Introducing… Mr. Gary David

Okay, so I’ve admittedly drawn blanks as far as my last two or three titles are concerned but let’s swiftly transition away from that and onto the topic at hand—Gary David’s current tear and how he is making a case for being the number 1 SG in all of Philippine basketball.

Last season, David blossomed into a primetime offensive threat both under Burger King and later with Coca Cola/ Powerade. His 18.15 ppg with a shooting percentage of 45.2% is arguably the best around for a guy who dominates his team’s offense.

This year, with Powerade head coach Bo Perasol leaning towards a faster pace, David is at it again with 22.6 ppg on a very efficient 47.9% clip. I’m pretty sure that those numbers alone should have David in the discussion for one of the best, if not the current best, SGs out there.

Derby Ace’s James Yap is showing signs of not wanting any part of the more physical brand of play, settling for long jumpers and driving inside only  against teams with “soft” inside defenders, Mark Caguioa is stuck trying to outshine teammate and fellow gunner Willie Miller at Ginebra and Meralco’s Macmac Cardona is getting his points on so many field gold attempts he’d make Allen Iverson circa 2001 jealous.

So why is David not getting any love?

For one, David is as straight forward as they come. Nothing too flashy, just enough to give the crowd a few cheers here and there, but still crazy efficient. If anything, I’d say that David’s “flashiest” go-to move is his reverse lay-up. That’s it.

And perhaps the biggest reason why he’s not in the Yap-Hontiveros-Caguioa-Miller conversation is that he’s been traded back and forth that people are starting to take him for granted. Is he one-dimensional? Perhaps, but so are Yap and Miller. The fact that Cyrus Baguio is more popular or considered a better basketball player is beyond me—so I guess it’s pretty safe to assume that it’s all marketing then (which depends on one’s looks and who they know in the business). That being said, I hope that David’s run continues and that he takes his rightful place in the league’s upper echelon of star guards.

The HEAT is on (and other NBA opening week tidbits)

As of this writing, the superstar troika of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh area leading the Miami Heat to a 20-piecing of their inter-state rivals, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic.

This comes as a surprise since Orlando is coming off another perfect preseason and a dominating win over the hapless Washington Wizards. Not that I expected them to lose to the newly-formed Heat, but definitely not by 20 plus points—not with Howard and co. reportedly being more “focuse” than years past.

Okay, wait, Howard did 10 push-ups by the bench DURING their first game because he missed 10 free throws (as a sort of “self-punishment”)—so maybe they’re still not THAT serious after all.

Back to the Heat, who are well on their way to a 2-1 slate, and how this team has finally gotten some sort of on-court chemistry as far as who is “the man” is on offense, who is the shot-caller (definitely not their point guards) and who are the role players.

In their opening day loss, LeBron James banged in 31 points while everyone else looked lost on the floor. even Wade, who is coming off a hamstring injury, was pretty lethargic and putting up ugly bricks here and there. At times, the offense was either stagnant or predictable, with either James or Wade waiting/ watching each other on who wants to make the first move on offense.

Against the young Philadelphia 76ers, the lines were clearly set. James is the point guard who controls the offense, Wade is the designated scorer. In today’s game, it was pretty much more of the same thing, with James “settling” for a “modest” 15-6-7 line, and Wade doing the damage with 26. It should be noted that Chris Bosh has yet to live up to expectations, looking very soft (softer than the much –maligned Dirk Nowitzki even) and opting to be a bystander on offense. Granted, he attracts double teams every now and then in the paint, but the game is clearly controlled by either James or Wade, with Bosh as a 3^rd option.

So the question now is, is this set-up enough for the Heat to make the Finals?

Not quite. I still believe that either they force James to play PG and bring in Wade and James Jones/ Mike Miller at the same time, or Mario Chalmers learns how to shoot/ gets traded for a PG who can shoot.

Also, there’s a big hole in the paint. Joel Anthony is a workhorse who rebounds the ball like crazy, but he’ll be: 1) over skilled by Bogut/ Duncan/ Gasol/ Kaman, 2) overpowered by Bynum/ Shaq/ Howard or 3) be forced to try and keep up with Garnett/ Stoudemire.

You can throw the dreams of burying the Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 record out, 60-65 is a more realistic tally for this team. Championship? Perhaps, but if the Celtics can avoid any injuries, then I’m going with the old farts in Boston while giving this team another year to work out.

Also,

• Chris Paul has lead the New Orleans to a nice 2-0 slate despite having a so-so supporting cast.
• In other news, Deron Williams is in a slump. Two losses for the Utah Jazz, two bad games with no one to pass the ball to (who can convert).
• Carmelo Anthony is leading the way for the Denver Nuggets, but the biggest surprises are the offense by Arron Afflalo and the rebounding of "The Landlord" Shelden Williams a.k.a. Mr. Candace Parker.
• Andrew Bogut is healthy, 15 points and 15 boards in his first game after that ugly wrist and arm injury from last season.
• Rajon Rondo's 24 assists is flat out awesome. And don't forget that he also scored 10 and grabbed 10 boards too.
• Allen Iverson is going to play in Turkey. *sigh*

Bench Press v2.2

What we’ve learned so far:

• Stars are born – Harvey Carey’s posting the soldier-ish double- double numbers expected of Kelly Williams for Talk ‘n’ Text, Gary David is the league’s number one offensive machine regardless of the physical defense and Sunday Salvacion has always been a solid scorer. Oh, and Ronjay Buenafe is starting to live up to his star guard potential more consistently.
• Mac Cardona needs a solid point guard who can give him the ball or who can shoot to take some of the pressure away to be truly effective on offense (Mike Cortez in DLSU, Jimmy Alapag in TNT).
• Tim Cone is “breaking in” Samigue Eman—the 6”9 banger is averaging 2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game which isn’t bad considering that he’s not in there to score but to provide an inside presence.
• Mark Caguioa looks to be in good shape (this is the thinnest I’ve seen him since his rookie year, it shows on his bicep cuts), and is out to reclaim his “number 1 SG in the league” title away from James Yap and teammate Willie Miller.
• Wesley Gonzales needs to drop the lousy hairband/strap and just ball—he recently earned a starting SF job with Air21, hopefully he keeps his focus this time instead of playing for the fans.
• Asi Taulava can’t score in the paint with a pencil, and Marlou Aquino can’t guard with a broom. Someone should tell Ryan Gregorio that his best line-up would be Ross (only because Escobal shouldn’t even be in the PBA at this point, and Weinstein hasn’t adjusted yet), Cardona, Omolon, Espinas and Belga.

• Rudy Hatfield grabbed a monstrous 22 boards in Ginebra’s last outing. Maybe Jong Uichico now realizes that the H-Bomb is no longer the fleet-footed all around small forward of yesteryears and is now a full-time banger and mop-up gay in the paint.
• James Yap still has the most stylish three point shot in the league, but save for a couple of nice in-game moves here and there, is being outplayed and out-hearted by teammates PJ Simon and Roger Yap.
• Mico Halili needs to see a “man’s man” shrink and re-think this whole “The Elongated One” monicker for Rico Maierhofer. “The Kite” seems adequate enough. Get it? No? Moving on…
• Nonoy Baclao’s still a defensive presence, but if the season ended today and the league gives him the Rookie of the Year award over teammate and 2nd draft pick Rabeh Al Husaini who is averaging a double-double, then that would be a crime.
• Sol Mercado still over handles, but is making better decisions with the ball this year compared to last year. He is still a streaky shooter, but now looks for open teammates and doesn’t force things as much.
• Joe de Vance is Alaska's go-to-guy. Their only loss came when JDV was held to 13 points, and Baguio dominated with 27 against Air21. Oh, Baclao was guarding JDV in that game so...
• Patricia Hizon, as good as she is, shouldn’t be a PBA commentator. Yes I’m sexist. But this is men’s basketball. I just find it difficult to relate to her that’s all. If this were women’s volley or basketball or any female sport in general, I’d root for PH. But here? Nah. Give me Richard del Rosario anytime (can’t believe I just said that). Jason Webb and that other Trillo should also go. I miss the “kumpare” analysts of yesteryears—Anthony Suntay, Chino Trinidad and yes, Noli “and nobody does it better” Eala.

Best Point Guard: Alapag or Tenorio?

It saddens me that the PBA or whatever local sports show out there (even the showbiz-styled reporting of one Quinito Henson) continues to fail in highlighting small rivalries. If the league only had enough creativity to think out of the box (they hit rock bottom in trying to lure basketball fans with “Mr. Pogi” tarpaulins all over EDSA) and rekindle the “I-miss mo!” promotional campaigns of yesteryears, then I’m pretty sure that the PBA will enjoy a continued growth in fanbase—young or old.

Noli Eala, for all his shortcomings, scratched the surface when he revived the “King of the Hardcourt” one on one tournament years ago. Sadly, the players we wanted to see didn’t give it their all (no way Kerby Raymundo would beat Asi Taulava one on one, or Chris Calaguio over Mark Caguioa had those guys chosen to bring their A games).

That being said, it would be nice if someone could come up with “rivalries” or “best player today” arguments that could and definitely would help spice up the league and games. It all comes down to a simple fact that we Filipinos can’t deny (some do, but only because they’re hypocrites): we love drama.  So until someone comes up with hearty topics/articles that add to the game, this writer will make it his personal mission to bring out “VS” entries, starting with the game’s most important position: POINT GUARD.

Jimmy Alapag (Talk N Text)

Philippine Cup 2010-11 averages (in 3 games):

mpg 27.0, ppg 12.0, apg 5.33, spg 0.67, rpg 2.33, topg 2.0

Alapag continues to be the barometer for point guards: can control tempo, shoot from deep, penetrate, protect the basketball and command respect from his teammates and peers. Despite Talk N Text's powerhouse rotation, Alapag continues to be the one constant for head coach Chot Reyes.  In case anyone’s wondering if Alapag’s non-selection in last year’s RP team coached by Yeng Guiao has anything to do with age—it doesn’t. Guiao’s just wired stupidly that way from time to time. There hasn’t been a point guard in the last five years who has played at such a high level as Alapag, knowing when to takeover, and when to let his teammates shine. To his credit, Alapag has gone from a speedster to a complete player with a deadly stop and pop shot all the way from the three point line. If Alapag has one weakness, it would be his temper, but then again, whenever he gets angry, he drills in three after three after three (ask Arwind Santos).

L.A. Tenorio (Alaska Aces)

Philippine Cup 2010-11 averages (in 3 games):

mpg 37.67, ppg 13.67, apg 2.67, spg 1.67, rpg 1.33, topg 2.67

Is Tenorio really THAT good to draw comparisons with Alaska legend and PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Abarrientos? In three games, Tenorio has scored the ball better than Alapag but has also shown a knack for turning the ball over. The assists are down simply because he plays in the dreaded Triangle Offense—which is every SKILLED point guard’s worst nightmare (ask Gary Payton) and a role player’s dream. I’d say that Tenorio’s showing flashes of brilliance, but Abarrientos he is not. Tenorio plays more like Ronnie Magsanoc, smart with the basketball, delivers crisp passes, and picks his spots on the floor—all in a very controlled manner (which basically rules out any Tenorio-Racela comparisons). The biggest tell-tale sign here is Tenorio’s inability to get in and out of traffic in the halfcourt set where players are forced to move laterally. From point A to point B, Tenorio’s one of the best out there, but when you ask him to shuffle his feet and run in a tight, zigzag pattern, Tenorio is almost sure to turn the ball over by slowing down enough for his defenders to catch him.

The verdict:

Right now, I’d rank Alapag at one and Tenorio at a far two, skills-wise.

Can’t fly without wings

At the turn of the decade, the Philippine Basketball Association has been dominated mostly by either great guards (Caguioa, Helterbrand, Alapag) or Asi Taulava (read: center). But not to be left out are the small forwards who are looking more and more to be the future of the local hoops industry (think UST Tigers circa 2006 when they would play a platoon of interchangeable small forwards on their way to a championship).

So what makes for a good small forward? Traditionally, a small forward does what a tight end does for football—a little of everything. A great example of a “dream” small forward would be LeBron James, but then again, he dominates the ball so much and draws/demands so much attention he’s better labeled as a “diva point forward.” Most SFs are “specialists” either on defense and or offense, or someone who can do both—the best example of which is Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Back in the day, 6”7 small forwards would’ve been ridiculed (since, because of our problems with height, they would best serve as centers and would be scorned by purists who hate seeing tall men shooting threes). But now, thanks to interracial relationships, we have a nice crop of 6”5 and above wings with the Pterodactyl wingspan, speed and athleticism that almost mirrors our American basketball heroes.

Arwind Santos (San Miguel)

Arguably the best small forward in the league today. Santos is a hellacious defender—be it in the post or at the perimeter despite his reed thin frame. Also, Santos is able to put the ball on the floor when needed, and scores in a variety of ways and knows when to use the glass. If anything, Santos is a player who has the basketball IQ to match his athletic frame.

Kelly Williams (Talk N Text)

A workhorse on both ends, Williams is best suited as a non-option on a winning team. He can’t dribble through traffic (too high), his jumpers are flat (doesn’t have much of an arc) and doesn’t have a go to move outside of dunking the ball—hard. But what makes him undeniably good is his consistency. Whenever you have a guy who plays hard on both ends and puts up big numbers without plays being called for him, then you definitely have a keeper.

Jay Washington (San Miguel)

Finally J-Wash came to play. When he was in the PBL, he was flat out killing the competition. When he was drafted by Air21 and traded outright to Talk N Text, he looked lost and didn’t know if he wanted to play at the perimeter or stay in the post. With San Miguel, his role is a bit more defined—crash the offensive glass and score in the paint. He has all the tools but lacks a mean streak—or consistency. One day he’ll look like the Pinoy LeBron James, then some bearded clown the next.

Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine)

Norwood is a point guard with no jumper. At all. He relies heavily on his athleticism and height advantage. To his credit, he has great handles and speed for a big. Only problem I see is, he could be more than what he is right now if he worked on his shooting, added some more weight and played/be committed to being a small forward full time.

Jarred Dillinger (Talk N Text)

The most accomplished offensive-minded small forward of the crop is TNT’s “Daredevil,” bar none. Whether it’s slicing to the basket on kamikaze drives that would make Joseph Yeo miss his old “20lbs. lighter” self or dropping long threes, the left-handed Fil-Am is a sure bet to rack up points (if/when given the freedom to do so). Dillinger’s strength is his great ball handling skills and composure that allows him to penetrate into crowded lanes, go up strong and deliver a beautiful reverse lay-up or jackknife in what would appear to be a fraction of a second on television.

Ronald Tubid (Ginebra)

A flashy player who is the true heart and soul of Ginebra (the masses can’t or won’t relate to Caguioa, Helterbrand, Hatfield and Menk in real life anyway), Tubid is an excellent wing player having played the 3 spot alongside star buddy James Yap back in UE.  When focused, Tubid is also one of the league’s top perimeter player and can guard anyone from Powerade’s Gary David to Derby Ace’s Yap. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to be a douchebag on the court and roams on offense and defense against subpar teams.

Bitoy Omolon (Meralco)

It took the life out of ex-Santa Lucia players Kenneth Duremdes, Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino and ex-coaches Norman Black and Alfrancis Chua to unearth the talent flowing in Omolon’s veins. Had Omolon been able to play at this level during the RP Centennial Team’s triumvirate’s run in 2001, that would’ve been a flat our dominant team. Alas, Omolon had to speed his game up (he played power forward in college and was more garbage man than go-to-guy) and learn how to operate in the post. When the Realtors brought in Williams and slided him at the 4, this allowed Omolon to have a solid hold of the SF spot and be the team’s designate stopper. He can bury threes and knows how to operate in the shaded lane, but his real bread and butter comes at the defensive end where you can ask him to guard anyone from PG to PF.

Tony dela Cruz (Alaska)

Another small forward “specialist,” dela Cruz brings hustle on defense and consistency on draining jumpers, being teammate L.A. Tenorio’s first/second (depends on Joe DeVance’s rhythm really) kick-out option.

If this writer was asked to rank the top 3 small forwards in the league today, I’d go with 1) Santos (SMB) 2) Williams and 3) Dillinger—based on their overall consistency and if their style of play helps/hurts their teams. Washington needs to play with more consistency and heart, while Norwood needs to sharpen his skills and not rely heavily on athleticism (which Williams does, yes, but 10x better and more consistently).

Bench Press v2.1

New http address, new bullets list. Since this writer wasn’t able to carefully scrutinize last week’s games in full, we’ll just have to go through ‘em all, one by one, bullet per bullet.

PBA

• The low scoring can be attributed to two things: 1) less free throws and 2) guards can’t slice and dice into the lane like they used to for easy points (and, again, free throws).
• Sunday Salvacion is back to his Blazers-MVP days with Barako Bull where I always felt like he would blossom into a legit PBA star. I’ve always seen him as a better player than James Yap during their collegiate careers, only, Salvacion didn’t have the Mother Lily backing.
• Rabeh Al Hussaini is going to win the Rookie of the Year award by a huge margin. Bet on it.
• Alaska is winning on offensive fluidity while Talk N Text is winning on good, defense-oriented basketball (oh, and having a superstar line-up helps too).
• Ryan Gregorio can’t coach. That, or he sees something in the slow-footed Pong Escobal that no one else does. Pong can’t shoot, is too slow to guard a broom and hesitates.
• Chris Ross is over-rated. I’d take the defense-less Alex Cabagnot over him in a heartbeat. Oh, and whatever happened to Chris Timberlake? I thought they were the local version (of the PBL’s anyway) of Chris Paul and Deron Williams?
• Marvin Cruz is a shooting guard trapped in a point guard’s body. He will never blossom in the PBA unless Tim Cone and Wilfred Uytengsu smoke the bad stuff, trade Tenorio to one of the SMC/ MVP teams, and get Cruz at a discount.

NCAA

• Congrats to the San Beda Red Lions for winning yet another title, with yet another dominant import. Not to take anything away from the 18-0 season sweep, but put Sam Ekwe or Sudan Daniel on College of St. Benilde roster, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be in the Finals.
• Calvin Abueva was robbed of another Most Valuable Player award. This is a disgrace. Daniels should be given “Best Import” or something. Stop robbing our local players who work hard night in and night out with what limited talents (or height and natural athleticism) they have.

NBA

• LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh won’t steamroll through the opposition with the weakness lying at the center spot. The Lakers have Gasol and Bynum, the Celtics have the O’Neals, Garnett, Davis and Perkins, and Orlando has the human jumping jack Dwight Howard. Unless Chris Bosh starts grabbing rebounds like crazy (which he hasn’t in the preseason), then no. Not this year. Or at the very least, not with the current frontline rotation.
• Derrick Rose is an over-rated, over-dribbling shooting guard masquerading as a point. His jumper is broken, and no, Carlos Boozer will not fit in with this team simply because Boozer fades in the playoffs.
• Kobe Bryant isn’t 100% and that could spell an end to the Lakers’ three-peat hopes.
• Kevin Durant can score, can run and dribble, but is not a better overall basketball talent than LeBron James. At best, he is what we all thought Carmelo Anthony should be (the next Tracy McGrady, but with more heart/ enthusiasm). Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

PBA theme song: Let’s get physical

It should be noted that after Sir Jaemark Tordecillo of FireQuinito’s beloved basketball personality (and I say that with all the sarcasm in the world based on the tone of their somewhat grade school-ish Twitter battle) Noli Eala was stripped of his Philippine Basketball Association commissionership, the league has entered or reverted back to its old “physical” style of play.

First up was Sonny Barrios, whose first mandate was to shy away from all the pussy handcheck fouls being called and let the PBA players show just how good they are. This led to a lot of complaints from all sides, and the league did tighten up a bit—but still allowing extra force here and there (refer to Denok Miranda’s in your face, lips to lips, betlog sa betlog defense on Willie Miller and later on James Yap during Santa Lucia’s title run).

By the time Barrios tendered his resignation, the league was able to win back a bunch of fans who were turned off by the excessive showmanship and lack of gung-ho, machismo that Filipino basketball has been bred to be by the Loyzagas, Fernandezes, Ongs, Jaworskis and so on. Case in point, the only “old school” enforcers left in the league, are, well, point guard Wyne Arboleda of Air21 (who was rightfully suspended for blowing a gasket during an exhibition game).

In my opinion, by letting the defense play with more physicality, fans were turned on or stimulated to watch. It’s like that old adage of good versus evil. If James Yap (the most overrated player since Danny Seigle) could somehow slice into the lane versus the demonic pine trees of whatever team was out there. If the bad guy, Mac Cardona, would prevail over the Ginebra good guys (in which Ronald Tubid is largely miscasted, LOL.). It gave fans something to cheer about, plus, it distanced the players from the amateur leagues.

This is the PBA. A game for men. Flashy guards or athletic wings who can get away with slicing into the paint and bailed out by referees and sent to the line are eye candy yes, but not something we Filipinos appreciate.

Sa Pilipino, mas mahirap, mas masarap!

It’s been a week since the league opened, and I must say that at the rate things are going, we’re bound to see a fight breakout at some point. Ali Peek, a former Sportsmanship Awardee, almost blew his top the last timeout. In tonight’s game, Jimmy Alapag got tangled with Arwind Santos and we were treated to a mild staredown before cooler heads prevailed. We’re still waiting when Yeng Guiao is going to challenge a player to a fistfight, and whoever among Arboleda, Tubid, Yeo, Cardona and other hot blooded stars start a melee this conference.

How insane are the non-calls brought about by this new, subjective, “No harm, no foul” rule?

Well, I saw about fifty non-calls in the first half alone of the Talk N Text-San Miguel game. ALL IN THE FIRST HALF.

Guards were driving and getting smacked by the bigs, and the bigs were throwing elbows around almost like I was seeing the disciples of Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski.

Don’t get me wrong here, I appreciate some mild violence as stated above, but there has to be some control. Or at the very least, the rules should be carefully reviewed.

Cardona: Long time coming

When James Yap came into the league, he was groomed as an instant superstar ready to take on the national basketball scene with his F4-worthy good looks, combination of size, shooting and speed. To his credit, Yap was hailed as the best player from the South and so on. It also helped that he was linked and then married (and now separated from) to media-attention whore(for a lack of a better term) Kris Aquino.

What people fail to realize is that his two Most Valuable Player awards are quite dubious (teammate Kerby Raymundo should’ve won the first one, and do-it-all forwards Jay Washington or Kelly Williams the second last year). His shooting percentage is at an abysmal 39.5% and his three point shooting, which people say he is so good at, a mortal-like 31.9%.

It should also be noted that for such a “great” player, he spent most of his UAAP days “cramping up” in the fourth quarter of tight games that his team, the University of the East Red Warriors, needed to win (Ronald Tubid was the best player on that team, Artadi comes in at second in my book).

Now, while all that is happening, people forgot about Yap’s contemporary who was basically the most dominant two-guard in college. Not only could he score at will, but he also played defense like a dog (a very annoying, pesky one at that). Perhaps the credit he deserved was lost because he played for such a prestigious school with a great basketball program. Or because quit simply, his is a face, swagger and attitude that is just hard to love/ accept if you’re not a fan of the game or an alumni.

Yes, I’m talking about Mac Cardona.

When he was taken into the league by Air21 and later on traded to Talk N Text, Cardona had to share the spotlight with Willie Miller. Once Miller was out of the way, Cardona still had to defer to established veterans Jimmy Alapag and Asi Taulava, when Taulava was traded, TNT brought in a slew of scorers which forced MC to defer yet again.

But now that he is with the Meralco Bolts, we are finally able to see who and what Mac Cardona is all about. Forget all the fruity words his new coach Ryan Gregorio says, the career averages don’t lie: in 28.9 minutes per game, Cardona is good for 46.6% from the field and 34.3% from deep.

That’s a huge improvement over Yap who plays more minutes, shoots more and misses more from everywhere on the court (so much for the “Man with a million moves” tag huh?). What Meralco has with Cardona is a proven fighter and winner, someone who isn’t afraid to keep on pulling the trigger, and is a tribute to the scorers of old who are not worried about this new international trend of “pass-the-ball” basketball.

Hell no.

If you’re a good scorer and has a patented shot that can’t be stopped, then by all means, be that guy. Be the new Nelson Asaytono.

But you know what’s good about Cardona (who I always thought was Terry Saldana’s lovechild when he was still bald, with the headband and high socks for DLSU. Lol), is that he has proven time and again that he plays both ends of the court. He is not a great one on one defender, but he is as pesky as they come. To his credit, he also doesn’t gamble on defense and stays locked on his man or at whatever zone he is assigned to.

Now if only other teams could let loose the reigns on Joseph Yeo and Gary David—the other two last “pure” scorers in the PBA.

Opening salvo

Greetings!

Welcome to the new (and slightly) improved home of Off The Bench - Pinoy Basketball ATBP. While it saddens me (not really, but the phrase adds drama so kindly let it be) to leave my old Blog provider, I feel like there are a lot more that I can do (and avoid - like online vendors that have infested Multiply) here on this site. Provided that no insane hacker stumbles upon this humble hobby-basketball-blog of mine, then here's to ranting, lauding, laughing, sharing and writing in general!

Cheers!

AV