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.



And rather than predictably building around bonafide PBA stars and former national team stalwarts David and Dillinger, Black went 360 and went with gung-ho forward Reynel Hugnatan as his centerpiece.

The team right now is scrappy, defensive-minded and just blue collar through and through. Though they don't really run any beautiful offensive patterns, they still manage to find ways to score and win games. Cliff Hodge still doesn't look like a decent basketball player, but at the very least he's making less mistakes and is moving with a purpose rather than just being a crazy bundle of energy. Sean Anthony is another solid pick-up at the 3-4 spot. Oh, and they recently brought in livewire Kelly Nabong, a 6"7 "Evil" Cliff Hodge. Yep, they all fit Hugnatan's kind of hustling, grit-and-grind basketball IMHO.

While the Bolts didn't make any of the three conferences' finals, they sure as hell gave other PBA teams quite the scare and maybe could have won a few more games had starting point guard Mike Cortez been healthy.

Which brings us to next season.

There are two holes on the Bolts' roster: a legitimate center for the future and a point guard who can keep everyone happy. Sure, the parts worked nicely as an interchangeable, cohesive unit last season, but a 6"7 forward is still a 6"7 forward at the end of the day when asked to guard 6"10 Junemar Fajardo or 7"0 Greg Slaughter in the paint.

We're not saying that the Bolts go on a mad hunt for a 7"0 of their own, just that they need a guy near that size who is already used to the banging and positioning down low. Basically, they need someone who has been playing center most of his basketball career and not the ones that were just put there because they were tall.

The 2015 PBA Draft could address this need, with the Bolts picking in the 1st round-- from guys like Norbert Torres of DLSU and Bradwyn Guinto of San Sebastian, there are some solid young bigs there to work with-- specially for a big man's coach like Black.

Then there is the point position wherein after Cortez, there's just no one suited for the job. They brought in some young guys, but none of them could command the veteran starters. Another challenge for the current back up point guards is that, since the team offers interchangeable wings, it doesn't necessarily mean that they can just get the ball wherever and make plays. There are nuances and sweet spots, which only a more savvy point guard would know. Unfortunately, the Bolts' best backup point guard-- Jai Reyes, is more natural born scorer than passer.

Our projected best five for the Bolts at the moment is: Cortez, David, Dillinger, Hugnatan and Hodge, with Anthony and Nabong coming off the bench which is about as nice, "interchangeable body parts" wise as it gets in the PBA. They're long, can run, shoot from time to time and basically hustle all over the floor.

It wouldn't be that far-fetched to put the Bolts as a deep playoff contender. Still maybe a piece or two away from being a regular in the PBA Finals picture though.