Back to the future

Is Sangalang ready to takeover?
(Photo credit to the owner)

This was supposed to be the year wherein expectations were to be set low while the STAR Hotshots make the transition from Tim Cone's rigid yet winning ways to Jason Webb's free-flowing, youth-oriented attack.

Don't tell that to the veterans.

Led by 2x PBA Most Valuable Player James Yap, the STAR Hotshots are fighting in games despite their current 1 win 2 losses card. Surprisingly, instead of the younger guys on the roster, it's Yap and Marc Pingris who are putting up the numbers and playing like they were freed from whatever shackle it was that held them back. Yap is taking more shots (his % suck, but shooters shoot) while Pingris is roaming and lurking. Sure, PJ Simon is playing less minutes but he is still their 3rd leading scorer behind Yap and Mark Barroca.

So where will the Hotshots go from here?


Like we said before, this team is still relatively in its prime. Yap, Pingris and Simon are still worth the money that they're being paid (which is rumored to be quite an exorbitant, blatantly illegal, amount) while the young nucleus of Barroca, Ian Sangalang and Alex Mallari continue to grow. They also found a gem of a rookie in wide-bodied 6"6 Norbert Torres who has unleashed a new facet to his game with the three ball.

Ah, the young ones.

Sangalang was supposed to make the leap this year; and it is pretty obvious that Coach Jason has a lot of trust in his 6"7 young forward. Unfortunately, he has been struggling to get into any rhythm that would make him the new "face" of the franchise but that should change soon as he continues to work his way back from injury.

Enter Barroca and Mallari.

While Sangalang struggles, Barroca and Mallari have become quite the 1-2 combo for STAR as a wiry, speedy backcourt. What both players give up on the weighing scale, they make up for in just speeding up the tempo and making sure that they always spread the floor for Sangalang and Yap to work in.

A few things we'd like to see from STAR is more consistency from Sangalang and maybe for Yap to continue his "return" to his old 2x PBA MVP form. Even if the bulk of his greatness was built around playing iso-basketball.

There is always life after Tim Cone.

Just ask Alaska.

Don't ask Allein.