Steady as She Goes.

By Migs

It was great to have seen FEU Tamaraw Marnel "Mac Mac" Baracael back on the hardwood. While he didn't score 20 points or make a game winning basket against the NU Bulldogs yesterday at the Philsports Arena, he did provide just enough of an emotional lift to eek out a win against one of the UAAP's cellar dwellers.

In interviews, the Quezon Province native has expressed a tremendous desire to continue his basketball career, and to help FEU navigate through Final Four waters successfully for the first time since Tamaraw teams of yore featuring the likes of Arwind Santos and Dennis Miranda. Mac Mac couldn't have come back at a better time, either, with FEU josling against La Salle for a twice-to-beat slot in the annual UAAP square dance that precedes the final round.

To date, Baracael's assailant has yet to have been brought to justice, and rumors of the shooting being linked to game fixing have all been classified as hearsay. FEU front office personalities such as athletic director Mark Molina and board member Anton Montinola have remained mum about what more they know about the case, and rightfully so, as the last thing anyone wants is to put the well-being of FEU's 23 year old star, who has said that he is at "70-75%", in any further peril.

For now, it's about time the fans of the UAAP returned to their roots- cheering, analyzing, scrutinizing, winning with grace and losing with pride, all in the name of good, clean, progressive, hoops.

Let's save the talk about dirty sports politics and nefarious syndicates for a later date, if only, to find ways to eliminate such ills.


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Nash's Heir? Suns Setting?

by Migs

Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns isn't getting any younger, and neither is his teammate and fellow MVP winner, Steve Nash.

And oh, there's Grant Hill and his brittle bones too, but I digress.

For years, Nash has been the motor of what (used) to be the NBA's quickiest team ("used to" because they've shifted gears with the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal, and with the departure of Coach Mike D'Antoni and forward Shawn Marion). His impeccable court vision and deadly touch have made him the unquestionable leader of a franchise which, upon his arrival, was still reeling from a Stephon Marbury-run show.

As we draw closer to the 2008-2009 NBA season, however, and as the reality of aching knees and disappointing playoff exits come to light, Steve Kerr and the Suns have been hit with one burning question,

"Who's going to be Phoenix's ring leader when Nash's time comes?"

Leandro Barbosa is more of a score-first little man. The Marcus Banks experiment turned out to be a bust. Free agency in this off season has been a bit stale point-guard wise.

This Suns front office has decided to go back to its roots. Mike D'Antoni was a son of Italy, and his presence on the bench did them a world of good. They've gone back to Europe again this offseason, and in this case, they believe that they've hit the jackpot in the point guard sweepstakes.

Enter Slovenian guard Goran Dragic.

The Suns took Dragic as the 13th pick overall in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft, in the hope that he can moulded into the next big playmaker. In the 2007-2008 Euroleague season, Dragic averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals a contest on 50 % shooting from the field. Yes, his numbers don't exactly jump out at you, but pundits insist that at 22 years of age, GD has shown enough for him to be invested in. Scouts have marveled about this kid's quickness and balance, along with his defensive intensity and high basketball IQ. His knack for drawing fouls and finishing has also upped his stock, but at 6,4" and a mere 200lbs, he's got a bit of conditioning to do before he can be formidable enough to tussle with the Deron Williamses and Baron Davises of the world. At this point, Dragic's jump shot remains suspect, something which basically works as the antithesis of Steve Nash's fundamentally picture-perfect jumper. Watchers say that this should improve with time, however, his fast first step and ability to create his own shot make him quite the intriguing prospect.


(Photo From DraftExpress.Com)


So Dragic doesn't seem to absolutely fit the Stevie Nash mould. On the upside, he seems to be more a cross between a Stockton, Nash, and smaller version of Josh Howard (this isn't a bad "gene pool"), but then, is it really worth investing $6.75 million dollars over 4 years on a project from overseas?

Well, some players turn out becoming Dirk Nowitzkis, and others become Sasha Danilovices and Rafael Araujos. While it is always a risk to throw cash at an unproven commodity from a basketball planet that rivals but does not completely mirror or get one over the NBA, the returns can tend to be rather decent. It also helps to have financial flexibility when making bold steps like the Suns are about to do.

The Arizonians have no cap flexibility at this point, but, I suppose I'd rather take a risk on a player who might turn out to be the next NBA-version of Raul Lopez or Juan Carlos Navarro rather than forcing myself to take a risk on a another frequent hospital tennant in, say, Shaun Livingston, or, someone stuck in the backup point guard cradle, such as, say, an Earl Watson or Earl Boykins.

Now if only the Suns decided on keeping Shawn Marion, ditching Marcus Banks, and not trading for the Big Diesel, then I'd really be excited. Reality is, Shaquille is a Phoenix Sun, has rapped and restraining order-ed himself to death in the headlines, has slowed down a team that once upon a time was author Jack McCallum's dream squad (check out the book, "7 Seconds or Less"), and effectively represents, ironically, a new era in the Valley of the Sun, which, sadly, doesn't look half as auspicious as when Nash came to town for the second time.

Reality is, while Shaq is around, and while he, Grant Hill, and Nash age further, and while Steve Kerr is this former Western Power's head honcho, I ought to curb my enthusiasm about their chances at the NBA title, despite having Amare Stoudamire.

My enthusiasm is likewise being held in check about Dragic, and while he's set to be a nice player and all, he just isn't quite primo creamo material...

Yet.

And even that last point, I'm not sure about.

So many questions, so little time.

Here's to hoping that this entire story ends up being a "sunset to behold".

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Ateneo/La Salle Final?

by Migs

It's been 5 years since the last Ateneo/La Salle UAAP final, and, with all due respect to other top squads like UE, FEU, and UST, there's nothing quite like a Green/Blue battle for what is seen by some to be Philippine amateur basketball's most prestigious crown.

As of this piece's writing, the Eagles sport a record of 11 and 1, with their most recent victory coming at the expense of the UP Fighting Maroons. This season for the Ateneans has seemed to have been characterized by winning games on defense and clutch plays. Chris Tiu's timely shooting, flanked by Nonoy Baclao's superb interior defense and Rabeh Al Hussaini's supreme post play has kept the Blue and White well above water in Season 71. Eric Salamat and Jai Reyes' spitfire play has also helped spark Ateneo during offensive lulls, and man-child Ryan Buenafe has, thus far, lived up to most, if not all, of the hype associated with him as he ventured into the collegiate ranks off of a stellar high school basketball career. While players like Kirk Long, Jobe Nkemakolam, and Yuri Escueta have been on proverbial offensive slumps this year, they've played just enough pesky team defense and provide enough grit during tight moments to make the Loyola Heights mavens that much harder to beat.

The De La Salle Green Archers, on the other hand, have been all about offensive balance and end to end energy. 3 Archers have averaged double figures for the Taft-based team this year (Casio, Maierhofer, and Mangahas), and a deep bench highlighted by the play of cagers like Pj Barua, Josh Webb, and the feisty LA Revilla have complimented Franz Pumaren's usual, vaunted, full court defense with an offense that maxes out the abilities of all of the players on the floor at any given time. La Salle is all about getting easy baskets from the perimeter and in transition as a result of their stifling traps, their motion-oriented offensive sets more than cover up for the lack of a consistent, Green and White, post presence (no Manny Ramos or Carlo Sharma on this squad...sorry, Pj Walsham). All things considered, while perimeter-oriented teams can tend to move towards offensive droughts easier than those with offenses geared towards banging inside, patient, effective, execution, can tend to ensure that the scoring patterns flow smoothly, and are balanced enough so as not to become predictable in the eyes of the opposition. La Salle, in a lot of ways, epitomizes this equilibirum between helter skelter ball and that which is rooted in set plays.

FEU is a team feeding off of inspiration, and UE is always dangerous with their lights-out shooters and freak athletes, but then, for my money, I'd say that the Ateneo Blue Eagles and De La Salle Green Archers are on a collision course for a UAAP finals tiff.

Whatever happens, in the end, Araneta Center and ABS-CBN win, however, nabbing the UAAP title for Season 71 wouldn't be too shabby, either.

*Who do you guys think will make the UAAP finals, and why? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.*

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Another Quill, Another Mind, Quite The Big Find.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I've invited my good friend Milo (of Sports and Beans fame) to guest write on this blog. He'll be posting material for your reading pleasure soon on, I'm certain, a plethora of sports, seen from unique vantage points.

Do support Milo's work as you have supported mine. :)

Thank you. :)

Cheers,
Migi

7 and 8, Falcons on a Plate.

by Migi

Eric Salamat must have had one heck of a good night's sleep. Eric Salamat must have given proverbial "thank yous" to the high heavens for his marksmanship in yesterdays ballgame.

He did, after all, score 12 points from behind the arc, en route to 18 overall, a UAAP career high, in Ateneo's 78-74 win over the now 3rd place FEU Tamaraws.

The game between the gladiators from Morayta and the Loyola Heights wasn't pretty. At the end of the half, Ateneo was 15-22 from the foul line, while FEU was 0-0. The Eagles shot 9-26 from the floor at the break, while the Tamaraws shot a similarly dismal 11-27. Gimmes were constantly missed by Ateneo in the first half, and FEU's offensive life, for the most part, was dependent on jumpers from far, far away (while hot shooting is always nice to see, once the torrid shooting ebbs, things do begin to look very ugly).

In the second half, the Eagles countered Coach Glenn Capacio of FEU's high zone defensive approach with their own slew of hot shooting, plus more assertive play around the basket (Al Hussaini scored 5 points in the first half, and scored 16 overall eventually, but shot only 4-11 from the floor, as did Ryan Buenafe). While the FEU Tamaraws didn't let up much on defense, or on offense, Ateneo did manage to play just enough D, and make heady enough plays in the endgame to withstand a surge from a squad that continues to be fueled by the passion born out of the loss of their top scorer, Marnel Baracael.
ADMU captain Chris Tiu scored 16 points on 6-10 shooting, all while nabbing seven rebounds and playing solid defense across passing lanes, as evidenced by his 3 steals. The Tams' Reil Cervantes scored 14 points and chalked up 6 caroms, all while he and Aldrich Ramos frustrated Ateneo's frontline early with gang defense and quick moves to the hole. All in all, people at the Philsports Arena, and those watching on television were all treated to the creme-dela-creme of college basketball- solid, clean, play, passion, hustle, and drama, all worth the price of admission, scalper-sourced or otherwise.

In the intial offering for the day, the UST Growling Tigers, spearheaded by Jervy Cruz's career high 29 points and 15 monstrous rebounds, downed the Adamson Falcons, 97-83. The game was the highest scoring contest for the 2006 champion Tigers in 8 seasons, and marked both the return of 5th year point guard John Paul "Japs" Cuan to the Thomasian's fray, and yet another solid game from Ateneo summer-leaguer turner Growling Tiger Clark Bautista, who scored 12 points while shooting 4-8 from the three point area. Adamson was led by Paul Gonzalgo and Jan Colina's 20 points, along with 15 points from ultra-quick floor general Jerrick Canada.

This game was a showcase of precisely why, while Dylan Ababou is having a breakout campaign thus far, Jervy Cruz is still the main man for the UST Growling Tigers. Jervy is as Shaquille O'Neal was to the Lakers as Rabeh Al Hussaini is as Tim Duncan is, currently, to the San Antonio Spurs. While a handful of big men have emerged in the UAAP in scene over the past year or so (Michael Galinato, Hans Thiele, Rabeh Al Hussaini, and others), it is of the author's humble opinion that no one, still, has the amazing fusion of footwork and gargantuan strength that #20 of the UAAP's Espana-based team, has.

As of now, Adamson is on the outside-looking in. The Falcons are tied with the UP Fighting Maroons and NU Bulldogs for last place in the UAAP. Do any of the 3 squads still have a chance at making the final four? Mathematically, yes, in terms of skill, yes too. The league's upper tier teams would be foolish to count NU, Adamson, and UP out, especially with players like Co, Reyes, Asoro, Jahnke, Gonzalgo, Canada, and Galinato who can light it up at the drop of a hat. The one common denominator for the success of the teams mentioned, however, is something that they've all had a tough time grasping in Season 71- stability under pressure. All of the 3 teams mentioned have a tendency to acquiesce to poor shot selection. All of the 3 teams tend to play lackadaisical defense in stretches. All of the 3 teams have a proclivity to forget about execution and play too much one on one basketball, or, forget about spacing the floor well when it counts. With UE playing shaky ball and UST being formidable, and yet, beatable on any given day, the race to the last Final Four spot looks to be a doozy, but any of the three lower wrung teams making it to the finals should be a shot in the dark if they go into ballgames with "luck" as their primary gun. "Luck" just won't cut it sometimes. That, they need to understand.

On the FEU-Ateneo side of things, people bore witness to just how dangerous FEU could be, even without Baracael in uniform. Ben Fernandez has had a solid 5th year, and so has heady point man Mark Barroca. UE may still have the quickest offensive draw in the league, but in terms of the number of perimeter guns in ones holster, I think this season's edition of the FEU Tams would give UE, or any other team that seeks to employ a run n'gun style, for that matter, a serious run for their money. The New York Knicks of the early seventies- the Knicks squads that featured the likes of Debusschere, Frazier, and Monroe, were unique in that every single player that took the floor could play from the perimeter. FEU fits a similar mould.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles, again, proved that, when push comes to shove, they aren't lacking in young men willing to take bullets and lay their bodies on the line during crunch time crossfires. In their recent game against UST, Jai Reyes had a breakout game, typified by a 3-ball he netted with under a minute left in the contest, a basket that pushed the game away from the Tigers' grasp. In this game, Rabeh Al Hussaini and Chris Tiu were their usual selves (more or less), while Eric Salamat played spark plug. Salamat has been criticized for being a player with immense skill, but one, also, with a bad habit of turning the ball over. The former San Beda Staglet was the former today, without being the latter, as he showed the poise and daredevil offensive prowess that made him one of the more sought after cagers coming out of high school. While the Blue and White does need to shoot better from the outside, one has to be impressed with the defensive intensity they've shown in each of their 9 contests so far. When a team's offense is on the downside, stops will always help see you through. You can't win if you can't score, but then, if you prevent your nemesis from scoring, you somehow stem the tide and give yourself a chance at coming out on top. It's what Ateneo's done consistently this year- they've given themselves ample opportunities at victory through hustle and "prevention". "Prevention", after all, is the best sort of antidote to a lethargic offensive charge.

And so yes, it was, indeed, quite an eventful 888 in the UAAP.

*Offbeat Thought: First, it was Kirk Long and Vince Burke wearing the wrong jerseys to an Ateneo contest against UP (they wore their summer league uni's instead of their UAAP jerseys). Then, it was James Martinez of UE and his "wrong shorts" debacle. When will all of these uniform booboos end? Who's to blame, the people in charge of making sure the proper uniforms are put to pasture (equipment managers), or those who eventually don them? You decide. :P Here's to hoping little things like this can be set aside so that we can focus on "basketball" for a change. :)

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Rabeh Cometh.

by Migi

The fellow in the picture above isn't former Atlanta Hawks and now Olympiakos cager Josh Childress, neither is it the photograph of a character from the film, "Undercover Brother".

That, dear friends, is a picture of the Ateneo Blue Eagles leading scorer and rebounder, starting center Rabeh Al Hussaini.

And what's more, the guy's a league MVP candidate this year, his 4th in the UAAP.

MVP?

If anyone had told me that big Rabeh was gunning for the MVP plum, say, 2 seasons ago, I would've immediately bet my money on someone with the words, "sure thing" tatooed all over him a little more conspicuously (maybe a Jervy Cruz or a Mark Borboran?). This season, however, Rabeh has exuded a type of confidence in his abilities UAAP fans and pundits alike haven't seen out of him, well, ever. The former PCU high-schooler has averaged close to a double-double- 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game, and has been terrorizing defenses with his solid footwork and soft touch. Ateneo head coach Norman Black was once quoted as saying that he and the rest of the Eagles' coaching staff "always encourages him (Rabeh) to make use of his height", and take advantage of it he has. At 6,7", Rabeh is often the tallest man on the court, and with quickness and nimble feet that perfectly compliment the freakesh athletic ability and impeccable timing of frontcourt mate Nonoy Baclao on the defensive end, the Eagles seem poised to make a strong push towards their first UAAP crown since 2002. The fact that Ateneo has consistent perimeter threats in players like Tiu, Long, and Reyes, plus an inside-outside dynamo in Eric Salamat only helps bolster Rabeh's- and the entire Blue and White's frontcourt, for the matter- impact on a ballgame at both ends of the floor.

In recent years, Ateneo big men have garnered a reputation for being "projects" for a good part of their amateur careers, and beyond. Claiford "Ford" Arao never really got on track until his final year in Loyola Heights, shedding off a considerable amount of weight and developing a low post game that helped catapult Ateneo up the standings in Season 70. In the old days, Blue Eagles center Alex Araneta, who eventually went on to be the #1 overall pick for the Alaska franchise in the PBA in 1992, went onto to have a lackluster career after winning titles with other eventual pros in Jun Reyes, Eric Reyes, Jayvee Gayoso, and Nonoy Chuatico in the UAAP. Rabeh, along with exceptional bigs like Rich Alvarez and Enrico Villanueva, have helped break the mould. With a little luck, we could see Al Hussaini in the pros someday soon, or at least, hoist up a UAAP MVP trophy, and consequently, a UAAP championship trophy for his squad, before then.

A relative who studies in Ateneo told me that she accidentally bumped the hulking Al Hussaini along a corridor one day. All she could say after the incident was, "Golly, that fellow was HUGE".

Indeed, #19 for Ateneo has come up big this season, and is showing no signs of letting up as he and his teammates continue their quest for Philippine amateur basketball immortality.

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Jersey Talk.

by Migi

I can't recall another time when the basketball jersey market for threads featuring popular local cagers has been more vibrant.

In line with this, I can't remember another time when the UAAP's been more popular.

Which UAAP squad are you rooting for? Who are the players you support?

More often than not, in the UAAP, the player who's jersey you wear reflects a little bit of your personality, too. Chris Tiu jerseys are often word by rabid female fans who can't get enough of the Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain-cum hearthrob (and business management major). If you don jerseys by less "showbiz" worthy star cagers like JVee Casio, Marcy Arellano, or Jervy Cruz, then you're probably just a typical hardcore basketball/team fan, without neccessarily being stark raving mad about the next chiseled baller you see. If you decide to don retro jerseys (think those of Rich Alvarez, or Mac Mac Cardona, or maybe even those of old timers Francis Arnaiz or Zandro "Jun" Limpot), or those of solid team reserves (Jobe Nkemakolam? Mark Agustin? Yuri Escueta?), then, in all likelihood, you'd probably be more a fan of the game of basketball (the various technicalities of the sport included) as opposed to the personalities and emotions per se associated with the activity.

Whatever the case, whoever you do wear, do know this- being a UAAP fan, or a basketball fan, for that matter, is an experience that unlike any other. Being someone who plays the game, along with being a cage fanatic, is just cherry on the ice cream. At the root of it all, is one's passion for healthy competition, for the chance to, for a brief moment, forget the fact that gas costs nearly 60 pesos, forget the fact that your girlfriend just broke up with you, forget the fact that you're underpaid, failing in your Math class, or, in hot water with your parents, and share in the intense spectacle known as human drama.

Scream your team's/school's name loud and proud. Bring those signs, Wear those jerseys. Be the one with your heroes. Be one with their pains and their moments of triumph.

Beyond all of that, of course, lies this friendly reminder- don't forget to enjoy yourself while you yawp, while you lose your voice.

No fighting, no feuding. Just a whole lot of cheering. :)

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Eagles Soar Over Tigers; NU Stops Bleeding By Besting Tams

by Migi


At least for one day, the NU Bulldogs felt like they belonged again.


In a game filled with a bevy of turnovers, an unsportsmanlike foul from NU guard Jonathan Janhke, and a lot of tense endgame moments, the National University Bulldogs managed to come out the victor, besting the now 5 and 2 FEU Tamaraws, 69-61, in a game held at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. The win was the first for the Bulldogs in Season 71, and the the win broke the FEU Tamaraws' 4 game winning streak.


The game was, to say the least, ugly. Asoro shot a couple of airballs (thanks to his errant-release jump shot form). NU committed a couple of boneheaded turnovers in the endgame. FEU missed a couple of gimme baskets late in the fourth period despite more or less porous NU defense, plus committed a number of careless fumbles with the contest on the line.

To add to the bizaare nature of this game, was the fact that Ateneo fans cheered actively for the Bulldogs to grab win number one of the 2008 season, and win they did.

Today's FEU loss showed just how much they miss fallen leading scorer Marnel Baracael. Without a definite go to guy, the Tamaraws looked towards a number of cagers for offense. While the Tams hung tough with perimeter brilliance, the Bulldogs continuously pounded the ball in the paint, as evidenced by bigs Jewel Ponferrada's 16 pts, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and Raymond Aguilar's 12 points, 10 rebounds, ans 2 assists. In the end, patience on offense, and well, a little bit of Jahnke magic, proved to be the difference.

In the main game, the two teams that tussled for the 2006 UAAP crown took the stage once again as the Ateneo Blue Eagles went head-to-head with the UST Growling Tigers. Early on, it became obvious that Coach Norman Black wanted to draw UST bruiser Jervy Cruz away from the shaded area by giving Ateneo reserve Mike Baldos a starting nod and the green light to chuck up medium-range jumpers. In the end, the strategy backfired, as Baldos misfired on 2 out of 3 of his jumpers, Jervy asserted his will on offense, and Dylan Ababou, who came into the game averaging 16.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest, made the Ateneans pay with a smorgasboard's worth of driving layups and difficult jumpshots.

As the game progressed, both teams' offensive games continued to sputter. Chris Tiu didn't score his first points of the contest until midway through the second period. Dylan Ababou got his touches and his points, but not without attempting a whole lot of shots (he was 0-7 from the floor at the 3:59 mark of the 2nd quarter). Clark Bautista, the Ateneo summer league standout (who later enrolled in UST), who scored 18 points in UST's last outing against NU, couldn't quite get his game going early. The scrappiness of the game carried over well into the second half, with Ateneo making big plays in the clutch (a big time Jai Reyes trifecta, and a crucial Chris Tiu steal) to nab the win and grab solo first place in the UAAP standings.

What impressed me about today's UAAP victories were the fact that no one, and I mean, no mean, got anything easy. Defenses were tight. Layups were contested. A lot of the fouls were hard, but not dirty. The intensity was on the upswing, and crunch time was, apparently, the preferred dish of the day. All the drama, and the amazing basketball exploits that were brought to the fore in Cubao today, proved to be worth several times the price of admission.

Funny Fact: While I cheered wildly from my upper box seat with my father in tow, a group of FEU boosters sat in the row ahead of me. After several tense moments between the protagonists on the hardwood, our brothers from Morayta moved to an opposite row, while snickering and looking towards where I stayed. I don't know whether those kids thought,

"Hey, let's move...that guy's one of those rabid Ateneo alumni...and hey, he's pretty big! Best we move away, lest we get beat up."

or

"What a dork! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Go USTE! Go USTE!"

Either way, I thought of the little encounter as funny. What's (Philippine college) basketball, in the context of being either a participant or an observer, without a dash of heckling? Bring it on. :) Let's all have a good time, shall we? :)

Revelation of the Game: Wow. Rabeh dunked the ball in transition. :) And boy, that kid Jeric Fortuna can shoot. He could teach Japs Cuan a thing or two about jump shooting. Sorry Japs, you'll be the Paul Artadi of this edition of the UAAP (in terms of shooting skill) until you show you can go James Yap (or at least, Ronald Tubid), on us.

Great show today, folks. :) Breathtaking, indeed.

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Artest-y?

by Migi

Yes, that man in the photo above is NBA superstar Ron "The Tru Warrior" Artest, not a protege of Dr. Dre.

(I'll quit it with the puns. I might get punched in the face for yapping.)

According to reports, the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year has agreed, in principle, to moving zip codes from Sacramento to Houston. Rockets superstar Yao Ming has voiced his concern about the combustible Artest moving to Texas, and rightfully so.

Remember the brawl in Detroit? Remember the fallout with the fans in Indiana? The ballhogging in Sacto? As superb a perimeter defender as Artest can be, and as potent a scorer he can be, both in the post and out on the perimeter, Houston grabbing #93 still ought to be a cause for worry, but then again, there are some plus points to the recent acquisition.

Look at the Dallas Mavericks, another Texas-based NBA franchise that has been on the cusp of greatness over the last few seasons. Dirk Nowitzki is the probably the best international player the league has ever seen. Josh Howard is a former all-star capable of lighting it up for 20 points on any given night. Jason Kidd is a future Hall of Famer whose point guard skills are second-to-none. Why are they the praxis for this article, then? Because the team noticeably lacks toughness, an edge, and heart.

The Houston Rockets, pre-Artest, found themselves in a similar hole. McGrady is a great all-around talent, and so is Chinese sensation Yao, but then both have temperaments that seem more passive than likely to light a fire under anyone. In comes the Tru Warrior, and in comes 20 ppg, 9 rpg, defensive intensity, and yes, a "scare factor" the Rockets could never get out of TMac, or Yao, or well, Dikembe Mutombo, even if they did turn back the clock on Deke 10 years or so.

Ron-Ron is a consumate tough guy who, when playing within the proper system, and for the proper mentor (it's a good thing Rick Adelman is the Rockets' coach, because having anyone less than him or, maybe Phil Jackson, would have implied Ronnie possibly painting the town red all over again), can help intimidate opponents while his two all-star cohorts pound the opposition into submission. By getting Artest for 2 draft picks, and antiquated spitfire Bobby Jackson (who, ironically, will be returning to the team he had his best individual basketball years in), Houston has undoubtedly hit the jackpot.

This may very well be another Pau Gasol-to-the-Lakers scenario, but then hey, how far the red and white go will, ultimately, be dependent on health.

Yao's knees.

Tracy's back (along with, uhm, his shoulders and thighs).

Artest's head.

Get the picture? Until they can net a 100% clip on the triumvirate mentioned above, then, season ticket holders can continue marking off May-June as days they can be away from the posh Toyota Center. Swipe me up for seven playoff games, max, say they.

Exit the first round, then depending on how things shape up from there, maybe then we can talk NBA championships. They are in the West, after all, and so long as the West stays the way it is now, it's going to take a lot more than a bounce or two to come out alive.

Then of course, once you get to the East, there are the Celtics to worry about.

And we all know just how much Artest detests storied franchises on the East coast known for their rabid fans.

All in all, though, good luck to you, Ron Ron. Let's all wish him the best, but, just to be sure, let's all brace ourselves for the worst.

No guts, no glory.

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