Golden Opportunity for Barako Bull

Kelangan gumawa si Miller para magtrabaho
sa depensa si Castro, Alapag at Reyes

It’s not everyday that a rag tag team of discards and almost forgotten veterans are able to prove themselves against the league’s elite. That pretty much sums up the main storyline for the starpower heavy Best-of-Five semifinals match-up between the Talk ‘n’ Text Tropang Texters and Barako Bull Energy.

On one end you have the defending champions, the mighty Texters who are looking to duplicate last season’s title romp behind an even healthier and more potent roster. Powered by rejuvenated, reigning Most Valuable Player Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes, Kelly Williams, KKS Doctor Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier and Jarred Dillinger plus rebound-demon of an import Donnel Harvey, all signs point to another long playoff run by the Texters.

Texters stay on top

No Chot and Ali? No problem.

TNT: all they do is win

True to form, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters (6-2) dispatched the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (3-5) in an out of town game after breaking out in the second quarter for good.

Both teams started sluggishly, probably trying to get a feel of the court and/ or trying to impress the local crowd. The telling point of course, was when Gabe Norwood and Paul Lee sat down, and Jimmy Alapag pretty much took over in two plays.

SMART Gilas 2: PG candidate heavy

Don't look now, but there might be
no room for Alapag w/ SMART Gilas 2

Here's a tough nut to crack, do you drop Alapag to make room for younger PGs? Don't bet on it. Not with Alapag playing like the MVP he is this season, and definitely not with his Talk 'n' Text head coach Chot Reyes manning the helm for SMART Gilas 2.

Still, would it really be that much of a problem if we were to take Alapag, future Hall-of-Famer, out of the SG2 PG list?

This writer thinks and believes that we'll be just fine with the younger guys listed below who are just as SMART Gilas 2 worthy as the Pinoy Basketball Icon (when it's all said and done, Alapag should be mentioned in the same breath as Abarrientos, and just a notch above Hector Calma):

From all angles: Texters look unstoppable

Dillinger and Fonacier: TNT's "other" stars

Last season, before the wheels started to fall off in the telling Governor's Cup, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters was dominating the league in the first two conferences. Not only did they win bot Philippine and Fiesta Cup, but they did so in a dominating fashion that made other teams look like guest JV squads.

The Texters' Troika of veteran sage Jimmy Alapag, sturdy and reliable Ryan Reyes and vast-emerging star Jayson Castro were running the opponents off the hardcourt. That, plus whenever the KKS Doctor Ranidel de Ocampo felt like dropping 20 and 10s, pretty much spelled doom for the rest of the PBA.

The Adventures of Super Bitoy continues

Super Bitoy: Proof that hard work pays off

Four games into the Commissioner's Cup and Air21's small forward Nelbert "Bitoy" Omolon is starting to turn heads with a couple of solid performances. Granted, his numbers took a hit in losses versus Petron and Bmeg after a sterling debut against Barako Bull, but Omolon quickly turned things around by leading the Express to a surprising 89-78 victory over the lethargic defending champions, Talk 'n' Text.

Being a long time Santa Lucia fan, seeing Omolon follow in the successful steps of ex-Realtors Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes of Talk 'n' Text and Joseph Yeo and Denok Miranda (who has established himself as the Wyne Arboleda of this generation) of Petron is a joy to hear. Not only is one of the more solid contributors of Santa Lucia's last title squad playing big minutes, but he is now enjoying time in the limelight after years of hard work and adjusting his game to fit the PBA style of play.

SMART Gilas Tropang Texters

If there's anything that was proven in yesterday's 110-98 victory over the gigantic frontline of the Alaska Aces, it's that the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters are the best, star-studded line-up in all of Philippine basketball.

Gaano kaya kaiba ung kalalabasan ng 2009 FIBA-Asia
kung nakapaglaro si RR imbis na si Willie Miller bilang PG?

Yes, Barangay Ginebra has the household names, but they never seem to be truly healthy and could only boast of one guy who's the best at his position at this point (Mark Caguioa). Rival Petron also has some solid star power but not as established as those of the Gin Kings and not on the same plateau as the Texters. BMeg? Well, we'll just have to wait another conference before coach Tim Cone finally figures out that new recruit JC Intal is no Marcio Lassiter/ Scottie Pippen and that he can't win with three scorers playing heavy minutes at the perimeter without at least one of them being a lockdown defender (they should've pushed to get Dylan Ababou, hey maybe they could consider stealing Bitoy Omolon from Air21).

KKS Fantasy: Creating SMART Gilas 2, Chot-style

Can't have Gilas without these two

Run and gun, attack relentlessly, hustle, bump and tumble. Smash mouth basketball that puts a premium on outscoring the opponent at every turn, and when possible, to run them right out of the gym.

From his title run earlier in 2000 with Coca Cola to his current CV-filler with Talk 'n' Text, Coach Chot's style is his and his alone in the local basketball scene. Robert Jaworski preached rugged defense, Tim Cone wanted fluidity through set plays, Jong Uichico tinkered with his line-up to play textbook basketball, Rajko Toroman called for hundreds of double picks for his point guard and Yeng Guiao pretty much let his players do whatever the hell they wanted on the floor.

Reyes has a little bit of everything mentioned above in his sleeve.

Time to shine for ex-Realtors/ Bolts

Playing time at last for Isip and Bitoy

Someone tell the chinky-eyed beauty Ms. Sheila Lina that it’s okay now, she can finally jump for joy, exchange pleasantries and high fives as her team, the Air21 Express (former Shopinas.Com), has finally salvaged a victory in its young PBA career.

Thanks largely to the “mana from heaven,” known in these circles as being awarded the rights to 6”11 import Marcus Douthit, the Express won over sister team Barako Bull Energy, 97-88. But at the same breath, credit should also be given the Express’ new recruits—underrated forwards Nelbert “Bitoy” Omolon and Mark Isip who last saw meaningful action with this writer’s old love, the Santa Lucia Realtors (once Team MVP took over and overhauled the line-up, Omolon was under utilized by coach Ryan Gregorio while Isip bounced around the league like a modern day Chris Bolado).

Talk 'n' Text closes out Game 5, Pinoy Cup champs anew

In a game that featured Powerade Tigers' Gary David, KKS' Bataan Bomber, scoring 37 points and fighting tooth and nail to salvage another win, the Cinderella run has finally come to an end via a 101-110 loss to the newly-minted Philippine Cup champions (for the third straight year) the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters.

5x coach of the year Chot Reyes leads Texters to another title

David's "supernova" effort was matched by the now 100% healthy, Ryan Reyes who broke PBA records with 10 steals in this crucial match while also adding 20 points and 8 rebounds. The Energizer was all over the court in this one, bringing back scary images of TNT's 2011 title(s) romp when he served as the team's defensive anchor on the perimeter to complement Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro (who also looked to be healthy in this series after starting the conference limping).

In a game that was pretty much a "win or go home" for the Tigers, David failed to receive the usual support he draws from super rookies JVee Casio and Marcio Lassiter who looked a bit tentative and tight before waxing hot in the 4th. Lassiter, for his part, couldn't get into a steady rhythm on the floor because of foul trouble.

Then came Mr. Doug-ble-double, Doug Kramer's vanishing act. 3 points and 3 rebounds after a string of monstrous efforts in the post? Unacceptable. TNT's bigs were challenged to do better after their paltry Game 4 showing, but that doesn't excuse Kramer from doing his part for the Tigers-- being the only serviceable big. Rommel Adducul tried, but he's on his last wheels and can't be expected to outhustle TNT's Kelly Williams, Harvey Carey, Ali Peek and Ranidel de Ocampo.

People are already speculating that Kramer's abysmal performance was "fixed," but let's give the guy the benefit of a doubt. He's been the Tigers' key post player up to this point, and it's just really unfortunate that he suffered his worst outing in such a crucial game.

TNT won the game early, bent on not giving the Tigers a chance but as they've always said, the three point shot is the "great equalizer" and come 4th quarter, David and Casio were knocking them down like men on a mission.

Good thing though, that TNT kept its overall composure and didn't engage the Tigers' in an endgame shootout (as they've done the previous games) and opted to rotate the ball. Ryan Reyes' timely defensive stops, crisp passes, rebounds and nakaw fastbreak play finally broke the Tigers' will which led to Lassiter fouling out of the game.

All in all, Game 5 showed the difference between a team that has the firepower to withstand all odds going up against a team that relied heavily on 3s-- which ultimately, became it's undoing.

Nothing to be ashamed of on the Tigers' front, they over-achieved and were even able to win a game versus a powerhouse team that rallied in time-- hurdling injuries, a gun shooting incident and even an almost insurmountable 1-3 deficit against the heavy favorites going into the semis.

Larry Fonacier being named Finals MVP was well-deserved. Once coach Chot Reyes called his number in an effort to slow down Gary David (easier said than done), Fonacier rose to the occasion and was even able to hold his own and make David work-- averaging 16 points in five games.

Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Jayson Castro had their moments, but none as consistently as Fonacier who proved yet again that you just can't teach championship poise and clutch.

Congratulations to the Powerade Tigers and the Bataan Bomber for putting a great show, and to the Tropang Texters for what seems like an even bigger, better grand slam bid now that the guys are healthy.

PS

As of January 29, 2011: TNT Gilbert Lao: 5 6 PBA titles. Powerade Gary David: 0.

The PBA Pinoy Cup Finals: Talk N Text vs Powerade

After an exciting semifinals series that could've gone either way if a basket or two were only made, we're now being treated to a rather unexpected yet enthralling Finals match-up with league powerhouse and defending champions Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters and the "Cinderella" team, the 8th seeded Powerade Tigers.

To win, Tigers' need Lassiter to stay on the floor

Keys for the Tigers

1. Run and gun
- It's pretty obvious that the Tigers lack the legit point guard who makes scoring opportunities for his teammates. They have PGs who can handle the rock and rotate the basketball, but mostly, these guys are natural born shooters (Rudy Lingganay being the odd man out). JVee Casio and Celino Cruz need to run and keep pushing the pace to spread the floor and not let the Texters vaunted defense (which was modified halfway in the Petron series but wasn't recognized outright by most) set-up shop.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion

Admittedly or not, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters entered their semifinals series versus the Petron Blaze Boosters still seething from their foiled Grand Slam bid just a conference back. It showed in the way they fought tooth and nail despite the injuries, and none more than today's Game 7 which they won via the slimmest of margins, 92-91.

Pinoy Cup champs regrouped just in the nick of time

KKS' hats off to the Boosters, who had this series in the bag early with a 3-1 lead but failed to close it out in three tries. Alex Cabagnot evolved into the lead point guard in the PBA today, Arwind Santos proved to everyone why he's the guy whose name is almost a shoo-in for Best Player of the Conference and even season Most Valuable Player and finally, Danny Ildefonso turned back the hands of time to show us that the Demolition Man is still hungry for more rings (and may possibly go down as one of the PBA's winningest players when it's all said and done).

But Game 7 was all about the Texters regardless of how tight the score was in the end. Yes, the Boosters caught up and had a chance to win in the end, but it was the adjustments on the Xs and Os by coach Chot Reyes which spelled the biggest difference of them all.

Cabagnot was forced to pass the ball early instead of setting the table up for the Boosters. Santos was effectively cancelled out by rival Kelly Williams et. al. And it was only Chris Lutz and Ildefonso who were able to carry the fight for the Boosters alongside Joseph Yeo.

On the other side of the floor, guys who played in only a couple of games all conference long for the Texters made sure to bring it all out when it mattered most. Jayson Castro, the man known as "The Blur" but has been more like "The Crash" due to his numerous injuries, scattered 21 points. Jimmy Alapag, lost in the ascension of younger point guards like Cabagnot and teammates Castro and Ryan Reyes, had another classic, nay, vintage performance with 14 points and 7 assists.

Ali Peek, a guy who wouldn't even be part of the series if not for his thick muscular build that saved him from a couple of bullets, hauled in a hard-earned/ fought double double of 13 points and 11 rebounds over Ildefonso and understudy Rob Reyes.

Pang-MVP man si Santos, lamang sa poste si RDO

And then, there was the answer.

The last, true Filipino big man in this day and age of 3 points and crossover loving bigs.

He started the series (and the conference) as he usually does- inconsistently. One day he looks like the bigger version of Jun Limpot (only he wins more). The next he looks like Marlou Aquino during the darker Santa Lucia years (pre-Kelly).

Then, Game 4 happened.

Ryan Reyes was reported hurt. The next game, Kelly Williams hurt his hamstring. Ditto with the forever limping Castro.

It was time.

And Ranidel de Ocampo was ready to take over.

KKS said it before and we'll say it again, there's no one in the PBA today that has the same clinical and polished skillset as RDO. Hell, KKS wants this guy to be called "Dr. De Ocampo" just to recognize his insane on court abilities.

But that's just it. Like any doctor, you don't always get what you pay for. Sometimes they just diagnose you, scribble (more like doodle) on a piece of paper and send you off. Others, they take the time to REALLY check up on you, tell you what's wrong and other possibilities.

Ditto with RDO. Sometimes he coasts, others he dominates.

And once the opening was presented to him, to not be the kick-out big man but number one option- he delivered and the Boosters just didn't have anyone on the roster to stay with him.

Ildefonso's solid, but he's a banger-defender in the block. RDO enjoys some nice footwork and range that forces Ildefonso way out of his comfort zone. Rob Reyes? Rookie. Mark Agustin? Yeah, whatever. Baclao? He's so far off his Ateneo game shape KKS would take Agustin over him all day at this point.

So here's to the Texters' injuries and all for surviving this series and making it to the Finals where they can defend their Philippine Cup title. The series could've gone either way honestly, with all the close games, but in the end, there's a big difference between guys who play not to lose and those who play to win.

Deep impact: TNT's extra batteries to the rescue

Baby-faced assassin. Silent but deadly.

A year ago when the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters were running roughshod over the opposition en route to its two titles, the team was anchored on a "USA Redeem Team"-like approach both on offense and defense.

Its suffocating and tireless defense created scoring opportunities, most of which was anchored by its three-headed monster at the guard position with perennial MVP Jimmy Alapag, Most Improved Player Jayson Castro and all-out hustler Ryan Reyes.

They won so much behind the three that it often didn't matter what production they received from Ranidel de Ocampo (whose constant battles with inconsistencies is just a few games short of being Marlou Aquino-esque) and Ali Peek, as long as the three were on the floor, TNT was sure to win games- and win they did.

But in the third conference, their third straight finals appearance- the wheels started falling off. Alapag, Castro and Reyes literally limped their way to the finish line- and with them, the Texters' hopes for a rare Grand Slam. They lost to the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Finals in a grueling, energy-sapping series.

This year, the Texters were looking to defend their hard earned Philippine Cup title although to a different lead cast. Alapag is no longer the 20 points 7 assists National Team player of years passed, Reyes hasn't been 100% healthy not since his rookie year with Santa Lucia and Castro continues to downplay his nagging hamstring and knee issues.

Granted, the three guard rotation will always be coach Chot Reyes ace-in-the-sleeve, but this conference (and even in Game 6 of their heavyweight semifinals slugfest with rivals Petron Blaze Boosters), the Texters have won with a more "traditional" look.

Because of the nagging injuries to his superstar trio, Reyes has reverted back to having them sub for one another. This way, he is able to preserve their minutes (and health) while opening up spots for his other players. Two of which, could start for any top tier PBA team right now: SG Larry Fonacier and SF Jarred Dillinger.

A few weeks back, KKS noted that Dillinger should be freed from Reyes' doghouse and, if possible, traded to another team ASAP. It wasn't a case of Dillinger not being skilled enough to play in Reyes' system (he's a slasher who can also play a little PG), it's just that Reyes has won so much with his Three Mouse-keteers that no one can blame him for sticking to his cards through thick and thin.

But now that the Texters are fighting for dear life and have a 50-50 chance of even advancing to the Philippine Cup Finals, Reyes et. al. have chosen to go back to basics-- which they even might be better off with against the streaking Boosters.

Right now, Reyes' rotation is Alapag-Fonacier-Dillinger-De Ocampo-Peek with reserves Castro and Rich Alvarez waiting on the wings. Simplified yes, but weak? No.

Fonacier gives them the size to defend at the 2 spot (where Joseph Yeo has been playing like the inspired 2nd time daddy he is and even Denok Miranda is shining brightly) and also forces his counterparts to play defense from the 3 pt line. Dillinger's height, speed, energy and athleticism is also paying big for the Texters in his match-up with Mr. Cool Chris Lutz.

Wherein the Three Mouseketeers would be beaten (and have been) handily by the Boosters, Alapag-Castro-Reyes are just too small to guard Cabagnot-Yeo/Miranda-Lutz in a seven game series, the bigger alternative has given the Texters an entirely different look that PB coach Ato Agustin has yet to truly solve.

And while Dillinger isn't half the slasher that Castro is, he's still bigger and just as relentless (gigil kasi matagal nauupo). They're not the interchangeable, rolling derbish like when the Three Mouseketeers are on the floor, but they're just as effective and matches up better with the Boosters strong 5 of Cabagnot-Miranda-Lutz-Santos-Reyes.

Oh, and anywhere you plug Rich Alvarez, he's bound to give you 100% effort and hustle while playing lockdown, "kiskis betlog" (tribute to Ryan Arana) D.

It should also be noted that Ranidel de Ocampo, for some reason, is more aggressive playing with this unit instead of when with the Three Mouseketeers. Either he relishes the "Main Man" option and prefers to be the guy with the ball/ allowed freedom to create instead of being Castro/ Alapag's kick-out option from deep.

KKS says, if De Ocampo wants the ball, give him the damn ball PROVIDED that he's within the 3 point arc though.

Plus, Larry Fonacier is the most under-rated yet high IQ basketball player in the PBA today.

Now we'll see if Reyes sticks this new "traditional" line-up featuring Fonacier and Dillinger at the wings to win Game 7, or if he'll give the Three Mouseketeers (now quite possibly two depending on Reyes' injury) one more shot to deliver.