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.

The road less traveled

Asi needs better passing options
(Photo credits to Sports5)

This is not how a "feel good" story such as the NLEX Road Warriors' 42-year-old starting center Asi Taulava's should be going.

Trying his very best to postpone his retirement and prove his worth to Philippine basketball (which he doesn't really have to, being a certified future PBA Hall of Famer), Taulava finds himself trying to lead a hapless team that suffered yet another setback this PBA Governor's Cup just a few hours ago to the GlobalPort Batang Pier squad. Hell, even his coach (Boyet Fernandez) has been quoted to be missing some of his old wards from another team because he says that he just doesn't have the right tools to get the job done.

Let's see here: imports Kwame Alexander (40 mpg 21 ppg 14 rpg 2 apg) and Michael Madanly (30 mpg 19 ppg 3 rpg 3 apg), Taulava (30 mpg 16 ppg 10 rpg 1 apg), Nino Canaleta (20 mpg 8 ppg 4 rpg 1 apg), a revived Enrico Villanueva, healthy Jonas Villanueva (30 mpg 6 ppg 3 rpg 4 apg), a "one more match" Mac Cardona (20 mpg 9 ppg 4 rpg 2 apg) and under-rated shooter/defender John Wilson. Plus two stretch fours in Aldrech Ramos and Mark Borboran.

So what else is missing?

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.

PBA GovCup Semis: San Mig Coffee vs Meralco

With Maliksi out, PJ Simon's
got buckets on mind
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

With Game 1 already out of the way, things are looking mighty interesting between the San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Meralco Bolts. We breakdown the match-ups and take a look at the necessary adjustments we feel should be made if this series is to go the distance.

PG: Mark Barroca/ Alex Mallari vs Mike Cortez/ Chris Ross/ Chris Timberlake
In a nutshell, here's a token summary of how point guards are supposed to be: can play the half court, can run, be the designated bail-out scorer AND make game-changing stops every now and then. The Mixers' Barroca is steadily boosting his stock under the tutelage of assistant coach Johnny Abarrientos (and now also of Olsen Racela) while Mallari looks like he's found a niche in the pros as a "sparkplug" type. On the flipside, the Bolts have a troika of guards who also possess most of the above-mentioned qualifications save for one-- they can't shoot a lick. The Cortez acquisition gave them a heady floor general who can control the tempo, but it still didn't answer their need for another on-court offensive threat. Given the defensive nature of both teams, the point guard/s that can dictate the pace of the game will win it for his team—even if it means having to put their “scoring caps” on.

Adv. SMC

Into the PBA Commish Cup Playoffs (Part 2.2)

Ibalik ang bangis!

San Mig Coffee Mixers (4) vs Meralco Bolts (5)
No other playoff match-up could be as 50-50 as this one not only because of their "too close to call" rankings but also because one team is rising steadily while the other is suffering from a malady of injuries and off-court issues. As a basketball fan, we're quite pleased that the Mixers are back in the hunt to defend their title after a slow star and that the Bolts, dismissed as a team that's clearly tanking to get a better seeding at next year's PBA draft after the lopsided Sol Mercado trade, are back in the Playoffs.

PG Mark Barocca vs Chris Ross
It's going to be speed versus speed, with a slight edge to Ross for his defensive tenacity and rebounding. Barocca's not too shabby either and for the Mixers to win they'll need the former FEU stalwart to deliver offensively and defensively. It's going to be interesting on how these two will guard each other. Ross can't give Barocca too much daylight as the latter has shown an improvement from the outside. Barocca can't stick too closely to Ross because the Fil-Am will just blitz his way to the rim for the finish or a kickout to his shooters. Ross can guard Barocca straight up, but Barocca will have to watch out for Ross' outside passes so the entire Mixers will have to chip in to play safety at all times.

Adv. Meralco

Buenafe-ntastic Fit

Buenafe a.k.a. Boy Leggings

Carpe diem.

Our Atenean friends are taught to live by this code, Kobe Bryant and Nike used it as part of their revived marketing campaign and pretty much anyone who seeks more in life has chanced upon this simple yet impactful mantra that translate into three simple words: "seize the day."

For one Ronjay Buenafe of the Meralco Bolts, the timing couldn't have been anymore perfect. Though he was released by head coach Yeng Guiao from the Rain or Shine Elastopainters fold despite helping the team win its first ever PBA title, Buenafe has found a new home for himself with the Meralco Bolts.

Currently ranked number 13 among the league's leading scorers, Buenafe has been torching opponents with 14.62 ppg generated by the number of long balls he's been allowed by head coach Ryan Gregorio to take. The Bolts of course, are running the "Dribble Drive Motion Offense" popularized in Filipino basketball parlance by the successful SMART Gilas II program (which Gregorio was a part of).

On import changes, Meralco's backcourt woes and Gilas 2 PG

Vroman will beast the PBA. Bet on it.

Wow. Safe to say that no one outside of the Ginebra camp saw this coming-- Chris Alexander, the Gin Kings' 7"1 import who led them to their last title has been sent home in favor of NBA vet and FIBA champion Jackson Vroman.

Alexander was reportedly sent off the same afternoon Vroman checked in to the Gin Kings' practice-- that's just cold man. Only a no conscience, unsympathetic and cold blooded individual would do something so business-like and calculating.

What's that? Noli Eala's in charge of San Miguel's basketball operations? Oh, okay.

PBA's Vince McMahon is definitely back to what he does best.