Welcome
to the eighth part of this series where we count down the best players in the
PBA that had the best careers.
If
you’re wondering if this list is fabricated... it is not. There are a lot of
names in this list that I want to take out because I find them too current, I
haven’t seen them play, or a just downright hate them.
But I
can’t...
...
because the list is tabulated!
Before
you check out the next batch, again I suggest you to check out the guidelines.
This is to calm the violent reactions I expect to unfold.
If you
wonder how this system works...
Like I
said in my early blogs, I started from top to bottom because the highest-ranked
players in this list are pretty obvious.
This
will be a long read.
Are
you ready for more?
Game
starts now!
71 WYNNE ARBOLEDA
THE SNATCHER
2000 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
1x
Defensive Player of the Year
4x
All-Defensive Team
500
Steals
Top
25: Assists Average
2x
Season Champion: Total Steals
RANKED THIS HIGH:
Despite
being the team owner’s son-in-law, this former MLQU standout is a feared
defender. The former MBA vet is known for his stealing prowess and offensively,
he can post up on smaller guards a la Gerry Esplana. And also returning to the
son-in-law tag, think is a reason why Arboleda enjoyed success in the PBA. Basically
he is the Triple H of the PBA.
RANKED THIS LOW:
He
only averaged 1.6 points during his PBA debut with Tanduay. Actually it’s hard
to find Wynne this high on the list because he like Gary David, he shone the
brightest under Bo Perasol and now both David and Perasol are working alongside
elsewhere. Also, he was almost banned from the league after bringing pain to a
heckler. By the way, he has been part of the All-Star game. Why is that?
72 CHITO LOYZAGA
THE DYNAMITE
1981 – 93
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
4x
All-Star
7x
All-Defensive Team
5,000
Points
500
Steals
1x
Season Champion: Total Steals
RANKED THIS HIGH:
The
guy can score a mere two points, two rebounds, and two assists and yet become
the game’s best player. Son of former national team standout and perhaps the
greatest Philippine basketball player ever Caloy Loyzaga, Chito was known for
his scoring as well as his superb import-stopping defense. Donning his
trademark #41 jersey and headband, he can play all five positions with ease.
RANKED THIS LOW:
He has
been Robert Jaworski’s right hand man since their Toyota days like Francis
Arnaiz. But unlike Arnaiz, Chito is a leader more than a scoring provider. He
would often settle in playing defense than getting stats and you can blame his
selflessness for that. He finished his career with a 9.3 scoring average and
4.4 assist average. I believe he could have done more if he was more assertive
to do more.
73 MICK PENNISI
THE SLICK
2000 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
All-Star MVP
2x
All-Star
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
500 3-Points
Made
Top 10:
3-Point Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
The
6’9 sniper was an asset to Yeng Guiao’s Red Bull because he knows when to hit
the big shots. Additionally, Mick will never back down from a fight. He was
actually the last key Red Bull star to leave the team when financial woes begun
to set in. He has one of the best three-point percentages in the history of the
league and that ability has garnered him numerous nominations to the national
squad.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Mick
doesn’t really use a post-game to score and that’s disappointing because he has
height. Also, when the Red Bull core was being replaced by bench warmers during
the late 2000’s, instead of raising his scoring average, his points begun to
decrease. In the brink of retirement, the Slickster never really became a
big-time scorer. Basically he is a better version of Mike Hrabak.
74 MARC PINGRIS
PING
2004 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
1x
Finals MVP
1x
All-Star MVP
4x
All-Star
1x
Defensive Player of the Year
4x
All-Defensive Team
Most
Improved Player
Top 25:
Rebounding Average
1x
Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds
1x
Season Champion: Total Rebounds
1x
Season Champion: Total Blocks
RANKED THIS HIGH:
He
reminds me of a more successful version of Yves Dignadice. He is a bundle of
energy that specializes in scouring rebounds. He is also known for his
shackling defense. Since playing for Purefoods/B-MEG, he has become an asset in
their surge for supremacy. Whenever the situation arises, he will do well, just
like when he became the Finals MVP of the 2005-06 Philippine Cup.
RANKED THIS LOW:
He is
still relatively young and can still go. He needs to come out of the shadows of
James Yap and Kerby Raymundo because he has the tools to level up with his
performances. He scored in double figures for the first time in the 2010-11
season because Raymundo was injured so that means he is capable of such feat. Also,
he needs to stay healthy since he is frequently injured.
75 REY EVANGELISTA
1994 – 2008
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
1x
Best Player of the Conference
5x
All-Star
3x
All-Defensive Team
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
1,000
Offensive Rebounds
Top 25:
Rebounding Average
RANKED THIS HIGH:
His
hustle on the floor and defensive presence are the key arsenals of his
productive PBA career. He is a rebounding demon who knows how to work his magic
in the land of giants. His best PBA season could pretty be the 2002 PBA season
where during that year’s Governor’s Cup, he was named the Conference’s Best
Player.
RANKED THIS LOW:
To
begin with, he was not athletic and he was too slow to be a small forward and
too small to be a power forward. If not for his hard work, dedication, high
basketball IQ and craftiness, the 1994 Draft’s second pick overall could have
been a bust. His outputs slowed down when Ryan Gregorio became coach and
insisted to use guys like James Yap and Kerby Raymundo instead of him.
76 DON ALLADO
THE DON
1999 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
1x
Mythical Ten
3x
All-Star
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
RANKED THIS HIGH:
Joining
Alaska at the middle of the 1999 PBA season to finish his commitments with
DLSU, this big-time athlete slowly became Alaska’s focal point in the middle. When
the 1996 Grand Slam roster were slowly getting eased out, he became one of Tim
Cone’s main guys. It is with the Aces where he will get a bunch of awards and
contest the fact that he is one force to be reckoned with.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Allado
only average 10 points or more twice in his career – one was in 2003 and the
other is in the 2005-06 season. After Allado was traded to TNT for Willie
Miller, his career began to sag. He bounced from team to team and it didn’t
take long to figure out that Allado’s starting days are over. It’s a shame
really since he had the tools to become successful.
77 NOY CASTILLO
THE GOLDEN BOY
1998 – 2008
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
3x
All-Star
Most
Improved Player
500
3-Points Made
Top 10:
3-Point Percentage
1x
Season Champion: 3-Points Made
RANKED THIS HIGH:
One of
the league’s finest gunners, he strut his wares initially at Shell but then
moved on to Purefoods. As a Turbo Charger, he shot the lights out of his
opponents but as a TJ Hotdog, his outside sniping became tools for ascension to
championship glory. At one point in his career he averaged 17.4 points in one
season.
RANKED THIS LOW:
The
problem with Castillo is after his breakout year that earned him a Mythical
spot, he missed a ton of games due to injury. During his final season, he was
bumped off from his spot by Roger Yap and then-Hotdog Chico Lanete. The entry
of James Yap and the emergence of Peter June Simon also did not help his cause.
He was a forgotten man when he retired.
78 ALEX CABAGNOT
CRUNCH TIME
2005 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x PBA
All-Star
Top 10:
Assists Average
1x
Season Champion: Total Assists
RANKED THIS HIGH:
For the guys checking this out, Cabagnot is a late addition. Alex
Cabagnot is slowly becoming one of the most popular guards in the PBA. He
started in the league with a rivalry with Mark Caguioa but in reality, his
position prompts him to go mano y mano with Jayjay Helterbrand. He can orchestrate
the ball well and he can deliver the crucial baskets to seal the fates of their
opponents. He proved to be the right guard to replace Olsen Racela in the
Petron/SMB lineup.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Cabagnot’s
high assists average will give him a fast rise to accomplish 2,000 assists and
maybe he’ll end his career with 5,000 points. However, he needs to claim a seat
in the Mythical spot. I don’t if what’s keeping him was his once intolerable
attitude that pissed Buddy Encarnado when he was still with Sta. Lucia but the
only way he will score such feat is by taking Petron to numerous finals
appearances.
79 VINCE HIZON
THE PRINCE
1994 – 2003
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
2x
All-Star
Top 10:
3-Point Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
The
Prince in his prime was one of the league’s best outside shooters. Picked by
Purefoods, he was traded to Ginebra and after that, he became Coach Robert
Jaworski’s chief gunner. Whenever he hits a three, the commentators would
exclaim “Hizon Fire” which is a take from “He’s On Fire”! He played a major
role in the rise of Ginebra in the late 90’s because of his scoring. With his
looks and his playing style he can probably be the 90’s version of Francis
Arnaiz.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Let’s
face it – he had a good thing going for himself until he moved to the MBA.
Vince was doing hosting chores for Sports Unlimited which paved the way for his
entry to the IloIlo Megavoltz – automatically making him the poster boy of the
league. Unfortunately for him, MBA went bankrupt and when he returned to the
PBA via Red Bull, Yeng Guiao was only giving him sporadic minutes. Maybe it’s
right to say that Jawo was responsible for his success in the league.
80 PIDO JARENCIO
THE FIREMAN
1986 – 2001
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
3x
All-Star
Most
Improved Player
5,000
Points
500
3-Points Made
Top 25:
Free Throw Percentage
Top 25:
3-Point Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
During
the pre-Marlou, post-Chito Loyzaga phase of Ginebra in the early 90’s, the
Kings were perennial cellar dwellers. Jarencio used this to pad his stats. All
of a sudden, he returned to the offensive powerhouse that he once was back in UST.
When Marlou and the others came in, he was a key contributor and it resulted to
success.
RANKED THIS LOW:
In his
16 seasons in the league, there were at least three or four seasons he could
have lived without. He was a journeyman during his stints with San Miguel,
Presto, Purefoods, and Swift before getting big time recognition for his work
in Ginebra. Like Popeye is with his spinach, it would have been better for his
career if all the PBA games were played in his self-proclaimed home turf, the
Araneta Coliseum.
If you
enjoyed what you saw, well good for you.
I will
again repeat that this is a best careers list – which basically means the
popular players doesn’t really mean that they will be ranked high on the list.
Two
more to go!
GAME
OVER!
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