PBA 2008 Rookie Draft Live
Live blog on the PBA 2008 Rookie Draft Live at Market Market Taguig.
FIRST ROUND
1. Gabe Norwood (Welcoat)
2. Jared Dillinger (TNT)
3. Jason Castro (TNT - Rights given by MBM)
4. Rob Reyes (TNT)
5. Solomon Mercado (Alaska)
6. Mark Borboran (Air21)
7. Beau Belga (Purefoods)
8. Bonbon Custudio (Magnolia)
9. Larry Rodriguez (Red Bull)
10. Kelvin Gregorio (Sta. Lucia)
2ND ROUND
11. Pong Escobal (TNT)
12. Ty Tang (Rain or Shine)
13. Cholo Villanueva (Air21)
14. Chito Jaime (Sta. Lucia)
15. Kelvin dela Pena(Alaska)
16. Jonathan Fernandez (Purefoods)
17. Jeff Chan (Red Bull)
18. Mark Cuevas (Red Bull)
19. -- passed**(Red Bull)
20. Christian Cabatu(Sta. Lucia)
END OF DRAFT
Draft Class:
1. ABAD, Juan Luis G - College of St. Benilde
2. BELGA, Beau C 6-5 Philippine Christian University
3. BONUS, Lawrence C 6-7 University of Manila
4. BORBORAN, Mark G 6-3 University of the East
5. CABAHUG, Patrick G 6-2 Adamson University
6. CABATU, Christian C 6-5 College of St. Benilde
7. CASTRO, Jason G 5-10 Philippine Christian University
8. CATIGAN, Andrew G 5-11 Langara College
9. CHAN, Jeffrey G 6-2 Far Eastern University
10. COCHING, Jan Anthony G 6-1 College of St. Benilde
11. CONCHA, Dennis F 6-3 -
12. CRUZ, Nathaniel F 6-5 Mapua Institute of Technology
13. CUEVAS, Mark Anthony C 6-6 Los Angeles County College
14. CUNANAN, Rene G 6-0 Jose Rizal University
15. CUSTODIO, Bonifacio G 5-11 University of the East
16. DALAFU, Kevin G 6-1 Vanguard University
17. DAVID, Nestor F 6-3 University of the Philippines
18. DELA PENA, Kelvin Charles G 6-0 Mapua Institute of Technology
19. DILLINGER, Jared G 6-5 University of Hawaii
20. DIZON, Michael F 6-4 Florida College
21. ESCOBAL, John Paul G 6-0 San Beda College
22. ESPIRITU, Anthony F 6-4 Univeristy of Santo Tomas
23. FERNANDEZ, Jonathan G 6-2 National University
24. GONZALES, Michael G 5-9 San Sebastian College
25. GREGORIO, Kelvin F 6-4 University of the East
26. JAIME, Chito F 6-2 AMA Computer University
27. JUNIO, Ismael G 6-0 Letran College
28. KIRAM, Nizar F 6-5 St. Francis of Assisi
29. MELOCOTON, Ferdinand G 6-1 Emilio Aguinaldo College
30. MERCADO, Solomon G 6-0 Biola University
31. NAILON, Franklyn F 6-5 University of Cebu
32. NATIVIDAD, Ricky C 6-5 Philippine School of Bus. Admin.
33. NAVARRO, Lei Mar F 6-3 Philippine Christian Univesity
34. NORWOOD, Gabriel Daniel G 6-5 George Mason University
35. RAYMUNDO, Angelus C 6-5 San Beda College
36. REGALADO, Ryan G 5-10 University of Manila
37. REYES, Robert F 6-6 Flagler College
38. REYES, Unik Christian F 6-3 College of Saint Benilde
39. RODRIGUEZ, Larry F 6-4 Philippine Maritime Institute
40. SAGUINDEL, Earn G 5-8 University of the East
41. SALDUA, Eder John G 6-3 U. of Mindanao / Far Eastern U.
42. TANG, Tyrone G 5-8 De La Salle University
43. VILLANUEVA, Pocholo G 6-0 De La Salle University
44. YEE, Mark F 6-3 San Sebastian - Cavite
45. YU, Eian G 5-7 University of California – L.A
Iranian center Hamed Haddadi enters NBA
After a stellar performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Hamed Haddadi will finally make it to the NBA. The Memphis Grizzlies signed the 7-2 Iranian center. Haddadi is the only player to average double-double (points and rebounds) during the summer games. He also played well during the stint of the Iranian national team in the US just before the olympics.
“We are pleased to sign Hamed,” said Chris Wallace, the Grizzles GM. “He is a young center who was very productive as a rebounder, shotblocker and scorer at the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 2008 Olympics and the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Nanjing, China prior to the Olympics. Our coaching staff is eager to begin working with Hamed.”
My shot: I have seen Haddadi play and I think he deserves to play in the NBA. He is not as athletic as Yao Ming but he has a soft touch. Aside from being exceptional at the basicsWhat's good about him is he is a team player. His down side would be his speed and agility. At 7-2, 254-pound and 23 years of age, this kid is full of potential. I hope the Grizzlies will provide a good training and development core for Haddadi. Looks like he'll get the ample playing time with Memphis. The team does not have dominating center (only Marc Gasol, Darko Milicic) and so this Iranian will surely have a chance to shine.
Team USA: Redemption Complete
Perhaps one of the hardest fought gold medal fight in the history of men's basketball in the Olympics, USA takes the gold medal and supremacy with a 118-107. Spain didn't hand over the game without a fight, a good fight at that. The game was close all the way although the Americans stayed ahead most of the game.
Lebron James and crowd favorite Kobe Bryant had quick two fouls in the first quarter making way for the early entry of Deron Williams and revitalized Dwyane Wade. Wade errupted for 21 points in the first half. Kobe Bryant proved once again that he plays even bigger when the game is on the line. He poured 13 his 20 points and had two crucial assists in the fourth.
Congrats to team USA. Spain and defending champion Argentina settled for silver and bronze medal respectively.
The 2008 USA Men's Basketball Roster
Dwight Howard* (C)
Carlos Bosh (C)
Carlos Boozer (F)
Carmelo Anthony* (F)
Tayshaun Prince (F)
Lebron James* (F)
Kobe Bryant* (G/F)
Michael Redd (G)
Dwyane Wade (G/F)
Deron Williams (G)
Chris Paul (G)
Jason Kidd* (G)
Head Coach- Mike Krzyzewski
*-starter
2008 PBA Rookie Draft Order
The 2008 PBA Rookie Draft will be held on Aug. 31 at the Market! Market! Activity Center in Taguig City. The new home of the PBA, Solar Sports will air the said event at 7pm at CS-RPN channel.
1st ROUND DRAFT ORDER
1. Rain or Shine (formerly Welcoat Paints)
2. Talk N Text
3. Magnolia
4. Talk N Text
5. Alaska
6. Air21
7. Purefoods
8. Air21
9. Barangay Ginebra
10. Sta. Lucia Realty
A total of 48 hopefuls will be begging for their names to be called. This year's draft class is headed by RP guard Gabe Norwood, University of Hawaii standout Jared Dillinger, guards Sol Mercado and Kevin Dalafu, and 6 foot 5 Rob Reyes.
My shot: Looking at the draft class, it's definitely not that deep especially in terms of big men. I believe only a few from this batch will be drafted. Teams might even pass out already come 2nd round.
How to stop Lebron James?
This is perhaps one of the effective ways to stop Lebron James from getting a lay-up or worse a dunk. This strong, athletic, skilled, and determined guard-forward-center is just unbelievable. He gets to the basket at will. If he vastly improves his outside shooting, he'll definitely be better than MJ.
Nike Hyperdunk
Nike has once again proven its supremacy in terms of athletic wear globally. The current 2008 Beijing Olympics is a testament to how huge Nike has been. Their Hyperdunk Olympic series scheme was definitely a hit. Now every baller longs to have a pair of Hyperdunk of his own. Looking at the shoe itself, it's very simple in terms of looks and design. Not as flashy as other models. What I like most about this is its weight. It's so light for the feet.
In fact it is considered as the worlds lightest and strongest basketball shoe. The Nike Hyperdunk weighs in at only 13.0 ounces. That is 18% lighter than the average Nike basketball shoe.
Here are some of my favorites:
Costs around $135-140.00 (USD), or around 6,000.00 pesos, it's worth it! Wish I could have one. Any sponsors? :D
Photos: sneaksngear
Interview with Chuck Daly
NBA.com: First off, what were you impressions of the game against Greece this morning? Obviously, a different outcome from two years ago…
Chuck Daly: Well I think, as stated by some of the players, this game has been on their calendar. They knew that this is the team that had defeated USA in the previous World Championships, and I think they were ready for the challenge, to say the least.
NBA.com: What were some of the things that kind of jumped out to you watching the game this morning?
Chuck Daly: Well, the No. 1 thing is their defense, they are ferocious defensively. They do a lot more trapping. And secondly, you’re going to have a hard time getting shots off inside. I know that a lot of people were concerned about the lack of size. But there’s size there, you can bring in [Chris] Bosh and guys like LeBron James playing 6’7” height-wise, but they probably play closer to 6’10” or 6’11”. Getting a shot off inside is extremely difficult, so consequently they get a lot of blocked shots and run-outs, they get a lot of steals – run-outs. And a team to really challenge is going to have to have tremendous ball-handlers and great patience.
NBA.com: When you look at this team what strikes you as the real strength of this team?
Chuck Daly: Their overall athleticism and their attitude.
NBA.com: Where are they vulnerable in the international game?
Chuck Daly: I don’t think they are. I know that everybody keeps preaching it, I hear it on TV that, “Well wait ’til, wait ’til we reach so-and-so, wait ’til we reach so-and-so.”
I don’t think this team is vulnerable because they’ve been set up differently by
NBA.com: Three-point shooting doesn’t concern you, especially with the shorter three-point line?
Chuck Daly: That comes and goes with anybody.
NBA.com: Who has stood out in your mind? Dwyane Wade is speaking volumes with his play off the bench …
Chuck Daly: Well, he’s not a bench player, I mean, he’s one of our premier players, certainly. He’s coming off injuries, but you know, I mean he pretty much carried Miami to a championship several years ago, scoring well into the 30s and 40s. He’s a brilliant player, and we have a lot of them: Carmelo (Anthony), LeBron, Chris Paul, everybody kind of steps up a little bit differently depending on what the game is. And what’s happened is, because Mike [Krzyzewski] has been together with these people for so long, he now understands their games. When you put together in a short period of time, you don’t understand much about what their game is, so he can plug them in accordingly.
NBA.com: From someone whose been on the hot seat coaching NBA players in the Olympics, what is Coack K going through in terms of his goal of delivering on the enormous expectations?
Chuck Daly: Well I think down deep he’s very confident. But there’s always the apprehension. And you can see it, there’s a small spot on his left cheek that gets very red during the game, and that indicates to me he’s feeling some kind of anticipation, apprehension, whatever you want to call it. Because, you know, you’re not supposed to lose in this position. And I told our players in ’92, “There’s two islands off the coast there of Barcelona,” I said, “One is a swinging place, the other has a lot of caves, high wind, high suicide rate. If we don’t win this thing, we won’t be able to go Majorca, we’ll go to Minorca, and we won’t be able to return to the United States, I can tell you that.”
NBA.com: When people stop you on the street and want to talk about the Dream Team, what’s the one thing people like to ask you about?
Chuck Daly: The mystique of it. To bring all of those superstars in our profession together would be like taking about five rock groups, the Beatles, et cetera, and traveling with them, in the basketball world, and the sports world. Six thousand journalists were there, it was, you know, it was an unusual situation and that’s what they talk about. And the way the players handled themselves. They handled themselves so well during those Olympics. They went to other venues; they mingled with the other athletes. We didn’t necessarily stay at the village, but it really was impossible with the size of the people we had – and security.
NBA.com: You never called a timeout in the ’92 Games. Is that even possible in the international game right now for the U.S.?
Chuck Daly: No, I wouldn’t think that that would be the case. In my own mind, we played at 10:30 every night, every other night, and I wanted to make sure we got back to get something to eat before they closed down the kitchen. I don’t know, they probably kept it open (laughs), but, I just kind of made an off-hand thought to myself, “Why are we calling timeouts?”
And I didn’t. I was only tempted one time against Croatia, and didn’t do it, and got through it without one, but I don’t think that should be, or is the case today. I know one thing, I lost a lot of exposure and a lot of money, and I’m still pretty upset about that.
NBA.com: How so?
Chuck Daly: Well you get that television exposure; you get a lot more ads. Krzyzewski, with these timeouts, is going to get a lot of new ads. Some pennies in his pocket.
NBA.com: What is the biggest difference from ’92 to 2008 in terms of the over all international game?
Chuck Daly: Well there’s several things. One, shortly after the ’92 Games, I did a book, a diary, and I kind of predicted what was going to happen. When the Dream Team was shown to 180 countries I knew it would enhance basketball everywhere, and it has. I mean 300 million people playing basketball in China? Come on! Who would ever believe that? So the sport has this glamour that goes around the world. The difference is that, the teams at that time, in ’92, we might have had one or two foreign players in the league. Now we have anywhere from 75 to 90 on a given year. And it’s lost its mystique for them, it’s mystery. They play in our league; they know these guys, so they don’t have any fear, so to speak, of our teams.
Secondly, all of our coaches, from, you know the Massimino’s, the Dalys and the Van Gundys and the Fratellos and all these people traveled around the world giving clinics and you know explaining it, and teaching basketball. And the Europeans have their own take on it. Theirs is a drive-and-kick game, which is now a big part of our game in this country. And so, there are no mysteries, and it’s just a case of them developing their skills and their fundamentals.
NBA.com: Look ahead to Saturday’s U.S. game against Spain, which features seven NBA players, the most outside of the U.S. team. …
Chuck Daly: Well this should be THE game, unless they meet again later on, which they very well might. I think our guys will be very focused, and I think Spain will have to depend on their ball handling, and their ball handling has to be very precise in order to overcome the pressure. I think that everyone is looking to it, and see if they’re the team with the most experience, the most talent, and see what our forces can do against them.
NBA.com: Is there a difference in elation in winning an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal?
Chuck Daly: Yeah, there’s a different elation. In a lot of instances we’re expected to do that sort of thing with the type of personnel we’re presented with in the Olympics. The other’s a long, hard process. Sometimes, it takes years to develop and when you take a group and go four, five, six years and finally win a title, that’s pretty special.
Source: http://www.nba.com/features/chuck_daly_oly_20080814.html------------------------******************------------------------
Scores in 8 games:
USA vs. Angola- 116-48 : USA vs. Croatia- 103-70 : USA vs. Germany- 11-68 :
USA vs. Brazil- 127-83 : USA vs. Spain- 122-81 : USA vs. Puerto Rico- 115-77
USA vs. Lithuania- 127-76 : USA vs. Croatia- 117-85
Dwyane Wade is Back
Shaquille O'neal coined him as "The Flash" but such name failed to marked on the minds of Wade's fans, and perhaps even to Dwyane. Smothered with injuries resulting to a miserable NBA season, Wade is back big time.
Among the players in the current TEAM USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Dwyane Wade has been the most impressive. I think everyone is just glad to see the 6-4 spitfire guard playing to his potential. His quickness is quicker, elevation is higher, shooting is sweeter, defense is tighter, just a better Dwyane Wade coming off the bench for the so called Redeem Team. Despite playing off the bench, he is the team's leading scorer after two games. With thunderous-acrobatic jams, lightning quick drives, active defense, and all net jump-shots, D. Wade is playing in full gear.
Dwyane Wade is one of my personal favorites in the NBA today. What he showed in Miami's championship series against Dallas was simply remarkable. Now, with a healthier and much improved Wade, Miami can definitely flip their fortunes from last season. Wade will certainly carry the team on his stronger shoulders. I just hope no more injuries for this very tremendous player.
Beijing Olympics Men’s Basketball Schedule
ELIMINATION ROUND
August 10
9:00 a.m. Russia - Iran
11:15 a.m. Germany - Angola
2:30 p.m. Spain - Greece
4:45 p.m. Lithuania - Argentina
8:00 p.m. Australia - Croatia
10:15 p.m. USA - China
August 12
9:00 a.m. Iran - Lithuania
11:15 a.m. Croatia - Russia
2:30 p.m. Greece - Germany
4:45 p.m. China - Spain
8:00 p.m. Angola - USA
10:15 p.m. Argentina - Australia
August 14
9:00 a.m. Germany - Spain
11:15 a.m. Australia - Iran
2:30 p.m. Angola - China
4:45 p.m. Lithuania - Russia
8:00 p.m. USA - Greece
10:15 p.m. Argentina - Croatia
August 16
9:00 a.m. Greece - Angola
11:15 a.m. Russia - Australia
2:30 p.m. Croatia - Lithuania
4:45 p.m. Iran - Argentina
8:00 p.m. China - Germany
10:15 p.m. Spain - USA
August 18
9:00 a.m. Iran - Croatia
11:15 a.m. Australia - Lithuania
2:30 p.m. Greece - China
4:45 p.m. Angola - Spain
8:00 p.m. USA - Germany
10:15 p.m. Argentina - Russia
The quarterfinals will be held on the 20th of August. Semis at 22nd and the Finals at:
12:00 p.m Bronze Medal Game
2:30 p.m. Gold Medal Game
Good luck to all teams! May the best and most deserving team win!
All eyes on USA's REDEEM TEAM
Despite a flawless standing during their tune-up games in China, the "Redeem Team" is still unable to win the trust and confidence of critics with regards to the team's capability to snatch the Olympic gold and world supremacy in basketball.
Looking at their games, team USA has an extremely talented lineup especially in the backcourt. This is a deadly team when it can runs at will. It was very evident in their game against Australia and Russia that slowing them down is a vital key to beat this power house.
Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and the comebacking Dwayne Wade will surely lead this team. Their first official game will be against host China on August 10.
Ginebra Takes Game 1
After a rough start, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings took game 1 of the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference, 105-96. The Finals debut of Air21 had a stellar straight, able to erect a 10-0 lead to start off the game. But right after coach Jong called for a full time-out, the Kings went on a roll erasing the 10 point defecit and even snatching the lead. The Gin Kings never looked back since.
Ginebra played extremely tight defense translating to Air 21's sour shooting from the field. Gary David was tightly guarded. As coach Bo said, his team's defense is fueled by their offense. In game 1, when they loss their shooting touch their defense also struggled. Cris Alexander outplayed his counterpart, Steve Thomas. The Express settled for stugnant 1 on 1 plays mostly on Thomas posting Alexander.
