Basketball justice is served: Beermen lose in ABL Finals

Fazekas came up short for Beermen

When San Miguel Corporation made it known to the ASEAN Basketball League and the basketball scene in general that it was ready to set shop and take over where the AirAsia Philippine Patriots seem to have faltered, expectations were high and the team more than lived up to it.

Opting to carry the proud Beermen moniker in its ASEAN conquest, the team opened the season with inconsistent play and poor coaching from newbie Bobby Parks, Sr. By midseason, the team retooled by adding notable PBA veterans such as John Ferriols and Roger Yap plus high profile imports Duke Crews and Nick Fazekas who were coming off sterling runs in the PBA as well. Chris Banchero also came back from injury and so their title run was on-- simply overpowering teams left and right (including the hapless Patriots).

Recognizing A Different Era for Ginebra

No Underdog in Caguioa

Now that we're just a few days away from celebrating and paying tribute to the man who is/was widely recognized as the face of Philippine basketball, it's high time to set the record straight when it comes to the team that he left behind and the immense popularity that they enjoy to this very day.

We're talking about no less than the legendary Robert Jaworski, Sr., whose jersey will officially be retired not by his mother team but by the Philippine Basketball Association as a whole. We're also talking about the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, the only team he has ever played for/ coached outside the Toyota days.

Ace(s) up Gilas' sleeve

Taking his talents to Gilas

Sonny Thoss, Mac Baracael, L.A. Tenorio of the PBA’s Alaska Aces have been cleared by all concerned parties to backstop the SEABA Philippine contingent bannered by amateur stars Aldrech Ramos, Dave Marcelo, Garvo Lanete, Woody Co, Chris Tiu, Eman Monfort and Borgie Hermida and naturalized center Marcus Douthit.

While we remain to be the team to beat in the South East Asian regions, it’s always a plus to have guys who are on an elite level to represent the country. The presence of Douthit alone makes the Philippines a sure-fire medal contender, since the man has already made a name for himself on the FIBA-Asia stage as one of the better centers around.

Should PHL Coach Jong Uichico play the pros heavy minutes?

Mikee wants in; NOW

omero: All he does is WIN

Mikee Romero, he of the famed Harbour Centre Batang Piersquad that rummaged through the Philippine Basketball League so much so thatteams gave up altogether and abandoned ship in favor of winning elsewhere, is bent on breaking into the next frontier—the Philippine Basketball Association.

If ever, this would be Romero’s 2^nd PBA salvo following a brief partnership with Air21 Express which was christened the Burger King Titans for may be a conference and a half before plans went kaput. Now, the champion and rising sportsman is reportedly bent on entering the pros by any means necessary. If he needs to buy a new, 11^th PBA franchise, then game on. If there’s a team that’s on its way out (read: Powerade), then give Romero a call. There’s no B.S. surrounding it, and Romero surely doesn’t need the added exposure much like the San Miguel and MVP teams for his day job—the man is all about competition with basketball being one of his first loves.

Return of the King

After Jawo, there's Caguioa for Ginebra

While this entry may indeed be about seven or eight games late, it's high time we recognized the revived efforts of one Mark Caguioa. The Barangay Ginebra Gin King is back at doing what he does best, weeks removed from a facial injury that many believe cost the Gin Kings the semis match-up versus sister team B-Meg Llamados and ultimately, the Commissioner's Cup title.

Though he failed to lift the Gin Kings in tonight's match-up versus the rising Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters, Caguioa came through yet again with a season high 32-point explosion. Though fans have slowly ceded the "Best Scoring Guard in the League" title to Powerade's Gary David, Caguioa remains at the upper echelon of gunslingers-- of all time.

ABL Finals: Beermen lose; Series tied 1-1

What a huge difference playing in front of your hometown fans make in a championship series such as the ABL Finals showdown between the San Miguel Beermen and Indonesia Warriors.

Warriors are taking the fight to the Beermen

The Warriors came out to a jam-packed arena that the Beermen could only hope for at their Ynares Center and went for the kill early. While the first quarter was tight, the Warriors broke free in the 2nd quarter by going on a mini-run and holding the Beermen to ZERO points in the first three to four minutes. The game was pretty much decided in that 2nd quarter, as the Beermen couldn't break even in the 2nd half to win the title.

The Petron Puzzle

Pinoy LeBron: He's back.
But is it a good thing?

For such a stacked team, the Petron Blaze Boosters' current placing on the PBA Governor's Cup standings would make one reconsider if they really have the league's best-- in terms of players, coaches and overall make-up.

As far as firepower is concerned, it doesn't get any better than the likes of Alex Cabagnot, Joseph Yeo, Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Dondon Hontiveros and Jay Washington. On defense, you have elite-level guys like FEU buddies Denok Miranda and Arwind Santos, and the usually steady Noy Baclao (if he could ever find minutes for himself consistently).

Still, they are under performing and losing to teams who don't even feature a quarter of the Boosters' star-power.

Enough is enough

Menor needs to go back
to being the star he once was 

It seems like the only time that Coach Franz Pumaren and his young Air21 Express ever make the news is when Ogie Menor makes an ass of himself on the hardcourt and gets on someone's nerves.

Yesterday's incident involving the Meralco Bolts' Mario West should serve as notice to the PBA's Commissioner's Office and whichever games/ sports body the league reports to as a whole. Granted, the foul Menor committed wasn't really "up there" with his best "hits" but the intention was rather clear. He wanted to take all of his frustrations out on the high scoring former NBA recruit. The foul would've been forgivable had it been done in a hotly contested, too close for comfort game-- but no, they were on the receiving end of yet another ass-whooping and Menor pretty much wanted to make something of it.

Time to pull the plug on Manong Brigade (?)

Ang Tumanda, Higa.

What a difference a simple trade makes.

Though the Barako Bull Energy are still in the Governor's Cup semis hunt with a respectable 3-3 win-loss slate, their collective inconsistency shouldn't be taken lightly. Not with 2x PBA Most Valuable Player Willie Miller looking every bit like the 35-year-old that he is, Danny Seigle once again out of commission and Mick Pennisi also on a downward spiral.

Clearly, Father Time remains as the only unbeaten entity of all of professional sports and last conference's inspiring run by the "Manong Brigade" might have been this team's last push at greatness. With the loss of gritty guard Wyne Arboleda and "hulk smash" rebounding brute Dorian Pena to trades, the Energy are struggling to find balance with its younger looking team.

Down to a two-man race for ROY

Sayo ang Pilipinas, akin ang Tondo!

JVee Casio, Paul Lee, Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter.

This season's top four draft picks have more than lived up to the hype; after the Philippine Cup-- the race couldn't be any tighter. Petron's Lutz' crazy efficiency was off the charts, Powerade's Casio was putting in clutch performances left and right when called upon, Rain or Shine's Lee quickly took control of a franchise while Lassiter trumped them all with a stellar two-way display in leading his team (along with Casio) to the Finals.

Texters mercifully euthanize Aces

Instant classic: Alapag vs Tenorio

In an out-of-town game that featured ugly, long dry spells for both squads, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters were able to accomplish two things: keep their Governor's Cup title hopes alive AND take the hapless, lethargic and downright pitiful Alaska Aces out of their misery.

Proving that they are not yet done and are bent on giving sure fire future Hall of Fame coach Chot Reyes a nice sendoff (he's off to man the SMART Gilas Pilipinas program full time and turn the team over to Ateneo coach Norman Black by next season), the Texters regrouped from a slow first quarter and just took the air out of the Aces the rest of the evening.

Thoughts on ABL Finals Game 1

KKS has been keeping an eye on the ASEAN Basketball League since its inaugural season a few years back and it's just a joy to watch how the game has elevated from an ugly JV-type of basketball to somewhere along the lines of our very own NCAA (still a farcry from the PBA, let alone the UAAP). The tempo is faster, scoring is up and athletes are coming in from all over Asia to entertain the fans.

This afternoon's ABL Finals Game 1 between the San Miguel Beermen and Indonesia Warriors brought just that-- excitement, entertainment and quality basketball. Yes, there were several ugly dribbling forays here and there courtesy of IW's Stanley Pringle and Jerrick Canada and SMB's Chris Banchero, Leo Avenido and import Duke Crews BUT overall, it was a highly competitive match that was decided only in the final three minutes.

ABL Finals: Battle of the Pinoy PG Future

Pag sumali to sa PBA, mababawasan
ang female fans ni James Yap 

We're just minutes away from the ABL Best-of-Three Finals match-up between the Philippines' San Miguel Beermen and the Indonesia Warriors and it's quite nice to see the ASEAN league continuing to blossom in terms of reach, popularity and quality of games.

The  last two seasons, teams were vying for not only the best available imports, but for Filipino players to beef up their roster. This season, some teams opted to stick with mostly natural players and actually did quite well before retooling mid-conference (as anyone who's looking to improve should, regardless of nationality).

No Fight in Aces

L.A. Tenorio needs better teammates

The Alaska Aces, currently in the midst of an ugly ass-whooping from former coach Tim Cone's BMeg Llamados, need change.

Coach Luigi Trillo is trying his darndest to teach the Xs and Os to the players, but they are just not responding. Several times, the guys on the court settle to certain positions and do not even bother to move without the basketball. Hell, only their import Jason Forte and star point guard L.A. Tenorio seem to be even remotely interested in handling the rock.

What to make of Powerade

Yan yung larong Arriba Letran!  

Are they here to stay, buying time or are on they way out?

Those are the questions tacked on the insides of my brain whenever the Powerade Tigers hog the limelight by virtue of the scoring prowess of ace Gary David. It's really hard to measure the value of a PBA superstar specially when you know he's on a team that's probably not going to make deep runs for the foreseeable future.

Not when they opted to trade away David's true successor and the 2nd most important player in their rotation the last two conferences in rookie Marcio Lassiter. Yes, JVee Casio has been gifted with more than the lion's share of Skip Bayless' precious "clutch gene" but you don't build teams around point guards. It's either a wing or a big. That's it.

Asi Defies Father Time

Can I get an encore?

The Meralco Bolts are surging.

No, they're no where near championship caliber-- at least not yet. But the pieces are slowly starting to fall into place. Mac Cardona will never change or adapt, he'll always be the gunslinging assassin from days of old. Either you bench him or let him play the way he does-- which Coach Ryan Gregorio has done quite brilliantly. Sol Mercado lacks consistency, but the tenacity and talent is undeniable. Chris Ross is fast blossoming into a super quick, defensive pest at PG. Reynel Hugnatan is and will forever be a lock as the PBA's most under rated all around clutch performer.

And then there's Asi Taulava.

Rain or Shine is Paul Lee's Team

"You reach, I teach." - MJ

The writing was on the wall since day one.

Rain or Shine wanted change. They wanted to contend. They brought in fiery and feisty mentor Yeng Guiao and had young coach Caloy Garcia slide down a notch. They had enough of Sol Mercado's on and off, "buddy basketball" game opposite cornerstone Gabe Norwood. They signed a bunch of Guiao guys.

Then the draft came in and they picked the only guy among all the PBA hopefuls who could put it all together.

B-Meg's new groove

Yancy is REMINDING EVERYONE that
there are TWO dominant De Ocampo's
in the PBA today

Apologies for the 2-week hiatus, had to put all of my attention on something that could ultimately lead me to greater things-- professionally. But now that it's over, let the good times continue rolling and let's get right down to business.

Air 21 versus B-Meg in a meaningful out-of-town game that was close early before the Llamados regrouped in halftime and came out on a mission. While the story of the game was clearly between the awesome duel of imports Marqus Blakely (BMeg) and Zach Graham (Air21) who both treated fans to a brilliant case study on the difference between all-around players versus clutch gene scorers, it's always more fun to dig deeper.