Alex Cabagnot: Top Guard

Cabagnot: coming for Tenorio's PG throne

With all due respect to PBA 36th season Most Valuable Player and this decade's King of Point Guards Jimmy Alapag and his would-be successor yet struggling because of injuries L.A. Tenorio, the title of "Best point guard" clearly belongs to the Petron Blaze Boosters' Alex Cabagnot-- right now, that is.

And while monikers or titles remain irrelevant on the hardcourt and are more media fodder, allow this writer to point out Cabagnot's much improved stat line as compared to closest rival Tenorio's in the ongoing Philippine Cup:


Cabagnot 14.7 ppg 4.2 rpg 7.2 apg 1.4 spg 2.5 topg 44% 3s 38% 2s 38 mpg

Tenorio 13.1 ppg 5.3 rpg 5 apg 1 spg 1.6 topg 16% 3s 34% 2s 37 mpg

The stats above, generously shared by PBA-online.net, aren't that far off save for the two guards' shooting percentages. Cabagnot, who was known for his indecision and un-clutch-ness in his early years in the PBA (those who care to disagree, clearly didn't watch him as much as this writer- a Santa Lucia die hard- did), is now an all-around threat with his trademark crisp passes and much improved stroke from just about anywhere.

Tenorio on the other hand, is shooting at an alarming 16% clip from deep which isn't something you want from a heavy-minutes playing point guard (PGs are expected to be good at two things: 1) passes 2) shooting-- these go hand in hand in order for the greater PGs to create more space for their teammates)--the sole reason why Paul Artadi (and before him, Jason Webb) still hasn't consistently started for any team and why ex-UST tornado of a pg Japs Cuan hasn't made it to the pros.

Granted, the poor shooting can be attributed to Tenorio's assortment of injuries but there's no excuse for inefficient point guard play at the professional level. We won't touch on the assists anymore because the Alaska Aces' triangle offense rarely allows guys to freely create for themselves or others.

As far as playing within the system and helping his team with efficient plays are concerned-- Alex Cabagnot is clearly the best point guard TODAY.

Then again, the case may be different in a week or two once Tenorio recovers and leads the Aces to a string of victories.

Jayson Castro all heart in TNT win over Rain or Shine

Castro: all heart, all the time

Fans in faraway Cagayan de Oro were treated to an instant classic this evening with league leading Talk 'n' Text taking on closest rival (standings-wise) Rain or Shine. All eyes were on the Texters, given their growing list of injured personnel and if they could hold off the rising Elasto Painters.

The game was pretty much TNT's in the first quarter behind the all around smarts of guys like Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier and Japeth Aguilar. RoS started out rather sluggishly, with rookie point guard Paul Lee missing a bunch of drives to the hoop and Gabe Norwood sitting out the opening (which is starting to be a norm in RoS' head coach Yeng Guiao's unpredictable rotation).

Once RoS' second unit came in behind Norwood, Ronjay Buenafe and Beau Belga, the points started to pile up and the Texters' found themselves scrambling to put a healthy rotation on the floor that's familiar to one another. Truth be told, little used guys like Sean Weinstein, Bam Gamalinda and Gilbert Lao were all dusted off by TNT coach Chot Reyes in order to spell what's left of his star team.

In the third, RoS threatened to break away behind the double-double exploits of Jervy Cruz (who had a UST flashback) and timely baskets by Beau Belga. On the other side of the floor going into the fourth, Ranidel de Ocampo had his game face on and was scoring buckets per minute-- from threes, fadeaways to post-ups, RDO was a beast.

Alas, RDO was hit with cramps midway into the fourth but still tried to play it only to be pulled out for good. This forced Reyes to go to the only "star" left standing, Jayson Castro and ask that "The Blur" lead them to their 8th victory in nine games. The game was pretty close from there on, with TNT and RoS exchanging clutch basket after clutch basket via the usual suspects: Castro for TNT and Lee and Belga for RoS.

The game went into overtime thanks to Jeff Chan's miraculous off-the-backboard triple, but once there, Castro simply took over-- limping (owing to a late quarter drive) and all. If there's anything to be said about "The Blur" it's that he is arguably, pound for pound, the best slasher in the league today. He went hard to the rim several times and owing to his speed, athleticism and upper body strength, scored every single time (much to the dismay of taller defender Norwood who kept giving Castro the right side to drive into).

Can TNT continue their winning ways into the second phase of the Philippine Cup? With RDO back in the fold, I'd have to give them a slight edge over other hopefuls. But as it stands, either Castro gets healthy quick (having a big heart and balls the size of grapefruits can only do so much) OR coach Chot is able to squeeze out consistent performances from Weinstein (who actually showed flashes of being a solid guard back with Meralco last season) and Jarred Dillinger (who was missing in today's game and was content with playing in the shadows of his other teammates).

Hopefully for the TNT faithful, Ryan Reyes comes back from his MCL injury just in time for the Finals and that the other guys step up. And by other guys, this writer is looking at you Japeth "jump shot" Aguilar. I could've sworn that Belga was once again schooling Aguilar in several plays much like Juan Manuel Marquez has Manny Pacquiao's number (but we'll get to that some other time).

Missing link: Aces need productivity from 2 spot

Lost in new offense? Aces' need Baguio to contribute

Following yesterday's high scoring 121-111 victory over the Powerade Tigers, the Alaska Aces were able to keep their hopes alive as the eliminations of the Philippine Cup nears its end.

With superb performances from captain Tony de la Cruz (23 points), L.A. Tenorio (23) and Mac Baracael (22) the Aces were able to handily subdue the relentless Tigers which showed glimpse's of its future behind Jayvee Casio (26 points, 11 assists) and Marcio Lassiter (25 points).

Still, the Aces are still seeded at the bottom of the standings with a dismal 2-7 win-loss record. Of the seven losses, five were decided by only a disparity of 8 points or less which should be taken positively by the team.

The team has recently shown a far more concerted effort in feeding its twin towers Sonny Thoss and JayR Reyes in the paint which ultimately deters its running and perimeter game. Not that it's a bad thing, but guards are either being relegated to kick-out options or are scoring by calling for isolations-- give it a conference (or two) and things will probably become more fluid as roles are defined.

That being said, the bulk of the offense has been coming from Tenorio, Thoss and Reyes with little to no contribution from a position that is traditionally where offense is expected thus its name-- shooting guard.

Cyrus Baguio, the starting SG for the Aces, is averaging a so-so 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists to go with 2.5 turnovers per game. His chief reliever, Bonbon Custodio, offers a paltry 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist stat line which is an obvious farcry from what is to be expected from both explosive guards.

Granted, the triangle doesn't allow much superstar numbers from certain players but if the Aces are looking to build behind coach Banal's new system for next conference, Baguio and Custodio need to step up, be ready to knock down shots and play hard on both ends of the floor (Baguio, to his credit, grabbed 11 rebounds in the recent loss to B-Meg). That, or sit in favor of still untested guys such as Eric Salamat (who is starting to crack Banal's rotation) and the mysterious Julius Pasculado.

Casio's rookie struggles

Casio: point or shooting guard?

When Jayvee Casio decided to throw his hat into this year's PBA Draft, pundits were quick to anoint the 5"10 guard from DLSU as the top pick after his strong, clutch and quite patriotic showing for the SMART Gilas Pilipinas basketball team.

Leapfrogging early fantasy draft picks such as Rain or Shine's Paul Lee, Petron's Chris Lutz and Powerade teammate Marcio Lassiter, all eyes were on Casio to deliver. Problem was, he was coming off an injury suffered in the international meets and was joining a team that already had a top dog on its roster who pretty much brings the same offensive firepower to the table in Gary David.

So far, Casio is averaging somewhere around 6 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound and 2 turnovers per game while shooting an abysmal 17% from deep and 28% from the perimeter. These mind boggling stats, courtesy of PBA-Online.net, have left fans scratching their heads and wondering what happened to J-Shock-- is he still hurting, adjusting to his teammates (which would normally affect his other stats but shouldn't bother his shooting clip) or both?

I say Casio is struggling in the pros. For a number one pick, more is expected of him and rightfully so. His team has already accommodated him by playing him at the PG position beside David and Lassiter to form what is arguably the most potentially explosive backcourt/ wing combination in the league today. The problem I see here is that, Casio, a natural go-to-guy even with SMART Gilas, can't play point guard. 

Not in the traditional sense anyway.

Yes, he's averaging 4-6 assists per game. But that's more on having solid finishers like David and Lassiter at his disposal rather than creating scenarios or openings. This was the same flaw I saw back with SMART Gilas. For all his God-like clutch prowess, Casio is a system point guard who can only make passes if it's in the offensive set (which is a great thing to have). But when backed in a corner, say trapped by his defenders, he goes back to what he does best and that is to call his own number and create offense (again, nothing wrong with that but it undermines having David, Lassiter and even knockdown shooters like Sean Anthony and Will Antonio as teammates).

That's how point guards are measured, when the coach's plans go out the window, they are able to create their own plays on the fly and make the correct passes/ calls.

Also, his patented "step-in" threes that usually generate free throw opportunities haven't been working. Either the referees aren't calling it as much (since Casio is the one who's technically initiating the contact with his defender by jumping into his threes) OR the PBA guards are just bigger, faster and taller in some ways.

If Casio is to realize his dreams of being a PBA star, then he needs to first get healthier and probably learn to either move faster-laterally or change his shot-mechanics (maybe do an L.A. Tenorio who shoots step-back threes as opposed to Casio's step-ins). It's still too early to tell anyway just what his ceiling is at the moment, but from what I've seen so far, Casio's just a few clutch situation games away from being a Ronnie Magsanoc type of PG.

Here we go again: Ginebra to get Rico, Maliksi

Goodbye Ginebra for Jimbo and Yancy?

If PBA Commissioner Chito Salud approves a recent proposal that involves B-Meg, Barangay Ginebra and the Barako Bulls, then we are looking at the first of many trades this 37th Season (which has been the norm the last four or five years anyway).

In the current proposal submitted to the Commissioner's Office, B-Meg will acquire veteran big Yancy de Ocampo, Barako Bulls get slumping sophomore Jimbo Aquino while Ginebra gets promising rookie Allein Maliksi and athletic big Rico Maierhofer (to form their own "Sampayan Brigade" with JC Intal and Nino Canaleta). Future draft picks are also on the table but let's not look into that right now (heard it was for 2014 and 2015 which could turn out to be the year Ray Parks, Jr. or Kiefer Ravena jumps to the pros).

Here's my take on the situation if the trade pushes through:

B-Meg
Yancy de Ocampo
In Tim Cone's grand scheme of things, where would a sweet shooting big man who is allergic to the post area fit? He already has a more athletic version of De Ocampo in starter Joe DeVance, and is also hard-pressed in distributing minutes to guys like JDV, Kerby Raymundo, Marc Pingris and still serviceable enforcer John Ferriols. In small minutes though, YDO is still one of the more polished bigs around inside and out.

Barako Bulls
Jimbo Aquino
Jimbo fans (San Sebastian alumni) rejoice! Or not. Depends on how you see it. From being outperformed by NCAA rival John Wilson at the Ginebra camp and losing minutes to their collection of guards, Aquino is all set to move in the "spark plug" role that will be vacated by rookie Allein Maliksi (who has seen his minutes drop as of late as well as suffering an MCL injury) with the Bulls. While we all know that Aquino is a top level scorer, it's on the defensive end where he remains to be questionable and stuck in that Patrick Cabahug-Jonathan Fernandez category (great collegiate scorers with limitless range but plays unacceptable defense).


Barangay Ginebra
Allein Maliksi
Has spunk, leaps and can score in bunches though his defense remains a bit erratic. Given his size and aggressiveness however, Maliksi is already a better offensive player than would be teammate JC Intal (who hasn't found his footing in the pros or anywhere else after that superstar year with Ateneo in the UAAP). The only problem I see here is that small forwards Intal and Nino Canaleta will probably have the lion's share of the minutes (unless Canaleta slides at the 4 spot) plus, coach Siot Tangquincen has made it pretty obvious that since he has a boat load of volume scoring/shooting guards at his disposal, the rest better play defense first-- something that Maliksi has yet to really show.

From back-up big to possible starter 

Rico Maierhofer 
In my mind, given all the scorers and superstar talent on the Ginebra roster, all that's really needed at this point is a rebounder. When the team picked Reil Cervantes in this year's draft, I thought that they had their guy. But the rookie big seems bent on putting up points and calling his own number every time down the floor so that pretty much puts a damper on things. With Maierhofer, Ginebra gets an in-your-face, skinnier and taller version of BMeg teammate Marc Pingris who doesn't back down from anyone (ask Ali Peek) and is bound to draw the approval of the crowd. Will he get his minutes? Yes. Given the shortage of bigs on the Ginebra roster. Will he be a force? Can't say, his game still hasn't matured to the point where he can be a go to presence, but the fire and tenacity is quite undeniable. Again, all he really needs to do is grab rebounds and block shots.

Overall, Ginebra wins (BIG) again and while this trade may not be as lopsided on paper RIGHT NOW, Maierhofer and Maliksi are bound to be future stars in the league. I don't know if we can say the same thing about Aquino. And we're just waiting for YDO to fade into the shadows much like his predecessor, another grassroots big man who had all the potential (and skill) for superstardom but didn't realize it owing to his lack of consistency, Marlou Aquino.

The only ax I have over the whole trade is how little B-Meg is getting overall. Just YDO? For an SMC team in a three-team trade? They better get those 2014 draft picks. The Bulls? Don't say I didn't warn you. That team should be renamed to BARAKO BULLS CONDUITS.

UPDATE (as of 3 p.m., 11/16/11)!


Commissioner Chito Salud has approved the trade with some minor revisions:

Proposed:

BB: Aquino + Ginebra 2014 pick, 2015 pick

Ginebra: Maierhofer + Maliksi

BMeg: De Ocampo

Approved:

BB: Aquino + Ginebra 2013 pick

BMeg: De Ocampo + Ginebra 2012 pick

Ginebra: Maierhofer + Maliksi

Thank you Commissioner Chito for making the trade easier to bear for the non-Ginebra parties. Sounds just about right in my view, so another brilliant move by the PBA brass.

Tropang Texters' cause for concern

Jayson Castro and the rest of the Texters need a break. Bad.

After enjoying its most successful season in franchise history, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters find themselves falling like dominoes one after another in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup. Despite carrying an enviable 6-1 win loss slate early in the eliminations, the chances of the Texters making it back to the Finals are slim to none.

Right off the bat, last year's "almost a grand slam" key drivers Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes, Ranidel de Ocampo and Jayson Castro were either legitimately hurt or slow to recuperate. This has forced head coach Chot Reyes to rely on his deep bench, where "stars on hold" Larry Fonacier and Jarred Dillinger were simply waiting their turn on the hard court. Ali Peek and Harvey Carey also enjoyed more minutes, as did 6"9 SMART Gilas recruit Japeth Aguilar.

The team was winning more on superb team effort rather than talent, and the guys who were getting minutes on the floor were able to develop good rhythms (primarily because they played for so long and weren't in fear of being pulled out the minute they committed a turnover). Not to say that the 2nd guys aren't as good, but there's a reason why guys start and others come off the bench (with Ginebra being the mind-boggling exception no thanks to its "confused" coaching staff). Then came the unfortunate incident with Peek which was followed by a suspected season-ending an injury for Ryan Reyes (ACL or MCL).

Right off the bat, that leaves the Texters with rookie PG Pamboy Raymundo at PG, Fonacier at SG, Dillinger at SF, Carey at PF and Aguilar at C. Still a quality basketball five by all standards, but perhaps a little weak firepower and experience wise.

Should the team consider trading up? This writer doesn't think so, not with Dillinger and Aguilar's recent performances. Perhaps they could add a quality banger/ enforcer while Peek recovers from injury. We all know that if there's one thing this team clearly lacked in last conference's Finals showdown with Petron, it's having guys to protect their bevy of pesky guards.

If there's any truth that Ryan Reyes' season is as good as done If Reyes is shelved until the next round, THEN the Texters should definitely add another guard (hey, heard there's an uprising within the Ginebra security agency ranks).

Right now, the Texters are clearly running on fumes and needs to get plenty of rest. Jayson Castro needs to be on paid vacation leave for at least two months. Kid's great and is one of the rising premier scorers in the league, but he's killing himself out there, limping on hard drives and all.

I Hate Ogie Menor/ Old school Ogie

Don't hate the player, hate the game. #realtalk

Earlier in the decade, whenever the name Rogemar "Ogie" Menor was used, everyone knew who the guy was and with good reason. The then San Beda Red Cub turned Lion was known for his brilliant (and bruising) scoring ways, on-court grit and toughness plus a knack for the highly favored (among Pinoys anyway) kanto style of play.

Nowadays, Menor finds himself under attack for a renewed approach to the game on the professional level. Presently strutting his wares for the young Shopinas.com Clickers under coach Franz Pumaren, Menor now plays the role of "big brother/ enforcer" for his team. His averages, the best of his pro career with an 8.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg and 1spg clip, fail to illustrate just how important he is to the Clickers.

Big Brother


As everyone knows by now, the Clickers are at the bottom of the Philippine Cup standings with an abysmal 0-7 win-loss record. Yes, this team could've probably salvaged a game or two had it not been for end-of-game blunders, but that's where the youth factor comes in to play and where a guy like Menor (who's pretty young himself at only 25 years) is deemed valuable.

A former amateurs MVP, Menor has chosen to take a backseat to established high scoring teammates such as captain Ren Ren Ritualo, combo guard Paolo Hubalde, RJ Jazul and big man James Sena. Of the four, only Ritualo has any ounce of PBA big minutes experience and pound-for-pound, none of them have the same body type as Menor (read: the difference between a PJ Simon/ Cyrus Baguio from a Paul Lee/ Mark Caguioa).

So, while his teammates are busy pulling the trigger, Menor is contributing to his team in other ways-- primarily in having everyone's back so that they won't be intimidated by the bigger competition.

Shades of Rudy Distrito

While his scoring averages have increased, it is on the defensive end (and then some) where Menor is starting to make a name for himself (for better or worse). Seven Clickers' games into the PBA's 37th season and Menor has already managed to earn the ire and attention of Ginebra's Jayjay Helterbrand and JC Intal, Rain or Shine's coach Yeng Guiao, and the PBA Board of Governors with hard fouls, trash talking and theatrics.

This isn't like another then-despised yet quality defender, pre-Ginebra Ronald Tubid, who pretty much clowns around the hardcourt and loves to play psy-war with his opponents (but has managed to stay away from on-court fights/ brawls). We're talking Rudy Distrito on a fastbreaking Jeffrey Cariaso 90s rugged-- and we all know how that turned out for the burly Ginebra enforcer.

Personally, the whole hooliganism is entertaining to watch and would obviously generate a lot of attention not only for Menor, but for his team and the entire league as well. Hell, someone even bothered to create a Facebook Page just so they could voice their overall displeasure with the 6"2 guard from Isabela.

Draw the line
But, a line has to be drawn somewhere. First, there's no room for taunting the opposing team's bench after a made basket. Maybe it's okay to taunt/ tease your defender a bit, but not the whole bench and their fans. That just leads to unwanted post-game fights. We've seen it time and again, and for it to happen on the biggest platform this country has to offer? That's a bit too childish on Menor's part. And the PBA should follow the NBA's strict "no taunting" rule. This if professional basketball, not sports-entertainment wrestling.

As for the hard fouls, there's nothing wrong with it since the whole "Kampihan Na" era has ushered in a more physical style of PBA play-- probably in ode to the glory days of the 90s. These are grown ass men after all and can take heavy hits (as long as it's part of the game and nothing ill-meaning)-- okay, maybe everyone except Alaska's Cyrus Baguio (the guy seems allergic to physicality and isn't driving as hard as he used to).

Should the league put the cuffs on Menor? Probably not-- YET, because outside of the theatrics, he's still playing the game as hard as he can without any intention of really hurting anyone (even that foul on Helterbrand was more of JH13 being pissed that someone dared touch him rather than being hacked by Menor). If the PBA cracked down on Menor, then they should probably throw in guys like Menor's fellow Clickers' enforcer Homer Se, Barako Bulls' "elbows out" Jondan Salvador and Ginebra's Tubid.

If anyone's attention should be called, it should be the PBA's and its referees to call the games and hand out penalties/ fines as they see fit.

Ginebra: Time for changing of the guards?

P're hanggang sa huli (?)

While the pages have circled in on whether or not this conference/ season would be MVP guard Jayjay Helterbrand's encore performance, there are a lot more pressing issues that the Barangay Ginebra Kings need to address in the ongoing Philippine Cup.

First, the co-coaching debacle between Siot Tanquincen and Jong Uichico which we were all fortunately spared from by the multi-titled Uichico who chose to simply defer to his former understudy. Personally, that move was more like a company's way of putting employees on notice, be it performance or attitude wise.

Then came the sudden push for other players on the roster, which this writer would choose to credit Tanquincen for owing to Uichico's more traditional 7-8 man rotations of the past. Guys like Rob Labagala, JC Intal, Nino Canaleta and John Wilson are playing longer minutes-- all despite the return to health/ form of top scorer Mark Caguioa (15 ppg) and big time names like Ronald Tubid, Rico Villanueva (7 rpg) and Mike Cortez (3 apg).

Time to shine for Intal, young Kings

In fact, of the six games the Kings have played so far (which has resulted in an even split on the win loss column), the losses were more on the coaches choosing to stick to the "young guns" and not letting the veterans win games all by themselves (save for the back-to-back, crunch time heroics by Caguioa and Helterbrand). Whenever games are at reach or on the brink of a loss, even the Ginebra faithful find themselves scratching their heads with Canaleta and Intal still being on the floor while Caguioa, Tubid and/ or Helterbrand remain glued to the bench.

There's nothing wrong with building confidence in the younger players, since Helterbrand's already at 35 with the rest of the Kings' core also hitting the 30s mark (how fast time flies), but it's just a rarity in the pro ranks I guess-- and probably also a tribute to the team's depth (Intal and Wilson are both collegiate MVPs after all).

Also, while the offense slowly shifts from being guard-oriented to a more spread-out perimeter type, the Kings' seem to be having problems filling the slot with abled bodies. Eric Menk is on his last wheels, Billy Mamaril is out due to his wife's condition (our prayers to them) and Rico Villanueva went from star post banger to a hesitant greenhorn (daresay Alex Crisano did more for the Kings back then than Villanueva-- concentrating on rebounds and clearing up paths for his guards).

SMC official Noli Eala has been bugged a million times over Twitter about the Kings' bigs, and he has gone over the record to say that they're working on it. Honestly, given the roster and money that they enjoy, I don't see why this team hasn't gotten a reliable big man the last two years. Sister team Petron has a ton of them (Danny Ildefonso, Rob Reyes, Carlo Sharma, Rabah Al Hussaini and the beefed up Nonoy Baclao), ditto with B-Meg, so why couldn't they just swing a deal within the family like they always do?

This writer is willing to bet the family farm on Petron head coach Ato Agustin not minding to trade for his San Sebastian star Jimbo Aquino (who's star has faded into obscurity). There were rumors about a JC Intal and Rico Villanueva for Sonny Thoss trade, but unless the deal comes with an extra player the caliber of a Cyrus Baguio or Tony de la Cruz, then the Kings shouldn't give up on the Ateneans that soon.

In any case, fans shouldn't be alarmed with the Kings so-so performance in the Philippine Cup. Yes, the irregular rotations may throw us all off a bit every now and then, but since the legendary Robert Jaworski Sr. left for greener pastures in the late 90s, the San Miguel franchise has always found ways to keep the Kings as one of the league's best and biggest draws (taking a back seat to B-Meg in the Southern regions of course).

Real deal: Jeffrei Chan

Chan: no longer lost in the shadows of Arwind and Denok

Oh what difference does a seemingly one-sided trade, new coach and a conference or two makes!

Jeffrei Chan, a 6"2 guard from Bacolod now strutting his wares for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, have seen his production and minutes go up in the ongoing Philippine Cup where he is slowly carving a name as one of the league's newer premier shooters.

Once hailed as a defensive specialist who can knockdown shots all over the floor when needed, Chan now plays a more defined and lead role for his team under the tutelage of the ever unpredictable and always temperamental RoS head coach Yeng Guiao. True enough, in only 27 minutes of action, Chan is averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists on 46% shooting from two and an astounding 56% from three point territory.

Granted, the game is being made a lot easier for Chan thanks to playing alongside defensive magnets Gabe Norwood (whose combination of height, ball handling skills and athleticism is unparalleled in the league) and rookie combo guard Paul Lee. But it's still up to the player if he can make shots or not-- and so far, Chan's been hitting them. Hell, he even took 10 attempts from deep in that blowout win over the Aces-- something I haven't heard of from a Guiao player (without him being benched for the rest of the conference).

Is this the year that Chan emerges from the shadows of fellow FEU alumni and now household names Arwind Santos and Denok Miranda? Probably so, and by the looks of things, he's just a couple of clutch games away from cementing his place among the superstar guards of the PBA.

Oh no, it's NOT Johnny: Mark Barroca is his own star

When Johnny Abarrientos dominated the league in 1996, leading his Alaska Milkmen to the highly coveted Grand Slam, talks about him being NBA-caliber and how he's the first of a new breed of Filipino PGs became rampant.

True enough, every time a new PG made the headlines be it in the amateurs or pros, comparisons would be made with the one time MVP. No matter how much his career dipped in the late 90s entering the new millennium (accusations of substance abuse-- which was junked the moment then PBA commissioner Noli Eala called for an all-out campaign over druggies and gambling/ cock-fighting-- which stuck), every Filipino basketball fan who was fortunate enough to have watched the "Flying A" in action would concede that there's no one else like him and that he may go down as the league's best point guard (could run offensive sets, anchor the defense, is clutch when called upon AND beat his man one on one).

The future is here

Ladies and gentlemen... the Flying B! (I'm sure Quinito Henson
will come up with something cheesier at some point).

This season, with Abarrientos' long time coach Tim Cone moving over to the B-Meg Llamados (and re-uniting with his prized guard at the bench) talks about a "new Johnny Abarrientos" have captured the imagination and fancy of fans around. How could it not, when the "heir apparent" comes from the same Alma Mater (Far Eastern University), is cat quick, heady and fearless-- oh, and he wears #14 as a tribute to his idol as well?

Mark Barroca, a 5"10 point guard who has won over fans with his tenacity from playing for FEU and the SMART Gilas men's basketball national team, has been given all the tools to succeed as the new "Flying A." Of the players' we've seen the last two decades, the closest "heir" would be the guy who is widely recognized as the best PG of this era-- Jimmy Alapag. But even Alapag's mighty deep threes and courageous international feats fail to measure up to Abarrientos-- who played every game all-out and took matters in his own hands regardless of what Coach Cone says (which drew the American's ire plenty of times while also freezing out equally/ more clutch teammate Jojo Lastimosa in 4th quarters).

Back to Barroca, who is not only being coached by Cone, but also has the luxury of being mentored firsthand by Abarrientos. And, while Cone argues that Barroca reminds him of a young Abarrientos, this writer argues that there'll never be another "Flying A," let alone a "Flying B."

Flying A VS Flying B

The difference between Abarrientos and his young protege Barroca: Abarrientos, apart from the former's great command of his teammates and running set plays, is him being a great one on one player. The left to right crossovers while at full speed, fade away jumpers taken off a Michael Jordan game tape and kanto swagger all made Abarrientos legendary in the eyes of basketball fans. That, plus the fact that at the time, there was no other PG who played like him-- not Ronnie Magsanoc (a great court general but didn't have half Abarrientos' speed), Bal David (played with a lot of heart to make up for his average talent), Richie Ticzon (Master by Eskinol, sikreto ng mga gwapo! three point shooter) or even the King Davao Eagle Euguene Quilban (who would've been his rival had he not been sentenced to obscurity).

Barroca thrives more in a team game. He slashes into the paint by finding openings rather than creating his own driving paths. His pull-up jumpers are textbook, but again, nothing out of the offense. Not to say that Barroca isn't a great basketball player, but compared to Abarrientos, he's more on the safer side of things. Think Chris Calagio (great textbook/ almost robotic shooting guard) versus Mark Caguioa (flashy, unpredictable, fiery competitor).

To Barroca's credit, he's shown that he can dominate games when called upon by his coaches (SMART Gilas' first tour of PBA duty which was sadly ended by Wyne-gate). But even then, his numbers were a byproduct of set plays (double high picks at the top arc for isolation cuts/ kick out passes-- a ploy now being used by the Meralco Bolts for star guard Sol Mercado).

Anything to help

In the ongoing Philippine Cup, Barroca is averaging 6.86 points, 1.71 rebounds, 0.57 assists, 1.14 turnovers in 14.43 minutes per game. Those are acceptable numbers for any rookie in the PBA, but not for someone with Barroca's overall pedigree and hype. The statistic that disturbs me the most, is that he only averages 0.57 assists which is quite appalling to see from a point guard.

Granted, Cone's triangle offense doesn't allow guards to be assist-numbers happy (which is sad for ex-Cone protege and now the league's #2 PG L.A. Tenorio), but you'd figure that with all the knock down shooters at the Llamados' disposal (PJ Simon, Roger Yap, James Yap, Joe DeVance), Barroca would have averaged at least 2 assists per game.

I'm not saying that Barroca won't be one of the league's better PGs someday, but right now, he's far from being an Abarrientos. Hell, he's more like a jump-shooting version of a fresh-out-of-C.M. Recto Paul Artadi (quick as a cat, knows how to run the offense but is too fast for the game).

In yesterday's win over the hapless Shopinas.Com Clickers (I'm sorry Ms. Lina, but why not try getting guys from Liga Pilipinas to enforce this team? Say, Claiford Arao?), Barroca enjoyed 30 minutes of burn and scored 13 to go with 5 rebounds. Cone lauded his rookie PG and said that the kid was "everywhere." And there was no denying that Barroca, when playing long minutes, is at par with other PBA guards (nowhere near the Cabagnots and Tenorios, but definitely above the Artadis and Labagalas).

Right now, Cone is making the game simple for his young PG. Call your own number as long as it's within the system-- which is great because it would certainly help build Barroca's confidence. Will Barrroca be able to live up to his mentors' dreams for him? Who knows, Mike Cortez was once hailed as my generation's Abarrientos but that relationship quickly went sour. The thing that seems to be going for Barroca is that, Cone and the rest of the BMeg management are willing to wait and aren't rushing him to take the keys from veteran teammates Roger Yap and Josh Urbiztondo.

PBA All Star Weekend 2011: Baguhan kontra Beterano

Makapag pa cute pa kaya ang iba dito
 pag hindi sila nasama sa All Star Veterans? Tampuhan na!

With the undeniable influx of superstar-worthy talent by virtue of the SMART Gilas program in the 37th season of the PBA, calls for a return to the tried and tested Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors vs Veterans format soon became the norm. And just as PBA commissioner Chito Salud has taken after his father's "audience first" stance, we have been granted the return of the aforementioned PBA All Star Main Event.

And holy crap are we in for the biggest Pinoy basketball spectacle in over a decade or what?! Here's this writer's 13-15 man line-up if the ASG were held TODAY that is just too good to be true:

Rookies Sophomores Juniors

PG Paul Lee
SG Chris Lutz
SF Marcio Lassiter
PF Nonoy Baclao
C Japeth Aguilar

PG Jayvee Casio
SG John Wilson
SF Dylan Ababou
PF Mac Baracael
C Rico Maierhofer

PG Rob Labagala
PG Mark Barroca
SF Allein Maliksi
C Rabah Al Husaini (injured)

Veterans

PG Willie Miller
SG Gary David
SF Arwind Santos
PF Joe DeVance

C Sonny Thoss

PG Alex Cabagnot
SG Mark Caguioa
SF Gabe Norwood

PF Kelly Williams

C Asi Taulava

PG Sol Mercado
SG James Yap
SG Jayjay Helterbrand
PF Jay Washington (injured)

On the RSJ squad, the first five guys I listed are definite shoo-ins to become future PBA hall-of-famers (okay, the jury's still out on Nonoy Baclao who's lost in the Petron shuffle and is now masquerading as a center). On the Veterans' corner, I actually had a hard time in coming up with a list because there are guys who are having a great year as well (i.e. Jayson Castro, Jeffrei Chan) but like it or not, there's just no way in hell that James Yap, regardless of the pedestrian (yet efficient) numbers he's been putting up lately misses an ASG. Ditto with the Ginebra tandem of Helterbrand and Caguioa who could very well be playing their last conference/ season together.

Eric Menk's name will probably make the final cut, but I sure hope that it won't be the case this ASG weekend because it would be a shame if he took Joe DeVance or Sonny Thoss' spot.

Wow. Just wow. Even if you took out the injured guys (Alapag, Washington), there are other vets who could easily fill-in the gaps without sacrificing the starpower (this way, we get to really watch the best veterans represent the PBA product and show the youngsters how it's done.)

Some subplots to look out for?

• Sol Mercado VS Paul Lee (no brainer). 
• Will the Gilas boys even pass the ball to Lee (and vice versa)
• How many old guys will Japeth Aguilar posterize
• Can Gary David takeover the All Star Game
• Who will stop Joe DeVance from dancing like a crazy person
• Cabagnot-Caguioa passing the ball to one another
• Whose head will Kelly Williams rip-off with a thunderous dunk

Ayos! Be sure to visit the PBA.ph website to vote for your All Stars. Or, since we're all fans of the game, click HERE.

Lee 1, Mercado 0

While this afternoon's 139-95 massacre of the Meralco Bolts courtesy of the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters should be credited to the entire RoS roster and their ridiculous three point shooting, this writer chooses to ignore all of the semantics (as others are sure to write about it on tomorrow's dailies-- kudos to Ronjay Buenafe who needs a monicker of his own, I like "The Microwave" as suggested by Jason Webb) and get right down to business.

Paul Lee VS Sol Mercado.

In case you've been spending the past couple of weeks under a rock, the flashy and bull-strong Meralco combo guard made a controversial post on Twitter that didn't sit well with fans of the up and coming super rookie from Rain or Shine. This ultimately divided the Pinoy basketball world, with this writer slightly favoring Lee for his overall game (and 100% Filipino lineage).

LeBron James-like: kamikaze drives
and deep threes for Mercado

Given the controversial subplot, this afternoon's game was definitely pencilled in by fans as the start of what could be a beautiful rivalry between the two players. This is the Mark Caguioa VS Sol Mercado match-up that never materialized (as Caguioa spent most of the season hurting during Mercado's rookie year) and thankfully, both guys were pitted against each other right from the get go.

And while we're still waiting for our friends from reliable stats site http://www.pba-online.net it doesn't take a rocket scientist to say that Lee definitely outshone Mercado.

The RoS defense was bent on denying Mercado his favored driving lane (from the top of the arc) and it also didn't help that the "Sol Train" was struggling with his deep threes. Of the few times when Lee guarded Mercado, there was always a help defender waiting to cut the Meralco hotshot's path.

Note to Mercado: much like people call out LeBron James for not having a pet post-up move, Mercado needs to develop his off-the-ball game and maybe take a jumpshot or two just to mix things up and keep his defenders guessing. At this rate, all teams have to do is throw a 2nd defender at him whenever he cuts and he's bound to jack up a three or throw the ball away. Again, I'm not saying Mercado's not good, because he damn well is, but there's always room to grow as a player.

On the other end, the Bolts wasn't able to concentrate their defense on Lee owing to the RoS players' hot shooting from just about everywhere. Every time they tried to double on Lee, the ball would be rotated and an open three pointer would be scored by just about everyone from Lee, Jeff Chan to Beau Belga and JR Quinahan.

Anong sinabi niya sa laro ko? O etong kanya.

There were times however, when Mercado would pick up Lee early and the rookie would force the issue by driving to open lanes (caused by again, RoS' hot shooting from deep). On one sequence, Lee drove against Mercado and used his exceptional skill and poise to protect the basketball (with kanto wisdom of having his elbows wide out) before laying it up. Nothing fancy, just old school Pinoy streetball. None of the pretty crossovers, kamikaze drives and Derrick Rose-like "bahala na si Batman" circus shots, just going hard to the basket and finishing like a grown ass man. Oh, and his teammates made him look good whenever his drives went nowhere by burying kick out threes.

Lee downplaying the match-up during the halftime interview was expected of the "too cool for school" rookie, but there's no denying that the O.G. was bent on proving a point whenever he was on the floor. No need to lie homeboy, we see you.

And since there's no point in calling for a Meralco-Rain or Shine rivalry anytime soon (unless they meet in the Finals and add more fuel to the fire), let's just give this one to Lee and wait for Mercado's comeback the next time around.

A Tale of Two Sisters

There was a time in the PBA wherein when someone referred to "sister teams," everyone knew that they were simply talking about the San Miguel Corporation franchises- San Miguel Beermen/ Petron Blaze Boosters and the Barangay Ginebra Kings. Nowadays, you'd have to be a little more specific. If it's an SMC, Manny V. Pangilinan-owned or this season's latest addition to the "PBA Family Drama:" the Lina franchises of Barako Bull and Shopinas.Com.

One is atop the current Philippine Cup standings with a remarkable 4-1 record despite not having any solid product to endorse (really now, where can I find a "Barako Bull Energy" drink and where does it rank against the Cobras and Stings?). The other, which aims to boost an online market, is at the bottom of the barrel with 0-5.

Young and restless

Only 3 apg for a PBA starting PG? Fail.

Despite the 0-5 start, the Shopinas.Com Clickers managed by the beautiful Ms. Sheila Lina have actually competed at an amazing level. The gameplan is obviously there behind the coaching ploys of legendary UAAP coach Franz Pumaren-- unfortunately games are won on the court, not on the whiteboard during timeouts.

Built to run, the Clickers are anchored by champion point guard Paolo Hubalde (14 ppg, 3 apg) and slotman James Sena (8 ppg, 8 rpg). The problem this writer sees in the line-up is something expected from new teams with young talent= no veteran leadership.

Yes, Ren Ren Ritualo has shown flashes that he could still shoot the basketball, but even during his DLSU days Ritualo was never the outspoken leader who would call out his teammates (more like cold blooded assassin with a business-like mentality). The problem with this bunch is that it features hard-headed player Ogie Menor-- a guy who has all the tools to be one of the better scorers in the league, but hasn't figured out when to takeover and when to let his teammates make the game easier for him.

True enough, in the games that this writer has seen, whenever Menor and Hubalde are on the floor the two appear as though they're trying to one-up each other at the cost of their team.

They won't be contending this conference, but if they can add a big import in the 2nd or 3rd, this team might be a darkhorse given the young talent that they have on the floor. It also wouldn't hurt if each and every player on the line-up not named Menor, Homer Se or Dennis Daa, were given a steady supply of Appeton weight gain.

WMiller from 2x high scoring MVP to 7 apg PG

Out to prove a point

On the other side of the Lina fence, the Barako Bull Energy are being led by veterans out to prove they still have it and a rookie that is "on a revenge tour for being slighted in this year's PBA draft."

The minute the roster was shown to the public, the Energy were considered "darkhorses" because of the undeniable superstar talent that they have: 2x MVP Willie Miller, Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi are all National Team players. Throw in specialists such as Sunday Salvacion, Wyne Arboleda and Dorian Pena and you already have a formidable 6 man rotation.

THEN, you add TWO amateur leagues MVPs in Allein Maliksi and SMART Gilas standout Dylan Ababou (the team's leading scorer at a 14 ppg clip) who can both slide from SG to PF with ease and what you have is a team that could easily be in the Finals (and win) should it start today.

Plus, wala ng mas maangas pa sa mala Hitler na bigote ni Junel Baculi (shaved on both ends).

For the Energy faithful's sake, this writer hopes, nay, PRAYS, that this team be given a chance to shine if only for one conference. We all know that the inevitable is bound to happen at some point, that the players will be traded to big-money teams and that the Energy will fall back down to earth either later this conference or the next.

Hell, you could even take that to the bank. That of the eight guys mentioned above, three will probably be traded by season's end.

Talk 'n' Text makes statement

Last night's main event pitting last year's grand slam seeking Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters and, the team that prevented them from doing so, the Petron Blaze Boosters was billed as a match-up of epic proportions owing to both camps' loaded rosters (despite the injuries). Kudos to the InterAKTV team (manned by no less than Jaemark Tordecilla of FireQuinito fame) for highlighting the "champion o chamba" slant that reportedly drew an unprecedented amount of response from the Pinoy Internet community.

Champion o chamba

What if Castro wasn't hurt in the Governor's Cup Finals?
(Injured na, na-injure pa lalo mid-series)

To settle any and all arguments on this page, here's this writer's take on last season's Governor's Cup Finals: Petron had key players missing BEFORE the conference began and was able to adjust all the way up to the finals with the 100% HEALTHY roster that they had. Roles were played to perfection, and the execution was practically flawless as the games leading to the finals helped the rag and tag, somewhat little used (but not necessarily less talented players), Boosters' bench breed familiarity.

Talk 'n' Text, fresh from back to back titles, was literally running on fumes despite the superstar names on the roster. Distractions were also abound as players, who were just doing their jobs and following orders from management, received a lot of flak for not choosing to suit up for the National cause (which was bankrolled by the same outfit). Once the Finals was set, we were looking at a grand-slam seeking yet visibly tired and hurting team versus a hungry, proud and resilient team. True enough, TNT's players (the ones who played major minutes, specifically their triple threat guards: Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes) started going down and played at about 50% their true capacity which won't do against the caliber of  players that they were facing in the Finals.

The funny thing is, when this writer posted on PBAonAKTV's Twitter page, a fan quickly came to Petron's defense (albeit in a very immature manner) and dismissed TNT as making excuses. Honestly, I don't recall Chot Reyes or any of TNT of making such excuses. They were hurt, period. Jayson Castro showed flashes of being the best damn combo guard in the business if he ever gets healthy (right now, I rank Ryan Reyes 1, healthy Jayjay Helterbrand at a close 2 and Sol Mercado and Castro battling for 3rd) and they'll surely meet again in the Finals the way the conference is going.

The better team won the Governor's Cup Finals, but people shouldn't take away from Talk 'n' Text's surreal 2010 campaign as though it's a "Grand Slam or Bust" thing. That's just plain stupid and shallow.

Petron's loss (Miranda) is Talk 'n' Text's gain

Right now, Miranda means more on the floor
for his team than the 2010 PBA MVP

How big a loss was Denok Miranda to the Petron cause?

HUGE.

While people remain awestruck with the brilliance of Alex Cabagnot's effortless dribbling skills and improved three point shooting,  Miranda is the glue that keeps whoever's on the floor together and accountable. A natural born leader and point guard, Miranda is usually the man who takes care of the intangibles that allows his more offensively gifted backcourt buddy the freedom to concentrate on scoring and passing.

In yesterday's game, Cabagnot was clearly winded by the second half, and couldn't keep a body on Ryan Reyes (who was clearly hobbling at times which shows just how big his heart is) who is the game's best point guard (if Chot Reyes ever lets him play his natural position). Chris Lutz, the super rookie who's pretty much a Ryan Reyes clone only taller and slimmer, was also being outsmarted by the underrated Reyes-- in Filipino, "ginugulangan." These tactics of course, wouldn't work on Miranda who was Reyes' former teammate at Santa Lucia (forever!) and also one of the better kanto-bred players in the PBA.

The X Factor

Is Aguilar the missing link for TNT? Or will he get in the way
once Ranidel de Ocampo comes back strong?

We will probably never see Japeth Aguilar ask for the ball in the block, grip it with both hands, put it on the floor and back his defender down for an easy turn around hook or throwdown. But if he continues to play like he did the first game of the season and yesterday, then all will be forgiven.

Aguilar was aggressive early, far from the lost and hesitant player we've been accustomed to. He drained jumpers, followed up misses, crashed the boards and dunked on fools-- all after being blocked early by Arwind Santos of course (if Aguilar wants to play like a SF, then he has to measure up against the best in the business-- which he did).

Maybe that's all Aguilar needs to really play up to his potential-- the right push and continued confidence from his coaches.

Once Aguilar established and imposed himself on the game, Petron just didn't have anyone to put in front of him. Santos had a rare off-night (and really, how do you expect him to box out Ali Peek? He's awesome but he's far from the Incredible Hulk now) while Petron's other bigs played the traditional, back-to-the-basket enforcer roles.

If last night's game is any indication, Talk 'n' Text is still the better team WHEN HEALTHY-- all while playing without big contributors such as Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey and Ranidel de Ocampo. Petron needs more than a focused Rabah Al Husaini should they meet again in the Finals (Dondon Hontiveros' spot now officially belongs to Chris Lutz).

Honestly, I just wish that this rivalry keeps going (but hopefully not at the expense of other teams read: lopsided trades) as it adds a different element to the PBA wars. As of today, it's 1-0 in favor of the Tropang Texters and for one night, they can lay claim to being the league's best team.

PJ Simon: Rodney Santos 2011?

Is PJ Simon ready to be Tim Cone's Rodney Santos 2.0 ?

Despite the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados' shaky 2-3 record in the ongoing Philippine Cup owing to their adjusting to new head coach Tim Cone and all the intricacies of the triangle offense, there's one player who continues to shine in his new prominent role on the floor: Peter June Simon.

The 43rd pick in the 2001 PBA draft who has been stuck as teammate James Yap's high-scoring off-the-bench sidekick the last three years is playing an average of 32+ minutes and scoring 14 points. That, plus being asked to bring the ball down and orchestrate from time to time.

While his assist averages leave little to be desired (1.2 apg), it's obvious that Simon has earned his coach's trust and is proving himself to be more than a one-dimensional player (read: scorer). Daresay that there were games wherein Simon outshone his famed, two time MVP teammate Yap (who's having an efficient run under Cone's system as well) and could be the missing link should the Llamados' vie for a championship this season (as the team's best slasher).

And since life is made easier (and arguments more credible) whenever historical references are made, here's how I see Simon's new role in Cone's system: Rodney Santos Version 2.0.

Feel free if you've seen this before: Santos plays behind PBA superstar teammate Kenneth Duremdes not as a designated stopper, but as a solid slasher who could be relied upon in the clutch owing to his jumper and ball handling skills.

If things work out as planned, Simon could end up enjoying a better career than that of Santos' since he has already shown MVP-like performances even during his PBL days (when he was matched up with now forgotten Hercules Tangkay-- who was Yap's teammate and who the PBA poster boy easily and respectfully deferred to). Now at 32, this may be Simon's last shot at superstardom if he could make the leap from being just another scorer in the PBA into a multi-faceted player that could command double teams and open things up for his teammates.

*stats courtesy of http://www.pba-online.net

Who will coach SMART Gilas 2?

This is probably not the best time to discuss any changes within the SMART Gilas coaching system. Not when the program has just scratched the surface of its true potential and is in the middle of making a name on the Asian basketball scene.

But here we are, despite the highest FIBA finishes of any Philippine men's basketball team in the last two decades, wondering if Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman will come back to steer the SMART Gilas 2 project that now enjoys the full support of the PBA (as opposed to the first time around, where the team only enjoyed the pro league's support in the latter stages of the project because of some off court drama between parties *cough* Noli Eala's wounded pride *cough*).

Who are the names being thrown around to lead the next batch of Filipino hopefuls? Here's a short list as reported on other sites, and this writer's arguments for (+) /against (-) them.

Toroman: What more do you want from me?

Rajko Toroman
+ WANTS to come back and coach
+ spread out offense that utilizes our strengths in all positions
+ brings credibility to our recruitment program
+ preaches zone defense (author's note: our idol FireQuinito nicely corrected this one bit that I credited Toroman for, apparently, Toroman isn't that great a zone coach-- which is quite odd given his Euro-training)
+ disciplinarian
+ X's and O's coach
- set to receive big money offers from other international teams
- not the type of coach who develops players (i.e. Japeth Aguilar)
- is a foreigner and usually loses out on crucial decision making scenarios to not offend his Filipino employers (re: Jordan defensive gameplan mishap with the next coach on the list...)

Reyes actually outcoached Toroman in a tune-up game. Real talk.

Chot Reyes
+ 100% Filipino
+ champion PBA coach
+ preaches a more free wheeling offense anchored on all-out hustling defense
+ solved Toroman's patented "double high pick" strategy in a practice game and had the SMART Gilas team on their heels
+ player's coach
- has coached the National team before, failed by using the same run and gun system
- despised by some basketball sages which could put the recruiting part at risk

If Ryan Gregorio is named SMART Gilas II head coach,
FireQuinito would be the happiest basketblogger on earth. Right?

Ryan Gregorio
+ champion PBA coach
+ player's coach
+ is young, can be related to by his players
- preaches isolation plays to the hilt which is what SMART Gilas shied away from and won with
+ preaches zone defense (author's note: as per FireQuinito. Who is just as dumbfounded as I am. Guess Gregorio deserves his "The Genius" monicker c/o FQ after all.)
- lacks coaching credibility

Norman Black
+ champion PBA and collegiate coach
+ X's and O's coach
+ can develop talent: from bigs (Claiford Arao, Doug Kramer, Rabah Al Hussaini) to guards (J.C. Intal, Eric Salamat)
+ NBA credibility that can be used for recruiting purposes
- might not be released by Ateneo for five-peat purposes

As you can see clearly, this writer is obviously pushing for Norman Black in the event that Toroman isn't brought back to steer SMART Gilas 2. He won't have any problems dealing with the PBA contingent (if they push through with the 15 man pool) since he's a PBA superstar himself, plus, we've seen him solve DLSU's then coach Franz Pumaren's vaunted full court press with relative ease so that's a testament to just how good a coach he is.

Despite all the PBA titles, Gregorio still has a lot of doubters (this writer included) and has yet to take his Meralco Bolts off the ground (playoff-contender wise) while Reyes, who seems to be the frontrunner (and rumored mastermind in Toroman's ouster), had his shot at fame/ power in that bungled Jordan game but blew it by calling for a change in defensive philosophy which opened up the game in our opponent's favor. Then again, who would've known right? Had Reyes' plan worked (which did at first), then who knows what would've happened to our Olympic chances?

The ball's in MVP's court now. Hopefully, whatever his decision is, is for the betterment of the country's basketball program as a whole and not just of a certain person or party.

Ex-teammates Sol, Jeff Chan shine in today's games

What did KKS say about my game?
Fukk KKS. Watch this biyotches.

In case there were any questions about who Meralco's main man is, Sol Mercado made sure to quell any doubts about his game and health by leading the Bolts to a convincing 80-70 win over previously undefeated Petron Blaze.

As if to make bloggers such as this writer look like complete marks, Mercado posted a solid 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in only 27 minutes of action and showed his true worth by being fearless all throughout the game. When his team needed someone to take command and douse water on Petron's repeated rallies, Mercado was sure to be part of the offensive sequence.

Hell, credit it to adrenaline or first game excitement, but the guy was active as hell on the defensive end. There was one sequence early where I think it was Alex Cabagnot or Chris Lutz who wanted to drive against Mercado only to find his path blocked much like how Petron's own Denok Miranda freezes slashers from going in.

Hopefully, this is the Mercado that we see the rest of the conference: focused, aggressive and superhuman-like. There's not one guard in the league who can stay in front of him one-on-one given his shiftiness, size and speed (though I will always root for Santa Lucia boys Denok Miranda and Ryan Reyes) and yes, when he's on his game, he is "LeBron James-like."

By that I mean, he drives hard or shoots a three. Plays lazy defense with his hands (this game being the exception) and has a knack for choking in the clutch. Will this be the year of the Sol-Train (I find that monicker a tad bit cheesy, wouldn't be surprised if Quinito Henson thought of it)? I would like to see Mercado take and make more jumpers (I've seen him do jump-stops before), but I'd be lying if I said that I don't like watching him driving hard and finishing at the rim like a grown ass man (almost Derrick Rose like, even the ugly misses at times).

Mercado, plus the fact that the Bolts pretty much owned the glass behind Asi Taulava, Gabby Espinas, Bitoy Omolon, Mark Borboran and even Chico "Hinete" Lanete sealed the deal.

And Petron's Chris Lutz scoring 16 on 14/16 from the free throw line? He's being aggressive yes, but the refs are calling it tight in his favor (which is odd for a rookie).

Rizada, Villanueva WHO? I'm that batch's BEST FEU GUARD.

On the other game which turned out to be a brutal massacre of the Alaska Aces who are now 0-4 under coach Joel Banal, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters drew strength from "The Artist Formerly Known as Jeff Chan but is really Allan Caidic using loads of Chin Chun Su."

Chan opened the game with a 5/6 blast from three, with Gabe Norwood setting up the plays and the rest of the guys hitting just about everything from everywhere.

Once they were done, Ronjay Buenafe came off the bench to unload a bunch of points as well with Beau Belga, Ryan Arana and well, just about everyone. Hell, if Dr. J Andy Jao was called in to play, I wouldn't be surprised if he made a three point shot the way they were shooting the basketball. Paul Lee had a blah game and looked out of rhythm, but even that wouldn't spoil the E-painters night.

And, as a conference long tradition since his return to the pro ranks, Yeng Guiao found himself ejected in the third quarter for his legendary and almost "must see TV" audible tirades that ranges from "tumawag ka ng foul gago!" to "Tanginamo!" I swear, he's the only guy on national TV that gets away with cursing on air-- the man has yet to receive a love letter from the MTRCB.

As for the Aces, they need to ditch the triangle and stop pretending. They have new players, and they can't learn something that their coaches don't fully understand. It's like having a tutor teach you algebra at home. You can learn some stuff, but others you're better off learning from your teacher at school.

Hats off to L.A. Tenorio for trying his best to keep the Aces afloat despite a still sore right elbow. It's Cyrus Baguio and the other guards who're missing. THAT, or maybe the new post offense that they're trying to develop with Twin Tower combo of JayR Reyes and Sonny Thoss hasn't gotten off the ground yet.

Casio makes incomplete debut

Casio's ceiling: Alaska's LA Tenorio
minus the crossover and stepback 3s

As expected, this year's top draft pick Jayvee Casio finally made his much anticipated debut for the Powerade Tigers against the Barangay Ginebra Kings in yesterday's out of town game in Victorias City, Negros Occidental after recovering from injuries suffered in his FIBA tour of duty.

Little was expected of Casio however, since apart from coming back from the injured list, the Tigers were enjoying a respectable 2-1 win loss card thanks to a more balanced roster that is spearheaded by the league's leading scorer Gary David and arguably the best second option today, rookie Marcio Lassiter.

And while we wait for Casio to be at a 100%, it's quite obvious that he'll have his work cut out for him if he wants to play big minutes for the Tigers. If you thought that Dylan Ababou had it tough with the Barako Bulls playing behind a bunch of small forwards in Danny Seigle, Allein Maliksi, Sunday Salvacion, etc., then Casio's arguably the 3rd best PG in head coach Bo Perasol's rotation.

Celino Cruz (who had an impressive game yesterday but showed a lack of end game poise that ultimately cost his team the win-- he should've held to the ball longer in the dying minutes) will always be ranked as the Tigers' lead guard. Then there's Rudy Lingganay, a rookie-clone of Cruz. Behind Casio will be UE's James Martinez (who, like Casio, is also an undersized shooting guard) and Ateneo's Jai Reyes (who wouldn't even be in the PBA if not for his surname and Alma Mater).

As I've said before, Casio's strength will always be his shooting in any part of the game. He'll be a valuable 2nd option in clutch situations, because I doubt that Perasol will call any end game plays for him over their main man David.

What I fear is that, Casio's patented land-forward three pointers (watch him closely, he'll take off at the three point line and land a foot inside it, opposite of what Alaska's L.A. Tenorio's stepback threes) won't work in the pros once he's scouted because taller guards would simply block his shot or force him to jump into them which will result in an offensive foul.

Also, Casio needs an X's and O's coach to be effective at PG in the PBA where free-wheeling offense reigns. The difference between our guards and those in Asia is simply: ours can adjust on the fly because they are highly skilled dribblers and experienced enough to see cracks in any defense (Jimmy Alapag, Tenorio, Alex Cabagnot). In case you haven't been paying much attention and has been lost with all the SMART Gilas hype and love, Casio either calls his own number by asking for a double pick up top OR passes to a guy who's open-- not that there's anything wrong with it. But more open because of circumstance rather than a set offensive play.

Casio would thrive in pick-and-roll situations but the Tigers don't have a solid enough center to pose as a threat (maybe Doug Kramer?). I don't belittle Perasol's coaching abilities, but you'd be lying to yourself if you think he's a great coach-- the man let his ASSISTANT Alex Compton design a play in the DYING seconds for crying out loud while playing the role of cheerleader/ wide-eyed observer. WTF.

In reality, Casio would've been a better fit with B-Meg where he could be a Tenorio clone under Tim Cone. With Powerade, he's too raw as a PG and will be exposed by the league's premier guards and too small to play SG with the best of them. I don't question his heart, I question his game when matched against others.

To sum it up, Casio is:

Shorter/ smaller than: Denok Miranda, Mike Cortez, Alex Cabagnot, Paul Artadi, Wyne Arboleda, Paul Lee, Ryan Reyes, Jayson Castro, Willie Miller

Slower than: Castro, Cabagnot, Artadi, Rob Labagala, Jimmy Alapag,

For his sake, I do hope that Casio carves a solid PBA career where I honestly don't see him becoming a star. We've seen former amateur MVPs and stars fail in the PBA before (Al Magpayo, Ken Bono, Cris Cantojos hell, even Mike Cortez to name a few), I just wish that things turn out different for him.

P.S.

And now we could honestly say that if the league held a do-over in the draft, it would be Lee, Lassiter and Chris Lutz at the top 3. Para tuloy nung taong dapat Williams-Santos-Espinas ung top pero panggulo si Joseph Yeo who was drafted by, well, surprise! The Tigers.

Barako Bull-ies win again; What did I tell you about Dillinger?

In a battle of sister teams outside the San Miguel and MVP umbrellas, the Barako Bulls literally bullied their way to a 96-78 domination of sister team Shopinas.Com but not before some fireworks flew between some of their players (and coaches).

Se: starting melees since 2002

Shopinas' Homer Se tried to go after BB head coach Junel Baculi in the second quarter in front of the latter's own bench which thankfully didn't trigger a full-out melee. BB veteran point guard Wyne Arboleda was the one who helped pacify his old Air21 running mate which shows you just how brave/ strong #19 really is.

Are we supposed to be surprised with BB's performance and current 3-1 record? Not really. Given the names that they have on the roster, it was just a matter of time before the pieces fell in place (i.e. Willie Miller sharing the ball more and trusting his teammates young or old) and they showed why people picked them as the early darkhorses.

The game featured a more balance attack with Sunday Salvacion, Miller, Arboleda, Don Allado and Leo Najorda each scoring in double figures. It should be noted though that Dylan Ababou, who had back-to-back 20 points games, was able to muster only a measly 3 points but I guess he'd rather score less and win than drop buckets and lose games.

JD: Let me entertain you!

Do I take back what I said about Junel Baculi as a coach? No.

Will the Bulls' onslaught continue to the next round? I doubt it. I smell a mid-conference or season changing trade as expected of any Lina franchise.

And on a side note, Ababou's a complete all around player while Allein Maliksi is a legit scorer in the Kenneth Duremdes mold.

As for Shopinas.com, I pray that the rumors aren't true and that Coach Franz Pumaren stays on board. There will be a lot of growing pains for sure, but they're probably a slasher and a post presence away from being a true contender (now that Ren Ren Ritualo has reestablished himself as one of the game's best shooters).

In the second game between the Talk n Text Tropang Texters and B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados, TNT was able to pull off a close win after the Llamados blew several chances to in the dying minutes. That, plus Jarred Dillinger-- who I just wrote about as being one of the league's more underrated players, exploded for a new career high of 31 points after being stuck in TNT head coach Chot Reyes' dog house for so long.

Really now, while there are a lot of times when I feel that Dillinger should be reeled back into the game plan, there's no denying his talent on the offensive end of the floor. So again, FREE THE DAREDEVIL!

Overrated, much

When people think of the WWE’s John Cena, they picture him as a modern day Hulk Hogan. A guy who works his tail off for the business that he (presumably) loves and the fans that love him back regardless of his in-ring limitations (re: five moves of doom). That’s not Cena’s fault (he can actually wrestle old-school), but it’s the way he was or is being packaged and seemingly pushed down our throats that have skewed others’ perception which have led them to brand him as being overrated.

The same can be said for athletes in different disciplines: those with television friendly looks usually get more airtime than those who don’t, people who can work the mic, look good while doing a certain move but not everything else and so on.

In today’s PBA, there are a couple of names that I can easily throw around as being overrated. Not that they can’t play—some, if not most, actually could, but it’s the way that they have been built up by their respective coaches, teams, fans and the media for being something that they aren’t. Case in point: Danny Siegle. The so-called “savior” of Philippine basketball via this decade’s pre-SMART Gilas national team/s. Why we keep blaming Siegle is simple, his coaches flat out mentioned his non-inclusion in the final team for our loss (he was injured in an exhibition game). Right. He’s good, but not THAT good.

There’s also one Olsen Racela. Yes he earned mad love over the years as San Miguel’s veteran leader (thanks to Ron Jacobs’ tutelage), but he was never the best PG of his time (Abarrientos-Magsanoc-Quilban (had he continued to play in the PBA)-D Pumaren-Esplana) or even when his rivals retired, Jimmy Alapag came into the picture to pretty much make himself number 1 by default.

Here’s a short list of who I feel are some of the league’s more overrated active players. Again, I’m not saying they’re not good, just not on the Kili Kili Shot Holy Trinity of Allan Caidic-Mon Fernandez-Johnny Abbarientos territory.  And yes, some of them are PBA Mythical Five shoo-ins (which shows you the quality of judges and gameplay we have in this country and you wonder why this decade’s PBA national teams can’t place higher over none YouTube sensations from the rest of Asia)

To make it even more interesting, I’ll throw in who I feel should get at least half of the attention/ press time being given the players on the list.

PG

Sol Mercado

Having exchanged Tweets the other day, I just want to clarify that I’m not hating on Mercado at all (being a Santa Lucia-Meralco fan before moving on to join the B-Meg and Rain or Shine bandwagons simply because 1. how can you not be a fan of Tim Cone 2. I’m waiting if Yeng Guiao will ever give Paul Lee a tongue-lashing). But here’s the reality: yes, he can dazzle the crowd and lose defenders with that ultra-quick crossover of his. Yes, he drives hard to the basket and is almost impossible to stop. And yes, he is a streaky shooter from deep. BUT, put a solid defender on him like a Ryan Reyes, Ronald Tubid (if he ever stops with the theatrics), Jeff Chan or Denok Miranda who will be all up in his face and force him to move laterally, and I bet that nine of ten times he’ll put up an ill-advised shot/ force the action (I’ve seen him do it plenty of times at RoS and Meralco last conference). Also, if not for his size, he’s not that solid a defender one-on-one (we Filipinos know our basketball, and high steals average don’t mean shit, just shows you gamble a lot on defense and don’t care about your teammates’—which is a knock on my idol Dwyane Wade).

Oh, and on a side note. Throw in Jayjay Helterbrand as an overrated point guard. We all know he's a shooting guard. Now, you're finally seeing him play his position thanks to the genius of Coach Siot (wag na si Jong, sikat na yun).

Sleeper: Ryan Reyes

SG

Ui ako ulit MVP? Di si Arwind o Kelly? Yehey! Thanks fans!

James Yap

There was a time when everyone was sold on Yap. Hell, I’ve never seen a player ask for a screen and shoot OVER his own man AND the defender and MAKE the shot—from THREE POINT TERRITORY. But the minute he landed on the pro ranks, something changed in his game. He wasn’t battling as hard for loose balls, he was picking his spots a little too much on the floor and the biggest knock on him the last five years—he’s been settling for ill advised, “pogi” three point shots. In case you weren’t able to watch Yap play earlier in his career, think PJ Simon (who has been stealing Yap’s shine a bit) minus the flashy dribbling and drives but more accurate from almost everywhere on the court (save for the mysterious 4^th quarter cramping of course).

Sleeper: Gary David

SF

Gabe Norwood

A freakishly tall, athletic ball handler with an acceptable jumper will always be a rarity in the PBA. Are we taking him for granted with the recent influx of all these athletic wings? Are we setting the bar too high (set unfairly by the best damn Filipino player today Arwind Santos who has the same body type as Norwood but does so much more than the US NCAA alumna)? I say a little of yes. Even in the ongoing Philippine Cup, Norwood’s posting a steady diet of 10-10-5s but we’re not talking about him as much as rookie teammate Paul Lee. If Norwood wants to take the next step, he should work on his jumper and not try to simply outjump the competition every time down the floor (Hi Japeth!). Skills wise, guys like Jeff Chan, JC Intal, Ronald Tubid are more polished players but do not enjoy half the God given talents that Norwood has. That’s pretty much the same difference in skill enjoyed by Europeans over American players. They’re better and more polished, but you can’t teach athletic ability and blessings from the one above (jump higher, run faster, etc.)

Sleeper: Tony dela Cruz

PF

Jay Washington

How do you like the Petron Blaze Boosters with J-Wash as the “main man?” How about with Arwind Santos who is listed as a small forward, but spends so much time patrolling the paint on defense that he’s pretty much the de facto PF? Washington is another rarity in the PBA, but much like those who came before him that could do a little of everything (Jun Limpot), it doesn’t always translate to wins or means that you’re a great player. Plus, he has built a reputation as a guy who fades in the clutch and an absolute choker (don’t believe me? Google Jay+Washington+Choke and you’re bound to stumble upon a couple of Pinoy basketblogs such as FireQuinito.com among others).

Sleeper: Joe DeVance

C

Japeth Aguilar

Let me play my game! Release the Kraken!

With the way he plays, he’s bound to find more appreciation once he plays against guys near his size. I feel and understand Japeth, being a 6”0 tall guy with 5”3-5”5 friends some of who can’t even score a lay-up on a fastbreak. I'm always asked to play center even when I know I can blow by my smaller defenders with my pet crossover. I'm always asked to grab rebounds and wait my turn in the paint when I can shoot from deep. And whenever I do try to call my own number and bring the ball down, everyone would say I'm not playing along and I'm bullying them around (WTF). The one time I played against guys my size, I was able to play SG freely. Running around the floor, picking my spots and doing my best Rip Hamilton impersonation. That's why I’ve given up on Aguilar being the next Filipino big man. He’s not. He is a 6”9  small forward who would shine had he been recruited in the Chinese Basketball Association or somewhere where there are a lot of 6”7-10 forwards who are slower and less athletic to play against. Right now, he’s been unfairly reduced to a dunking, shot-blocking attraction and nothing more. I don't see him making a huge impact as Marlou Aquino or Asi Taulava did when they first came in. Think Rafi Reavis. That’s about it. When’s the last time Aguilar made an impact on a game? Yeah. Exactly.

Sleeper: Sonny Thoss

Again, being on this list doesn't mean that these guys aren't good basketball players (of course they are, they're in the PBA!). It's just that they are overrated/ hyped on a media/ fanbase level over other guys who are just as good/ even better but not tv friendly/ flashy/ sideshow-like.

Who are your overrated active players in the PBA?