Ball Points (11-7-2009)

• Smart-Gilas finally won a game yesterday as they defeated the Coca-Cola Tigers 98-93. This game and the remaining games of the RP developmental squad will not count anymore in the PBA squads' win-loss record so it's reasonable to think that the PBA teams might not take the games seriously anymore. I caught some portions of the game and it seemed like the Tigers were very much interested in winning the ball game. Still, I can't say that I was impressed by the performance of the Gilas team as they defeated a team that lacks both in manpower and talent. The Tigers did not have men Ken Bono and Asi Taulava in their lineup yesterday and we can't really say that the current roster of the Tigers on paper can strike fear into other PBA teams like SMB and TNT. In my opinion, the biggest concern for the Gilas team right now is individual defense. Chris Tiu has proven that he can really score in Toroman's system but his defense is something I'm not fond of. He's lucky that the Tigers do not have a proven guard that can score 20 points night in and night out. I understand why Japeth can't guard Kerby Raymundo but I can not understand why he can't guard Beau Belga or Norman Gonzales. They're just outsmarting him. It's not like those guys are uber talented. Japeth has the tools to be a great individual and team defender but he needs to have the willingness to be a good defender. I just hope coach Rajko Toroman can motivate this kid to play up to his utmost potential.
• After weeks of speculation, the JRU Heavy Bombers have announced that the Vergel Meneses will be the their new head coach. Derrik Pumaren is also being eyed to assist him to provide the much needed coaching experience in JRU's sidelines. I'm not really sure what to expect from Vergel as he has had little coaching experience from the past. Unlike Coach Ato Aguston, he will be under a lot of pressure as he is inheriting a very talented roster consisting of reining NCAA MVP John Wilson, former Mythical Five member Marvin Hayes and foreigner big man Joe Etame.
• The RP Patriots have inflicted the first loss of Singapore Slingers as they beat the Singapore-based squad 70-53 at The Arena, San Juan today. The Patriots played hard-nose, physical defense that has been the signature of the recent Letran squads coached by the Patriots' coach Louie Alas. The RP squad forced the Slingers to TOs and swatted shots all game long. The visiting team just could not get into any type of rhythm in the game. The nationals of Slingers were non-factors. Their imports Kyle Jeffers and Michael Leblanc were forced to carry the load on their own and it allowed the RP squad to gank up on them.

Ball Points (10-19-2009)

• I guess there will be a surprise team in the NCAA Finals just like the in the UAAP. Everyone expected the JRU Heavy Bombers to be one of this year's finalists in the NCAA. Everyone, except Ato Agustin and his boys as they have booked the 2nd and final ticket to the NCAA Finals after defeating my dear John Wilson and the rest of the Bombers, 79-64. A great start by the Stags in the 1st quarter was enough to put the Bombers away for good as they led 29-8 after the 1st. The Bombers started out good as they got 4 early points from John Lopez off open looks as a result of the attention given to his other teammates like Wilson but it was all downhill after that. The Bombers relied too much on one-on-one action while the Stags were taking easy shots off transition offense and ball movement. The 2nd quarter saw the Bombers play with a lot more energy and they were able to make some headway courtesy of their zone defense and full court press. Still, these weren't enough as the emergence of the other guys like Pascual and Gatchalian was enough for the Stags to keep a double digit lead at the half. In the 3rd quarter, the Bombers started out w/o their MVP, Wilson, but was able to crawl back and came as close as 8 to the Stags midway in the 3rd. It was a classic comeback wherein JRU just played with a lot more energy while SSC-R played too relaxed. Abueva helped the Stags build a huge lead in the half but he was also responsible for the Bombers' comeback as he was called for an unsportsmanlike foul (2FTS and ball possesion is given to the opposing team). He did make up for it as it was his dominance in the paint (scoring, rebounding, defense and everything else) that gave the Stags a 20-point lead after the 3rd. No one can stop this guy in the paint. No one. Not even Sudan Daniels. He just needs to stay in the game and remain composed. The Bombers still tried to comeback in the 4th but Ato's boys always had an answer for them. I expected the Stags to play as good as they played today but I did not expect the Mandaluyong-based squad to play this bad. The Bombers were 0-18 from beyond the arc before Agas hit a banked 3-point shot at 1:47 mark of the 4th. This team depends so much on outside shooting and it's hard to imagine them winning a game if they can only hit a single 3 pointer. The Stags were able to get easy shots when they running and it was when they slowed down that they had difficulty scoring. JRU decided to slow down and dump the ball to Sena at the post and it did not work at all. All the points Sena scored were all from midrange jumpers. Coach Ariel has a plethora of talented perimeter players and setting up more in the half court meant that his perimeter gunners had to bleed for their points (Si Wilson hindi dugo tumutulo eh, sipon! Yup, Wilson wasn't 100% as he has a flu but that isn't a valid excuse. He didn't show up today and as a result JRU doesn't need to show up in the NCAA anymore this year.). JRU should have played a faster tempo to allow players like Njei, Wilson and Hayes to get easier looks. If there are no numbers? Dump the ball to Sena but don't dump the ball to Sena with 23 seconds on your shot clock. Can I ask for Coach Ariel V's head? This Stags team is a one-man team but their man isn't Jimbo but Ato. He has done such a brilliant job coaching this team and he'll have more firepower in the Finals with guys like Pascual now ready to step up.
• The RP Patriots have lost in their second game in the ABL to the Sinagpore Slingers 74-69. We can't really expect RP to dominant the Slingers as they are a very competitive team. I don't have much details about this game as I wasn't able to watch it.
• Wow, as first reported on patayangbutiki.com, RP Patriots' import Brandon Powell may be a Filipino. I would love to see this guy in a PBA jersey or better yet in a Smart-Gilas jersey.
• Arboleda will be suspended for the rest of the 2009-10 season. Only 1 year? Not enough. Even for a kind-hearted and merciful person like me. :D

Ball Points (10-17-2009)

• It was my first time to watch a PBA game live and I was treated to a boxing match. Wynne Arboleda was ejected for attacking a fan who was throwing P bombs at him. BK has already apologized to the fan in their official statement (Thank FQ and Fmango for this one) but I haven't read anything about any sanctions the PBA will hand to Wynne. This topic has been getting so much attention so I won't dwell on this too much anymore.
• Because of the Arboleda incident, not much attention was given to the Gilas' loss in their 1st official game in the PBA. I'll have to admit that I am very disappointed with Gilas. They already had a 13 point lead and they still lost. The Gilas program is still very young and has a long way to go. If you think about it, these players from Gilas are just a bunch of untested rookie role players in the PBA. JVee wouldn't score 28 points if he was drafted by a PBA team. Rico, Ogie and Marcy who were all supposed to be part of the Gilas team aren't the superstars of their teams (yet). They just come in, provide energy and play quality minutes. This is not an excuse for them to let the rough (and dirty) play eat them alive though. This kids have to grow up because we need men to play against the Haddadis and the El Khatibs.
• Hey! Let's not all forget the NCAA Final 4! As expected, SBC has advanced to the Finals for the 4 straight year as they defeated an undermanned Knights 82-76. It wasn't an easy win as expected though. The Knights' tough defense was enough to keep them in the game despite not having their uber athletic SF, Rey Guevarra. It would have been a treat if Rey was on the hard court. In the other F4 match-up, the Bombers were able to force a do-or-die a game on Monday with a 72-65 win over the Stags. This is the Stags' 3rd consecutive loss and their 4th loss in their last 5 games so momentum will definitely be on the Bomber's side but Coach Ato will be given a chance to adjust. Plus, he will have an intact lineup on Monday as Jimbo Aquino will be reinstated from suspension by then.
• Things aren't looking so good for the SMB Beerman as they dropped their second straight game to the Alaska Aces in the PBA's first out-of-town game this conference. The Aces pretty much controlled the game for the 1st 3 quarters but the Beermen were able to mount a rally in the 4th and last quarter. They came as close as 1 to the Aces courtesy of Arwind's energy and a couple of open inside looks for Dorian but the Aces' outside shooting was too much for the Beermen. It was their outside sniping that gave them a double digit lead in the 1st 3 quarters and it was also their outside sniping that gave them a comfortable cushion once again in the 4th. Willie Miller knocked down a tough 3 pointer and LA Tenorio followed it up with 2 more as the Aces finally pulled away in the last quarter. Arwind was a non-factor in the 1st half and the shooters of SMB were not connecting from the outside. They sorely missed Pingris' energy (traded to BK then to PF) and Jay Washington's (injured) ability to post mismatches in this game. SMB needs to execute their plays better, run more, play defense and play with a lot of energy and intensity if they want to contend for the championship.

SSC-R sends JRU back to earth

• The SSC-R Golden Stags have assured themselves a twice-to-beat advantage in the F4 as they beat JRU 84-78 courtesy of clutch baskets from leading NCAA MVP candidate, Jimbo Aquino and Jonathan Semira.
• This game looked like the charity game between Smart-Gilas and Powerade. Much like Powerade, JRU is composed of individually talented players but was content on going one-on-one on every play in their game against the Stags. On the other hand, SSC-R emulated the fluidity and teamwork demonstrated by Smart-Gilas. Coach Ato Agustin was able to design plays that gave his players, especially Jimbo, easy scoring opportunities. Both Wilson and Cagoco did not hit a single 3 pointer in the game despite being known as deadly shooters from beyond the arc. Letting those guys come off a couple screens ala Ray Aleen would have opened up a couple looks for them and might have resulted to a couple of conversions. Having Sena move around before he posts up like how Yao does would have made the Stag's defense less prepared for him. I know these guys are much more talented than their counterparts from the Stags but they're going to spend a lot of energy just to create a shot for themselves if you isolate them too much. I think it's ok to let Njei and Wilson go one-on-one occasionally as they have proven they can score on anyone in the NCAA but it's part of Coach Ariel's job is to make his players' job easier. Jimbo Aquino is such a phenomenal scorer like Wilson but you rarely see Ato Agustin let me create his own shot. A lot of the points Jimbo scores are from movement w/o the ball. I don't know want to put all the blame on Coach Ariel V because his players might have done a lousy job in executing their plays or worse, they might not even executed them at all. JRU is not going to win the title if they continue to play this way. They've got to help each other. I think if you only count only the top 8 (most coaches usually use a rotation of only 8-9 players in the playoffs players) of each team in the NCAA, JRU will emerge as the best team man-for-man. (If you count the whole team, SBC is the most talented team. Unforunately for them , you can only use a maximum of players at a time.)
• I know JR Sena is much better known his finesse but he's got to use his wide body to attack the thinner big guys of the Stags. He's got to avoid taking those fadeaway jumpers and resort more to attacking the basket strong.
• One reason why JRU was the last team to taste their 1st loss in the second round was the emergence of their younger players in Lopez and Agas. I didn't even notice the Lopez was already playing. He's a very energetic guy off the bench but he needs to play smarter. He's got to maximize his athletism. Agas had his moments in the game but I think he's capable of much more. Then again, guarding Jimbo Aquino might have taken a toll on his energy level
• Etame Joe made a special appearance in this game. He even scored the 1st basket. He wasn't much of a factor in the game but I believe he's not yet 100% so it's going to be interesting to see how much can he help JRU in the Final 4.
• There was in incident in the 3rd iquarter that resulted to a couple of Ts, Bulawan's ejection and Abueva fouling out. Hayes fell on the floor as he drew a offensive foul from Abueva. Hayes then stood up in Abueva's face and he made it look like he was just picking himself up from the floor. Abueva was irritated with Hayes' action so he shoved him away and was called for an unsportsmanlike foul, his 5th and final foul. Bulawan, who was about to enter the game on the next deadball situation rushed to his teammate's aid and was ejected for entering the court despite not being part of SSC-R's current 5 on the floor. I'll have to agree with Bill, it's not like he didn't know the rule. The rule is kinda silly but it's there to prevent any altercations from getting bigger. Abueva needs to keep his temper down because SSC-R was very lucky to win this game w/ their 2 big men and he will be a key part in SSC-R's Championship hopes.
• JRU was not able to capitalize on the absence of 2 of Stag's big men. I didn't see JRU eagerness to win the game. As the commentators said, JRU thought they already won the game when the ejections were already handed out.

Ball Points (9-28-09)

• Ondoy has not spared anyone. It has affected so many lives including a couple of basketball personalities. I've heard reports that ADMU's Jai Reyes and Rain or Shine's Jay-R Reyes are all stranded at their homes together with their families. Purefoods' assistant coach Koy Banal (former head coach of the FEU Tamaraws during their championship runs with Arwind Santos) was also reportedly stranded and hanging on a tree. Also, Red Bull governer Tony Chua has passed away when a strong current dragged him while he was trying to get something from his car. The one good thing about Ondoy is this will unite us all. This is evident in the comments of some online basketball fans as they would rather worry about the status of our fellow countrymen rather than trash talking about the upcoming UAAP Finals. Of course there are still a couple of idiots who care only about their school winning in the Finals and doesn't give any shit about the calamity victims. I sure do hope that this will serve as a lesson for all Filipinos to unite as one for the benefit of our country.
• The big game today in the NCAA with no. 1 seeded SSC-R Golden Stags squaring off with the no. 2 seeded JRU Heavy Bombers (tied with San Beda at 2nd place) has been postponed. The new schedule for the game is still TBA. This game will have a lot implications on who will get the twice to beat incentive in the Final 4. (All NCAA games today have also been postponed.)
  
• Raja Bell is reportedly being shopped around the league. Look for the Bobcats to trade him to contender who can give them something of some value. The Lakers, Spurs and the Cavs are already loaded in the 2 spot and doesn't really have anything that the Bobcats want. The Magic could trade for him by sending JJ Redick and Anthony Johnson. Trading Bell to the Celtics for Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen/JR Giddens will also work financially. Both trades will give the Bobcats a young player (JJ Redick/Giddens/Tony Allen) and an expiring contract (Scalabrine/Johnson) and they can save money by buying out either veteran. JJ Redick would be great addition to the Bobcats as the team does not have much shooters on the team but it's highly unlikely the Magic will trade him because of his strong showing in last year's playoffs against the likes of Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant. The Magic already has a couple of lockdown defenders in Barnes and Pietrus so trading for Raja seems unnecessary. Bell in Beantown might make more sense as I don't think acquiring Marquis Daniels will be enough to provide the Celtics the much needed depth in their championship run. Bell would be great pickup as the Celtics sorely missed the presence of a perimeter defender who can shoot like James Posey. Bell could help spell the aging duo of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The Celtics might need to send draft picks to convince the Bobcats to agree to a trade as Tony Allen has yet to show that he can be a consistent rotation player on a NBA team and Giddens has yet to showcase his potential on the hard court.
• A couple of veterans point guards, Rafer Alston and Antonio Daniels, are seeking to move to another team where they could play significant minutes. This will be contracts years for the both of them and this might be their last chance to earn a long term contract in their careers. Rafer's wish list includes New York and Miami. Rafer can finally give Mike D'Antoni a consistent PG to run his system but don't expect him to be the next Steve Nash. The Knicks could send the inconsistent Chris Duhon(6M) for Rafer(5.2M) and it will work under CBA rules. Miami has also been reported as a desirable destination for Skip To My Lou as Dwayne Wade would love to have him to in a Heat jersey this season. Both NY and Miami are willing to take on Rafer's contract as he is on an expiring deal and this will not hinder their 2010 free agency plans. There's not much interest in Daniels as he has not produced the last couple of years. A buyout is the logical choice so that a contender can sign him up for the vet's minimum.