PBA Governor's Cup Game 7: It's winning time!

It's going to be a war out there tonight, and I will stick to my original prediction that Talk 'n' Text will rise to the occasion as a team and come out with their third straight title and be recognized as the league's only 3rd Grand Slam franchise.

If Game 6 were any indication, it clearly showed the disparity in talent between both teams. Petron has managed to survive through vintage performance Danny Ildefonso, the super human efforts of Arwind Santos and the resurrection of Denok Miranda's playing career as a high-caliber point guard. On the other hand, TNT, whenever it had its best pieces on the floor, continues to be just downright unstoppable.

Will Petron take advantage of TNT's many injuries? They should, since Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes are both playing at 60%. If anything, Petron needs to put Arwind Santos on Castro and someone rough like Sunday Salvacion and Ray Guevarra on Reyes to make TNT's injured prized guards work harder on both ends of the court.

TNT only needs to push the tempo and attack the rim at a hellish, bull-headed pace. Petron doesn't have the defensive frontline that has made it a force in the early years, having to rely on an aging Ildefonso whose best back-up is equally aging and more slow-footed Mick Pennisi. If someone can wake Jimmy Alapag from his slumber and convince him to drive more by giving him more screens from the outside, then he could finally shut some people up and show his MVP form if only for a game.

Keep an eye on Alapag, Castro, Reyes and Harvey Carey tonight as I believe those four will come in and give Petron hell.

At Petron's end, I hope to see another 20-14 performance from Santos, and wouldn't mind if Danny Ildefonso gets a dunk in there and "raises the roof" off the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Still, I pick TNT to win it all and would be surprised if they don't.

Breaking news: Dondon out of Gilas, Paul Lee or JV Casio?

While local basketball junkies are still recovering from the recently concluded Petron-Talk 'n' Text match, there were other basketball-related news floating around which saw the light of print be it on paper or the Internet.

Dondon Hontiveros withdraws from SMART Gilas program

Despite what you and I think, Hontiveros clearly showed signs of aging in the Williams Jones Cup. Yes, he had that vintage game versus Japan I'll give you that. But he struggled to play defense (his bread and butter whenever his shooting was off) and was committing one too many turnovers (which, for an accomplished veteran like himself, was a no-no). He has already proven his gifts and played for our country one too many times, and his withdrawal should be seen as a positive since it would allow Gilas to get a younger SG in the future. Either way, daghang salamat Cebuano Hotshot!

Who should go first in the PBA 2011 draft; Paul Lee or JV Casio

Paul Lee has finally decided to throw his hat in the PBA Draft and is my automatic choice for the number one pick. Yes, Casio has shown that he is clutch at the PG spot for Gilas, but Lee is a legit PBA superstar SG. We've seen what he could do in UE when in his first year alone he was already drawing comparisons to DLSU's Joseph Yeo-- which he quickly shed off by becoming a more complete player by playing D and learning to pass to teammates. In the PBL and the PBA Developmental League, he dominated and played both guard positions with ease. Now tell me why I should pick Casio, who will face stronger PGs in the PBA like Denok Miranda, Ryan Reyes and Jayson Castro over Lee again? Powerade or Welcoat both need a guy like Lee, and this one should be a no brainer regardless if Casio joins the draft or not.

Why Japeth Aguilar left off the SMART Gilas "wish list" five

Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman probably gave up on the athletic Aguilar who has not learned to shoot from the outside with consistency or play in the paint. He's a flashy workhorse, we'll give him that, but with his history of injuries and bull-headedness, maybe a year or two in the PBA wherein he won't be babied by opponents and fans will force him to work on his game. That, or he ends up being a taller Raffi Reavis-- which isn't a bad thing really, but frustrating for a guy with the potential of being the best athletic big man in the PBA since Mon Fernandez.

TNT Reveals Heart of Champions; trashes Petron 104-78

In what should be considered as another blockbuster and high quality basketball atmosphere in Filipino basketball standards, the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters were able to salvage a blowout loss versus the recently fancied Petron Blaze Boosters.

Though the Boosters started the game hot behind arguably the best local talent in the PBA today Arwind Santos, TNT was quick to counter by pulling out a jittery Kelly Williams and sacrificing rebounding in favor of Jayson Castro (who was a game time decision) and his blitzkrieg scoring.

And blitzkrieg it was. Castro, who has long built his reputation as an attack point guard was literally raining ice cold buckets on the confused Boosters. Either he was dropping bombs from the outside, or slashing hard into the paint and dishing out bullet kick-out passes, the man was flat-out Derrick Rose-esque unstoppable.

From then on, the Boosters didn't know what to do on defense and their game fell apart. It also helped that TNT, which gambled on Game 6 replacement Maurice Baker over the ineffective Scottie Reynolds, held his counterpart Anthony Grundy to an abysmal scoring night.

Credit should go to TNT's Castro for his superhuman effort despite a rumored MCL tear and also to another unsung hero, Ryan Reyes, who was clearly limping but was seen in several instances battling through screens and just holding his own against Grundy.

Now I know why the Boosters enjoyed a 3-2 series lead prior to today's pivotal Game 6. Reyes and Castro, TNT's best guards today (I'm sorry Jimmy Alapag fans including myself) are playing hurt. There's a difference when you're running a short rotation of healthy guys (as Petron does) and playing your stars while they're at 60% capacity.

Had Reyes and Castro been healthy to start the series, I believe that this would've been over in 4 or 5 games.

Hat's off to Ranidel de Ocampo, who still plays like a SG and must be the cause of Coach Chot Reyes' constant frustrations. Danny Ildefonso is the best big man in this series in the paint, but if RDO decided to play closer to the basket instead of waiting for kick-out threes, he won't be so bad in there as well.

Fortunately for him, his shots were falling and that someone probably got on his case during halftime because he was grabbing rebounds and boxing out more in the second half rather than the first.

But here we are, looking forward to Game 7. A fitting end to the return of the Governor's Cup, with a great and competitive match-up that will decide the Grandslam hopes of one team, and the valiant stand of a depleted one.

Oh yeah, I called it. I said that TNT will win via blowout and they did. Hopefully, the don't spoil the fun I'm having with my predictions, make me look like a basketball blogging genius and win on Sunday.

Either way, I'm having fun watching the games and just being a true blue PBA fan.

Petron turns table on Talk 'n' Text, only a win away from title

Are the Talk 'n' Text players finally breaking down mentally amid all the pressures of the "Grandslam or bust" brought forth by the local media?

In all honesty, there's nothing wrong should the Tropang Texters lose the Governor's Cup title to their now esteemed rivals, the Petron Blaze Boosters. Though it will definitely ruin their "grandslam" bid, it won't be enough to take away what they have accomplished this year-- winning and dominating both Philippine and Commissioner's Cup conferences.

What makes last night's 93-80 loss is that it wasn't even close or competitive considering Petron's depleted (yet it now seems to be more well-balanced) line-up.

Was it Jayson Castro's absence?

Or has Petron head coach Ato Agustin *gasp!* finally figured out how to stop the TNT juggernaut?

I say, a little of both.

Castro's absence shouldn't have been THAT much of a hindrance considering the guys left on the roster. What's obvious here is that newly minted MVP Jimmy Alapag has been struggling and partner Ryan Reyes is being taken out of the equation by several cross matches.

Agustin, in the last two wins, has decided to stick his MVP Arwind Santos on PBA MVP Alapag which is pretty much like how the Miami Heat negated NBA MVP Derrick Rose in the recent playoffs. Alapag, though he's no longer the high scorer of yesteryears, is still the guy who the entire TNT squad looks to follow on the court. Unfortunately, it's hard to find Alapag when you have a guy like Santos draped all over him like a wet towel.

Then there's Ryan Reyes, who is being guarded by then Santa Lucia backcourt partner Denok Miranda. Those two are arguably the best defenders on the PG spot and it is showing. Miranda's advantage, as with most Filipino guards, is his moxy and gulang that Fil-ams just don't have. What hurts TNT is, Reyes is expected to at least contribute on offense, while Miranda is not. Meaning, Miranda's break-out games are a byproduct of TNT not locking him up as opposed to Reyes who is watched by his Kuya Nok 24/7.

Another "change" has come in the way the games are being played. In an all out footrace and battle of athleticism, there's no denying that TNT will whoop Petron's ass from players 3 to 14 (1 and 2 being Santos and the injured Jay Washington). In last night's game, Ali Peek was being taken out of the whole game by a lot of pushing, shoving, hacking (Sunday Salvacion), jersey grabbing (Danny Ildefonso) and the like, same with Harvey Carey. Ranidel de Ocampo, arguably this series' best big man ON PAPER, would've made a big difference but is back to playing way outside and settling for spot-up jumpers (if you're a Smart Gilas fan, you'd be worried and begging Rajko Toroman to get another PBA PF as an import).

The tide has indeed changed and the name of the game is "old school, grind it out, Filipino basketball" that Petron's stalwarts of Santos, Miranda, Ildefonso and Salvacion know and love while TNT's Alapag, Fonacier, Peek and De Ocampo seem to be having problems with.

While I still see TNT pulling it off in seven games, we won't be hearing any "benta" rumors when this is all said and done. Not with the current MVP-SMC rivalry, which I believe is good for the league as a whole, looking into the future.

SMART Gilas: Who should stay, go

Andy to Chris: Pare mauna na ako ha.

Following the recent developments within the SMART Gilas fold, team members who have applied for the upcoming 2011 PBA Draft are rumored to be having second thoughts. Guys like Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz who are both being eyed as certain Top 5 draft picks, are mulling withdrawal now that the Gilas program is a lock to continue for another two years.

Rumor has it that there will be an even bigger compensation waiting for these guys including names like Mac Baracael, Andy Barroca and Jason Ballesteros as compared to the PBA's fixed maximum rookie salary of Php 150,000.

But let's breakdown the team as it is. Who should stay on with the program, and who should move on to the PBA (before it's too late)

Stay

JV Casio
There will always be a spot on any team in the PBA for a high IQ, clutch PG like Casio and him playing for Gilas has been nothing but a revelation as he continues to build his credibility and move from long time San Beda/DLSU gunner to a Ronnie Magsanoc 2.0.

Chris Tiu
Yes, I will continue to bash the minutes that this guy receives from the coaching staff. But Tiu's game is definitely built for Toroman's system, and he is the most recognizable face on the line-up that will help put this team over with non-basketball fans. I fear that once he sets foot in the PBA and doesn't end up with an MVP team, that all his flaws will be exposed and that he will suffer a career similar to Gec Chia (one time Ateneo hero, PBA blah).

Mac Baracael
I want Baracael to play for Gilas until the wheels fall off. He plays with Pinoy passion and swagger and has the game to back everything he does (even the sneers) up out on the hardcourt.

Japeth Aguilar
I am a Japeth hater. No, I don't hate him personally. I just hate his game. So much wasted potential spent on trying to dunk everytime down the floor instead of concentrating on the little things that would help make him the most dominant Pinoy big man in years. The only reason I want him to stay with Gilas is so that people around him could make him realize his shortcomings. Once he sets foot on the PBA where the game is faster and more undisciplined, he'd be a superstar with all the dunks and volleyball spike-like blocks (think Rafi Reavis + Marc Pingris combined). Great entertainment, bad for him as a basketball player.

Go


Andy Barroca
Somewhere in the last year and a half, Barroca lost some of his speed and even his starting job to JV Casio. And since this country is full of PGs, Barroca needs to move on while his stock is high and teams like Powerade, Rain or Shine and even Meralco need a starting PG.

Marcio Lassiter
Let's face it, Lassiter will never steal Tiu's spot as the starting two guard and will always be forced to play out of position and asked to defend bigger guys. I say, stop wasting time and head to the PBA to become a legit star.

Chris Lutz
While most observers are quick to point out that Lutz' game is similar to Lassiter's, I beg to disagree. They play the same roles, yes, but Lutz is more spot-up shooter while Lassiter is a more intense, slash to the hoop and play defense player. Lutz is a perfect fit for Alaska where he can fill in the role of a Jojo Lastimosa, Brandon Cablay, and the one vacated by Larry Fonacier.

Jason Ballesteros
Too skinny to play PF for Rajko Toroman. So head to the PBA and give Marc Pingris hell.

Dylan Ababou
Mr. Nice Guy. Well, I don't know what's going on in that head of his, but no one remembers his UAAP MVP season anymore. We haven't seen this guy play in a VERY LONG time which is sad. No, he's not superstar-like, but he does have game. I don't know if it's the added weight, or just the fact that Baracael can do what Ababou can, only faster, better and with more intensity.

What do you think?

Talk 'n' Text versus The World

Currently seated on a precarious 2-2 tie with Petron Blaze in the ongoing PBA Governor's Cup Finals, I feel that there has always been a big elephant in the room that people have continued to ignore for years. That elephant being, why can't the Talk 'n' Text Tropang Texters win over fans other than MVP-PLDT employees and those who appreciate Jimmy Alapag's true value?

A quick trip to the team's Wikipedia page would show its so-so legacy since Pilipino TeleCom took over the Pepsi franchise in 1996. So far, it has won five titles: one in 1998, then in Alapag's rookie year in 2003, 2008 and this year's Philippine and Commissioner's Cups.

The page also shows the number of PBA legends that have adorned the TNT yellow and blue that could and should have won them a multitude of fans based on the players' starpower alone (from Jeffrey Cariaso, Asi Taulava to Willie Miller and Jimmy Alapag).

So now, without further ado, here are the reasons why I think, TNT remains to be the PBA's version of the WWE's Triple H (you know he's good, but since he has a lot of connections and douche-y moves that may or may not be his fault, you just can't root for him no matter what).

1) Asi Taulava, Jeffrey Cariaso and Andy Seigle
- This should have been the core that would have led the then Mobiline Phonepals to numerous PBA titles. Imagine having Cariaso, who was arguably the closest the 90s had to a Mark Caguioa, being paired with 6"8 and 6"10 giants. Wether it was bad coaching, or them just battling superb basketball players (not athletes though), they just couldn't pull through. Also, this team was the first to distance itself from local fans as other than Cariaso (who was disliked by Ginebra fans for his role in Alaska's 1996 grandslam), no one knew jack about Taulava and Seigle and were unimpressed with the young duo's post plays (both were several notches lower skills-wise than local bigs Benjie Parasm Marlou Aquino, Zaldy Realubit.) This team, in my mind, paved the way for Fil-foreigners and the division in fans that ultimately hurt the PBA-- those who embraced the athletic newcomers, and those who preferred to root for the homegrown talents.

2) Jerry Codinera
- you really can't blame TNT for this one. They saw an opportunity to get an established power forward to pair with budding Asi Taulava even if it was on Andy Seigle's expense. This was TNT's first move to try and win over some local "masa" fans but it backfired on them. The people didn't want to see Codinera wearing a different uniform from bossom buddy Alvin Patrimonio. It was painful to watch, and the fans unfairly blamed TNT for it. Purefoods' survived because of Patrimonio's charisma while Codinera started to fade into the limelight (he was later on traded to Fedex but that was at the twilight of his career).

3) Bill Bayno VS BCAP
- here was a legit, NCAA division 1 coach who came to the country to revolutionize Philippine basketball. Only problem was, local coaches weren't that open to the idea and Bayno's brash, American arrogance didn't help his case either. The last straw was when he told his players to score for the opponents (read: shoot at their own hoop) to better their own team's standings which will always be considered as "un-macho" in any book. 

4) Willie Miller
- what's there to say about Miller other than he's aloof, and that he was traded by his first PBA team, Red Bull, to the very same squad they lost to in the finals THE NEXT CONFERENCE?

5) Mac Cardona
- Cardona, though I love his game and swagger, is a walking, modern-daykontrabida regardless of the team and its fans he's playing against.

6) Chot Reyes
- the epitome of the negative Atenean stereotype: Brash, arrogant and "holier than thou." The shirts are nice, and everyone has the right to be fashionable. But admit it or not, the loud shirts take away from the focus on the game. I'll tell you something else about Reyes, he is damn good and scouts opponents like no other. He preaches a run and gun system built around hustling defense as opposed to the old school PBA's shoot-shoot-shoot style of coaching. He's never one to try and win over fans, and even when he answers to the Media you can feel a sense of "you're asking me that?!" mockery in his tone. Great coach, just not PR-able.

Your thoughts?

Let's have fun: Smart Gilas' BEST 5 VS PBA 2011 Mythical 5

Now that the PBA votes are in and we have seen Smart Gilas at about 80% of its full potential (with PBA recruits Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams to make up the missing 20% in the upcoming FIBA Asia tournament), let's have a fantasy hoops match between the two "teams."

Please take note that I took guys who I perceived as the BEST (the ones from Gilas anyway) so that means, no Chris Tiu (sorry Tiu fans). The guy plays with a lot of heart, but is not even the 3rd best shooting guard on the Gilas rotation (1 Lassiter, 2 Hontiveros, 3 Lutz, 4 Tiu). Why he is playing as much as he does, I leave to you.

Comment all you want, but be sure to leave your names! Sayang naman. 

And yes, I am bored. Not that I don't have a lot on my plate at work, but because I'm still waiting for my promo-writing "Delight in scrumptious..." creative juices to kick in.

PG JV Casio VS Jimmy Alapag
This one is going to be a battle. Alapag has built a reputation as a pass-first guard who has absolutely no problems with taking over close games. Always a threat to pull up from DEEP, the "Mighty Mouse" will probably go with the playmaker role on this one. That, plus he's not as quick on his feet as he used to. Casio on the other hand, has the license to shoot from almost anywhere and freelance on offense. Gilas' head coach Rajko Toroman also makes sure that his ballhandlers are protected by screens set from both sides by his bigs (watch replays of their games in the Jones Cup and you'd see this pattern over and over) which could pose as a huge problem for Alapag who's no longer a spring chicken (read: fighting over multiple screens every time down the floor is flat-out exhausting).

Adv. Casio's young legs and the big screens that Alapag will have to hurdle 

SG Marcio Lassiter VS Mark Caguioa
An explosive match-up only because Lassiter plays the pre-flopmaster/pre-Ginebra Ronald Tubid/ DLSU era Mac Cardona type of defense that Caguioa absolutely gets annoyed with. While I still see Caguioa being incensed enough to flat out destroy Lassiter (and make faces at his young defender) one-on-one, Lassiter has the tools to make Caguioa work on defense as well and will probably be able to slash into the paint from time to time. What sets them apart is Caguioa's still quick first-step (not as quick as before, but still damn fast) and added bulk which Lassiter doesn't enjoy. Think Kobe Bryant versus Raja Bell 2007.

Adv. Caguioa and the thousands... and thousands of Ginebra fans which will have a new guy to jeer

SF Mac Baracael VS Arwind Santos
This match-up will depend solely on Santos' mentality coming into the game. Will he play the "skinny dominant, all-around freak-of-nature" that we love, or will he be the "three-point shot jacking, looking for an NBA recruit in the rafters guy we saw during the FIBA 2009 tournament?" Santos has the game that can school a young buck like Baracael. Problem here is that, Baracael is no pushover figuratively and literally. One, we is bigger than Santos and two, plays with more fire. And if Toroman ever gets his dream line-up and moves Baracael to his natural position, then that would be Gilas' best team bar none.

Adv. Baracael's pride, desire and intensity (read: angas at yabang) over Santos' talents.


PF Japeth Aguilar VS Kelly Williams
The Filipino pogo stick versus the Machine Gun. Okay, we will have to come up with a better name for Aguilar but you get the picture right? He dunks, dunks and dunks. He can't post up. His jumper needs work. And other than playing exceptional help defense, is a dud one-on-one versus Asia's quality bigs. Good for him though, that he's only going against Williams who is just a better version of the 6"9 beanpole. Williams also doesn't know how to play in the post, and relies more on putbacks and transition offense. Put a guy in front of him and he's bound to dribble off his own foot.

Adv. While they both can jump straight out of SMART Araneta and onto another planet, Williams wins based on discipline and experience. Great example would be, KW21 won't bite on silly fakes 9 out of 10 times.

C Marcus Douthit VS Sonny Thoss
After what we've seen in the recently concluded Jones Cup tournament, it's pretty safe to say that of the competing teams, Douthit is the 2nd best big man in there behind Iran's Hamed Haddadi. That's not a knock on Chinese Taipei's Tseng Wen Ting, but Douthit's game is reminiscent of Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom (minus Odom's point guard capabilities of course). What Douthit doesn't seem to have however is power, but given his size and skill, he will still be too much for "The Boss."

Adv. Douthit, who will probably drop a 30-20 stat line on Thoss.


6th man: Andy Barroca VS Jason Castro
Speed versus speed. Although, Barroca seems to have slowed down a bit (either to injury or the weight he put on) which will play heavily in Castro's favor. Of the two, Castro is the better scorer while Barroca is the better point guard. When matched up, Castro's number will definitely be called versus the smaller Barroca.

Adv. Castro is a threat to put Barroca in foul trouble early and that will be the story of the game.

Coaching: Rajko Toroman's "Euro-type spread the floor, perimeter-oriented" game VS Chot Reyes' "run and gun, hustle at all times" style
Adv. Toroman, who will probably have his wings stationed at the post while his two guards and Douthit dissect the PBA's defense. Since Reyes' teams relies on aggressive help defense and looks for turnovers, it won't be a surprise to see wide open threes coming from Lassiter, Casio and Baracael which will frustrate the PBA players to no end and cost them the game.

I see Gilas winning by a wide margin despite being a class lower talent-wise due to its overall team discipline and philosophy of looking for the open shot instead of relying on iso-plays.

Sounds fun right? I should definitely be a WWE booker. Or a PBA Fantasy owner.

PBA Leo's gets it right with Mythical Five awardees

Whenever year-ending awards such as the Philippine Basketball Association’s “Leo’s” come around, people are quick to put in their two cents worth (this writer included) on who was robbed, snubbed and deserving.  

And while “anti-Jimmy Alapag of Talk N Text as Most Valuable Player” campaigns have sprawled the Filipino Internet world in favor of “more deserving candidates/ runners-up in Petron’s Arwind Santos and Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa, it was nice to see that at least in one category, the PBA awards council was able to fittingly recognize this season’s best players at their position and arguably, in the last two or three years even.

PG Jimmy Alapag (Talk N Text)

The standard bearer for Filipino point guards. You can read into Mico Halili’s feature on Mark Caguioa’s reaction on not being crowned MVP, but I’d like to think of it as a gesture of respect on The Spark’s side. It went to a guy who has worked his ass off for flag and country, represented us and worn our colors proud and never sold out (unlike another MVP runner up who drastically transformed his game in the international scene in hopes of being recruited to the NBA or whatever self-serving motive he had). And yes, his best years as a high scoring, high assist guard are behind him and we only see flashes of it from time to time, but there’s still no one in the PBA who can match up to his overall intensity and game.

SG Mark Caguioa (Ginebra)

I feel for all the Ginebra fans out there despite being a Santa Lucia-Meralco believer. This year marks the return of the “Furious” Mark Caguioa. Not the “Spark,” but the “Furious” MC47 who would burn the hoops and wasn’t afraid to get in people’s faces. There’s just no question, that Caguiao is a throwback, old school basketball player who shuns the limelight and all that James Yap glam in lieu of simply dropping buckets on fools. Yes, his defense remains subpar, but there’s no one in the league who can light it up and affects the game as him.

SF Arwind Santos

In perspective, the only year Santos didn’t deserve to win MVP was Kelly Williams’ MVP year. That’s it. Santos is and continues to be a stat monster and the country’s best player on both ends of the court. There’s just no one in the entire PBA that could measure up, pound for pound. You could make an argument for Jay Washington and his athleticism, but Php 100 says Santos can lock him down as well while JWash couldn’t even stop an offense-less Kelly Williams when matched up. And yes, he is the guy I mentioned on the Alapag clip above, trying to play out of position as a trigger-happy guard when he was called upon to represent our country when we all knew that he would’ve been just fine at his natural SF spot. Just ball Arwind, we still have your back.

PF Kelly Williams

What he lacks in all-around basketball skills (dribbling for one, shooting second), he makes up for with 100% hustle and activity on the floor. Think the 2011 version of Rudy Hatfield, only more athletic and could jump right out of the building. And unlike rival Jay Washington of Petron, Williams has accepted his role a long time ago and doesn’t waste his energy and effort playing outside and trying to play like a guard.

C Sonny Thoss

Is Thoss the best center in the league? Well, he sure does put up the numbers and is arguably the most consistent guy at his position. Give it another year and maybe Petron’s Rabah Al Husseini could take over this spot (okay, make that two to three more years, depending on Rabah’s maturation process). Still waiting on Rob Reyes to make an impact like he did years ago in the PBL though it seems that after some injuries, he has lost much of his “Baby Eric Menk” game.

With that, congratulations to the Leo awardees and hopefully the PBA board continues to recognize players for who they are on the court and not via the number of endorsements, TV appearances and showbiz-relationships they are in. Else, God forbid, we're looking at multiple MVP reigns for Smart Gilas' Chris Tiu down the road.

Smart Gilas finishes 3rd in 33rd William Jones Cup

"The future looks bright for the Philippines" is how the Asian ESPN analyst put Smart Gilas Pilipinas' 3rd place finish in the 33rd William Jones Cup which rightfully adjusted its laughable format of whoever finishes with the best record wins the whole thing (thanks to one of the original 10 teams' pulling out at the last minute) into a round robin, playoffs type.

And while we were still manhandled by powerhouse teams such as Korea, Iran and Jordan, it was nice to see that our team was able to compete on even terms and even had the opportunities to steal some games had it not been for injuries, fatigue, incomplete line-ups and boneheaded plays expected from late recruits/ young players.

Now that it's all over and as we wait for the FIBA Asia tournament which is right around the corner (we play our first game on September 15), here are some observations on Team Pilipinas (there's always room for criticism because if we don't point this out now, how else are we supposed to improve?):

Chris Tiu is a solid role player, but cannot be expected to make plays
I no longer want to discuss why Tiu is playing heavy, starter minutes for Smart Gilas when better talent at the position is available. This is probably why Rey Guevarra decided to join the PBA draft instead. And why Paul Lee didn't even bother. Tiu fought for rebounds. He brought the ball up without turning it over. But overall, he didn't have any impact in any of the nine games they played which is big considering the fact that Gilas is a perimeter-oriented team.

Mac Baracael is not a power forward
I feel for Baracael who is a much better player than Tiu, Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter combined. Definitely leaps and bounds better than starting PF Japeth Aguilar as well. Yet he languishes on the bench and plays back-up for whoever. This leads us to think that if only head coach Rajko Toroman had Ranidel de Ocampo or Kelly Williams on board, then Baracael could slip back to his natural SF spot where he can shine on both ends.

JV Casio is clutch
He was the fucking man in San Beda. He was the fucking man in De La Salle. Now, he changes his style of play from SG to PG and whoops ass. He's even breaking out some crossovers here and there while keeping his mean stroke from the outside. He's even added a teardrop-floater in his arsenal. Hopefully, he continues to flourish as a pass-first guard with clutch shooting in the mold of a Ronnie Magsanoc or Dindo Pumaren.

Rajko Toroman doesn't utilize his wings
Marcio Lassiter is one of the better ball handlers and slashers on the team. Yet he was only given the green light to do so in their last game versus Chinese Taipei, and only after Chris Lutz was out. Often used as a defender and corner three point specialist, one has to think why Toroman never demanded more from his prized Fil-Am wings and insisted on playing both Lassiter and Lutz out of position at SF. Oh wait. Someone has a lock on the SG position. See above.


Asi Taulava has no game
From long time starting center to back-up enforcer. Asi never had the post game to back his 6"9 frame. Eric Menk and Danny Ildefonso, guys three inches shorter, would always go around him in the paint despite being lighter than the Fil-Tonggan. Now, little is expected of Taulava and rightfully so. As an enforcer off the bench, he fits the role to a "T." But you'll have to wonder when the wheels will start falling off and who can replace him once he is on the wrong side of 40. Still, thank you Asi for playing big despite your limitations.

Marcus Douthit is a finesse player
More Chris Webber than Shaq. He is a superb role model and the right import/naturalized center for the job. We can't ask for more from Douthit, and should appreciate what he has and continues to do for the National team. Still, perhaps the people behind Smart Gilas could start looking at local talent or even more naturalization candidates who can bang and rebound.

Japeth Aguilar still doesn't know how to play
He is as phenomenal and athletic as ever on the defensive end, blocking shots from all over and hustling to recover on his teammates' blown assignments. But there are still several flaws to his game, offensively and defensively. On offense, he has nothing but dunks. He attempted two jumpers in today's game and missed both strongly. Why? At 6"9, he shouldn't be jumping from 14 ft. anymore a a simple push shot would do (give him tapes of Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett). He doesn't have the muscle to post anyone up even if most Asian PFs are listed at only 6"5 to 6"8. And on defense, he still bites on every shot fake thrown his way like most wide-eyed greens do. I'm still pulling for you Japeth, but maybe it's high time to work on your game instead of relying on your athleticism (which is a gift, but as we all know, doesn't last a lifetime).

Despite all of our criticisms over the course of the program, tonight was a great night not only for Smart Gilas Pilipinas but for all Pinoy basketball fans. This only shows that with the right set of players, commitment and funding, that we do have what it takes to win big in international tournaments over bigger countries.

"If you're going to dream, then dream BIG!" Let's try for that FIBA title now!

Presenting your PBA 36th season MVP: Jimmy Alapag

It almost never happened.


When Jimmy Alapag flew in to the shores of Manila to play for the 2002 National Team as a then unknown from NCAA Division 2 California State, people were skeptic with him playing behind veteran Olsen Racela before injuring himself in the team's first few exhibition games.

Unfair as it is, much is expected of Fil-Americans and the burden placed on Alapag was no different. The PBA was still in its "Fil-foreign explosion" phase-- wherein local stars were quickly being relegated to back-ups so you can see why having an NCAA-Division II player, playing BEHIND a local who wasn't even considered the best at his position (Johnny Abarrientos fell from grace at the time, but was still arguably better than Racela. Ronnie Magsanoc and Boyet Fernandez were also around at the time) wasn't the best thing for young Jimmy.

Once the 2002 games in Busan, South Korea was over, Alapag was able to set his sights on the PBA Draft where he would be picked behind now forgotten names like Mike Cortez (who was then considered as the *controversial* premier point guard from the amateurs), Rommel Adducul and even Mobiline/ Talk N Text teammate Harvey Carey.

All this "downfall" for a guy who was handpicked by legendary champion coach Ron Jacobs.

From the start, Alapag would create a huge stir in the PBA as he slowly took over as the league's best point guard with the aging Abarrientos slowly fading into the limelight, and "people's champ" Olsen Racela not putting up much of a battle (really now, I love Racela's all-heart game, but he's not on the same plateau skills-wise as Abarrientos, Magsanoc, Alapag or even a Dindo Pumaren. Jayjay Helterbrand is an SG masquerading as a PG.)

He led his team to a title his rookie year and eventually won the season's Top Rookie honors. This was followed by a stellar career unmatched in the PBA with averages of 13 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds which is borderline "Hall of Fame-ish." Not to mention that Alapag can just as easily light up the scoreboard whenever he sees fit (which he did early in his career whenever then teammate Asi Taulava would coast through games).

He would also be a part of the 2005 and 2007 National Teams and quickly earned the respect and trust not only of the Philippine basketball community but of Asia as well. Lebanese phenom Fadi El Khatib (who was invited to a private work-out with Michael Jordan, Ray Allen and Michael Finley to name a few and show just how good this guy is) went as far as to say that Alapag is Asia's best PG hands down. That's how good he is.

Then, in 2009, Alapag was surprisingly dropped from the National Team roster coached by temperamental Yeng Guiao who opted for an inch or two taller guards in Jayjay Helterbrand and Ryan Reyes (both of whom weren't able to play as effectively in the FIBA tournament since they were injured). When news of Helterbrand and Reyes' injuries came out, Guiao again opted to play natural SG Willie Miller at the PG and bring in defensive stalwart Wyne Arboleda into the fray.

It was easy to take Alapag for granted that year though, as Helterbrand was playing absurd basketball on offense (by pretty much being given the green light on offense with his high scoring buddy Mark Caguioa being sidelined all season) while the man known as the "Mighty Mouse" was doing his usual schtick and posting his norms across the boards.

This led some people to believe that yes, maybe Alapag's time has passed and that his height may keep the National Team down. Guiao and those who chose to believe that notion couldn't have been any more wrong. The National Team was soft, gutless and timid on both ends, and it was quite obvious that Miller couldn't carry the PG load or orchestrate any plays other than isolations for himself.

Once that was over, Alapag continued to play the way he always does-- intense. TNT continued to be a contender, winning it all even, and is currently leading TNT's Grand Slam bid in the on going Governor's Cup Finals.

Now 34, Alapag almost never got the MVP title to cement his legacy alongside other PG greats. And we, as fans, would've been robbed of seeing his greatness being recognized.

Fortunately for all of us, it happened.

Congratulations to the PBA MVP, Jimmy Alapag!