Make a stand

Standhardinger: Out of place
(Photo: Inquirer Sports)

The San Miguel Beermen are off to another mediocre start to the 2nd conference of yet another PBA season following a championship run.

Tell us if you've heard this story before: the Beermen put up a world-class, titan-like basketball display in the Philippine Cup versus worthy adversaries, only to look like mere mortals as their superstar core of multi-time MVP Junemar Fajardo, Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos, Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter are either saddled by injuries or play below par owing to fatigue.

But isn't this why they got Christian Standhardinger and this season, the flamboyant Terrence Romeo? Management did a heck of a job in fortifying their 2nd unit, throw in the help of a solid import in Charles Rhodes, the improved play of Matt Roster and Von Pessumal and the bruising Kelly Nabong, and you pretty much have a unit that could start in the Playoffs for any other team.

On paper, that is.

So far, the biggest disappointment has to be Standhardinger-- he of mighty FIBA Asia credentials, a thoroughbred who was primed to become Fajardo's bosom buddy in the post the way Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino flourished together with the Santa Lucia Realtors a decade or so ago.

The Filipino-German has found it hard to get solid minutes under Coach Leo Austria, and when he does, he mostly plays a garbage man's role to Fajardo. There's playing the weak side, then there's being asked to simply get out of the way-- Standhardinger appears to be playing more to the latter. What's odd is, Standhardinger can't seem to post-up PBA competition the way he is able to awkwardly manoeuvre in the paint versus FIBA bigs to get scoring position.

If you were to ask us, we'd openly accept that the SMB core guys, who all play at least 31 mpg, sit the 2nd conference (or maybe have their minutes cut down to the mid 20s mark) and have the 2nd unit take over. That's Standhardinger, Romeo, Rosser, Pessumal and an import, Rhodes. You simply cannot convince us that that unit can't get the team to the Playoffs at least, with Fajardo, Ross and Lassiter chipping in from time to time.

It's just unfortunate how SMB fans, who have already grown accustomed to this 2nd conference dip shoot down the rest of their roster if only to save their core starters' reputation. As though the Beermen's 2nd unit were composed of guys who'd be best of playing in minor leagues.

The only probable and logical reason we can come up with, why this has been tolerated for so long, is that Coach Leo and or management is mindful of their core starters' numbers, minutes and salary. They get paid a lot, so best to really get their money's worth, right?

We're not asking Standhardinger to suddenly average 20-10 in lieu of Fajardo, simply, for him (and the rest of the guys) to not look so lost out there on offense and not hesitate to maybe take a few shots here and there.

Your thoughts?

Out of control

A moment of peace
(Photo: PhilStar.com)

We failed Calvin Abueva.

The Phoenix Fuel Masters, the Alaska Aces, his teammates past and present, his coaches, his inner circle, and most specially, his fans.

The clothesline on Terrence Jones, the disgusting display with a female fan who turned out to be an opposing player's partner, the on court antics and bravado that is starting to spill out off the court based on rumours and his semi-private life which became a bit of a circus late last year-- which we never really cared much for (if you've been reading our blog and Twitter long enough, you'd know that we never really bothered about who's sleeping with who).

We have empowered Calvin Abueva to the point wherein he thinks that his antics are acceptable. There's physical Filipino basketball, and then there's the ugly, brash, bully-ball reserved for the streets where if the player can't beat you in the game, he'd simply just go out there and try to hurt you. Basketball hooligans. Fake thuggery. He sure as hell wasn't doing a lot of bully-ball when they faced San Miguel last conference and the champions had enough of him and simply put Kelly Nabong in the game.

Abueva the person needs help, mentally.

He is a great basketball talent, he is athletic, he hustles, he scraps, he is a game-changer.

But year after year, we see him getting out of control. Coach Louie Alas and Coach Topex Robinson appear to have him on a very long leash. Coach Alex Compton had him on one too, save for Alaska's classy owner Mr. Wilfred Uytengsu who finally (probably) put his foot down and prioritised integrity over winning dirty.

He says that he reacted to the female fan who was hurling insults at him. How? By performing lewd acts for the public to see? Is this what a grown man, a father, would like for kids, his own, to see and emulate?

Fans should also be held accountable of course and display proper decorum, but the league should know better and hold seminars for their players to NOT react or at least have self-control. Abueva needs counselling. Anger management issues. We're not even entirely sure if he has anger issues, it's just the way he's wired it seems.

You can be tough on the court, but you can also be a gentleman off it.

The hit on Jones was warranted. He got hit on the nuts. But only after he stood over Jones who he knocked down in the first place. A hit for a hit.

But instead of going after Jones, he disguises his revenge in a cowardly basketball play. He yells at the referees to watch him. Then he goes on and chases the guy on a loose ball and blindsides him with a clothesline from behind.

From behind. He hit Jones. Jones hits back. He waits and sneaks in a clothesline from the back because you know, he got what was coming to him and now he needs his payback, macho man style.

The indefinite suspension is warranted. Ban him for a year, maybe even longer. Let him think it over. Let him heal. Maybe find peace first. The PBA needs to be strong and set an example, no matter how talented the player is.

Your thoughts on Abueva and his indefinite suspension?

Genesis

Here we go
(Photo: ABS CBN News)

In 2015, Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. had a choice to make: prepare for the PBA Draft, which has been nothing short of a birth right given his rich pedigree and building accomplishments, or try for the NBA Draft and see how far his basketball skills were to take him.

He chose the latter, though he went undrafted and hardly made an impact in the Development Leagues. It took him four years of playing for Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (where he is the reigning back-to-back-to-back ABL Local MVP) and some for Gilas Pilipinas, before he finally opted to apply for the PBA Draft wherein he was selected 2nd overall- something that probably had more to do with off-court politics than actual basketball skill.

Because let's all be honest about it, Parks, Jr. is the most polished basketball player we have ever seen since Willie Miller and Zandro Limpot, Jr.

Name a basketball move, be it for a guard or big, and Parks, Jr. probably has it nailed all the way down to the fundamentals.



We've been hard on Parks, Jr. on our old blog and on Twitter (where he blocked us following that disappointing NU-UST series), but it was never about because he was making incorrect plays on the court. It was more like, we expected more. Because of the skillset. Because of the proven track record.

The knock on Parks, Jr. is that he doesn't play with fire. With intensity. We see flashes, but in a full 48-minute game, you see him going through the motions. But with so much ease that you'd be wanting for more. The shots are effortless. Getting into scoring position for him is easy-picking. The only time we've ever seen him being locked up, is that NU-UST playoffs wherein Kevin Ferrer was blatantly holding on to his wrists Tyron Lue-Allen Iverson style (that the refs were not calling, and from what we can remember he injured that same wrist, which ultimately led to a subpar game for his standards).

Our knock on Parks, Jr., going into the NBA Draft, is that he didn't have any advantage going in. Versus Filipino competition-- slower, smaller, he was an A+, versus guys who were about the same size but more explosive than he was, well, there's a reason why he couldn't crack a starting spot in the D-League. He was a tweener. He has the smarts to run point, but not the range, speed or strength. He's not a natural explosive scorer, not a catch-and-shoot guy, so you couldn't put him at the 2. He plays more like a natural 3, and vs international competition where 3 guys are anywhere from 6"6 to 6"9, he's just a bit too short/ not as strong.

We said that he needed to zero in on a skill, and hard. Scoring? Passing? Running? Something. To an elite level. Just enough to get noticed.

But on the Asian front-- let's not lie to ourselves. In South East Asia? Parks, Jr. is better than 90% of the field. You have seen some of the best Asian-Americans/ Foreigners and how they were tasked to match up with Parks, Jr. and the Filipino made them all look like fools on the court.

Now with the Blackwater Elite, we are starting to see an even more polished game from Parks, Jr. Though a rookie, he is arguably the most battle-tested among his peers. The way he handles himself in games, the way he plays and 'controls' the match-- had he been playing since the Philippine Cup he'd probably be a lock for the Rookie of the Year award as early as July already. The way he is able to make Allein Maliksi and Roi Sumang, both one-trick pony scorers, look even better on the court, and how he is able to revive the play of Mac Belo-- Parks, Jr. is an elite player for sure.

Sitting here after years of frustration over our love-hate relationship with Parks, Jr.'s basketball odyssey, we could definitely say this: "Parks, Jr. is the real deal, and he is worth the wait."

Don't call it a comeback.

Because we never left.

The 2018 PBA Draft [RXN]

CJ Perez to Columbian
(Image courtesy of ABS CBN Sports)

Our Mock Draft came up a bit short (read: this writer forgot to post it!) so without further adieu, here's our reaction piece on yesterday's PBA Draft:

1. Columbian – CJ Perez, PG, 6”1 
What we love about Perez’ game is that he was not satisfied by being tagged as the “Baby Beast”—a tribute given his game’s (and background’s) similarity to Phoenix’s Calvin Abueva. No, he went from being that energy guy who can do it all a.k.a. ‘rebound ko, baba ko’ and transformed himself to 1) a slasher and scorer with a legitimate perimeter jumpshot and 2) a point guard who can make great reads and passes that are not a byproduct of the offense (like a dribble drive that makes lead combo guards look monstrous when in all, they’re simply kicking out the ball to guys who are locked into certain areas on the floor and not moving at all). While he may not be the best talent available in this year’s Draft, not a lot of fans would argue against his selection. Columbian would be complete and utter fools if they do not hand him the keys outright.

2. Blackwater – Bobby Ray Parks, Jr., SF, 6”3 
The best available talent in this year’s draft. He has the size. He has the handles. He has the range. He has the experience. Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. was born to be in the PBA. At 25, he’s already reaching his prime as a basketball player. Parks, Jr. has been so good, that the only flaw we could really point out is how sometimes, we feel like he could do more- when in reality, the numbers that he puts up on a daily basis wherever he plays, are good enough to win league MVP today. Sure, we want him to be more aggressive. Sure, we wish he’d put in more time in the gym and lose some baby fat. But make no mistake about it, you’d be very hard-pressed to find guys who are better than Parks, Jr. at the 2-3 spots in the PBA. We also appreciate how he’s played off the ball for Alab Pilipinas under Jimmy Alapag, if only to teach him other ways to be effective (he played off it for the most part last year but still won ABL Local MVP). Unfortunately, we’d have to wait until the 2nd/ 3rd conference to see his true worth.

3. NorthPort – Robert Bolick, SG, 6”1 
Bolick, if are to believe the NorthPort camp, is a Terrence Romeo replacement minus the long hair, flash and excessive ball-handling. He can definitely log in some minutes at the point, though his handles may not be as good versus a Chris Ross or Jayson Castro. What you like about Bolick is that he’s ready to score and willing to do anything to win, he can play off the ball while still being effective—which is what NorthPort really needs since we expect star guard Stanley Pringle to dominate the offense. A bit of an overlap with Jonathan Gray in terms of what they bring to the table, and maybe a concern defensively should the pair play alongside Pringle.

No Drama

Jordan Clarkson, Pilipinas # 6
(Photo courtesy of Rappler.com)

Save for the pre-Asian Games run wherein it really felt like boardroom nerds just had to get themselves in the limelight somehow, this current edition and run of the Philippines' men's basketball team is exactly how we want our team: no frills, no TV specials (until after the job is done) and definitely no other name or brand but PILIPINAS shining through.

A no frills coach who surprisingly has been off-television character, saying all the right things and keeping most of his thoughts to himself. A team that has been forged by fire, reinforced by players with no hidden agendas (like a wishful thinking of maybe there are NBA scouts watching and that this could be their shot at the big time). And the whole PBA, suddenly in unison after their dirty laundry was brought out in the open (by design or not), united for a cause.

So please forgive us, SMART, Chooks-to-go, and whichever brand wants to be plastered on the jerseys.