Changing of the guard(s)

While the PBA Philippine Cup Finals is on-going (and currently in favour of the San Mig Coffee Mixers given their 3-1 advantage of the Rain or Shine Elastopainters), four teams loosely associated with the San Miguel Corporation umbrella made some "game-changing" trades in preparation for the coming PBA Commissioner's Cup.

We've always said that, if a team is bent in changing it's team's overall philosophy it needs to do only one of two things: 1) trade the token star player or 2) trade the guy with the most clout: the point guard.

You can change coaches all you want, but as long as a certain influencer is on the basketball court, then you'll never be able to truly install whatever offensive or defensive philosophy you want. It works in some cases (mostly in a short period though, think Ato Agustin-Petron), but long term you want to build on new pieces and just have a fresh approach to the game.

Here's our take on the trades that were recently approved by the PBA Commissioner's Office.


Air21 Express: Jonas Villanueva (PG)
Finally, a point guard for Coach Franz Pumaren. Though star guard Joseph Yeo made a case for himself early for the Most Improved plum, he's still best suited to play the shooting guard position rather than trying to please running partner Mac Cardona each time down the floor. With Villanueva, you're hoping that he goes back to the PBA Finals MVP form and regains that confidence in himself since he's either stuck on the bench (for some reason) or just plain injured. Villanueva is a PBA-sized SG but with the mentality of an old school, set-up shop point guard who looks for his teammates first, does his thing second.
Grade: B

Barako Bull Energy Cola: Jason Deutchman, Leo Najorda, 2016, 2017 draft picks
"Hi boss, we have some guys here who look like they're ready. Just make us an offer and we'll send them to your doorstep first thing tomorrow." Really. I mean, just, really. It seems as though Barako Bull (and Air21), two non-winning teams, are now synonymous with the word "trade." The team added yet another pair of hybrid forwards, to further clog up their rotation alongside JC Intal, that Van Damme look-a-like  whose name escapes us at the moment and our boy Willie Wilson. If anything, don't expect much out of their 2016 and 2017 draft picks since those picks are bound to be traded at some point.
Grade: A (only because they got so much for oft-injured Villanueva and bench man Maierhofer)

GlobalPort Batang Pier: Alex Cabagnot (PG), Bonbon Custodio (SG) 
Cabagnot needs a break. When he moved over to San Miguel/ Petron, he inherited this mistaken aura from another over-hyped point guard in Olsen Racela (yes, we said it). Racela was a superb point guard in terms of being in control of his team. But really, one on one, we'd take his peers Jimwell Torion, vintage Boyet Fernandez, skinny Coca Cola Johnny Abarrientos all over him. So Cabagnot, wanting desperately to fill those "big" shoes, tried his best to become some sort of "saviour" for Petron. He altered his game by adding more offense and not being the traditional pass-first point guard that he has always been and even made some highlight worthy clutch plays. Add to that all the unnecessary drama of his team and just having to massage several egos... well, it takes a toll on a player. Now, he's reunited with another former Petron "savior" in Jay Washington while also serving as a mentor for rookie RR Garcia. We don't see him having any problems playing with rookie hotshot Terrence Romeo, since Cabagnot is and has always been a more than willing passer/ playmaker. It's time to just go back and have fun again really for the man touted as Cool Whip. Custodio? Him and Romeo are going to have a lot of fun in practice. Sad reality is, Custodio was Romeo before Romeo. Only, no one's ever going to say that the former FEU stalwart ever sold out.
Grade: A

San Miguel Beermen: Sol Mercado (PG), Rico Maierhofer (C)
Contrary to popular belief, this is going to work. In theory, San Miguel can play a little of that Dribble-Drive offense made popular locally by Gilas Pilipinas but was really a product of that Derrick Rose-led Memphis team. Well, Mercado's pretty much built the same way as Rose and has the same set of kamikaze drives to the hoop. This way, if the entry pass for newly-minted Best Player of the Conference Junemar Fajardo is not there, Mercado can bulldoze his way into the paint (opposite where JMF is), attract the defenders for the simple drop/ pocket pass to his big man or kick it out to spot up shooters Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter and Ronald Tubid. Where Arwind Santos fits in is going to be tricky, since Santos does his best rebounding from the weak side (where JMF will be planted now when Mercado, who is in the strong side, drives to the hoop)
Grade: A

Which team do you feel got the most out of the trades and why? Which player are you banking on to make a "new" start?