Final Battle

The Final Battle for CSS Basketball Championship game will happen this coming Saturday December 18, 2010 at WCC in Pasig City. It will be a one game affair for Team Arsenals and Team Kankunis who will slug it out for Bragging Rights and claim the reputation to be called champions of 3^rd season CSS Tournament.

This will be the last day and last game of the 3^rd season Basketball tournament. The top 2 teams after the elimination round will finally meet again, this time for the championship game. It may be the last game this season, but certainly, the most exciting one. The whole CSS will be watching this game. It’s going to be amazing and will be a classic one.

The last time they met was back in elimination round. It was a close fight and seesaw battle until the end. That game was marred by a lot of fouls. It was a physical one; some players got fouled-out on both teams. Arsenals escaped via a 62-58 win through the heroics of Jerameel “The Volume Shot Maker” Bautista with 19 markers while Ramon “Rookie Sensation” Ocampo dropped 26 points in a losing cost for Kankunis.

This is the 1^st time for both squads to reach the Finals. Team Arsenals finished 1^st after elimination round, met Team Sentinels in the Semi-Finals who were easily taken care of, thanks to the hot shooting of Jerameel “Mr. Volume Shot Maker” Bautista who drilled 23 points and Jefferson “”TTe or Tall and Terrible” Valdepena who netted 18 points. Arsenals destroyed the pesky Sentinels through a 72-59 win.

On the other semifinal matchup, Team Kankunis was pushed to the limit by Team Titans in a do or die game last December 04, 2010. They able to survive the never say die spirit of Team Titans as they clobbered this team through the leadership of their prized rookie Ramon Ocampo. Kankunis won in regulation 69-55.

Battle for 3rd

Meanwhile, we will be initially entertained by a bunch of heartbroken players. Team Sentinels and Team Titans will clash for battle for 3^rd place. This is the first time for Team Titans was denied of their finals’ spot, while for Team Sentinels it was a great season for them as they reached the Final Four for the first time and considered as championship team contender compared to their stint in inaugural season were they have not won any single game.


History:For Arsenals: First time to enter the Promise Land since the CSS league started. Arsenals’ is always one of the team to beat and always end up in the top 2 spots after elimination round on their entire team history. But this team failed to capitalize their advantage for the first 2 seasons as they were destroyed by their arch-nemesis Team Online in semifinals. Arsenals owned Kankunis as they beat this team on their 3 meetings for the last 3 years.

For Kankunis: First time to barge into the Finals and Final Four as well. This team wasn’t able to reach the semifinals in their first 2 seasons as they found themselves at the bottom of the standings. Kankunis /FOX Team have never won any single game against Arsenals dated back since the inaugural season. But this time they have their main gunner rookie sensation that will try to break the curse for them.

Keys to the Championship

For Arsenals

1. Stop the Rookie Sensation – Team Arsenals should find away on how to contain Ramon Ocampos’ offensive juggernaut. Expect Jayson “The Tactician” Lim to lock him up from start to finish. Let him bleed for his points.

2. Control the Glass – Arsenals BIGS, should continue to dominate the rebounding department. This team has the tallest team and should take advantage of that. Expect Grei “The Big Ticket” and Stephen “Tower of Power” Fernandez to handle the boards for the team.

3. Shoot till the end – Jerameel “Volume Shot Maker” Bautista is one of the strongest candidates for MVP this season. His ultimate goal is to shoot like there’s no tomorrow. Once he receives the ball expect him to do his orthodox teardrop shot. Let’s just hope it will count.

4. Attack the basket – Christian “D’ Maestro” Lumanglas and Vitto “Gamer Boi” Padre should continue attacking the paint and racking up some fouls on Kankunis’ towers. If both players takes advantage of those chances and creates contact on their way to the rim, they will, at the very least come away with a pair of free throws on most occasions since the officiating in this series do not allow much physical contact. Expect both players to be in an attack mode as soon as the ball tips off for the final game.

5. Arsenal Legacy – Three years of togetherness… this team will be put to the test; this game will completely recompense all thoughts of believers and nonbelievers. The conclusion of this match will mark a history on the CSS books and the Arsenals’ contract. They have to make sure that the other contender will remember the day they played with the Arsenals.

6. Health Check – Jefferson “TTe or Tall and Terrible” suffered a right ankle injury last Tuesday at Club 650 in preparation for the Finals. He is on a day to day basis and not sure if he will be ready to suit up for the Championship game. This was a big blow for Team Arsenals chances.

7. Pound the ball Inside – Arsenals should run more plays for Lolijim “Mr Cameraman” Gonzales & Eric “D’ Bulldozer” Abellera in the post. It will not just put pressure on the BIG’s of the Kankunis but it will also create double teams that will allow the shooters of the Arsenals to hit an open J.

For Kankunis

1. MVP Performance – League leading scorer Ramon Ocampo should continue to pace this team. He is the heart and soul of Team Kankunis. Without him this team might not be able to enter the Final Four. He might make a history in CSS as first ever to win Rookie of the Year and MVP award at the same time in his first year.

2. Aim for 60PTS – Team Kankunis is known for their high scoring pace game. The team is unbeaten once they score at least 60 points. Score a lot to win the championship.

3. Zone Defense – This team should clog the paint on the defensive end. Arsenals team is not known for their perimeter shooting, expect this team to attack the basket once they find any single opening.

4. X - FACTORS – Peterson "The Beast" Perez and Sir Ryan "D' Versatile" Alberto are 2 of their main gunners that can help this team in scoring. Both players should step-up big as they are well experienced players and ready to play come in crunch time.

5. Crash the boards – Arsenals is the tallest team in the tournament. Kankunis bigs should box out the bigs of Arsenals. Kankunis will be relying on their Frontcourt players Allain Umalin, Frankiln “Hunk” Zapata and Rolfe “El Aparador” Garcia.

6. Swipe the Ball – Kankunis is known for their tough defense. Active hands of Monroe “Mr. Under Pressure” Paulino, Valor Calour, Randy "D Director" Francisco and Rudolf “Kobe Fanatic” Chua will be badly needed to force its opponent to commit turnovers that will create fastbreaks and easy baskets.

Since this is the final game of the season, we can throw all the stats of the previous games away. This season stars were be born and stars were made. Stars will be stars; they will all try to out shine each other. Tomorrow is all or nothing, it is expected that both teams will play all their hearts out. We can all forget what happened in the past. We can ignore all the details from long-ago. This the moment of truth; the judgment day; win or go home, this is history… History is now.

- This is the Finals; this is WAR. -

From Basketball Blogger: To all the readers, my followers, my teammates and my friends I would like to thank you for taking your ample time in reading my articles.. Till our next Basketball journey.

The Real Battle Begins

What a week for the CSS department! After being treated with free food courtesy of Trend Micro Incorporated in celebration for Thanks Giving and Birthday Bash, we will also be delighted with high and intense basketball games this coming Saturday, November 27, 2010 as CSS league resumes in WCC Basketball Court for Final Four showdown.

Four teams remain after the elimination round and will slug it out for the coveted championship and bragging rights as the 3^rd Champion Team in CSS league. This will be the battle of survival.

Team Arsenals rank 1, (3-1) finished the elimination round with 3 consecutive wins after a disappointing loss in the opening day against Sentinels; Arsenals may have their revenge as they will face-off in the Semifinals. This will be the 3rd consecutive trip in the playoffs of the Arsenals with twice to beat advantage. The last 2 seasons, were huge upset for the team as they found themselves eliminated by their arch-nemesis Team Online twice.

Team Kankunins rank 2, (3-1) surprised lots of teams this season as they were singlehandedly brought to the semifinals by their prized rookie and league scoring leader, Ramon “Rookie Sensation” Ocampo. This team was tied with Team Arsenals for number the 1 spot after the elimination round, but due to the lost they suffered from Team Arsenals and by virtue of win over the other, Sentinels ended up to 2^nd spot. This team will face again the Online Team in the Playoffs armed with twice to beat advantage.

Team Titans rank 3, (2-2) slow start is just the same old story for this squad. This team almost eliminated from the race until they got their 1^st win of the season in the hands of Titanium Elite. The team dropped their first 2 assignments due to injuries suffered by their prized players. But the true character of this team prevailed, as they finish strong in elimination round with back to back wins that sealed their spot in the playoffs. I even envisioned them as the number 1 ranked team in my preseason forecast. But Team Titans didn’t failed me even they drop their 1^st 2 games. Now, they’re back on their old form. The main guns are now fully healed with their respective injuries and ready to play. This team is not new to this situation; they already proved that they can win the series even without twice to beat advantage.

Team Sentinels rank 4, (2-2) after taking care of their 1^st 2 assignments, in contrast to their last 2 games. They had beaten Team Arsenals in the opening day via close fight. That same team they will face in the semifinal round. This team has identical record with Team Online, but due to the lost they suffered against Team Online, they ended up to the 4^th spot. This squad should prove that their triumph over Arsenals is not a fluke, that they can beat this team with or without their main guns.

Rank 2 Kankunis (3-1) vs Rank 3 Titans (2-2)

Team Kankunis shocked the Titans in the opening day as they were manhandled by Ocampo who scored 32 points alone in 74-65 win.

It is very obvious that Kankunis is proving that they are damn serious on getting into the Finals. Both teams are fresh from back to back win from their previous assignments. This series will put them to the test, which team will fall and which one will prevail.

Rookie Sensation Ramon Ocampo would really have to bring his A game in this series if he really wanted to reach the Finals. The Kankunis second unit has been playing so well lately especially to Valor Calauor who displayed brilliance in point guard position; Allain Umalin monster in the paint and Franklin Zapata who was superb in the opening day by scoring 13 points for his team.

For Team Titans, expect this team to play better and better as the series progress. This is the type of team who exactly knows how to handle crucial games.

Keys to the Series:

For Kankunis

1. Play like no tomorrow - Kankunis must put on their minds that they are the one who is in the brink of elimination. They have to come out strong from the very start until the final buzzer sounded.
2. Rookie is the Real Deal – Ramon “Rookie Sensation” Ocampo should continue to score and dominate the offensive column of this conte st.
3. Stop the MVP – Now that injury of the reigning MVP is fully healed. Team Kankunis should find a way to terminate the offensive assault of Christian “D Demolition Man” Nava. Expect him to dominate both ends of the floor.
4. Physical Game – Suffocating D of the Kankunis is the focal point of their game. They should continue to pressure the ball and force Titans to commit turnovers that will lead to fastbreak points.
5. Score a lot – Team Kankunis is the league best in terms of point’s production with an average of 65.6 PPG. This team should score not less than 60 pts or less they will be in big trouble.

For Titans

1. Contain The Rookie Sansation – Tristan “Mr. Cool” Samonte should find a way on how to limit Ramon Ocampo’s production.
2. Online’s ability to win series – This team knows how to win come in playoff time. They already proved that for the past 2 seasons as they crushed Team Arsenals twice.
3. MVP’s toughness– Christian “D Demolition Man” Nava the reigning mvp and Team Titans’ only center is simply unstoppable once he regained his old form. This team will rely on his inside scoring ability that can scores bulk of points that will lead to lots of headache to Team Kankunis.
4. Run and Gun – This team has the best backcourt combination. Larry Favorito and Nicolo De Jesus “the High Octane Backcourt guards” should continue to run the fastbreaks and attack the paint. Both combo guards can score from the perimeter.
5. Quality Minutes – With solid starting five, the bench should always ready to play. This team will rely mostly on Sir Bennet “The Great” R eyes hot shooting hands. He is the most consistent player that can knock down 3pt baskets and perimeter jumpers in every single game.

These teams are evenly matched. Both have their own gunners that can provide offensive production in an instant. But at the end of the day, experience wise will win the series. I’ll take Team Titans to barge into the finals as they already proven that they can win playoff series in the past.

Rank 1 Arsenals (3-1) vs Rank 4 Sentinels (2-2)

This season, Sentinels’ the only team that beat the Arsenals,last October 16, 2010 via a 51-48 decision. It was a come from behind win by the Sentinels as they found themselves down by as much as 12 points in the 1^st canto. But the “never say die” spirit of Sentinels squad rallied back and pushed the Arsenals to the limit as they escaped with a 3 point win through Sildo’s 3 point basket in the closing seconds of the game that sealed the victory for Sentinels.

Now; team Arsenals would like to thank the Sentinels for wakening up the sleeping giant in them. After Team Arsenals succumbed to their first defeat, they immediately retaliated with 3 successful victories. This team proves the league that they can win close games and handle extreme pressure particularly during crunch time.

These teams are both very eager to play and showcase their talents to determine who the winner of this battle is. Sentinels are determined to upset their opponent’s planned revenge. Equipped with fame, guns and glory, they guarantee they’ll bring the house down to past the Final Four series.

On the other hand, Christian Lumanglas and Jayson Lim will surely play for the next tip off, which fans should look forward to. Their team will be lock and loaded to bring in the rain. It is said lightning never strikes in the same place twice... This is the third trip for this team to the final four and as quote goes "third time's a charm". It is expected team Arsenals will wear their game faces on and promised to get this job done!

Key’s to the Series:

For Arsenals

1. Good Perimeter Defense – Arsenals guards should not cheat on defense instead keep on chasing Fyle Sildo, as we all know “Glenn Suegay’s Twins” is good in rainbow territory.
2. Crash the Boards – Big men of Team Arsenals should take care of the glass so that they will contain the Fastbreak attack of Team Sentinels.
3. Pound the Ball Inside – Christian “D’ Maestro” Lumanglas should continue attacking the basket and let the Sentinels bigs work on defensive end. Run some plays also for Jefferson “TTe or Tall and Terrible” Valdepena and Eric “D BulldoZER” Abellara in the post. It will not just put pressure on the Sentinels interior defenders but also create double teams that will allow the shooters of the Arsenals to hit open jumpers.
4. Shoot like no Tomorrow – Jerameel “Mr. Volume Shot Maker” Bautista should continue to shoot like there’s no tomorrow. He is the leading scorer of this team and this squad will rely on his patented move. The “Floater Hook Shot”, hopefully he can make those shots count.
5. Christian’s winning Run – Christian Lumanglas’ 10 games winning streak in CSS league dating back last season will put to a test. His mission: Lead this team’s vengeance after an opening loss.
6. Jayson’s defense – Expect Jayson “The Tactician” to play tough defense on Sentinels’ Glenn Suegay. His solid defense will surely affects the performance of the Sentinel’s scoring machine.
7. Arsenals’ Legacy – Hopefully, even against all odds bu t with all the stars align; it’s time to put an ink to a sworn Championship trophy on the Arsenals’ contract. This will prove to the all Arsenals’ believers and non-believers that this time, they’re truly a championship team.

For Sentinels

1. Run Like Hell – Team Sentinels is known for th eir Fa stbreak attack, this is their bread and butter. Expect Gian “Mr Lover Boi” Ira and Glenn “The Scoring Machine” Suegay to sprint as fast as they can.
2. Control the Boards – This team need lots of determination to beat the Arsenals in the paint. Sentinels lack in height is their big disadvantage, all players’ needs to help in rebounding. The recently married Nathaniel “Pawner” De Vera and Phillip Bautista are badly needed to play for this team on Saturday.
3. Sildo’s shooting hands – Fyle “Glenn Suegay’s Twins” Sildo should continue to knock-down open jumpers to stretch the D of the Arsenals.
4. Bench Providers – Vinzon “The X Factor or Nardong Putik” Villaroman and Dann “D Official Mascot” Veridiano should continue to provide energy for the Sentinels. Both players played well in recently concluded elimination round.
5. Winning Attitude – Sentinels seems to be untouchable after first 2 games of the elimination round, as they beat the Arsenals in the opening day and demolishing Titanium Elite on their 2^nd assignment. But after that, the winning formula for this squad seems nowhere to be found. This team should regroup immediately and find their true identity to regain some respect.
6. Commitment to play – For the last two games of the elimination round, the main issue why this team is struggling is to due to limited support from the players to play on Saturday’s. All the players of this team should be committed to play for them to have a better chance of winning the series.

My call, Arsenals will finish the Sentinels on November 27, 2010.

We’ll be looking forward to what’s going to happen in this series. It’s going to be physical; it’s going to be tough; there would be drama; there would be trash talking, and everything there is in this 2010 Final Four series. All these are going to happen just to get the coveted prize, the 2010 CSS Championship.

Volume Basketball League 2010 Preview

The most anticipated game in CSS is soon to be launched once again come on October 16, 2010. Five teams will be vying for the coveted championship and bragging rights as the 3^rd Champion Team in CSS league.

Team APAC was the 1^st ever to win the championship in 2008. They swept the Online Team in the finals in their Best of 3-affair. Kristoffer Apsay led the charge for Team APAC and was adjudged also as MVP that year.

In the 2^nd Season, it was the time for Team Braviax to claim the Championship. This team was the best team on paper as they swept the elimination round and easily dismantled Team BSOD in the Final 4 or the Semifinals. But unfortunately their unblemished record was scraped by Team Online as they pushed to the limit in the Best of 3 Finals. Christian Nava led the team and was named also as the MVP and Best Defensive Player of the year.

Online Team (Rank 1) 1st runner-up last year

This is the team to beat this year. They have been the bridesmaids for the past 2 seasons and this will be a make or break for this squad. Online Team is known for its slow type of team especially at the start of the elimination round. But comes in the latter part and in semifinals they are tough to beat.

Online Team eliminated Team Arsenals twice in the semifinals even without the twice to beat privileges. Now that Christian Nava is the reigning MVP and will be donning Online Team’s uniform, they are heavily favored to be crowned this year.

This team has the best starting five this season. The main guns of this team are still intact. Christian "D' Demolition Man" Nava wiill continue to dominate the paint; Larry Favorito and Nicolo De Jesus are “the High Octane Backcourt combination” that will give lot's of troubles to other teams, Tristan "Mr. Cool" Samonte to control the tempo and Mythical Five member Paolo Mercado to control the boards, will be the usual first 5 of this team. While coming off the bench, you can always rely on shooting prowess of Sir Bennett "the Great" Reyes, Ebenizer “Mr. Health Card Trash Talker” Padua will provide some angst to the team and quality minutes from Jon Guevara and Hernan "Paolo Bediones--Wanna BE" Manalastas.

But there are questions that need to be answered: How will this team respond to the challenge? Are these players willing to sacrifice their stats for the W? Will they form the right chemistry? And lastly are they bound to win ­the championship or will just remain as Bridesmaids for 3 consecutive seasons?

Prediction:
>> Top 2 finishers after elimination round (Twice 2 Beat)


Arsenals (Rank 2) 2^nd runner-up last year

What a time for this team to reunite with their former Team Captain Christian Lumanglas... He headlined the topic last year because of the controversial three-way trade happened on the draft day. He was sent to Team Braviax and dictated the tempo of the best and most talented team that was produced last year; and they eventually claimed the championship.

The team has always been on the top of the standings after the elimination round. They were always armed with Twice to beat advantage but were knocked out twice in the semifinals by their nemesis Online Team.

Now that the core of the team has once again revitalized, there’s no turning back but only aiming for the championship. This is the best year to prove that they can get it done and gain some respect with the other teams.

The team will now be on its full strength as Christian "D' Maestro" Lumanglas will control the offensive charge with the benefits of his championship experience, new captain Gerald "The Big Ticket" Bona will continue to be athletic as he muscle-in his team for a spot in the finals, last year’s captain Jefferson "TTe or Tall and Terrible" Valdepena will try to revive his career as he will control the interior, “the tactician and all around play” of Jayson Lim, will bring his lots of energy to the team and “the high scoring and Mr. Stats-Minute-Conscious/Volume Shot Maker” Jerameel Bautista will be the usual five, plus the arrival of “Gamer Boi” Vitto Padre and “Mr. Camera Man” Lolijim Gonzales to add depth on the team. And last but not the least George Dela Victoria’s “Killer Smile” will rock opponents world.

Remember this is the first team ever to beat a PSS Team in the PSS-CSS Invitationals’ about two seasons ago. Despite having 5 Arsenals players versus 12 PSS gunners, this so called “unbelievable dramatic upset” victory marked a milestone in Trend’s Basketball history.

The only sad part this year is; Sir Bennett Reyes and Sir Jon Capulong will no longer be in the lineup as they were picked by other teams early in the draft, to mess up the Arsenals’ planned reunion.

Question for this squadron: Can this team surpassed the Final Four and reach the Finals for the first time or will end up as another big disappointment season?

Prediction:
>> Top 2 finishers after elimination round (Twice 2 Beat)

Sentinels (Rank 3) Skipped last year

This is one of the teams that have great chance of pulling an upset. Even without the services of Jefferson Valdepeña and Christian Lumanglas in the lineup, this team is still dangerous especially the athletic and last year’s Mythical Team member Glenn Suegay will be leading this team to the promise land.

In the inaugural season, Sentinels or also known as Escalation Team has finished dead last in the standings as they were winless that season then skipped last year’s tournament as the players were divided into 2 teams. (BSOD and Braviax)

This year will be best the time to resurrect their pride. Let us see how the Escalation Team will transfer their technical knowledge and expertise onto the hard court.

This dangerous team will be composed of Glen Suegay who will be the main focal point of their offense, Nathaniel “Pawner and the Groom to be” De Vera will bring his leadership to this team, Phillip Bautista will be there to crash the boards, Fyle “SueGay’s Twins”Sildo to provide good outside shooting touch and Gianne “Mr. Lover Boi” Ira will supply the dirty works to complete the starting cast. Sir Glenn Esquejo and Sir Jed De Leon “the Master ZEN” of Team Escalation will control the strategy of the team, Sir Richard Mayores and Sir Willand Osabel to serve as “the sparkplugs” of team, Kristoffer Jocson to provide perimeter shooting, Dann Veridiano will be “the official MASCOT” and lastly Vinzon Villaroman will be “the X-Factor” as he will try to energize his teammates by hitting on their asses (Nice Ass).

Question for the team: Can this “Manager-packed Team” finally step into the WIN column? Will they be able to compete with tall and talented teams? And lastly, is Vinzon’s “Nardong Putik” charm will bring this team to the promise land or to the MUD LAND? (Plak!)

Prediction:
>> Will enter Final Four

Kankunis (Rank 4) Did not qualify in Final Four last year

Team Kankunis will be one of the teams who will try to chase to enter the Final Four cast. They will be parading their new recruit, the versatile player who made some noise in PSS-CSS Invitational, no other than their Rookie Team Captain Ramon Ocampo.

This ever so popular male group; Team Butterflies wasn’t able to enter the Final Four in the past 2 seasons. Now would be the best time to fulfill that dream now that they have the go to go guy.

One movement that caught my attention of this team was, when Big Man Mark Beloy wasn’t part of their protected picks. Everyone was caught by surprised by this team’s major major overhaul. As a result, Beloy was forced to form a team and to his dismay he intentionally picked his ever reliable sidekick Carl Vega to team-up with him.

Ramon “the rookie sensation” Ocampo will be the main target of their offense, Sir Ryan "D' Versatile" Alberto to provide hustle for the team, Peterson "The Beast" Perez to hit big shots come in crunch time, Randy "D Director" Francisco to manage the offensive pace, and Franklin "Hunk" Zapata to control the paint and to complete the best five of the squad. Coming off the bench are Sir Monroe Paulino who will provide instant offense, Sir Reximo “EOQ: No Show” Ignacio will be there to dive for the loose ball, Rudolf Chua to provide quality minutes and finally Rolfe “El Aparador” Garcia will serve as the energizer of the team.

Question for the team: Will this team survive the competition without Mark Beloy and Carl Vega on their fold? Is the rookie sensation for real? Are they a Final Four bound team or will they just remain at the bottom of the standings?

Prediction:
>> Will Slugout for the last Final Four Slot

Titanium Elite (Rank 5) (Expansion Team)

If there were a team that is young and talented, it is Titanium Elite. The team has the guns and ammo, with the Twin Tower Combination of “BebeLoy” Mark Beloy and Bernabe Bebe Regacho who will dominate the paint and protect the rim, Carl Vega’s court awareness plus bunch of young and promising rookies.

The most awaited game for this squad is when they will finally meet face to face with Team Kankunis/Fox in the elimination round. Mark Beloy will be highly motivated to prove to his former team that they will regret of not choosing him as one of their protected picks. This will be a WAR.

Mark “El Presidente” Beloy will be carrying the offensive load of the team, Carl “TaeYang” Vega to be the usual court general, Bernabe “The Pasa-Load Master” Regacho to handle the interior, Dexter Lopez to control the fastbreak and the rookie captain Roie Exconde to do the dirty job and to complete the magnificent(fabulous) 5. Coming off the bench, the team can rely on Sir Jonathan “The Ageless” Capulong who can score and create for others depending on his health issues, while Sir Julio “The Secret” Reyes will be their top secret comes in offense.

Question for this team: Will this young team be able to handle the pressure? Who will be willing to take the shots in crunch time? And lastly will El Presidente put a big statement now that he’ll be suiting up for this season’s MVP.

Prediction:
>> Will slugout for last Final Four berth

No offense meant to all Volume Team players, this is “only my” (editor’s) opinion and analysis. I ranked all the teams based on the roster we have today. I apologize to the newbies and rookies whom I didn’t mention in this article, maybe because I haven’t seen how you play and what impact you’ll bring to this league.

Let’s all give our best performance in every game. Let’s make Love not WAR and more importantly have FUN!

This article is meant to entice, tempt, attract and invite all our fans from Volume Team to come out and watch all our players’ gun for this year’s Volume Basketball League 2010 championship.

LAST DANCE

There are only two words in my mind right now—GAME 7. It may be the last game this season, but certainly, the most exciting one. The whole world will be watching this game. This will be the best event on earth. It’s going to be amazing and will be a classic one.

It’s the greatest thing in basketball, the most compelling, and the most dramatic thing that we can possibly see in sports. This is what we’ve been waiting for, battle of the top two successful teams in the history of NBA. Both teams combined for 32 championships out of 65. Celtics has 17 championships while Lakers owned 15. This is the 12th time that both teams met in the finals. The most storied rivalry in sports history. Celtics owned the Lakers in the Finals by wining 9 championships against 2 by Lakers. The last meeting was won by the Boston Celtics in 2008 via 4 games to 2 decision with a 131-92 humiliating loss by the Lakers in game 6 at TD Garden.

Lakers defeated the Celtics in game 6 to even the series in a convincing fashion via an 89-67 win. Lakers played like no tomorrow and extremely well right from the very start. Kobe, Pau and Artest led the Lakers with 26, 17 and 15 points respectively. The big difference in thus game was Lakers bench Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar provided the needed spark by outscoring C’s bench 25-13. The Celtics bench did not score its first basket until 9:56 left in the fourth quarter on a Nate Robinson lay-up.

Kendrick Perkins who suffered sprained knee injury early in the 1st quarter was a huge blow for the C’s. He wasn’t able to return in the game but might be in street clothes come in game 7. Celtics will be missing his rebounding prowess and his biggest defensive presence in the paint. Sheed and Big Baby Davis should step up big time and pick up the slot vacated by Perk.

The aging Celts’ stars could treat this as their Last Dance on the big stage. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were an art of instantly successful combination that has been to the Finals twice in their three seasons together. Expect Celtics’ BIG 3 to come out strong and give their A game. Ray Allen should start shooting mid-range jumpers and threes again while KG must supply the needed inside presence especially Perk is out and lastly The Truth should bring in his leadership for C’s to get their 18TH Title.

For the Lakers, if they win game 7. This will be their second consecutive championship that would give real life to the possibility that this group could stay together long enough to win two more and certify the Lakers as the greatest franchise in NBA history. It’s a chance for Jackson to extend his coaching record to an 11th championship and for Kobe Bryant to continue his ascent up the ring tally of the greats with his fifth.

The Boston Celtics are 7 and 0 (W-L) when the championship reaches 7 games while the LA Lakers 3 and 5. But the Lakers are 13 and 1 at home in game 7 in the post season. The single loss came from the hands of the Boston Celtics in 1969 NBA Finals.

7 Key’s to Larry O’Brien Trophy

For the Lakers

1. Home Court Advantage
What else could be sweeter than winning the championship in your home floor? It would be a major feat for the Lakers. Lakers crowd will be a huge factor in this game.

2. Pau’s consistency
Pau Gasol plays well at home. Feed him the ball and let him shoot right over the top of the undersized Davis. As for KG and Rasheed Wallace, stay aggressive and try to get to the line. He will surely be on a rampage early in the ball game.

3. Artest’s Quality
Expect Ron-Ron to play tough defense on Paul Pierce. His solid defense affects the performance of the Truth. Artest should continue to knock-down open jumpers to stretch D of the Celtics.

4. Bench Boosters
For the first time in the series, Lakers outscored Celtics bench 25-13 in game 6. Lamar Odom should continue to lead the bench and be ready also for heavy minutes as Andrew Bynum’s knee is still questionable.

5. Battle of the Boards
The only consistent thing on this series was, whoever team grab more rebounds win the game. With the absence of Kendrick Perkins, Lakers has a huge advantage in the frontline.

6. Active Hands
Lakers had 12 steals in game 6. It just show how active Laker players on the defensive end. They should continue to pressure the ball and force C’s to commit turnovers.

7. Kobe Bryant’s Brilliance
This is the time to cement Black Mamba’s legacy. Expect him to dominate the ball for the Lakers. A fifth title pushes the argument that Kobe has reached Jordan’s level, and with three more years with the same core of this Laker team, put Kobe in a position where he could possibly surpass MJ by reaching seven rings. While it’s hard to put Kobe ahead of MJ, you would have to put him into the discussion with a win tonight.

For the Celtics

1. Time has come for Sheed

With Perk’s absence, it’s possible to inject Sheed in the starting lineup. Expect Rasheed to be extremely physical especially knowing that he cannot be penalized because of a technical foul and miss a game. He will also be huge factor in this game because he is the only other Celtic player aside from Perk that can give problems with Gasol in the defensive end.

2. Control the Boards
Now that Perk is out due to sprained knee, all C’s players on the court should step-up and help in rebounding. If Perk cannot play, expect Brian Scalabrine to be activated, provide some help in crashing the boards and some firepower from the outside. Lakers had 13 more rebounds in Game 6, and the team who grabbed more rebounds won the game in the finals.

3. Rajon’s Impact
Rajon Rondo has to have a big game. He hasn’t shot the ball well the past two games. He needs to get all the way to the basket and finish. He has to penetrate, generate the transition offense and find the open receivers.

4. Take good care of the basketball

The most upsetting stat for Boston in game 6 was that the Lakers had 12 steals, which means the Celtics were careless with the ball. Rondo should facilitate in taking good care of the ball. Avoid lame passes.

5. X Factors
Get some kind of production from Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace. Both were combined for 0-10 in game 6 and that simply cannot happen again. Nate the Great should always be ready to give quality minutes for Rajon and Tony Allen must be prepared to handle Kobe on the defensive end.

6. Careless Fouls
The officials are very sensitive in this series. Celtics’ big men should stay away from unnecessary fouls, especially now Perk is out.

7. The Big Three
The last time Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and KG all came to play on the same night was in Game. I expect a big night from them. This is probably the last time we’ll ever see the “Big 3,” so it would be nice to see them go out proper – win or lose.

Since this is game 7, we can throw all the stats of the previous games away. Tomorrow is all or nothing, so it is already expected that both teams will play all their hearts out. Stars are going to be stars in this game and some stars will do everything to win this game for one of these two teams. Game 7 is a WAR.

My Prediction
I’ll still stick with the Boston Celtics. This is one of the most resilient teams I’ve ever witnessed, with a veteran roster that knows how to win. At the end of the day, I expect them to achieve their ultimate goal, 18Th Larry O’Brien Trophy for the Celtics.