To infinity and beyond

Sino Coach ko ulit?
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

Where do we go from here, STAR Hotshots?

The architect of your 1st PBA Grand Slam (plus two other titles during his tenure), Tim Cone, is now officially out of the door and with him-- his greatness, coaching philosophies, Triangle Offense and so on. In his place will be Jason Webb, as announced in a joint press conference that should've been exclusively for Cone-- but hey, it's San Miguel Corporation, who has little to no coaching experience both in the amateurs and professional ranks.

Great. Just great.

Here is a guy who, among all of Cone's deputies, has the least experience and doesn't really look like he's meant for the part. There's always that one guy who, in team meetings, school group projects, who is the leader. Then there's the other guy, the second guy, who just pushes the rest and makes it happen. You see it in basketball, during timeouts. The coach does his thing and gives instructions, the lead assistant whispers in the ears of the rest. Eggs them on. Tells them what to do. Clarifies things. There are guys in the huddle that would make you think "ah, this guy will be a head coach someday."

But Webb?

Tim Cone to Ginebra

Sorry Johnny, Coach Tim and RdR
will be taking their talents to Ginebra
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

When we were first indoctrinated into the world of the Philippine Basketball Association in 1996, it was during the PBA Governor's Cup Finals-- a best-of-seven affair between the grandslam seeking Alaska Milkmen and the crowd darlings, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

On one side was the most charismatic head coach/ player in the history of the game, Robert Jaworski, Sr., commanding the likes of Noli Locsin, Bal David, Marlou Aquino and Vince Hizon. Now while we weren't familiar with the PBA brand of play, we already had a working idea of how basketball players should look and talk like thanks to the NBA. Let's just say that based on body fat percentage and muscle tone alone, none of the Ginebra players fit the mold save for maybe Vince Hizon. Yet they were the crowd darlings, they were fighting tooth and nail with a team that looked so fluid, so sexy, that it was hard NOT to root for the obvious underdogs.

Who exposed us to this title bout? Our mom. Who was an Alaska fan at the time, thanks to Jojo Lastimosa's looks and game. She was probably trying to turn us into Alaska fans too, but we ended up liking the other team. Anyway, Alaska was being coached by a dirty blonde who almost always finished every play drawn in the huddle with an "aight" or "all right?"

His name is Tim Cone.

Dethroned

Old timers need some help
(Photo credit to Sports5.ph)

As you get older, there are certain things that you slowly realize:

Your timing is off; your mind knows what you want to do, but there seems to be a split second lapse between judgment and action.

You find yourself needing to exert more effort, to something that you would routinely perform. Be it running, jumping, hustling.

And when you find yourself in front of a wide-eyed youngster, who you know will always go left on a crossover, which he does, and you smile to yourself thinking "I got you!" only to hear the whistle-- or worse, lose your man completely as you turn your around and see him waltzing in for an easy lay-up.

Age. It happens to the best of us.

With yesterday's unceremonious sweep at the hands of the Alaska Aces in the Semifinals of the PBA Governor's Cup, the Purefoods STAR Hotshots find themselves officially dethroned in the 40th season of the league after taking home all three titles just the year before.

Is it time to rebuild?

PBA GC QF: (4) GlobalPort vs (5) STAR Hotshots

Pambansang Ex-Husband
kontra Pambansang Ex-Boyfriend.
Allegedly. Hihi.
(Photo credits to Sports5.ph)

"To be the man, you have to beat the man."

Call it a "rite of passage" for Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and the rest of the "young" GlobalPort Batang Pier squad who are making their first trip into the PBA Playoffs. Standing in the way? The defending champions STAR Hotshots who started the conference (and basically the entire season) jet-lagged from their Grand Slam high from last year.

Lately? We've been seeing Marc Pingris once again pulling his shorts up and crouching low. We're seeing James Yap making clutch plays over the toughest of defenses. Marqus Blakely is back to being Black Sakuragi (which is somewhat racist, when you think about it) though in a more toned down manner.

Romeo has been frothing at the mouth for an opportunity to play at this level of basketball. He's a high stakes player, built for superstar-making games. There are only two teams that you need to be at your best to become a household name in the PBA: Ginebra, and STAR (Purefoods).

It's the Golden Ticket to the PBA's Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory of Superstardom.

Stars are bland

Look up, look up!
(Photo credits to Sports5)

Definitely not a typo.

The re-christened, yellow-and-red sporting STAR Hotshots are finding it even tougher to defend their third and final crown from last season's grand slam romp, specially with the absence of future cornerstone 6"7 Ian Sangalang. Head coach Tim Cone has stuck mostly to playing an eight-man heavy rotation, with other guys playing sparingly by design.

Thus far, the Hotshots' record is five wins versus five losses. Stuck somewhere in the middle of the Playoff hunt.

Leading the team's hope for a last title defense are returning import Marqus Blakely (39 mpg 23 ppg 13 rpg 3 apg), Marc Pingris (29 mpg 8 ppg 6 rpg 2 apg), Joe DeVance (29 mpg 11 ppg 3 rpg 2 apg), Alex Mallari (28 mpg 10 ppg 3 rpg 3 apg), Mark Barroca (29 mpg 10 ppg 4 rpg 3 apg) and 2x PBA MVP James Yap (25 mpg 11 ppg 4rpg 1 apg). Guys like Justin Melton and PJ Simon are contributing as well, though it appears that they are having some trouble meshing with the rest or excelling in limited minutes (specifically Simon).

Team #NSD

(Photo credits to the owner)

So it's a Friday weekend (here in the Middle East anyway) and we are catching up on our steady dose of Upper B basketball talk (if you haven't already, please checkout buhaybasket.com which is basically the new/ another version of FTS or Bro Show or Goat or whatever only a lot more entertaining whenever Jai Reyes is given air time). On this episode, they were asked by one of their many followers about naming a Team Never-Say-Die first five (minus Ginebra players, of course).

Basically, the names that were mentioned are: Marc Pingris, Paul Lee, Dondon Hontiveros, Cliff Hodge and whichever among Yousef Taha, Jerwin Gaco, Alex Nuyles, etc.

We are not going to say that they were wrong, just that we would probably go another way.

#AskKKS : Top 10 PBA Role Players

Here is another #AskKKS entry, this time from our friend @iyovictor:

Okay, that is a tough one considering we only started watching the PBA actively/religiously around 1995 onwards and didn't really take notice of other teams outside of the popular ones (Ginebra, San Miguel, Purefoods, Alaska) at the time.

Today, we can rattle off a few names but we will not be as bold to rank them as Top 10 All Time (out of respect to whoever we will miss (and we know we will/might miss quite a few). For starters, let us take out Marc Pingris who is a role player at best but because of his tenacious and contagious hustle and energy (plus the good looks, humility and Sotto ties), was propelled to being a legitimate superstar (when had he been given a different face to work with and not be associated with all the showbiz stuff, would be just another "pulot boy/ garbage points workhorse" ala Freddie Abuda in the 90s). Same with Rudy Hatfield.

So what merits a role player? Well, for one, he is NOT the guy you build a franchise around. He is not a household name, is mostly loved by purists and not the every day, casual fan. He does the little things, that some times make headlines, but most of the time just helps the team win games.

Here we go. Not the Top 10 All Time, but our choice for 10 Best Role Players (whose careers we were able to follow).

PBACC The Semifinals: Talk'n'Text vs Purefoods

Puso kontra tapang
(Photo credits to the owner)

From a championship pedigree standpoint, you could very well conclude that this is THE PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals match-up disguised as a Best-of-Five Semifinals pairing between two of the winning-est teams in the last five-six years.

The Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters, coached by Jong Uichico versus the Purefoods Star Hotshots and coach Tim Cone.

Pilipinas basketball does not get any better than this: the core of the Gilas Pilipinas national team (from players to brain thrust) versus a team that is so good (as proven by their Grand Slam credentials), one could actually argue for them as a version of Gilas in an alternate universe. While the Texters enjoy proven depth with its veterans, the Hotshots' 2nd unit of mostly up-and-coming names are certified by the number of titles under their belts (which, from what we have seen thus far, they seem to keep wanting to add to).

PBACC The Quarterfinals: Purefoods vs Alaska

"Siya na naman?!"
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Do you believe in fate?

It seems that it cannot be helped. Purefoods head coach Tim Cone will never, truly be rid of his Alaska ties (we doubt he'd want to anyway), and now he finds himself squaring off with the very same team in the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup Quarterfinals if only to win another championship.

Coach Tim has done a marevelous job in adding substance to what was once simply a "glamour" team. He taught every one from James Yap to Jerwin Gaco how to play the right way, how to read and react to offenses and defenses, and to basically how to keep winning.

On the other side of the fence, Coach Alex Compton inherited a team of hungry young rascals and veterans, shaped them into something of a more cohesive unit who enjoy playing together. Now, JVee Casio and RJ Jazul don't shun away Calvin Abueva whenever he pesters them for the basketball. Now, Abueva knows where he's supposed to be and how he can help. Yes, the antics are still there, but finally, they have allowed "Abueva to be Abueva."

Which means all hell is going to break loose when Abueva crosses paths with Yap.

Don't call it a comeback

Kala niyo sawa na kami mag-champion?
(Photo credits to the owner)

Coach Cone was not brought into the Purefoods' fold to win a championship. He wasn't brought in to simply win a PBA Grand Slam (though that could have easily been one of the targets/ objectives).

He was brought in to (re)establish a (new) dynasty in Philippine basketball.

Name any past or present San Miguel Corporation-employed head coach in the last ten to fifteen years that was given as much leeway and power as Cone. You'll have to go back two more decades or so, to the days of the iconic Robert Jaworski, Sr. and Ron Jacobs, to truly understand how much creative control and power Cone was given when it comes to the direction of the team, player trades and acquisition and basically what sort of product to put on the basketball court.

KKS Gilas 3.0 (Part 3)

The future of Philippine basketball
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Ladies and gentlemen, our KKS Gilas 3.0 starters:

C Junemar Fajardo
Gilas coach Tab Baldwin didn't have to beat around the bush on Fajardo's inclusion. As it stands, Fajardo is the present and future of Philippine basketball much like Yao Ming was for China and Hamed Haddadi is for Iran. He is the pillar in which the program will be anchored on for the foreseeable future, alongside fellow giant Greg Slaughter. In the instances wherein he played in FIBA World, Fajardo showed that he has the smarts and muscle to hold his own in the paint against legitimate NBA big men.

KKS Gilas 3.0 (Part 1)

In this three-part series, we want to discuss the 12 men who we believe deserve to be on the final Gilas 3.0 roster headed by coach Tab Baldwin. First off are the 11th and 12th players who we feel should be more of the "utility" kind in terms of being able to contribute in so many ways and not just being typecast into one specific role (re: scorer, defender, rebounder).

Though the 11th and 12th guys don't always get to play or enjoy heavy minutes, we feel that the way the sport is being played nowadays is to make full use of every single man on the roster. This way, scouting reports in short tournaments (such as FIBA's) is thrown out the window because teams are unable to readily prepare for all 12 guys on the court. Against two, three players sure. But having to plan and set up defenses to combat 12 individual styles?

Not sure if even the best coaching minds could solve that one.

So without further ado, here's our pick for Gilas 3.0's 11th and 12th men:

2015 PBA All Star Game: Thoughts on the North Squad

The PBA Commissioner's Cup will be taking a brief respite from all the high-octane action and "Joke-gate" as they take the PBA All Star Weekend to Palawan as a fitting way of thanking their fans (that's you and me) while also recognizing some of the best players today.

Now while we don't want to rain on any one's parade here, we wish that the PBA would actually go back into bringing in the "best of the best" to play in the ASG instead of merely making it a "wide open, who's got more fans to vote you in even if you're a bit player" race. Looking at both starting line-ups for the North and South teams, there are quite a number of guys who honestly shouldn't even be starting based on stats and overall impact for their mother teams.

"E sikat e."

Let's take a look at the North Squad:

Larong Pinoy

Patay kung patay basketball.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Sa kasagsagan at kasikatan ng Alaska Aces ngayon dala ng kanilang kakaibang laro sa PBA Philippine Cup Finals kontra San Miguel Beermen, marami ang nagsasabi na dapat isama si Calvin "The Beast" Abueva sa susunod na Gilas Pilipinas. Marami ang nagsasabi, at ipinaglalaban, na ang kanyang stilo-- na minsan ay parang barumbado sa mata ng iba,ay ang tunay na uri ng basketball sa Pilipinas at siyang dapat dalhin sa FIBA maging sa Asya o buong mundo kung papalarin.

Yung buong pusong lumalaban, hindi nag aalinlangan, hindi takot masaktan o matamaan, hindi iniisip yung susunod na kontrata, posibleng endorsements o kahit na ano pa. Yung naroroon sila bilang basketbolista, bilang manlalaro, para manalo at hindi para magpasikat.

Pero gagana ba talaga ang mga tulad ni Abueva sa FIBA? Ngayon pa lang, marami nagsasabi na mapapaaway ang Pilipinas. Na posible tayong mapahiya. Na "hindi basketball" ang laro natin mga Pilipino kung hindi "basket-brawl."

PBA KO Phase Predictions: RoS Bracket

Business is about to pick-up in the on-going PBA Philippine Cup as we bid newcomers Kia Sorento and winless Blackwater Elite adieu until next conference and see who's the cream of the crop. As you may or may not know, the top two seeds: San Miguel Beermen and Rain or Shine Elastopainters, get a bye until the later round. The rest of the field will have to duke it out, with the lower seeded teams needing to win twice over the higher seeded ones if they would like to advance.

The Rock needs to go to TNT. Now.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

We're dividing the brackets into two, based on who they will eventually face in the Quarters: The RoS and SMB brackets.

3 Alaska Aces (twice-to-beat) vs 10 NLEX Road Warriors 
The Aces missed out on an opportunity of landing in the top two spots by a hairline, but this match-up with the NLEX should be a quick and easy one considering both rosters. The Warriors have a formidable frontline with Asi Taulava and a suddenly revived Enrico Villanueva but they, unfortunately, do not play with the same intensity as that of Calvin Abueva who is leading the league in rebounding despite being the same size as NLEX star scorer Mac Cardona. If Eric Menk continues with his inspired, "tour de force" play and Sonny Thoss comes back 100% healthy, then it's all over for the Warriors who still need to address some holes on the roster.

The PBA's 26th to 40th Greatest Players

The Face of the modern day PBA
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

The Philippine Basketball Association, in celebration of its 40th season, has opted to name 40 of its "Greatest Players." Now, since the league has already named its initial 25 (for its 25th season in early 2000), the not so simple task has been eased somewhat with the PBA's special selection committee set to name "only" 15 other names.

On this report from the Philippine Star, they have listed the names of #TheNext15. Personally, we'd have loved for the Star to have made the announcement on a separate, wordy article instead of just a filler but hey, we have love for our friends over at the Star (they probably didn't have enough space and just tied two articles together).

Here's our instant reaction on the names chosen for #TheNext15 and who we felt were snubbed altogether:

James Carlos Yap, SG, Purefoods, 2x PBA MVP '05, '09
Though we will always put an asterisk on one (or both) of Yap's trophies because of what we'd like to call the "Kris Factor," there's no denying that he was indeed the face of the PBA during its post-Jaworski years. Yap came into the league as a legit, PBA matinee idol who could play the sport at a very high level yet maintained a clean cut image both on and off the court. He was basically the most likable guy out there while the league was going through all the unneeded shenanigans (random drug testing, Fil-shams, PBA commissioner shuffles, etc.) The thing that makes Yap a no brainer here is that, he embraced the idea of being the face of the league. He didn't ask for it, but he carried it with pride. Sometimes we get frustrated with him because of how badly he is being outplayed by his rivals, but then he pulls through in the clutch just to remind every one of how good he really is and then the world is back in order.

Willie Miller, SG, Red Bull/ Talk'n'Text/ Alaska/ Ginebra/ GlobalPort/Barako, 2x PBA MVP '02, '06 
If Yap were the face, which body part are we to make of Miller? Among all of the players in the last decade or so, Miller is arguably the very best and most fundamentally sound. He's quick and agile, yet he is also brute strong and aggressive. He can play outside with the best guards in the league, he can go inside to post-up for the easy macho finish or just spin for his pocket fadeaways. What was lacking from Miller was the aggressive mindset that a Mark Caguioa would always have coming into games. Miller is a fun-loving Filipino through and through, and had he stayed with one team or had a different approach, he'd probably go down as one of the best ever- if not THE very best. But hey, that wouldn't make him our lovable Willie now would it?

Laban Pilipinas

Imagine a Romeo - Abueva back court.

With all due respect to the men (and women) behind the much successful Gilas Pilipinas Men's Basketball Team, we feel that the next team that we should built should carry more than just an overly used and well-marketed campaign of "Puso."

We want a more aggressive team, a fighting team. One that doesn't wilt under pressure. One that features basketball players who will do what is necessary to win and not even think of apologizing. One that will not take games off owing to the level of the competition. No drama. They're not actors trying out for showbiz careers. Just pure basketball players who plays the game hard. Not to win. Not to lose. But HARD.

#LabanPilipinas

A new day

#ThankYouGilas

A runner-up finish in the 2012 FIBA Asia championships, a Jones Cup title, a lonesome yet historic victory in the 2014 FIBA World Cup and finally, a seventh-place finish in the SouthEast Asian Games...

... and with that, Gilas Pilipinas-- from head coach Chot Reyes to the defiant and valiant captain Jimmy Alapag, is no more. Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' (SBP) President Manny V. Pangilinan announced it just recently, that we will no longer see this version of the Philippines' Men's Basketball Team lovingly called "Gilas." Others have gone on to social media to express their thoughts. Some call it a travesty, an over-reaction to the Asiad debacle. Others say that it's been a long time coming and perhaps, another camp (Team San Miguel Corporation) should take charge.

Whatever it may be, know that this is not a dark day in Philippine basketball but rather a bright one.

Gilas Pilipinas' defense takes spotlight vs Asia's Best

Gilas Pilipinas' Junemar Fajardo
in 2014 Asian Games action
(Photo courtesy of Conzace)

Gilas Pilipinas forward Marc Pingris and naturalized center Marcus Douthit battle for possession against an Indian defender in Tuesday’s 2014 Asian Games action in Incheon South Korea. The Filipinos dominated the Indian squad, 85-76, to book their first win of the tournament.

Fresh from the rousing success of notching the Philippines’ first win in 40 years in the FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas takes on yet another formidable task as it squares up against Asia’s elite basketball squads at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

Focus immediately shifted on how Gilas Pilipinas’ defensive tenacity will translate to wins and eventually advance the entire nation’s dreams of capturing a gold medal at the Asian Games. This came shortly after the Filipino squad kicked off their Asiad campaign with an 85-76 demolition of India last Tuesday. Once again, the team showcased its patented #LabanKungLaban defense, as it torched the opposition from the opening buzzer and never looked back until the final seconds of the match to book its first win.

2014 FIBA World Cup: Greece (5) vs Philippines (34) IR

Release. The Kraken.
(Photo courtesy of FIBA.com)

If one were to look at the final score of 82-70 alone and not be familiar with all things 2014 FIBA World Cup, you'd think that the teams that were duking it out weren't ranked far from one another internationally.

Well Greece is currently ranked 5th in the whole basketball world while the Philippines, our team, is ranked 34th. Yet we managed to lose by "only" 12 points to one of the recognized European basketball powerhouses despite having to deal with height disadvantages and in-game injuries. As with the game against Croatia, here are a few things that we've picked up on which we hope Gilas could either build on or shy away from in their next three matches.

Positive:
- Andray Blatche hobbled his way to finish with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 3 rebounds and shied away from playing iso-Blatche early. This allowed the team to get comfortable on the floor and take responsibility on both offense and defense.