Mark Caguioa finally wins his first MVP award.

Ginebra fan art

Tension is gone. Heated debates are over. Finally, the Most Valuable Player award goes to our idol, Mark "The Spark" Caguioa. And I really like it when my previous blog post sounded like a prophetic gesture for the whole barangay. (Ginebra's consolation prize: Mark Caguioa Govs' Cup BPC and MVP award)

11 years in the making and I can't believe it up until now. Pero nung nakita kong bihis nang todo si Mark, parang naramdaman ko na. At long last, we can call him MVP without any trace of doubt. I can't imagine how fans will chant "M-V-P" when Caguioa steps into the free throw line as Ginebra plays again in the season opener of the PBA.

You know what? I thought the Jaworski jersey retirement helped a lot, especially when we all saw the passing-of-the-torch-bro-fist between the two Ginebra icons. With that, Caguioa got a lot of attention from the players, fans and media that propelled Mark to win his Govs' Cup BPC which paved the way to his first MVP award.

But the main reason why Mark Caguioa won is his maturity. MC47 played consistent basketball all through out the season and he transformed himself into a great Ginebra leader. Remember when Mark Caguioa was sidelined for one year (2008-2009)? People thought that was the end and he won't be the same anymore even if he comes back. Pero nakabalik sya, with flying colors pa. That was the game changer for Mark. He changed his approach on how he handles basketball, people and life as a whole.

He could've won it before, but God knows better. And he needed those obstacles in his career for him to realize that he's got to change his outlook in life. Now he's our MVP, no one can take that away from him.

One thing a basketball player must learn is to put everything on the court and don't think about filling the stats sheet. Mark Caguioa did that. And he got the reward his fans have long been waiting for.

Long overdue. Well deserved. For Ginebra fans, we want more! A championship or another mvp award will do. Hindi ako demanding.

I'm hearing some news MC47 will create a twitter account to thank his fans. That would create history for sure, he got more than a million votes in the PBA Online poll, what more in the twitter universe? Ginebra fans dominate in every category!

Season MVP Caguioa is King of the world

Source: SPIN.ph

PBA 37th season MVP Mark Caguioa

IT took Mark Caguioa 11 years to savor this moment, but the wait is definitely worth it.

The 32-year old Ginebra shooting guard distinguished himself as the best of the season when he romped away with the MVP award on Sunday during the PBA Annual Leo Awards at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

`The Spark’ totaled 2,399 points to win the league’s highest individual award for the first time in his colorful pro career spanning for more than a decade. The hotshot guard out of Glendale Community College bested a talented and well-deserving field that included Gary David (Powerade),  two-time MVP James Yap (B-Meg) and Arwind Santos (Petron).

The Ginebra franchise player became the seventh former Rookie of the Year to romp off with the MVP award after Ricky Brown, Allan Caidic, Benjie Paras, Danny Ildefonso, Jimmy Alapag, and Kelly Williams. He won Rookie of the Year in 2001, the season when he emerged just the No. 3 pick overall in the Draft behind Willie Miller and Mike Hrabak.

“It’s very humbling and a great experience for me to receive this trophy. Ibang klase talaga, ” said Caguioa, splendid in his black chaleco over stripped, blue long sleeve polo and black pants.

Caguioa became the third Ginebra player to win the MVP trophy after Eric Menk (2004-05) and JayJay Helterbrand (2008-09).  His partnership with Helterbrand, the Kings’ version of `The Fast and The Furious,’ also produced the league’s first-ever backcourt MVP tandem on the same team.

 Winner of back-to-back Best Player of the Conference awards (Commissioner’s and Governors Cup), the popular Ginebra player was last in the statistical points standings (SPS) among the four contenders with 924 points, but made up for it by topping the media votes (978), players’ votes (197), and votes from the PBA Office (300).

Caguioa won it without leading the Kings to any of the three conference finals -- the first player to do so.

“Yun nga ang masakit. Kasi this individual award is just for me. Like I said before, if you go to the finals, you win a championship with your team. And that’s what I try to build on,” he added.

David finished second in one of the most tightly-fought MVP races in league history with 1,891 points. The Powerade stalwart topped the statistics with 1,114, finished second in media votes (595) but lost badly among the players (132) and PBA Office (50).

`El Granada’ positioned himself for the MVP award behind a remarkable showing in the Philippine Cup, which saw him steer the Tigers to a stunning Finals appearance, and went away with the Best Player of the Conference crown.

Yap made a late run for a third MVP trophy following back-to-back Finals stint by the Llamados in the Commissioners (champion) and Governors Cup. `Big Game James’ came in third with 1,417 points and was second in players’ votes (153) and votes by the PBA Office (150).

Santos brought up the rear with 1,087 points.

Caguioa, David, Yap, and Santos comprised the Mythical First Team, together with Ranidel de Ocampo (Talk `N Text), while Rookie of the Year (ROY) Paul Lee (Rain or Shine) was included in the Second Team along with the Talk `N Text pair of Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams, Alaska’s Sonny Thoss, and Lee’s teammate Jeff Chan, also the winner of the Most Improved Player award.

Lee bested JV Casio for the ROY trophy with 2,585 points. The Powerade point guard on the one hand only had 1,711 points, but consoled himself by beating Peter June Simon for the Sportsmanship award, 2,597-2,316.  

Chan (4,756) made it a double celebration for the Elasto Painters by emerging as runaway winner of the Most Improved Player award over Josh Urbiztondo (339).  

Santos led the All-Defensive Team together with Marc Pingris (B-Meg), Doug Kramer (Barako), Jireh Ibanes (Rain or Shine), and Ryan Reyes (Talk `N Text).

Powerade contract a potential deal-breaker as Bo waits in wings

Source: SPIN.ph

Powerade Tigers head coach Bo Perasol

AMONG the thousands who tropped to the MOA Arena on Saturday for the first Ateneo-La Salle match of the season was Bo Perasol, who inconspicuously watched the action from the sidelines.

Or, perhaps more appropriately, Perasol was waiting in the wings.

The man tipped to replace Norman Black next season as coach of the Ateneo Eagles marvelled at the athmosphere inside the brand-new arena, insisting he was no more than a fan watching one of the biggest games on the basketball calendar.

Perasol, however, also admitted that he has been contacted by Ateneo sports officials about the job and that he is very much interested in the offer.

"They showed interest in getting me as head coach next year but there is no final decision yet, especially since I'm still with Powerade [and] my contract will be until next year," he said.

His Powerade contract is a potential 'deal-breaker.'

His five-year deal with the PBA team will end at around the same time the UAAP's 2013 season will begin, but the future of the Coca-Cola franchise is very much uncertain.

Powerade officials have been mum on their plans for the team amid talks that sportsman Mikee Romero is more than willing to buy the franchise.

If the deal pushes through and Romero acquires the franchise lock, stock and barrel, Perasol may find himself tied down to a contract with new owners when the Ateneo coaching job becomes vacant.

Minus the contract hassles, Perasol said it would be an honor to coach Ateneo.

"If given the chance and there will be no contract that I will breach, I'm more than happy to be their coach. It will be my honor. But as of now, wala pa talaga," said the former UP Maroon.

"After my contract with Powerade and if there won't be any problems, I'll get into the details and we'll take it from there," he added.

For Cone, it's win Game Five at all cost

Source: SPIN.ph

B-MEG Llamados head coach Tim Cone

TIM CONE, the outspoken B-Meg coach, is not lost for any words even now that the Llamados are on the verge of a complete collapse against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in their PBA Governors Cup Finals.

“I’m full of clichés if you wanna hear now, `it takes four to win’, 'it’s not over until it’s over.’ You can hear all those if you want,” said Cone trying to find solace in the aftermath of B-Meg’s 89-94 loss in Sunday’s Game Four at the Araneta Coliseum.

“But the bottom line is, we got to go out and win Game Five.”

Losing for the second-straight game in the Finals, the Llamados now find themselves staring at a 1-3 deficit -- a hole just three teams in the 37-year history of the PBA were able to dig themselves out, although only the legendary 1991 Ginebra squad managed to do the feat in a championship series.

Although the pressure is obviously on the side of the Llamados, Cone said all they have to think of right now is to win Game Five on Wednesday and nothing more than that.

He added they should not even think ahead about the tough task of winning the last three games of the series to salvage their second straight championship this season.

“We don’t worry about that (winning three in a row). It’s not part of our psyche at the moment,” Cone said.

“I think we got to put some pressure on them. Right now, they’re playing pressure-free. They’ve got a future after Game Five, us we don’t.”

For someone who’s been in the league for 23 years now and in his 25th Finals appearance, the American mentor is not at all surprise seeing his fancied team down at this point in the series against a Rain or Shine side playing in its first ever championship stint.

“You never get surprise or shock in a series I’ve got swept in the Finals before,” Cone said.

“I’m certainly disappointed that we’re down. I would like to think that we should have been up in the series, 3-1.”

For me and the barangay, Mark Caguioa is our MVP.

You still remeber this Ginebra fans?

First of all, I could've stayed silent about this. But I can't bear all the things said about Mark Caguioa. I've followed his career all through out. And I'm a die hard fan. For the Ginebra faithfuls, this is for you. I'm not the best writer out there, but who cares if you want your idol to win the highest individual honor a player can achieve? 

I'm pretty sure everyone in the barangay cheers for MC47 to win the MVP. His chances become even stronger after winning the Govs' Cup BPC Award. So why should the 4th leading contender win the award? Is it really about stats? If that's the basis, then Kobe Bryant (who is also my idol) could've won 10 MVPs right now. But he's got ONE. Does the same apply to the PBA? Hell YES. It's the same. In fact, PBA mimicked the NBA. Look at the name. It says all. 

Mark Caguioa is my MVP. And it will never change. Call me bias, because I really am. For the barangay, he's the second coming of Robert Jaworski, who by the way won his MVP at age 32. Isn't it fitting? MC47 put everything on the court. And just like what he said on Sunday, "you don't have to ask for it, but you need to work for it." That's what he did. He's not aspiring for any individual awards. I understand. But for your fans, we're salivating!

Mark Caguioa is my MVP. Wait, did I write that statement already? Yes. Well in fact I wrote and said that last year. The other year. And the other other year. I'm calling it highway robbery, boxing style. For all the things he's done, like "setting the league on fire" for a decade now, he's never been rewarded an MVP award. Media doesn't love him, they say. But after I saw the voting tally for the BPC race, where he got 34 first place votes out of 35, I think they also knew it's time. I just don't know if Mark will get the same in the MVP race. 

And for the Gary David fans, we understand your reasons. Everyone is entitled to your own opinion. I just think we got the better chance because of better team standings and the fact Mark won back to back BPCs, 2 out of 3 in the season. 

Don't forget, Gary David exploded only this year although I thought he was also robbed of the multiple all star appearances because of his team's lack of popularity. I also thought he caught everyone by surprise (but I know he's a gifted and natural scorer). Let's be honest. Before, he was not defended like a superstar. Does the same apply to Caguioa? NO. Every team scouts him. And since day one, teams got their defensive game plans focused on him. I hope everyone gets my point. 

Caguioa did not have the best season of his career stats wise but he played the most consistent basketball I've ever seen him play together with his more developed on court IQ and leadership. 

We don't care what the haters say. Because for me and the barangay, Mark Caguioa is our MVP. 

Team USA defies catchy description

Source: ESPN

Pau Gasol of Spain goes against Kevin Durant of Team USA.

It's not a Dream Team or a Redeem Team or a team that lends itself to any sort of easy, catchy moniker. No one knows quite what to call the 2012 edition of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball squad.

How would you describe a traveling band of NBA All-Stars that's missing several key players due to injury, carrying only one veteran center alongside its three elite point guards and possessing so much speed and athleticism that all those holes on the roster might not even matter?

"Extremely atypical," Spain coach Sergio Scariolo volunteered late Tuesday night.

Perhaps realizing that he'll win no marketing prizes with that submission, he took another stab after Team USA overcame its various deficiencies to pummel Scariolo's Spain in its final pre-Olympic tuneup.

"Best team in the world," Scariolo said. "There is no question about that."

Not now. Not after Tuesday night's evidence at the famed Palau Sant Jordi. The sixth team of NBA pros to represent the United States at the Olympics might not have a ready nickname -- and might well be punished down the line if Tyson Chandler keeps finding foul trouble -- but the Americans will open play Sunday in Group A against France as the unquestioned tournament favorites after a 100-78 rout of their most feared international rivals.

There can be no other conclusion after Team USA, completing its five-day Spanish detour in tribute to the legacy of the original Dream Team that changed international basketball forever here 20 years ago, said farewell to the hallowed hardwood of Barcelona with Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James not only combining for 52 points but also taking credible turns at center in place of the whistle-prone Chandler.

Even with Spain clearly holding some of its best back for a potential rematch in the Olympic medal round -- and even if you buy the notion that the Spaniards are laying it on thick to try to make the Americans feel extra good about themselves as they all head to London for the start of the real deal this weekend -- there was no ignoring how swiftly and powerfully Team USA managed to floor the hosts after a worrisome start.

Speed solves a lot of problems, apparently.

"We have a lot of speed," says Team USA elder statesman Kobe Bryant. "A lot of speed.

"LeBron's 6-9, Carmelo's 6-9, [Kevin] Durant's 6-10. And we're fast. When you have that amount of speed, it makes up for it."

It being the size shortcomings -- most notably through the injury absences of Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh -- that had given Spain hope of finally breaking through against the Yanks after a string of near-misses that began in the 2008 gold-medal game in Beijing, where the Redeem Team saw its lead chopped to four points inside the final three minutes before pulling away at last.

Spain's hopes obviously weren't completely dashed Tuesday night, because Scariolo held out All-Star center Marc Gasol despite the fact that Gasol -- who's legitimately nursing an injured left shoulder -- looked pretty spry in pregame warmups. Star guard Juan Carlos Navarro (back) is ailing, too, but just having Gasol next time should allow Scariolo to back up his claim that Spain will be "more ready than tonight" if these teams are to meet again in London.

Yet it's equally conceivable that the speed Bryant referenced and the benefits it creates at both ends just demoralized the Spaniards in front of their home fans. Anthony and James, masquerading as centers, looked far more capable of hanging with Pau Gasol (19 points) and Serge Ibaka (who finished with just 16 after a 12-point eruption in the opening quarter) than the Spanish big men did trying to cope on the perimeter.

"Quite a bit," Gasol said when asked how much Team USA's athleticism offsets its size woes. "Their athleticism, their length, their quickness makes up for it pretty well. Interior players aren't used to being outside guarding people 20 feet away from the basket, so it's sort of a double-edged sword.

"They're loaded."

So loaded that Anthony, who drained five 3-pointers and scored 23 of his 27 points before halftime, is operating as Mike Krzyzewski's sixth man. So loaded that Durant could pop up after a quiet opening half with 10 crucial points in the third quarter. So loaded that Bryant took only three shots in 20 minutes and didn't mind, happily convinced he's just saving crunch-time fuel for when Krzyzewski might need it later.

"LeBron can play all five positions, but Carmelo can play three of them," Krzyzewski said. "He's as versatile a guy after LeBron that we have. … He's as good of a [talent] as we have on our team."

Said Team USA guard Chris Paul: "We're fortunate enough to have some of our forwards, like LeBron and Melo, who play bigger than they really are. We'll be OK."

Looks like it. The Yanks survived scares against Brazil and Argentina to finish their exhibition schedule at 5-0 with an average victory margin of 26.6 points, nudging their record in all games under Krzyzewski to a tidy 54-1. The greatest risk now figures to be tuning out the hype and managing team confidence after a performance that only enhanced USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo's claims over the weekend that this group, in addition to all of its international experience, is deeper and more athletic than the 2008 squad.

"We [just] played against two very tough teams in Argentina and Spain, so I think it made us a better team," Bryant said. "I think it showed us some things that we want to do differently, some things that we're doing right, and I think because of it we feel pretty good about our chances."

And if they continue to combine shot-making from the 3-point line with all the turnover-forcing defensive aggression triggered by their fast hands?

Just call 'em hard to guard.

"Dream Team was coined for one team only," Bryant said, offering zero nickname help.

Hornets sign Davis, Rivers to rookie contracts

Source: NBA Yahoo! Sports

New Orleans Hornets first-round draft choices Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers have signed their rookie contracts.

The moves, announced by the club Tuesday, are formalities for players chosen in the first round. The values of their rookie deals are outlined in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

As the first pick in this summer's draft, the 6-foot-11 Davis receives a three-year guaranteed contract worth a little more than $16 million, with just over $5 million paid in the first year.

Rivers, a 6-4 guard picked 10th overall, receives a three-year guaranteed deal worth nearly $5.9 million, with nearly $1.9 million paid during his rookie season.

The Hornets' second-round pick, 6-8 forward Darius Miller, still must negotiate his contract. Generally, contracts for second-round picks are not fully guaranteed.

Tight race for the PBA Governors' Cup BPC award.

       PBA 37th Season 

The Best Player of the Conference plum will be awarded on Wednesday before game 2 of the PBA Finals between B-MEG Llamados and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. 

These are the top 5 BPC contenders ranked according to average statistical points:

Gary David - Powerade 33.00

Mark Caguioa - Brgy.Ginebra 29.33

Marc Pingris - B-MEG 27.69
James Yap - B-MEG 26.13

Paul Lee - Rain or Shine 26.08

Statistical points comprise 40 percent of the criteria,  media votes for 30 percent, players' votes get 25 percent while the PBA commissioner’s office has a share 5 five percent. 

Gary David known as "El Granada" is leading the race in terms of ave.SPs. He is the best player in the conference stats wise (24.8ppg, 3.9prg, 2.3rpg) but it doesn't guarantee him a win since team standings are also taken into consideration. It is not a secret that superb individual stats should reflect on the team's success. He failed to carry his team in the PBA Playoffs which could be the reason why he will not win the award. That's the bitter reality for Powerade and Gary David fans. 

Meanwhile, Mark Caguioa is the front runner in the Govs' Cup BPC race. Caguioa has the best total SPs (449) among the other four and he played consistent basketball all throughout the conference by averaging 17.9 points per game. The whole PBA community saw how he played warrior basketball despite his eye injury and how he transformed as a Ginebra leader. His team got into the semi finals but failed to enter the finals after losing to the B-MEG Llamados in the knockout game. Critics can capitalize on that failure to enter the finals as a reason for him not being named as BPC.

B-MEG teammates Marc Pingris and 2-time MVP James Yap were not in the top 5 after the eliminations. But since then, these two stars played excellent basketball and gave their team back to back finals appearances. 

Pingris averaged an identical 9points, 9rebounds per game while Yap has 14.6ppg and 4.5rpg. James Yap was not in his usual self this conference, even him would admit that because he definitely played better in the past seasons and conferences. Meanwhile, Marc Pingris continues to do his role which sometimes can't be seen in the stats sheet. He's the best local defender out there, no doubt. But honestly, I don't think that's a BPC-type of performance. He can be the Defensive Player of the Year though. The legit advantage these two players have over David and Caguioa is their finals appearance. 

The last contender in the BPC race is Paul Lee. The rookie sensation from Tondo averaged 14.2ppg and 2.8rpg and 3.4apg. He also led Rain or Shine to the PBA Finals, first time of the franchise. I believe he can contribute more as a scorer if not for the team's system and structure. Coach Yeng Guiao gives equal chances and opportunities to his players. Nevertheless, he still has a shot to win it. But right now, I think he is the sure winner for the Rookie of the Year award.   

The Govs' Cup BPC Award is now in the hands of voters. 

What's your take? All we can do is wait and debate.

Eagles tame Bulldogs; Tams disarm Archers for solo lead

Source: The Philippine Star

Ateneo turned what was expected to be a showdown between title contenders into a one-sided affair, walloping National University, 89-65, to get back on track in the UAAP Season 75 men’s basketball tournament at the MOA Arena yesterday.

Learning their lessons from their 70-71 heartbreaker to University of Santo Tomas three days ago, the Blue Eagles played relentlessly for the whole 40 minutes, dominating the Bulldogs – one of their projected top rivals for a “five-peat” – from start to finish to win pulling away.

“The concentration the last two days is to keep focus for 40 minutes,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black, recalling that setback to UST where they squandered big leads.

“We played very well against UST for 20 minutes and then we relaxed in the second half and didn’t play very good defense or offense. But today, we were able to play a complete 40 minutes,” added Black, whose wards have beaten NU in all of their last nine meetings since 2008, seven of them by 20 points or more.

The Eagles improved to 2-1, good for a share of second with La Salle, behind still unbeaten Far Eastern U (2-0).

The Tamaraws leaned on a clutch jumper by Michael Tolomia in the last 46.7 seconds to outclass the short-handed Green Archers, 48-46, and wrest the solo lead.

Ateneo opened the game with 8-0 run and didn’t let up from there, enjoying as many as 27 points, 87-60, in the fourth quarter.

“We did nothing special, really, just recognizing NU’s key players (Bobby Ray) Parks, (Emmanuel) Mbe, and (Jeoff) Javillonar and try to stop them or at least slow them down,” Black said.

Parks finished with 22 points but fouled out for the first time in his UAAP career while Mbe had 14 and Javillonar only had one.

Nico Salva (21 points, five rebounds), Kiefer Ravena (17 markers, five assists) and Greg Slaughter (14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists) led the way for Ateneo.

“The loss to UST was a wakeup call for us. We should recognize our mistake and we spoke about it before this game. It’s all about playing defense, playing Ateneo basketball and sharing the ball,” said Salva.

Tolomia knocked in a jumper with 46.7 seconds left as the Tams picked up a second straight nail-biting win at the expense of the Archers (2-1) who played without guards L.A. Revilla (tenditinis) and Luigi dela Paz (coaches’ decision).

“I realized that (Jeron) Teng is their weakest defender so I gave the play to his man, Tolomia. They (La Salle) were also defending well against RR (Garcia) and Terrence (Romeo) so someone else should get the ball,” said FEU coach Bert Flores.

Given the go-signal to shoot against the rookie Teng, the  5-11 Tolomia launched a step-back jumper to hand the Tams a 48-46 cushion. After an exchange of unproductive offensives, La Salle got the last shot but Almond Vosotros’ trey from the top of the key bounced out as time expired.

Only Romeo managed to finish in double figures (10 points) in the low-scoring game that saw the Tams struggle with a 19 of 63 clip (30.2 percent) and the Archers with 15-of-54 (27.8 percent).

Tolomia and Anthony Hargrove added seven apiece for FEU, which followed up its come-from-behind 73-72 win over University of Santo Tomas on opening day with another nail-biter.

“We were a bit thrown off when Revilla didn’t play because our gameplan was focused on him, having been the one in control of La Salle’s previous games. We had to adjust without Revilla and also dela Paz,” said Flores.

The scores:

First Game 

FEU 48 – Romeo 10, Tolomia 7, Hargrove 7, Pogoy 6, Garcia 6, A. Bringas 5, Cruz 4, Belo 3, Mendoza 0, Escoto 0, M. Bringas 0.

DLSU 46 – Andrada 8, Vosotros 8, Mendoza 8, N. Torres 8, Teng 6, Tallo 4, Van Opstal 2, Tampus 2, T. Torres 0, Webb 0, Manguerra 0.

Quarterscores: 15-11, 23-26, 35-34, 48-46

Second Game

AdMU 89 – Salva 21, Ravena 17, Slaughter 14, Chua 12, Gonzaga 9, Tiongson 8, Elorde 3, Buenafe 3, Erram 2, Porter 0, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0.

NU 65 – Parks 22, Mbe 14, Villamor 10, Ignacio 6, Rono 5, De Guzman 2, Betayene 2, Alolino 2, Khobuntin 1, Javillonar 1, Rosario 0, Neypes 0, Labing-isa 0.

Quarterscores: 28-17, 55-34, 72-54, 89-65

Ronnie Nathanielsz tweets about Ginebra loss, coaching change looms.

Sports analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz, a die hard Ginebra fan, took his disappointment on twitter right after the Manila Clasico as the Gin Kings failed yet again to enter the PBA Finals. His tweets open up some rumors about the "Living Legend" Robert Jaworksi coming back as Ginebra head coach for the PBA 38th season. 

Should we really blame coach Siot Tanquincen for the loss? Or is Ginebra experiencing the same fate as Petron where there are too many good players vying for playing time? 

Let's dissect it even further. Recently acquired rookies Dylan Ababou and Allein Maliksi are supposed to provide youth and fire power for the Gin Kings together with forward Rico Maierhofer. But are they getting the right playing time? I haven't seen them being given plays in the offensive end. When was the last time they scored double digits? Remember when the España Express were making some buzz when they were still with the Barako Bull? I hated seeing them play against Ginebra before because they pose a real threat to the Gin Kings. I didn't see that when they joined Ginebra. Maybe, they're still adjusting. Maybe it's because of the guard-oriented import laden conference. Or maybe they didn't have Siot's trust. 

Will coach Sonny change that? It remains to be seen. 

Right now, Ababou, Maliksi and Maierhofer are dying for minutes. I don't know when will they get it. Siot has to satisfy everyone which is an extremely hard task to do. Ginebra's lineup has too many good players. I don't see it as a good problem though, just like Petron coach Ato Agustin had professed. 

Is it time? Again, it remains to be seen. 

Ginebra's consolation prize: Mark Caguioa Govs' Cup BPC and MVP award

Mark Caguioa fan art

Manila Clasico. For the last time in the PBA 37th season, Ginebra and BMEG battled it out for the last finals seat. And it did not disappoint. 14,068 fans witnessed Philippine basketball at its best. 

So much was on the line including Mark Caguioa's MVP chances. Fans screamed out of the top of their lungs until the very last second of the game. Even those watching on their tv sets felt the intensity inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Then PJ Simon made a game winning put back coming off a Blakely miss. Mark Caguioa was helpless. He and the Brgy. Ginebra Kings had a chance to either tie or win the ball game but...they fell short. It was a heart breaker..for Mark and his legions of fans. Then suddenly, I sensed the collective disappointment from the whole barangay.  

Stil, I strongly feel MC47 will win the Governors' Cup Best Player of the Conference Award. His semifinals averages are over the top except in those BMEG losses. Don't even mention Gary David. He played in beast mode but his team was completely forgotten in the Govs' Cup. Was it the Tigers? Even 2-time MVP James Yap would admit Mark Caguioa played better than him this conference. 

Now, if Caguioa wins the BPC award for the second time, which means back to back, he will definitely win the hardware his fans have long been waiting for..the PBA Most Valuable Player plum. 

For Ginebra fans, they deserve nothing less but a championship.

Maybe next season when the team will be known as Ginebra San Miguel. New jersey. New logo. New hope. Same never say die spirit.

But this time, a good consolation prize awaits us: Mark Caguioa's BPC and MVP award. 

Derrick Rose: Don't worry about me

Source: ESPN

Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose has stayed quiet since his season -- and the Chicago Bulls' title aspirations -- was cut short by a knee injury in the playoffs, but the 2010-11 MVP surfaced in a YouTube video posted Friday, telling fans not to worry about him.

Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Bulls' first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 28. He had surgery on May 12, and has kept a low profile since."Hopefully you'll see me back out there," Rose said in the video. "My biggest concern is don't worry about me. I know I'm going to be all right. I know that I'm healthy, I'm positive, I believe in God, so I should be back there on the court soon, and I hope that you support not only me but the Bulls."

Doctors expect Rose to need eight to 12 months to recover from the surgery. Rose's brother and manager Reggie Rose told ESPNChicago last week that Rose is walking without a brace, and his rehab is ahead of schedule.

Dr. Brian Cole, who performed the surgery on Rose, also said last month that Rose was ahead of schedule.

Kentucky coach John Calipari liked what he heard from Rose when he spoke to him earlier this summer. Calipari, Rose's former coach at Memphis and still a confidant of the Bulls star, told ESPN 1000's "The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show" last week that Rose is determined to be better than he was before the injury.

"He looked at the whole thing in a bigger picture and basically said, 'You know this may have been a message to me to slow down and to really look at what's going on around me and to step back,' " Calipari said. " 'He said, 'I think God was telling me things are coming at you too fast.' And he said, 'Coach I'm gonna come back (and) wait until you see my body when I come back.' And he said, 'I'm going to be better than I was before I got hurt.' And if you know him, you understand when he gets on a mission that way, he's going."

The Bulls team Rose returns to will have plenty of new faces staring back at him. The Bulls cut ties with guard C.J. Watson and swingman Ronnie Brewer, traded sharpshooter Kyle Korver and appear to be on the verge of losing guard John Lucas III, who is reportedly closing in on a deal with the Toronto Raptors. They also have a decision to make on centerOmer Asik, who agreed to an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets. The Bulls will have three days to match the offer once it's signed by Asik.

The Bulls agreed to a deal with guard Kirk Hinrich, a move the team has yet to announce, giving them a veteran to hold down the point for Rose while he's out. They also drafted Kentucky point guard Marquis Teague in the first round and signed former Atlanta Hawks forward Vladimir Radmanovic.

Rose thanked fans for their support in the video.

"I know I haven't been out there, but I appreciate you all watching this video," Rose said.

NBA approves new look of uniform, three new instant replays

Source: Associated Press

The NBA Board of Governors approved a new look for uniforms and a couple of changes in the use of video replay, commissioner David Stern announced Thursday night.

Stern met with the media after the Board of Governors held their annual summer meeting, and said the league is looking to add possibly $100 million in revenue by permitting small advertising patches on uniforms starting in the 2013-14 season.

"The view is that the teams would need a significant time; one, to sell the patch; and number two, for adidas to manufacture the uniforms, because the patch that would be on the players' uniforms would also appear on the jerseys at retail," said deputy commissioner Adam Silver, who is handling the uniform change.

Silver said there are revenue projections from European soccer teams the NBA could use.

The competition committee altered a few rule changes with respect to the use of video replay, primarily in the final two minutes or overtime of games.

At any point in the game, officials can now check video replay on all flagrant fouls.

"So the call is flagrant foul and then you go the tape, and you decide whether it's a 1 or a 2, or in some rare instance, maybe even a common foul," Stern said.

Officials now can use video replay in the final two minutes of overtime to decide whether a defender was in or out of the restricted area around the basket on charge and blocking fouls. Replay also can be used for goaltending calls in the late stages of games as well.

In September, the competition committee will look at flopping and fouls away from the ball.

Stern said that under the collective bargaining agreement and the implementation of revenue sharing that profitable numbers are "optimistic."

He said the proposed sale of the Memphis Grizzlies is proceeding on pace and the league hopes to approve it in the next couple of months. The league approved the sale of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan's ownership interest in the Toronto Raptors to Bell Canada and Rogers Communications.

Stern said there are more positives with the league, including the successful Summer League held in Las Vegas.

"We had a happy group of owners," Stern said. "Our ratings are up 28 percent over the last decade, while television ratings are down around 30 percent the last decade. We are going to have our best year ever, both in gate and sponsorship this coming year."

I'm so sick of the Dwight Howard saga

Make up your mind Dwight. 

July 19, 2012. The whole Lakers community celebrate as we get a significant development regarding the Dwight Howard saga. Sources from various sites like NBA Yahoo! Sports and ESPN confirm that if DH12 gets traded to the Lakers, he will sign a long term deal with the Purple and Gold franchise. 

What's the fuss? It's because Howard, since the free agent market opened, insisted he will only sign with the Brooklyn Nets. And now, he softened his stance about the issue. 

July 20, 2012. A day passed by. The euphoria dies. Howard's agent David Lee says his client will test the free agent waters next season. 

Feels like we got fooled by the so called Superman. Or maybe we should blame those sources who easily become the most popular NBA figures this off season. Sources say, sources confirm, sources...fooled the Lakers nation. Or maybe Dwight Howard can't really decide where he's going. And now...I'm starting to laud LeBron James' "The Decision". 

First of all, Howard made all this stuff happen. He shouldn't have signed the opt-in clause given by the Magic. Now, he's being controlled by Magic GM Rob Hennigan because of that act. He could've easily made a "The Decision" Part 2. I would love to watch that and see how Magic fans burn his jersey on the streets. I would also like to know who plays the Dan Gilbert part. Yes, the Lakers community can accept that but not this one, feels like we're hanging on the balance. 

Right now, don't believe everything until you see Dwight Howard catches that sick lob pass thrown by Steve Nash. I know, we're all sick of it. 

Ginebra vs BMEG #ManilaClasico FanArt Museum - PBA fans are the best!

Source: Mico Halili

Ginebra vs BMEG #ManilaClasico FanArt Museum - PBA fans are the best!

Get amped for the Ginebra vs BMEG KO Game tonight with these incredible memes. Winner of tonight's game will face ROS in the Finals. Are you ready??? All credit goes to the creative fans who come up with these. Dope. All Dope.

PBA FanArtists, you guys are awesome!