Antonio Mcdyess clinched his fists on the air and with the series tied against Boston it’s now everybody’s ball game. Mcdyess scored 21 points and grab 16 rebounds with 1 assist to overpower the mighty Celtics in a convincing 94-75 win.
Antonio has gone through a lot from a starter to a reserve role then to a spectator.
The second overall pick by the Clippers and traded him for Rodney Rogers and Brent Barry to Denver. Antonio is an explosive double double player with great leaping ability.
He averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. He was an all star and has played on the US Olympic team wherein they’ve won the gold.
When everything seems to be on the high, Antonio had a tendon rapture that needed a season-ending surgery. He was sideline for almost two seasons and was traded to the Knicks then to the Phoenix Suns. Antonio was not the same player that was before his explosiveness is depleting… A teary eyed Antonio remembers his struggles and coming back from a series of injuries is not an easy feat. Many had tried to comeback from injuries but to know avail failed to see the glitters of the limelight again with exception of Grant Hill. Antonio with his explosiveness gone, reinvented himself and work more on his shooting with mid-range and turn-around jumpers.
Detroit signed Antonio in a full mid-level exception in 2004 and is contented to be the reliable sixth man on the bench. He got the starter role after Webber departed the Pistons and Mcdyess the Pistons power forward move a step higher after falling down from the bottom pit. We might not see the old Antonio Mcdyess doing some kamikaze dunks but as long as he is still effective offensively and defensively its still good as before.
The dice rolls again from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top. Antonio knows being on top of the dice doesn’t necessarily means you’ll stay on top but after all the adversities and frustrations the dice might not be rolling again for Antonio.

Michael Jordan attempted a comeback in the NBA stating it’s an itch he has to scratch but after a broken rib and some air balls Jordan had to retire and give the young rising stars a chance. Though sometimes he looked old in some games but there are also flashes of the old Jordan we knew and love. Boxing is different as many boxers attempted to retire and hang their gloves but the itch being scratched is getting scratched over and over until it gets irritated. Marco Antonio Barrera, Eric Morales, Luisito Espinosa, Evander Holyfield and the ferocious Fernando Vargas are semi retired boxers but still fighting if they are given a chance. Maybe it’s the brutality of the sport or the money or a chance for redemption and further enhance their legacy. They have given us good fights and they have made boxing what it is now. The truth is boxing is a sport of brutality and like every gladiator risking their lives on the ring the strong punishes the weak and with all the wars each boxer has gone the body will take its toll. An aged warrior every battle every scar every blood counts and every fight is risking their lives.
Fernando Vargas last Saturday has tasted defeat again on the hands of Mayorga. Vargas is a prized amateur boxer and after being knockout by Tito Trinidad he just went downhill losing almost all his fights in knockouts. Vargas made a bold statement that regardless of the outcome he will hang up his gloves for good. The question would be for how long? At still in his early 30s Vargas is an old warrior and with his glassy chin he never made it back to the top. His ferocity has been his Achilles heel as he continues to move forward in every punch he takes. The classic Trinidad fight wherein he rock Trinidad in the fourth round but got down three times in the final round is a must see fight with Vargas moving forward with his big heart. Vargas doesn’t back out on big fights a trait every boxer should have. Mayweather is a good boxer but his God given ability was just put to waste choosing the easiest fight to earn money. If Mayweather with his good skills could have the heart of a Fernando Vargas he could have won the top pound per pound standings convincingly but now it’s a debatable topic.
We have seen the best of Vargas and trying to retire is the best decision he made while he is still in one piece.
I hope he stays retired and hopefully that itch has been scratched for good.

The Chicago Bulls last season went into the second round of the playoffs and they were believed to be back this playoff season. But after losing a dismal 49 games everything went downhill with the Bulls. Scott Skiles got fired and Jim Boylan followed and with the trades of their veteran centers Ben Wallace and Joe Smith in exchange for Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes the Bulls still pummeled into the standings and never attempted to move up.
The Bulls tried to lure Coach Mike D’Antoni but before they’ve presented their contract coach Mike already signed with the Knicks. But just when they thought a streak of bad luck is haunting them they find themselves a silver lining as they went no.1 in the lottery draft. Now they are caught in a dilemma. They still have to find a coach and they still have to pick their no.1 draft.
The Bulls don’t have to scroll the long list of draftees since their choices are only narrowed down to two. The Kansas State forward Michael Beasley and the Chicago native who lead Memphis to the national championship Derrick Rose.

Michael Beasley – a 6’9” Power Forward who average 26.5 ppg and 12.5 rebounds broke Carmelo Anthony’s double-double record in his freshman year. He shoots well and could very well provide the ceiling and the instant offense needed to fill the vacuum in Chicago. He is much like Dwight Howard with a shooting touch. Michael could play both forward positions and could create mismatches in Chicago. Chicago needs a young talent who could provide them versatility inside and out. And with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turning down contract extensions Michael could very well provide the scoring left by the two superstars. The downside would be is Chicago has already have six 6’9” and above players in their roster making Michael the seventh and has to fight his minutes with Deng, Gooden, Noah, Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas.

Derrick Rose – has the potential to be like Chris Paul and Jason Kidd, a high leaping pure point guard who could score, pass and dunk the ball well. Derrick is a native of Chicago who led his highschool team to two straight State Championships. He led Memphis to the national finals in 2008. Derrick could be a good help to Chicago sliding Kirk Henrich into the no.2 position. Derrick is a quality pick and for me stands out among all the draftees including Beasley and Eric Gordon in the 2009 NBA draft. He has the potential to be a leader and much like Chris Paul he makes people around him feels good. Chicago needs a guy like Rose after all everything starts with the point guard. Inexperienced and high expectations would be his downside Derrick still has a lot to prove to himself and carrying a team on the back maybe quite heavy for the 19 year old rookie. I mean being compared to top point guards in the league is already an added pressure.

Chicago still has to find a quality coach for them and having to choose two top rookies isn’t that much draining. At least they are putting a step higher from the hole they dug into.

Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista is trying to resurrect his once colorful career. He is somehow successful in all of his recent fights stopping his opponents in the early rounds. But a fight with his former tormentor Daniel Ponce De Leon is still in limbo as Deleon still has some unfinished business with Gerry Peñalosa. Rey got his name from the former lightweight champion Ray “Boom boom” Mancini a straight forward boxer who showers his opponents with volume of power punches much like Manny Pacquiao. Bautista and Mancini are somewhat similar on some ways while Bautista fought his way to poverty Mancini fought for his father’s dream. Mancini’s first title fight was with Alexis Arguello he came to the fight undefeated and like Bautista both of them tasted defeat on the hands of experienced champion fighters.
Mancini got his first title two years after challenging Arturo Frias for a world lightweight title. Ray Mancini defended his crown twice but a twist of fate made Mancini change his life forever. The young 21 year old boxer was challenge by 23 year old Duk Koo Kim in Las Vegas. Kim had to lose weight before the fight and came out dehydrated and exhausted while going toe to toe with Mancini. The fight lasted the full 14 rounds but left the South Korean with brain injuries and led to his untimely death 5 days after. Ray Mancini was now known as the boxer who killed Duk Koo Kim. Ray left boxing and begun a period of reflection his guilt have covered his tenacity on the ring and he blames himself for Kim’s death. Kim’s mother committed suicide 4 months after his son’s death and the bout’s referee, Richard Green also committed suicide in 1983.
It was a tragedy bound to happen and Ray Mancini change boxing in a poignant way. The different boxing councils change 14 rounds to 12 rounds of boxing. Weigh in are done a day before the fight starts and safety measures now are being done to save the gladiators in the ring fighting for dear life.
Rey Bautista has still has a bright future ahead of him. Being labeled as “Boom boom” might not be a good name to carry with but who knows and maybe Rey “Boom boom” Bautista might change boxing… hopefully in a good way.

The Playoffs now is more of a territorial domination. Teams are defending more in home games and are gearing to protect their home court advantage. The Celtics got two game 7 games at home and work more to their advantage. The Conference finals for the Eastern and Western would be a war set between the two bests of the east and the west. The New Orleans Hornets and the Utah Jazz did their very best to hold the defending champions San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers but experienced and determination played a vital role in the series. Orlando showed some toughness but went soft in the end as Detroit demolished Orlando and the hopes of moving forward for the conference finals. Boston got in trouble with King James and was closed of losing their edge but veterans Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce spelled the difference and got a date with destiny against the five time conference finals mainstay Detroit Pistons. 4 teams made it to the next round and with only one step higher left before making it to the top all the teams are stepping up their gear and moving a notch higher. I made a short Analysis for the conference finals and whoever team that imposes their dominance in defense would surely be the team to look forward to this June. A good defense is a good offense…

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics (1) – Detroit Pistons (2)
- With the recent turn of events this playoffs the Boston Celtics couldn’t find its groove and had to undergo two game seven games just to get into the Eastern conference finals. But nonetheless a win is a win and as they took the first game in the series they are now more focused than ever. The Detroit Pistons have been in the Eastern conference finals for the past 5 years and they already know how it is to get there in the finals. The more gelled and veteran team of Detroit has injected some new blood into their roster with Jason Maxiell and Rodney Stuckey playing some major roles in their bench. Detroit is a team that has played for years and has won the championship twice in the last five years and they will rely more on their experienced against the star studded Boston Celtics team. Detroit will be depending on their court general Chauncy Billups leadership but with the recent injury Chauncy is facing Stuckey the inexperience point guard will have to spend more minutes on the court. Boston will have to exploit Detroit in that sense. But still I see this series as a seesaw battle and will have to go to the distance. I like Detroit but this time I like Boston’s chances.
Boston (4-3)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Los Angeles Lakers (1) – San Antonio Spurs (3)
- We all remember Derek Fisher’s winning shot against the spurs in 2004 that put a dagger on the hearts of the San Antonio fans. That was a shot to remember and a shot that the San Antonio Spurs painfully remembers every Laker game. A revitalize Kobe Bryant after having won his first MVP award wanted to make history and carries his team to the promise land. But this time his supporting cast delivers. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton are now making waves on the Lakers offense and defense making them the early favorites to win the championship. But we should not discount the hearts of the champions as the defending champions Spurs tries to recapture the crown and become a back to back champions a feat they tried to achieve but failed in most of their tries. The Spurs will be looking for an upset win against the Lakers on their home turf.
Tim Duncan had a hard time guarding against agile and long players as evident on their Hornets series. And with Pau Gasol doing the damage on the paint Tim has to hold his ground and have to match Gasol’s intensity toe to toe. This series is an old rivalry so there aren’t much changes being made from both teams. The Lakers will have to play smart as the Spurs will be more physical this time. A well rested Lakers can be an advantage as Bryant can rest his ailing back and could very well prepare for the upcoming battle. The Spurs will have to play an almost perfect game to beat the Lakers. This is a tough matchup for both teams but the Lakers dominance will prevail. That’s why they are no.1 right?
Lakers (4-2)

With much said and done a rebirth of the Lakers-Boston rivalry is on the making a dream matchup I love to see. The road to the championship is narrow and the team who gets there clearly deserves it. Still there are no certainties and there would be upsets. We might see a new champion or an unlikely champion will emerge… The Drama continues… It’s either win or go home…

Chris Paul shook his head in disbelief as the San Antonio Spurs won the decisive seventh game to close their series in the hive of the hornets.
The fans showered Paul and the rest of the hornets with loud cheers and warm embraces showing their appreciation to the once lowly Hornets who couldn’t even fill their stands for the past years in New Orleans. Coach Byron Scott knew that though their Cinderella season is over but a New Mighty Hornets has just started. They have exceeded much expectation and though many believed young and untested Hornets couldn’t survive a series in the playoffs but instead they clobbered Dallas and went toe to toe with the defending champions in the second round. Much credit goes to their young point guard, Chris Paul who showed class and has slowly becoming the NBA’s premier point guard. He was unstoppable in the playoffs and the level of maturity is way beyond his years.
They could have closed the series earlier and they could have won game seven but the time is just not now. Although there are no certainties next season but gaining experienced this season plays a vital role in the future.
Paul had been a seasoned point guard but at 23 years old he still has a lot to learn.
The Hornets team close their season with high hopes and a brighter future ahead of them.
David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic, Morris Peterson, Bonzie Wells and wily veteran Janelo Pargo will be back next year. And once again the New Orleans Hornets will proved to everybody and to the world they are a team to beat. The Cinderella season is over the championship run has just begun.

After hitting his opponent with clean punches Brian Viloria stop the surging Mexican Fred Valdez with a vicious body shot in a delayed reaction with the Mexican barely beating the count of 10 and Brian once again declared the winner by TKO last night.
Brian Viloria started with a bed of roses already arrange for his professional career. A be medaled amateur boxer who had a record of 230-8 and captured the National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion and a member of the 2000 US Olympic team Brian was soaring high and with all the hype and fame Brian won the WBC title by knocking out Eric Ortiz in the first round. But fate could sometimes be bitter and frustrating as Brian lost to Omar Niño Romero and after a controversial rematch which ended in a draw Romero got stripped of his title after testing positive to methamphetamine and the title was declared vacant. Brian fought Edgar Sosa for the vacant title but his lack of offense and sometimes contented of just becoming a counter puncher proved to be futile since the aggressor always gets the nod from the judges.
Brian since winning the title has change trainers 4 times a boxer who is showing some desperate moves and needed guidance on his downhill boxing career.
Brian wanted to give up but his gone too far to just back out.
He wanted a change and change had to start with himself. Gone are the parties, the ladies, the fame and fortune instead Brian went back to plain old boxing. He rented a simple room for him to rest after practice. He lowered down his pride and started from scratch. His first come back wasn’t even a main event fight in a make shift tent on the outskirts of Mexico. Slowly Brian regained his confidence and promised himself never to let fame get into him. His focus is on boxing and even if it takes him anywhere as long as it’s a fight Brian will take it. A more focused Brian is determined to comeback. A move to the super flyweight has so far been a good decision.
The Hawaiian punch still has a lot to prove himself and with title on his mind we might see Brian challenging for a title this year. Brian has been in that situation but if ever he wins a title this time he already knows what to do.

Kobe raised his trophy on the air as he called his teammates to join him in his first ever MVP award. After years of being a scoring champion and with all the accolades Kobe made his first ever MVP award and is trying to guide his team for another championship run a feat that some of the greatest stars in the NBA have made.
Scoring is nowhere a basis on the MVP award and is not a guarantee either but on how you made your team play better and how you made them look good with some high fives and tap from the back as a simple gesture of appreciation and love. Kobe with all the negative criticism he went throughout his career did all that just to get his team on top. With all the trade talks and management disgruntling Kobe step it aside and went to work as they start their season. It’s been a promising season so far and with a 2-1 advantage going to game 4 this second round the Lakers is highly favored to win the Western Conference Finals.
So what does it take to win the prestigious MVP award? Determination and trust would be the key. Fisher after giving up a fat contract to Utah for his ailing daughter Tatum serves as the stabilizer for the Lakers offense and defense. The court general who serves as a consistent player norming 12 points or more help Kobe develop the confidence which was slowly loosing after early exits on the playoffs before.
Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton and the bench of the Lakers each contribute to Kobe’s success. Pau and Odom eases Kobe’s load in the scoring department and with a deeper bench Kobe is more involve in aspects that was lacking on his game before. He learned to trust his teammates and his teammates delivered him his first MVP award.
So what does it takes to win an MVP award? Teammates… After all basketball is a team game.
Kobe owe it all to his teammates…

After Atlanta exposes Boston’s invincibility and gave the mighty Celtics a game seven scare Boston thrashes Atlanta and the exciting first round playoffs is over. The Dominant teams usually move on to the next round. Second round will be a much physical no harm no foul type of ball game and with all the teams preparing for battle we are into a tightly contested round with all the teams preparing for a bigger war this time around.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Boston Celtics (1) – The Boston pride gets its strength from the home crowd they came into the game with a home town advantage. But with King James doing much of the damage against the Wizards he is expected to be on his usual form and dominate the Celtics. Head to head matchup between James and Pierce, Garnet and Ben Wallace or Zydrunas then Allen and Szczerbiak? Lets face it King James needs a backup scorer although defense wise Cleveland could very well match up the intensity against Boston but I just don’t think they are a better matchup against Boston offense wise. Gooden and Hughes could have boost Cleveland’s line up since both players are good defense-offense players… But with the series starting up they will just have to make the best out of their roster. Atlanta was a better team because they are not limited to only one player they play as a team. Cleveland could also spell upset to Boston but they will have to get as much as many points from Pavlovic, Wally, Gibson and Joe Smith. It’s just goes to show three heads are better to one.
Boston 4-2

Orlando Magic (3) vs. Detroit Pistons(2)- The series has just started and Detroit found a kryptonite against Dwight Howard limiting the talented center with just 6 points in game one and drew first blood as they crush Orlando 91-72. Detroit is an old veteran team who showed grace under pressure as they stop Philadelphia on game 6 on the first round. Orlando is a young and promising team but unless they learn how to play tough and rugged defense they will always be labeled a soft team. Rip Hamilton and Chauncy Billups was a having a field day as they scored at will with limited defense against Orlando. Game 2 is coming up and this game could very well set up the tone of the series. So unless Orlando plays defense this series could end up early.
Detroit 4-2

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Utah Jazz (4) vs. LA Lakers (1) - Chants of MVP around the arena as Kobe scored 38 points and gave his team a win in their second round series against Utah.
Lakers are on a roll and I don’t see any signs of stopping. The bench plays a major role on the Lakers success and with Utah they will have to find a way to neutralize Gasol or Odom since Kobe will always score and dominate games. Deron Williams and Boozer have to execute more pick and roll plays and the role players should be ready to shoot if given an opportunity in other words they will have to execute an almost perfect game to beat the up beat Lakers. Knowing Jerry Sloan the Utah will be back next game much prepared but with the Lakers in high spirit this series could very well end as much as we expected.
Lakers 4-1

San Antonio Spurs (3) vs. New Orleans Hornets (2) – Containing Duncan is the team’s mind set going into game 2 as they showed success on game 1 trashing the Spurs 101-82. New Orleans Hornets showed why they are a team to beat as they move a step higher into the playoffs beating the defending champion by a margin of 19 points. Byron Scott knows that they are up to a bigger challenge since San Antonio would try to sneak a win going into game 3 to eliminate the Hornets home court advantage. The Spurs resiliency will take a toll on Byron Scott’s young team as experienced plays a bigger factor in these series… Expect the Spurs to get back on Game 2 and expect this series to be a rubber match.
Spurs 4-3

With the month of June coming up the Lakers-Boston rivalry could very well be a reality or the San Antonio-Detroit series. I’ve got a gut feeling we would be seeing a new champion this June. What’s your take?