THE FALL OF A CHAMPION

It was not too long ago since the Detroit Pistons won the NBA crown in 2004. They were the toast of the league, made popular by their suffocating, air-tight team defense. And they even made an encore to the NBA finals the following year finishing a strong runner-up to the San Antonio Spurs. Now the Motor City squad is facing elimination in the opening round of the play-offs against the powerful Cleveland Cavaliers. They are currently down, 2-0 in the best-of-seven series and it can be the first time in seven years that the Pistons will not make an appearance in the conference finals.

So what went wrong? Did Joe Dumars got too greedy for an NBA title that he became discontented of being a perennial conference finalist? Where is the team heading? Is it rebuilding or is it destroying? Those were just few of the questions that probably will not be answered forever. Head coaches Larry Brown and Flip Saunders and strong foundations like Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups are gone. And the biggest mistake followed with the entry of Allen Iverson. Now, it has become clear as a day that Iverson will not be back next season and even the future of rookie coach Michael Curry hangs in the air. Are we seeing the imminent return of the Pistons back to its mediocre years in the 1970s?

It was too bad that longtime owner William Davidson passed away recently with all the turmoil surrounding his beloved Pistons. Maybe if he had the chance to choose the date of his own death he could have chosen hands down the year 2004. The respect is gone so what follows next?

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This maybe late but I’m paying tribute to one of the most solid (defensive-wise) centers in the 1970s, Marvin “The Human Eraser” Webster, who passed away last April 7 at the age of 56. The 7-1 Webster starred for the NBA champions Seattle Supersonics during the 1977-78 season. He got his monicker from the way he swatted all those shots in the shaded area. He played during the time when bigtime scoring centers like Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone hugged the NBA headlines but he made his mark with his no-nonsense approach in defense.

Webster had a career average of 7.1 ppg and 7.0 rpg and saw action for the Denver Nuggets in the ABA and Seattle, New York and Milwaukee in the NBA. Ironically, he had a son named Marvin, Jr., who played basketball for Temple University but died also at the early age of 18 after a heart attack.

Thanks for the memories, Marvin!

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If you notice something new in the game of Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard in the on-going NBA play-offs then definitely it has to be his physical game. Purists were surprised with the banging of bodies and hard fouls being dished out by “Superman” Howard in their current opening round series with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was even called for a technical foul for throwing the ball hard to a referee. So meet the new Dwight Howard. The 6-11 Christian-devout Howard was kind of a good natured guy during his early years in the league. The sudden transformation maybe attributed to his desire and intensity to end his years of post-season frustrations with the Magic.

For Howard, the winning time is now and he will do everything to advance his Magic even to the extent of being called a “bully”. That is the trademark of a consummate pro.

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Did Flip Saunders rushed up his decision to sign a 4-year coaching contract with the Washington Wizards? With the expected coaching changes in the coming off-season, Saunders could have gotten better offers for sure than that of the Capitol City outfit. The Sacramento Kings had just fired interim mentor Kenny Natt and if only Saunders waited a little longer maybe he could have gotten the coaching job at Sac-Town. With an array of young promising and exciting players in the Kings line-up, Saunders free-flowing style of game will a better fit than with Washington.

Anyway, it’s still nice to see Saunders back in the NBA after a year of absence. Now, will Eric Musselman not be far behind?

UPHILL CLIMB

This time, Ray Allen won’t be denied. Allen buried a 3-pointer with 0.2 ticks to go to win it for the defending champion Boston Celtics, 118-115, Tuesday morning (Manila) at the TD Banknorth Garden. The victory evened up their best-of-seven Easter Conference first round series with the Chicago Bulls at one game apiece.

Allen made up for his missed jumper in the dying seconds which could have send game one into a second overtime. Actually, the Celtics could have move up 2-0 in the series if not for the miss free throw of Paul Pierce in regulation. The Beantown outfit is clearly missing the services of top frontliner Kevin Garnett, who is suffering a knee ailment and could be out for the rest of the title defense. With KG’s absence, the men in green’s lack of manpower depth is slowly being felt. Late season addition Stephon Marbury had been a bust in the first two games of the Bulls series.

The Bulls series is just a sample of what the Celtics will expect the rest of the way and it will be an uphill climb for coach Doc Rivers and his boys in their bid for a back-to-back NBA title. But they should also always remember that there are no advantages or disadvantages in the play-offs, it’s all about HEART. And nobody can never ever underestimate the heart of a champion, even without Garnett.

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The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off the biggest shocker in the opening games of the first round. The City of Brotherly Love scored a nail-biting 100-98 victory over the heavily-favored Orlando Magic, 100-98 in game one in Orlando Monday morning (Manila time). Andre Iguodala pumped in the winning jumper, a 22-footer with only 2.2 seconds to go to finish off a great comeback from 18 points down.

“We won one more game than people thought we would win,” Iguodala said. “I was pretty amped up.”

Other post-season opening day winners are the Cleveland Cavaliers (over the Detroit Pistons, 102-84), Dallas Mavericks (over the San Antonio Spurs, 105-97), Houston Rockets (over the Portland Trailblazers, 108-81), LA Lakers (over the Utah Jazz, 113-100), Atlanta Hawks (over the Miami Heat, 90-64) and Denver Nuggets (over the New Orleans Hornets, 113-84).

With the way things are already heating up, remember these are just the opening games. So stay calm and relax because anything can still happen.

THE REAL WAR IS ON

The mother of all battles for the league’s ultimate prize of being crowned as the 2009 NBA champions is finally on. The eight match-ups for the first round had already been determined. It’s a wide-open race and anything can happen in the so-called “second season”.

Herewith are the respective best-of-seven first round series and as well as this writer’s predictions:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (#1) VS. DETROIT PISTONS (#8)

This is gonna be a one sided affair. LeBron James is having his best season so far in his young pro career and he is enjoying it to the max, thanks to Mo Williams. The Pistons are no longer a threat in the post-season.

Season Series: Cavaliers 3 Pistons 1
Prediction: Cavaliers, 4-0

BOSTON CELTICS (#2) VS. CHICAGO BULLS (#7)

Now that Kevin Garnett is a doubtful starter not only for this series but maybe for the rest of the play-offs, the men in green will be hard pressed to retain the NBA title. But still, do not ever under estimate the heart of a champion. The young Bulls had a shot in scoring a 1st round kayo.

Season Series: Celtics 2 Bulls 1
Prediction: Celtics, 4-3

ORLANDO MAGIC (#3) VS. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (#6)

Rafer Alston had ably filled the void left by the injured Jameer Nelson in the backcourt. The mere presence of Dwight Howard would just be too much to bear for the upstart Sixers crew.

Season Series: Magic 3 76ers 0
Prediction: Magic, 4-0

ATLANTA HAWKS (#4) VS. MIAMI HEAT (#5)

This will be a humdinger of a series. Both teams are evenly match man-for- man. Dwyane Wade is the x-factor and may be the difference in the end.

Season Series: Hawks 3 Heat 1
Prediction: Heat, 4-3

WESTERN CONFERENCE

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (#1) VS. UTAH JAZZ (#8)

The Lakers look formidable this time around with the return of center Andrew Bynum. The Jazz on the other hand is always dangerous at this time of the year. Great coaching battle between Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan.

Season Series: Lakers 2 Jazz 1
Prediction: Jazz, 4-3

DENVER NUGGETS (#2) VS. NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (#7)

The Nuggets are the revelation of the regular season wars finishing a surprising second placers behind the Lakers in the powerful Western Conference. But still, that would not be enough to propel them past the opening round of the play-offs. The Hornets are a battle-scarred team during the post-season. Watch out for the battle in the backcourt between Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul.

Season Series: Nuggets 2 Hornets 2
Prediction: Hornets, 4-2

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (#3) VS. DALLAS MAVERICKS (#6)

The Spurs can easily be considered as the heavy favorites in this series but with Manu Ginobli injured and out of the play-offs, the Mavericks can pull out this one. Back-to-back post season of frustrations is enough for Mark Cuban’s franchise. This might be their year.

Season Series: Spurs 2 Mavericks 2
Prediction: Mavericks, 4-3

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (#4) VS. HOUSTON ROCKETS (#5)

According to a lot of NBA pundits, nobody wants to meet the Blazers in the opening round. The Rain City outfit is full of young spirits and potential. Without Tracy McGrady, center Yao Ming and the Rockets will find it difficult to get past the opening round.

Season Series: Rockets 2 Trail Blazers 1
Prediction: Trail Blazers, 4-2

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Enjoy all the NBA play-off action on Philippine TV. Basketball TV (BTV) will have daily live games with replays on primetime. Three live games a week can also be seen on C/S9 on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. ESPN will cover a game or two during Saturdays and Starsports a game during Fridays.

The best time of the year in the NBA is truly here.

DEVASTATING

It feels good to be back after an 11-day self-imposed hiatus brought about by the observance of Holy Week.

As I watched three NBA games yesterday over cable TV, I was awesomely struck by the performance of a particular team and was kind of disappointed too on another team and an individual, both of whom I honestly believe were clearly denied of much deserving prestige.

If there is one word to describe the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the defending champions Boston Celtics yesterday, then it is DEVASTATING. Racing to an incredible 39-1 win-loss card at home, LeBron James and his band of brothers walloped the men in green, 107-76. They are just a game away from tying the all-time best in home record for a season which ironically was posted by the Celtics in 1986 at 40-1. The only blemish at QLA coming off a heartbreaking loss to the “streak busters” Los Angeles Lakers in February. They will have their shot at history in their season finale against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday morning (Manila time).

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I could not blame Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat if he feels bad despite scoring a career-high 55 big points in their 122-105 home victory against the New York Knicks. He is a just a point away from the franchise all-time scoring high of 56 points posted by Glenn Rice.

Heat coach Fil-American Erik Spoelstra was kind of “killjoy” as he relieved Wade with more than a minute left in the game to the consternation of the Heat fans and Wade himself. D-Wade could have easily scored a basket with that much time left. The only consolation Wade got on his way out was the non-stopping chant of “MVP! MVP!” from the Miami crowd. Spoelstra maybe oozing with confidence that Wade can score 57 points anytime next season. But still, the damage has been done and no one can take away D-Wade’s frustration.

Well, we just look at it as a rookie coach mistake on the part of Spoelstra. He may have learned a lesson or two from that point.

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The Sacramento Kings had suffered a lot of heartaches this season. They were having a miserable year as they are currently running at the cellar of the league at 16-65 with a game to go on their 2008-09 campaign. But to add insult in their home finale brought about by a stupid no-call of the refs in the dying seconds of their game against the San Antonio Spurs is a bitter pill to swallow for the Kings.

The game was tied at 92-all when the Spurs’ Michael Finley connected on a three-point basket with a second left in the game. That basket proved to be the winning points for the Spurs, 95-92. But to the horror of Sac-Town fans and to all those viewing the game on TV, the ball clearly was still in Finley’s hands when the Spurs 24-second shot clock expired. What is really frustrating is that the refs did not even bother to use the TV monitor to review the shot. Thus, the Kings were denied of a king-size upset.

Now I’m about to believe that discrimination really do exist even in the NBA.

FROM HEAVEN TO HELL

They were hailed as basketball gods during their college hoop days. They have cult followers everywhere. College girls went ga-ga over them. There were great expectations when they entered the NBA. Now, they just have become mere mortals and at best, are fighting for daily survival in the pro league. That’s the saga of J.J. Reddick and Adam Morrison.

Reddick is considered as one of the finest shooters in college basketball history. During his tenure with Duke, he holds the record of being the all-time leading scorer in both school and Atlantic Coast Conference history with 2,769 points. The 6’4, Cookeville, Tennessee native likewise set an NCAA record for most 3-point shots made with 457 as a Blue Devil. He was then selected 11th over-all in the 2006 NBA rookie draft by the Orlando Magic. Sad to say his rookie year was not as fruitful as his college heydays. Injuries hounded Reddick as it limited his appearance to only 42 games. He finished his freshman year in Orlando with sub-par norms of 6.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.9 apg and a measly 14.48 minutes per outing. From bad to worse defined his second year with the Magic. His per game averages submerged further to 4.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.5 apg and 8.5 minutes per nightly action in only 34 games. He is currently averaging 6.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.1 apg and 17.30 minutes in 57 games so far this season.

Reddick must now have realized that a one-dimensional type of player will not prosper in the wild jungles of the NBA. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from NBA legend and now Golden State Warriors GM Chris Mullin. When he joined the NBA out of St. John’s University, Mullin was considered slow and his leaping ability is suspect. But Mullin persevered and added various dimensions to his shooting game. He became one of the shooters with the quickest release in league history and likewise, finished his career with an awesome passing ability.

If Reddick will not improve his over-all game, it will not be too long to find himself languishing at the end of the Magic bench and worse, starting for an NBDL squad.

Morrison is one of the fair-haired boys of Gonzaga University during his illustrious college playing days. Yes, that’s the same school which produced legendary point guard John Stockton. He averaged a whopping 28 points per outing during his last year in college and this made the Charlotte Bobcats select him with the 3rd over-all pick in the 2006 draft. Everything looks rosy for Morrison early in his pro career. He immediately started several games for the Bobcats during his rookie year. But towards the 2006-07 mid-season, Morrison suddenly found himself spending more time on the bench than on-court. He eventually finished his first year with decent numbers of 11.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg and 29.48 mpg in 78 games. Like Reddick, his second year was hounded by various ailments which limited him to only 44 games with the Bobcats. His individual stats went down to 4.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.9 apg and 15.11 mpg. Slowly, his once promising career is slowly turning into a nightmare. This season is no different from the previous one except for the fact that he was traded by the Bobcats to the Los Angeles Lakers before the all-star break. Injuries continue to haunt him at the beginning of the 2008-09 campaign. The 6’8 forward had just seen action in only five games this season, all with the Lakers. His per game norms plummeted down to a mediocre 2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.6 apg and 6.30 mpg of garbage time. For sure, he will not be part of the grand plan of coach Phil Jackson come playoff time.

Though both Reddick and Morrison are still relatively young, they must not put into waste their basketball talents and the faster they come to realize that their glamorous years are long gone, the better for them to work doubly hard to save their respective pro careers.

How many more Reddicks and Morrisons are still out there?

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For the meantime, this will be my last article as I take my annual sabbatical in observance of the Holy Week. As a devoted catholic, it is our duty to reflect on the sacrifices and sufferings our Lord Jesus Christ had done for humanity.

I’ll be back after Easter Sunday. Happy Easter to all!