The Farm

It won't be long until another "sponsor"
 asks for Garcia
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

"Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O
With a moo moo here,
And a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo moo, 
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O"

If the PBA does not act on the matter soon, this problem will turn into a cancer that will ultimately rob the league of all of its hard-earned glory and integrity as Asia's "first" organized professional basketball body.

Rumors have it the Barako Bull Energy Cola, long known in most circles as a conduit team that would rather sell its top players than win a title (and reward what little fanbase it has), is on its way to either be sold to an outside corporation (please let this be the case) or, formally change its name to Air21 with old, notoriously business-minded (read: trade nut) hand Lito Alvarez back calling the shots.

Back in the shadows

Back to basics
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Since it's the holidays and most families are agog over the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival, we would like to ask you one question: what makes for a great movie hero?

Is it the actor? Or is it the people who allow him to shine brightest? Sometimes it is the female lead who adds depth to the hero, others, it is the villain-- sometimes, it is the sidekick or supporting actor who helps establish the hero and hides his flaws.

Arwind Santos, former PBA Most Valuable Player, is not fit to take the lead. He posts eye-popping, stat-stuffing numbers, but as history would suggest it does not always end up with wins or titles. Hell, he's not even the guy his own fans, San Miguel Beermen fans, would want taking the last shot (do not even try to contest this now known fact).

He is however, an awesome Best Supporting Actor: working in the shadows, doing what is necessary to help make the hero even more heroic, and the film, even better. Dennis Padilla to Robin Padilla. Bayani Agbayani to Cesar Montano. Sorry for having named comedians, as we are not big on serious local drama flicks. Oh, there's one more-- yung bespren ni Popoy sa One More Chance.

Thoughts on The Jet's Firing

The Jet in action
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

After weeks of speculation, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has finally decided to part ways with Jeffrey Cariaso who was tasked to introduce a new, "winning" culture just April of this year.

The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, considering the fact that almost everyone bought into the idea that the "Triangle Offense" made popular locally by Cariaso's mentor, and Purefoods head coach Tim Cone, takes time to truly show results. Apparently, two conferences and a mediocre 12 wins in 23 games total was all the Ginebra Management could afford to spare for the considerably young head coach.

So what prompted Ginebra Management to pull the plug on the Triangle-preaching Cariaso and return to old hand Ato Agustin?

PBA 1 on 1 King of the Hardcourt

During his heyday, the Kid
was unguardable

Not so long ago, the PBA came up with a brilliant idea to feature some of its best one-on-one talent in a side tournament. Sadly it was not treated with proper marketing and hype, resulting in a rather forgettable sideshow that not so many remember was bested by Letranites Willie Miller Chris Calaguio (for the guards division, besting Mark Caguioa) and Kerby Raymundo (for the bigs, winning over Asi Taulava).

Today, we have an avalanche of basketball talent that may or may not be showcased by their respective teams or are getting the props that they rightfully deserve. A quick look on all of the 12 PBA teams' rosters and it's easy to come up with a solid list of guys we'd like to play 1-on-1 in front of paying, adoring fans maybe during halftimes or even in between games.

With our format, we're not going to separate the bigs from the smalls. We're talking about naming a 1-on-1 hardcourt King here, so what's the point if we are to name two? Plus, you could argue that smalls will get obliterated by bigs inside the paint-- but at the same time, in a halfcourt setup, bigs will have to chase the smalls around the hardcourt and defend them all the way outside.

Chinito

May pagka Rukawa din tong
Chinito ng Ginebra e no? Supladong magaling.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Kelan nga ba huling nag parada ng kilalang Chinito ang koponan ng Barangay Ginebra San Miguel? Ang naalala ko lang talaga noon, si Wilmer Ong at Benny Cheng. Halos dalawang dekada na ata ang nakalipas, ilang manlalaro na ang nagsuot ng jersey ng Barangay, pero iilan lang ang tumatak sa mga puso at isipan ng madla.

Mapait man ang sinapit na kapalaran ng Barangay, wag sana natin ibaon na lang sa limot na bago pa lang ang sistemang ipinatutupad ng head coach na si Jeffrey Cariaso. Hindi lang bago, kundi komplikado. Hindi ito basta na lang takbo tapos tira. O kaya kasing simple ng basta libre, pasa, tira. Hinde, maraming anik anik ang kinakailangan sa Triangle Offense na kami man ay hindi pa lubos itong naiintindihan. Mga bagong manlalaro, mga bagitong superstar-in-the-making. Pero itong conference na ito, nakita din natin ang isang player na umangat ang laro ng husto.

Si Joseph Yeo, bagong Ginebra player. Swerteng napunta sa Ginebra dahil sa tinatawag na "Gentleman's Agreement." Nag iba ang laro ni Yeo mula ng nabigyan ng puwang maging main man ng Air21 nung nakaraang taon matapos mabaon sa bangko ng San Miguel Beermen (na pinasakit niya sa pagtawag dito na #LarongMayaman.

PBA Semifinals Predictions: San Miguel Beer vs Talk'n'Text

The wild, wild west
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

It's funny how the last four teams and how they are paired in the PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals can be compared to that of the NBA's two conferences. The Eastern Conference is known for its slow, low-scoring and almost ugly grind-it-out basketball while the Western Conference is appreciated more for its gun-slinging, fast-paced action.

You could say that the "uglier, NBA Eastern Conference-style" basketball will be played by the other PBA Philippine Cup pair: Rain or Shine versus Alaska, while the "prettier, NBA Western Conference style" will be captured in the Best-of-Seven series that we are about to tackle, that of San Miguel Beer versus Talk'n'Text.

PG Alex Cabagnot/ Chris Ross vs Jayson Castro/ Ryan Reyes/ Jimmy Alapag 
Nice to have you back on the team Mr. Cabagnot, now let's see you try to exorcise your hero ball demons and try to lead the Beermen into the PBA Finals without disrupting team chemistry both on and off the court. While Sol Mercado would've been a much better match-up against the power point men of the Texters, Cabagnot theoretically will be able to cancel out his counterparts in terms of point production. For every bucket Castro scores on Cabagnot (which he will), Cabagnot can return the favor ten-fold owing to his steady outside sniping and one-on-one ball-handling skills. Ross is going to be his usual, hard-working defensive self but will be overmatched in this series owing to his "average" frame. Ross won't be a threat offensively, which is not something you'd want versus the Texters' guards (you'd want to make them work on both ends as much as possible). We'd love to say that Jeric Fortuna would be a big help for the Beermen's cause, but then you'll have to realize that the Texters' THIRD string point guard nowadays is a guy named JIMMY ALAPAG.

PBA Semifinals Predictions: Rain or Shine vs Alaska

98-95.

Matira matibay basketball
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

That's how close the initial and only meeting between PBA Philippine Cup Semifinalists, the Rain or Shine Elastopainters and the Alaska Aces, was which basically decided which team will get a bye to the Semis and which will fall into the Knockout Phase.

After taking care of business against the hapless NLEX Road Warriors and the overwhelmed Meralco Bolts, the Aces are looking to continue building on their success with head coach Alex Compton. It seems like all the patience and trust is finally paying off for the once conservative franchise, with 3rd year pro Calvin Abueva putting up career numbers while also toning down all the crazy antics and flopping. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to conclude that Abueva's increase in minutes is probably a product of his "good behavior" on the floor.

On the other side, the Elastopainters are off to prove two things: 1) they can finally win the Philippine Cup (All Filipino title) that has seemingly eluded head coach Yeng Guiao and 2) that the Gilas-topainters foursome of Beau Belga, Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood and Jeffrei Chan have all reached that legitimate "higher level" in terms of basketball skill and IQ.

So here we are, in a seven-game series featuring the league's most credible "independent" teams.

Matira matibay.

That New, Old Black Magic

The Bolts are winning despite David's struggles,
just as Black designed
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

And just when you thought that the professional game has passed Norman Black after looking every bit like a coach who just spent the last near decade or so in the amateurs, the man turns things around after what was initially deemed a "demotion."

See, Black was coming off a surreal five-peat championship quest with the Ateneo De Manila University-- a feat that probably won't be matched very soon. To reward him for his winnings and loyalty, he was handed the keys to run the college team's financier's crown jewel in the Philippine Basketball Association: The Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters. He made good in his first season back in the pros, winning a title and all-- but then it became pretty obvious that the title was more a "last hurrah" for his predecessor's system rather than Black's.

What followed was a series of disappointing finishes, with the Texters losing out on PBA Finals appearances and even semifinal showdowns which they're almost always a part of during the Chot Reyes Era.

PBA KO Phase 2 Predictions: SMB Bracket

Ellis will need to elevate his game
to battle the Texters' wings
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Just as most pundits called it, the higher seeded teams in the "SMB bracket" made quick work of the alleged PBA "farm teams" with the Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters blowing Barako Bull Energy Cola off the face of the earth and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel being able to weather a Terrence Romeo storm in the 1st quarter en route to a Friday night massacre.

In the second phase of the Knockout Quarterfinals of the PBA Philippine Cup, Texters' head coach Jong Uichico finds himself trying to overcome ghosts of Christmas past with his old team Ginebra standing in his way to facing yet another old team of his, San Miguel, should he wish to take his team to the PBA Finals. For Ginebra, it's going to be an acid test for head coach Jeffrey Cariaso and co. as they are still trying to learn the Triangle Offense on the fly while providing increased minutes for their younger players.

4 Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters vs 5 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
If you're a Ginebra fan, you should be warned that this knockout match could end up as a mismatch on the floor. Not because your team enjoys an obvious height advantage, but because the team on the other side of the court has loads of experience-- hell, even rookies Kevin Alas and Matt Ganuelas Rosser play at a very mature level owing to their Gilas experience.

PBA KO Phase Round 2 Predictions: RoS Bracket

Expect fireworks.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Well look what we have here: for the first time in a very long while, one of the teams that will advance to the PBA Finals will not be the Purefoods franchise. This, after a heart-breaking loss to a balanced Meralco Bolts franchise that didn't even have a superstar game from main man Gary David (where did that perfect game from James Sena come from?!).

Now, in a rather odd ball of a set-up, two teams will slug it out for the right to face the waiting PBA Philippine Cup 2nd seed Rain or Shine Elastopainters. On one side there's the Alaska Aces, a team that could've easily finished 1 or 2 if not for some lapses and the other, the Bolts.

3 Alaska Aces vs 6 Meralco Bolts
The first and only time that these two teams met in the elimination round, the Aces put on a 105-64 ass whooping of a clinic on the hapless Bolts. The Bolts were never really in the game, with Vic Manuel, Dondon Hontiveros, Calvin Abueva and rookie Chris Banchero all takings turns just scoring at will and the Bolts clearly out of form with Gary David going 2/10 from the field.

PBA KO Phase Predictions: SMB Bracket

Here's the thing, you scrap and claw your way in knockout games versus quality teams... only to win the chance to face a well-rested (and by then Alex Cabagnot incorporated), top seeded San Miguel Beermen squad.

Sucks.

Well, if you were one of the four teams under the SMB bracket, you'll take your chances considering the opposition. The Texters are the only solid team here, with Ginebra still in a funk and learning the Triangle on the fly and both farm teams Barako Bull and Global Port (oh hush now) well, ready to just roll over and die at the whim of some higher power.

4 Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters vs 9 Barako Bull Energy Cola

Life after Romeo
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

With all due respect to some of our favorite PBA players: Denok Miranda, Dorian Pena and RR Garcia, the Energy do not stand a chance on God's green earth against a recommitted Texters camp that is looking to continue on adding to its championship legacy.

For the Texters to win, they just need to play solid Texters basketball (which is like asking for the sun to come out each and every day so yeah, sucks for the Energy) and not fall into the trap of playing down to the opposition. They'll be able to let their aging core catch a breather with this one, but only after a defiant stand by the Energy's veterans who are sure as hell going to try to go out with a loud bang. We hope to see more of rookies Matt Rosser and Kevin Alas, to gauge where they are at this point in their young careers and for coach Jong Uichico to see if they can be called upon to contribute more minutes as the team goes deeper into the PBA Philippine Cup.

PBA KO Phase Predictions: RoS Bracket

Business is about to pick-up in the on-going PBA Philippine Cup as we bid newcomers Kia Sorento and winless Blackwater Elite adieu until next conference and see who's the cream of the crop. As you may or may not know, the top two seeds: San Miguel Beermen and Rain or Shine Elastopainters, get a bye until the later round. The rest of the field will have to duke it out, with the lower seeded teams needing to win twice over the higher seeded ones if they would like to advance.

The Rock needs to go to TNT. Now.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

We're dividing the brackets into two, based on who they will eventually face in the Quarters: The RoS and SMB brackets.

3 Alaska Aces (twice-to-beat) vs 10 NLEX Road Warriors 
The Aces missed out on an opportunity of landing in the top two spots by a hairline, but this match-up with the NLEX should be a quick and easy one considering both rosters. The Warriors have a formidable frontline with Asi Taulava and a suddenly revived Enrico Villanueva but they, unfortunately, do not play with the same intensity as that of Calvin Abueva who is leading the league in rebounding despite being the same size as NLEX star scorer Mac Cardona. If Eric Menk continues with his inspired, "tour de force" play and Sonny Thoss comes back 100% healthy, then it's all over for the Warriors who still need to address some holes on the roster.

Crunchman for Sol Train: Fair or not?

"You reach, I teach son"
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Just in case you thought that competition is lost among the PBA ballclubs owing to all the "feel good" camaraderie that was shared just a few weeks back owing to the Gilas' program's success, here comes the PBA Philippine Cup Quarterfinals and the realization that the PBA is still a "dog eat dog world."

How else could you explain the PBA teams', some of which are comfortably seated atop the standings, frantically looking to plug some roster holes and address their personnel issues through trades and free agency? Purefoods went looking for a serviceable big man and found one in Mick Pennisi, San Miguel wanted to add a young point guard and got Jeric Fortuna and just this morning, San Miguel went and traded Sol Mercado for old hand Alex Cabagnot of GlobalPort in a shocking, devil-may-care deadline deal.

Here's what we think of the whole deal between San Miguel and GlobalPort and why we feel that it is a rather unnecessary trade for both parties:

Ginebra die hard ka ba?

Bagong Ginebra.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Talaga?

Bakit sa tuwing nagmimintis yung idol mo, sa tuwing kumakagat sa peke ng kung sinong mas maliit sa kanya si Japeth o kaya naman e natatalo sa pwestuhan si Greg Slaughter sa ilalim, kung maka rant ka sa social media akala mo e isinanla mo ang kaluluwa mo sa demonyo sa laki ng ininvest mo sa Ginebra?

Ano ka, stockholder?

Pasintabi sa mga nakararami, pero sa tuwing masama ang timpla ng Ginebra sa PBA paulit ulit ko na lang nababasa yung sinisisi ang lahat. Ang coach. Ang sistema. Si LA Tenorio. Yung referee. Kulang na lang talaga e isisi natin ung sunod sunod na talo na sinasapit ng Ginebra ngayong PBA Philippine Cup sa balbas kambing ni Mark Caguioa para matapos na ang lahat.

The ABL's Filipino Imports

#CanadaSaPBA
(Photo courtesy of sports-asia.com)

While the Philippine basketball world quietly (and anxiously) waits for the time when promising 6"7 Fil-Tonggan center Moala Tautuaa is able to complete his stint with the PBA D-League and all other requirements to apply for the PBA Draft next year (or the one after that), cellar-dwelling teams need not wait that long to address their PBA Philippine Cup woes.

Six talented Filipino basketball players are currently included on different rosters in the neighboring ASEAN Basketball League which saw a drop in game play this last season (with the Philippine-representative, San Miguel Beer, opting to pull out and probably the reduced number of ASEAN imports as two possible culprits). With the ABL season now at a close, we wonder why the PBA teams haven't come knocking at these gentlemen's doors. We understand contracts and all, but surely teams that are in a bind and looking to salvage their season before it gets any worse (Kia Sorento and Blackwater) can manage to shell out a few extra bucks if only to save face.

You'll have to bear with us on this one, since the ABL seems to be in a deteriorating state and seems to have lost their online stats-updating team for some reason so we're going with purely basketball scouting and our own two cents here.

Jerick Canada, PG, HiTech Bangkok City
Let's start with the ABL Finals MVP and how great he looked for head coach Jing Ruiz (also a Filipino). Canada's shooting is still iffy at best, but the way he is able to control the floor and his teammates is not something you'd take for granted considering they're mostly Thais and American imports who're mostly out for stuffing the stat sheet and angling for bigger pay. Put Canada on a team like Kia Sorento and he'll prove to be the most heady point guard in the rotation right from the start. On Blackwater, he'll be a perfect mentor for up-and-coming Cebuano playmaker Brian Heruela while possibly sending Juami Tiongson back to the D-League and Paul Artadi near retirement. If Jeric Fortuna can make it into the pros, there's no reason why Canada shouldn't be given a second look. Basically, he's the guy that-- when a younger hot-off-the-plane Stanley Pringle was busy going 100 mph for the Indonesia Warriors, made sure that they actually won a title that one year together.

The Beast and The Bull

Is the PBA's newest Bad Boy
bound to be like the Bad Boys of old?
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

One look at the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup and it's easy to say who's been the most solid performer of them all on both ends of the court. With averages of third league best 17 ppg, league best 15 rpg and league 8th best 3 apg while playing a career-high 29 mpg, Abueva has continued to silence the critics (owing to his more toned down theatrics) and make a strong case for a huge, max contract once his rookie deal is up.

The only concern here now is if Abueva will ever get the nod of the PBA Board and Media and maybe at some point in his career, earn individual accolades that are usually not given to players with a "bad rep." You don't have to look that far, there's Mark Caguioa sometime in his career wherein he should've been the runaway PBA MVP but didn't get the love from the league (the year he did win the award, was probably a "do-over" by the league, but should've gone to either a TNT player or Gary David). There are others as well, most notably one of the more controversial superstars in Nelson "The Bull" Asaytono.

The PBA's 26th to 40th Greatest Players

The Face of the modern day PBA
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

The Philippine Basketball Association, in celebration of its 40th season, has opted to name 40 of its "Greatest Players." Now, since the league has already named its initial 25 (for its 25th season in early 2000), the not so simple task has been eased somewhat with the PBA's special selection committee set to name "only" 15 other names.

On this report from the Philippine Star, they have listed the names of #TheNext15. Personally, we'd have loved for the Star to have made the announcement on a separate, wordy article instead of just a filler but hey, we have love for our friends over at the Star (they probably didn't have enough space and just tied two articles together).

Here's our instant reaction on the names chosen for #TheNext15 and who we felt were snubbed altogether:

James Carlos Yap, SG, Purefoods, 2x PBA MVP '05, '09
Though we will always put an asterisk on one (or both) of Yap's trophies because of what we'd like to call the "Kris Factor," there's no denying that he was indeed the face of the PBA during its post-Jaworski years. Yap came into the league as a legit, PBA matinee idol who could play the sport at a very high level yet maintained a clean cut image both on and off the court. He was basically the most likable guy out there while the league was going through all the unneeded shenanigans (random drug testing, Fil-shams, PBA commissioner shuffles, etc.) The thing that makes Yap a no brainer here is that, he embraced the idea of being the face of the league. He didn't ask for it, but he carried it with pride. Sometimes we get frustrated with him because of how badly he is being outplayed by his rivals, but then he pulls through in the clutch just to remind every one of how good he really is and then the world is back in order.

Willie Miller, SG, Red Bull/ Talk'n'Text/ Alaska/ Ginebra/ GlobalPort/Barako, 2x PBA MVP '02, '06 
If Yap were the face, which body part are we to make of Miller? Among all of the players in the last decade or so, Miller is arguably the very best and most fundamentally sound. He's quick and agile, yet he is also brute strong and aggressive. He can play outside with the best guards in the league, he can go inside to post-up for the easy macho finish or just spin for his pocket fadeaways. What was lacking from Miller was the aggressive mindset that a Mark Caguioa would always have coming into games. Miller is a fun-loving Filipino through and through, and had he stayed with one team or had a different approach, he'd probably go down as one of the best ever- if not THE very best. But hey, that wouldn't make him our lovable Willie now would it?