Ginebra: Started from the bottom, now they're here

Urbiztondo gets a ride to the semis;
thanks BaRajko

What a series!

Forget about the rankings for a minute (because the great sports writers of this generation would undoubtedly, unabashedly and shamefully milk the whole "7th seed upsetting a 2nd seed dry" anyway), this PBA Commissioner's Cup Playoffs between the Rain or Shine Elastopainters and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel should go down as a classic.

Anytime Ginebra goes up against a Yeng Guiao-coached team, we find ourselves rather torn. We're loyal to old school basketball, which what the name "Ginebra" is all about, we love Mark Caguioa and think that he is the best Filipino basketball player ever second only to the great 4x PBA MVP Ramon Fernandez (with another 4x PBA MVP Alvin Patrimonio as 3rd best) but we just love the gritty stand that Guiao teams always play with.

What if Choke-gate never happened?

What if Balkman kept his hands to himself?

Would the Petron Blaze Boosters be enjoying a nice, comfy seat in the semifinals waiting for the Ginebra-Rain or Shine winner instead of Talk 'n' Text? Would everything that has gone wrong for the Boosters the last one and a half conference be forgotten and dismissed as mere "growing pains"-- justified and vindicated by the team's success?

And finally, was the ouster of Renaldo Balkman really that big of a deal considering their opponent, TNT, changed imports just as much as they did?

From a team chemistry standpoint, on the floor at least, yes. Balkman was that versatile four that Arwind Santos forgot to play like and Jay Washington never was. He brought intensity and hustle that allowed his teammates to just feed off it. Rookie center JuneMar Fajardo was left to fend for himself (with much success) as the team's anchor at the five spot guarding imports his size or bigger. Balkman was not an established scorer ala Air21's Mike Dunnigan or Meralco's Eric Dawson, but he sure as hell brought it night in and night out with tremendous energy and passion for the game.

PBA should "Go5"

Imagine Kidlat's new foes:
Calvin Abueva, Ronald Tubid
and Beau Belga

We ask all our readers to bear with us as we write about a topic probably as PBA-related as a Kris Aquino-James Yap story or a "who's he sleeping with" piece if only because it doesn't directly review/ criticize a certain player or game.

Today we want to discuss AKTV (and TV5) chair Manny V. Pangilinan's decision to not renew their block time (think Eat Bulaga's owning company- TAPE's relation with GMA 7) agreement with IBC 13 once it expires this May 2013. As of press time, AKTV has officially sought the PBA Board's approval in airing the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals on the "mother ship" TV5 much like they did for the NCAA just a few months back.

To that, we say "do it."

PBA Commish Cup Playoffs: 1-0

What we've learned so far in the PBA Playoffs:
Cabagnot is still Alapag's b*tch.

Alaska Aces (1) vs Air21 Express (8): Aces advance to next round
That's all she wrote for the Express. Aces' went with a zone to take out Express import Mike Dunigan and dared anyone not named Nino Canaleta to beat them from deep. JVee Casio has risen from rookie teammate's magnetising shadow to stand out as the Aces' true leader on the floor with his steady and heady point guard plays. This guys is just amazing to watch, doesn't force shots (almost to a fault) and never, EVER, gives up his dribble until he finds an open man or a good look. Just sound team basketball for the Aces anchored on them having arguably some of the league's best players at each position save for power forward (which isn't much of a big deal given that center Sonny Thoss is doing just fine there playing alongside import Rob Dozier).

Rain or Shine (2) vs Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (7): Ginebra forces do-or-die Monday
The game was theirs for the taking but in true Elastopainters fashion, they started to become stagnant and predictable and almost ignorantly and bullishly kept going inside to Sundov in the 3rd quarter when  Ginebra made the necessary adjustment to send three guys over each and every time. Referees had an impact in the third quarter, but the Elastopainters were still in it so no excuses there. Bad game for Gabe Norwood, who was fighting tooth and nail in that "meaningless" Meralco game to avoid this match with Ginebra (and now we know why). He did absolutely nothing tonight, guarding pint-sized guards LA Tenorio and Josh Urbiztondo and failing miserably. Beau Belga and JayR Quinahan need to be called out as well, the Elastopainters need to make use of their advantage in depth (specially on the block) to the hilt on Monday's do-or-die game or just concede the series to Ginebra.

Into the PBA Commish Cup Playoffs (Part 2.2)

Ibalik ang bangis!

San Mig Coffee Mixers (4) vs Meralco Bolts (5)
No other playoff match-up could be as 50-50 as this one not only because of their "too close to call" rankings but also because one team is rising steadily while the other is suffering from a malady of injuries and off-court issues. As a basketball fan, we're quite pleased that the Mixers are back in the hunt to defend their title after a slow star and that the Bolts, dismissed as a team that's clearly tanking to get a better seeding at next year's PBA draft after the lopsided Sol Mercado trade, are back in the Playoffs.

PG Mark Barocca vs Chris Ross
It's going to be speed versus speed, with a slight edge to Ross for his defensive tenacity and rebounding. Barocca's not too shabby either and for the Mixers to win they'll need the former FEU stalwart to deliver offensively and defensively. It's going to be interesting on how these two will guard each other. Ross can't give Barocca too much daylight as the latter has shown an improvement from the outside. Barocca can't stick too closely to Ross because the Fil-Am will just blitz his way to the rim for the finish or a kickout to his shooters. Ross can guard Barocca straight up, but Barocca will have to watch out for Ross' outside passes so the entire Mixers will have to chip in to play safety at all times.

Adv. Meralco

Into the PBA Commish Cup Playoffs (Part 2.1)

All eyes on Fajardo

Petron Blaze Boosters (3) vs Talk n Text Tropang Texters (6) vs 
To dismiss this Playoff match-up as just another "game on the schedule" would be a disservice-- borderline criminal even. We know the on-court rivalry which is shadowed moreso by what's going on off-court. What we have previously coined as "The Silent War" lives on; albeit toned down somewhat for the sake of Philippine basketball. But make no mistake about it, once the ball is in the air bodies will start getting thrown with reckless abandon and the bonus checks and other perks will be handed the winning team despite this not being for all the marbles just yet.

PG Jimmy Alapag/ Jayson Castro vs Denok Miranda/ Alex Cabagnot
The yardstick of all Filipino pointguards and his bull-strong, cat-quick understudy versus the guy who crashed the "Best PG discussion" a season ago (only to fall back down to earth) and a defensive-minded pitbull. Yep, this series will be ultimately decided by whichever backcourt will be able to dictate their team's tempo. We all know that Petron is a better team on the run while TNT (under coach Norman Black) prefers the old school, halfcourt grind-it-out approach. Castro vs Miranda will be interesting since it will push Miranda to the hilt and test his reputation as being one of the league's premier defensive guards. We know he has the body to match with Castro, we're not so sure if the same can be said about his speed. Alapag versus Cabagnot would be a masterful lecture on "Clutch 101"-- Cabagnot's been under a lot of heat for his hero-balling ways, but what do you call Alapag's ballsy long treys? Aren't those "hero ball" plays as well? Difference of course is that Alapag makes them. Cabagnot, after 15 seconds of dribbling the air out of the ball, just jacks and prays.

Adv. TNT

Into the PBA Commish Cup Playoffs (part 1)

God Mode?
Don't they know I invented "COOL?"

Alaska Aces (1) vs Air21 Express (8)
Make no mistake about it, no matter how promising the players on the court are this match-up will be decided on the coaching end. It's going to be the Aces' upstart Luigi Trillo versus tried-and-tested collegiate coach Franz Pumaren for Air21. At first glance, you're already looking at a highly entertaining series with the following match-ups:

PG JVee Casio vs Mike Cortez
It's going to be the guy that was embraced and loved by the Green-and-White going up against the one that was controversially disowned/disgraced/disavowed (before time healed all the old wounds). Both guys are coming off injury concerns, but of the two, it's going to be Cortez who will prove to be more invaluable to his team rather than Casio. Though Casio is continuing to learn and excel as a PBA-level point guard, he has the luxury of having RJ Jazul and even rookie Raffy Reyes to spell him and steer the Aces' offense. Cortez on the other hand, will have no reprieve in this one and is the one true catalyst should Air21 ever hope of stealing a game. Casio needs to look for his shots to keep Cortez honest, while the latter needs to use his height and heft to the hilt and keep on attacking the rim like the Cool Cat of old.

Adv. Air21

Another day, another L for Batang Pier

Tough luck for Sol
and his "Most Improved" campaign

When was the last time the pre-Commissioner's Cup favourites GlobalPort Batang Pier won a game?

That was on February 15, a masterful 89-80 victory over the then still clueless Barangay Ginebra San Miguel led by an even more clueless Herbert Hill. After that, the Batang Pier would go on one of the ugliest, nay, horrendous losing streaks in all of Philippine basketball by dropping all 11 of their next assignments mostly in blowout fashion.

Weren't they supposed to be the dark horses? Actually, with the souped-up line-up featuring Gary David, 2x PBA MVP Willie Miller, Japeth Aguilar and Sol Mercado plus promising rookies Jason Deutchman and AJ Mandani and a solid bench-- they were more than just dark horses. Hell, they were playoff picks by just about every one who knows their basketball.

PBA 2012 Draft: More busts than stars?

Is "The Muscle" too small to dominate the PBA?

While this year's PBA Draft will go down in history as the Year of the Fajardo/Abueva (depending on which camp you happen to be cheering for), it should be noted that of the 39 players selected (in an eye-popping 6 round draft thanks to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel's binge shopping for point guards), only a handful are still in the league and about five to six of them to actually be relevant.

On top are Petron's Junemar Fajardo, the first overall pick, inconsistent but very mobile and impressive for a guy his size and Alaska's Calvin Abueva, a sure lock for the year's top Rookie prize given his impact on his team and how he is able to carry his "beastly" game over to the pros with relative ease (and how he's managed to get in the heads of a lot of veterans when it's supposed to be the other way around).

After those guys, it's really a toss up on who else is going to be a star or at the very least-- "useful" for his team in the long run.

Ginebra wins minus MVP

Tenorio's takeover

Despite not having reigning PBA Most Valuable Player Mark Caguioa in the fold the last couple of games, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel have stormed into 4th place of the ongoing Commissioner's Cup thanks to a fiery six-game winning streak.

The victories, all via an average lead of about "only" 5.3 points, have been brought about by the obvious chemistry between prized acquisition L.A. Tenorio and replacement import Vernon Macklin (who took over for the ineffective Herbert Hill). From lobs to gimmes, the two have been a joy to watch with Tenorio enjoying his best string of games so far wearing Ginebra's red, white and black colors (averaging around 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game).

Also coming to Tenorio's aide are Kerby Raymundo (6 points, 4 rebounds in only 13 minutes), Mac Baracael and Rob Labagala.

Why Beau Belga is an All Star

2x PBA MVP and.. the All Star

When was the last time that you really found it in your heart to cheer for the bad guy?

Denzel Washington in Training Day? Wreck-it-Ralph before he turned over a new leaf? Cruela DeVille or that villainess from The Devil Wears Prada (for our female readers)? How about in the Philippine Basketball Association-- have you ever really cheered for the bruisers, the enforcer: the guy who's brought into the game to dish out fouls faster than a  food attendant on a McDonald's freebie breakfast burger day?

For the record, the Rain or Shine Elastopainters' beefy center Beau Belga has logged in career averages of 6 points and 5 rebounds in almost 21 minutes of burn since being drafted 7th overall by Purefoods in 2008. He's never averaged in double figures and would probably be the last guy most PBA Fantasy Team owners would want to take into their rosters.

Coca Cola kicks-off Youngstars Program Year 2

Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Philippines (right) with PBA Commissioner Atty. Angelico “Chito” Salud (left) during the second year kick-off of the Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars Basketball League

MANILA, Philippines — Coca-Cola Philippines recently reaffirmed its commitment to promote healthy and active living during the second year kick-off of the Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars Basketball League.

Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars is a nationwide grassroots program, which aims to reach out to more than 7,000 aspiring basketball stars aged 13 to 16 across different cities, provinces, and municipalities in the country.

“We have partnered with the Philippine Basketball Association for this program because leading an active healthy lifestyle has a positive impact on health and wellbeing, delivering a range of physical, mental and social benefits especially for young people,” says Atty. Adel Tamano, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Philippines.

Alaska breaks tie with Rain or Shine

Should the two teams meet in the Finals,
the theme should be
LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR

The legend of the Cebuano Hotshot lives on.

Sinking seven of 10 three point attempts, Alaska Aces' veteran leader Dondon Hontiveros carried the fight when all seemed lost after his team fell by as much as 22 points versus the Rain or Shine Elastopainters.

Prior to the 4th quarter and overtime barrage, the Aces appeared to be out of sync and couldn't make any of their attempts. The Elastopainters on the other hand, were firing from all cylinders and making the most of mismatches on the floor starting with 7"3 import Bruno Sundov, big guard Paul Lee and the usual bench mob suspects (just pick your poison from game to game, tonight it was a little of TY Tang, Jireh Ybanes and Jervy Cruz).

Then midway of the third happened.

Apostle's Creed

Batman and Robin?
No, more like Batman and Green Lantern

While 2x PBA Most Valuable Player James Yap continues to hog the limelight for the San Mig Coffee Mixers both on and off the court, this season has been about the continued rise to prominence of Yap's "sidekick," scorer Peter June Simon.

But based on what we've seen so far, Simon is anything BUT a sidekick to Yap. In the Ryan Gregorio years perhaps, but Simon has blossomed into a complete player under Gregorio's replacement, head coach Tim Cone. Cone has done a marvelous job in honing Simon's all-around offensive skills, forcing the Davao City native to play facilitator and even off the ball instead of just waiting his turn on the isolation sets.

It's official: PBA names Anti-Gilas

Can the two Cabalens
co-exist to defeat Gilas?

After much online speculation and the PBA's official tallying of the votes for this year's All Star Game to be held at Digos, here's the official line-up of the team that will test the mettle of the SMART Gilas Pilipinas team coached by Chot Reyes.

PG: Alex Cabagnot, JVee Casio; SG: James Yap, reigning PBA MVP Mark Caguioa, Cyrus Baguio; SF: Calvin Abueva, Chris Ellis, Marcio Lassiter; PF: Nino Canaleta, Arwind Santos, Jay Washington; C: Beau Belga

Missing are breakout stars Sol Mercado (he's part of another All Star select team but is a lock to replace the hurting Casio) and Chris Ross, and maybe even guys like Mike Cortez (who's having a stellar season after being reunited with college coach Franz Pumaren) and reigning PBA Rookie of the Year Paul Lee.

The Prototype

The Prototype

There was a time when PBA commentators would readily hand out monikers to just about anyone and everyone-- stars or not. Some of which became legendary thanks to that player's on-court skills, others stuck because it was simply the humorous thing to do.

It has always fascinated us how noone really came up with a moniker for one Gabby Espinas. We're not talking about the Espinas of today who has proven to be a solid contributor for the Alaska Aces, or the Espinas that was drafted by the San Miguel Beermen (now Petron Blaze Boosters) and buried on the bench behind a bunch of frontline veterans. We're talking about the Philippine Christian University-era Gabby Espinas, the man who won Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player in the NCAA (which was tarnished the year after when the league opted to give the same ROY-MVP double award to FOREIGNER Sam Ekwe) and was posting crazy, Calvin "The Beast" Abueva numbers even before The Beast came into the scene.

Powerhouse cast to form Anti-Gilas

If the voting for the PBA All Stars "Anti-Gilas" selection were to end today, then we are looking at a legit, tough opponent for Coach Chot Reyes et. al. that could ultimately decide the fate of Philippine basketball.

See, it's no secret that "The Silent War" is still alive and kicking. And to simply appease some circles, San Miguel gave in and lent their players but not before sticking to the "one player per team" dictum of PBA Commissioner Chito Salud. They lent Junemar Fajardo, Marc Pingris and L.A. Tenorio to the national cause, yes, but they were sure to leave out other stellar names by "hiding" behind that quote from good old Kume.

At the moment, rounding out the starting five are: James Yap, Mark Caguioa, PJ Simon, Arwind Santos  and Calvin Abueva.

Ginebra on fire

Slowly but surely, Kerby's back!

Winners of three straight, including last night's 84-81 yawn-fest versus the Meralco Bolts, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel finds itself back in contention and finally playing with on-court chemistry and harmony. Though they are currently facing an injury scare with ace Mark Caguioa hurting his knee yesterday, you can't sleep on this team the way they're playing at the moment.

Gone is L.A. Tenorio's (11 ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg) hesitance of taking control of the team and simply waiting for Caguioa (22 ppg 4 rpg 3 apg) to create scoring opportunities. In the last three wins, we've seen a more aggressive, back-to-normal Tenorio who fearlessly calls his own number, holds on to the basketball a bit longer rather than simply going to Caguioa and moving out of the way and just orchestrating like the floor general we know he is.

Time to break up the MMDA (?)

Hi, I'm Jason Deutchman.
I averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds
in only 20 minutes last conference.

Nine games into the GlobalPort Batang Pier’s PBA Commissioner Cup campaign and we’ve pretty much figured that this team won’t make a run at the next round—not with an abysmal, cellar-dwelling 2-7 win-loss record.

Granted, the team underwent an almost drastic reinvention mid-season, bringing in lead point guard Sol Mercado and athletic beanpole Japeth Aguilar. Though they won their first game and looked mighty impressive on offense thanks to their knack for spectacular, showtime-esque plays, it’s on the defensive end where this team finds itself lacking.

Air21 started from the bottom...

The Cool Cat cometh

... now they're here.

Following tonight's victory over the injury and drama-challenged San Mig Coffee Mixers, the Air21 Express are on a three game winning streak and have slowly climbed back into playoff contention. Spearheading the cause are monstrous import Michael Dunigan (26 ppt, 15 rpg), sweet-shooting Nino Canaleta (11 points, 4 rebounds) and the return to form of point guard Mike Cortez (10 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg).

As much as we'd like to dismiss tonight's victory over the Mixers as a fluke owing to the latter's 2x PBA MVP James Yap's off-court drama and the injury to point-forward Joe DeVance, we just cannot ignore how efficient and sound the Express has been looking on the floor as of late.

Nothing but bricks for Elasto Painters

Jeff Chan needs to find his touch

When the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters started turning heads last season, it wasn't only because of fearless rookie Paul Lee, Jeffrei Chan turning into the new Allan Caidic, the blatant rugged style of play or Gabe Norwood's string of polarizing performances. The team won so much because guys were making shots. This season, the team still finds themselves in the middle of the hunt (currently sitting pretty with a 5-3 mark that could've easily been 6-2) but missing arguably their most treasured asset.

The three-ball.

So far, this team is chucking up way too many shots from downtown and not converting. The usual suspect, Chan, is coming off an injury from his shooting hand so he has a valid excuse. The same cannot be said however for sweet-shooting bigs Beau Belga and JayR Quinahan who appear to be holding back on their gunslinging ways and opting to play closer to the basket (where they're not as effective on offence despite their hulking frames).

It's the little things for Alaska

Plenty of heroes on the Aces' roster
(photo courtesy of Yahoo.com.Ph)

Had you told us last season that the Alaska Aces, freshly divorced from long-time head coach Tim Cone, would turn it around, contend and even take the top spot in a single conference all in a year's time, we'd just dismiss you as a true blue (or red) fanatic who doesn't have a concrete grasp of the game of basketball.

Fortunately for us, no one predicted what was about to come to the Gatas Republik and their followers and no, it wasn't only about PBA Rookie of the Year shoo-in Calvin Abueva or prized offseason recruits JVee Casio and Dondon Hontiveros. The Aces are winning because they play together. They rally around one another and do all the little things necessary to ensure a victory.

Petron proves there's life after Balkman

Sonny Thoss can kiss his default
"Best Center in the Philippines" title goodbye

In their first outing after the whole Renaldo Balkman episode that has reached global proportions, the Petron Blaze Boosters finally looked like the team that they were supposed to be considering their elite local starpower.

Playing in front of a sold out Panabo City crowd (controversy, as the years will tell you, creates monetary opportunities for all), the Boosters were able to take solo 2nd in the ongoing PBA Commissioner's Cup by beating the Rain or Shine Elastopainters, 87-79. At the forefront of the victory were rookie Junemar Fajardo who finished with a stellar 20 points and 13 rebounds output and sophomore Marcio Lassiter who chipped in 14 points (12 in the deciding 4th quarter to finally breakaway from the E-Painters).

ABL Beermen is Banchero's Team

James Yap and Chris Tiu
have nothing on this cat

Make no mistake about it, the San Miguel Beermen currently plying its trade in the ASEAN Basketball League is now clearly Chris Banchero's team. Despite having PBA veterans Asi Taulava, Eric Menk and reigning ABL Most Valuable Player Leo Avenido in the fold, it's Banchero's playmaking (and newfound scoring) that's proving to be invaluable to the team.

At the moment, Banchero's comming off a stellar performance in yesterday's dumping of the Singapore JobStreet.com Slingers 73-53. Banchero led the Beermen with 16 points and some heady playmaking. We also saw the Fiipino-Italian looker playing a bit of shooting guard with new recruit, pint-sized point guard Jeric Fortuna now in the Beermen's fold. We're not big fans of Banchero's scoring prowess, but he does have some nifty go-to-moves and has the bodytype for it.

Adidas unveils DRose 3.5 "Chi Town"

Dubbed “Chi-Town,” the colorway represents the iconic Flag of Chicago with amplified versions of its traditional colors. 

“I’ve been all over the world but Chicago will always be my home,” said Rose. “Everybody in this city is so proud to be from here, man. That’s why I love this color of my shoe that me and my fans can wear to represent the city.”

The teal, synthetic leather upper features a rugged pattern to represent the hard working city. The glitter finish represents the trophies and accolades Derrick earned during his high school career in Chicago which includes two Illinois Class AA State Championships, McDonald’s All-American honors and Illinois Mr. Basketball.

The D Rose 3.5 “Chi-Town” drops March 14 in the Philippines for 7995 PHP, and is available at adidas and other sports retailers nationwide.

Follow the www.facebook.com/adidasPhilippines for the next exclusive colorway debut. 

Back to winning for TNT

Guess who's back... back again

The sound you're probably hearing these days is the league-wide chill crawling up the spine of every other team in the on-going PBA Commissioner's Cup and here's why:

After a so-so start with initial reinforcement Keith Benson, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters appear to have found their groove now that "old reliable" Donnel Harvey is back in town. Don't take us wrong here, the 6"11 Benson had an impressive five game performance averaging close to 24 points and 16 rebounds a night-- but the Texters didn't really seem to have the same on-court chemistry and cohesion with him on board.

Team Bully loses 4th straight

Uhm, Danny, me nakalimutan ka ata
 (Photo courtesy of Inquirer.Net)

After a mighty 3-1 romp to kickstart the PBA Commissioner's Cup, the Barako Bull Energy find themselves losing four in a row to drop near the bottom of the standings. This, despite having arguably one of the most brilliant basketball minds on the planet serving as team consultant (can't argue with his FIBA championship now) and a collection of players who are arguably near the All Star level.

While we will not question the "Rajko system" run by Coach Bong Ramos, we find that this team fell victim to their early hot start. That complacency started to creep in as well as over-confidence. When they were winning, they played great defense and moved the basketball to find the open man. In their losses, it was almost always Josh Urbiztondo or a Mark Macapagal and even a come-backing JC Intal who appears to be trying to win games all by their lonesome.

Chito Salud, my new basketball hero

Saludo kami sayo Kume!

While Renaldo Balkman, Arwind Santos and the San Miguel Corporation continue to grab headlines with what has transpired the last few days, we should all take a step back, step out of our alliances and weigh things with a clearer state of mind.

We cannot help but continue to be impressed and in awe of PBA Commissioner Chito Salud; with the decision he made and the stiff penalties that he meted out just yesterday. We all knew that there would be hell to pay, even Balkman was aware of it, and when it was finally handed down there was just no escaping it. Some fans cheered while others jeered. The decision to fine Balkman and ban him "for life" was definitely far from being popular. But it was needed. We're not saying that it was the honest to goodness, "right" thing to do, but it was JUST.

GlobalPort losing steam

I have an idea, let's do away
with the only guy who plays defense
and get a scoring import - JB

For what it's worth, the GlobalPort Batang Pier had to do something to address their current slide. Despite having the most electrifying starting unit in the whole PBA, the scoring bunches, flashy dunks and killer crossovers weren't translating into thus the recent exodus of defensive-minded import Justin Williams.

Williams was reportedly pulled out by his local handlers after hearing how GlobalPort head coach Junel Baculi was not too pleased with the 6"10 Chicago native's offensive output. We would like to remind everyone though who shares Baculi's view that William has and was always a defensive stopper-- and arguably the most logical choice to backstop a team that already features scorers Gary David, Sol Mercado, Willie Miller and even Japeth Aguilar. We're not too sure that those guys would be too happy  (or effective) had they been given a ball-hogging scorer down on the block or even an import such as Air21's Michael Dunigan who is just a beast and arguably the best among all the imports we've seen thus far.

Room for Tiu

Mabait, pero mabagsik

We would like to think that we've successfully come to peace with our testosterone-driven insecurities in relation to the Rain or Shine Elastopainters' prized pitchman/ rookie Chris Tiu. After all, he is playing for our favorite team, under the tutelage of our favorite coach, and devoid of any diva mentality rampant among most of this era's TV-basketball stars.

So allow us to once again write about Tiu, his recent heroics and how he continues to open our hearts and minds to the fact that underneath the good looks, ever-flowing charm and unwavering charisma that wins over even the most rabid of James Yap and even die-hard Ginebra fans lies a ruthless competitor who puts his team before himself all for the sake of the coveted "W."

Tiu has been playing a lot of combo guard for the Elastopainters under head coach Yeng Guiao, earning 17 minutes a night and averaging 5 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists which are paltry at best but it's the little things he does on the court that has proven to be invaluable. Also, Tiu did have those two games first versus Yap and the rest of San Mig Coffee wherein he tallied a superstar-like 15 points and 8 assists and then just yesterday afternoon when Tiu put his "clutch" cap on and drained threes and make plays enough to help his team win in a hotly contested battle versus GlobalPort.

Why can't we be friends

"Una siya naging akin!"
(Photo courtesy of Spin.Ph)

And just when we thought that at least for a conference, we've seen the end (or stoppage) of the dreaded (slightly over-rated) Petronovela starring the Petron Blaze Boosters, we are treated to a meltdown of epic proportions that have even PBA legends barking and back on some Internet headline.

We're talking about what transpired between the Boosters' team captain Arwind Santos and import Renaldo Balkman in the dying seconds of a loss to the Alaska Aces. In case you have yet to see it, the Aces were up by seven with under a minute to go with no signs of a miracle comeback courtesy of the Boosters. Balkman proceeded to give up a duty foul on Aces counterpart Rob Dozier, then went storming off to the nearest zebra (re: referee) he could find and unload on.

And boy oh boy did he ever.

Kerby Watch

Ibalik ang bangis ni The Kid

What a huge turnaround it has been for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel's Kerby Raymundo, going from being the most consistent, half-court star over-shadowed by an over-rated teammate over at his old team, to being injured, before finally being dealt to his current stop where he continues to look for a role and minutes in a team designed to run.

The Orion, Bataan native was supposed to be dealt before the PBA Commissioner's Cup and reunited with his old coach Ryan Gregorio over at the Meralco Bolts camp but that deal never materialized. Instead, Raymundo languished with Ginebra as he was clearly the odd man out in a team that preached run-and-gun. See, Raymundo is not a traditional big man who hauls down rebounds to ignite the fastbreak. His true value comes when the games are tight, the shooters are misfiring and everything slows down. Back-to-the-basket moves, mid range jumpers and a soft finisher at the rim: that's what Raymundo brings to the table.

Sophomore Jinx for Angas ng Tondo?

Hanggang dito na lang ba si Lee
o kaya nya abutin si Mark Caguioa?

Reigning PBA Rookie of the Year Paul Lee of the Rain or Shine Elastopainters was supposed to make the leap from good to great this year.

This was the year that he was supposed to take full control of the Elastopainters, the way a blonde-haired, ankle-breaking, young Mark Caguioa took over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel years back regardless of playing with established names such as Vergel Meneses and Jun Limpot.

It was his year, it was his time, it was his team.

All eyes on the Fireball

The Fireball's running away
with the ball in Rajko's system

Let's get one thing straight: contrary to popular belief, we are actually closet supporters of Barako Bull Energy's Josh "The Fireball" Urbiztondo.

We've written entries about him not being the prototypical point guard, and that he is pretty much the Fil-Am version of shoot-first, pass-later local floor generals Celino Cruz and Rudy Lingganay. But underneath all that, we have no gripes against him having been a former Santa Lucia Realtor (and we always show love to our departed Realtors franchise personnel no matter where they are or go).

Okay, back to Urbiztondo and how he has emerged under the dreaded "Rajko System" of former national team head coach and now Energy team consultant Rajko Toroman. At the moment, Urbiztondo is averaging a league 3rd-best 17+ points (behind premier scorers Mark Caguioa of Ginebra and Gary David of Global Port), 7th best 4.4 assists and 2nd-best 1.8 steals. A chink on his armour of course, that pretty much cancels out his assist averages are his turnovers which is a league-worst 4.2.

Monster-Bowles Returns

Monster Bowles and The Captain
having a moment

After a forgetful return/debut, San Mig Coffee Mixers import Denzel Bowles has powered the team to two consecutive victories including last night's impressive (yet foul-ridden) man-handling of the Global Port Batang Pier in an out-of-town sortie.

Though his rebounding numbers haven't rounded up to the 2012 version of himself, Bowles' is finding ways to contribute by mixing up his now more consistent mid-range game with his face-up moves to the basket. Batang Pier counterpart Justin Williams, who is reportedly on his way out thanks to a string of low scoring performances (hey, he's not the focal point of the offence, he's playing MAD defines, so what's your beef Coach Junel Baculi), was being tested to the hilt in more ways than one. To Williams' credit, he was putting in the work on the defensive end and blocking shots left and right.

Rookie watch: The Beast vs Cliff Hodge

You reach, I teach

We'll be the first to admit it.

While we always thought that the Alaska Aces' Calvin Abueva is the better player overall, we sided with the Meralco Bolts' Clifford Hodge and the latter having the better conference given his size. In case you're living under a rock, the current PBA Commissioner's Cup features a barrage of 6"9 and up imports that could only make life for the 6"1 (no way he's 6"3, have you seen him standing next to teammate Cyrus Baguio?) Abueva a living hell. Hodge, who stands at a legit 6"5, should be excelling this conference and playing at his regular power forward spot with ease.

Right?

Wrong.

#NoBenta

Off night or on purpose?

Last night’s 93-72 drubbing of the Barako Bull Energy squad by then winless Barangay Ginebra San Miguel left a sour taste in the mouths of most non-Ginebra fans.

If you’ve been paying close attention to how the Energy has been playing this conference, there are only two explanations for yesterday’s semi-alarming debacle. The team looked listless and lethargic, the defense was mostly man-to-man with little to no resistance to drives into the lane and the offense couldn’t have been anywhere near a Rajko Toroman-coached, urm, consulted squad.

Live by the three, die by the three

Mandani's D makes him better suited
to play alongside David, Mercado

For a minute there, the Global Port Batang Pier appeared to be poised to run roughshod over the competition this PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Ace player Gary David is back to his deadly, gun-slinging ways from deep, rookie AJ Mandani continues to impress and prove to be the steal of this year's PBA draft and new recruits Japeth Aguilar and Sol Mercado are fitting in seamlessly with the latter further solidifying his claim to Most Improved Player of the Year (if they win a title or two this year, Mercado's our vote to cop the Most VALUABLE Player title- real talk). Then there's solid import Justin Williams who has a tremendous work ethic let alone a mean defensive streak dow low (averaging 5 blocks a game) plus grizzled coach Junel Baculi throwing in some of that Pinoy old school macho swag we love and tip our hats to-- yep, the Batang Pier are as solid as they come.

So why the 2-3 start?

Alaska off to immaculate start

RJ Jazul
(photo courtesy of PhilStar.Com)

It's funny how it was only a season ago when the Alaska Aces were cast as one of the proverbial "cellar dwellers" no thanks to their divorce with long time head coach Tim Cone. The players were listless and lethargic (hi Cyrus Baguio), the coach changed from Cone heir Joel Banal in the Philippine and Commissioner's Cup before settling with the then unimpressive Luigi Trillo in the Governor's Cup which was then followed by the exodus of team leader L.A. Tenorio who was coming off a brilliant stint with the SMART Gilas Pilipinas men's basketball team.

Well, what a difference some offseason trades and the PBA Draft does. While Tenorio's floor leadership and court savvy will be missed, the guy he was indirectly traded for- JVee Casio is no patsy. Clutch-wise, Casio is everything Tenorio is (and may be even more) and while the former King Archer is nowhere near half the ball handler his predecessor is, he makes up for it with crisp and timely passes while keeping the turnovers at a minimum.

adidas DRose 3.5 Triple Blue

adidas and Derrick Rose recently revealed the new D Rose 3.5 Triple Blue colorway. The latest design is inspired by Derrick’s intense, focused playing style on the court. 

 

The multi-toned light blue frost pattern on the upper and toe box conveys the coldness of Derrick’s attitude for the competition. The SPRINTFRAME is pearlized and outsole is iced to stand out on the court. The inside tongue patch and sockliner feature the D Rose logo and detailed frost patterns.

The new D Rose 3.5 is now available in the Philippines for PHP 7995 at adidas and other sports stores nationwide.

Follow the adidas Philippines on Facebook (www.facebook.com/adidasPhilippines) for the next exclusive colorway debut. 

Hustlin' Harder

Everyday he's hustlin'
(photo courtesy of Inquirer.Net)

There’s more to the Petron Blaze Boosters’ impressive 3-1 start this PBA Commissioner’s Cup than just their heavily tatted (his “Hustle Harder” eyelids included), NBA caliber (and Team Sheryl Reyes) import Renaldo Balkman.

Granted, Balkman is lording it over with team-leading averages of 27.75 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.75 steals and 3.75 blocks a night, but there’s a huge difference in the team’s overall approach to the game. No, head coach Olsen Racela didn’t earn a high level degree in coaching overnight, they are simply back to playing basic, helter-skelter basketball.

Ginebra in transition

For a team that held so much promise and potential going into the season, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and their millions (and millions- S/O Rock) find themselves struggling after two games with a clear lack of cohesion and chemistry on the floor.

It's easy to put the blame on their import Herbert Hill who looks to be winded everytime the 2nd half comes in, but you have to spread the fault to guards L.A. Tenorio, Jayjay Helterbrand and their barrage of wings from Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael and veteran Rudy Hatfield. Reigning PBA Most Valuable Player Mark Caguioa is putting up the numbers, but after that, there's no one carrying the fight for the hapless Barangay.

Good but not great

So Japeth Aguilar is back in Philippine shores after all the unnecessary and unwarranted off-court drama. In three games so far with the Global Port Batang Pier, the 6"9 athlete is averaging an eye-popping 15 points and 9 rebounds a game to go with 2 blocks in 36 minutes played.

This, despite playing in an import-laden conference featuring some of the world's biggest (literally) athletes who share the same position let alone having a dominant one sharing frontline duties in Justin Williams (who is clearly the barometer for all bruiser-type imports today).

After such a sterling performance, and a Gilas Pilipinas 17-man pool spot, you could very well ask the question "where the haters at?"

Still here folks, still here.

On the prowl

Still COOL like that

When Mike Cortez first took the country by storm as a high-socks wearing, crossover wielding 6"0 point guard for the mighty De La Salle University Green Archers in the UAAP, expectations of him being the next "great Filipino point guard" became rampant.

Near triple doubles were the norm, as Cortez would make the game look easy for himself and his teammates on a daily (nay, yearly) basis. He would slice into the lane when the opportunity is presented him (finishing with his trademark "jump straight up, ball palmed on his overly extended right arm *hand*, wait for the contact before laying it in" move) or would simply look for his scorers Ren Ren Ritualo and MacMac Cardona on the wings for the easy deuce.

Coach Chot Names Gilas 17

REPRESENT JD and Gabe!

Brace yourselves Gilas Pilipinas fans, head coach Chot Reyes has come out with a 17-man pool for the coming FIBA Asia 2013 World Qualifiers. At first look, we’re loving how the core of the 2012 Jones Cup team was brought back together with a bunch of Coach Chot’s system Talk ‘n’ Text players.

This allows continuity and fluidity of Gilas’ preferred “Dribble Drive Motion Offense” as most of the perimeter players already know the nooks and crannies of it. Tenorio did a masterful job the last time out, able to pick his spots outside and get to just about anywhere he pleases inside.

The Anti-Gilas

If you can't join them, beat them.

Now that the Philippine Basketball Association, as a whole, is on board the Gilas Pilipinas men's basketball program and its attempt to crash the medal round of the FIBA Asia 2013 World Qualifiers, hopes are indeed very high. After all, not only is the tournament going to be held in Manila, but because of the surplus of talent that has suddenly been made available to Gilas head coach Chot Reyes et. al.

In helping prepare Gilas Pilipinas for the coming tournament, the PBA will be shelving its annual All Star Game in lieu of a tune-up match pitting the "chosen ones" and players who didn't make the final cut (re: the "other" best players of the league). This is not a jab at the guys who were not chosen for one reason or another. This is a challenge, for them to not treat this as a "friendly" and just go hard. If they can spill blood, then go do so. To send the best, we need everyone on board to give their best.

Here's our list of the Anti-Gilas:

PG
Sol Mercado/ Paul Lee/ Alex Cabagnot
Since Mercado, who was doing work in the 2012 Jones Cup as a power guard spark plug, is ineligible under the new FIBA rules, it's only fitting that he gets first dibs on taking on fellow power guards and Gilas shoo-ins Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes. Based on the last few months, Mercado is going to attack the rim and should give our prized point guards a run for their money. Lee comes in to spell Mercado to score and orchestrate. Cabagnot, when his head is screwed on straight, is a legit playmaker who is a wizard on offense.

Rise of the Collegiate Imports

College imports for hire

We're going to be blatantly honest here: we are not fans of having foreigners, plucked from whichever continent with little to no ties in the Philippines, play for amateur teams.

It just doesn't make any sense for the sport or the institution that they are associated with other than to simply boost the latter's chances of winning a certain tournament/s and holding on to annual bragging rights over their peers. Moreso, it doesn't help Philippine basketball per se since these young players who are being taken advantage of (and vice versa) aren't here to really "play for flag and country" but to simply make the most of their God-given gifts, make a little money before moving on to greener pastures.

We dream of Gilas Pilipinas

Best two-way player in the PBA
the last 3 years needs to be
on Gilas Pilipinas

A few days ago PBA Commissioner Chito Salud made it clear that the league is throwing its all-out support to the men's basketball program. With that, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes pretty much has a free hand on building the best team possible in time for the FIBA Asia tournament to be held in Manila this August.

The obvious concession in exchange of getting the right players is of course the "dropping" of the SMART sponsorship from the team name (which shouldn't even be an issue since they are the ones who are bankrolling the damn thing just like San Miguel does for Spain and Visa does for Argentina). Now that that issue has been addressed, we should all focus on the task at hand.

Barako Bull on the rise

Allein Maliksi gets another shot
at superstardom

The team that gets the most number of players is usually the winner of any or all professional transactions no matter the starpower involved. You could always argue in favor of whichever team gets to bring home the former league MVP or All Star, but at day's end, four solid rotation players is still better than a star who has hit the proverbial "glass ceiling" and an under-rated, under-sized four man.

Gone are Ronald Tubid, Leo Najorda and Lester Alvarez from the Barako Bull Energy's roster and in their place are former PBA Finals MVP Jonas Villanueva, UAAP Finals MVP Jojo Duncil, college star JC Intal and PBA D-League MVP Allein Maliksi. As you can see, the letters "MVP" are spread evenly among those young thoroughbreds and that they are all young, athletic, have legit basketball skills (except maybe for Intal who has yet to find a niche in the league thus the inconsistency). Villanueva can orchestrate and, given the minutes, belongs atop the PBA's best floor generals. Duncil is a clutch jumpshooter who has the size and speed to play the two spot. Intal is crazy athletic and can get streaky from time to time. Then there's the other guy, Maliksi-- who is making a "homecoming" of sorts to the team that drafted him last season, who can pretty much hold his own against the league's premier scorers from Gary David to Mark Caguioa.

San Mig Coffee bets the house on Mallari

More "you reach, I teach" sessions for Mallari
now that he's with James Yap

What a difference back-to-back ass-whoopings makes in the PBA huh?

In a surprising turn of events, the San Mig Coffee Mixers decided to part ways with underutilized yet very promising former PBA Finals MVP Jonas Villanueva, JC Intal and Aldrech Ramos to bring in Petron's rookie Alex Mallari, Barako Bull veteran and under-sized power forward Leo Najorda and another rookie pint-sized point guard Lester Alvarez.

See, we tried to defend this move by saying that the Mixers did it in order to stretch their rotation and become "deeper." Then we took a look at the names on the roster, the ones that they're sending away and the ones who are coming in and it didn't take too long for us to realize that that rationale wasn't going to stick. There's Villanueva, a guy who was plagued by injuries under head coach Tim Cone but showed that he knew how to run the point position to a "T" when he's healthy. Intal may have not blossomed into the elite perimeter defender/ Scottie Pippen to James Yap's Michael Jordan project that we all hoped for but the guy has tremendous hops and can move on the hard court. Then there's rookie Aldrech Ramos, a 6"7 guy who plays defense and has a nice soft touch from the perimeter.