Umuwi Na Si LeBron. Eh Ano Ngayon?

7/13/2014 11:02:56 AM

So, ayan na. After four years, balik siya sa kanyang tirahan (hoy, bahay yan, iba kagad iniisip mong hinayupak ka eh). From Miami, he’s back to the Cavaliers.

So, ano na? Ano naman ngayon kung babalik siya sa Cleveland? Ano o anu-ano ang mga posibleng mangayri, maliban sa malamang na maapektuhan na naman ang takbo ng NBA nito gaya ng paglipat niya sa Heat noong 2010.

Actually, ewan ko. Basta, ito lang ang mga siguradong mangyayari.

Yes, alam ko. Marami na naman dyan ang magiging hater, err, HEATer pala. Lagi naman eh. Ano pa bang bago sa mga ito? Noong nadraft siya sa NBA, maraming pumuna sa kakayahan niya. Noong lumipat siya sa Miami, desperado raw. Eh ngayong babalik siya ng Cleveland, ano na?

And actually, pustahan, nangyayari rin yan sa ibang player. Ang pinagkaiba lang: dahil maboka siya at lagi niyang kadikit ang media hype... ay, matik na ‘yan: sa kada desisyong nagaganap, laging may tatlong panig – ang mga taong susuporta sa iyo, yung madidsmaya sa ‘yo, at yung mga simply... walang pakialam.

Eh ano naman kung lilipat si LeBron sa Cavs? Gaya ni Pau Gasol sa Chicago? At ni Melo sa... teka, saang koponan nga ba? I think babalik siya sa New York eh. Ganun din si Chris Bosh.

Wala na bang pag-asa magchampion muli ang Miami Heat dahil disbanded na ang superstar trio nila, gaya na lamang ng nangyari sa Boston Celtics? Sa tingin ko, mas lalawak muli ang kumpetisyon nito para sa kampeonato na napanalunan ng San Antonio Spurs nitong nakaraang buywan lang. Pero mas malaki ang pagkakataon para sa OKC nito. Yan ay kung makapag-paMVP muli si Durant, at kaya nilang kontaminahin ang Spurs.

Pero, ano naman ngayon kung aalis si LeBron ng Miami? Kung gusto niyang bumalik sa bahay niya – sa Cleveland? Pustahan, yung mga hater nya sa Cavs, malamang karamihan dun, magbabalik-loob muli sa kanilang pagiging malanding fanboy. Ayos din kayong mga bandwagon-riders e no?

At malamang, karamihan dyan ay magsasabi ng ganito:

Hindi na ako fan ng Heat.

Bakit?

Eh wala na dyan si LeBron eh.

Wow, okay sana eh. Kaya sa totoo lang, mas prefer ko na lang na maging fan ng mga player kesa sa team.

Mukhang buong summer na naman magiging talakayan ito sa larangan ng palakasan ah.

Anyway, ayos lang yan. Pero uso magmove on, mga tol, ha?

Author: slickmaster | ©2014 september twenty-eight productions

King's Decision Round 2

06/23/14 02:01:02 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, the spotlight is on again for the marquee players who will face another big-time decision on the scene we would like to call as “free agency.”

And we've heard his name before. Now that another summer passed by, questions are up in the air gain whether LeBron James will stay in Miami or not.

And the result? He opted for free agency.

The controversy was nothing new to James, whose origin is from Akron, Ohio. After spending his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James moved to the South Florida beach, then-hoping to earn his first NBA championship. It was the biggest drastic move a team has made in the NBA–the first since Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined Paul Pierce in Boston. However, his decision, which rooted from years of mounting frustration-driven futile, earned him massive negative reactions from both the league and the ballclub's fans.

Prior to making his decision, several NBA teams expressed interest in luring “the King” in their lineup. With the New York Knicks as the most notable squad.

However, his sojourn ride to the championship went to naught on their first try. They were up 2-1 against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, only to be swept by the next three games – with much of them due to a bunch of “fourth quarter meltdown.” His second championship series defeat drew another ire and criticism from the sport aficionados; thus, questioning his capability to take home the biggest prize, specifically during “crunch time.”

LeBron proved them wrong, however, as the Heat rolled to their second straight NBA Finals appearance in 2012. This time, they faced another generation star in Kevin Durant and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And the Heat shrugged off any signs of collapse as they emerged victorious in four straight games after losing the opener, to take home the title. Plus, it was a sweet victory in their home floor; and a very first-yet-memorable one for James as well as Chris Bosh and other Heat players like Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier.

And they did it again, in a blockbuster seven-game series against then undefeated San Antonio Spurs. With James earning his second title in three years with the Heat, it was also considered another prime era for the 6-foot-8 250-pound forward (who can also play the entire five basketball positions). No doubt about it.

But after the Spurs successfully snatched the title from the not-so-White Hot team this year, James' future was questioned yet again.

Facing such scenarios weren't really a new thing to a professional basketball superstar. Remember Dwight Howard, the young center from Atlanta whose drafted by the Orlando Magic in 2008 as the first overall pick? After failing to live up to their expectations during playoff time, Dwight also made a career-defining movement—that is taking his talent to the West Coast. But after shifting to Los Angeles Lakers, things just got even worse for the big man. Frustrated anew, he moved to the Houston Rockets.

Speaking of which, talks that several teams including the Rockets, are rolling again. This mystery has yet to be resolved though; whether James would REALLY move out of Miami or re-sign another contract with them. That's a big IF though, financially-wise speaking.

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

The Finale Rematch

6/7/2014 10:57:36 AM

It’s on again, like an Alicia Keys and Kendrick Lamar soundtrack, as after one exhilarating season accompanied by tune-up changes in roster and several off-court controversies as well as shifting of records, statistical averages and awards garnered, it all comes down to one grand finale—two teams squaring off against each other once again.

Yes, sirs. The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat will clash for the second straight time; and the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship stage will feature a rematch for the first time since 1998.

Well, sounds new for the newbies out there, especially if you are younger than us 90s babies.

So it’s kinda a “rare phenomenon” to think about considering that the last time the NBA Finals ended up this way was during 1998–when the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz fared up to each other one last time. Their first duel was in 1997, with the Bulls owning the homecourt advantage and dispatched the Jazz in five games. And on their second encounter in ’98? The four-game-home floor favour was on their side, but still it was the Bulls which prevailed in the end courtesy of the game-winning move by then sick-but-heroic superstar named Michael Jordan.

And if you’ll do your research, you’ll see that even before 1998, there were a lot of Finals rematches in the NBA, especially if we’re talking about “way back” to the past (I mean, literally).

Fast forward to two thousand thirteen first; the Spurs always won the odds (Games 1, 3, and 5), while the Heat were the ones always playing catch-up basketball to even their series (Games 2, 4 and 6).

Apparently, the Spurs were on the verge of pulling a Game Six victory on the American Airlines Arena in the South Florida beach when a sudden rally courtesy of LeBron James and Ray Allen was staged. Talk about pulling off a “never-say-die” spirit, huh? But talks from people will tell you that it was perhaps one of the greatest moments in the recent NBA Finals.

Turns out the Heat rally dictated the final days of the series in their hands when they pulled an improbable overtime win to even the series for the third and last time in the 2013 finale; as Miami went on to close out the duel and the title in their home on Game 7, 97-88; with then-Most Valuable Player (MVP) LeBron James nailing a much-needed, cold-blooded dagger, to avenge his personal Finals loss against Tim Duncan and company in 2007.

Well, let’s move on to 2014. Things have been working well for the Spurs. They won 19 straight contests during the regular season; they were the first-ranked team in the Playoffs; they shrugged off their perennial playoff and state rival Dallas Mavericks in seven games in the first round; they shut down Portland in five; and a massive turn-around clincher against the Thunder, the team that has this season’s scoring champ and MVP in Kevin Durant, and also the squad which owned San Antonio in their four regular season outings.

The Thunder could have even force a Game 7 only if they prevail in overtime. Prior to that, they even tied the series, 2-2, before San Antonio zoomed in to their crucial victories.

On the other hand, Miami Heat, the two-time (and three-peat seeking) defending champions were rolled with inconsistencies. Yes, they are the champions, but one thing poisoned their form—rebounding. They were the worst rebounding team for this season. Yet, they pulled more victories, however, not the same type as they were before. Come to think that Miami even loses to those “dropped” teams during the 82-game regular season.

Both teams got better bench players though. I mean those role key guys who usually came off the bench. Plus, they also had three-point shooters. San Antonio may be aging though, but like a Rowdy Piper sound byte goes, “Legends don’t get old, they just got better.”

Despite the huge disadvantage though, Miami managed to sweep their first round assignment against Charlotte. They also dispatched Brooklyn, the squad which owned Miami during the regular season, in six games; and last year’s rematch Eastern Conference finalist Indiana, in six games. That just proved that even if you won four games in a very close-contested result (how about a total of 12-point winning margin during those four games that the Nets won against the Heat), it doesn’t matter in the playoffs.

And also, looks like the Pacers will have to learn their sets of lessons during this adventurous ride for 2013-2014 wars. They were the first-seeded team in the East, only to get down to their heels for numerous times during the post-season party. In addition, they were better than ever on paper–they just failed to take advantage of it. And include their team chemistry issues right there.

This time around though, San Antonio was way better than Miami; though in their two regular outings, both teams pulled off marginal victories in their respective floors. And I think that will be the typical grind for them this season.

I’m seeing San Antonio will prevail in this rematch should they zoomed on to an early 2-0 lead and if they will win at least one game in the Florida beach come Games 3 and 4. And if that’s the case, the Spurs will be going 2-1 against LeBron, 1-1 against the Heat, and a guaranteed fifth NBA title over the last 15 years.

However, if Miami can get their players healthy, whether it’s Dwyane Wade or LeBron, they will remain dangerous. All it takes is to withstand everything, including the atmosphere whether it’s in the Alamo or in Miami. And possibly, Miami can take this thing in six; and in case they win and grab their fourth title in franchise history, they will join the Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers as the other team to dominate the NBA in the last one and a half decade (come to think that if this will happen, all of them have at least four championship titles, with the Lakers earning five, and one apiece for the 2008 Boston Celtics and 2004 Detroit Pistons).

So expect (and I’ll quote Hulk Hogan’s adjectives for this) a “running wild” game ahead of you, accompanied by an even running wild fans which will make this finale the “talk-of-the-world.”

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions 

Rematch!

5/24/2014 1:34:03 AM

As far as the series is concern, several foes faced each other yet again in the Conference Finals. It’s Miami versus Indiana at the East Finals; while on the West, it’s Oklahoma versus San Antonio once again since ’12.

But before Miami rolled to even their series against Indiana (as of time of writing), how these two fared up against each other for the second straight year?

The Pacers, after losing to the eventual champion Heat, roared all the way through the regular season. They dominated the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 record, whole the Heat came just a bit close to them.

However, the Pacers were already questioned through the course of both first and second round of the playoffs after their starting center used to put up subpar numbers in most of his games.

Well, the Heat was questioned, too. Though lucky for Indiana, Miami was haunted by criticism over the course of regular season, for being lack of rebounding which sometimes, led to their inconsistent winning run. At one point, they will lose for numerous games, which reminded me of LeBron James’ usual era with the Cavaliers.

But make no mistake about it. The tides are turned up. The Pacers topped both the Central Division and the entire EC. Plus, they had homecourt advantage.

However, though, most of the teams that went on to the finals in the recent years were the second-seeded squads.

Nevertheless, I’m seeing a potential Game 7 ender here yet again.

Meanwhile, let’s shift gears, or should I say… direction. Oklahoma City Thunder met the San Antonio Spurs once again. But it’s quite different from the old Seattle Supersonics versus San Antonio Spurs rivalry though.

The Spurs, arguably the league’s second most dominant team for the last one and a half decade (next to the five-peat Los Angeles Lakers), has been on a roll despite their player’s age. Actually, since Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls ended their reign, it was the Western teams that dominated the most.

But they were schooled by the younger legs of Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. After ruling 2-0, they got ousted in the next four games – with Game 5 staged in their home floor.

Plus, the Thunder has dominated over the silver-and-black squad for the entire regular wars this 2013-2014.

The question though is that can Spurs overcome the tide once again? Considering that they have the MVP in Kevin Durant?

All it takes is the bench key, while taking advantage for the loss of Serge Ibaka.

If San Antonio wins game 3, it’s gonna be a total one-sided affair en route to the biggest stage, where they only lost once – and that was last year in a two-game slide to the eventual champion Heat.

But even if the Pacers might break the supposedly party, I’m still seeing the Spurs will top this one out.

But if Thunder waged a perfect comeback, that it would be a much better affair: ‘Bronvs KD, the second time around. Wow.

However, what if OKC vs Pacers? It’s like offense versus defense teams on a collision course. Perfect finale!

Author: slickmaster | © 2014 september twenty-eight productions

MIAMI Heat on total redemption.

One of the most scrutinized teams in the past 2 years; the Miami Heat made all the way to the NBA finals and nailed a championship.

They were barely criticized when they landed LeBron James and Chris Bosh to the South Florida squad join their draft-mate superstar Dwyane Wade, and still failed to manage to take home the championship then after losing to their once-upon-a-finale-rival Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA finals.

Everything has changed then. They faced their finals opponent on their very first NBA regular assignment on Christmas day and won over them. It’s not just a revenge spelling on their acts anymore then, it started a circus run. Going up and down of the first four spots of the Eastern conference and eventually finished at the second spot prior to the post season party.

Facing the Heat were the New York Knicks, a sudden emerged team thanks to the unlikely chance of stardom for Jeremy Lin. However, the Taiwanese-American point guard was injured prior to the preliminary series. Somehow, snapping them out of the run in 5 games. Forget James’ fellow ’03 star Carmelo Anthony for the matter, with Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Baron Davis and everyone else. They had a fat chance to upset them. But…

Up, next were the Indiana Pacers. Also an emerging team in the playoffs, they threw the beast by the name of Orlando Magic out of their contention as they took advantage of Dwight Howard’s sick bay absence. In fact, they defeat the Miami Heat at Game 2 of the said series, snapping Miami’s home game winning streak. The series even went on the Pacers’ favour, 2-1, and with the bonus of altercation between LeBron and Danny Granger. But Miami turned everything upside down and won the series by taking the 3 straight victories to avenge that Game 3 loss.

Facing the Eastern conference finals were the aging but still kicking Boston Celtics, a team that had been winning a lot in the playoffs ever since and on the past 5 years. They compiled almost a hundred playoff games won since July 31, 2007 prior to game 7 of their duel. Miami lost to Boston once, and avenged everything the following year. It’s like a 2-on-4 duel in favour of the Green this time. Look, it’s tough to stop Rondo but James and Wade managed to carry the team and not to mention, Bosh’s return ignite the comeback of the Miami Heat whom were down 3-2  prior to Game 6; and Shane Battier’s suddenly hot shooting spelled the doom for the Celtics in a do-or-die contest.

The big dance came in, and all they were up into against Oklahoma City thunder, a team that went into surprise run more than any other team in the Western conference. The Heat were badly hurt after that game 1 collapse which Kevin Durant’s scoring surge won the game for the Thunder. FIRST BLOOD.

But Game 2 went on and Shane’s hand went on fire again, something that went unpredictable for the old wingman’s career. They held off the Thunder then.

The series shifted to the South Florida and everything went into Miami’s favour amidst Oklahoma’s series of runs. They eventually won the 3 middle games despite LeBron’s sudden cramps in Game 4. But never-the-less he carried on his team to an almost triple double statline there.

Game 5 clinched it for Miami. They’re up 3-1 against a younger team whom may had been feeling like “How LeBron experienced his first finals games” in 2007. But James took charge alongside with his buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris bosh. Plus Mike Miller’s 7/8 shooting from downtown, that may be the last for the man’s career, but it could be a memorable one when he waved to the fans on that big screen at the American Airlines Arena. A huge 3^rd quarter run spelled the entire thing in favour of Wade’s crew, eventually winning it, 121-106. And the King has his ring, out of his triple double effort to close out OKC. Thus, winning his first championship, first also for coach Eric Spolestra, and Bron’s first finals MVP as well.

He has been a Cinderella man, whom had been up there, failed to seized the moment and managed to get back regardless of the sparing hatred and controversies.

Author: slickmaster

Date: 06/23/2012

Time: 10:52 AM

© 2012 september twenty-eight productions

Lebron nails it. Now what?

This is it. LeBron James finally got his own ring! After that triple double and an insane 3rd quarter run, the MIAMI HEAT were crowned the 2012 National Basketball Association champions. Thanks to that tune of 121-106 score after those 48 minutes in Game #5 of the NBA finals.

Well, let me guess what are those critics and haters of the 3-time MVP will tell. He won MVP and finals MVP.
So, why the hell would you tell us that it’s only Bosh, Wade and the others’ championship? Bitter much? Hey, ‘Bron didn’t get it all by himself, almost unlike the situation he once had when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Basketball is a team game, and is still a team game and you should know that ever since even if you got a ball-hog like player out there.

He only got that because of Wade? You’re stupid enough to think, right? I already told that in the previous paragraph. Sure, Dwyane Wade is mightier than the king, but the fact that he stepped aside to let the King take the role? Man, you have to love the Flash for that. They’re really more than teammates but they do are friends.

He’s just got lucky? Nah, luck factor was never an evident when it comes to winning games, dude. It’s just a bonus. When you want to win a game, take praises and criticisms but do your hard work first before taking other’s words in instance.

That’s the only thing he’ll have in terms of ring. I swear he won’t get any next time. Nah, that may be true but as long as he never retires, he will continue to reign, just like Kobe, His Airness, or even Wilt. In fact, LeBron’s luckier than Karl Malone. The ex-Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Laker power forward had made it to the big dance thrice, but came up short every time. That’s a heart-breaking moment right there. Who in the world will never be frustrated when you failed to win in the playoffs, even a step of the ladder? I mean, advancing to the coming rounds.

Nah, one thing is for sure. Critics will have something to say, and haters will continue to hate. All we have to do is to move on.

Let the young man seize the moment. He needs that badly. For you he may not be the greatest player, but for a lot of people, he is. That’s why he’s in the NBA right now. And you, hating him? Will just be either sticking out there at the stands, or in front of either your TV or computer. Nah, let’s move on folks.

Author: slickmaster

Date: 06/23/2012

Time: 9:30 AM

© 2012 september twenty-eight productions