Trade reactions/ free agent signings

This guy just keeps getting traded
and traded and traded...

We are literally just five days away from the opening of the 42nd season of the PBA; with fans already buzzing in excitement and anticipation of what's to come.

Can San Miguel defend their crown? Is Ginebra good enough to unseat their sister team minus Justin Brownlee? Will Alaska break the curse of The Kraken? Who can lead his new team to more wins: James Yap, Paul Lee or Coach Yeng Guiao?

But before that, here are a few other trades/ signings that happened just recently and what we think of it all:

Nico Salva joins Mahindra
Salva was reportedly on his way to Meralco (which would reunite him with his Ateneo brethren and head coach Norman Black) before Ginebra opted to send him to the Mahindra Floodbusters. Honestly, we still think that this was something of a good fortune to Salva although he went from being able to join a contender to a cellar-dweller. See, the Floodbusters decided to go on a frontline fire sale in the off-season (they lost Aldrech Ramos, Nino Canaleta AND Bradwyn Guinto to trades) which left Coach Chris Gavina scratching his head and looking at: Jeckster Apinan, Mark Yee, Rob Reyes and rookies Russel Escoto and Joseph Eriobu (who is a small forward by trade). If Salva is lucky and works hard enough, he could be of some use as a rotation 3 or 4 although we are not too sure how he'll fare minus a key big man (his best years in ADMU, including his Finals MVP, was brought about by playing the weak side, opposite a dominant big).

Jordan Pippen

Jordan Pippen
(Photo credit to the owner)

“I’ll be Jordan on offense and Scottie on defense.”

You know what they say about sleeping in the bed that you made; good or bad, you are stuck with it and will always be responsible and accountable for your words and actions. For Barangay Ginebra San Miguel's Chris Ellis, the above quote was taken from a Spin.Ph piece written by Snow Badua when asked how he sees himself fitting in head coach Tim Cone's Triangle Offense moving forward.

24 minutes 5 points 5 rebounds 1 assist 1 turnover 34% from 2 and 13% from 3/ per game

There is hardly anything Jordan-esque, hell even Pippen-esque with those numbers in nine games played so far.

But making fun of Ellis, jocosely dubbed "Jordan Pippen," would be too easy and is not why we are here. We are here to help.

But being born and raised from the old school cement courts of Pasay, this is not for the weak of heart.

Let the madness ensue

Saan po yung biyaheng TNT?
(Photo credit to the owner)

Really, let it ensue. Let the madness that is the PBA pre-season wheeling and dealing commence!

Troy Rosario to Talk'n'Text, Kevin Alas to NLEX, Aldrech Ramos, Rob Reyes and Nino Canaleta to Mahindra

How can you not love this trade for TNT? They just landed this year's coveted 1st (Moala Tautuaa) and 2nd (Rosario) picks which basically ensures that they will remain a dominant force in the league for years to come. Don't hate on this so much if you happen to be anti-Team MVP, since this is basically the 2015 version of the 2010 mugging of Air21 wherein San Miguel basically and literally bought that year's 1st and 2nd picks-- Noy Baclao and Rabeh Al Hussaini. What goes around, comes around right? On the flip side, sister team NLEX will have to wait until sophomore Kevin Alas recovers from injury but once he does they should have one of the more exciting backcourts with Alas and rookie Garvo Lanete outside of GlobalPort's looming three-headed monster of Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and Roi Sumang.

Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Is it wrong to call Intal...
The Franchise? Tagal ma trade e.
(Photo credit: Sports5.ph)

My name is Angel Velasco, and I am the advocate for the bastard incarnates, Barako Bull Energy Cola. Our mantra is Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Denok Miranda? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Sol Mercado? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Dave Marcelo? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Joseph Yeo? Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

Eat. Sleep. Trade. Repeat.

EAT.

SLEEP.

TRADE.

REPEAT.

The Romance of Terrence Romeo

Rise and tune out the semantics
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

In last Wednesday evening's main game, a GlobalPort Batang Pier rookie decided to make a name for himself. That being said; he didn't make a name by appeasing his many, amateur career haters-- no. He made a name for himself by simply playing the way he has the last few years.

Thy name is Terrence Bill Romeo.

High-octane, fast-paced, fading away, crossover, spin move three, one-on-one, one-on-two... one-on-five basketball. What he gave up on inches, he made up for with grit and a will to win. How many point guards can you name that would nonchalantly drive into the lane and absorb Street Fighter Zangief piledriver style contact from both Junemar Fajardo AND Arwind Santos? He was blocked several times and had his shot altered by Petron Blaze's bloodhounds, but this didn't deter him from who and what he was.

KKS Scouting Report: 2013 PBA Draft Favorites (Part 1)

Since we’ve already touched on the 2013 PBA Draft: the first rounders, sleepers and which teams they’re most probably/ ideally/ logically going to play for, it’s high time that we take a step back and review the favorites for who and what they are on the basketball court based from what we’ve observed.

And since we have limited information on all 84 applicants, we’re going to offer a scouting report on the “favorites” or pretty much the ones we’ve seen and followed through the boob tube. Here we break down their Strengths and Weakness while also offering a Ceiling and Basement or the CURRENT, ACTIVE PBA Players that each rookie reminds us of (Ceiling being the potential/ high point and Basement being the low point).

Greg Slaughter, C, 6’11”

Strengths: soft touch, great hands, can shoot free throws and 15-17 feet jumpshot, can finish around the rim finesse or force, knows where to receive the basketball, can set sturdy screens

Weakness ( / needs work):  footwork, is essentially slow and lanky as expected of seven footers, lacks explosion, lacks basic back-to-the-basket post-up game, slow on the pick and roll (more of a pick and pop type)

Ceiling: Slightly taller Asi Taulava with range, if he works on his post game can turn into 7”0 Sonny Thoss

Basement: 7”0 Rob Reyes