Top 5 Dunks in The 2011 NBA Playoffs

Wow this playoff season has appeared to be a post season filled with players making new posters. My top 5 dunks are based on how loud I screamed when I initially saw the dunk. Rating the dunks for the spots are as followed:

# 5 Impressive but I think I could do that.
# 4 Ok he showed me something there.
# 3 Whoa
# 2 Arghhhhhhhh did he just do that?
# 1 Screaming like a school girl cause that was the best dunk this season!

Without further or do here are the dunks:

# 5: D-Rose over Joel Anthony

# 4: Kobe Dunks over Emeka Okafor

# 3: UD over D-Rose

# 2: Taj Gibson Tip Dunk on 3 guys

# 1: Kevin Durant over Brendan Haywood

Read em' and weep.

NBA Finals Prediction

Alright now we have arrived to the 2011 NBA finals and now we are left with two teams that bring a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks vs. the Miami Heat. It's easy to see how these two teams made it to the NBA Finals this season. Although these teams both had up and down seasons they were both able to get through the season with decent record. More importantly these two teams were able to get better every month of the season. Both teams also have very deep teams that make stopping their offensive output difficult for any team. The funniest thing for me this playoff season was when all the analyst were picking Portland to beat Dallas. Not realizing that the Dallas Mavericks had Jason Kidd on their team.,who in my opinion is a bonafide winner (although he has never won an NBA title). 

With that said I think that this Final Matchup should be a good one because it is a battle of full court flare vs. half court execution; a deep bench vs. a dynamic starting crew. A lot has been said about the Mavericks motivation for being the reason why they will win the championship. A lot has been said about the Heat's dominance in the playoffs as the reason why they will win. In my humble opinion, I believe that the Miami Heat will ultimately win the title despite The Mavericks extra motivation to win the title. Why? Because I just believe that the Miami Heat's defense is going to shut down the Dallas Maverick's bench. I also think that the Heat will give Jason Terry a hard time on both ends of the court (especially if they match Chalmers on him). As far as Dirk is concerned I don't see the Heat stopping him. However, I believe that they will be able to stop him in pivotal situations that will ultimately lead to the Dallas Mavericks demise.

When it all comes down to it although Dallas may have a deeper team, they do not have multiple players that they can turn to when it is time to close the game. It's as simple as a street ball game the team with the best two or three players that can change the outcome of the game usually wins.

Miami Heat in 6.

NBA Playoffs Predictions: Round 1

In the next 3 months the NBA playoffs will be taking over the airwaves and our lives. The NBA Playoffs in my opinion is by far the best post season among the four major professional sports in America. As far as the playoffs are concerned I believe that this year is a pretty wide open year and I don't see it being as predictable as it was the past 2-3 years. Without further or do these are my predictions for the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

Starting out with the east. In the 1 vs. 8 matchup the Chicago Bulls are taking on the Indiana Pacers. With this matchup I think Derrick Rose and company are just too much for the Pacers. I do think the Pacers will take 2 games and expose some of the weaknesses that are being overlooked with the Chicago Bulls because of the well deserved love for Derrick Rose. At the 4 vs. 5 matchup I think the Orlando Magic will beat the Atlanta Hawks in 7 games. I just think that Dwight Howard will be too much for the anemic post players on the Atlanta Hawks roster. The 3 vs. 6 matchup is probably going to be the best playoff series this postseason where the Knicks take on the Celtics. Despite the Celtics recent troubles I think they will have enough to  beat the Knicks in 6 or 7 games, but mark my words this will be the series that everyone is going to be talking about this postseason. Last but not least is the 2 vs. 7 matchup where the Miami Heat will take on the Philadelphia 76ers. I honestly like the 76ers as a team. However, I'm not sure about Andre Iguodala's ability to carry the 76ers past the big 3 of the Heat. I got the Heat in 5 games.

Now for the Western Conference. In the 1 vs. 8 matchup the Spurs in my opinion will defeat the Grizzlies in 5 games. I just think that the Spurs bench is too deep for the Grizzlies and there offensive output will overbear the Grizzlies in a 7 game series. At the 4 vs. 5 matchup I like OKC over the Nuggets. I think Kevin Durant is going to have a break out postseason (I'm going to leave it at that cause I got a couple surprise picks in the next round). At the 3 vs. 6 matchup a lot of people are picking Portland to win the series. However, I'm going to go the other way and choose the Mavericks. I just think that Jason Kidd and Dirk will be able to carry the Mavs over the young Portland team in a 7 game series. For the 2 vs. 7 matchup I think the Lakers roll over the Hornets in 5 games. The Hornets will miss David West and I think the Lakers bigs are just too much for the Hornets. 

All in all, I don't really see any opportunities for upsets in the first round, however I do believe the majority of the upsets will take place in the second round. Stay tuned and enjoy the nights at the bars and the playoff parties and if you're lucky enough enjoy the games at the arena.

Time to Say Hail Mary.

I officially started going back to MAS this week and as usual the experience has been rather eye opening. So much has changed since I left three months ago. The alter is still the same and the private sanctuaries remained the same. However, there were some differences in the hallways and it seems that there are some new members that I don't recognize. Whatever the case it felt good to be back and attending MAS. Thus far I have taken three classes. Sound bites which has been a cool class in that we are learning how to refine our audio skills for video purposes. Another class I'm taking is portfolio development, this is the make or break class because MAS students must have an exceptional portfolio before graduating MAS. The other class that I had taken thus far was a brand called you. This class seems as if it will be helpful in the long run and especially helpful in getting the first job in advertising. I am hoping that this quarter at Miami Ad School (MAS) will be equally as effective as my previous quarter.

I will add that I am getting a nice consistent dose of basketball on a weekly basis. Just having the opportunity to make someone else a better player always seems to make my day.

One cool thing I want to share is this audio track that we had to listen to during our Sound Bites class and it's kind of cool. When you listen to this track close your eyes and be sure to have headphones in your ears. I think it's awesome but you be the judge.

Man In The Mirror

As I take a look at the man in the mirror what do I see? Right now I see a pretty skinny dude as a result of many factors that can be attributed to being away for some time. When I think about not being able to eat mom's cooking or going to LA Fitness to get my workout on, I have no choice but to think that I am shell of my former self. With that said, this week has been my first week back in the gym lifting weights. As I start benching 135 lbs. I begin to think to myself "wow this is heavy" and it was at this point I had come to the realization that I have become a weak boy. I will add that although I have been banished from the strong man's club, it felt good to be back in the gym and see the stereotypical people at the gym. What stereotypical people am I talking about (don't front like you are unaware of who i'm talking about).

The first type of person I miss at the gym is the guy who spends his whole workout on  his chest and arms and is deficient in all other body parts. I'm aware that a man's chest is a key selling point for most men but it isn't the only body part that women like, women also for some reason or another like butts. The next stereotypical person is the lady who spends her whole workout on the treadmill, stair master, and elliptical. I don't know how these ladies do it, because they look like they just aren't enjoying themselves. Seeing these people brought a smile to my face because it let me know that I'll get my strength back some time in the near future.

For all the people who are looking to add spice to their workout take a look at these two workouts and give one of them a shot. A little variety never hurts.

Back in the 305

Well it's good to be back in Miami, I have to say that I missed this city a lot. When I got back here I was kind of disorientated. It was the longest period of time I ever went without driving a car and admittedly so, I was rather scared. I totally forgot how to look out for cars in my mirrors and all I could remember is that I was definitely moving faster than any bike I used in Amsterdam. Coming back to the states has its benefits and its detractors. For instance, a benefit to being back in Miami is that everything is so cheap. However, an equal detractor is that the price to fill up a tank of gas is roughly the price of a prostitute in Amsterdam (which is 50 Euros or $70). Another benefit is that I can leisurely step outside with barely any clothes on (weather is great here by the way). However, the detractor to great weather in Miami is that mosquitos are out on the prowl ready and willing to suck the lifeline that runs through my veins. With that said, I'm happy to be here as I have access to a gym and a basketball at all times. As a result, my withdrawal symptoms are rather low because I am able to get high on the sound of the ball going through the net again.

One thing I wanted to add before I end this post is that I watched a very captivating and eye opening documentary on one of my flights to Miami. The name of the documentary is Inside Job and in this documentary it goes into great detail as to how we arrived to the 2007-2008 recession. If you got time I highly recommend you watch this documentary (whether you are American or not because the recession was global) because it will have you saying a myriad of expletives at the screen. Here's a trailer of the film.

Last Blog Post in Amsterdam

This is my final post from Amsterdam and I am returning back to America. I will still be a displaced basketball fiend in the sense that I will always be in search for my daily fix with basketball. I hope that you all have enjoyed my stories in Amsterdam and the insights that I have provided. The next time I post I will be in Miami. Aside from that I will leave you guys and gals with three posters that signified my trip.