Building blocks

Sino ba bebenta?
(Photo credit: DZRHnews website)

Three more teams have been eliminated in the on-going 2016 PBA Governor's Cup: the NLEX Road Warriors, Alaska Aces and Rain or Shine Elastopainters. Their exit also officially puts an end to their season, which was pretty much successful for both the Aces (back-to-back Finals runners-up) and Elastopainters (2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup champions) while a bit mediocre for the Road Warriors.

So what is next for these three teams? Where did they succeed (and fail) on the court from our perspective?

Also, and what is up with all these rumors?


NLEX Road Warriors
Head coach Boyet Fernandez' job was reportedly on the line this season, as top management (read: Team MVP) was not pleased with the way he was handling his players. The offense has been a disaster, there is an obvious over-reliance on a 43-year-old Asi Taulava, and the young backcourt duo of Kevin Alas and Garvo Lanete appear to be not being developed as much as every one has hoped.

Still, you could make an argument that a "core" is slowly being built with Alas, Lanete, Jonas Villanueva, Sean Anthony, Glenn Khobuntin and new recruit Mac Baracael. They signed Taulava for two more years, so here is to hoping that his body holds up while they find and groom someone to eventually replace him.

They don't need a double-double guy like Taulava even, not with their perimeter firepower. Just someone who can play intimidating post defense, make an open basket or two and rebound the basketball enough to allow Alas and Lanete to run the break.

Ah, running the break-- an offensive approach that Coach Boyet seems to be completely oblivious too. Maybe because he's tailor-made his offense to involve Taulava, who is his biggest asset (literally), but he should know that it impedes the strengths (and growth) of pretty much everyone else on the roster (okay, maybe except Enrico Villanueva, who is on the same boat as Taulava).

Lastly, please trade Mac Cardona if you are not going to use him. The man can still play and contribute, he has given his prime years to both TNT and Meralco. Do him right and maybe he can get his (off-court) life together with it.

Alaska Aces
Here is to the Aces, a bullish bunch who over-achieved given their sham of a roster. Aging veterans playing more than they should, young guys being corralled and the further domestication of Calvin Abueva. The Philippine Cup loss was and is historically painful, there is no need to explain that any further. The Commissioner's Cup loss showed resolve, even if they just didn't have enough to get the job done. They made it into the Playoffs of the Governor's Cup, while in the middle of battling late-season rebuilding (they sent Cyrus Baguio away, Tony de la Cruz is now more of a bench-fixture while Dondon Hontiveros is also sparingly used) and injuries.

Save for not winning any of the three championships, Alaska had a great season.

Now that we think about, we believe that the Aces' real strength and ploy is to simply "rope a dope" opponents into submission. They all look well-conditioned, they play the same type of defense in the 1st quarter as they do in the 4th... so all the "comebacks" could've been planned right from the get go. Maybe that's a stretch of a conspiracy theory or tactic, but it does allow their "limited" roster to outlast their opponents and stage huge rallies right?

Next season, we'd love for the Aces to unleash Abueva. Full time. Enough of this #wenotme bullshit. Johnny Abarrientos shone brightest in the 90s. Same way with Kenneth Duremdes, then Miller, Thoss. Rotate your guys all you want, but please spare Abueva from the pangs of having to lead one-man comebacks all by himself.

The guy's a Beast, but he's also just human.

Our projected starting five? Chris Banchero, Abueva, Kevin Racal, Vic Manuel and Sonny Thoss.

Everyone else is expendable/ can and should be rotated.

Lastly, why can't rumors of the Aces franchise being on sale ever die?

Rain or Shine Elastopainters
There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team at the moment.

After winning the 2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup title, guys were left unsigned for some reason. Their contracts were extended just enough to finish the season-ending conference, but as of today there's Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, JR Quinahan and a few others who have yet to sign year(s)-long extensions.

Heck, we even heard somewhere that Coach Yeng Guiao still hasn't signed a new deal with RoS.

Rumors have it that Guiao will leave RoS for a new team, and that he will bring some of those "expired contract" players with him. Some say that RoS is up for sale. Rumors, rumors, rumors. As an RoS fan, we are not at all pleased with the current state of our team.

What pleases us however, are the new guys: Maverick Ahanmisi has proven to be quite a gem of a point guard. He is not a scorer, but he can light it up when left open. He plays solid defense, takes care of the basketball and is just crazy efficient. Jericho Cruz has also blossomed into a scoring threat, arguably the most "aggressive" 6th man in the PBA today. Don Trollano loves to shoot. Jewel Ponferrada can give Belga, Quinahan and even Raymond Almazan a fight for the minutes should they slack off.

If RoS is able to bring everyone back next conference, we feel that this team has a shot at the Philippine Cup title which has eluded Coach Yeng his entire career.

If they break up the band (most likely owing to who gets max money), it's going to be interesting to see if Coach Yeng can work his magic once more.

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