The Maverick

Photo: Manila Bulletin

This writer has to be honest with you, as a former Rain or Shine Elastopainters fan during head coach Yeng Guiao's initial run, I was not too thrilled when the team opted to draft one Maverick Ahanmisi over the NCAA triple-double machine Scottie Thompson in the 2015-2016 PBA Draft.

Sure, he was a legitimate US NCAA Division 1 talent for the University of Minnesota, but he averaged a little under 3 points and 1 rebound a game for his entire career. Though we were already in the age of social media, there was simply little to no talk of his game-- which was telling at the time, considering every Fil-foreigner looking for a PBA run had a (self-made) video montage on YouTube already (re: Julius Pasculado.

Additionally, this was during RoS' Paul Lee's final year with the team. So there was pressure from fans and management to find someone suitable to carry the team post-Lee. That being said, Lee left (after winning a title mid-season), Guiao left, and Ahanmisi averaged a little under 10 points and 3 assists in 25-26 minutes of play.

Remember the Milkmen

On March 22, 2022, the storied Alaska Aces/ Milkmen franchise officially disbanded after joining the league in 1986 en route to 14 championships highlighted by the 1996 grand slam.

Photo: abs-cbn.com

As Filipino basketball fans, we were spoiled by the level of excellence, class, and integrity that the Aces franchise displayed at all times under the watch of owner Wilfred Uytengsu. The first chapter featured the uphill climb into greatness headed by Coach Tim Cone, with stars like Jojo Lastimosa, Johnny Abarrientos, Bong Hawkins, and Jeffrey Cariaso, to name a few. When the Grand Slam was achieved, they quickly retooled to further improve their ranks with the addition of Kenneth Duremdes and Rodney Santos. At the turn of the century, they featured names such as Don Allado, Ali Peek, Mike Cortez, and John Arigo.

Post-PBA Bubble Thoughts

The Return of the Comeback in 2021

Happy New Year!

Here's a virtual hug and fist bump to all of our friends who continue to push through and soldier on in spite of the pandemic and this prolonged quarantine. This is probably for the best, although from where we're seated we could only hope and wish that our government continues to improve and learn where it can to be of better assistance to our countrymen. 

Okay, so we kind of blew it with the PBA Bubble Finals prediction. Though I did say that my gut feel was for Ginebra. I simply went with the more logical choice which was TNT who was rolling at the time and Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. who was looking every bit like the PBA superstar we all thought he'd become-- as early as what, four, five years ago?

Unfortunately, Parks, Jr. went down with an injury. The veteran anchor Jayson Castro followed suit and though RR Pogoy put up a valiant effort he was also hit by the injury bug. Ginebra? They stayed the course. Coach Tim Cone went to his trusted leader, L.A. Tenorio, to break down the TNT defense by outclassing his defenders.

DMND.

Calvin Abueva.

Calvin Abueva.

Some say the troubled Phoenix LPG Fuel Masters wingman is the embodiment of all things Pinoy old school basketball. Others argue that he is an irritant, an uneducated, unfiltered troublemaker who seeks and thrives in all of the media attention.

Currently, he is serving an indefinite suspension-- the longest in league history, since June 2019. PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has gone on record several times to say that there's a 'to do list' for Abueva to be able to have his suspension lifted, with the Final decision still up to the board. 

There are those who wish for Abueva to be reinstated, if only to be able to provide a decent living for his family, given the length of the days that he has already served. There are those who wish for the league to kick Abueva out of the PBA altogether, to serve as an example for what not to do as a professional basketball player.  

2019 PBA Mock Draft Version 1.0

Go number 1?
(Photo credit: ABS CBN Sports)

Mark your calendars as we are all set to welcome some new blood into the Philippine Basketball Association by way of the 2019 PBA Draft this Sunday, December 8.

Though it's rather unfortunate that some favorites and household names have already opted to skip this year's affair for one reason or another, this is a great opportunity for those who have decided to take a leap of faith to show just how good they are. In the previous years, we've seen a lot of NCAA standouts being picked in the 1st round over the more 'mainstream' UAAP hopefuls. Just this season, we were treated to the brilliance of Columbian' CJ Perez, the 1st overall pick, and Northport's Robert Bolick.

As per my previous Mock Drafts in the old blog: kilikilishot.blogspot.com ; we're going with who we feel each team needs and who's the best available.

Let's go!

1 Columbian - Roosevelt Adams, G/F
While the media continues to push Go down our throats, don't be surprised if this 6"5 Fil-Am ends up going 1st overall seemingly out of nowhere. Honestly, I've seen him play enough to be convinced that he has great potential-- he can knock down 3s, he rebounds, he doesn't force the issue and at 6"5 could easily be a match-up nightmare right away vs most of the PBA wings. Pairing Adams with Perez would be great on paper, with one guy slashing to the basket and the other knocking down 3s.

2 Blackwater - Isaac Go, C 
The Ateneo big man has been making waves as the potential top pick this year, but we feel like he'll slide down 1 spot to the more versatile Adams. Which isn't all that bad considering the guy's never been a career 10-10 machine. At best, he put up 9 points and 5 boards en route to a PBA D League MVP trophy. Still, the silver lining here is that you've got a kid who is coachable, has a soft touch and looks like he's willing to be great and just play his role. Also, 6"8 is 6"8 in a league currently being dominated by the 5x PBA MVP, 6"10 Junemar Fajardo.



3 NLEX - Rey Suerte, SG
Before he suited up for UE in the UAAP, Suerte was already making waves as a 2x CESAFI MVP. That alone should tell you that yes, this guy is good. Imagine him running with Kiefer Ravena and Jericho Cruz, as Kevin Alas continues to work his way into form and you're looking at a very dangerous NLEX backcourt.

4 Alaska - Sean Manganti, SF
Because you know, this Manganti kid and Alaska just goes together. Solid wing who can make shots, move the ball and play defense. At 6"5 he can play the 3 while Ahanmisi and Teng take care of the backcourt. All of a sudden, the Aces will be bigger at positions 1-3.

5 Rain or Shine - Jerrick Balanza, SG/ SF
What a feel good story which we feel has prepared Balanza mentally for the tough PBA grind ahead. He's a tough-as-nails, old school scorer who can get the job done on both ends of the floor with a lot of grit. Playing behind Kuya Rey Nambatac and Javee Mocon will also help in Balanza's development.

6 Rain or Shine - Aaron Black, SG
Just a hunch here, but we feel that RoS might take a gamble on Black who has shown flashes here and there. Sure, he's no Chris Newsome, but RoS management, specially Coach Caloy Garcia, has always had a penchant for players who look and play a certain way-- Sol Mercado, Mav Ahanmisi. Could very well be a sleeper and sound contributor to the RoS system.

7 Meralco - Arvin Tolentino, PF 
Prodigal son. Tolentino is too talented not to be a first round pick, and we feel that he's matured enough after his Ateneo exit while playing for FEU and in the MPBL. Yes, from time to time, you do feel like he's playing like one of those 'rich boys' who don't want to get hurt, don't want to get into scuffles and absolutely won't dive for any loose balls. But then you see him making a suave move that leads to a nice jumper and say 'hey, this kid is pretty good.' This kid reminds me a lot of Mark Borboran, only chubbier and not as hustle-ish. Wait. Yeah, Borboran.

8 Northport - Bonbon Batiller, SG
Keeping it all in the family, but this time, addressing an obvious need in terms of firepower while Bolick recovers from injury. His familiarity with Coach Pido (by way of Coach/ Manager Bonnie Tan) will give him a boost of confidence, specially on a 'hungry' team like NP that doesn't seem to mind who scores the basket as long as everything runs through Christian Standhardinger first, everyone else, second.

9 Magnolia - Richard Escoto, PF/C

This team needs all the big men that they can get. Stat. Escoto fits the bill and has enough experience, so should be an easy fit right away. For now, it's Escoto or some one else who's over 6"4. It just doesn't make any sense if they go for a guard at this point.

10 Ginebra - Matt Nieto, PG 
Call it a hunch but we feel that the search for L.A. Tenorio's heir apparent (provided Scottie Thompson continues to play the 2-3 spot opposite Stanley Pringle) is going to be addressed next year through ADMU point man Nieto. At 6"0, Nieto has the size and speed to keep up with most PBA point guards while also being capable enough to run plays (hell, he spent majority of his collegiate career running plays for Tab Baldwin). But what's a bit under-the-radar about Nieto, which I've seen in flashes, is his ability to make clutch shots which should be a welcome, 'low key' addition to Ginebra.

11 TNT - Allyn Bulanadi, SG
A floor-spacing lefty that would fit in nicely to TNT's high-octane, European-style offense. He has good PBA size for a 2-guard and should be a threat on the floor when left open (mostly when guys go and chase after Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy). His defense may need a bit of work, yes, but if it's just about getting buckets, Bulanadi's arguably Top 3 in this list.

12 San Miguel - Kib Montalbo, PG
Remember when Kib was that skinny superstar youth coming out of Bacolod? He's come a long way since the, winning a championship in college before opting to play in the MPBL to help polish his game. Montalbo quietly made a name for himself through his defense, and it should be nice learning the ropes from Chris Ross.

Your thoughts? @kilikilishot on Twitter !

#NarvasaResign

Man on fire
(photo courtesy of Rappler,com)

It has been a while, and we are quite thankful that there are some of you who still patronize this page and digest whatever understanding of Philippine basketball we have to offer despite the dwindling number of entries.

We have apologized quite a few times already, so there is no point in adding yet another paragraph just to do so. Long story short: life happens.

That being said, PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa has recently come under fire after 1) approving a "lopsided" trade that sent the 2017 PBA Draft 1st pick Christian Standhardinger to the San Miguel Beermen and 2) revealing that it was TNT personnel Magnum Membrere who processed Standhardinger's Draft Application, which put TNT under a bad light obviously.

PBA PhC QF: 2 Alaska vs 7 Ginebra

NGANGA
(Photo credit: Sports5)

No Quit Squad v Never Say Die.

Ginebra is not the team you'd want to face in the Playoffs, despite their low seeding. However, Alaska is also not the team that you'd want to face on the same stage, unless you're San Miguel and pretty much own their asses until proven otherwise.

So here is what we know: Alaska beat Ginebra 101-86 in a game wherein Japeth Aguilar, who is having a great conference so far, had some drama which resulted in him being disciplined by Coach Tim Cone by way of coming off the bench. This move backfired somewhat, because Aguilar dutifuly responded by scoring 12 points on 10 shots with ZERO rebounds in 23 minutes.
ZERO rebounds for a 6"9 guy who is unmatched by the other team.

Some things never change. Lol.

PBA Ph Cup/Season Preview

The Face That Runs The Place
(Photo courtesy: philstar.com)

The new PBA season opens this November 20 and while official line-ups have yet to be announced, we could more or less predict who is coming in as conference/season favorites (unless a league balance shaking scenario happens i.e. Tim Cone moving/being moved to Ginebra last pre-season).

The Favorites

San Miguel Beermen
The defending PBA Philippine Cup champions will once again rely on 3x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo to spearhead their title defense, with veterans Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter all ready to chip in. Honestly, the way the league is being officiated at the moment, there is just no way to stop Fajardo in the post. This basically means that teams will have to keep more than one guy on Fajardo, which in turn opens up the floor for SMB’s shooters to pick their spots. They lost little used Ryan Arana but somehow ended up with former high school phenom Keith Agovida AND, more importantly, UAAP MVP RR Garcia. Arnold Van Opstal won’t be a threat right away, but anytime you can have another warm body—standing at an athletic and well-cut 6”9 at that, is always a plus.

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?

2016 PBA GC QF: 3 Ginebra vs 6 Alaska

It's Japeth's time
(Photo credits to the owner)

Paki taas lang po ng kamay yung mga Alaska fans na nakahinga ng maluwag na hindi San Miguel ang napares sa kanila sa Quarterfinals. Seriously, we wouldn’t blame the Gatas Republic if they have developed some sort of Beermen-trauma by now.

That being said, it should be rather entertaining to see the “Never Say Die” heirs squaring off with the “No Quit Squad” with much of the focus squarely on Calvin Abueva. It is no secret that Abueva loves to play against Ginebra (and their legion of fans); and that since he has been inserted into the starting unit the Aces have been on a roll in the PBA Governor’s Cup.

Here is how we see the match-ups playing out:

No gentleman

E DI WOW!
(Photo credit: Spin.ph)

Well that was funny.

In case you missed it, the entire Globalport Batang Pier coaching staff and management opted not to shake the hands of their conquerors, the NLEX Road Warriors, after their game last night. The Warriors won 114-98, but not before calling a timeout in the dying seconds which drew the Batang Pier's ire.

See, there are two unwritten but universally observed "gentlemen's" basketball rules:

Back on track

Sol Train cometh

Historically speaking, we have always been pretty hard on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel's Sol Mercado. If you were to check our Twitter posts about him, we almost always critique him for being the same damn player today as when he entered as the 5th pick in the 2008 PBA Draft.

But that is only because we saw a lot of tools in the Biola University product which could have made him one of the premier players in the league. Hell, he even looked like he was ready to break through the glass ceiling that one season with the Meralco Bolts before they inexplicably sent him elsewhere. Last year with Ginebra, we thought that he could contribute under then head coach Frankie Lim. Not a lot, but there is always some use for a power guard in a league that is known for its physicality.

Straight outta patience

#wenotme , definitely.

Because we are ‘hood like that.

Seriously though, it must be tough to be an Alaska Aces fan these days. The system that is being run by coach Alex Compton obviously works thanks to the four PBA Finals trips but you cannot help but question if your team is actually good enough to win it all.

Good enough; if only Coach Alex would play certain guys longer, or maybe not choose to sit down whoever’s having a near-career night, maybe go younger, and so on.

“This is Alaska! We are #wenotme ! You are not allowed to play 35 minutes, score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds unless you are an import! Sit down! Where’s Tony? Ref, suuuuuubbbbb...”

You get the picture.

Starting over again

Say hello to Cyrus Baguio, shooting guard for Phoenix Petroleum.

I remember the first time I saw Baguio play. I was studying in LSGH, rooting for the back-to-back seeking DLSU Green Archers in the 1999 UAAP Finals. I didn’t know much about the UST Growling Tigers as my understanding of the sport was still developing, but from Games 1 to 3, I knew that Baguio was special.

He was a high-flyer by trade, an unstoppable slasher who would (and did) dunk on sleeping fools with no hesitation. He is basically cut from the same cloth as a Terrence Romeo. Pass? Just give them the ball and get out of the way.

The Final Cut

Two of the best.
(Photo credit: Nuki Sabo, PBA Images)

Or cuts.

Though we are not privy to the Gilas Pilipinas on-goings, it would not be much of a stretch to say that it was probably quite a painful task to cut proven stars, point guard L.A. Tenorio and small forward Calvin Abueva, from the Final 12 that will represent the country in the coming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament this July.

With all due respect to the Final 12, which we will write about on a separate entry, Tenorio and Abueva are arguably the best players at their natural positions today.

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?

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.

PBA CC SF: 2 Meralco vs 3 Alaska

This is why he's here
(Photo credit: PBA.Inquirer.net)

Just a couple of entries ago, we remember mentioning how the Meralco Bolts and the Alaska Aces are arguably the only PBA teams that would remind you of how college ball is played: all grit, hustle, frenetic pace, some ugly offense here and there but more or less players running their respective systems to a perfect "T."

Now, we will be able to see which team runs the better set/s and who will advance to the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals.

There are also other interesting back stories here; such as how former Aces coach Luigi Trillo is now part of the Bolts' team. For those who are new here, Trillo is the man behind the Aces' resurgence post-Tim Cone. He is the guy who drafted Calvin Abueva and changed a then dated culture/ philosophy. He is also the guy who brought in another current Aces' star: Vic Manuel. Good or bad, he has a lot of inside track on the Aces' core players.

Sige na nga, count na natin yung Ryan Buenafe potential "look at me now" revenge game.

Babyfat Assassin FTW 

PBA CC Playoffs: 3 Alaska vs 6 Tropang TNT

He's baaaaaack
(Photo credit: PBA.Inquirer.net)

We are in for a basketball classic.

Before we proceed, was there ever a need for the Alaska Aces to switch back to original import Robert Dozier, Jr. after his replacement Shane Edwards masterfully led them, technically, all the way up to the 3rd spot in the PBA Commissioner's Cup?

Well, Coach Alex Compton appears to think so as he chose to activate Dozier, Jr. in yesterday's game versus the NLEX Road Warriors. The Aces will rely mostly on the exploits of Calvin Abueva (28m/18p/8r/3a), Chris Banchero (25/9/4/1), RJ Jazul (25/11/3/2), Sonny Thoss (24/10/4/1) and Vic Manuel (21/14/5/1), since based on the NLEX game it appears that Dozier, Jr. will need maybe another game or two to really get back into the scheme of things.

The problem here is that, they are going to face the defending CC champions who could've easily been atop the standings had they not been hit with the Ivan Johnson drama early which almost put their campaign at risk. It took time for them to regroup around David Simon (37/24/16/3), but make no mistake, TNT is a lot better than their 6th seeding suggests.

Life goes on

Front and center: The Beast
(Photo credit: PBA.Inquirer.net)

Proving to one and all that there is more to life than being sweeped in a Finals and historically overturned in the next, the Alaska Aces are back in the hunt this PBA Commissioner's Cup with a 6 wins and 3 losses record. The Aces even has a chance to make the top spot, if they can salvage their last two games versus the league-leading Meralco Bolts and NLEX Road Warriors.

Leading the charge is import Shane Edwards (37mp 23ppg 13rpg 3apg) who appears to be here to stay after replacing Rob Dozier, Jr. early this conference. He is followed by Calvin Abueva (27mpg 17ppg 8rpg 3apg), Vic Manuel (22mpg 14ppg 5rpg 1apg), Sonny Thoss (24mpg 10ppg 4rpg), Chris Banchero (26mpg 9ppg 3rpg 4apg) and RJ Jazul (24mpg 10ppg). Save for old hand Thoss, the Aces are going with a new approach it seems as we no longer see heavy minutes given to the likes of Cyrus Baguio, Tony dela Cruz and Dondon Hontiveros. Starting point guard JVee Casio is still on the sidelines nursing an injury, if we remember correctly.

Now here is the question in everyone's minds: do the Aces have enough to challenge their grandslam-seeking tormentors, the San Miguel Beermen?