
Check your TV sets during Sundays and simultaneously with the first of PBA’s Sunday double header, you have just earned front row seats to the Asian Basketball League. The league is a super-league designed to lure the top basketball players of the South East Asian region (that can’t or barely play in the PBA). This will prove important in strengthening basketball in an area, our Asian neighbors belittle. There are six teams battling for supremacy with one team having nine local players, two non-South East Asian imports and three South East Asian imports.
Anyway, Frank Arsego is calling the shots for the Slingers. Import Mike LeBlanc is the team’s top scorer with 18.7ppg (to go with 7.1ppg). Kyle Jeffers is their main rebounder (15.4ppg and 13.7rpg) and Al Vergara is their top playmaker with 3.3apg (to go with 9.3ppg). Marcus Ng (7.7ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.0apg), and Wei Jian Hong (7.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 1spg) are the teams top 5 scorers.
SATRIA MUDA BRITAMA: The other SMB of Asia, this Indonesian League ballclub is the country’s representative in the League. Gideon Roring is the team’s coach. Former Red Bull import Alex Hartmann is the team’s top guy (18.7ppg, 5.1rpg). Nakiea Miller is the team’s other import (14.5ppg, 16.0rpg, 4.5bpg). Faisal Julius, Christian Sitepu, and Amin Prihantono are their local bets. Former PBA quarterback Rensy Bajar (11.0ppg, 3.4apg, 1.4spg) is the team’s top playmaker.
PHILIPPINE PATRIOTS: All teams in the ABL have Pinoys in them, which make the Patriots the automatic team to beat. Their reinforcements are former Coke import Jason Dixon (12.2ppg, 9.7rpg, 1.0bpg) and Brandon Powell (13.0ppg, 5.8rpg). The team snatched Rob Wainwright (7.7ppg, 3.0rpg) and Mark Andaya (recently released by the squad) from Barako Bull when they were traded to the squad for the rights of Jeff Chan and Mike Hrabak. The team is a collection of players owned by Mikee Romero and Tony Boy Conjuangco. Former PBA stars include Red Bull’s Warren Ybanez, SMB’s Froilan Baguion and Sta. Lucia’s Christian Coronel. Jerwin Gaco is a long-time member of the Harbour Centre franchise. Other collegiate big names include Ateneo’s Nonoy Baclao, UE’s Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna, Letran’s Dino Daa and JP Alcaraz, and UST’s Khasim Mirza. Louie Alas spearheads their struggle.
The Patriots have an impressive lineup whose main downside is their constant changing of players. The Slingers seem to gel nicely since their lineup is pretty much intact since two years ago. Like I said, when the end nears, it will be Singapore against the Philippines.
Get the news about the ABL at http://www.aseanbasketballleague.com and watch the games on TV5 every Sundays at 4pm.
Game Over.
Philippines will be the Champ 66.7 %
ReplyDeleteSingapore 33.2 %
i want to say that too. but this all depends on how the patriots closes their road to the finals.
ReplyDelete