October 31, 2010
October 30, 2010
Video: MIAMI HEAT WINS THE BATTLE OF FLORIDA OVER THE ORLANDO MAGIC, 96-70
October 29, 2010
NO PRESSURE AT ALL
.jpg) |
| Brandon Roy of the Portland Trailblazers grabs a rebound during their game against the LA Clippers. (Getty image) |
“It is definitely not a make or break year. It is just another year that we are going to try to do the best we can to get to the playoffs, try to win the division and hopefully give ourselves a good position heading into the playoffs. We are not even looking past this year. The time is now and we are just trying to do the best we can.”
WHEN FLAW OVERFLOWS
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| Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins. (AP Photo) |
“On our first unit, when I have Evan and Jrue [Holiday] play together, I have no shooting, at all, on the floor. When I stop the tape, I’m watching 10 feet in the paint from the other opponents, so we have absolutely no place to go on the floor. That’s not Evan’s fault. What has happened with [Jason] Kapono is he gives us some spacing out on the floor. He can make a shot. … It’s really more, from my standpoint, and I don’t mean this in a derogatory [sense], but I’ve got a very flawed team. I don’t have a legit shooting 2 guard and I don’t really have what you would consider a legit power forward in this league. Those are two premium pieces and so, when you’re trying to put it together, I feel like I have 10 or 11 guys that can all play and it’s up to me to find out who plays best with each other.
“My expectations have not changed, obviously, but there’s more work to be done here than I thought, I’ll put it that way.”
WATCH OUT FOR BLAKE GRIFFIN
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| Blake Griffin of the LA Clippers slams one in during their season opener. (AP Photo) |
“Blake's going to keep coming at you. He's a physical kid. He's just going to get better as he gets more comfortable out there.”
Video: 3-POINT SHOOTING TIPS FROM GRIZZLIES ROOKIE XAVIER HENRY
Video: KITCHEN TIME WITH GRIZZLIES ROOKIE XAVIER HENRY
Video: OKC THUNDER OFF TO A FIERY START
October 28, 2010
WORK IN PROGRESS
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| LeBron James of the Miami Heat drives strong to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers. (AP Photo) |
“What I told the team was there is going to be a process with this. We have our own timetable and we knew this wasn't going to be easy. The first half was an indication of that. The second half I at least like the fact that we competed. It's not reason to panic right now. We knew this would be a little bit of the process, and this is the first step.”
STARTING FAST OFF THE GATES
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| SA Spurs power forward Tim Duncan scores on a two-handed slam in file photo. |
“In the past, we allowed ourselves the opportunity to start slow and get used to everybody. As good as the West is, we're going to have to start well.”
October 27, 2010
October 26, 2010
PREDICTIONS (PART TWO)
The first wave unanimously predicted the Boston Celtics will
win banner 18 while the second wave says it will be a “threepeat” for the Los Angeles Lakers. Whew! Things are starting to get really interesting, huh?
Teddy Benitez (An avid sports fan from Cavite City
“1. LA Lakers will go for the traditional
"threepeat" with the legendary zen master Phil Jackson leading the
pack LA's line-up for this year's campaign is the reminiscence of the 1997
Chicago Bulls with Kobe of course playing like his airness Michael Jordan, Ron
Artest not as good as a rebounding demon like Rodman but a ferocious defender
enough to please coach Phil & have the luxury of alternating his big men
even when the game is on the line...
next is widening its wingmen that could be easy for the
triangle to utilize it's just a matter of familiarizing it to the new kids on
the block.
“2. Kobe will win the MVP for
this year it's about time that the elite grand slam award for an individual
will be quadruplicated by Kobe
“3. I'm not much of who'll win this year's ROY but seeing
John Wall play I believe that he'll respond for the calling...”
Jun Abutin (An avid sports fan and a certified golf addict from Phoenix , Arizona
“1. Lakers .. They got the ingredients and athletic body and
height, speed and leadership to WIN big games when needed. Kobe Boston Miami
“2. MVP award will
go to Kobe Kobe Kobe
“3. The Rookie of the year should have gone to Blake
Griffin last year but he had an unfortunate injury that didn't happen for him
in the LA Clippers. He's another power forward to watch this season. So I
choose Griffin
Video: LEBRON'S LATEST NIKE COMMERCIAL 2010 - "RISE"
Video: 2010-11 NBA PREVIEW - SAN ANTONIO SPURS
CELTICS ARE ALL FIRED-UP
 |
| Delonte West of the Boston Celtics. |
“After the Celtics completed an abbreviated session, a handful of players were brought together for some 2-on-2 exercises with Delonte West and Semih Erden squaring off against Von Wafer and Luke Harangody.
“Things got a bit heated when West, displaying his usual full-throttle style, worked over Wafer for consecutive baskets. With Wafer agitated, West shouted twice, "Do something about it." West then went right back at Wafer, aggressively trying to back him down before assistant coach Lawrence Frank called a foul, attempting to prevent things from escalating further.
“West again told Wafer to "do something about it," with a not-so complimentary description tagged on at the end. That's when Jermaine O'Neal stepped in, along with Frank, who reminded the players to cool it with the media present. Wafer ultimately retreated to the locker room.”
NEW ARENA BRINGS NEW PROBLEM FOR NETS
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| The Prudential Center, the new home of the New Jersey Nets. |
“Visual ability, especially as far as eyes working together and localization and depth perception, are learned, developed abilities. They have their home court, they’re comfortable, they know where the scorers table is, they know where the bench is, they have a real sense of where that basket is. They go into a new place and for a lot of these people it’s a distraction, and it makes it a lot more difficult to orient themselves and localize where things are.”
NO DISTRACTION, PLEASE
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| David West (left) of the New Orleans Hornets in action in file photo. |
“I’m looking to go in and make the best decision in terms of my future. I plan on just playing this year and doing all I can to help this team improve and have a successful year. I don’t want to limit myself and base everything on emotion. It can make you weak.”
NO MORE “FLASH” IN SOUTH BEACH
 |
| D-Wade will no longer be called the "Flash" starting this season. |
“It’s not me no more. I’m just going in a different direction. I’ve just been thinking about it a lot, and I just want people to respect me for who I am, and not a character….. I’m moving on. I’m getting older and I’m moving into a different phase of my life.”
October 25, 2010
PREDICTIONS (PART ONE)
1.
Who do you think will win the 2010-11
NBA championship and why?
2.
Who do you think will win the 2010-11
NBA MVP award and why?
3.
Who do you think will win the 2010-11
NBA ROY award and why?
I’ve got three early replies and all of them picked the Boston Celtics to reclaim the NBA championship and with justified reasons to back them
up. Herewith are the predictions from the first wave:
Bert Ramirez (One of the original NBA
authorities in the country, Editorial Consultant of Tower Sports NBA Magazine
and also one of the founders of the popular e-group Celtics Philippines
“1. I may be biased here, of course,
but I think the Boston Celtics will win the 2010-11 NBA title for the simple
reason that they have all the elements of a championship team: experience,
depth, defense, balance and desire. The presence this year of such frontcourt
studs as Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal gives Boston
“2. Kevin Durant will win it if the
Oklahoma Thunder again have a good season. This is simply because the Thunder's
offense is centered around Durant, and more than reigning MVP LeBron James,
Durant's role with the Thunder will be crucial to Oklahoma's success than
James' will be to the Heat, with whom he has to share centerstage with Dwyane
Wade and Chris Bosh. A second straight scoring title and playoff berth will
give Durant the league MVP trophy in just his third year in the league.
“3. John Wall will be Rookie for the
Year, again simply because the Washington Wizards will showcase Wall as their
new floor leader, thus affording him the role of a centerpiece player his
fellow rookies may not get at this point. If Wall lives up to expectations, it
won't be difficult for him to nail this once-in-a-lifetime distinction,
although college teammate DeMarcus Cousins and LA Clipper Blake Griffin also
have a shot at it.”
Ollie Olivenza (A member of Celtics Philippines
and an avid sports fan from Boston , Massachusetts
“1. I believe in history repeating
itself. For this belief I will refer my answer to a post by our Celtics Bro,
Tom Ong, on his Yahoo Group posted on 10/17/2010. Pareng Tom indicated the
similarity between the 1959 Celtics and our current roster. The prior year,
1958, we lost the championship to the St. Louis Hawks due to Bill Russel being
injured. Just like last year we lost to LA because Perkins was injured. But in
1959, players like Hondo, Siggy, Embry and Tom Sanders had arrived. That year
was the start of winning 8 consecutive years of championship titles. I believe
that this year arrival of the 2 O'neals, Luke, Bradley, Semih, and Dwest is the
start of something special. Maybe the start of another 8 years of winning
titles just like 1959.
“2. With both LeBron and Wade
canceling each other out down in Southbeach, it will be between Kobe Kobe
“3. The majority of the voters, I
think will give it to John Wall, and I am a member of that majority. The kid
just have that sky-is-the limit potential.”
Jommel De Guzman (An avid sports fan
from Virginia Beach
“1. Celtics - nuff said
2. Kevin Durant - only loss by 2
points from Kobe Bryant last season and should be the NBA MVP.
3. John Wall - has a lot of leadership for the
coach of Washington Wizards to depend on.”
October 24, 2010
JERRY STACKHOUSE HEADS TO SOUTH BEACH
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| Jerry Stackhouse saw action for the Milwaukee Bucks in 42 games last season. |
“Grateful for this kind of opportunity at this point of my
career. Mike Miller is key part of what the Heat envisioned with this team.
Hopefully, I can come and provide some depth while he’s out, as well as provide
some intangibles the team could use for the long haul.
“I’ve been fortunate to have played for so many
great organizations and alongside great players, but to join the Miami Heat
organization and to play along side Dwayne, LeBron and Chris and have a chance
to compete for a championship, I just thank God.”
Video: 2010-11 NBA PREVIEW - NEW JERSEY NETS
October 23, 2010
WHEN PERFECT MEANS NOTHING
 |
| Paul Millsap powers his way through against the defense of Carl Landry of the Sacramento Kings in pre-season action. (AP Photo.) |
“Now we’ve got to start playing for real. The games don’t count for anything other than
trying to get better at what you’re doing, and that’s what we look forward to
have happen. Hopefully we can play a little bit better than we have the past
couple of days.”
BAD TWEETS ARE NO MATCH TO SUPERMAN
“All of us get those kinds of Tweets. People just feel that they
can say whatever they want to say to us, and I don’t respond. People are going
to talk when they’re hiding behind a computer or a cell phone. What’s the
purpose of letting that affect what we do?
“We’re the ones who get up every day and work
extremely hard for what we accomplish, so a couple Tweets here and there,
people telling us how we suck – anything like that – it shouldn’t affect us. I
think for the most part – I know me and Dwyane [Wade] and some other guys –
have let it affect us to where we respond back. But there’s no point. That’s
what they want us to do. They want us to respond back to them and it makes their
day. We just have to be bigger than that.”
THE FORGOTTEN MAN
 |
| Michael Redd eyes a comeback with the Milwaukee Bucks. |
“I just know I want to come back and do my part,
whatever it is. There's no doubt about it. My mind is to come back and to play
and help this team out as much as I can when I get back. Any role, any role,
just to play basketball and be a part. That's it. And that's been my mentality
my whole tenure here. To do the best I can do.”
Video: 2010-11 NBA PREVIEW - THE FINALS PREDICTION
Video: 2010-11 NBA PREVIEW - MILWAUKEE BUCKS
October 22, 2010
JAZZ ALL THE WAY
 |
| Deron Williams drives past Andre Miller of the Portland Trailblazers in pre-season action. (AP Photo) |
“I just want to win. My team has been winning, for the most part. Last year we got eliminated early, but we just got to get better. We got some pieces to do that. I’m happy right now. I’m under contract. I honor that contract, respect that contract and just play basketball. I’m never going to say never. [But] I don’t see that happening.”
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