A Tale of Two Sisters

There was a time in the PBA wherein when someone referred to "sister teams," everyone knew that they were simply talking about the San Miguel Corporation franchises- San Miguel Beermen/ Petron Blaze Boosters and the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Nowadays, you'd have to be a little more specific. If it's an SMC, Manny V. Pangilinan-owned or this season's latest addition to the "PBA Family Drama:" the Lina franchises of Barako Bull and Shopinas.Com.

One is atop the current Philippine Cup standings with a remarkable 4-1 record despite not having any solid product to endorse (really now, where can I find a "Barako Bull Energy" drink and where does it rank against the Cobras and Stings?). The other, which aims to boost an online market, is at the bottom of the barrel with 0-5.

Young and restless

Only 3 apg for a PBA starting PG? Fail.

Despite the 0-5 start, the Shopinas.Com Clickers managed by the beautiful Ms. Sheila Lina have actually competed at an amazing level. The gameplan is obviously there behind the coaching ploys of legendary UAAP coach Franz Pumaren-- unfortunately games are won on the court, not on the whiteboard during timeouts.

Built to run, the Clickers are anchored by champion point guard Paolo Hubalde (14 ppg, 3 apg) and slotman James Sena (8 ppg, 8 rpg). The problem this writer sees in the line-up is something expected from new teams with young talent= no veteran leadership.

Yes, Ren Ren Ritualo has shown flashes that he could still shoot the basketball, but even during his DLSU days Ritualo was never the outspoken leader who would call out his teammates (more like cold blooded assassin with a business-like mentality). The problem with this bunch is that it features hard-headed player Ogie Menor-- a guy who has all the tools to be one of the better scorers in the league, but hasn't figured out when to takeover and when to let his teammates make the game easier for him.

True enough, in the games that this writer has seen, whenever Menor and Hubalde are on the floor the two appear as though they're trying to one-up each other at the cost of their team.

They won't be contending this conference, but if they can add a big import in the 2nd or 3rd, this team might be a darkhorse given the young talent that they have on the floor. It also wouldn't hurt if each and every player on the line-up not named Menor, Homer Se or Dennis Daa, were given a steady supply of Appeton weight gain.

WMiller from 2x high scoring MVP to 7 apg PG

Out to prove a point

On the other side of the Lina fence, the Barako Bull Energy are being led by veterans out to prove they still have it and a rookie that is "on a revenge tour for being slighted in this year's PBA draft."

The minute the roster was shown to the public, the Energy were considered "darkhorses" because of the undeniable superstar talent that they have: 2x MVP Willie Miller, Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi are all National Team players. Throw in specialists such as Sunday Salvacion, Wyne Arboleda and Dorian Pena and you already have a formidable 6 man rotation.

THEN, you add TWO amateur leagues MVPs in Allein Maliksi and SMART Gilas standout Dylan Ababou (the team's leading scorer at a 14 ppg clip) who can both slide from SG to PF with ease and what you have is a team that could easily be in the Finals (and win) should it start today.

Plus, wala ng mas maangas pa sa mala Hitler na bigote ni Junel Baculi (shaved on both ends).

For the Energy faithful's sake, this writer hopes, nay, PRAYS, that this team be given a chance to shine if only for one conference. We all know that the inevitable is bound to happen at some point, that the players will be traded to big-money teams and that the Energy will fall back down to earth either later this conference or the next.

Hell, you could even take that to the bank. That of the eight guys mentioned above, three will probably be traded by season's end.