PBA PHILIPPINE CUP CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS: FINALS BY Aaron Atayde

We have finally reached the Finals of our Champion of Champions tournament. We are now down to the last two championship teams within the past decade. And it is time for the fans to decide who was the best of the best.

In the semifinals, the San Miguel teams ripped both Talk ‘N Text teams to shreds. The 2006-07 Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings beat the living day lights out of the recently crowned three-peat TNT champion squad. In the other semifinal match-up, the Purefoods Chunkee Giants of the ’05-’06 season did the same against the ’08-’09 Tropang Texters.

So this is where we lay. With two teams fighting it out for the right to call themselves the Champion of Champions. And it had to be these two teams. It had to be Ginebra and Purefoods. It had to be Manila Clasico.

So who is will be the people’s champ? That is for you to decide.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings (2006-07) vs. Purefoods Chunkee Giants (2005-06)

Manila Clasico in the Champion of Champions. Can’t get any better than this. These two teams are one year apart and yet in both Philippine Cup playoffs, they didn’t play each other. Imagine if they did.

Well, now you can.

Depth, check. Size, check, Talent, check. These two teams are more than capable of walking away from this with the ultimate Perpetual trophy. It is now just up to you to decide which one it will be.

Ginebra or Purefoods. The question has been going on for years. It is now time to settle it.

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings (2006-07)

StartersPG – JJ Helterbrand – 13.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 8.5 APG
SG – Mark Caguioa – 24.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 4.4 APG
C – Rafi Reavis – 8.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 0.9 APG
PF – Rudy Hatfield – 15.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 2.7 APG
SF – Sunday Salvacion – 9.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 0.8 APG

BenchEric Menk – 12.7 PPG, 8 RPG, and 2.2 APG
Ronald Tubid – 8.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.3 APG

Other notablesMark Macapagal
Billy Mamaril

Purefoods Chunkee Giants (2005-06)

StartersPG – Noy Castillo – 6.4 PPG, 2 RPG, and 1.7 APG
SG – Roger Yap – 7.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.9 APG
C – Kerby Raymundo – 15.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 3.2 APG
PF – Marc Pingris – 11 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 1.3 APG
SF – James Yap – 20.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.1 APG

BenchRichard Yee – 7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 0.6 APG
Jun Limpot – 7.5 PPG, 3 RPG, and 0.3 APG

Other notablesPaul Artadi
PJ Simon

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings (2006-07) or Purefoods Chunkee Giants (2005-06)?

•  Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings (2006-07)
•  Purefoods Chunkee Giants (2005-06)

View Results

Categories: PBA - Tags: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Champion of Champions, San Mig Coffee Mixers

source: http://www.slamonlineph.com/philippine-basketball-association/pba-philippine-cup-champion-of-champions-finals/

The face of resilience By Richard Dy

“We’re getting better every day. We’re trying to learn as a team," says San Mig import Matt Rogers. Jerome Ascano

A SERIOUS face injury almost put an end to the playing career of Matt Rogers, but his unbending will and faith in God helped him get back on his feet and play again.
“Having my faith in God reassures me that He has a plan for my life through trials, tribulations, injuries or cuts or whatever struggles I go through,” Rogers shared to Spin.ph. "God always has the best plan for us."

Until now, Rogers still vividly remembers that one unforgettable night in Lebanon when he suffered that career-threatening injury. Rogers was playing in his debut game as an import in the strife-torn nation when he was accidentally elbowed in the face.
So bad was the damage to his face that he had to leave the Middle East country after only five days and go back to the US to undergo full reconstructive surgery.
The 6-foot-11 Rogers was idle for the next eight weeks as he had to recover fully from the operation.
Through those trying moments, Rogers found solace in his deep faith to God, which he said  strengthened his Christian belief and paved the way later for his basketball career to blossom further.
Rogers had an opportunity to join the Indiana Pacers after playing for the team in the summer leagues last year where he averaged decent numbers of 4.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
He failed to make the cut of the Pacers’ final roster, but the Southwest Baptist University alumnus found his way to Spain after landing a contract with the Leyma Natura Coruna in the Liga Espanola de Baloncesto (LEB) Gold League.
From the Spanish league, Rogers then accepted the latest offer to suit up for San Mig Coffee, which he hopes to help defend the PBA Commissioner’s Cup starting on February 8.
During the Mixers’ tune-up game against Rain or Shine at the Reyes gym over the weekend, Rogers had his hands full defending the Elasto Painters’ 7-foot-3 Croatian import Bruno Sundov.
The Mixers got pounded by the quick Elasto Painters in the final period and tumbled to their third straight loss during the season break via an 83-92 decision.
Despite San Mig’s early struggle in the team’s buildup for the mid-season conference, Rogers remained optimistic the reigning champions won’t carry over their 0-3 record to the real battle.
“We’re getting better every day. We’re trying to learn as a team. We’ve got three or four new players in the team so it’s hard,” Rogers said.
Unfamiliarity with Tim Cone's triangle offense has been the major issue some of the new players in the team are facing, particularly rookie guard Alex Mallari, forward Leo Najorda and Lester Alvarez, all of whom the team acquired recently in a blockbuster 10-player, five-team trade.
“We need to learn to play together. But after two weeks, I think we’ll be really as good as we expect our team to be. We’re getting ready to take care of business by February 8,” he added.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/the-face-of-resilience-v02

Ginebra bid for Aguilar may be revived as SMC bigwigs meet to plot next move By Snow Badua

Players like Nonoy Baclao, Ronjay Buenafe, Japeth Aguilar, and Kerby Raymundo may find themselves on the move if the SMC group decides to pull the trigger on previously shelved transactions. Jerome Ascano

BASKETBALL officials of of San Miguel Corp. are meeting on Sunday to plot the organization's next move in the wake of Ginebra and Petron's aborted trade bids for Japeth Aguilar and a couple other players.
Sources told Spin.ph that San Miguel head of basketball operations and current PBA chairman Robert Non had requested a meeting with Ramon S. Ang, a hands-on boss who has the final say on player and coaches' movements among the three teams under the SMC umbrella.
A meeting that was supposed to be the usual pre-conference round-table discussion among Ang and his coaches will now involve Non and other team governors as they decide on whether to pursue an aborted deal last week that was supposed to bring Aguilar to Ginebra's fold. (For the full story of the aborted deal, click here: Rumor or Fact).
“Dapat tuloy na yun talaga eh. Pero ngayon mag-uusap ulit sila," said the Spin.ph source.
Under the terms of the original proposal of a complex six-team deal, Petron was supposed to part with forward Jay Washington and get Vic Manuel and Jason Deustchmann from Globalport while Aguilar was set to land in Ginebra's lap while the Kings part with Kerby Raymundo, who in turn will be packaged by Globalport with Rey Guevarra and sent to Meralco for Sol Mercado and Kelly Nabong.
Globalport, for its part, would have ended up with Mercado and Washington.
When San Miguel pulled the plug on the deal on the sidelines of the PBA board's planning session in Singapore last week, Globalport went ahead with two revised deals: the Mikee Romero-owned franchise got Aguilar in a straight swap with Talk 'N Text for Rabeh Al-Hussani then acquired Mercado, Nabong, and JP Belencion from Meralco for Guevarra, Manuel, Josh Vanlandingham, and a first-round draft pick.
“Ayaw kasi i-alis sa Petron nung isang SMC official si Jay Washington. Maganda daw kasi ang nilalaro recently," bared a source, explaining the SMC organization's last-minute change of heart.
The talks with Ang, however, could see the SMC group revive its bid for Aguilar in deals that need to be repackaged since the original pieces of the transaction - like Mercado, Manuel and Nabong - have already been sent to other teams.
An option for the SMC organization, however, is to incorporate Aguilar in another transaction that is currently on hold - one that could involve Petron, Ginebra, Air21, Globalport, and Meralco, and players Ronjay Buenafe, Noy Baclao, Jason Ballesteros, John Wilson, and Raymundo.
One stumbling block to the deal could be Romero's expressed desire to keep Aguilar at Globalport, where he is set to join a core that now includes Mercado, Gary David, and Willie Miller.
One official from Meralco admits they are now closely monitoring developments at San Miguel camp, saying: “The ball is already in their hands.”
Meralco is looking to acquire the fleet-footed Raymundo in the trade, with Aguilar set to go to Ginebra, Air21 acquiring Buenafe, and Globalport getting Washington.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @spinph

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/ginebra-bid-for-aguilar-may-be-revived-as-smc-bigwigs-meet-to-plot-next-move-v02