The Castro Replacements

One of the more distressing pieces of news to hit Philippine basketball lately is the decision by legendary point guard Jayson Castro to skip this years FIBA World Cup in China.

Castro has been instrumental to the rise of Gilas in international basketball and has twice been hailed as the best point guard in Asia.

Now, this question begs to be asked: who should be included in the Gilas pool as possible replacements for Castro?

Here are five options:

Mark Barroca. Barroca has proven himself as probably the best two-way point guard we have, not just in the All-Filipino Cup but even during his most recent Gilas stint. While his outside shooting is still not as good as you would expect from an elite guard, it's good enough for him to be dangerous. His defense though, puts him in an entirely different category, with only his Purefoods backup, Jio Jalalon, and Ginebra spitfire, Scottie Thompson, coming close.

The Calvin Abueva Suspension: Justified Or Not?

Ninety thousand pesos in total lost to fines. Suspended indefinitely from playing in the PBA. A reputation in tatters. Who knew that all these things would happen to Calvin Abueva in a span of one week?

Let's rewind back a little.

It's was obvious from the third minute, when a total of three players and the Phoenix head coach were all sent to the dugout, that it was going to be a contentious ballgame.

Calvin Abueva was at the heart of that scuffle too, when he pushed one of the Semerad twins away from Rob Dozier, triggering a near free-for-all that escalated when Phoenix head coach Louis Alas pushed David Semerad on the chest and Semerad flopped like crazy to draw a disqualifying foul on the coach.

Of Game Sevens and Conference Finalists

The NBA should immortalize this day, as a pair of Game 7s showed exactly why this game is so magnificent. On one end, the Portland Trailblazers upened the second-seeded Denver Nuggets 100-96 to earn the right to face the Golden State Warriors.

On the other end, the Toronto Raptors proved they finally have championship mettle, as Kawhi Leonard hit the NBA's first ever Game 7 buzzer beater to propel his team past the Philadelphia 76ers, 92-90.

Here are three thoughts as we enter the Conference Finals:

KAWHI IS A BONAFIDE SUPERSTAR. He certainly made me eat major crow, after I basically pronounced that he wasn't that big an upgrade over DeMar Derozan. But he has certainly upped his game and had me mesmerized almost the entire Game 7. The man is relentless and may be, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, among the most complete players we have in the league so far. That being said, Milwaukee still has Giannis Antetokoounmpo (and Khriss Middleton, Eric Bledoe, Brook Lopez etc...) so I do still favor the Bucks. But it's going to be a dogfight (and maybe even another series that goes to a Game 7) and I give them a 49.99% chance of winning it.

The NBA 2019 Playoff: Of Parity and Evolution

So, as we enter the third week of the playoffs, we're starting to realize just how much parity there is among the top 8 teams in the league.

Here are three thoughts:

PARITY IS KEY - The 1-seeds in both conferences "only" have a 2-1 lead over the 4th seeds. Both 3-seeds have 2-1 leads over the second seed. While most have the Warriors winning the championship this year, what we should realize is that the road has become harder than ever...with at least 3 teams (Houston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia) having realistic chances of defeating the Warriors.

Eastern Conference Playoffs: One Week In

As expected, the Beasts of the East have prevailed over their less illustrious brethren and are now ready to move onto the next round. Here are the things that surprised and didn't surprise us.

SURPRISING:
FIRST GAME UPSETS. No one really saw the Magic winning over the Raptors or the Nets winning over the Sixers in the first game. But it was really more the case of the higher seeds acclimatizing to the playoff atmosphere while the lower seeds went for the haymakers from the get-go. Of course, soon the NBA universe righted itself and the Raptors and Sixers won the next four games.

THE BOSTON SWEEP. The only matchup that truly seemed compettitive was also one that went via sweep. Boston leveraged on their playoff experience to bully their way into the next round, pounding the relatively less inexperienced Pacers into submission.

Four Games, Three Upsets

It's certainly looking like the the NBA Playoffs will be exciting and unpredictable, as we saw three clear upsets right at the very first day.

The second seeded Toronto Raptors led by two points with less than a minute left but still succumbed to the surprising Orlando Magic, 104-101. Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam had their usual effective games but got nothing from All-Star Kyle Lowry (0-7). The Magic's big guns (Vucevic, Gordon) had okay games but came out on top because of the unheralded DJ Augustine, who topscored with 25 points on an efficient 9-13 clip.

NBA Western Conference Playoff: Thoughts and Predictions

It's the NBA playoffs and here are some of my thoughts on the Western Conference.

(1) Warriors vs (8) Clippers - Warriors win, 4-2

The unexpected rise of the LA Clippers has been one of the more compelling and mind-boggling stories of the NBA this year. How exactly does a team who loses their acknowledged superstars in consecutive years (first Chris Paul, followed by Blake Griffin, then DeAndre Jordan, and finally, Tobias Harris) manage to not only make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference but also cement their reputation as the team no one wants to face in the first round? Well, excellent coaching, defined roles, and skilled players would be the answer you'd be looking for. Still, the Golden State Warriors have more than enough to beat the Clippers, but not before the Clips make them sweat buckets.

Matchup to watch out: Pat Beverley vs Steph Curry. The NBA's peskiest defender versus one of game's best shooter ever.  

NBA Eastern Conference Playoff: Thoughts and Predictions

It's the NBA playoffs and here are some thoughts before we start with our do-or-die games.

Eastern Conference

(1) Bucks vs (8) Pistons - Bucks win, 4-1

The Bucks are the scariest team in the league. Yes, scarier than the Warriors, the Rockets, and the Sixers. And that's because they not only have the current best player in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, but also stud players like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez, with starter-quality role players in Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell, and Nikola Mirotic ready to contribute. The Pistons, on the other hand, are of the Eastern team favorites who underperformed in the regular season. There were modest expectations of this team, considering their roster, and they barely lived up to it. As things get tougher in the playoffs, there is no indication that they will suddenly find that higher gear they need to move up.

Matchup to watch out for: Giannis Antetokuonmpo vs Blake Griffin. The best players of each team will need to be even better. The Greek Freak should have no trouble stepping up while Griffin needs to fire up on all cylinders to give the Pistons a fighting chance.