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 long and winding road

How far can Asi take NLEX?
(Photo credit to the owner)

While their elders, Talk'n'Text and Meralco, enjoy having youthful bigs to continue building their foundations around, head coach Boyet Fernandez and his NLEX Road Warriors find themselves stuck in the mud with aging frontliners who are an injury away from retirement.

Sure, Asi Taulava (fresh from another tour of duty with Gilas 3) and Enrico Villanueva are still fearsome names and that Asi has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts the last three seasons, but can a team really pin their hopes on a 40+ year old with limited low post offense? How about Villanueva? He hasn't been the same since suffering an injury after a stint with Barako Bull and has played more like a TV-friendly version of 90s role player Chris Bolado than the "Raging Bull" we once knew.

These proud veterans are backed by Rob Reyes, Eric Camson, Mark Borboran and Jeckster Apinan. They are a solid, role-playing bunch, but not in the same area as TNT's Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, and Meralco's returning Rabeh Al Hussaini.

Definitely nowhere near.

The road less traveled

Someone find Asi a playmate
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Logically speaking, it is never wise to go out on public to say that you're actually considering building your team around a 42-year old center-- no matter how "ageless" he appears to be. It reeks of desperation, of failure to find another, younger, talent to go with.

And that is why the NLEX Road Warriors and their head coach Boyet Fernandez need to make some major changes going into the 2015 PBA Draft and next season.

Sure, Asi Taulava has been nothing short of "PBA Mythical Five worthy" the last two years since his return from the ASEAN Basketball League (wherein he left as the reigning Most Valuable Player), but in today's young PBA there should be more emphasis on running and scoring from all angles rather than just waiting to see what sticks and whoever catches fire.

Trade Rumors

Nice Photoshop skills. But trade still in limbo
(Photo credits to the owner)

While we await the final decision/ approval of the PBA Commissioner's Office, let's take a seat and digest the possible transactions that have already seen the light of Internet day (which, in reality, sounds more like gossip than news but hey, whatever sells right?).

First up is the blockbuster deal that would involve sister teams Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and San Miguel, and conduit Barako Bull Energy Cola. In this trade, Ginebra will get the services of Marcio Lassiter, San Miguel gets JC Intal and Barako lands Mac Baracael.

Sure, it involves sister and farm teams but when was the last time we had a trade of almost equal value in the PBA?

KKS Fantasy: If Team MVP were to trade within

Just a few days ago, two teams under the San Miguel umbrella engaged in some player trades/ acquisition with the aide of two other "rumored" sister farm teams to increase their chances of winning moving forward. This has been a constant (a rather tiring one, even) for Team SMB which has led us to wonder why the teams under the great Manny V. Pangilinan umbrella aren't doing the same.

You could argue that it's because Talk'n'Text, the Team MVP's flagship and answer to San Miguel Beermen, has been winning so much that trades aren't really all that necessary,but we feel that Meralco and NLEX could use a little help here and there as far as some pieces are concerned.

Basically, since we have time to spare (our team-  Rain or Shine already booked a seat in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals and is just waiting for the Purefoos - Talk 'n' Text winner), here's something of a fantasy trade scenario that we feel could help all Team MVP franchises right away:

Air21 started from the bottom...

The Cool Cat cometh

... now they're here.

Following tonight's victory over the injury and drama-challenged San Mig Coffee Mixers, the Air21 Express are on a three game winning streak and have slowly climbed back into playoff contention. Spearheading the cause are monstrous import Michael Dunigan (26 ppt, 15 rpg), sweet-shooting Nino Canaleta (11 points, 4 rebounds) and the return to form of point guard Mike Cortez (10 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg).

As much as we'd like to dismiss tonight's victory over the Mixers as a fluke owing to the latter's 2x PBA MVP James Yap's off-court drama and the injury to point-forward Joe DeVance, we just cannot ignore how efficient and sound the Express has been looking on the floor as of late.

Express needs chemistry

Coach Franz is living on a prayer
(nagdadasal ng isa pang trade)

While Air21 Express head coach Franz Pumaren continues praying to the Lord Almighty for another trade that would help his cause (his team, with new/ returning team manager Lito Alvarez, did so in the off-season but Coach Franz might not want to push his luck now), we argue that it's not about getting another contributor-- but actually developing on court team chemistry. At the moment, the cellar-dwelling Express look like a bunch of "2nd chance getters" who are looking to pad their stats (think of it as a paid tryout for other teams) rather than to win games.

Wynne Arboleda, John Wilson, Bitoy Omolon, Mark Isip and Yousef Taha. After that there's Bonbon Custodio, Nonoy Baclao and Rob Reyes. The buck stops there. Nothing (or no one) more, and nothing less. Ok, fine, we'll show love to Nino Canaleta but only because he's been drilling threes (still not playing defense though).

Back to Bombing for Wilson

Superstars call for chest-to-betlog defense

Though his newfound home, the Air21 Express, have lost two of their last three games of the young season, John Wilson is looking more and more like the biggest steal of all with three straight sterling performances.

Right now the former Jose Rizal University ace Heavy Bomber and Barangay Ginebra defensive specialist is averaging a solid 18 ppg, 5 rpg and 4 apg. Good enough to earn him the Express' starting SG spot, supplanting Coach Franz Pumaren's favorite Ren-Ren Ritualo.

The Air21 Rebuilding Project

Forget Baclao. If Air21 lands Wilson,
they'll get Gary David 2.0-- with more defense.

Following last season's embarrassing performance, which is expected of such a young team, the Air21 Express set their sights on rebuilding the roster in order to make a dent in the PBA. Laughable as that may seem, since Management's best interest has always been on making profit off trades, let's give the Franz Pumaren-coached squad the benefit of the doubt.

Now this is all according to newsreports (and some rumors) since the trade hasn't received the nod of PBA Commissioner Chito Salud so everything is still up in the air. What we do know at the moment is that the team isn't high on Elmer Espiritu, Paolo Hubalde, Magi Sison, Eric Salamat and nuisance Ogie Menor. Chances are, these guys will be sent elsewhere or have their contracts left to expire.

Ginebra Plays The Blame Game

After another disappointing run,
Siot's walking on thin ice

Could the Barangay Ginebra Kings really have won their epic semifinals duel with the mighty BMeg Llamados had they chosen to keep Chris Alexander instead of the now “butt-of-all-chokes/jokes” Jackson Vroman?

Would they have advanced to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals had Mark Caguioa not suffered the nasty eye socket injury he did (also at the hands of BMeg but in an earlier showdown)?