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).