Breaking news: Dondon out of Gilas, Paul Lee or JV Casio?

While local basketball junkies are still recovering from the recently concluded Petron-Talk 'n' Text match, there were other basketball-related news floating around which saw the light of print be it on paper or the Internet.

Dondon Hontiveros withdraws from SMART Gilas program

Despite what you and I think, Hontiveros clearly showed signs of aging in the Williams Jones Cup. Yes, he had that vintage game versus Japan I'll give you that. But he struggled to play defense (his bread and butter whenever his shooting was off) and was committing one too many turnovers (which, for an accomplished veteran like himself, was a no-no). He has already proven his gifts and played for our country one too many times, and his withdrawal should be seen as a positive since it would allow Gilas to get a younger SG in the future. Either way, daghang salamat Cebuano Hotshot!

Who should go first in the PBA 2011 draft; Paul Lee or JV Casio

Paul Lee has finally decided to throw his hat in the PBA Draft and is my automatic choice for the number one pick. Yes, Casio has shown that he is clutch at the PG spot for Gilas, but Lee is a legit PBA superstar SG. We've seen what he could do in UE when in his first year alone he was already drawing comparisons to DLSU's Joseph Yeo-- which he quickly shed off by becoming a more complete player by playing D and learning to pass to teammates. In the PBL and the PBA Developmental League, he dominated and played both guard positions with ease. Now tell me why I should pick Casio, who will face stronger PGs in the PBA like Denok Miranda, Ryan Reyes and Jayson Castro over Lee again? Powerade or Welcoat both need a guy like Lee, and this one should be a no brainer regardless if Casio joins the draft or not.

Why Japeth Aguilar left off the SMART Gilas "wish list" five

Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman probably gave up on the athletic Aguilar who has not learned to shoot from the outside with consistency or play in the paint. He's a flashy workhorse, we'll give him that, but with his history of injuries and bull-headedness, maybe a year or two in the PBA wherein he won't be babied by opponents and fans will force him to work on his game. That, or he ends up being a taller Raffi Reavis-- which isn't a bad thing really, but frustrating for a guy with the potential of being the best athletic big man in the PBA since Mon Fernandez.