Better luck next conference

Before the Tius and Tengs, there was Yeo
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

With a disappointing 3 wins and 10 losses card, the Air21 Express find themselves out of contention in the on-going PBA Philippine Cup. The silver lining here of course, is that they're guaranteed an import of about 6"11 in height (Marcus Douthit PBA tour anyone?) next conference thanks to the league's newly-adopted "handicap" rule.

Also, moving forward, the Express hope to ride another strong performance from the captain of "Team Ageless" Asi Taulava who averaged 13 points and 14 rebounds a game as well as newly-minted "chief gunner" Nino Canaleta who led the team in scoring with 16 points to go with 6 rebounds. And, if Mark Cardona could ever go back to playing with confidence and fire under "homeboy" head coach Franz Pumaren, then you're looking at another 20-point scorer who could either start or come off the bench to provide that spark.

But above all, there's the rising play of Joseph Yeo who has made the difficult transition from hotshot scorer throughout his basketball career to a hybrid or combo guard who can make plays for himself and others.

Point Blank

Asi is a lot of things for Air21,
but playing point guard is not one of them
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Four games into the PBA Philippine Cup and the somewhat retooled Air21 Express find themselves in familiar territory: 0-4, bottom of the 10-team race.

Despite the key addition/ renewed commitment of "immortal" Asi Taulava and spitfire guard Joseph Yeo (prized off-season recruit Mac Cardona is coming off injury), the Express are struggling to put together solid games (even the "moral victory" ones) and have lost no less than 11 points per outing.

Hooked

From superstar to reserve

The lights are at its brightest, men frolic to the stage as the music hits with the volume at its highest. The star steps into the light drowned by deafening silence. This is what we’ve been waiting for. This is what we’ve come to see.

Somewhere backstage a not so old yet not entirely youthful hand cradles spirits enclosed within a bottle. Cigarette smoke fills the air as her mascara runs down her cheeks with tears. She had her time on the stage. They used to cherish her.

Worshipped her. Loved her.

Demoted

Basics din muna pag may time
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Forget what everyone around you is saying, being sent to the PBA D-League is a "clear as a warm glass of morning piss" demotion.

There's just no other way to say it: PBA Air21 Express backup point guard Simon Atkins, picked 21st overall in the 2012 PBA Draft, has been demoted by his mother team and will be suiting up for their DLeague affiliate, Arellano University. Now, if you are an AU alumni or fan, don't expect this to be manna from heaven.

Air21's Farm Team Problems

Tonichi Yturri does not approve.
(Photo courtesy of PBA InterAKTV)

Air21 Express head coach Franz Pumaren is in a bind.

And not only because his team is currently (as always) at the cellar with a sad 1-4 slate with the only silver lining is a looming trade that will reunite him with his college star (Joseph Yeo) who hasn't really been making any waves in the pros the last three years.

Pumaren is in a bind because he only has two players, Mike Cortez (10,3,4) and Nino Canaleta (16,5) who are borderline PBA contender team rotation players. The rest are either too young, too old or just not good enough to win games despite the system.

PBA Trade Rumor: The Ninja to Air21

Ritualo. Atkins. Sharma. Yeo. #ibalikangbigote
(Photo courtesy of PBA InterAKTV)

If reports are correct, then arguably one of the most prolific collegiate scorers in history is going to get a chance to resuscitate his PBA career in the next few days. Joseph Yeo, the now de facto 11th to 12th man of the Petron Blaze Boosters, is part of a looming semi-blockbuster trade that also indirectly involves long time PBA All Star and national team player Kerby Raymundo of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

Next is our attempt at breaking down this possible trade, naming winners and losers, and even looking at what's in store in the near future.

The Dream Match to end it all

Dream Match III: if only to see
Kiefer vs Mac/Yeo/Cortez

There you have it.

The PBA Green Archers were able to repeat versus rivals PBA Blue Eagles in this afternoon's ho-hum battle at the SM MoA Arena dubbed "Dream Match II: The Revenge." Well, if the script were to be followed, the Eagles were supposed to win this one to force a nail-biter of a third and deciding match (ala celebrated promoter Don King's brand of boxing).

But the Archers wouldn't have any of it. Mac Cardona, free from the burden of having to play a passive role with his mother team Meralco's three-ball happy Dribble Drive Offense, played like he had a score to settle with everyone from the Eagles' side of things. He dropped in threes, made his patented tear drop hook shots and even threw in some mean mug swag "anong height mo" theatrics here and there for good measure.

So should a third match be played, with the Archers now up 2-0 in this mini cash cow of a side event by the PBA? Yes. But IF and WHEN current amateur superstar known to most as "The Phenom" Keifer Ravena turns pro (or is eligible to do so).

Petron proves there's life after Balkman

Sonny Thoss can kiss his default
"Best Center in the Philippines" title goodbye

In their first outing after the whole Renaldo Balkman episode that has reached global proportions, the Petron Blaze Boosters finally looked like the team that they were supposed to be considering their elite local starpower.

Playing in front of a sold out Panabo City crowd (controversy, as the years will tell you, creates monetary opportunities for all), the Boosters were able to take solo 2nd in the ongoing PBA Commissioner's Cup by beating the Rain or Shine Elastopainters, 87-79. At the forefront of the victory were rookie Junemar Fajardo who finished with a stellar 20 points and 13 rebounds output and sophomore Marcio Lassiter who chipped in 14 points (12 in the deciding 4th quarter to finally breakaway from the E-Painters).

Cool Cat and Coach Franz: Reunited and it feels...

Nilabasan ako
nung napanood ko to sa TV.
Orgasmic.
(Credit to Sir Vic Icasas) 

... so good. Right? Time heals all wounds, even the undisclosed ones it seems. Okay in case you've been living under a rock or is still a young/developing basketball mind, the relationship between Mike Cortez and Air21 Express head coach Franz Pumaren has been plutonic at best.

The year was 2002, and (my beloved kinder-grade-high school Alma Mater) De La Salle University Green Archers were on a tear of the hapless UAAP. Leading the charge was Coach Franz, Cortez, Willie Wilson, Mac Cardona and a wide-eyed Joseph Yeo. They were running right through the competition, Cortez was looking like the best point guard in all of Philippine basketball (yes, including his NCAA, PBL and PBA counterparts). He wasn't scoring as much, but he was big, strong, smart beyond his years and had swag all day (say what you want, but Cortez put the back-arm tattoo on the Philippine map). The guy was a walking triple-double, and with him leading the way the Archers' were looking pretty solid to win a rare-five peat.

Lead by example

Remember when Arwind was THIS good?
(It wasn't THAT long ago folks)

After calling out his Petron Blaze Boosters teammates, his point guard Alex Cabagnot in particular, Arwind Santos lived up to the drama by submitting his most dominant and all around game in recent memory finishing up with 22 points and 17 rebounds to lead his team to a 98-95 win over Ginebra.

Cabagnot, seemingly the missing key to the Boosters' puzzle, finished with 7 points, 8 assists and 5 turnovers while playing third most minutes (38) after Santos (39) and Chris Lutz (45). To say that Cabagnot has been playing without any "heart" would be an understatement. The guy is simply not competing at all (there was one loose ball play wherein he lost his man L.A. Tenorio right in front of the basket for an easy deuce).

Checks and balances

Time to break the duo up?

For a star-studded team that's obviously built around "professionalism" and a business-like approach, the Petron Blaze Boosters sure does an awful way of auditing themselves.

There's one of the three captains, Arwind Santos, speaking his mind after their 88-86 loss to the Alaska Aces, calling out his point guard Alex Cabagnot. The mere and simple fact that they have THREE captains should be cause of concern. And how they all managed to overtake veteran Danny Ildefonso from the picture is also an obvious display of how they want to move forward.

They're far from being sentimental, they know who the stars on the team are, those are the captains. Captains who are expected to take the lead. To bring the fight night in and night out and not let anything shake them in the endgame.