Para sa bayan ?

(Photo credit: Rappler.com)

This was bound to happen.

Outgoing Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan recently confirmed that steps have already been taken to form a new Gilas Cadet squad akin to the SMART Gilas group of 2009. This is primarily due to the recent adjustments made by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to its basketball calendar.

See, the FIBA will no longer hold qualifying continental tournaments beginning 2017 and will instead hold a series of home-and-away matches in a year. This will basically make it difficult for the SBP and the Philippine Basketball Association (and any other professional league such as the NBA) to simply gather an All Star cast pre/mid/post season, send them to boot camp, and expect a medal finish.

They could, or we could, but just imagine how “empty” the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) would look if in a span of a three-conference season, the best players keep being pulled in and out of their mother teams who are not at all interested in a FIBA Gold Medal but more so on the TV-brand exposure that they can get whenever their team goes deep into the Playoffs.

Gilas OQT preps are in full swing

Who's joining Blatche?
(Photo credit: FIBA.com)

The month of May is almost coming to an end, which leaves Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin less than 50 days to trim down his 24-man pool to about 13-14 players.

From the PBA we have: Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ryan Reyes, Mo Tautuaa, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, L. A. Tenorio, Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Marcio Lassiter, June Mar Fajardo, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Paul Lee, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, and Marc Pingris.

From the amateur ranks we have Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Ferrer, Mac Belo, R. R. Pogoy, Russell Escoto and, fresh from his stint in the NBA D-League, Bobby Parks, Jr.

Slaughter and Rosser have already formally begged off from Gilas OQT duty owing to injuries, Tautuaa is no longer needed as Blatche is on his way back to serve as our naturalized reinforcement, while most of the amateurs have been sent to secure the SEABA gold medal: Ferrer, Belo, Pogoy and Escoto with PBA rookie Troy Rosario in tow.

Oh, hey, look! We were able to trim down the roster to 15 (16 if you count Blatche who is a lock):

Our RoS story and what's next

Photo credit: Sports5.ph

Unless it has not been made any more obvious, we are Rain or Shine Elastopainters fans. Since Yeng Guiao took over the reins and imprinted his basketball philosophies on an otherwise fresh yet bland product. Our loyalty to RoS was further cemented of course, when they drafted Paul Lee in 2011.

The first title, in 2012, came at the expense of then San Mig Coffee Mixers (now STAR Hotshots) which was still trying to build chemistry with 1st year head coach Tim Cone. We can still remember pieces of that championship run, and though RoS has always played with grit and intensity, the championship was gift-wrapped for them by super import Jamelle Cornley who would also later on win the Best Import award.

How good was Cornley?

Course correction

Welcome home. Now stay home.
(Photo credit: Spin.ph)

Well, someone has to say it.

Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. is NOT NBA material. Not yet, anyway.

We won't follow other writers who have nothing but good words to say about Parks, Jr. from the sacrifice that he made in playing in the Philippines to help his late father, to his time at National University. Instead, we will give interested readers an honest take on Parks, Jr. the basketball player and NBA hopeful.

He suited up for NU from 2011 to 2013, was recognized as the "face" of its basketball (and probably, at the time, its overall sports) program and averaged a stellar 20 ppg 7rpg 3apg 1spg 1bpg in his UAAP run wherein he was the MVP in seasons 74 and 75. He was that gifted. He was also featured on offense. A lot. NU basically ran everything through and by Parks, Jr. which is and was a far cry from all the stellar and creative offensive sets they ran post-Parks, Jr. en route to a UAAP crown just a few seasons ago.

What now, Alaska?

DEFIANT
(Photo credit: Spin.ph)

Following yesterday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 6 defeat at the hands of the Rain or Shine Elastopainters, a friend of ours over at Twitter said that this latest predicament does not hurt as much for the Alaska Aces’ #GatasRepublik .

She even joked about how they have lost so many times on that stage that they have grown apathetic and numb to the sensation of losing, disappointment, and pain in general.

But what is there to be sad about, really?

More than just Racal

RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH
(Photo credit: PBA.Inquirer.net)

Do not get us wrong, the Alaska Aces' rookie small forward Kevin Racal has been downright awesome in their last two victories in the ongoing PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. From not being able to get any floor time to averaging 27 minutes in the two games that he as played, Racal has filled a much-needed role for the Aces in their championship bout versus the Rain or Shine Elastopainters.

But it is not just Racal.

It is the entire team that has put in the work. Sure, newly-crowned Best Player of the Conference Calvin Abueva's numbers have risen (his rebounding numbers have grown in the last three games of the Finals), but it is the Aces' overall tenacity and commitment to playing with energy and focus that has helped them to force a 3-2 count in the Best of Seven series.

The question now is, can they force a 3-3- tie?

KKS Trade Reaction: STAR Reloaded

Garcia the STAR
(Photo credit: Interaksyon.com)

Once there was a wide-eyed young man named Jason who was given a champion car by his parents, who were both established champion racers. At the prodding of his parents, Jason quickly signed up for a race with the same car only to find himself falling short-- again and again.

That was when Jason realized that it might not be as easy as inheriting a simple champion car. That maybe, the driver needs to be up to that level as well.

Which brings us to the STAR Hotshots.

If you are a STAR fan who had to endure two conferences worth of abysmal coaching and subpar play, then please allow us to congratulate you. Your team was supposed to suck for a few more years owing to the title romp you enjoyed under the Tim Cone (and Joe DeVance) era. That was supposed to be the tradeoff for all those championshipsssss. But well, head Coach Jason Webb just found himself a few more "championship" pieces, young ones at that, to hopefully get back in the title race.

KKS Trade Reaction: Dehesa to GlobalPort

Dehesa moving up
(Photo credit: Rivals.ph)

We honestly do not know what is going on with the GlobalPort Batang Pier. One day they look and sound like they genuinely wish to build something special; to become Playoff contenders, the next day we hear that the owner has been calling out his players/ employees on his personal Facebook page, the coach gets "benched/ demoted" and this guy or that guy is going to be sent to this team or that team by next conference.

Are they a farm team? Are they the new "Barako Bull" of the PBA? Will Stanley Pringle/ Terrence Romeo be able to build and cement their PBA legacies under one franchise?

KKS Trade Reaction: Monfort to NLEX

Where did this guy's game go?
(Photo credit: Slamonline.ph)

Remember when we used to laud Marnel "Mac" Baracael as possibly the best two-way and PBA-ready player of the SMART Gilas I lot? A roster that boasts of Chris Tiu, JVee Casio, Mark Barroca and even the then unproven Fil-Am pair of Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz? We were that high on him, because he was that good a player.

Until he got drafted into the PBA.

For whatever reason, Baracael lost his way from being a legit "3 and D" guy who could cover spots 1 to 4 and somehow transformed into a mindless jackass, err, jacker. Defense? What defense?

This is why Emman Monfort's name is on this entry's title and not Baracael's. Because the 5"6 point guard who came out of the Ateneo basketball program has managed to make a name for himself in the pros, even when most had him pencilled as a future non-rotation player a.k.a. ABL/ D-League/ PCBL starter (this writer included).

On to the grades then.

PBA CC Finals: 3 Alaska vs 5 Rain or Shine

#IndieWars
(Photo: GMAnews.tv)

If the PBA were the WWE, then this match-up would be the equivalent of when Daniel Bryan finally FINALLY (and we think that's the only time they really went at it for a title) squared off with CM Punk for the heavyweight title in Over The Limit 2012. They are the Internet, Indie-darlings; the ones that "couldn’t really fill up a room;" the ones that only purists would truly love and appreciate for who they are and what they do in the ring.

Ladies and gentlemen the PBA gives to you, the Alaska Aces versus the Rain or Shine Elastopainters.

Finally, a PBA Finals that (hopefully) spares us from charges of game-fixing, ref-magic and the league being “scripted.” Both teams are widely recognized as almost impartial, having no affiliation with either the San Miguel (San Miguel, Ginebra, Star) or MVP (TNT, Meralco, NLEX) blocs. They also have little to no weight, when it comes to referees allegedly calling games in their favor. Hell, these two teams are the ones who usually find themselves on the receiving side of the shorter end of the stick if you will, so there.

No drama, just basketball.

adidas unveils new James Harden PEs

Photo credit: adidas

Designed to complement the Houston Rockets’ home and away uniforms, adidas introduces the latest James Harden PEs of the Crazylight Boost 2.5.

Home
The “Home” edition features a black and white upper with dual tones for clean yet bold design, while the shoe is also constructed with engineered webbing along the forefoot for added breathability. Red hits deliver pops of color on the outsole, heel tab and custom “13” wordmark to cap off the home tribute.

Dare to dream

Bring him in
(Photo credit: Rappler.com)

There is reason to believe in Gilas Pilipinas and its Coach Tab Baldwin other than blind fanaticism or patriotism.

With 65 calendar days left until the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (which opens in Manila from July 5 onwards), Coach Tab has finally submitted a 24-man pool to FIBA headquarters. We already know that 6"11 naturalized center Andray Blatche is a lock, and though we would have wanted maybe a name or two from the PBA to be added, the overall list sure as hell makes as believe that we could, at the very least, salvage even TWO preliminary wins (which in turn would allow us to advance into the next round, possibly even deeper).

Not a moral victory. Not a single win. But two wins. Three. Four. Maybe more.

Rio?

Anything is possible.