FIRST 5: While I was away (again)

while i was away due to the social action internship program of the diocese of legazpi, here are five things that i missed in the basketball world: 

1. college basketball season's "soft" opening

(photo source)

it's the time of the year when rivalries are rekindled and rookies are introduced as college basketball holds its "soft opening" with summer leagues such as filoil flying v preseason tournament and the fr. martin's cup. the former opened on the day i was about to leave for legazpi, with two games to boot: ateneo blue eagles vs. letran knights and de la salle green archers vs. san beda red lions. interestingly, both games involved teams who have rivalries in their respective collegiate leagues. what was expected to be a walk in the park for ateneo almost ended as an upset for the muralla-based dribblers, but the defending pre-season tournament champions held on to win, 55-51. the second game served as the "debut" of highly-touted jeron teng for la salle against the defending ncaa champions. the red lions survived a late game push by the green archers to pick up the win, 69-63. with recruits out to find their niches and teams determined to climb to the top, the plot will surely thicken as the games go by. and of course, this is the time to calibrate and rev-up ateneo's engines for its "drive for five" in uaap season 75.

2. road to the pba finals

(photo source)

i have been a fan of the pba especially during the mid til late 90's, but somehow lost interest on it because of college basketball. but because college basketball was on hiatus and i don't have basketball tv or nba premium on tv, and pba is still basketball after all, i tried keeping track of pba games again. the first professional basketball league in asia has witnessed some sort of renaissance lately, as fans seemed to have new-found interest on the rivalries, players, and the games themselves. carrying over the intensity from the previous conference, the commissioner's cup has been interesting so far, as fan favorites ginebra and b-meg (i still prefer to call them purefoods), powerhouse talk n' text, and unlikely contender barako bull are jockeying for position towards the finals. what makes it more interesting is how fans begin comparing players to anime characters, naming monikers, and using social media to turn on some heat to the games. this should be good.


3. phoenix suns lose the eighth seed


one of the teams i adored the most is the phoenix suns - from the days when kevin johnson was point guard, "thunder" dan majerlie was rattling the rim, and sir charles barkley was not yet a basketball analyst to d'antoni's high octane "basket in seven seconds or less" system anchored on steve nash, amare stoudamire, shawn marion, joe johnson, and leandro barbosa, and even until now even with superstars walking on the twilight of their careers. what kept me believing in the suns is the way nash brings the team together and makes individuals better with unselfish play. everyone was counting them out of the playoffs but the improved play of grant hill, jared dudley, and rookie markieff morris through nash's leadership has given them a shot to go to the postseason and take things from there. unfortunately, the suns lost what was the biggest game of their season to the utah jazz, who unseated them from the eighth seed of the western conference with a gutsy win at home. well, that is truly disappointing for any suns fan, but nothing to be ashamed of as they virtually overachieved this season. but where would nash go after this? as much as i want him to stay in the desert, he might have to go somewhere else to taste what former suns have yet to achieve: an nba championship.


4. ron artest is back?!



ron artest, now known as metta world peace, is back. what? in his "celebration" over a dunk, he "inadvertently" elbowed james harden, sending him down to the hardwood and eventually to the hospital for a concussion. the celebration has obviously gone overboard and even if he did not intend to hit harden with an elbow at the back of his head, who in the right mind would swing an elbow outward for a celebration? i know and saw how fists can fly on a celebration to the point of hitting someone else (that's "the truth"!) but the elbow is one of the hardest parts of the human body, and hitting someone with an elbow could just be aggravated assault. oh well, welcome back to the pack, ron artest!

p.s. here's "the truth" and the foiled-basket-celebration-gone-wrong



5. second is not a winner

for the third time in four seasons, team kevin durante will receive a bridesmaid's finish in the annual xavier school faculty and staff fantasy basketball league as i failed to defend my title to a very worthy opponent, adrian dy (aka "the best armchair coach in san juan"). what was a sizable lead dissipated as i tried saving games and my best players got injured one by one. i think my team peaked too early while adrian got his making the stats when in mattered the most. it has been a tough fantasy season for me as i did not do well in the student head-to-head leagues (picking derrick rose this year should be the biggest fantasy mistake). well, october is around the corner (after college basketball season, that is), but in the end, second is not a winner.

FIRST 5: While I was away

while i was away due to the module on spiritual direction and retreat giving at sacred heart novitiate, here are five things (used to be three, but three won't be enough) that i missed in the basketball world: 

1. battle of two kevins

the name kevin has come and gone in the nba. among the well known kevins were kevin mchale of the boston celtics, kevin johnson of the phoenix suns, kevin garnett of the minnesota timberwolves/boston celtics, kevin martin of sacramento kings/houston rockets, and more. in this time and age, we have kevin durant of the oklahoma city thunder and kevin love of the minnesota timberwolves. and who would have thought that these two kevins would engage in a battle of statistics and game winners to claim the victory for their respective teams. love, reigning three point shootout winner and nightly double-double machine, scored a whopping 51 points, 21 of them from beyond the arc, and 14 rebounds. but durant, reigning nba scoring champion, all-star game mvp, and a favorite to win the most valuable player award for this season, finished with 40 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, and the win for the thunder over the t-wolves. games like these are always fun to watch, unfortunately i missed a shootout between two namesakes of mine.

2. four overtimes!

for the first time in 15 years, an nba game needed four overtime periods to determine the winner as the atlanta hawks edged out utah jazz, 139-133. the game lasted for 3 hours and 17 minutes (tied for third longest game in nba history), had 4 potential game winning shots missed by the jazz (two each from paul milsap and devin harris), and 14 players from both teams scoring in double figures (five of them had double-doubles). it's always a treat watching marathon games like these, with the game on the line at the dying seconds of the game. too bad i missed it. 

3. andrew bynum for three... and rides the bench

as a rule, big men should play in the paint. well, the nba is changing as big men learned to make outside shots. dirk nowitzki is a classic case for a power forward shooting a three. the pba has mick pennisi, but that's another story. but when you see a 7 foot 285 pound guy who jacks up a three pointer with 15 seconds left in the shot clock, you must be shaking your head so hard that you can feel it's about to fall off. andrew bynum did and got benched for it. what more can we say? let our head shaking do the talking.

4. linsanity over?

jeremy lin, the taiwanese-american phenomenon that swept the nba by storm with his unbelievable play with the new york knicks, will sit out for six weeks after electing to have injury for a small, chronic miniscus tear in his knee. he was averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 assists before the injury, where he sparked new york's resurgence this season. it's not much of a problem in the knicks roster as they are stacked with point guards in baron davis, mike bibby, and toney douglas in the line-up. but with amare stoudamire out indefinitely with a bulging disk in his back, new york might have a hard time to push for a better seeding or even a playoff spot when the season ends this month. 

5. the boat is sinking!

i was having quite a comfortable lead in the xavier teachers fantasy basketball league. i've been on top for most of the season, and in a few days time i lost a seemingly insurmountable lead and am currently trailing by 5 points. it was coincidence perhaps that my return to sacred heart novitiate paved way to losing those points. but it seems to me that the time for the injury bug to bite me has come. with a few more playing days left, i have to save up on my games and try to get the lead back. the boat might be sinking yet my title defense is surely far from over.

AND 1: The Art of the Bank Shot

returning to sacred heart novitiate reunited me with its basketball court. this is where i learned to use the backboard (well, in this case a metal backboard) in shooting from mid-range. i was able to bring this to tuesday basketball at xavier during regency and even in afternoon basketball upon returning to the seminary. knowing how to use the glass as a weapon is surely a plus especially for an undersized big man like me (height-wise, that is! haha). it's quite helpful especially if i have no chance in hell sneaking a shot with a bunch of beanpoles in the paint.

i saw this video featuring current nba players who uses the glass often to make their shots. it's interesting to know that zach randolph, a resident fantasy basketball player in my rosters, and tim duncan, one of my favorite big men of all time, also use the glass as part of their arsenal. other players featured in this video were luis scola and dirk nowitzki.

i suppose using the glass in offense has been a lost art, as ballers prefer the sweet swish on the net rather than the hard hit on the backboard. even in lay-ups, there's a tendency to let the ball find its way to the hole than using the bank as insurance for the shot. well, it all boils down to what the player finds useful in the game. on my part, if the bank is open, i'd gladly cash in the shot.

AND 1: Durantula drops 51 points

too much linsanity, people forgot about KD! too bad the clip only lasted 30 seconds.

Fantasy Basketball Draft Recap: Aids Asis Memorial Cup II

for the past three years, my colleagues at xavier school have been playing fantasy basketball to give ourselves our daily fix of nba basketball and at the same time to have a venue for trash talking in the workroom. this rotisserie league has been a good past time for most of us who have been fans of the nba since time immemorial. the league has seen people come and go, gms retire and make a come back, and champions change every year.

for the first two editions, i finished second in the end, often falling short at the end of the season. last year, i finally claimed my championship trophy and the bragging rights until the next nba season.

this year, the league returns despite the shortened nba season. as the commissioner for the fourth consecutive season, i tried to make the number of general managers go beyond ten in order to make the competition greater and fiercer. with thirteen gms this year and several players returning, the stakes are surely higher, and the trash talk definitely noisier. and with me as the defending champion, everyone would surely want to topple me from the top of the fantasy league. hahaha!

unfortunately, i was pegged last to draft, which is a pity considering that i'll go back to back and will have to wait 25 picks before i draft my players. well, here are draft picks for this league:

13th: Pau Gasol, LAL PF/C
14th: Dirk Nowitzki, Dal PF

one of the key ingredients to my victory last season was taking control of the first (or second) spot in rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentages. that's why i usually stock my team with big men. and so i began the draft with the top two european players in the nba who can give me these numbers.

39th: Jrue Holiday, Phi PG
40th: Andre Iguodala, Phi SG/SF

interestingly, i picked the philadelphia duo to fill in the guard spots. jrue holiday was part of my team last year and he has provided solid numbers in points and assists, though sometimes he shoots plenty of bricks on a bad day. andre iguodala can also provide points, threes, ft%, and fg% on a good day.

65th: Greg Monroe, Det PF/C
66th: Danilo Gallinari, Den SF

greg monroe is said to be a sleeper pick this year, as a solid source for rebounds, blocks, and fg%. the problem so far with my team is the hole in the small forward position as well as the lack of 3s and assists. danilo gallinari would hopefully fill that lack and give me fantasy worthy numbers in those categories.

91st: Rodney Stuckey, Det PG/SG
92nd: Derrick Williams, Min PF

i tried to balance bigs and smalls in drafting. with the draft pool getting slimmer, i had to pick an old reliable in rodney stuckey, who can provide points, assists, and steals. i also drafted derrick williams, who is expected to give minnesota a big lift in the inside. i just hope he can contribute in points, rebounds, and blocks.

117th: Thaddeus Young, Phi SF
118th: Kemba Walker, Cha PG

it sucks to wait for 25 picks before i get my back-to-back. i picked thaddeus young, though my concern here is that he blows hot and cold in stats and only contributes in points and rebounds... and nothing more. i decided to take another rookie in kemba walker to give additional manpower in the guard spot.

143rd: Carl Landry, Nor PF
144th: Taj Gibson, Chi PF
169th: Evan Turner, Phi SG

as the final few picks of the league, i had to get those that can at least give something to keep my rating moving. carl landry is expected to start at power forward for the hornets with the departure of david west, taj gibson can start for the bulls if carlos boozer gets injured, and evan turner can hopefully break out this season after a forgettable rookie year with the 76ers.

assessing my picks, i've collected too much forwards, but i failed to secure quality guards and a good stock of small forwards in the roster. i'm just hoping that i can make good use of being 1st in the waiver wire (by virtue of being last pick in the draft) to snag careless drops from other gms. i expect to take a lot of points in categories like rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage, but will suffer a lot in 3s, steals, and assists. well, i've got until april to defend my title and hopefully, with a good turn of events, get a back-to-back in our fantasy league.