Un-Rated X: The 10 most underrated players in the PBA

One of our friends asked me to come up with a team made of the PBA’s most underrated names so that he could “gauge” just how knowledgeable or credible I am when it comes to these things. And while I argued that I’m just your friendly neighborhood average blogger slash Pinoy basketball fan, there was something in there that I found challenge-worthy.

Again, I write not to be” read first,” but to simply “express my thoughts” on the game that I love. If I come off a little too arrogant or brash with my usage of the vernacular, then so be it. I’m not being paid and I come with no strings or baggage from any of the guys that I write about so that pretty much works to my advantage over other basketbloggers who are on someone’s payroll.

That’s not a knock on them, but it’s just how I have always separated myself from the pack in everything that I do for fun. I do it because I love it, not because I want to make a profit. Fortunately, I have other avenues for that.

That’s enough drama then. Let’s move on to my list of under-rated players who may or may not be valued by their respective teams and fanbase.

PG

Rudy Lingganay

Just how solid is Lingganay? If only he weren’t so diminutive in PBA standards, he’d be in the running as one of the better guards in the league. He can play defense, knows how to run a team and has a decent shot that makes him a solid floor general. Oh, he’s damn ballsy too.

Celino Cruz

See Lingganay, only older and with a streaky three point shot that sometimes earns him more minutes, and others, gets him sent back to the bench.

SG

Jeffrei Chan

Chan may not have today’s PBA guard (Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Paul Lee, Ryan Reyes—all of whom are quite stocky) bodytype but he is arguably one of the league’s better all around players. Not a star, but someone any coach would absolutely love to have in his rotation. Defend? Yep. Score? Yep. Be a reliable kick-out option? Yep. Run the break? Yep. Block Gary David’s game winning three point attempt from out of nowhere? True that.

Jireh Ybanez

Ybanez is the defensive player Ronald Tubid once was, minus all the flimsy theatrics that have won the Ginebra faithful over but has disgusted just about every other basketball fan out there. He’ll never be considered a star in the PBA, but don’t be surprised if he carves a Freddie Abuda-like career when it’s all said and done.

SF

Bitoy Omolon

It took time for Omolon to develop into the small forward his then coaches at Santa Lucia Norman Black and Alfrancis Chua wanted him to be. But once he started learning the inside post trade from one of the greats in then teammate Dennis Espino, there was absolutely no one in the league who could keep him off his sweet spot (usually just a step or two away from the three seconds area) and from scoring. Too bad he’s now playing in Ryan Gregorio’s guard isolation-heavy system, and that his teammate Gabby Espinas has now moved down to SF ala all the other great wings in the PBA today.

Jarred Dillinger

Free the D! I feel for Dillinger, who’s only sitting on the bench because his coach, Talk ‘n’ Text Chot Reyes, often experiments with a small ball lie-up rather than a more traditional approach. In a fixed system, Dillinger would undoubtedly shine as a SF who can shoot, drive and handle the basketball. His poor defensive stance is something that he could/ should work on, but other than that, he could be starting for half of the teams in the league right now.

PF

John Ferriols

People forget that i fukking PWNED Adducul in the MBA

The one time MBA inaugural season MVP is arguably one of the more under-rated PBA power forwards of all time. Name one post move and I bet you that Ferriols has it down pat. In truth, he’s only a couple of pump/ head and shoulder fakes away from being a Dennis Espino clone. Perhaps it’s because he went to Alaska (who doesn’t really concentrate on post play which is funny given that they’re a triangle offense-run team), or spent his prime playing in the MBA. Or that he wasn’t as accessible to fans as MBA rival Rommel Adducul who not only enjoyed playing for Ginebra, but also dating sultry Assunta de Rossi at one point (and yes, that made me sound like Quinito Henson. Showbiz. Ugh.).

Jondan Salvador

Another under-rated forward who’s finally getting his fair share of the limelight with this year’s darkhorse “Barako Bulls” is Jondan Salvador. He’s pretty much everything you’d want from a traditional bruiser, only he comes in at a generous 6”2-3 which is short on the PBA level. He uses his body to the hilt, scores on a variety of post moves and is pretty much an “Incredible Hulk” in the post complete with a 15 ft jumpshot.

C

Beau Belga

When Belga first came into the league, everyone saw him as an overweight, undersized center who was predicted to have an even worse career as weight division buddy Ken Bono. What they forgot to take notice of was that Belga had legit game for a burly, post big. And while he’ll give his coaches fits by jacking up a three from time to time (not often, but he does—miss wide), this is the same guy who almost led PCU to a title over the Sam Ekwe-led San Beda Red Lions alongside Jayson Castro and Gabby Espinas.

Billy Mamaril

Honestly, I don’t know what happened to Mamaril’s career. When he was brought into the league by the now defunct Shell Turbochargers, that team looked as though they had a franchise center in place. But then he was traded, landed in Ginebra, and couldn’t get off the bench because the coaches opted to play 3 guards-2 forwards at all times. Then he was hit by some injuries and age, and that pretty much ruined everything for the talented big. I believe that had he stayed healthy and played on another squad, he’d give Sonny Thoss a run for his money.

That's pretty much my 10-man rotation of underrated players, who else do you feel are under-rated/ sleepers in the league who take a backseat to flashier/ tv-friendly faced teammates?  Next, the league's 10 most overrated players.

PBA's Top Gun: Gary David

Hi! Gary V./ Granada jokes aside, I will shoot your face off.

Slowly but surely, the world is starting to recognize the genius that is Powerade shooting guard Gary David's offensive game. No, he doesn't dazzle the crowd with Mark Caguioa-like swagger, teardrops and crossovers nor hits "pogi" shots or "grips the ball with one hand and sits on the air" ala media darling James Yap. He simply goes out there and shoots people's faces off with an almost expression-less approach and from time to time dusts off a reverse lay-up with enough "pektos" that would make Bata Reyes blush.

The ongoing Philippine Cup's leading scorer (22.5 ppg) has long been toiling in mid-superstardom no thanks to his "silent assassin" persona on the court. The most emotion I saw out of David was against the NBA superstars where he turned the ball over/ jokingly gave up but even then he didn't flash a big smile or anything that fans could bite into. That, plus he's been stuck playing for bad teams-- the best one being with the overachieving Air21 Express in 2007-08 where everyone knew their roles (David as the go-to-guy and Arwind Santos as the do-it-all soldier), after that team, I can't remember the last time David's team went deep into the playoffs of any conference.

This year, David finds himself surrounded by arguably the best set of players he's ever played with (even back to his PBL Montana or at his alma mater Lyceum of the Philippines). There's do-it-all rookie hustler Marcio Lassiter, a hundred and one 5"9 and below point guards (Rudy Lingganay, Jai Reyes, Jayvee Casio and Celino Cruz) and their beefy big man rotation of Doug Kramer, Rommel Adducul and Alex Crisano.

With that, the Tigers are off to a good start with a 2-1 card thanks to David's scoring exploits and his teammate's 100% support. And while this writer finds nothing wrong with David putting up so many shots (he's the best shooter on the line-up so why not? Casio? He's injured, a rookie and we don't even know if he can even outrun his PG teammates now or in the future), people are quick to point out his low assist numbers. Hell, even his coach Bo Perasol (who is being made to look like the genius that he isn't only because of the current line-up) called him out and asked that he get his teammates involved.

See, that's what's wrong with basketball genius wannabes today. They think that just because LeBron James makes it look so easy on the floor, that basketball players-- the stars, should learn to do everything at an elite level.

Good for them if they do, but don't take anything away from them if they don't.

Gary David is an old school scorer, we could even argue that he's more shooter since he doesn't need a lot of touches to put up his numbers. Is he the best SG in the league today? I say he's in the top 3 (with Caguioa and Paul Lee-- who's being turned into a combo guard in Rain or Shine coach's Yeng Guiao's wacky world of coaching) without a doubt. Between Caguioa and David, I'd pick the latter because he can play off the ball in catch and shoot situations while MC47 has always been more effective handling the ball from the get-go.

For his sake, David needs to win a title in the PBA SOON. He's been in the league since 2004 (David's now 33 years old) and I can't name any other PBA star who is still without a ring.

Fire Baculi/ Free Ababou and how TNT stopped Paul Lee

Give me my minutes!

After opting to sit SMART Gilas benchwarmer Dylan Ababou in Barako Bulls' first game of the 37th season, head coach Junel Baculi finally decided to let the former UAAP Most Valuable Player see the light of day against the heavily favored yet slowly retooling Barangay Ginebra Kings in a game that they surprisingly won.

Was this the "Return of Super Ababou" that most UST fans have been waiting years for? Did his debut benching light a fire under his ass to prove himself to local basketball fans and show that he's not on the same boat of fellow SMART Gilas alumni and Meralco pick Jason Ballesteros?

Who knows, but his 20 points, 8 of 13 showing, against Ginebra's JC Intal, Nino Canaleta, Ronald Tubid and Willy Wilson shows that he has enough wherewithal to play in the PBA. It shouldn't be a surprise really, because back when he had his UAAP MVP year, everyone was pretty much convinced that Ababou was ripe for the picking (daresay that his choice to play for SMART Gilas hurt his stock more than it helped). He had the speed, IQ and size to play small forward in the PBA as early as 2006. From then until 2011, just like you, I have no idea what the hell happened to his swagger.

Is this something that we should continue to expect from Ababou? Yes. I believe in Ababou being PBA ready, and while I'm convinced that he's an overall softie who only plays hard when peeved and not on a consistent basis, he's still a match-up nightmare for most SGs and SFs in the league.

If Baculi had half a brain, he'd do away with everyone's infatuation with the veterans Willie Miller, Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi and Dorian Pena (who are all either over the hill two games in or are just waiting for a trade to happen) and let the young ones play. A starting five of Paul Artadi, Allein Maliksi, Dylan Ababou, Leo Najorda and Jondan Salvador doesn't look half as bad as Shopinas' or even Powerade's (which stockpiled on PGs, forgot to secure polished post players and let go of Rob Reyes without a fight).

How will that team win? By running and hustling for the basketball. Something their more popular teammates not named Dorian Pena (last season anyway) forgot five years ago.

Ginebra fans shouldn't put much into this game since it's still early and they're missing a post presence (Eric Menk AND Rico Villanueva). If anything, it looks as though Mark Caguioa's healthy and ready to go yet again-- leading the Kings with 22 points and backstopped by Rob Labagala. Seriously though, this team needs someone to play in the post and stop relying on their guard agency.

Tabi ka muna idol, ako naman

In the first game, Talk 'n' Text managed to upend the upstart Rain or Shine squad behind superb performances by Ryan Reyes, Harvey Carey and Jayson Castro (whose knees are looking much stronger nowadays and is almost back to his near-MVP form last season).

How did they do it? Well, it's not like we didn't expect them to win over RoS who were simply riding the coattails of rookie Paul Lee. Yes, the Elastopainters had that all around, brilliant second game, but Lee was carrying much of the bulk and calling the shots for them. Once TNT snuffed out the other guys and allowed defensive ace Ryan Reyes to take care of Lee, the game was all but over.

To his credit, Lee still managed to put up 17 points but fizzled out in the second half thanks to TNT's defensive rotations. Beau Belga put up a fight as well but all the post moves in the world can't help a guy who's a bit on the chunky side beat an athletic workhorse like Harvey Carey.

Will this loss start a trend for RoS? I doubt it, since they're clearly the league's darkhorse with all the solid rotation players on the bench, Lee and the unpredictable Yeng Guiao at the helm.

What's striking here is that, Japeth "The Kraken" Aguilar only scored a measly 7 points despite being the tallest and most athletic guy on BOTH benches (he also has a couple of pounds over his closest competitor, Gabe Norwood who once again put up a pedestrian 12 points). He probably didn't want to get owned by Belga again, that's why he didn't force it as much. Sigh.

Cone 1 Alaska 0

Cone: I made neckties famous!

In what was billed as the "Battle of Triangles, loyalty and everything moral in the basketball world," the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados under new head coach Tim Cone won over his old team of 22 years, the Alaska Aces, 81-75.

What's funny is, people would quickly dismiss it as a game of "who preaches/ practices the better triangle?" and  would argue in favor of Cone since he was yesterday's victor.

Now I'm not an expert on the triangle offense and will leave that to the more educated/ informed, but of the two teams, it was Alaska who was running the triangle while B-Meg ran parts of it before going on to a more basic, "drive and kick" game.

Seriously now, you didn't expect Cone to ask his Llamados to run what little they understood of the Triangle against a team that he pretty much bred to eat, sleep and breathe the damn thing now do you? In my mind, that's how the Aces' broke away from the Llamados early-- with their offense spread out and the players being able to anticipate or read what Cone's boys wanted to do on the hardcourt.

The Aces would've been up by a larger margin than what the box score suggests had they moved the ball more often instead of dumping it into JayR Reyes (who, to his credit, was on fire early in the game and was muscling his way inside over B-Meg's famed "Sampayan Brigade"). That, plus James Yap decided to relive his Escalante High School days and flat out owned defensive ace Tony de la Cruz in the 2nd quarter.

Come 2nd half, Cone made his adjustments while his counterpart and former assistant Joel Banal opted to stick to his guns which sealed the game.

First, Cone went exclusively to Kerby Raymudo (who's still finding his rhythm on the floor after sitting out majority of last season) and Joe DeVance. This negated the Aces' size advantage since JDV has enough bulk to keep the Aces' Sonny Thoss and Reyes (who are not exactly dominant bigs in the mold of Eric Menk or Dennis Espino-- not yet anyway) at bay while forcing them to guard him from outside. While Raymundo, injuries and all, still has the best post-offense/defense IQ of his frontline teammates not named John Ferriols (who would give up considerable height to the Aces' twin towers).

Second, Josh "The Fireball" Urbiztondo was sent in instead of Roger Yap BUT was asked to play shooting guard while PJ Simon (who's slowly becoming B-Meg's Ace and has obviously won Cone's trust) handled the PG chores. While this could be considered as a gamble on Cone's part owing to Urbiztondo's one-dimensional play (streak shooter), it gave him more options on the floor. Simon has always had great handles, so him sliding over to PG wasn't that hard (considering that Tenorio is not a Class A defender at the point position). Plus, the Triangle has almost always done away with traditional PG in favor of just about anyone who can bring the ball down (Ron Harper with Bulls/ Lakers).

Finally, the Llamados veered away from the triangle and went with a spread out offensive set that blew the game wide open (thanks to threes from Simon and Urbiztondo). How wide open were the Llamados you ask? They ran the same play THRICE, loading up on the left side of the floor and duping the Aces, only to quickly reverse it to the right wing where Urbiztondo could have waved hi to the fans, blew kisses to Mang Tom before going up for a three.

Of course, there's still Kerby Raymundo' game-winning drive to the hoop that sealed it for the Llamados but even that was built from the same play. The Llamados loaded up on the left side, but since the Aces didn't want to risk getting burned from deep by Urbiztondo (who was stationed at the right wing yet again), they chose not to rotate and well, Raymundo found himself with a free pass to the hoop. A couple of missed shots by the Aces here and there, and that's it. Game over.

If you ask me, Banal failed to recognize what was going on in the final minutes and still stuck to whatever worked for him earlier while Cone threw out the Triangle playbook and coached the game as it unraveled before him.

That my friends, is what separated being good from being great.

Wherever the dominoes may fall

Back to the PBA (?)

In case you haven’t heard, rumors are rampant that a huge coaching change is in the works that would change the fate of three of the country’s better basketball franchises namely: the UAAP’s Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, the PBA’s  Talk ‘n’ Text Tropang Texters and the SMART Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team.

If this report bears any weight, then we’re looking at Ateneo’s Norman Black to make his long overdue PBA return before Christmas with Talk ‘n’ Text to replace “a title away from a grand slam/ basketball history” Chot Reyes. Reyes in turn will move over to call the shots for the SMART Gilas squad displacing Serbian Rajko Toroman who is credited as one of the pioneers in making Philippine basketball relevant in the Asian region once more.

From the outside looking in, you can’t really feel sorry for Ateneo because that team is bound to be coached by another high priced, high caliber guru (perhaps Olsen Racela who is already head of the Energen boy’s basketball team and an Ateneo alumna? Or one of Black’s longtime assistants?). Plus, they have a solid core featuring ace shooting guard Kiefer Ravena and perhaps another year of Greg Slaughter.

On the PBA front, Talk ‘n’ Text’s run and gun offense will change under Black who prefers traditional line-ups and set plays. This in turn would greatly benefit the other players who are lost in Chot Reyes’ “organized offensive chaos” where guards are forced to extend themselves and play out of position while sacrificing their bigs’ minutes. Also, a greater premium will be placed on the defensive end. The only problem I expect from this “grand slam” marriage is the relationship between Norman Black and Japeth Aguilar. How will Aguilar react to Black’s “old school” approach? Can Black succeed where others have failed and coerce Aguilar to grab more than 10 boards a game?

Then comes the hard part—Chot Reyes taking over SMART Gilas 2 and being tasked to lead a new and improved team to a better finish than its predecessor. First up, who knows who’ll play for Gilas 2 since the PBA has already given its word that it will create a 16-man pool for the next FIBA qualifiers? If that’s the case, then Reyes might be the right man for the job since he has practically coached most of today’s PBA All Stars at one point in their respective careers. But if he were to coach a new breed of players, then I don’t know just how good or effective he’ll be.

Give Chot a chance (?)

I recall how Reyes’ “coached” the likes of Arwind Santos in an international game. It was as simplistic and disorganized as an amateur could get. “Ikaw si Arwind Santos *expletive* pakita mo na ikaw si Arwind Santos *expletive*!” His team went on to being a loss or two from becoming the joke of all Asia, and you could even argue that Yeng Guiao did much more with what little he had when it was his turn.

From my vantage point, Reyes’ approach works on the PBA level. There’s nothing wrong with the “macho,” “gung-ho” approach but when faced against a disciplined, more complicated system, it almost always never works (think Chicago Bulls’ one man Derrick Rose show versus the all of a sudden team defense approach of the Big Three’s Miami Heat). This, in my view, is where Reyes fails as a coach. He is even credited as the guy behind our recent FIBA-Asia loss to Jordan where he tried to play hero and asked the team to change its defensive stance that ultimately blew the game open in favor of our opponents.

I guess this is the thanks Rajko Toroman gets huh? At least Ron Jacobs had it better. Though, while I sympathize with Toroman, I’ve long been arguing that the basketball team should, at the very least, be coached by a Filipino. Maybe we owe Coach Chot the benefit of the doubt. After Noli Eala's gracious turnaround in recent weeks, it seems like Chot's the new most loved/hated in the Philippine basketball front.

Top 10 subplots for Wednesday's Alaska - B-Meg match

Jolas: let's just be friends!

1. Tim Cone versus Joel Banal
For Banal to gain any form of recognition or leverage over his "teacher," he must go through the same obstacles that those before him did. As Hall of Fame wrestler Ric Flair aptly put it "to be the man (whooo!) you have to beat the man! (whooo!)." Siot Tanquincen did it over his mentor Jong Uichico years back (and now look at them, the odd couple at the Ginebra bench with Siot playing the nagging wife and Uichico the Zen-like husband who cherishes the shadows). Is Banal's flex triangle better than Cone's triple post offense? Better yet, when all principles of the triangle are thrown out the window (since both teams are still in the awkward adjustment period) and the coaches go the more traditional route, who makes the right calls at the right time?

2. Sampayan Brigade versus Twin Towers
Rafi Reavis, Rico Maierhofer, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo and Joe DeVance (whew!) versus Sonny Thoss and JayR Reyes (and Samigue Eman, if he ever finds himself on the floor). From the onset, the advantage has to be in B-Meg's favor heigh and rebounding wise. Also, the Llamados have a bruising front liner in John Ferriols who has more pro and amateur championships under his belt than all these players combined (college, MBA, PBL, PBA and so on).

3. Best damn point guard today vs the future
Alaska's L.A. Tenorio versus B-Meg's "PG of the future" Mark Barroca. While I still have my reservations in calling Tenorio as the best PG in the league today, the field is heavy with pretenders (shooting guards posing as PGs Roger Yap, Jayjay Helterbrand, Alex Cabagnot) and guys who are stuck in crowded rotations (Mike Cortez, Denok Miranda, Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes). It's funny because, it wasn't that long ago when San Miguel drafted Tenorio and was all-hyped up to make him their franchise point guard before a lopsided trade with Alaska for Mike Cortez. A few years later and Tenorio rose among the ranks while Cortez sort of plateaued in his place as a solid-but-not-great PG. Now, team SMC can make/ or is making amends through young Mark Barroca who they've already invested on by bringing in no less than Johnny Abarrientos (and even Cone). Hopefully, Barroca has a better game with Tenorio who's just about his size (you really can't blame him for that awful performance versus Petron, Denok Miranda is a BEAST).

4. James Yap versus the 2x MVP hype
The more times Yap jacks up a good-looking, long three ball and misses, the more we question the league for making him its Most Valuable Player awardee two times running. He hasn't played a lick of defense since his U.E. days, has average handles for a guard and settles for jumpers way too often. "Man of a million moves" my sweet ass Mico Halili. Yap can't hold a candle to Dondon Hontiveros-prime (which was back when he was with the Cebu Gems, and with San Miguel in 2007-09 when he was the outright go-to-guy).

5. P.J. Simon versus any available shot
Yes he was lauded for carrying the team in their first game, but from where I'm seated, the guy was simply calling his own number (and making them, fortunately). Should he be B-Meg's main man instead of Yap? I agree. But not in this manner where he has one too many talented teammates to not be running the offense and sharing the ball.

6. Mac Baracael versus Marc Pingris
Here's a scenario that I'll bet will happen: both players will try to box each other out for a rebound, their arms will get tangled (consciously for both) and they will both fall to the floor and curse each other out and engage in childish stare downs. Double technical fouls. Book it.

7. Sonny Thoss versus Joe DeVance
Did Alaska make the right move by keeping Thoss and letting JDV walk over to B-Meg without asking for anything in return? If JDV makes his outside shots, then the game's practically over for the Aces since it will force Thoss (or even Reyes) out of the box-- therefore surrendering precious rebounds to the Sampayan Brigade.

8. Fred Uytengsu versus the forces of darkness (Noli Eala, Ramon Ang, PBA conspirators etc.)
Why did JDV walkover to B-Meg when Alaska gave him the same contract? Why did Cone leave as well? Why was Alaska the league's highest spending team (before the salary cap increase) when they only had one and a half superstars (Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio)? God help Fred's sanity.

9. Group hug
The buzzer sounds and it's game over. Will the Aces shake their former coach's hand and hug him like you would a long-time no-see ex? Or will they throw deathly stares his way and rue him for leaving them with Banal?

10. E.Cow versus B-Meg Derby Ace's unnamed cock and pig combo
Seriously, what are their names?

The Banal Project: Priority on bigs

While Alaska Aces lost its first game in the Philippine Cup to the mighty Barangay Ginebra Kings 72-83, owing to its new coaching philosophy, the future still looks brighter than ever for the Uytengsu franchise.  From the onset, the Aces fielded a formidable looking starting five with ace playmaker L.A. Tenorio, dazzling Cyrus Baguio, Tony de la Cruz and giants Jay-R Reyes and Sonny Thoss to battle the Kings' heavy guard play.

Of the five, de la Cruz is the only guy that fans could really classify as "aged" but that's only because he's been in the league a couple of years longer than the others. Tenorio, Reyes and Thoss are clearly the pillars for the future while Baguio provides the offensive spark that every competitive PBA needs. Off the bench, names such as rookie Mac Baracael and Eric Salamat are far from being classified as mere "role players" since the new recruits bring a lot of swagger on both ends of the floor.

It should be noted however that despite new head coach Joel Banal's attempts at appeasing the Aces' faithful, his team hardly ran the vaunted triple post/ triangle offense that has been the trademark of his predecessor Tim Cone. It's sad because, given the Reyes-Thoss combo, they have the right guys to run it ala the Los Angeles Lakers circa 2009-2011 did whenever Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum shared floorspace.

The Aces ran most of their offense through their big men which played a large factor in Tenorio and Baguio's combined 13 points (which is roughly around Tenorio's average alone). Fortunately, Thoss delivered with 16 but failed to get any support from partner Reyes who only had 4 points (but did haul down a lot of rebounds). Daresay that the team's best efforts came when Baracael was fielded into the game, easily complementing Sonny Thoss with short stabs from the weakside (the same way he did while with SMART Gilas whenever Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman asked him to play PF beside Marcus Douthit).

Will Banal duplicate half the success of Cone? That remains to be seen, I honestly doubt it at this rate unless Alaska starts getting huge stars and the league does away with off-court financial politicking.

Are the Aces going to contend?

I'd be surprised if they break through this conference, and feel that if ever they do, then it will be Sonny Thoss leading the way instead of Tenorio much like how Banal coached the Ateneo 2002 champion team behind Rico Villanueva.

On a side note, is Brandon Cablay really the best that the Aces have to offer off the bench? They did draft Pasculado and Salamat right?

School's in session for this year's top 10 rookies

Now that Alaska's officially joined the Philippine Cup standings with a 72-83 loss to Ginebra a few minutes ago, we can finally assess the top 10 picks in this year's draft plus a couple of rookies who have managed to win their respective team's confidence.


JV Casio - PG - Powerade - INCOMPLETE
Casio fans will have to wait for a couple more weeks before they see their idol on the hard court. And I argue that it's for the better since by then he'll come in with little to no pressure as Powerade will either be contending for a quarterfinals spot with a then cohesive team or eliminated early. And yes, I will still stick to my prediction that Casio will not enjoy the same amount of success in the PBA as he did in the amateurs. The PBA point guard crop will be too fast (Alapag, Tenorio, Artadi, Castro, Labagala)/ big (Reyes, Cortez, Helterbrand, Raymundo, Arboleda, Miranda) for him.

Paul Lee - SG/PG - Rain or Shine - A+
He is cool, calm and collected on the floor. I have never seen a player as sneaky good as Lee in the PBA. Readers of this blog know that I like comparing players to those of yesteryears (i.e. L.A. Tenorio: Ronnie Magsanoc, Kelly Williams: Terry Saldana on jumping Jack steroids, Chito Loyzaga: Alex Crisano) so the closest probably would be Alaska 1996 era Jojo Lastimosa who had that air of quiet arrogance in him. A bald headed, behind-the-back dribbling, spin-moving Jojo Lastimosa 2011. Yep. Sounds just about right.

Chris Lutz - SG/SF - Petron - A
Lutz was able to take his game and fit it seamlessly into the Petron scheme of things. He moves well without the basketball, picks his spots and plays solid to great defense. Clearly, we were all wrong in saying that Lassiter was the better of the two back with SMART Gilas. The difference between his numbers and Lee's (which aren't that far off) Lee is a game-changer, Lutz is a solid role player (the difference between the Michael Jordans and Scottie Pippens of the basketball world).

Marcio Lassiter - SF/SG - Powerade - A
Can Lassiter learn to fit his game around Powerade's main man Gary David? All signs say yes, and while we're still waiting for Casio to return, the time is now for "Cali-Swag" to put up the numbers and build his reputation as a clutch player-slash-defensive gem.

Mark Barroca - PG - B-Meg - B-
Of all the rookies, Barroca probably had the most forgetful debut looking lost in Tim Cone's new and improved B-Meg squad and not making as big an impact as expected from a guy who's asked to handle the basketball. Again, I don't envy Barroca as PGs don't usually excel in the triangle (Abarrientos played more SG really while Tenorio was posting so-so numbers before Cone really loosened things up). A couple more pounds and a steady jumpshot is what Barroca needs to eventually supplant Roger Yap as B-Meg's PG.

Mac Baracael - PF/SF - Alaska - A

SMART Gilas' version of Ginebra's Ronald Tubid has arrived! In the Joel Banal-Alaska era, Baracael was asked to play PF and he delivered with the kind of inside forays expected from tweener forwards (face-to-the-basket jumpers and drives). Hopefully, Banal gives him a break and lets him play his natural small forward position against the bigger teams. I don't want to see Baracael getting hurt early in his career by a wayward elbow from the Peeks, Belgas and Penas.

Jason Ballesteros - PF/C - Meralco - C
Other than being flat out owned by Talk 'n' Text's Japeth Aguilar, Ballesteros failed to deliver in so many ways that it was rather disappointing for a SMART Gilas alumna. Not only did he fail to grab the ball by being his team's big man of the future, but he was outhustled by teammate Gabby Espinas on both ends of the floor who's three to four inches shorter than him but asked to play power forward.

Allein Maliksi - SG/SF - Barako Bulls - B+

There were several instances in the game versus Petron when I thought of Maliksi as a taller, more athletic and gym rat version of Kenneth Duremdes. This kid can score in several ways and has legit hops. If he gets the right amount of minutes and touches, he's my dark horse for the ROY award.

Reil Cervantes - PF/C - Ginebra - B

Played in the first game like a rookie out to prove himself and was benched in tonight's game for the same reasons. Cervantes will probably see daylight in the coming games as I'm putting money on Ginebra bigs Rico Villanueva and Billy Mamaril being injured at some point (like they have the past few seasons). He just needs to settle down, not be as excited and just crash the boards.

Dylan Ababou - SF/PF - Barako Bulls - INCOMPLETE

Oh Dylan. Maliksi deserved to be picked higher than you. We all know you can play, but at what position? The last I saw you with Gilas, you seemed bigger and slower than your UST days so are you a power forward or a small forward? I know that you're playing behind Danny Seigle and Jondan Salvador at Barako Bull, but behind your old "caddie" Maliksi as well who was no better than Anthony Espiritu when you were teammates?

Here are other rookies who made impressive debuts as well:


Magi Sison - PF/C - Shopinas.com - B+
He'll get his minutes and touches with Shopinas.com, if only he could add a few more pounds and watch YouTube mixtapes of Kerby Raymundo.

Pamboy Raymundo - PG - Talk n Text - B+

Tama si Chot Reyes. Me bayag si Raymundo maglaro. Matapang.

Eric Salamat - SG/PG - Alaska - B

He held his own as SG and PG for coach Joel Banal against Ginebra's Security Guard agency, but there was a point in the game when he was simply calling his own number and jacked three straight threes (made the first, missed the two-- WIDE).

Marc Agustin - SF/PF - Petron - B+
Who's your daddy? Why didn't we see this Agustin back with Adamson and settled for a guy who appeared to be "coasting" in the UAAP? He's slowly starting to carve a niche in his dad's team as a Freddie Abuda type of player who plays rugged defense and hustles for boards.

Rudy Lingganay - PG - Powerade - B+
It's funny because if someone asked me to compare Lingganay to a PBA player, I'd answer with "Celino Cruz." Guess what? They're teammates! So Lingganay subbing for Cruz pretty much ensures Powerade coach Bo Perasol that his marching orders are carried out the same way. A solid point guard who can be clutch when called upon.


And finally...


Julius Pasculado - PG - Alaska - INCOMPLETE
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but anytime a Fil-Am flies in the country, I expect a lot from them. They should be good. They need to be, say, "takeover whoever's starting for a team" good. And so far, if Pasculado can't play ahead of an aging Brandon Cablay or a one-dimensional yet all-heart player like Eric Salamat (who didn't do his trademark salute in tonight's game in respect/ fear of the Ginebra crowd), then that says a lot about his abilities. The only thing going for him (as with Ababou) is that it's just one game, and hopefully we see more of Pasculado this conference.

Rain or Shine wins anew behind team effort; O.G. Lee

Ako? I-shutdown? Nino? Weh.

While all eyes were on the much anticipated and AKTV-hyped match-up of rookies Paul Lee (Rain or Shine) and Marcio Lassiter (Powerade), this afternoon's game was ultimately decided by their teammates in a rather ugly tug-of-war like affair.

Granted, Lee finished as Best Player of the Game (for the 2nd straight time) with 19 points and 5 rebounds, but he spent almost 2/3s of it sitting on the RoS bench. Ditto with Lassiter who was saddled with fouls early in the first half.

Fortunately for both sides, RoS benefited from solid showings by Gabe Norwood, Jireh Ybanez, Beau Belga and JR Quinahan while Powerade features the incomparable Gary David plus a focused and "Ateneo-vintage" like performance by Doug Kramer. The teams competed in a turnover-plagued game where both would enjoy short leads, small deficits and mini-runs.

On to the fun, more interesting part of the game then: Paul Lee and Marcio Lassiter.

Lassiter has made it known that he will "shutdown" Lee in today's game which received mixed reactions from basketball fans. Personally, I like that Lassiter speaks his mind, but for non-SMART Gilas fans, it was received negatively with Lee being the "homegrown hero" and ML coming off as a cocky Fil-Am along the lines of Rob Parker Jr. (Santa Lucia Realtors) and Sam Mitchell (Cebu Gems).

Right off the bat, Lassiter seemed a bit too "excited" to prove a point and that pretty much spelled his doom. He had several flashes of brilliance with timely threes and drives to the hoop (some at Lee's expense), but from a coaching standpoint, he was disrupting the flow of Powerade's offense (not that they had anything to go with really other than isolation plays).

On the other side of the fence, Lee showed just why basketball pundits were raving about him despite posting "just" 20 points, 5 boards and 8 assists versus Ginebra the first time out. While the average fan would say that "it's just one game" or "Lee's over-rated" they're quick to reveal themselves as either non-players or new fans of the basketball game.

Despite battling foul trouble himself, Lee played a more control game. He drives when there's an obvious opening, rotates when the defense is set and creates when his team's offense stalls. Never panics, doesn't really make faces or mind non-calls (the PBA is allowing more contact and even handcheck fouls this conference which I really like). He could've put the nail on the coffin with that missed three pointer, but had he made it we'd end all conversations and just hand him his Rookie of the Year award.

AKTV has dubbed Lassiter as "California Swagger" hey FireQuinito, why not just shorten it to "Cali-Swag" while Lee's stuck with "Lee-thal Weapon/ Angas ng Tondo."

While we're handing out monickers, I will stick to this: Paul "Original Gangsta" Lee. Straight up O.G.

Release the Kraken! Aguilar flourishes in 2011 debut

In only his second PBA game (the first being a cameo with Burger King two years ago), Japeth Aguilar showed uncanny athleticism never before seen from a Filipino player of his size on the basketball court. To say that Aguilar is already a force to be reckoned with in the PBA could and should be a fair assessment of the 6"9 jumping jack's abilities.

For the record, Aguilar tallied 27 points on 9/13 shooting with 8 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals and 2 turnovers in 32 minutes for Talk 'n' Text.

Breaking down Aguilar's game, he scored mostly on drives to the basket which showed great dribbling ability for his size and footspeed. In the PBA brand of play where defenses are not as disciplined as the international scene and one-on-one forays are encouraged, Aguilar will definitely be in a class of his own. It also didn't help that the guys who were asked to defend him were either 1) too raw, 2) too slow, 3) not very good defenders.

Aguilar, to his credit, has added a considerable amount of weight to keep opponents from beating him up whenever he cuts to the basket and is now a pretty bankable jumpshooter from 15 to 17 feet.

The only comparison I can make here is the one with Danny Seigle back in 1999. While Seigle is nowhere near Aguilar's athletic ability, he dominated the league because he was the tallest at his position at the time and had legit skills (small forward). Ditto with Aguilar, who should be considered more as a flex small forward rather than what his height deems him to be (power forward or center).

Is Aguilar the best small forward in the PBA? No, that belongs to Arwind Santos. Power forward? I don't see him overtaking Joe DeVance who is bound to breakout under Tim Cone at B-Meg. Center? Perhaps, but I doubt that Chot Reyes would even ask or expect Aguilar to camp in the shaded area for more than five minutes.

Right now, Aguilar has legit pick-up basketball skills. He runs the floor like a gazelle and is ultra athletic. He can dribble, has a pretty reliable jumper and is always on the lookout for weakside blocks.

What Aguilar still hasn't shown (or probably learned to do) is play with his back to the basket. Even China's Yi Jian Lian knows a move or two in the paint (post-up fade away) so there's no excuse for Aguilar to not have one. This, in my opinion, is what will keep Aguilar from realizing his true potential as the best Filipino big man to ever play the game.

I want to see Aguilar take on Beau Belga, Reynel Hugnatan, Kelly Williams, Sonny Thoss, Eric Menk and even Arwind Santos to see how far he's gone. If he wants to be a dominant big, then he'll need to go through the greats or survive B-Meg's freakishly tall, "sampayan brigade." If he wants to continue with this hybrid forward role he's playing for Talk 'n' Text, then Santos is the one guy he needs to outshine.

Also, grabbing EIGHT rebounds for a 6"9 jumping jack with unparalleled athleticism is a bit too low on my mark. In the PBA, Aguilar should be good for 20-12 on a daily basis. Good thing here is that, he seems to be the kind of guy who just plays basketball at every possession.

Lastly, someone please remind Aguilar that he's taller than his opponents and could easily outjump them without even trying so why is he still jumping out of his shoes and biting on fakes?

Who should get an invite for Smart Gilas II

With Philippine basketball godfather Manny V. Pangilinan promising to continue with the SMART Gilas national basketball team program and the renewed trust/ cooperation between Team MVP and some members of Team San Miguel Corporation (namely Noli Eala who played a role in Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter's clearance in the FIBA-Asia tournament where Gilas finished 4th), there should be no reason for us not to field in the best players in the land. Not with the Philippine Basketball Association, under commissioner Chito Salud, also set on forming a 16-man pool for the job.

So for fun, let's build a SMART Gilas 2 team with pros and amateurs and go four deep at each position

PG

Jayson Castro

A no brainer and arguably the best attack guard in the PBA. He also plays pitbull-like defense and steals the ball from napping opponents (ask the NBA's Chris Paul)

Ryan Reyes

I've always argued that for his size, Reyes is the ideal Filipino PG for international plays. He is a power point that comes complete with rebounding instincts and a sweet set shot from deep.

Chris Banchero

Though he's a virtual unknown this side of the globe and was injured while playing in college, Banchero is Ryan Reyes minus the defensive intensity but with more to offer on the offensive end. Also, he's bound to give Chris Tiu a contest for the ladies with his matinee idol looks.

Keifer Ravena

The Phenom. Either he learns to play PG and make that gigantic leap and lead us to the promise land, or be stuck at SG wherein he'll be outmatched by bigger opponents and made to look like a fool.

SG

Marcio Lassiter

He's young and fiery, and as much as I've been comparing him to Raja Bell, maybe the better NBA star would be New Orleans' Trevor Ariza- minus the insane hops of course.

Chris Lutz

Mr. Efficiency. Should've been utilized more by head coach Rajko Toroman for Gilas, instead his minutes had to be split with...

Chris Tiu

You can't have SMART Gilas, backed by MVP, without Tiu. You just can't. It's in the bible.

SF

Arwind Santos

Best damn player in the country should be a no brainer. Hope that Toroman could convince him to play   efficiently rather than just jacking up threes like he did the first time out though.

Jay Washington

He's a choker and has solid basketball IQ and athleticism. He doesn't play defense as good as Santos, but when given a specific role on offense, J-Wash is usually able to deliver.

Jarred Dillinger

Free this man from Talk 'n' Text and give him his damn minutes. He can handle the basketball and score, I doubt that he can play a lick of defense, but I believe in Dillinger's passion for the game and wanting to win.

Rayray Parks Jr.

Build for the future. I've seen his game, and it's all athleticism at this point. Ravena's more polished as a two-guard, but give Parks someone to train him or battle day-in and day-out, and I'm pretty sure he's going to be a beast just like his dad.

PF

Kelly Williams

The best complement to big man Marcus Douthit bar-none. Williams' best attribute despite being a streaky shooter and complete wash at the free throw line is that he fights for everything on the floor.

Joe DeVance

Not as passionate or fiery as Williams, but leaps and bounds better offensively. Think Amboy Ranidel de Ocampo and you pretty much have JDV.

Sonny Thoss

Thoss should be used exclusively as an enforcer. He has a solid set shot and knows how to use his height in the paint.

Arnold Van Opstal

I say any Filipino player playing in the Philippines who stands 6"7 and up should be part of the National Team and trained. Hard. Opstal included.

C

Marcus Douthit

When will the wheels fall off for Douthit who's now 31? Will he still be this effective and why are we still not looking for a Plan B?

Greg Slaughter

I hope that if Slaughter is brought in to Gilas, that Norman Black be asked to tutor him daily.

Junmar Fajardo

See Optsal.

Asi Taulava

He'll be 40 by the time the next FIBA tournament comes in, but I will never say anything bad about Asi who has worn our national colors and done as proud time and again.

Who do you feel should be part of Gilas 2?

Petron, Talk 'n' Text continue PBA dominance early

The two deepest teams in the PBA continued their winning ways with blow-out victories in tonight's double header at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. Petron man-handled Barako Bull 95-83 in a game that was out of reach early while Talk 'n' Text delivered a big brother-sized spanking on sibling Meralco 98-80.

Petron continues to ride the Arwind Santos Monster Tour while getting great contributions from Alex Cabagnot (who now plays more like a 2 than a 1) and "too cool for school" rookie Chris Lutz. Now on top of the standings with a 2-0 card, every single player that head coach Ato Agustin calls on delivers big numbers and it seems that they have finally found specific roles to play.

Danny Ildefonso and new acquisition Carlo Sharma took care of the paint, Denok Miranda locked down anyone who tried to be fancy with the ball while the rest concentrated on the defensive end. It should also be noted that everything started falling into place for Petron as early as last Governor's Cup wherein Santos gave up calling his own number in favor of concentrating on rebounding first, defense second and points third.

If anything, their two wins were an obvious product of a more aggressive approach on the defensive end and Rodman-like dedication to crash the boards.

On the other hand, Talk 'n' Text waylaid Meralco by simply having more firepower than any other team in the league. TNT coach Chot Reyes decided to "release the Kraken" with SMART Gilas standout Japeth Aguilar who delivered big and played like a 6"9 guard/ small forward-- driving, dribbling, dunking on guys who are nowhere near his athletic ability.

To make matters worse for the already out-matched Meralco Bolts, they lost returning star Mark Cardona in the first quarter on a bad-looking ankle injury (they were already without Sol Mercado and Chris Ross).

Oh, and TNT was playing WITHOUT stars PBA 2010 MVP Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams!

Question now is, are we looking at a rematch?

It's still too early to tell but barring any injuries perhaps we are looking at a blossoming rivalry much like Crispa-Toyota in the PBA's early years.

I still believe though, that defense wins championships-- and right now, Petron's playing the best brand of defense I've seen in the 3 PBA game days so far.

Barako Bull needs work

Forgive me for dismissing Barako Bulls' chances in tonight's game versus the Petron Blaze Boosters (which as of this writing is at a lopsided 93-74), but it's pretty clear that the Bulls' need a lot of work to even deserve being called a "darkhorse" in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Willie Miller, tagged as the "prodigal son/ franchise player," looks heavier than before and was being beaten to the dribble by every single Petron guard down both ends of the floor. His backcourt partner, Wynne Arboleda, showed flashes of his old "snatcher" self but his feet couldn't match his hand speed. Truth be told, back-up Paul Artadi ran the floor better and even spearheaded the Bulls' 3rd quarter run.

Sunday Salvacion enjoyed a great game as did free agent acquisition Jondan Salvador who bruised his way inside the paint. I feel that if the Bulls' are serious in wanting to contend, then Salvador should be given a more featured role as their premiere postman.

Speaking of postmen, Salvador's partner-in-crime Mick Pennisi more than outdid himself by playing almost exclusively down below. I swear that since his days with Red Bull Batang Thunder, I have never seen Pennisi play in the paint as much as he did in this game. Blame it on being traded and wanting to prove himself, but I'm going out on a limb here and say that if Pennisi continues playing inside, then he'll be a shoo-in as one of the league's best centers.

Head coach Junel Baculi went with Danny Seigle and rookie Allein Maliksi off the bench, but only Maliksi enjoyed success versus the vaunted Petron defense which has gotten stingier with their own rookie Chris Lutz.

Based on the names on the Bulls' roster, they should consider playing a more slowed-down, old school, grind-it-out game. They don't have the luxury of speed other than Artadi and Maliksi, and their veterans will surely benefit from that style of play.

On a side note, I feel bad for SMART Gilas alumna and rookie Dylan Ababou who failed to get his ass off the Bulls' bench (a role he has been accustomed to since his post-UST days). I blame it more on him being an average Swiss-blade type of player. He's not as good as Roel Hugnatan, but that's where his game is or was headed.

I don't see Ababou as a main man of a winning team, but a do-it-all forward that can fill in gaps much like Tony dela Cruz was before he worked on his jumpshot. For his sake, I hope he continues to work on his game and crack Baculi's rotation.

Rob Reyes to Petron

Rumor has it that Petron is all set to acquire free agent big man Rob Reyes to bolster its frontline in the Philippine Cup.

It wasn't that long ago when Powerade head coach Bo Perasol, whom Reyes played for last season, went on Twitter and other forms of media to say that Reyes was contemplating an early retirement and was even rumored to be leaving for the US.

Well, it didn't take Reyes long before he wanted to play in the PBA again now did it?

We already saw this kind of scenario in the offseason with the Dondon Hontiveros' indecision whether he was going to sign again with Barako Bull or retire and head on home to Cebu. This of course, forced the Bulls to trade him back to Petron (he of the league's top 10 shooting guards today) alongside a THIRD overall draft pick (who turned out to be solid Chris Lutz) and Carlos Sharma.

Back to Reyes, I do hope that he gets the minutes at Petron and that he rediscovers his game. He used to be Eric Menk-like for Toyota Otis Letran in the PBL, but couldn't translate his amateur success to the pros for some reason.

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)?