Sunday, November 8, 2009

Ball Points (11-9-09)

  • Rico Maierhofer really looks good in a Purefoods jersey as he led his team to a 108-102 win over the TNT Tropang Texters. He finished the game with a line of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Amazingly, those numbers are all career-highs in his young and promising career. He looks more polished than the number 1 overall pick Japeth Aguilar right now. Sigurado ako na naglalaway si Rajko Toroman para kay Rico. I believe him when he said that Gilas would have been a lot better with this guy in their lineup. He's just so versatile and athletic. Of course it helps when you're playing with a proven star like James Yap rather than playing alongside a college kid who's only basketball-related ability is to shoot coming off screens. (He can host. He's a looker. And best of all he can give you free pizza. I guess those can help Japeth get easier shots.) Rico and Marc Pingris have benefited so much playing alongside the likes of Yap and Kerby Raymundo. So much attention is given to those superstars that Rico and Marc are given multiple opportunities to roam around for offensive rebounds. PF does have the talent but one thing that caught my attention is the lack of a 3rd scorer. The other elite teams have more than 2 guys who can create offense for himself and for his teammates. SMB has Arwind Santos, Jonas Villanueva, Dondon Hontiveros, etc. (They have a LOT more.) TNT has Jimmy Alapag, Mac Cardona and Jared Dillenger. BGK has Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguiao and Cyrus Baguio. PF has only James Yap and Kerby Raymundo. Peter June Simon has been that guy for them the past couple of years but he didn't see any playing time yesterday. (I'm not sure why. Maybe an injury?) They will need his scoring ability if they want to contend for a championship. Also missing in their team is a bruiser type of a big man. They had one before in Rico Villanueva but they traded him for another long, athletic but thin big guy in Rafi Reavis. They already had Marc Pingris and Rico Maierhofer. I don't really see a need for guy like Reavis. What are you going to do with so much players who play alike? How about Don Allado? Too soft. Rommel Adducul? Not as productive as before. Jondan Salvador? A tougher but less talented version of Allado. Alex Crissano would look good in a PF jersey if you ask me.
  • Some PCCL news for you. Arellano University and University of San Carlos have already booked seats in the PCCL Sweet 16 for winning in their zonal qualifiers. They will be joining members of the Final 4 of both the NCAA and UAAP in SSC-R, SBC, JRU, CSJL, ADMU, UE, FEU and UST. They will also be joined by CESAFI champions, University of Visayas Green Lancers. Both Adamson and University of Cebu have also virtually booked seats in the sweet 16 not unless Adamson lost to a lowly SSC-R Baycats team in the final game of the Cebu zonals. The DLSU Green Archers and the MAPUA Cardinals have yet to play in their respective zonals but we can all be assured that both these teams are going to be part of the sweet 16 as well. It's just sad that most teams would only use as a tune-up tournament to give some of their young guys more experience. Expect the Blue Eagles to be competitive but don't expect to contend for the title. I'd be suprised if Norman Black will use his seniors in Jai Reyes, Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini at all. It is also uncertain if players from the RP Patriots (Khasim Mirza, Val Acuna, Elmer Espiritu) and the Gilas boys will participate in the tournament. Expect young teams teams like DLSU and the hungry teams like FEU, JRU, UV and UC to make some noise in the tournament. Another interesting development will be the appearance of the Visayas behomoths and possible Smart-Gilas recruits Junmar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter. The league was established to sort of emulate March Madness in the USA. It's hard to see it that way because most teams won't take the tournament seriously. (Yeah, I'm talking to you Norman Black! C'mon! Play it like you would play the UAAP.)
  • When Hyram Bagatsing is the best prospect in your league's draft, you're in trouble. Smart-Gilas, RP Patriots and Liga Pilipinas have provided players with a lot more options other than the PBA and the PBL. The PBA will never lose out on players because the PBA is the ultimate goal of almost every Filipino basketball player. Can't say the same about the PBL. They will definitely encounter a drop in the talent level this year. They will have to depend on the talent level of the collegiate teams all over the country. Don't get me wrong, I want the PBL to stick around. I have been a big fan of the PBL ever since and I hope they can survive through this famine.

2 comments:

  1. PCCL is a young league. we need to give it time.

    seriously, at this point, what motivation do the uaap teams have of winning this thing? they're already recognized as the best programs in the country regardless of if they win this or not. would you take a league where you have nothing to win but something to lose seriously?

    its going to have to take a Team USA-international basketball kind of wake-up call to get uaap teams to play their best players in the PCCL. but it has start with a non-uaap team winning this thing. maybe, non-ncaa too.

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  2. I'll have to agree with you that it might need a wakeup call like what team usa received. It also doesn't help that the alumni of the schools aren't putting any emphasis on the league. letting same channel that covers the uaap and ncaa broadcast the games will help I guess. Still, who cares if Norman Black doesn't want to win in this league. I just hope that Greg Slaughter and Junmar Fajardo can make up for the absence of Rabeh. FEU is the team I'm looking forward to the most. I'm sure they are very hungry and this time around they know who the players they've got.(I hope. Maybe Cawaling's ready to follow the footsteps of Baracael and Barroca in terms of the controversies?)

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