Dubs' Domination (and Other Thoughts on the 2014-15 NBA Season)

The Golden State Warriors owned the 2014-2015 NBA season.  Amazingly, they were first in defensive efficiency (98.2) and a close second (they only trailed by .1) in offensive efficiency (109.7).  They finished the regular season with a league best 67-15 record (which is also the franchise’s best).  They never lost three straight all season long.  Stephen Curry broke his own record for most three-pointers in a single season and then broke the record for most three-pointers done in a playoff run, as well as winning the regular season MVP along the way.  Klay Thompson broke the record for most points in a quarter with 37 (Curry and Thompson, the “Splash Brothers”, also broke the record for most three pointers by a pair of teammates in a single season).  Draymond Green nearly won the Defensive Player of the Year award.  There were All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive selections among the Warriors roster.  Throughout this season, it was fairly obvious that the Warriors this season was definitely a championship pedigree team.

The championship was principally theirs for the taking.  The only way they could have failed was if they have an epic playoff meltdown.  But throughout the playoffs, the Warriors basically played the way they did when they dominated the season: poised and purposeful.  Even when down 2-1 during the series against Memphis and in the Finals itself, I never ever felt that this team was going to lose (okay, maybe a bit during the Finals).  It is because throughout this season, in dealing with any conflicts or setbacks, the Warriors never lost cool and focus.  If there were any worries, internal squabbles, or voicing out of displeasure, it was quietly dealt in the locker room.  There was no drama.  No distractions.  This was a team that never showed any signs of implosion.

Moreover, the Warriors were a real team-centric team.  Sure, Stephen Curry is the face of the Warriors, but it can never be truly said that the excellence of this team was an extension of his individual excellence.  This Warriors team actually functioned similarly to last year’s star-less Spurs mold rather than a team revolving around a superstar.  Sacrifices defined this team as scoring opportunities, starting positions, and rotation minutes were willingly given up to provide match-up advantages and development of younger players; which led to different players stepping up at different points during the season and playoffs (that’s why there was an opportunity for another Warrior aside from Curry or All-Star Thompson to win the Finals MVP). The Golden State Warriors’ whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.

The Golden State Warrior’s domination of the season and the first title for the franchise in 40 years tells us several things.  First, though their championship-clinching “small ball” lineup isn’t the first to show us that a “small ball” team can win a championship – that would be the Miami Heat three seasons back – this Warriors proved that a team using an offense that heavily relies on jump shots over inside scoring – as long as it’s complemented by a topnotch defense, fast pace, and smart ball movement – can win a championship.  Second, contrary to what LeBron thinks, this basic basketball truth is validated: championships aren’t necessarily won by the best player but by the best team.

STEPHEN CURRY

Ever since his performance in the Warriors’ first round series against the Nuggets back in the 2013 playoffs and discovering that he’s a professing Christian, I’ve been a fan of Stephen Curry.  Hence, I was thrilled when Stephen Curry won the championship and the regular-season MVP.

First and foremost, as a Christian myself, it always cheers me whenever a Christian artist or athlete receives success since they are able to get the opportunity to direct the glory to God in front of the world.  And that’s what Curry has done amidst his accomplishments this season.  Being a Christian athlete, Curry displays the same attitude as fellow Christian NBA player Jeremy Lin to be the best basketballer he can possibly be so that the excellence of his talents would ultimately point towards the glory of God.  As Stephen Curry declared:

“I love that basketball gives me the opportunities to do good things for people and to point them towards the Man who died for our sins on the cross. I know I have a place in heaven waiting for me because of Him, and that’s something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top.  There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear, and that’s Christ living inside of me.”

Moreover, there is genuine joy in watching Curry play.  His skills in ball handling, passing, and – especially – shooting are so spectacular.  Despite his fragile stature, he has this noticeably formidable presence on the court.  Can’t help but be awed of the guy.

FINALS MVP

I’ve always liked Andre Iguodala.  A few years back, I was even hoping my Lakers would trade for him (instead, he was part of a multi-team trade that brought Dwight Howard to the Lakers and sent him to the Nuggets).  Hence, I really am glad that he got the Finals MVP.

This isn’t really the first time that someone unexpected won the Finals MVP, but Iguodala winning the Finals MVP is still a delightfully remarkable happening.  It’s quite ironic, actually.  He got this individual glory by sacrificing his pride and settling with a supporting player role.  At the start of the season, Iggy, a starter for his entire career, was asked by Coach Kerr to come off the bench and give his spot in the starting five to developing young forward Harrison Barnes.  And he unselfishly agreed to do so for the sake of the team’s success.  Throughout the season, he would play the role of the Dubs’ sixth man.

The voters could have gone the clichéd approach by awarding the Finals MVP to the winning team’s star player – in this case, regular-season MVP Stephen Curry – regardless of the fact that a teammate has been more consistently impactful as far as the games of the Finals are concerned.  Or the Finals MVP could have gone to LeBron (appropriately and interestingly, only Iggy and LeBron received votes for Finals MVP, with the former edging the latter 7 to 5) since his spectacular performance and stats had established him as the best player in this Finals and there was a legitimate cause to believe he was set to become the first Finals MVP belonging to the losing team since Jerry West in 1969.

But I believe the voters got it right picking Iggy.  A bench player from the start of the season until Game 3 of the Finals, Iggy proved to be the piece on which Warriors’ success in the Finals was hinge on.  The Cavs’ defense dared him to shoot, and he obliged, making them pay dearly, contributing heavily on offense.  But what made him Finals MVP is being able to be an impact in defense as much as offense.  He was given the task to guard LeBron, but though LeBron was a dominant force in the Finals, Iggy was able to defend him well enough to prevent his dominant play into translating into wins.  LeBron did score a lot as well as assisted on much of the Cavaliers’ points, but Iggy made him work hard to get them – depleting his energy down the stretch.  Also, LeBron had to take a lot of shots to get his points, and Iggy made him miss a significant amount.    Meanwhile, other Warrior defenders like Barnes and Thompson always got bullied whenever they found themselves guarding James.  Basically, if Iggy wasn’t around, the already dominating LeBron would actually have dominated much more, and could have probably carried the Cavs to a championship.   As someone who loves defense, I really appreciate what Iggy accomplished on the defensive end in this Finals.

COACH KERR

I have always known that Steve Kerr has a brilliant basketball brain.  When he was still an NBA player, he got the chance to be coached by Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich – arguably two of the greatest coaches of all time – and this definitely contributed much in giving him the deep understanding of the game that he possesses.  He was my most favorite basketball writer/analyst when he still worked for Yahoo! Sports, and his basketball smarts were apparent by how his articles oozed with thoughtfulness and insight.  He was also pretty sensible and eloquent when he worked as a TV analyst.

Hence, when he replaced Marc Jackson as head coach of Golden State Warriors, I was intrigued.  I felt that this team under Kerr could become something special.  Employing the principles he learned from his mentors – Jackson and Popovich – as well as the principles of his assistant coaches Ron Adams (one of the best defensive coaches now) and Alvin Gentry (known for his up-tempo offense), Coach Kerr did just that, developing the Golden State Warriors into a team that excelled in both ends of the floor.

Moreover, he successfully established a culture of sacrifice and teamwork (as mentioned earlier) in the team.  He willingly listened to suggestions, and give credit to whom is due.  Thus, his players and staff considered Kerr “the best boss in the world” (words of assistant coach Luke Walton), and trusted him enough to completely invest into every detail of whatever game plan he would prepare – even if it was pretty unconventional or perplexing.  And since Kerr’s decisions and adjustments generally proved to be masterful and yielded results, the team would trust him some more.

Unfortunately, Kerr lost to Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer in consideration for Coach of the Year.  Nevertheless, a championship is much more important.  And by leading the Warriors through a history-making season, Kerr has established himself as the most successful rookie head coach in NBA history and a legitimate, elite head coach to be reckoned with in the future.

* * *

Miscellaneous thoughts about the 2014-2015 NBA season:

• Interesting trivia and image from Bleacher Report: Stephen Curry is the first player in history to beat every other member of the All-NBA First Team on his way to a title.
• For a while there, the depleted Cavs had me worried a bit that they could actually pull off an epic upset of the Warriors.  LeBron James on “basketball god mode” putting up phenomenal numbers in the Finals made it seem that Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova were enough to fill in for injured Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.   Nonetheless, even when the Cavs were up 2-1, I was confident the Warriors would still win for two reasons: a.) Coach Kerr’s knack of making successful adjustments kept the Warriors from losing three straight all season long; and b.) exhaustion should eventually set in on the Cavs’ short rotation.  As it had proven to be in Game 4, I was right in both counts.
• I’m first and foremost, an LA Lakers fan.  But as an NBA fan as well, I need a team to root for in the playoffs, and after I became a Stephen Curry fan, I have always rooted for the Warriors come playoffs time since the Lakers are unavailable in the playoffs in the past few seasons.
• I’m happy with Kawhi Leonard winning Defensive Player of the Year.  At last, a perimeter defender wins for the first time since Ron Artest in 2004.  I was tired of big men winning the DPOY year in, year out. 
• We never saw what Julius Randle – the pick Lakers earned for their awful 2013-2014 season – can do since he was brought down by a season-ending injury at opening night.  It was an indication on where this Lakers team was going for the rest of the season.
• The 2014-2015 Los Angeles Lakersturned out to be the most horrible team in franchise history.
• It’s official: time and wear-and-tear have already caught up with Kobe Bryant, and he’s simply isn’t the player we have been spoiled of knowing.  He no longer has the capacity to carry a subpar roster by himself as he did during the 2005-2007 seasons.  He still averaged 22.3 ppg but got there at 37.3 FG%.  I would love to see him back to elite form next season, but that looks unlikely at this point.    
• During the season, Kobe overtook Jordan as the 3^rd all-time leading scorer, but he also earned the record for missing more shots than any other NBA player in history. 
• Thank God for Kobe Bryant’s Muse, however.  
• And there’s some nice silver linings resulting from another failure of a Lakers season.  First, Jordan Clarkson, the 46^th pick of last year’s draft, was given ample playing time and proved to be a promising Laker.  And by being part of the All-Rookie First Team, Clarkson is basically the fifth best rookie of the batch at least.  Not bad for a second-rounder.
• Also, the Lakers’ awfulness earned them the second pick for this year’s draft!  With that draft expected to turn out being a talented center in Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, the Lakers’ future looks bright with a trio of young potential franchise players in Randle, Clarkson, and whoever the result of the 2^nd pick be (just don’t mess it up, Mitch and Jim).
• Of course, I want the Lakers to win the championship next year.  But if that won’t be the case, I prefer the Dubs to repeat.

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That Time When Kobe Taught Me to Love Defense

Note: this is from the draft of a post I wrote some years ago in a LA Lakers fan community blog, with some slight edits.

In basketball, the defensive aspect of the game is often overlooked by most audience.  It’s just that offense’s elements – like dunks, alley-oops, fadeaways, 3-point shots, killer crossovers, and no-look passes – can easily incite excitement from its observers.  If defense is ever given any attention, it’s mostly on blocking – an incomplete and, sometimes, misleading indicator of good defense.

I love playing defense; I understand its value.  But during my early years of being basketball fan, I lacked the appreciation for it.  Yeah, I encountered stuff that preached the importance of defense with sayings like “Defense wins championships” and such.  But I never really quite fully grasped the idea.  I was also aware that Kobe was one of the best defenders of the league – being a consistent All-Defensive Team selection through the seasons.  But I was numb to that fact, taking it for granted with the same degree of apathy as knowing the fact that he plays for the Lakers.  My awe for his exciting offensive skill-set probably blinded me of his equally impressive defensive capabilities.

Then it all changed because of one game.  It was way back in March 15 (16 in my timezone), 2004 – a regular season game between the LA Lakers and the Orlando Magic; it was one of my most favorite duels between Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady.

First of all, let me establish how I consider T-Mac the closest thing there is (so far) to a Kobe Bryant-clone, hence, I respect him.  He was, like Kobe, an awesome well-rounded offensive player and also had his legendary clutch moments (e.g. 13 points in the last 35 seconds to steal the win from the Spurs).

In this particular game against the Lakers, during the first half, T-Mac single-handedly torched the Lakers.  In comparison, Kobe was quiet in the offense during the first half.

But in the second half, Kobe went to gunslinger mode and shot the lights out of the Magic.  Above that, Kobe took over the defensive assignment of guarding T-Mac and neutralized him.  And it blew. me. away.  That’s the time when something just clicked inside my head which made the fact of Kobe’s awesomeness as a defender dawn on me and made me fully appreciate and comprehend the awesomeness of defense.

The Lakers won that game, with a large part due to Kobe’s brilliant performance in both offense and defense.  It is also worth nothing that Kobe had a shoulder injury at that time, and isn’t completely at his 100%.  He was just that awesome.

From then on, I would fully enjoy Kobe as a defender almost as much as a scorer, and I get to love the defensive aspect of the game.

I understand why defense is not so popular with people.  It’s hard work.  And basketball is supposed to be play, right?  A tomahawk dunk?  That’s fun.  A buzzer-beating three-pointer?  That’s fun.  A behind-the-back assist? That’s fun.  Shadowing your man all game long?  Not at all.  Moreover, it’s unrewarding, as people will tend to remember that one time your man embarrass you with an ankle-breaker rather than those five other times that you made him miss his shot. 

But to those who learned to embrace defense, they find something romantic and thrilling about this underappreciated and grinding facet of the game – that there’s a special kind of satisfaction and achievement to be derived from it as much as in putting the ball through the hoop.  And thanks to that one Kobe Bryant moment, I get to understand that.

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Mayweather Might Not Have Out-Fought Pacquiao, but He Absolutely Out-Boxed Him

As a Filipino and a PacMan fan, of course, I rooted for Manny Pacquiao.  But let me be objective here.  As far as the performance on the ring is concerned, Floyd Mayweather beat him fair and square. 

People who wanted to witness an exciting, full-on brawl is frustrated by how Mayweather refused to engage Pacquiao in a slugfest by constantly running away and clinching (hugging).  They thought of his style as dull and cowardly – or even a form of “cheating.”   However, what was displayed was actually boxing savvy. 

It is a misconception to equate boxing with brawling.  Mayweather’s “running” and “hugging” is within the parameters of the sport of boxing and he smartly used it to negate Pacquiao’s “slugger” advantage.  He ran away to avoid turning the fight into a slugfest, something he can’t win and doesn’t need to win; and clinched (hugged) whenever Pacquiao was gaining momentum.  Meanwhile, he collected points by connecting careful, well-picked shots out of Pacquiao’s initiated assaults.  It might be unsatisfying and boring to watch, but that was simply a perfect execution of smart, efficient, clinical boxing.  In spite of Pacquiao being the more active fighter, Mayweather’s style allowed him to dictate the pace and to land the cleaner punches.

I’ve always thought that it’s unlikely for Pacquiao to beat Mayweather via score cards (especially since he could be favored by the judges).  That’s why I believed that Manny could only win if he knocked Mayweather out – or, at least, knocked him down several times – and that his best gameplan was to go for broke and seek the knock out win as soon as possible.  If this had been the actual plan by Pacquiao’s corner all along, I never felt it during the match.  Yes, Pacquiao was the more aggressive fighter, as usual, but I never felt that he dominated.  

Pacquiao is definitely the better – or, some might even say, the only – fighter in that match.  That is something that can’t be denied.  However, by incorporating the exploitation of the flaws of the sport to his technique, Mayweather has made himself the superior boxer.  Mayweather knows that he doesn’t need to out-fight Pacquiao to win.  He just needs to out-box him.  Sorry to say, that’s exactly what happened.      

Miscellaneous musings:

• All that said, still, it would be nice if boxing rules are revised to penalize too much running and hugging.
• The Compubox stats had surprising results.  Mayweather having more punches landed and better accuracy is not really a shocker, but also having more total punches thrown?  Possibly true, but really hard to believe. 
• Manny Pacquiao is still the People’s Champion.  It was apparent from the crowd’s reaction.  He lost the so-called “Fight of the Century” but he will never lose the love and respect of the people.
• No matter the result, as long as Pacquiao does his best to glorify God, he is the winner in a more important matter. 
• Just as he promised during Pacquiao’s latest guesting in Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jimmy really dressed up like Justin Bieber when he walked with Pacquiao into the ring.  Cracked me up.      
• I know Jamie Foxx can sing (he even won an Oscar by portraying rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles in Ray), but his singing of the American national anthem was hilariously awful.  The accompanying organ was just as bad.     
• I feel a mix of amusement and irritation by all the sour-graping in my Facebook news feed.  Understandable, but I wish for a little bit of classiness.
• It was said that Pacquiao was denied by the Nevada Athletic Association to take anti-inflammatory drug for his shoulder injury prior the fight.  Hence, Pacquiao was not in 100% condition.  Shame.  Could have had an opposite outcome if Pacquiao wasn’t injured, or was allowed some painkillers for the injury.    
• In an alternate universe, Pacquiao catches up with Mayweather’s running, corners him completely, and sends him falling to the canvass after a hard left hook.  Referee counts to ten.  Manny wins by knockout.  Immediately, the date of Manny’s return to the Philippines is declared as a special non-working national holiday to honor him.  Filipinos around the world are euphoric for weeks.
• There’s no reason for Mayweather to give Pacquiao a rematch.  But I wish there will be one.

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'Kobe Bryant's Muse' is My Highlight as a Laker Fan This Season

I thought that the 2013-2014 Laker season was “rock bottom” for the franchise, but, boy, I was sure wrong.  This current Laker campaign is turning out to be even worse as the team’s horrible record has made them eligible for the top 5 draft picks (hope they get the next “great Laker” out of it, though).  Aside from the occasional highlights from young Laker players (I hope Jordan Clarkson would prove to be the next Kobe for the Lakers), there aren’t much to delight on as a Laker fan right now.  And that’s why I’m happy about the latest Showtime documentary, Kobe Bryant’s Muse.  It proved to be the thing I derived the most enjoyment out of as a Laker fan this season.  In the midst of another depressing Laker season, this beautiful documentary somewhat cheered me up.  

Kobe Bryant has always been my favorite NBA player, and I’ve come to admire his talent and drive.  Kobe Bryant’s Muse is a great thing for a fan like me because it provided the most in-depth look ever on how the Kobe Bryant we love – or, in the case of others, hate – came to be.  Kobe served as the sole voice of the documentary, and there are no other place – interviews, documentaries, etc. – where we can find Kobe being as candid and as vulnerable as he was in Kobe Bryant’s Muse.   Listening and watching Kobe talk throughout the 1-hour and 23-minute documentary – as he thoroughly and honestly revealed his thoughts, struggles, and emotions during the important points of his formative years and career – was a gripping experience. 

The documentary took a gloomy, minimalist approach in its production.  The supplementary “narrative” footage were limited to Kobe’s Achilles injury from 2013 and his recovery process.  Other video clips featured were mostly muted, and simply served as “visual aid” on whatever topic was at hand.  There were no insights or interviews of other people regarding Kobe.  There were no flash and flare.  The primary focus was (almost) all about Kobe talking to the camera, “up close and personal”, in a dim setting.  And it worked, for the tone was compatible to Kobe Bryant’s own character.  Yes, it was grim, but it was never dull.  Rather, it was direct-to-the-point, analytical, and compelling.  As a documentary, it was savvy and gorgeously-made.     

Prior to the release of this movie, Kobe Bryant was quoted as saying that he “didn’t want to write a book”, that he doesn’t “have the patience for that,” and that’s why he did Kobe Bryant’s Muse.  So, basically, Kobe Bryant’s Muse is a must-watch because this is not just any biopic/documentary.  It is Kobe’s actual autobiography.   And until Kobe finds the “patience” to write an autobiographical book – which I hope will still happen – this is the best we can get for now.    

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Top 10 Variations of Chess

Even if there are already several strategy video games (especially in PC) that have been developed to have more intellectual gameplays than chess, this timeless boardgame is still as popular and esteemed as ever.   But did you know that there are actually numerous variations of chess out there?  Here are my favorite modified versions of chess that employed a couple of twists to make the game more complex or crazier – hence, more interesting.      

10.) THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHESS

 

Three-Dimensional (3-D) Chess has its origins from the late 19^th century.  It features multiple boards at different levels, on which the pieces could move in three-dimensions.  This variant features different variants itself, but the most popular is the “Star Trek” version.  Star Trek’s 3-D Chess has been seen many times throughout the franchise’s TV series and movies.  Originally intended to be merely fictional, fans developed detailed mechanics to make it playable in real life. 

3-D Chess is probably the most complex chess variant I’ve encountered (yes, even more complex than Quantum Chess) that I didn’t even bother to thoroughly learn the rules.  But this is probably the most popular chess variant out there because of its connection with Star Trek, so I gave it the tenth spot.  And, besides, I have to admit that I also find it fascinating because of its intimidating set-up.     

9.) DRINKING CHESS

 

When I first encountered the image above back in 2011, I shared it in Facebook and jokingly captioned it...

   

So during my research while constructing this list, I was surprised to discover that I was spot on with my jesting deduction. 

8.) PLAY IT BY TRUST

 

This chess variant is developed by Yoko Ono (yes, that Yoko Ono) as an art project.   Both players’ pieces are white.  Therefore, after a few moves, the board gets confusing; the players will have the difficulty of determining which pieces are theirs.  Of course, those with genius-level eidetic memory would be able to play it with ease as if it’s a normal chess game.  But for most players, they must trust each other in determining whose pieces are whose. 

“Play It By Trust” is supposed to serve as a metaphor for the senselessness of war.  Through it, Yoko Ono intended to eliminate the “conflict” in a chess game, rendering the “battle” to eventual futility after a couple of moves.  So – if I get her intentions right – the set-up instead promotes “peace” and “unity” by forcing the players to rely on each other’s memories and honesty if there’s hope of finishing the game. 

It’s either stupid or profound.  Your call.  Either way, it’s truly unique.        

7.) MONSTER CHESS

In Monster Chess (also called Super King Chess), Black has the standard set of pieces while White only has a king and four – sometimes two, sometimes eight – pieces of pawns.  However, White can move two successive moves per turn. 

On paper, Black seems to have the advantage because he has a complete set of pieces.  But White’s “two moves against Black’s one move” function actually can make the game very winnable for him, especially if White plays with eight pawns.   

6.) EXTINCTION CHESS

To win, instead of checkmating the king, one has to capture all pieces of a particular kind of chess piece.  Therefore, he can win by doing one of the following: capturing the king, capturing the queen, capturing the two bishops, capturing the two knights, capturing the two rooks, or capturing all eight pawns.  Since the king is just a normal piece here, the restrictions in castling in check are suspended.  Moreover, a pawn can now also be promoted to a king.  Also, the queen should be taken good care of, since there is only one queen and its elimination would automatically mean losing (unless a pawn has been promoted to another queen prior to the initial queen’s elimination).      

5.) ATOMIC CHESS & STRATOMIC

I will be doing a “two item in one spot” entry here because both variations make an interesting use of a “nuke” option, but in different methods. 

In Atomic Chess, standard board and rules apply.  The twist is whenever a “capture” happens in a particular square, an “atomic bomb explosion” happens; all pieces – whether belonging to the player or his opponent – in the eight surrounding squares are removed from play.  Pawns, however, are immune to an “atomic bomb explosion”, hence, they can’t be removed from play by it. 

In Stratomic (illustration above), the game happens in a 10x10 board.  There are two extra pawns, and, instead of rooks, the two extreme bottom pieces are nuclear missiles (those that look like inverted kings in the illustration above).  A nuclear missile moves and captures one step at a time, like a king piece.  However, a nuclear missile can also be launched.  When launched, it “nukes” – removes from play – the piece on the square it is targeting as well as all the pieces on its eight surrounding squares.  The “nuclear missile” piece is also removed from play after its use.  The king is, understandably, immune to nukes.  There are two prerequisites before a “nuke” can be launched: 1.) a non-pawn piece must have been captured prior to using it; and 2.) the nuclear missile should not be on a “state of attack” – can be captured on the next turn – by an enemy piece at time of launch.  Lastly, pawns can be promoted to nuclear missiles.    

4.) ABSORPTION CHESS

Standard board and rules apply.  But whenever a “capture” happens, the capturer gains the movement ability of the capturee.  Example, if a rook captures a bishop, it can now also move diagonally (basically, making the rook capable of doing what a queen can do).  Or if a queen captures a knight, it is now also capable of executing an “L” movement.   

3.) FOUR-PLAYER CHESS & THREE-PLAYER CHESS

 

The number three spot is for Three-Player Chess and Four-Player Chess – another “two items in one spot” entry.  Sometimes, a few additional rules are applied but they are basically, at their core, three-way or four-way games of chess.  The “multi-player” aspect, simple of a twist it may be, actually enhances the difficulty and stakes.   There will always be “Unholy Alliance” and “Mexican stand-off” aspects hanging on the game.  It really makes the strategizing more complicated and exciting.

2.) BUGHOUSE CHESS

 

Bughouse Chess (which has also been called in other names like Exchange Chess, Siamese Chess, and Tandem chess) involves four players divided into two teams and playing against each other in two boards.  The set-up, as what the above picture illustrates, involves one of the players playing white on his board while his teammate is black on the other board, and the teammates should sit side by side.  Standard chess rules apply.  However, whenever a player captures an enemy piece, he can hand it to his partner and his partner has the option of putting it into play on his own board by placing it on any vacant square.  The team wins when either one of the two players checkmates his opponent or his opponent ran out of time.        

1.) CHESSBOXING

This mash-up of chess and boxing is actually a real sport, with federations and tournaments and all that.  It’s definitely one of the most extreme sports in the world as this taxing sport puts both mental and physical toughness into test.  A chessboxing match consists of 11 alternating three-minute rounds between chess and boxing  – 6 for chess and 5 for boxing (with sixty second breaks between rounds).  This means that after one or both players have exhausted the three minutes in the opening chess round (there is a total of 18 minutes worth of chess time; 9 minutes for each player), they would then proceed to a three-minute boxing round, then back to chess, and so on.  Anytime during the match, a player wins it if he wins in either a chess round (checkmating his opponent, opponent exceeds his time limit, opponent resigns) or a boxing round (a knockout, a TKO).  If neither of the players wins within the 11-round match, the chess game ends in a draw and the one leading in the boxing scorecards is the winner.  If it’s also a draw in the scorecard, the player with the black piece wins (I don’t know why such rule). 

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'Haikyuu!' Made Volleyball Awesome to Me

I was not expecting much from Haikyuu! at first.  My sister recommended it to me when I asked her if she knew of any good anime series I would likely be interested in.  She described it as “like Kuroko No Basuke” but instead of basketball, the featured sport is volleyball. With nothing else to do – and since I enjoyed Kuroko No Basuke a lot when I encountered it last year (but I was greatly disappointed of the manga’s anticlimactic and underwhelming conclusion this year) – I proceeded to watch it… and found out that it’s better than Kuroko No Basuke in so many levels.

I’m wary to make a definite “best sports anime I’ve ever encountered” proclamation since following seasons may not be as fantastic as its 25-episode first season.  But if the same quality is sustained all throughout its run, then it’s a no-brainer for Haikyuu! to get such title since I find no other sports anime that has been nigh-perfect in totally nailing what the genre should be. 

If anything else, Haikyuu! has made volleyball fascinating to me for the first time.    

PACKED WITH EXCITING ACTION, ENGAGING DRAMA, AND HUMOR

Like all sports anime, Haikyuu! was able to enhance the energy and excitement of the actual experience of watching the sport in real life.  But it was able to do this without having over-the-top player abilities (like in Kuroko No Basuke, Prince of Tennis, and Eyeshield 21).    I’m not saying that everything is realistic, but it was down-to-earth compared to most sports anime.  Still, even without having the benefit of ridiculous action sequences, it was still as fun and thrilling as those sports anime that went that approach.

The drama is just as important as the action in making the story engrossing.  Not only did Haikyuu! feature exciting volleyball action but it was also able to convey deep emotion.  It accomplished making the audience feel the sweet victories, bitter defeats, and exhilaration of the contest with much empathy. 

Moreover, it has several times made me genuinely laugh.  Haikyuu! is probably the funniest sports anime next to Eyeshield 21.   Since Eyeshield 21 is wacky and hilarious, that’s saying something.  Humor is always a big plus.   

INTERESTING CHARACTERS

The primary thing I like about this anime is how good it was able to handle its characters.  For me – more often than not – if the characters are made worth caring about, the audience will be deeply drawn to the story that the characters are in.  Haikyuu! was able to make me care about every single member of the team, which made me emotionally invested in the team itself.  If I had encountered Haikyuu! before I’ve written my top 10 fictional sports team list, Karasuno High School’s volleyball team would end up in number 3.          

Every member was given the chance to have his respective talents, passions, and struggles explored by the narrative.  Thus, every member of Karasuno has been given enough personality for me to appreciate what he brings to the team and the story.  Of course, most of the development and exposure are on the main characters, which are rightfully so, but the supporting cast has never been made irrelevant.  

Not everything about the characterizations are unique or original.  I can find several similar character elements from other sports anime – e.g. the central characters being some form of phenomenal rookies, adopting the mold of the usual anime character archetypes, club members in hiatus re-joining the team, characters figuring out the “there’s no ‘I’ in team” principle, etc. – but they were so well-executed and satisfyingly justified in the overall narrative and characterizations that I’ve no complains.   

I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT VOLLEYBALL

I’ve never been a big and knowledgeable sports fan, so sports anime are often very informative to me.  But more so with Haikyuu! and volleyball.  I’ve never been educated by an anime on a sport by such extent ever since Slam Dunk taught me a lot about basketball. 

Example, I got to have a deeper understanding on the rules.  Like the way you can return the ball to the opposing side can be made dependent by how you received it.  You can’t just set and spike by whim. 

Moreover, I finally learned that the positions in volleyball actually have particular roles just as much as the positions in basketball, American football, and soccer.  This was never made clear to me when I got to play volleyball in school and summer camp when I was still a teen.  I thought that since the players are rotating anyway, each player has basically the same roles. 

The most mindblowing thing I learned is the role of a libero and why he or she has a different uniform from his or her teammates.  Prior this, when I saw professional or collegiate volleyball games in TV, I thought that a player has a different uniform because he or she was the captain.            

BEST ANIME SERIES OF 2014

Okay, this is probably unfounded in my part, since I’ve never watch much anime these days (even with the current major titles – Naruto, Bleach, Fairy Tail, and One Piece– which I mostly follow by manga and only watch their respective anime occasionally).  Nonetheless, it’s the best anime series of 2014 that I’ve got to watch (Attack on Titan is really the best anime series I’ve seen this year, but it originally run in 2013, so it’s technically not an anime series of 2014).  So for what my recommendation is worth, I say that Haikyuu! is the best anime series of 2014.


Miscellaneous musings:

• Up until now, I still have no idea what the word “haikyuu” means. 
• I applaud the visuals. It’s beautiful and really enhances the overall narrative, characterizations, and gags.     
• I think volleyball is more fun to watch if the players are females.  So, if I can make any change in this anime to improve it, I would have centered it on a female volleyball team instead. 
• Ryuunosuke Tanaka’s brash-and-tough demeanor always cracks me up.  His death stares are greatly fun moments.  
• Kōshi Sugawara is the classiest “benched senpai” character ever.  
• The main characters, Shōyō Hinata and Tobio Kageyama, are both “super rookie”-type characters.  The former is a technically limited volleyball player but a very phenomenal jumper and spiker; the latter is a genius setter as well as a well-rounded volleyball player.  One interesting unique detail is that the “ace player” of the team is neither main character but a B-tiered character named Asahi Azumane, a senior.
• Seriously, it’s only now that I understood how volleyball is much of an awesome team sport as basketball and American football.

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Thoughts on the Lakers Before the 2014-2015 NBA Season Starts

This off-season was no blockbuster for Lakerdom.  Yes, I understood that it was fairly unlikely for the Lakers to acquire LeBron James, but I was of course hoping for the Lakers to significantly improve the roster.  After having my most disappointing season as a Laker fan (2012-2013 season), followed by the most dreadful season in franchise history (2013-2014 season), it would be nice to have the Lakers in a position to win again. 

But that’s not to be so. 

No LeBron James in Lakers jersey.  No Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving neither.  Those are names I’ve been musing of wearing the purple and gold.  Instead, those three teamed up in Cleveland.  Bummer.    

Ugh.

Heck, Lakers didn’t even manage to keep Pau Gasol.  And as a Pau fan, retaining him was the top priority.  I have no bitterness in Pau’s decision to leave.  But I have a bit of gripe on the Lakers front office’s lack of effort of wooing him.  Back in the 2013 offseason, I was astonished and appalled by how the Lakers put up billboards that practically begged Dwight Howard to stay – that is so not the Lakers I’ve been accustomed with.  For me, Pau is far more deserving of a billboard.  A little show of love would have been nice.          

Pau looks cool in this photo.  But seeing him another jersey is a bit upsetting.  

However, given the circumstance of available free agents, I think the Lakers did satisfactory work.  Valuable contributors like Jordan Hill and Nick Young will be back.  Rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson look promising.  And, most significantly...

LINSANITY IS NOW IN LA!!!

To be honest, I am probably more excited of seeing Jeremy Lin in Laker uniform than of having LeBron James.  Really.  Lin’s Christ-centered basketball philosophyimpresses me, and I think he really has the potential to be a basketball star and a fan favorite.  He was my favorite non-Laker player back then, and I’ve even prayed that he’ll become a Laker.  And now he is!  For me, this is a silver lining for the Lakers’ lack of impactful off-season moves.              

       

Nonetheless, on paper, the roster assembled for this upcoming season doesn’t look impressive.  I’m just being realistic here.  Unless Kobe plays like the Kobe Bryant we got spoiled with, Jeremy Lin dramatically evolves into a legitimate superstar, Nick Young has a “Sixth Man of the Year”-quality season, Ed Davis has a break-out season, Julius Randle turns out to be a basketball phenom, Jordan Clarkson proves to be the next Manu Ginobili or Gilbert Arenas, Jordan Hill becomes Dennis Rodman-esque, Carlos Boozer miraculously returns to his former Utah Jazz form, Steve Nash miraculously returns to his former Phoenix Sun form, and new coach Byron Scott figures out how to make the Lakers play more efficiently than the well-oiled San Antonio Spurs, there’s no chance for this 2014-2015 Los Angeles Lakers to win the championship. 

I’m also a bit worried and intrigued how a line-up consisting of Kobe, Lin, and Young would fare.  These are all players that thrive best when the ball spends significant time in their hands.  To me, it looks like ball movement and ball distribution are going to have some problems. 

I’m not going to expect for a championship (though unexpectedly winning another one would be nice).  But I hope there will be a lot of fun, notable moments this season for the Lakers.  And that the result of the Lakers’ performance in this season will put Lakerdom in an ideal position of winning the championship soon.  Hopefully, before Kobe retires.  

Let’s go, Lakers! 

The 2015 NBA champs... hey, one can dream.

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Celebrating Team Gilas Pilipinas' Recent World Cup Stint

Thanks to their dramatic silver medal finish in last year’s FIBA Asia Championship, the Philippines qualified to compete in the FIBA World Championship for the first time in four decades.  I’m happy that they made it.  It really made watching the World Cup more enjoyable this year.     

Next to Team Espanya, the most fun team that I’ve ever seen in the World Cup’s first round was Team Pilipinas.  And the only reasons why I think “Team Espanya” was more fun is because I adore Pau Gasol and they actually win games.  Sure, I have to enjoy Team Pilipinas since it’s my team, but I probably am not really that biased since foreign observers also enjoyed and grew fond of them.  One said that the Philippine squad displayed the most heart in the first round, while another said that they were actually more fun than Team USA.  

      

*             *             *

Technically, Team Gilas Pilipinas’ efforts in the FIBA World Cup fell short.  On paper, a 1-4 record and first round exit is nothing worth celebrating.  But that is just what real fandom is all about.  Regardless of how superficial or minor that achievement is, you will celebrate it.  And when the object of your fandom is in rock bottom, you will still stick by it.  That’s why whether the Lakers win the championship or have a horrendous season, I still root for them.  That’s why even when Bleach sucks already, I still follow it.  That’s why I can forgive all of The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s many flaws and still honestly enjoy it because I love Spider-Man.  That’s why I lament when Almost Human got cancelled after only a season.     And that’s why I make a big deal out of Gilas’ performance in the FIBA World Cup.  As a hoops fan and a Filipino, I can’t help but be invested with Gilas.  That comes with the territory of being a fan.  You will never be apathetic.   You will always be passionate regarding it.   

*             *             *

But adding some context on how Team Gilas Pilipinas’ World Cup record of 1-4 was brought about, you might understand why being excited about the team’s performance has some justifications. 

Coming into the tournament, the Philippines was ranked 34^th in the world, and Team Pilipinas was probably the shortest and most inexperienced squad in the tournament.  They were the most underdogs among the underdogs.  Understandably, odds-makers did not expect much from the team and easily dismissed them.  Many thought Team Pilipinas was going to be blown out in most of their matches.  

Consider this: per Rappler, bookies favored 16^th-ranked Croatia to beat the Philippines by 23 points during the first game.   But what happened in the first game was totally different.  Yes, Croatia won.  But only with a margin of 3 points, and they needed an extra period after regulation to hold off the Filipinos.  And that made heads turn.  These short Filipinos can compete with the rest of the world after all. 

And that first game was no fluke; against 3^rd-ranked Argentina and Puerto Rico, Team Pilipinas came out of the losing end of close matches.  But those matches could have gone either way.  In fact, those 23 points?  That actually became the TOTAL amount of points the Gilas trailed in all their losses (that includes Gilas’ only blowout loss against Greece)!

The possibility of Team Pilipinas advancing to the Round-of-16 with a 4-1 record was as likely of an outcome as the actual 1-4 that transpired.  If we look at it that way, it was not bad for a 34^th-ranked team which had been 40-year absent in the tournament and was the shortest squad in that tournament.  Not bad at all.      

*             *             *

The Gilas’ battle cry/slogan, puso – literally translated to “heart” in English – truly defined the team.  They were short underdogs, presumed to easily lose by double-digits.  But despite facing taller, more experienced, more skilled, and more athletic opponents, the Filipinos held their own.  They never backed down.  They never showed any signs of being intimidated. 

It was actually the other way around, as throughout the tournament – even after experiencing successive disappointing losses – it looked to me that they always treated each new match with an air of confidence, insistence, and audacity that they can beat the team they will be facing.  That’s why despite going 0-4, and basically being eliminated from the tournament, Team Gilas Pilipinas was still going all out against their last match against Senegal.  Therefore, they still managed a win out of their FIBA World Cup stint.     

This team might have its flaws (leading to those loses.  Will discuss this later), but lack of effort and guts are not among of them.  They banged and fought against bigger bodies to grab rebounds (their rebound numbers are decent actually despite being undersized), played through injury (particularly the naturalized Andray Blatched), fearlessly shot the ball (especially Jimmy Alapag who became Kobe-like in cold deadliness in the match against Argentina), relentlessly ran back and forth across the court (using speed to their advantage against the bigger opponents), and displayed surprisingly energetic defense (there were many times they displayed amazing transition and zone defenses).  When they yell, “Puso!” they do mean it. 

As I continue to push my 20’s, I’ve gradually came to the realization of appreciating hard work over natural, innate capabilities.  That’s why I really like this aspect of Team Pilipinas.  This is one thing I can say that makes me really proud of them.  They really did their best, gave their all.   They showed the world the tenacity of the Filipino spirit.  They showed the world what puso means.  I can find something inspiring in that.  

*             *             *

Of course, a 1-4 finish is still a 1-4 finish.  Regardless of the fact that Team Gilas competed better than the world expected – almost winning matches against Croatia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico – they still eventually lost.  Regardless of losing by 20 points or merely a point, either way, losing is still losing.  Nothing can change the fact. 

Despite of all the amazing things Team Pilipinas had shown us, there were still several problems.  I would like to point out some I observed:     

• Gilas lacked poise in pressure.  What do I mean by that?  They commit a lot of mental lapses and turnover when the going gets tough.  In the matches against Argentina and Puerto Rico, Gilas was even able to create double-digit advantages.  But they were not able to keep those leads due to lack of poise.  Which brings me to…
• They lacked creative half-court sets.  Oh, Philippine-style “bara-bara” basketball did wonders in the tournament.   Other countries were probably not used to see such style of up-tempo basketball offense, which allowed Gilas to confuse them and obtain sizable leads in the first half of games.  It was awesome while it lasted.  However, once teams began to adjust their defenses to break down most of Gilas’ run-and-gun offense, Gilas had no effective, measured half-court plays to turn to.   This caused turnovers.  This caused bad shots.  This caused Gilas’ lead to be erased.
• And why is there a lot of deferring to Andray Blatche in the perimeter whenever the play breaks down?  Blatche had a lot of turnovers when playing with the ball in his hands from outside.  Sure, he shoots threes sometimes, and successfully drives to the hoop sometimes.  But I think he had more turnovers than net successes.  Gilas should understand that he’s no go-to perimeter scorer.  Better make plays for him in the post.  (Again, Gilas need better half-court sets.)                
• They need to shoot better in the three-point territory.  I observed that Gilas had a lot of frustratingly missed treys.  Because of size issues, dominating the inside is out of the question.  Filipinos can compensate by doing much damage in the outside instead.  When Argentina, en route to a gold medal, beat the USA in the 2004 Olympics, they’ve done it by lighting the lights out in the tree-point territory.  I believe future Philippine squads will enjoy greater success in the future if they improve the 30-something % in 3pt FG that they displayed in this tournament to at least a solid 40% or greater. 
• If possible, I would love to see Gilas possess crisper ball movement.  A la San Antonio Spurs kind of finessed ball movement.   
• With no disrespect whatsoever, but I think there are a lot of better options out there for Gary David’s spot. 

*             *             *

Team Pilipinas’ best might have been not good enough at this point, but I’m expecting that Philippine basketball will only get better.  And if they sustain this fantastic pusoattitude as they improve in other aspects, then the Philippines becoming part of the world’s basketball elite is not at all a farfetched fantasy.  Seriously, if there’s a combination of smarts, talent, and puso?  Philippines will definitely dominate.        

I really hope that this is indeed the start of the rise of Philippine basketball.  After the tournament, Philippines is now, if I’m right, number 24 in the world.  I hope that there will be no dive from there.  I don’t mind if its rise is not meteoric.  I don’t mind if it’s a gradual kind rise.  As long as it’s a rise.  Actually, considering Team Pilipinas’ puso identity, it is more appropriate anyway if the rise to number one is slow, steady, and gritty.  It’ll make a more satisfying story.      

And as a fan, I’ll be here cheering every hard-fought step of the way. 

#PUSO #LabanPilipinas

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Thanks for the Memories, Pau

Most awesome Pau Gasol art I've ever seen. 

It is recent news that Pau Gasol has turned down the Lakers’ offer to stay and decided instead to go to the Chicago Bulls.  So, this is it then.  It’s time to part ways, hence, I am compelled to write this brief tribute for one of my most favorite players that ever wore the purple and gold uniform.

Outside of winning championships, my most exciting experience as a Laker fan was learning that the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol during the 2007-08 NBA season.  I can still remember that moment and feeling when I went to Yahoo! Sports’ NBA page and read the headline, “Lakers Acquire Spanish Treasure” or something of that effect (can’t remember the exact words).  My heart leaped.  Then I read on to check out what the Lakers had to give up to acquire Pau, and I was extremely astonished.   I was expecting that Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom was part of the deal, but it was not so.  It was merely for Kwame Brown, a member of the Lakers’ roster so terrible in basketball that even Laker fans themselves booed him, and some other irrelevant pieces.  Though one of those “irrelevant” pieces was for the rights for Pau’s younger brother, Marc Gasol, who turned out to be a legitimate All-Star, and at this point, a more prized player than Pau, but back then, the trade really felt so ridiculously one-sided to the Lakers’ advantage that I was completely stunned.  It had been quite surreal.  Stephen A. Smith’s legendary analysis of the trade, wherein he hilariously destroyed Kwame Brown (“Kwa-meh Brown is a bona fide scrub!”), only helped in making my elation during that time more memorable. 

At that moment of Pau Gasol becoming a Laker, it really felt to me that winning the championship again was tangibly near.  The Celtics would delay it from happening during that season, but the next year, in just his second season as a Laker, Pau Gasol was instrumentalal in making it finally happen.  And in the season after that, it happened again, and winning that one against the Celtics made it even sweeter (Pau Gasol was fantastic during that Finals). Those were glorious days for Lakerdom.       

Shaquille O’Neal was definitely the more dominant player, but Pau Gasol was the more suitable fit to partner with Kobe Bryant.  Kobe provided the cunning and aggressiveness, while Pau provided the discretion and level-headedness. They were able to quickly establish rapport with each other, as this was apparent when merely half-a-season (Pau Gasol was traded midway the season) of playing together, they were able to reach the Finals, and then, in just their second year, they were able to win the championship.  And, clearly, Kobe likes, appreciates, and respects Pau much more than Shaq.     

I found no other NBA player that can play with the same kind of finesse and intellect that Kobe Bryant has except for Pau Gasol.  He probably equals Kobe in terms of basketball IQ and richness of skills (but in a different context, of course).  His passing, pivot, and post moves were the best I’ve ever seen in a big man of the 21^st century NBA. 

I'm gonna miss his gorgeous footwork...

...and his innate versatility.

Pau Gasol was a graceful, fun thing to watch.  Besides Kobe, I have enjoyed watching no other Laker except Pau.        

I’m real sad to see him go.  I prefer for him to re-sign with the Lakers, and to retire as a Laker in the future, but I am not bitter regarding his decision to leave.  There is no reason to.  It was within his right to leave, and during his seven seasons playing in purple and gold, he had done his duty and had produced countless good memories for Lakerdom.  I am grateful that the Lakers got to have a player like him.

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My Tribute to the Most Awesome San Antonio Spurs Team Ever

Growing up as a Lakers fan, I don’t like the San Antonio Spurs to win championships.  But I haven’t really hated the Spurs either.  I might have done at some point.  They were, after all, the ones who dethroned the Lakers’ dynasty back in 2003 and brought about my first heartbreak as a Laker fan.  Ever since the Spurs beat the Lakers back in ’03, I have rooted against them during the 2003, 2005, and 2008 (back when I didn’t disliked LeBron yet) NBA Finals.  (It was only these past two Finals I rooted for them, for they were against the Heat.)        

But as an NBA fan, I can’t help but respect this team as they have sustained playoff presence (while my Lakers missed the playoffs twice already during my time as a fan) with their unique disciplined style of basketball.    You have to appreciate the fact that even though the NBA is a league of superstars, the Spurs have always been known as a “star-less,” teamwork-heavy basketball club – and wins!  Sure, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been stars at some point, but I what I mean about “star-less” is that the team doesn’t conform to the standard of what a usual NBA team would do: rely on one or two stars that can “carry” the team and then build a roster around them.   Thanks to the brilliant guidance of Coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs, through the years, have always designed their team to be a basketball machinery composed of different efficient parts with respective functions.  It means the Spurs’ players might not excel individually but they can thrive in the role set for them by the Spurs’ team context.  And since the Spurs’ front office – under the leadership of GM R.C. Buford – has always been successful in seeking out and acquiring players that can do well in the Spurs’ system, this distinctive team identity is maintained through the years. 

Again, I didn’t want the Spurs or the Heat to win the championship.  Either of them winning would have a “discounting effect” on the Lakers’ championship glory.  Spurs winning 5 championships would tie them up with the Lakers in the present era.  Heat winning threepeat would replicate the Lakers’ own threepeat earlier in the 2000’s.  They would rival the Lakers as the “winniest” in the modern NBA.  But since it’s the Heat – ugh – I reluctantly rooted for the Spurs at first. 

Eventually, I began to genuinely cheered for the Spurs.  They were fun and quite refreshing.  This team was typecast as boring for their strict adherence to the fundamentals and Coach Pop’s abhorrence for showboating in his team.   But in this Finals, they were anything but boring. The gorgeous ball movements and crisp offense were beautiful to watch.  It was a wonderful, shining display of team play.  

The team didn’t rely on “star” power to win.  In fact, this season’s Spurs is definitely the most “star-less” of all Spurs teams through the years.  Duncan is a sure Hall of Famer, but he’s already past his prime; this season, he has never made into the All-NBA Teams (he missed getting a spot in three of the last four seasons) nor the All-Star Team.  And though Parker made the All-Star Team and is part of the All-NBA Second Team, you will never mistake him for Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo.  The Spurs has no real superstar.      

Even Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is not a superstar.  Yes, he deserved that MVP and he has the potential to be a superstar.  But him – merely a “potential” at this point and not really an individual stand-out – winning the Finals MVP, and not Duncan or Parker, simply enforced the concept that this team don’t rely on a single individual to win.   Sure, Leonard provided the most impact for the Spurs in the Finals, but Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and Diaw played notably well, too – the San Antonio Spurs played great overall.  This was just the same case in last year’s Finals, wherein Danny Green’s three-point shooting gave him a good chance to win the Finals MVP if the Spurs had won.  The Spurs have no superstar, just awesome teamwork. 

Hence, this is arguably the greatest Spurs team yet.  Why?  Because with their lack of real superstars and still being able to dominate the regular season and win the championship, it can easily be argued that this season’s Spurs team is where the Spurs system has been at its best performance.       

This 2013-2014 Spurs San Antonio is definitely the most impressive and most successful display of balanced, pure team basketball in recent memory.  

How can we tell?  First, let's take a look at the Spurs' top 9 players, i.e. the 9 guys we prominently see in the rotation. 

First, the regular season stats… 

Points per game:
1.) Tony Parker – 16.7 ppg
2.) Tim Duncan – 15.1 ppg
3.) Kawhi Leonard – 12.8 ppg
4.) Manu Ginonili – 12.3 ppg
5.) Marco Belinelli – 11.4 ppg
6.) Patrick Mills – 10.2 ppg
7.) Boris Diaw – 9.1 ppg
8.) Danny Green – 9.1 ppg
9.) Tiago Splitter – 8.2 ppg
Minutes per game:
1.) Tony Parker – 29.4 mpg
2.) Tim Duncan – 29.2 mpg
3.) Kawhi Leonard – 29.1 mpg
4.) Marco Belinelli – 25.2 mpg
5.) Boris Diaw – 25.0 mpg
6.) Danny Green – 24.3 mpg
7.) Manu Ginobili – 22.8 mpg
8.) Tiago Splitter – 21.5 mpg
9.) Patrick Mills – 18.9 mpg

Those are telling stats. Six players are scoring in double figures, but none near 20 (moreover, the two tied for 7th - Diaw and Green - are nearly averaging double figures as well!).  Also, no Spur is averaging more than 30 minutes a game (I think this is first time to happen in NBA history that no single individual in the team has averaged 30 mpg), but the Spurs' top 9 are all playing in double figure minutes per game.  The result of this balanced distribution of points and minutes: the Spurs got the best record in the league and the players are not so strained going into the playoffs.   (The balanced scoring and minute distribution is what my Lakers have actually done in their early games during the season.  It was awesome.  But poor coaching and heavy injury casualties prevented it from being sustained throughout the season.  Bummer.) 

There are some changes, though, in the playoffs stats…

Points per game:
1.) Tony Parker – 17.4
2.) Tim Duncan – 16.3
3.) Kawhi Leonard – 14.3
4.) Manu Ginobili – 14.3
5.) Danny Green – 9.3
6.) Boris Diaw – 9.2
7.) Tiago Splitter – 7.5
8.) Patrick Mills – 7.3
9.) Marco Belinelli – 5.4
Minutes per game:
1.) Tim Duncan – 32.7  
2.) Kawhi Leonard – 32
3.) Tony Parker – 31.3 
4.) Boris Diaw – 26.3     
5.) Manu Ginobili – 25.5             
6.) Danny Green – 23  
7.) Tiago Splitter – 22.4
8.) Marco Belinelli – 15.5            
9.) Patrick Mills – 15.3    

There are differences between the regular season’s stats and playoffs’ stats.  But they’re understandable.  There are drops on the points and minutes of its bottom-tier players for, in the playoffs, the team’s top-tier players are more utilized.  Still, the essential application is basically the same:  the scoring and minutes were evenly-distributed and not dominated by one or two individuals.  (In fact, the Spurs “best” scorer, Tony Parker, averaged just 17.4 ppg in the post season – the lowest average of a team’s leading scorer in the post season since the 1954-55 season.)    

Of course, the story is more complicated than just ppg and mpg. It's worth noting that the Spurs had a poised, well-oiled offensive scheme, as shown by the gorgeous ball movement, as well as their usual great defense. But by just these two basic stats – points-per-game and minutes-per-game – the conclusion is already obvious: the Spurs' success is primarily due to a balanced, deep, and well-trained roster, and a well-managed rotation, which in turn are rooted on a beautiful team basketball philosophy. 

This is basketball at its best.  Thus, this Spurs team deserves a slow clap.

It’s still annoying though that Tim Duncan got to tie Kobe Bryant at five rings.  Spurs fans and Kobe haters will surely use that as ammunition in arguing that Duncan is just equal or even better than Kobe.  Ugh. 

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