Mike Cortez to Air 21, Yousef Taha to Ginebra trade sealed

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Tuesday, November 6, 2012 · 7:15 pm

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

Franz Pumaren will finally get the player on top of his wish list — veteran point guard Mike Cortez.

Barangy Ginebra San Miguel has closed a deal to send the ‘Cool Cat’ to the Air 21 Express, reuniting him with his former college coach, in return for promising rookie big man Yousef Taha.

An unimpeachable source privy to the discussions told InterAKTV that the deal is “already done.”

“Taha for Cortez will push through,” said the source, who requested anonymity. “It’s already done. We had another option, but it didn’t materialize, so we pushed through with this.”

Air 21 team executive Lito Alvarez also confirmed the deal, saying the papers will be submitted to the PBA on Wednesday.

Ginebra and Air 21 settled the one-on-one deal instead of an earlier proposed transaction that also involved Petron, which was supposedly to send Denok Miranda to Ginebra.

Instead, the Gin Kings will have another additional frontliner who can boost the team’s depleted lineup.

Ginebra lost forward Dylan Ababou to an ACL injury for six to eight months, while Allein Maliksi, Kerby Raymundo, and Jayjay Helterbrand have also been in sick bay.

Raymundo’s absence left Billy Mamaril as the only legitimate center in the team’s lineup.

Meanwhile, Cortez has long been on the radar of Pumaren, who coached the veteran guard in La Salle.

Pumaren couldn’t be reached for comment at this time, but the Air 21 coach has been very vocal about his desire to be reunited with his former star guard to help shore up the backcourt of the Express.

SOURCE: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/mike-cortez-to-air-21-yousef-taha-to-ginebra-trade-sealed

'The Beast' holds no fear for Guiao By the staff

“He brings a lot to Alaska in terms of energy, his offense, and his defense as well, but I don’t think he is the main factor for the team," says Painters coach Yeng Guiao of rookie Calvin Abueva (inset). Jerome Ascano

‘THE Beast,’ obviously, holds no fear for Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
The multi-titled Guiao isn’t making any special plans ahead of the Painters’ first sighting of Calvin Abueva, insisting that it is JVee Casio and Cyrus Baguio and not the celebrated rookie who he is more worried about in their PBA Philippine Cup game on Wednesday night.
“Abueva is not the catalyst of Alaska at this point,” the Painters coach told Spin.ph. “He brings a lot to the team in terms of energy, his offense, and his defense as well, but I don’t think he is the main factor for the team in the overall scheme of things.”
Guiao said he is not in any way underestimating Abueva, the No. 2 pick overall in the last rookie draft whose arrival coincided with a resurgence that has seen the Uytengsu-owned franchise win five games in a row after opening the season with back-to-back losses.
The Painters coach is also quite familiar with the bull-strong rookie, who grew up in Balibago in Angeles City near Guiao’s hometown of Magalang in Pampanga.
“Matagal ko na s’yang naririnig sa mga liga sa Pampanga,” he said.
But if the Painters hope to stop the Aces on their tracks, Guiao said they have to find a way to stop Casio, Baguio, and then Abueva in that order.
“I think it’s the leadership of Casio and the experience of Baguio, plus the energy of Abueva of course, that’s sparking Alaska,” he said. “But if you’re looking to stop Alaska, you have to stop Casio and Baguio and then stop Abueva.”
Guiao said he hasn’t devised any special defensive game plan  to contain Abueva, confident that he has enough defensive stoppers in his lineup to take on the job.
“He’s not physically dominating. He’s not quicker than everyone, he’s not taller than everyone,” said Guiao. “You just have to match the energy that he brings to the floor.”

Follow the writer on Twitter: @spinph

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/the-beast-holds-no-fear-for-guiao