Break out!

Much improved.
(Photo credit to PBA.Inquirer.net)

We have always paid more attention to the PBA's first and opening conference, the Philippine (All Filipino) Cup more than the other two if only because it is the true showcase of Filipino basketball talent and skill on the professional level. Once the imports come into play in the next two conferences, a lot of our guys are pushed aside in favor of those admittedly amazing athletic specimens most of whom have played the sport on an entirely different level from our homegrown guys.

Now that the PBA Philippine Cup is nearing its conclusion, please allow us to praise some of the guys who outdid themselves this conference. It would be quite easy to talk about the Junemar Fajardos, Greg Slaughters and Jayson Castros, so let us turn the spotlight to the unheralded players who put up (near) superstar numbers shall we? The jury is out if the guys that we will mention below will be able to carry over their success once the foreign reinforcements arrive so this shout out piece is probably the best that we could do for them at the moment.

1. Sean Anthony, SF/PF, NLEX
20ppg 12rpg 3apg
What a conference has it been for the returning Road Warrior. Anthony enjoyed a career conference through sheer hard-work and tenacity. The offense wasn't exactly built around him but rather, he was just outworking everyone for rebounds, possessions and what not. You could say that in a way, he looked like what Meralco hopes Cliff Hodge would be-- a nicer, TV friendly Calvin Abueva (minus the guard skills of course, but who knows, if Anthony puts his head into it anything is possible right?).

2. Willy Wilson, PF, Barako Bull
18ppg 12rpg 3apg
At 35 and playinf for a team that is reportedly on its way out of the league, this is what Wilson needed to do to prolong his PBA career. Coach Koy Banal gave him the minutes, and the hard-nosed forward pretty much took the ball and ran with it-- all 6"2 of him battling 6"5, 6"7 and even 7"0 bigs. This being said, we are not too sure if he can sustain his magical run next conference, not with added foreign giants in the mix.

3. Vic Manuel, PF, Alaska
16ppg 8rpg 3apg
Right now, Manuel has taken the crown from Aces' franchise center Sonny Thoss as the team's best high to low post option-- and he is still playing only about 25 minutes a game tops! The Muscle Man looks to have found a niche not only with the Aces but in the league in general, being only one of a handful of power forwards who has legit back-to-the-basket game.

4. RR Garcia, PG, Barako Bull
17ppg 3rpg 2apg
Finally. He will probably have a hard time catching up to buddy Terrence Romeo, but before he got hurt Garcia showed that he is just as good coming out of the collegiate ranks-- if not better and more efficient. Question now is, will he remain with Barako until the season ends?

5. Aldrech Ramos, PF, Mahindra
16ppg, 7rpg, 2apg
Still soft, but still silky smooth with his mid-range jumpshots. What you don't want to happen here is for Ramos to regress next conference, and ask/ try to play small forward for Coach Chito Victolero with rookie Bradwyn Guinto as power forward and their import at center. Oh God, please no.

6. Jericho Cruz, SG, Rain or Shine
13ppg 3rpg 2apg
Cruz plays a couple of minutes less than Manuel, but provides his team with basically almost the same impact as injured star Paul Lee would. Okay, that is a stretch since Lee does so much on the floor, but scoring and slashing wise, Cruz has shown to be always ready to attack which is something that has earned him minutes on Coach Yeng Guiao's otherwise loaded guard rotation.

7. Carlo Lastimosa, SG, Blackwater
17ppg 3rpg 3apg
The Nephew is not as smart as his Uncle, but is definitely a much prolific scorer. There are times when he still looks lost on offense, but having a kuya like Mike Cortez to get him the ball at his preferred spots has obviously made his life a lot easier.

8. JP Erram, C, Blackwater
12ppg 8rpg 1apg
The other Ateneo guy who fulfilled all the hopes and dreams we had for Noy Baclao. Move him full time to power forward as a weak side operator and watch him shine a bit more.

9. LA Revilla, PG, Mahindra
13ppg 4rpg 4apg
It's SHOWTIME! This kid is having quite the PBA renaissance after a medical issue-plagued collegiate basketball career and a ho-hum rookie season. For one, Revilla isn't fazed by the giant-sized competition in the pro ranks and seems to be at ease at all times. He breaks out a few fancy dribbling exhibition here and there, but nothing out of his team's offense or would alienate his teammates. He still remains to be a pass-first point guard and we would daresay his assists numbers would skyrocket had he been playing with better teammates. He reminds us a lot of young Froilan Baguion and L.A. Tenorio, hopefully his health continues to hold along with his growth on the court.

10. JC Intal, SF, Barako Bull
13ppg 7rpg 2apg
Finally. Still not the superstar that we had hoped for, but after the Gilas exposure and all, this is probably the best PBA Intal we will ever get to see-- which isn't all that bad, really.

Who else made an impression this conference? Be heard on @kilikilishot