Un-Rated X: The 10 most underrated players in the PBA

One of our friends asked me to come up with a team made of the PBA’s most underrated names so that he could “gauge” just how knowledgeable or credible I am when it comes to these things. And while I argued that I’m just your friendly neighborhood average blogger slash Pinoy basketball fan, there was something in there that I found challenge-worthy.

Again, I write not to be” read first,” but to simply “express my thoughts” on the game that I love. If I come off a little too arrogant or brash with my usage of the vernacular, then so be it. I’m not being paid and I come with no strings or baggage from any of the guys that I write about so that pretty much works to my advantage over other basketbloggers who are on someone’s payroll.

That’s not a knock on them, but it’s just how I have always separated myself from the pack in everything that I do for fun. I do it because I love it, not because I want to make a profit. Fortunately, I have other avenues for that.

That’s enough drama then. Let’s move on to my list of under-rated players who may or may not be valued by their respective teams and fanbase.

PG

Rudy Lingganay

Just how solid is Lingganay? If only he weren’t so diminutive in PBA standards, he’d be in the running as one of the better guards in the league. He can play defense, knows how to run a team and has a decent shot that makes him a solid floor general. Oh, he’s damn ballsy too.

Celino Cruz

See Lingganay, only older and with a streaky three point shot that sometimes earns him more minutes, and others, gets him sent back to the bench.

SG

Jeffrei Chan

Chan may not have today’s PBA guard (Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Paul Lee, Ryan Reyes—all of whom are quite stocky) bodytype but he is arguably one of the league’s better all around players. Not a star, but someone any coach would absolutely love to have in his rotation. Defend? Yep. Score? Yep. Be a reliable kick-out option? Yep. Run the break? Yep. Block Gary David’s game winning three point attempt from out of nowhere? True that.

Jireh Ybanez

Ybanez is the defensive player Ronald Tubid once was, minus all the flimsy theatrics that have won the Ginebra faithful over but has disgusted just about every other basketball fan out there. He’ll never be considered a star in the PBA, but don’t be surprised if he carves a Freddie Abuda-like career when it’s all said and done.

SF

Bitoy Omolon

It took time for Omolon to develop into the small forward his then coaches at Santa Lucia Norman Black and Alfrancis Chua wanted him to be. But once he started learning the inside post trade from one of the greats in then teammate Dennis Espino, there was absolutely no one in the league who could keep him off his sweet spot (usually just a step or two away from the three seconds area) and from scoring. Too bad he’s now playing in Ryan Gregorio’s guard isolation-heavy system, and that his teammate Gabby Espinas has now moved down to SF ala all the other great wings in the PBA today.

Jarred Dillinger

Free the D! I feel for Dillinger, who’s only sitting on the bench because his coach, Talk ‘n’ Text Chot Reyes, often experiments with a small ball lie-up rather than a more traditional approach. In a fixed system, Dillinger would undoubtedly shine as a SF who can shoot, drive and handle the basketball. His poor defensive stance is something that he could/ should work on, but other than that, he could be starting for half of the teams in the league right now.

PF

John Ferriols

People forget that i fukking PWNED Adducul in the MBA

The one time MBA inaugural season MVP is arguably one of the more under-rated PBA power forwards of all time. Name one post move and I bet you that Ferriols has it down pat. In truth, he’s only a couple of pump/ head and shoulder fakes away from being a Dennis Espino clone. Perhaps it’s because he went to Alaska (who doesn’t really concentrate on post play which is funny given that they’re a triangle offense-run team), or spent his prime playing in the MBA. Or that he wasn’t as accessible to fans as MBA rival Rommel Adducul who not only enjoyed playing for Ginebra, but also dating sultry Assunta de Rossi at one point (and yes, that made me sound like Quinito Henson. Showbiz. Ugh.).

Jondan Salvador

Another under-rated forward who’s finally getting his fair share of the limelight with this year’s darkhorse “Barako Bulls” is Jondan Salvador. He’s pretty much everything you’d want from a traditional bruiser, only he comes in at a generous 6”2-3 which is short on the PBA level. He uses his body to the hilt, scores on a variety of post moves and is pretty much an “Incredible Hulk” in the post complete with a 15 ft jumpshot.

C

Beau Belga

When Belga first came into the league, everyone saw him as an overweight, undersized center who was predicted to have an even worse career as weight division buddy Ken Bono. What they forgot to take notice of was that Belga had legit game for a burly, post big. And while he’ll give his coaches fits by jacking up a three from time to time (not often, but he does—miss wide), this is the same guy who almost led PCU to a title over the Sam Ekwe-led San Beda Red Lions alongside Jayson Castro and Gabby Espinas.

Billy Mamaril

Honestly, I don’t know what happened to Mamaril’s career. When he was brought into the league by the now defunct Shell Turbochargers, that team looked as though they had a franchise center in place. But then he was traded, landed in Ginebra, and couldn’t get off the bench because the coaches opted to play 3 guards-2 forwards at all times. Then he was hit by some injuries and age, and that pretty much ruined everything for the talented big. I believe that had he stayed healthy and played on another squad, he’d give Sonny Thoss a run for his money.

That's pretty much my 10-man rotation of underrated players, who else do you feel are under-rated/ sleepers in the league who take a backseat to flashier/ tv-friendly faced teammates?  Next, the league's 10 most overrated players.