I’m kind of selfish.

Is it wrong for me to beg the heavens for the failure of now-B-Meg coach Richard Del Rosario?

I don’t really want him to fail. In fact I wish him the best! All those years sitting next to Norman Black during his Pepsi Megas / Mobiline Phole Pals and Sta. Lucia Realtors days and at Alaska Aces where he played briefly in Tim Cone’s system that eventually led to his retirement paid off for this current St. Benilde mentor (I think his career-high is eight points). Sure, his NCAA team, The Blazers, or his D-League team, the PC Gilmore Wizards, are far from contenders but maybe his system is more suited in the pro ranks.

I mean how hard can it be? Let Mark Barroca ride the ball to the other side of the court, have Marc Pingris and Joe Devance post up, and then let James Yap and Peter June Simon catch fire.

That’s cool, right?

The problem I have with Richard Del Rosario sitting in the B-Meg sidelines is that I’ll miss his quips. Richard Del Rosario alongside Mico Halili and Jason Webb are the most entertaining PBA commentators today. There I said it. These three understand that while basketball knowledge is important – staying away from the monotonic and robotic way of covering the play-by-plays made the broadcasts exciting and entertaining.

I mean if you followed the ESPN’s 2011 Jones Cup coverage between The Philippines and Malaysia, their zany and hilarious take on the ball-groping incident trumps the English take.

Do you know how hard it is for the PBA to face soap operas? The basketball game consists of more than two hours of straight backcourt action. Aside from that soap operas aren’t open ended as basketball. You can pass off a televised match because you hate the combatants but a minute missed of watching a soap will leave you dumbfounded.

If Richard Del Rosario goes full-time with B-Meg, then I doubt if he’ll be available in commentary. His commentating appearances now have dwindled as of late when he became the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters assistant coach. When the Elasto Painters are in a particular game date, expect Richard to not call the action. It’s the same case when he transferred to the B-Meg Llamados as assistant to Jorge Gallent. And then just when we thought Gallent has survived the rumors of a bumper crop of top coaches led by Jong Uichico and surprisingly Tim Cone (whoever thought of Cone leaving Alaska is kind of stupid), here is Richard Del Rosario cutting the line and closing the door on the other candidates.

The only way we can hear the hilarious commentary of Richard Del Rosario is through GMA News Online’s For The Win (FTW), as a random head coach/ guest commentator during Finals games (of which B-Meg isn’t included).

And a bunch of Bundesliga games.

I’m sorry but I haven’t gotten giddy on watching football action that doesn’t involve the Azkals.

But with all sincerity, I wish him all the best as the newest B-Meg coach. Hopefully he can use Mark Barroca wisely without diminishing the importance of Roger Yap, Josh Urbiztondo, and Jonas Villanueva. Hopefully he’ll at least give a proper sendoff to their aging stars Romel Adducul and Don Allado. I’m wishing Joe Devance, Kerby Raymundo, Rafi Reavis, Rico Maierhofer, and Marc Pingris return to compete injury-free and I hope James Yap and Peter June Simon would nail their jumpers well.

Hell, maybe he can give Jonathan Fernandez the confidence he desperately needs?

Is there a way for TV5 to revive Baikingu?

Anyway, I’m going to leave you with this plug. I did this when I was still with the company.

Actually this was one of my favorite episodes of Wow Maling Mali because it combined real-life hardcourt action with a 5-foot goal and a slew of craziness.

Like I said, I’m going to miss Richard Del Rosario’s comedy gold! 

Good luck with your promotion! 

Game over.

A couple of months back, current Orlando Magic guard Gilbert Arenas tweeted that if was to play overseas, he wants to check out the PBA.

While the Smart All-Star Weekend failed to give him a return flight to the country, maybe Agent Zero, Hibachi, Mr. President, or whatever Gilbert Arenas is calling himself these days can get the opportunity to play in the league as an import... for a particular time.

September is just around the corner and the NBA lockout is not ending soon. Calculating the timetable, the owners and the players must agree on their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) before the second week of September hits or else the lockout would start to eat up the league’s 82-game season. Unlike in the PBA where the typical start of the calendar happen comes at draft time, the NBA starts its season with free agency. It should have been the draft actually but since the draft is already over with players like Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams unsure on how their rookie season would happen, the preseason festivities will get pushed and pushed. In the July 1 deadline already in the works, the NBA’s preseason is getting eaten up and fans are restless on the turnout.

If Manny V. Pangilinan can bring a bunch of NBA stars for an exhibition match, maybe teams can find the means to get these superstars to play for the PBA.

Even for just a game.

Or two maybe.

Give them the out clause when the NBA resumes their life again. Sure, this would suck the hell out of the PBA’s credibility but imagine the advertising these guys would get! Even twenty minutes of playing time can give the league a fresh bunch of moolah. 

If China can do it, why can't the PBA? 

While China has engineered a long-term contract for the NBA players trying to suit up for the Chinese Basketball Association to perhaps scare off "vacationing" NBA stars, the move managed to be lucrative even more for unemployed NBA stars. Wilson Chandler, a NBA star on the rise, has signed up with CBA's Zhejiang Guangsha. 

The PBA should start with the Commissioner’s Cup on October 2 and just make the All-Filipino Conference their season-ending tourney.

The only problem is, which NBA superstar with the right mind would want to risk their health to play in the PBA?

This is where I like Philippine basketball so much. And perhaps this is why we can do wonders in the world of rugby. Filipinos are born bruisers. From the MICAA to the PBA to the MBA, PBL, Liga Pilipinas, and now the D-League, it has been reported time and time again of Filipinos would want to get at awe with one player then chop him senseless in the next.

If it’s not physical ownage, then it has to be emotional. I can see a bunch of people booing a player and going all out in stopping that particular guy. A blocked shot or a steal would send an arena to a frenzy!  Fans will riot at the sight of a NBA player going berserk on non-calls and would get shocked at the different tricks players would try just to get on a player’s case.

But hey, if people are seriously considering this, I’m going to pay big money to see Mark Caguioa and Lebron James exchange baskets.

Game over.

I just heard the wonderful news.

The era of small imports... is now DEAD!

YEAH!

While the Commissioner’s Cup and Governor’s Cup brought in a bunch of reliable hands like Arizona Reid, Paul Harris, Nate Brumfield, and Jason Forte, those conferences also brought in small imports that couldn’t intimidate our big locals. These men were not bulky and were tortured endlessly by not Beau Belga or Marc Pingris but by LA Tenorio and Alex Cabagnot! Remember when imports matter? Even NBA tenured players Hassan Adams, Chris Porter, and Anthony Grundy looked like a bunch of extremely-talented locals when pitted against our players. 

I don't have an issue against height. I have an issue though with how an import's all-around-ness is affected by height. If the Smart-All-Star Weekend thought us something, it is that we remained unfazed at the sight of Kobe Bryant and his other NBA cronies. 


We were at awe seeing Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and the rest of the NBA stars that went here. 


But when they battled Smart-Gilas with pride at stake... 


... we were bent to humiliate them. 

So what makes the league think that 6'2 players that can't cut a NBA deal would scare the hell out of our players? 

One might say that Grundy did his best and must be commended by his superb performance in the 2011 PBA Governor’s Cup Finals.  

In his stint with the Petron Blaze Boosters, Grundy averaged 23.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 6.0 assists. Shawn Daniels, the import in the 2010 Fiesta Conference with the worst output, was good for 12.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks.

But if you look at it, Daniels is better than Grundy.

Grundy albeit making smart decisions, is a guard. He cannot force the issue in the middle and guys like Sonny Thoss, Marc Pingris, and even Larry Rodriguez will give him a hard time. If you compare Petron’s Fiesta Cup import Gabe Freeman over Grundy, I’d choose Freeman.

This is the main problem I have with the current flock of imports.

Here are the top imports of the past PBA season. I’m not going to based this on how many games they played but on their game stats. You’re going to see names of players you don’t know that even played in that conference because of the briefness of their tenure.

TOP 5 IMPORTS

2011 PBA COMMISSIONER’S CUP

Maximum height: 6’4

1 RUSSEL CARTER / POWERADE

24.2PPG – 14.0RPG – 5.4APG – 1.2SPG – 5 GAMES

2 ROBERT BROWN / B-MEG

29.0PPG – 11.0RPG – 2.0APG – 2.0SPG – 1 GAME

3 IRA BROWN / SAN MIGUEL

24.0PPG – 11.0RPG – 4.0APG – 2.5SPG – 1.5BPG – 2 GAMES

4 CHAMP OGUCHI / MERALCO

30.7PPG – 10.5RPG – 2.0APG – 6 GAMES

5.5 NATE BRUMFIELD / GINEBRA

24.7PPG – 12.0RPG – 3.5APG – 1.6SPG – 22 GAMES

5.5 PAUL HARRIS / TALK N TEXT

25.7PPG – 11.3RPG – 1.7APG – 18 GAMES

Rounding out the best to worst imports in the 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup are as follows:

David Young, Martin Zeno, Alpha Bangura, Tony Dandridge, Hassan Adams, LD Williams, Courtney Beasley, Shamari Spears, and Jeremy Robinson.

TOP 5 IMPORTS

2011 PBA GOVERNOR’S CUP

Maximum height:

For Powerade: 6’6

For Alaska, Air21, Meralco, and Rain or Shine: 6’4

For Talk N Text, Ginebra, B-Meg and Petron: 6’2

1 ARIZONA REID / RAIN OR SHINE

28.7PPG – 15.4RPG – 4.2APG – 1.0SPG – 12 GAMES

2 TIM PICKETT / MERALCO

23.7PPG – 11.0RPG – 6.3APG – 1.7SPG – 3 GAMES

3 JASON FORTE / ALASKA

23.1PPG – 15.4RPG – 3.8APG – 1.2BPG – 13 GAMES

4 CURTIS STINSON / GINEBRA

21.3PPG – 10.0RPG – 9.5APG – 1.8SPG – 4 GAMES

5 CHRIS PORTER / POWERADE

20.8PPG – 14.9RPG – 2.5APG – 2.6SPG – 8 GAMES

Rounding out the best to worst imports in the 2011 PBA Governor’s Cup are as follows:

Anthony Grundy, Champ Oguchi, Donald Sloan, Jeremy Wise, Darnell Hinson, Alpha Bangura, Stefhon Hannah, Scottie Reynolds, Maurice Baker, Myron Allen, and Ricky Harris.

In all, 31 imports suited up in the PBA’s 2010-11 season and these players don’t hold a candle to their 2009-10 counterparts.

TOP 5 IMPORTS

2010 PBA FIESTA CONFERENCE  

Maximum height: 6’6  

1 LEROY HICKERSON / AIR21

32.8PPG – 14.2RPG – 4.8APG – 6 GAMES

2 DIAMON SIMPSON / ALASKA

25.4PPG – 16.4RPG – 2.8APG – 1.4SPG – 1.9BPG – 32 GAMES

3 ANTHONY JOHNSON / STA. LUCIA

29.2PPG – 13.4RPG – 2.6APG – 0.9SPG – 1.4BPG – 19 GAMES

4 RASHAD BELL / COCA-COLA

28.0PPG – 13.2RPG – 4.0APG – 1.2SPG – 1.6BPG – 5 GAMES

5 JAMES PENNY / COCA-COLA

26.2PPG – 13.8RPG – 2.2APG – 1.2SPG – 2.3BPG – 9 GAMES

Okay.

So basing on this, there is no difference.

But there is. I’m just not there yet.

Filipinos are small and need to play small ball. This is why we naturalized Marcus Douthit after failed attempts with CJ Giles and Jamal Sampson. With the new rule, the Commissioner Cup’s imports will have unlimited ceiling while the Governor’s Cup imports will have a maximum of 6’5. This is great because with the return of the imposing imports, I will again see reinforcements doing what they need to do in the first place.

Get rebounds.

Like I said, in an instant I will choose Daniels over Grundy. Gone are the days when imports are scoring 40 points a night. However, imports need to claim at least 20 points and 13 boards to really be important. Daniels will never let the other team’s bigs slip off his radar and make a pussy off him (although his last stint in the league was far from stellar). If you look at the Governor’s Cup imports, Reid and Forte dominated because they can score and rebound which for guys like Scottie Reynolds is hard to do.

Curtis Stinson would have been a cut from the rest because he can produce triple-double numbers but because of the PBA bump and grind, he got injured.

If you remember Chot Reyes’ reaction when he said Reynolds was playing like a glorified local? Daniels, who was never called a scoring threat, was never called as such because Daniels gave the Texters a bulge in the middle that is feared by opponents and loved by his teammates. Marcus Douthit can play for the Tropang Texters as an import because he is now naturalized. He will follow the same ruling Alex Compton and Chris Clay had when they played as imports a couple of years back.

Don’t fret though.

Sure Douthit will play...

But imagine him pitting his wares against Chris Alexander?

Like I said, with this development... I am a happy camper.

Game over!

It’s not nice to laugh at a hurricane.

I mean the devastation hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons cause are violent, destructive, and at times fatal. Hurricane Irene for this matter, managed to shake the hell out of the United States.

Laughing at the Hurricane Irene weather forecasts though is funny.

Stay safe world.

Game over.

Finally, madness is resurrected in the PBA.

And I am not talking about gentle gropers. Although there is a mention of that guy in the article... let’s not go there.

Alex Crisano returns!

F*^% THE WORLD!

Alex Crisano is one of the most colourful characters the league has ever known. Ever since we saw him wearing a Nueva Ejica Patriots jersey and then he crossed the PBA where he played a couple of seasons with the Barangay Ginebra Kings, Talk N Text Phone Pals, and Barako Bull Energy Boosters, we have enjoyed whatever controversy this guy pulls.

The last time Alex Crisano played in the PBA, he was the team captain of Barako Bull. After displaying qualities to lead, Crisano was dropped from their roster because he said to everyone that he wasn’t getting his salary.

Fact is though, the fans sided with Crisano more because with the way Barako Bull was dropping their players, it was certain that financial difficulties haunted the squad.

Anyway, Crisano was contacted by the Powerade Tigers and was offered a contract and he accepted it. Fact is the only thing that’s keeping Crisano busy is a projected boxing stint, a taxi ride gone wrong, and a failed attempt to send the Philippine Patriots back to ABL heaven. He will go nuts crashing the boards and mind-tricking the other low post threats because of his athleticism and knack to hound balls.

Wait. That didn’t sound right.

Anyway, here are the other developments around the league.

ALASKA: The Aces are awfully quiet with all the drama engulfing the rest of the league. Moving on...

B-MEG: The Llamados have tricked Shopinas of Mark Barroca but they might have seen the last of Jorge Gallent and his head coaching spot. Breathing behind his neck is Jong Uichico and his quest to become the first SMC coach to mentor all three existing PBA ballclubs.

BARAKO BULL: Lucky for Barako Bull they got a couple of good Tigers in their mix but had Dylan Ababou and Allein Maliksi failed to happen, they probably made a pretty weak showing in the wheeling and dealing. I mean they traded two players that played for Smart-Gilas and a guy whose brother played for Smart-Gilas for Mick Pennisi, Sunday Salvacion, and Maliksi? Wait... why are they called Energy? Did they drop the Energy Boosters tag because Petron are the Blaze Boosters??

GINEBRA: The coaching mess that is Siot Tanquingcen and Jong Uichico is turning out to be like an episode of Munting Heredera. Maybe them fighting for the head honcho spot would cause girls to giggle just like how girls giggle over James Martinez.

MERALCO: TNT has been good to their “little bro”. TNT pulled a move to give the Bolts Jason Ballesteros. Aside from that they gave the Bolts rights to Mark Macapagal and gentle groper Mark Yee. And now we’re hearing Chico Lanete is now part of their squad.

PETRON: Petron must be happy because they got Barako Bull to accept a trade that gave them Chris Lutz, Rabeh Al-Hussaini’s big brother Carlo Sharma, and a returning Dondon Hontiveros. This would have been an even trade if it was only Lutz and Honti but adding Sharma to the mix is pretty much overkill for the Energy.

POWERADE: Ogie Menor is also now playing for the Tigers who are poised as hell to develop the squad as contenders. Chris Timberlake is also now part of their team. And speaking of comebacks, Kenneth Duremdes might be returning to the PBA to “retire” properly. Unfortunately, the Tigers waived veteran sharpshooter Paolo Mendoza who only played 14 games last season. Chico Lanete is also practicing with the Meralco Bolts as he joins Mark Macapagal in that roster. Dennis Espino also almost left the Tigers but he was thankfully excluded in the trade that sent Macapagal to Meralco.

RAIN OR SHINE: The Elasto Painters have six players trying out for spots – Chris Pacana, Chito Jaime, Erwin Sta. Maria, Val Acuna, Chester Taylor, and Ezer Rosopa. There is room for a backup shooting guard in their squad especially with the exodus of Josh Vanlandingham and RJ Jazul.

SHOPINAS: I hate the Clickers because just when I thought they one-upped B-Meg, they buckled and will now give up Mark Barroca to whatever “prized” star Brian Ilad would bring with him.

TALK N TEXT: Aside from claiming Pamboy Raymundo as their draft pick, falling to their laps are Bam Gamalinda and Shawn Weinstein – two players that will likely ride the TNT bench.

So unless I missed out the newest developments, you need to check out Snow Badua, Fire Quinito, Patricia Hizon, Mico Halili, Quinito Henson, The PBAologist, and the other guys feeding righteous news on their Twitter accounts.

Game over!

This early, it’s easy to see who’ll have the most playing time, who’ll be the best fit, and who’ll likely stand out from the rest of the pack in the aftermath of the recently-concluded 2011 PBA Draft.

However, one would also wonder on the other variables like win-loss records, injuries, and coaching decisions. 

I know this article is a bit early and one would wonder on how much "me" time I have as we speak but with the turnout of the draft people can speculate on who scored the best teams and who'll likely sulk as a practice player. 

Unlike in my previous works, I’m going to this ascending to descending. Fact is, we all know all the obvious choices but we have yet to disseminate the other ones.

Here is my Top 10.

Game starts now.

1 – PAUL LEE / RAIN OR SHINE

Like I said, Rain or Shine needs a marquee point guard. The last time Yeng Guiao had an offensive-minded quarterback in his turf when he still had Jimwell Torion and Willie Miller in his roster. Also, for the longest time now, Lee has been injury-free. This is one thing Lee has that JV Casio lacks. The only possible drawback in the Yeng-Lee partnership is when Yeng Guiao experiments or gets pissed at Lee and benches him. Lee will have that aura that he’ll ballhog in which Yeng Guiao will eventually nip. Remember the draft tomfoolery he did to Rabeh Al-Hussaini?

2 – JV CASIO / POWERADE

I am one of the voices that wanted Casio to be the first pick overall. That doesn’t mean though that he doesn’t have flaws. It’s a given that he will spearhead Powerade’s campaign alongside fellow Gilas alum Marcio Lassiter and scoring machine Gary David. However, David expressed his intentions to play for Smart-Gilas even if he’s in the PBA right now. Alongside the wear and tear his body suffered from the international tilts and the Tigers’ potential win-loss records, JV Casio will not win the Top Rookie honors if he can’t avert these factors.

3 – MARCIO LASSITER / POWERADE

There is a reason why Chris Lutz got the nod for Petron instead of Lassiter. It’s because with Arwind Santos and Jay Washington on their roster, Petron simply has no more room for another all-around forward. What’s bad for Petron is great for the Tigers who had their sights on Mac Baracael before the incident. The only downside for “Lass” is his size which can bring mismatches for the Tigers if they want to play Casio, Gary David, him, and Sean Anthony (aka their cat-quick lineup).

4 – MAC BARACAEL / ALASKA

Like I said in my previous listings, imagine Cyrus Baguio forming an explosive shooting and slashing unit with Marnel Baracael. The loss of Joe Devance and Reynel Hugnatan was solved because this former FEU Tamaraw can work his way on offense and can also play combo forward. Baracael should find a slight minutes snag since Tim Cone isn’t really that giddy in using his rookies (Mike Burtscher is understandable but Elmer Espiritu???) but maybe he can turn a believer out of the long-time Aces coach.

5 – MAGI SISON / SHOPINAS

Shocked? I hope you are because this is what I’m aiming. Sison is ranked this high in my list because my expectations on the Clickers are so low. If they decide to waste Mark Barroca to B-Meg, then Shopinas will be talent-starved even further. But for some like Sison, this is an opportunity. I am still amused how people discount his talents because with the way the Shopinas’ frontline is shaping up, Sison maybe the only credible big man on their roster. Unless the Clickers find a better big man or Sison ends up getting traded to a loaded team midseason, he will enjoy the benefits of playing in a talent-lacking squad. If you don’t believe me, check out the rookie years of Hans Thiele (before getting traded) and Josh Urbiztondo.

6 – CHRIS LUTZ / PETRON

If the Blaze Boosters play him as a starter then I’m going to say sorry to every Chris Lutz fan in the nation. While I am a fan of him as well, I think Ato Agustin remains undecided on how he’ll use Lutz. A formidable lineup of Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Jay Washington, Arwind Santos, and Alex Cabagnot is in the works but for the SG spot, it’s a tossup between him and former Smart-Gilas shooter Dondon Hontiveros. He’ll have youth on his side but in terms of familiarity to his teammates and in Agustin’s system, the Cebuano Hotshot takes the spot.

7 – MARK BARROCA / B-MEG

I would have placed Barroca ahead of Lassiter if the B-Meg trade didn’t (or wouldn’t as of this writing) pushed through. Barroca would create the Clickers for his liking and he’ll have a lot of minutes playing their PG spot. This is a different case when it comes to the Llamados though. Even Rico Maierhofer, during his Rookie of the Year season, barely played two full quarters because of the talent in B-Meg. Sure, Jorge Gallent was Barroca’s coach in the amateurs but do you think Roger Yap, Josh Urbiztondo, and Jonas Villanueva are ready to play a little under 12 minutes a game?

8 – DYLAN ABABOU / BARAKO BULL

The Energy should savor having Allein Maliksi and Ababou in their squad. With that said I am still not sold with Maliksi going over Ababou even if I’m an avid UST supporter. One of the flaws of the first D-League season was that it never really featured the superstars that haven’t turned pro. Meanwhile, Ababou has been pissed as hell for getting stuck in benchwarming after years of blood, sweat, and tears for Smart-Gilas. Sure Maliksi performed brilliantly under the Cebuana Lhuillier system but there is a reason why Ababou part of the original shortlist that made up the current Smart-Gilas core. I am not instigating a rivalry of some sort but... 

9 – ALLEIN MALIKSI / BARAKO BULL

(cont’d from Ababou) ... Maybe I’m going to contradict or kind of retract my Ababou statement but here’s the thing: while I’m comparing Ababou’s Gilas’ experience as Crispa Redmanizers to Maliksi’s D-League experience as... Pop Cola Panthers, Maliksi did something great to get himself where he is now. Maliksi fought for recognition after a forgettable UAAP stint to become the first-ever D-League MVP. Now amongst the two, who will claim the starting SG/SF spot that Dondon Hontiveros abdicated and Sunday Salvacion eager in grabbing it? I expect both guys to at least claim 15 minutes of playing time but as the season progress, only one of them will claim the rightful claim to that position.

10 – JASON BALLESTEROS / MERALCO

Here are the key facts. Asi Taulava, in case you haven’t noticed, is old. Factor in that he is a sure PBA Hall of Famer that has nothing more to prove and Asi would rather play for the national team rather than another “boring” PBA tour of duty. Enter J-Ball, clearly the most dominant defensive player in the draft. Offensively, Ballesteros is a project but everything else in his arsenal is screaming noteworthiness. Unlike Nonoy Baclao, his bulk will give him a dominating presence inside the shaded area. More importantly, Ballesteros’ game is oozing with potential.

With the ten proclaimed, I am not saying that the others will turn out into duds. I’m just saying opportunity-wise, these ten will have better ways in making a name this early in their careers. Alaska has souped up their backcourt by drafting the enigmatic Julius Pasculado and the PBA-ready Eric Salamat as well as banger Ariel Mepana but will Tim Cone give them the minutes to blossom. Pasculado may surprise everyone if this was any other team but people will riot if he excels under Tim Cone's super sacred triangle system. Reil Cervantes looks good enough to score playing time but can James Martinez get more recognition other than how his face make tweeners giggle. Ken Acibar and Paul Sorongon were drafted but can they stick with the Energy? Is Talk N Text going to give Pamboy Raymundo playing time to excel?

This list can’t be credible at this point but I’m willing to bet that the ten I predicted are solid enough to garner high expectations. 

By the way, here are the stats of the Smart-Gilas players when they played as guests in the 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

JV CASIO

14.2PPG – 3.4RPG – 5.3APG – 13 GAMES (32.2MPG)

MARCIO LASSITER

13.5PPG – 5.2RPG – 3.1APG – 1.2SPG – 13 GAMES (38MPG)

MAC BARACAEL

9.4PPG – 2.6RPG – 1.7APG – 11 GAMES (22MPG)

MARK BARROCA

8.2PPG – 1.8RPG – 2.7APG – 13 GAMES (17.2MPG)

CHRIS LUTZ

6.7PPG – 2.5RPG – 1.7APG – 13 GAMES (23.4MPG)

DYLAN ABABOU

2.3PPG – 1.0RPG – 9 GAMES (7MPG)

JASON BALLESTEROS

0.0PPG – 1.3RPG – 0.3BPG – 4 GAMES (3MPG)

Game over!

According to guy Jason Webb talked to in the Robinson’s Place Manila bathroom, Paul Lee is the first pick overall of the 2011 PBA Draft.

That’s kind of nice.

Wow in Quinito Henson’s mock draft, Mark Barroca was ranked ninth while Dylan Ababou was ranked sixth. Jason Webb and Mico Halili thought it was a good idea to place Ariel Mepana high on the draft.

Well I got spoiled already so I’m just entertaining myself with the festivities.

What the fucking hell are pretty young things???

Chito Salud thinks all the PBA players are pretty.

Just to know Mark Andaya might play for Shopinas next season.

Rene Pardo gets a plaque. Last season was an awesome year following the return of the three-conference format and Talk N Text’s chase for the grand slam.

1 – Powerade takes JV Casio.

I like this choice. He is the first point guard since Mike Cortez to be selected first. Please make their jerseys TV friendly because the numbers in their uniform aren’t readable. Who is the new female interviewer of AKTV? Is she Spanish? Whenever she talks it seems like there are a lot of R’s. JV will be the star of Powerade unlike last year’s draft pick.

Wait... Angeli Copter is an AKTV lady interviewer?

Will the Boys Night Out crew commentate on PBA games?

2 – Rain or Shine gets Paul Lee.

Again this choice is as basic as anything else. Paul Lee will try his best to win his first championship ever. Lee had a slew of outstanding seasons with UE... bakit may dambuhalang paint brush?!? Wait... will the Meralco hard hat helmets return to the draft stage???

Petron trades Sunday Salvacion, Mick Pennisi, and a future pick for Dondon Hontiveros, Carlo Sharma, and a switch with Barako Bull in their first round picks.

3 – Petron selects Chris Lutz.

Wow. Lutz is already 26? By the way, can Lutz be asked to play for the Smart-Gilas squad?

By the way, Patricia Hizon has been twitting infos surrounding the draft and she’s also hosting it! How can she do that with ease!?!

4 – Powerade picks Marcio Lassiter

Powerade got lucky in getting two top Smart-Gilas picks.

Shopinas wrestled away what should have been B-Meg’s pick.

5 – Shopinas picks Mark Barroca

Wait. Is Barroca doing derma work on his face?

Hmm... so that’s what Mark Barroca’s girlfriend Ruselle Alinea looks like.

6 – Alaska gets Mac Baracael

Alaska now has another slasher in their hands. They are saying the hyperactive Baracael is a PF but with the way he’s moving, he’s nothing like any PF’s I know.

The seventh pick was traded happened in a very, very confusing way.

7 – Meralco selects Jason Ballesteros.

THE HARD HAT HELMET IS BACK!

I MISS THE AIR21 COWBOY HATS!

8 – Barako shores up lineup with Allein Maliksi.

He is the D-League MVP. Yes... no cowboy hats.

Hay...

9 – Ginebra selects Reil Cervantes.

I really wonder why Dylan Ababou has yet to get drafted. By the way, he’ll get great playing time with the Gin Kings which spells bad things for Yancy de Ocampo... again.

10 – Barako Bull selects Dylan Ababou.

Maybe this happened because he was not wearing his contact lenses. Teams probably perceived that he has weak eyesight? I have glasses too you know for those who think I discriminate near-sighted folk.

The second round has ended and I’m thinking the best players found their selves in the first round.

Recap time!

How Rich Alvarez was the 2004 Rookie of the Year.

He fell big.

Quinito hinted on a possible clash with Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter in Petron via job description.

That’s a great way of saying things.

11 – Shopinas selects Magi Sison.

He was a former Smart-Gilas player.

Since when did he get that mole?

12 – Talk N Text gets Pamboy Raymundo

He was also called PBA ready by some scouts. Hopefully he gets playing time with the various guards they have in their rosters.

13, 14, 15 – Alaska claims Eric Salamat, Julius Pasculado, and Ariel Mepana.  

Wow Pasculado has many fans inside the mall. He looks like a young Jayjay Helterbrand. Eric Salamat and Ariel Mepana look like either cellmates or Shaolin brothers.

16 – B-Meg picks Brian Ilad.

I am not happy with this pick. Is that jacket returnable?

Alaska trades their 17th pick to the Meralco Bolts.

17 – Meralco gets Gilbert Bulawan.

Meralco traded well to get first and second round picks unfortunately they failed to claim a scorer.

By the way, Chris Ross’ hairdo is really curly!

18 – Ginebra checks in James Martinez.

His injury hurt his chances of claiming a high spot in the draft. I wonder if he’ll get playing time in that squad...  

19, 20 – Barako Bull selects Kenneth Acibar and Paul Sorongon.

Acibar looks like a smaller version of Gilbert Lao. Sorongon looks like Erick Rodriguez.

Both players aren’t getting playing time.

21 – Powerade picks Marc Agustin.

I just wished this was still a Talk N Text pick.

I don’t know if Bo Perasol will use this guy properly.

And now for the fun parts!

At the start of the third round, Powerade and Barako Bull passed. Meralco also passed. Rain or Shine also passed!

I missed the days when there is a microphone and coaches are shouting “pass”.

B-Meg also passed!

Alaska also passed!

I wonder what the reaction of the PBA hopefuls with regards to these developments?

22 – Shopinas chooses Marc Cagoco.  

Waste of talent of he fails to get drafted.

23 – Petron tries out Filemon Fernandez.  

The 29-year-old was born in Texas and he is dwarfed by Biboy Ravanes.

Ginebra and Talk N Text also passed.

Here comes the fourth round.

Shopinas then passes.

24 – Petron picks Gerald Lapus.

Ato Agustin is asking one of the draftees to give up the jacket so that Lapus can borrow it!

And the jacket doesn’t fit!

Man I thought this guy was a SF.

And then the draft is over.

That Risa girl needs to not shout and not be aggressive while talking.

All of a sudden I miss Lia Cruz, Mica Abesamis and Cesca Litton.  

Quinito Henson assessed things well in this draft. He was awesome in saying Lutz can blend in more to Arwind Santos’ play than Marcio Lassiter.

Yeng Guiao thinks Paul Lee is the missing piece of their puzzle. Rain or Shine needs a marquee point guard and they grabbed it with Lee. Hopefully Lee won’t ballhog.

Julius Pasculado is the only second round to get interview time. Something tells me that all the other team will eventually tremble in his presence.

Jason Webb’s 60 percent prediction of the first round is better than his free throw shooting average. Quinito Henson only had 30 percent but all ten players of Quinito entered the first round. Mico Halili also had 3 of 10.

The PBA Season will open this October 2. The PBA D-League will start on mid-October.

Quinito Henson suddenly became Joan Rivers. Luckily Mico wrapped this before Quinito would even start a Tigbakan Alley-type commentary of whatever the players are wearing.

By the way, Gary David and Josh Urbiztondo won the list.

Game over.

I did not check my Twitter account from the hours 4pm to 7pm. I just didn’t. Long before Twitter ever happened, I am an ardent viewer of watching the PBA Draft on TV.

No technological advancement will spoil that for me... unless I can’t resist it.

Newsflash: I found out that I CAN’T RESIST SPOILING MYSELF.

Plus the InterAKTV site has an awesome coverage. Hats off to Firequinito and his buddies!

So here’s the thing: I am going to brace myself for every long grandstanding speech Commissioner Chito Salud will give. I am going to sit back and sulk at any random crap they put in on what is perceived as a “riveting” performance. I am going to check out a lot of lame TV segments.

Anywho, this should be a hoot!

* By the way: I changed some of my picks leading through the draft with the developments of B-Meg and the other transactions that happened.

STAGE 1: THE FESTIVITIES

Scene starts out with a Commissioner Chito Salud speech. Then there’s the PBA honouring outgoing chairman B-Meg’s Rene Pardo.

I’ll blog about this on a different article.

STAGE 2: THE 2011 PBA DRAFT PROPER

FIRST ROUND:  

1 – POWERADE TIGERS / JV CASIO

NEED: MARQUEE POINT GUARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: JV CASIO

REACTION: Nice pick. JV Casio would single-handedly raise Powerade from gutter hell and back to the top as if this was the Chot Reyes-led Coca-Cola Tigers of the early 2000’s. Casio is the best combo guard available and while Paul Lee is his younger version, Casio is going to be a better fit for Bo Perasol’s system. Powerade needs all the scoring they could get because last season, they only depended on Gary David. Besides, Casio can also orchestrate. He is also a champion which is something Paul Lee has yet to be. A Lee and Gary David partnership could be flawed.

2 – RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTErs / paul lee  

NEED: MARQUEE POINT GUARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: PAUL LEE

REACTION: Uy, I’m 2 of 2. Like I said, the Elasto Painters are also in need of a marquee point guard. After Sol Mercado and Jay-R Reyes left the squad, Rain or Shine only had one double-digit scoring leader and that’s Gabe Norwood who also averaged his lowest since joining the league. Paul Lee can work for Yeng Guiao and it’s about time Coach Yeng gets a scorer. Lee is also a terrific orchestrator. Yeng can use Lee just like what he did to Jimwell Torion on his first years at Red Bull but unlike Torion, Paul Lee will not waste away the opportunity given to him.

3 – petron blaze boosters / chris lutz   

NEED: MARQUEE FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MARCIO LASSITER

REACTION: In accordance to the trade that will send Dondon Hontiveros back to the Petron Blaze Boosters, Barako Bull also gave up this pick. With a tremendous lack on their SG spot (although they could have cured this with Hontiveros in), the Blaze Boosters decided to ditch Marcio Lassiter and pick Lutz. Like I said, Lutz is like a younger version of Jeffrey Cariaso. He can do defense but his offensive explosions have yet to get semblance. Of course Petron saw something cool about Lutz but hopefully it is better than ditching Lassiter.  

4 – POWERADE TIGErs / Marcio Lassiter  

NEED: MARQUEE FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MAC BARACAEL

REACTION: Of course Powerade will select Marcio Lassiter. The guy is a smaller version of Rudy Hatfield. The guy is bulky for the SG/SF spot and the guy can haul down the boards and at the same time, can unleash those wicked troikas in an instant. At this point, the Powerade Tigers just had their best draft day in all of their history!

5 – shopinas clickers / mark barroca   

NEED: OFFENSIVE-MINDED POINT GUARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: CHRIS LUTZ

REACTION: Apparently the struggle surrounding this draft hasn’t been finalized and in the end, it was the Clickers that owned it. The Clickers will use this selection to build for their future and they did just that by having a leader to depend on. While I would have use the selection to select a go-to-guy, having Barroca in the mix is not necessarily a bad thing.

6 – ALASKA ACEs / mac baracael  

NEED: MARQUEE GUARD   

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MARK BARROCA

REACTION: How he fell off the top five must be pissing him off. No thanks to the Petron shakeup however, this needs to happen. As consolation for Baracael, Tim Cone will definitely use him. Have you ever imagined a slasher and shooting combo that Baracael and Cyrus Baguio would produce? I think with this exciting one-two punch, Cone will have no problems making the Aces an exciting team to watch.

7 – meralco bolts / Jason Ballesteros   

NEED: BACKUP CENTER  

MY PERCEIVED PICK: JASON BALLESTEROS

REACTION: As expected Talk N Text shopped their pick to prospective buyers but instead of aiming high or for the 2012 PBA Draft, they did this to help their sister team. Again Meralco has been vocal in their eagerness to claim Ballesteros. They have been yearning for a big man that can be a beastly sub for Asi Taulava. Ballesteros might not be a terror on offense but he will definitely get things done at the rebounding and blocking department.

8 – barako bull / allein Maliksi  

NEED: SHOOTING GUARD/SMALL FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: DYLAN ABABOU

REACTION: I’m shocked that they ditched scoring Dylan Ababou for his backup in UST. Maliksi however, turned a lot of heads when he helped the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems to the D-League Finals. In his stint as the league’s first-ever MVP, I expect him to do wonders at Barako Bull. I am still surprised though that he ended up this high on the draft.

9 – BARANGAY GINEBRA KINgs / reil Cervantes  

NEED: CENTER/POWER FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: REIL CERVANTES

REACTION: I had this right and I am excited at the possibilities of this guy playing for the Kings. Cervantes almost played for Smart-Gilas and the guy is burly enough to compete as a combo-forward. He has range and he can defend. The Kings are seriously lacking at the big men spots and his entry to the squad should solve this.

10 BARAKO BULl / Dylan ababou  

NEED: CENTER/POWER FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: ALLEIN MALIKSI

REACTION: Rookie applicants, let this be a lesson. Ababou barely participated on the proceedings of the rookie camp and it resulted to him to almost end up on the second round of the draft. It’s kind of puzzling actually. Anyway, Ababou has the size to play multiple spots and may be a great libero to anything the Junel Baculi asks him. The Smart-Gilas stint gave Ababou a chance to better his defense.

SECOND ROUND:  

11 SHOPINAS CLICKERs / magi sison  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: JULIUS PASCULADO

REACTION: Nice! I am a fan of this player and even if he is a benchwarmer at the Gilas troupe, the guy can be a great double-double performer as seen in his UP days where he almost scored with a double-double in his last season. Shopinas solved their size woes with this selection and I’m definitely sure that with RJ Jazul joining the team, the Smart-Gilas connection will be the core of the Clickers.  

12 TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS / pamboy raymundo  

NEED: BACKUP GUARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: ERIC SALAMAT

REACTION: Wow. So I guess Eric Salamat saw no love from the TNT bosses? And considering Pamboy is the star playmaker of San Beda’s biggest thorn, this is a huge plus for the former King Stag. Raymundo ranks second to Barroca when it comes to pass-first point guards and I think this is an incredible addition to the TNT squad... until they have a buyer to take his services.

13 ALASKA ACES / Eric Salamat  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MAGI SISON

REACTION: Definitely TNT’s loss is Alaska’s gain which is why the moment TNT passed on Salamat, Alaska snagged him in an instant. The great thing about Eric is that he has a wicked defensive upside which makes him a dangerous player when Alaska attempts to develop him into something bigger.

14 ALASKA ACES / Julius Pasculado  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: KEN ACIBAR

REACTION: I found a lot of readers in my blog because of this guy and I am happy that Alaska claimed him. I initially thought he’d go to Alaska but I thought his stock rose enough to end up getting picked early. In an instant, Alaska has solved their guard woes. Let’s see if they can solve their frontline.

15 ALASKA ACES / Ariel Mepana  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: PAMBOY RAYMUNDO

REACTION: I wasn’t really a fan of Mepana because I thought of him as a mere rookie free agent but there is no question that he has the skills to play in the league. Also getting picked by Alaska bodes well for the former UV Lancer since Cebuana Lhuillier is Alaska’s “pseudo” farm team in the D-League (Luigi Trillo is Cebuana’s coach while Bong Hawkins also serves as assistant coach).

16 BMEG LLAMADOS / brian ilad

NEED: BACKUP POWER FORWARD

MY PERCEIVED PICK: JAMES MARTINEZ

REACTION: I’m not really a fan of this pick because I thought Ilad never really did anything spectacular to warrant him this early citation. Nonetheless, the guy had a pretty respectable stint in the UAAP (except for a bad decision in his last UAAP game) and at the D-League.

17 meralco bolts / gilbert bulawan

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MARVIN GRAEBEL  

REACTION: Alaska traded this pick to Meralco because come on... they have four draft picks already. Gilbert Bulawan can be a tough-as-nails defender for the Bolts. I don’t know if he’ll play big minutes for the squad but hopefully Ryan Gregorio will at least give him a chance to suit up.

18 BARANGAY GINEBRA KINGs / james Martinez  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: GILBERT BULAWAN

REACTION: Since the Kings has already claimed a big man, can we really fault the Kings for picking James Martinez even if Ken Acibar is still available? Martinez can be a draft steal but with the long line of Ginebra guards in the roster, I doubt if this is a marriage made in heaven for both sides. But then again, they made Rob Labagala what he is now...

19 BARAKO BULL / ken acibar  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: ARIEL MEPANA

REACTION: Holy crap! From late first rounder, the former UE Red Warrior drifted to the late second round. Now I fear the worst for this guy. Had he waited to get his skills get furnished at the D-League and in the UAAP (he had a year left), he could have been a great asset for the future. Instead, he saw the reality that he is nothing more than a project that will get sporadic appearances in the season.

20 BARAKO BULl / Paul Sorongon  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MARC CAGOCO

REACTION: Hmm... I would have picked Marc Cagoco or Mark Ababon than this guy. Sure the former UP Maroon logged a ton of EXP’s playing in various tourneys but can we really say that he’ll get the minutes at Barako Bull. Also, check in the fact that B-Bull had already claimed three players before him. I doubt if this pick would stick.  

21 powerade tigers / marc agustin  

NEED: BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

MY PERCEIVED PICK: MARC AGUSTIN

REACTION: While I am right, I’m hoping Talk N Text would use this pick to claim Marc Agustin. But kidding aside, this trade is nice for Agustin since the Tigers aren’t that talent-stacked despite their newest developments. Maybe Agustin can explode at this level of play? It remains to be seen.

THIRD ROUND:  

Why are we starting with Shopinas? Because Powerade, Barako Bull, Meralco, Alaska, and B-Meg passed! Yes the issue of draft depth slowly crept in at this stage which is good for the teams and bad for the undrafted players. Before the draft ends, Ginebra and Talk N Text will also pass on potential players.

22 – SHOPINAS CLICKERS / marc cagoco  

REACTION: At this stage, Cagoco is a steal. The former JRU Heavy Bomber is an effective orchestrator that can score or defend. Sure he lacks size but maybe he can find a way to break in the Shopinas roster. The problem though is that with Pong Escobal, Paolo Hubalde, and possibly Borgie Hermida under contract and now Mark Barroca in their roster, I doubt if they’ll use this player effectively.

23 – PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS / Filemon Fernandez  

REACTION: I wasn’t even expecting for this guy to get picked at all but what the heck right? Maybe Petron saw potential in this guy. One of the ten early birds of the draft applications, I can’t see him breaking and expelling Alex Cabagnot in the starting spot but maybe he can be developed at the D-League if he is still available.  

FOURTH ROUND:  

24 – PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS / Gerald lapus   

REACTION: Yes, the draft made it to a fourth round with Petron deciding to save Gerald Lapus from returning to Arellano practice without any news about his pro career. While I am not sure if he’ll stick in the lineup, one thing he’ll have that Fernandez doesn’t is the fact that he is still young and Petron has quite a need to shore up their SG/SF spots. Who knows? Peter June Simon and Topex Robinson were former fourth rounders and

UNDRAFTED:

Mark Ababon, Marvin Graebel, Julio Magbanua, Chris Concepcion, Ezer Rosopa, Martin Lloyd Antonio, Nino Nabong, Alvyn Cabonce, Philip Medenilla, and John Chamberlin will return home empty-handed and unlike past drafts where there are only two rounds, this time they’ll find out how sorry their state is. Deep inside, coaches want Josh Urbiztondo and Mark Yee to play for their teams but now, how can they say that if all ten teams passed on their services?

This is why performing well in the D-League and the other amateur leagues are important. You just don’t go to a draft without any realistic goal. You need to have a credible sports agent (Danny Espiritu is the best in this), you need to have people buzzing in on your name and people need to know your game as well. Most of the undrafted players are playing in near-empty coliseums in Manila. Fact is, despite your popularity in the south, the best players make it because they made their selves important and current.

As for the undrafted, the only name I can see not drifting out is Ababon. The former UV Lancer had a hand in unloading the ball to Greg Slaughter and Ariel Mepana so that means he is not that much of a patsy.

The best and the worst of the 2011 PBA Draft will be on a different column.

GAME OVER!