The Wolves Not Holding on to the Whole Package

The Minnesota Timberwolves will not be holding on to O.J. Mayo for long. They are going to involve the player they had considered as a whole package to a blockbuster trade. The Wolves will be doing transaction with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Wolves have reached an agreement in principle with the Memphis Grizzlies that will send the draft rights to Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner to the Grizzlies in return for the draft rights to Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins.

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RJ is Going to the Bucks

Richard Jefferson traded to the Milwaukee Bucks?! Now this will surely create an impact to the New Jersey Nets. They are letting go of a superstar and getting Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian. This move will make the Nets stronger in the inside but how about the outside and penetration? Well, Vince Carter is still there but he needs help in running around the court and do the shots. We all know that they have traded another superstar during the season; Jason Kidd was sent to Dallas Mavericks making Devin Harris as the starting point guard.

The Bucks had acquired a great player. Letting go of Simmons and Yi will do less harm to their roster for they still have strong big man on the lineup. Charlie Villanueva and Andrew Bogut are still together. The bucks had another scorer in addition to star Michael Redd. The trade will surely shake Milwaukee. Watch out for those slams!

Chicago Bulls had chosen Derrick Rose!

The chosen one! Will he be a great one?

The Chicago Bulls had selected Derrick Rose, a 6-3, 190-pound point guard out of the University of Memphis, as the No.1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. This addition to the roster of the Bulls will eventually make them a fast team in the league. “In this league, point guards are really hard to find," Bulls EVP of Basketball Operations John Paxson said after making the pick. "He’s got a strength about him that most guards don’t have in this league at that position. He’s got a great burst and he’s very fast with the ball. I think he’s going to make other players better, and I think he’ll give us some leadership abilities as he goes on that we really need. For us, it was the right pick.”

Rose has a rare combination of speed, elite athleticism and poise at the point guard position and that helped him emerged as a candidate to be the NBA Draft's top pick.

On the other hand, the Miami Heat selected forward Michael Beasley with the second pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. The team will surley have an additional player in the inside who has strength, power and athleticism. This would also make the team strengthen their defensive plays.

USC guard OJ Mayo goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 3rd pick overall. The managers of the Wolves had already considered Mayo as the whole package and the fans will surely love him.

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Pacers and Raptors Agreed to a Trade Deal

As the clock ticks for the NBA Draft the Toronto Raptors and the Indiana Pacers had posted an agreement already. A trade between their players hoping to make their roster more efficient.

As I was about to setup my computer for work my teammate had fed me again a news about what's going on in the NBA. He is also an NBA fanatic, a great fan of the Boston Celtics. Man he cried when the Celtics won the championship, isn't that awesome? Hehehe! Well, he told me that the Pacers will be trading their star player Jermaine O'neal to the Raptors in exchange for T.J. Ford; so I immediately browse the internet to read more about the news. What I've known before is that Ford will be traded with Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns. Just some rumors though. Now I had the full detail of the agreed Pacers-Raptors trade. O'neal will go to the Raptors in exchange for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the No. 17 pick in Thursday's (Friday in Manila) NBA draft.

I am thinking why would the Pacers let go of their supposed to be franchise star player? Who are they going to pick for their No. 11 and No. 17 first round picks? Pacers will be another team of young and hopeful players. On the other hand, the Raptors will improve more defensively and on their low-posts. O'neal and Chris Bosh on the floor at the same time? Whoow, they can dominate the boards and better take outside shots for if you get near the rim you can see the basketballs flying out like a volleyball game!

If this trade will push thru then this will surely make an impact to the league's season. Anything will happen in the NBA.

2008 NBA Draft

The nba season is over and I believe it would be a sweet vacation for the Boston Celtics; imagine winning the NBA Championship crown after 22 long years. Great!

Off-season begins, what could be the highlight event? the NBA Draft!

The Chicago Bulls had won the first pick option; followed by the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves respectively. The big question is who will be the lucky draftee to enter the league first? Will it be Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose? The clock is ticking for the Bulls, the NBA Draft will be this thursday (friday in Manila).

I've read some articles on the internet, watched YouTube videos as well, regarding Beasley and Rose and I can say that they are both good ballers and they both deserved to be a contender for the No. 1 pick for the 2008 NBA Draft.

Here are some points for the top prospects that the Bulls can consider:

Michael Beasley: An explosive combination of strength and athleticism. Can score from virtually anywhere on the basketball floor. Utilizes his length, quickness, and leaping ability to grab rebounds both in and outside his area. Plays with aggression and confidence. He is left-handed.

Derrick Rose: A rare combination of speed, elite athleticism and poise at the point guard position. Uses quickness and strength to power his way to the basket and can finish with incredible body control. Makes good decisions in the open floor.

After trading Ben Wallace and Joe Smith, I think the Chicago Bulls will be needing a low-post player and someone who can grab the boards. The Bulls have plenty of players on the guard position. The play-makers and outside scorers are still in the roster. Kirk Hinrich and Chris Duhon can do the plays; Ben Gordon and Larry Hughes (trade from Cleveland) will sink the shots. Most likely the Bulls will be picking Beasley. However, looking on the Bulls' roster, it's a team of young and ambitious players. There might be a chance, though slight, the Bulls might trade or acquire a veteran player after the draft. Well, anything is possible.

NBA Champions Once Again!

I was on my way to the office this morning in a taxi, already late, but what I was thinking is that if I can make it early to watch the Game 6 of the NBA Finals. All of a sudden, after the taxi driver turned on the radio, I heard the DJ announced the current score of the game and I was shocked by it; the Boston Celtics are leading for about 30 points and it's already in the 3rd quarter. I thought about my colleagues and their reactions on what's happening on that game; may be the Lakers' fans are dead silence now and the Celtics' fanatics are jumping with excitement, rejoicing! I already know and accepted that with that lead the Boston Celtics will be the NBA Champions again after 22 long years.

As I entered the office I already heard noise; every shot made by the Boston players I heard shouting, trash talks! I sat and watched with my office mates as the game was still in progress but the outcome is already predicted, the Cs will win! The lead is still a long way for Kobe and the Lakers to cope with but Ray Allen and his teammates just won't stop sinking those shots. The hometown crowd are going crazy! Finally their great team are on top again. How sweet it could be winning the crown in your hometown? For Boston, the sweetest!
At last, Boston was able to win the game and returned to glory. They've waited 22 years, it's their 17th NBA championship and first since 1986. The final score for the final game was 131-92; the Cs biggest lead for all the games that they've won for the series. Paul Pierce was the Finals MVP.

I saw the tears of joy flowing from Kevin Garnett's eyes while he was being interviewed. He will be wearing his first ever NBA Champions ring for his entire 12 year NBA career. Same with Ray Allen and Pierce, this is also their first NBA Champions experience. On the other hand, It was a very good season for the LA Lakers despite being the best in the West, they got their Season MVP as well. Kobe Bryant's career is always shining, he is one of the best players of the league (now being compared by some critics to the legendary Michael Jordan). Well I hope he will still be on-top of his games next season and helped his team reach the Finals again.

The question now is whether the Celtics' Big Three will still be playing together and continue their journey of being part of the circle of the greatest player in the NBA? Will they continue bringing excitement to their fans in every game? Will they continue being a threat to other teams? These will all be answered next season. The NBA 2008-09 season will be exciting, satisfaction guaranteed!

Going Back to Boston for Game 6

Everyone in the office watching the Game 5 of the NBA Finals were on the edge of their seats, kept a straight look on the TV as the clock is ticking for the final minute of the game. The Lakers lead by 2 points and the ball is in the possession of the Celtics. All of us were waiting on what the C's are going to do; some of my office mates were chanting "Defense! Defense! Defense!" Obviously they are the Lakers fans. Some are expecting also that the Celtics will give the ball to any one of the Big Three. All of a sudden Paul Pierce had committed a turnover! That turnover had given Kobe and the Lakers a fastbreak opportunity; Kobe slammed it for a 4 point lead! The Lakers fans are rejoicing! They can sense Game 6 on the go.

Boston's Pierce scored a total of 38 points for the game but that didn't gave them a series finisher to own the crown. Kevin Garnett posted a double-double, 13 points and 14 rebounds; Ray Allen contributed 16 points. On the other hand, both Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol had a double-double performance with LO notching 20 points and 11 boards, Gasol had scored 19 and grabbed 13 boards. Season MVP Kobe Bryant had 25 points and had a big helped from vetern point guard Derek Fisher with 15 points.

I was thinking maybe Game 5 is really for Kobe and the Lakers, they've just played a good game. I was also thinking maybe it is sweeter for the Celtics to win the NBA Championship in Boston, in their home infront of a crazy-happy fans. With a 1 game and a homecourt advantage, the Cs can do it. Well anything will be possible. We have the best in the west going against the best in the east; it's a great rivalry in NBA history!

Celtics' defense will be a key...

I can say that the Game 4 of the current NBA Finals, won by the Boston Celtics, was one of the greatest comebacks in the leagues finals' history. Rallying from a 24-point deficit and sealed the game with a victory infront of a stunned audience, that was awesome! It's a defense-to-offense game by the Celtics; well their defense, spearheaded by Kevin Garnett, was great.

Well, to be honest, I like both teams. I had always time to browse the internet to read about the C's especially when the Big Three emerged. I've always believed that they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals and that it's either the Detroit Pistons or the Cleveland Cavaliers that they will face. I've imagined Paul Pierce doing the offense, Ray Allen as a playmaker, and of course KG on defense; they will be champions! On the other hand, at first place, I predicted the Los Angeles lakers and the Houston Rockets will meet at the Western Conference Finals; well I was half-correct.

As I've observed, and I know everyone did, it's the Celtics defense that helped them earn a one-more-win advantage to become the NBA Champions. It's the defense that made Kobe Bryant and the Lakers lose their rhythm of the game, especially their shooting rhythm. On the last quarter, the Lakers had open shots but they missed them.

In Game 5 what will happen will happen. The Celtics will just play their good game; involve all of the Big Three and the other guys in both offense and defense then it will be their time to wear that champions' ring. If Phil Jackson will come up to a better play to counter the defense of the Celtics, and if Kobe Bryant will playing another MVP-worthy game then they can force a Game 6.

What a Comeback!

The Boston Celtics stunned tha LA Lakers in Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead by posting a 97-91 victory. In NBA Finals history, the game was considered as one of the most exciting and stunning turnarounds; the Celtics overcame a 24-point deficit to defeat the Lakers. One more win and the Celtics will bring home the crown.

Five players of the C's posted double digit points; the Big Three, James Posey and Eddie House. The trio scored a total of 55 points, Posey had 18 and House had 11. On the other hand, the Lakers was lead by Lamar Odom with 19 points and 17 each for Bryant and Gasol.

Kobe shines in Game 3

Kobe Bryant was on top of his game as he scored 36 points to avoid the possible 0-3 deficit against the Boston Celtics for the current NBA Championship series. The Lakers' superstar had another MVP-worthy performance as he not only made the shots and the plays but also got some help from his teammates; Shasha Vujacic posted 20 points and Pau Gasol flexed his muscles and grab 12 boards.

The Celtics' trio however was not so productive leaving Ray Allen as the only player to go more than 20 points. Captain Paul Pierce was stopped to only 6 points. Allen scored 25 points - 15 on 3-pointers - for the Celtics, but only one-third of Boston's Big Three showed up.

Kobe and the Lakers will look forward to even the series as they will play Game 4 with another homecourt advantage. Will the Celtics' Big Three put on a good game as they have done in the first two games? Or, will the Lakers' stars keep shining?

2008 NBA Finals Results

The Boston Celtics are the NBA Champions!
The Celtics won the series 4-2 over the LA Lakers.

Game 1 (@ Boston): Celtics 98/Lakers 88
Game 2 (@ Boston): Celtics 108/Lakers 102
Game 3 (@ LA): Lakers 87/Celtics 81
Game 4 (@LA): Celtics 97/Lakers 91
Game 5 (@LA): Lakers 103/Celtics 98
Game 6 (@Boston): Celtics 131/Lakers 92
Game 7 : n/a

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NBA Finals 2008

LAKERS-BOSTON

(History repeats itself!)

The best in the West will battle the best in the East as the Los Angeles Lakers will go against the Boston Celtics for the NBA Championship. The Lakers lead by MVP Kobe Bryant along with Pao Gasol and Lamar Odom will try to take the team's 4th title in 9 years (3peat from 1999-2002). On the other hand, the Boston Celtics' trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will help the Celtics bring home the crown after more than 20 years of title drought; and also for the trio to taste their first ever NBA title.