York in minimizing the loss of Mr. Big Shot. He can shoot the three and can score in bunches if allowed to do so.
7 -Philadelphia
The Good: Thaddeus Young becoming an option. He finished a far third in the 6th Man voting won by Lamar Odom, he already has been the top scorer for both games. They have done well from beyond the three-point line in the past two games. They shot better there than their overall shooting in Game 2.
The Bad: They can't make buckets.They can't get rebounds (39 with -13 and 40 with -6, respectively). Elton Brand just mustering 3 points in Game 2.
The X-Factor/s: Andre Iguodala needs to pick it up offensively. He has been great in reprising his Team USA role for Philly this season. Although, his eventually successor to that role (Evan Turner) did well in Game 2 amidst the blowout loss.
8 -Indiana
The Good: They have yet to be blown out by the Bulls so far, which is a plus. In fact, they have competed well and might even say were better than the Bulls for stretches. Having Paul George guard Derrick Rose has been effective at times.
The Bad: Darren Collison's ankle injury in Game 2. They also shot 41.6% overall in Game 2.
The X-Factor/s: AJ Price played adequate in Darren's absence. If he can't play, they'll need a career night from him. The North Carolina connection of Hansbrough (UNC) and McRoberts (Duke) need to play well to match the impact Carlos Boozer provides.
Welcome to the latest edition of the Morning After.
Yesterday is Palm Sunday in the Roman Catholic calendar scheme of things, so this will be a special week. Holy Week means a time to reflect on its significance on the Christian context. You probably heard of people in my 'hood gettingcrucified as a way of expressing their faith and belief and devotion. No, I am not going to go to that level of expression, but I do have my own ways.
Might as well do my own little TWTWTNBA via the links, so to start if off, here is a preview vignette c/o Two Man Game via Youtube). You want more in depth, check my site later.
I originally pegged a Laker sweep of the Hornets, butCP3 willed New Orleans to victory with a 33-7-14 monster stat line. (c/o Sports Illustrated) Hidden in that was the idea that the Lake Show only forced 3 turnovers.
I had pegged the Spurs to advance in 6, so it is inevitable that the Grizz to seal theirfirst-ever win in the playoffs (c/o Memphis Commercial Appeal). Oh, it has been a huge day for theBattiers (c/o Ball Don't Lie) and also forZ-Bo (c/o ProBasketball Talk).
I had pegged the Blazers to beat the Mavs in 6. Unfortunately, there was some sort of home cookingDallas (c/o Mavs Moneyball) provided for Portland to taste. It leftNate McMillan with a bitter taste in the mouth (c/o Inside Hoops).
I had pegged the Thunder to beat the Nuggets in 7.Thunder pull out the win (c/o The Oklahoman). Boy, it had the social media abuzz with a certaingoal-tending non-call (c/o Real Aspen). And you will not be getting incendiary comments / retorts from Kevin Durant anytime. He's too nice.
I had pegged the C's in 6 over the Knicks.Jesus Shuttlesworth (c/o Boston Herald) just showed us whyBill Simmons values him more over Reggie Miller. But Knicks got no chance ifBillups (c/o MassLive) will be sidelined for a while. Oh, who knew thatJermaine O'Neal (c/o Sporting News) was the go-to- O'Neal for this game?
I had pegged the Bulls to sweep the Pacers, but Danny Granger was *that* close to winning this game. It's justthe guy (c/o Indianapolis Star) he compared to acrazy stalker ex-girlfriend (c/o Cosby Sweaters) just raised the ante. Yup, A Rose is a rose is a MVP.
I also had pegged the Heat to sweep the Sixers, but just like the Bulls,the Heat (c/o Miami Herald) can figure things out just like that. Again, Wade is the closer. Lebron needs to feed him the ball and let him do his schtick.
I had pegged the Magic to beat the Hawks in 6, but the Hawks somehow successfully allowed Dwight Howard todominate and still won the game (c/o SB Nation Atlanta).That's surely going to make someone's day a little more frustrating, eh? (c/o Magic Playoff Beard)
For non-NBA Playoff links:
MLS should bring back theNew York Cosmos (c/o New York Times).
The 1stEl Clasico of 4 in a span of 18 days began with a simpledraw that in all likelihood, sealed FC Barcelona's La Liga title. (c/o The Guardian). Up next, the Copa Del Rey match at the Mestalla on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
The FA Cup Final is set in stone at Wembley.Manchester City (c/o The Daily Mail) andStoke (c/o The Sun) will face off. Stoke already playing with house money because they're guaranteed to play in Europe (Via the Europa League, thanks to City being ensured with a Champions League spot due to their current placement as one of the top 4 teams in the Barclays Premier League.) As a Bolton Wanderers fan, it was an excruciating experience.
In other English football news, Arsenal onlydrew with Liverpool, increasing the chances of Manchester United sealing their title hopes. (c/o A Different League)
I guess the American invasion intofootball ownership is not just an English matter. (c/o BBC Sport)
Gareth Bale is the best player in the EPL. (c/o London Telegraph)
Brad Penny is one very very lucky guy (c/o Moondog Sports)
TheRed Sox won and yet they still have the fewest wins in the majors. (c/o Boston Globe) At leastJosh Beckett is doing quite ok. (c/o WEEI)
Jason Heyward is batting second. Finally. (c/o Talking Chops)
It still remains Opposite Day in the AL Central, asCleveland (c/o Massillon Independent) andKansas City (c/o Kansas City Star) are still neck-and-neck.
Nice to know leaving Rihanna is paying dividends forMatt Kemp (c/o Los Angeles Times).
Quite simply,Talladega. It was wild. (c/o From The Marbles)
As a fan of Formula 1, I relish the idea of its drivers making headway into NASCAR. I want to see theIceman do it. (c/o Speed)
Lewis Hamilton ends the Vettel charge. (c/o The National)
Canucks just keep on rollin' (c/o Vancouver Sun) Oh, and if you think the Timbers Army is raucous, well, Canadians raise the ante up anotch. (c/o Youtube via Bill Simmons)
Wings withoutZetterberg (c/o Detroit News)? Flyers withoutPronger? (c/o Philadelphia Inquirer)
Bud Selig has been quoted as saying that he is tinkering with the idea of divisional realignment. Sometimes, talk is talk. Most of us are proactive people. I believe someone already provided a link to a possible realignment on the basis of 2 teams getting contracted, which I doubt will happen.
The more probable solution would to add 2 more teams, and then create a fourth division. The wildcard will have to go unless you expand the playoffs, which might be too taxing for their own ends. So, only the division winners get playoff aspirations. To make the divisions geographically sound and snippy, I made it predetermined to select the appropriate places for expansion.
The American League
AL North:Chicago, Cleveland,Detroit, Toronto. Toronto is the lucky team that gets to escape the shadow of the Yankees and Red Sox. For the White Sox and Tigers, there is no way they ought to be screwing things up with the plucky Twins no longer being the default choice of many to win the division.
AL Pacific:Los Angeles,Oakland, Seattle, AL Expansion Team (Vancouver / Portland): The teams with a coastline will get an expansion team in the Pacific Northwest, where a rivalry with the Mariners would stoke the region.
AL East:Baltimore, Boston, New York, AL Expansion Team (Tennessee / Carolina). Looks like Baltimore will the unlucky team that still has to be stuck with the Yankees and the Red Sox. And the expansion team will be the one being fed to the lions.
AL MidWest:Colorado, Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas. In order to acquire the Rockies, we had to trade away the Rays, because they are the geographic misfit of the American League. The Royals and the Twins from the old AL Central and the Rangers from the old AL West join them in what looks to be one long ball of a division.
The National League
NL West:Arizona, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego. Probably the easiest division to form, with all being clumped together in the southwest corner. Also preserves the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.
NL East:Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York, Washington. The Pirates get ported from the old Central to the East. There is some major level of losing, with the current state of the Pirates and Nationals, to the traditionally mediocre Mets, and the Phillies being the team with the most number of losses amongst all the MLB teams.
NL North:Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis. The old rivalries between the Cardinals and Cubs as well as the dynamics of the Reds and the Brewers make this formerly known as the NL Central intriguing.
NL South:Atlanta, Florida, Houston, Tampa Bay. This new division takes Houston from the old NL Central and the Marlins and the Braves of the NL East. They also acquire the Rays, which makes geographic sense and does not necessarily have the traditional pedigree.
Permanent Interleague Rival Designates:
NYY vs NYM, KC vs STL, LAA vs LAD, BAL vs WSH, CLE vs CIN, CHW vs CHC, TEX vs HOU, OAK vs SF
The other 8 match-ups will be on a rotation, along with the interleague inter division match-up.
Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.
The office confines had a very very interesting visitor during the past week, as long-time NBA veteran A.C. Green actually visited the office and said hello. As part of the occasion, the peeps can opt to shelve the normal attire for the jersey of my fave team. I, of course, opted to go with my alma mater. I seized the opportunity and had a picture taken with him. Looking at the picture, I really have to figure out losing weight. I might turn into Big D's mini-me. (if I haven't already evolved into one)
A.C. was in the country as part of theJr. NBA Training Program, which is a means to preserve the future of Philippine basketball by finding, then developing, young promising cagers from all across the Motherland. It's a little disappointing that I failed you guys in getting a more investigative interview or something similar, but then again, it'll pale in comparison to someone who pulled off the Matt Bowen interview.
Matt Holliday lost an appendix, but it's all good. (c/o San Jose Mercury News)
Imagine if theBryan Stow incident transpired in Philadelphia. (c/o Philly2Philly). Meanwhile, expect top-notch security at Chavez Ravine (c/o New York Daily News).
It's nice to know thatCleveland (c/o GoErie) andKansas City (c/o SB Nation Kansas City) are on the leaderboard. Could it be Opposite Day?
Miami finally figuring out Boston? (c/o Miami Herald)
Lakers now sputtering to the finish line. Still willing to give them a pass. (c/o Lake Show Life)
Looks likeJoe Dumars will get a free hand. Although, it is probably inevitable that Kuester is screwed. (c/o The Detroit News)
Jenn Sterger ain't a gold-digger. (c/o Huffington Post)
Mark Richt is already behind the8-ball with his attempt to save his job. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
UNLV goes back to its Tark roots. (c/o CBS Sports)
Manchester United remains on track to seal their league title. (c/o Telegraph)
The St. Louis Rams have a new cousin inArsenal (c/o World Soccer). They are the third "cousin" tandem after the Bucs and Manchester United (c/o the Glazer family) as well as Liverpool and the Red Sox (c/o Fenway and as of late, Lebron James)
4El Clasicos in a stretch of 18 days is, in all likelihood,imminent. Isn't that a great thing? (c/o The Guardian)
Erik Morales had aRocky Balboa moment. (c/o Underdog Boxing)
A view into theright-hand man of the boxing icon. (c/o Solar Sports)
I will choose to believethis more if the news actually came from your end of the woods and not ours. (c/o Philippine Star)
Congrats to Charl. He gotgreen (c/o New York Post).
And to part, here is an interesting modern take into an old classic song by The Human League.
Being friends of the people involved the From the Stands podcast, I always download and listen to their shows over its different iterations. I decided to finally give in and deconstruct their discussions onto a post.
The first episode I will decipher and react to would beEpisode 10.
Rain or Shine: I think the great stretch that RoS had can be attributed to the cupcake start to the conference. With the format being a quick single round robin, it would be advantageous to have a quick start, which they did in winning three straight. Sure helps when you have an import like Hassan Adams.
B-Meg vs SMART Gilas: What made that game fun was that at the same time it was being played (It was on a Wednesday), was that simultaneous to it, the Philippine Men's Football Team, or most commonly known as the Azkals, were playing in Burma against Palestine. That game was not shown on live television, but most of us were tracking the tweets as it came. Both games went down the wire, making it a double thriller when we were at the NSG.
SMART Gilas: If you look at the international game now, the three-pointer have become THE weapon of choice for the offense. The main reason we needed Marcus was that need for a legitimate big man who will do the dirty work. One might say, a really really bigger version of Marc Pingris or Doug Kramer. In the PBA, given the lack of size, it bodes well for us to take advantage of Marcus in the pain, thus the huge numbers he is putting up. It's clear what the roles are on the team. You are either one or more of the following: distributor, creator, shooter, defender, hustler. If you can do more than one of those, that would be even better.
On Japeth Aguilar: He screams (to borrow Dick Vitale's terms) Potenial! Potential! Potential! On the cusp of possibly becoming an Ateneo legend, he abruptly goes to the States to pursue his dream, entering Western Kentucky and becoming the first Filipino on the roster of a team in the NCAA Tournament in the modern era. Unfortunately, he never really got on track to playing for Darrin Horn (who recruited him there) due to an injury, then when Ken McDonald took over as Horn left for South Carolina, he did not get much floor burn. It's definitely a an issue with confidence for him. Not just that, he is also having an identity crisis as to what his exact role is. He looks like a stretch four like a Channing Frye but he could be more than that. I agree that our patience is wearing thin on him, but there is still time for him to rectify some things and habits.
Greg Slaughter: It's nice to know he has stepped up in play when he is being asked to contribute as the main back-up for Marcus. It's also encouraging that he's going to be even better come the UAAP season.
Chris Tiu: If you are a PBA team looking for maximizing marketing potential, he is probably the biggest meal ticket in a while. With his squeaky-clean reputation, no franchise can refuse his charm. He'd be a mighty fine backup combo guard for a good team who could start in a pinch.
Nelson Asaytono vis-a-vis Kerby Raymundo: It's like the Amar'e Stoudemire vis-a-vis Carlos Boozer. The Bull was an unstoppable force on the offensive end, unleashing hell on whoever tried to defend him. Kerby on the other hand, can be an unstoppable force if he decided to turn on the jets, but also recognizes that he can contirbute on other aspects as well as be deferring when needed to. He also inherited the perpetually injured gene likewise.
The New York Knicks: The three were trying to figure out the malaise that affected the Knicks, pointing out the Melo trade and whether they should have pulled the trigger. I believe we have gone through that road previously. I think the hosts missed what probably is the most important issue that is ailing them during the stretch (7-11 record in March, including a 6-game losing streak), which has always been the lack of a consistent effort on the defensive end. They allowed an average of 106.3 PPG in March. That, of course, is par for the course in the SSOL of D'Antoni. People also have to realize that the Knicks are still an unfinished product that is happy to have made their return to the playoffs.
Post-AS Weekend runs of LA and Chicago: Let me show you how good the Lakers are when they decide to just turn it on.(ATL, @POR, LAC, @OKC, @MIN, CHA, @SAS, @ATL, @MIA, @DAL, ORL, MIN, POR, PHO, LAC, NOH, DAL, @UTA, DEN). Just two losses (Miami and Denver) during that span. Said interval also showed a commitment to defense. If you look at the box scores, there were just 3 games where the opponent scores 100+ and 8 games where opponent scores 90+. The champs are currently chasing down Spurs (2.5 games back from home court as of the time I was writing this). But the more important underlying current is that they're 1 game back from Chicago and 2 ahead of Boston (again, as of the time I am writing this). Lakers want to secure home court if they ever make it back to the Finals, especially if the Celtics win the East.
We all know about Lebron and his desire to become aglobal icon. That is probably one reason why he left Cleveland for South Beach. According to Wikipedia (which you may take seriously or not):
Endorsements
James has endorsement contracts withNike,Sprite,Glacéau,Bubblicious,Upper Deck,McDonald's andState Farm.[132][133] With Nike, James has released six signature shoe styles, and four additional shoes (20–5–5, Soldier, Soldier 2, Ambassador). He has acted in a 2007 series of commercials called "The LeBrons", as well as had his likeness voiced byKenan Thompson in a 2009 commercial series titled "MVPuppets". In December 2007, James was ranked at #1 in theForbes Top 20 Earners Under 25 with annual earnings of $27 million.[134]
Now,Lebron, Inc. takes the next step in building his brand in an attempt to be a global marketing tool. He is nowa minority owner of Liverpool FC. Yes, the team with the iconic anthem.
As such, maybe he is the magic talisman that would bring luck and hope to a star-crossed franchise. Wait, I think I have seen this scenario before...
The scintilating run of Kemba and his pride continues. After winning 5 games in 5 days to seal the Big East Tournament, they continued on their run to reach the Final Four.
Who is UConn, anyway?
Location: Storrs, Connecticut
Head Coach: Jim Calhoun
Key Players: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi
The Big Blue Nation is back in the Final Four for the first time since 1998. Their coach has been "familiar" with this situation before (although those were eventually vacated after certain irregularities coincidentally came out). It is also unique, because this bunch went further than last year with all those major one-and-done contributors that became NBA first-rounders.
Who is Kentucky, anyway?
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Head Coach: John Calipari
Key Players: Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Deandre Liggins, Terence Jones, Josh Harrellson, Darius Miller
NBA alums: 71. That's a whole freakin' lot of people who played in the NBA.
Other famous alum/s: Ashley Judd is really the only one that matters. See pic below:
After being panned much during the entirety of Selection Sunday, the Virginia Commonwealth University proved themselves worthy of their selection (and making said prognosticators eat crow), becoming the 2nd team from the Colonial Athletic Association to make it in the Final Four. (George Mason being the other one) Both were 11-seeds in making this accomplishment.
NBA alums: 6. Eric Maynor made a name out of beating Duke in the first round in his sophomore season. Gerald Henderson, Sr won a couple of rings in Boston during the 80s. (He is also the dad of current Charlotte Bobcat Gerald Henderson, Jr, who coincidentally was a freshman at Duke when VCU beat them)
Other famous alums: Patch Adams (Yes, the guy from the movie)
The Butler Bulldogs are the first team since the old-school Runnin' Rebels of UNLV in the early 90s to make back-to-back Final Four appearances coming from a school outside of the members of the BCS Power Six Conferences.
Who is Butler, anyway?
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Head Coach: Brad Stevens
Key Players: Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard, Andrew Smith, Ronald Nored, Shawn Vanzant
NBA alums: 4, but Gordon Hayward is the first one since the NBA-ABA merger.
Other famous alums: Bobby Plump (of "Hoosiers" fame), Thad Matta (men's basketball coach at Ohio State), Jim Jones (cult leader of the People's Temple, whose members committed suicide in Guyana)
I am pretty sure you heard about Manny Pacquiao and his mishandling of Twitter recently. You can find the full storyhere andhere andhere andhere.
Obviously, there will besome ignorant fools who would be taking advantage of this for their own personal end and agenda, but sometimes, you should look more in depth in things before making hasty generalizations like what he did there.
Sometimes, one needs to act accordingly to what he or she upholds and represents. It is clearly understood that he will be missing congressional sessions due to his training in Baguio City (an 8 to 10-hour drive from Manila) as he is preparing for his fight against Sugar Shane Mosley. Now, he should have realized that in order for his vote to count, he has to be present in the proceedings (not that the vote would have mattered as the proponents already had the necessary numbers to pass the measure). In addition, being a politician, he should be carrying himself in a dignifying manner and not resorting to his tweet responses.
It's disappointing that a boxer used to unleashing mayhem inside the ring cannot handle barbs being thrown at him on the online realm. This is another classic case of "if you cannot handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen" routine. Too bad, because it would be fascinating having him as part of the Tweeps and amidst all the craziness online.
It has been a while since I last watched a movie in a theater. Thanks to the Razkals, especially to @BlueHairedFan, I was coaxed out of the comfy confines of home to check out Greenbelt 3 for this motion picture. It also served as a prep activity for us as we were to undertake the tweetcast of the final AFC Challenge Cup Group Stage match between the Philippines and Bangladesh.
Sucker Punch was helmed by Zack Snyder, who was responsible for 300 and The Watchmen and you can see that he used a lot of the elements from those movies onto this one. It had a feel of a graphic novel that came to life, with all the vibrancy and its jarring sense of reality and fantasy coming together.
Starring Emily Browning (best known as Violet on Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events), Abbie Cornish (best known as the girl who caused the Resse Weatherspoon - Ryan Philippe break-up), Vanessa Hudgens (of High School Musical note), Jena Malone and Jamie Chung. Also starring in this movie is Mad Men's Jon Hamm and Scott Glenn who's eerily channeling the memory of David Carradine with his character.
Why you should watch the movie:
1. The ladies are really sexy and seductive. In other words, a fanboy's dream.
2. The surreal visual effects.
3. A soundtrack that truly does rock.
The movie was just released in the Philippines yesterday (March 25). Here is the trailer:
Each one of us is asked to do a little thing by doing our own little share for Earth Hour. However, it should not just be on one day in particular, but everyday. This should be a 24/7 as much as possible in each and every single imaginative way of contributing.
Forget the draws against Burma and Palestine Forget the missed opportunities during those games. Forget Ian Araneta's goal-scoring struggles. Forget the injuries that have struck us. Forget the earthquakes that seem to follow us Forget the saves Neil Etheridge and Ed Sacapano have managed to secure Forget the crosses that James Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong procure. Forget the presence of Angel Aldeguer Guirado and Jerry Lucena Forget the absence of Phil Younghusband and Chris Greatwich Forget the veteran gamesmanship of Yanti Bersales and Roel Gener Forget the youthful exuberance of David Basa and Yannick Tuason
What matters now is what lies ahead. A crossroad, a fork instead. On a field of green on a land far away The Beautiful Game will be on full display We will be blind on the action Instead, anticipating the Twitter reaction As we wait for the tweets to come in From Cedelf, Craig, Roy and even Dyan And we, the people, will forward them constantly As the 90 minutes (and then some) pass by When the games begin as the clock passes five Nothing else matters It is only winning Pride for flag and country This is what it is all about Nasa ilalim ng iisang araw
Tatlong Bituin, Dilaw, Pula, Puti, Bughaw Sugod, Laban. Huwag uurong. Ang sigaw na dating bulong
The Southwest Regional is going to be played at the Alamodome where the San Antonio Spurs played before the advent of the AT&T Center.
Here are the matchups to determine who goes to the Final Four:
1st Seed Kansas vs 12th Seed Richmond: Kansas felt at home in Tulsa, easily putting away Boston University and Illinois. On the other hand, Richmond upset Vanderbilt and blew out Morehead State in Denver on its way to being the lowest seeded team remaining in the Sweet 16.
10th Seed Florida State vs 11th Seed Virginia Commonwealth: Florida State stamped its class defensively in Chicago, shackling Texas A&M and Notre Dame. The much-maligned Rams became the first play-in (now known as the "new" first round - beating USC in Dayton) team to win in the field of 64 by destroying Georgetown and then Purdue in Chicago.
My Original Bracket: Kansas vs Louisville. Purdue vs Notre Dame. Kansas earns Final Four berth beating Purdue.
Revised Bracket: Kansas over Richmond. Virginia Commonwealth over Florida State. Kansas beats VCU to sweep both schools based in Richmond, VA.
Player/s to Watch:Joey Rodriguez. NCAA Tournaments have always been keyed by guard play. He's the main cog of VCU in proving the prognosticators wrong as they keep moving on.
The Western Regional will be played at the Honda Center in Anaheim (more well known as the Pond). Yes, that might also be the future home of the Sacramento Kings, if all things hold serve.
1st Seed Duke vs 5th Seed Arizona:Duke felt at home in Charlotte, easily dispatching Hampton and then barely fending off a game Michigan squad. Arizona swatted its way past Memphis and took advantage of a 5-second inbound call against Texas in Tulsa.
2nd Seed San Diego State vs 3rd Seed Connecticut: In Tucson, The Aztecs made short work of Northern Colorado, but was taken to double overtime by Temple. UConn got past Bucknell and Cincinnati in DC.
My Original Bracket: Duke vs Arizona. UConn vs SDSU. With the Elite Eight being San Diego State beats Duke.
Revised Bracket: Still sticking with my prediction. Home court advantage comes in handy with the Aztecs.
Player/s to Watch: Kyrie Irving. Only played in 8 games prior to the tournament. Looks like he is just fine. And the further Duke goes, the better he becomes.
The Eastern Regional is going to be played at the Prudential Center (Pru for short) in Newark. Yes, that is where the Nets are temporarily based until the Barclays gets built in Brooklyn.
1st Seed Ohio State vs 4th Seed Kentucky. Ohio State showed why they are the top overall seed in the tournament, blowing out Texas-San Antonio and then George Mason in Cleveland. Kentucky fended off Princeton and West Virginia down in Tampa.
2nd Seed North Carolina vs 11th Seed Marquette. In Charlotte, North Carolina easily dispatched Long Island and followed that up by barely escaping from a game Washington team. Marquette, on the other hand, handcuffed Xavier and upset their Big East rival Syracuse in Cleveland.
My Original Bracket: George Mason vs Kentucky. Syracuse vs North Carolina. With the Elite Eight being Syracuse beats Kentucky.
Revised Bracket: Ohio State over Kentucky. North Carolina over Marquette. Ohio State wins Newark Regional.
Player/s to Watch: TheBuckeye shooters. Jon Diebler, David Lighty, William Buford and Aaron Craft have been scintillating in their sniping, especially in their evisceration of the Patriots. They keep the pressure off superfrosh Jared Sullinger.
The NFL just approved some new changes for the upcoming season. Whether that would be this year or next remains to be seen, but here are some of them.
1.The Boise Rule. Any changes on the color of the field must meet league approval. In other words, it may be a while before someone in the league goes for the blue turf.
2.Kickoffs. Kickers will be doing their kickoffs at the 35 instead of the 30. However, touchbacks will still remain at the 20-yd line. For teams that rely on their special teams *cough*Bears*cough* for their offense, this makes it more challenging. For a free agent returner like a Brad Smith, the possible windfall for him might not be as large as he hoped.
The two-man wedge still remains legal as a tradeoff for the kickoff alterations to push through. Then again, Billy Cundiff set a NFL record for kickoff touchbacks, so this pretty much makes it more challenging to get return plays. It's disappointing that it had to happen, but apparently, the logic of this is to reduce injuries during these kind of situations.
3.Reviewable scoring plays. Probably as a favor for coaches who seem to bumble in using their red flags, all scoring plays are now going to be reviewed.
4.Dead ball fouls at end of half. For consistency purposes, the half will not be extended if you committed such a penalty. I have no idea what this meant, but this probably is a time-saving method.
The remaining issue is the update on fines regarding hits. Obviously, this being a sensitive matter, there needs to be further fine-tuning with the language, so this has been tabled for future meetings.
