MY TOP 5 NBA TITLE CLINCHERS

There are tons and tons of memorable NBA final games no doubt about it. But to choose the top five title clinching games of all time is not an easy task even for someone who consider himself an NBA junkie. It requires great nostalgic recollection of games as it happens.

Herewith are my top five most memorable NBA title game clinchers of all-time:

5. Game 6 of the 1977 NBA finals, Portland vs. Philadelphia. The Philadelphia 76ers, led by former ABA legend Julius "Doctor J" Erving and George McGinnis won the first two games of the series. The Portland Trailblazers had their backs against the wall as the series heads back to their homecourt, the Memorial Coliseum for games three and four. Cage pundits had already written off the Rain City squad, who is led by a sensational readhead center named Bill Walton. The Blazers shock the Sixers as they swept the next four games, clinching it all in game six, 109-107.

4. Game 6 of the 1980 NBA finals, Los Angeles vs. Philadelphia. With the Lakers leading the series, 3 games to 2, Lakers captain Kareem Abdul Jabbar was left behind in LA due to severe migraine and will miss the crucial game six at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Without the 7-2 center, everybody had began talking of a game seven. A rookie pointguard named Earvin "Magic" Johnson started at center for the Lakers and the rest is history. Johnson played one of the most memorable games in finals history as he poured in 42 big points, hauled down 15 rebounds and dished out 7 assists as the Lakers clinched the diadem with a stunning 123-107 rout of the 76ers in game six.

3. Game 7 of the 1978 NBA finals, Washington vs. Seattle. I can still vividly remember that the deciding game seven of this championship series was shown live on local theaters in Metro Manila. The Washington Bullets had just demolished the Seattle Supersonics in game six, 117-82, to send the series back to Emerald City for game seven. But despite the lopsided win, the Bullets enter the deciding game as underdogs, as the Sonics host the decider at the Kingdome. And then came the shocker, the Bullets defied the odds as Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld took charge in leading them to a 105-99 upset victory over the Sonics.

2. Game 4 of the 1975 NBA finals, Golden State vs. Washington. A story of rags to riches, a Cinderella-like finish for the Golden State Warriors as they swept the heavily-favored Washington Bullets, 4-0 to win the NBA tiara. Rick Barry displayed his legendary wares in leading the Warriors to game four win, 96-95.

1. Game 5 of the 2004 NBA finals, Detroit vs. LA Lakers. The Detroit Pistons entered the series as longshots to win the title. The LA Lakers paraded a star-studded squad in Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton and the so-called experts are predicting a sweep by the powerful Tinseltown outfit. But Detroit coach Larry Brown and his bunch of gritty "Bad Boys II" had other plans as they manhandled the Lakers in five games, capped by an 87-75 win in game five.

IS MO WILLIAMS THE ANSWER TO LEBRON'S PRAYERS?

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are flying high. They had won 9 of their last 10 games to zoom into the lead in the Central Division with a 10-win, 3-loss slate to date. Last night, they lambasted the visiting Atlanta Hawks, 110-96.

Are the Cavs for real? And what makes the team thick this early in the season? It was evident that the reason behind their sudden transformation, from their former tag as up-and-coming to title contenders can be attributed to a transaction they made last summer. In a three-way deal with Oklahoma City and Milwaukee, the Cavs acquired point guard Maurice "Mo" Williams. Williams had been a revelation with Cleveland so far, as he currently averages 17.2 ppg and 4.6 apg in 13 outings.

Williams had been so effective tending the backcourt for the Cavs and is partly the reason why King James is off to a blazing start with his scintillating per game norms of 29.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 7.0 apg, respectively. LBJ23 had long been talking of the urgent need of a top-flight court general who could help them get over the hump and return to the NBA finals. It is still too early to tell but it seems Williams is the answer to King James' prayers for an outrageous season.

*****

The Golden State Warriors had finally let go of disgruntled power forward Al Harrington. Harrington had been hugging the limelight the past few weeks with his desire to leave the Bay City outfit. Last Saturday (Sunday, Manila time), Big Al's wish had been finally granted as he was traded to the New York Knicks for guard Jamal Crawford. The trade saw a rare occurence as both players are submitting identical scoring averages so far of 14.7 ppg. And both Harrington and Crawford will easily fit into their respective new team's styles of play. The Knicks and the Warriors are both well known for their open-court style of game.

In Crawford, the Warriors added another player with a scoring mentality (the team already boasts of high scoring duo of Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson). With the Crawford trade, it seems the team did not cure their need for a big man with an intimidating presence in the paint. A Harrington trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Big Ben Wallace makes sense than adding another scoring guard. The Warriors are already loaded in the backcourt with CJ Watson, Marcus Williams, Jackson, Marco Belinelli and is waiting for the return of ace pointguard Monta Ellis this coming January. Chris Mullin and the other Warrior thinktanks could have patiently waited for the right deal to come than wasting an opportunity to land the team's immediate need.

*****

Vince Carter still loves the City of Toronto. Carter proved to the Raptor fans that he is far from being over the hill as he powered the New Jersey Nets to a thrilling 129-127 overtime win last Friday night (Saturday morning, Manila Time).

Carter pumped in 39 big points, made a crucial trifecta with 0.8 ticks left to send the game into overtime and then capped his amazing night with an incredible alleyhoop reverse dunk with a 2.1 seconds to go in the extension period to finish off his fomer team. It was really a statement game for the former Raptor ace as he drilled in the final 12 points of the Nets in the regulation.

The Toronto fans were nevertheless thrilled with Carter's exploits which brought back memories of his early days in the league while strutting his wares at the Air Canada Center. He is indeed truly "Half-man, Half-amazing!"

*****

I went to the airport for two consecutive days last week. But for purposes that were completely contrasting in nature. It was mixed emotions. I was excited to fetch up my wife, Lorna, who came from a 3-day business trip in Fuyong, China, last Thursday at Terminal-1, NAIA. But on a 360-degree turn around the following day, sadness creeped in, as I had to bade goodbye to my loving sister, Ate Sonia, on her return flight to Australia, last Friday at Terminal-2, NAIA, after a 2-week whirlwind-like vacation. I am so happy to see my wife back safely and on the other hand, I'm sad to see my sister go. Well, that's life. And on a positive note, I am looking forward for Ate Sonia's return next summer so that bonding can be renewed with rest of the family once again.

MAKE WAY FOR ROGER MASON, THE "NEW MICHAEL FINLEY"

As Michael Finley's career slowly approaches "father time", his heir apparent has come in the person of Roger Mason, a 6'5 swingman and NBA journeyman, whom the San Antonio Spurs signed as a free agent last summer. The 29 year old former 2nd round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 2002 draft had been dishing out outstanding plays since the start of the 2008-09 season. His shooting had been his best weapon, hitting at .471 so far of his trifectas. And not only that, Mason had been a tremendous clutch player and is not afraid to take the game winning shots.

Last night as I watched the replay of the Spurs-LA Clippers game on BTV, Mason came to the rescue once again after the Clippers rallied from an 11 point deficit in the last 6 minutes to tie the game at 83-all. Mason drilled a three pointer with 8.4 seconds to go to give the Spurs the nail-biting win, 86-83. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was all praised with Mason after the game and quipped, "he was the guy, we wanted the ball in his hands to make the decision. He had the green light". On his part, Mason confidently said "coach just drew a play for me, i felt good all the game, I knew a lot of attention will be on Tim (Duncan). I got an opportunity and I made the most of it.That's a shot I work on quite a bit. For me, it was just like practice". Mason top scored for the Spurs with 21 points.

Now, who says there's no room for journeymen like Mason to blossom late in his NBA career? I'm very sure Popovich is not one of those!

"THE TRADE" BEHIND THE BIG UPSETS; MAGAZINE GALORE

Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups, the main characters in the recent blockbuster trade, were behind the big upsets last Friday evening (Saturday morning, Manila time). It was a rare and weird night as both NBA finalists last season went down on their respective homecourts.

Iverson scored 25 big points to lead the Detroit Pistons over the erstwhile undefeated Los Angeles Lakers, 106-95 at the Staples Center. It was the Lakers' first defeat of the season after seven successive wins. It is nice to hear from Iverson that defense did it for the Pistons, which means "The Answer" is responding to the team's call for more emphasis on defensive basketball.

Over in the east coast, Billups had 18 points, 7 assists and a clutch 3 point play which was crucial to the Denver Nuggets' 94-85 victory over the defending champs, Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Nuggets had won four out of five games since Billups arrival. Even Celtic main man, Kevin Garnett acknowledged the great contributions of Billups to the cause of the Mile High City squad, "you see the difference in this team with Chauncey the talking, and the activity and him directing on both offense and defense".

So far so good for both Iverson and Billups. I can't wait for the Pistons-Nuggets game.


*****

Over the recent weeks, I acquired six magazines and a book leading up to the 2008-09 NBA season. I got the Athlon Sports Pro Basketball Preview (International Cover with Yao Ming, Andrew Bogut and Dirk Nowitzki), SLAM featuring CP3 on the cover, Handle (Australian-Published hoop mag) with Paul Pierce, ESPN NBA preview (Deron Williams and Chris Paul), SLAM NBA Preview (Kobe cover) and NBA HOOP NBA Preview (again, its Kobe on the cover). Additionally, I just bought the ESPN 2008 SPORTS ALMANAC, which is a collection of all the results and highlights of all major sporting events in the world for the year. Now I can just sit back, read, relax and enjoy the 2008-09 NBA season right there in my living room.

SHORT NOTES: ON OJ MAYO, MCDYESS, THE TRADE AND KJ

In the early run for this season's rookie of the year race, O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies had taken an early lead. The 3rd pick over-all is currently leading all newbies in scoring, 21.0 ppg and in minutes played, 39.5 mpg, after 8 games played. The 6-4 guard out of the University of Southern California had been displaying an all-around game so far, which had left a lasting impression among basketball pundits with his veteran-like numbers. With his current pace, he may not only make it to the rookie game but also the all-star game in Phoenix this coming February.

*****

The Denver Nuggets' waiving of veteran Antonio McDyess had left everyone guessing on what team the former Piston banger will end up with this season. It seems every team (except the Nuggets of course) wants McDyess to be a part of their frontline rotation. The Cleveland Cavaliers, unhappy with Big Ben's game, is strongly bidding for the services of the grizzled veteran. The Pistons also wants him back. The Celtics had already sent feelers to his agent.

The coming days, for sure, will very busy for McDyess and his agent and the team which finally signs him up would definitely shore up its frontline brigade.

*****

Allen Iverson had finally nailed down a win for the Detroit Pistons. Even with the win (after 2 successive setbacks), the Pistons are having difficulty adjusting to AI's game. Piston coach Michael Curry should better talk immediately to Iverson and advise "The Answer" to minimize his one-manship antics and instead jive with the team ball concept of the Motor City squad. Well, that makes sense, right?

On the other hand, the Denver Nuggets had won three straight games ever since Chauncey Billups joined the team after the celebrated trade with the Pistons for AI services. Billups' game seems tailor-made for the Nuggets with his unselfish brand of court generalship. Expect the Nuggets surge deep in the play-offs with Billups leading the charge.

*****

It is not only Barack Obama who made history during the recently-concluded US National elections. In Sacramento, California, former NBA guard Kevin Johson likewise became the first ever black Mayor of the State Capitol. Johnson garnered 58% of the votes as against incumbent Heather Fargo's 42%.

Sharing KJ's triumph is the NBA, where he played many years for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns. Lets get it on KJ!

NEVER-ENDING WOES FOR THE WARRIORS; KNICKS ON THE REBOUND

The team was doomed from the start. First, the Baron Davis defection, followed by the Monta Ellis injury/ suspension and now Al Harrington wants out. The Golden State Warriors are facing a blank wall on their 2008-09 campaign.

Coach Don Nelson got his contract extension but had so far guided the Bay City outfit to a poor 2-5 win-loss slate early in the season. Ellis' absence is definitely not helping the team. CJ Watson and Marcus Williams are dishing out mediocre performances in tending the backcourt for the Warriors. Ellis won't be reactivated until December 12 at the earliest, as he continues to serve his 30-game suspension brought about by his lying on the real reason behind his ankle injury during the off-season. And Harrington's latest brouhaha compounds further woes for the fast-sinking Warriors.

It is sad to see this team deteriorates after a successful play-off run during the 2006-07 campaign, which was capped by the biggest upset in post-season history with their 4-2 conquest of the number one seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Warrior top honcho Chris Mullin should make his move right now and try to find immediate solutions to these seemingly never-ending problems. I wonder now if the Warrior diehards can still flash their ever-famous battlecry 'WE BELIEVE!".

*****

There is life after "Zeke" este Isiah Thomas after all for the New York Knicks. After seasons of frustrations, anger, disappointments and lingering in the basement of the Atlantic Division, the Knicks had finally redeemed themselves. At the forefront of their redemption is the new front office duo of Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni.

D'Antoni, the former Phoenix Suns mentor, had led the Gotham City squad to a 4-2 record so far early in the season, capped by their stunning 107-99 win over the erstwhile unbeaten Utah Jazz last Sunday night (Monday morning Manila time). According to reports, his style of coaching promotes confidence among his players and he is not likely to pull anybody out for making a mistake and prefers to send valuable messages during timeouts. This is the same coaching philosophy that had established the Suns as one of the elite teams in the league.

There were lot of questions when D'Antoni decided not make a massive restucture of the Knicks roster during the off-season. Most of the current players were still from the Thomas regime but D'Antoni declared that he can win with this line-up. Definitely, there is renewed vigor in the respective games of Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury, Quentin Richardson and David Lee among others in the Knicks squad. At this point, the Knicks seems ready to challenge the best in the east.

THE IVERSON TRADE

Me and my brother-in-law Arnold had a short discussion the other night on the blockbuster trade which occured early in the day between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets. The trade saw the Nuggets sent superstar Allen Iverson to the Pistons for veterans Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess.

Initially, Arnold's reaction was the Nuggets got the short end of the deal due to age factor. But I explained to him that Iverson himself is no spring chicken anymore with his 33 years of age. And I also told him that the Nuggets got what they wanted all along, a true pointguard and a veteran presence in the slot.

Iverson is widely known in the NBA circles as a great scorer but also a headache to his past coaches. He had his run-ins with his previous coaches in Philadelphia in Larry Brown and Maurice Cheeks. It will be very interesting to see if he will fit into Detroit's concept of team basketball. The Pistons had become a powerhouse team in the east mainly due to its defense and equal distribution of points on offense. it is still a big puzzle why Joe Dumars opted for a gunner-type of a backcourtman rather than going after the likes of Jason Kidd and Tony Parker, both of whom were known for their unselfish style of court generalship. There will be questions on whether Pistons resident shooting guard Rip Hamilton will play sweet music with the trigger-happy Iverson.

On the other hand, George Karl and the Nuggets are long craving for a true pointguard who could effectively feed the ball to its post players and of course, someone who could make the team's heart and soul Carmelo Anthony happy. Billups is the right man for the job no question about it. His vast experience in the past, which includes an NBA championship ring with the Pistons in 2004, will be a big factor in elevating the Nuggets style of play. McDyess shall off-set the loss of Marcus Camby. His intimidating presence in the paint shall also go hand in hand with the team's young frontliners like Nene and the "birdman", Chris Andersen.

It is a given that debates regarding the trade will not end here and the final result can only be determined on how both teams, the Nuggets and the Pistons, would fare by the end of the regular season. For now, their fans can only hope for the best.

PREMIERE WEEK: GAY, COLLISON AND PACERS SHINES

As I feast on loads of NBA games during the past weekend, two individuals and one team caught my fancy during the premiere week of the 2008-09 NBA season. First is Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies. This 6-9 forward's improve play brought back memories of Doctor J and Larry Nance. It was his incredible display of power and grace throughout their game against the visiting Orlando Magic , which was punctuated by a buzzer-beating jumper in the corner to give the Grizzlies an 86-84 victory. Gay led the team in scoring with 29 big points. With Mike Miller 's departure to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gay had assumed the leadership position of the Memphis squad. I will not be surprise at all if Gay makes it to the next All-Star game.

Next is Nick Collison, the 6-9 power forward of the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Kansas standout had a double-double performance with 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunder recorded their first ever NBA victory with an 88-85 cliff-hanger over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. I was amazed with his late game heroics as he pumped it two crucial baskets during the homestretch. Not to take anything away from rookie Russell Westbrook, who played a good all-around game and finished with 14 points, but it was Collison's strong post plays which was crucial to the historic win.

It was a holiday-like atmosphere in Conseco Fieldhouse as the Indiana Pacers played host to the visiting defending NBA champs, the Boston Celtics last Saturday night (Sunday morning Manila time). There were lots of festivities in Indianapolis leading off to their first home game of the season. The Pacers are starting a season sans erstwhile All-Star Jermaine O'Neill, who was traded to the Toronto Raptors during the off-season. Even on the road, the Celtics are always the team to beat, and nobody gave a chinaman's chance for the Pacers to pull off a Houdini-like kind of win. But the Pacers did not want to disappoint the hometown fans and elevated their game to an almost perfect kind of game brilliance as they scored a big upset win over the men in green, 95 to 79. Old hand Danny Granger led the Pacers with 20 points and new recruit T.J. Ford, who came in from the O'Neill trade, added 19 points.

Hey, this is just the first week and what a premiere week it was!

AM I DREAMING? BTV IS BACK ON SKY CABLE

I still want to pinch myself. As I had mentioned earlier on this site, that ever since Basketball TV or BTV was scratched from Sky Cable last January 1, 2008, my basketball life would not be the same anymore. Even with weekly NBA games on ESPN, StarSports and CS9, it can not cover up for BTV's absence for a basketball junkie like me. But lo and behold, BTV made a dramatic comeback on Sky Cable last Tuesday, October 28, 2008 and everybody hooked on the Lopez-owned cable TV firm was kayoed by surprise.

I considered myself very lucky indeed as the return of BTV on Cavite Cable, which is a subsidiary of Sky Cable, did not require any additional charges at all unlike the Sky Cable subscribers in Metro Manila (except the those in the CAMANAVA area). Due to BTV's exclusive deal with Global Destiny in Metro Manila, a Sky Cable subscriber in the metropolis has to shell out additional P 100 per month to receive BTV, apart from purchasing a requisite "digital box" worth P 1,500.00. That is a lot of moolah if you consider the financial hardships nowadays. It is really great that Solar Sports, which is BTV's mother company has no exclusive deals in the provinces.

With daily live NBA games on BTV and regular dose of weekly coverages on CS9, ESPN and StarSports, I can now live my life in peace! Its GAMETIME!

KENO, MY NEW NBA BUDDY

As I was having my dose of three (3) 2008-09 NBA pre-season games on TV last Saturday, guess who gave me good company while enjoying the Cleveland-Washington, New York-New Jersey and Washington-San Antonio games on ESPN and CS9, no other than my new buddy, KENO, a Shih Tzu.

Keno is just 2-month old Shih Tzu puppy and you can’t help but love this very sweet tiny creature. He is fun to be with as every time I clapped my hands or applaud a nice play, he likewise gave it a thrilling bark of his! He knows his NBA brand of play. He is really worth all the expensive tag on his head as my wife Lorna got him at a princely price of 10k.

I made a research in the net and this is what I found out about the breed of my new comrade, Keno. Shih Tzu is a dog breed which originated in China. It is reported to be the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs and is vaguely lion-like look being associated with the Tibetan snowlion. Therefore, it has a nickname, “Tibetan Temple Dog”. It is also often known as “Xi Shi Quan”, based on the name Xi Shi, regarded as the most beautiful woman of ancient China and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, because of its face looks very much like the flower, and the Chinese, or Tibetan Lion Dog.

It is also characterized by its long, flowing double coat; sturdy build; intelligence; and a friendly, energetic, lively attitude. Its breed standard calls for the dog to have a short snout, large eyes, and a palm-like tail that waves above its torso. The ideal height is 9 to 10 ½ inches and should stand no less than 8 inches and not more than 11 inches tall.

So there goes a brief background check on my new bestfriend, Keno. For sure, there will be lots of fun to watch the coming NBA wars with him at my side as I know that he will always be there to give me the best company (of course, besides my ever-lovely wife) that I ever wanted.

And finally, here is the best part, with just one look at him, anybody’s stress will be gone! That is, I’m pretty sure of!

MY ALL-TIME BEST!

I had watched thousands and thousands of NBA games since 1974 and also had read volumes of books and magazines through 4 decades of following the world's greatest baketball league. Each decade saw the emergence of new superstars, which imprints lasting greatness on my basketball memory.

And now, I'm coming up with my own unique choices on who is the best ever on the different facets of the pro game. I would like to explain that my choices would only start from the 1970s to date as I had no definite idea on how the stars of the 1940s, 50s and 60s actually strutted their wares.

Best Dunker: Julius "Dr. J" Erving. He is the pioneer of the slam dunk. The man idolized by Michael Jordan for the original "hangtime". Who would ever forget the cradle slam that he imposed on Laker top-defender Michael Cooper. How about the death-defying leap from the free-throw line to slam his way to the 1984 NBA slam dunk title. In a capsule, he started it all.

Best Scorer: George "Iceman" Gervin. The master of the "finger-roll" can light up the scoreboard on any given night. His slender body deceives any defender that comes his way. He led the NBA in scoring for several years.

Best Passer: Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The leader of the 1980s LA Lakers "showtime" squad. As a teammate, all you had to do is roam around the court in offense, look for your favorite spot and he'll get you the ball. A unique pointguard at 6'9", he led the league in assist countless times.

Best Clutch Player: Larry Bird. The legend from Frenchlick, Indiana had bailed out the Boston Celtics many times, either by a buzzer-beater shot or an "eye-of-the-needle" pass. Who would ever forget his amazing steal and incredible assist to Dennis Johnson with 3 seconds left in the 1987 Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons. Truly a one of a kind player.

Best Rebounder: Wes Unseld. The only player in NBA history to win both the MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same year. A massively-built center, who led the NBA in rebounds despite his miniature size of 6'6". He is truly amazing.

Best Shot Blocker: George Johnson. The 6'11' center of the San Antonio Spurs in the 1980s led the league in rejections for several years. Equipped with an elongated "octopus-like" arms, GJ52 alter shots taken by almost all NBA players during his time. Defense is the name of his game.

Best Player: Michael Jordan. Do I need to elaborate? MJ23 won 6 titles with the Chicago Bulls. The man called by Larry Bird as "God disguise as a basketball player" had several MVP awards. A type of player that comes only "once in every century".

ITS GAMETIME! NBA 2008-09 SEASON

The 2008-09 season of the National Basketball Association is finally here! The training camps and pre-season games had already began as all 30 teams gear up for the new battle. I honestly believe that making predictions at this time on who will win it all is not a wise thing to do. There are lots of intangibles which may occur between October 2008 and June 2009. It is really a long grind as each club plays 82 games in the regular season alone. The trend for the season can only be determined by the all-star break wherein teams usually had already played more than half of their regular season games.

The opening tip-off of the regular season will be on October 29 (Manila time) and concludes on April 14 of next year. The city of Phoenix will host the 2009 annual All-Star weekend with the All-Star game to be played on February 15, 2009.

Herewith are my views in capsule on each team for the 2008-09 season:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION

Boston Celtics - The Big 3 is back and a back-to-back title is still a big possibility.

New Jersey Nets - Jkidd is gone as well as RJ24 and a new look Nets featuring Yi Jianlian and rookie Brook Lopez backstopped by Vince Carter and Devin Harris look promising on paper.

New York Knicks - a new frontoffice brings excitement to the Gotham City squad. Needs to unload at least one or both of their prima donnas in Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph.

Philadelphia 76ers - A nice duo in Andre Iguodala and newly-signed vet Elton Brand. If everything falls into right place, may spring a big surprise.

Toronto Raptors - Great move by management in bringing Jermaine O'Neal. Always a darkhorse.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Chicago Bulls - A 360-degree turn in team style as Vinny Del Negro takes helm in the windy city. The young turks are still there and boosted by the arrival of over-all top pick Derrick Rose. Offense is the name of their game.

Cleveland Cavaliers - As long as LeBron James is a Cavalier, they will always be a tough matchup for other teams. The reemergence of center Ben Wallace is the main key.

Detroit Pistons - May suffer from the Saunders karma. Remains a title contender as long as the four musketeers are still there (Chauncey Billups, Rich Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince).

Indiana Pacers - It is a rebuilding year for Larry Bird's boys. Vets Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy must step up or they may be shipped out. Head coach Jim O'Brien must be more assertive.

Milwaukee Bucks - Yi is gone and enter RJ24. Offense will never be a problem as long as Michael Redd is a Buck. New guru Scott Skiles brings discipline and defense to the brew city and possibly a post-season appearance.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Atlanta Hawks - The revelation of the 2008 play-offs are back! Will continue their development and may play deep into the 2009 play-offs.

Charlotte Bobcats - This will definitely be Larry Brown's last stop as head coach. Needs a healthy Adam Morrison and Gerald Wallace to qualify for the play-offs.

Miami Heat - The official start of the post-Riley/Shaq era. Badly needs a healthy Dwyane Wade to bring back the lost glory. Fil-am head coach Erik Spoelstra is in for a rough season debut.

Orlando Magic - Remains a dangerous team in the regular season and a faltering squad in the play-offs. Needs a good back-up center for Dwight Howard and more playing time for guard J.J. Redick. In urgent need of a locker room voice.

Washington Wizards - Obviously, where Gilbert Arena goes, so goes the team. Another major injury to Arenas will crash any hope for a bright season.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Dallas Mavericks - Finally free from Avery's dictatorship will bring new enthusiasm to the team. New head coach Rick Carlisle is a player's coach and this will only make Dirk Nowitzki more fired up and deadly as ever. Will definitely go deep into the post-season.

Houston Rockets - From a "2-headed monster" in T-Mac/Yao Ming to a "3-headed mean machine" with Ron Artest's arrival. An injury-free season to its main men is the key for T-Mac to finally win a play-off series.

Memphis Grizzlies - Still a middle of the pack team. The fans in Elvis town are excited with the arrival of top notch newbies in O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol. Main weakness is the coaching staff.

New Orleans Hornets - From an upcoming team to a title contender. Great off-season pickup in former Celtic sixth-man Jason Posey. An encore awaits them in the conference finals.

San Antonio Spurs - As good as ever. No need to elaborate, just watch them in May and June 2009.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Denver Nuggets - The duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony will continue to pack-in the crowd but the absence of a legitimate center remains the biggest block to a succesful season for the mile-high city outfit.

Minnesota Timberwolves - This is the breakout year for Al Jefferson. But still a bleak season awaits the Wolves. Must make a major move to upgrade the team in the post-Garnett era. A longshot to make the play-offs.

Oklahoma City Thunder - A new city, a new team but still the same old faces. The former Sonics are in for a massive initiation. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green remains the anchor of this young squad.

Portland Trailblazers - The rain city diehards are praying to the basketball gods to spare Greg Oden from further harm. With a healthy Oden and a very promising young guns in Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Jerryd Bayless, the team looks like a legitimate play-off squad.

Utah Jazz - Defense alone can not win ballgames. The team looks forward to more firepower from AK47. Olympic gold medalists Carlos Boozer and Deron Willams represents the new version of the "Malone-Stockton" duo.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Golden State Warriors - Still reeling from the defection of Baron Davis. Ronny Turiaf and Cory Maggette are good additions but must hurdle obstacles without injured whiz guard Monta Ellis early in the season. A team that is still fun to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers - Great to analyze, the acqusition of Baron Davis and Marcus Camby vs. the departure of Elton Brand and Cory Maggette. Still lot of loopholes that need to be patched up on other spots. Will still fall short of making the play-offs.

Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe's patience is running out and Paul Gasol remains soft. Plus factor is the return of promising slotman Andrew Bynum. Looks like Phil Jackson will have more sleepless nights ahead.

Phoenix Suns - Start of a new era. 2-time MVP Steve Nash badly wants an NBA title. Still suffering from the Shaq-Marion trade. Hiring of Terry Porter as head coach is another drawback.

Sacramento Kings - Run, run and run. That's the only thing Reggie Theus knew. Pity the careers of young but promising Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin. It is clearly written in the wall, another cellar finish for the once-pround franchise.

JB CARROLL & RALPH SAMPSON: TOP PICKS THAT DID NOT REACHED THE TOP

The story of these two players had a lot in common. Both were former number one picks over-all in the NBA draft. Both were college standouts in the US NCAA and both stands seven feet and above. Both were traded for each other during their NBA stints. But alas, both did not reached the full stardom in their respective NBA careers. Until now, both Ralph Sampson and Joe Barry Carroll remains an enigma to those cage pundits, who followed their basketball playing careers.

Sampson, 7'4", was hailed as the next Kareem Abdul Jabbar when he played four years of college hoops for the University of Virginia Cavaliers. He was a 3-time college player of the year awardee and became one of only 98 players to compile 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in US college basketball history. He was drafted the top pick over-all in the 1983 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets and played nine years in the league.

Sampson belongs to a rare breed of seven footers. He dribbles like a point guard and runs the floor very well. But despite all the media hype and excitement of his first NBA season, the Rockets slumped to a disappointing 29-53 record. Sampson averaged 21.0 ppg and 11.1 rpg to win the Rookie of the Year award. He was also selected to the 1984 NBA all-star game. He was selected anew in the 1985 all-star game and won MVP honors as he poured in 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to power the West squad to victory. Upon Hakeem Olajuwon's entry into the Rockets line-up during the 1984-85 season, the "twin towers" were finally born. Olajuwon, who stands seven feet tall and Sampson eventually led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA finals but fell in six games to the Boston Celtics.

Various injuries led to Sampson's trade during the 1986-87 season to the Golden State Warriors, who in return gave away Carroll and Eric "Sleepy" Floyd to the Rockets. That trade started Sampson's career downtrend as he never regained his old form. He never averaged in double figures in scoring and rebounds since then. Sampson later played for the Sacramento Kings and Washington Bullets but clearly, he had become just a marginal player. He closed out his career in Europe where he played 8 games for Spanish club Unicaja Ronda in 1992.

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Carroll was one of my favorite NBA players during the 1980s. He is a 7'1" center out of Purdue University, where he holds the school's all-time record in career rebounds with 1,148 caroms. I can still vividly remember an article from a Sports Illustrated issue in 1979, which described Carroll as team USA's answer to the then USSR feared slotman, 7'4" behemoth Vladimir Tkatchenko. But their dream match-up did not materialized in the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to US boycott of the games brought about by the Soviets invasion of Afghanistan.

Before the 1980 NBA rookie draft took place, the Boston Celtics traded their No. 1 and 13 picks in the first round to the Golden State Warriors for Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick. The Warriors then selected Carroll as the top pick and tabbed Mississippi State power forward Rickey Brown with the 13th pick. The Celtics on the other hand drafted Minnesota forward Kevin McHale at No. 3. That trade will go down in history as the thing that made it happen for the Celtics as both Parish and McHale became the vital cogs of their three championships during the decade.

There were 3 celebrated rookies in the Warriors' line-up during the 1980-81 season, which were led by veteran acquisitions Bernard King and World Free. Aside from Carroll and Brown, the bay city outfit also drafted rebounding demon Larry Smith out of Alcorn State. Carroll had an outstanding season as a rookie, wherein he averaged 18.9 ppg and 9.3 rpg. The Warriors barely missed the play-offs during that season as they finished with a 39-43 card no thanks to the team's unexpected tailspin in their last 5 regular season games. Carroll enjoyed his best NBA season during the 1983-84 campaign when he submitted norms of 24.1 ppg and 8.7 rpg. He was branded as a reluctant center during his Warrior days because of his moody attitude and before the 1984-85 season, he suddenly bolted out the Warriors camp to sign with Italian team Simac Milano, which he later led to the league title. He came back to the team just before the 1985-86 season began and averaged an identical 21.2 points in 1985-86 and '86-87 seasons. He was also selected to the 1987 NBA all-star game.

Carroll's tenure with the Warriors ended in December 1987, when he was traded along with Floyd to the Houston Rockets for Sampson. He later played for other clubs such as the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. He ended his NBA career in 1991 with career totals of 12,455 points and 5,404 rebounds.

Both Sampson and Carroll were prime examples of college hoop superstars who did not live up to the expectation of sterling pro basketball careers.

INSPIRING STORY: THE 1975 NBA CHAMPIONS WARRIORS

It was the year which opened my eyes to NBA basketball. They were my first and last favorite team, the bay area outfit, the unlikely NBA champions of the 1974-75 season, the Golden State Warriors. The team was led by the legendary Rick Barry, who is in the history books as the only player to lead the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring. In short, Barry was the "heart and soul" of coach Al Attles' overachieving squad. The team featured a not-so-impressive roster during that year with players like the late Phil Smith, then rookie Keith (later Jamaal) Wilkes, Butch Beard and a gangling slotman in Clifford Ray.

It was a "Cinderella finish" for the Warriors, which Attles later quipped "I guess no one took us seriously". Barry was angered by the team's lack of respect from the media despite winning the NBA title, "Sports Illustrated wouldn't even do a cover story on us". But still, the bottom line is they won the diadem and they shocked the basketball world.

It was truly a "magical mystery tour" for the Warriors as they qualified for that year's play-offs. They beat the Seattle Supersonics in the early round, in 6 pulsating games. The Sonic fans were badly disappointed by the play-off loss to the upstart Warriors, as in the end of game six, they harassed Barry and Beard and tried to instigate a fight. In the Western Conference finals, they were pitted against a powerful Chicago Bulls squad led by superstars Bob Love and Chet Walker. Nobody gave a china man's chance for the Warriors to win the series. But alas, they eliminated the Bulls in seven gruelling games. Tremendous air-tight, man-to-man defense made things possible for the Warriors. They held the Bulls scoreless in the last seven minutes of the deciding game. The Warriors are now in the finals, their first since the 1967 championship year.

The Warriors entered the best-of-seven finale as heavy underdogs against the KC Jones mentored Washington Bullets. The Bullets roster is a like a who's who in pro hoops as they paraded future Hall of Famers Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld and backstopped by the likes of Phil Chenier, Bobby Dandridge and Kevin Porter. On paper, there is no way the powerhose Bullets will blew this championship series. But no one can never ever under estimate the big heart of the Warriors. On May 25, 1975, the Golden State Warriors edged the Washington Bullets, 96-95 and swept the series in 4 games and the rest is history.

OFF-SEASON NOTES: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

The United States are back on top of the world! The NBA-powered Team USA lived up to its hype and expectations of basketball pundits throughout the planet as they swept the Beijing Olympiad cage meet by a whopping winning margin average of 27.87 per game in 8 outings. Spain gave the americans some anxious moments in the championship game but in the end, Team USA won't be denied of their place in history and how sweet it is to reclaim the supremacy back in the quadrennial meet.

It was reported that at least 6 players from the current team will be automatic shoo-ins for the 2012 Olympiad in London and based on their respective ages, its gonna be LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Derron Williams and Kobe Bryant. Bryant will be 33 then and with his discipline, I honestly believe he still has the game to make the London cut. Count on 2008 ROY awardee Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City squad and 2007 over-all top draftee Greg Oden of the Portland Trail Blazers (assuming he is finally injury-free) as the other sure shots to make the team. Next stop for Team USA: the 2010 World Championship!

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The coming campaign of the Golden State Warriors took a big blow as ace point guard Monta Ellis suffered a severe ankle sprain which required surgey and will be out for 3 months. That means Ellis will only be ready to suit-up on the first week of December and will miss the opening month of the 2008-09 NBA season. Ellis injured his ankle in an off-season workout. Expected to replace Ellis during the said period will be new acquisition Marcus Williams and probably former LA Clipper Saun Livingston, who is scheduled for a workout with the Warriors coaching staff anytime now.

By the way, the Warriors are scheduled to play 2 pre-season games in China on October 15 an 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the 2008 NBA China games. Guangzhou will host the October 15 game at the 13,000 seat Guangzhou gymnasium, while action shifts to Beijing on October 18 at the 17,173 seat Olympic basketball arena.

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Not-so-good news hug the NBA limelight lately. First is the untimely death of former Portland Trail Blazer center Kevin Duckworth last Monday, August 25, due to congestive heart disease. Duckworth can be remembered as the Blazer's starting slotman during the 1990 finals against the Detroit Pistons and the 1992 championship series with the Chicago Bulls. Duckworth was 44 years old.

Next is Wayman Tisdale, who had his right leg amputated due to bone cancer. Tisdale, 44, played for the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings in the 1980s and 90s. He is also an award-winning jazz artist.

EUROPE NEW HAVEN FOR PRO BASKETBALL?

The NBA is widely known as the best cage league in the universe and it is where the big money is. Almost every kid, not only in the United States but in every part of the globe as well, keeps on dreaming of the day he lands in the NBA . But that was before.

Who would ever imagine of an exodus of current NBA players to various European pro leagues in the prime of their careers. It is mind-boggling, but in reality, teams from the Euro circuit can equal if not surpass the NBA money jar. So far, this summer had seen 9 NBA players joining various euro teams for the coming 2008-09 season. These are Josh Childress (Olympiakos-Greece), Carlos Arroyo (Maccabi Tel-Aviv-Israel), Earl Boykins (Virtus Bologna-Italy), Nenad Krstic (Triumph Moscow-Russia), Juan Carlos Navarro (FC Barcelona-Spain), Bostjan Nachbar (Dynamo Moscow-Russia), Carlos Delfino (BC Khimki-Russia), Jorge Garbarosa (BC Khimki-Russia) and Primoz Brezec (Virtus Roma-Italy).

And if reports are true, the said movements are just the tip of the iceberg, as a club from Greece is ready to tender an "out-of-this-Universe" offer sheet for Cleveland Cavaliers franchise man LeBron James when he becomes a free-agent by 2010. Whew! These European teams are for real and NBA commish David Stern might be thinking now of fast-tracking the implementation of an NBA European franchise.