Life at the crossroads

Is Almazan the future for RoS?
(Photo credit: Sports5.Ph)

Before we begin, we would like to share with you a piece of trivia from Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk manga about a team that made it into the Inter-High competition. No, we will not touch on Shohoku's triumphs but rather the team that they first faced in the IH-- Toyotama.

In the series, Toyotama is a rough and tough team from the Osaka prefecture. They were known for their run and gun offense, which helped them through the years with previous head coach Kitano Jiei. Problem is, making it into the Inter High and finishing in the Top 8 was as high as the team could go for years and years until Coach Jiei was removed in favor of a defensive minded coach.

Let's stop with the trivia right there, and switch to real life, PBA action.

The Rain or Shine Elastopainters under head coach Yeng Guiao has continued to be quite the competitive squad in the PBA. They've made at least 1 PBA Finals appearance in the last three or four seasons, and have almost always finished deep in the Playoffs before bowing out to some Team SMC/ MVP super group. They employ a run and gun strategy, anchored on hard-nosed rough and tough defense but not the Xs and Os type.

Saging lang ang may puso

Hindi ko na kayang itago yung pagkadismaya ko sa mga paborito nating koponan at manlalaro sa PBA kaya kesa pagandahin ko pa sa wikang Ingles, sa sariling wika na lang natin isulat ang lahat. Para mas maintindihan ninyo ang pagkainis naming mga Pilipino. At para malaman na lang din ng lahat na may pakailam din naman po kami sa Gilas Pilipinas, sa estatura ng basketball sa bansa at kung paano tayo makaka angat muli sa mundo-- o kahit papaano, sa Asya man lang.

Eto ang alam ko: hindi tayo makaaangat, o mas liliit ang ating pag-asa kung hindi natin ipadadala yung mga nararapat. Kung hindi natin ipadadala yung pasok sa sistema. Kung hindi natin padadala yung naturingan pinaka magaling sa bansa.

Oo, hindi All Star team kundi National team ang dapat nating buoin. Pero kingina naman, andyan na e. Nanalo na tayo noon. Silver. Pilak. Ang sarap pare. Bakit pa tayo bababa ulit? Bakit kailangan basagin pa natin ulit yung andyan na, sasaksakan na lang natin ng mas magagandang mga piyesa?

Hindi na naman pwede magpahiram. O sige, pwede, pero iisa lang. Naka-sama pa ata. Dati, San Miguel lang ang may ganoong pautot. Ngayon, sumali na din yung Rain or Shine. Alaska din pero nagiba ata ng timpla, pwede ng dalawa.

Sa naulat, eto yung mga imbitado na at pawang kumpirmado mag ensayo: Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Matt Rosser, Larry Fonacier, Cliff Hodge, Kelly Williams, Jared Dillinger at Gary David. Yung mga may konting pabebe pa, sila Terrence Romeo, Dondon Hontiveros, Sonny Thoss at Beau Belga.

Asaan yung Marcio Lassiter? Yung L.A. Tenorio daw pinayagan. Si Junemar Fajardo injured daw. Si Greg Slaughter wag na yun, bagal nun. Si Calvin Abueva? James Yap? Si Chris Lutz? Alex Cabagnot? Asaan yung mga superstars? Paul Lee? Gabe Norwood? Jeff Chan?

Ano to, last minute na naman? Kelangan binyagan si bagong Kume Chito Narvasa, at siya naman magmakaawa sa mga teams na baka pwedeng unahin ang Gilas?

Asaan na yung #Puso natin? Bakit pahirapan na lang lagi kung magpapahiram para sa bayan? Hindi naman ganito noon a? Yung hinawakan ni Yeng Guiao na Powerade Pilipinas, samut sari din naman sila noon a. Wala naman issue. Kasi Team MVP ang sponsor? Kingina naman. Bakit, pag ka Team SMC ang sponsor, sigurado kayo na hindi din sila mamimirata? Pera pera lang din naman iyan di ba?

#Puso hindi #Bulsa

#Bayan hindi #Sarili

Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Is it wrong to call Intal...
The Franchise? Tagal ma trade e.
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

My name is Angel Velasco, and I am the advocate for the bastard incarnates, Barako Bull Energy Cola. Our mantra is Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Denok Miranda? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Sol Mercado? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Dave Marcelo? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Joseph Yeo? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

EAT.

SLEEP.

TRADE.

REPEAT.

To infinity and beyond

Sino Coach ko ulit?
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Where do we go from here, STAR Hotshots?

The architect of your 1st PBA Grand Slam (plus two other titles during his tenure), Tim Cone, is now officially out of the door and with him-- his greatness, coaching philosophies, Triangle Offense and so on. In his place will be Jason Webb, as announced in a joint press conference that should've been exclusively for Cone-- but hey, it's San Miguel Corporation, who has little to no coaching experience both in the amateurs and professional ranks.

Great. Just great.

Here is a guy who, among all of Cone's deputies, has the least experience and doesn't really look like he's meant for the part. There's always that one guy who, in team meetings, school group projects, who is the leader. Then there's the other guy, the second guy, who just pushes the rest and makes it happen. You see it in basketball, during timeouts. The coach does his thing and gives instructions, the lead assistant whispers in the ears of the rest. Eggs them on. Tells them what to do. Clarifies things. There are guys in the huddle that would make you think "ah, this guy will be a head coach someday."

But Webb?

Wired towards the future

How many solid point guards
do you have as back-up, Cool Cat?
(Photo credit Sports5.ph)

Since its inception in 2010 after buying out the Santa Lucia Realty franchise, the Meralco Bolts have always been known or regarded to as Manny V. Pangilinan's "other PBA team." They are not as decorated as sister team Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters, they hardly make deep playoff runs despite being given some TNT pieces to work with (at one time or another: Mac Cardona, Asi Taulava, Marlou Aquino, and now Jared Dillinger and Gary David). And even when they managed to snag a legitimate PBA grand slam coach in Norman Black for this season, it was widely received as Black's demotion for not continuing in Chot Reyes' TNT's championship ways, than the Bolts moving in the right direction.

Well, after Season 1 of the "Black Magic" Era, we can all say that they were wrong.

It wasn't a demotion for Black, it was a challenge. A new project wherein he can build the foundations of a competitive basketball team that plays the right way. Those who paid enough attention to the Bolts would tell you that they are no longer the team of yesteryears' and that they are playing true to who they are, with a definitive character or team identity.

Tim Cone to Ginebra

Sorry Johnny, Coach Tim and RdR
will be taking their talents to Ginebra
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

When we were first indoctrinated into the world of the Philippine Basketball Association in 1996, it was during the PBA Governor's Cup Finals-- a best-of-seven affair between the grandslam seeking Alaska Milkmen and the crowd darlings, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

On one side was the most charismatic head coach/ player in the history of the game, Robert Jaworski, Sr., commanding the likes of Noli Locsin, Bal David, Marlou Aquino and Vince Hizon. Now while we weren't familiar with the PBA brand of play, we already had a working idea of how basketball players should look and talk like thanks to the NBA. Let's just say that based on body fat percentage and muscle tone alone, none of the Ginebra players fit the mold save for maybe Vince Hizon. Yet they were the crowd darlings, they were fighting tooth and nail with a team that looked so fluid, so sexy, that it was hard NOT to root for the obvious underdogs.

Who exposed us to this title bout? Our mom. Who was an Alaska fan at the time, thanks to Jojo Lastimosa's looks and game. She was probably trying to turn us into Alaska fans too, but we ended up liking the other team. Anyway, Alaska was being coached by a dirty blonde who almost always finished every play drawn in the huddle with an "aight" or "all right?"

His name is Tim Cone.

#MeNotWe

Play him or trade him.
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Dear Alaska,

While we love what you have done in the last few years, primarily what former head coach Luigi Trillo introduced and what Alex Compton is currently trying to perfect, please be assured that we are not at all fond of how one Calvin Abueva is being treated/ utilized.

He is easily your best player. And this guise of #wenotme is starting to look stupid, when all the "comeback" games are born or produced by this very simple reason: your first unit sucks in general, so the second unit has to work double-time to first erase the deficit, and second, win games. And you know who is anchoring that second team?

Calvin "why is he still playing 28 minutes or less" Abueva.

The road less traveled

Someone find Asi a playmate
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Logically speaking, it is never wise to go out on public to say that you're actually considering building your team around a 42-year old center-- no matter how "ageless" he appears to be. It reeks of desperation, of failure to find another, younger, talent to go with.

And that is why the NLEX Road Warriors and their head coach Boyet Fernandez need to make some major changes going into the 2015 PBA Draft and next season.

Sure, Asi Taulava has been nothing short of "PBA Mythical Five worthy" the last two years since his return from the ASEAN Basketball League (wherein he left as the reigning Most Valuable Player), but in today's young PBA there should be more emphasis on running and scoring from all angles rather than just waiting to see what sticks and whoever catches fire.

#KangCone

To put things in perspective, polarizing sports writer/ reporter Snow Badua was the first to hint at a possible coaching change that could greatly affect the PBA landscape. Today, Badua's "tweeter hint" actually made it to the mainstream media, with no less than veteran sports guys from Nelson Beltran of The Philippine Star to Fidel Mangonon III of Spin.Ph writing about this quite sensitive and surprising topic.

"Tim Cone to Ginebra."

That's basically how we can best sum it up. It hasn't happened, there are no announcements or formal statements yet, but you know what they always say about there being fire when there's smoke in the area. When reached for comment, even Coach Tim said something along the lines of him "serving at the pleasure of Mr. Ang."

Which means, it is possible. It isn't true, at least not yet, but it is possible if San Miguel big boss Ramon Ang wants it to happen.

Will it work for Ginebra though?

Yes. Of course it will. It may take a while, or maybe they'll be champions overnight, but it will work. Tim Cone's 18 PBA championships among other impressive feats say it will. Triangle? He's been running more motion offense with STAR Hotshots as of late. So he can switch to that. Or he can just stick to his Triangle, which Ginebra's already familiar with thanks to former 1-conference coach Jeffrey Cariaso, and have Greg Slaughter look like the dominant 7"0 he's hyped to be (instead of looking like the Andy Seigle to Junemar Fajardo's prime Marlou Aquino).

Sucks for STAR, but they have the names on that roster, plus championship pedigree to rise above it with any veteran or young coach.

Ginebra?

They need a lot of coaching and managing.

Tim Cone's just the guy. The veterans will listen to him. L.A. Tenorio won't stomp his foot on the hardcourt, make stupid faces and throw tantrums. Coach Tim knows how to massage L.A.'s ego. Mark Caguioa? He'll respond to Coach Tim. The championships will make him respond. Plus, he's in that age and point in his career wherein he'd be a perfect Jolas option.

So we're not worried about Ginebra, and or STAR.

We're worried about Coach Tim.

We kind of saw this coming.

When he chose to leave Alaska and sign "with the devil," we knew that it was only a matter of time before he was made into a pawn by the SMC umbrella. This is the very same Team SMC that rotates coaches for fun, declares "co-coaches," hires Team Consultants in the guise of Coaches, and what not.

Purefoods has a long, lasting legacy and great integrity when it comes to sticking to coaches. But at the end of the day, whoever is there, is still under Team SMC. And if Mr. Ang wants you to move, you move.

Or you hope that you can land a gig with Team MVP.

So what about Coach Tim?

Well, if he is indeed to move to Ginebra, then this should be a fun project for him. To jumpstart a perennial losing basketball program, and reward its millions of fans all over the world (you won't believe how popular Ginebra bench players are even here in the Middle East). It's a challenge-- specially after jumping from Alaska to STAR, and winning a grandslam and just knowing that he could win more titles with that roster.

But how about his legacy?

He'll move to Ginebra. But will he be in control? Who's to say if one day, Mr. Ang wants him to move yet again-- to San Miguel, back to STAR, or we'll be damned, Barako Bull or Global Port?

Worse, what if one day, Mr. Ang and whoever is calling the shots make Coach Tim "co-coach?"

This is the drawback when it comes to making deals with the "crossroads demon."

#KangCone ?

Trust us, it won't stick. Because Coach Tim will turn Ginebra into a multi-title team should he really move there.

But, we just hope he'll be the one calling the shots and that Ginebra will be his last stop.

All hands on deck

"You reach, I teach"
(Photo credit to the owner)

Once the curtain unfolds and the spotlight is at its brightest to signify the PBA's 41st season, it would be very wise to consider the GlobalPort Batang Pier as the true darkhorse should things go as planned.

Yes, Coach Pido Jarencio still needs to watch more film and yes, Terrence Romeo will probably never pass the ball to someone who doesn't know what to do with it, but no, this team will definitely not stay in the cellar in any of the next three conferences.

Why?

Because this is a team. Despite the media hype, hoopla and hate thrown towards the polarizing Romeo who finds himself with a veteran sage now at his disposal by the name of Joseph Yeo.

Isn't Yeo a mirror image of Romeo and how his career might pan out?

2015 PBA Draft: Team Needs

Who needs who?
(Photo credit: Interaksyon.com)

While we await the winner of the PBA Governor's Cup Finals Best-of-Seven series between the Alaska Aces and San Miguel Beermen to formally end the league's 41st season, here's a picture of what we can expect come the 2015 PBA Draft.

Based on how the teams fared this season, we already have a working idea of who-picks-where for the coming draft. Some names have already announced their intent (primarily highly touted 6"7 Fil-Tonggan Moala Tautuaa), while some names are still playing in minor leagues both locally and internationally (keep doing what you're doing Bobby Ray!).

Now the fun part: do teams go for "best available talent" or do they address specific "team needs?"

Here's how we think the teams will approach the 2015 PBA Draft, based on their overall performance this season and who they should be looking out for:

Troubled Waters

Reil "KOBE!" Cervantes.
Franchise player.
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Here's where Blackwater Elite finds itself at the end of its maiden season:

Call them this year's biggest loser: PBA wins and losses -wise and also, 2015 PBA Draft -wise. The awful performance was expected, given the fact that the team was barred from making any direct hires from their promising PBA D-League roster and was pretty much asked to form a roster out of discards and no-names.

But then, the franchise's only glimmer of hope, their salvation, the coveted 2015 PBA Draft Number One Pick-- was foolishly sent in a hullabaloo of a trade which involved NLEX, Rain or Shine and Talk'n'Text.  The team lost its 1st pick to TNT to acquire the services of Larry Rodriguez.

Ninong Knows...

The power to surprise
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

... and that's not a joke.

Get it?

Daniel Orton sure did.

When Manny Pacquiao, global boxing icon, sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer and whichever title he'd like to be added next to his name from here on, opted to throw his gloves hat into the Philippine Basketball Association by way of expansion team Kia Motors, it was met mostly in a negative way.

Here's a guy who thinks he can just buy his way into the PBA, make himself head coach and worse-- skip the years of basketball training and education and actually don a legitimate basketball jersey with the letters PBA patched on it as compared to those who keep trying their luck in ballclub tryouts and the annual draft again, and again, and again.

Well, while the team finished their campaign with a paltry 10 wins vs 24 losses, they proved to one and all that they're not here just to feed Pacquiao's insatiable thirst for the spotlight. They showed everyone that they are in the PBA to compete, just like every other PBA team (okay, except for maybe that ONE team).

How does their marketing campaign go again?

"The power to surprise."

PBA GC Finals: (1) Alaska vs (2) San Miguel

Will the Muscle Man
be as effective vs SMB?
(Photo credit: Sports5.Ph)

This is starting to become more than just a rivalry between two stellar Cabalen basketball prodigies.

Welcome to the PBA Governor's Cup Best-of-Seven Finals between the conference's number one ranked Alaska Aces and their Philippine Cup Finals nemesis and champion, second-seeded San Miguel Beermen.

It wasn't a walk in the park then for the Beermen en route to the title, we don't see it being any different now in the season-ending championship series.

This series goes beyond Calvin Abueva and Arwind Santos fighting for the title of Pampanga's Best.

Waiting for Gilas 3

What is head coach Tab Baldwin and everyone else from Gilas Pilipinas waiting for? Where is the pool of available PBA players? Why are we not hearing of any practices, tune-up games and pocket tournaments while the rest of Asia is busy with the very same things? Will Andray Blatche be able to suit up, CBA contract and all?

As we write this piece, we have come to the realization that perhaps the focus of Gilas 3 should be to simply outscore opponents rather than trying to find the right balance between offense and defense. Don't get us wrong, we're not trying to sell you on the idea of abandoning defense altogether, we're just saying that perhaps we should go for broke and maximize our scoring prowess rather than always trying to match-up to our opponents.

Instead of bringing in two way players who are average on offense and defense but acceptable for both, why not bring in prime offensive weapons instead? No matter how you put it, basketball it still decided by the team that is able to score more than his opponent. Fact.

Dethroned

Old timers need some help
(Photo credit to Sports5.ph)

As you get older, there are certain things that you slowly realize:

Your timing is off; your mind knows what you want to do, but there seems to be a split second lapse between judgment and action.

You find yourself needing to exert more effort, to something that you would routinely perform. Be it running, jumping, hustling.

And when you find yourself in front of a wide-eyed youngster, who you know will always go left on a crossover, which he does, and you smile to yourself thinking "I got you!" only to hear the whistle-- or worse, lose your man completely as you turn your around and see him waltzing in for an easy lay-up.

Age. It happens to the best of us.

With yesterday's unceremonious sweep at the hands of the Alaska Aces in the Semifinals of the PBA Governor's Cup, the Purefoods STAR Hotshots find themselves officially dethroned in the 40th season of the league after taking home all three titles just the year before.

Is it time to rebuild?