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| Alaska's new muscle (photo credit: Inquirer.net) |
The former San Beda Red Lions players will each address glaring needs for both teams, which is why the trade makes a lot of sense on the surface. It is no secret that the Aces could use all the height and heft that they can get with all the injuries and team-administered suspensions while the Hotshots are still looking to plug a few holes in its rotation.
We also commend both teams, specifically coach Chito Victolero, for coming up with a "clean and fair" trade. As per reports, Coach Chito called his once-upon-a-time MBA point guard rival Coach Alex Compton to discuss the deal which was obviously well-received.
Aces: Pascual
Honestly, we were quite surprised to learn that it was the Hotshots who called the Aces AND offered Pascual. The hard-working forward was arguably the Hotshots' best and most physical post presence after veteran Marc Pingris, hence our shock.
On the flipside, the Aces received some more muscle in the paint after having to make do with Marion Magat (too skinny) and rookie Carl Bryan Cruz (willing but still raw). With Sonny Thoss still out and Calvin Abueva recovering from a quad tear, Pascual should make for a solid running mate with Vic Manuel in the post. His mobility, pocket jumper and willingness to set sturdy screens should also play to the Aces' advantage moving forward.
Grade: A
Hotshots: dela Rosa
Coach Chito has a plan here right?
Because we are looking at the Hotshots' bigs: Pingris, Ian Sangalang, Rafi Reavis, Aldrech Ramos, Rodney Brondial and Chris Javier, and are not too impressed. They are long, but they don't exactly instill fear in the hearts of many. Definitely not Ramos, baby-faced Brondial or the skinny and aging Reavis.
Though if the plan here is to commit to a running game with versatile bigs who can shoot from the outside then sure, we will give the Hotshots a fair shake. It is about damn time for Sangalang to break out of his post-injury slump and maybe Brondial (and even Javier) could be developed into rugged enforcers (cute).
Roster-wise, we like the dela Rosa acquisition because it gives them a natural small forward to work with. In the first two games, we saw Ramos at that spot for some weird reason. Maliksi started in the 3rd match, which they won, but then they were forced to go with PJ Simon in the 2nd unit because, well, they didn't have anyone to play the position naturally.
See, a wing should be able to cover a lot of ground on both offense and defense. That's why they're usually called the "utility/safety." Maliksi is more shooting guard than wing, but his size and agility allows him to play effective defense as a 3 for now. Simon? Nope. Ramos? This guy has improved, but he still can't move his feet quick enough to play 3 in the pros. Dela Rosa, if he plays his cards right, could be a lock in that position as soon as he buys into Coach Chito's program.
Grade: B
Who do you think will be most effective for their new team?
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