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| Reunited on the SMART Gilas 2 Jones Cup team |
Even without Jimmy Alapag and Ryan Reyes, this position has always been the strength of any team Pilipinas when it comes to basketball in Asia. Tenorio is the traditional point man that can set up guys on the team while able to spread the floor with his threes. Mercado brings in size and speed that will be needed when we face the Middle Eastern squads who feature burly guards. Castro is the sparkplug here, given his combo-guard skillset and relentless attack mentality.
SG Gary David (Powerade)/ Jeffrei Chan (Rain or Shine)/ Larry Fonacier (Talk 'n' Text)
David will probably get the starting job even if Chan is a better shooter and Fonacier is the smarter player of the lot out of respect. The closer international three point line should also help our guys from dropping bombs on the competition. The only thing that's quite worrisome is that all three are a little too traditional-- catch and shoot kind of players by trade. They need someone to set them up and when their shots are not falling, they tend to become liabilities-- specially with David.
SF Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine)/ Mac Baracael (Alaska)/ Garvo Lanete (NCAA San Beda)
Norwood will battle, there's no doubt about it. Still don't think that he's an A-lister in terms of his overall game and basketball IQ. When the game's played at a quicker pace, Norwood's speed and athleticism will prove valuable. But against elite defenders, look for Baracael to step in because he's the better perimeter shooter while also being a solid defender himself from positions 2 to 4. Lanete was a nice insurance pick, a young, tall shooter who isn't afraid to take the last shot.
PF Enrico Villanueva (Ginebra)/ Sonny Thoss (Alaska)
Finally some muscle! With the great Asi Taulava opting to retire from the international game, it's a blessing that Villanueva jumped on the opportunity to play for flag and country even before the San Miguel Corporation could act and not allow their guys to do so. He'll also be able to generate some offense, thanks to his familiarity with fellow Ateneans Tenorio and Fonacier who will definitely look to feed him the ball at his choice spots. Thoss is another great pick-up who can play the weak side and crash the boards while knocking down steady jumpers.
C Marcus Douthit
The pressure's on Douthit to deliver. He will not have anyone taller than 6"7 as back-up unlike in SMART Gilas I when he benefited from playing alongside Taulava and Ranidel de Ocampo. He's playing on a high level now, but talks of the Denver Nuggets' JaVale McGee coming in to take his spot in future tournaments are gaining momentum. This tournament, along with the FIBA qualifiers, will pretty much be Douthit's chance to once again show his dominance and maybe even be the second best center in Asia today (behind Iran's Hamed Haddadi who's just too damn tall).
Snubs:
Jimmy Alapag, Asi Taulava, Jarred Dillinger, Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo
With due respect, I want to disagree with the writer stating that Jeff Chan is a better shooter than Gary David. El Granada has a higher three point and field goal percentage than Chan this season so as when based on their career averages. Among the three, Fonacier turns out to be deadliest three point shooter, with David the most accurate field goal shooter; that is based on the 37th season statistics. The difference however, is that Gary is receiving heavier defense than either Larry or Jeff. Gary D could have been better if most of his shots were not forced and were from isolation plays.
ReplyDeleteAgree boss, but it's really hard to gauge David's efficiency because he shoots so much. A guy could go from shooting 1/10 and finish with 10/20 and his fg % would immediately bump up from 10% to 50% because of the volume of shots he puts up. I doubt he'd be given the greenlight to take 20 shots in the FIBA tourney.
ReplyDeleteWhen he's on, he's arguably the best out there. But again, because of the leeway he gets from Coach Bo Perasol, it's tough to call a good shot from a bad shot in David's case. The ball is always in his hands to create on O. Haven't seen him as effective moving without the basketball wc is vital in the international game-- something that the likes of Chan and Fonacier are good at and where traditional shooters such as Allan Caidic (being the best of course) flourish.
Still, these guys are the best SGs right now who are not playing for Team SMC.
^
ReplyDeleteYes sir, you're absolutely right. The good thing I observe with Gary D, is when he feels he's shooting atrociously on a given game, he goes strong to the hole, do fishing expeditions and collect his points from the free throw line where no one's defending him and where he shoots great.
I also believe that Gary D's playing style as well as the players' will somehow change with the system that they will use. I expect a lot of speed and also a lot of passing where both Chan and Fonacier beats David. Gary David makes me more nervous when he's handling and dribbling the ball than when he's attempting a three point shot with a defender on his face. :D
ang hina ng lineup tatambakan nanaman
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