Ginebra needs to stop the hate

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Alfrancis Chua is chewed by the Commissioner’s Office for flashing the fuck you finger in Game Two. The unpeace sign was made in front of the thousands in attendance and the millions at home. It was like when current Ginebra player and then-La Salle forward Rico Maierhofer did so a few years back… but with a lot of hair.

The 10,000-peso fine is one of many frustrations Ginebra has faced in this series. Again let me stress the importance of Calvin Abueva. If a Ginebra fan watching in his TV set is serious ticked off at The Beast’s antics, then tell me how an actual Ginebra player should react? Abueva may be a rookie but there’s something great about him these days. While sure, he’s missing his shots and he still makes a few or so lapses but his psychological game is impressive. For every “accidental” elbows and mini-jabs he unleashes, it opens up a huge displacement on how a Ginebra game should happen. The more times he crashes in the court, the more distractions the Kings encounter. Mac Baracael gave Abueva and he never got his game going (I know he had 11 points but he could have had even more).

And don’t get me started on Billy Mamaril. The guy was a marquee player in the beginning of his pro career (with the Davao Eagles) but now he’s just contented in throwing combos on Abueva as well as normally cool Dondon Hontiveros.

And it’s not just these guys. You saw how Josh Urbiztondo tried to fight off Sonny Thoss and even veterans Rudy Hatfield and LA Tenorio can’t conceal their frustrations by venting it on former defensive demon Nic Belasco.

I mean take Mark Caguioa for instance. While sure, the guy has yet to display his offensive flare but The Spark has also had his share of takedowns. Whenever he falls, instead of reacting wildly, he just calmly pats the aggressor.

While Alaska credits its superb offensive and defensive attack formations, Ginebra should exact discipline. I can’t see them eluding the broom with the way they are right now. Alaska might be starting the physical plays but at least they have the goods to do other things. Besides, the physical stuffs are based solely on Abueva. JV Casio and Cyrus Baguio rarely get into those types of situation (unless they are in the receiving end).

Will the broom be unleashed after Game 3?

Of course Mark Caguioa will play

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After I saw the exciting third game between the Alaska Aces and the San Mig Coffee Mixers, I saw a glimpse of the Barangay Ginebra Kings’ shootaround. Unlike normal sessions where we see them just shooting and otherwise, there was some direction in their movement. Despite the abundance of youth in the squad, there are the vets like Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, LA Tenorio, Rudy Hatfield, Billy Mamaril, and Kerby Raymundo.

And just like the young up and comers, they were doing the same shtick.

Alfrancis Chua installed something in the Gins. This is not the same Ginebra team where their coach is one of their former teammates. The new coach is not brought via loyalty, years of service, and ability to play pickup games to all parts of the world (sometimes the San Miguel All-Stars go to the Middle East) but from a growing desire to grab the legacy he should have gotten after making a lot of noise as champion coach that gave the Tanduay Rhum Masters a lot of PBL championships.

But will this way of think prompt Caguioa to stay true to his pact to ready himself as a role player?

First up, how do we define the term “role player”? If with this you mean that he’ll score the lights out by merely hovering in the three-point area, then maybe that’s what we’re talking about. Following the MCL that sidelined him for a lot of games, I doubt if Chua would let The Spark crash the boards and play physical basketball with the likes of Calvin Abueva. Hell, guarding a quick slasher like Cyrus Baguio could be a quandary as well. Defense will also be a problem since his mobility will be tested. When Ginebra adopts their vaulted small ball, they need an athletic small forward to help the small backcourt of Tenorio and Helterbrand.

And chemistry?

Yeah… that as well.

It’s safe to say that Caguioa will pretty much have a free reign once he gets his minutes. He can speak all you want but a scorer will always be a scorer… and Caguioa will always be The Spark.

Hopefully he doesn’t do enough damage to disrupt the Ginebra charge… when he comes back.

And yeah, I also answered another question on the thing Luigi Trillo said on how Caguioa will never play in the finals because he’s a health risk and could upset the team’s balance.

He’s no Hurricane

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Inasmuch as I can be a Talk N Text fan, it’s not that difficult to root for Ginebra.

I am sorry TNT fans… but your import is a douche.

I know Tony Mitchell is a ton load better than Jerome Jordan but the guy is a ball hog. Jordan may be tall but he is no go-to-guy. The best he could be is a big time rebounder – just like what Justin Williams was to GlobalPort and now is with the ABL’s San Miguel Beermen. But can you blame Norman Black for bringing him in? Aside from the cameo appearances of Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo, the Tropang Texters lost Kelly Williams and Jared Dillinger to injuries.

What TNT needs is an offensive option and that’s where Mitchell fills in the void.

But hey… really?

If your team is the reigning and defending Philippine Cup Champions and you reduce them as mere spectators to whatever low percentage shot this guy sends in, then TNT is in deep shit. Didn’t he even research on the Tropang Texters? Jayson Castro is the most recent BPC and almost every one of them has championship experience! Norman Black is telling everyone that Mitchell is this era’s version of Tony Harris? Not quite bit. Swift under his presence rocked the arena. Harris despite scoring heavily, actually made his teammates look good. Also, the guy plays immaturely. One of the most obvious identifying factors of what I’m saying is how he tries to steal the ball after a botched attempt. There were times I thought some of the Tropang Texters were freezing out Mitchell because the only pass Mitchell will give them is when he gets less room to operate or when he thinks the basketball ring is his only friend in the world.

And yeah, compare the guy to The Hurricane. But the levels of play during those times in this era are two completely different animals. I mean Eric Dawson was Meralco’s do-it-all import (and my Best Import choice had not for the Bolts’ early ouster) and even if he scores 30+ points, he makes it a point to involve his teammates (which is in some ways, the Waterloo of the whole Meralco Commish Cup campaign).

So after a lot of bad shot selections and seeing how Vernon Macklin did something last seen from the first incarnation of Chris Alexander, the Barangay Ginebra Kings are now in the Finals… leaving the injury-plagued Tropang Texters to prepare for the Governor’s Cup… while also digging deep in preparation for the FIBA-Asia Championship.

So how will Mitchell fit in their equation? Norman Black must find a way to make this import good. He has the potential to score a lot of points but he also needs to involve his teammates. Maybe it’s because of the injuries but you can’t have Mitchell shoot blanks with a lot of time left in the shot clock or throw bizarre shots where he expects the referee to whistle. In the Governor’s Cup where his height wouldn’t be a handicap, Talk N Text might have a jewel of an import in Mitchell. At 23 years old, he’ll probably display the same intangibles another import like Denzel Bowles provided for the B-Meg Llamados in the 2012 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

But in the three games he has played in, he is nothing but a young showoff that never thought highly of his teammates and would rather ball hog the ball than win games.

Contrasting Game Ones

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Ginebra fired 59 points in the first half while San Mig Coffee and Alaska combined for 45 points after 24 minutes of action.

So is this going to be the trend for the opposing series?

Ugh.

The Ginebra versus Talk N Text game was pleasing… in a scary way. We all know TNT will not follow up a disastrous game with another disastrous game and Ginebra won’t have those kinds of shooting percentages for the fourth straight game. I blame the results on the ineffectivity of TNT hire Jerome Jordan. JJ hasn’t been the big time totem pole he was advertised… like the many former NBA players that have graced the conference. Jordan may have had 21 points but he was just good for 8 rebounds in 43 minutes. Harvey Carey played just nine minutes and had 11 rebounds (7 offensive rebounds) in his benchwarming role. Both teams put a penchant on their triples and while the Kings had a solid 42 percent, TNT made just one of 18 attempts (6 percent).

Both don’t just base TNT’s doomed start as Ginebra’s key to victory. The Kings played awesome in that match – with Kerby Raymundo, Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael, Josh Urbiztondo, Jayjay Helterbrand, and LA Tenorio scoring eight points or more. There is also the problem of the Tropang Texters that Vernon Macklin is eating TNT’s interior defense and at the same time is pissing the heck on their perimeter offense. That is why the Tropa had to depend on their troikas – and it was ironic that their inability to hit their triples led to their downfall.

Even the Tropang Texters’ offensive game is somewhat a pleaser compared to the Alaska versus SMC series. The game screamed abysmal field goal shooting with both teams hitting around 35 percent from the field. Rob Dozier scored 21 points but the rest of the locals were held down to single digits. At least the Mixers have four men in double figure position with Peter June Simon leading the way with 15 points. One of the things I liked in that game is the ascension of Mark Barroca. The Coffee Prince almost had a triple-double performance with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals with just one turnover in 38 minutes of action. I think he has come a long way from a guy that rarely gets any stats other than points and a slight amount of rebounds.

Again I don’t expect Alaska to have the same performance they administered in the first blood match. JVee Casio and Cyrus Baguio were rendered absent in the proceedings while despite falling short of claiming double-doubles, Calvin Abueva and Sonny Thoss, both guys need to also sweeten up their offensive pot.

Ginebra should get fuel from their current adrenalin rush but Norman Black has all the tools to even the series. One way is by putting more premium on size than matching the Kings in speed. Even with the blowout, the rebounding results are dead even. This is because Alfrancis Chua can’t rely on his top men to stand guard on rebounding duty all the time. And for them to weather TNT’s comeback, they must execute all their plays and look for better shot selections. Urbiztondo had a lot of far triples in the contest and while it is his bread and butter, those shots are still high risk.

With Game Two rearing its ugly head, we are getting psyched up for a brawl.

And maybe this time, Calvin Abueva will finally plant a kiss on James Yap’s cheek. Or better yet… maybe Luigi Trillo will plant something on Tim Cone?

Game over.

Loyalty Swap: The Fireball is out of Barako Bull

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Is it me or does the Barako Bull Energy Colas cringe at the sight of their players leading their team in multiple categories? In the Philippine Cup, Ronald Tubid led the Energy Colas in points per game, steals per game, and minutes per game. Before the Commissioner’s Cup started, we saw Tubid heading to the Petron Blaze Boosters. Now in this conference, because of Tubid’s departure, the Bulls saw their offensive weapons weak and unflattering. Let us remember for a sec that Enrico Villanueva was sidelined for the whole season because of an ACL tear.

This was the start of The Fireball’s ascension.

If you count Enrico Villanueva’s monstrous ascent back to the dominance before the ACL injury, you can include him, KG Canaleta, Mike Cortez, John Wilson, Allein Maliksi, and pre-Petron Tubid, as the neglected guns Ginebra had that got their careers energized with their ousters. The same can be said with Keith Jensen if you think about it. Aside from the fact that the rookie is ridiculously stated as a deadringer for martial artist Jean Claude Van Damme, initial reaction to his game is that he’s like Marc Pingris and Rudy Hatfield’s lovechild. And the second round choice might be a good place for Barako Bull to complete the roster Rajko Toroman wants in his system.

But that’s not the issue here. Like the Barako Bull version of Tubid, Urbiztondo led the locals in points per game, steals per game, and minutes per game and he is second in the team in assists (behind Emman Monfort). The difference is that Tubid was traded during the offseason while this Fireball swap runs smack on the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup playoffs where after winning six straight, the Kings have lost its last two assignments. And if you can see the achievements Jensen unleashed in this conference, you’ll notice that Jensen barely got any offense… and playing time because of minutes distributed to Rudy Hatfield, Kerby Raymundo, Rico Maierhofer, and Mac Baracael. Like most of the former Ginebra discards, Jensen will likely struggle to get his bearings after getting the confidence shaft with the Kings.

It’s also going to be unfair for the opponents of the Kings but despite the fact that this could be a clean swap, most of their opponents have strategized on a game plan that is poised to drain LA Tenorio’s gas and make Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Rob Labagala and Chris Ellis go shot crazy.

In some ways, the acquisition of Urbiztondo is a double-edged sword for the Kings. This season, Urbiztondo averages 12 attempts per game and 75 percent of those shots come from the rainbow arc. With a team like Ginebra taking a penchant on their backcourt offense, Alfrancis Chua should be wary on the things The Fireball will unleash. Also Chua’s best teams have two scoring big men on their cudgels (Menk/Alvarado and Espino/Aquino are examples) and despite Barako Bull’s lack of offensive bigs, the Energy Colas are littered with big men that can play defense. And then there’s the fact that Ginebra fans could riot when Urbiztondo’s gungho run-and-gun style coincides with his 3.4 turnovers per game.

And what if Ginebra’s chemistry get messed up because of his arrival? Ginebra had six straight wins… without him on the lineup. Just like what Chris Webber did to Sacramento a couple of years ago, the same thing could happen for the Ginebra Kings.

One thing I’m psyched about this trade though is the foreseeable exposure boost of Emman Monfort. The former Ateneo guard is averaging almost six assists in less than 20 minutes of action in the only four games he has played in this season. If he is the point guard Toroman wants to run his system, then Monfort will have a great Governor’s Cup.

Definitely Ginebra has the advantage on this trade (not unless Commissioner Chito Salud vetoes it) but in the long run, Barako Bull may have something to their liking… but not unless they trade it again.

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Game over!

Doing well in the NBA doesn’t mean playing well in the PBA

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There are two reasons for me as to why NBA players go to the PBA – one reason is to find work to prepare their selves to a possible NBA return stint.

And then there’s the other reason…

… which is to prepare their selves on a possible import stint elsewhere… regardless of how atrocious their PBA stint is.

In lieu of Bobby Parks’ death, we look back at the imports that made the PBA their home away from home. Let’s forget about the obvious picks like Bobby Parks, Norman Black, Sean Chambers, and even Billy Ray Bates because we all know how they gave importance to the audiences they captivated! Why is it that imports like Lamont Strothers, John Best, Kenny Redfield, Lambert Shell, Gabe Freeman, Denzel Bowles, Rossel Ellis, Shawn Daniels, Devin Davis, Julius Nwosu, Adam Parada, Jerald Honeycutt, and even Tony Harris for that matter (I forgot the rest) garner multiple stints in the PBA?

Anywhere in the world, Philippine love for basketball is at its finest. Regardless if we are too small for the sport, Rafe Bartholomew would have not chosen us as subject for his book if we aren’t that worthy for the mention. Up to this time, my uncles would tell me stories about Carlos Briggs and how he was an awesome Ginebra import.

Barako Bull fans are not happy with DJ Mbenga. If you are… then you’re all a bunch of retards. The former LA Laker was one of the few eyed at the start of the tourney to represent other PBA teams but he was constantly begging off the stint. I think there’s a problem with the money… or with the accommodations… but maybe it’s because of the wear and tear a PBA season can bring. Imports are supposed to play more than 40 minutes and they need to provide at least 27 points and 15 rebounds per game in order for them to be called phenomenal.

Renaldo Balkman was an import I thought suited the “phenomenal” tag. He wanted attention and he wants to win. The fact that he belittled his teammates in that fateful game that turned out to be his last is proof that he will not submit to the norms that the PBA environment has become.

While we still consider the foreigners as better players… we are bent to raise hell on them… regardless of size and structure. Mbenga is falling short of expectations. This is why he just played 23 minutes in what could be Barako Bull’s elimination game. Evan Brock is ton loads better because while he is not that good (the only reason why he did what he did for the Indonesia Warriors is because the team also had former Air21 import Steven Thomas). Mbenga joins former NBA players like Walter Sharpe, Keith Benson, and returning import Donnell Harvey to the list of underachieving PBA Commissioner’s Cup imports. I will shield Justin Williams from this distinction because while J-Will’s offense is suspect, teams like Talk N Text could have used his superb rebounding work since the Tropa is swarmed with scoring point guards.

And so what if Mbenga is injured! Inasmuch as this is Barako Bull’s fault for extending a contract to an injured guy, Mbenga should have had the audacity to reject a proposal since he knew the state he is. Besides, he has been out of pro ball for almost three months now. Who is to say that the current PBA imports haven’t had their own sets of cuts and bruises since the start of their tenure?

But maybe the PBA scouts have just gotten sloppy. Balkman is one player who wanted to be the go-to-guy. Except for Eric Dawson, Mike Dunigan, and in some ways Rob Dozier and Vernon Macklin (I honestly believe these imports are more team-oriented), none of these guys can carry a team by their lonesome. Mbenga was Kobe Bryant’s lackey when he played for the LA Lakers title squads and the only reason why he stuck is that he played well in a system. If this was the first time he’ll ever lead a team – well he failed at it. The Qingdao CBA team was the team that also Tracy McGrady played in. T-Mac is the star of the team and for those keeping tabs, the CBA team wouldn’t have been in last place had Mbenga helped out.

Maybe I’m a bit rash on Mbenga but the guy had Youtube highlights for one of the best teams in the world and all he can do is huff and puff and suck. Mbenga is bigger than Balkman in my opinion (popularity-wise) because he has been in big game situations. Whether or not the Energy Colas would flourish under his influence, it was safe to assume that having Mbenga in the lineup is like having the caliber of Denzel Bowles or any other import from or beyond this decade.

But I assumed wrong.

Brock may not have been the best of the imports but at least he made it a point to strive for the success of the team. Again, Barako Bull has an offensive shortage problem. When Ronald Tubid left the team, I doubt if people saw erstwhile benchwarmers like Jonas Villanueva, Josh Urbiztondo, Danny Seigle, JC Intal, and Allein Maliksi all of a sudden become James Yap, Gary David, and Mark Caguioa clones. When the Energy Colas advanced to the semis in the conference’s 2012 edition, they had Willie Miller, Tubid, Seigle, Don Allado, Mick Pennisi, Dorian Pena, and the very dependable Gabe Freeman. This was the team that almost sent the Tropang Texters to the gutter… and not the team they have at the moment.

The PBA in general may not also be the right place for harboring future NBA superstars because even if they acquire a more pronounced all-around game, there is a reason why they haven’t found success in the NBA and guys like Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony got it early in their careers. Also as mentioned, PBA players want to upstage the imports. Every playdate the imports have to face the reality of the getting the “legal” knees, the elbows, and the fists of the PBA players.

The PBA is a place for players who strive to do more and not just a place where they can relax with additional money in the mix and ruin the chances of the team they were assigned to play in.

Game over.

For sale or for rent?

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There is a reason why there are watering holes that feature sports channels… but there are no bars hosting a telenovela party. I can guess schmucks will poison your brains by telling you that there are restos that offer the same entertainment but let me just ask on audiences they are catering in.

The bars and food stalls that do this just do this to benefit their selves. They are not in this for the audiences (although some are lucky to check out their favorite seryes) but for their chances to combine work from pleasure.

I think I have said this time and time again. I dare all men and PBA lovers everywhere to steal the remote from your chore-exhausted mothers. Also, to your sister and the hired help that worked tooth and nail to do the jobs you were supposed to do. The PBA, NBA, WWE, and other sporting shows are batched up as niche programming.

Again, I dare you to employ your selfishness on the people who nurse you when you’re sick.

It’s a bonus if the women of your household love basketball. If you’re wondering what’s up with this news, TV5 has finally given up on their IBC 13 primetime programming acquisition. The reason for the departure is because Manny V. Pangilinan thinks this is a huge financial drain for his mini-broadcasting empire.

I completely agree with this.

AKTV is the place TV5 use to put over all of their sports events. TV5 will always be their main vehicle. That is why the channel courted a lot of media personalities to transfer and they bravely challenged GMA and ABS-CBN to at least garner a respectable third place rank. The problem is that they spent too much and got a little bit less. I mean, not only is the network struggling in getting the viewers into their channel, AKTV – their satellite – is stealing away their potential viewers!

If AKTV “blocktimes” in their home station, then in some ways it’s a good move. When the 2012 NCAA Finals aired in TV5, it rated well. At that point, they could have even pimped the idea that Baser Amer is the NC version of Kiefer Ravena (they tried but in terms of popularity, the NCAA still has a long way to go). Since their move from ABC to TV5, the brand has tried to set itself as an alternative. However, you need to check out the disruption that is the PBA live skeds. If Willie Revillame still has his variety show deep in the TV5 primetime, would he like to do the show only during Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays? And how about their telenovelas? Is MVP ready to waste away the huge contracts of their “talents” to accommodate the PBA live games? And what about the network’s weekend schedules? Once upon a time, Talentadong Pinoy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Midnight DJ “controlled” the country’s Saturday ratings.

And it’s a bad idea for the PBA to air delayed or via the other TV5 affiliate stations like Hyper and AKSYON. Say what you want about the programming of PTV and IBC but they are still UHF channels. These channels have stronger satellite reach and if you can’t get access on their shows – it’s either you’re barricaded by a mountain or you need to by a better antenna.

Probably get better cable providers?

Lugi? I can’t say that the PBA is not a lucrative business deal. While it is for some, the PBA actually worked for Mediaquest. How can you have a Pinoy sports channel without the PBA? Plus with the PBA AKTV got hold of several other spawns like the NCAA, UFL, and the PBA D-League. And yeah… AKTV Center is a successful showcase on why man programs can drive people to watch the PBA. With the importance of entertainment value at its all-time high, the days of straightforward sportscasting spells suicide for a broadcast carrier.

Because of President Noynoy Aquino’s plans to privatize RPN and IBC (it’s not an original idea since for decades this has been the case), this leaves the ever-so-trusty PTV to take over the block-timing goodness left by IBC. However, the network is severely hit by mismanagement. The PTV of the 80s and the 90s was covering the PBA, Olympics, Asian Games, SEA Games, and other international sports meets. The current PTV programming load is so weak that people are still associating Damayan as their most watched program (the long-time public service program ended in 2010).

But the intention of AKTV to continue as a separate entity is not that farfetched since we have seen MVP splurge on more expensive stuffs.

Who knows… maybe they’ll still end up buying IBC 13 and making it their permanent home?

Game over.

Rookie Rankings: Emman Monfort is making up for lost time

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Emman Monfort had just played his second game as a pro for the Barako Bull Energy Colas. Not to sound as a douchebag though… but his total points in two games have out-tallied the outputs of rookies Ginebra’s Yousef Taha and Keith Jensen, Air21’s Simon Atkins, San Mig Coffee’s Lester Alvarez, and even the 6’9 beanpole Samigue Eman!

So that means Monfort is like going to be awesome right?

Anyway, the bottom-tier rookies were active this week as guys like Alvarez, Atkins, Taha, Jensen, and Jason Deutchman got to see action but that just served as consolation because Vic Manuel had sat out his third straight game, Aldrech Ramos’ true potential had yet to be realized, and Dave Marcelo has yet to see action.

Stating the obvious, Calvin Abueva is again the top rookie for this week. Just from his individual records and Alaska’s win-loss records, only a season-ending injury can steal this feat from him.

But who else is there?

Game starts now.

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2013 PBA COMMISSIONER’S CUP
START TO APRIL 8, 2013

1. CALVIN ABUEVA – LEADS ALL ROOKIES IN POINTS AND REBOUNDS PER GAME
2. JUNMAR FAJARDO – LEADS ALL ROOKIES IN BLOCKS PER GAME
3. EMMAN MONFORT – LEADS ALL ROOKIES IN ASSISTS AND STEALS PER GAME
4. CLIFF HODGE
5. CHRIS ELLIS
6. CHRIS TIU
7. ALEX MALLARI
8. AJ MANDANI
9. VIC MANUEL
10. JASON DEUTCHMAN

Shocked?

Now lemme see here…

Rajko Toroman’s team is a lot like his former Smart-Gilas squad (a less than stellar… weakling version however). I’m saying this because they depend a lot on their point guards and their three-point shooting from bailing out of the losses. While the Serb coach has had success with Josh Urbiztondo and Jonas Villanueva, I think Monfort will find success in this team. The Atenean has had a game winner a few games back and had a cool statline in their loss against Petron. In his brief stint, Monfort has led the newbies in assists and steals. Abueva has played 12 games and his total number of assists is at 17 – which is six dimes higher than Monfort’s current totals in the two games he has just played in. I remember the brief period Tony Boy Espinosa has had success in the league when he joined Mobiline midway into the 1997 PBA season (Espinosa too was a second round choice) and history may be repeating itself.

But still, Monfort’s rise may be just a temporary thing. Espinosa after his rookie campaign reverted back to second to third string status and never got back the ways he had when he was playmaking for the DLSU Green Archers. Monfort comes from a rich heralded line of Atenean point guards that never had LA Tenorio’s staying power and were either benchwarmers or early retirees like Macky Escalona, Jai Reyes, and Magnum Membrere. He is not like Calvin Abueva who has raised hell in all of the leagues he has played in.

Junmar Fajardo and Cliff Hodge’s stats took a dive this week. Jason Deutchman was the only other guy that did well for the rookies this week. In some ways, I should also be mentioning Chris Ellis for the six-game streak Ginebra is in but when all the superstars are either incapable of playing well or incapable of playing at all, where is Air Force Ellis in all this?

Check out the rankings next week.

Game over!

Power Rankings: LA Tenorio to the rescue!

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The rookies have done well this turn. When I did the Rookie Rankings a week ago, the current batch didn’t do enough. It’s a welcome change that Calvin Abueva is not the only newbie who qualified in the Power Rankings.

But sadly, the first two guys in this list are injured.

More of this later!

By the way, may the Holy Week be a sign of reflection to you people!

Game starts now!

15 – PAUL LEE / RAIN OR SHINE
Despite the initial loss of Jeff Chan due to injury (he has since returned) and the inability of import Bruno Sundov to score more points, The Lethal Weapon has yet to unleash his scoring prowess. However, in his last two games he averaged 15ppg, 4.5rpg, and 5.5apg – the numbers we are accustomed to during his rookie year.

14 – LARRY FONACIER / TALK N TEXT
Now the Baby-Faced Assassin has exploded this March… if you discount the March 1 and 24 games where he combined for just 5 points. In one stretch he had 3.5apg to go with 17.5ppg! This is a welcome development to cancel out the current ineffectiveness of Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams.

13 – JAMES YAP / SAN MIG COFFEE
For James Yap, the Holy Week is the chance for him to relax and unwind after the harrowing ordeal (aka Kris Aquino) he suffered a few weeks back. Before his lackluster 5-point game against Alaska, Yap was fired up averaging 19 points and almost 4 rebounds in three games.

12 – CALVIN ABUEVA / ALASKA
After having one “beastly” effort in which came in with a conference high of 27 points and 11 rebounds against team nemesis San Mig Coffee Mixers, Abueva was brought back to earth with a six-point, three-rebound output versus the Petron Blaze Boosters.

11 – ARWIND SANTOS / PETRON
Now all you guys who follow Arwind’s statistical showcase will find his current performance underwhelming. If you look at it though, in his last two games, he’s claiming 11rpg to go with his 10.5ppg.

10 – JAYSON CASTRO / TALK N TEXT
The last four games were extremely tough for The Blur and his Tropang Texters. In the last two games they won, Castro was just good for 8.5ppg, 5.5rpg, and 4apg. In their last two losses however, Maestro banged away with 17.5ppg, 4rpg, 4.5apg, and 3spg. I can’t really say if this is the case of his teammates playing poor or he needs to step up because of their import.

9 – ALEX CABAGNOT / PETRON
After handing out 8 assists in their loss against Talk N Text, A-Cab just had two in their defeat against Alaska. His 12.5ppg is Petron’s local best but with Rodney averaging just 7ppg, he needs to do more.

8 – JAPETH AGUILAR / GLOBALPORT
If there’s someone who misses Justin Williams the most, it’s this guy. Sure, Japeth is still the behemoth he now became when he was “saved” by GlobalPort but ever since Williams has been replaced, Aguilar has scored in double figures just once in their last four games.

7 – JOSH URBIZTONDO / BARAKO BULL
The Fireball may have turned up his assists – averaging 9.5apg in Barako Bull’s last two games – but his offense went dead after the Talk N Text game. In his last three games he has averaged just 5ppg with 3-of-17 from the three-point area and 6-of-26 from the field.

6 – MIKE CORTEZ / AIR21
As mentioned, Franz Pumaren’s team had a turnaround when they got lucky and swapped Yousef Taha for Mike Cortez. The Cool Cat has made Air21 a contender with his presence alone and in their 4-game winning run, he has normed 11.8ppg, 6rpg, and 5.5apg.

5 – GARY DAVID / GLOBAL PORT
After suffering a conference low of 9 points versus Air21, his super scoring returned against Meralco – scoring a conference high of 29 points. El Granada has scored under 20 points just thrice this conference but all of this is for naught if his explosions don’t result to wins.

4 – SOLOMON MERCADO / GLOBAL PORT
Affected by GlobalPort’s eight-game skid, Sol Mercado’s performance is dropping. In two games his almost double-double points-assist averages have gone to 10.5ppg and 5apg. One sign for this is the re-emergence of Willie Miller. The Thriller has normed 15ppg in their last three games.

3 – LA TENORIO / GINEBRA
In their current four-game winning streak, Tenyente Tenorio has helped the team consistently in terms of scoring and playmaking with 16.3ppg, 5.3rpg, and 6.8apg. These are awesome numbers considering that the last time Tenorio had this… he was still wearing an Alaska jersey. And instead of wilting, he stepped up in the absence of Mark Caguioa with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

2 – CHRIS ROSS / MERALCO
The current main local of Meralco doesn’t need to score to get recognized. Before his injury against GlobalPort where he briefly played, Ross was averaging in double figures in assists. In fact in their last five games before the GP game, he was averaging 12.4apg. Actually if you check out the Bolts’ loss over the San Mig Coffee Mixers, Ross had a triple double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. This is how important it is for Meralco to retain the services of Ross and who knows their future if Ross gets benched for an extended period.

1 – MARK CAGUIOA / GINEBRA
It’s hard to write The Spark’s second consecutive win in this list because he may miss a bunch of games for the Gin Kings because of a MCL sprain. This development came in the worst of times with Ginebra winning their last four games. While Tenorio has stepped up to fill in his void, Caguioa has averaged 24.7ppg, 5.3rpg, and 4apg in Ginebra’s winning run and he was getting 40 minutes consistently for the squad. He is also averaging 9.3FGM in 19FGA. Getting almost 50 percent from The Spark is always a good thing.

As suffered by the fates of Joe Devance and Jayvee Casio, The Spark will probably get sidetracked from the list if he can’t show in their first week of April matches.

Gone from the list aside from Devance and Casio are Alaska’s Sonny Thoss and Rain or Shine’s Beau Belga. Lassiter and Hodge are just debuting in the rankings while Fajardo and Cardona has been in and out of the rankings as of late.

Game over!

Just went nuts

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What’s up with all imports these days?

I tell you, PBA imports have it bad these days. It’s like the month of March is invented to weed out the weakass foreigners the Philippine companies pay to entertain us. I know most of these imports played in the NCAA but why on earth would they want to bring March Madness here?

Anyway, Jamelle Cornley – the import instrumental in giving the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters their first ever PBA title – could join Renaldo Balkman and Walter Sharpe in the chopping block for opening a can of whoop ass on a local cop (I know Sharpe isn’t banned for life but for sleeping in the sidewalks… he should). Cornley went apeshit after he did the naughty on three chicks at Sir Williams Hotel and discovered that the chicks robbed him of his money. Cornley went ballistic after losing 1,400 dollars and the poor cop took a massive fist bump to the head from the 6’5 rebounding beast from the Penn State Lions.

After helping the Elasto Painters win the 2012 PBA Governor’s Cup that ended in mid 2012, Cornley has stayed on to repair his knee – all expenses paid by the Rain or Shine management. He has since had it cozy in the Philippines and he once had no less than former FHM cover girl and star of XXX Juliana Palermo as girlfriend. Let’s face it – Rain or Shine kept Cornley happy because they want him to represent ROS anew as their import in their title retention.

Now that’s just out of the question?

I know Cornley is just pissed as hell for getting robbed at the three hookers he made brutal animal monkey sex with but I expect Commissioner Chito Salud to ban him. I know this is not a PBA-related case but Renaldo Balkman was struck out with a choke that never really bruised his teammate Arwind Santos… and that incident is super fresh in everyone’s minds at the moment. It’s also a case of double standard for the PBA execs to just let this go. The San Miguel Corporation will definitely eat the PBA if they turned the other cheek regarding this because Cornley clearly has a criminal case for this.

It sucks to get robbed but as a behemoth of an individual, Cornley needs to check his anger. You can’t really like a guy who went topless (to expose his tattooed frame) and went preachy that he is unstoppable and no law can work on him. Direct assault is the obvious case for Cornley that can also lead to other charges like scandal, acts of lasciviousness, endorsing prostitution, and damage to property.

Did he make the cop hurl blood?

CHARGE HIM WITH LITTERING AS WELL!

I also urge the imports and the other foreign nationals to do the same. It seems as if these guys think that just because the Philippines is a third world country, they are allowed to laid waste on our law. I know there are a lot of corrupt officials but I also know that there are a lot of good people living on this side of the world who are all working for the betterment of the country. Cornley could have just stayed at home and not order any prostitutes and not PUNCH a cop. Now he had to be restrained by a lot of cops for losing his cool but what if the people with the badges failed to kept theirs? Restraining an unruly individual that punched the living shit of a policeman is ground for these guys to use their gun! Any country has that law! It’s either that… or they add you as stew flavoring!

Sorry Mr. Cornley, you were awesome as a player for Rain or Shine but there is no way this incident will leave you as a persona non grata.

Game over!

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