KKP 2: Thoughts on Day 2 of the Philippine Cup

Author's note: now that I think about it, maybe I should have stayed with the "Off the bench" thing since I could always use "Bench Press" for sports tidbits. Then again, there's always that sick/lame/cheesy Pinoy humor to go with so I guess Kili Kili Power works just fine.



- Who else wasn't surprised with Chris Lutz' efficient 19 points on 9/9 FT showing in Petron's 73-69 win over B-Meg? With Dondon Hontiveros suffering an injury early in the game, Petron head coach Ato Agustin made it a point to go to Lutz on offense. The impressive part of course, is Lutz' defensive prowess and high basketball IQ which complimented lockdown defenders, veteran teammates' Denok Miranda and Arwind Santos (who continued his monstrous ways from last season with 18 rebounds).


- P.J. Simon was a revelation today, and just as I called it, he'll play the Jeffrey Cariaso "firestarter" role while James Yap waits for his turn to takeover in the 4th. Problem was, Simon ran out of gas while Yap couldn't get into a rhythm.


- Ren-ren Ritualo, when given the green light, can and will always score in double figures. Such is the luxury jumpshooters enjoy over today's athletes. It's why Allan Caidic could still score 50 points in an exhibition game (on a ton of shots of course). 19 points as the main man for Shopinas.com in a loss to Gary David's 31 and the Powerade Tigers? Not bad.


- Franz Pumaren still has it. If only he could get a scorer to pair with Ritualo much like they did back in DLSU with Mark Cardona.


- John Ferriols is B-Meg's best post player by a wide margin. Too bad he didn't get to play longer minutes. Then again, with B-Meg's "Samapayan brigade" in tow, who do you sit? I say Rafi Reavis should go. There was a time when Arwind Santos was as skinny as Reavis, but no one remembers that now after only FOUR years.


- Watching the PBA on AKTV is fun because there are "no commercial breaks" save for the AKTV vignettes. With all the teams, you'd expect an Alaska commercial to pop out somewhere right? Not.


- Mark Barroca had a forgetful debut and that's just fine. He needs to move the basketball, call plays and keep his head up-- things he's been known for in the past but was probably caught in all the hoopla and excitement. Blame it on rookie jitters. Or that Petron sent pitbull Denok Miranda on his ex-FEU understudy from the get go. Shiyet. Now I can't wait for Miranda to take on Paul Lee. In case you're the average basketball fan and didn't know, Miranda is the league's best perimeter defender outside of buddy Arwind Santos and could lockdown guys from Mark Caguioa to Willie Miller and even James Yap.


- Barroca also needs to get on the Paul Lee "Appeton" train and put on some weight. Dude looked skinnier than Ritualo.


- Mark Agustin played with more passion and hustle than he did his entire UAAP Adamson career. 


- B-Meg's best line-up is R. Yap- PJ Simon-J Yap-J Ferriols-J DeVance


- Petron will shut teams down this conference behind Lutz-Miranda-Santos


- Marcio Lassiter needs more isolation plays, Gary David needs to share the basketball every now and then


- Tim Cone will never NOT wear a necktie for PBA games (I only saw him do it once when he opted for a polo barong which was flat out weird). I say PBA players should observe a dress code as well and start wearing polo barongs to work instead of hip-hop joints.


- So far, Lee still has the crown for most impressive debut with Lutz at a close second. Lassiter's a far third, while Barroca's dead last. Can't wait for Friday and see if Dylan Ababou can get his ass off the bench and not play back-up to his old UST back-up Allein Maliksi. 

Paul Lee era begins; RoS 94 - Gin 93

21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds.

Perhaps Powerade Tigers' head coach Bo Perasol would like a do-over of the PBA Draft and SMART Gilas management made a better effort in luring Lee in (I'm willing to bet my last Peso that the only reason why Lee's camp didn't push for a spot on Gilas is because the SG coaching staff wants him to play BEHIND Chris Tiu at the SG spot).

While credit should be given to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings who staged a furious 24-6 blitz in the 4th quarter to erase a huge RoS lead, there's no denying that the PBA's 37th season's opening game ball belongs to the 2nd overall pick in the 2011 PBA Draft.

The minute Lee checked into the game for RoS, which was trailing at the time in the first quarter behind the faulty quarterbacking of Gabe Norwood, everything seemed to fall into place. He drove and spun for a lay-up, drove hard again, took AKTV-hype rival Mark Caguioa one-on-one to swoosh a jumper and made flat-footed, drive-and-kick passes to his big men inside the crowded lane.

Wow. What's more, he even drove against Caguioa and bodied up on the superstar veteran for an and-1 play. In the last ten years or so, I've never seen a PBA player drive and bump with MC47-- not even the guy who Lee replaced in the RoS scheme of things-- the overhyped, flashy, one-dimensional Sol Mercado.

RoS head coach Yeng Guiao, who was quoted on-cam to have thought of Lee as the same type of player, was probably as surprised as the whole SMART Araneta Coliseum was the entire night. This wasn't a rookie playing off adrenaline or excitement. This was a grown ass man, owning defenders not with out-of-this-world athleticism (Gabe Norwood 2008) or flashy crossovers (Mark Caguioa 2001), but with high basketball IQ, great court vision and testicles the size of grapefruits.

Lee's all around brilliance masked yet another pedestrian showing from teammate Gabe Norwood who continues to show that despite the US NCAA pedigree, he's pretty much a better ball-handling version of Japeth Aguilar (the current epitome of today's PBA players- all athleticism with average to no skills). You could even argue that RoS was running better (and it showed in the final minutes) without Norwood on the floor and having solid role players such as Jeff Chan, Ronjay Buenafe, Beau Belga and Jervy Cruz with  Lee.

It should also be noted that RoS might just be sitting on the next Mark Caguioa-Jayjay Helterbrand backcourt combo (since AKTV has decided to go with the Lee: Caguioa slant) with Lee and Buenafe (who almost cost them the game by dribbling off his own foot).

There were a lot of instances wherein Buenafe was trying hard to act like the alpha dog by dominating the ball and that's where Ginebra made their brilliant 4th quarter come back. Not to say that Lee didn't have his share of errors, but it did seem that Buenafe was trying to steal some of the super rookie's thunder a bit.

That being said, it's up to coach Guiao to find a balance between the two young bucks who could very well turn out to be the future of RoS. In my mind, Norwood should be traded for a quality big man or future draft picks while there's a high demand for athletic wings in the league. That way, it would open a spot at the forward position for Ryan Arana, Jeff Chan and Jireh Ybanez (who are all elite level defenders and quality offensive players).

On a last note, you can't help but wonder how Gilas would've fared with Lee on board (assuming that he'd play more minutes than Chris Tiu of course). He'd be an upgrade over JVee Casio at the PG owing to his size (people who argue that Lee isn't clutch haven't seen his games) and a better banger than Tiu at the SG spot. Lee could've also opened things up with drives to the basket which SMART Gilas didn't have (except for Jimmy Alapag's inside forays in the FIBA-Asia tournament). Sigh.

Ateneo dominates its way to 4peat

The minute renowned sports commentator/ writer Quinito Henson broke news of 6"11 Fil-Am Greg Slaughter's intent to study and play for the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, the UAAP men's basketball title was already as good as won.

For one, there wasn't any other player with the same physical attributes as Slaughter-- save for Ateneo's own project big man Justin Chua who could turn out to be the next Claiford Arao in a year or two. Also, the Eagles were adding a solid big man who was fresh from a stint with the SMART Gilas national team training pool to a team that just won three straight championships.

Then we find out that Ateneo's high school phenom Keifer Ravena was also going to play for Eagles to add to an already formidable backcourt.

Game over.

I mean seriously, there was not a single point in the season that people stopped and said, "hey, this other team can beat Ateneo in the Finals" -- okay, other than the optimistic/ crazed Pido Jarencio that is.

The one loss they suffered at the end of the double round eliminations was more their players choosing to take a game off rather than suffering any unwanted injuries. From Slaughter, Ravena to old reliables like Kirk Long (another wasted talent who won't suit up for the PBA or national team anyway) and the vastly improved Nico Salva.

Okay, I'll even throw "pocket rocket" Eman Monfort in that conversation just for all his supporters and because he has the most awkward monicker I've heard of from a basketball player.

And while I was rooting for teams to beat Ateneo at some point, we should all give credit where it's due. The Eagles played hard this season and dominated their opponents in a way that I've never seen before in the UAAP. It reminded me of the Sam Ekwe-era for San Beda when they would just obliterate teams (except the Gabby Espinas-Jayson Castro-Rob Sanz led PCU Dolphins of course) left and right.

Oh, and the one thing that separates this year's Eagles from the previous title winners? They're likable. From Slaughter's "gentle giant" persona to Ravena's "quiet arrogance," they just went out there and balled. No Wesley Gonzales "bang bang" gestures, no Rico Villanueva jersey popping or Eric Salamat's "salute"-- they just balled. Period.

I do hope that this team stays together and goes for that elusive FIVE-peat. They definitely have the guys, and at this rate, I don't see why or how chief financier Manny V. Pangilinan can't get bigger names both local and abroad to wear SMART Gilas/ Ateneo blue.

So congrats ADMU for bagging this year's title, and for your sake, I hope Norman Black stays on board for next season.

Top 10 storylines for PBA's 37th season

PJ, Jerwin, you go here, aaaaaayyyttt?

1.  Tim Cone VS Joel Banal, Fred Uytengsu, Joaqui Trillo, E.Cow, Mang Tom and the Alaska Aces
There's no other game on the calendar that has sparked more pre-season interest than this one. Tim Cone's new team, the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados takes on his "leftovers" the Alaska Aces led by former assistant Joel Banal.  Banal has gone on record to say that they will keep the triangle with a few adjustments here and there based on their revamped, ultra-athletic line-up that features four rookies. Cone on the other hand is trying his darnedest to speed-teach the triangle to his new wards by adding former Alaska players both on his coaching staff (Johnny Abarrientos, Jeffrey Cariaso) and roster (John Ferriols).

2.  Chot Reyes VS The World
He failed to lead Talk 'n' Text to a rare grandslam last season but is still recognized as the best "new age" coach in the PBA today (two championships in three tries will do that for anyone).  Problem is, a lot of off-court drama is currently hounding Reyes-- be it fisticuffs with Cabalen coaches or him being rumored to be plotting against SMART Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman in an effort to takeover the Serbian's position.

3.  Last hurrah for Jayjay Helterbrand?
Helterbrand signed a one-conference contract with Ginebra to "challenge" himself and I don't blame him. He's been injured a couple of times the last two or three years and has watched younger guys like Mike Cortez and Rob Labagala take over his starting PG spot.  Of course, he could come back strong and prove us all wrong, but if he chose to retire to be with his daughters back in the US, I'll agree that he sure had one hell of a PBA career.

4.  JVee Casio VS Paul Lee
People have created an image of Casio as being ultra-clutch and after seeing his performance with SMART Gilas, I'd be hard-pressed to disagree.  But, to say that Lee is not on that level, or over it even, is the biggest farce this side of Davonn Harp being 100% Filipino.  Lee is deceptively quick, bigger, stronger and has the PBA-ready game that Casio could only dream of (Casio is a one-dimensional clutch shooter who can't defend anyone taller than him).  The one thing I fear most is that Casio could end up having a short career owing to his size and speed.  He's a step slower than the elite guards (someone actually argued that Casio's "explosive" on this blog once, apparently he hasn't seen just how fast PBA PG back-ups Paul Artadi, Rob Labagala and Josh Urbiztondo are.)
5.  Barako Bull: Ang bumangga giba!
They're baaaaaaaaaaack!  And with new recruits like beefy bruiser Jondan Salvador playing alongside Dorian Pena, every other opposing big man in the PBA is in for a world of hurt.  Seriously though, a rotation of Willie Miller, Paul Artadi, Danny Seigle, Salvador and Pena should be considered a serious threat and darkhorse in the coming Philippine Cup.

6.  Talk 'n' Text VS elitist image


After 3 years with Gilas; still all height, no skills?



Unlike our friends in the Internet basketblog world who dare not name names, Nora Aunor has been confirmed in some (mostly showbiz) circles to be TNT's muse in this Sunday's opening rites.  It doesn't take a scientist to see that this is a PR stunt designed to not only boost Aunor's career (she's TV5's biggest acquisition/draw to date) but to also change the perception built around Camp TNT for years.  It's sad really, the way this team has elite talent in Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo and Ryan Reyes but none of the die-hard masa fans.  I guess that's what having a fashion-forward head coach and a coaching staff/ management team dominated by Ateneans does to your image.

7.  Japeth Aguilar VS haters
While I agree that Aguilar will become a huge draw in the PBA given his flashy, high-leaping ways and unparalleled athleticism, his game is still as raw as when he left Ateneo years back.  Aguilar still hasn't learned to use his height to his advantage, doesn't have the defensive discipline to even rival 90's giant Bonel Balingit or possess a go-to-move that is a must for dominant/ franchise big men (Dennis Espino- series of fakes, Marlou Aquino - kili kili shot, Philip Cesar - elbow, erhm, hook, Danny Ildefonso - mid range jumper, etc.)

8.  Dylan Ababou VS Allein Maliksi
It's funny how the tables have turned for both players who came from the same UAAP UST title team.  One guy went on to win MVP, the other bounced around amateur leagues before cracking a starting line-up (and winning a rather questionable MVP award).  In recent tune-up matches, Maliksi has been leading the way for the Barako Bull which still awaits the return of Ababou from his tour with SMART Gilas.  Come game day, who will be the better player and future star?

9.  Julius Pasculado
The Internet basketblog world's most searched individual has been signed by Alaska as a possible back-up for starting PG L.A. Tenorio or to be transformed to a safety SG (given his height).  Now that he's on a PBA roster we'll get to see if he can live up to all the love and hype.

10.  Barako Bull/ Shopinas.com VS lopsided trades
New names, new look but still the same old management and bosses.  Money's on the Bulls' trading Danny Seigle, Dylan Ababou and even Willie Miller before the year ends.

As the new season's slogan says, "Kampihan na!"

Basta ako, B-Meg ako. Tim Cone e.

Thoughts on the SMART Gilas program

Now that the dust has settled and the Philippine national team was able to somewhat reestablish the country as one of Asia’s basketball powers, we are now up to 45 in the FIBA World Rankings from the previous low of 53, it’s high time we start assessing the program—it’s coaching staff and players specifically.

Three years ago when the SMART Gilas team was formed, it was built behind the vision of being a separate, independent entity from the Philippine Basketball Association. People were quick to raise doubts at this notion that was said by no less than the then-controversial Noli Eala.

A few months later and the roster was built behind marquee names from the collegiate ranks. Some, but not all. There were players who were clear cut Most Valuable Player contenders in any league that weren’t on the team, which led some to believe that either there was a lot of politicking involved, or those other players’ handlers had other things in mind for their wards.

When SMART Gilas first decided to participate in the PBA, they looked more like a Junior Varsity team than one that should be playing in big international tournaments. They were enforced by a skinny, 6”11 center named C.J. Giles who was blessed with on-court athleticism, but lacked fundamental basketball IQ—true to the adage that “good help is hard to find.”

Fast track a few years and we see a change in philosophy (and personnel) within the SMART Gilas camp. PBA players were now being considered, even Serbian Coach Rajko Toroman had a wish list of 10 professional players that he named on one or more occasions (Sonny Thoss, Joe DeVance, Asi Taulava, James Yap, Arwind Santos, Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo, Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes) that in itself could’ve replaced the entire SMART Gilas roster.

Giles was eventually replaced by a few names before finally stumbling upon a sleepy-eyed Marcus Douthit who was playing in other Asian leagues at the time. His addition should be credited as the 2^nd turning point in SMART Gilas history (with Eala’s departure as 1^st because it opened the doors for open communication with the PBA) because at that point, the team appeared like a contender. Douthit wasn’t scoring and dominating as he has now, but there was something in him that empowered his teammates.

Toroman then drew the support of the PBA and was able to land Dondon Hontiveros, Taulava, Alapag and de Ocampo for the William Jones Cup and FIBA-Asia where the team finished strong.

Was the program a success?

Yes. Our 4^th place finish, the highest in the last 24 years is not something that we should take for granted.

Can Toroman be replaced?

There’s no question that there are promising Filipino coaches such as the Banals, Chot Reyes, Norman Black and of course, the incomparable Tim Cone who can easily step in for Toroman. What RT brings however, is recruitment credibility. It has always been that way even in college. Players want to play for champion coaches. I doubt that Yeng Guioa could’ve landed Douthit, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz without alienating them at some point. Look at it this way, if you’re a division 1 player in the US looking at big money in Europe (the NBA’s a dream of course), why on earth would you risk playing for a complete stranger with blah credentials? I take it all back now. Only Tim Cone can and should replace Toroman.

Should we bring back the PBA players?

Yes. The PBA is still where the best players are found (or go). Unless our guys start leaving for Europe or the Chinese Basketball Association, then we should get our talent from there. Develop them early in college by forming National teams for meets such as SEABA, and keep them in touch and ready for FIBA duty once they hit the PBA ranks. The CBA does it all the time (their entire national team is made up of CBA players) and they’re winning, so why can’t we? Oh, right, politics.

Familiarity is the key.

Not a question, but a statement. Rajko Toroman was given three years with a core group of guys to run his system. Yes, names were thrown in every now and then but they more or less knew what he was running based on the fact that Talk N Text, Meralco and SMART Gilas all train under one roof.

I argue that yes, the PBA was wrong in thinking that they could just form an All Star team in a few months and think medals.

BUT. If you took a PBA team and added a few pieces here and there, that it would do well in the FIBA-Asia.

Let’s take Tim Cone back when he was with Alaska. The system is there, and his players are all familiar with one another. A starting unit of Tenorio-Baguio-Dela Cruz-DeVance-Douthit would be flat out awesome. Bring in Thoss for DeVance, and maybe a Dondon Hontiveros/ James Yap for Baguio and you’ve got yourself a legit powerhouse that is arguably better than the team that landed 4^th in the FIBA-Asia tournament. Care to disagree?

The way I see it, the powerhouse teams in the PBA that enjoy great coaching (B-Meg, Talk N Text, Ginebra) are just a few pieces away from being its own national team. So really, it’s all about building familiarity now (you can’t argue that Petron, TNT, B-Meg have glaring holes that can’t be filled up by one or two players unlike other teams).

Should MVP continue with the program?

Hell yes. And even when MVP says he’s done, SMC or some other franchise should step in and fill the void. Not just in basketball alone, but in Philippine sports in general. In terms of profitability, basketball will always be one of the bigger draws, but there’s so much promise in the Filipino talent just waiting, begging for a platform to showcase it on. The SMART Gilas program was a success despite the 4^th place finish and failure to land a spot in the Olympics. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t build from here.

In your mind, was the SMART Gilas I program a success (since reports have it that all systems are go for Gilas II)?

Curtain call for The Skyscraper?

When Marlou Aquino first came into basketball prominence in the early 90s, he wasn't sporting the "Kareem Abdul Jabbar-look" just yet and appeared more lanky at 6"9 than menacing. But then, he represented the country in international meets as an amaetur and quickly established himself as the most dominant center in the now defunct Philippine Basketball League with a still unmatched four Most Valuable Player citations.

This led to Aquino being selected first overall by Robert Jaworski Sr. of Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association draft class of 1996 after gambling on 7"0 project E.J. Feihl the previous year (picking him 2nd overall and over future PBA stars such as Kenneth Duremdes and Jeffrey Cariaso). Aquino's addition quickly transformed the "Never-say-die" yet "never-a-contender" Gin Kings to a solid team to reckon with with his almost unguardable and signature "kili kili shots" and baby hooks.

The league soon recognized Aquino's abilities and awarded him Rookie of the Year in 1996 as well as PBA first team selections while leading Ginebra/ Gordon's Gin to three straight finals appearances ('96 Governor's Cup, '97 All Filipino and '97 Commissioner's) that resulted in a title. Aquino was so good, that he was considered as one of the cornerstone's of the PBA's 1998 Centennial Team that landed a bronze in the Asian Games.

In 1999 however, the PBA landscape took a massive change with the entrance of Fil-foreigners such as Asi Taulava (who would become Aquino's rival at the center position), Eric Menk and later on bigs such as Davonn Harp, Mick Pennisi and Dorian Pena.

Aquino led a couple of concerned locals in the fight versus Fil-fakes, but somewhere along those lines also seemed to lose his passion for playing competitive basketball. The 6"9 Pangasinan-born superstar soon found himself being dangled to other teams with expansion squad Red Bull and Santa Lucia at the forefront.

With Santa Lucia, Aquino formed the "Twin Towers" with fellow RP Youth standout Dennis Espino but failed to live up to huge expectations winning titles only twice in a span of more than five years. While there were still instances or flashes of brilliance (usually when his contract is up), it became pretty obvious that Aquino started slacking off and was going through the motions.

Say what you will, and I'm pretty sure that Aquino himself would dismiss such reports, but being a Santa Lucia fan for the longest time-- we all know that it took a lot out of the Realtors' coaching and even management staff to get Aquino to focus on the task at hand. Sure enough, when Santa Lucia disbanded and was bought by Meralco, SLR heads had to lobby hard for Aquino.

How low has Aquino fallen you ask?

When head coach Ryan Gregorio came on board, his first task was to try and get a big man (who turned out to be an equally aging yet still servicable Asi Taulava). That in itself shows how much confidence the Meralco management had on Aquino.

Recent reports have it that Aquino was released by the Bolts' this offseason and is looking for one more shot at glory. Question is, who would want a 6"9 slacker with a long history of off-court politicking?

Grading the Philippine National Team

JVee Casio - B+
Obviously coach Toroman's PG of choice,  Casio was able to come through in some games but looked out of his comfort zone in big time match-ups. Yes, he posted good numbers from time to time, but his lack of ability to adjust on the fly as a point guard caused dry spells for the PHL team none more so than in games versus China, Jordan and Korea.

Mark Barroca - B
He started two or three games, but never really played big minutes. In the games that he did however, Barroca was able to deliver. The only problem was, he wasn't given the freedom to slash into the paint like before (either by the defenses or by his own coach's choosing) and couldn't hit from the outside (the only weakness in his game). Still, pound for pound, I'd take Barroca over Casio from a floor general's standpoint. Too bad Toroman didn't.

Jimmy Alapag - A+
When Alapag won Most Valuable Player in the PBA, people called it a media buyout. That Alapag's best years were behind him, and they just gave it to him because he was the most recognizable/ likable guy on the Talk 'n' Text roster. Well, the game versus Korea just proved all of his haters wrong and if this is his last tour of duty (given his age), then he definitely out performed his younger counterparts while still coming off the bench.

Chris Tiu - B
I'll give him an A for effort and heart, a C for in-game contribution. Yes, he averaged 8 points a game in the first round, but it was quite painful to watch Tiu get outmatched every single time on the floor. To his credit, he didn't turn the ball over as much and fought hard whenever called upon, but his minutes could've easily gone to more deserving/ better players.

Chris Lutz - A
The minute he came back to the roster, Toroman stuck him at the SG position and was asked to be the team's stopper. He didn't score much and was even on foul trouble on plenty of occasions, but the PBA 2011 Draft's 3rd overall pick did a yeoman's job playing defense versus some of Asia's best.

Marcio Lassiter - B+
One minute he's battling and hustling, the other he's scoring from all over. Who knows what would've happened in the first round loss versus China had Lassiter and Lutz played? Sadly, the world isn't made on "what ifs" and we all have to move on from here. I see a future PBA star in Lassiter, and even discord between him and Casio once they share floortime at Powerade.

Mac Baracael - B-
Solid when called upon but clearly lost mental focus in the game versus Korea. The man was so happy to have played after back to back DNPs (thanks in part to Tiu and Lutz' foul woes) that he celebrated after converting on his patented baby teardrop and pointed to the bench! In a world without Tiu, Lutz and Lassiter would've alternated at the SG position and Baracael at SF. Against a team like Jordan, that could've made a world of difference in my book because we wouldn't have given up too much height to their guards and wings. I'm only giving him a low grade because he sat for so long.

Kelly Williams - B+
Tonight's Trending Topic is getting mad hate because of his two missed free throws that could've given us a one point lead. I say, the man has never been a great shooter, but what he lacks in skill he makes up for with fight. And boy did he fight. Jumping over bigger power forwards for putback slams and rebounds, Williams did more than what was expected of him as Marcus Douthit's garbage man sidekick.

Ranidel de Ocampo - A
Now this is the RDO that we all want to see. Shooting threes, banging in the paint for baby hooks and rebounding with elbows out-- RDO is arguably the best big man on the PHL roster not named Douthit. Again, I wouldn't have minded a Williams-RDO-Douthit frontline in the closing minutes of games but there are things that you'd just have to leave to your coaching staff I guess.

Japeth Aguilar - D
We saw some Kevin Garnett-ish like defense in the Jones Cup. What the hell happened to that Japeth? Don't let the double double in the Bahrain game fool you, Aguilar is still the same, gullible pogo stick of the last three years. He has put on weight, but has not improved. The athleticism is undeniable, but the skills continue to be questionable. He can't shoot, can't defend man-to-man and has no low post moves to speak of. He is pretty much what's wrong with PBA and Filipino players (all flash, no substance) today.

Marcus Douthit - A+
He's Euro-import ready. Thank you Douthit. If you leave for greener pastures, we'd understand, you carried this team on your back the entire tournament. We're sorry our guys couldn't help you out as much as we'd like them to.

Asi Taulava - B+
While he was used sparingly, Taulava made sure to run both ends of the floor at all times and box out. Taulava never had post-up skills to speak of (Dennis Espino, Eric Menk and Danny Ildefonso are better   in the shaded lane than the 6"9 Fil-Tonggan) so him being relegated to an off-the-bench enforcer definitely a blessing. He's almost 40 now and has been representing our country in international meets for so long. If he begs off the team in 2013, then it's only fitting that we laud him for all he has done for Philippine basketball.

Rajko Toroman et. al. - A+
Superb coaching that only proved his selection as a work of genius by the SBP family then headed by Noli Eala. I hope he stays for the next incarnation of the SMART Gilas program, but if he moves on to another country and rebuilds that into a contender, I just hope that it's not in Asia.

How would you grade our national team?

End of a dream; PHL 68 loses to KOR 70

What a heartbreaker for our national team and Filipino basketball fans who once dreamt of making it to the London Olympics.

Korea, in a furious 4th quarter rally, managed to upend the nationals behind the hot shooting of Sungmin Cho and Taejong Moon. What looked to be a comfortable 11 point lead evaporated the minute Jimmy Alapag sat for a breather after playing the entire 3rd quarter and sizzling for 14 points (17 in total).

Normally, we could rely on JVee Casio to make simple plays for his teammates. But that wasn't the case today as Casio failed to get into a rhythm and set-up his guys. I've said it before and I'll say it again, PGs are born and bred, not transformed within 3 years time. That's not a jab on Casio who has been clutch for our team the last year and a half, but a simple truth. Once Korea's defense started to tighten, Casio couldn't make adjustments on the fly and pretty much had no other alternative but to just dump it into Marcus Douthit--which Korea couldn't stop, but was ready for.

Some of the blame should also be passed to Mac Baracael, whose repeated choosing to go over screens set for Cho led to three open looks from deep which cost us the lead. But really, how can you put the blame on a guy who hasn't been playing the last two games and was brought in as a 3rd option (when he should be the lead guy at SF *with Marcio Lassiter moving down to SG of course which will never happen*)?

I will be the first to say this though: Rajko Toroman, for all his genius, made some bad in-game adjustments that decided the outcome.

Nevermind that he kept on playing an outmatched, hesitant and out-of-his-league Chris Tiu (I have no qualms with him playing against weaker Asian teams, but definitely not star player minutes versus the heavyweights), I'm going to point out some key tactical mistakes that I believe could've been addressed to turn the tides back in our favor.

1) Baracael on Cho
- Baracael was doing just fine guarding Moon who isn't as quick-footed as he may look. In one play, Baracael even more than held his own against a taller Moon who was looking to post him-up (not knowing that Baracael plays the power forward position from time to time with relative ease). The minute Baracael was asked to switch on Cho, that decided the outcome of the game. Granted, Tiu and Lutz were either in foul trouble or fouled out, but Toroman should've opted to have Lassiter on the quicker Cho instead.

2) Riding the "Mighty Mouse" to the hilt
- This is a tough one, because Alapag was down right Mighty Mouse-ing his way from downtown in the 3rd quarter and owning whichever defender was thrown his way. I feel that Toroman should've brought the reins in once we were able to build a comfortable lead in the 3rd and rested Alapag at the start of the 4th. As you know, Toroman sat Alapag at the 5th minute mark and brought him back for the last 2 with the game starting to be up for grabs.

3) Too much pressure on Casio
- Yes he is clutch. Yes he has saved us in one too many occasions. But Casio is not a point guard, he can call plays, he has handles, but what clearly separated him from Alapag was the latter's ability to make quick, in-game adjustments without turning the ball over while Casio's go-to move at the point was to either call a set play OR go iso and look for his shot. Every time Casio was on the floor, our national team looked erratic with the wings trying desperately to get into set positions in anticipation of passes instead of constantly moving (knowing that Alapag would find them wherever they may be) and Douthit being pulled out to provide double screens with either Kelly Williams or Ranidel de Ocampo.

The plays and players were all there, we fought hard with what we had but just came up short thanks to missed free throws and turnovers. There's nothing to be ashamed of because the mission was to reestablish Philippine basketball in Asia and not to magically turn the tables on our neighbors and crash the Olympics.

I say, mission accomplished SMART Gilas/ Philippine national team. We are all proud of you and wish everyone well on their future endeavors. Some will probably move on to become PBA stars, others (like Tiu and Douthit) would stay on. Hopefully, this setback challenges the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and chief financier Manny V. Pangilinan in creating another special group of Filipinos ready to take on the world by 2013 (there's already a huge Internet campaign out to have it held here in Manila).

Can you say Ravena-Alas-Parks-Slaughter-Douthit? With names like Jayson Castro, Junmar Fajardo and even ABL San Miguel Beer's Chris Banchero?

Oh, and Chris Tiu too.

Jordan continues big game dominance over PHL, wins 75-61

Another all-or-nothing, high stakes FIBA Asia match versus Jordan, another heartbreak for the Philippine men's basketball team.

For the third straight FIBA tournament, the Jordanians crushed all hopes of a gold or silver medal finish for team Philippines behind its naturalizes back court duo of Sam Daghlas (16 points) and Rasheim Wright (22). Throw in sweet shooting big man Zaid Abbas (14) who forced our frontline to guard well outside the shaded area and what you have is a recipe for a London dream-crusher.

Marcus Douthit (21) and JVee Casio (15) carried the fight for the hapless Philippine team that failed to receive additional firepower from its other guys. Marcio Lassiter, who has been the catalyst for this team in the second round, shot an abysmal 0/10 and was only good for 2 points the entire night. Jimmy Alapag, another fire starter and old reliable, went 0/6.

If anything, the Jordanians were able to solve the PHL puzzle by forcing it to play from the outside-in through its zone defense. Time and again PHL would bring the ball down facing a simple man-to-man defense, but once the first pass was made, the Jordanians would switch to a zone.

The zone took away Douthit's face-to-the-basket forays in the paint, neutralized our slashers and pretty much left our shooters free. On a good day, with names like Lassiter, Alapag, Lutz and Casio, you'd expect a blow-out. But it just wasn't our night, and no one outside of Douthit could play efficient, smart basketball.

My only beef is that perhaps Toroman could've gone with a different look, say more minutes for gung-ho slashers Mark Barroca and Mac Baracael (whose famed pesky defense could've stifled Wright or Daghlas at the very least). Sadly, their minutes went to mismatched shooting guard, 5"11, Chris Tiu who plays with 100% heart, but is not a special basketball player on either ends of the court.

Why? I don't know *cough* because he's MVP's boy *cough*

That being said, what does this loss mean for Philippine basketball?

Well, there's still 3rd place to be won tomorrow versus the loser of the China-Korea match that's currently on-going. The 2nd and 3rd placers in this tournament will qualify for a "last trip to London" FIBA tournament which may or may not be open to other teams outside of Asia (which would pretty much mean that it's almost impossible to win that one).

But in hindsight, 3rd place isn't all that bad. Not for this team anyway. The mission was never to make it to London (that would be the dream). The mission, right from the onset, was to re-establish the country as a basketball powerhouse. You'd be hard pressed to argue that this team, from Rajko Toroman to the last guy on the bench (Charles Tiu-- PHL's poster boy of an assistant coach), were able to do just that.

So congrats Pilipinas for a great showing and just lay it all out there tomorrow!

Thoughts on the UAAP Finals: Ateneo-FEU Part II

The Ateneo Blue Eagles are looking for its fourth straight title as it battles the Far Eastern University Tamarraws this afternoon in a rematch of last year's ultimate UAAP showcase.

Hopefully, FEU head coach Bert Flores doesn't suffer a "Glenn Capacio" and is able to lead his team to battle from start to finish. Capacio, last year's coach who led the team to a first place ranking, suffered from high blood pressure in the must-win Game 2 and didn't come out of the lockers after the half. Not that I'm putting the blame on Capacio, but it does hurt your team's overall psyche when the man that's supposed to take the lead is bowing to all the on-court drama.

What are the chances of FEU staging a giant-sized upset?

Slim to none. I don't care if they're "peaking" as most pundits would say, this team is battling an assortment of injuries and just doesn't have the size to control ADMU's 6"11 Fil-Am rent-a-center Greg Slaughter (he's only playing this season before probably moving on to the PBA or continuing with the Gilas program). They could try crowding the paint, but guys like Kirk Long, Eman Monfort and Rookie of the Year awardee Keifer Ravena are bound to wreak havoc all over.

That, plus they need to keep an eye on Ateneo's energy guy Nico Salva who can easily explode for double digits on garbage points/ hustle plays alone.

Perhaps the Tams could try the opposite of what you'd normally do against a team with a dominant big like ADMU. Keep everyone on lock while opting to guard Slaughter one-on-one. Yes, he's tall, but put an assortment of big bodies on him and have them use all five of their fouls to the hilt and let's see just how good the Ateneo anchor really is.

And when I say foul, I don't mean to give him silly love taps for "and-ones." I want the Tams' center and power forwards to take hard swipes at the ball. Make him feel their forearms on his lower back. You can say that I'm being biased here, but I want Slaughter to "man up" in time for international play. If he can rise above all the physicality, then I would be the first to salute him because in the bigger scheme of things, he's our country's hope at the center position.

Back to FEU-ADMU.

The return of JR Cawaling could turn out to be the difference maker in this series. When healthy, the former SMART Gilas recruit is a solid two-way player that can allow last year's UAAP Most Valuable Player RR Garcia to work on offense.

That being said, here's my prediction: Ateneo in 3 games, FEU in 2.

Breakthrough! PHL lands in FIBA Asia top 4

What started off as another alarmingly sluggish start ended in what could've been the biggest victory in Philippine basketball today.

In a match against Chinese Taipei that would decide which advances into the medal round, the Philippine men's basketball team pulled through in the second half behind its now trademark stingy 3rd quarter defense and timely baskets. The end tally of 95-78 in favor of the Filipinos was closer in the first two quarters than expected.

The Taiwanese players all came out with a sense of urgency and energy that our team couldn't match early on and it showed as we trailed by four in the first. Then came JVee Casio's hot shooting in the second quarter which the Taiwanese couldn't stop which gave us a three-point cushion going into the half.

By the third quarter, Marcus Douthit found his rhythm in the post as his teammates started to tighten up on the defensive end and that was pretty much all she wrote for the Taiwanese squad. Despite the energetic plays of "The Beast" Lin Chih Chieh (#12 with the nasty/ugly comb over), there was nothing they could do to stop PHL from executing its plays and finding the open man.

Credit should also go to Ranidel de Ocampo, who came in for Kelly Williams in the first quarter and who I feel was tonight's true game changer.

PHL head coach Rajko Toroman started the same five that beat Japan in Andy Barroca, Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Kelly Williams and Marcus Douthit. Only problem was, CT had the size to concentrate on Douthit with veteran ace Tseng Wen-Ting manning the pivot and his partner able to sag off Williams who wasn't as comfortable/ confident with his shot.

The minute Toroman replaced Williams with De Ocampo, CT couldn't double on Douthit anymore after realizing that (when focused) RDO is arguably at par with Douthit as far as offensive-skills is concerned (even better when his three ball is going in, which it did). The pinnacle of course is during the 3rd when PHL was threatening to blow the game wide open but couldn't because of CT's aggressiveness.

RDO went to work in the post, backing up a taller and experienced Tseng before going with a soft jump hook that would've made Marlou Aquino proud.

And one.

The play was rather simple, and we were already up by a big margin-- but that single play took the fight out of CT because it caused Tseng his 5th and final foul.

Once that long haired beast was taken out of the equation, well, here's the stats: Douthit finished with a monstrous 37 points and 10, RDO with 18 and 5.

Hell, I didn't know we even had that kind of a post game going into the tournament to begin with!

Next game will be played tomorrow versus giant-killer Jordan which we beat in group play early in the tournament but appears to be peaking at the right time. Hopefully, our guards get a fair shake of the calls and Lassiter and Lutz' defense pulls us through while Douthit takes care of the shaded lane.

We're only two wins away from London, but in my book, making it to the top 4 is already an achievement in itself. The SMART Gilas program is a success and all the heartaches and pains Pinoy basketball fans have endured over the last two or three decades have been erased.

We've waited 20 plus years for this, so let us all celebrate as one nation.

Let's see what happens tomorrow versus Jordan.

Angat Pilipinas!

Now or never for Douthit, PHL

Tonight's game versus Chinese Taipei couldn't come with any more pressure for Marcus Douthit and the rest of the Philippine men's basketball team.

While a spot in the FIBA-Asia tournament's final four/ medal round is at stake for both teams, one could argue that this means so much more to the PHL cause owing to its pitiful world ranking (53). We've already beaten Jordan (32) and Japan (33), so that leaves this team with no excuse not to survive a potent Chinese Taipei team (41) that plays more or less the same brand of basketball as the Japanese.

An entry in the top four almost assures us of a higher spot in the FIBA men's basketball world ranking and could lead us to jump 10 spots at the very least.

BUT there's also another reason why we need to make it to the medal round other than having a crack at that olympic berth and SMART Gilas being rebuilt with new faces for 2014.

Marcus Douthit.

The 6"11 Providence star who was only naturalized last June of this year is making a case for himself as the best big man in Asia. While he doesn't enjoy the youthful athleticism of China's Yi Jianlian, there's no other big who has the same skill set as the man we now call "Big Daddy."

Granted, Iranian 7"2 center Hamed Haddadi will always garner some votes, but he doesn't enjoy half the dribbling ability as Douthit or the footspeed. It should also be noted that Douthit has been a remarkable defensive player all his life (a byproduct of his 7"4 wingspan) while Haddadi's was developed more because he's pretty much the tallest guy on the floor.

The reason why I argue that PHL needs to win now, with this current selection of amateur and professional all stars is simple. There's no assurance on how long Douthit will play for the Philippines.

It has happened before. Jeff Moore, Chip Engelland and Dennis Still, recruits of legendary coach Ron Jacobs for the 1980's national team, all headed back to their home country after their "tour of duty" with the Philippines. Had they chosen to stay of course, who knows if we'd ever had Ramon Fernandez, Alvin Patrimonio, Ato Agustin and Vergel Meneses win MVPs in the PBA (since some of the Northern Cement imports/ naturalized guys would've been able to suit up for local pro teams-- who's to say that the Board wouldn't bend over backwards to get those names on the roster?).

Of the three, most of today's generation would be familiar with Engelland who has served as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs since 2006.

Surely a big man as mobile as Douthit wouldn't find it hard to receive offers from all over the world after his efficient display in all the international tournaments that we've been participating in. It would probably take a huge paycheck from one MVP to keep him in the fold for the next couple of years.

That being said, let's enjoy this ride while it's still rolling and support out Philippine national team. And also, when you see Douthit walking around Shangri-La Plaza or anywhere in the streets of Manila, be sure to show him some warm Filipino love (in case you're reading this and is connected with GMA 7 and ABS-CBN, please tell them that the Azkals haven't won jackshit while our basketball team is on the rise and isn't getting any Media love).

"I'll never have Filipino blood, but as far as becoming a Filipino, I'll always have it in my heart." - M. Douthit 

Another day, another comeback for PHL

Are we this good?

Do our players, from Marcus Douthit to little used Mark Barroca, believe that they can advance to the medal rounds by continuing this alarming trend of falling behind early before staging a comeback in the second half?

My answer is no and maybe.

Just because we've won five of our last six games doesn't mean squat. Remember, we're still ranked 53 worldwide in men's basketball. Twenty places behind Japan and Qatar. You could argue that they're only ranked higher because of our country's basketball turmoils in the past, but I have a thing about making excuses.

Let's celebrate when we're ranked 33. Or higher. When the votes have been tallied and not while the tournament is still on going.

You can't blame Pilipinas head coach Rajko Toroman for wanting to rest PBA veterans Jimmy Alapag (who is still nursing an injury from the PBA Finals) and Kelly Williams who have carried the fight for us the last two games. But there's no excuse for guys like Mac Baracael, Chris Tiu and the once promising JVee Casio for being lethargic on the court and missing simple lay-ups that they'd normally make.

The first two quarters saw PHL trail Syria 32-23, and I could've sworn that our guys were playing like National teams of old that were hastily assembled and relied on too much isolation sets. To make matters worse, their defensive chops were missing which can't be credited to being exhausted since the guys who've been playing all out (Alapag, Williams, Douthit) were sitting on the bench.

In the second half, the momentum started to swing in favor of PHL through its trapping defense and renewed energy. Credit must go to Alapag for not having any of his younger teammates' weak-ass, half-assed effort on the floor. Ranidel de Ocampo started making shots which in turn rubbed off on his teammates.

I pray that tonight's off-and-on display won't continue in the next round where we're expected to face a beatable Chinese Taipei. As long as we've got Douthit in the paint to control Wen Ten Tsing and our wings make shots from all over the floor, then we should be just fine.

P.S.

I know that it's a brand thing, but can people please refrain from calling this squad SMART Gilas? They're the PHILIPPINE NATIONAL TEAM. End of story.

PHL triumphs over Japan; 83-76

Two wins in the second round- if I was able to understand a recent report correctly, then that pretty much assures us of a 2nd place finish in our bracket (Group F) which will help our medal-round hopes.

Kudos to all the players and coaching staff for a wonderful scouting report on the sharpshooting Japanese squad. The Japanese led early in the first half owing to their outside bombs and consecutive turnovers primarily by one Chris Tiu.

It should be noted though, that PHL led in the first quarter behind a never-before-seen starting unit of Mark Barroca, Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Kelly Williams and Marcus Douthit (much to my delight).

The minute Toroman made some substitutions, PHL's offense became predictable and Japan started going crazy by hitting shots from all over the court.

Fortunately for us, the Japanese lost steam in the second half and were starting to look desperate for a savior-- a role usually reserved for star Takuya Kawamura and 6"9 brothers Joji and Kasuke Takeuchi. Problem was, PHL would have none of it as all three were swarmed by aggressive help defenses all night long.

The Good
Marcio Lassiter (15 points)
- pretty much made Kawamura work on both ends of the floor. Play lockdown defense? Check. Do his best Mark Caguioa circa 2001 impression? Check.

Marcus Douthit (25 points, 18 rebounds)
- he hurt his ankle versus Jordan, and looked like he was laboring in the first half which may be a big reason why we were down six. But in the 2nd half, Douthit played like a bull in the paint and was just "manning" the Japanese bigs who have the same game as a Mick Pennisi.

Jimmy Alapag (16 points, 4 assists)
- where are the haters now? Alapag is the best PG on the roster bar none. The Japs tried to trap Alapag early, but went man to man the minute they saw that 1) there's no way you can steal the ball from a "serious" Alapag and 2) he was dissecting them with crisp passes.

Kelly Williams (12 points)
- where was this Williams the last few games?! Shiiiiiiitttt. Williams played like his MVP-form back with the Santa Lucia Realtors- running, hustling, sinking jumpers and even trying to dunk on Takeuchi's head on one play with brute force. He is arguably the best man to play alongside the "Too Cool" Douthit the rest of the tournament.

Chris Lutz
- he didn't score like Lassiter, he fouled out and even cost us two free throws on a technical- BUT- he played lockdown defense on Kawamura, alternating with Lassiter to pretty much throw the Japanese star off his game. By the time he fouled out in the third, he pretty much did what he had to do out on the floor.

The Bad
Ranidel de Ocampo (4 points)
- took one too many three balls early and lost his spot to Williams. In the 4th quarter though, RDO made up for his lack of aggression by simply camping in the post and playing offside basketball with Douthit (where he was able to grab timely rebounds that helped preserve the lead/ win).

JVee Casio (4 points)
- two forced airballs from deep. Couldn't dribble out of double teams. Couldn't make the correct pass. Blame it on his injury, or this being an off night, but Casio was clearly exposed as a short, outmatched shooting guard in today's game.

The Ugly
Chris Tiu (0 points)
- first time he touched the ball, he turned it over. Second? Turned it over. The PHL team captain looked lost on several occassions and didn't really help the cause. If anything, Lutz should take Tiu's minutes from here on out. Yes, we appreciate Tiu serving as an inspiration to all, but let the better players play!

Hopefully, Casio and Tiu both get their grooves back in the next round and shine in their new, diminished roles on the floor. It won't matter if they play a minute or the whole game, as long as we win, then just go for it.

Hats off to Asi Taulava who came in the 2nd quarter to spell Douthit. "The Rock" was throwing 'bows as though his daughter's entire college plan depended on him securing every single rebound.

Let's go Pilipinas!

What Lassiter and Lutz' return means for PHL

Now that Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz have been cleared by FIBA organizers, what exactly does this latest development mean for Team Pilipinas and our medal-round bid?

Positives
+  Balanced rotation and substitution patterns
National team head coach Rajko Toroman will now enjoy having 12 players on his active roster as earlier envisioned without having to play guys longer than they should.

+  Less chances of injuries/ fatigue
By having more guys on the roster, the players won't have to worry about burning themselves out since someone's always going to be ready to give them a breather

+  Unpredictability of offensive sets against other teams
Different player equals different looks on both offense and defense

Negatives
-  Less minutes for big time players
JVee Casio and Mark Barroca have been asked to play SG at times in the first round each to bad results. Best example was China opting to attack Casio at every opportunity since he was badly outsized by his man by at least three or four inches. Now that everyone's back, Casio, Barroca and Jimmy Alapag will all slide to their natural PG position which in turn will create a log jam. The same can be said at SG, where Chris Tiu is a lock to play no less than three quarters (don't ask why). The guys I see that are bound to lose minutes the most are Mark Barroca, Marnel Baracael and Japeth Aguilar.

-  Crowded frontline
With Tiu being the default SG, the returning Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz are going to share time with reliable Marnel Baracael at small forward. This will force Kelly Williams to play PF exclusively alongside Japeth Aguilar and Ranidel de Ocampo. This hurts because if only Tiu didn't have a lock at SG, our starting five could have been loaded with weapons form 1 to 5. Imagine: Alapag-Lassiter-Baracael-Williams-Douthit with Lutz, Taulava and Casio as the guys coming from the bench. Wow.

-  Smaller line-up 
Again owing to Tiu's key position in the scheme of things which may or may not be his fault, the National team will have to field in a line-up that is shorter in some areas than their opponents. We're already outsized at the power forward spot, so I don't really see how sticking to Casio-Tiu-Lassiter-Williams-Douthit would help our cause any further other than their familiarity with one another.

All in all, it's still better to be three-men deep in each position rather than to not have guys suit up. Hopefully, Toroman pulls through and goes with the best line-up to advance to the medal round.

Lassiter, Lutz cleared; Thank you Noli

Who says that the WWE (television heel character not chairman)Vince McMahon of the Philippine basketball world doesn't have a heart?

In case you've been living under a rock, hopes of our Philippine national team making it to the medal round of the ongoing FIBA-Asia tournament took a big blow when prized Fil-Am recruits Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were banned from playing due to "citizenship issues." The Samahang Basketbol Pilipinas, which assembled the team, were quick in citing that the two were able to play in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments before and that are of actual direct Filipino heritage (with all the necessary documentation to boot).

These claims fell on deaf FIBA-Asia ears however and it looked more and more like we would just have to play with 10 guys the whole tournament and hope that SG Chris Tiu doesn't breakdown mid-tourney.

Enter Noli Eala.

Also known as former PBA savant and savior who had big hopes for the league only to be stripped of it all by personal issues that others are quick to judge him by. It didn't help his case though, that he immediately turned his back on the Media (can't say I blame him, since these are the same guys who brought him down) and concentrated on other pursuits before going back to the sport he loves- basketball.

To his credit, Eala is one of the men behind the Smart Gilas program-- the same program that has built our Philippine national team today. He's the guy who flew in and out of the country, made several negotiations and landed a few highly-touted recruits to play while making sure to take a stab or two (or three, five, eleven, twenty, etc.) at his former employers.

And by saying that he's the guy who acted as "negotiator" or "liaison" if you will, it was clear that he was the Philippine national team's only hope if they wanted to get Lutz and Lassiter back in time for the 2nd round.

True enough Eala played a big role, though not even duty-bound, by offering a helping hand and a few key advices to the current SBP leaders and also the FIBA commission in Geneva, Switzerland. His friendship with FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann should also be taken as a big factor in turning the tides in favor of the national team.

So now, we are finally going to watch a complete Philippine national team minus the B.S. and off-court politicking. We are united under the red, blue, white and yellow of our flag. Win or lose, this is all we have, and let's support our national team.

And while we're at it, let me be the first to say "Thank you Noli."

FIBA-Asia needs change

The International Basketball Federation (popularly known as FIBA) has long been credited as the world's premiere basketball competition outside of the Olympics.

Yes, there's the American juggernaut that is the National Basketball Association where "amazing happens," but the thing that will always separate the FIBA tourney is that it's where countries are represented and play the game of basketball with rules that were not skewered for television ratings and advertisements (in theory).

Years have passed and we've seen teams rise in the ranks-- none more than those in the Asian region which enjoys just ONE (sometimes two) olympic qualifying slot for a total of 44 participating countries.

Forty-four teams.

The FIBA-Oceania tournament features 21 countries, but is usually dominated/ participated in by two teams- Australia and New Zealand. Daresay that you can take some of the lower-ranked teams from the FIBA-Asia and that those teams will surely contend in FIBA-Oceania.

I say, it's time for the FIBA Asia to be split.

The 44 teams are divided into subregions: East Asia (notable teams: China, Japan, Korea), Middle Asia , West Asia (Iran, Lebanon, Jordan), Southeast Asia (Philippines) and Gulf. If we're going to have two divisions, then it wouldn't hurt to put the Middle, West and Gulf Asia on Asia I while the Eastern countries (who have stronger teams anyway) slug it out in Asia II.

It doesn't take a scientist to see the disparity in body types and features between the two Asian regions, so why not divide it? You can't argue that I'm simply asking for this to increase the Philippines' chances (because we'll still be stuck with China, Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei) but to better promote Asian basketball all over the world.

Hell, there are Asian players who are much more skilled than the millionaires kids love to watch on television in the NBA. Skills-wise, Chinese Taipei's Wen Ten Tsing is better and more polished than the Kwame Browns and Eric Dampiers of the world.

Asian basketball teams have improved dramatically over the last ten years owing to the Western influence (and better local programs). It's high time FIBA recognizes that if it wants basketball to overtake football in the eyes of sports fans, then giving us a fair shake in qualifying tournaments would be the best place to start.

PHL suffers "meaningless" setback versus China; loses 60-75

As painful as it was to watch Japeth Aguilar, a 6"9 human pogostick that's the first of his kind in the Philippines, bite to China's Wang Zhi Zhi's slow and almost predictable pump fakes time and again, we should still be proud of the way our team lost by making an effort to narrow the gap in the last quarter and a half.

The story of the game was simple, the Chinese were taller and just better basketball players than the guys we had on the floor. I saw Mark Barroca break his ankles twice to a tall Chinese point guard which I've never seen in my entire life a Chinese do against a Filipino PG.

Forget that Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter continue to ride the sideline because of all the backstage politics in the FIBA Asia tournament. We're here, we have 10 guys, five better than the stripped Qatar team who continue to disgrace themselves (hey, what did you expect, most of your guys are from the African continents you cheats!) so play on.

To win, our team needs to continue to play smart. The double high post screen worked in the second half regardless of the combinations, so maybe Rajko Toroman was keeping his cards close to his chest a bit and didn't want to show off as much. Forget driving into the paint against China because 1) they're quick to block shots and 2) we don't have the type of players for the job (this is where a healthy Jayson Castro or a MVP employee like Sol Mercado would've done great wonders but hey).

Moving on to the players; Jimmy Alapag controlled the pace of the game but was clearly bothered by the Chinese guards' length. This isn't like the previous years when we could count on our guards to outrun the Chinese players. Those young, lanky guys could move!

JVee Casio continues to look bothered by his injury and was clearly the target of the Chinese offense and defense. Everytime Casio held the basketball, two taller defenders were in his grill. And when he was playing defense, whoever he was guarding would almost always get the ball and freed to call for isolation.

Chris Tiu played with great heart, but left his brain in the dug-out. He was always one of the smarter players on the roster, but I guess that's what having to box-out bigger guys and not getting any relief via substitution does to a man.

Ranidel de Ocampo, while still being a frustrating example of a skilled Filipino big man with little drive/ heart (along the lines of his brother Yancy, Marlou Aquino and before him, Jun Limpot), made a brave stand in trying to guard the Chinese veteran Zhi Zhi with some degree of success. Of course, when he was asked to guard the equally tall yet ultra athletic and high-skilled Yi Jian Lian, there was nothing RDO could do but eat a plateful of jumpers from both corners of the floor.

Marnel Baracael is a hero to all kanto boy basketball players around. The guy plays hard, doesn't complain (specially to his coach who forces him to guard players several inches taller than he is and play out of position), doesn't flop (hello Ronald Tubid) and always looks to win games. Yan ang pusong Pinoy!

Kelly Williams enjoyed some success versus Yi owing to his aggressiveness and superior athleticism, but was just outmatched height-wise. Asi Taulava, in my book, is a hero. He's a man of limited basketball skill and IQ, but he's been playing hard for flag and country for so long that I want him to win big this time around or before he retires.

Marcus Douthit was pretty much out-finessed by the Chinese bigs. I'm pretty sure he could hold his own versus Zhi Zhi, but every time he'd make a move to the basket via a spin or crossover, Yi or another tall Chinese defender would be in the area to take a swipe on the ball or block his path.

At some point, you'd have to feel sorry for Douthit and have someone give him a purple heart or something for playing so hard for this country.

That being said, the only way you can really beat China is if you have guys who are bigger and stronger (Iran) which we won't have at least until another couple of years when our brothers and sisters marry into European/ Middle Eastern countries. Yes, we will definitely have our day in the sun!

Seriously now, as a consolation since we are still in group play, the loss won't matter and we will still move on to the next round (granted that we win over the Bader Malabes-led Bahrain squad-- which we should, because I will switch sports, allegiance and sexuality if we can't win by over ten points against that team).

Smart Gilas scores first win over UAE; loses Lassiter and Lutz

Today's much awaited first game in the FIBA Asia London Olympic qualifiers came with unsettling news that prized Fil-Am guards Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were declared ineligible to play due to their "questionable" citizenships.

This latest development forced Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman to play a tighter rotation in the game against the United Arab Emirates. Fortunately, the duo's absence was not felt owing to the added PBA firepower (which could've been a lot more formidable had Dondon Hontiveros stayed on board OR another shooting guard was added to the Gilas mix) and discrepancy in overall skill between the two teams.

From the outside looking in, you can't help but conclude that the Philippine team is being set-up to fail. It's not as if this is Lutz and Lassiter's first time to play in a FIBA tournament, and even former Smart Gilas/ Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chief Noli Eala has come to the team's defense saying that they have finished/ completed/ provided all the necessary papers needed in the last three years or so.

That being said,  today's game should be taken as a good sign as the team obviously played with a lot to prove. You can't really dig into it that much since they were facing a so-so opponent, but I appreciate the fact that we were basically scoring from all angles with the guys on the floor.

Jimmy Alapag looked healthier out there, and JVee Casio didn't show signs of the injury he suffered the last time out. Having Mark Barroca on the roster also allowed Toroman to slide Casio to his natural SG spot where he was pretty much cherry-picking on offense.

Should Casio and Alapag continue to play at a limited capacity, then there's no reason why Barroca shouldn't be playing more for Smart Gilas-- as a starter even.

At the guard spot, Chris Tiu played with the all-out hustle we've all grown to appreciate despite his limited lateral movement and offensive skills. I worry about this position though, since Tiu's bound to get burned by the second round and Casio's injury won't heal overnight. I wouldn't be surprised if Mac Baracael slides down to this position when called upon at some point if Lassiter and Lutz continue to sit.

The frontline is arguably the best we've seen from a Philippine basketball team in a long time. Mac Baracael, Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo and Marcus Douthit all took turns in dominating the glass and scoring at will. Williams made up for his shortcomings on offense by providing the interior, defensive muscle Smart Gilas has been missing. De Ocampo will probably take some time adjusting the most against international competition since he has always been hesitant with the basketball while Baracael is arguably the team's multi-purpose, Swiss army knife who is smart, strong and quick enough to  play at least four positions.

Japeth Aguilar was... well... he's still the best dunker out there and will probably have a break out game or two against inferior teams. I'm hoping though that he shows that Kevin Garnett-ish form we saw glimpses of in the last tournament they played in tomorrow when matched up against China's Yi Jian Lian.

Oh, wait, Dylan Ababou's on the roster? Could've fooled me.

Can this team beat China?

I honestly believe it can if it continues with its fast-paced yet still disciplined attack.

Can this team beat Iran?

No. That team has big guards who can run with our speedsters and a 7"2 monster in the paint.

Still, there's no shame in trying or hoping for a miracle now is there?

B-Meg's blueprint for success: 1996 Alaska Milkmen

Whether or not one Timothy Earl Cone decides to step in as head coach of the third San Miguel Corporation franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association this preseason/ mid-conference/ next conference, we all know that it's bound to happen sooner rather than later.

How could it not?

Cone at a B-Meg practice (credits: hoops.blink.ph)

From the outside looking in, Tim Cone hasn't coached (or will coach) a team as talented or enjoys as big a following as the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados since he had Kenneth Duremdes and Rodney Santos on the Alaska roster. It's easy to say that James Yap could easily slide into the Duremdes role while scoring buddy PJ Simon (who is actually more consistent) does an RS9.

But then again, we shouldn't count out the rest of the names on the B-Meg roster who are no patsies themselves. On paper, this team could actually rival Cone's 1996 grand slam winning Alaska Milkmen man-for-man.

PG - Mark Barroca as Johnny Abarrientos
It will probably take a conference or two before Cone hands in the keys to the B-Meg machine from Roger Yap to Barroca full-time, but when he does, you can bet your ass that Barroca is going to jumpstart the whole team with his heady court vision and blazing speed. And while SMART Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman lost faith in Barroca's darting quickness in favor of JVee Casio's clutch shooting, Cone will probably let Barroca do his thing since he has two more guys who can shoot the ball from deep when needed.

SG - PJ Simon as Jeffrey Cariaso
Today, you're either wishing Simon started for a different team since he's THAT good on offense (better than Cyrus Baguio) OR happy that he's the ever so popular James Yap's chief reliever. That was the same conundrum that Alaska faced in the mid 90s when they had the prized Fil-Am Cariaso coming in for Cebuano hardcourt heartthrob Jojo Lastimosa. Cone made it work however, by trusting Cariaso with much of the offense early (thus giving the Fil-Am his numbers), and going to Jolas in the clutch.

SF - James Yap as Jojo Lastimosa
Will Yap embrace the Jolas role? Scoring almost exclusively in the fourth, letting his teammates run the show and happy with pedestrian numbers? Will Yap play the kind of defense necessary to win championships in the PBA and allow Simon to flourish? OR will Cone tweak the triangle to make Yap look like Michael Jordan/ Kobe Bryant?

PF - Kerby Raymundo as Bong Hawkins
While Raymundo will never be at par with "The Hawk" defensively, they pretty much have the polished low-post game complemented by a consistent jumper that Cone wants from his bigs. In theory, the "triple post offense" or "Triangle" runs through two bigs who can shoot and pass and a slasher/creator. If Raymundo returns in shape next conference, then I'll be hard pressed not to switch from Meralco (Santa Lucia die-hard here) to B-Meg.

C - Joe DeVance as Poch Juinio
As unfathomable as it may sound for an MVP frontrunner, JDV is better off as a 3rd option on a champion team much like the Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom. JDV blossomed under Cone who appears to be the only coach in the PBA who knows how to properly utilize the sweet shooting big (by giving him enough leeway to shoot his ill-advised threes IF he plays defense, rebounds and plays in the paint from time to time).

PF - Marc Pingris as Cris Bolado
Okay, Bolado never really played heavy minutes for Alaska back then, but he was the lucky charm. Fortunately for Cone, he doesn't need to carry an extra rabbit's foot since Pingris is better than Bolado by leaps and bounds on the defensive and rebounding end. Plus, I don't think Cone has forgotten how Pingris, a 6"5 wiry power forward, stopped his Alaska Aces and lead guard, a then still rising L.A. Tenorio, in a championship series a few years back.

PG - Roger Yap as Kevin Ramas/ Gilbert Reyes
The only reason I bothered to associate Yap with the two is because they're the ones who play the most minutes and score after the 1996 Alaska Milkmen's top five guys. By all means, Yap is a better two-way player than half of the 96 team.

Just writing about it, picturing how things will pan out and all is causing major basketball nerdgasms. Of course, we still have to see how it will work and IF Tim Cone will sign up and actually COACH this team.

And before we end this, I'd like to say kudos to the WWE Vince McMahon (the television character not the real person, then again, who knows if he's any different in real life from his tv persona) of Philippine basketball, Noli Eala, for scoring the biggest/ sliest deal, since, maybe, Alaska duped Santa Lucia into taking a deteriorating Kenneth Duremdes in the 2003 PBA Draft.

On a side note, I'm really happy for Cone. He gets to coach a superstar team that you just know enjoys great financial backing while also being arguably the most popular team in the country. Yes, I said it. Ginebra still lords if over in Metro Manila. But Purefoods/ B-Meg OWNS Visayas and Mindanao.

Powerade Tigers: Waiting on Lassiter (UPD 9/12/11)

While most of this year's PBA draft first rounders have been signed by their respective teams, no deal has been reached between the Powerade Tigers (who recently locked up top pick Jayvee Casio to a max contract) and number four selection SMART Gilas mainstay Marcio Lassiter.

Straight to the bank for Lassiter

According to numerous sources and even through Lassiter's wife's Twitter account, they are still on the negotiating table with the Fil-Am's camp probably holding out for a better contract (say, a max one like SG and now Powerade teammate Casio's).

Question here is, is Lassiter good enough to receive the maximum allowed for rookies?

I say based on what he has done for flag and country while at SG...

No.

Lassiter is a quality player yes, but right now, his game is more of Ronald Tubid pre-flopping. He has the skills, but he doesn't have the recognizable face or superstar game Filipino fans like from their local heroes. At least, from what we've seen so far.

Hell, one could even argue that he's a temperamental, ghetto-swagged up version of Rain or Shine's Jireh Ibanez (under rated, do-it-all guard).

It would be quite a shame though if Lassiter doesn't suit up for the Tigers who are bent on rebuilding into a mean, running squad. The team has also signed UE 's James Martinez who, when healthy, is a pocket-sized James Yap from deep (even better).

UPDATE:

As reported on Interaktv.com, Lassiter has agreed to sign with Powerade for a max contract similar to top pick and teammate Jayvee Casio.

Click here to read the full article.