Holiday Wishes

The holidays are a time for both celebrating the Lord’s birth as well as ringing the New Year.  A time for forgiveness for mistakes committed for the past year and optimism for the next.  Here are my holiday wishes for some of our hoops heroes and personalities:

 

Wynne Arboleda – A chance for redemption. 

 

Japeth Aguilar – Maturity, both in game and thinking. 

 

Arwind Santos – A much better chance of winning the MVP award

 

Kelly Williams – 100% recovery from illness.

 

Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Danny Siegle, Asi Taulava – Full recovery from injuries. 

 

Kerby Raymundo, James Yap, Jay-R Reyes, Gabe Norwood, Sol Mercado – Bounce back from slumps.

 

LA Tenorio – Due recognition.

 

Ryan Reyes – Remain injury free for the rest of the season.

 

Samigue Eman – Trade to a team that will need him more that warming the bench and carrying bags.

 

Dennis Espino, Marlou Aquino, Johnny Abarientos, Jeffrey Cariaso – proper sendoffs before the eventually leave the game and maybe championships.

 

Leo Isaac – Due recognition II.

 

Barako Bull – Financial stability and a star player.

 

Coca Cola – Direction and a team identity.

 

Rain or Shine– Improved play that reflects their stronger lineup

 

Burger King – The Yeng Guiao magic to turn them into overachievers, ala Red Bull teams before.

 

Sta. Lucia – More offense to balance their solid defense and another legitimate starting center.

 

Talk N Text – A championship or 2 coz Chot Reyes is the coolest coach in the PBA

 

All San Miguel Corporation Teams -    What can you get for the teams that have everything?  Intense competition to maximize their talent.

 

Alaska - Probably the most deserving team to win a championship with their play.

 

PBA – More fans, more teams, more championships for the other teams, less lopsided trades.  Learn from the UAAP.

 

Mark Barroca – Redemption Part II.

 

Ateneo – A dynasty.

 

UAAP – More teams, more competition, more hot courtside reporters.

 

La Salle – Redemption Part III.

 

NCAA - Build on a season of promises with 3 new teams.   More superstars.

 

Smart Gilas – Continued positive development and Jamal Sampson to be the defensive, intimidating, and mature center that CJ Giles wasn’t.

 

Philippine Basketball – More glory, less bovine excrement politics.

 

NBA - A Lakers - Celtics or Kobe vs Lebron finals

 

LA Lakers - Dynasty Part II

 

Asean Basketball League - A successful first season to build on and hopefully give competition to the PBA.

 

Philippine Basketball League - Discover new talents to make up for the exodus of more household name stars.

 

Sydman, Chrisangelo, Benhur  - Health, wealth, and success (not to mention even more fans).

 

hoops.blink.ph – Finally win that coveted that Philippine Web Blog award.  No more bridesmaid for 2010. More fans and avid readers.

 

Manny Pacquaio - Whoop Floyd Mayweather’s butt.  No Wapakman 2.

 

Our nation - A benevolent and strong leader who can improve our country’s economy.  Less or no more floods, typhoons, earthquakes, heck, all natural calamities.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!!

 

Fastbreaks: Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, and Sacramento Kings.  What do their teams have in common?  All three have suffered the bite of the Black Mamba.  The Lakers have beaten these teams with Kobe’s buzzer beater shots, 2 from 3-point distance, all of them by just 1 point, meaning it’s win or lose.  M-V-P!!!!! M-V-P!!!!….However the Lakers played absolute crap in their Christmas game the Cavs.  More than King james, it was Mo Williams who killed LA.  LA fans showed their version of Barrangay Ginebra by throwing foam hands on the court during the 2nd half out of disgust.  Look for payback when the Lakers play the Cavs in their homecourt….Josh Urbiztondo, he of the unorthodox shooting form and funky dribble, has been the biggest surprise in this year’s rookie batch.   Surprisingly undrafted, he is 2nd to Rico Maierhoffer in the Rookie of the Year race and has exploded for a bunch of 20 point games.   He is 2nd in scoring and first in assists among all rookies as well as the only rookie to be named Player of the Week.   His quickness, hustle, and defensive tenacity has helped eased the loss of Denok Miranda.   Now if only Sta. Lucia can land a center the same way.  No offense to the Skyscraper but if the Realtors manage to do this, it’s championship baby…..Tracy Mcgrady is the latest star, or former star, having problems with his team.   complaining of playing time, he has left the Rockets who are working to trade him.  Hard to gauge this as he is coming off microfracture surgery.  Making things harder is that he is earning $25 million this season.  He can definitely help a lot of other teams but will have to consider salary cap issues…..SOUNDGARDEN IS BACK BABY!!!!

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-27

• Kobe vs. LeBron: Ultimate Tale of the Tape… http://bit.ly/7nJspb #
• yay, philippines now 53rd in the world accdng to fiba’s latest rankings. #

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-20

• ay may sea games pala! #
• when manny pacquiao retires, will pinoy boxing fans dwindle? http://bit.ly/8qxFrh #
• boxing heavyweight division kinda sucks, why not entertain artest’s request for a ben wallace - ron artest heavywaeight fight. #
• Which NBA Writers Can Actually Play Basketball? … http://nymag.com/daily/sports/2009/11/basketball_writers.html# #
• happy tweeting cost jennings 7.5 grand. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-bucks-jenningsfined&prov=ap&type=lgns #
• Vote: NBA highlights of the decade…. http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/poll/_/id/4018/nba-highlights-decade #
• paul pierce: rasie the roof, err, rim! http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2009/12/paul_pierce_if.html #
• barkley said years back,fila made grant hilll wear cheap filas. bill simmons brought it up again. check espn page2. #

ADIDAS GEARS UP FOR NBA 2010

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FANTASY versus REALITY 2 – Bret Hart’s back and the Philippine Cycling fiasco

Again, two sides of action go head-to-head in a battle where everyone’s a winner!

One deals with the whimsical world of sports entertainment. The other is the also whimsical world of Philippine Sports!

Game starts now!

FANTASY: Bret Hart signs with the WWE

It happened at the Survivor Series 1997 PPV held in Montreal, Canada. The Heartbreak Kid will battle the Excellence of Execution for the WWF Belt (this was before they lost the acronym to a panda). Shawn Michaels placed Bret “The Hitman” Hart in the Sharpshooter and mere seconds from the setup Vince McMahon ordered the timekeeper to ring the bell. Bret Hart was shocked. Michaels too was shocked. Referee Earl Hebner ran to the back and quickly rode a getaway vehicle while the wrestlers at the locker room were mad as hell. Bret punched Vince in the face and then stormed out of the arena. This was his last appearance in a WWE ring. Vince feared Bret will take the belt to WCW, which was where Bret Hart would be in a week. Bret doesn’t want to lose in Canada. Michaels? He just hates Bret.

This was the Montreal Screwjob – an accidental unforgettable event in the annals of professional wrestling. This was when the fakeness of wrestling and the realness of emotions merged. Afterwards Bret Hart moved to WCW where his fame staggered. Sure he was winning belts, but the WCW people can’t use him properly.

He retired from wrestling after suffering a stroke.

He returned to a WWE event to plug his book, plug his DVD and to receive his Hall of Fame recognition (although when the Hall of Fame recipients were standing in the ramp at Wrestlemania, he was absent).

Apparently, Vince and Bret have ironed out their differences… in the business sense.

Effective January 4, 2010 – the first time TNA will shoot a live Impact on Monday (Hulk Hogan, TNA President Dixie Carter, and former WCW President Eric Bischoff got this idea to go head-to-head with WWE), Bret Hart will be featured as WWE Raw’s guest host in Canada. His contract will end on April 10 – two weeks after Wrestlemania. For TNA, the ratings will make or break their decision to compete with WWE’s flagship program. For WWE, this is a way to crush a bug that has grown so fat that it thinks it could penetrate the sports entertainment audience.

At this point, let’s look at several scenarios that they could play out:

1 Shawn Michaels during the Slammy Awards, called out The Undertaker for a Wrestlemania rematch of their Match of the Year match (this is for The Undertaker’s unprecedented winning streak). Bret Hart could be the guest ref and this time, screw Michaels when he had The Undertaker beat.

2 This is a longshot but Bret will return as the permanent GM of Raw. He will be a heel in the US and give all the Canadian wrestlers an easy time. DX will face Bret Hart and The Hart Dynasty in a handicap match for Bret’s GM status. After DX wins, Bret leaves.

3 Bret Hart versus Vince McMahon could make fans salivate on how Bret would make this match in some ways… real. Think Matt Hardy versus Edge, two real life enemies battle out to one up the other. Unfortunately, this would be more like a street fight since Vince would suck in wrestling and I imagine a lot of interferences in this match.

4 Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels should be like Vince/Bret but with more wrestling. Now, I don’t know if Bret is healthy enough to wrestle but if he still has 50% percent of wrestling goodness (better than The Great Khali), I see this as a Match of the Year contender for the hype alone!

This is the four scenarios that would suit best for the Hitman. I want the fourth scenario to become real but I think the first scenario could be better for him story-wise and health-wise.

REALITY: The Philippine Cycling Fiasco

Honestly, there is a SEA Games?

Sigh, no one can see how we’re doing because with basketball scratched out from the list of events – no station wants to broadcast it.

No NBN/IBC/RPN joint project…

No JEMAH/ Silverstar project…

Maybe Solar Sports? So this statement will change from no one… to no Sky cable subscriber can see the SEA Games.

Maritess Bitbit is a 31-year old cyclist that was initially bent to score three gold medals. Its not like she can’t do it… after all, she is the defending champion. With her main rivals retired or injured, this was her chance to claim a medal she can boast on her grandkids.

Only in the Philippines where you could see athletes going on a DNP because of politics.

Why do we have two sports commissions anyway? I just don’t get it. If you look at it, the Philippine Olympic Commission is only for Olympic events but the Philippine Sports Commission heads Philippine Sports as a whole. This is precise if you base it on names.

But we are the Philippines! We don’t care about international federations! I remember when our sports leaders battled FIBA which led to our suspension. No, I agree with the ouster because BAP without any support from the PBA, PBL, NCAA, and UAAP is basically an organization based upon nothing! But imagine the sight where the PSC-supported and the POC-supported athletes marching at the opening ceremonies as though they are “united”. Two sets of uniforms, two sets of chef de missions… CRAP!

Bitbit could be flip-flopping here but I believe an athlete’s main purpose is to compete. This is the only thing that separates them from us, less-skilled civilians. When Bitbit says she was threatened, you have to believe it. Bitbit is the only athlete UCI-accredited. No loophole should be used disrespectfully trash their authority. Instead of punishing her for not being like her team mates, Bitbit should have been sent to fight to “avenge” her restrained team mates.

POC Chairman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco called out PhilCycling head Bambol Tolentino as if to say that he was the one responsible for the debacle. PSC Chairman Harry Angping is saying that not making Bitbit compete is unpatriotic. Cojuangco stated that UCI could have dropped the ban on the athletes… if Tolentino approves it. Tolentino did not do it so Cojuangco is blaming him. Tolentino on the other hand, wasn’t approached by Cojuangco. Why would Conjuangco anyway? He is not recognizing Tolentino as the cycling head but businessman / sports supporter Mikee Romero. Romero, famous for creating a dynasty in the PBL called Harbour Centre (later named Oracle), said he just wants to help cycling and if he knew that the job would be this stressful, then he wouldn’t have accepted it.

And the roller coaster continues.

Ultimately, the main protagonists of this soap opera are Cojuangco and Angping. Unity will make sports better. This is actually one of the main facets of competition which is to develop teamwork among members.

Because of politicians lowly athletes like Bitbit are treated like pawns whose mission is to bring gold despite poor conditions. Sure, Bitbit was to be given the 300,000Php given by the sponsors for those that won the gold but Bitbit was about to compete in three events. That means 900,000Php. Fact is, cyclists could have had b are treated like pawns whose mission is to bring gold despite poor conditions. Sure, Bitbit was to be given the 300,000Php given by the sponsors for those that won the gold but Bitbit was about to compete in three events. That means 900,000Php. Fact is, athletes are often victims of lack of equipment, compensation, exposure, respect… if you are not a basketball player, a boxer, or a rich kid, the only training you’ll ever get is through joining the army.

I remember when the Marlboro Tour was one of the highlights of the summer. After these politicians submitted the anti-tobacco ad ban, the tour was cut to half, not televised, or simply not staged.

I hope the next administration address this situation seriously.

There can be only one… and one of these commissions NEED to go!

One is good and the other is bad. Which of these news stories will make people giddy?

Until the next installment.

Game over.

SYDMAN’S 25MM (Start to December 13)

The key for rankings supremacy is your favourite team’s standing.

More on this later.

If you don’t know how the rankings work, you can see the mechanics here.

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

Anyway…

Gone from the list are: Alex Crisano, Aries Dimaunahan, Bonbon Custodio, Yousif Aljamal, John Ferriols, and Jared Dillinger. The Barako Bull players are thrown out because of the Boosters’ continuous downfall, Custodio and Dillinger are gone because they have missed their team’s last games, and Ferriols is out because of his weak stats.

Game starts now!

THE ALMOST AWESOME 25:

50 DON ALLADO (PUR – Not Rated Last Ranking)
It all depends on how Purefoods fares…

49 CHICO LANETE (BK – Not Rated Last Ranking)
If BK can’t win two games in the coming weeks, he’ll drift away again.

48 BEAU BELGA (BK – Last Rank # 44)
He played well actually. Such a shame his team barely wins.

47 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND (GIN – Last Rank # 25)
The biggest loser has played only five games this season. This is his swan song.

46 RICHARD YEE (BK – Last Rank # 34)
The 12-Rank drop was due to his struggles to score.

45 BILLY MAMARIL (GIN – Not Rated Last Ranking)
Hot Mama stepped up in the Kings’ last games.

44 NIC BELASCO (TNT – Not Rated Last Ranking)
Will St. Nic be bothered now that Orlando Daroya is getting playing time?

43 JC INTAL (GIN – Not Rated Last Ranking)
The Rocket is no bust! He’s getting numbers… with Caguioa, Helterbrand, and Valenzuela out!

42 MARK BORBORAN (ALA – Last Rank # 33)
Despite falling 9 spots, expect his growth to continue with the Aces.

41 RAFI REAVIS (PUR – Not Rated Last Ranking)
For a 6’9 he can’t score. He’s an aggressive rebounder though.

40 YANCY DE OCAMPO (TNT – Last Rank # 38)
Used sparingly in their last few games.

39 GABBY ESPINAS (SLR – Last Rank # 24)
Injured. Down 15 notches. He needs to heal soon so SLR can score the fifth place seeding.

38 LARRY FONACIER (ALA – Last Rank # 29)
Don’t get me wrong. His play has improved this season… but a stat hunter? He is not!

37 RONJAY BUENAFE (BK – Last Rank # 31)
One of the two offensive weapons of the Whoppers. Now if only they could win games…

36 ENRICO VILLANUEVA (GIN – Last Rank # 45)
Remember when he was at SMB and Jong DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE HOW TO USE HIM PROPERLY??? Why? Ahem.

35 LORDY TUGADE (SMB – Last Rank # 35)
He shows flashes of brilliance every now and then but he needs to have consistency.

34 RANIDEL DE OCAMPO (TNT – Last Rank # 42)
Eight spots up because he’s taking some of Jared Dillinger’s share of shots.

33 CYRUS BAGUIO (GIN – Last Rank # 32)
His averages are slowly looking good. He needs to have minutes so he won’t look for a shot every time he gets the ball.

32 JOSEPH YEO (SLR – Last Rank # 21)
Down 11 spots because the Realtors are losing. Did the Paolo Mendoza return affected his game (haha)?

31 DENOK MIRANDA (SMB – Last Rank # 41)
For some reason, he is getting playing time. I hated him during that second Alaska game because his shot selection was brutal.

30 JR QUINAHAN (BK – Last Rank # 20)
Had a bad game against Coke. It really hurts BK that their leading stat getter is a defensive stopper.

29 MARC PINGRIS (PUR – Last Rank # 47)
Scoring 18 spots up, his consecutive 30-minute games are key to his current stat haul.

28 ALEX CABAGNOT (COK – Last Rank # 27)
His numbers without the win points guarantees him a top ten entry. With Asi back, a couple of wins could be in the offing.

27 RICO MAIERHOFER (PUR – Last Rank # 23)
Pingris got his playing time from Maierhofer. If you ask me, Maier could have performed well than Marc if had 30 minutes a night.

26 HARVEY CAREY (TNT – Last Rank # 39)
Up 13 places because not only is he rebounding well… he is scoring well too!

THE 25 MARKED MEN (NOT IN THE TOP TEN)

25 PAUL ARTADI (PUR – Last Rank # 37)
He gets his stats when Purefoods goes on a scoring binge… which is a sharp contrast to Roger Yap.
STATS: 21.1mpg (13g) – 7.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.8spg & 2.2tpg

24 JASON CASTRO (TNT – Last Rank # 22)
The Maestro’s last few games aren’t that spectacular because of Renren Ritualo and Pong Escobal’s “breakout” moments.
STATS: 25.0mpg (12g) – 9.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.7apg, 1.0spg & 2.2tpg

23 ERIC MENK (GIN – Last Rank # 28)
Productivity is Menk’s Major Issue. Sure, he fields good stats but his playing time and health makes you wonder.
STATS: 19.8mpg (10g) – 12.8ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.9apg & 2.1tpg

22 MICK PENNISI (SMB – Last Rank # 26)
The most “pornstar-ic” name in the league may break the Top 25 but it is all because SMB is winning.
STATS: 24.2mpg (13g) – 7.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.0bpg & 1.2tpg

21 GABE NORWOOD (ROS – Last Rank # 19)
Like Cabagnot, he is a great stat-getter playing for a team that plays well in the first 46 minutes of the game only to lose in the crucial moments.
STATS: 38.2mpg (12g) – 13.8ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.8apg, 1.8spg, & 2.6tpg

20 ROGER YAP (PUR – Last Rank # 36)
After two weeks of tragedy, he went berserk to dish out great stats! Unlike Artadi, Yap is best suited when the Giants go on a halfcourt set.
STATS: 24.2mpg (13g) – 10.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.5apg & 2.5tpg

19 SONNY THOSS (ALA – Last Rank # 16)
Thoss could potentially dish out good stats but he’s overshadowed by his better playing team mates.
STATS: 26.2mpg (11g) – 9.3ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3bpg & 1.8tpg

18 ALI PEEK (TNT – Last Rank # 18)
Peek’s points might be low but his rebounds and blocks are his forte.
STATS: 24.6mpg (12g) – 9.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.8bpg & 1.7tpg

17 JAMES YAP (PUR – Last Rank # 30)
Why is he not scoring 20 points a night? He needs to break out from his shooting slump! If you saw the halftime feature last Sunday, Yap said Paul Artadi fares better than him beyond the arc. WHAT!?!
STATS: 31.8mpg (13g) – 14.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.4apg & 2.0tpg

16 RYAN REYES (SLR – Last Rank # 15)
He had a dismal scoring night in their last game but expect him to bounce back in their next assignment.
STATS: 32.5mpg (11g) – 11.4ppg, 5.5rpg, 4.0apg, 1.9spg & 1.6tpg

15 KERBY RAYMUNDO (PUR – Last Rank # 13)
He missed two games to heal an injury (that benefited Pingris) and he returned as his usual stat-grabbing self via a loss to end their 4-game win streak.
STATS: 33.3mpg (11g) – 14.0ppg, 7.5rpg, 3.3apg, 0.7bpg & 3.5tpg

14 DORIAN PENA (SMB – Last Rank # 14)
The fruitiest name in the league could have had a couple of really crappy games but thanks to SMB’s super record, his rank is on a standstill.
STATS: 21.6mpg (13g) – 7.5ppg, 8.7rpg & 1.8tpg

13 MIKE CORTEZ (SMB – Last Rank # 17)
The Cool Cat has been giving the Beermen that extra boost despite having a ton of players playing in his position.
STATS: 21.3mpg (13g) – 10.1ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg & 1.5tpg

12 REYNEL HUGNATAN (ALA – Last Rank # 8)
Moved out of the stats not because he played bad but there were other marquee players that stepped up.
STATS: 22.9mpg (11g) – 13.2ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.7apg & 1.8tpg

11 RONALD TUBID (GIN – Last Rank # 11)
Tubid with Kevin White is not good for the eyes because White thinks he’s the primary offensive option (which is Tubid’s job). With Johnny Abarrientos though, Tubid is getting awesome touches that often translate to shots.
STATS: 31.5mpg (12g) – 17.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.3apg & 1.0tpg

THE CREAM OF THE CROP

10 TONY DELA CRUZ (ALA – Last Rank # 7)
There is a saying – “He, who turns the ball less, gets the ball more”. Sigh, I try to act Zen but I fail. But for real, the guy gets 30 minutes a night and owns 0.5 turnovers per game. That should be something, right?
STATS: 31.7mpg (11g) – 9.6ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.9apg, 1.1spg & 0.5tpg

9 JIMMY ALAPAG (TNT – Last Rank # 9)
His game is a little weak this past few games but that could be due because he’s hurting. You need to realize how important he is for the Texters… although Jason Castro could be using this as opportunity to assert his self more.
STATS: 32.8mpg (13g) – 14.6ppg, 3.3rpg, 5.9apg & 2.4tpg

8 JONAS VILLANUEVA (SMB – Last Rank # 12)
He breaks to the top ten because like Dela Cruz, he gives more to his team than points. He is a consistent stat-grabber as far as rebounds, assists, and steals are concerned. And I think people are getting the point that his awesome 2009 Fiesta Cup wasn’t just because SMB had less players.
STATS: 25.8mpg (13g) – 8.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 5.4apg, 1.2spg & 2.2tpg

7 JOE DEVANCE (ALA – Last Rank # 6)
JDV outplayed the bigs of SMB to claim their 10-1 record. He is tied for first in terms of rebounds for the Aces and he ranks fourth on points and second in blocks. The Speaker of the House really looking like a “darker” Bong Hawkins!
STATS: 29.4mpg (11g) – 13.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.8apg, 0.8bpg & 1.4tpg

6 DONDON HONTIVEROS (SMB – Last Rank # 10)
From that 2000-01 supreme SMB title drive, he is the only player that has played steadily until now (Seigle and Ildefonso are bothered by injuries, Pena never gotten past as the guy that gets the boards and Racela has been letting the younger guys take his spot). Expect his to do wonders in the playoffs.
STATS: 28.9mpg (13g) – 15.4ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.7apg & 2.5tpg

5 LA TENORIO (ALA – Last Rank # 5)
People love his current style of play. The Aces, the fans, and the league believe that Flying LA can become the guard they’ve been searching for years. Like I said, Tim Cone is molding this team to the team he salivated upon 13 years back. He leads the team in scoring for the second time this season.
STATS: 33.5mpg (11g) – 16.0ppg, 4.9rpg, 4.1apg, 0.9spg & 2.5tpg

4 MACMAC CARDONA (TNT – Last Rank # 4)
The guy averages 28ppg when facing Coke and 36ppg when facing Burger King. These teams have SG defenders not in Captain Hook’s level. The only thing that could be his problem is that when he explode, the next game is dimmed subpar… only because claiming 12 points is so not Macmac-like.
STATS: 33.9mpg (12g) – 21.2ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.4apg, 0.8spg & 3.4tpg

3 WILLIE MILLER (ALA – Last Rank # 3)
During the SMB game, Miller failed to deliver the offense. However, this is the Thriller that CAN play minus the scoring cudgels. Foes fear his capacity to go berserk that people still think he’s a threat even if he’s not looking for his shot. Check his stats and he leads the team in rebounds and assists.
STATS: 33.3mpg (11g) – 15.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 4.7apg & 2.7tpg

2 KELLY WILLIAMS (SLR – Last Rank # 2)
Machine Gun has been without question, Sta. Lucia’s Mr. Do It All. Again, if not for SMB’s win-loss card, he’ll be on top of the rankings. His turnovers are high because teams know whom to guard in this team. It doesn’t help that the SLR bench hasn’t been that productive on a consistent basis (Chris, at this point, yeah, you can diss Marlou).
STATS: 40.5mpg (11g) – 17.3ppg, 13.9rpg, 3.6apg, 1.8spg, 0.9bpg & 3.5tpg

1 ARWIND SANTOS (SMB – Last Rank # 1)
The Spiderman should be more than happy in his stint as a Beerman. I thought his numbers would diminish but instead, his job just got a lot easier. It’s hard to guard Arwind especially if you have a lot of players with more or less the same calibre manning all lanes. Alaska has somewhat diffused this “Spider” problem by quickening the pace by playing small ball on the Beermen. Siot was baited to put Arwind in the center spot (it didn’t help that he has slow big men and his thrill to play two guards and two slashers at once) which didn’t work for the SMB as much as he thought it would. It did work on the OTHER EIGHT TEAMS IN THE RUNNING SO ITS GOOD NONETHELESS!
STATS: 32.8mpg (13g) – 18.8ppg, 10.5rpg, 1.8apg, 1.6spg, 1.7bpg & 1.9tpg

There are four Alaska players, three SMB players, and 2 TNT Texters. Yes, you are seeing the tools in order for your favourite team to win. Things will change again after Christmas.

Until that moment…

ADVANCE MERRY CHRISTMAS!

And…

GAME OVER!

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-13

• just about time! lim is an alien. http://bit.ly/6YBiMe #
• duno whos badder,cottos alleged harrassment or d claim for cash by the girl.either way,its a hit below the belt http://bit.ly/7vF9OC #
• “Look at muhammad ali.thats why i dont fight toe to toe.I fight smart.That’s why i fight defensive”-pbf (what a way to mention ali’s name!) #
• this is kobe — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoFfvf_FQEI this is lebron — http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4726619 #
• then again, another pacman - duran dream fight chatter… http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/12/10/1194265/why-duran-would-have-gotten-past #
• 5 Most Memorable Sports Tweets of 2009…. http://bit.ly/8FZjrz #
• just like me, now tiger has to buy his shave at walmart (me at waltermart)… http://bit.ly/8ucYWl #

The Allen Iverson Proper Retirement Movement

The guy was a former MVP and he stepped up as one of the league’s best players especially when the NBA is making a transition to do away with Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, and the other late 80’s to early 90’s guys.

I hated the fact that he had to retire after 29 teams snub him and 1 team, mediocre at best, picking him up only to demote him as a sub (nothing wrong with this except that he can still play). The Philadelphia acquisition is vital for AI’s legacy. Philly gained a packed arena while Iverson could have a legacy in the City of Brotherly Love.

In his first game back, he played against Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets. Anthony liked having Iverson as his teammate but his scoring increased when the Nuggets gave up Iverson for Chauncey Billups. At Detroit, Iverson suffered the biggest setback of his career – the savior destroyed the Pistons’ chemistry which led to this Eastern powerhouse’s downfall.

One horrific year was enough to make him an eyesore.

In his first game back wanted by the fans, he chipped in 11 points, five rebounds, and six assists but the Sixers squandered an 8-point second quarter lead to fall to Denver 93-83. Iverson played almost 38 minutes but could only sink four of his 11 shots. Actually, it was Denver’s bench that made the difference in the game outscoring the Sixers’ bench 29 to 2 (JR Smith had 11 while rookie Ty Lawson had 12).

The other AI, Andre Igoudala topscored for Philly with 31 points – the same points scored by Iverson’s Denver counterpart Billups who has become more of a playmaker than a scorer. This Billups’ game where he also led the Nuggets in rebounds (8) and assists (8).

Honestly, I wanted him for Boston. Inasmuch as I like the Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce and while I am a fan of Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins, I am not much of a fan of Rajon Rondo. Last season, part of me wanted Doc Rivers to trust on Stephon Marbury (Marbury didn’t re-sign because he thought there are teams out there that will still sign him). Add the fact that the Celtic development in the guard spot is the underachieving Marquis Daniels (although now he seems to be doing well), I just wanted some oomph off the bench.

Now Iverson will find it hard to win a championship with the players Philly has right now (reasons why they are down the standings), but Iverson’s ability to demand wins is what they lack right now. Iverson hates to not play and miss out so he endures health problems.

But while Iverson is humbled at this point, we can’t really know how the AI experiment would hold.

I just wish he lasts a season so that when his contract is up, he could easily retire without the words “unwanted” written near his image.

Game over.

Oden busts a cap

Critics are quickly calling the Ohio State standout as the next Sam Bowie. After two injury plagued seasons, Oden will again be out of a season because of a broken left knee. He left in a stretcher on December 5 against the Houston Rockets two weeks after scoring a career-high 24 points in one game and 20 rebounds in another game.

He had surgery Saturday and the Blazers don’t expect him to come back.

After revealing the results, Oden apologized to the team. With a healthy Oden, the Blazers are expected to break away from the West seeds “#5 to #10” club. They acquired a great vet in Andre Miller and with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge expected to improve, things are looking up for the Oregon-based franchise. When the Blazers drafted Oden, he stirred the buzz as the next Tim Duncan.

But now they are calling him the next Sam Bowie.

Bowie, as everyone knows is considered as one of the biggest busts in NBA history. Portland longed for size and in 1984, they found the need of acquiring Bowie as the draft’s second pick overall. Sure, he averaged a decent 10 points in his decade-long career, but he was also injury-plagued. It didn’t help that Bowie was the guy in the middle of Hall of Famers like Hakeem Olajuwon and MICHAEL JORDAN! This was also the draft that saw Charles Barkley saddled at the number 5 spot and John Stockton still in at the 17th position.

Darko Milicic should understand this predicament sandwich by not two but four of the league’s elite (LeBron James # 1, Carmelo Anthony # 3, Chris Bosh # 4, Dwyane Wade # 5).

Anyway, it doesn’t help Oden that Kevin Durant is leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a great start. Other 2007 Draft batchmates that are doing great for their respective teams are Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Rodney Stuckey, and fellow Blazer Rudy Fernandez. Marc Gasol, drafted in the second round of the 2007 Draft (48th overall), did not play in the 2007-08 season but he has been since a vital cog with the struggling Memphis Grizzlies. The guys mentioned have played exceptional ball that should make Oden livid.

Should this faze him?

Yes.

But he also needs to draw something from his predicament.

First up, he needs to be compare to another injury-plagued Portland ace.

Bill Walton didn’t have Karl Malone’s ironman career. The guy was a quick bruiser. But whenever he plays, he gives his all to dominate and create impact. Sure, argue the fact that he had perhaps three or four good seasons in the league but in two of those four seasons, he won championships (one with Portland and the other as a sixth man for Boston). Oden could be a larger version of Kevin Willis. You can see this as positive or negative but Willis was indeed a great backup that fills a team’s need in the center/power forward spots. Willis could have been slowed down by injuries but he can still dish out great performances.

The same could be said to Antonio McDyess, Kurt Thomas, Kurt Rambis, Sam Perkins, and Danny Manning.

However, he could experience rebirth in some way.

The end is not here for Oden’s superstardom. Unlike in the 80’s, sports medicine is not an out-of-the-blue career choice. This is actually thought and there are a lot of players that should have had bad careers but they are still playing in the league. Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill, and Shaquille O’Neal are examples of this “phenomenon”.

As of this moment, the oddsmakers have pretty much given up on the seven-foot defensive wall. But let’s say this: if he comes back he’ll be twice as dangerous for those that have already struck him out.

They’ll never know what will hit them when 52 get the games deserving of his worthiness.

Game over.

HooPh Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-06

• Altamirano & Compton Lay The Groundwork For Philippine Basketball — http://bit.ly/5ehb3K/ #
• finally, bill simmons finally noticed a certain guy called the pacman… read the mailbag… http://bit.ly/7IFbVf #
• Shawn Porter’s Rap on Manny Pacquiao… http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/12/02/boxer-shawn-porter-raps-about-manny-pacquiao/ #
• crazy ron act 1… http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4706474 #
• roach on tmz.com… (and pacquiao is the title headliner?) http://bit.ly/5IZxvr #
• gabe norwood discusses the transition from college to playing basketball in the Philippines… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmqDCVMkEhs #
• a quote… pbf’s been a welterweight for 4 yrs, for whatever reason, he hasn’t fought Mosley, Paul Williams, Cotto, Clottey & Margarito #
• roy jones vs green, watch it, it wont eat much time. its the end for mr jones. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oud8CxDuUOg #
• golf: caddies need not bring extra umbrella with this golf club… if you’re thinkihttp://design-milk.com/images/2009/11/golf-umbrella.jpg #
• dont you miss the practice monologue by AI? i do. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI #
• let shannon dunk! http://www.letshannondunk.com/ #
• seriously, tiger woods is ok… http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID4514/images/tiger_funny-1.jpg #
• Toshiba enters partnership with NBA, launches new products… http://bit.ly/6vC8bW #
• ja adande said that bill simmons book is huge it can be used as flAT tv stand when done reading so i bought 1 from amazon. i need tv stand. #

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