The Almost Grand Slam 2?

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The Talk N Text Tropang Texters has the worst problem ever.

Ever since they won championship after championship, twice they failed to pull the grand slam feat. People want a team to have another grand slam season and after Crispa (twice), San Miguel, and Alaska, all eyes are on Talk N Text.

When they failed to defend their Commissioner’s Cup title against the B-Meg Llamados, they have to wait for another season to attempt for another grand slam run.

Wow… what a problem.

Tracy McGrady has to have the worst feeling when the NBA playoffs near because this is the time where bloggers will say how unfortunate his playing career is. Even when he was averaging 25 points per game, T-Mac has yet to reach the second round of the playoffs. With the opportunities to play in the NBA becoming lesser, T-Mac hopes to finish his career owning a NBA title… or better yet a playoff series win.

So should we feel sorry for the Tropang Texters just because they can’t complete a grand slam? If this is Talk N Text’s problem… then this is a problem that all basketball teams want!

Never has been a PBA team this dominant in the 2000’s. Ever since the Tropang Texters won the Philippine Cup title in the 2010-11 season, they have been on a finals roll.

This is why people hate Talk N Text. The Tagalog word that hits it right on the spot is pinagpala. The team is blessed for having five straight finals appearances and winning three of those chances. Must I enumerate their goods? Chot Reyes assembled a very potent squad that would sacrifice their health just to get things on their favor.

They almost won Game 7.

Can they win again?

B-Meg’s win in some ways is like Petron’s Governor’s Cup victory. Bottom line is that the Tropa has a very strong backcourt with Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes, Jared Dillinger, and Larry Fonacier rotating at the PG, SG, and SF spots. This team rates first in that category after Ginebra messed up their roster and sent Ronald Tubid and JC Intal to other squads. Imagine if Tubid and Intal were still part of Ginebra to help them cope with the loss of Mark Caguioa?

However, Talk N Text seriously lacks of ceiling.

The fact is, when Denzel Bowles “hulked up” in the last 17 minutes of Game 7, none of the Tropang Texters can contain him. Bowles finished with 39 points but more importantly, he disqualified Donnell Harvey and Ali Peek. Coincidentally, none of the players left helped in containing Bowles. Kelly Williams is a mere slasher with a bigger body than most SG’s and SF’s and can never be a center. He also lost his offensive edge that was evident while he was playing for Sta. Lucia. Ranidel De Ocampo got injured but he too is more of a combo forward than a center. And at 6’4, Harvey Carey is just too small for his position. Ali Peek is just 6’3 and guarding a 6’10 Bowles will give him an automatic disadvantage.

Plus these days, Japeth Aguilar is just a glorified version of Gilbert Lao.

This lack of ceiling was one of the keys why Petron nipped Talk N Text. Arwind Santos, Danny Ildefonso, and Mick Pennisi had an easy time picking Team Tropa. Even if the efforts of Anthony Grundy, Alex Cabagnot, Jojo Duncil, Joseph Yeo, and Denok Miranda who made their win possible, Talk N Text drew little support from their bigs.

In the Commissioner’s Cup, while it suited the Tropa that Harvey is no show stealer, Bowles was just too dominant.

I think one solution that Talk N Text needs to do is give away Aguilar while he still has stock. In their lineup, I can see Aguilar, Dillinger, and Carey as players that can be sent to teams where a big-time slotman can be properly received. There were talks that Aguilar is on the verge of being traded for the likes of Enrico Villanueva, Sonny Thoss, and Jay-R Reyes. Villanueva, a gravely misused player in Ginebra might be a fair trade for Japeth. Jay-R Reyes too especially since both suffered during the import-laden conference but I think Talk N Text will need to give up more than Aguilar for Thoss. Thoss has been in the radar on both SMC and MVP teams that Alaska will have a field day in picking the players (yes I said players) in that squad.

After the Governor’s Cup, Norman Black will replace Chot Reyes at the Tropang Texters’ bench as the latter will mentor the second edition of the Smart-Gilas squad. Norman Black has tasted grand slam success as coach for both San Miguel and Ateneo. He will likely carry his winning tradition with Talk N Text and he will acquire a strong crew that can easily desire gold when they want it.

But this is me jumping a million miles ahead.

They still have the Governor’s Cup and with returning import Paul Harris on board (TNT’s import during their Commissioner’s Cup win), maybe they can still complete their “almost” grand slam season.

Game over.