Superpowers collide: San Miguel VS Talk N Text

Author's note: my apologies to all our friends who've been supporting this humble little site for being unable to provide any updates. Not that I've been missing out on the current games (who in the Metro has anyway? Have you seen the Playoffs? Fans are coming back in!), but I just felt like taking time off to unwind, enjoy the game and let commentating geniuses like Jason Webb handle the rest (thank God Richard del Rosario's off live television!)

Number one and number two. Rarely have we seen the PBA's top two teams squaring off in the Finals-- with the import-less "Philippine Cup" title up for grabs at that. But here we are, with the league's two best and most loaded teams just minutes away from clashing in an out-of-town Battle Royal which I honestly believe has been two-three years in the making.

On one side you have the San Miguel Beermen, a team that has established its identity as an athletic, run and gun squad, facing the Talk n Text Tropang Texters-- a team that has the tools to run, but has been winning more based on a blue-collar like approach anchored on one of their unheralded frontline players (more on that later).

Here's a glimpse on the match-ups and who I feel has the edge, after the jump.


PG Jimmy Alapag VS Alex Cabagnot

Old school VS new school. While Cabagnot has finally shown the "potential" that his former Santa Lucia coach Alfrancis Chua could only have wet dreams of (with a bunch of clutch plays and an offensive style akin to a left-handed, Pinoy Steve Nash), Alapag still remains as the barometer for great point guard play in my book. And while the "Mighty Mouse" has shown traces of aging, he is still a better offensive player and would pressure SMB head coach Ato Agustin to either let Alapag score on Cabagnot and hope for the best, or sit his young ward for defensive pests Denok Miranda and or Paul Artadi. Olsen Racela would've been a nice choice, but this is 2011, not 2007.

ADV: TNT

SG Ryan Reyes VS Dondon Hontiveros

I don't blame people for not recognizing just how good a basketball player Ryan Reyes is. Just like how I don't blame anyone for not being able to know that Gerry Esplana was probably a better point guard overall than Olsen Racela, Bal David and whoever was in his batch. With Santa Lucia, Reyes did more than just "energize" the team. He was a solid one-on-one defender, and was extremely clutch. He doesn't make superstar plays, just really effective ones-- plus, he rebounds like a pitbull for a guard. On the other side of the fence, you have the "Cebuano Hotshot" who in my honest opinion, is starting to fade away. Hontiveros has always had the skill, daresay I've always thought of him as being a better player than B-Meg's James Yap, but the biggest flaw about DH7 is his inconsistency. Or his tendency to defer too much. If Hontiveros approaches each game of the Finals in attack mode, then he'll be the X-factor for SMB. If not, then better to just sit him and play Joseph Yeo-- someone who never shies away from jacking shots.

ADV: TNT

SF Kelly Williams VS Arwind Santos

If JWash exposes Ranidel de Ocampo's timid defense from the get-go, then he should sit RDO and play Rich Alvarez on Santos (who are not equals on the basketball court by any means, but credit should be given to Alvarez' tenacity) and move KWill to his buddy JWash. On offense, Santos will bring home and should be asked to camp outside in able to draw KWill out of rebounding position. On defense, Williams was never a creator and is more of a finisher-- allowing Santos to help his other teammates.

ADV: Slight edge to SMB

PF Ranidel de Ocampo VS Jay Washington

The problem with RDO is the same with Hontiveros- consistency. He has all the tools you don't expect from a homegrown Pinoy big man-- Jun Limpot version 2.0 minus the athleticism and speed, which should have translated in multiple All-PBA selections, but has never' really dominated on a consistent basis. On the other end of the floor, Washington has blossomed into one of the game's best players-- when he's not freelancing away from the basket. The key here for TNT is to have someone bully Washington out of the paint (easier said than done, but they do have Yeng Guiao disciple Mark Yee so you'll never know) and force him to take jumpers-- which he hasn't been good at.

ADV: SMB

C Harvey Carey/Ali Peek VS Dorian Pena/ Danny Ildefonso

Finally! Enough with B-Meg's plasticmen or Ginebra's short frontline. This is the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, and we deserve a WWE-style bruising and banging in the paint! Up front for TNT is Harvey Carey, who is playing inspired basketball and posting Best Player of the Conference discussion worthy numbers despite not being his own team's go-to-guy. I still recall when he shed tears after being drafted, and likened him to Udonis Haslem when he played alongside Shaq (Carey was the clean-up guy for then TNT-er Asi Taulava). Question is, can Carey's relentlessness offset the sheer size of Dorian Pena when they jockey for rebounding position? The answer is yes and no. He'll get his rebounds, but he'll also tire himself out early. Once the subs come on, Peek is in better basketball shape than Ildefonso, and has never played soft or out of his comfort zone his entire career.

ADV: TNT by a slim margin

Benchplay

TNT : Castro/ Dillinger/ Aban/ Fonacier

As pointed out by Sir Jaemark of Firequinito, SMB's bench is meant to give their starters a breather while MAINTAINING a lead, while TNT's is in it to DESTROY the competition and actually out-minute their starters. Jason Castro is going to be a handfull for SMB. He's too quick for Cabagnot (and plays with that Pinoy hustle) and is just bigger than Artadi. Miranda could be a solution, but when has the FEU standout last played? This is where a Jonas Villanueva could've paid dividends for SMB. Dillinger will also come in to provide his usual, unpredictable daredevil offense-- but nothing Arwind Santos can't handle (if he's not in foul trouble). X-factor for TNT would be on-and-off starter Aaron Aban, who can be asked to stop anyone from Cabagnot, Hontiveros to just getting in Santos' head (ditto with Mark Yee). Oh, and there's no one in the league who lives, breathes and carries himself like a winner as much as Larry Fonacier (this, coming from an LSGH product).

SMB: Salvacion/ Seigle/ Artadi

Here's where SMB's weakness is shown. Yes they have the established, household names, but they don't match-up quite well with the loaded (and young) TNT bench. Artadi is a threat to either break games wide open, or force bad passes and shots. Seigle will score over smaller defenders, but not over Kelly Williams. Salvacion is a one-dimensional scorer who needs the ball in his hands to be truly effective. Lost in the conversation is Joseph Yeo, who could be the X-factor if Hontiveros doesn't play well. Yeo thrives in big games and never backs down-- his slashing ways could also put the TNT team into foul trouble early.

ADV: TNT

On paper, TNT may not have the household names, but they are pretty much better than their SMB counterparts from 4 of the 5 positions (with SMB's 4-man JWash being the exception). Politics and conspiracy theories aside, TNT should win in 5 or 6. "Should" being the operational word.

Still, this one's going to be a solid Finals for sure and the fans are in for a treat!