HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-29

• seven pounds (will smith flick), this time for real. http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4685329 #
• Filipino Hoops and Heritage Night @ La Clippers on Dec 5 2009 - http://bit.ly/5Cll2E/ #
• pacman-money, deal getting closer and closer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXzExF9yxkQ #
• for iverson, retirement is the answer… http://stephena.com/?p=319 #
• lebron suggested 23 should be retired by the NBA. i suggest, pba should retire numero 7 too and jaworski for him to retire formally too. #
• the day coke signed perasol as duremdes’ assistant, twas effin obvious perasol will shoot for the head gig http://bit.ly/7Qwada #
• coach altamirano talks t.e.a.m. — http://www.basketme.com/2.0/noticia.php?id=34194 #

Wrong Answer

Allen Iverson has stated that he would quit the game if no one gets hold of his services.

Don’t go.

In 889 regular season games, the man dubbed as “The Answer” has grabbed a MVP plum, Rookie of the Year award, two All-Star MVP’s, seven All-NBA citations, and ten All-Star appearances. The man played ball in Philadelphia, Denver, and Detroit and most recently in Memphis. While the past few years have been bad for many top PG’s like Penny Hardaway (retired via waive), Steve Francis (retired via waive), and Stephon Marbury (currently finding a team), Iverson is not like these guys.

Iverson has been a constant merchandising draw since he started strutting his stuffs alongside Jerry Stackhouse and Derrick Coleman in his rookie year with the Sixers. Let’s face it, for a Hall of Famer like him, this is not the way to end his career.

Sure, people are saying he was too selfish to take a back seat for a guy like Mike Conley. I agree. Iverson needs to complete his playing career by giving way to the next generation. You saw how John Stockton tried to build up Howard Eisley in the mid-90’s and how David Robinson took a backseat for Tim Duncan. Shaquille O’Neal first started playing as a second fiddle for Dwyane Wade. Larry Bird was trying to build Reggie Lewis who unfortunately suffered a fatal heart attack. Clyde Drexler relinquished top dog honors just to play second option for Hakeem Olajuwon. And Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Chris Mullin, Grant Hill, and Dikembe Mutombo took a step back to help build some of the stars of today. Just when we thought his trip to Denver was important to make Carmelo Anthony a top-tier superstar, it seems he was merely holding him off (especially when Chauncey Billups got Melo a breakout year last season). Iverson’s stock greatly reduced when his entry to Detroit made the team from a contender to an eighth seed playoff seat hunter. The Pistons should have never severed their ties with Billups. Billups was the glue of the squad. Not even LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, or Anthony could prevent this from happening.

But maybe, a little break from the game could do well for a storied comeback.

The problem with Memphis is he is being used as a sub for a lackluster team. Even if people try hard to make it happen, there is no chance that the Grizzlies would take a playoff spot with this kind of Western Conference environment. Rudy Gay is the team’s scoring leader while Zach Randolph, O.J. Mayo, and Marc Gasol average in double figures. Hasheem Thabeet, the 2009 NBA Draft second pick overall, average less than three points and three rebounds per game. It seems like they wasted a pick on Thabeet, where they could have done better if they gave up this right and trade him for better frontliners that could help them. While Hasheem is a project, Iverson certainly isn’t.

The Answer nails 12.3ppg, 1.3rpg, 3.7apg, 0.3spg, 50% FT, 58 % FG, and 100% 3PG in 22.3 minutes of action. If you pass him Mayo’s minutes, AI will give you a daily 20ppg. Let’s face facts here: IVERSON IS NOT WASHED UP. He just had a bad season in Detroit and he can still hurl troikas in any given night. Hell, the guy is so passionate that even arch-enemy/buddy Charlotte coach Larry Brown is giving him options to stay (although Brown is also hesitant to sign him since he is developing his guards at the moment… DJ Augustin, Raymond Felton, Acie Law, and Flip Murray should be pleased by this).

Five days before the trade deadline, expect clamor for Iverson. Hell, I can hear Marbury getting buzz as well (although that may be a whisper of a buzz given the availability of AI). I don’t think New York would love Iverson when he enters the scene because just like Memphis, Nate Robinson is not a reason for him to get benched. However, a Sixers comeback could be good for both parties. In terms of the NBA superpowers, Boston is one team that could use a guy like Iverson. Let us not forget that Iverson is a heavy assist man and a defensive specialist. Rajon Rondo has developed into a quality player but that doesn’t mean that he is untouchable in the Celts’ PG spot. The Lakers too could use Iverson. Kobe could hate this but given the right attitude, they’ll have a very dangerous backcourt. But I guess, it’s hard to disrupt a winning formula right? Even if the Lakers coach had a distinction of taming the wildest of beasts (*cough* Dennis Rodman *cough*). Dallas, Utah, and New Orleans won’t even flirt in this idea because they will disrupt the games of Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul but once these guys get injured, he’ll be a catch. Chicago? Well, in some ways they can benefit with an Iverson around especially since they lost a clutch player in the level of Ben Gordon. Orlando, Atlanta and Cleveland doesn’t need another scoring option although the Cavs have a problem during the dying seconds when LeBron James is clamped by defenders and Shaquille O Neal can’t be inserted for fear of the Hack-A-Shaq.

My best picks? Let’s shake things up a bit.

EASTERN CONFERENCE – MIAMI HEAT

The Heat will benefit from Iverson. Wade is not the type of player that would love individual citations over championship glory. Iverson, looking at his Pistons experience, would try to make AI useful in other facets because this “humbling experience” almost made him retired. The Heat is a team that lacks a great second option on a daily basis (although Michael Beasley and Jermaine O’Neal could be saying otherwise). Hell, his entry could even draw Pat Riley back to the sidelines.

WESTERN CONFERENCE – SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Surprised? You sure are. The Spurs are an aging and often injured bunch. It’s rare to see Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker playing in an extended period of time. Even the entry of Richard Jefferson has yet to register a solid claim to the throne for the perennial contenders. Like I said, Iverson is an offensive player with a gift to play seriously suffocating defense. Gregg Popovich will use AI to the way that both parties could agree on something. Sure, his entry would create small ball in San Antonio but for a team lacking in scoring options, he is the most natural and most available in the free agent pool as of this moment.

I know Iverson doesn’t know this guy but if you have talent, they’ll come and look for you. Honestly, I don’t know why Johnny Abarrientos is languishing in the Brgy. Ginebra Kings’ bench. You saw him play, right? He played four regular season games in two seasons (last season he played one game in the Philippine Cup) and all of those games triggered a good reaction from the fans and the players. Abbarientos might have slowed down, but you can see the court generalship, court sense, defense, vision, smarts, and passion still flowing in his body. Hopefully, if Jong Uichico decides to bench him anew, I hope this is the last year in his contract so he could return to Alaska and retire the way a legend of his caliber should be retired.

Same goes for Iverson.

The right answer for Iverson is to wait for the right team that would give him his first NBA championship. The other answer? Truly be humbled by this humbling experience. I future Hall of Famer like him being treated like this? NOBODY’S SAFE.

The ABL - The overview as of Nov 25, 2009

Check your TV sets during Sundays and simultaneously with the first of PBA’s Sunday double header, you have just earned front row seats to the Asian Basketball League. The league is a super-league designed to lure the top basketball players of the South East Asian region (that can’t or barely play in the PBA). This will prove important in strengthening basketball in an area, our Asian neighbors belittle. There are six teams battling for supremacy with one team having nine local players, two non-South East Asian imports and three South East Asian imports.

Parading the best in the six-team bunch are the Singapore Slingers and the Philippine Patriots.

SINGAPORE SLINGERS: The Slingers, owned by Bob Turner, was originally the Canberra Cannons of the Australia’s National Basketball League. They then moved to Hunter (to become the Pirates) before settling in Singapore. As the Slingers, they played in the league for three seasons. The team decided to bail out of the league when the league was experiencing financial woes and the back-and-forth travel proved costly for the Slingers. It should be noted that they signed current TNT Tropang Texter Jason Castro. When news broke out that the Slingers are leaving the NBL, he wanted out of his contract. The Slingers accepted this but they need a player in return. Among the names that popped up were former PBA MVP Johnny Abarrientos and Harbour Centre alum Al Vergara. They chose Vergara to add youth in their PG spot. During his Slinger break, Vergara played briefly for the Purefoods Giants in the PBA putting in 2.4ppg, 2.0apg, and 0.9spg in eight games (played during the first part of the Fiesta Cup).

Anyway, Frank Arsego is calling the shots for the Slingers. Import Mike LeBlanc is the team’s top scorer with 18.7ppg (to go with 7.1ppg). Kyle Jeffers is their main rebounder (15.4ppg and 13.7rpg) and Al Vergara is their top playmaker with 3.3apg (to go with 9.3ppg). Marcus Ng (7.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.0apg), and Wei Jian Hong (7.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 1spg) are the teams top 5 scorers.

THAILAND TIGERS: The Tigers parade three Pinoys in Axel Doruelo (9.3ppg, 3.8, 1.0apg, 1.2spg), Ricky Ricafuerte (5.8ppg), and Glenn Bolocon (6.0ppg). Wonder not about these players because they popular in SE Asia as much as in their own country. Anyway, import Chaz Briggs leads the team in scoring (19.8ppg). The guy with an awesome name Attaporn Lertmalaiporn (15.8ppg) leads the locals in points while Ikenna Chukwuemeka Nwankwo (8.3ppg, 9.2rpg, 2.0bpg) is their towering presence.

SATRIA MUDA BRITAMA: The other SMB of Asia, this Indonesian League ballclub is the country’s representative in the League. Gideon Roring is the team’s coach. Former Red Bull import Alex Hartmann is the team’s top guy (18.7ppg, 5.1rpg). Nakiea Miller is the team’s other import (14.5ppg, 16.0rpg, 4.5bpg). Faisal Julius, Christian Sitepu, and Amin Prihantono are their local bets. Former PBA quarterback Rensy Bajar (11.0ppg, 3.4apg, 1.4spg) is the team’s top playmaker.

BRUNEI BARRACUDAS: Former FedEx coach and former TNT assistant coach Bong Ramos acts chief in this ballclub. The team heavily relies on non-Asian import Michael Pilgrim (15.4ppg, 8.1rpg). However, the team equipped themselves with three talented Pinoy reinforcements like former Sta. Lucia, San Miguel, and Red Bull player Francis Adriano (13.4ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7spg), former TNT and Coke player Leo Avenido (14.9ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg), and former TNT, Alaska, Purefoods and Red Bull standout Don Camaso (10.6ppg, 4.4rpg). They also scoured Reggie Larry to shore up their scoring (23.5ppg, 7.0rpg).

KUALA LUMPUR DRAGONS: Goh Cheng Huat is the mentor of the squad. KL boasts Jamal Brown (11.1ppg, 9.4rpg) and Chris Kuete (18.0ppg, 9.8rpg) in their fray. Their locals include Shee Fai Loh, Guganeswaran Batumalai, and Li Wei Chee. Their Pinoy pickup are composed of UAAP standouts like Adamson’s Roel Hugnatan (8.3ppg, 3.7rpg), and UE’s Toto Bandaying (11.5ppg, 1.3rpg) and Rudy Lingganay (17.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.3apg).

PHILIPPINE PATRIOTS: All teams in the ABL have Pinoys in them, which make the Patriots the automatic team to beat. Their reinforcements are former Coke import Jason Dixon (12.2ppg, 9.7rpg, 1.0bpg) and Brandon Powell (13.0ppg, 5.8rpg). The team snatched Rob Wainwright (7.7ppg, 3.0rpg) and Mark Andaya (recently released by the squad) from Barako Bull when they were traded to the squad for the rights of Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak. The team is a collection of players owned by Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Conjuangco. Former PBA stars include Red Bull’s Warren Ybanez, SMB’s Froilan Baguion and Sta. Lucia’s Christian Coronel. Jerwin Gaco is a long-time member of the Harbour Centre franchise. Other collegiate big names include Ateneo’s Nonoy Baclao, UE’s Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna, Letran’s Dino Daa and JP Alcaraz, and UST’s Khasim Mirza. Louie Alas spearheads their struggle.

The Patriots have an impressive lineup whose main downside is their constant changing of players. The Slingers seem to gel nicely since their lineup is pretty much intact since two years ago. Like I said, when the end nears, it will be Singapore against the Philippines.

Get the news about the ABL at http://www.aseanbasketballleague.com and watch the games on TV5 every Sundays at 4pm.

Game Over.

PBA Power Rankings Week 6

At the tail end of the first round of eliminations in the PBA but no dramatic movements in the standings, save for some surprises here and there.   The resident and rising superstars are also starting to prove their worth.  The honeymoon period is over for all teams and the 2^nd round will weed out the contenders from the pretenders.

 

Power Rankings (items in parenthesis indicate previous ranking)

 

1. Alaska Aces 8 – 1 (1) Won: Talk N Text, Purefoods  Lost: Rain Or Shine

Ended the elims with a solitary blemish in its record.  Surprising loss to Rain Or Shine didn’t rattle the Aces as they followed it up with wins against Talk N Text (avenging their loss in last year’s All-Filipino Finals) and Purefoods (in very convincing fashion).              We’ll see if they can build on this when they meet Barako Bull and San Miguel in its first 2 games in the 2^nd round.   LA Tenorio continues to cement his budding superstardom by winning Player of the Week honors (boosted by a 24 pt explosion against Purefoods).  Coach Tim Cone: “I don’t think there is anybody at the point guard position who is playing better than LA at this point of the conference. He’s doing everything you want from a point guard – defending, assisting, setting the tempo and leading the team.”

  

2. San Miguel Beer 7 – 2 (2) Won: Purefoods, Barako Bull, Coca Cola

The bayan’s hottest team.  Has won 7 straight after dropping its first 2 assignments.  Chalk it up to unfamiliarity.  What’s scary is that it’s last 3 wins were won with an average of 16 points, what’s scarier is that Danny Seigle hasn’t even made a whimper this year.  Its last 3 wins also saw 3 different players leading the team in scoring: Arwind Santos, Mike Cortez, and Dondon Hontiveros.  Their showdown with Alaska on Dec. 9 will be their biggest challenge to come. 

  

3. Baranggay Ginebra 5 – 2 (3) Won: Burger King  Lost: Sta. Lucia

Up and down 3 games for the league’s most popular team.  Injuries to stars are beginning to take a toll as they looked tired and lackluster in their loss to the Realtors.  Jayjay Helterbrand is playing hurt and 2 out of 10 shooting will never help the Gin Kings. It’s also affected other players in the team.  Rico Villanueva was outplayed by Gabby Espinas and Cyrus Baguio had a horrid shooting night in the SLR game.  Ronald Tubid seems to be the only consistent bright spot.  JC Intal had his moments but still yearns for consistent playing time.  The good news is that they still have 2 games in the elims: Talk N Text and Coca Cola.

 

4. Sta. Lucia 5 – 3 (6) Won: Ginebra, Barako Bull 

2 game winning streak propels them to the top 4, although this is deceiving.  After convincingly winning against a tired Ginebra team (21 pt margin), struggled and needed OT to win against Barako Bull (3 pt margin).  They seem to play to the level of their competition: almost flawless against Ginebra, almost awful against Barako Bull.  They need to better than this if they hope to make noise in the 2^nd round.  Kelly Williams, save for the puffy face, is progressing nicely, with an almost triple double performance against the Gin Kings  (26 pts, 14 rebs, 7ast) and a co-player of the week honor.  Joseph Yeo had flashes of his King Green Archer days when he almost single handedly carried SLR against Barako Bull (16 pts in a low scoring game despite OT). 

 

5. Talk N Text 5 – 3 (5) Won: Coca Cola, Barako Bull  Lost: Alaska

Although they have the same record as the Realtors, their wins have been against inferior competition.  Almost upset by Barako Bull, trailing by 13 eight minutes let in the 4^th quarter but rattled off a 23 – 0 run to pull the rug under the Energy Boosters.  Then got tripped by Alaska.  Coach Chot Reyes not happy with his team’s performance and feels they are under achieving.  Can’t blame the backcourt though as Jimmy Alapag , Mark Cardona, and Jason Castro carried them against Barako Bull and Alaska.

 

6. Purefoods  4 – 4  (4)  Won: Rain Or Shine   Lost: Alaska 

Roller coaster (or is it Ferris’ Wheel) ride continues. Trend so far has been a win, then a loss, then a win, then a loss, then…you get the picture.  Has not won 2 straight so far.  Coach Ryan Gregorio attributes this to inconsistent defense.  You can also blame the fact that both Kerby Raymundo and James Yap are scoring only 14 ppg each, kinda low from what you usually expect from these guys.  Look for them to gain ground and get consecutive wins.  They are too good and too athletic to be performing this way.  Look at the bright side: they don’t have a losing streak so far.

 

7. Burger King 3 – 5 (9) Won: Coca Cola, Barako Bull  Lost: Ginebra

Slowly gaining ground and recovering from its spade of bad luck at the beginning of the year.  Still a long ways to go as their wins have come against the lower tier teams and they have to prove themselves against the contenders.  Ronjay Buenafe and a much improved Richard Yee seem to be the only bright spots as Gary David is underachieving (a case of Buenafe eating up his scoring opportunities?).

  

8. Barako Bull 2 – 7 (7) Won: None  Lost: Talk N Text, San Miguel, Burger King, Sta. Lucia

Crashing back to earth after an optimistic start.  Has lost 5 straight. Not with the lack of trying though, almost upsetting Talk N Text and controlling majority of the game against Sta. Lucia before falling in OT. Jason Webb pointed out correctly that it is their inability to finish games and their lack of a go-to guy. It was thought to be Leo Najorda (9.9 ppg) but it looks like another former NCAA MVP, Yousif Aljamal (11.7 ppg) that is emerging to be the team’s top player. Ogie Menor is the only other player scoring in double digits (10.4 ppg)

  

9. Rain Or Shine 1 – 7  (10) Won: Alaska  Lost: Purefoods

Still dissappointing.  Win against league leading Alaska was thought to be their breakout game (thanks to a 20 pt explosion from Don Dulay), then loses to Purefoods by 34 points.  The Elastopainters might as well file a missing person’s report for Sol Mercado (7.7 ppg, 28.8% FG) and Jay-R Reyes (8.4 ppg 35.8% FG).  Jervy Cruz has tapered off considerable after starting the year averaging a double-double (7.1 ppg 5.3 rpg).  They still have the 2^nd round but the way they are performing, it’s hard to be optimistic.

 

10. Coca Cola 1 – 6 (9) Won: None  Lost: Talk N Text, Burger King, San Miguel 

Just when Asi Taulava is set to return, he re-aggravates his stress fracture and is our 2 more weeks. 3 game losing streak has to have Coach Kenneth Duremdes worried. Ex Sta. Lucia stalwarts Dennis Espino (12.1 ppg 7.3 rpg), Alex Cabagnot (13 ppg 5 apg), and Norman Gonzales (9.9 ppg 5 rpg 33.3% 3PT FG) are carrying the team, along with Larry Rodriguez (9.6 ppg 7.6 rpg) but it’s clear that their lack of identity and stars are leaving them wanting for wins.

 

 

 Fastbreaks: Sayonara CJ!  Smart Gilas has decided to cut its losses by letting go of CJ Giles.  Uninspired performances, lack of focus, and rumors of poor attitude and poor work ethic broke the camel’s back and left SBP looking for an immediate replacement.  Enter Jamal Sampson, NBA journeyman and former Shaq backup with the Lakers. This seems to be a better fit.  While he may not be as freakishly athletic as Giles, he brings defense, veteran leadership and more importantly, NBA experience to the young Gilas team……This is the year of the point guard in the NBA as this year saw the influx of talented and promising court generals into the Association. Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Johnny Flynn, Darren Collison, Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday, and Ty Lawson are among the names making noise this early in the season, but the most notable name is Brandon Jennings.  Dude scored a rookie record 55 points for the Bucks and is leading the team in scoring and assists.  And he was drafted only at Number 10 (Memphis mustbe kicking themselves becuase they drafted Hasheem Thabeet at no.2).  He may on to something when he said before the draft that he was better than the much heralded Ricky Rubio (who went back to Europe, saying he was not ready)…..All these new talents offsets the potential loss of Allen Iverson, who, at late,  was being considered by the New York.  They almost agreed to a deal but the Knicks changed their mind, saying that his entrance will be detrimental to team development….So why do I keep picking on AI?  He’s a perfect example of an exceptional talent whose selfishness prevails over winning, something our young hoops prodigies should not emulate.  Think of it as my version of social responsibility. 

UFC 106 and other thoughts

I was lucky to watch UFC 106. I didn’t know it was on but I figured to watch and rate it…

But I will only rate the final two bouts because these bouts featured three names I’m familiar with. Let’s start with these though:

Quentin “Rampage” Jackson will play Sgt. B. A. Baracus in the film version of the 1980’s action series The A-Team. Joining him in this cast is Liam Neeson as Hannibal Smith, Bradley Cooper as Faceman Peck and Sharlto Copley as Howling Mad Murdock. This is fitting vehicle for Cooper’s mainstream status but I wonder how Rampage will fare. Unlike other A-Team cast members, Mr. T is the most recognizable face in the TV series and TV in general in that era. YOU HAVE TO WONDER how he will pull off such an iconic figure as successfully portrayed by Mr. T.

For some reason though, he was showing his “bad-ass”-ness during The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights edition.

Come to think of it, Kimbo Slice could be a person that can fit the bill.

Josh Koscheck versus Anthony “Rumble” Johnson

I hated Koscheck during TUF. He was a bully. I cheered for Chris Leben even if he lost all of his bouts against this All-American. However, his arrogance makes him a great guy to cheer or hate. I was routing for him to win against Rumble because I don’t really know much about Johnson and I am a huge TUF 1 mark. Johnson was out-trash-talking Koscheck… what the hell?

Anyway, Johnson and Koscheck were getting amped on their match when Rumble’s intensity caused him to hit Kos with a knee to the head when Rumble was sitting down and Kos was kneeling. Kos staggered down and everyone knew that it was illegal and Kos was seen holding his eye. Before the kick, Johnson touched Kos’ eyes which proved a bad setup for the illegal blow. Afterwards the fight continued but Johnson, a recent eye surgery guy, found himself in the receiving end of two accidental eye pokes (Joe Rogan is blaming the handgear at this point). Kos went berserk when the battle went to his wrestling background with him bloodying Rumble. Koscheck, a NCAA wrestling All-American brought the fight to the ground and at 4:47 of the second round, Kos submits Rumble with a rear-naked choke.

We get our usual Koscheck arrogance by telling the crowd that Dan Hardy doesn’t deserve to be a number one contender.

Hmmm…

Forrest Griffin versus Tito Ortiz

We see a clip when Griffin won over Ortiz despite being bloodied. Lots of respect between these two men which makes me wonder if we’ll still see the Huntington Beach Bad Boy of old. Griffin comes out to a Chumbawumba song. Everyone loves one hit wonders. Tito came out with an Eminem song and you can see a blackeye. I will rout for Ortiz if he was facing Mark “The Hammer” Coleman but my bromance for Ultimate Fighter Season 1 contestants makes me mark out for Forrest. Forrest’s kicks proved key for Ortiz to second guess himself. Tito’s strikes are solid but you have to wonder how long will Forrest stand up in this fight. The action could have gone either way in the first round. In the second, while Forrest had his moments, Tito brought him to the ground and gave him a barrage of shots to the head which eventually popped a scar tissue in Forrest’s cheeks. This could have been dominating had not for Griffin’s attempts to frequently set up the triangle. In the third round though, instead of decimating Forrest, it seems like Tito stopped on the offensive! He was waiting for his chance so long that with a minute left in the fight, the judges are sure that Forrest was the worker of the round and Tito had zero attempts to win it.

Again the end of the match was decided with the scorecards with the fan favorite winning it via a split decision. Afterwards, crowd booed Ortiz for making excuses but Griffin grabbed the mic and told the fans to love the guy putting a helluva show. While I love Forrest, HE HAS GUTS (sick and foolish) for grabbing the mic away from Bad Boy. Not unless you have a deathwish, will you do that? Come to think of it, LONG AND PAINFUL DEMISE is what I expect if some random thug tries to pull that stunt on the HUNTINGTON BEACH BAD BOY! Luckily, Forrest and Tito have mutual respect for each other. And yeah, going 2-0 is cool so Forrest asking for more of Ortiz could either be stupid, or merely doing this for the sake of pwning a MMA legend.

Not MMA-related, Charice Pempengco will play one of the leads in the upcoming “Squeakwell” of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Hmmm…

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-22

• rudy hatfield, man on a mission… http://bit.ly/3VhNz1 #
• sbp’s giles fouls out! http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=524130&publicationSubCategoryId=69 #
• thank you nike & ogilvy! for the limited edition pacman tee…. http://dont.blink.ph/2009/11/14/team-pacquiao-t-shirt-by-nike/ #
• former laker jamal sampson might play for sbp gilas… http://bit.ly/1aAfjg #
• from espn chat.. Shawn (Tempe) Any chance of making manny-mayweather a 45-45 split with winner getting the extra - NOW THAT’S A GREAT IDEA! #

25 MARKED MEN - START to November 18, 2009

I should have written something last week but the file crashed. It was like a defrag sight from a Windows 95 version. Anyway, I could have written something but that monster called laziness crept in. Instead, I was doing doodles (check out my site at www.sydrified.blogspot.com).

To make amends, I stretched my wannabe’s list to 50. The same mechanics still stands but the Smart-Gilas games have been strucked out. The 25MM guys will have better descriptions and stats.

Get the mechanics at: http://sydrified.blogspot.com/2009/10/sydmans-25mm-day-1-up-to-october-25.html

So to start things out, here come the WANNABES!

50 LORDY TUGADE (SMB)
The reason he’s here is because SMB is winning.

49 LARRY FONACIER (ALA)
So is this guy.

48 YANCY DE OCAMPO (TNT)
Now long will people overlook him?

47 JAY-R REYES (ROS)
Team improves if he improves.

46 CELINO CRUZ (GIN)
Played well during Helterskelter’s absence.

45 MARC PINGRIS (PUR)
Steady support off the bench.

44 NIC BELASCO (TNT)
We miss his double-doubles.

43 ARIS DIMAUNAHAN (BB)
He loves the attention right now.

42 DENNIS ESPINO (COK)
Stock will rise if Coke wins games. Inconsistent at best.

41 LARRY RODRIGUEZ (COK)
Gets good stats despite limited playing time.

40 MARK BORBORAN (ALA)
He’s high because his team is high but he DID improved.

39 YOUSIF ALJAMAL (BB)
Leo Isaac needs to give this guy a huge amount of playing time.

38 BONBON CUSTODIO (SMB)
Offensively dismal but at least he’s playing.

37 DENOK MIRANDA (SMB)
Actually, his stats are like when he was at SLR… but with less minutes!

36 CYRUS BAGUIO (GIN)
Hopefully his current push will make us forget about his ghastly start.

35 HARVEY CAREY (TNT)
He will disappear if he still won’t play in the next two weeks!

34 PAUL ARTADI (PUR)
Look for him if you like good assist and steal stats.

33 RICHARD YEE (BK)
Wow. This is what you get when a player is released from the Ryan Gregorio prison.

32 ENRICO VILLANUEVA (GIN)
Hopefully he would rack a streak of good games to move up.

31 WILLY WILSON (GIN)
The thorn why E-Vil and Major Pain are getting less minutes.

30 MICK PENNISI (SMB)
This Aussie is making his posse look good.

29 JASON CASTRO (TNT)
When Mark Cardona got his rhythm, Castro saw less minutes and touches.

28 JOSEPH YEO (SLR)
The biggest victim of the current Josh Urbiztondo hype.

27 ERIC MENK (GIN)
Returning from injury, Major Pain is awesome despite limited minutes.

26 JR QUINAHAN (BK)
Baby Shaq is consistent… can’t say that about Gary David and Ronjay Buenafe.

Now here are the guys that made the Top 25!

25 SONNY THOSS (ALA)
Does damage as a presence but not in the stats department.
STATS: 24.1mpg (7g) – 6.3ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.6apg, 1.4bpg & 2.1tpg

24 ROGER YAP (PUR)
Chris Timberlake got his minutes. Fantasy players hated this Gregorio move.
STATS: 25.3mpg (7g) – 9.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.1apg & 2.1tpg

23 ALEX CABAGNOT (COK)
He has big shoes to fill with the injury of Asi Taulava and Chris Ross’ slump.
STATS: 37.0mpg (5g) – 13.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 5.0apg, 0.8bpg & 2.4tpg

22 GABBY ESPINAS (SLR)
SLR is slumping. It seems the team plays well when he’s in double-double mode.
STATS: 31.3mpg (6g) – 13.3ppg, 9.8rpg & 2.3tpg

21 JAMES YAP (PUR)
He still plays good but he’s getting upstaged by the league’s top rookie.
STATS: 31.7mpg (7g) – 15.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4apg, 0.9spg & 2.4tpg

20 ALI PEEK (TNT)
Man Mountain is a blocking monster! His defense is what keeps him here.
STATS: 26.3mpg (6g) – 7.7ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.0apg, 2.5bpg & 1.3tpg

19 RICO MAIERHOFER (PUR)
For a guy that plays less than 24 minutes, he has been getting strong production.
STATS: 23.4mpg (7g) – 11.0ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.4apg, 1.9bpg & 2.3tpg

18 GABE NORWOOD (ROS)
They won against Alaska but it was because of Don Dulay. Norwood is clusterfucked.
STATS: 38.4mpg (7g) – 12.1ppg, 6.8rpg, 4.0apg, 1.6spg & 2.8tpg

17 JONAS VILLANUEVA (SMB)
He’s an excellent playmaker sharing a lot of minutes with OTHER excellent playmakers.
STATS: 22.9mpg (8g) – 7.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 4.9apg, 1.1spg & 1.6tpg

16 RYAN REYES (ROS)
The Realtors are in a bind losing 3 of their last 4. Reyes needs to be consistent.
STATS: 32.0mpg (6g) – 11.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.8apg, 2.2spg & 1.5tpg

15 RONALD TUBID (GIN)
When Jayjay was out, he could have owned the lead role but instead he was upstaged by Skyrus.
STATS: 31.2mpg (6g) – 14.2ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg & 1.3tpg

14 MIKE CORTEZ (SMB)
The Cool Cat has been “purring” it in awesomely as of late playing a PG or an undersized SG.
STATS: 21.6mpg (8g) – 10.6ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg & 1.8tpg

13 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND (GIN)
He missed 2 games. But the reason why he dropped was his 6-pt, 1-reb, and 1-ast game vs. BK.
STATS: 32.8mpg (4g) – 16.8ppg, 5.0rpg, 6.5apg & 3.3tpg

12 REYNEL HUGNATAN (ALA)
He is Alaska’s biggest bet off the bench and he is making wonders in his current status.
STATS: 23.7mpg (7g) – 13.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.1apg & 2.3tpg

11 KERBY RAYMUNDO (PUR)
Until he solves his turnover woes, his stats will be dragged down. Fact is, that’s his only flaw as of late.
STATS: 32.1mpg (7g) – 13.1ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.0apg & 3.9tpg

Before we go to the top ten, let’s first look at…

THE MINUTE MEN!

Which of the current players play massive minutes?

1 KELLY WILLIAMS (SLR) – 39.2mpg
2 GABE NORWOOD (ROS) – 38.4mpg
3 ALEX CABAGNOT (COK) – 37.0mpg
4 MACMAC CARDONA (TNT) – 34.7mpg
5 JIMMY ALAPAG (TNT) – 34.5mpg
6 WILLIE MILLER (ALA) – 33.6mpg
7 ARWIND SANTOS (SMB) – 33.0mpg
8 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND (GIN) – 32.8mpg
9 LA TENORIO (ALA) – 32.3mpg
10 KERBY RAYMUNDO (PUR) – 32.1mpg

Now, look at how they fared on the list.

Anyway…

THE TOP TEN!

Making the top ten is a combination of a team’s win-loss record, stat production, and all that’s good about his current romp.

10 TONY DELA CRUZ (ALA)
Surprise number 1 (although he was in the top ten a few weeks back)! For Alaska’s standing, TDC barely makes this part of the list. While I expect him to be gone in two weeks time in the top ten, credit him for being a workhorse, especially churning up those blocks and steals with his vise grip-defense.
STATS: 31.7mpg (7g) – 8.0ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, 0.7bpg & 0.7tpg

9 DORIAN PENA (SMB)
Surprise number 2! Yes, Pena got the “top ten” nod because he is consistent. Plus, you need to look at his minutes. If he gets a double-double by playing a little over half a game then you’ll find that he is a great stat grabber. He is not the Beermen’s starting center for almost a decade by being a chomp, right?
STATS: 24.1mpg (8g) – 8.0ppg, 10.5rpg & 1.8tpg

8 MACMAC CARDONA (TNT)
Last rank, Captain Hook is at the early 20’s because Jason Castro has been working his minutes. Now, we have returned to normalcy with Macmac drilling 35 points! Also, TNT’s super backcourt duo is moving in to take out Alaska as the big dog in the house. We are now looking at the Cardona that almost won the Best Player of the Conference plum last Phil Cup.
STATS: 34.7mpg (6g) – 20.5ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.2apg & 3.7tpg

7 LA TENORIO (ALA)
The Flying LA has been consistent as Alaska’s top point guard. He briefly topped the team in scoring while giving steady support in rebounds while ranking second in assists and steals. It seems like Tenorio is on a mission to become a top-tier orchestrator a la Helterbrand and Alapag. Hmmm?
STATS: 32.3mpg (7g) – 13.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 3.4apg, 0.9spg & 2.0tpg

6 DONDON HONTIVEROS (SMB)
When I started this 25MM, Hontiveros wasn’t here. The Beermen started the season with two straight defeats. Six straight wins later, the Beermen are hinting a top-tier turn! While this is happening, the Cebuano Hotshot is on a tear! He is also one of the best backcourt blockers in the league today… despite his size.
STATS: 28.9mpg (8g) – 15.0ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0bpg & 3.1tpg

5 JOE DEVANCE (ALA)
The Speaker of the House has been picking up the slack Willie Miller fails to dish out. His last games proved great in testing his mettle, although you have to wonder if he could ever be a double-double player. Cone’s new triangle tweak is giving JDV leeway to roam the outside… hopefully he could play more of those side shots with effectiveness.
STATS: 27.7mpg (7g) – 13.1ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.4apg, 0.7bpg & 0.9tpg

4 JIMMY ALAPAG (TNT)
The Mighty Mouse is second in TNT in terms of offense but his numbers could rival the league’s top players. He ranks second in the league in assists and he ranks in the top ten in terms of points. Alongside Cardona, they form a seriously dangerous backcourt tandem whose biggest thorn is Alaska’s Tenorio and the next guy.
STATS: 34.5mpg (6g) – 17.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 6.0apg, 0.7spg & 2.7tpg

3 WILLIE MILLER (ALA)
Why is Miller here? Let’s remember that team effort prevailed in Alaska’s wins (which explains the abundance of Alaska players in the top ten). Miller has become quiet after scoring heavy numbers in his first two games. He leads his team in scoring, rebounds, assists, and turnovers. His turnovers are the only thing that’s messing up his style.
STATS: 33.6mpg (7g) – 16.3ppg, 7.6rpg, 4.1apg & 2.9tpg

2 KELLY WILLIAMS (SLR)
Machine Gun is Sta. Lucia’s Mr. Do-It-All. He can scorch the hoops inside and outside, carom boards, slam shots, and do damage in whatever angle he could think of. However, this is where the loss of Dennis Espino kicks in. Williams is a consistent scorer but he is not a heavy scorer. Williams needs to do more if he wants SLR to compete with the league’s top squads?
STATS: 39.2mpg (6g) – 16.0ppg, 13.5rpg, 2.2apg, 1.8spg & 3.0tpg

1 ARWIND SANTOS (SMB)
Without having the label of go-to-guy, Arwind is flourishing as an “accidental” go-to-guy with the injuries in SMB. Just when we think Arwind’s MVP runner-up days are over, he goes to a top squad and dominates it. SMB’s six straight victories where more of his fault, especially when he scored 33 points! He has a “1” in all of his points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
STATS: 33.0mpg (8g) – 18.5ppg, 10.8rpg, 2.1apg, 1.8spg, 1.5bpg & 1.9tpg

Note: Tenorio and Pena were supposed to be number 6 and 8 respectively but they were edged a notch down by Hontiveros and Cardona because these two played awesomely these last two weeks. Its not like Tenorio and Pena didn’t do well but the Cebuano Hotshot and Captain Hook played better.

Yes, I will use “two” veto calls per rankings to the players I feel need a pat on the back and not necessarily a wag of the finger.

JAYJAY HELTERBRAND WILL MOVE TO THE TOP TEN NEXT RANK! And I expect Kerby Raymundo, Ronald Tubid, and Gabe Norwood to move in the standings once their team’s produce a LOT more wins (especially with regards to ROS).

The ranking is tabulated not fabricated. If you have any problems with this DO YOUR OWN MATH!

Until then, GAME OVER!

Shop Adidas

Just a short release from our friends at Adidas…

SHOP ADIDAS

This holiday season, adidas, a leading brand in the world of modern sports, indulges your passion for shopping with two, new promos.

Shop and get a gift for free with the adidas’ Lace Up Your Holiday promo! For a minimum single receipt purchase of PhP2,500 of any adidas Originals product, receive a holiday gift that celebrates the spirit of originality. Pick a token from the adidas Originals box to get your corresponding free gift, whether an adidas Originals shoelaces or adidas Originals shoe jewel, an adidas Originals USB stick or the adidas Originals Christmas CD!

You also get a gift with the adicolor promotion! Get an Originals Graphic Tee at PhP199 (Men’s regular price at PhP1,495. Women’s regular price at PhP1,395) when you purchase an adicolor Tracksuit Set. Let’s shop adidas!

Participating stores of the Lace Up Your promo include adidas stores in Trinoma, Greenbelt, Megamall, and Podium; OCS Trinoma; Shoe Salon stores in Glorietta 3, Rockwell, The Block, Gateway, Trinoma, Robinson’s Ermita, Podium, and ATC; and Traffic stores in The Block, Shangri-La Mall, Rockwell, and Eastwood. Participating outlets of the adicolor promo include adidas stores in Megamall, Trinoma, Rockwell, Greenbelt, Mall of Asia, Ayala Center Cebu, Robinson’s Ermita, and Shangri-La Mall; OCS Trinoma, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Sport LTD Duty Free Fiesta Mall, Gaisano CDO, Sports Central, adidas Camp John Hay, adidas IloIlo, and adidas Cebu. Promos are from November 15 to December 15, 2009 only.

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-11-15

• pbl rookie camp now set, hopefuls converge… the search for next sonny cabatu is on! http://bit.ly/HweYJ #
• carlos ortiz of puerto rico respects pacman, elorde and the philippines… http://bit.ly/4jRGj #
• listen to quinito’s “imbedded” firepower podcast… http://www.philstar.com/microsite/firepower/podcast.html #
• will shaq twit this? http://bit.ly/V8XMs #
• pacquiao - cotto: fighters make their picks… http://bit.ly/4dePKH #
• Manny Pacquiao Song “Pound For Pound” by The Trackrunners… http://bit.ly/tzlVb #
• the entourage, pacman style… a nytimes article… http://bit.ly/3giSQy #

10 reasons why Cotto will lose to Pacman

10. Pac’s Speed. Yah, it’s not secret anymore that only Manny Pacquiao can rival or even surpass the quickness of Money Mayweather. Speed kills, according to many boxing experts. Truly, you cannot hit a thing that you cannot see, ergo, the power punch of Cotto would be irrelevant.

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