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.

Tigers' Trap

Teams be warned: Do not engage
the Bataan Bomber and his Hitmen in a shootfest

For teams wanting to imitate the Powerade Tigers' run and gun attack which has paid dividends (so far): be warned. Not all run and gun teams blitz their way to the Championship. They usually either face a disciplined team with a strong willed coach and system in place OR run themselves to the ground and shoot blanks due to fatigue.

Credit goes to the Tigers' coaching staff for minimizing their weaknesses (absence of Class A floor generals) and maximizing their strengths (shooters). JVee Casio, a point guard only by size and position but not by game, is more scorer than facilitator. And while die-hard fans would quickly point out his assists numbers from time to time, it's more of having deadeye shooters to play with instead of creating scoring opportunities.

Gary David, Kili-Kili Shot's resident Bataan Bomber, is also another player whose negatives are being taken off the spotlight in favor of the positives. We've seen games wherein he'd try to shoot his team back into the fight by putting up back to back to back three balls even when it's not going in.

Do we hear his team complaining or commentators calling him out? No.

Because the Tigers' frenetic pace allows the action to quicken therefor making you forget that just a play ago, David air balled a shot or was responsible for the violent murder of a hapless tailed wall-crawler. Ditto with Casio and even Marcio Lassiter.

Another Tigers' weakness that is being covered for by their high octane offense is their lack of overall defensive discipline.

Undisciplined teams (or those given too much free rein by coaches) often fall into the Tigers' trap of trying to outpoint the opposition and pushing the pace at an insane, Mike D'Antoni level. The Tigers of course, enjoy the upper hand in such scenarios because while the other team would settle for a quick two, they have guys who have enough credibility to hoist quick threes and live to tell about it.

This is the very same tactic used by NBA coaches such as Greg Popovich and Phil Jackson when their teams face wildcards such as the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns of years passed and in some ways, the pre-2011 Dallas Mavericks.

Their teams are not caught into the allure of a high scoring game and they send out their guards to control the tempo at all times. Emphasis is placed in their post players to further grind away on the shotclock and keep possessions at a minimum.

This isn't rocket science or anything new, Jackson and Popovich didn't create this coaching scheme. So it's quite surprising that old reliables such as B-Meg's Tim Cone and now, Rain or Shine's Yeng Guiao, allows this to continue.

Had Cone been with the Llamados long enough, he'd surely have more control of his team (who probably felt that they had enough firepower to outgun the Tigers, not realizing that they had scorers instead of shooters).

Guiao? We'd be silly to think that he hasn't thought of this (RoS displayed the ball control we've been looking for the whole series in Game 6), but the way he coaches his players- by letting them loose on the floor and making themselves accountable that's the only reason why the Tigers are still in the fight and could very well be looking at their first Finals appearance under the Perasol-led RUN David-Marcio-Casio era.

All or nothing Game 7s

It's that time of the basketball calendar again where one can throw away the stats and standings-- only this time, fans all around are being treated to not one but two classic series. One featuring the defending champions Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters versus the fancied Petron Blaze Boosters and the other, the wild, wild West shootout between the upstart Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and trail blazing Powerade Tigers.

Here are some note worthy observations made from last game and pretty much the whole series in general:

TNT vs PB

- Alex Cabagnot drives the Boosters' offense, but that's created only if and when Arwind Santos controls the boards
- Danny Ildefonso's game may no longer have the quick baseline spins or dunks, but his J and post up moves are still Top 5

To be THE man, you have to beat the MAN.

- Ranidel de Ocampo is the key to the whole series for TNT. When he's on and interested, he's too quick for Ildefonso and Rob Reyes, bigger than Santos and experienced for Marc Agustin. He showed it with his 23 points in game 6
- Jimmy Alapag will always show up for big games. Count on it.
- TNT won Game 6 behind injuries to key personnel. With Ryan Reyes and Kelly Williams out and Jayson Castro limping (yet again), coach Chot Reyes was forced to go with a traditional line-up instead of his favored three guard formation. Larry Fonacier and Jarred Dillinger didn't do so bad against PBB. Fonacier has the size and IQ to play Denok Miranda and Joseph Yeo, while Dillinger has the pedigree and "gigil" to stay with Chris Lutz
- Ali Peek is a muthafukkin G who was shot in the back just weeks ago and is now outmuscling the opposition like nothing happened

Shoot-out. RoS needs top wise up and slow it down

ROS vs Powerade

- Jeffrei Chan is the barometer of RoS, if he scores in the 20s mark, they usually win
- Paul Lee cannot be stopped by the Tigers' guards and is wreaking havoc by creating scoring opportunities for himself or others
- JVee Casio is one dimensional, clutch, but one dimensional much like Gary David (so no Bataan Bomber, coach Bo Perasol wasn't right in picking another shooter to play with you. Just imagine the number of kick-outs and freebies you'd get playing alongside Paul Lee. Ask Chan, Beau Belga, JayR Quinahan and so on)
- Doug Kramer is a top tier big man in the PBA and may possibly be a grade better than standard bearer Alaska's Sonny Thoss
- RoS could've ended this series long ago had their young guys been reminded to SLOW DOWN and HOLD ON TO THE BASKETBALL which they did effectively in Game 6. Can't blame them, they're young and easily duped by trading baskets. In streetball terms, this is what even grade school players call "HAWAK!" and/ or "IKOT!"
- The Tigers play zero defense and rely on the fact that they have the better shooters (collectively christened by yours truly as the "Bataan Bomber and the Hitmen") who are quick to leak out and shoot, shoot and shoot
- Yeng Guiao couldn't possibly be outcoached by Bo Perasol in a seven game series now can he?

Animo Casio! Tigers take 3-2 lead

What a game for both Powerade Tigers and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters!

In yet another amazing display of resiliency, firepower and Grade A offense-- both teams reached the 100 mark anew with the Tigers coming back in the final two minutes to pull the rug from under the hapless E-Painters, 110-108.

ISA na lang para sa "Bagong Ginebra"

More and more it's starting to look like the E-Painters collective youth is being exposed at games' end-- failing to close out and playing right into the hands of the Tigers.

Credit has to go to JVee Casio (25 points) who carried the fight for the Tigers alongside rookie classmate Marcio Lassiter (19 points, 11 rebounds) and the Bataan Bomber (28 points). The Tigers' fearsome perimeter players pretty much shot their way back into the game, while there was an obvious tactical error on the part of the E-Painters head coach Yeng Guiao.

Jireh Ybanes, once heralded to be a potential David stopper but never really used in the series, came in to give the E-Painters a new look and dropped an easy 13 points. Another David stopper, Ryan Arana, contributed 15 points of his own while playing solid defense. Both guys however, sat in favor of the inconsistent Ronjay Buenafe who bungled his chance to take back the lead in the closing seconds with the most God awful, "no chance in hell" lay-up against heavy traffic ever.

It pretty much spoiled a great JayR Quinahan rising (he's been taken out of the limelight the previous games) and another double digit effort from Larry Rodriguez.

Honestly, all biases aside (RoS fan here), the E-Painters cannot win this series the way it's going.

The young squad of coach Yeng has been suckered into playing the frenetic, uptempo style of the Tigers which also spelled the early exit of the B-Meg Llamados a series ago. Normally, this style doesn't win games because teams who employ it are bound to shoot themselves in the foot-- "live by the 3, die by the 3."

But, with Casio, Lassiter, David and even Will Antonio, Rudy Lingganay, Celino Cruz and Sean Anthony at the helm- the Tigers have the shooters to pretty much survive in-game shooting slumps. When someone's cold, someone else shoots. Simple as that.

Their weakness, which is at the post, is not as exposed because they have turned this series into a guard's game.

On the opposite end, Guiao has pretty much allowed his team, led by the young Paul Lee, to play at the same pace which doesn't suit their overall strength.

They have a shooter in Jeffrei Chan, but unlike the Tigers' hitmen, Chan does his best work off the ball while the offense sets up. Paul Lee is also a great halfcourt creator. Ditto with slashers Ryan Arana and Jireh Ybanes.

Then there's the bigs, Beau Belga, Quinahan, Rodriguez, Jervy Cruz, Ronnie Matias- all of which do their best work when things are slowed down.

Defensively, the Tigers' don't have a deep enough big man rotation to challenge the E-Painters. Nor do the Tigers have great half court defenders other than Antonio and Lassiter.

If the pace keeps going this way and the E-Painters don't try to at least slow it down, the Tigers will march on into the Finals in what feels like forever for the Bataan Bomber.

Paul Lee

Even KINGS bow down to Lee

Ganun katindi si Paul Lee. Wag na natin lagyan ng title. Wag na monicker. Paul Lee na agad. Tapos. Alam na.

In recognition of this praise-worthy piece by Mr. FireQuinito.com who is now part of the AKTV team, this writer would just like to further point out why Rain or Shine's Paul Lee rightfully deserves all the hype that has been thrown him- if not more.

Non-RoS and non-Lee fans have dismissed any write-up about the rookie guard as pure hype, despite not being there to actually see the young star's rising greatness and his on court demeanor. The more shallow fans think that he's just another Mark Caguioa or Mark Cardona- great players with swagger to the hilt, but this writer begs to disagree.

You don't see Lee making faces at anyone (but himself when disgusted with a boneheaded play *usually of his doing*) like Caguioa, or addressing/bantering/interacting with the crowd after a made basket ala Cardona- hell, the guy doesn't even really get into it with other players even if they're after his bald head. He just balls the way he knows how even if he's off his game until coach Yeng Guiao yanks him off the floor.

In today's social media heavy world where stars and fans are able to communicate more often, we've put an onus on players to play and act a certain way. Some, if not most, pander to fans-- which is well and good. We all love a little interaction, a little recognition. But I surely don't mind a guy who just goes out there and busts his ass and is not a fan of signing autographs and posing for pictures- as long as he's good at what he does, he'll have my vote.

King Warrior. Cobra Commander. Lethal Weapon. Manila Kingpin. Angas ng Tondo.

Monickers used to describe the stellar play and approach. Always the leader, always cerebral.

On offense, Lee commands the floor like a 10 year veteran. You'd often see young guards running up and down the floor, plenty of wasted movement due to heightened activity and understandable over-reliance on athleticism-- but not Lee. When asked to play PG, Lee approaches it slowly, almost methodically.

Either he sets the table up and calls certain plays (he's not gifted in the mold of a Cabagnot or Tenorio in terms of making adjustments on the fly) or drives to the lane where he is almost unguardable. He protects the rock with his body (arguably the best in the business) and knows how to finish. When defenses collapses, he kicks it out to whoever is wide open. On TV land, it looks easy- but ask anyone who plays basketball and they'd tell you that finding the open man while driving hard to the rim against two or three defenders- that takes a lot of skill, timing and luck.

We're not saying that Lee is invincible and God's gift to Philippine basketball, but simply, the kid is good. 

Damn good.

People talk about Chris Lutz' efficiency, Jayvee Casio's clutch shooting (which isn't on display since he has Gary David as a teammate at Powerade) and Marcio Lassiter's tenacious "Pinoy Pippen" ploys (see what we did there?) but they are quick to forget that all three were tried and tested players who have played in CHAMPION programs and trained internationally (DLSU, SMART Gilas, US NCAA).

Oh, and they'll be 27, 26 and 25 by the end of this year.

Lee?

23.

Defensively, Lee still has a lot to learn (as shown by his silly gamble against Gary David in Game 3 which cost them a possible 2-1 lead at the time). The weight has helped him cope in the pros offensively but the payoff is exposed on defense. Lee has become albeit flat footed and struggles to stay in front of kiti-kiti guards. Great thing for him of course is, he has guys like Ryan Arana, Jireh Ybanes, shotblocker JayR Quinahan and on and off Gabe Norwood to cover for him on defense.

Another (unforeseen) weakness is his three point shooting. He's made a few clutch ones this semifinals, but overall he's not at par with his UAAP/PBL self. Hopefully he'll get his form back in the coming years (he's young, if Ali Peek and Nic Belasco could turn into jumpshooters, then there's no excuse for Lee).

O 'nak, suotin mo jacket. Wag papaulan ha?
 (Lee + Guiao: Match made in heaven)

But despite his flaws, we celebrate/hate Lee for the quiet arrogance. Like he's telling/ showing everyone that "he's been there, done that." It's a maturity level lost among the Crisanos, Tubids, Cardonas and is even, daresay, "man love" worthy.

Hell, now we understand the almost bizarre man-love relationship he had with UE coach Lawrence Chiongson. Lee's the only player in recent memory that has made Yeng Guiao sound like a fanboy every time he's asked about his rookie guard  (and he's coached A-listers like Vergel Meneses, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos, Junthy Valenzuela and Gary David to name a few).

And you know the best part of it all?

Love him or hate him, he'll just keep playing his game and worry about what you think of him later.

Can Petron close out champs?

This afternoon, the PBA returns to its traditional double-header format after a highly successful "experimental" consecutive semifinal game days. It also marks the Petron Blaze Boosters, now up 3-1, first attempt in securing a Philippine Cup Finals spot over the defending champions the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters.

Petron will look to Cabagnot and Santos to close it out

But despite the two-game deficit, if there's one thing we've learned in the game of basketball is this: "never underestimate the heart of a champion"-- as wisely spoken by NBA coach Rudy Tomjanovich when his Houston Rockets were being pushed to the brink of playoffs elimination in their team's mid 90s title run (they won back to back of course).

Right now, things don't look pretty good for the Texters. They played their best defense of the series in Game 4-- locking down Arwind Santos to a measly 7 points and 2, yes TWO, rebounds (which is almost unheard of at this point even when he was a skinny phenom at FEU) and still failed to win. And if that's not enough (and I know we've been beating on this for a while now), Ryan Reyes suffered yet another injury- this time to his wrist which pretty much adds to TNT coach Chot Reyes' rotation woes.

Then there's the Boosters main men of Alex Cabagnot and Arwind Santos. Pound for pound, the best PG in the PBA and the best all around wing amongst all Filipino (and even Fil-foreign) basketball players in general. That's not hype, that's the God honest truth.

If the NBA celebrates (while media and fans hate) on LeBron James for being a God-like athlete who puts up offensive numbers, the Philippines has the exact opposite- guy who puts up defensive numbers, plays lockdown defense and doesn't fade in the clutch because he makes a bigger impact on D while letting others get their shine all while enjoying little to no fanfare because of his non-TV friendly looks (kung nagpalit ng mukha si Arwind Santos at ABL San Miguel Beerman Chris Banchero, pustahan tayo mas sikat pa siya kay Noynoy).

And if having two of the top five players in the league isn't enough, the Boolsters also boast of the ever reliable Denok Miranda, Danny Ildefonso, Chris Lutz and Joseph Yeo. While others argue that the Boosters only have 2 stars, I say they should look again. Miranda was a better PG than L.A. Tenorio in the UAAP and was the only guy to stay with Mike Cortez- only they weren't winning as much. Ildefonso is a 2 time MVP whose excellent conditioning (check out the guns on that bad mofo) has made him the team's pillar of strength (as it should). Lutz is a glue guy who does a little of everything great minus the flash while Joseph Yeo, other than Ginebra's Mark Caguioa and TNT's Jayson Castro, is the fiercest slasher in the PBA when given minutes on the floor.

Hell, even Rob Reyes is slowly starting to regain his old, "Baby Menk" form. He doesn't have as many moves in the pivot, but the guy was flat out beastly in the PBL with Toyota Otis Letran (how quickly people forget no thanks to a series of injuries and playing for bad teams).

Perhaps the inevitable early exit will allow the TNT crew to finally get some much needed break- they've been playing to the hilt for almost four straight conferences now. That, plus even coach Chot has admitted that they're simply being outplayed (and outcoached) by the better team.

Vintage Demolition Man powers PBB 3-1 lead

One more time for the Demolition Man.

I'll say it before and I'll say it again.

With Dennis Espino's retirement, Danny Ildefonso-- even at his advanced state and mileage, is the best low post player in the league today. He may no longer possess the foot speed to spin away from younger bigs, but the high basketball IQ remains as well as the sweet 15 to 18 foot jumpers.

In today's comeback victory (the Petron Blaze Boosters are starting to make this a habit) over the Talk n Text Tropang Texters, Ildefonso delivered with 22 points and 8 rebounds-- the most he's scored in over four years. And though this came as a huge surprise to Quinito Henson, this writer finds nothing big about it at all. When healthy, Ildefonso knows when and where to score on the floor. He sets sturdy screens, is always mindful of kick-out passes and is the premier example of how a basketball player should be in the league (dedicated and committed at getting better to win).

Will TNT be able to stage a comeback in the series after being dealt a telling blow (and the possible loss of Ryan Reyes who injured another part of his anatomy yet again-- this time his wrist)?

That remains to be seen, but at this point, seems doubtful.

They can probably squeeze a victory, but I don't see how the Boosters will allow themselves to let this golden opportunity of advancing to the Pinoy Cup Finals go.

Credit has to go to coach Ato Agustin for making his players accountable out on the floor.

Previously, I wrote about how Agustin is starting to make Reyes look like a sophomore coach rather than a multi titled one. Now, I argue that Agustin simply does one thing better than Reyes and that's why his team is on top.

He makes his players play to their strengths.

Alex Cabagnot has the freedom to create on offense and shoot clutch baskets.

Agustin never asks him to over extend himself on defense.

Denok Miranda is assigned to lockdown any TNT guard who makes successive baskets.

Agustin never forces him to score on the other end despite defenders sagging off Miranda (given his reputation for not being a solid offensive threat).

And finally...

...Arwind Santos is rebounding and playing defense.

Agustin has managed to brainwash the MVP frontrunner who has a penchant for launching one too many heat check threes and convinced him to just let the game come to him and give the threes and long range shots to his teammates.

Reyes on the other hand, couldn't even ask his best player- Ranidel de Ocampo, to play in the paint for three straight possessions.

In truth, this series could've been in TNT's favor had RDO played exclusively in the post. The Boosters don't have anyone big enough to guard RDO outside of Rob Reyes and Danny Ildefonso-- but that would open up things for whoever's playing beside the TNT big man (usually Ali Peek or Harvey Carey).

Also, it would definitely help TNT's overall team rebounding numbers and unclog the perimeter where their guards are usually found (only Jayson Castro and maybe the little used Jarred Dillinger are threats to drive into the lane).

For TNT to force a Game 6, they need a lot of things to go their way- RDO in the post, Castro and Dillinger to drive hard and Alapag and Fonacier to find their range from deep.

Right now, things are looking good for the Boosters and they owe this victory to the Demolition Man.

Jong to Gilas 2?

Doon na lang tayo magkitakits!

With eight titles under his belt (six with San Miguel Beermen/ Petron Blaze Boosters and two with the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings), coach Jong Uichico appears to be headed to the other side of the local basketball powerhouse fence and set to join Manny V. Pangilinan's camp.

In truth, this doesn't come as a surprise really. The way Uichico has been "mishandled" this season by Management and being asked to take the "co-coaching" position alongside former deputy Siot Tangquincen. In the professional world of neckties, the ploy was meant to pay tribute to the old adage "two heads are better than one." In reality, it was a slap on the face for both men to show who's really in charge and that they're not bigger than the team.

We're not talking about rookie coaches here who are still earning their stripes in the league-- definitely not in the case of the multi-titled and former National team coach Jong Uichico.

So if rumors/ reports are correct that Uichico is bidding the San Miguel franchise adieu, this is arguably the biggest basketball gem for Team MVP and their (indirect) answer to Tim Cone being pirated from Alaska by B-Meg.

Of course, Cone is on a different level but there's no one else in the PBA coaching ranks that could at least rival  the American mentor's rings collection.

Question now is, where will Uichico go?

Ateneo's off the books, because it seems unlikely that they're open to a DLSU alum calling the shots when other, more stellar Ateneans are available once Norman Black "graduates."

Talk 'n' Text has Chot Reyes, Meralco with Ryan Gregorio so that leaves us with...

SMART Gilas 2.

Honestly, I don't see how Uichico fits in the mold. Recruitment wise, he's not a big name like Rajko Toroman (duh) or even our own Tim Cone and Norman Black. Xs and Os wise, it's been a while since we last saw of Uichico and the last time he coached a national team, he desperately tried to transform Danny Ildefonso to a three point shooter (ugh).

Let's see how this one unfolds.

Ownage: Is Ato Agustin better than Chot Reyes?

Chess match: Agustin up 2-1.

Both camps will probably dismiss similar queries in a heart beat, but at this point of the heavyweight semifinals match-up between the Petron Blaze Boosters and Tropang Texters (Boosters up 2-1) it's starting to look more and more like PBB coach Ato Agustin has TNT's Chot Reyes' number.

From a fan's perspective, both guys are "players' coaches" who empower their players to do what comes natural to them on the floor (thus TNT's Japeth Aguilar's freedom to play whatever). If you've heard them speak on time-outs that aren't in the dying seconds, you'll hear both offering words of encouragement (or challenges) instead of drawing up plays.

The big difference of course, goes with Agustin who is not only a former basketball player, but an elite level PBA (and should've been MBA's 1st season) Most Valuable Player at that.

Agustin knows when to push his players and is able to react faster whenever a player is off his rhythm or just needs a few more minutes on the floor to get going. Reyes on the other hand, reacts but at a slower level than Agustin. The on going situational substitutions attest to that fact, with Agustin usually bringing in guys who immediately make an impact on the floor (Joseph Yeo, Danny Ildefonso and even Mark Agustin) while Reyes opts to squeeze everything out of his guys before replacing them.

Pedigree wise, Reyes wins hands down. But dating back last season with Agustin's PBA debut with the then San Miguel Beermen, it's hard to argue against Agustin who was able to score a draw versus his TNT counterpart (losing in the Philippine Cup, winning in the Governor's).

In reality, it seems that once the Boosters' line-up was simplified with the injuries to Jay Washington and Dondon Hontiveros, Agustin's coaching life became easier and the balance that he sought started to come out.

Attitude wise, the Boosters remain intact and solid (exchanging Tweets and what nots) and are 100% behind their coach who they appreciate.

Reyes' style has always been to praise his team for victories and call out individuals in losses. Being an educated man and all, it would be quite stupid to say that Reyes was merely passing the blame to his guys while keeping his hands clean. He's been coaching for years, he knows what he's doing and it's just a game of psychology within his own team.

Phil Jackson does it (he called Pau Gasol, arguably the most skilled *not dominant, that would be Shaq of course* big man he's ever coached, a chicken more than once), everyone does it. He's not blaming his players. He's firing them up.

Time will tell who's the better coach when it's all said and done, better yet, championships.

Right now, Agustin definitely has Reyes' number.

X-Factor finally delivers for RoS, series tied

Love him or hate him, Norwood is RoS' X-Factor

He's not the 20 point scorer expected from celebrated Fil-foreigners (Sol Mercado, Joe DeVance), neither is he the rebounding demon in the paint (Rob Reyes, Sonny Thoss), but when he's on his game, Gabe Norwood brings an entirely different monster for his Rain or Shine Elastopainters.

Norwood's heightened activity in yesterday's game helped RoS level the series versus the Powerade Tigers, posting a double double of 11 points and same number of rebounds in what felt like weeks for a player of his magnitude.

That, while playing only 23 minutes and off of teammates who were shooting the ball in rhythm such as Jeffrei Chan, Paul Lee and even the Kargador Corps. (Matias and Rodriguez).

This is what we've been talking about for weeks now, that Norwood doesn't have to be the superstar (though he looks like one) for his team to win. He's most effective off the ball, freelancing, and preferably near the basket and not way out where his high dribble crossovers (effective in the US scene) are suspect to turnovers thanks to the Tigers' pesky pint-sized guards.

In truth, Marcio Lassiter is already expending himself on the defensive end tracking down either Lee or Chan, which leaves no one on the Tigers' roster to really keep tabs on Norwood. This should be exploited to the hilt by RoS not by asking him to go one on one with his defender (Norwood's jumper remains inconsistent, and finesse drives bound to be harassed by the Anthonys, Antonios and Kramers) but to have him circling around the paint for easy rebounds and putbacks.

Teammate Lee has already shown that he doesn't mind passing up on lay-ups if there's an open teammate no matter how far, so Norwood should take advantage of this to the hilt.

Another factor playing in RoS' favor is the return to form of point guard TY Tang and Yeng Guiao's growing confidence on the ex-DLSU King Archer.

Tang has the speed, size and strength to match-up with the Tigers' Celino Cruz, Jayvee Casio (whose exploits Tang knows quite well) and even Josh Vanlandingham defensively while also making his counterparts work in turn because of his knockdown 15 ft Js.

His return has allowed Lee to back-up Chan at the SG position at times, while also- and probably the biggest change of them all- Norwood moves to his natural small forward position where he's naturally faster and more athletic than his counterparts (Antonio, Anthony).

If Norwood continues to put up the all around numbers we've all expected of him, then RoS' young roster is looking at their first PBA Finals appearance.

On a side note, Gary David shouldn't be playing 41 minutes in a blowout loss. Plus, Marcio Lassiter needs to ease up and save his fouls when it counts (biggest key in RoS' Jeffrei Chan's breakout).

FEU connection leads rally, Captain Crunch closes

D for Denok. Pero pag kelangan, sa opensa naasahan

For the second straight game this series, the Petron Blaze Boosters find themselves coming back from a huge deficit only to stage a furious second half rally to win over the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters.

While Chris Lutz continues to sit in the background thanks to the unforgiving TNT defense, familiar title picture worthy names are rising up to take the limelight. In Game 2, it was 2nd time daddy Joseph Yeo coming up with the firepower. Tonight, it's FEU's underrated yet best defensive point guard in recent memory Denok Miranda teaming up with long time buddy Arwind Santos.

And, while Alex Cabagnot struggled early, he managed to hit the biggest shot of 'em all- a ballsy three pointer to take back the lead after a TNT free throw with the game clock winding down that pretty much gave them a comfortable cushion to close the game out.

Credit has to go to Boosters' coach Ato Agustin for yet another brilliant display of "hugot" knowing when to put in players even if they're hurting (Danny Ildefonso was sent back in to finish the game despite suffering from cramps) because of the trust and relationship that they've built over the last four conferences. Ditto with Cabagnot, who didn't seem to mind being brought in and out of the playing court for situational purposes- plays on offense, sits on defense.

Honestly, this writer doesn't see how else TNT can win this series with arguably their most complete game yet. Alapag was doing his long range thing, Ali Peek was beastly, Ranidel de Ocampo played with about as much fire as you'll be able to squeeze out of him and guys like Larry Fonacier and Jarred Dillinger brought everything they had to the table.

Obviously, Jayson Castro is still hurt because of his limited lateral movements. Same with Ryan Reyes who was a step slower than Alex Cabagnot (again, I argue that when 100% healthy, Reyes is a close 2nd to Denok Miranda defensively). Hell, even Alapag looked slower (age and injuries) out on the court.

Maybe TNT coach Chot Reyes could consider bringing in Fonacier early, since outside of Reyes, he's their best perimeter defender. Arwind Santos broke out tonight, but Williams should be able to hold his own over the Boosters' MVP front runner.

Cabagnot? Right now, TNT doesn't have anyone to put in front of him and that's going to hurt (of the teams left, only Rain or Shine has the personel to challenge Captain Crunch because they can easily throw Ryan Arana/ Jireh Ybanez on him while their PG, Paul Lee, slides over to SG on D.)

Kudos to the whole TNT camp for downplaying it and just leaving it all out on the floor. And, while the series is still far from over, it's quite obvious that the healthier, hungrier and BIGGER team is going to close this series out quite possibly in 6.

P.S.

Quinito Henson should be banned from making any more monickers. This is 2011. Not 1996.

"Crunchman."

Really? Really?

Sigh.

PBA Pinoy Cup Semis: Top 10 Things We've Learned So Far (so far)

Who's the best point guard in the land?

Petron Blaze Boosters vs Talk n Text Tropang Texters (series tied 1-1)

10 Japeth Aguilar is not the X-factor for TNT (else he'd have back to back, dominating double doubles by now in two victories)

9 Ato Agustin is outcoaching Chot Reyes

8 Rob Reyes is outworking TNT's bigs

7 Jimmy Alapag still has it

6 Larry Fonacier needs to play more minutes to offset Joseph Yeo

5 Jayson Castro is all set for a breakout game to make a case for #1 point (combo) guard

4 TNT needs Ranidel de Ocampo in the paint to battle Danny Ildefonso (or Ali Peek to return to double double form)

3 Arwind Santos and Kelly Williams have battled to a draw thus far

2 Ryan Reyes is the key to the series for TNT, when he's healthy, you know he can lock Cabagnot or Yeo

1 Alex Cabagnot is the number one point guard in the PBA.

For a guy who brings so much to the table,
Norwood has done little so far.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters vs Powerade Tigers (Tigers lead 2-1)

10 Tigers' can't stop/ control Epainters' Kargador Corps (read: the non-members of Extra Rice Inc.) from putting up double doubles (Larry Rodriguez in G1 and 2, Jervy Cruz in G3)

9 JayR Quinahan has been taken out of the equation (ditto with Beau Belga, to a lesser extent)

8 RoS head coach Yeng Guiao is going to choke a referee to call anything in his favor by Game 5.

7 Jayvee Casio is a solid player. But not (yet) a star in the PBA.

6 Referees are calling the game tight in the final two minutes. KKS says, LET THEM PLAY!

5 Marcio Lassiter doesn't need to equalize the Bataan Bomber's output. Just to fill in the gaps with timely shots and defensive stops.

4 Sean Anthony is Rudy Hatfield with a better 3 pt shooting clip.

3 RoS is Paul Lee's team. Whatever position he plays, PG or SG, he's at his best creating situations for
others. They win/lose behind his great plays/ bone-headed-slash-rookie decisions.

2 Gary David can't stay hot for too long (or can he? five straight games with 30+ points so far)

1 Who's guarding Gabe Norwood and keeping him below 10 points a night? Oh, yeah, Will Antonio. Solid defender but two steps slower and nowhere near athletic.

Lassiter on target in Game 2 win

Sidekick? What sidekick? Super Marcio saves the day

Just when we thought that Lassiter was finally showing signs of the rookie player that he is and folding under the pressure of the semis, he bounces back with a scintillating 30 point performance to lead the Powerade Tigers alongside the Bataan Bomber Gary David.

With the Bataan Bomber still riding a hot shooting streak and finishing with 32 (four games over 30 now), all the Tigers really needed was another player to help stretch the Rain or Shine defense and blow the series wide open. In Game 1, Lassiter was nowhere to be found and had trouble getting into any rhythm on the floor. Ditto with Jayvee Casio, who, if the PBA held a do-over of the 2011 draft, would probably be picked overall instead of 1st.

Today, Lassiter was bent on redemption and attacked the basket early while also putting his shooting arsenal on full display. From hard drives to jumpers, there was simply no stopping the Lassiter Show and once the Bataan Bomber got his groove in the 2nd half, the game was all but over.

Credit should also go to the Tigers' defense which brought the Yellow Caidic that is RoS' Jeffrei Chan (is that too racist a monicker? Ok, how about "The Sniper" since "Triggerman" and "Assassin" have already been used?) back to earth to the point that the FEU alum laid am ugly, big, fat egg.

Personally, this writer feels that the Tigers enjoyed a great shooting night rather than making one too many adjustments on the floor. More and more, they are starting to look like a team that has a penchant for launching and relying on one too many three pointers- in a series such as this one, wherein games are played consecutively, don't bet on the Tigers to sustain those hot hands of theirs (law of averages).

If anything, Tigers' head coach Bo Perasol should be wary of just how easily RoS' Larry Rodriguez is hauling down double-doubles in two games and scoring in the 20s. This, from a guy who spent most of the eliminations playing behind Ronnie Matias.

Also, Gabe Norwood is just too good a player not to make an impact in the next game. As for the Tigers' this is them at their best- with David and Lassiter playing the Pinoy version of MJ and Pip and drawing support from the rest of the crew.

Bataan Bomber needs a sidekick

Panginoon, pakibalik po ung laro ni Lassiter para sa Game 2

Last night's PBA Pinoy Cup Semis Game 1 Powerade Tigers loss to the Rain or Shine Elastopainters further cemented what many already know: teams need more than a superstar (no matter how great) to win.

Gary David displayed yet again just how good a scorer he is (and lately, consistently as opposed to the previous years, 20 points one game, 10 the next) and just how better he is offensively than some of the overhyped, flashy guards in the league. Problem was, despite his 30 points (17 in the first half), there was nothing the Bataan Bomber (KKS will keep using this monicker until it sticks) could do to stop the balanced RoS avalanche.

This is not a knock on David, but he is and will always be a scorer. Already in his 30s, don't count on him to add a post up game or develop a drive-and-kick 5 assists per night mentality. That's not who he is, and that's not something he should bother with.

The real problem here is Marcio Lassiter's abysmal 1 for 7 shooting. The usually reliable, do-it-all Scottie Pippen to David's Michael Jordan failed to live up to the hype and probably had a case of rookie semis jitters.

Was he saving up his energy for defense? That's doubtful. Not with RoS rookie counterpart Paul Lee exploding for 25 and marksman Jeffrei Chan for 27. Jayvee Casio tried to put up a fight with 12 markers, but his lack of creativity goes beyond the 9 assists that he norms per outing (that's what playing beside sharpshooters would do for your stats, ask the Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo who is a great player in his own right, but you'd be joking to rank him over Chris Paul and Deron Williams).

RoS' gameplan was run to perfection: let the Bataan Bomber run amock, but keep everyone else in check. On the flipside, the Tigers couldn't figure out which player they wanted to really stop to disrupt the RoS offense because of the latter's spread out, "call your own number if you're open" philosophy. Yesterday it was Larry Rodriguez. Don't be surprised if Ronnie Matias, Jervy Cruz or even Ryan Arana break free in the coming games.

Against the BMeg Llamados, they went up against a team that was a bit too overconfident and loose and enjoyed an insane shooting clip from David, Casio and Lassiter. With RoS, the Tigers will need more than just the Bataan Bomber to advance to the Pinoy Cup Finals.

Pacific Storm: Cabagnot takes #1 spot

Captain Crunch!

Let's all be honest here.

When Alex Cabagnot, spiked hair, toothy smile and big, brown eyes and all, first came into the league in 2005 via the (my beloved) Santa Lucia Realtors, expectations were rather mixed. All we knew of him was that he came from the same high school (Eagle Rock) that Ginebra's Mark Caguioa did, and also challenged/ broke the former's scoring record (although in a longer period of time).

But as soon as he wore SLR's green and white, we were treated to indecisive and inconsistent point guard play-- with only a couple of gems here and there to make us believe he'd be at par with the long list of great Filipino point guards.

KKS: The Top 10 Benta Signs

10 Pagnagmumukhang superstar ung kalaban na career role player

9 Pag inaatake ng high blood ung coach sa break at di na lalabas para sa 2nd half

8 Pag pinupulikat sa 4th quarter, pero pag malalaking laro lang. Pag normal game, pwede pang makipagsabayan kahit triple overtime

7 Kaliwat kanan ung endorsements pero hindi naman napag champion ung team (at kapogian). Sikreto ng mga gwapo.

6 Pag ultimo coach mo na, minumura ka sa court at binabati na binebenta mo na naman

5 Pag ung mismong commentators, showbiz at lovelife ng player na lang ang pag uusapan para lang may masabing maganda

4 Pag na draft ng super team sa pros ung  player na nawalan ng laro sa Finals nung college

3 Pag nagtago sa madla ung player ng ilang linggo matapos matalo

2 Pag ung star player nung team mo, pumirma dun sa tumalo sanyo sa Finals the next conference

1 Tambak na ung laban, pero abot tenga pa din ung ngiti nung star player habang asa court

Who's better: Arwind Santos or Kelly Williams

Santos vs Williams: who's better?

The rivalry that the PBA and whatever outfit it is on continues to sleep on to this very day (probably wanting to focus more on the brands than players-- but then again, how would you explain James Yap?), Arwind Santos and Kelly Williams are on a collision course this coming semis as they try to lead their respective teams to the Philippine Cup Finals.

Drafted 1 and 2 in 2006, the former PBL teammates' and kumpares (Williams' is one of Santos' kids' godfather) paths have crossed several times the last five-six years be it in the Finals or even for individual accolades. Prior to being traded to the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters, Williams had the benefit of playing for a veteran team that was a piece away from being a legit contender- the now defunct Santa Lucia Realtors built around Twin Towers Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino.

True enough, Williams' all-around exploits complemented the Realtors' style so much that he was able to put in the numbers and shine as its' work-horse superstar.

On the flipside, Santos went to the Air21 Express. A team that was bent on rotating all of its players during games, players' rhythms be damned, and preached a free, "do whatever the hell you want" style on offense and defense. The numbers were there, given Santos' talent and high basketball IQ on both ends of the floor, but there was no way he could lift a relatively young squad to the next round.

Long story short, Williams' team went to contend which helped his case for both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards, while Santos was relegated to the "bridesmaid"-- always just a stat, win or two behind the Detroit native.

Fast forward to 2012 and the two are at it again, this time with Santos at the forefront of the Petron Blaze Boosters' camp and Williams with TNT. And, while Santos continues to shine as a beast on both ends-particularly on defense as a lockdown player and ace rebounder, Williams' has had some bouts with inconsistencies.

It's not Williams' fault, owing to TNT's guard-oriented attack, but his lack of basic basketball skills continues to hurt his chances of putting up the usual "Machine Gun" (another one of the PBA's lamer monickers) double-double norms (it's easier to be productive in set offenses rather than a frenetic-paced one). Also, the last two years after battling a rare blood disease, Williams appears to be heavier and slower as compared to his MVP days.

Also, there are two things still missing in Williams game that are often masked by his other-worldly athleticism and hustle: dribbling and shooting. Still throwing up shot-put like, high arching shots that are painful to watch and still not having that go-to dribble drive move that he's tried so many times to execute during games (40% he succeeds, 60% he dribbles off his foot).

Santos on the other hand, seems to have it all. The flat-footed free throws are ugly. But they go in. The high arching threes too. He rebounds like a beast despite being 3-4 inches shorter than chief rival Williams. He plays defense and can stay in front of guards and even bang with big, burly forwards. He times his blocks better than anyone else in the PBA. The only thing that you can really call Santos out for is when he gets too trigger happy from deep (which he has toned down a lot under Petron coach Ato Agustin) but other than that, the man is playing at an all time high and is a lock for Best Player of the Conference.

Today, honestly, Santos is proving to be not only the better basketball player (true Pinoy basketball fans would agree and attest to this for years now) but also the better athlete (given Williams' health issues).

All that's left now is to watch which player helps his team the most, numbers-aside.

Ready to Rumble

Big test coming up for Big Doug

While the spotlight and well deserved credit belongs to the guards of both Powerade Tigers and Rain or Shine Elastopainters (Gary David, Marcio Lassiter, Jayvee Casio, Jeffrei Chan, Ronjay Buenafe and Paul Lee) who could very well catch fire all at the same time and treat us to a rare shooting exhibition, this writer believes that the "other" PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series will be decided by the big boys.

On the Tigers' front, they have the vastly improved and emerging Doug Kramer backed up by veterans Rommel Adducul, Alex Crisano and Sean Anthony.

For the most part, the Tigers flourish whenever Anthony and Kramer are on the floor. Anthony provides the frenetic energy on defense (while also being a decent shot from long range) and the glass while Kramer, who appears to have finally found his niche in the pros, uses his added heft to box out opponents and is a lock to drill in set shots up to 18 feet. Crisano, a former PBA team captain with Barako Bull, provides a little of what Anthony (energy, rebounding) brings to the table and is always able to win over the fans. Then there's the ageless Rommel Adducul, a little thinner than his glory days as "The General" but still savvy enough in the block whenever his team needs a point or two.

There will be games wherein Anthony's knack for getting loose balls and extra possessions are going to turn the tide in favor for his team, but the spotlight truly belongs to Kramer. Now that he's finally comfortable in the pros as a legit bruising big man, this is his golden opportunity to make a name for himself. Yes, his superstar guards would probably/ most likely get the numbers, but if Kramer protects the paint, sets sturdy screens and keeps the defense honest, he could easily leapfrog into the Top 5 centers in the PBA today.

RoS frontline should come
with its own tag: "Here comes the pain!"

For the E-Painters, they have arguably the best yet most under-rated frontline rotation in the league- Beau Belga, JayR Quinahan, Ronnie Matias, Larry Rodriguez and Jervy Cruz. Belga, who plays more like a wing than a center on offense, stretches opponents' defense with his range and mildly-acceptable ball handling skills. His bulky frame also makes it tough for opponents to box him out of the paint. Then there's Quinahan, a defensive juggernaut who made a name for himself in the amateurs as a shotblocker but has now progressed and even added a somewhat low arching three point shot that's money whenever he's wide open.

Then there's Cruz, a former UAAP MVP who does his best work catching freebies deep within the paint (really, just throw him a lob and he's bound to get his two points or fouled and sent to the line). Not much the rebounder or defensive gem, but still an asset to have around. And if that's not enough, there's still the interchangeable sturdy pair of Matias and Rodriguez. Both polished low post players with acceptable jumpers, tough as nails and ready to dish out hard fouls and screens.

From the outside looking in, the Tigers better pray that their guards carry them through this series with great shooting. Else, RoS can look into playing an inside-out, grind-it-out game that plays to the strengths of their Kargador Corps.

Should be an interesting match-up, with Crisano's tenacity and theatrics always a threat to start a riot-- and I'm not even sure if he wants a piece of Matias, Quinahan and Rodriguez altogether.

Downplay: How TNT rises above the hate

Coach Chot, TNT: Always the class act

They play one of the better styles of basketball in the land, with arguably five of the country's top 20 players and a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Fame coach. And yet, majority of local basketball fans rejoiced when their Grand Slam bid was halted last season by a team hyped to be "undermanned" as compared to their then "tired/ injured" squad.

Such is the fate of the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters, a team so polarizing, that it's just hard to really define their place in the hearts of sportsfans around. Is it because they are owned by the suddenly rich, suddenly powerful "every-man" Manny V. Pangilinan and enjoy endless resources/ funding? Or the somewhat shrewd/shady antics that they pulled off the last five or six years to strengthen their roster (none of which compare or are even up to par with what the folks at San Miguel Corporation have been doing over the years)?

Now, just days before its highly anticipated seven game semifinals slugfest with spoiler/ nemesis Petron Blaze Boosters, the Texters are taking a different, "higher" approach in regards to its collective mindset.

No, they don't hate Petron. Or the bandwagon fans who were rallying behind their Grandslam bid only to jump ship once the wheels started falling.

No, they don't have an ax to grind.

And no, not even Coach Chot Reyes has anything foul to say about his PBB counterpart and almost back alley sparring partner Ato Agustin.

They're just here, as reported and quoted from other sites, to get healthy, play basketball and defend their Philippine Cup title.

Sounds simple enough.

In a league that is now being powered by machismo, rivalries and fiery/ feisty personalities it comes as a well deserved/ refreshing surprise to see a class act such as the Texters who may very well be the ambassadors of Philippine basketball (given the MVP-roots and place in the sports industry). Can they keep this "calm before the storm" demeanor throughout the coming Texters-Boosters series? Perhaps not, as the competitive juices are bound to flow and old tensions rise anew.

But at the moment, let's all enjoy this brilliant and admirable display by one of the league's better teams in hopes that it is followed by others.

Gabe Norwood's New Year Resolution

For RoS to win it all, Norwood needs to be aggressive

Granted, this may not actually be Norwood's NY Resolution (pretty sure he has other, more important concerns in mind) but what kind of basket-blogger would this writer be if we didn't make one for him?

Four years since coming into the PBA as an MVP-prospect from the now defunct-PBL team Happee Toothpaste, Norwood has become an enigma of sorts to local basketball fans. At 6"5,  210 lbs., he has the body and height to dominate a still growing league where an athlete of his nature is hard to find. His NCAA Division 1 - George Mason University pedigree is also another thing to consider, as not all basketball players get recruited to Division 1 schools (only prodigees, never projects-- that's what Divisions 2 to 4 are for).

And yet, we are given a guy who averages somewhere around 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists a game. Superb, had he been just another role player but in a league of 6"4 power forwards and centers, Norwood sticks out as a player who has yet to reach his full potential and dominate the way we've seen him do from time to time (when he's focused or gets fouled hard and goes out to prove a point).

Is he a point guard?

He has the handles and speed, but just like any other tall man going against smaller defenders, he's bound to turn the ball over by being ripped by speedbugs. Also, he doesn't seem to have the ability to create situations for his teammates (the difference between a PG like Jayvee Casio who runs plays, and Jimmy Alapag who creates). Another minus for Norwood is his lack of a consistent jumper. We've seen him hit a couple of clutch, long baskets here and there, but never enough to convince defenders to guard him from the outside-- is it a matter of confidence or form, we leave that to him.

Is he a small forward?

Yes, but only on offense where his freelancing and activity helps him put up the numbers. Rebounds wise, 7 is acceptable enough for a 6"5 wing. 12 points? Could be better given the guys he played with prior to this year's Rain or Shine rising.  On defense, Norwood is more liability than ace. You'd think his elongated wingspan, foot and hand speed would more than make him an ace defender, but Norwood hardly plays with enough concentration and consistency on this end to even put him in the same class as teammates Ryan Arana, Jireh Ybanes and even the flat footed JayR Quinahan.

Shooting guard? Uhm, the guy can't shoot (James Yap, PJ Simon, Chris Lutz, Gary David) and doesn't go hard to the rim (Sol Mercado, Jayson Castro, Mark Caguioa)- so no.

Also, the biggest factor that is keeping Norwood from making that big leap into superstardom is his knack for avoiding contact. Anytime his team needs him to step up (when Paul Lee commits another rookie mistake and gets in foul trouble, Jeff Chan is being locked up and Ronjay Buenafe is being, well, Ronjay Buenafe), Norwood would rather keep trying to find the open guy instead of trying to force his way into the defense and get fouls.

Yes, Norwood is a great team player (on offense), but his failure to take the lead is what's keeping his team from getting to the top and why rookies and unheralded players are being tagged as Rain or Shine's saviors instead of its 2008 top pick who sticks out like a sore thumb given his credentials and out of this world athleticism and God given talents.

Now, I only say this because I've seen Norwood back in the PBL and the guy was just flat out beastly. Not the dominating type like other Fil-Ams, but an all around, Jack-of-all-trades that was just hard to stop (think Los Angeles Clippers' era Lamar Odom).

Hopefully, Norwood's resolution this year is to reward his team with a championship run by being "The Man" like he's supposed to be.

Rookie of the Year: Is it still a 3-way race?

Chris Lutz: Crazy, quiet efficient for Petron

Now that we're on to the Semifinals of the PBA's Philippine Cup, the Rookie of the Year is almost at 1/3 of its completion with highly-favored names starting to breakaway from what is a truly deep PBA 2011 Draft.

We're leaving out two other popular Rookies namely: Mark Barroca and Marcio Lassiter and with good reason. Barroca is still feeling his way into Coach Tim's system in B-Meg (though he has shown flashes of Flying B greatness) while Lassiter has been consistent but not as impressive as others (perfectly filling in his Scottie Pippen to Gary David's Michael Jordan role). Or, to be a little more direct, RoYs and MVPs aren't (usually) awarded to great 2s/ second options. It always goes to the guy who has the ball and calls the shots in the clutch.

Chris Lutz - Petron Blaze Boosters
Had you told me that Lutz would turn out to be a better player than Marcio Lassiter during SMART Gilas' mighty and impressive campaign earlier this year, I'd have shook my head and dismissed you as simply marking out over Lutz' quiet/ steady potential. Well, not anymore. If anyone were to care enough to truly breakdown Lutz' game, he'd be in the Top 5 in Player Efficiency in a heart beat. He's already proven himself as a 20 point scorer in the PBA and ranks as one of the steals and Free Throws leaders. The only thing going against Lutz is, while being so crazy efficient, he's playing for a powerhouse Petron Blaze Boosters fold that can win two or three titles without him on the roster. Is he merely benefiting from all the openings created by superstar teammates Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot (who have earned the right to command double teams nowadays)? Say what you want, but there's still a difference between being given opportunities and actually taking it-- and take it, Lutz has.

Paul Lee - Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
While Lutz' off-the-ball efficiency on the floor masks his all around, borderline superstar traits, Lee is the exact opposite. Brimming with a quiet air of self-confidence and assurance, Lee plays the game that Alpha Dogs do- always in control of the situation and never a fan of the theatrics. If his shots aren't falling, Lee's bound to drive into the paint and use his body against smaller PGs to create contact + and 1s (instead of Meralco's Sol Mercado's kamikazee moves to the basket where he just flips and flails, devil-may-care style). When he's not calling his own number, he drives and kicks to whoever's open-- be it at the three point line (usually to a waiting Jeffrei Chan) or the weak side of the post (Beau Belga/ JayR Quinahan). He's had games wherein he wasn't posting the star-type numbers expected by fans, but that doesn't deter him from making big plays down the stretch (win, lose or draw). His defense though, remains iffy-- the added weight is preventing him from keeping in step with the league's quicker guards.

Jayvee Casio - Powerade Tigers
After sitting out his team's earlier games, Casio is back in the line-up and seems to have found his groove under head coach Bo Perasol's system. One game he's scoring in the 20s and dishing out 10 assists, the next, Rudy Lingganay and Celino Cruz are eating away at his playing time and he's trading stories with the ball boys, moping at the end of the Tigers' bench. Is Casio a legit future PBA star? Or are his numbers simply being generated because of the touches he gets (being the PG and all)? Also, it's never a good sign for rookies to miss their first couple of games with leg/ knee issues. This writer is still holding out hope for Casio, who is well on his way to Tenorio-hood/ Magsanoc-hood.

If the RoY awarding were to be held tonight, Lutz would be the undisputed winner based on his impressive stats alone. But if you went with the "can his team still win- BIG without him?" then you'd be hard-pressed not to pick the savvy Paul Lee.

Is this the end for Mr. Fast?

Have we seen the last of Mr. Fast in the PBA?

After publicly asking his mother team, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, for a one conference contract to "challenge" himself, Jayjay Helterbrand finds himself at a crossroads in his local professional basketball career.

Will he choose to "retire, go back to the US and be with his daughters" as he claims? Or is he just looking for more leverage to get an even bigger contract (as is the case with most top notch players in any sport) with Ginebra or any team that would greatly benefit from his undeniable basketball skill and IQ?

The way things are going for Ginebra, you can't fault Helterbrand if he chooses to walk away from the game or look to play elsewhere. The coaching scene is a mess (thank God Jong Uichico spared us from the "co-coaching" angle that the SMC head honchos were pulling for) and the rotation is even worse. Energy player and fan favorite Rudy Hatfield is reportedly coming back, but even then he'd be just another old guy in a team that's trying to reinvent itself (though in a half-baked manner) with youth.

In 25 minutes of action in the Philippine Cup (where Ginebra was eliminated by Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals), Helterbrand averaged 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal while shooting 40%-- not bad for a guy deemed "old" by basketball standards-- 35 years old plus the heavy mileage playing for Ginebra (perennial title contender) and the National teams.

If Ginebra were to change it's battle plan, or at the very least, quit messing with its rotation-- then Helterbrand should stay PROVIDED that he plays POINT GUARD. Years ago, this writer argued (to death) that JH13 is a shooting guard by trade. He's more scorer than facilitator, and is at his best when attacking the basket much like his good buddy Mark Caguioa.

The last two conferences however, coaches Jong and Siot moved Helterbrand to SG to open minutes for PGs Rob Labagala and Mike Cortez. A brilliant move had Helterbrand been in his prime, but to ask a 35 year old to run the floor, score and create-- that's a little too much at this point since he's not really in the Ray Allen mold (more Allen Iverson). Also, putting him there forces Helterbrand to guard the opposing team's SG (which is usually the best offensive player on the roster) who are, in most cases, stronger, faster and best of all, YOUNGER.

Now that JH13 is older, I don't see why he can't play the PG and push the ball to his more open teammates. He's still a threat to knockdown shots (40% clip from both 2 and 3 pt areas), so that's a plus. In case Ginebra and the SMC family is sleeping on his situation, other teams that would greatly benefit from a veteran like Helterbrand: Barako Bull Energy, Shopinas.Com and maybe even Rain or Shine.

Personally, I don't see Helterbrand retiring after the Philippine Cup-- not yet, and if he does, it's probably to take a short break before coming back for one last push. Still, if he does choose to move on with his life, then he'll go down as one of the more dangerous guards to play the in the PBA.

Update: in a very LeBron James' "Decision-like" manner, Jayjay Helterbrand expressed his intentions to stay with Ginebra (and retire a Gin King) for the remainder of the year--in three parts (thanks AKTV).

PBA PhilCup SF: Talk 'n' Text vs Petron

The Blur looks healthier today than
in the Gov Cup, will it be enough?

True to its "Clash of the Titans" peg, the Petron Blaze Boosters and the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters find themselves being paired in a Best of Seven affair albeit a series too early (for their and other matchmakers' liking) but is widely considered as THE Philippine Cup Finals (with all due respect to both Powerade and Rain or Shine who will enter the Finals as underdogs no matter what).

The Blazers, fueled by last Governor's Cup's title run, is riding the uncanny trio of do-it-all forward Arwind Santos, clutch shooting and crisp passing by point Alex Cabagnot and the all around hustle and "pick your spots" shooting of rookie Chris Lutz (who may be the runaway Rookie of the Year awardee at this point based on stats alone). Coach Ato Agustin continues to empower his players on the court, maybe not much from an X's and O's standpoint but whatever he's preaching-- the Blazers are listening.

For the Texters, who choose to belittle their assortment of injuries like the professionals that they are, it's all about Jayson Castro and how he controls the tempo for his team. They're no longer playing the same lockdown defense and running and gunning on offense as last year owing to the shortage of players, but this team keeps finding ways to win behind coach Chot Reyes' brilliant defensive schemes and rotations.

Here's this writer's take on the match-ups and how it might play out:

PG Alex Cabagnot vs Jayson Castro/ Jimmy Alapag

X-factor: Depensa (at gulang) ni Denok kontra TNT guards

Reigning PBA MVP no longer looks like the "Mighty Mouse" of old (we all go through that phase in life, it's called "aging") and he'll have a hard time staying in front of the now more offensively-polished Cabagnot. Castro needs to stay away from gambling for steals and just play at a more controlled pace defensively-- wouldn't be surprised if Reyes slides over to guard Cabagnot in a cross-match, but that would depend on RR's health. The true match-up will be Cabagnot-Castro, and whoever is able to dictate the tempo will ultimately be the key to the series.

SG Denok Miranda/ Joseph Yeo vs Ryan Reyes
The Santa Lucia backcourt will be at each other's nerves this series with Reyes at a disadvantage owing to his injury issues. While Miranda isn't much of an offensive threat, Yeo's slashing ways will force coach Chot to look for someone healthy to put on the floor (probably Fonacier). But if the extended break allows for Reyes' injuries to heal, then the Blazers' defense will be tested because the Texters' Castro-Reyes combo creates a whole world of problems (kick-out passes, hustling/ dogged defense and gritty plays on both ends).

SF Chris Lutz vs Larry Fonacier/ Jarred Dillinger
Substance over style. Lutz is the epitome of how a prototypical basketball shooting guard is- drives but never forces the issue, has great handles, plays honest defense, looks to pass but can knockdown shots and-- above all, gets to the line in bunches. On the other side, we're still waiting for Dillinger to enjoy a breakout and show his true game. We've seen flashes in where he'd score 20, rebound and dish out the ball, but never on a consistent basis. Forget defense. That's probably why coach Chot Reyes opts for a three-guard line-up of Castro, Alapag, Reyes instead of bringing in Dillinger (unless one of the three's hurt). Lutz doesn't need the ball to be effective, while Dillinger is only good when he has the ball and freedom to create.

PF Arwind Santos vs Kelly Williams/ Japeth Aguilar
Arwind Santos is the best damn basketball player in the Philippines today. End of story. Kelly Williams hasn't improved from his MVP days with Santa Lucia, still shoots like he's throwing shotputs and still dribbles the ball above his waist. If anything, I'd argue that Williams has regressed a bit, no longer a double double machine and not fighting as hard for rebounds. Aguilar is good, but not solid enough to even be in the discussion. Yes he'll have a highlight worthy slam or block in the series, but unless we see the "Good Japeth" for at least four games for the Texters, then get used to seeing him languishing in the bench during tight situations.

C Rob Reyes/ Danny Ildefonso vs Harvey Carey
Carey will fight despite being undersized, he'll scratch, claw and push. He'll make every little-skilled yet tenacious basketball player who watches and loves the game proud. But Reyes is starting to show flashes of his old PBL Toyota-Otis self ("Baby Eric Menk"). And Ildefonso, whenever he's on the floor and called upon to provide that steadying veteran leadership-- hell, even clutch pull up Js from 15 to 18 feet. This is where a Ranidel de Ocampo (didn't play in the last series) or Ali Peek could've come in handy for the Texters.

This is going to be a tight series, but I'm leaning towards Petron's better (and healthier) roster.

PBA PhilCup SF: Powerade vs Rain or Shine

Magkakaalaman na: Casio vs Lee

While most of the media attention rightfully belongs to the other PBA Philippine Cup Semi Finals match-up owing to the participants history and off-court rivalry, people shouldn't sleep on the Powerade Tigers vs Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Best of Seven Semis.

The Tigers, as shown by ace Gary David, are still on a collective high after vanquishing the proud and mighty BMeg Llamados in an upset of epic proportions in the Quarter Finals. The Elasto Painters on the other hand, weren't really that much of an underdog when they dispatched the inconsistent Ginebra Gin Kings (they were ranked 4 and 5 so it was really closer than people thought).

From the outside looking in, both teams preach the same perimeter-oriented style of offense. It's on the defensive end where both teams will be truly tested, the Tigers rely more on speed, athleticism and activity on defense while the E-Painters just wear opponents out with its physicality dished by just about everyone not named Gabe Norwood.

PG Jayvee Casio/ Celino Cruz vs Gabe Norwood/ Paul Lee
This will be the marquee match-up of the series, with RoS gaining a huge advantage with Gabe Norwood's length and athleticism. Though GNorwood has proven to be a complete dud on defense, I trust him enough to have the fight to stay in front of his smaller counterparts-- specially Casio and Cruz who are not as speedy as other guards in the league. Lee will also have his day in the sun by either posting up or simply running through Casio. This might force Tigers' coach Bo Perasol to go with Cruz, who maybe smaller, but has enough moxie to stay with Lee. Vice versa, Lee will be able to stay with Cruz, but will have problems guarding Casio laterally (Lee's a monster one on one given his ball handling and finishing skills, but defensively he's slow to move side to side).

SG Gary David vs Jeffrei Chan
The thing with David, despite the numerous times this writer has professed and expressed his "grown man love" for the Bataan Bombe, is that when he's hot, he's hot. And when he's not, well, he tends to shoot himself and even his teammates on the foot. So yes, though David is a better shooter than the famed James Yap, he belongs in the "scorer" mold. Chan on the other hand, has transformed himself into a "shooter." Lights out. Don't expect to see these two stopping one another in the series (I expect both Lassiter and Arana to switch assignments at some point), but of the two, a slight edge should be given to Chan who plays passable defense (since his FEU days). For David and the Tigers, they need to attack Chan early and get him in foul trouble to take away an important facet of RoS' game (kick-out basketball). Chan? He has proven time and again that he's effective without the ball and is maximized when playing with the "has eyes on the back of his head" Lee.

SF Marcio Lassiter vs Ryan Arana/ Jireh Ybanez
Arguably the most explosive match-up in this series other than the potential expletives and staredowns to be traded by Alex Crisano and the rest of the RoS bigs, Lassiter and Arana provide their teams with all the intangibles that their more popular, TV-friendly teammates do not. From a coaching perspective, it would be wise for both coaches to switch Lassiter on Chan and Arana on David-- if only to keep their own stars fresh for the stretch. Lassiter has the range to make Arana work, but other than ex-DLSU teammate Mac Cardona, there's no one craftier and more unorthodox than RoS' resident perimeter defender. Also, expect Lassiter to be in constant foul trouble should he be asked to guard Arana, owing to the latter's sudden aggressiveness to the basket and timely spins.

PF Sean Anthony vs Ronnie Matias/ Larry Rodriguez/ Jervy Cruz
Rudy Hatfield v 2.0 versus the league's most underrated power forward troika. Anthony will have his hands full on this one, since Matias is an accomplished post player who has a nifty jumper. Then there's Rodriguez, who's pretty much the same player as Matias only a bit slower. Cruz? Another solid power forward who is at his best in the shaded lane picking up drop passes.

C Doug Kramer/ Rommel Adducul/ Alex Crisano vs JayR Quinahan/ Beau Belga
Who has more ink on his arms-- Quinahan or Crisano? The pressure will be on Powerade because RoS' bigs prefer lurking by the three point lane-- something that will force their guards to rebound the basketball (easier said than done against RoS' Lee, Norwood and Arana). On the block, none of the names above are double-worthy so it's all going to come down on who scores more-- with an edge to both Quinahan and Belga. And though the co-founders of "Extra Rice, Inc." are not established shotblockers, they are arguably two of the best screen-setters in the PBA and are almost unmindful of handing out body checks here and there.

In summary, while the Tigers are enjoying a basketball high the last four or five games, don't expect them to win over the E-Painters in a seven game series anytime soon.