What If: Tanduay Rhum Masters

Ano apelido ni Punisher? ... Ano.
Punisher Ano.
(Photo credits to the owner)

Somewhere in 1998-1999 the Philippine Basketball Association found itself in a bit of a bind no thanks to the sudden rise of the Metropolitan Basketball Association which was backstopped by network giant ABS-CBN. To combat this growing threat, the league welcomed a lot of new talent by way of the "direct hire" process as well as adding an expansion team financed by Lucio Tan, Jr.: the Tanduay Rhum Masters.

The Rhum Masters were making waves in the now defunct Philippine Basketball League, where they were earlier known as the Stag Pale Pilseners, winning championships left and right under a young and fiery pony-tailed coach named Alfrancis Chua and players like Marlou Aquino, Eric Menk, Cris Cantonjos and Mark Telan being part of the roster at one point or another. So "graduating" into the PBA was the next logical step. They were able to buy into the league, elevate 6 players directly from their PBL line-up and also acquire the 1999 top overall pick which would turn out to be one Earl "Sonny" Alvarado.

There were a lot of names on that 1999 roster, the ones that we remember the most being: Alvarado, Menk, Telan, Cantonjos, Jason Webb, Pido Jarencio and Jayvee Gayoso. So yes, that was a nice mix of young yet proven PBL talent, Webb, and two wise Ginebra sages.

Sorry for singling Webb out. But he was basically what Simon Atkins is today for NLEX (no offense, not a lot of stats, but serviceable).

Back to the story.

Hustle like Hatfield

Photo courtesy of interaksyon.com

After 14 years (on and off) with the Philippine Basketball Association-- from Tanduay Rhum to Coca Cola and finally to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Rudy "The H-Bomb" Hatfield is finally calling it a career. This, after a so-so campaign in recent conferences following his nth comeback in the professional ranks.

We were not mistaken when we Tweeted the other day that Hatfield "reinvented" the way Filipino small forwards played the game. Back in the old days, small forwards were cast as one of the following: spread the floor wing shooter, defensive stopper or Mr. Intangibles. The guy who does the little things that almost go unseen by the not so educated basketball mind. It was almost, always one of the three. Can't be all (even the great NBA legend Magic Johnson had to concede on playing great lockdown defense, while Larry Bird lacked athleticism so there's always something holding small forwards back).