The PBA Monthly Report (Winners and Losers)

It’s been one month after the season-opening of the first “pay for play” basketball league in Asia, the PBA. The ten teams already played a maximum of 5 games in the entire month and gave us shocking result in which we didn’t expected to happen. So let’s have a trip down the memory lane and decide which team performed well in this conference.

WINNERS

Barako Bull – Surprisingly, they are on the top of the standings (tied with Rain or Shine and Talk n Text with 4-1 win-loss card). Willie Miller came out strong for his team by averaging 13 points per game. The team is already known as “The Giant Killer” for beating powerhouse teams like Barangay Ginebra, Talk N Text and their latest victim, the BMEG Llamados. I admire Coach Junel Baculi because of his excellent player rotation and for injecting composure on this team. Not to mention their super rookies, Dylan Ababbou and Allein Maliksi, both late picks in the first round, averaging double figures for the team. This team believed that “age is only a
number”.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – The wonders of Yeng Guiao is properly working. From being a cellar-dweller team upon entering the PBA, they are now one of the deadliest team in the league. With a 4-1 record, opposing teams now is trying to figure out on how to defeat this young team composed of defense specialist Gabe Norwood, sweet-shooting Jeff Chan and the lethal Paul Lee. This trio helped the team to accomplish such feat in the early part of this conference.

Talk N Text Tropang Texters – despite playing with a depleted line up in the start of the conference (Gilas member Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams is out for a vacation), this team proved that they are the defending champs. With the addition of Japeth Aguilar, this team is now complete in every position. Harvey Carey and Jason Castro are playing a hell of a ball game. Chot Reyes is very serious to try another run for the grand slam this season. And once the team is complete and healthy comes play-offs, opposing teams must start thinking a way to prevent a back to back championship from happening.

Meralco Bolts – what will happen if the main core of the team is beleaguered by injuries? From the start of the conference, the Bolts are playing without their two main scorers, Sol Mercado and Mac Cardona, while Asi Taulava is tired because of the Wuhan FIBA Championship. Chico Lanete, Gabby Espinas and Mark Macapagal, shouldered the needed offense and defense for the team and that’s why they are on the second spot in the standings. With Sol Mercado back on the team and Gabby Espinas is playing an excellent game with a double-double average, this team is on a mission: to enter the play-offs.

LOSERS

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings – coming from a two game winning streak, but those win was decided in a matter of seconds only. Against Powerade, Mark Caguioa’s shot gave their second win (73 - 72), thanks for the poor free throw shooting of the Tigers. For Shopinas.com, the team got carried away and celebrated too early, thanks to JayJay Helterbrand for the win.
Despite of their winning streak, I placed them in the losers’ column because this team needs an upgrade on their front line. This team must not rely on “miracles” or “bad game of the opposing teams” just like what happened to Powerade and Shopinas.

Petron Blaze Boosters – after a 3-0 start, here comes 0-2, two losses with a 10 point margin against Talk N Text and Meralco, both from MVP teams. We thought that this team is invincible in terms of talent and defense, but their main weakness after their last two games is the manpower. Last Friday, we’ve seen Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot played the entire game without rest. The team already signed their 3rd PG, Axel Doruelo, but he won’t play against Powerade because he must wait for the “go” signal from the Commissioner’s Office.

Powerade Tigers – same with Petron, from 2-0 start, they dropped their last three games. Marcio Lassiter is playing a good game in his rookie season, averaging 14.20 points per game. Gary David is still their number one option for scoring but the team needs another scorer to complement with David because Lassiter, Anthony and Kramer is focusing more on defense. JV Casio, playing with limited minutes coming from an injury, is slowly getting his game to harmonize with the team.

BMEG Llamados – After six games this conference, they found themselves at the bottom of the standings. Despite of having a great coach in the person of Tim Cone and talented composition of roster, the main problem of the team is how to absorb the triangle system. If you will able to watch their previous game, they started their game with the triangle and ends up with isolation/one-on-one game (the Ryan Gregorio system). They need to master their system or else we will see Wilfred Uytengsu with a great smile on his face.

Alaska Aces – I think this is the first time in this franchise to start a conference with a 0-5 record. They were abandoned by Tim Cone before the start of the season, and replaced by Joel Banal as head coach of the team. Jay R Reyes and Sonny Thoss are playing their best game this season (especially Jay R Reyes), but LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio is still “missing in action”. Why does Banal giving Brandon Cablay too much playing time when you have Eric Salamat, Julius Pasculado and Ariel Mepana on the bench? Sam Eman is a freaking bust!

Shopinas.com Clickers – this team is very promising, despite of being the new kid on the block in this league. I hope that if ever they will be eliminated early this conference, they will be able to find a very good import to reinforce them in the Commissioner’s Cup. One thing, I hope Ms. Sheila Lina will watch their game always. It is quite inspiring for the team to see her watching the team.

The Most Controversial Player/Non-Player in Every Team in the PBA

As much as I love watching the PBA, it’s easily the league that has had the most controversy surrounding in the recent years, from Tim Cone’s decision leaving his Alaska team last off-season to the infamous quote by Jason Castro of Talk N Text that the reason why Petron spoiled their grand slam run it’s because of injuries suffered by his team during their Finals showdown, in which ignited the fans and calling him “ampalaya” for his bitterness towards Petron team.

At the same time, however, some of this controversy fuels the fans' interest. Some of it is born out of team rivalries, while at other times it is brought on by a good old-fashioned bad decision. Either way, some players' careers are made or broken by controversy.
That being said, let's dive right in as we take a look at the most controversial figures, both players and non-players, in the history of the PBA.

Wynne Arboleda of Barako Bull

He is considered as the “untouchable” on the team not because of his Michael Jordanesque basketball abilities but he is the husband of the owner’s daughter. Makes sense huh?
Aside from that, he was involved in an incident where he assaulted a spectator, Alain Katigbak, after Katigbak shouted some profane words after his flagrant foul against Mac Baracael of Smart Gilas team.

Yeng Guiao of Rain or Shine

He is one of the greatest tacticians in this league today. He led his Red Bull team to three (3) PBA championships from 2000 up to 2009, where he handled the team.
Some fans criticized his coaching style because it is more of a physical game, and asking his players to play “dirty” every game as one of their defensive strategies. One of the incidents where Guiao participated is when he was ejected in the second game where he and San Miguel Beerman Dondon Hontiveros had an altercation in which Guiao elbowed Hontiveros after the latter hit a three-pointer.

He is also one of the coaches in the league who give instructions to his players in an insulting manner like he said to one of his players “Bantayan nyo yan maigi, magaling yan adik nga lang” and many others.

Indeed, Coach Yeng Guiao is one of the most controversial non-players in this league.

Alex Cabagnot of Petron Blaze

He was the second over-all pick of Sta. Lucia Realtors in the PBA 2005 Draft, where he was doubted as the next big thing in the PBA because he broke the scoring record of Barangay Ginebra Gin King’s Mark Caguioa when he played for Eagle Rock High School.
But after two seasons playing under the Realtors, he was dealt to Coca Cola Tigers, Burger King Whoppers/Air 21 Express and lastly to San Miguel Beermen/Petron Blaze Boosters. The main reason why the Realtors traded him because of the incident where he was charged with AWOL and was very vocal that he doesn’t want to play for the Realtors anymore.
With his stint with the Boosters, he is now a different player. He led his team last Governor’s Cup against the Talk N Text Texters and now touted as one of the premiere guards in the PBA.

LA Tenorio of Alaska Aces

He was touted as the heir apparent to Olsen Racela’ throne as the next court-general of the San Miguel Beermen when he was drafted 4th overall in the PBA 2006 Draft. But with a surprise move by SMC, he was traded along with Larry Fonacier to Alaska for Mike Cortez and Ken Bono, and the rest is history. He may not be Olsen’s successor but he turned out to be Johnny Abarrientos’ descendant in his current team.

Homer Se of Shopinas.com

He was an enforcer to Yeng Guiao’s Red Bull team and was exposed to “dirty plays” as one of his defensive arsenal, earning him as one of the “bullies” in the league.
His latest incident occurred against the Barako Bull with an altercation with Coach Junel Baculi and the rest of the Barakos, and was thrown out of the game along with Dorian Pena.

Mark Caguioa of Barangay Ginebra

He is one of the most controversial players from Ginebra, aside from the legendary Robert Jaworski. Here are some of his hullabaloos during his career: Failure to appear in the 2006 PBA All Star Game because of his injury but came out strong after the All Star Game scoring 30 plus points in that game. No show appearance on the PBA during the 2006 PBA Annual Awards where he was included in the Mythical Second Team and vowed to run naked along Shaw Boulevard if his team failed to defend the title.

Mark Yee of Meralco Bolts

I would like to put Asi Taulava here because of his “nationality” issues before that he made a controversial one, but Mark Yee is one of the promising candidate here. During the Finals Showdown against Petron Blaze, Yee was assigned to guard Petron import Anthony Grundy. He defended the import during one game using his “finger poking” defense that made him as one of the promising medical specialist about hemorrhoid.

Joe Devance of BMEG Llamados

He is the premiere scoring leader of Alaska Aces before, but demanded a trade to get out of the Alaska camp and hoping to get better compensation somewhere else. He got ripped off by Wilfred Uytengsu, Alaska owner, questioning Devance the difference between his salary (earning maximum) to other team’s salary. But Devance opt to remain silent on the issue.

Alex Crisano of Powerade

Drugs, sex scandal, and attitude problem, Nuff said! But with the second chance given to him by Powerade, I hope that he will choose the "Daang Matuwid".

Jason Castro of Talk N Text

Heralded as the “Other MVP” last season due to the absence of TNT’s main PG, Jimmy Alapag, displayed his offensive prowess and playmaking skills during the Finals against Petron Blaze. Despite of his injury and an expired contract, he took part in the team’s quest for a rare grand slam feat but came up short in Game 7 where Arwind Santos and the gang slam the grand slam dream of TNT.

What made him controversial? Aside from his basketball skills, during his interview in their game against Meralco Bolts, he mentioned that the reason why his team lost to Petron because injuries. This earned him the hatred of Petron fans because Castro didn’t notice that even Petron has players down with injuries like Jay Washington, Lordy Tugade, Rabeh Al-Husseini, Joseph Yeo and even Danny Ildefonso.

Colliding with the Barako Bull

No one expected that this cellar-dweller team, the Barako Bull, will display an unstoppable dominance in the 37th season of PBA.

Despite losing their first game against the Petron Blaze Boosters, this team is on a three game winning streak, defeating the crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra, the defending champions Talk N Text, and the new comer and their sister, Shopinas.com, and found themselves on the second spot in the team standings.

This team (formerly Air 21), led by the two-time MVP Willie Miller, with his veteran supporting cast of former San Miguel Beermen/Petron Blaze Boosters Danny Seigle, Dorian Pena, Mick Penissi, Paul Artadi, Sunday Salvacion, former BMEG players Don Allado and Jondan Salvador, original Barako Leo Najorda, Leo Avenido and their super rookies Dylan Ababou and Allein Maliksi, defied all odds and starting to get their rhythm to play basketball in it’s true definition.

Living up to their tagline, “Ang Bumangga, GIBA!”, the Barako Bull is now showing no mercy with every opposing teams that they collide every game. Just in their recent game against Shopinas.com, Homer Se and Dorian Pena was thrown out of the playing court because of an altercation leading to numerous technical fouls that lead both players to their dug-out.

Willie Miller, Barako Bull’s leader, put on a show in their last game against Talk N Text, toying Jason Castro and PBA 2011 MVP Jimmy Alapag by scoring 27 points on a winning output.

The super rookies, former PBA D-League MVP Allein Maliksi and former UAAP MVP and Smart Gilas member Dylan Ababou, showing no rookie jitters in the PBA by averaging on their last 3 games with 12 points and 20 points respectively.

Game Face

Just a reminder to other PBA teams, please never under estimate the Barako Bull because they are very tough team (in both offense and defense) to beat. They are now “playing the game” and no one can question their capability to win games, as they proved already what takes to be a Barako.

To coach Junel Baculi and the rest of his coaching staff, congratulations for giving the team its “new identity”. We, the PBA fans, are very happy to see this team winning games and giving a hell of a basketball every game.

One wish, to those teams that are planning to “raid” again the talents of this team, please LEAVE THIS TEAM ALONE. Let Maliksi and Ababou be the cornerstone of this franchise.

Enough of those lopsided trades!

PBA Power Rankings V.2.0

It’s been more than 3 weeks since the opening of the 37th season of PBA last October 2, 2011. All the 10 teams already played three games and Petron Blaze Boosters is on the top of the standings with a 3-0 win-loss card, while the Alaska Aces and the newcomer Shopinas.com Clickers are on the last spot with a 0-3 card.

So let us evaluate the performance of the 10 PBA teams after their first 3 games:

SHOPINAS.COM CLICKERS (0-3)

Many of us predicted that this team will be the new “whipping boys” of the PBA. Although they are still on the verge of getting their first win after their three successive losses, this team is very promising. But we know that Franz Pumaren is a very patient with his team, and in a year or two, this team will be on the winning column in the league. Just add another scoring option and a center and it will be a complete team.

ALASKA ACES (0-3)

After Tim Cone left this team, Coach Joel Banal took over and after three games, they've found themselves in the bottom of the standings. Mac Baracael is showing his A-Game as a rookie and provided the much needed offense while Cyrus Baguio and LA Tenorio still finding their game. Also, Jay-R Reyes is a "revelation" in this conference, averaging double-double in both points and rebounds per game. The only consistent Aces as of now aside from Baracael and Reyes, is Sonny Thoss.

I hope Banal will let Pasculado and Mepana to play in their next games.

BARANGAY GINEBRA GINKINGS (1-2)

This team is very much in need of an "inside presence" in the absence of Eric Menk due to injury as well as the departure of Rudy Hatfield. Mark Caguioa shouldered the scoring responsibility by averaging 18 points per game. I hope this team will finally get what they need to bolster their front court (but not to the extent of raiding the Barako Bull's roster)

BMEG LLAMADOS (1-2)

It is very clear that after three games, the Llamados still finding themselves in the triangle offense anchored by their new coach, Tim Cone. They were beaten by their sister Petron and incomplete Meralco Bolts, but able to snatch a win against the Alaska Aces. One key factor why the team lose their past two games is their free throw percentage.

Tim Cone is in the process of picking the right combination for his system, that's why, as per request, the team is practicing everyday just to familiarize the triangle system.

MERALCO BOLTS (2-2)

Surprisingly, this team is on a roll. After dropping their first game against Talk N Text, they able to win the next two games. With Mark Cardona and Sol Mercado still recuperating from injuries, the Bolts turn to Mark Macapagal and Chico Lanete as their main scorers for the team, as well as Asi Taulava, Gabby Espinas and Mark Borboran took over the rebounding chores.

BARAKO BULL (2-1)

Hey, is this true? Yes! Barako Bull lives up to their tag line "ANG BUMANGGA GIBA!". First it was Ginebra, then yesterday, it was only the defending champs, Talk N Text. Mick Penissi and Willie Miller renewed their "vows", along with their super rookies Superman Dylan Ababou and PBA D-League MVP Allein Maliksi, they helped the team to achieve their best start since... well, past is past and the Barako Bull already moved on to the new chapter of their basketball life.

Next assignment: Shopinas. Hello 3-1 card.

TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS (2-1)

They started their campaign without their Gilas members (Alapag, de Ocampo and Williams), but still they able to win their first two games with Harvey Carey "beasting" every opponent inside the paint, as well as Jason Castro leading the Texters to an early 2-0 lead. But last night, they were "baptized" by the former cellar-dwellar team, Barako Bull.

Japeth Aguilar, after scoring 27 points in their first game against Meralco Bolts, seemed to be "lost in space" in their last 2 games, and limited to just 2 points last game and spent most of his time in the bench versus Barako Bull.

POWERADE TIGERS (2-1)

They maybe missing the services of their top pick JV Casio, but they won't have to wait longer because he maybe playing his first game in the next few weeks. But the whole story belongs to the Powerade's underrated scorer, Gary David. After 3 games, he led the league in scoring with 23 points per game. Aside from him, Marcio Lassiter, Doug Kramer, Sean Anthony and Josh Vandalingham are helping the team in terms of good offense and sturdy defense.

RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS (3-1)

Coach Yeng Guiao and the rest of the Painters are enjoying their campaign in this conference. Why? Not only because they are on the second spot in the team standings, they also found a gem in the person of Paul "the Lee-thal Weapon" Lee. He averaged close to 15 points per game as a rookie and helped the team to a good start this conference. Paul Lee is one of the promising rookies in this league that displayed a characteristic which is very synonymous to his coach: Being "may angas (not maangas)" and showing no fear in every game he played.

PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS (3-0)

Bad news: Jay Washington, Rabeh Al-Husseini and Dondon Hontiveros is out because of injuries. You may think that Petron might be in the bottom of the standings. But the good news is, they are on the top of the standings! Without the three key starters of the team, here comes to the rescue: Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, rookie Chris Lutz and Danny Ildefonso proved that they are the reigning champions last season and they are here to get the coveted All Filipino championship.

Cabagnot is showing the maturity of his game, Arwind Santos is a "rebounding monster" (18 per game), the rookie sensation Chris Lutz is averaging 17 per game (team best) and Danny Ildefonso, showing no signs of aging, is averaging close to 7 per game.

No Washington, Al-Husseini and Hontiveros? Fear not...

The Dilemma of Petron Blaze Boosters

After sweeping the first three games of Petron Blaze Boosters, they found themselves at the top of the standings together with their arch rival, Talk N Text Tropang Texters.

Of course, behind the success of the team are the players who fought hard in order to finish their first three assignments in this conference. Leading the team per scoring average is the rookie Chris Lutz, averaging 17 points, Alex Cabagnot with 16 points and Arwind Santos with 15 points and 18 rebounds, including the monstrous 21 rebounds against Shopinas. To round it up, Denok Miranda averaging 9 points per game, Danny Ildefonso and Carlos Sharma with 7 points apiece.

If you will observe the team roster, it is very balance from SF to C position, except in the SG and PG position where Denok Miranda and Alex Cabagnot alternating the said positions.
Dondon Hontiveros, the team’s main SG, is sidelined with ACL tear (I don’t know the correct term) and might be out for 6 months, together with Jay Washington and Rabeh Al-Husseini. To fill the void left by Hontiveros is the “Ninja” Joseph Yeo, but most of the time Denok Miranda took over his place. Because of that, Alex Cabagnot is now the lone point guard of the team, whenever Miranda is playing the SG spot.

According to some sources, because of the time frame where Hontiveros won’t play this conference, the plan of Petron seems to change; they are now in search of a shooting guard right now.

The name of Jimbo Aquino, a sophomore from Barangay Ginebra, is floating around the camp since he is the “apple of the eye” of his former coach Ato Agustin. The former NCAA Finals MVP is still looking for his playing time in his current team which is heavily armed with guards and has to play his first game in this conference.

If ever Petron will get the services of Jimbo Aquino (with conduit, Hello Barako Bull), it might solve the problem of Petron in the PG position because Miranda will be playing as back up PG for Cabagnot.

Another dilemma which Petron facing is when the time Jay Washington and Rabeh Al-Husseini return from injury. How will Ato maximize his players in terms of playing minutes when his former starters will be inserted in the lineup? Will Arwind Santos and Jay Washington be able to co-exist with each other and win the most coveted title in the league today?

Game Face

I think Jimbo Aquino will fit in the system of Petron, since his former coach knows how to handle him to be effective within the system. But who will be traded? Joseph Yeo? Or the worst is Noy Baclao?

Petron team is NOW a very good team without Jay Washington. I think it’s time for him to let go (to another SMC team, Hello Ginebra). We must admit that he and Santos will never co-exist with each other, and it might affect the development of Chris Lutz, as he will battle for playing minutes with Jwash . Arwind Santos is playing his MVP form this conference and Lutz is having an excellent game in his rookie season.

And with the team having two (2) first round picks this 2012 PBA Draft, the best solution for Jwash is to play for another SMC team and be their new leader.

NOW AVAILABLE: Allein Maliksi and Dylan Ababou

When we talk about Barako Bull (formerly Air21 Express), we cannot deny how powerful their line-up could be if not for the bogus trades that they entered since coming into this league.

Let’s have a quick rundown on the list of players that they acquired during the draft since 2002, the year that they entered the league.

2002

Yancy de Ocampo – 1st pick (now with Barangay Ginebra)
Renren Ritual - 8th pick (now with Shopinas.com)

2003

John Ferriols – 12th pick (now with BMEG Llamados)

2004

Marc Pingris – 3rd pick (now with BMEG Llamados)
Ranidel de Ocampo – 4th pick (now with Talk N Text Texters)
Wesley Gonzales – 9th pick (now with Alaska Aces)

2005

Jay Washington – 1st pick (now with Petron Blaze Boosters)
Mark Cardona – 5th pick (now with Meralco Bolts)
Nino Canaleta – 6th pick (now with Barangay Ginebra)

2006

Arwind Santos – 2nd pick (now with Petron Blaze Boosters)

2007

JC Intal - 4th pick (now with Barangay Ginebra)
Doug Kramer – 5th pick (now with Powerade Tigers)

2008

Mark Borboran – 6th pick (now with Meralco Bolts)

2009

Japeth Aguilar – 1st pick (now with Talk N Text Texters)
Chris Ross – 4th pick (now with Meralco Bolts)
Rogemar Menor – 7th pick (now with Shopinas.com)
Ronnie Matias – 9th pick (now with Rain or Shine)

2010

Noy Baclao – 1st pick (now with Petron Blaze Boosters)
Rabeh Al-Huseini – 2nd pick (now with Petron Blaze Boosters)
Rey Guevarra – 3rd pick (now with Petron Blaze Boosters)

2011

Allein Maliksi – 8th pick
Dylan Ababou – 10th pick

If you will take a look at these players that they drafter, numerous championships is up for grabs for this franchise. But what happened? They entered some trades in order to give away their talents in exchange of series of draft picks and cash considerations.

And in this 37th season, Barako Bull’s roster is consist of washed up veterans like Willie Miller, Danny Seigle, Dorian Pena, Jondan Salvador, Don Allado, Mick Pennissi, Sunday Salvacion, Wynne Arboleda and Paul Artadi. They are once the pride of their former teams, but because of the injuries they have encountered from the past years, I doubt majority of them can complete a whole season without missing a one game.

Last night, Barako Bull won its first game in two outings, defeating the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. Dylan Ababou, after being benched during their first game against Petron, led the team with 20 points. Allein Maliksi scored 13 points also and grabbed 8 rebounds (Maliksi averaged 14 points per game).

Because of the sturdy offense displayed by these rookies in their last two games, I’m afraid that after five more games, we will see them playing to another team.

If this will happen again, Barako Bull must change their name to AMAZON.COM or SULIT.COM…

The Art of Giving: The tale of the sisters (Petron, Ginebra and BMEG)

The battle cry of BGK fans: “TO SMC: Please improve our line-up!”

Of all the three sisters, only BGK is left without improvement in the last off-season. With a lone first round pick in the recent draft (Reil Cervantes) and dropping James Martinez to Powerade Tigers’ D-League Team, there are no significant changes in their roster despite of the departure of their resident “do-it-all” forward Rudy Hatfield, the retirement of their court-general JayJay Helterbrand after the Philippine Cup and the endless injuries of Major Pain Eric Menk.

On the other hand, Petron Blaze Boosters, after winning the Governor’s Cup last season and slamming the grand slam run of the Talk N Text with their “fashionista” and “tele-serye wanna-be” coach Chot Reyes and the cry baby Jason “We lost against Petron because I’m injured” Castro, is handed with a third-overall pick from the 2011 PBA Draft in the person of Chris Lutz, and embraced the return of the “Cebuano Hotshot” Dondon Hontiveros alongside with Carlos Sharma.

On the BMEG camp, with majority of their players is nursing with injuries during the last season, here comes to the rescue: Joe Devance, the scoring leader of Alaska Aces, who requested to be traded to another team, in exchange of KG Canaleta and Jondan Salvador in a 3 team trade with the ever helpful Air21. Their major acquisition in the off-season, aside from getting the Smart Gilas guard Mac Barroca in the recent draft, they acquired the services of another Alaska Aces, Coach Tim Cone.

On Ginebra side, aside from picking Cervantes in the draft, they lost Johnny Abarrientos to BMEG in exchange of Art dela Cruz as one of their assistant coaches, Jong Uichico and Siot Tancquincen will handle the team this season as co-head coaches. Aside from that very minor changes compared to their sister teams; Robert Non is still idle with the status of the team regarding the team’s roster.

BGK’s line up, aside from being surrounded by guards, is a team that is aging. Only sophomores John Wilson and Jimbo Aquino are in their late 20’s. Their resident center, Eric Menk, is battling an injury that keeps on haunting him. Yancy de Ocampo, a 6’ 9” player who is a liable inside the paint and loves to take outside shots, Billy Mamaril, with his 6’6” frame is not given quality minutes by their coaches and Enrico Villanueva is still recuperating from his injury and he is the shadow of himself during his Red Bull days.

The only fighting player who can give muscle inside the paint is Willy Wilson. He is very undersized compared with Sonny Thoss, Asi Taulava, Noy Baclao, Japeth Aguilar and others. But still, he can’t do it all alone. The team needs a Center right now.

Game Face

In order to help their sister, Petron may give up Noy Baclao. Why Baclao? Noy Baclao’s minutes diminished from time to time and he is still lost in the system of Ato Agustin. While Carlos Sharma is enjoying his playing time in Petron, Baclao is relegated from the bench most of the time. If Rabeh and JWash will return, expect Baclao’s minutes to hit an all time low in Petron, especially in the Commissioner’s Cup where every team can select an import with no height requirement.

Aside from that, Petron holds two first rounder in the coming 2012 PBA Draft from Shopinas and Barako Bull, and with the entry of Junmar Fajardo, Aldrech Ramos and maybe Greg Slaughter, Baclao needs to find a new home and that is Ginebra.

On BMEG side, their “Sampayan Brigade” is very useful against the Blaze Boosters last week. With the likes of Rafi Reavis, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Joe Devance, John Ferriols, the ceiling of BMEG is unstoppable. So maybe Rico Maierhofer can give Ginebra an added ceiling to their weak front line.

I hope this will solve the problem of Ginebra in terms of a legitimate Center.

The concept of "bigayan" is a good trait among Filipinos.

The Possibility of “Blaze Boosters – Tropang Texters III”

Hold it PBA fans, I know it’s very too early to tell whether this trilogy will happen or not, but I’m pretty sure (not to offend the other teams) that this trilogy must end now, not in the Commissioner’s Cup or even in the Governor’s Cup.

The idea of this trilogy came up when Talk N Text star, Jason Castro, said on his interview that Petron managed to slam the grand slam run of his team its because they (Castro, Alapag and Carey) is injured.

Whoa! Is that so? How about Jay Washington? Lordy Tugade? Joseph Yeo? and Rabeh Al-Husseini? Or even Danny Ildefonso? All of them, except Ildefonso, did not play in the Finals because of injuries.

Because of his statement, maybe accidentally or intentionally, ignited the fuel of Petron fans all over the basketball community and can’t wait for another showdown in the Finals to end this endless debate about who’s who in terms of basketball supremacy.

Let us enumerate the possible reasons why this match up becomes a reality for this conference.

Roster Comparison

Of all the ten teams in the PBA, the Boosters and the Texters has all the tools to become a certified champion in terms of roster. From Center up to the Point Guard position all the way to their bench and even their coaching staff, both teams are very competitive.

Boasting for the Texters are 2011 PBA MVP Jimmy Alapag, 2011 Most Improved Player Jason Castro, former PBA Rookies of the Year Ryan Reyes, Larry Fonacier and Rich Alvarez, former PBA MVP Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ali Peek and Gilas Center Japeth Aguilar.

For the Boosters, they have PBA 2011 Finals MVP Arwind Santos, 2 time MVP Danny Ildefonso, Alex Cabagnot, Cebuano Hotshot Dondon Hontiveros, 2011 PBA Draft 1st pick Noy Baclao, Denok Miranda, Carlos Sharma, Rey Guevarra, Joseph Yeo and top rookie Chris Lutz.

Based on their line ups, it’s all about offense versus defense. TNT is one of the great offensive teams in the PBA averaging more than 100 points per game, on the other hand, PBB is known for their choking defense, allowing their opponents to score 70 points or less per game.

Coaching Philosophy

Coach Chot Reyes, aside from his fashionable get ups during games and his “teleserye” scripts whenever the team loses, is one of the great X’s and O’s in terms of coaching strategy. He firmly believes that once a system is installed within the team and familiarized it, no one can ruin it except for the players itself. We enjoyed his reactions about how their import sucked during the finals and replaced by their original import, how Ali Peek and Kelly Williams “disappeared” in the game, and his press conference that Jason Castro will be out for the series because of injury and yet he appeared in the next game and whooped the Boosters in one game in that series.

Ato Agustin is somehow the opposite of Chot Reyes. His system is patterned on how the players’ rhythm and composure. His signature statement “Go Hard lang Kami”, is very evident especially in the Governor’s Cup. Agustin is also a type of the coach that pays a lot of attention in installing defense to his team.

Great offense versus tight defense, a must see in this trilogy.

Bragging Rights

We all know that in PBA, it’s all about SMC vs. MVP, Ramon S. Ang vs. Manny V. Pangilinan. This trilogy will make a statement about who’s the best in the league, which dynasty will prevail this time.

The bad blood still exists for both teams. Remember the “word war” between Agustin and Reyes, which the former wanted to end the series with a fist fight and calling the latter as one of the “bekimons” in the league because of his fashion statement and not accepting Agustin’s offer?

How about the statement given by “The Blur” Jason Castro that Petron won the Governor’s Cup because of the injuries suffered by the team? To think that Petron’s key players like Husseini, Washington, Yeo and Tugade are also injured.

So this is it! This trilogy must end this Philippine Cup.

The high octane efficiency of Petron Blaze Boosters

Despite of all the issues regarding oil price hike, oil deregulation law, E-VAT on oil, Petron Blaze Boosters’ fans will separate this for the sake of basketball because there’s a reason to celebrate.

Why? Because, the Governor’s Cup Champions last season is scorching hot this 37th season of the PBA Philippine Cup. They are on the top of the standings with a commanding 2-0 won-loss card.
We all know it’s too early to celebrate because the PBA had just opened the season less than one week last October 2 only.

Coach Ato Agustin did a wonderful job last off-season by providing the “missing pieces” in the team with the likes of Chris Lutz, Dondon Hontiveros and Carlos Sharma.

Arwind Santos, when he is activated to “beast mode”, no one can stop him from delivering. In 2 games, he averaged 15 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. Alex Cabagnot, Petron’s court general, is averaging 19 points and 3.5 assists per game. Danny Ildefonso, who went double-double last game against Barako Bull, might be drinking from the “fountain of youth” and showing no signs of aging. The rookie sensation Chris Lutz, averaged 18 points in two games, with 6 steals against the Barako Bull.

Denok Miranda is also showing his FEU form this conference, playing with Cabagnot, they formed a deadly back-court tandem which dictates the fluidity of their offense as well as in their defense. Agustin discovered the duo of Cabagnot-Miranda during the Petron-Talk N Text showdown last season, and it is working well in the team’s system. Carlos Sharma is another revelation in this conference which is now armed with soft touch from the midrange.

Sophomores Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra, with less playing minutes, always deliver whenever they are in the court. I hope that Agustin will give them more playing time in order for them to build their self-confidence.

Game Face

With Dondon Hontiveros is out for 7 to 10 days because of his calf injury, Chris Lutz is enjoying more playing time (38 minutes in 2 games) in his absence. Also, Danny Ildefonso is averaging 33 minutes per game in 2 games. I hope Agustin give Lakay more minutes in the bench for him to fully recover his injury. He is needed more comes semis and Petron cannot afford to lose Lakay in that series, remember how he is valuable during the Governor’s Cup Championship when Jay Washington and Rabeh Al-Husseini is down with injuries.

Cabagnot’s maturity and decision-making seems to improve this conference. He is showing his play making skills during the game, taking shots at the right place at the right time and his composure in every opponent’s attempt to make a run and cut their lead.

Rob Reyes is set to play for the Boosters in their next game against Shopinas.Com Clickers, this will give the team additional muscle inside the paint. The 6’ 5” Reyes will give Lakay a breath of fresh air and to avoid injuries.

In their two games, we witnessed the chemistry and composure of Petron Blaze Boosters as well as the players’ motivation and hunger for championship. It’s too early to tell, but I can smell a “Talk N Text – Petron Blaze Booster III” this finals, and maybe this time, they will settle their unfinished business with an identical record of 1-1 for both teams.

POST GAME ASSESSMENT: Petron Blaze Boosters beat the BMEG Llamados: 73 – 69

It was a defensive battle between the two teams last night. Blocks here, steals there and tons of turnovers everywhere, but Petron managed to escape Tim Cone and the Llamados, 73 – 69, thanks to the late game heroics of Alex Cabagnot and rookie Chris Lutz.

Former Gilas Lutz, leads the Boosters with 19 points, 9 out of 9 from the charity stripe, 4 rebounds including the last offensive and a three point play in the dwindling minutes of the last quarter. Cabagnot shared 17 points including the last 4 free throw shots, and his game-changing three point shot with a minute left in the quarter. The silent performer Arwind Santos managed to score 11 points and a whooping 19 rebounds (6 from offensive end).

Super Sub PJ Simon leads the Llamados with 21 points and 6 rebounds. The other players who entered the double digit zone James Yap and Kerby Raymundo, with 10 points.

Observations:
- Chris Lutz played a monster game last night. He was in the court guarding Joe Devance, who managed to get 9 points only, and Rafi Reavis. He is now the “Marc Pingris” of the Boosters.

- The tandem of Dennis Miranda and Alex Cabagnot is worth watching for. Cabagnot on the offensive end while Miranda on the defensive side.

- The triangle system imposed by Coach Tim Cone on BMEG is still far from his Alaska Aces. We understand that the system cannot be applied fully in one game only.

- The “Sampayan Brigade” of BMEG worked a lot. The team collected 7 blocks compared to 6 for Petron.

- Rookie Marc Barocca seemed to be lost in BMEG system. Tim Cone used him for 13 minutes only. I hope next game he will be utilized more by Cone.

- I hope Coach Ato Agustin will use Rey Guevarra more often.

- Joseph Yeo is still lost in space in the Boosters’ rotation

Impressive game for both teams. I can see that Llamados, few more games, will be a very deadly team comes to semis. Petron Blaze Boosters displayed a lot of composure especially in the end game, which is considered as a great improvement compared to last AFC campaign.

POST GAME ASSESSMENT: Powerade Tigers beat Shopinas Clickers: 98 – 87

It was expected that Powerade Tigers will notch their first win against the newcomer Shopinas Clickers. But I didn’t expect that they (Clickers) will give the Tigers a tough time in this game.

As always, Gary David shouldered the scoring chores for the Tigers, scorching high with 31 points, with an 81.8% in the 2 point FG. The other Tigers who also shared their double digit scores, Celino Cruz with 15, Josh Vandalingham with 14 playing for 15 minutes only, and rookie Marcio Lassiter chipped in 10 points.

On the other hand, Shopinas Clickers managed to outscore the tigers in the 2nd and 3rd quarter, but failed in the 4th quarter. RainMan Ren-Ren Ritualo, as expected, leads all Clickers with 19 points, 3 out of 8 in the rainbow territory. Late addition James Sena, a former first round pick of San Miguel Beermen, contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds, and ex-Petron Jojo Duncil managed to score 11 points.

Observations:
- Gary David is still the man for the Tigers. He is definitely the number one scoring option of his team, scoring from transition, making his outside shots and played for 34 solid minutes.

- Josh Vandalingham is a great contributor off the bench, scoring 14 points in a very limited 15 minutes inside the court. Coach Bo Perasol must give him a lot of playing minutes in the next game.

- Ren-ren Ritualo, indeed can score. But Shopinas must get another reliable scorer to complement Ritualo. (adding Joseph Yeo and Jimbo Aquino will make this team more formidable)

- James Sena is a revelation here. A double-double performance for him.

- Magi King Sison will be one of the corner stone of the Clickers. He must add more pounds of muscle to battle against the towering centers of the opposing team. He reminds me of the young Danny Ildefonso.

To sum it up, it was a good performance for both Tigers and the Clickers. If the Clickers will fully furnish their system on court, they will be definitely a tough team to beat.

The Mark Borboran Case

This week, we witnessed the opening of the 37th season of the PBA, as well as the performance of Rain or Shine’s second over-all pick, Paul “Leethal Weapon Lee”, exploding for 21 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists and giving the team’s first win.

Now the latest news circulating in Twitter and some PBA forums is the Mark Borboran case. This former Alaska Ace didn’t made up to the Aces’ 16 man line up which the team submitted to the Office of the Commissioner days before the season opening, making him as a Free Agent.

Now, Petron Blaze Booster gave Mark Borboran a “Token Offer Sheet” to play for them this conference. But the Aces are not willing to give away Borboran to Petron, claiming that they still have the rights because he is still a Restricted Free Agent. And because of that, they are willing to trade him to Meralco for a second-rounder.

The Commissioner asked for a revision about the Alaska-Meralco trade involving Borboran. If this trade will push through, the Meralco must match the offer of Petron to Borboran, and if it doen’t push through, Alaska must match the offer of Petron and decide whether they will put him on the 16 man roster of the Aces.

Game Face

This will be the second time that Petron (formerly SMB) and Alaska got into the same scenario, when SMB’s Sam Eman was put on the reserved list (with a live contract with the team and automatically be an unrestricted free agent), accepted the offer of the Aces to play for them. Eman quickly accepted the offer, leaving his team disappointed with his actions.

This also happened to Ginebra’s Homer Se and SMB’s Dorian Pena. When they put on a reserved list, some teams offered them to play for the team, but because of “delicadeza”, they turned down the offer.

The important thing to solve this case is for the Commissioner to consider the following actions: Which of the two submitted first, the Petron’s offer to Borboran or the 16 man line up of Alaska? I think this will solve the case and for the Commissioner to decide which is which.

SISTER ACT: Petron Blaze Boosters will face Tim Cone’s Triangle Offense and BMEG Llamados.

This will be the first sister act this season. Petron Blaze Boosters will face BMEG Llamados this Wednesday as the main event of the night.

Both bolster their lineups and even their coaching staffs, expect a helluva fight between the two teams who is seeking to return to the “promise land” and reclaim the All Filipino Cup Championship.

Coach Ato Agustin will go head to head with Coach Tim Cone first time this season. This is a battle between the Triangle System versus “Go Hard” system.

Petron will be bannered by the Governor’s Cup Finals MVP Arwind Santos, 2-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso, Alex Cabagnot, rookie Chris Lutz, sophomores Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra, and Dondon Hontiveros.

2-time PBA MVP James Yap will lead the BMEG alongside with Joe Devance, Marc Pingris, Gilas member and rookie point guard Marc Barocca, returnee Kerby Raymundo and Raffy Reavis.

Game Face

This will be a very tight game onto the dying seconds of the game. If the Llamados will execute their system smoothly despite of the time constraints in implementing it to the team, they can beat the Boosters.

On the other hand, Petron is a better team today compared to the team that won the Governor’s Cup Championship last season. Their bench is very deep and players now can play defense. The return of Hontiveros to the team will be the barometer of their game and Chris Lutz maybe defending JDV all through the night.

Based on their performance of their pre-season games, Boosters came out strong by pulling games winning by a large margin while the Llamados mostly won games in a close fight.

With a strong chemistry, defensive mind set, and familiarity of the system, Petron Blaze Booster will notch their first win this season.

BATTLE OF THE UNDERDOGS: Debuting Shopinas against the Rejuvenated Powerade

This will be a baptism of fire for coach Franz Pumaren as his troops, Shopinas.com Clickers, will face the much improved line-up of Powerade Tigers.

It is a tough test for the Clickers because they are facing the opponent’s top draft picks in the person of JV Casio, the Gilas’ court general, and defense specialist and three point bomber Marcio Lassiter.

With old reliables Gary David, scoring leader in the last PBA season, sophomore Sean Anthony, former Elasto Painters Doug Kramer and Josh Vandalingham and the sturdy frontcourt duo of Rommel Adducul and Alex Crisano, expect Powerade Tigers to put their claws on Clickers come Wednesday afternoon.

Pumaren will rely on his former De La Salle gunner Ren-ren Ritualo, who expressed to prove again his worth under his former DLSU mentor and now his present head coach. Elmer Espiritu, RJ Jazul, former Petron Blazers Paolo Hubalde and Jojo Duncil will help the Clickers to register their win this coming Wednesday.

Game face

I think this will be an easy game for coach Bo Perasol and the rest of the Powerade Tigers and will notch their first win in this conference. Franz Pumaren must find another offensive option to complement Ritualo (maybe Pong Escobal) because Ritualo alone cannot carry the scoring load of his team.

Talking about defense, Lassiter, Anthony and Kramer will “bully” the bigs of Clickers inside the paint. Magi Sison is still raw and so is Mark Canlas.

Powerade Tigers will win this game.

The Dangerous Paul Lee

I’m expecting Paul Lee will be a good player in the PBA even though I didn’t watch any games of UE in the UAAP, but I’m pretty sure he will be a strong candidate for the 2012 PBA ROY.

But not after their game last night;

Paul Lee exploded for big 21 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. He outplayed Ginebra star Mark Caguioa and the rest of the BGK in their first meeting.

One thing I noticed in Lee’s game is his ability to go strong to the hoop and create his own shot. Another thing is his passing ability, he able to see his team mates even de Ocampo, Villanueva and Mamaril manning the paint.

As coach Yeng Guiao stated, “Paul Lee is a good player. Maangas ang laro pero hindi nakakainis panoorin!”

I hope Lee will continue to play good in the eliminations and carry the team all the way to semis. His tandem with Gabe Norwood is very effective because both players can slash through the basket, nail from the three point area and can dish some assists.

All in all, a very good game for Paul Lee.

PBA 37th Season: POWER RANKINGS

This is it! The long wait is over! This is war!

Today will be the opening tip-off of the 37th season of the first “pay-for-play” basketball league in Asia, the PBA.

With their tagline: “Kampihan Na!”, the fans will surely bet on their favorite teams in their quest for All Filipino Championship. (I don’t think the tagline is related to the banner in the PBA website, where 4 SMC teams and 1 MVP team is featured, or maybe PBA is telling that the both SMC and MVP camp will unite for their quest in the 2014 Olympics)

THE KING

The reigning AFC Champions, Talk N Text Tropang Texters, will try to reclaim their title and aim for another grand slam run this season.

With Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Kelly Williams returning to their line up after their stint in Wuhan, their championship core is still intact. With the latest addition of Japeth Aguilar and the rookie sucker puncher (coined by Yeng Guiao) Pamboy Raymundo, they will add youth, speed and talent to the team.

Who to watch out: Chot Reyes’ drama acts and telenovela dialogues.

THE CHALLENGERS

Petron Blaze Boosters – one of the main reason why TNT didn’t experienced how sweet to win a rare grand slam. Coach Ato Agustin and his seven disciples (most in the league) will again try to sneak in the Finals and reclaim the All Filipino Championship. With Jay Washington and Rabeh Al-Husseini still in the sideline, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot and Danny Ildefonso, will banner the team this season. Re-acquired during the draft, Dondon Hontiveros might be the last missing piece in the PBB line-up after Duncil and Hubalde return to their mother team. With new recruits, defensive stalwarts Chris Lutz and Carlos Sharma, Petron is a more complete team compared last season.

Who to watch out: Rey Guevarra’s explosiveness and Chris Lutz’ tight defense

Alaska Aces – although they are abandoned by Tim Cone for another team, expect them to prove themselves this season. Armed with four rookies, Mac Baracael, Eric Salamat, Julius Pasculado and Ariel Mepana alongside with their old reliables LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio, Sonny Thoss and Jay R Reyes, they are still a championship caliber team. They are no push over this season. Joel Banal, their new head coach, will lead the team and promised to bring back the championship glory in the Aces Camp.

Who to watch out: Julius Pasculado and Ariel Mepana
BMEG Llamados – adopting the triangle system which popularized by Tim Cone in the Alaska’s camp for over 22 years, this might be the year of the Llamados. With a new head coach, Tim Cone and new assistants Johnny Abarrientos and Jeffrey Cariaso, BMEG is on a new mission. James Yap will be the cornerstone of their offense with the help of the returning Kerby Raymundo, Marc Pingris, Joe Devance and the rookie guard Marc Barocca.

Who to watch out: James Yap and Kerby Raymundo

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings – even though Rudy Hatfield left the team (again and again), Jayjay Helterbrand contemplating on retirement, Eric Menk’s injury (as always), and NO PLAYER MOVEMENT/S MADE BY THE SMC COMPARED TO PETRON AND BMEG, no need to worry ka-baranggays because BGK is still capable of whooping some a** every season they played here in the PBA.

With the lone addition of Riel Cervantes in their lineup, Mark Caguioa will still lead the team to the promise land. The never say die attitude of this team is very intact and cannot be questioned by others.

Who to watch out: Mark Caguioa’s MVP performance

THE GATE CRASHERS

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – last season, ROS proved that they are not the league’s whipping boys. They can win games; they can be also threat to the other teams. With the tandem of Gabe Norwood and rookie sensation Paul Lee, expect something different this season. That difference will make every opponent of ROS in deep trouble. And when you see the game face of Yeng Guiao, you are also in deep trouble, dib a Coach Chot?

Who to watch out: Paul Lee and Yeng Guiao (expect fines)

Powerade Tigers – they are the last season’s big time losers, but no longer now. JV Casio and Marcio Lassiter will prove that this is their time. With a lot of improvement in their rosters by acquiring Doug Kramer, Rommel Adducul, Alex Crisano and Josh Vandalingham and holdovers Gary David and Sean Anthony, they might burst the bubble of the opposing teams. They might say “Goodbye Eliminations, Hello Quarters”.

Who to watch out: JV Casio and Alex Crisano’s court antics.

Meralco Bolts – their line up improved a lot with the addition of Jason Ballesteros, Gilbert Bulawan, Mark Macapagal and Chito Lanete. With Sol Mercado, Mark Cardona and Asi Taulava leading the team, they have a lot of reasons to enter the quarters every conference this season.

Who to watch out: Jason Ballesteros

Barako Bulls –Veterans Willie Miller, Danny Seigle, Don Allado, Dorian Pena, Paul Artadi and Wynne Arboleda must drink from the “fountain of youth” in order to give the first championship of this team (formerly Air 21). Always selected as victim by the SMC and MVP group in terms of hoarding their talents, I hope this season, Allein Maliksi and Dylan Ababou won’t be traded at all. They will serve as the future of the team as their veteran teammates guide them in every game. Nothing to ask for, but they might pull a surprise this conference.

Who to watch out: Willie Miller – Danny Seigle tandem

WHIPPING BOYS

Shopinas.com Clickers – aside from Franz Pumaren’s moustache, I don’t see this team will enter the quarters this season. Whoever owns the Shopinas first round pick next year will be happy.