Fun with Pictures: Robert Downy Jr.

After years of drug addiction, Robert Downey Jr. overcame the odds by doing what mommies do.

Someone shared this on my Facebook account.

Game over!

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Former PBA import's bro gets drafted

I never thought the 2012 NBA Draft would delight me.

I am a huge fan of the Boston Celtics and from the looks of things I think my favorite Big Three will now disband. Ray Allen is looking for a possible stint with the Miami Heat and I am still in denial with the possibility of Kevin Garnett retiring. With that said, losing Allen (I hope he’ll stay) will free Boston to gain access on a James Harden or an Eric Gordon acquisition.

However I am not keen on Boston getting a major name in the draft.

But then awesomeness erupted.

I am a fan of Jared Sullinger and I thought he’ll be a neat lottery pickup. Just a season ago, he and Harrison Barnes were slated as possible 1-2 picks. Then Sullinger suffered an injury and Barnes opted to return to college. While this stay in college gave them further conditioning, it also pulled their draft stock down. Anthony Davis emerged as the top pick for New Orleans while his teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the second pick overall by the Charlotte Bobcats.

That’s why my eyes lit up when Sullinger’s stock fell and Boston got dibs on him.

By the way, Jared Sullinger is the younger brother of former PBA import JJ Sullinger. This Sullinger had stints with the Talk N Text Phone Pals and Coca-Cola Tigers and while he had modest numbers, he failed to make a lasting impression. In his stint with the Tigers in the 2009 PBA Fiesta Conference, he played for five games and averaged 26.6ppg and 10.2rpg before getting the axe in favor of James Penny. His earlier stint with the Phone Pals was better – because he was one win away from taking Talk N Text to a championship in the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference but was thwarted by the Alaska Aces.

But in some ways, getting picked in the lower rounds will bring life to exhausted squads and I think Boston just lucky. Whatever injury they saw on his being must trigger the snub but for a player of his caliber, it’s just uncanny. Alongside Syracuse’s Fab Melo, the addition of this Ohio State forward will bolster Boston’s roster that will have Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass, and hopefully Garnett, Allen, and Jeff Green.

Hopefully Sullinger will prove his snubbers wrong and make sure hoop life would be difficult for the teams not named Boston Celtics.

Game over.

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2012 Mock PBA Draft 1.0

See this list? Welcome to the Sydrified Mock Draft 1.0 for the 2012 PBA Draft.

Oh. I heard news that Cliff Hodge and Chris Ellis are out of the SEABA lineup which means the shallow draft that everyone thought this draft is now evolved into something awesome.

But then I have yet to finalize this. The complete list of PBA hopefuls will be ready in the first week of July (July 7) and I have no idea who will back out. I am not endorsing this list by any means but for me, this is the way it should happen… for now.

FIRST ROUND
1	PET	JUNMAR  FAJARDO	Kraken is safely beached in SMC’s Petroleum Paradise. Now what?
2	ALA	CLIFF HODGE	Let Petron get Junmar because the best player in the draft is this guy.
3	PET	CALVIN ABUEVA	Ato Agustin reunites with his former ward but he may be the ticket for Danny Seigle’s SMC return.
4	GIN	CHRIS TIU	Ginebra’s backcourt isn’t as strong as it was a few years back and this guy is a nice find.
5	MER	KELLY NABONG	The Bolts have enough scorers in their squad so the logical pick for them are bigs.
6	BAR	KEITH JENSEN	He is a nice and safe way to pad the Manong Brigade with new blood.
7	ROS	VIC MANUEL	If Vic Manuel is still available, Yeng Guiao would definitely snag him.
8	GIN	ALEX MALLARI	If he’s tall, can depend and board, and has outside shooting as well then Ginebra gets a steal.
9	POW	ALDRECH RAMOS	Ramos lost his mystique after a bad ABL season but Powerade will crave for his height.
10	BME	CHRIS ELLIS	Guy needs to work on his shooting and turnovers but overall he’s an okay fit.

SECOND ROUND
11	ALA	JERICK CANADA	The guy learned a lot after an exceptional season with the Indonesia Warriors.
12	A21	DAVE MARCELO	He looks like a marquee guy and this is what Air21 wants him to become.
13	BME	GARVO LANETE	While B-Meg is stacked with guards, the Llamados could use Lanete as trade bait.
14	A21	AJ MANDANI	The guy looks like a scorer and this is what Air21 desperately needs.
15	POW	ALLAN MANGAHAS	He played well as an all-around guy for Mapua and he could shock everyone.
16	PET	EMMAN MONFORT	Not a good team to land on but like Lanete, I can see this pick as trade bait.
17	BME	MARK JEFFRIES	B-Meg is souped up with bigs but I think could still use Jeffries in some capacity.
18	ROS	LESTER ALVAREZ	I can see TY Tang moving to Franz Pumaren’s squad so this spitfire could be a suitable fit.
19	TNT	YOUSEF TAHA	This pick is logical since this team lacks height and no, Gilbert Lao does not count.
20	BME	JORDAN  SANVICTORES	You’ll never know if Tim Cone wants another guard to crack his rotation.

THIRD ROUND
21	A21	JR  CAWALING	His stock has plummeted no thanks to RR Garcia but he is still a Smart-Gilas product.
22	ALA	MACLEAN SABELLINA	Now this guy is a player we need to watch because the guy possesses Rodman-like qualities in his being.
23	BAR	JR  BUENSUCESO	The guy needs furnishing and this could be where he’ll end up if he wants to do a hasty decision.
24	POW	CLAUDE  CUBO	This EAC General is a small version of Ronjay Buenafe and this is a compliment.
25	MER	WOODY  CO	Looked like a star when he started in the UAAP but somehow his stock waned.
26	PET	XXX PASS XXX	Three picks are enough for the Blaze Boosters.
27	ROS	XXX PASS XXX	Yeng Guiao could care less of the remaining players in the draft.
28	GIN	SIMON  ATKINS	He hasn't made a big impact in the UAAP and D-League but as a project, you'll never know.
29	TNT	KARL DEHESA	This could happen especially since he's part of their farm squad.
30	BME	XXX PASS XXX	Same with B-Meg. I just doubt they’ll pass on the second round.

Like I said, all I know is that the names and the order in the list is not final and the reason I’m not posting this elsewhere is because this was created out of boredom.

Check out my real draft notes after the July 7 deadline.

Game over.

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Leo Avenido is the ABL MVP!

I think it’s safe to say that Leo Avenido is better off in the ABL.

The San Miguel Beermen offensive specialist edged out Indonesia Warriors’ Mario Wuysang and former Air-Asia Philippine Patriots and current Barako Bull Energy guard Al Vergara in the ABL’s Local MVP Award for 2012.

The former FEU swingman stood out in the fray as the highest scoring local this season, parading a mighty 14.9ppg. As local players came in and out of the ABL, Avenido stuck like glue (or a stronger formula) and latched on at the top local spot in San Miguel even with the additions of former PBA All-Stars like Roger Yap and John Ferriols and big time young blood like Junmar Fajardo and Chris Banchero.

So I know what you’re thinking? When will he return to the PBA? Contrary to what I’m saying a while back, I doubt if there is enough time for a team to acquire his services not unless they want to insert him in the semis. I don’t know if he is considered as a SMC property after the deciding game of the ABL Finals but Petron has Chris Lutz, Dondon Hontiveros, Joseph Yeo, Marcio Lassiter (injured), Jojo Duncil, and RJ Rizada playing in his position while Ginebra has Mark Caguioa, Dylan Ababou, John Wilson, and Allein Maliksi. B-Meg has James Yap, Peter June Simon, JC Intal, and Val Acuna so if Avenido resurfaces in the PBA and under the San Miguel Corporation banner, the most likely teams he’ll play are either the Kings or the Llamados.

But I guess what Avenido is after at the moment is a way to help teammate Froilan Baguion to continue his winning tradition. Baguion is also setting his sights as the first ABL player to win three championships in three different teams. 

With this I congratulate Leo Avenido. It goes to show you that once you give a player of his caliber the playing time he deserves, everything else follows. 

Game over.

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Power Rankings: Sparks Fly... again.

(Writer’s note: Office made it difficult for me to finish this on time. My apologies to whoever reads this.)

This is winning time… except for Air21 and Alaska.

To emphasize this fact further, there is a bumper crop of sorts in the third to eighth spots. This list is for individual accolades but it also depends on how these teams will act in the semifinals.

In my equation for next week (a modified version of the PBFANTASY stats where minutes and turnovers also matter), WINS will matter. So this could probably mean that LA Tenorio and Sonny Thoss would slide down or get shipped off from the rankings and will give opportunity to some random character to be noticed.

Saying goodbye from the list is Kerby Raymundo and Jimmy Alapag. Raymundo’s activity in list continues to be inconsistent while Alapag has taken a backseat to a returning teammate.

Game starts now.

20 – RUDY HATFIELD / KINGS

LAST WEEK: 18

6.0PPG • 8.0RPG • 2.1APG • 1.3SPG

Week’s Best: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks (W VS ALA)

For a player who earns his minutes being a Rodmanesque performer, Hatfield is playing awesomely. But maybe he can do more than just board. Ginebra’s big men are inconsistent offensively.

19 – PAUL LEE / ELASTO PAINTERS

LAST WEEK: 19

13.7PPG • 2.7RPG • 3.3APG

Week’s Best: 4 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal (W VS BAR)

Just like what I said in my rookie rankings, I expect Lee to sit out the rest of the eliminations to prepare himself for the semis.

18 – JAYSON CASTRO / TROPANG TEXTERS

NEW ENTRY

15.0PPG • 1.7RPG • 3.3APG • 1.0SPG

Week’s Best: 23 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists (W VS BAR)

This is where Jayson Castro’s worth comes into play. Apart from Talk N Text’s flawless record since his return, The Blur knocked the Tropa’s last six points to give them the victory over the tough Ginebra Kings.

17 – JEFF CHAN / ELASTO PAINTERS

LAST WEEK: 16

14.4PPG • 3.5RPG • 1.8APG • 1.0SPG

Week’s Best: 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist (W VS BAR)

With Lee recuperating Chan needs to step up big to support Jamelle Cornley. While he did so against the Barako Bull Energy, imagine if the Elasto Painters can find a way to put Talk N Text to the brink of elimination?

16 – JV CASIO / TIGERS

LAST WEEK: 10

9.0PPG • 2.8RPG • 6.1APG • 0.8SPG

Week’s Best: 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists (L VS MER)

Déjà vu? This is like the Commissioner’s Cup all over again. If two or more players can help Gary David in the scoring department, then the Tigers can avoid the abrupt and embarrassing end of their season.

15 – RANIDEL DE OCAMPO / TROPANG TEXTERS

LAST WEEK: 14

15.0PPG • 4.6RPG • 0.6BPG

Week’s Best: 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal (W VS GIN)

Like I said since day one of the Governor’s Cup, Mr. Wonderful (who coined this name) has been the only consistent player for TNT. Now that the team is getting their stars back (with the exception of Jared Dillinger), RDO has carried over his scoring and it speak volumes on his importance.

14 – SONNY THOSS / ACES

LAST WEEK: 11

10.4PPG • 7.3RPG • 1.5APG • 1.0BPG

Week’s Best: 6 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks (L VS TNT)

I feel like Thoss played subpar this conference to think that in last year’s Governor’s Cup campaign, he was a monster of sorts. Is this a bad swan song for The Boss in Alaska? It looks like the Aces are bent to keep him but he could also be entertaining other offers.

13 – JAMES YAP / LLAMADOS

LAST WEEK: 15

15.0PPG • 3.9RPG • 2.4APG

Week’s Best: 15 points and 4 rebounds (L VS PET)

It has been a weird season for King James. His leadership role is further defined this season but his scoring averages have dropped significantly. Still it’s hard not to take him out as a threat because despite everything he is still the most significant B-Meg/Purefoods player of this generation.

12 – CHRIS LUTZ / BLAZE BOOSTERS

LAST WEEK: 8

11.9PPG • 3.9RPG • 4.1APG

Week’s Best: 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists (W VS BME)

With Marcio Lassiter away Chris Lutz will exercise his uncanny ability to command attention as his batch’s top dog in this conference. He’ll probably be the Rookie of the Year had not for the injuries that lessened his appearances.

11 – GABE NORWOOD / ELASTO PAINTERS

LAST WEEK: 13

9.6PPG • 5.3RPG • 3.4APG • 0.8SPG • 0.9BPG

Week’s Best: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block (W VS BAR)

See his stat? Norwood stepped up his scoring when Paul Lee checked in to the DNP list. In this conference Mr. President has been pretty much an all-around performer for Rain or Shine but to beat TNT, he scoring capabilities must be enhanced.

10 – SOLOMON MERCADO / BOLTS

LAST WEEK: 9

13.9PPG • 3.9RPG • 3.5APG • 1.3SPG

Week’s Best: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal (W VS POW)

Macmac Cardona is closing in on the Sol Train’s scoring averages and this “sibling” rivalry is both good and bad for the Bolts. Meralco is one win away for sealing a semis spot and their fans should go on a rampage if they witness both of these guys throw shot after shot.

9 – DANNY SEIGLE / ENERGY

RETURNING

12.8PPG • 5.8RPG • 1.5APG • 1.5SPG • 1.0BPG

Week’s Best: 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals (L VS TNT)

I think it’s time for Seigle to dial up his Dynamite self and explode dramatically. Leroy Hickerson is a super import but he needs to find support from the locals. Junel Baculi is giving Seigle a free reign to do things this conference and hopefully it pays him dividends.

8 – ASI TAULAVA / BOLTS

LAST WEEK: 5

12.4PPG • 10.9RPG • 0.9APG

Week’s Best: 11 points, 16 rebounds, and 1 assist (W VS A21)

Apart from an offensive off-night, the Lava Man is unleashing his dominance on the inside. Mario West might be a Govs Cup version of Earl Barron with the way he connects with his teammates and it was during Barron’s time that The Rock imposed ruthless aggression on his enemies.

7 – MARK CAGUIOA / KINGS

LAST WEEK: 20

18.5PPG • 3.3RPG • 1.9APG • 1.3SPG

Week’s Best: 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals (L VS TNT)

The moment he posted Gary David-like numbers against his foes (27ppg in two games), The Spark jetpacked to the better part of the rankings. I may be wrong here but this was Furious’ stats when he fought for MVP recognition last season.

6 – MARC PINGRIS / LLAMADOS

LAST WEEK: 3

7.8PPG • 11.0RPG • 3.4APG

Week’s Best: 4 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists (L VS PET)

Despite his unsatisfactory scoring averages (compared to most on top of the list) Ping is Tim Cone’s version of Dennis Rodman (the Detroit Pistons version where he has yet to discover Madonna and weirdness). His rebounds and heads up plays are enough for the Llamados to not really miss Joe Devance’s contributions… yet.

5 – LA TENORIO / ACES

LAST WEEK: 4

12.3PPG • 4.8RPG • 5.1APG • 1.8SPG

Week’s Best: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals (L VS GIN)

It’s been a tough season for The Lieutenant. Despite his Herculean efforts, the Aces were in the bottom pack most of the season. It’s best though that Tenorio remains with the Aces because he’ll never get the minutes he has at the moment with other teams.

4 – ARWIND SANTOS / BLAZE BOOSTERS

LAST WEEK: 6

11.9PPG • 8.6RPG • 1.6APG • 1.4BPG

Week’s Best: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks (L VS ROS)

The Spiderman should have these kinds of numbers on a daily basis but he can’t – no thanks to the Blaze Boosters loaded lineup. While he continues to deliver monster stats, he has yet to produce he had during the last Governor’s Cup.

3 – WILLIE MILLER / ENERGY

LAST WEEK: 7

15.4PPG • 4.3RPG • 4.4APG

Week’s Best: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals (L VS TNT)

In a losing effort against Talk N Text, The Thriller exploded for 25 points. This is synonymous when he was running the show against Alaska. He needs to impose his will now because Barako Bull needs two more games to clinch and piling the W’s against Ginebra and Meralco will be extremely tough.

2 – JAY WASHINGTON / BLAZE BOOSTERS

LAST WEEK: 2

15.0PPG • 6.4RPG • 1.9APG • 1.1SPG

Week’s Best: 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks (W VS BME)

I guess he is why Arwind Santos hasn’t turned monster on his opponents. The return of J-Wash is vital for Petron’s cause especially since Eddie Basden is not much of an offensive source. He was seriously instrumental in dealing B-Meg’s the start of their losing streak.

1 – GARY DAVID / TIGERS

LAST WEEK: 1

25.5PPG • 4.3RPG • 2.9APG • 1.0SPG

Week’s Best: 28 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals (L VS A21)

I have been hailing Gary David’s game for some time now but it’s frustrating to see the Tigers lose the semis-clinching games. The same thing happened to them last conference and lo and behold, they were defanged by the Meralco Bolts. They are facing the same predicament now and for Gary David’s case they need to advance. The win will send him to the semifinals which make a possible MVP citation seriously possible. A loss could still warrant a MVP nomination but it will raise doubts on the judges.

Before writing the extro of this piece, it is certain that Rain or Shine, B-Meg, and Talk N Text are semis bound while five teams are still in the running for the three remaining slots.

Yes… it took me four hours to make a rookie rankings and three days to finish this article.

Sigh.

Until next time…

Game over.

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