By Joaquin Henson The Philippine Star Updated September 30, 2012 12:00 AM 2 comments to this post
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Chot Reyes charts a play during a timeout at the recent FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo.
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
Chot lines up Fil-Ams for Asian Games
2012-13 PBA Preview: Can San Mig Coffee live up to Tim Cone’s vision?
Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/2012-13-pba-preview-can-san-mig-coffee-live-up-to-tim-cones-vision
PBA/Nuki Sabio
“JC Intal has started playing for us four days ago and saw action in a tune up game. Joe Devance, on the other hand, joined the a couple of days ago. I’m happy that the team’s weapons are slowly coming back and part of the reason why for me to be excited in the coming season,” Cone told InterAKTV.
Intal and Devance missed Governors’ Cup finals, which the team lost in seven games to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Their re-entry installs San Mig Coffee as a favorite in the Philippine Cup, where the Purefoods franchise enjoys a long winning tradition.
But it’s also the tournament where they experienced their most bitter defeat last season, in the quarterfinals at the hands of the Powerade Tigers.
“We don’t want to dwell on that too much, but that conference was a remarkable one and it’s something unforgettable. But we’ve put the result behind us now,” said Cone.
“We have a different group now. We still had Kerby [Raymundo], Roger [Yap] and Rico [Maierhofer] when we lost to Powerade in the Philippine Cup quarterfinals. We have JC, Yancy [De Ocampo], and several new faces on the team now like Aldrech Ramos and Chris Pacana. We’re looking forward to have another fruitful season beginning the Philippine Cup.”
But to have a successful season, the winningest mentor among active coaches believes the leaders of the squad will have to step up.
“We had success in two of three conferences last season because of Denzel Bowles and Marqus Blakely. Now, it’s up to James [Yap], PJ [Simon], Ping [Marc Pingris] and Joe to step up. They’re the leaders of this team. I do hope they won’t look for the imports this time to get the job done for us,” added Cone.
The inclusion of rookies Ramos and Jewel Ponferada also gives Cone reason to be upbeat.
“We really like Aldrech because with him around, we have a big guy who can shoot and extend the floor for us. We didn’t have that before with Joe out and Ping not known as a shooting big man,” Cone said.
“Jewel, on the other hand, is a tough kid. He’s been dominating our practices, providing us toughness in the interior. That’s something we don’t have when we lost to rain or Shine in last conference’s finals.”
Another draft pick, 6-foot-9 Gian Chu, wasn’t included in the roster yet. “He’s a good kid. He has the height and the shooting ability, but we have decided to put him in our developmental unit,” Cone said.
PBA Preview: Air 21 | Alaska | Barako Bull | Ginebra | GlobalPort
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
AKTV/Paolo Papa
There were games when the squad would still visibly struggle with the tenets of Cone’s triangle offense and they would hardly look like a champion team. James Yap struggled for long stretches of the Commissioner’s Cup and the Governors’ Cup (until the finals), while players were battling all sorts of issues, but they still won more games than most teams except for Talk ‘N Text.
It’s scary to think how good this team would be when Cone is finally able to get them to play the way he wants them to play — that’s a testament to how good a coach he is. But then the question for San Mig Coffee is whether they would ever get there at all.
Even during the Governors’ Cup, there were times when the players looked uncomfortable on the floor. They’re no longer young players; Yap, Pingris, Devance, and Simon are all on the wrong side of 30. There’s an argument to be made that this team has reached its ceiling under Cone.
Then again, that ceiling means that, under Cone, the Mixers are a threat to contend for a title, tournament after tournament. That’s not bad at all.
Ravena carries Ateneo past La Salle as Blue Eagles return to finals
InterAKTV file photo/Roy Afable
Ravena finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He had 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the fourth quarter to take over for the Blue Eagles.
“Sinabi ko lang sa sarili ko na ayaw kong magpatalo,” Ravena said. “We had the chance to go to the finals and we grabbed it na.”
Ateneo was down, 49-38, early in the final period before Ravena put on a show. The second-year guard scored or assisted in every Ateneo basket as the Blue Eagles unleashed a 21-6 run to take a 59-55 lead with less than four minutes remaining.
La Salle rookie Jeron Teng broke the silence for Ateneo with a layup, but the Blue Eagles responded with a Greg Slaughter basket at the other end.
Green Archers hotshot Almond Vosotros then scored five straight points to bring the lead back to La Salle, 62-61, with over a minute left. But Ravena dished off to the right corner to an open Buenafe, who buried a three-pointer to give the Blue Eagles the lead for good.
La Salle still had a chance when Ravena was called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Teng with 15 seconds left. Teng only managed to split his free throws, and turned the ball over in the ensuing possession. Buenafe sealed the game with two free throws.
Nico Salva contributed 12 points for Ateneo.
Yutien Andrada led La Salle with his 17 points and six rebounds.
Ateneo, the four-time defending champion, returns to the finals where it faces University of Santo Tomas. It will be a rematch of the 2006 UAAP finals, when the Growling Tigers led by Jervy Cruz and Jojo Duncil pulled off an upset over the Blue Eagles bannered by JC Intal and Doug Kramer.
2012-13 PBA Preview: Can a new system bring order to Petron?
source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/2012-13-pba-preview-can-a-new-system-bring-order-to-petron
AKTV/Bannie O. Bravante
But with a new head coach and a new system being implemented, Petron coach Olsen Racela is preaching patience with this squad and says that management is taking the same approach.
“From management walang pressure. Sinabihan nila ako that they’re not expecting results right away,” said Racela. “And I’m not looking for a championship right away. My concern is how we improve as a team, the way we play. The result will take care of itself.”
And with Racela and team consultant Rajko Toroman installing a new system, a little patience might be in order.
“San Miguel since I had been playing has always been about execution. With coach Rajko, ganoon din sila sa SMART-Gilas before. So yun ang gusto namin dalhin sa team na ito — to be more of an executing team and to add to the defensive philosophy na dinala naman ni coach Ato [Agustin] two years ago,” said Racela.
If there’s one thing to look forward to right away, though, it’s the 6-foot-10 Fajardo, who will be stepping into the starting role right away. Racela says the rookie will play major minutes and will serve as the defensive anchor for the squad. He will be asked to control the rebounds as well, something the team struggled with when Dorian Pena was off the floor last year.
Mallari, too, will be part of the rotation with players like Marcio Lassiter, Chris Lutz and Chico Lanete still hurt as the season opens.
“My challenge right now is to get the players to play together. Yun ang tingin sa amin ng mga tao last year eh. That you have a strong lineup but that alone doesn’t translate to a championship. So you have to get them to play together,” said Racela.
PBA Preview: Air 21 | Alaska | Barako Bull | Ginebra | GlobalPort
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
Meralco | Petron | Rain or Shine | San Mig Coffee | Talk ‘N Text
AKTV/Pranz Kaeno Billones
Former coach Ato Agustin didn’t name any names when he hinted that the team had too much talent, and that some players need to sacrifice and play a role. But everyone knew he was talking about his two, uber-talented forwards who happened to be playing the same position.
Washington is the best offensive power forward in the league, with his unique combination of speed, athleticism, and lethal touch. He is damn near unstoppable when he gets rolling, and he might be the most dangerous offensive weapon in all of the PBA when he’s in rhythm.
That has put a crimp on the style of Santos, who is forced to move to the small forward spot. It’s important because when he’s playing the four-spot, Santos stays closer to the basket, allowing him to wreak havoc on the boards — which is how he led the league in rebounding last season — as well as anchor the defense by protecting the rim. When he’s playing the three-spot, he has to chase quicker guys around the perimeter, and he is reduced to a taller version of Jireh Ibañes.
Put it this way: when he’s playing power forward, Arwind Santos is decidedly Spider-Man. When he moves to small forward, he turns into Peter Parker.
Last season, Agustin tried to solve this problem by playing Washington at center, which made the team too small and too soft down low.
So there’s still that issue, and it’d be interesting to see how the brain trust led by Racela and Toroman deal with it. Maybe they’d be able to find a creative solution, or maybe they’d be force to choose one over the other. In any case, it’s something they need to answer for the franchise to be able to move forward.
Friday, September 28, 2012
San Mig Coffee, Barako Bull finalize details of Urbiztondo deal
source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/san-mig-coffee-barako-bull-finalize-details-of-urbiztondo-deal
AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan
The Mixers sent their starting point guard to Barako Bull in exchange for a first round pick next season. The Energy Colas — the franchise that previously competed as the Air 21 Express — stockpiled four first round picks next year through various trades. The PBA asked San Mig Coffee to make a decision which pick to acquire from Barako Bull.
San Mig Coffee selected the pick that originally belongs to GlobalPort. Barako Bull owns the rights to the pick as part of the trade that sent JR Quinahan from the Express to the Coca-Cola Tigers in 2010.
Barako Bull also owns picks belonging to Meralco, Petron, and Ginebra. Its own pick next season belongs to Rain or Shine.
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said it was hard to part ways with Urbiztondo after having developed a personal relationship with the player.
“He’s been our lead guard in the past conferences where we entered the finals, but we’ve also told the management about our loaded talent at the guard spot. Then came Barako Bull knocking at our door,” said Cone, who installed Urbiztondo as the starting point guard when he took over the coaching chores last season.
“It’s one way of looking at the future as well because we don’t have a first round pick next year, so I think it will be a good move. We have a chance on getting [Greg] Slaughter or any talented player in next year’s draft, which we believe has a deep cast.”
The Mixers also acquired Petron swingman Wesley Gonzales in the deal. In return, the Energy Colas sent two second-round draft picks to the Boosters in 2013 and 2014.
New batch reinforces Gilas' cadel pool By Richard Dy
Smart Gilas team manager Butch Antonio says 10 of the country's top college players have verbally agreed to be part of the cadet national training pool. Jerome Ascano
THE Smart Gilas 2.0 program is looking long-term in its bid to lead the Philippines back to prominence in Asian and world basketball.
That’s the reason why this early the national team is in the process of recruiting the next batch of collegiate talent who will be implanted within the program via the cadet pool, team manager Butch Antonio said.
“The cadet pool is something we are currently discussing with (Smart) management. Because our idea is, if every three years, mga at least dalawang players lang ang nari-release sa PBA (draft), then at least, may feeder system tayo that could somewhat replace those who will turn pro,” Antonio said in a talk withSpin.ph.
“But again, MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) is supporting the national team for the long haul, otherwise, he could have just pulled the plug after the Gilas program since it didn’t win the Asian medal,” added the team official who’s been with Gilas since 2009.
Though the original batch of Smart Gilas team has since been disbanded after all of them decided to turn pro, Antonio said they are now working towards building a more sustainable national basketball training program.
Antonio, who used to serve as head of basketball operations during the initial phase of the Gilas program three years ago, added the basketball program set by former ambassador and basketball project director Danding Cojuangco offers some valuable insights on how they are now running the national program.
“The NCC (Northern Consolidated Cement) team was a good way to pattern it. Kung di nga lang sila nabuwag, they would probably have stayed for the long haul, at di siguro agad sila nag-PBA,” observed Antonio.
Some of the members of the NCC program during the 80s include Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Franz Pumaren, Yves Dignadice, Tonichu Yturri, Alfie Almario, Elmer Reyes, Pido Jarencio, and a young Jerry Codinera, who all blended well with naturalized players Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and shooter Arthur “Chip” Engelland.
As part of its training, the NCC team competed in the PBA for two seasons, eventually winning the 1985 Reinforced Conference title.
That same national squad won the 1985 William Jones Cup in Taipei, and later ruled the Asian Basketball Confederation (now the FIBA Asia men’s championships) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 1986, all under the guidance of American coach Ron Jacobs.
Smart Gilas 2.0 assistant coach Jong Uichico, a member of the NCC team from 1982 to 1985, explained the success of the current basketball program hinges on the all-out support of everyone.
“Nuong time kasi namin, may cooperation ang mga school teams with the national team. Kaya kami nakakalaro sa labas kung may tournament,” recalled Uichico, who called the shots for the all-PBA national squad that placed fourth in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
“Ngayon kasi, it’s really the system that make things difficult for players to represent the national team. Mas maganda sana, kahit na nasa PBA na ang mga players, kapag kailangan sila maglaro sa national team, i-prioritize nila, kasi para naman ito sa bansa,” he added.
Currently, Antonio said 10 of the country’s top college players have verbally agreed to be part of the cadet national training pool.
The pool will be bannered by the Ateneo “Mutt and Jeff” tandem of Greg Slaughter and Kiefer Ravena, Blue Eagle teammate Nico Salva, NCAA stars Jake Pascual of San Beda, San Sebastian’s Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang, and Far Eastern University’s top playmaker RR Garcia along with Garvo Lanete and Matt Ganuelas, who were part of the victorious Smart Gilas 2.0 team that ruled the Jones Cup last month in Taipei.
source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/new-batch-of-cadet-pool-reinforces-gilas-2.0-long-term-program
That’s the reason why this early the national team is in the process of recruiting the next batch of collegiate talent who will be implanted within the program via the cadet pool, team manager Butch Antonio said.
“The cadet pool is something we are currently discussing with (Smart) management. Because our idea is, if every three years, mga at least dalawang players lang ang nari-release sa PBA (draft), then at least, may feeder system tayo that could somewhat replace those who will turn pro,” Antonio said in a talk withSpin.ph.
“But again, MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) is supporting the national team for the long haul, otherwise, he could have just pulled the plug after the Gilas program since it didn’t win the Asian medal,” added the team official who’s been with Gilas since 2009.
Though the original batch of Smart Gilas team has since been disbanded after all of them decided to turn pro, Antonio said they are now working towards building a more sustainable national basketball training program.
Antonio, who used to serve as head of basketball operations during the initial phase of the Gilas program three years ago, added the basketball program set by former ambassador and basketball project director Danding Cojuangco offers some valuable insights on how they are now running the national program.
“The NCC (Northern Consolidated Cement) team was a good way to pattern it. Kung di nga lang sila nabuwag, they would probably have stayed for the long haul, at di siguro agad sila nag-PBA,” observed Antonio.
Some of the members of the NCC program during the 80s include Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Franz Pumaren, Yves Dignadice, Tonichu Yturri, Alfie Almario, Elmer Reyes, Pido Jarencio, and a young Jerry Codinera, who all blended well with naturalized players Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and shooter Arthur “Chip” Engelland.
As part of its training, the NCC team competed in the PBA for two seasons, eventually winning the 1985 Reinforced Conference title.
That same national squad won the 1985 William Jones Cup in Taipei, and later ruled the Asian Basketball Confederation (now the FIBA Asia men’s championships) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January 1986, all under the guidance of American coach Ron Jacobs.
Smart Gilas 2.0 assistant coach Jong Uichico, a member of the NCC team from 1982 to 1985, explained the success of the current basketball program hinges on the all-out support of everyone.
“Nuong time kasi namin, may cooperation ang mga school teams with the national team. Kaya kami nakakalaro sa labas kung may tournament,” recalled Uichico, who called the shots for the all-PBA national squad that placed fourth in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
“Ngayon kasi, it’s really the system that make things difficult for players to represent the national team. Mas maganda sana, kahit na nasa PBA na ang mga players, kapag kailangan sila maglaro sa national team, i-prioritize nila, kasi para naman ito sa bansa,” he added.
Currently, Antonio said 10 of the country’s top college players have verbally agreed to be part of the cadet national training pool.
The pool will be bannered by the Ateneo “Mutt and Jeff” tandem of Greg Slaughter and Kiefer Ravena, Blue Eagle teammate Nico Salva, NCAA stars Jake Pascual of San Beda, San Sebastian’s Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang, and Far Eastern University’s top playmaker RR Garcia along with Garvo Lanete and Matt Ganuelas, who were part of the victorious Smart Gilas 2.0 team that ruled the Jones Cup last month in Taipei.
source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/new-batch-of-cadet-pool-reinforces-gilas-2.0-long-term-program
Petron gets coaches’ nod as team likely to dominate. See the poll result By Richard Dy
Source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/special-reports/pba-rankings#page-1
Petron Blaze has a lineup so deep it can be split into two sides and both will be better than most starting lineups in the league right now, coaches say. Jerome Ascano
Petron Blaze has a lineup so deep it can be split into two sides and both will be better than most starting lineups in the league right now, coaches say. Jerome Ascano
ONE look at Petron Blaze’s lineup evokes awe among fans – and envy among rival coaches. A team that already looked good on paper simply got better, now with so much depth in every position it could very well be split into two lineups and both would still be better than most of the other teams in the league.
Experts feel it is now only a matter of putting the pieces together and turning the Boosters into one big wrecking machine – a task that now falls on rookie coach Olsen Racela. And oh, before we forget, Petron is also deep in the coaching position, with Rajko Toroman by Racela’s side as coaching consultant.
That alone makes the Boosters the consensus choice as the team most likely to make the biggest impact this season in a Spin.ph poll of all the coaches, with Talk ‘N Text, San Mig Coffee, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Alaska Milk and Rain or Shine right behind in that order. (See how the teams rank in the list below)
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao didn’t have to think twice when asked on which team is bound to dominate this season. “Petron ang pinakamalakas na team ngayon. In fact, mas lumakas pa sila ngayon tao sa tao,” said Guiao.
Guiao said top pick overall June Mar Fajardo is big enough and good enough to tip the scales in Petron’s favor. He only had to compare the 6-10 slotman to Bonel Balingit – another mammoth slotman from Cebu whom Guiao had coached in the past – to gauge how big an impact Fajardo is bound to make in the pro league.
“For sure, as he (June Mar) progresses in his career, he’ll get a lot more touches on the post. He’ll surely be a big headache for all the teams. Mag-go-grow pa iyan si June Mar,” said the veteran Rain or Shine coach.
“Mas mobile pa siya kesa kay Bonel (Balingit). Mabilis din siya bumaba sa depensa. Physically, he’s more well-coordinated than Bonel. He’ll get to the point that he’ll grow in IQ. So other teams better be ready.”
While Petron has been drawing much of the attention, Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio said Talk ‘N Text can’t be taken for granted, even if the PLDT-owned team made no changes in the offseason except in the coaching position where Norman Black now takes over from national coach Chot Reyes.
Talk N’ Text’s formidable lineup, however, didn’t need a lot of tweaking in the first place and, as Gregorio pointed out, has been toughened by several battles in the playoffs under Reyes.
“Talk ‘N Text is still strong. It’s a team that is easily three seasons ahead because of its championship experience. They will be competitive this season,” said Gregorio.
Experts feel it is now only a matter of putting the pieces together and turning the Boosters into one big wrecking machine – a task that now falls on rookie coach Olsen Racela. And oh, before we forget, Petron is also deep in the coaching position, with Rajko Toroman by Racela’s side as coaching consultant.
That alone makes the Boosters the consensus choice as the team most likely to make the biggest impact this season in a Spin.ph poll of all the coaches, with Talk ‘N Text, San Mig Coffee, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Alaska Milk and Rain or Shine right behind in that order. (See how the teams rank in the list below)
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao didn’t have to think twice when asked on which team is bound to dominate this season. “Petron ang pinakamalakas na team ngayon. In fact, mas lumakas pa sila ngayon tao sa tao,” said Guiao.
Guiao said top pick overall June Mar Fajardo is big enough and good enough to tip the scales in Petron’s favor. He only had to compare the 6-10 slotman to Bonel Balingit – another mammoth slotman from Cebu whom Guiao had coached in the past – to gauge how big an impact Fajardo is bound to make in the pro league.
“For sure, as he (June Mar) progresses in his career, he’ll get a lot more touches on the post. He’ll surely be a big headache for all the teams. Mag-go-grow pa iyan si June Mar,” said the veteran Rain or Shine coach.
“Mas mobile pa siya kesa kay Bonel (Balingit). Mabilis din siya bumaba sa depensa. Physically, he’s more well-coordinated than Bonel. He’ll get to the point that he’ll grow in IQ. So other teams better be ready.”
While Petron has been drawing much of the attention, Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio said Talk ‘N Text can’t be taken for granted, even if the PLDT-owned team made no changes in the offseason except in the coaching position where Norman Black now takes over from national coach Chot Reyes.
Talk N’ Text’s formidable lineup, however, didn’t need a lot of tweaking in the first place and, as Gregorio pointed out, has been toughened by several battles in the playoffs under Reyes.
“Talk ‘N Text is still strong. It’s a team that is easily three seasons ahead because of its championship experience. They will be competitive this season,” said Gregorio.
San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone said the core of Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and Jason Castro make the Texters a tough nut to crack in the season-opening Philippine Cup, where they will be defending the title under Black.
San Mig Coffee basically stood still in the offseason but has a formidable core that should keep the team in the league’s upper echelons while sister team Ginebra is one of the biggest gainers in the last few months, bolstering its lineup with rookies Chris Ellis and Keith Jensen and prized acquisition LA Tenorio.
San Miguel Corp. sports director Noli Eala, however, warned that an unlikely team may end up making the biggest splash in the season-opening Philippine Cup.
“Alaska’s got to be the surprise team of this season. They’ll be a serious contender. I rank them in the Top 5,” said Eala. “They have filled some key spots that they were weak. They also picked up good rookies and also added solid veterans in Dondon (Hontiveros) and JVee (Casio).”
Meantime, Rain or Shine can no longer be discounted, as the whole league found out in last season’s Governors Cup.
Here’s how the teams rank in our poll of PBA coaches:
1) Petron
A team that underachieved under Ato Agustin last season with a title-less 23-23 (win-loss) campaign should be eager to atone this season, and it has the weapons to do it.
Its frontline has suddenly become massive with rookie June Mar Fajardo joining Jay Washington, Dorian Pena, Arwind Santos, and Danny Ildefonso, its backcourt deeper than ever with first-round pick Alex Mallari joining Alex Cabagnot, Dennis Miranda, Chris Lutz, Joseph Yeo, and Marcio Lassiter.
Two factors will dictate how well the Boosters will go in the Philippine Cup: How fast rookie coach Olsen Racela can put it all together, and how quickly the 6-10 Fajardo can develop into the dominant big man almost everybody thinks he is bound to be.
“Kailangan niya maintindihan lang yung sistema. Siyempre, he needs to focus on defense. He needs to understand how important his defense will be and to get those rebounds and block shots. He’s got Danny I. and Dorian to guide him as well,” Racela said of his rookie big man.
On how Racela plans to run things in his rookie year, he said: “Since we started with coach Ron Jacobs, this is a team that is known to execute very well. So ganun din tatakbo ng team this coming season. When we gathered the players, we explained to them their roles in the team and our expectations. They just have to understand that this is not for themselves but for the team. Accepting their roles have become the challenge of this team for the past two years,” he added.
2) Talk ‘N Text
While Talk ‘N Text stayed idle in the offseason, its nucleus of former league MVPs Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams, Ali Peek, Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro, Harvey Carey, Larry Fonacier, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Ryan Reyes is better than most in the league.
The Texters will also have the distinct advantage both in chemistry and experience, their stars having fought many Finals together. The team, in fact, will be gunning for a third successive Philippine Cup championship under Norman Black.
“Talk ‘N Text has been so good for so many years. They still have the materials. Curious lang ako how they will adjust under coach Norman. Pero yung core guys nila grabe sa talent,” said Barangay Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen.
If there is one drawback for the team, it’s the lack of size in the frontline, which could be magnified when the team plays big teams like Petron and San Mig Coffee.
3) San Mig Coffee
As good as San Mig was last season where it won one championship and reached the Finals twice, Tim Cone says the team can only get better. And the frightening thing about it is, he is right.
Minor changes to the team saw the arrival of rookies rookies Aldrech Ramos, Jewel Ponferrada and 6’8” Gian Chiu and the depature of starting guard Josh Urbiztondo, leaving the playmaking chores in the hands of team skipper Jonas Villanueva and incoming sophomore Mark Barroca.“My team at this point has an intact chemistry. We just have to continue to develop it and grow it. I don’t think we have seen the best of these guys yet. We just need to keep getting better,” said Cone, who is one championship away from matching Baby Dalupan’s record 15 league titles.
“Aldrech is a big guy who can spread the defense for us. He’s like our Robert Horry, a guy who can shoot long shots and still be able to defend. It has helped him somehow to play for the Gilas team and be able to guard bigger players and learn from Marcus [Douthit] ,” Cone said of his rookie big man.
But as in past seasons, the Mixers will only go as far as James Yap, Marc Pingris, and PJ Simon can take them.
4) Barangay Ginebra
Barangay Ginebra easily made the biggest gains in the offseason, injecting both youth and athleticism to its lineup with the arrival of Fil-American rookies Chris
Ellis and Keith Jensen and prized point guard LA Tenorio.
That should be enough to rejuvenate a squad that had a hard time keeping in step with the other teams last season and looked old and tired in the final stretch of the campaign.
The renaissance should begin with Tenorio, who is set to inherit the starting point guard spot from 35-year-old Jayjay Helterbrand. “LA has a very big role for the team this season. He’ll do what Jayjay has been doing for us for the past years,” said Tanquingcen, who hopes to improve on the team’s sixth-place finish in last season’s Philippine Cup where the Kings posted a 9-7 win-loss record.
On the other hand, Ellis and Jensen give the Gin Kings a pair of athletically gifted 6-4 players who can run the break, crash the board, and make the occasional highlight play, similar to the dunk pulled off by Ellis against Air21’s Nonoy Baclao whose video has become a hit on the web.
Helterbrand is understandably excited.
“Our two two Fil-Ams will surely be a big help. Dylan (Ababou) and Allein (Maliksi) are big additions because they can hit the open threes. We now have a combination of veterans and young players. LA is also a great player who can find ways to blend with the team. The game will be a lot faster this year for us,” he said.
5) Alaska
The Aces were having a relatively quiet offseason until the LA Tenorio incident triggered a chain of events that led to a massive overhaul of the team.
In place of Tenorio came Jvee Casio and Dondon Hontiveros after the biggest deal of the offseason. Then came a few more bits and pieces like veterans Eddie Laure and Nic Belasco and rookie Rafi Reyes to bolster a team that had been too reliant on Cyrus Baguio and Sonny Thoss last season.
For some reason, the reshuffle has worked wonders so far, with the Aces showing the most impressive form in the preseason. And to think that the team still does not have immensely talented Calvin Abueva, the No. 2 pick overall who will join the team only after wrapping up his stint with San Sebastian in the NCAA.
All the positive developments augurs well for coach Luigi Trillo’s bid to revive the Uytengsu franchise after the worst showing in a season in franchise history.
6) Rain or Shine
The Paint Masters are coming off a maiden league championship in the Governors Cup, but things do not look good for the ballclub going to the Philippine Cup.
For one, the team is one of the smallest in the league with only Beau Belga and JR Quinahan as legitimate centers. Second, the Painters will have to play the first stretch of the season without Rookie of the Year awardee Paul Lee, who is still recovering after shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Yeng Guiao is understandably worried.
“We have a lot undersized bigs. The only true big men we have are Beau Belga and JR Quinahan. So this will be our biggest disadvantage coming into this season. That is why we’re asking our guards to step up and help our big guys,” he said.
“First is we have to learn how to play against bigger teams, especially against Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Alaska. We’ll be playing this conference without (Jamelle) Cornley (Rain or Shine’s Governors Cup import) who averaged 15 rebounds for us the past conference. So our main mission is how to fill up the 15-rebound output we’ll be losing from Cornley.”
For Guiao to land the first all-Filipino title of his long career, undersized frontliners like Larry Rodriguez, Jervy Cruz, and Ronnie Matias will have to rise to the occasion and top draft pick Chris Tiu will have to hold the fort until Lee is healthy enough to return.
7) Barako Bull
The Energy Cola lost their best player, Willie Miller, in the offseason and appeared to slip further down the ladder in terms of talent. But to everyone’s surprise, its odd mix of players has produced impressive results in the offseason.
New boys Enrico Villanueva, Sean Anthony, Dave Marcelo, and Josh Urbiztondo have been a much-needed boost to a team that is hoping to squeeze out extra mileage from veterans like Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, and Ronald Tubid.
“Looking at our team, we’re now a combination of veterans and young players, which we hope can complement each other. Now we hope to be abkeep pace with other teams like Petron since they also got stronger,” said coach Junel Baculi.
Urbiztondo, who will now handle the playmaking chores in Miller’s absence, has no doubt that the team will defy expectations. “With what we have, we will be springing some surprises this season,” said Urbiztondo.
Even SMC sports director Noli Eala is impressed. “They are a tough defensive team because they got bruisers. They’ve also got big guys so you really need to have good shooters against this team,” he said.
8) Meralco Bolts
The Bolts are moving in a new direction as they begin life after Asi Taulava.
With no dominant big man inside the paint, the Bolts now plan to run opponents to the ground as they take advantage of the athleticism and scoring prowess of players like Sol Mercado, Macmac Cardona and rookie Cliff Hodge.
On the shoulders of Carlo Sharma and Kelly Nabong fall the responsibility of keeping the Bolts respectable inside the lane after the 6-9 Taulava opted to sign with San Miguel’s team in the ABL.
“We lost a big guy in Asi but it’s a good thing we now have Carlo (Sharma) to help us in the post. Kelly (Nabong) is also coming in to provide help inside,” said Hodge.
On how well the transition works remains to be seen, however.
9) Air21 Express
Returning Air21 board governor Lito Alvarez has lived up to his billing as one of the most aggressive traders in the offseason, overseeing a massive
overhaul that left Renren Ritualo and James Sena as the only holdovers from the lineup that started last season for the team.
The end result is a team that is bigger and better than last season’s squad. Big men Nonoy Baclao, Rob Reyes and 6-8 rookie Yousif Taha now man the frontline with Nelbert Omolon and Mark Isip while KG Canaleta, John Wilson, and Bonbon Custodio will add more offensive weapons for coach Franz Pumaren.
“We’ll try to be a different team this season. One thing nice about our team is we now have a lot of big guys. I really want John Wilson and Noy (Baclao) to be more assertive on offense,” said Pumaren, whose team failed to win a single game in last season’s Philippine Cup.
Coaches believe Air21 has improved immensely from last season. But on whether it has become good enough to contend for a title is an altogether different matter.
10) Global Port
The league’s newest team will go as far as Willie Miller and Gary David will take them.
The Batang Pier own perhaps the most explosive backcourt in the league but coaches feel the team’s fate is dependent too much on the two prolific scorers.
To make major inroads in their first season in the pro league, Global Port will need major contributions from Rabeh Al-Hussaini, rookie Vic Manuel and a bench led by veteran Romel Adducul.
“Aldrech is a big guy who can spread the defense for us. He’s like our Robert Horry, a guy who can shoot long shots and still be able to defend. It has helped him somehow to play for the Gilas team and be able to guard bigger players and learn from Marcus [Douthit] ,” Cone said of his rookie big man.
But as in past seasons, the Mixers will only go as far as James Yap, Marc Pingris, and PJ Simon can take them.
4) Barangay Ginebra
Barangay Ginebra easily made the biggest gains in the offseason, injecting both youth and athleticism to its lineup with the arrival of Fil-American rookies Chris
Ellis and Keith Jensen and prized point guard LA Tenorio.
That should be enough to rejuvenate a squad that had a hard time keeping in step with the other teams last season and looked old and tired in the final stretch of the campaign.
The renaissance should begin with Tenorio, who is set to inherit the starting point guard spot from 35-year-old Jayjay Helterbrand. “LA has a very big role for the team this season. He’ll do what Jayjay has been doing for us for the past years,” said Tanquingcen, who hopes to improve on the team’s sixth-place finish in last season’s Philippine Cup where the Kings posted a 9-7 win-loss record.
On the other hand, Ellis and Jensen give the Gin Kings a pair of athletically gifted 6-4 players who can run the break, crash the board, and make the occasional highlight play, similar to the dunk pulled off by Ellis against Air21’s Nonoy Baclao whose video has become a hit on the web.
Helterbrand is understandably excited.
“Our two two Fil-Ams will surely be a big help. Dylan (Ababou) and Allein (Maliksi) are big additions because they can hit the open threes. We now have a combination of veterans and young players. LA is also a great player who can find ways to blend with the team. The game will be a lot faster this year for us,” he said.
5) Alaska
The Aces were having a relatively quiet offseason until the LA Tenorio incident triggered a chain of events that led to a massive overhaul of the team.
In place of Tenorio came Jvee Casio and Dondon Hontiveros after the biggest deal of the offseason. Then came a few more bits and pieces like veterans Eddie Laure and Nic Belasco and rookie Rafi Reyes to bolster a team that had been too reliant on Cyrus Baguio and Sonny Thoss last season.
For some reason, the reshuffle has worked wonders so far, with the Aces showing the most impressive form in the preseason. And to think that the team still does not have immensely talented Calvin Abueva, the No. 2 pick overall who will join the team only after wrapping up his stint with San Sebastian in the NCAA.
All the positive developments augurs well for coach Luigi Trillo’s bid to revive the Uytengsu franchise after the worst showing in a season in franchise history.
6) Rain or Shine
The Paint Masters are coming off a maiden league championship in the Governors Cup, but things do not look good for the ballclub going to the Philippine Cup.
For one, the team is one of the smallest in the league with only Beau Belga and JR Quinahan as legitimate centers. Second, the Painters will have to play the first stretch of the season without Rookie of the Year awardee Paul Lee, who is still recovering after shoulder surgery in the offseason.
Yeng Guiao is understandably worried.
“We have a lot undersized bigs. The only true big men we have are Beau Belga and JR Quinahan. So this will be our biggest disadvantage coming into this season. That is why we’re asking our guards to step up and help our big guys,” he said.
“First is we have to learn how to play against bigger teams, especially against Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Alaska. We’ll be playing this conference without (Jamelle) Cornley (Rain or Shine’s Governors Cup import) who averaged 15 rebounds for us the past conference. So our main mission is how to fill up the 15-rebound output we’ll be losing from Cornley.”
For Guiao to land the first all-Filipino title of his long career, undersized frontliners like Larry Rodriguez, Jervy Cruz, and Ronnie Matias will have to rise to the occasion and top draft pick Chris Tiu will have to hold the fort until Lee is healthy enough to return.
7) Barako Bull
The Energy Cola lost their best player, Willie Miller, in the offseason and appeared to slip further down the ladder in terms of talent. But to everyone’s surprise, its odd mix of players has produced impressive results in the offseason.
New boys Enrico Villanueva, Sean Anthony, Dave Marcelo, and Josh Urbiztondo have been a much-needed boost to a team that is hoping to squeeze out extra mileage from veterans like Danny Seigle, Mick Pennisi, and Ronald Tubid.
“Looking at our team, we’re now a combination of veterans and young players, which we hope can complement each other. Now we hope to be abkeep pace with other teams like Petron since they also got stronger,” said coach Junel Baculi.
Urbiztondo, who will now handle the playmaking chores in Miller’s absence, has no doubt that the team will defy expectations. “With what we have, we will be springing some surprises this season,” said Urbiztondo.
Even SMC sports director Noli Eala is impressed. “They are a tough defensive team because they got bruisers. They’ve also got big guys so you really need to have good shooters against this team,” he said.
8) Meralco Bolts
The Bolts are moving in a new direction as they begin life after Asi Taulava.
With no dominant big man inside the paint, the Bolts now plan to run opponents to the ground as they take advantage of the athleticism and scoring prowess of players like Sol Mercado, Macmac Cardona and rookie Cliff Hodge.
On the shoulders of Carlo Sharma and Kelly Nabong fall the responsibility of keeping the Bolts respectable inside the lane after the 6-9 Taulava opted to sign with San Miguel’s team in the ABL.
“We lost a big guy in Asi but it’s a good thing we now have Carlo (Sharma) to help us in the post. Kelly (Nabong) is also coming in to provide help inside,” said Hodge.
On how well the transition works remains to be seen, however.
9) Air21 Express
Returning Air21 board governor Lito Alvarez has lived up to his billing as one of the most aggressive traders in the offseason, overseeing a massive
overhaul that left Renren Ritualo and James Sena as the only holdovers from the lineup that started last season for the team.
The end result is a team that is bigger and better than last season’s squad. Big men Nonoy Baclao, Rob Reyes and 6-8 rookie Yousif Taha now man the frontline with Nelbert Omolon and Mark Isip while KG Canaleta, John Wilson, and Bonbon Custodio will add more offensive weapons for coach Franz Pumaren.
“We’ll try to be a different team this season. One thing nice about our team is we now have a lot of big guys. I really want John Wilson and Noy (Baclao) to be more assertive on offense,” said Pumaren, whose team failed to win a single game in last season’s Philippine Cup.
Coaches believe Air21 has improved immensely from last season. But on whether it has become good enough to contend for a title is an altogether different matter.
10) Global Port
The league’s newest team will go as far as Willie Miller and Gary David will take them.
The Batang Pier own perhaps the most explosive backcourt in the league but coaches feel the team’s fate is dependent too much on the two prolific scorers.
To make major inroads in their first season in the pro league, Global Port will need major contributions from Rabeh Al-Hussaini, rookie Vic Manuel and a bench led by veteran Romel Adducul.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @richava
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