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.

Warriors forward Allan Salangsang combined with imports Steve Thomas and Evan Brock to push their team up going into the fourth, only to lose steam in the end and watch as Banchero, Avenido, Crews and Nick Fazekas all took turns to take the lead and protect home court.

Pringle needs to set his bigs up

What both teams lacked in creative basketball plays, their guys made up for with one-on-one talent. Crews was just clearly above everyone else in terms of athleticism and jump, while Brock and Thomas were clear powerhouses within the three point line.

Should the Beermen look to win the ABL crown in their first season, then Coach Bobby Parks needs to open up the lanes for Crews and maybe consider a pick 'n' roll/ pick 'n' pop with Fazekas. Ditto with Avenido who does his best work hanging out in the perimeter.

For the Warriors, Pringle needs to know when to take control and when to let his guys do their thing on the floor. They were on the lead because they (specially Salangsang and Brock) were making all sorts of shots, but once the Beermen clamped down on those two, things suddenly went downhill.

The floor spacing was awful, Brock, Thomas and Salangsang all played on one side of the court (right) and Pringle would often find himself dribbling into the three frontliners. Truth be told, Canada is a better point guard than Pringle when it comes to setting up teammates and making sure that they're spaced out before making any sort of entry pass or scoring play.

For the Warriors to force a deciding third game, they need to pound the ball inside and let Thomas and Brock do their man-thing and muscle their way into the paint. The Beermen don't have their size (Fazekas is soft, Crews is undersized), so that's where they should concentrate on if they want to salvage a third game.