All eyes on the Fireball

The Fireball's running away
with the ball in Rajko's system

Let's get one thing straight: contrary to popular belief, we are actually closet supporters of Barako Bull Energy's Josh "The Fireball" Urbiztondo.

We've written entries about him not being the prototypical point guard, and that he is pretty much the Fil-Am version of shoot-first, pass-later local floor generals Celino Cruz and Rudy Lingganay. But underneath all that, we have no gripes against him having been a former Santa Lucia Realtor (and we always show love to our departed Realtors franchise personnel no matter where they are or go).

Okay, back to Urbiztondo and how he has emerged under the dreaded "Rajko System" of former national team head coach and now Energy team consultant Rajko Toroman. At the moment, Urbiztondo is averaging a league 3rd-best 17+ points (behind premier scorers Mark Caguioa of Ginebra and Gary David of Global Port), 7th best 4.4 assists and 2nd-best 1.8 steals. A chink on his armour of course, that pretty much cancels out his assist averages are his turnovers which is a league-worst 4.2.

#NoBenta

Off night or on purpose?

Last night’s 93-72 drubbing of the Barako Bull Energy squad by then winless Barangay Ginebra San Miguel left a sour taste in the mouths of most non-Ginebra fans.

If you’ve been paying close attention to how the Energy has been playing this conference, there are only two explanations for yesterday’s semi-alarming debacle. The team looked listless and lethargic, the defense was mostly man-to-man with little to no resistance to drives into the lane and the offense couldn’t have been anywhere near a Rajko Toroman-coached, urm, consulted squad.

Barako Bull on the rise

Allein Maliksi gets another shot
at superstardom

The team that gets the most number of players is usually the winner of any or all professional transactions no matter the starpower involved. You could always argue in favor of whichever team gets to bring home the former league MVP or All Star, but at day's end, four solid rotation players is still better than a star who has hit the proverbial "glass ceiling" and an under-rated, under-sized four man.

Gone are Ronald Tubid, Leo Najorda and Lester Alvarez from the Barako Bull Energy's roster and in their place are former PBA Finals MVP Jonas Villanueva, UAAP Finals MVP Jojo Duncil, college star JC Intal and PBA D-League MVP Allein Maliksi. As you can see, the letters "MVP" are spread evenly among those young thoroughbreds and that they are all young, athletic, have legit basketball skills (except maybe for Intal who has yet to find a niche in the league thus the inconsistency). Villanueva can orchestrate and, given the minutes, belongs atop the PBA's best floor generals. Duncil is a clutch jumpshooter who has the size and speed to play the two spot. Intal is crazy athletic and can get streaky from time to time. Then there's the other guy, Maliksi-- who is making a "homecoming" of sorts to the team that drafted him last season, who can pretty much hold his own against the league's premier scorers from Gary David to Mark Caguioa.

San Mig Coffee bets the house on Mallari

More "you reach, I teach" sessions for Mallari
now that he's with James Yap

What a difference back-to-back ass-whoopings makes in the PBA huh?

In a surprising turn of events, the San Mig Coffee Mixers decided to part ways with underutilized yet very promising former PBA Finals MVP Jonas Villanueva, JC Intal and Aldrech Ramos to bring in Petron's rookie Alex Mallari, Barako Bull veteran and under-sized power forward Leo Najorda and another rookie pint-sized point guard Lester Alvarez.

See, we tried to defend this move by saying that the Mixers did it in order to stretch their rotation and become "deeper." Then we took a look at the names on the roster, the ones that they're sending away and the ones who are coming in and it didn't take too long for us to realize that that rationale wasn't going to stick. There's Villanueva, a guy who was plagued by injuries under head coach Tim Cone but showed that he knew how to run the point position to a "T" when he's healthy. Intal may have not blossomed into the elite perimeter defender/ Scottie Pippen to James Yap's Michael Jordan project that we all hoped for but the guy has tremendous hops and can move on the hard court. Then there's rookie Aldrech Ramos, a 6"7 guy who plays defense and has a nice soft touch from the perimeter.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Hay salamat Panginoon at natupad
ang dasal ko na mabalik sa contender

What a day it has been for local professional basketball-- while it may not look like much, anytime you can get five teams to agree on a deal that would have ten guys changing uniforms no matter their status in the league, this "mega deal" could prove to help balance a top heavy PBA come next conference.

To summarize, here are the guys who were part of the trade and where they have landed:

Ronald Tubid: Petron Blaze Boosters
Mac Baracael: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Aldrech Ramos: Alaska Aces
Alex Mallari, Leo Najorda and Lester Alvarez: San Mig Coffee
JC Intal, Jonas Villanueva, Allein Maliksi and Jojo Duncil: Barako Bull Energy

Now to help keep things interesting (and give us entries to have fun with while waiting for the Commissioner's Cup to start), we will split the entries into three parts. Since San Mig Coffee and Barako Bull got the most players out of the deal, it is only just that we give those teams separate entries all to themselves.

A tale of three coaches

Sumusunod sa galaw mo
(Photo from Spin.Ph)

With the rebuilding process already underway for the teams that have been eliminated in the Philippine Cup, reports have it that there will be three new head coaches come next conference. One is a fiery long-haired mentor whose claim to fame is winning in the amateurs and letting his hair down with victories. Another is the epitome of 1970s Pinoy Macho, complete with pomade and porn-stache. Then there's another one, who hasn't signed yet but is rumored to be going that direction, a guy who reminds you of your favorite odd uncle who laughs with you most of the time but will call you out with curses the next to straighten you out.

Alfrancis Chua (Barangay Ginebra San Miguel)
The writing was on the wall the very first time the pony-tailed tactician made an appearance on the Ginebra sidelines. Fans were clamoring for change, the players were becoming restless with the oddball rotation and rolls being handed them-- the timing couldn't have been better for Chua to step in. Though it took two-three conferences to happen, probably so that Chua can have a feel for the team first, Ginebra desperately needed change. Players weren't responding quite as well to former coach Siot Tangquincen's system and there were a lot of head-scratching decisions being made left and right. The last we saw of Chua (we're Santa Lucia diehards, we know how he is), he is a guy who preaches the run-and-gun system and is very strict.

Swak sa lakas ang Barako Bull

Keep throwin' 'em 'bows Enrico

Better yet, "Oooohhh---sssSSsssWAHK! sa lakas ang BARAKO BOOOL. Swak sa lakas ang Barako Bull!"

Sorry, but the catchy jingle never fails to humor us as it does seem pretty apt for such a testosterone-laden product and basketball team. If you want Pinoy macho on the hardcourt, then look no further than the Barako Bull Energy Cola's intimidating frontline of Enrico Villanueva, Doug Kramer, Jondan Salvador, Mick Penissi and rookie Dave Marcelo. Throw in bloodhounds like Josh Urbiztondo, Ronald Tubid and Roger Yap, and you could pretty much overlook the on-and-off performances of arguably the team's best player (on a good, healthy day) "Dynamite" Danny Seigle. Oh, and nothing speaks Pinoy Macho more than head coach Junel Baculi's slick-back hairdo and 80s porn-moustache.

Every man for himself

Where'd this guy go?

The Petron Blaze Boosters finally looked like a team on the floor last night, dominating the hapless Barako Bull Energy Cola 98-89 and just running and executing under neophyte "coach" Olsen Racela.

Leading the way were Chris Lutz, Alex Cabagnot and Arwind Santos who all appeared to strive under the transition game. Lutz, who topscored for the Boosters with 22, was his usual "silent assassin" self-- getting to his spots on the floor and just letting the game come to him. Why Mico Halili et. al. hasn't tagged him as the PBA's "The Natural" ala the NBA's Brandon Roy, we'll leave to them.

Santos also bounced back from an abysmal first game against Rain or Shine while Cabagnot provided the heroics and closing efforts when the Boosters opted to take its collective "foot off the gas" so to speak and allowed the Colas to come back in the 4th quarter.

Ilang tulog na lang...

Kahit si Doug Kramer may Tiu-fever

The Philippine Basketball Association is all set to open shop this coming Sunday with souped-up crowd-darlings Barangay Ginebra San Miguel versus the retooled GlobalPort Batang Pier serving as the Philippine Cup's official opening combatants.

We should expect a slam bang affair, nothing short of a bonafide shootout with reigning PBA Most Valuable Player Mark Caguioa, former MVP Jayjay Helterbrand and the bevy of athletic wings they brought in going up against an odd yet exciting pair of high-scoring Gary David and another former MVP Willie Miller.

Here's KKS' top storyline picks for each team.

Mega-trade sends Tenorio to Ginebra, Casio to Alaska

From PBA-Online.net

Finally bringing an end to all the rumors that ran amok over on Twitterverse thanks to Snow Badua, five PBA teams took to the spotlight with one of the biggest trades in recent memory.

While point guards L.A. Tenorio formerly of Alaska and JVee Casio formerly of GlobalPort caught everyone’s attention because of their superstar status and National Team pedigree, this writer argues the teams that acquired them may not necessarily be the biggest winners of the deal (on-court basketball wise).

Alaska Aces: JVee Casio (Global Port), Dondon Hontiveros (Petron) and 2nd Round Pick (Ginebra)
At first we were all going nuts and throwing fits over Alaska’s decision to send arguably the hottest basketball commodity today in Tenorio over to a team that’s not exactly fond of loaning players to the National cause. It was as unfathomable as the Aces sending one time PBA MVP Kenneth Duremdes over to Santa Lucia back in 2001 for a guy who would later turn out to be that year’s 5th overall pick Brandon Cablay (who is good, but nowhere near the same stratosphere as Duremdes). But then they got JVee Casio from Global Port. Followed by Dondon Hontiveros from Petron. Two national players of different eras but are definitely serviceable starters.

Deal with it

Papa spank for The Don

Half a million pesos and a conference-long ban.

That's the price that Barako Bull Energy power forward Don Allado has to pay because he chose to run his mouth (via Twitter) while in drunken stupor. Quinito Henson of the Philippine Star tried to come to the veteran's defense in one of his columns, but no one's going to hear his or anyone's please for Allado right now.

Was the penalty too stiff? Too harsh?

Don Allado: Cry Wolf

Father forgive him for he has sinned

In case you're not up to speed, click here first to read about Barako Bull Energy's Don Allado now infamous Twitter rants before reading the rest of this entry.

Allado, he of the multiple collegiate (DLSU Green Archers) and professional (mostly with Alaska, Purefoods/ BMeg and Talk 'n' Text) championships and now starting forward for the Energy, is making all the newsrounds with his sweeping claims that the PBA games are fixed to favor certain teams. This, following a horrid 7 point, 3 rebound performance in 20 minutes of play wherein he fouled out and his team lost 99-95 to the Powerade Tigers.

Powerade is the PBA's Team Die Another Day

Hi! My name is Sean Anthony.

For a minute there, the Barako Bull Energy looked like they were headed to another victory behind the efforts of a seemingly rejuvenated Danny Seigle (20 points in 25 minutes). Things were starting to go their way despite trailing most of the time-- Gary David was hurt, which pretty much meant that the Powerade Tigers' offense was supposed to go down the toilet right?

Wrong.

In yet another sickening display of half-assed effort, the Energy surrendered to the young Tigers who only had import Omar Sneed (24-15-8) to turn to in the second half. The JayR Quinahan doppleganger was making plays for his teammates, pretty much making a mockery of Don Allado's so-so defense and whichever power forward/ center was sent his way.

Stubborn Energy

Di pa sila tapos!

Just when we were ready to write them off, the Barako Bull Energy won over the Meralco Bolts in a pulsating Sunday afternoon game, 81-79. The victory created a playoffs scenario for the 6th and final semis slot among the Energy, Bolts and Powerade Tigers.

This could've and should've been prevented outright by the Energy had they managed to hold on to their 17-point in-game lead. Of course, Coach Junel Baculi and his boys led by a motivated Danny Seigle will take the W and it's not everyday that you can weather a 40-point explosion from Bolts import Mario West.

Time to pull the plug on Manong Brigade (?)

Ang Tumanda, Higa.

What a difference a simple trade makes.

Though the Barako Bull Energy are still in the Governor's Cup semis hunt with a respectable 3-3 win-loss slate, their collective inconsistency shouldn't be taken lightly. Not with 2x PBA Most Valuable Player Willie Miller looking every bit like the 35-year-old that he is, Danny Seigle once again out of commission and Mick Pennisi also on a downward spiral.

Clearly, Father Time remains as the only unbeaten entity of all of professional sports and last conference's inspiring run by the "Manong Brigade" might have been this team's last push at greatness. With the loss of gritty guard Wyne Arboleda and "hulk smash" rebounding brute Dorian Pena to trades, the Energy are struggling to find balance with its younger looking team.

Back in the fold; Lina at it again

It's plays like this that makes
Pena invaluable for any team

After playing like the rebounding monster/ enforcer of old in the Barako Bull Energy's failed Commissioner's Cup bid, Dorian Pena finds himself back in the Petron Blaze Boosters' fold in exchange for young big Carlo Sharma and veteran PG Celino Cruz.

In the overly-physical Semifinals match-up against the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters, Pena was the big reason why the series went as long as it did. Yes, Danny Seigle (who we believe and would bet money is on his way back to a title contender sooner than later) did have a lot to do with their huge run, but it was Pena's presence in the paint that made it difficult for opponents to bury the rag-tag Energy squad.

Energy implodes, send Texters to Finals

They were hit. They were bloodied.
But still the Texters rose to the occasion.

The Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters do it again. For the second straight conference, they rise from the brink of elimination to advance to the next round which is the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals.

Great series all in all, with the Barako Bull Energy squeezing out all they could from their tired, old legs. They played physical, played hard and were even fortunate enough to have grizzled champion veterans in the fold taking turns in leading them game in and game out.

Energy punks out Texters

Energy will win if they continue
to keep Pena fresh for the 4th

If the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters fail to advance to the Finals in the PBA Commissioner's Cup, then not only would it come as a shock to the local basketball front, but they'll have only themselves to blame.

In Game 2, we all thought that the tables have finally turned and that the Texters were ready to follow up with a rousing performance in Game 3. Not only did the survive the veteran-laden Barako Bull Energy's physicality, but they ran them roughshod to the ground. But something changed, this writer touched on it in the last two entries (be happy if you could check it out) and it worked to perfection.

The Energy made three key adjustments that pretty much sealed the deal.

Where's Willie

If the Barako Bull Energy ever decide that they're in the league to compete as a legit franchise and not the butt of all jokes re whatever the hell kind of product is printed on their jerseys, then they need 2-time PBA MVP Willie Miller to wake up.

The Rundown

The Blur is proving to be a handful
even for defensive ace Tubid

The Barako Bull Energy went into Game 2 thinking they figured out the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters puzzle: hit them hard on defense and bang them around on offense. The minute the first quarter ended, they found themselves with more questions than answers.

Yes, the Energy hit the Texters hard. Import Gabe Freeman exploded for 15 first quarter points. But the Texters weren't derailed. They were hanging tough, leading even. They got hit, but they quickly got back up and acted as though nothing happened. These weren't the shaky Texters of Game 1, these were the title-happy/ hungry group that has been rummaging through the PBA for the last 2 and a half seasons.