Most Prestigious Collegiate Basketball Tournament EVER

It’s so prestigious that they had to sneak in the fact that the Finals are going to be played on BACK TO BACK DAYS.

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The match-up of ADMU versus FEU in the Finals is seen by some to be a correcting of a wrong in this season’s UAAP finals. In other words, this was the Finals we were building up to, until FEU decided to chuck Mark Barroca out the window because of veiled whispers and innuendo.

The key to FEU’s play has been Barroca’s replacement, RR Garcia, who has been on fire in this tournament. Should the Tams come out on top, it’s very likely that he’ll be named MVP. That will result in him claiming the MVP trophy in two tournaments that don’t really matter: The Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Invitational and the PCCL. That might be seen as an achievement in some quarters, but I don’t. When it came to the tournament that mattered, the UAAP, Garcia played well only against the bottom four teams in the league. Then when he was handed the reins of the team in the FInal Four, he shot his team out of the games versus the UE Red Warriors.

If ever there was a time for the Garcia train to get derailed, it’s now. I fully expect Ateneo captain, Jai Reyes, to shut Garcia down. People forget that Reyes shut down JV Casio in last season’s UAAP Finals, and honey, RR Garcia ain’t JV Casio.

Up front is where things get dicey. The chances of Rabeh Al-Hussaini suiting up for the Eagles are as slim as he is tall. I’m expecting Ateneo coach Norman Black to stick to his line-up of Nonoy Baclao at the 5 and Nico Salva at the 4, matched-up against Aldrech Ramos and Riel Cervantes respectively. While Ramos and Baclao can cancel each other out, the Salva-Cervantes situation worries me a lot. Cervantes has more bulk, and is a better rebounder. On the other hand, Salva’s speed and athleticism will give the guy fits. I think Oping Sumalinog might be a better fit defensively, and if he can come up with another 14 points like he did versus San Beda, then all will be roses.

Perhaps the biggest ADMU advantage is the depth of our bench, which goes deep, especially combined with the fact that each game has brought forth a new top scorer. For FEU, really the only people you have to watch out for are Garcia, Cervantes, possibly Cawaling, and Sanga, who seems to love to torch us. Toss in the fact that the games will be back to back and I can’t think that favors us (and cue the conspiracy theories that we’re being set up to win this one).

PREDICTION: ADMU in two games. (And by the way, what happens when it goes to three games? If they’re playing it on Friday then you know this be whack.)

Grading the Deal: S-Jax to Charlotte

I suppose it was inevitable that the Warriors would trade the player formerly nicknamed “Captain Jack,” Stephen Jackson. Since the offseason, Stephen Jackson hasn’t done much captain-ing, and has generally been a disturbance to an already disturbed team.

This probably isn’t the place to go on and on about the general incompetence of the Warriors coaching and management staff, with regards to the overwhelming sense of discontent and near-riot status of the Warriors’ locker room, so I’ll limit myself to on-court talk. It should be enough to say that I can’t wait for Nelly to leave, for Rowell to be fired, and for Cohan to sell the team.

Let’s talk about the trades that weren’t made first.

Supposedly, the Cavaliers offered a resigned, and only partially guaranteed Wally Szcerbiak and Delonte West for Jackson. This trade meant that they could keep Zydrunas Ilgauskas, giving them someone to throw out there when Shaq takes his periodic breaks (like right now) and/or they would still have something they could turn into a better piece before the trade deadline.

While this trade would have meant that the Warriors would have more salary cap space (they could waive both Szcerbiak and West for very little monetary penalty), it would have meant that the Warriors essentially traded Jackson for money. And given the injury problems haunting the Warriors right now, they could not bring themselves to pull the trigger on this deal.

Another scenario was that Charlotte would have offered the same two players, Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to Philadelphia for Samuel Dalembert. Given the shaky status of Tyson Chandler right now, I’m sure the Bobcats would have appreciated the shot blocking of Dalembert. Also, his contract expires in 2011, much earlier than Jackson’s, which expires in 2012 (although Jackson is paid less). However, as much as they need a defensive presence down low, the Bobcats also need scoring, and tons of it. Thus the move for Jackson.

Let’s now talk about the actual trade that went down – Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell.

For the Warriors, the trade accomplishes two things. They get some salary cap relief, stemming from the fact that Raja Bell’s deal expires next season for $5.3 million, while Radmanovic has a player option next season for $6.9 million, which he will probably pick up, but that’s a deal that will clear the books earlier than Jackson and for less money. The second thing it accomplishes is that it puts some people who might actually play on the roster. The Warriors have been missing Andris Biedrins and Ronnie Turiaf, their main two big men, Kelanna Azabuike is out for the season thanks to his leg injury, and CJ Watson has swine flu. Coupled with Brandan Wright being out for the season as well, and the corpses known as Devean George and Speedy Claxton, the Warriors would have been down to 6 players if they accepted Cleveland’s deal.

Recent developments though have alerted us to the fact that Raja Bell has opted to take wrist surgery, so he’s out as well, reducing the Warriors to just 7 active players.

It’s clear that Bell doesn’t want to be here, although his veteran presence would have been great in the locker room, especially with Steph Curry, but it’s looking more likely that he’ll be waived and then sign with a championship contender, or traded.

I like the move for the Warriors. They really needed to be rid of Jackson, and they got some nice contracts in return. In total, the Warriors now have 5 2010 expiring contracts, totaling to $14.4 million. These will make for excellent trade bait for teams that are trying to clear cap space, or they can use it to clear cap space for themselves. Either way, the only time I’m going to be ecstatic over this deal is if the Warriors can package those contracts plus someone like Monta Ells (who reportedly now wants out as well) into an All-Star caliber player, or use that space to sign someone in 2011 (when they’ll only have around $34.6 millionshould all team and player options be picked up). Should the Warriors just stand pat, then this deal looks a lot worse.

On the other hand, this deal doesn’t make that much sense for Charlotte. True they needed scoring, and acquiring Jackson gives them a good trio when combined with Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw. Also, Jackson can bring down the ball and run an offense, something the Bobcats point guards have been failing at lately. The problem though is twofold: age, and money. Jackson is too old that when the Bobcats are in a position to contend for the 8th spot in the East, it’ll be in spite of him, not because of him. Secondly and relatedly, Jackson’s contract is ridiculously long and more money than he really deserves. The team is already burdened with DeSagana Diop’s bloated deal that come 2012, when the team will have only $29 million on the books, the two will make $18.8 million of that amount.

True, it still remains to be seen if Jackson will really stay. Part of the appeal of executing a trade like this so early in the season is the chance to move the players around if things don’t work out with plenty of time before the trading deadline in February.

Grade for the Warriors: B (but incomplete)

Grade for the Bobcats: C-

Crank Up the Trade Machine!

– GSW trades S. Claxton, R. Bell, M. Ellis and V. Radmanovic to NOH for C. Paul, J. Posey and P. Stojakovic
Why GSW Does It: It’s Chris-Freaking-Paul
Why NOH Does It: Dumps their two biggest contracts and compensates for the loss of Paul with Ellis

– CHA trades S. Jackson, A. Law and R. Felton to CHI for K. Hinrich and T. Thomas
Why CHA Does It: Upgrades their point guard position and gets them the secondary shot blocker and potential monster player.
Why CHI Does It: Salarywise, Jackson makes less per year than Hinrich. Coupled with the two expiring contracts, this gives them more cap space to make a run at Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade.

Ye Land of Fantasy: Chapter 1 – 0910

They Who Shall Be Exulted:

Rajon Rondo (BOS) – 8 points (4/8 FG), 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers in 34:29 minutes

I love Rajon Rondo so much. I love the stats across the board the high free throw percentage, the low turnovers, the whole package. I’m happy to see him get off to a fast start, as he was slow coming out of the gates last season (which caused me to drop him back then, OH SNAP!)

Lebron James (CLE) – 39 points (12/22 FG, 4/9 3PT, 10/13 FT), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers in 44:55 minutes

Lebron being Lebron.

Gilbert Arenas (WAS) – 29 points (10/21 FG, 1/4 3PT, 8/9 FT), 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 turnovers in 38:20 minutes

Arenas being early 2007 Arenas. Of course, the first game is always easy, it’s the second game where the old injuries creep back in, so keep an eye out on the-baller-formerly-known-as-Hibachi

Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) – 34 points (10/25 FG, 2/5 3PT, 12/13 FT), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 38:58 minutes

Dallas looked awful awhile ago, with Nowitzki having to take on the scoring cudgels, what with the two Jasons looking like they forgot how to shoot. These numbers are way past his averages, and if this becomes a regular thing, kudos to you who drafted him.

Eric Gordon (LAC) – 21 points (7/14 FG, 2/5 3PT, 5/6 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers in 32:39 minutes

No Griffin, no problem for Gordon. Love the across the board statline but I doubt you can count on a block each game.

Andrew Bynum (LAL) – 26 points (9/15 FG, 8/10 FT), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 38:12 minutes

The Lakers were already planning to go to Bynum heavily early on (y’know, while he’s healthy), but Gasol’s absence lead to Bynum being option #2 after Kobe, and boy did he dominate the Clips. Expect production to drop down to Earth (19-8 perhaps) when Gasol gets back though.

Lamar Odom (LAL) – 16 points (6/13 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/4 FT), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 40:04 minutes

Same as above, plus a line about how he’ll be rewarded at home (oh the perks of marriage!)

They Who Shall Be Shamed:

Baron Davis (LAC) – 2 points (1/10 FG), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 27:39 minutes

B-Dizzle couldn’t hit anything and didn’t bother to try to get to the line. Surprisingly only had 2 turnovers though.

Luis Scola (HOU) – 3 points (1/6 FG, 1/2 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block in 22:05 minutes

Eff you “fantasy sleeper,” eff you!

Greg Oden (POR) – 2 points (1/3 FG), 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 7 turnovers in 26:21 minutes

I have no idea what to make of this line. Okay, actually, I do. 3 field goal attempts and 7 turnovers means they were trying to get him the ball, but he’d either lose it on his own volition or have it poked away. I originally thought he’d dominate on the offensive end as well with Houston’s undersized line-up but apparently not. Let’s see how he does against someone his own size first before we really start throwing stones though.

Sleeper Country:

Andray Blatche (WAS) – 20 points (8/14 FG, 4/4 FT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 34:59 minutes

The story goes, Flip Saunders went with Fabricio Oberto as starter because he had more experience guarding Dirk Nowitzki. 2 quick fouls saw to that plan though, and in came Blatche, who ought to be on a roster while Antawn Jamison is out.

Randy Foye (WAS) – 19 points (8/14 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers in 30:18 minutes

Foye, now the 6th man instead of the main guard, obviously likes his new gig. I can see him moving into the starting line-up eventually though, or on certain match-ups, but if he can keep shooting this way, he’ll be a good fantasy option.

Kyle Lowry (HOU) – 12 points (3/7 FG, 1/1 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover

Lowry’s 8 assists off the bench are certainly impressive, but so are his other stats, which were more palatable than Aaron Brooks’. I think he’ll be able to rack up a generous amount of assists on a regular basis since the Rockets mean to run at every opportunity so he might be a waiver wire option for those who need that stat.

Future Shock:

Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Andrea Bargnani, Roy Hibbert, Jamal Crawford, DJ Augustin, Chris Duhon, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Yi Jianlian, Oleksiy Pecherov, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay, Emeka Okafor, Manu Ginobli, Channing Frye, Carlos Boozer, Luis Scola, Ronny Turiaf

The Triangle Offensive – Episode 15

Download the latest episode of The Triangle Offensive here!

The Blue Eagles are the champs! The three of us rejoice a lot, and then take a preliminary look at next season, via a team by team breakdown of who’s graduating. Then we each talk about 5 things that have got us pumped heading into the new NBA season!

We sample from “We are the Champions” by Gavin De Graw, “Use Somebody” by the Kings of Leon, “Getting Away with Murder” by Papa Roach and “Can’t Stop” by Red Hot Chili Peppers. If you are the owner of any of the above and wish to have your song removed, please just say so.

Hindsight is 20/20 – UAAP S72 Finals Edition – October 4 (Game 2 – ADMU/UE)

As was our custom, we were early enough to see the initial warm-up session of both teams. The Ateneans were rolling through it. Players like Jai Reyes, Eric Salamat and Bacon Austria were smoking hot from beyond the arc. The big men had cobbled together a dunk line and were taking turns slamming the ball home. Even Rabeh Al-Hussaini was taking shots from way beyond the arc, from the benches, to be more specific, and he even made a couple of them!

How were we to know that that was the hottest they would be that day?

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Referee #2 seemed to have swallowed his whistle, “2” as in back “2” back, yes?

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The dustpans were out in force, but as my friend pointed out, no one had a championship banner. In game 2 against DLSU last season, Ateneo had already printed a championship banner and had it unfurled early on in the game. This year, no such banner.

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“No Yabang” went out the window

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I’ll take the easy topic first: the referees. Early in the first quarter, the crowd reacted to a lot of calls, especially the two blocking fouls called on Long who was up against Paul Lee. The calls seemed fair to me, as Long had not established position yet. On the other end though, the UE players were grabbing jerseys and flailing out elbows with the referees turning a blind eye. And the physical play only increased as each quarter ticked by.

Before one accuses me of fielding that age-old complaint that the refs took the game into their own hands, please, read on. It is true that Ateneo rarely gets calls to go their way, but one thing Coach Norman Black has built in to his teams since he took over was the ability to overcome questionable calls. In this game, that trait did not manifest, as it was clear that the team was frustrated early on.

Usually, the frustration is broken by a big play from the Ateneans, but none were forthcoming. In fact, it was UE who was making all the big plays.

So what I’m trying to say is that the referees did play a role, but the blame of the loss cannot be placed squarely on their shoulders. But speaking of shoulders, the above-the-shoulder elbow that Pari Llagas threw at Rabeh Al-Hussaini ought to be reviewed. Elbows above the shoulder are normally assessed with ejection, and ejection usually comes with a one-game suspension. It was clear that the referees knew they blew the call, because on the next Ateneo possession, a UE player was whistled for a ticky-tack foul that sent Al-Hussaini to the line, as if to say “whoops, let us make that up for you.”

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And speaking of Rabeh, he, along with Baclao, were the bright spots on our team yesterday, so having one of our esteemed alumni and a senator, no less, throw disparaging remarks at Al-Hussaini and his mother sickens me.

Lord knows he should have been yelling at Eman Monfort

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Here is what UE did right. They started the line-up that gave them that 19-1 run to close out the first half of game one, namely Elmer Espiritu at the 5, Val Acuna at the 4, Paul Lee at the 3, and Raphy Reyes and Rudy Lingganay taking turns at point.

This tactic forces both our big men out to the perimeter, where both big men are uncomfortable at. Not only did this mean that the two could chuck up three’s with very little difficulty, our big men were so far away that they couldn’t really reach the rebound, resulting in second chances for UE.

This also allowed them to bring Pari Llagas off the bench against Justin Chua, which is a gross mismatch. Our second unit, usually a potent group, struggled because they had to alternate between giving Llagas single coverage and triple-teaming him, letting their shooters get mid-range jumpers.

And let’s not forget something: UE’s P.E.P. trio were on fire. Espiritu, who had been quiet in the post-season, broke out of a slump and converted 4 out of 5 triples. Pari Llagas was deadly from mid-range, hitting fadeaways over and over, even with guys draped all over him. Paul Lee, although only 6 of 15, did the majority of his damage in the third quarter, erasing a two-point Ateneo lead and giving UE the go-ahead shot that started the ball rolling.

On the defensive end, UE used a zone defense to lock Al-Hussaini down. Versus the zone, the team on the offensive end needs to either hit the wide-open triples or rotate the ball around quickly. Unfortunately, Ateneo could do neither, with a ton triples rimming out, and the UE defenders seemingly a step quicker. Passes into the post to Al-Hussaini were rebuffed and turned into fast break points.

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UE went into the fourth quarter with a ten point lead, extremely do-able, and Ateneo had trimmed larger deficits (see: Tamaraws, FEU), but things quickly degenerated when Coach Black refused to budge from his line-up of Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, Bacon Austria, Jai Reyes, and Eman Monfort. This quintet ran screen play after screen play to free up the guards for triples that didn’t quite make it. At that point, with the game still in the balance, there probably would have been a morale shift had a triple gone in, and a triple or two did go in, but only for UE to come down on the other end and answer back with a triple of their own.

One could argue that at that point, a slasher or two could have been useful, or that they should have made a better effort at getting the ball to Al-Hussaini down-low. The reason for such a tactic would be for them to try to draw the foul, trimming the lead with the clock on hold. The counter to that would probably be that the referees weren’t calling anything, but at least they should have tried, and blatant no-calls would only help the team’s cause in game 3.

Unfortunately, the triples continued to hit the rim, or roll out and a team, not really known for their outside shooting before, forced the issue and played into the hands of the Red Warriors.

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Here is the train of thought for optimistic Ateneans: Game 2 was the perfect storm for UE, what with their team being hot, Ateneo being cold, and the refs in their pocket, seemingly. They will not get all three factors again.

Ateneo will hopefully remember their rallying cry of “no yabang” and take it hard and strong to UE from the opening tip. The last time we lost, we went on an 11 game winning streak and crushed the rest of the league. Perhaps the worrisome point there is that it took two games in which we appeared “off” (NU and AdU, round one) before we really got our form and composure back versus DLSU, and so on.

I wrote “take it hard and strong” in the above paragraph, and that’s not a metaphor, but the game plan. Whoever is on Rabeh Al-Hussaini, he’ll need to bulldoze right over the guy and pray that the referees blow the whistle, and get either Elmer Espiritu or Pari Llagas into foul trouble. The same should be true for the Ateneo guards, especially players like Kirk Long or Eric Salamat. They are to be cruise missiles, fired into the paint, and hopefully drawing the foul from the UE big men.

At the same time though, they’ll need to defend the painted area more, employing maybe a little zone defense, possibly enticing UE into some contested triples of their own (and contested is better than uncontested, much better). I also think that it’s time for Coach Black to go for broke, and if needed, experiment with a few players who hadn’t gotten much playing time in lieu of some of the guys he’s been using. In particular, I wonder how Jumamil Tiongson would look, bringing the ball up and hitting jumpers. I’d also like to see more of Chris Sumalinog and yes, the other American Vince Burke against the UE big men, to change up the look Llagas and Espiritu are receiving. Both are mobile, agile big men who need someone to go up to them on the perimeter and get under their noses.

Finally, I would challenge Ryan Buenafe to shut down Paul Lee on his own. We saw that he could do it at the end of game one, but Coach Black rarely went back to that match-up in game two. Remind Buenafe that he will be the man next season, and he’s got to start showing it. Plus, he did promise us four more championships after last year.

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Stats:

Number of ADMU free throws attempted in game one: 22
Number of ADMU free throws attempted in game two: 8

Number of ADMU triples attempted in game one: 19
Number of ADMU triples attempted in game two: 34
Number of ADMU shots attempted in game two: 67

Number of Rabeh Al-Hussaini shots attempted in game one: 22
Number of Rabeh Al-Hussaini shots attempted in game two: 11

Number of UE shots made in game one: 27
Number of UE shots made in game two: 36

Number of UE triples attempted in game one: 30 (7 made)
Number of UE triples attempted in game two: 19 (9 made)

Elmer Espiritu’s shots made and attempted in game one: 3 out of 12
Elmer Espiritu’s shots made and attempted in game two: 8 out of 12 (4 of 5 beyond the arc)

NBA Fantasy Draft Diary #1 – 2009

Draft Modes:
Live Draft, Roto, ESPN Standard Cats

Round 1 – 5th pick: Kevin Durant
I’m really excited to have Kevin Durant, whom I think will simply explode this season. Durant has a tantalizing combination of scoring, rebounds (for his position), blocks and steals that many people seem to underrate. Having him fall into my lap (the two ahead of me got Kobe and Wade) should be a good omen for my first team of the season.

Round 2 – 16th pick: Al Jefferson
The fellow ahead of me was deciding Amare and Al Jeff, for the record, and I would have been happy with either. With Al Jeff though, I expect a lot more points since he is to the go-to guy for the T-Wolves, so combined with Durant, I expect to do well in that department

Round 3 – 25th pick: Rajon Rondo
In mock drafts before the season began, I kept finding myself in the position to have both Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose on my team, and I wanted to see if that would translate over in the real deal. True, Jason Kidd and Jose Calderon were still on the board, both I worry about their health (Kidd is old, Calderon always gets hurt). Also, Devin Harris and Tony Parker were also there for the pick up, but I wanted a distributor rather than a scorer. Toss in the possibility of a nightly triple-double, and it’s obvious that I’m high on this guy. Oh yeah, two words: contract. year.

Round 4 – 36th pick: Derrick Rose
HAPPY DANCE BITCHES. I fully expect to dominate the assists category now. While the Rondo move was definitely a bit of a reach, Rose really was just there and besides, the alternatives (Arenas, K-Mart, Jamison, G. Wallace) all have issues, so I’d much rather have the sure thing.

Round 5 – 45th pick: Josh Smith
Now to look for big men, and I believe I had my choice of J-Smoove, Al Harrington, and Andris Bierdins. Admittedly, it’s a tough call because Smoove and Bierdins are two of my favorite fantasy players of all time, and then Harrington is simply explosive in the D’Antoni system. That said, I’m really sour on the Warriors this season because of the shitty way management has been running that team and I’m afraid Nelly might randomly bench him for 10 games. I also didn’t want to get another high volume, low percentage shooter in Harrington, since I already had Durant, so I got the blocks-steals machine in Josh Smith. Good vibes all around!

Round 6 – 56th pick: Eric Gordon
I had the pleasure of having Gordon on two of my fantasy teams last season, and he didn’t disappoint. For a shooter, he’s got great rebounds and steals numbers, and his percentage and number of triples made will only see an uptick with Blake Griffin down low, so he was an obvious choice (and better than Zach Randolph, Camby, Aldridge and Gay).

Round 7 – 65th pick: Hedo Turkoglu
I’m still in the market for shooters now, and it’s a choice between Turkoglu, J-Rich, and JR Smith. I don’t like Smith’s percentages and his ten-game suspension, so he got cut. I also had J-Rich last year on one of my teams, and even post-trade to the Suns and under Alvin Gentry, he still had mediocre numbers. For all the anti-Turkoglu backlash, he’s still going to get the minutes and the opportunities in Toronto, and seeing as how this is the 7th round, this really isn’t that much of risk.

Round 8 – 76th pick: Andrea Bargnani
I considered Bargnani briefly in the previous round, so I was happy to see him fall. Bargnani is a great combination of triples and blocks in a big man’s body so I snapped him up. This could have been Shawn Marion, who I’m high on because I think he’d be really good playing up-tempo again in Dallas, but he was pick in the slot before me.

Round 9 – 85th pick: Paul Millsap
I loved the news that Carlos Boozer would have to fight for the starting PF job in Utah, which makes sense to me because the Jazz are really just hanging on to him until the trade deadline to maximize his value. As such, I expect lots of production from the guy who will get the nod to start from Jerry Sloan: Paul Millsap. Truth be told, I was kind of stuck with this pick because I was looking for a big man, but in the spots before me, Anthony Randolph, Luis Scola and Al Horford were taken.

Round 10 – 96th pick: Mike Bibby
I needed a third point guard and had the choice between Bibby and Ramon Sessions. As much as I liked Sessons’ upside, I already had a lot of point guards who dished the ball but didn’t shoot, so Bibby was the guy. I’m not expecting a lot from him, he is my third point guard after all, so his age is not really that big a factor for me.

Round 11 – 105th pick: Wilson Chandler
Now looking for another small forward, I was disappointed to see Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom taken ahead of me. Wilson Chandler though is a great consolation prize as he plays under D’Antoni but shoots a great percentage, while the rest of his stats are across the board (0.9 steals and blocks), a great value, this late in the draft.

Round 12 – 116th pick: Rasheed Wallace
Looking for one last big man to round out the team, I initially had Greg Oden in this spot, but he was taken five spots before me. In a toss-up between Joakim Noah and Rasheed Wallace, I took Sheed’, despite a lot of people being down on him as well. I think he’ll be very motivated in a Celtics uniform, and I can’t stay away from players who can give a triple, a steal and a block each game, doubly so if he’s a big man.

Round 13 – 125th pick: Courtney Lee
Call it a sleeper pick, but I think Lee will excel in the Vince Carter spot in New Jersey. With Harris there, I expect his points and triples to increase exponentially, and toss in his ability to steal the ball, I think he is a great find in the last round, certainly better than someone like Peja Stojakovic, Grant Hill or Derek Fisher.

Line-up:
PG: Rondo / Rose / Bibby
SG: Durant / Gordon / Lee
SF: Turkoglu / Chandler
PF: Smith / Bargnani / Millsap
C: Jefferson / Wallace

Waiver watches:
Ronnie Brewer, Leandro Barbosa, Jason Thompson, Tyreke Evans, Chris Andersen, Rudy Fernandez, Marc Gasol, Brandon Jennings, Danilo Gallinari, Kelenna Azubuike, 

Hindsight is 20/20 – UAAP S72 Finals Edition – October 2 (Game 1 – ADMU/UE)

Ateneo Props

Props to…Rabeh Al-Hussaini for continuing to rampage through the Red Warriors like a man possessed. 28 points on 50% shooting and 14 boards. The kicker though is 0 turnovers and 0 fouls. He keeps this up, he’ll be Finals MVP.

Props to…Jai Reyes for yet another outstanding performance. 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, plus a wicked Cardona-esque hook teardrop over Elmer Espiritu equals 17 points, coupled with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and a solitary turnover.

Props to…Nico Salva, who reminded us of the greatness that we missed in the Final Four game versus UST. He had 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and a block, but boy, the way he got those points sure was pretty. Let it be said, Salva owned Espiritu down low with an arsenal of clever post moves and pump fakes.

Props to…Bacon Austria, who played tenacious defense and jump-started the Ateneo offense with two huge triples in the first quarter. UE players were at first, more than willing to give him the space to shoot. Not so much after those shots, forcing them to play Al-Hussaini straight-up.

Props to…Ryan Buenafe who showed that he could do it on the defensive end as well. Late in the fourth quarter, Buenafe waved off the help defense and took Paul Lee on solo. Lee attempted to drive, but Buenafe was waiting and stole the pass, which the Blue Eagles converted into points. That was the final nail in the UE coffin.

Props to…Justin Chua, who played only five minutes, but man, does the future look great, huh Blue Eagles fans?

Ateneo Slops

Slops to…Nonoy Baclao, who for some reason, came out wanting to score. Nice intentions, but poor execution. Baclao finished 1 for 8 from the field, missing on post-ups, jumpers, tip-in’s, all he lacked an attempt from beyond the arc. Sure he pulled down 12 boards, but they would have blown UE out of the water had he just made a few more shots.

Slops to…Eric Salamat, with his 1 to 1 turnover/assist ratio. He only played 23 minutes, finishing with 4 points and no steals.

Slops to…Kirk Long, who passed the ball into horrible situations when he should have taken the shot, and who missed when he was forced into throwing up the ball. He did manage to make a triple, and played some decent defense (to put it kindly) versus Paul Lee, but I think some of his 24 minutes ought to have gone to other players.

Slops to…Eman Monfort, who was ice cold in this game. 0/5 from the field and 0/4 from beyond the arc equals “ugh!”

Slops to…Norman Black, who took a tad too long to recognize a UE mismatch in the waning moments of the second quarter. The Red Warriors went small with Elmer Espiritu at the 5, and Acuna at the 4, versus Al-Hussaini and Baclao, respectively. The UE big men toyed with their Atenean counterparts while beyond the arc and converted multiple tries, giving the half time victory to UE. I would have moved Noy up to the 5 and placed someone like Sumalinog at the 4 at an earlier juncture to try to stop the bleeding.

UE Props

Props to…Raffy Reyes and Rudy Lingganay, both of who came to play. I always felt that Ateneo had the advantage in the backcourt, but with Salamat MIA and Reyes only exploding in the latter moments of the game, the UE pair were able to combine for 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and just 2 turnovers.

Props to…Val Acuna, who shot pretty horrible, but got to make it up by tearing down 11 huge rebounds

UE Slops

Slops to…the UE big men, who were upstaged by their Atenean counterparts. Llagas only had 3 rebounds and Espiritu was once again shackled offensively, turning out only 8 points on 3 of 12 shooting

Slops to…Paul Zamar, who turned out to be extremely gunshy, firing off only 1 triple attempt (it missed), and generally not doing a whole lot more.

Slops to…Paul Lee, who was desperately trying to rediscover his three-point range, only succeeded in making a fool of himself. He was 1 of 8 from 3-point land and 5 of 18 from everywhere on the court. Also, the best passer in the UAAP was limited to…just one assist.

Slops to…Lawrence Chongson, who still refuses adamantly to send a double-team at Al-Hussaini. With their surplus of walking foul magnets (Acibar! Ayala! Noble!), it surprised me that Chongson didn’t send a single guy out to agitate the temperamental big man.

Key Stats

– Ateneo was extremely accurate from all angles (42.42 FG, 42.11 3PT) while UE couldn’t get their perimeter shots to go down (34.18 FG, 23.33 3PT).

– Ateneo got to the line 10 more times than UE (22 versus 12), which highlights just how much of a jump-shooting team UE is.
– Part of the reason why UE has a horrible percentage is that they took more shots, thanks to four more offensive rebounds than ADMU (14 versus 10).

– Amazingly, UE had only 7 turnovers the entire game, while Ateneo doubled that number.

– Ateneo had the luxury of such a deep bench, going 11-deep (9 playing more than 10 minutes), while UE relied on just a few key guys, which got them tired out by the 4th quarter (9 players, with 7 going into double-digit minutes).

The Triangle Offensive – Episode 14

The Triangle Offensive crew look back at the Final Four, and look ahead to the Championship round of the 72nd season of the UAAP. Ateneo versus UE! Who have we got? Listen in and find out!

DOWNLOAD IT HERE

We sample from Elliot Minor’s “Electric High,” Avenged Sevenfold’s “Paranoid” and Snow Patrol’s “Just Say Yes.” If you are the copyright holder of any of these materials and wish to have the samples removed, just say so.

UAAP S72 Finals Preview: ADMU vs UE

Ateneo Blue Eagles	University of the East Red Warriors
OFFENSE
74.87 points a game 31% three-point field goal percentage 43.08% field goal percentage 72.1% free throw percentage 16.13 assists per game It’s all about ball movement for Ateneo. The team leads the league in assists, which means easy open shots and a high shooting percentage. And when in doubt, they can always dump the ball down low to last season’s regular season MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini EDGE: ATENEO	75.31 points a game 28.32% three-point field goal percentage 40.26% field goal percentage 68.05% free throw percentage 13.94 assists per game The second-best team in terms of points scored employs a frenetic run and gun offense with a catch; the lack of set plays means they’re a hard team to gameplan against. On the flip side, they’re prone to settling for outside jumpers, and when the bench players come in, the offense grinds to a halt.
DEFENSE
63.93 points allowed per game 24.27% opponent’s three-point percentage 34.16% opponent’s field goal percentage Ateneo is the best defensive team inthe league, shutting down opponents both big and small. It helps that theycan stop various styles of attack. The Blue Eagles are equally adept at halting fast breaks as they are at disrupting set plays. EDGE: ATENEO	70 points allowed per game 26.74% opponent’s three-point percentage 37.59% opponent’s field goal percentage UE’s style of play can sucker less disciplined teams into adapting their brand of offense, resulting in players settling for quick shots too. There’s no one on their team though with a reputation for being a lockdown defender, which might be a factor in the Finals.
HUSTLE
40.33 rebounds per game 6.07 steals per game 4.6 blocks per game If there’s one team that exemplifies hustle, it’s the Blue Eagles. They’re predators in the passing lane and Nonoy Baclao is an imposing threat on defense. Their only problem is rebounding. They’re prone to giving up a ton of offensive boards to their opponent.	42.5 rebounds per game 3.88 steals per game 4.88 blocks per game What’s more imposing than Nonoy Baclao in the lane? Try Elmer Espiritu in the lane, a human pogo stick that can cover the entire painted area. Between him and his front-court partner Pari Llagas, the Red Warriors dominate the boards when those two are around. EDGE: UE
STARTING BACKCOURT
Projected PG: Jai Reyes (8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists) Projected SG: Eric Salamat (11.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.2 steals) One of the reasons why Ateneo has been firing on all cylinders these past few games has been the amazing play from their backcourt. Jai Reyes has been averaging 16 points, knocking down jumpers from all angles. Eric Salamat has returned to being the Man of Steal, converting turnovers into easy baskets, both for himself and for his teammates. EDGE: ATENEO	Projected PG: Rudy Lingganay (7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists) Projected SG: Paul Lee (15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 35.86% FG) Point guard has been UE’s weakness this season with the absence of James Martinez. Rudy Lingganay has been doing his best to fill in the gap, but aside from being a superb rebounder from his position, he’s been inconsistent at best. Thus, the playmaking job falls by default to Paul Lee, who leads the league in assists. For Lee, it’s a constant juggle between sharing the ball and scoring. He’ll need to find the correct balance when the Ateneo defense keys in on him.
STARTING FRONTCOURT
Projected SF: Kirk Long (5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals) Projected PF: Nonoy Baclao (5.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.3 blocks) Projected C: Rabeh Al-Hussaini (16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 47.98 FG%) Some players just love playing against certain teams, and Rabeh Al-Hussaini loves playing against UE, to the tune of averaging 28.5 points in the teams’ two meetings this season. Nonoy Baclao is now fully healed from his hand injury and is dominant on defense again. And speaking of Kirk Long, this guy has evolved into a more than capable perimeter defender. Any points from him will be gravy.	Projected SF: Val Acuna (11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 28.1% 3PT FG) Projected PF: Elmer Espiritu (12.8 points, 8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.7 blocks) Projected C: Pari Llagas (13.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block) Both Elmer Espiritu and Pari Llagas are two of the top big men in the league, but their styles of play are very different. Llagas has a wicked mid-range jumper that’s difficult to guard on a big man, while Espiritu can drive like a guard into the lanes for easy lay-ins. The x-factor is Val Acuna though, who, if he’s on target from beyond the arc, can easily release a barrage of triples to swing momentum to UE’s side. EDGE: UE
BENCH SUPPORT
Key Players: Ryan Buenafe, Nico Salva, Justin Chua, Eman Monfort When you have four players on your bench who could probably start for several teams in the league, it’s probably an understatement to say that your bench is a big strength. Toss in the fact that Ryan Buenafe has broken out of his offensive slump and Nico Salva’s probably raring to go after his one-game suspension, and it’s clear that there’s going to little drop off from starters to bench players. EDGE: ATENEO	Key Players: Paul Zamar, Raffy Reyes UE Coach Lawrence Tiongson fielded the most starting line-ups in the UAAP this season, and it’s all in an effort to try to balance this team’s scoring. The truth of the matter is, they barely get any points from their supporting cast, which leads to scoring droughts where opponents can catch up, and a lot of pressure placed on the starters to contribute while playing big minutes.
HEAD COACH
Ateneo head coach Norman Black is a master gameplanner who won a championship just last season. In a close game, there’s no one better to have on your side, given his penchant for drawing up plays that yield easy baskets during crunchtime. If he can keep his team focused from start to end in the hopes of preventing another near-collapse like the Round 2 encounter between these two teams, the Eagles will soar. EDGE: ATENEO	It’s Lawrence Tiongson’s first season as head coach and his first time to the Finals as well. While it’s unlikely he’ll have rookie jitters, he’ll need to find a way to stop Rabeh Al-Hussaini, because so far this season, he’s refused to send a double team at him, resulting in Al-Hussaini’s aforementioned scoring binges versus the Red Warriors.
MOMENTUM
The Blue Eagles will come into this game riding an 11-game winning streak, and a 32-2 record stretching back to last season. Factor in a 17-point win over UST in the Final Four, and it’s safe to say that Ateneo’s soaring into the Championship round, ready to repeat. EDGE: ATENEO	UE’s been on a roll of late too, winning their last eight games. No doubt, their confidence is also at a high after eliminating the #2 seeded FEU and vaulting into the Championship round. The only problem? The last team to beat them is the team they’re going up against, Ateneo.
FINAL PREDICTION
Back to Black? It’s looking a lot more likely, on paper at least, for the Blue Eagles. Most championships are won on the strength of two variables, Defense and Depth, and Ateneo has both in spades. True, neither of these two teams are really new to this stage; both teams have players who have been to the Championship round before, but the difference is simple. UE got swept two seasons ago after going undefeated in the regular season, while Ateneo came away last season with the crown. For UE to pull off the upset, their best five players will all need to chip in above average performances. It’s not enough for Paul Lee to be hot in one game while Pari Llagas is cold, and then flip it around in the next. Given their lack of depth, UE’s starters will need to dig deep and churn out remarkable performances. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Lee, Llagas and Espiritu play 39-minute games. Barring any mental lapses though, it looks like the stars have aligned for the Blue Eagles again on their sesquicentennial. Consider it a proper ending for another dominant season. ATENEO BLUE EAGLES IN 2 GAMES

Hindsight is 20/20 – Sept 25 (The kicking FEU while they’re down edition)

1) JR Cawaling – 19 points (8/14 FG, 3/6 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

Want to know what the last game he had that was comparable to his performance earlier? The Final Four match versus La Salle last season, when he pumped in 18 points (2/4 FG, 2/6 3PT, 8/9 FT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers.

Both these games showcase Cawaling’s versatility, and are probably why he’s on the Smart Gilas team. Too bad it seems like he can only pull it off once every season.

2) Pipo Noundou – 0/5 3PM-A

Apparently, after getting injured, Pipo Noundou came back thinking he was the black Larry Bird. Too bad he didn’t take a look at his own stats. Prior to this game, he was only 2 for 7 from beyond the arc. It’s not your thing man, go back and sniff out a couple more rebounds.

3) Paul Sanga – 2 points (0/8 FG, 0/5 3PT, 2/2 FT)

Do you know what the arena barker called this guy? “The Dream.” Really? Allow me to make the obvious joke then, “he’s turned into a nightmare!” Sanga top-scored for the Tams last game, to the tune of 22 points (6/11 3PT), but apparently we all woke up and moved on to the real world.

4) RR Garcia – “I only like playing against crap teams”

Here are RR Garcia’s numbers versus DLSU, AdU, NU and UP: 15.6 points on 49.55 FG%, 40 3PT% shooting

Here are RR Garcia’s numbers versus ADMU, UST, and all 4 UE games: 9.5 points on 29.17 FG%, 20.37 3PT% shooting

5) “Boy FEU sure loves jump shots!”

78 field goal attempts, 7 trips to the foul line.

Compare that to UE’s 65 field goal attempts, 25 trips to the line.