Gilas Pilipinas: The Best Damn Pinoy Big Man Today

Photo courtesy of pba-online.net

Junemar Fajardo will have his day. Sonny Thoss is getting it. Asi Taulava is a reminder of what could've been had he chosen to polish his post game and demanded for the ball like he should've. Danny Ildefonso is happy mentoring the young ones. Beau Belga is a creation of everything good about the old school enforcers and today's hybrid forward/centers.

But there is only one who can lay claim to the title of being "The Best Pinoy Big Man Today." That man is no other than 6"5 Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters and Gilas Pilipinas starting forward Ranidel de Ocampo.


Yes, he can be robotic at times and even forgotten on offense as he chooses to defer to his teammates- but make no mistake about it, De Ocampo possesses arguably the greatest offensive arsenal of all the Gilas frontliners-- naturalized center Marcus Douthit included (since we haven't seen Douthit sink in treys during his Gilas stint). Name a big man move and De Ocampo probably has it down pat with maybe the exception of a reliable bank shot a la Duncan and a skyhook like Kareem's. The rest? Post up left? Right? Post up fade? Left? Right? Hook shot? Baby hook? Teardrop?

Check, check, check, check, check, check, check and check (feel free to add more).

On defense, De Ocampo has no qualms about trading elbows, knees and more if need be. He is as old school as you can get, with all the dirty tricks tucked under his belt through years of playing alongside/ behind/ in front of his older brother 6"9 Yancy de Ocampo (who could've easily made any Gilas team had he shown any semblance of fire and consistency throughout his professional career).

If there's a chink on De Ocampo's armor, it would be his height and speed defensively. If he's going up guys near his frame, then we don't have anything to worry. But guys 6"8 and bigger like the Middle Easterners might be a cause for concern. Also, guarding fleet-footed big men takes a lot off De Ocampo as he is susceptible to making useless/ tacky fouls (China's Yi Jianlian and Japan's Takeuchi).

Still, it doesn't get any better at the 4 spot for Gilas Pilipinas than with De Ocampo.

And why no one has picked up on our pet monicker for this guy, The Doctor, is beyond us.

Pwede ring, Ang Dalubhasa.