2011 NBA Playoff Predictions: Would you agree???

Image via WikipediaAs the NBA Playoffs is getting near, the Beast of the East and the Best of the West are jacking now in position. Curiously though, the teams that were hot throughout the whole season seems to wind out as the season gets to its close. San Antonio Spurs, the best team in the league throughout the whole year seems to find its fountain of youth getting to drain out. The Boston Celtics on the other hand, who held out the top spot for the year until the Bulls dethrone them seems to be fading out too. After Kendrick Perkins' transfer to the Thunder, the tough inside presence of the Celts seems to be on the downward spiral as both O'Neals were not able to suit up for the team. So how do we expect the Playoffs to wind up as it starts in the next 3 weeks? Here's some of the things to look out as the 2010-11 Post-Season unveils.

MVP: Derrick Rose will have his first MVP trophy after leading the Bulls to the number one spot in the Eastern Conference. No Bull have done the same thing after the post-Jordan era. Truly remarkable performance.

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin's resurgence after his one-year vacation from injury proved to be the keypoint for winning this Having the Slam Dunk award and earning an All-Star slot last February proved to be a good backups for his hands-down choice as the Rookie of the Year.

Playoff Prediction:

East: 

Eastern Semifinals will feature the top 4 teams: Chicago, Miami, Boston and Orlando. If the Shaq and Jermaine will not be able to make it in the post-season, the East finals will be between the Heat and the Bulls. If we will base our prediction on the season match-up between the two teams, the Bulls will have its first-ever Finals appearance after the Jordan-Pippen ear. However, I would say that Miami will have its ground against the Bulls in a 7-game series. My bet: Chicago Bulls

West:

Western Semifinals will feature teams with a surprising upset from the First Round: Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Unbelievable??? Memphis going in the second-round?? Well, considering the remarkable run of the Spurs throughout the year, the age factor cannot be denied. The fragility of Duncan and Ginobili will surely create problems in the first-round matchup against the physical and hungry Grizzlies. What about the Dallas Mavericks? Sad to say, this team is choking when it is playoff time. Surely, the youthful Blazers with the addition of Gerald Wallace will prove to be a demolition force for the Mavericks. West Finals will be a Kobe Bryant-Kevin Durant showdown. 

My bet: Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Lakers

A finals rematch after 20 years. The first one was between Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Now, its between Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant. The Lakers will try to push for its 3-peat title but the Bulls are surging from the East. My bet: Chicago Bulls

Never-Say Die Attitude of the Gin Kings, is it still there?

Image via WikipediaAs I watch PBA games these days, there seems to be a different type of aura that is missing especially when Ginebra plays. I've been an avid fan of Ginebra since Jaworski days and I saw how the Kings were able to establish themselves as league's best starting 2004, when Major Pain, Eric Menk muscles his way to lead the Gin Kings with the help of the Fast and the Furious.Incidentally, they draw similarity with the San Antonio Spurs Big Three, Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. There's still a glimpse of the Never Say Die attitude of the team but it seems the spirit is not in there. Let's draw the comparison of the Gin Kings from 2005, 2007 and 2011. As a fan, I want to enumerate some of the key points that seems affecting the team as a whole and on my perception, helpful ways that they can address them to bring back the old glory of the Kings.

2005: Philippine Cup Champs
Positives - Eric Menk established himself as the tower of strength for the Kings, leading them to back-to-back titles. He ends up the MVP on that year. Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand proved to be good compliments for Major Pain, as they also helped the team throughout the year's campaign. Supporting crews led by Sunday Salvacion, Rodney Santos and Rommel Adducul also marked themselves as good role players for the team.
Flaws - The team had sub-par players on the bench. But these guys really stepped it up when the game time commands. It wasn't really a flaw but they proved to be beneficial as they have defined minutes which does not affect the key players minutes.


2007: Philippine Cup Champs
Positive - With the arrival of Rudy Hatfield, Rafi Reavis , Ronald Tubid and Billy Mamaril, this year proved to be a turning point in the history of the PBA. Why? Big names needs to be on the same team to have a relatively good chemistry. But it was still Caguioa and Helterbrand who really made it happen since Eric Menk was troubled by injuries throughout the year. Good supporting cast proved to be vital for the team's success.
Flaws - Playing time was an issue for a team composed of big names. Proof? Rommel Adducul was shipped to other team to pave the way for more playing time.


For the current line-up, here's my review.
2011:
Review -  If you are going to look on the entire line-up of the team, you will clearly see the difference as compared to the previous team. They are now bombarded with guards who finds difficulty in the rotation.
Big guys no longer have the legs as compared to their previous age. Run and gun style of play no longer exists in the game as a much slower, deliberate phase is now existent in the team. Though the coaching staff might consider the age factor of their key players, they can still consider reverting back to old style of play to boost the fans' excitement during their games.

The Gin Kings will have their game with the newly revamped San Miguel Beermen. How we wish to see the Kings running and revitalized with their old style of play.

Preview of the NBA Finals as early as today...Lakers vs Celtics again???

Image via WikipediaTwo days after the Denver Nuggets finally sealed the deal with the New York Knicks to send Carmelo Anthony to them together with Chauncey Billups in exchange of 4 players and a future draft picks, I am just wondering what will be the possible scenarios in the Eastern Conference for the remaining of the season as we get prepared on the playoffs this coming April.

No wonder, New York has the legitimate chance of making in the playoffs as they hold the 6th spot in the tight Eastern Conference. This might lead to a first round showdown with the Chicago Bulls. Potential MVP Derrick Rose will surely entail a big mismatch with the aging Billups. This might lead to an early first round exit for the Knicks as they have nobody to guard the fast Derrick Rose. Either the Heat or the Celtics will have an easy first round playoff with either the Pacers or the Bobcats. The second seed will have the Sixers on their pocket. Orlando will have another showdown with the Hawks, a pretty boring match-up as I would say coz the Hawks have the history of being swept by the Magic. At the end, Heat and Celtics at the East Finals. Big three of the Heat will surely perspire a lot versus the aging Celtics, but the deep bench of the Celtics will surely make it possible for another Finals appearance.

On the West? A West Finals showdown between the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the league leader San Antonio Spurs. The West became an open race for the Lakers and the Spurs as the legitimate contenders were reduced since Anthony's departure. Kevin Durant's time to be Kobe's successor has not yet arrived. They might have a great show with the Spurs in the second round but the old aged Spurs will surely make it, cross fingers that Duncan's knees will still be able to withstand the inside banging. The West champion, still the Lakers. In the end, another Lakers-Celtics showdown.

I am very much excited to see the rematch between these two old rivals. How I wish the Celtics will be all healthy when they match up with Kobe Bryant and the rest of the gang. Just time will tell ....

Spurs continues to roll against Melo and the Nuggets

Image via Wikipedia

The San Antonio Spurs continued to improve to NBA best 35-6 over the slopping Denver Nuggets, 110-97, in what could have been Carmelo Anthony’s last game as a Nugget. Tony Parker lead the surging Spurs by capping 30 points while Manu Ginobili contributed 18 points. The New York trade rumors certainly affected the performance of the Anthony, who only had 12 points on a woeful 5-17 field goal shooting.

The Spurs got a big lift from its bench who scored a total of 40 points. George Hill and Gary Neal chipped 14 points apiece, which is one of the major factors of the franchise best start this season.

Ginebra Gin Kings Christmas victory, a glimpse of championship?

                               Image via WikipediaChristmas day is really a treat for the PBA fans. For the past 5 years, it’s very usual that Ginebra will play on that day to treat the fans with a hell of a game. The game last Saturday against the Aces surely proved the “Never Say Die” attitude of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. Down by 20 in the opening period, Ronald Tubid ignited the run that would trim the deficit before halftime. Then, it was Mark Caguioa’s turn to sustain the Kings in the second half.

Rudy Hatfield and Rico Villanueva chipped in significant numbers to help the Gin Kings to overcome a tremendous power of the Alaska Aces. Joe Devance led the Aces with 21 points,
while LA Tenorio and Sonny Thoss had 18 and 9 respectively. Cyrus Baguio had an awful game, finishing with just 7 points on 3 of 16 shooting in the field.

The way Ginebra played during the Christmas day can give the Barangay a glimpse of their capability to go a long way to the championship. It seems that they were able to overcome their own fears against the Aces, who had swept them twice in the playoffs last year. A balanced scoring and a stellar defense really brought the Kings alive down from a 0-1 deficit to advance to the semis. If they will continue to play with the same level of intensity and determination, surely Barangay Ginebra will regain its All-Filipino championship.

Why Team Pilipinas cannot make it to the London Olympics?

Image via WikipediaSmart Gilas Team Pilipinas, the country’s representative for the upcoming 2011 FIBA Asia Olympic Qualifying in Lebanon will have a hard time to make it to the top to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. With only 6th place finish to show up after the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, the PHL 5 has a lot of homework to do if they want to be competitive in the upcoming Olympic Qualifier. Though the PBA lend 3 of its mainstays to beef up the national team, it was not even enough to avoid a worst finish by the Philippine Team in the history of the Asian Games. Here are the following reasons why Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas will not make it to London in 2012:

1.Height
The perennial problem of the Philippine Team to defend the big man of other Asian countries will still be the number one problem that needs to be addressed. With the addition of naturalized big man Marcus Douthit, the team is optimistic that they can defend the middle. However, the absence of Japheth Aguilar to injury will affect the rotation of the big man. Good thing is that Philippine’s Shaq version, Asi Taulava is still available for duty. However, the aging giant must have additional complement in order to defend the shaded lane. If only we can still have the bulk bodies of previous RP team such as Dennis Espino and Eric Menk to name a few, we can still be able to match up with the giants of China, Korea, Iran and other Middle East countries.

2.Injuries
The current roster is plagued by injuries of JV Casio, Marcio Lassiter and Japeth Aguilar who was sent home due to a slight posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear in his right knee. Sol Mercado was also slowed down by a foot injury during the Asian games. With only 7-8 months to go before the FIBA Asia qualifying, these injuries must heal as soon as possible. The 2002 RP Team in Busan also suffered the same fate in the absence of Danny Seigle , who was still in his prime during that time. Just imagine if he was in the lineup. The outcome could have been different. Given the history of injuries on the RP team rosters, Coach Rajko Toroman should ensure a proper conditioning training to the boys to avoid any further brittle legs to show up especially next year.

3.System unfamiliarity
With the arrival of Marcus Douthit in the team, another adjustment must be made in the team. The games in Guangzhou just show the results of being unfamiliar to the system of the PBA mainstays. If only they are fully concentrated on the system (i.e. their mother teams have allowed them to stay for Gilas for quite a while), the players could have fully adapt to the Gilas system. Douthit’s arrival can surely be another factor how the familiarity concern will be raised again to the Smart Gilas team.

4.Inconsistent outside shooting
How we wish we have another version of Allan Caidic, who is a dead shot in the 3 point line even the guards are on top of him. The opening loss in Iran in the Asian games shows the problem in the consistency of the wing men to connect beyond the arc. Mac Baracael, Chris Tiu and JV Casio should make those kick out passes from the big men. The only weapon against the big men of Iran, China and Korea is to snipe from the outside. Team Pilipinas is doomed to fail if these shots will not fall in!

Seven months to go before the FIBA Olympic Qualfier in Lebanon. The time is drawing near for the Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas to prove if they can really make it to London in 2012.

Spurs back on track, nip Hornets by big 2nd half rally

Image via WikipediaThe San Antonio Spurs got back on track after losing to division rival Dallas Mavericks last Friday by defeating the New Orleans Hornets on the road 109-95. Manu Ginobili led again the surge with his 23 points, 15 all coming on the 2nd half to give the Spurs an NBA best 14-2 record. Tim Duncan added 21 points and Richard Jefferson bounced back from a nightmare performance by scoring 19 points. The Spurs also got a big lift from the bench with George Hill’s 14 points.

It was a very convincing win for the Spurs that though they were down 17 going to the 2nd half, they were able to build their own 17 point lead going down the stretch by clamping down the Hornets to just 35.5 % field goal percentage as compared to 60.5% for the Spurs. David West finished with 23 points but only 5 coming on the 2nd half. Chris Paul added 15 with Emeka Okafor and Marco Belinelli chipping in 12 points apiece.

The win gave the Spurs 2 games ahead of the division rivals New Orleans Hornets and Dallas Mavericks.