Is Almazan Worth It?

Now that Raymond Almazan is doing a Calvin Abueva trading maneuver, let's see what might happen. Just like what happened with Terrence Romeo and Calvin Abueva, I doubt that a team can force a player to stay on with the team if he no longer wants to. So a trade might be best for both player and team.

If I had to name the top 5 best centers in the PBA right now, I would say Jun Mar Fajardo, Poy Erram, Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, and maybe Ian Sanggalang. Raymond Almazan isn't even in that top 5 list.

I tried looking at his stats during the 2018 Philippine Cup. He averaged 9 points, 6.33 rebounds and 1.78 blocks per game. That doesn't even come close to Jun Mar Fajardo's 22.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game or Poy Erram's 14.18 points, 13.82 rebounds and 3 blocks per game. So getting Almazan on one's team isn't as good as getting a Fajardo or an Erram. But some teams could sure use the shot blocking.

So, which PBA teams lack a legitimate center. The following teams come to mind.
1. TNT Katropa
2. Meralco Bolts
3. Columbian Dyip
4. Northport Batang Pier
5. Phoenix Fuel Masters
6. Alaska Aces

Let's try to analyze the potential trades for each of these teams.

TNT Katropa has been lacking a decent center for a long time now. Kelly Williams has been forced to play this spot even though he is better at the power forward position. The departure or Ranidel de Ocampo and Moala Tautua has turned this team into a shooting dependent team. And once your shooters are having an off-night, there's no one to rebound and get second chance opportunities. I'm not saying that Almazan is famous for getting second chance opportunities, but he might help improve TNT's rebounding. TNT might have to shed one of their premier guards for an Almazan trade. But I'm not sure if Rain or Shine would want another guard. They would probably want a center or power forward. And Kelly Williams might not be on the table despite his age.

Even though the Meralco Bolts have Dillinger, Hodge and De Ocampo, they could still use someone like Almazan at the center position. One of those three though might be up for trade.

The Columbian Dyip might want to trade Jackson Corpuz for Almazan. They would end up getting the roughly the same numbers, but a player who is taller.

Despite having Tautua, I think Northport still needs a decent center. I would actually go for a Tautua Almazan trade.

With the addition of Abueva, the Phoenix fuel masters just need a center and point guard to complete their core five. Phelps is doing a great job at the center position which is the reason why Phoenix is a contender during this Governor's Cup conference. But once he is gone during the Philippine Cup, then Phoenix might become a middle tier team. So if there was any reason for them to acquire Almazan, it is in preparation for the future. I would trade Intal or Eriobu for Almazan.

Alaska still has Sonny Thoss. And they might have an up and coming star in Magat. But until that time comes, they will need a center like Almazan to help Vic Manuel down low. Trade Thoss, Racal or Baclao for Almazan.

The other PBA teams could still benefit with the addition of Almazan. For example, Black Water could trade Raba Al-hussaini for Almazan and become an even better team. And a reunion with coach Yeng Guiao is possible at NLEX although I don't know who they would trade for Almazan. Maybe Marcelo. Magnolia, too, could use another center to help Sanggalang. Would they trade Pingris for Almazan? Would Rain or Shine be willing to wait for Pingris to recover?

Teams like San Miguel or Ginebra would probably have a hard time inserting Almazan in the rotation even if they could acquire him.

MVP teams probably have the best chance of getting Almazan. And with no potential premier centers in the 2019 PBA draft, getting Raymond Almazan could be the best move before 2019 even begins.

Weak Imports Against Justin Brownlee Might Guarantee Ginebra 2018 Governor's Cup Defense

Coach Tim Cone understands the power of the spoken word. He always makes pronouncements early in a conference and his insights usually result in a positive outcome. Take his pronouncements about Greg Slaughter being the best defense against the PBA's reigning MVP Jun Mar Fajardo. While he did this early in the year, and it didn't happen during the Philippine Cup, Ginebra was able to bag the Commissioner's Cup. Having the media play on the facts that Slaughter beat Fajardo when they were in college and that Fajardo and Slaughter have never faced each other in a finals series placed doubt in Fajardo's mind and was used to Ginebra's advantage. Never mind the fact that Fajardo has been the MVP for the past four years. And never mind the fact that Fajardo has faced taller competition in the international arena and bigger and stronger imports like Onuaku and Smith. Suddenly, Fajardo doubted his ability to dominate the paint because of this masterful tactic. So, if San Miguel wants to dominate again, Fajardo has to be mentally tough.

And San Miguel, as a team, should remove the idea of being the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in the PBA. You shouldn't talk about that until you've retired as a team. Lebron shouldn't be in the conversation until he has retired like Michael Jordan. And neither should the current SMB Core, until they are finally done. They still have a lot of future accomplishments as long as they keep healthy and as long as they improve their bench. And many years from now, when that time finally comes, then we can compare this SMB team with the Alaska of the 90's, or Star Hotshots or other PBA teams who have achieved a grandslam. As a fan, having a grandslam would still be one of the benchmarks to be included in the discussion for a GOAT Team.

Now, with the recent article of SPIN on the 2018 Governor's Cup imports, I wonder if any team really wants to beat Ginebra, knowing that they've had the best Governor's Cup import for the past two years. Durham is still there, but we've already seen that Meralco doesn't stand a chance against Ginebra, and more so now that Ginebra has gained confidence against SMB. Arizona Reid was an import who left San Miguel in recent memory. Why would you give this guy another chance at redemption? We know how that story will end since we've just seen it in the recently concluded Commisioner's Cup.

What SMB needs is an import that can do it all just like Brownlee. One who is a three-point threat and can slash to the basket.  And more important than this skill set is that  preferably, this import has beaten Justin Brownlee numerous times in the past. An import that has the mental edge over Brownlee and will cause Brownlee to doubt his ability to lead Ginebra to a title defense. If teams can find that import, then they will have the edge over Ginebra in a potential finals match up. And when the leader of the team doubts himself, then the team begins to doubt their ability, too. And if that happens, Ginebra will no longer be the Governor's Cup champions.

2018 Gilas Beats Luzon All-Stars

Terrence Romeo broke the record for the highest point-output by a player in a PBA All-Star Game by scoring 48 points to lead Gilas Pilipinas to a victory. The previous record was held by James Yap at 44 points. Terrence Romeo was named the Best Player of the Game.

While an All-Star game is generally seen as a game which lacks defense, Terrence Romeo actually had to face a lot of different defenders from the Luzon All-Stars but not one of them was able to stop him. A healthy Terrence Romeo is probably the closest thing the PBA has ever had to a Kobe Bryant. Romeo was guarded by the likes of LA Tenorio, Calvin Abueva, Alex Cabagnot and even had an almost-scuffle with Arwind Santos. The Luzon team even tried to put Japeth Aguilar in front of Romeo, in the same way that Phil Jackson would put a Scottie Pippen on the opposing team's point guard, but it did little to stop Romeo's offense. Ironically, Japeth was the highest scorer for the Luzon team. He reached 41 points.

It would have been interesting to see Coach Austria assign the one player who I think could have guarded Romeo, Stanley Pringle. But Pringle barely got any playing time, and I didn't see him go against Romeo or vice versa. Since both players used to be teammates on Global Port, they've probably guarded each other during scrimmages and Pringle would have had an idea on how to slow down or stop Romeo. And it would have completely settled the argument on who the better player was once and for all in the minds of the fans and Global Port management.

Despite an 8-man rotation, Gilas managed to pull-off a win. The combination of Romeo, Pogoy, Rosario, and Fajardo proved to be deadly with occasional substitutions from Norwood, Jalalon, and Belo. Maliksi was injured early in the game. The Romeo, Pogoy, Rosario trio is similar to the Cabagnot, Lassiter, Santos support of Jun Mar in San Miguel. I wrote an earlier article on how TNT has copied San Miguel's system. They might actually win the 2018 Commissioner's Cup since the only piece of the puzzle missing is Jun Mar Fajardo. If they could acquire Fajardo and bring him over to TNT, then this game is what it would look like. And the Commissioner's Cup is TNT's chance to prove that this system works, since they can acquire a big import to simulate the presence of Fajardo in the middle.

It is also ironic that Leo Austria was the coach of the Luzon All-Stars. If the Luzon team won, then it means that Austria could win without Fajardo. But could Phil Jackson have won without the MVP of the NBA during his time - Michael Jordan? (He won with Kobe Bryant who was also the dominant player of the league and very similar to Michael Jordan). Perhaps Austria is trying to prove that San Miguel can win without Jun Mar Fajardo, which is why he is favoring Standhardinger in the end games of SMB. But Standhardinger has yet to prove he can become a PBA MVP. Jun Mar might be getting old, but I think the reigning MVP still has a lot of years in him, so why not play him while he is still at his peak?

Also, Austria should stop trying to make the Fajardo Standhardinger simultaneous combination work. It slows down the team, lessens the 3-point options and mobility, and ruins the spacing of the team. It reminds me of a Kelly Williams Mo Tautua combination. And we know that SMB won that matchup against TNT. So if TNT is copying your winning strategy, why are you trying to copy theirs?

Romeo sheds some light into how SMB can get back into it's winning form. SMB shooters should hit their 3-point shots when they are open. Let Jun Mar worry about rebounding and put backs. SMB shooters should just play loose and find their magic touch from the outside. Santos has it as he has shown in this game. Lassiter has it from time to time. But Cabagnot seems to have lost his consistency from beyond the arc. I would rather Coach Austria give minutes to Pessumal and Heruela and even Chito Lanete so that he can maintain 4 shooters on the floor. Standhardinger can sub Fajardo, but Fajardo should still be your primary option for the center position.

Sorry if this has turned into an SMB rant. I just want my team to get back to it's winning form before it reaches a point in this conference which is too late for them to recover and get to the Finals. But if they don't make it, I hope TNT wins the Commissioner's Cup championship. We'll just have to see if either of them end up at the top this year.

Is Andre Blatche Still Good For Gilas?

After watching yesterday's game of Gilas vs Chinese Taipei, I began to wonder whether or not Andre Blatche is still a good fit for Gilas Pilipinas. Sure, the Philippines won, but it was not an easy win. And if you compare the way Australia erected a near 40 point lead over Chinese Taipei, you'ld have to wonder if the Philippines has a chance by February next year.

The Philippines would have lost yesterday if Chinese Taipei didn't get into foul trouble. And the Philippines had a lot of turnovers made mostly by Blatche. I would attribute it to old age, and perhaps with unfamiliarity with the new batch of Gilas Players.

There were many times when Andre would make an errant pass. He also settled for threes and I don't remember him making any. But what really made my blood boil was how a lanky Chinese Taipei import who was smaller than Blatche was able to get through his defense most of the time in the 1st Quarter, allowing Chinese Taipei to erect a 10 point lead.

Blatche scored six points in that game. Six points for an import? I don't know if that will be enough to beat Australia. He needs to get in shape if the country even wants a slim chance at beating the Aussies.

Ginebra Wins Game 1 of the PBA Governor's Cup Finals

Barring any unfortunate injury, Ginebra might just be on its way to winning another Governor's Cup Championship. With the solid game they played tonight, they outclassed the Meralco Bolts and nearly had a twenty point lead as the game neared the end of the 4th Quarter. Basketball fans in the arena were making an early exit, knowing that the game was more or less decided even with five minutes to spare.

And I expect nothing less from the team that knocked out the Grand Slam seeking San Miguel Beermen with a thirty-point blowout and in only one game. And if you look at Ginebra's front line, they are actually pretty distinguished players. Joe Devance was the first overall draft pick in the 2007 PBA Rookie Draft. Japhet Aguilar was the first overall draft pick in the 2009 PBA Rookie Draft. And Greg slaughter was the first overall draft pick in the 2013 PBA Rookie Draft. LA Tenorio was the 4th pick overall in 2006 and Scottie Thompson was the 5th pick overall in 2015. Not many PBA teams can say they have a core made up of high caliber talent. Plus, you have the PBA's Coach with the most wins.

Greg Slaughter's return has really made this Ginebra team deadlier. It is hard to double Justin Brownlee if you have a 6'11 player who can play the post or go for the rebound. Contrast that with Alan Durham on the Meralco side. Once he decides to go for a three point shot, it has to go in. Otherwise, there's hardly any chance they'll get it back.

And the three point shot is really Meralco's only way of keeping this game close since they don't have any other post threats aside from Alan Durham. Ranidel de Ocampo is really more of a stretch 4 than a post up presence like Kelly Williams. And tonight, Meralco's threes were not falling in as much as they wanted. And even Ginebra's three-point shooters were finding their range.

Tim Cone on the other hand prefers twos rather than threes. The higher percentage shot is better. That's why his teams are susceptible to losing to teams that can shoot the three at an excellent clip. Coach Cone would rather be beaten by the three, than inside the paint. And that's why San Miguel Beer was a nightmare match-up for him. That is until Greg Slaughter solved the Jun Mar Fajardo problem.

Meralco doesn't have a Jun Mar Fajardo. Alan Durham is the closest thing they have to a post up player. So, Durham will have to focus on a purely inside game. Leave the threes to your shooters like Baser Amer, Garvo Lanete, Jared Dillinger and even Reynel Hugnatan. If these players get hot from the three point line, then Meralco might make this finals series interesting to watch.

Coach Norman Black can actually try playing a speed game with Amer, Tolomia, Newsome, Dilinger and Durham. But that would only work if they can get the jump on Ginebra and build up an early lead in their next game. If Newsome could keep dunking in the open court like he did with that incredible dunk in the first quarter, then maybe Meralco could have a chance.

Another strategy is to double Justin Brownlee and let the locals beat Meralco in scoring. But if they can somehow shutdown Brownlee, and keep Ginebra in a low scoring game, then maybe they can tie this series.

It would be interesting to see both teams' adjustments in game 2. But without players who can bang bodies on the inside, a Ginebra sweep is probably gonna happen.

San Miguel Battles Ginebra in Do-Or-Die Game for Finals Berth

There will no longer be any matches this year between San Miguel and Ginebra. Tonight, one team will go home and enjoy resting until the next season, while the other looks forward to a match against the Meralco Bolts.

And let me just voice out my disgust at the way the officials handled that foul against Jason Castro in the fourth quarter. It was like throwing out Michael Jordan at a critical point in a match and handing the opposing team the victory. Credit Newsome for selling. But instead of treating it as an offensive foul, the referees slap Castro with a second flagrant for the game resulting in his ejection. I hope the referees call tonight's game in a fair manner.

So Meralco waits for tonight's winner.

This San Miguel team has already done what can be considered as the greatest comeback of any basketball team in all-time since no other team in history has achieved it. They have come back from a 0-3 deficit against Alaska this year in the Philippine Cup. And as a team, you can use that as a reminder of what your team is capable of. Amidst the body aches and pains, bruises and fatigue, you dig deep, and use that as motivation to claw your way to another championship.

I don't know if such an achievement reduces the hunger factor. But I know that teams only have a short time in the league to build a legacy and to chase championships. You will not always be a dominating center, or a sharp-shooter, or a fast sprinter. At some point, old age and injuries catch up with every great player. So play while you can, play every game as though it were your last. Give it your all because tomorrow, you might never play again.

Forget about the lost opportunity for a Grand Slam. Win because your fans are supporting you and sticking it out with you despite a Ginebra team supported by the masses. I've admired the way Coach Tim Cone and Alaska handled the pressure in the 90's whenever they heard the crowds chant "Ginebra!" I'd imagine it must be strange for him to be on the opposite side of the fence, being the crowd favorite this time. And as San Miguel, when you have the crowd against you, wanting you to lose, you have to strive harder and find a way to draw strength elsewhere. Some players may draw that strength from their love for their families. Some may draw it from the trust they have developed with their teammates. And some draw strength from their faith in God.

San Miguel did a tremendous job in Game 4 of this semi-finals series. I don't know if they can win with another blowout since Coach Tim Cone will surely try to make adjustments. But it doesn't matter if you win with thirty points or with just one point. A win is a win.

I don't know how tonight's game will end. But this semi-finals series has been an exciting one for me, and whoever wins tonight's game might just end up as the 2016 PBA Governor's Cup Champions.

San Miguel Beermen Come Back from 0-3 to Win The Philippine Cup Finals 2016

The San Miguel Beermen have done it. They have become the first team in basketball history to come back from a 0 - 3 deficit to win a 7 game series.

Chris Ross deserves to win the Finals MVP. He hit 4 three-point shots in the game, producing his highest scoring output in the series. He, along with Alex Cabagnot, have also been crucial in allowing San Miguel to break free from Alaska's full court press.

San Miguel now has 22 PBA Titles, making them the PBA team with the most wins in history.

Although point production for Arwind Santos was not as high as some of the other games, his defense was superb in this game. Alex Cabagnot also scored at critical times in the game when Alaska was about to make a surge. Marcio Lassiter's steady hand at the free throw line made sure that Alaska could not take advantage of a hack-a-shaq strategy when the Aces tried to come back from a 20+ point deficit.

Ross said it right in his acceptance speech. All the members of the San Miguel Team are MVPs since they all made big contributions that kept the team alive - giving the team a fighting chance - when they were one game away from being eliminated.

Just when I think I've seen everything in basketball, it's nice to be surprised once in a while. Congratulations coach Leo Austria and to the San Miguel Beermen!!!

2016 San Miguel Beermen Force Game 7

There is something special about the 2016 San Miguel Beermen roster. They are on the brink of making world basketball history - if they win the Finals series - after being down 0 - 3 and being able to force a Game 7 in the All-Filipino Cup Finals against the Alaska Aces.

According to Wikipedia, only three basketball teams were able to force a Game 7 after being down 0 - 3. These are the following:

The New York Knicks vs. the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals

The Denver Nuggets vs. the Utah Jazz in the 1994 NBA Western Conference Semifinals

The Portland Trail Blazers vs. the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 NBA Western Conference First Round

I am not aware of any team in the Philippine Basketball Association who was able to accomplish such a feat.

San Miguel wouldn't have been in this position if not for the injury of Jun Mar Fajardo during their semi-finals match with Rain or Shine. With a healthy Fajardo in the line-up, the Beermen would have probably gained the upper hand early in this Finals match. And this is probably what is eating up the Aces. Deep down, they know that the only reason they were able to win the first three games was because Fajardo could not play. And some of their wins were close ones, meaning, even without Fajardo, the Beermen could go toe-to-toe with the Aces.

There are plenty of heroes in the San Migues Beer roster. Alex Cabagnot, Gabby Espinas, Marcio Lassiter, Yancey De Ocampo, and of course Arwind Santos have kept the hope of the Beermen fans alive, even through the first initial losses, because they always fought back, even when the odds were against them. There was even an instance in Game 6 where Alaska was making a rally and the series looked like it was finally going to be won by the Aces, but the Beermen made some offensive and defensive adjustments to get the score back to a winnable gap. And when the fourth quarter came, the Beermen unleashed their three point shots to build an insurmountable lead.

Statistics may be in the favor of Alaska, but I would like to think that this San Miguel comeback deserves a fairy-tale ending. It encourages those who are down in the dumps and whose spirits have been broken to hope and to keep on trying, and to keep on believing that some things are possible when people work together, believe in each other, and have faith in the Almighty. I always appreciate it when I see Cabagnot praying and pointing upward - giving glory to God for every win they have won in the Finals.

Game 7 is on Wednesday - and you probably can infer who I'll be rooting for. May the best team win.

San Miguel Takes a 2-1 Lead in the Semis

In a game that usually decides the outcome of a best of five series, Alex Cabagnot and Arizona Reid were simply too hot to defend against during the 4th quarter. Cabagnot and Reid simply could not miss no matter who was assigned to defend them. Reid posted up and did damage on the inside and could easily pop out to Cabagnot who was ready behind three point territory. Cabagnot also slashed to the basket and dictated the pace of the game with crisp passes to his teammates.

Norwood and McKinness were also doing well for Rain-or-Shine. But with McKinness busy trying to shut down the Krakken, Junmar Fajardo, the import simply could not produce another 50-point performance. This area is where the painters miss a big body like Belga who is out with an injury. And if the locals of Rain-or-Shine fail to increase their scoring output, the painters might bow out early of this conference.

Personally, I would rather see a San Miguel vs Alaska Finals series. Both teams have young stars with a lot of firepower. Just imagine if Lassiter, Tubid, Fajardo, and Santos were shooting the lights out with Cabagnot and Reid. You wouldn't know which guy to focus your defense on. And Alaska has a pretty similar style.

If I were to give Guiao my two-cents worth, I would shut down the playmaker - in this case Cabagnot. But that is easier said than done. Great game Alex. Keep it up!

Aces Take Game 1 of the Semis

It is still strange for me every time I see Coach Tim Cone losing to the Alaska Aces, a team he lead during the nineties. But this young Alaska team simply had a lot of youth, energy, and firepower. Props goes to Banchero who fueled the comeback of the Aces from a double-digit deficit.

In the same way that the nineties Alaska team had Johnny, Jojo, and Bong as their core, Coach Cone has made Barroca, Yap, and Pingris the local core of the Hotshots. But he needs a slasher type player like Cariaso or Duremdes was when Alaska was dominant during the nineties.

The current Aces already have that core in Casio, Banchero, and Thoss. But they have a slasher in Abueva, and a lot more players with potential like Azul, dela Rosa, and quality backups like Menk and Manuel.

The men Cone fielded during the 4th quarter were also questionable. Why was Pingris out during the dying moments. He could have helped grab a crucial rebound and help defend the baskets from attacks down below.

Still, if the next couple of games are going to be as close and heated as this first game, then fans of both sides are in for a treat. Also, expect Coach Tim to make adjustments. He can work with undermanned teams and teams with lack-luster players to create a deadly unit. I just hope the hunger will return to the Hotshots despite their success in the past.

The San Antonio Spurs are the 2014 NBA Champions

Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs who won the 2014 NBA Championship against the Maimi Heat. The Spurs won game 5  and closed out the series at 4-1, where they only lost during game 2. Since that game, the Spurs have never looked back.

It is interesting to note that while Miami was focused on its Big Three, the Spurs win is attributed not to their individual players, but to their performance as a team composed of players from different countries all over the world.

Another surprising aspect of this series is that the players of the Spurs - Duncan, Ginobilli, and Parker - were written off as old and aging by most of the world's basketball fans, including myself. But they proved their critics wrong. And the Spurs coaching staff did well to surround the Spurs core with good supporting players that can complement them.

Patty Mills performance is worth mentioning too. There was a stint in the game where he shot several three pointers and scored 14 points in a span of 9 minutes. This player was once the leading scorer for the Australian team. The boost he gave the Spurs when Tony Parker was struggling with his scoring during the 1st half allowed the Spurs to build up a big lead from which the Miami Heat could no longer recover from.

Kawhi Leonard was awarded the Finals MVP. He was asked why he got the award when the Spurs had a big three. But instead of focusing on his strengths and what he did for his team, he humbly thanked his family and God for the victory.

The Alaska Aces are the 2013 PBA Commisioner's Cup Champions

The Alaska Aces swept Barangay Ginebra in the recently concluded best of five Commisioner's Cup Finals. The aces won game 3 with a score of 104 - 80. Rob Dozier was heralded as the Best Import of the Conference. But Dozier credited his teammates for the award. And rightly so, since for Alaska, the chemistry was evident between the team members the entire conference where the Aces stayed on top of the Conference standings.

Notable performances from the Aces players can be attributed to Calvin Abueva, Sonny Thoss, and JVee Casio. Abueva, despite being subjected to "The Jordan Rules" - tough physical defense - made famous by the Detroit Pistons, was undeterred in contributing well so that the team might finish off Barangay Ginebra. He relentlessly attacked the basket and showed no fear despite the opponents intentions of making him "hit the deck" and dive to the floor at every drive. Truly, man is fearless when he is young. But I hope Abueva takes care of his health since Alaska needs to have someone like him to stay competitive in the future.

Thoss was unstoppable in the second half and had his way under the basket. Cyrus Baguio and Don Don Hontiveros also contributed in terms of hustle and intangibles.

But Casio was the leader of this team, and made sure that the team was always composed and unrattled. He even caused a pull-up 3-point jumper that created a 4-point play in the 4th quarter. This led to Alaska's double digit lead and the Aces haven't looked back since that time.

Kudos to Coach Luigi Trillio who finally has a win under his belt. He had some semblance of Tim Cone when he was asking for the Technical foul after Cyrus Baguio was hacked. The commentators have also mentioned that aside from the new players - and trading LA Tenorio for JVee Casio, the familiarity of the players with the coaching staff and system allowed this team to quickly gel together despite being young and only playing with each other for a short time.

Once again, congrats to the Alaska Aces, winners of the 2013 Commisioner's Cup.

James Harden Scores 45 points

#13, James Harden, enjoying a light moment with fellow superstar #7 Jeremy Lin.

James harden scored 45 points in his second game with the Houston Rockets. And he has a lot to smile about. The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for 2012 and also a member of the 2012 U.S. Basketball Team to the Summer Olympics was traded by the Thunder to the Rockets after they could not match Houston's $80 million offer for five years. Oklahoma only offered him somewhere between $50 to $55 million.

Harden has been described as one of the most efficient players in the league. He averaged almost 17 points per game last season, despite coming off the bench for the majority of Oklahoma's games. He is considered to be a facilitator so it might be surprising that the Rockets are depending on him to be their main scorer. But Harden is capable of massive point productions in the past. There was a game in April of 2012 where he scored 40 points against the Phoenix Suns. And prior to the NBA, in the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship, he scored 34 points against Michael Beasley's team and 33 points against Kevin Love's team.

So the beard is capable of being the main man. But being in a supporting role in OKC and even in the Olympic Team has kept his talent hidden from most of basketball fans out there. Most of the time, we are only impressed when we are blown away with high scoring points, assists or rebounds. But there are great players, both past and present, that have given a team a lot more than what is reflected on the stat sheet. Is Harden that type of player?

While it may be sad for OKC fans to see their triumvirate superstars broken up, what could have been a Jordan - Pippen - Rodman connection that might have led to a possible NBA Championship, I wish the best for Harden and hope that this success isn't simply a two-game fluke. If the Rockets make a strong showing in the Playoffs this year, then we would know who got the better end of the trade deal.

Miami Heat are the 2012 NBA Champions

You would think that the biggest name of the night would be Lebron James, or Dwayne Wade, or even Chris Bosh. Perhaps it could even be Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, or Udonis Haslem. But the biggest star of the night, on perhaps the most important game of the Finals, came from a veteran plagued with injuries who is rumored to be retiring this season. And that player was none other than Mike Miller. He shot several threes, allowing the Heat to build an insurmountable margin and coast through the 5th game of the Championship. And this guy showed a lot of heart, diving for loose balls and taking charges despite all the injuries compared with Lebron James had to be taken out in Game 4 due to cramps. What a fitting way for Miller to end a career, if he decides to do so. If not for his heroics, Miami could have lost, and gone back to Oklahoma to lose the series, knowing James lack of ability to gain the win when the game is on the line.

And it is about time Miller earned his paycheck, being the 4th highest paid player on the Miami Heat roster, after the Big Three. Wade, Bosh, and Lebron had ok stats for a winning game, but really no defining moment compared to the daggers Miller let loose whenever the Thunder tried to cut down the lead and get back. And from a psychological standpoint, Miami's bench gained confidence from the cushion built by Miller's scoring. Almost everyone from Chalmers to Battier were shooting like they could not miss from beyond the arc. And outside shooting made the Thunder spread their defense further from the rim, allowing uncontested drives and dunks from cutting Heat players.

James finally has a crown. Will it be the first of many, or the one and only? See you next year when we can both find out.   

Tim Cone Now with B-MEG

I was surprised to see Coach Tim Cone with a new team. I always thought that he would coach Alaska until he walked away from the game of basketball. Coach Tim Cone for me is the Phil Jackson of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and him, together with the Alaska Teams of 1996 and 1998 would always be my childhood sports heroes.   Johnny Abarrientos, Jeffrey Cariaso, Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio, and Jojo Lastimosa would be the epitome of a Philippine Team running the Triangle offense. Kenneth Duremdes would fill the athleticism much needed after the departure of Cariaso in 1997. And now, 2012, I see Abarrientos and Cariaso still teaming up with Cone as coaches in B-MEG.

Coach Tim Cone brings the much needed leadership to a young team like B-MEG. I've watched them place second to Talk and Text last conference. While they have the hunger and passion of most young teams, they lacked the fire power to match the almost All-Star like team of Talk and Text. I'm really surprised the Talk and Text team was able to afford all those big names on their team. Doesn't the PBA follow rules on salary cap? Or have these big named stars sacrificed salary for the opportunity to win championships. And Talk and Text is lucky to have Coach Chot Reyes, (probably my second favorite PBA coach ever since he showed how he could turn around a bottom-rung Coca-Cola Tigers team during the early 2000s). Reyes is a protege of sorts to Cone, and now is a formidable coaching rival. And last season, B-MEG did not have a leader that could match Reyes, nor the big-named stars that could match Alapag, Peak, Carey, Castro, Fonacier, etc. At least now, they have a mentor in Cone, and a star in Yap, and another offensive threat in Bowles.

Perhaps the need for a balance between stars and role players is what is making B-MEG successful at this point. The triangle offense seems to thrive under this formula too. Placing too much emphasis on stars, like the 2003-2004 Lakers team (Shaq, Kobe, Malone & Payton), can be as disastrous as a lack of stars. Having a high-profile coach in Cone allows B-MEG to have better influence on referee calls. Lets see how it all turns out as 2012 Commisioner's Cup comes to a close.

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