All out of good picks

Udonis Haslem was the best pick for tonight as his 31 PRA was easily the best out of the players remaining for me. My pick Ray Allen had 16 points but only had 2 rebounds and 1 assist to have a total of 19 PRA. Was expecting for a 20+ PRA but his 19 PRA was his best so far in this series. Miami had a chance to win the game but Wade's shot hit the rim twice. I was rooting for Miami to win that game to close the series on Tuesday since I do not have a Boston player left to pick.

Both series are tied at 2-2 and if you are not feeling confident that Miami and San Antonio could win their series, now is the best time to pick their star players. For tomorrow, I am going to pick another Spurs player outside of the big 3 and that player would be Boris Diaw . He plays better at home and I am confident that the Spurs will win at home against OKC. If the home team wins all their games then San Antonio will definitely win their series as they have home court advantage. And since they are the only team that is unbeatable at home, I am banking on San Antonio as well as Boris Diaw to have a good game.

Hoping for a 20+ PRA from Diaw since he had a 21 PRA the last game.

The Three Ball is the Money Ball

Wish I had interchanged my Westbrook and Ibaka pick as it would have netted me 19 more points in this game. Congratulations are due to the 1% who banked on Kendrick Perkins and they are greatly rewarded with his 25 PRA effort - his highest in this playoffs - which does not come a lot. Kawhi Leonard had 12 PRA in the third quarter and finished with 26 PRA in the game, good thing I stuck with him since I am 50-50 on choosing him or Boris Diaw. Kevin Durant torched the Spurs in the fourth on his way to a 50 PRA night. The bigger story here is that on the two games that OKC has won, Russell Westbrook shot less and scored less. If this continues, owners who are saving Westbrook might not have a big PRA day that Russ has done in the past.

Down 2-1, the Celtics want to even the series at home just like OKC. With that, I am going with Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics. He needs to provide the team with spark offensively since he is the guy that can make threes in bunches. I am also picking Ray Allen because I am out of quality players to choose from in Boston.

Looking for a 20+ PRA from Ray-Ray while the Celtics lose to the Heat. It maybe easier said than done but the Heat actually had control of the first quarter before Boston made their defensive switches. Game 4 might not be a high scoring one but I expect the game to be close which means that Ray Allen might take a few shots or two in the closing minutes.

Men in Black.... and white

The Celtics won Game 3 behind Rajon Rondo and his nifty passing work, not to mention a lot of no-look passes which makes him look like playing a bunch of grade schoolers. My pick Paul Pierce was certainly active on offense but only made 1/3 of his baskets which led to a 23 point, 4 rebound, 4 assist night. Not bad for a 31 PRA considering that he had a 17 PRA in Game 1 but I was expecting for more from him.

Much like the Heat/Celtics matchup, the Thunder/Spurs are heading to a five game series. I would like to save Durant on an elimination day and I think this is the time that I need to pick a Spur instead of a Thunder player. My Thunder alternatives are Sefolosha, Fisher and Perkins. Of these three, Fisher is the most likely to give me a 10+ PRA since he scored 15, 14 and 12 PRA (notice the trend?) in three games. Sefolosha exploded for a 26 PRA which tied my pick Westbrook but I am happy that no one dared to pick him after that 3 PRA clunker. Perkins will occasionally give you a 10+ PRA but he is more of a help in defense and not in offense which does not bode well in this fantasy game.

I will save the Big Three of San Antonio in the finals so I will pick a role player that will give me at least 15+ PRA. In the finals, I only need the Big Three of San Antonio and the dynamic duo of Miami because that might be a short series considering the matchups it possess. Erik Spoelstra did not rule out Chris Bosh in Game 4 against Boston so that will be another good pick for me hopefully in the finals. Without Bosh, I still have 5 picks that will give me 20+ PRA anytime. NICE!

My Spurs alternatives are Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Boris Diaw. Diaw intrigues me since he is a do-it all player on offense but he plays better at home and it is evident in his PRA. Danny Green shoots threes and that is about it for him. So that leaves me with Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. I don't want to risk a player from the Thunder that will give a single point PRA. Leonard only played 14 minutes in Game 3 but had 10 PRA. Hoping for a 15+ PRA from him tomorrow.

The Truth shall set you free

Disappointed that Westbrook only gave his owners a 26 PRA. However, if you still have a superstar from the Thunder left, you must feel glad since those players who picked their last superstar in Game 3 will not have a superstar to give them a 30+ or 40+ outing. Managing your players throughout the game pays off in this integral part of the fantasy playoffs; the longer the series, the more players you pick and it is all a matter of who do you think will win their series in the end. Still have Durant though and I intend on saving him in an elimination game, the bad part is that I already picked Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka which means that I must scrape through the bottom of the pit to unearth a scrub that will hopefully give me a 15-20 PRA range.

With the Celtics down 0-2, I am going to pick Paul Pierce for these specific reasons:

• 1.) The Boston Celtics played in an overtime game yesterday, Pierce, Allen and Garnett logged 40+ minutes while Rondo did not sit the entire game logging 53 minutes.
• 2.) Before the fourth quarter ended, Paul Pierce fouled out. With the Heat on the verge of winning, Paul Pierce was seen on national TV going to the locker room not because he was injured but he was disappointed that his team lost.
• 3.) Something tells me that playing 53 minutes and going back to Boston will make Rajon Rondo very tired especially if the Heat force a lot of turnovers which will lead to fastbreak plays.
• 4.) Ray Allen is nursing a sore ankle and after playing 43 minutes, his ankle might not act properly with limited rest leaving him less than 100% for Game 3.

I expect Paul Pierce to take over in Game 3 because he is more rested than his teammates, more hungry to win and he needs to prove to the Miami Heat that they are not pushovers. Deep inside he knows that they should have won Game 2 and he will definitely make a statement in Game 3. Look for him to attack, attack and attack! Expecting a 30+ PRA game from him hoping the game is not a blowout.

Agent Hero or Agent Zero

Disclaimer: My blog today is not about Gilbert Arenas, coincidentally, Russell Westbrook has the same jersey number as Arenas hence the "Agent Zero" part of the blog.

What an amazing game by Rajon Rondo! 44 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists for a total of 62 PRA. Congratulations to those who picked him at the right time. My pick Mario Chalmers delivered a 32 PRA game. He had 19 PRA at the half and only added 13 more as he deferred to LeBron and Wade in the fourth and overtime, he also missed four free throws that might have pushed his PRA score to possibly 36 PRA. Miami took a 2-0 lead and I will select Pierce for Game 3 and Ray Allen at Game 4. My reasons why will be posted tomorrow so please check out my blog.

With the Thunder down at a 0-2 hole, it is necessary for them to win Game 3 because no team in the NBA has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a series. I have to pick between Durant and Westbrook in this game and my gut tells me to go with Russell Westbrook and save Kevin Durant for a much bigger game in Game 4 in case they lose against the Spurs in Game 3. With the way the Spurs are playing, its evident that they are deserving to go to the NBA finals. I also think that they can win it all but I do not want to jynx them so I am hoping for a Spurs loss in Game 3 to extend this series.

I know that Westbrook has the capability to explode for another 40+ PRA in this game especially that he is playing at home. He must take over in this game to create double teams as well as dribble penetrations which the Thunder sorely lack. KD cannot win this game alone so I am counting on Westbrook to score a lot and be the HERO of his team.

With my Chalmers pick, I jumped 100 spots to the top 600. Good thing there were only 10% of the drivers that went with Rondo. As I am writing this, 29% of the drivers are picking Westbrook and 31 are going with KD. Lets hope Westbrook gains more PRA's than Kevin. Here's to a 40+ PRA game!

Super Mario

It is really rare that Harden, Westbrook and Durant gets 41, 42 and 41 PRA respectively although the best pick for Game 2 was Harden as his 41 PRA was his best of the playoffs. With OKC down 0-2, I am leaning towards selecting Westbrook on Game 3 and Durant on 4. If we reach game 5, I will pick Fisher since Scott Brooks loves to play small ball in the fourth. Fisher also has his opportunities to shoot, it is all about making them. He had 11 shot attempts but only converted 2 of those. If his shot starts to fall and he gets double digit shot attempts, it could mean 20+ for his owners.

Miami steamrolled Boston in their Game 1 matchup as the Heat never trailed throughout the game. Wade and James were their old form but I was surprised that Miami was +15 on the boards without Bosh and Haslem playing limited minutes. Kudos to those who picked Battier on Game 1 (to those 1% who picked him, COMGRATULATIONS!) as he might never get 20+ PRA in the remainder of the playoffs. Allen, Pierce and Bass were all awful; since 50% of the drivers picked these three players collectively, there was not much of a drop off in the rankings.

For Game 2, I am leaning towards selecting Mario Chalmers . Already picked Garnett, Rondo and Bass which means that I only have two players that average double figures in PRA with Pierce averaging 28.9 and Allen averaging 14.9. Hoping for a Celtic meltdown for the Heat to win at home. With a limited pool of players from the Celtics, picking Pierce and Allen are a must especially if they went down 0-2.

Please dominate the game like you did in Game 1 Lebron and Wade. Looking for a 20+ PRA game from Super Mario. He plays better at home that is why I think this is the time to select him especially now that the Celtics must contain the dynamic duo.

Fear the Beard!

Same position, same result. Two straight days I have picked a power forward - yesterday it was Serge Ibaka and earlier it was Brandon Bass - and both picks sucked really bad. My first choice was Ray Allen but I opted to save him for a home game instead of playing him in Game 1. I do not have a lot of options left in that series which means that I might pick a Heat player or two depending on the final result of their series.

Going back to the Spurs/Thunder series, I am still venting on the fact that OKC had Game 1 possibly in the bag but with Scott Brooks "small" lineup, it allowed the Spurs to get a 30+ scoring fourth quarter which was ultimately their demise. It is very evident that the Thunder lacked a shot blocker in the game because the Spurs are attacking at the rim at every possession. If this trend continues for the Thunder, this series might be done in 4 or 5.

With that, I am going with James Harden and hoping that he brings me back to the top 500 rank. Before the Conference Finals started, I was in rank 300+, then Ibaka came along and brought me down in the 600+ spot, then Bass scored me 11 PRA which placed me in 813th place. The Spurs still has problems defending the Pick and Roll and James Harden is the master of pick and rolls for this Thunder squad. I also feel that Harden has something to prove after his counterpart Manu Ginobili went bonkers on the fourth. Watching the game, both their styles are similar - both left handed, both draw fouls by bumping into the defender, both like to split the pick and roll to attack the rim - and it is very fun to watch. It is like looking at yourself in the mirror.

Hoping Harden gives me 20+ PRA, wont be surprised if he delivers the goods for the Thunder by scoring (which they badly needed in the fourth) and setting up his teammates. The Thunder are unlikely to lose both games before heading into Game 3 so this may be a good time to pick him instead of Westbrook who continues to put up bad shots and playing uninspiring defense against Tony Parker.

Seizing the opportunity

My deepest condolences to those who picked Russell Westbrook as he had his lowest PRA in the playoffs in Game 1 against the Spurs. My pick Serge Ibaka was far from stellar and add the fact that Nick Collison played well off the bench to score 14 PRA - his highest in the playoffs - by getting the needed rebounds and playing good defense.

The reason I picked Serge Ibaka is because I am really uncertain as to who will win this series. My gut tells me that San Antonio will get this in 6 or 7 and after watching Game 1, the Thunder should have won Game 1 if not for Russell Westbrook and his bad FG shooting. Manu Ginobili got hot at the right time in the fourth and game over Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant was off too with 8-19 from the field and seeing the defenses of both Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson.

I believe that the Heat will win their series against Boston but with Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem unable to play in Game 1, look for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to get around 40+ PRA in order for their team to win. Since the Heat will play with Ronny Turiaf and Joel Anthony on center, Kevin Garnett will get his hands full against two good defenders. That might leave Brandon Bass open and a lot of opportunities to capitalize on mid-range. I know LeBron and D-Wade as well as the team will turn their attention to Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo so I expect Bass to score a lot of points in this one to keep Boston at bay.

Chris Bosh was spotted doing on-court activities for the first time since his injury; that might mean that he is ready to play in Game 2 or later in this series. Haslem is suspended for three games due to his flagrant foul against Tyler Hansbrough; he did not play in Game 6 against Indiana which means he will not play in Games 1 and 2 against Boston. This may be a good time to pick Bass as he looks like the only one in the starting five that does not garner much attention, add to the fact that Bosh and Haslem will not play, I am hoping for a 20+ PRA from him. PLEASE DO REBOUND THE BALL BRANDON BASS!

Serge I-Block-ya

Rondo gave me a 38 PRA and I really don't know if I made the right decision by picking him over Iguodala. I hope he plays awful against the Heat so that players that would pick him does not exceed 20 or 30+ PRA. If you checked my blog yesterday, I placed a link of Rondo's performance in the playoffs last year against the Heat; that made me decide that I should pick him so that I can have one of his best games in the playoffs. With Pierce fouling out in the last 4 minutes of the fourth, Rondo exploded for 14 PRA in 4 minutes. THANK GOD PIERCE FOULED OUT!

Thunder vs. Spurs - With a very lethal 3pt shooting arsenal and a deep bench, there is no doubt that San Antonio will advance to the finals. However, at 6'10'' Kevin Durant is a matchup nightmare. Their main problem is who can stop KD, all I know is that Kawhi Leonard will do his best to contain him. He has long arms that can frustrate KD and put a hand on his face. They also have to contain Russell Westbrook meaning Tony Parker must score and penetrate a lot to draw fouls (Parker vs Fisher > Parker vs Westbrook). It all comes down to both teams' role players as they must step up their game to another level. It will be a very good series to watch and I think OKC will win 2 games at home. SA in 6.

Checking the Thunder roster, the one player that I would certainly pick is Serge Ibaka . He plays better at home but I will roll the dice and predict that he will play better on the road especially because it is Game 1. Last year against the Mavs, Ibaka had 23 PRA in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, he also did a good job of defending Dirk Nowitzki even though they lost 112-121. The biggest risk that I am taking here is that once Ibaka gets into foul trouble, he often shuts down defensively and offensively. Simply put, he looks like a walking telephone post.

Tim Duncan is a very smart basketball player and I know he will do his best to put Ibaka/Perkins into foul trouble because the bench of OKC is not as deep as SA. They have Collison and Aldrich at the bench and Collison is the better play than Aldrich. Hoping for a 15-25 PRA range from Ibaka.

Making the right decision (hopefully)

Well, we have Game 7 between the Celtics and the Sixers and this might be a coin toss between the two. I still have Iguodala to pick from the Sixers as well as Rondo and Pierce from Boston. Win or lose, it is still a solid roster for me as I have SA, OKC and MIA untouched.

If I pick a Sixer and they win, it will leave me with a bunch of scrubs who will give me 20+ PRA on 2-3 games. If I pick a Celtic and they win, I still have one player that is capable of a 30+ PRA performance as well as other scrubs that will give me 20+ PRA on 2-3 games. Because it is the conference finals, I know that maybe 1/4 or 1/3 of the players have already picked the star players from the teams that are in the conference finals. Picking a player right on schedule will be the deciding factor starting here upto the finals.

With that said, I am going with a Celtic and selecting Rajon Rondo instead of Paul Pierce. Checking their last season's playoff games against Miami, there was only one game that he eclipsed the 30+ PRA mark, the remaining 4 games were 22, 20, 17 and 11 (check HERE). While Pierce averaged 20+ PRA against Miami (check HERE ). If ever the Celts win against the Sixers, this might be the only time that he would have a 30+ or a 40+ PRA game. If the Sixers win Game 7, I would still have Iguodala who averaged 20+ PRA against Miami in last year's playoffs.

If you are asking me, I am hoping for a Sixers/Heat but I doubt that the Sixers will win Game 7 on the road. They might need "The Boston Strangler" in Andrew Toney to pull one more win. Whoever wins this series, I hope Miami advances to the finals and redeem themselves after last year's choke job (HI LEBRON!). Hoping for a 30+ PRA or hopefully a 40+ PRA game.

Paul-ing star

The Sixers won Game 6 even though they missed 11 of 20 free throws, the contest was also a low scoring one and good thing I went with Jrue instead of Iggy in this one. Game 7 is in two days and I don't feel confident that the Celtics can close the series against the Sixers. The Celtics are 10-12 when playing Game 7's and their last game 7 loss was against the Lakers in the NBA finals.

Danny Granger is questionable to play in their elimination game and how I wished I have picked Paul George in Game 5 and Granger/Hill in Game 6 but I had it the other way and I am undecided on who will I play in this one. Haslem and Pittman were assessed with suspensions in Game 6 with Pittman suspended for three games. Pittman played a grand total of four minutes in the entire playoffs before his suspension and I can say that the Heat won't miss him. Haslem is a different story because they will be once again without a big man who can shoot mid-range jumpers with regularity. If the Heat wants to close out the Pacers, their shooters must make the most of their opportunities and convert those threes!

With Danny Granger playing but not 100%, I am going with Paul George along with the 30% of the drivers. Losing Haslem is a huge blow to the Heat and the Pacers might sneak one win at home. I can also see that with Danny Granger not able to guard LeBron, he might be the one assigned to stop "The King" while Dahntay Jones will be guarding "The Flash". I was supposed to pick Granger today but changed my mind because he will play at less than 100%, he also aggravated his injury at Game 5 so there is a chance that he might do it again at Game 6. Hoping for at least 20+ PRA from George.

Philly-ing the gap

Good thing I was not expecting a lot from George Hill but giving me an 8 PRA?!?! Come on man! To make matters worse, Danny Granger injured his ankle in the game and tried to return in the second half but re-injured his ankle. He is doubtful to play in Game 6. I wish I have went with Danny G. instead of Hill but I do not dwell on the past and it is time to move on from this.

We have one game on schedule and I am going with Jrue Holiday in their elimination game against the Celts. He played poorly in Game 5 and I think he is going to bounce back to try to even the series and force a deciding Game 7. I still have Iguodala on the wings but I chose to roll with him since he is the most consistent player on the Sixer roster that would give 20+ PRA. He is also averages the highest PRA in the team.

Still hate the fact that I went with Hill instead of Paul George or Danny Granger but I think I was due of a letdown after 5 straight days of good timing picks. With only 8 points scored for the day, I am still in the top 1000 in rank and slipped 1% in the percentile. NOT BAD! Anyway, hoping for Jrue to give me 25+ PRA; I do not care if the Sixers win or lose Game 6 because the Celtics will win this series. I know they want to face Miami and give them a challenge because the Sixers does not impose as a threat to them.

It also looks bad on paper and in TV to have a Sixers/Heat matchup. Fans want to see LeBron fail and the Celtics are a true contender to do that. David Stern will rig this one believe me.

George Hill, come on down!

I hope the Laker fans cheer up since they were beaten by a much better team. Durant and Westbrook were superb in the fourth as they pulled away with a 90-106 win. With their win, they will face San Antonio and it looks to be a phenomenal series to watch as it showcases two teams that has a 1-2-3 scoring punch in Durant-Westbrook-Harden and Parker-Duncan-Ginobili.

With one game on schedule, I am picking a Pacer and it is going to be George Hill . Not hoping for a 30+ PRA since he has not reached the 30 point plateau even once. I still have Danny Granger though but I am saving him for Game 6 because he plays better at home. This is going to be a short blog for me as we only have one game and I have already picked West and Hibbert. Haven't picked a Miami player yet and if they lose Game 5, I am going all in on LeBron in the next one. Hope they win this series so that we can move on to the conference finals.

I know that I may not be getting a lot of PRA's from Hill tonight but I will roll the dice on him instead of picking Paul George who is having a miserable offensive game due to fatigue in guarding Wade/James. A 20+ PRA is what I expect from Hill tonight. If you think that Miami will lose this series and you haven't picked LBJ or Flash yet, now is the time to do so.

Pau Gasol or Pau Gasoft

I hoped you watched the Pacers/Heat game earlier as it was physical from the beginning to end. LeBron had a video game like stat with 40 points, 18 rebounds (6 offensive), 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks for a 67 PRA! Congratulations to those who picked him and it will surely propel his owners to a higher percentile. After hitting 1-8 in the first half, Dwyane Wade made 11 consecutive baskets and got 30 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists for a grand total of 45 PRA. Clearly, the Heat needs another type of this performance from Wade and James to gain a 3-2 lead and win the series. The Clippers lost earlier to the Spurs and my Chris Paul pick was the best player from that game with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists. A 40 PRA game from him somehow soften the blow of the 67 PRA that LeBron delivered to their owners.

For tomorrow's game, I am going with a player from the Lakers/Thunder (3-1 OKC) series. Definitely not picking a player from the Sixers/Celtics (2-2) series as I believe that this could go up to Game 7. With the Lakers facing elimination, I am going for a Laker player. Already picked Bynum (30 PRA) and Bryant (49 PRA) in games 2 and 3 and for tomorrow, I am selecting Pau Gasol .

Gasol played better on the road in the regular season and I am banking on him in doing the same on the road against the Thunder. On their last game, Kobe threw Gasol under the bus by blaming him that he was not playing aggressive in this series. In Game 6 against the Nuggets, Kobe also blamed Gasol for not playing with effort as evidenced by his 7 PRA game. However, Gasol responded the next game by having 46 PRA (his best this playoffs).

Kobe's tongue-lashing against Gasol is uncalled for as he threw contested shots but I hope Gasol gets motivated by what Kobe is saying to the media and do his best in Game 5. With the way Gasol is playing in this playoffs, a 25+ PRA is the benchmark but aiming for more doesn't hurt. Hoping for a 30+ PRA from him. If you guys already picked Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Iggy or Holiday, I suggest that you pick Hawes or Thaddeus Young. I believe that the Celtics will close their series 4-3 so I am not yet picking Holiday and Iguodala.

C-P-3... WOOOOOOOOO!

That 46 PRA from Blake was awesome! With Roy Hibbert, Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin giving me 35+ PRA, it propelled me to the 96th percentile. Anyway, the Lakers lost to KD and the Thunder earlier; with their win, the Thunder inches closer to the conference finals and the Lakers losing once again in the second round. Contemplating in picking Pau Gasol or Jrue Holiday for May 21 but I think both are solid picks and I have nothing to lose for it.

With the Clippers losing to San Antonio, it sets me a really good time to pick one of the best closers in the game in Chris Paul . I know most of you already picked him in round 1 and picking another Clipper is fine by me but do not expect them to reach 25+ PRA; 20 is attainable though. I cannot also argue with you if you are playing safe and choosing a Miami player for their Game 4. Wade and James are the consensus picks for tomorrow with 20% and 17% of the drivers picking them respectively.

I know that if Miami loses Game 4, I might not be able to select D-Wade for the playoffs since I will definitely be choosing LeBron if that happens but I have utmost faith that they will be able to weather the storm and win Game 4 and hopefully Games 5 and 6. Yes, I am a LeBron fan but I agree that he really chokes on clutch situations but nonetheless, he is one of the most gifted athletes in our generation and I really admire his all-around game.

With CP3 moving to the Clippers, I really missed the days back in New Orleans when he makes a shot and their staff will play a clip of Ric Flair's patented "WOOOOO" from his wrestling days. (HERE is an example if you guys don't get it.) Expecting a big PRA output from Chris Paul as their team is facing elimination. Blake will be involved in this game but I know that CP3 will take charge of this one. The home crowd will be fired up for this one and I hope he feeds off the energy of the crowd and translate it in his game. A 30+ PRA is what I want to have.

Highlight reel anyone?

Just as I expected, Kobe went out and played like a man on a mission. That performance of his got me a 49 PRA which is his second best PRA of the playoffs. Ramon Sessions also played with confidence and it translated into his stat sheet. I also got it right that the Lakers will win Game 3, now lets see if I got my other prediction right; that is the Lakers losing Game 4.

For today's schedule, the games are the Thunder/Lakers (Game 4) and the Spurs/Clippers (Game 3). Much like the Lakers/Thunder series, the Clippers must show the world that they deserve to be in the second round more than the Memphis Grizzlies. With the injuries to Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, I can see an early exit from these guys and the Spurs gaining valuable days of rest and watching OKC and LAL tire each other out. Its days like this that makes you think that the Spurs are capable of winning another championship. Just like my friend keeps telling us, the Spurs' goal for this season is entitled "Drive for Five".

Since I believe that the Clippers will lose both their home games and I still have both CP3 and Blake to pick from the team, I will select Blake Griffin first before Chris Paul. With the plethora of injuries hampering Blake, this might be a better time to pick him rather than the second game of their back-to-back. Will save CP3 for their potentially season ending game where I think he will give his all.

The Sixers won their Game 4 as I hoped and I am banking on the Heat to win theirs. Most of the people playing this game are being cautious and picking D-Wade. It is really a hard decision for me to not pick a Heat player especially that they look helpless inside the paint against Roy Hibbert and Indiana. Adding salt to the wound is that the other Heat players are not contributing on the scoring department. Anyway, I am hoping for Blake to give me at least 25+ PRA. I am aiming for more but with his injuries, I doubt that he would reach 40.

Black Mamba about to strike

The Pacers won convincingly against the Miami Heat and it worries me a little bit since the Pacers can win this series on their next two upcoming games. The Spurs however does not have a problem at all and are still undefeated in this playoffs. With the upcoming schedule a little bit weird (The Lakers and Clippers playing back to back playoff games), this is the time to pick those players that you think would be eliminated the earliest.

With that said, I am going to pick a Laker tonight. Andrew Bynum gave me a 30 PRA on Game 2 but I expected more from him to be honest. It's a toss up between Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant for tonight and with the Lakers down 0-2, I am going all in and picking Kobe Bryant . I still have both CP3 and Blake to choose from the Clips and I will pick Blake on the 19th and Paul on the 20th. I definitely WANT the Lakers to win Game 3 so that I can have an extra day to pick Pau at the same time, I think the Clippers will be swept in their series against the Spurs as they want to have extra days to rest before facing the Lakers or the Thunder.

With the schedule messing my picks, I might lose out on a Philly player but I am hopeful that the Sixers will eke out one more win in their series; this also goes for the Pacers/Heat series, I expect the Heat to win Game 4. If in case the Sixers and the Heat lose both their Game 4's, I AM SCREWED since there is a possibility that I may miss out on Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James or Dwyane Wade which totally SUCKS in my part. Hoping for wins for both ballclubs as well as a Laker win.

Kobe is not playing well in this series but I expect a bounce back in this must win game. I am expecting Kobe to shoot his way to a Laker win. Knowing Kobe, he will NOT go down without a fight and I hope he channels a vintage Jordanesque game. Expecting a 35+ PRA in him tonight (is that much? I don't think so). My projected stat for him would be 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists.

Indiana cannot keep pace with Miami

I picked Andrew Bynum and I was completely contented in his 30 PRA even though I expected more. I thought the Lakers had it in the bag until they got sloppy and the Thunder scoring the game's final 9 points to win Game 2 77-75. Meanwhile, the Celtics took control of their series with a commanding win over the Sixers as the Celtic starters outscored the Sixer starters 84-36. With that statistic, Jrue Holiday still managed 15 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists; Thaddeus Young scored 22 to help the Sixers.

I can say that Indiana cannot keep pace (pun intended) with Miami even though they won an ugly Game 2. LeBron and Wade will come and play with a vengeance. I am also counting on LeBron to prove to his critics once again that he is no choker (even though he does) by owning this Game 3 and making a statement to all his haters. I am a LeBron fan but they could have won Game 2 if he made those foul shots and took the last shot. I know he can make those shots but he does not trust himself fully.

After picking David West in Game 2, I am counting on Roy Hibbert to make some noise today. I almost went with Danny Granger but I do not trust him fully in this one. He also proves to me that he is not in the caliber of other All-Star forwards in the NBA especially under pressure. He takes ill-advised shots and I have a hunch that he will do the same in Game 3.

Hibbert quietly averages 12.5 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist in their two games against the Heat this playoffs; he also plays better at home in the regular season. I expect Hibbert to break his slump at Indy and give his owners at least 25+ PRA. My projected stat for Hibbert would be 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists.

Man-Child

Indiana winning by three was a sign that the Heat can still win this series even though they lost Bosh to injury. The Heat however showed that they are vulnerable if Danny Granger and Paul George lock their sights on defending LeBron and D-Wade; Chalmers took the last shot with 7.8 seconds left and he missed (he was 2-10 from the field and 0-4 downtown before the shot) it WIDE-OPEN. On the other series, the Spurs once again made quick disposal of their opponents with a 16 point win against the Clips. Duncan was his vintage self recording his 133rd playoff double-double. Good thing I still have CP3 and Blake since I will pick both in Games 3 and 4 respectively.

For today's match, I am torn between picking a Sixer, Celtic or a Laker. In case you are living in a cave, the Sixers/Celtics series are tied at 1-1 and both are decided by one single point. The Lakers/Thunder series might end early if the Lakers does not show a fight against Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. With the Sixers/Celtics game so close for comfort, I decided to shift my attention to picking a Laker.

I am selecting Andrew Bynum and saving Pau at home and Kobe for a possible elimination game. With the way the Lakers are playing, it looks like that they have no answer for athletic Russell Westbrook and the OKC defense. Losing Perkins might soften the blow of their defense but the combination of Ibaka-Mohammed-Collison upfront are no pushovers. They are specifically on the team for their tenacious defense. If Perkins does not play, I am expecting Bynum to repeat his 30+ PRA game and hopefully be able to reach 40 PRA.

David West had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist yesterday which made me surprised since my projected stat for him yesterday was spot on except for the assists. My projected stat for Bynum would be 24 points, 12 rebounds, 0 assist.

Life without Bosh

Life without Chris Bosh has been so-so for the Miami Heat (4-5 record without Bosh, LeBron 30.2 PPG without Bosh), after losing Bosh in Game 1 due to a "strained abdominal muscle"; the same injury that Manu Ginobili had this season and cost him several games. He is out indefinitely but we need to monitor his practice participation as to when he could return for the playoffs. With Bosh hurt, this will open more playing time to Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf. LeBron will slide to the 4 spot for Mike Miller/James Jones/Shane Battier to take the 3 spot.

With the injury to Bosh, I am picking between Roy Hibbert and David West. The Pacers will definitely change their defensive scheme now that Bosh is out. I am expecting more of motion plays for the Heat because even though they can still utilize the pick and pop/roll, the team might not get a lot of baskets with Haslem, Anthony, Turiaf doing the pick. It is up to Wade and James to create their own shots in this series; other players has to step up too and make their baskets when the ball is passed to them (Chalmers, Miller, Jones, Battier).

I think the Heat will have a hard time defending 7'2'' Roy Hibbert but in this Game 2, I expect them to double team Hibbert which would open opportunities for David West to score in bunches. I know for a fact that Battier will guard Granger so that means LeBron might get a crack out of D-West.

I am picking David West for today because the Pacers might integrate more plays inside with Bosh out of the picture. The Heat big men are good defenders but I think West has a better offensive game. 30%+ players are going with him and I am wishing for a 25+ PRA from him. My projected stat for him would be 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists.

Evan-ing out their series

Good thing both the Lakers and Clippers won their respective series' since I risked NOT picking their teams' superstars. If both of the teams lost their Game 7's, I would look like a dummy for not picking their best players. By the way, the Boston Celtics eked out a win over the Sixers. I think that the C's will win this series but the Sixers will definitely win a game or two. The teams might not look matched up on paper but when you watch the game itself, THEY ARE EVENLY MATCHED in every position. A little boost for the C's on PG and C while the Sixers have an advantage on SG and bench play.

For today's game, I am going with Evan Turner . If you watched Game 1, the Sixers ran their plays with Holiday bringing up the ball then Turner/Iguodala setting up the plays. I also chose Turner for this game because of his matchup against Avery Bradley. There is a big height advantage between both guys (Turner is 6'7'' and Bradley is 6'2'') and I expect the Sixers to once again use that height advantage for their good use. The Sixers also forced the Celtics bigmen to shoot from the outside causing the Sixers to have long rebounds for their guards. They also pushed the break a lot for the Celtics to wear down.

Turner will be an x-factor for this Sixer team if they want to steal one on the road. Iguodala is due for a letdown in this game and Turner will pick up the slack. Sixer losing with Turner being the bright spot on the team is a match made in heaven. A 20+ PRA is attainable. My projected stat for Turner would be 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists.

Hoping for the best

Good thing the Lakers won even though they nearly blew their lead in the fourth. Good thing I still have Lawson since he gave me a juicy 35 PRA. This week was excellent for me if not for the Joe Johnson (13 PRA) and Rudy Gay (19 PRA) picks. The Nuggets can win this series though but Pau Gasol came out and played basketball; not to mention the return of MWP helped the team shut down most of the Nuggets players except Ty.

For today's pick, I will go and pick a Memphis player since I believe that the Clips will win the series. I am risking NOT picking CP3 and Blake Griff for this one but I am down with that. A lot of players are going safe for today after 43% of the players going with Chris Paul and 14% with Blake. This could go either way and win or lose, they gave the fans one good hell of a series. I have already picked Gay and Randolph. I chose Marc Gasol since Memphis will want to incorporate both Z-Bo and Gasol in their offense early onto the game if they want to win the series. It also helps that he is better playing at home than on the road.

Hoping for a 30+ PRA with Gasol while the Grizz losing Game 7. I know its stupid not picking a clipper player in this game knowing that there is an even chance for the Grizz to win this one. If Memphis wins today, I will still have Conley to choose from. Speights is also a valid choice if needed though. My projected stat for Gasol would be 20 points, 8 rebounds 3 assists.

Law(son) and Order

After the Clippers nearly had a chance to close out the Grizzlies, they once again came VERY short of doing so. Tony Allen missed two FT's then Randy Foye grabbed the rebound but stepped out of bounds. They fouled Z-Bo and made one of two foul shots. Foye missed a three pointer that would cut the lead to two. They once again fouled Z-Bo and missed both shots. Foye made a three pointer to cut it to 90-88, then Conley ran as fast as he could to milk the clock. Game 7 is up and I hope the Clips win the series.

For my pick today, I am going with Ty Lawson . I want to pick Andre Miller over him but the Nuggets might ride him until the wheels fall off. They desperately need a go-to-guy that can penetrate the rim at will and can create double teams to make life for his teammates easier. Lawson fits the bill especially now that he WILL have a big target on his back. The Lakers had their problems on the road and there is no excuse for Bynum and Gasol for not giving their all at that game. Kobe was great though, reminiscing the days of MJ playing with stomach flu then dropping 30 and 40 on his opponents.

Lawson is the spark that will keep the Nuggets running. That is the only way that they can beat the Lakers. As much as I want the Nuggets to win, I definitely believe that Kobe and his crew will give their A+ effort and dedication in closing out the Nuggets. Looking for a 20+ pra for him though. If you think that the Lakers will lose to the Nuggets (I doubt that), then go ahead and pick KB24. My projected stat for Ty would be 16 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists.

Z-Bo lets go

The Nuggets won in a lopsided Game 6 against the Lakers and that will set me up with a Ty Lawson pick since I haven't picked him up yet. The Hawks almost forced a Game 7 if not for the Al Horford missed foul shot. Garnett also played stellar defense which was the key the Hawks lost. The Sixers too almost lost the game, good thing Andre Iguodala came to play when it mattered the most. Now, they will face Boston.

For today's game, I will pick Zach Randolph . On their last game, both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin suffered minor injuries which baffles me because Memphis might win the series if both of their go-to-guys are not playing 100%. If Memphis wants to force a Game 7, they must crash the boards and score in the paint more often. Both Marc Gasol and Z-Bo were successful in doing that which made Rudy Gay and Mike Conley third and fourth fiddle in scoring.

Marc Gasol is also a safe pick for today if you are banking on his performance last game. I haven't picked Conley yet but I have a feeling that Z-Bo will give his all for today's game much like last year when he technically his highest PRA on game six on the first round last year against the spurs. If you look at his Game 6 match against the Thunder last year, he dropped 30 points and 13 rebounds in that game to force Game 7.

I hope my gut feeling about Z-Bo is right. I am expecting 30+ PRA for today although he might get 40 since Blake Griffin will not be 100%. K-Mart and Reggie Evans ain't got nothing on Z-Bo's range and strength. Hoping the Grizz lose this series while winning Game 6. My projected stat for him would be 24 points, 13 rebounds, 0 assist.

This is Hawk-ward

I am sorry if I failed to create a blog yesterday about my pick for today's game. I am having a bad case of the headache and I think it is because of the hot weather in the morning and afternoon along with the cold weather of the night here in the Philippines. Anyway, my pick for today's game is Rudy Gay because I think that he will definitely perform better after shooting badly the last game. And if you look at the schedule for friday, the Heat/Knicks and the Grizzlies/Clippers are playing. As I am writing this, New York is on the verge of losing their series as they are down 11 with three minutes left in the game. With the lockout happening this season, I can see that David Stern might let the Grizzlies win this one game so that they may have a game in schedule for friday. This will create revenue for the NBA. However, this is only my speculation so don't assume that it will happen.

There were four elimination games yesterday and the Orlando Magic was the only casualty in yesterday's games. For tomorrow, I will pick Josh Smith since he is the one who is averaging the highest PRA of the players that are remaining for me. I have already picked Joe (13 PRA) and Carlos (38 PRA). I would NOT risk losing the opportunity picking J-Smoove after they almost lost the game due to sloppiness. Ty Lawson had 18 PRA but JaVale McGee and Andre Miller totalled 30+ PRA in that game. I am expecting Lawson to bounce back from that game and if I had already picked J-Smoove, he is my pick for tomorrow.

With Al Horford back in the mix for the Hawks, I can predict that they can force a Game 7 with the Celtics since the Hawks now has an All-Star caliber center in the lineup replacing ineffective Jason Collins. I am also unsure if J-Smoove will give me a 30+ PRA for tomorrow since Al Horford can also command the ball as well as effectively rebound the ball defensively and offensively.

A 30+ PRA is the norm for Smith so I am riding that chance that he will give at least 30+ PRA for tomorrow's game. The presence of Horford will reduce Smith's shot attempts and maybe rebounds but I expect Smith to shoot the ball better tomorrow after his BAD SHOOTING at Game 4. At one point in that game, Smith was 0-8 from the field. My projected stat for him would be 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists.

Bulls on Parade

Au revoir to Big Al who just netted me 38 PRA; a good tongue cleanser after Joe Johnson's 13 PRA. For today's games, picking a player is very crucial since you want to pick a player who will give you the highest PRA and will lose their series.

• Magic/Pacers: I've already picked Jameer and Glen Davis for this one so I will not touch any of the remaining Magic Players

• Nuggets/Lakers: Picking Ty Lawson is very enticing but I can't see him having 25+ PRA in this game. The Lakers will want to win this one since their next opponent - the Oklahoma City Thunder - is well rested. They also need their break. I have already picked Gallo.

• Hawks/Celtics: There were news yesterday that Pierce will not play in Game 5 but that was quickly denied by Doc and told reporters that Pierce WILL play Game 5. With Al Horford in the mix, Josh Smith's PRA will take a small dip (rebounds wise) but will still give his owners 25+ PRA. As I have said earlier, I have already picked Joe Johnson and his disappointing 13 PRA. They might lose and I am risking NOT picking Josh Smith but I am hoping for the best.

• Sixers/Bulls: I know that the Bulls will do everything they can to avoid a 1st round exit. Bearing a number one seed, the Bulls will show heart and determination to win. Noah will NOT play in Game 5, Rose is out for the entire playoffs, Deng is suffering a minor injury meaning Carlos Boozer will be the go-to-guy of this team. I also expect their PG's to attack the rim. I am certain that they will lose this game by a small margin or maybe in overtime. (I hope this ends in overtime with the Bulls losing).

  I really hope that the Hawks win this game so that I can pick J-Smoove for Game 6. My projected stat for Boozer will be 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists.

The Man in the Middle

So much for the Hawks, Nuggets and Bulls winning their games, what happens in May 8 is that the games in the schedule are all for ELIMINATION. This means that guys like Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Glen Davis, Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari are MUST starts in this day. The main question you need to ask yourself now is: Of these guys, who will give you the highest PRA and will lose their series.

But before we tackle our pick for tomorrow, lets discuss our pick for today. We have two games in schedule: Spurs/Jazz (3-0 Spurs) and Grizzlies/Clippers (2-1 Clippers). With the scenarios in place, I will pick Al Jefferson for today's game. Not including his Game 2 stinker (16 PRA), he is a solid option to target if you want to attain 30+ PRA. With their backs against the wall, the superstars give their all to win a crucial game, either to get a needed win on the road or to stave off elimination. Players like Dirk Nowitzki (43 PRA Game 4), Carmelo Anthony (51 PRA Game 4) and Paul Pierce (54 PRA Game 2) stepped up to the plate to get that needed win (with the exception to Dirk but he played stellar and tried his best to win the game). And I expect more of the same with Big Al since he is the captain of the team and he is their go-to-guy.

If you have picked Al Jeff or Millsap, you might as well pick a player from the Clips or the Grizz. I intentionally saved Al Jeff in this one because I believe that he has the ability to save his team from elimination. He also plays better at home averaging 2 more points and rebounds in home than road. My projected stat for him would be 22 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists.

Hawk-eye

The Avengers was awesome (my money was well spent!) and with that, I decided to name this blog post in relation to the movie. Hawkeye was played by Jeremy Renner by the way and he is the marksman among their group.

Going back to basketball news, the Mavs got swept by the Thunder and Dirk got a 43 PRA (his highest in 4 games), Kidd also got a surprising 31 PRA (also his highest in 4 games) and that is all you need to know. Terry started the game but could not just get it going, the other rotation guys played good but they can play better. The Spurs won (3-0 lead), Pacers won in OT(3-1 lead) and the Clippers won in a thrilling sequence. Rudy Gay made a tough three point basket to cut the lead to one, but missed the last shot of the game. With the Clips leading 2-1, I might use a Memphis player just in case they lose Game 4.

For today's pick, I will go with a Hawk. Really wanted to pick J-Smoove but with his recent injury, I doubt that he will be 100% in basketball shape. So that leaves me with Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague, its basically a toss-up between the two since both of them can give their owners a solid 20+ PRA but I chose Joe Johnson because with Smith not playing 100%, the Hawks will rely on iso-Joe to shoot his way to a win. Another reason I chose Joe instead of Jeff is that Joe can light it up and explode in this momentum-changing game. The Hawks need to win since there might be a chance that Al Horford rejoins the team for sometime in the series. Other picks that are considerable are: Carlos Boozer (Noah will not play Game 4), Luol Deng (same reason, might be asked to score more), Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler (amare will play for pride and nothing else), Ty Lawson.

With iso-Joe in place, there is a realistic chance that I might net 25+ PRA from him especially if his shot starts to keep falling. My projected stat for him would be 22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists. I personally am hoping for a victory by the Hawks, just so that I could have another safer pick on the upcoming days.

Finally!

Finally! With about an hour before the first game starts, the bug was fixed and everyone can now ADD/EDIT their picks for today's games. To cut this short, I have picked Glen Davis because of all the losing teams remaining in the DTTF, he has averaged the most PRA's of the bunch. Would love to pick Jason Terry but I think that this will be all Dirk trying to salvage his team and get at least one win before losing the series. Other news related to yesterday's games.

• Sixers won leading their series 2-1. Joakim badly rolled his ankle and I think he would be questionable for Game 4. Boozer will be a good pick in case Noah rests on Game 4. Deng also has to step up as he is horrendous in this series.
• Ty Lawson torched the Lakers and the Nuggets finally getting a win but they still trail 2-1. The Lakers had no answers for Lawson as he relentlessly drove past one Laker defender to the other. Just like last season, the Lakers still have their problems guarding small PG's ( Remember J.J. Barea and Chris Paul on last year's playoffs?)
• Rondo posted a monster triple-double as the C's won in overtime against the Hawks, gaining the upper hand with 2-1. The Hawks played without J-Smoove and it was a remarkable effort for the Hawks to keep the game at bay and actually getting into overtime.

I hope Glen Davis gives me about 25+ PRA as the majority of the players are selecting Dirk for this one. I also hope that the Mavs win at least one game to make picking a player easier on the upcoming days. My projected stat for Glen Davis would be 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist.

The Golden Nugget

Melo giving his owners a 32 PRA was nice although I expected more of him knowing that he would be heavily counted on Game 3. Chandler was a better pick for that day with 25 PRA instead of J.R. Smith in my opinion. The Mavs also lost which puts them at a 0-3 deficit. Based on statistics, it shows that NONE of the NBA teams who were down 0-3 ever came back to win a playoff series; this means we will crown a new NBA champion.

We have three games in schedule for tonight, two of which are currently tied at 1-1 and the remaining one has a 2-0 lead over the other team. As for me, I will go with the safer pick by going with the Denver Nuggets. The Bulls/Sixers game will be monitored closely for scenario purposes in my head and the Celtics/Hawks series seems to be going in favor of the Celts. Kudos to those who picked a Hawk on the first two games as it really looks like that they might get eliminated since Josh Smith is questionable to play. Rondo will also play with a vengeance in Game 3 after not playing in Game 2 due to the one game suspension he drew from the league. Joe Johnson is also a good pick for tonight if you are confident that the Hawks will lose to the C's.

Picking a Nugget came down to Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari. Lawson had a superb game last time out with 25 points and a total of 33 PRA while Gallo had a modest 21 PRA. But the clincher for me went down in Game 1 as Lawson only had 10 PRA compared to Gallo's 25, another thing to notice while comparing the two is that Gallo had 18 shot attempts and Lawson had 17. If Gallo attempts 18 shot attempts and makes half or more of it, it could lead his owners to a 25+ PRA. Lawson on Game 2 made 11-17 on the field. If I am Mike Brown, I would try to focus my attention more on Lawson on Game 3 since he nearly brought Denver back in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and almost stole a win in Staples.

Instead of going with a high-risk/high-reward pick in Lawson, I chose the steady 20+ PRA of Danilo Gallinari for tonight's games. I feel that they might also win a home game and I hope that they win Game 3 since they will get beaten in this series anyway. Also, the Lakers has their own problems on the road (Remember the Pistons and the Wizards game?). My projected stats for him would be 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist.

Joinng the bandwagon

As expected, the Spurs defeated the Jazz but I did not expect the Jazz to play THIS bad. Seriously though, 28 points in the first half? The silver lining here is that there were a lot of players who also got burned picking Al Jeff and Millsap. If I knew beforehand that this would happen, I would just pick Glen Davis and run away with his PRA.

Moving on, as I am writing this blog, 42% of DTTF players have chosen Carmelo Anthony for tonight's scheduled games. And I too will pick Carmelo Anthony for tonight's game. I have already picked Dirk in Game 2 and I intentionally saved Carmelo for this specific game. The stars have aligned for Carmelo to run his own show in Madison Square Garden. Without Lin, Amare and Shumpert, he will be relied upon heavily to carry the scoring load for his team. He will have a target on his back but it would need help from his teammates (Chandler, Novak, Smith) to also score and provide the spark to keep defenders off Melo's back. I also considered Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith but with Jeremy Lin possibly returning on Game 4, this will be the ultimate game that Carmelo hoists up a ton of shots leading the Knicks to a close defeat.

After Millsap's 14 PRA stinker, I really want to bounce back in a big way and this might be the best time to capitalize on that. Knowing Melo's attitude, he will really shoot and attack the rim to get to the line more and to slow Miami, which loves to push the ball ahead of their defenders after a defensive rebound. My projected stat for him would be 24 points, 7rebs, 5asts.

Update: Chandler might be a better pick than Smith with some news on twitter saying that Bosh returned to Miami after his wife gave birth (to a half raptor-half human).

All that Jazz!

I was hoping for the Celtics to lose Game 2 but Paul Pierce delivered when it mattered the most pouring 36 points and 14 rebounds to win Game 2 and possibly momentum for their Game 3 and 4 home stand. With the result, I think I made the wrong decision of picking Garnett and should have went with my gut for Holiday. Holiday was also solid as he had 26 points to pace the Sixers with a win over the Bulls who clearly missed Derrick Rose's playmaking ability. Lawson also had a good game with 25 points. Things to look at for the upcoming games of either series:

• Gallinari took 18 shots but only drained 5. This tells me that he will be working extra hard to make and create more shots for himself.
• Noah made 10-11 shots and was perfect 7-7 at the first half. He was making baskets from mid range and making his "bang bang" gesture in every shot. But I do not think that he will be this good shooting the ball for the rest of the series.
• The swap from Meeks to Turner paid off as they made it hard for Hamilton to create his own shot. It also allowed the Sixers to have 3 ball handlers(Turner, Holiday, Iguodala) acting as point guards in alternate possessions generating open shots for their teammates (The team as a whole shot 59% from the field).
• Josh Smith suffered an injury in Game 2. If this will prevent him to be 100% in Game 3, I expect Boston to win this series, making the Josh Smith pick on Day 2 the best pick.
• Andre Iguodala's achilles is still an issue. He injured his achilles last season. This may be another reason why Turner was slated to start instead of Meeks; to have another facilitator on the court.

We have three games in schedule for tonight and I will not touch any player from Clippers/Grizzlies until someone gets a 2 win lead. For the Pacers/Magic series, I want to pick Ryan Anderson at home but I will probably save him for Game 4. He might not give a 25 PRA because the Pacers finally knew how to defend the three point area. As I stated in my blog days ago, the Spurs want to take an early rest from the playoffs to get ready for the second round so they will do everything they can to sweep the series against Utah. Of course Utah will not go without a fight, so I am picking Paul Millsap for tonight's game. Will save Al Jeff for a home game. Quick tidbit for you guys, Tiago Splitter suffered an injury in Game 1, leaving Pop to start Duncan and Diaw. If Splitter is unable to play, Diaw will be matched against Millsap and it will be a matchup that will be an advantage to Millsap as he is faster and more athletic than Diaw. Blair will also crack the rotation and will be given a shot to earn rotation minutes.

With these data in mind, I hope that the Jazz lose Game 2 and Millsap might exceed his 29 PRA on Game 1. My projected stats for Millsap would be 23pts, 10rebs, 2asts

Give me the Green Light

Watching the Mavs/Thunder game yesterday, I clearly saw that the Mavs can go the distance and maybe win this series. Dirk fumbled the ball and that led with a bad shot and Terry missed two 3-pointers to tie the game. The Thunder again escaped with a close victory of 102-99 - with Kevin Durant struggling with his shot and committing 7 TO's - thanks to Russell Westbrook's 29 points and James Harden's 4 crucial FT's to give the Thunder a three-point lead. For yesterday's game, I think that the best pick might have been Amare Stoudemire and his 25 PRA. The reason why is that immediately after the game, he let his emotions get the best of him and punched the glass case of the fire extinguisher (why the hell would you punch the glass case?) causing the medical staff of both the Heat and the Knicks to rush over to the locker room to treat his wound. As I am writing this blog, Stoudemire is considered questionable for Game 3 leaving Carmelo to be "The Man" for this Knicks team that already lost Shumpert.

As for today's pick, Rondo(Bos)and Rose(Chi)will not play for their teams (I think you guys already know why) leading me to the conclusion that I should pick a Celtic player this time around. I still would not pick a player on the Nuggets/Lakers series unless it would be on an elimination match; as for the Sixers/Bulls series, I really want to pick Jrue Holiday for this one but I have read this interesting article and Holiday was quoted that he MIGHT be guarding Rip Hamilton for defensive purposes. Guarding Hamilton has proven to be one of the reasons why a player might not be involved more in the stats sheet, Hamilton loves to go around screens and once he sees a mismatch on height, he will post up and shoot. He already burned Meeks for 19 points in Game 1 so I think that Holiday - known as a good one on one defender - will definitely guard Hamilton especially now that someone has to pick up the slack on scoring.

I really do not want to pick a Celtic this early but playing Game 2 without Rondo and Allen will be a nightmare for the Celtics. Losing their best facilitator on the court will make it hard for the team to create open shots; Bradley might play the point and Pavlovic/Pietrus will play two to have more scoring options on the court. Pierce will act as the point guard for this one and will play a two-man game with Kevin Garnett. With that in mind, I am picking Kevin Garnett for today's game since the Celtics might try to play it more in the post as well as pick and rolls to free Paul Pierce up.

Given that Pierce admits that "he was the main culprit" why they lost (5-19 on the field), I still think that he will save his best performance on Game 4 or 5. Garnett would also be motivated to play better on Game 2 after he was manhandled by Jason Collins on the first half of Game 1. Garnett will play better and will give me about 25+ PRA. My projected stats for him will be 16pts, 10rebs, 5asts. He WILL have the green light to shoot and attack the basket of the Hawks.

Where things start to get tricky

It was nice to see 17 points coming from Gordon Hayward yesterday but he only had 3 rebounds and 2 assists; totally not what I have in mind but at least he got a 20+ PRA. I have already picked 2 rotation players and have a total of 51 PRA while those who picked Melo and Al Jeff on the first 2 days only have 53 PRA. Not bad considering I only trail them 2 points AND not investing on top-tier players. From a fantasy perspective, the main headline from all of the games yesterday was the ejection of Rajon Rondo as he accidentally tripped on the referee's foot and inadvertently bumped the guy. I am reading a couple of news via the internet that Rondo may be suspended for one game because of the incident - which means that a Celtic player will be my next target if a suspension is handed on the Celtics point guard.

We have three games in schedule for tonight: Knicks/Heat, Magic/Pacers and Mavericks/Thunder. Looking at the schedule for the upcoming games, May 3 has only 2 games in Heat/Knicks and Thunder/Mavs. If I want to use Melo on a home game, I would save him for that date since the injury on Shumpert will definitely be an advantage for the Heat. Shumpert was arguably their best perimeter defender and their best point guard with Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas on board. With that in mind, the chances of the Knicks losing this series becomes greater and news about Jeremy Lin coming back for Game 4 might be true. For the Magic/Pacers series, I would not touch any of the players from both teams since the Magic won Game 1.

Picking a Mavs player crossed my mind when I saw the schedule of the Thunder/Mavs series. Their Game 3 coincides with the Pacers/Magic Game 4, Grizzlies/Clippers Game 3 and Spurs/Jazz Game 3. On this day, I might pick Al Jeff depending on what happens on their Game 2 but it is evident that the Spurs are determined to reach round 2 in a hurry to get an extended period of rest. The Clippers/Grizzlies series is fun to watch and I think this series will go the distance; the best thing to do is to wait and see what happens to this. The Pacers/Magic game is also fun to watch but I think that the Magic will win one at their home court and the Pacers winning the series by 6.

Cutting to the chase, if I will play it conservatively and pick a rotation player instead of a superstar, I might regret it in the end because I need to reach 200-300 points at the end of the first round to be in contention to other players of this game. So for today's games, I am going with Dirk Nowitzki. It was a heartbreaking Game 1 loss but they know that they can actually beat this team just like last year. As for me, I think that this would be Thunder in 5, the Mavs need to win Game 2 to get momentum for Game 3 so Dirk Nowitzki will do his best to keep this team up-float. I also expect the Thunder to slow Dirk down; they don't want to have the series tied at 1-1 with the Mavs returning to their home court at Games 3 and 4.

I am expecting 30+ PRA for Dirk, I hope he doesn't disappoint. My projected stats for him would be 24pts, 8rebs, 3asts.

Keep on Rollin'

I was surprised to see my pick Jameer Nelson get a 29 PRA but the Magic stole a win on the road against Indy and in the fourth quarter, the Magic scored 11 straight to gain the upper hand. Simply put, Granger CHOKED by missing 2 FT's and missing an open layup To those who picked Ryan Anderson and Carmelo Anthony, there are better days ahead of you guys so do not get discouraged about their performance. By the way, Derrick Rose went down with an ACL injury as well as Iman Shumpert - this is something to take note of in Heat/Knicks Game 2 if you guys want to pick a Knick. Without a doubt, the best pick for this day was Derrick Rose since this is his only game in the playoffs and he went for 23pts, 9rebs, 9asts good for 41 PRA.

Onto Sunday's game, there are 4 playoff games on schedule: Spurs/Jazz, Nuggets/Lakers, Celtics/Hawks, Clippers/Grizzlies. The last 3 games are too close to call since the bottom seeded teams can eke out a win. With the Spurs/Jazz match, I think the Jazz might win a game but that is it, the Spurs have learned about what happened last year when they were eliminated by the 8th seeded Grizzlies and the experience factor will come into play. Looking at the Jazz' roster, I saw 3 guys that are worthy of a pick: Gordon Hayward, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. The most obvious choice would be Al Jeff right? Because of the three, he has the most experience AND he can manhandle the bigs of the Spurs - namely DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter. Tim Duncan would also guard him and Splitter might guard Millsap because Duncan will not catch up on Millsap's speed.

I want to go with Al Jeff but with the Spurs having fresh legs I opted to save Al Jeff for a home game which would be a crucial game 3 or an elimination game in 4. Millsap also plays better at home and that leaves me with Gordon Hayward; with this being his first playoff game, I am not sure that he will get about 20 PRA and their coach might play Miles and Bell for defensive purposes or having to start Josh Howard because of experience. However, on Utah's only win against the Spurs in the regular season, Hayward posted 16pts, 6rebs, 4asts.

I am hoping for Hayward to come out strong early against a Spurs team that might save their energy for the second half. My projected stat for Hayward would be 12pts, 6rebs, 3asts. If he gets a 19 PRA or lower, this will be a bad pick for me.

Lets get this thing started!

To start off, I am not picking any players from the Thunder/Mavs and Heat/Knicks until they reach a crucial game. That leaves me with Bulls/76ers and Pacers/Magic, from that 2 series the team that might be swept in an instant is the Orlando Magic. The Pacers will get a lot of baskets inside AND they have three very good perimeter defenders in Paul George, Danny Granger and George Hill. From the looks of it, this might be the only game that the Magic would get about 8-10 three pointers since the Pacers will use this game to adjust more in their defensive scheme.

As for the 76ers/Bulls series, the one that I would be confident to pick is Andre Iguodala but I would rather save him for a home game than this one with Brewer definitely guarding him.

I have thought of picking Ryan Anderson for game 1 because of the matchup problem that he will present against David West who is not a good defender. However, Ryan Anderson plays better at home and for that, I would save him for either game 3 or 4. This leaves me with Glen Davis or Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis plays better on the road but with tall Roy Hibbert and Athletic Tyler Hansbrough, there might not be a lot of touches for him to score. Thus, I am picking Jameer Nelson because he might be asked to score more and create more opportunities for his other teammates; which only means that he will touch the ball A LOT. And since we are not counting turnovers, I am down with Jameer clunking shots and turning the ball over.

Lastly, since this is the first day of the playoffs, a 20+ pra will be good to start my fantasy season. My projected stats for Jameer will be 14pts 3rebs 6asts

Hello!

Hello and thanks for reading my blog about this year's NBA Drive to the Finals game here at nba.com. The objective of this game is easy, you just need to select one player each day that you think would have the highest PRA (points, rebounds, assists) of all the players who are playing in that day. For example, you selected Tim Duncan against the Utah Jazz; after the game is finished, we total Tim Duncan's points, rebounds and assists to get your daily score. If you failed to select a player for the day, you will not get any score.

The percentile rank is based on the number of players in this game, so if you belong to the 95% and above; it means that you are doing very well in this game.

What's challenging in this game is that once you selected a specific player from a team, you cannot select him again for the rest of the playoff season. Some players in this game go with their gut as to who will have the highest score for the day and some relies on matchups as well as the importance of the game in the series. It might be the pivotal game in a 7 game series or a do-or-die match.

Please pardon my english and grammar since I am not an american but I would try my best to keep you updated. I would also post here my picks for each day so that you guys would see which player I am banking on to win this. I might not be eligible for the prize(since I am not from United States) but I am playing this just for the love of basketball and friendly competition. I would also love to read your comments and suggestions as to who to pick.

Hope you guys would also have fun and good luck to all of you!