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.