It is the high-time to form the Philippine National Basketball Team. Habang mainit ang lahat sa nalalapit na Olympics, magandang pagkakataon na ito para makapaghanda for the next big thing sa baskteball.
Pero bago ang lahat, here are a few notes on the Smart-Gilas team during their time as the hardcourt flag bearer:
1) Rabeh Al-Hussaini should be on the team. He's a pioneer in the lineup of Coach Rajko Toroman, but he suddenly decided to go pro and join the PBA. What happened? I do not know. This maybe...
Rabeh's agent/friend/whoever might have told him: Uy pre! wag ka na mag-RP team! Pa-draft ka na this year. Kukunin ka ng San Miguel. Magiging alaga ka dun!
Rabeh: Talaga??? E Air21 ang top pick ah. Paano yun?
Agent/Friend/WMHTH: Air21 yan pre. Air21.
Rabeh: Ah oo nga no! Air21. Sige payag na ko! Ako na bahala sa reason.
(The following exchange is fully a product of imagination. Any similarities with real-life situations are purely coincidental.)
2) The coaching staff. Coach Rajko didn't have a board of directors type of assistant coaches that he kept from start to finish. Were Coach Chot Reyes and Coach Ryan Gregorio in the Gilas bench when the team competed in the PBA? They even didn't have the same GM (it's a more hip term for SBP Executive Director, the one who formed the team) when they started and when they competed in the FIBA-Asia Championships.
3) If ever did that all-amateur team failed, their emergency button was the PBA. And Coach Rajko's main man on that sea of pro-players? The primary target? It's the rival company's biggest babyface... Jaaaaaaaaammmmeeeessss Yap!
4) The Greg Slaugther effect. He was in the team when they ran over the PBA teams in the 2011 Commissioner's Cup. He wasn't in the Asian Championships lineup. He's tall. He got moves (when he was playing for Coach Rajko). He's a ball player. He's a Filipino.
Four important points. These must be the things I all need to produce my National Team. Yes, I will form my own national team for basketball. We all have an opportunity to form the next team that will try to be the bad ass of Asian basketball, and I'm taking mine. And I'll do it the way Lee Kuan Yew did to Singapore (that's why you and/or a lot of people you know wanted to go there and live). I'll be the fucking basketball dictator of this basketball-crazy town. All shall abide. Those who refuse will be locked in to a room to figure out how would the Lakers salvage this season and make the Lakers team listen to them.
So expect more than four episodes of this series. Migraine free.
Here's a fun thing to do before we end. Let's put the question "What would happen to Smart-Gilas then? Would have they improve the fourth place finish or not?" on each points. Of course I'll answer it! So can you! There's a large comment box below which you can use. Or we could talk about it on Twitter! Follow me @sirjhaydelacruz
Here we go!
1) If Rabeh Al-Hussaini was on the team, what would happen to Smart-Gilas then? Would have they improve the fourth place finish or not?
One thing is for sure, Rabeh won't have any insecurity issues with Noy Baclao since Noy was clearly bound for the PBA that time. The rest, mahirap na isipin. Would he want to play with Chris Tiu? Would Chris Tiu want to play with him? Would he deck someone when he gets totally pissed? Would he and Japeth Aguilar become Tantrum buddies come the Asian Championships?
The best comparison for him relating to the second question must be Ranidel De Ocampo. They both have highly efficient offensive games for their sizes that makes them pretty difficult to defend. What separates them is that Rabeh is a bit quicker while Ranidel is made of Portland Cement. If Rabeh was in the Asian Championship lineup, Ranidel wouldn't be around. The result might still be the same fourth place finish.
2) If they had a fixed coaching staff, what would happen to Smart-Gilas? Would have they improved the fourth place finish or not?
Coach Rajko's general system of offense is undoubtedly phenomenal. But it would have been better if the young guys were earlier oriented to some PBA style of coaching, were coaches use their players' individual ability on their plays. Remember that semifinal game, when we had Jordan in our hands and Gilas ran that same double-screen play on top? Jordan had that play all figured-out, so their own Cinderella run continued to the finals and left us to face those fucking Koreans. Having a general system is always good for it teaches discipline. But in a clever world kailangan din ng ibang diskarte para makalusot. So if those PBA coaches were aboard Coach Rajko's ship ever since, hell yeah! We might be in London this July! (Have we faced China in that finals, we'd win by disqualification. They were ready to deck the entire Gilas team if ever they crossed paths in that finals. I'm serious! Bob Donewald is very disgusted with Gilas.)
3) If we field an all-PBA team to the 2011 FIBA-Asia...
NO! Let's modify the question... again, again, again...
3) If James Yap was fielded in the Gilas lineup, then what?
First, Sol Mercado won't be in the Asian Games lineup. No matter how Sol good is, the team was a mess that time. If James Yap was there, think Dondon Hontiveros' stint in the 2011 Jones Cup when he was in that lineup; a reliable outside shooter and a pesky defender. Only James was younger. Had he been in the final lineup, Chris Tiu's load would have been lighter and Gilas' offense would have been one step better. (Hang on a second... if only we knew earlier that Chris Lutz have those deadly hops and crossovers, he's the automatic number two spot and Marcio Lassiter will be the number three spot. Chris Tiu will come off the bench, and Mac Baracael will share the three-spot rotation with Lutz and Lassiter. Effective wingmen rotation!) Okay, they don't need James Yap.
4) If Greg Slaughter just ignored Ateneo and continued the Gilas duties, what would happen then? Would they improve the fourth place finish?
They might still end up fourth place, because there will be no Asi Taulava if there was Greg Slaughter. The team might still be the same if Greg suited for the Asian Championships. The real question is what would happen to Greg Slaughter.
(Finally! I found a way to say this! I have been keeping this since November 2011. YES!!!)
We all saw in clear, crisp, and 3D who Greg Slaughter was in the 2011 PBA Second Conference. A tall dude. Marcus Douthit backup. A piece of work. Not a mess. Again, not a mess. Although his lateral movement was obviously lacking in velocity, his effectiveness and basketball IQ was impressive enough to overwhelm expectations of everyone, including Coach Rajko himself. He was just too slow, that's why he's making love with the bench often times (and relatively lesser time compared to Dylan Ababou and Jason Ballesteros). But whenever he's on the floor, he made sure he'll do whatever the coach requires him to do to his full extent. He's a mean presence inside the paint (madalas nga lang ma-out box). He rebounds (madalas nga lang ma-outrebound). He block shots (madalas... nya gawin to). And ultimately, he scores (he even posterized both Nino Canaleta and Roger Yap on the same dunk). He's a big man with a whopping potential. That's all we knew since then.
Fast forward to the 2011 SEA Games. (I didn't watch him in the UAAP. I didn't need to watch it. I knew Ateneo would win ever since.)
2011 SEA Games. I knew Philippines would kick everybody's ass in that tournament. I watched it for Greg Slaughter to see what's up with him.
And boy... even though no one could match up with him, he's a mess.
That lateral movement we complained about, it wasn't there. It even got worse! His footwork, a mess. He couldn't back down his guy properly. His strength, questionable. That Thai guy who looked like Jay-R Taganas... he could clothesline Greg if he wanted to. Greg looked like a sick dude back there.
Well okay, his passing was amazing during the SEA Games. Even though his passing difficulty was reduced to novice because every opponent was five-seven inch lower than him, he didn't screwed up any of those passes to his teammates especially when he was double teamed. He didn't had that passing skill during their PBA stint, so there was an improvement. But where were those other skills he was trying to develop with the Gilas team? Naiwan niya sa Katipunan?
Poor Greg. Why him?
For sure a separate column will be dedicated to him in the coming weeks to explain everything that I will answer in about a word from now.
In proper guidance, he'll have his spot as the best centers in Asia.
And now for one final tribute-liners for the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas.
Mark Barroca - You'd be my starting point guard for the "No BullShit (BS) team". The team were players just do whatever they're supposed to do in the court with no questions asked and no flashes beyond. Just pure playing.
Asi Taulava - From Yao Ming, to Hamed Ehadadi, to Yi Jianlian. You were always the underdog to these people but you found a way to stop them through all these years. That's your legacy big man.
JVee Casio - Your big time plays kill a lot of people; your fans for excitement and your opponents for craziness. And you'll still continue to do it.
Jimmy Alapag - PBA Rescue 911 respondent. Probably your last run in the national team.
Chris Tiu - With your looks, no one really believed you were a bad ass on the basketball court until you gave them a knee to the body everytime you had a chance.
Japeth Aguilar - You risked your PBA career just to be a part of this. Probably when you experience hip cramps while watching your teammates during the Asian Championships, you must've thought "...hindi na pala dapat ako umalis ng PBA..."
Mac Baracael - The top of the key dude. You'll do great in Alaska.
Marcus Douthit - The change of citizenship must be so worth it. And yes, thanks!
Kelly Williams - PBA Rescue 911 respondent. You'll have another run for the team. In MY team and in the real world's team.
Marcio Lassiter - You and your other Gilas buddies are a sure shot superstars because of your excellent performance with the team. So it really sucks when they underestimated your value when you were placed on the table. Now that the deal is dead (or is it...) you can now explode in your games.
Chris Lutz - You are an obedient student to Coach Rajko. Because if you were not, I would have seen you cross-over on one of those games, and probably broken T.G. Moon's ankle. Good dude!
Ranidel De Ocampo - PBA Rescue 911 respondent. Fifty percent chance of getting in the next team. I wish you decked someone during the Asian Championships. Kumpleto na sana ang viewing pleasure ko.
Dylan Ababou - A poor man's Danny Seigle. Yes, that is you. That's why you were benched. OK lang yan! Ikaw pa din ang mas murang version ni Danny Seigle.
Jason Ballesteros - You're now in the team that is being captained by Gilbert Lao. Name and other teammates are still in the works.
ENJOY THE WEEK!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Quick Update on The Powerade Tigers' Crazy World
No migraine can stop me from celebrating the justice that's been served well.
On my first TPG edition for February (Regular The Park Games post happens on the first and third Monday of the month. FYR.), I wrote these things regarding the Lassiter-Baclao/Guevarra trade.
It will not happen. It's a guaranteed veto... It will not happen. Commish will not make it happen.
Apparently, I was right! It WAS vetoed. See it here! Now na!
It must be a trend that whenever I put something in here, people concerned listens. First it was coach Bo Perasol, when I said during the Powerade-Rain or Shine Semis Game 1 GameBite that he needs to call 117 to find the missing game of Marcio Lassiter, Cio exploded in that Game 2. He must've read this! Now, its Commissioner Chito Salud. Plus Coach Tim Cone (Hi Coach Tim!) who is a certified reader of this. Look at this classy list of readers! Be one of them too! Now na!
And follow me on Twitter @sirjhaydelacruz
I know lampas na ang third Monday. Probably on Wednesday, the post for third Monday is here. With this classy list of readers, I don't wanna write here the words headache, migraine, and shit over and over again. Feel me?
On my first TPG edition for February (Regular The Park Games post happens on the first and third Monday of the month. FYR.), I wrote these things regarding the Lassiter-Baclao/Guevarra trade.
It will not happen. It's a guaranteed veto... It will not happen. Commish will not make it happen.
Apparently, I was right! It WAS vetoed. See it here! Now na!
It must be a trend that whenever I put something in here, people concerned listens. First it was coach Bo Perasol, when I said during the Powerade-Rain or Shine Semis Game 1 GameBite that he needs to call 117 to find the missing game of Marcio Lassiter, Cio exploded in that Game 2. He must've read this! Now, its Commissioner Chito Salud. Plus Coach Tim Cone (Hi Coach Tim!) who is a certified reader of this. Look at this classy list of readers! Be one of them too! Now na!
And follow me on Twitter @sirjhaydelacruz
I know lampas na ang third Monday. Probably on Wednesday, the post for third Monday is here. With this classy list of readers, I don't wanna write here the words headache, migraine, and shit over and over again. Feel me?
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Park Games: Powerade's Crazy, Crazy, Crazy World
Where did it all began?
a. When the Powerade Tigers got fed up of playing less than 15 games per conference and suddenly thought this "You know what... how about let's go to the playoffs and play at least one game in there... and win one more game... and win four of the next seven... and win at least one more. What would that feel?" thing.
b. When Gary David finally discovered how to become Super Saiyan on that two games against B-Meg.
c. When Gary David just transformed to Super Saiyan every game and decided not to average 20 plus points per game anymore, changing it to 30 plus points per game.
d. When everyone was questioning JVee Casio's worth in the team in the long run.
Whatever of them happened, it lead to this frenzy of very fortunate events that benefited them and the entire league.
Which lead to the two BSs in Philippine basketball that I have been dealing since then:
1) Larry Fonacier is the Finals MVP.
Let me go on my take first. If Petron went to go to The Finals, he is the sole guy to blame. He gave away like 400 points worth of and-ones and four-point plays during the entire series. Jimmy Alapag made up for his defensive liability by his more creative and killer playmaking. Offensively, Larry only had that funny killer-look and Denok Miranda shaded him well. Defensively, those 400 points worth of and-ones and four-point plays he gave away. Now comparing that to what he did in The Finals - just consistent offensive game, and still NO defense - it will make little or no merit whatsoever para mabawi yung mga masama niyang play during semis. He didn't bring his game one level higher, just that same consistent (and sometimes deadly) offensive game. If he locked down Gary David and made him score around just (and I mean JUST) around 15 points per game, then we can talk.
Now their take? Just consistent offensive game. Oh yes, it's just the FINALS. Paki nila sa nangyari nung semis. Kung consistent ang usapan, e ano pa ang tawag mo kay Gary David. We could always tweak history and choose the best player outside of the basketball heavyweight champions. E ayaw nila. Ayun, kaya si Larry na lang.
2) Marcio Lassiter to Petron for Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra
Gary David was ranting about this on Twitter (with Snow Badua style of mysteriousness), until Coach Chot Reyes spilled totally spilled the beans.
Super Marcio for Baclao, the bench guy, and Rey... who?
We know how deadly it will be when Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter play together. Those are Coach Rajko Toroman's wrecking crew on the wings and on the perimeter. It will be a joy for me to see this two play side-by-side again, only to be blocked by these two circumstances. One, sentimentally, you don't want to see Marcio go away on the Tigers because of how instrumental he was on that phenomenal run. Makes dear sense but this reason could go be dead in time. But the next one is unforgivable and unrational that if the PBA have their own version of the ESPN Trade Machine, it will say "THIS TRADE AIN'T HAPPENING YOU DUMB ASS!". Marcio, the third best player of the conference, for that bench guy and... somebody remind me who was that again?
For someone who will make it reasonable, Marcio is like the combined talents of the two. Baclao plays awesome defense no doubt about it. But benching him too long will definitely affect his confidence and his game as well (ask Doug Kramer). That IF Powerade MIGHT get him, it will take some time to get his Ateneo groove back (ask Doug Kramer again), especially since he will likely come off the bench AGAIN (ask Doug Kramer again). And the other guy? Please tell me he's one hell of an offensive guy. Please tell me. Please tell me. Please tell me. No? AMP!
It will not happen. It's a guaranteed veto. If a tweak will happen, Arwind Santos for Marcio Lassiter is the most reasonable trade I can see (if I want to see Lutz and Lassiter play together). It will not happen. Commish will not make it happen.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Hay.
Crazy stuffs are indeed not healthy for a team. Sa lahat ng bagay na kailangang preparado, mahalaga din na panatag ang utak at nakafocus sa laro. For Powerade, all these post-season and off-season madness will truly affect them, specially that it's a tossed salad of positive and negative energy. Will they ride the momentum or will they crumble with all the drama off the court?
Isa lang ang dapat nila isipin, from the Powerade coaching ministry, to soon to be Super Saiyan 3 Gary David, to Rudy "Da Anay" Lingganay. Ganyan talaga ang nangyayari sa malalakas na team.
A three-week rundown after the jump break!
a. When the Powerade Tigers got fed up of playing less than 15 games per conference and suddenly thought this "You know what... how about let's go to the playoffs and play at least one game in there... and win one more game... and win four of the next seven... and win at least one more. What would that feel?" thing.
b. When Gary David finally discovered how to become Super Saiyan on that two games against B-Meg.
c. When Gary David just transformed to Super Saiyan every game and decided not to average 20 plus points per game anymore, changing it to 30 plus points per game.
d. When everyone was questioning JVee Casio's worth in the team in the long run.
Whatever of them happened, it lead to this frenzy of very fortunate events that benefited them and the entire league.
- We had Richard Del Rosario in the AKTV Center panel night in and night out during the first four games of each semifinals series. That's eight nights of game analysis and comic relief. Had not Powerade won against B-Meg, we will not see him in the panel, ever!
- We saw the battle of the top two draft picks of the year, JVee Casio and Paul Lee... in a series! This is the perfect point where Lee-Casio debates begin. It's wrong to compare two players in a single regular season game. Unless the PBA made an out-of-this-world turn that will feature 50 regular season games each team in one conference, then we can talk.
- They made the race to the National Championship (Don't stop me! I like it that way.) relatively more wide open. Had B-Meg won, the Llamados will be the clear favorites. Talk 'n Text and Petron will still beat the crap out of each other and B-Meg will enter The Finals with fresher legs and more firepower. They will be the clear favorites.
- In that Game 3 Finals match, the Texters gave us a lesson about championship basketball 101. In that same game, we saw this fucking shot!
- The commentary in this one is WAY better.
Which lead to the two BSs in Philippine basketball that I have been dealing since then:
1) Larry Fonacier is the Finals MVP.
Let me go on my take first. If Petron went to go to The Finals, he is the sole guy to blame. He gave away like 400 points worth of and-ones and four-point plays during the entire series. Jimmy Alapag made up for his defensive liability by his more creative and killer playmaking. Offensively, Larry only had that funny killer-look and Denok Miranda shaded him well. Defensively, those 400 points worth of and-ones and four-point plays he gave away. Now comparing that to what he did in The Finals - just consistent offensive game, and still NO defense - it will make little or no merit whatsoever para mabawi yung mga masama niyang play during semis. He didn't bring his game one level higher, just that same consistent (and sometimes deadly) offensive game. If he locked down Gary David and made him score around just (and I mean JUST) around 15 points per game, then we can talk.
Now their take? Just consistent offensive game. Oh yes, it's just the FINALS. Paki nila sa nangyari nung semis. Kung consistent ang usapan, e ano pa ang tawag mo kay Gary David. We could always tweak history and choose the best player outside of the basketball heavyweight champions. E ayaw nila. Ayun, kaya si Larry na lang.
2) Marcio Lassiter to Petron for Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra
Gary David was ranting about this on Twitter (with Snow Badua style of mysteriousness), until Coach Chot Reyes spilled totally spilled the beans.
Super Marcio for Baclao, the bench guy, and Rey... who?
We know how deadly it will be when Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter play together. Those are Coach Rajko Toroman's wrecking crew on the wings and on the perimeter. It will be a joy for me to see this two play side-by-side again, only to be blocked by these two circumstances. One, sentimentally, you don't want to see Marcio go away on the Tigers because of how instrumental he was on that phenomenal run. Makes dear sense but this reason could go be dead in time. But the next one is unforgivable and unrational that if the PBA have their own version of the ESPN Trade Machine, it will say "THIS TRADE AIN'T HAPPENING YOU DUMB ASS!". Marcio, the third best player of the conference, for that bench guy and... somebody remind me who was that again?
For someone who will make it reasonable, Marcio is like the combined talents of the two. Baclao plays awesome defense no doubt about it. But benching him too long will definitely affect his confidence and his game as well (ask Doug Kramer). That IF Powerade MIGHT get him, it will take some time to get his Ateneo groove back (ask Doug Kramer again), especially since he will likely come off the bench AGAIN (ask Doug Kramer again). And the other guy? Please tell me he's one hell of an offensive guy. Please tell me. Please tell me. Please tell me. No? AMP!
It will not happen. It's a guaranteed veto. If a tweak will happen, Arwind Santos for Marcio Lassiter is the most reasonable trade I can see (if I want to see Lutz and Lassiter play together). It will not happen. Commish will not make it happen.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Hay.
Crazy stuffs are indeed not healthy for a team. Sa lahat ng bagay na kailangang preparado, mahalaga din na panatag ang utak at nakafocus sa laro. For Powerade, all these post-season and off-season madness will truly affect them, specially that it's a tossed salad of positive and negative energy. Will they ride the momentum or will they crumble with all the drama off the court?
Isa lang ang dapat nila isipin, from the Powerade coaching ministry, to soon to be Super Saiyan 3 Gary David, to Rudy "Da Anay" Lingganay. Ganyan talaga ang nangyayari sa malalakas na team.
A three-week rundown after the jump break!
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