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| Show them who's Boss (Photo credit to the owner) |
Before you start telling us off about how different our teams our, just hear this RoS fan for a minute. We rose to the top somewhere in 2012, when we beat a champions-in-the-making STAR Hotshots side and continued to reach the Finals the next two to three years only to fail time and again to some established powerhouse. Your team? Well after the Cone Era, you beat Ginebra in the Finals, regrouped with a new coach but the same gung-ho style (although much freer), and reached the Finals again (twice) just last season only to fall to San Miguel.
Welcome to basketball bridesmaid purgatory.
Looking at the Aces' roster for the coming PBA Philippine Cup, not a lot of changes were made. The team added rookies Kevin Racal and Marion Magat, but we don't really expect them to contribute outright.
What we do expect is more exposure for Calvin Abueva, arguably the Aces' most prolific player who can change the outcome of a game by simply being involved through whatever. Coming off an impressive campaign with Gilas 3, Abueva should enjoy the confidence of both the Aces' coaching staff and management and really be allowed to run with the ball. Dondon Hontiveros also had a nice run with Gilas 3 (he all but secured us that Silver medal thanks to his breakout game versus Japan), but we are hoping that Rome dela Rosa and Racal get turns behind the aging Cebuano veteran and Cyrus Baguio.
Wait. What? Tony de la Cruz is still on the roster? Does Wilfred Uytengsu owe him money or something? Lol.
A bit of a concern here is that the Aces' front line seem relatively small with the young Magat, Eric Menk, Noy Baclao, Vic Manuel, Abueva and Sonny Thoss. While the Philippine Cup will allow Manuel and Abueva to run the opposition rugged, they'll soon find themselves in a bind against the taller teams (much like RoS).
Ah, Thoss.
We saw him valiantly fight tooth and nail with Gilas 3-- from getting clobbered bloody on the noggin in Chinese Taipei to serving as one of the resident enforcers in China. He still looked a bit slow, with logs for legs, but he was hustling to the best of his abilities.
If the Aces could find where the old Thoss went, he will instantly give them a huge chance and maybe even be on a level playing field against 2x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo and San Miguel and/ or Greg Slaughter and Ginebra. Thoss is (well, was) THAT good of a center on the block.
They don't need Thoss to be dominant, they just need him to be involved on both ends of the court. Give him some low post isolation plays from time to time to keep him happy, IMHO.
If Thoss plays up to par and Abueva and Manuel continue doing their thing, the Aces' can easily repeat last season's success-- surpass it even. They have the inside strength for it so...
... let's talk about their point guards, shall we?
JVee Casio is the incumbent with Ping Exciminiano as his back-up last season. RJ Jazul was "promoted" to being a full time shooting guard, while Chris Banchero's size allowed Coach Alex Compton to play him anywhere from 1 to 3.
In our honest opinion, since we are looking for someone to supplant Baguio and Hontiveros one day, is to move Casio to 2 on offense. Banchero, Exciminiano and even Jazul can work the 1.
You know, his natural position. Wherein he can work off screens and just shoot, shoot, shoot.
We hear that he's pretty good at shooting the three ball.
With most of today's teams opting for big guards with speed, the advantage lies at the 2 position wherein there are only a few slashers and more shooters who cannot really defend that well. Seriously. Name a starting 2 guard who plays defense in the PBA. We'll wait. Lassiter is one, but he plays the 3. And that's only San Miguel. Everyone else? Utak-score.
So that's where you can hide Casio. At the 2. Let him shoot.
#LetCasioBeCasio
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