Bust-a-move

Author's note: Happy new year!

Hype is a terrible thing; it can build you up just as fast as it can bring you down. The PBA and its fans have seen its fair share of “hyped” rookies, baptized as “franchise saviors” who ended up being role players on a different team at best.

Here is our short list of “hyped” players who did not exactly live up to expectations:

Moala Tautuaa, TnT 2015 1st pick
We are still waiting for the “Junemar-stopper.” And while we are at it, for Tautuaa to develop anything close to a post-up game.

Matt Ganuelas Rosser, TnT 2014 3rd pick
He got locked in Jong Uichico’s doghouse, but now that he’s freed by Coach Nash Racela, we’re still not seeing anything stellar out of this former Gilas player as he continues to play like a skinny, long-haired Jon Ordonio.

Who you gonna call?

UGH! APPLE-PEN!
(Photo credit: Paul Ryan Tan)

Don’t call it a comeback.

Veteran star Gary David is reportedly all set to sign a nine-month contract with the Mahindra Floodbusters after being left without a team on PBA opening day.

From a personal standpoint, we are thrilled that David is able to land another job which will allow him to secure the future of his family (if he hasn’t already). At day’s end, these free agents are providers whose sole source of income is the sport that they have come to know and love since their youths. No matter how we ridicule certain players about the way they play or look, we still respect them overall and show them love.

From a basketball blogger/ analyst’s standpoint, well, don’t expect too much out of the man dubbed “El Granada.”

Let them know

Babysteps for Alab
(Photo credit: Arvin Lim)

Though we were not able to watch the ASEAN Basketball League debut of Ray Ray Parks (19p 4r 7a) and his Alab Pilipinas LIVE, there was simply no way in hell that we would miss it altogether. So, despite our busy schedule, we patiently waited for the delayed telecast to air (a big shout out to our Middle Eastern cable provider: OSN and our OSN Pinoy Package PLUS) so we could share our thoughts afterwards.

Now where should we begin?

Alab Pilipinas lost 66-71 to the visiting Singapore Slingers; despite the efforts of Parks, Lee Seung-Jun (13p 10r) and Jeric Fortuna (10p). The Slingers were led by imports Justin Howard (22p 20r) and Xavier Alexander (15p) and followed by ABL local MVP Wong Wei Long (17p) and Leon Kwek (11p 11r). It was a solid debut for Alab as they led by as many as 12 points in the first half before losing steam in the 2nd.

Okay, that’s the game in a nutshell. Now, we nitpick.

It's official

The Beast
(Photo credit: FIBA.com)

Better than nothing.

The Philippine Basketball Association has finally agreed (and put into writing) to lend at least one active player to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' Gilas men's pool. This pretty much assures us that we will no longer have to bear witness to this ugly Team MVP vs Team SMC "Silent War" which has robbed the national cause for (at least) the last four to five years.

Obviously, we opened this entry on a bit of a negative light because some teams (from the SMC fold) have more than one player who could be of use to Gilas. But hey, it truly is better than nothing, right?

Assured to be on loan are the Gilas cadets:

Homecoming

Welcome home.
(Photo credit to the owner)

Though it may have taken a while, and may even only be temporary, but for the time-being 2x UAAP MVP and NBA hopeful RayRay Parks is finally “home.”

Home to strut his wares for neophyte Alab Pilipinas in the coming ASEAN Basketball League season; home to showcase just how far he has grown as a basketball talent and person; home to prove all of his critics and those he deem as “haters” wrong.

Parks will be joining an Alab team that badly needs his starpower, though it is not exactly lacking in terms of talent or firepower. Joining him are Paulo Hubalde, JR Cawaling, Robby Celiz, Jeric Fortuna, Anthony Gavieres, Jens Knuttel, Jovet Mendoza, Val Acuna, Hans Thiele and imports: (ASEAN) Laurence Domingo, Igee King, (World) Lee Sueng Jun and Lee Dong Jun.

Encore

#ThankYouJimmy

We could hear the trumpets blasting with the soulful musings of one Shawn Corey Carter spreading what is as close to ghetto gospel as possible on the microphone:

Now can I get an encore, do you want more/
Cookin’ raw with the Brooklyn Pinoy boy/
So for one last time I need y'all to roar/

Now what the hell are you waitin for/
After me, there shall be no more/
So for one last time, nigga Pinas make some noise/

Come next PBA season when the Meralco Bolts take the floor, they will no longer introduce one of our beloved players. The team will be playing minus 11-time PBA All Star, 1x PBA MVP, 6x champion and more importantly, Gilas captain, Jimmy Alapag who has chosen to retire after “unretiring” last January 2015.

Trade reaction: Mahindra makes its move

Nimes' time to shine
(Photo credit: mapua.edu.ph)

Don't look now but unlike fellow expansion team Blackwater Elite, which has been constantly saying to the media that it is trying to build a competitive line-up while ironically trading away top picks and assets for next-to-nothing, the Mahindra Floodbusters is keeping itself preoccupied with preparations for the coming PBA season.

Based on the people that they released and acquired, it is pretty obvious that head coach Chris Gavina is trying to build a free-flowing, running team and not one that simply, overly relies on point guard L.A. Revilla's wizardry and dies when he's not around.

Trade 1: Josan Nimes for a PBA Draft 2018 - 2nd round pick (Rain or Shine)
As a rookie at RoS, much was expected of Nimes under then head coach Yeng Guiao. The problem was Guiao gave his rookies a specific role: score and play defense in spurts; which didn't really fit Nimes' game. Nimes is a crafty point-small forward whose overall effect in a game is felt only when he is able to play long minutes AND facilitate, NOT jack up shots. At Mahindra, we hope that Coach Chris allows Nimes to run with it and take some of the pressure off Revilla. Also, Nimes needs to work on his defense if he wishes to make a name for himself in the pros.
Grade: B

PBA Draft 2016 Grades

Dem boyz
(Photo credit: inquirer.net)

The 2016 PBA Draft has finally come to an end and with it, the start of promising PBA careers for about 30 or more draftees. Though we will have to admit that some of the proceeding's luster was offset by the whole "special/ regular" thing and the fact that the Gilas picks were revealed by "insiders" as early as Friday morning.

You will have to bear with us regarding the order of the picks, since we were just as dumbfounded as the next guy. From what we have gathered, the "Gilas round" was the "first round" though the players were not called in order of selection (the PBA agreed to call the teams up to the stage alphabetically, which is probably a first in all of pro-sports). To avoid confusion, we are just going to put a "G" next to the names of the Gilas draftees, and start with 1 for Blackwater's Ael Banal and so on.

Here's our team grades:

The 2016 PBA Special and Regular Mock Draft

Get Belo-fied
(Photo credit: interaksyon.com)

Ugh.

The Gilas boys need to come out with red dots on their foreheads. Green for the regulars. Siopao-style.

Special thanks to ABS CBN Sports for the Draft order, as per this report >>> click here.

1 Blackwater - Mac Belo, SF
Arguably the most sound Gilas player to date be it on offense or defense. Though he is not a go-to-guy per se, Belo almost, always ends up being his team's leading scorer (and rebounder) by sheer hard work and simply working efficiently without the basketball. If you were to compare him to any current PBA player, then the guy his game closely resembles is that of TNT's incoming sophomore Troy Rosario-- only with a better dribble game. Belo works the glass relentlessly, has a pocket set-shot from 15 feet and out, and best of all can put the ball on the floor on the pick and roll which makes him an even bigger threat than Rosario. We honestly like what Blackwater is looking at here, since they will be able to parade a blue chip foursome of Roi Sumang, Carlo Lastimosa, Art dela Cruz and Belo right away, with the center position hopefully addressed in the later conferences (via an import).

The 2016 PBA Gilas Mock Draft

Graduation Day
(Photo credit to the owner)

The 2016 PBA Draft slated for this October 30 is going to be quite… entertaining, since we have been promised TWO rookie draft proceedings. The first one will be the traditional rookie draft with all the hopefuls while the other will feature 12 players from the Gilas Pool picked by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas head Al Panlilio.

We will just have to trust in the SBP and Mr. Panlilio that he will make the best players available and not try to hide this guy or that guy somewhere (as Gilas has a working pool of 24 college players as far as we remember). After all, the SBP brain-thrust is still largely Team MVP while the 2016 PBA Draft, and even the order of the special draft, rewards Team SMC more than anyone else.

That is not a knock on the SBP, Mr. Panlilio, or Team MVP, but rather an acceptance of the current basketball landscape. These Gilas players after all are not only prized college standouts, but “assets” that have already benefited from several trainings and exposure both here and overseas so you can understand if Team MVP is not too keen on sharing their “living investments.”

SPECIAL DRAFT ORDER

PBA GC QF 4 Meralco vs 5 Mahindra

Don’t be surprised if this match-up will largely go under-the-radar, basketball hype-wise, considering the styles of both teams involved.

The Meralco Bolts, though they have athletic wonders Chris Newsome (32mpg/13ppg/4rpg/4apg) and Cliff Hodge (32/12/7/2), mostly rely on their blue collar approach on the defensive end while the Mahindra Enforcers, still cannot (and most likely will not) shake the shadow cast by their “head coach” Manny Pacquiao.

Still, this should be a fun and exciting match-up if you consider how Enforcers’ point guard L.A. Revilla (30/9/4/5) will be pitted against veteran Jimmy Alapag (27/9/3/6). In wrestling parlance, if TNT Katropa’s Jayson Castro is the current gold standard, Triple H, then Alapag would be Ric Flair. Batista (the next-in-line) would be a toss-up between Ginebra’s L.A. Tenorio and San Miguel’s Alex Cabagnot while Revilla would be the wide-eyed, snot-nosed kid Randy Orton.

*High-fives to all of our sports-entertainment brethren*

Graduation day

The Future is NOW.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is your Gilas Pilipinas 5.0 24-man pool: amateur standouts Mon Abundo, Mac Belo, Kemark Carino, Carl Cruz, Ed Daquioag, Russel Escoto, Kevin Ferrer, Alfonzo Gotladera, Jonathan Grey, Jiovani Jalalon, Chris Javier, Ray Parks, Jaymar Perez, Von Pessumal, Roger Pogoy, Kiefer Ravena, Arvin Tolentino, Mike Tolomia, and Arnold Van Opstal; PBA players Yutien Andrada, JP Erram, Matt Ganuelas, and Almond Vosotros; and the ABL’s Matthew Wright.

With the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup all set for September and the PBA locked in its season-ending Governor’s Cup, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) have opted to send amateur stars mostly from their Cadets training pool. While no Olympic berth is at stake in the Tehran tourney, the top five teams in the FIBA Asia Challenge Cup will earn an extra berth for their subzones (i.e. Southeast Asia for Philippines, Thailand, etc.) in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. 

Supernatural

Peerless.

We have simply run out of adjectives for TNT Katropa’s Jayson Castro at this point.

From averaging 32mpg, 19ppg 4rpg 4apg in the first two conferences of the PBA season, the FIBA Asia recognized “Best Point Guard in Asia” has gone absolutely berserk in the ongoing PBA Governor’s Cup with a 25mpg 23ppg 6rpg 8apg clip. Let those numbers sink in for a minute. Castro has been so good that he has helped his team go undefeated in four games despite the insipid play of import Mario Little.

FIBA OQT: Gilas vs Tall Blacks

We did our best.
(Photo credit: FIBA.com)

The Olympic Dream felt achievable versus France, the way Gilas played the other night and all, only for the New Zealand Tall Blacks to shut the door on our faces just hours ago.

We all thought that our country's bread and butter when it came to the sport of basketball is our ability to run and wreak havoc, that we were arguably the best at it among all six combatants in the FIBA OQT. We also flirted with the notion that despite being ranked just a few spots below the Tall Blacks, that we had a realistic shot at beating them and somehow making it into the next round. 

No and no.

FIBA OQT: Gilas vs Les Bleus

"Ming Ming Brothers"
(Photo credit: smartgilasbasketball.com)

What. A. Rush.

This, coming from an overseas-based basket-blogger christened by most as a "hater" for simply calling out his (or any) team's short-comings on the basketball court. If you wanted to read about someone endlessly praising your favorite player and or team, then simply look elsewhere. Look to the mainstream reporters and "analysts" who are afraid to call a spade a spade, by virtue of simply not wanting to "bite the hand that feeds them."

If you want to talk about basketball, about what player/team A or X did right or wrong, then please read on. Let the joyful exchange of ideas and light banter, all taken in harmless stride, flow.

Di ka nagkulang.

Still The Beast
(Photo credit: cnnphilippines.com)

Hindi niyo ako masisisi kung isa ako sa nalungkot sa balitang hindi nasali si Calvin Abueva sa Gilas Pilipinas 12 na lalahok sa FIBA Olympic Qualifiers nitong Hulyo.

Matagal na akong fan ni Abueva, mula nung nag ingay siya sa NCAA bilang rebounder/ energy guy para sa San Sebastian Stags. Hindi siya ang bida noon, si Jimbo Aquino pa. Isang linggo inaya ako nung mga dati kong katrabaho na Team B ng Stags parehas nung nag aaral pa sila para maglaro sa skwela nila. Sabi ko, wala akong laro kundi rumebound, depensa, at paminsan minsang jumpshot. Sabi nila, ayos na yun. Tumira na lang ako sa labas, sila naman yung sa ilalim talaga.

Sempre, bilang ang laro ko talaga e wing noong high school (nasira na laro ko noong college alak, babae, aral-- mostly babae), game ako. So sumama ako. Di nila sinabi na mga Team B din pala kalaro nila. Na yung mga alumni magdadatingan. So nakilaro ako ng isang game full court. Ganda ng court sa Baste ung sa taas ng isang building doon. Maya maya, 2nd game na, may dumating, kasing laki ko lang pero batak. Si Abueva daw. E hindi pa ko nanonood ng NC noon (sino ba nanonood at that time), siguro mga tatlong baba lang sa court, nag pa sub out na ako.

Laban Pilipinas!

Laban!

And then there were 12.

Before we proceed, we would kindly like to take this modicum of space to show love to Kelly Williams, Moala Tautuaa, Greg Slaughter, Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, L.A. Tenorio and Calvin Abueva. They did not make the final cut for different reasons, but we all know that these men would shed blood, sweat and tears to represent flag and country under different circumstances.

To them, our whole-hearted respect, appreciation and love.

We would also like to show love to our Gilas Cadets, the ones who voluntarily showed up at the PBA big boys’ practices—Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Ferrer, Mike Tolomia, R.R. Pogoy and Mac Belo. They didn’t have to, but they did. They will have their turn (should rumors prove to be correct) sooner rather than later.

So here we are, just a week away from the FIBA Olympic Qualifiers to be held right in our very own backyard. Gilas coach Tab Baldwin has named his Final 12, and there is no point in wondering or fantasizing about who is and isn’t there, how and why.

The Gilas OQT 12 has been named, and it is our duty to support them without waver.

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.

Tried, tested... and waiting

AZ and Black Sakuragi
(Photo credit: GMAnetwork.com)

Welcome to PBA fandom limbo.

While we cannot fault the PBA for taking an extended break between conferences to help turn the spotlight on Gilas Pilipinas' FIBA Olympic Qualifiers' journey, we often catch ourselves wondering why the league couldn't just proceed with the Governor's Cup and maybe take a two-week break come FIBA time?

Pardon our selfishness, but isn't that why the imports (plus Asian imports) are there? To cover for the locals-- specially the ones on loan to Gilas?

Okay, okay. Sorry. Moving on.

PBA head coaches have opted to bring in old names to reinforce their teams, though only Marques Blakely (Star) and Arizona Reid (SMB) will suit up for their original teams.

Will you still love me tomorrow

#WhatIf
(Photo credit: spin.ph)

Twenty-four names forming the Gilas Pilipinas pool were given to FIBA by head coach Tab Baldwin early this year. By now, we all know that he has trimmed it to 14 and will most likely cut two more names (or put them on the FIBA OQT reserve list). And, while we do not want to throw shade at any of the 14 men who made the cut, we just wanted to take this opportunity to see where those who did not make it stand.

The Replacement : Moala Tautuaa
Tautuaa has always been considered as “Naturalized Player Plan B” should Andray Blatche not return in game shape for Gilas. Some have reported that Tautuaa was supposed to reinforce the Cadet squad in the a FIBA-sanctioned tournament recently held in Thailand, but opted to go on break instead. As a basketball fan and patriot, that is kind of off-setting. But Tautuaa probably had his reasons, and in his place Troy Rosario basically killed it as the Cadets’ senior, local, reinforcement.