Run and gun Aces are having fun

Pagdating sa takbuhan, me tulog
si Tenorio at Baguio sa kalaban

New conference, new style.

In yet another display of its high octane, perimeter freelancing style, the Alaska Aces eked out a victory over the powerhouse-yet-struggling Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings 76-74. The game was ugly, almost unbearable given the way both teams were shooting the basketball but all that filthy television soon became a joy to watch in the last two minutes of the game.

Trading clutch baskets after another, the Gin Kings looked to be going home with another win thanks to ballsy shots by Kerby Raymundo and Mark Caguioa. Hell, this writer was ready to start with this write-up until that smart play by L.A. Tenorio-- a four point play off a one-motion foul by Mike Cortez when the Gin Kings were up by three.


For the basketball noobs out there, the blame shouldn't be put on Cortez for choosing to foul Tenorio even though his team was up. The blame squarely falls on the shoulders of the Gin Kings' coaching staff who chose to give up two free throws, have their lead cut down to one while banking on getting the ball back with more than 10 seconds left to play.

Bad idea.

Tenorio knew what the Gin Kings were up to, and like the brilliant floor general he has always been, threw up a Hail Mary three that hit nothing but the net. Swoosh. One point lead for the Aces. The Gin Kings came back to take the lead anew which set up the stage for another Tenorio triple to win.

Great effort by both teams, Gary David-ish performance by Tenorio.

But let's go back to the Aces and their new approach. Baguio, who carried the Aces for most of the game, is now playing the 3 spot with Bonbon Custodio starting at the 2 with Tenorio at the 1. They are complemented by bigs Sonny Thoss-- rebounder, and Adam Parada-- a little of everything.

Simply put, with those three guards all on the floor at the same time, the Aces are putting a premium on speed. But then, Aces head coach Joel Banal made a surprising move in the 3rd quarter. He opted to play bigs Paolo Bugia, Sonny Thoss/ JayR Reyes and Samigue Eman all at the same time.

3 bigs and 2 guards. We're not even talking about skilled, athletic bigs here, but lanky, slow footed ones who are bangers by trade. This kept the Gin Kings' Chris Alexander at bay, but it also lowered the Aces' chances of blowing the game wide open.

Waiting for Pasculado

With that line-up, Bugia was clearly way out of position playing the three spot which the Gin Kings failed to capitalize on. Yes he's taller than his counterpart, but perhaps the Gin Kings could've attacked Bugia with Nino Canaleta (to force him to extend outside the three point line) and rookie Dylan Ababou.

Another observation that we pointed out during the Aces game against Rain or Shine is the dwindling production from JayR Reyes. Now subbing for Thoss, Reyes still has the same aggressiveness he sported in the Philippine Cup but plays are no longer being run for or through him which hurts his overall effectivity on the floor.

But perhaps the player that is really missing from the Aces' attack is rookie Mac Baracael. This new style is supposed to suit his strengths-- a small forward who can run, bang when needed and slash to the paint. Sadly, Coach Joel looks like he's not all too fond of Baracael's style and would rather experiment with a Custodio-Baguio combination or even Bugia (of all people!).

And while we're at it, where the hell is Julius Pasculado? Is he any good? Could he be the Pinoy Jeremy Lin?

Still, after that sluggish and disappointing performance in the Philippine Cup, it's great to see Tenorio and Baguio out there on the court, smiling, laughing and celebrating wins. Now let's see how far this new style will get them this conference.