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...
Welcome
to the seventh part of the 100 Best
Careers in the PBA list. 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!
61 ARNIE TUADLES
1979 – 1992
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
1x
Mythical Ten
Rookie
of the Year
5,000
Points
1,000
Offensive Rebounds
2,000
Assists
Top
25: Free Throw Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
He is
a power forward trapped in a shooting guard’s body. Arnie is one of the most
versatile players to play in the league and in some ways, the luckiest. He was
able to play alongside Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski during his Toyota
days and in the course of the 80’s he was able to unite with the other Crispa
legends.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Tuadles
owns a career average of 13.6 points. Playing for 14 seasons, those stats
acquired by Tuadles aren’t fluke numbers. While playing with a slew of Hall of
Famers is great and all, Tuadles could have been on a team that will treat him
as the top dog. He is a small forward that can score, pass, and rebound and
with those traits in one player, that basically translates to legendary
material.
62 VICTOR PABLO
VICTOR THE CONQUEROR
1993 – 2008
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
1x
Mythical Ten
3x
All-Star
5,000
Points
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
1,000 Offensive
Rebounds
Top
25: Free Throw Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
Pablo
is a dominating inside presence. Back then when 6’4 power forwards are
considered as “towers”, he made a living to humiliate defenses. His best years
were played with Shell where he got most of his achievements. Through the
years, he added a powerful weapon called the three-point shot in his bag of
tricks.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Pablo’s
dominance was halted when the Fil-Am invasion took place. When he returned to
Mobiline (he started his career with Pepsi) he lost his big man spot to Asi
Taulava and Jerry Codinera (via the Andy Seigle trade). Five years before
calling it quits, he became a second string option. He retired averaging
11.3ppg – but that stat should have been a tad higher.
63 CHRIS JACKSON
STONEWALL JACKSON
1995 – 2005
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
3x
Defensive Player of the Year
7x
All-Defensive Team
3x
All-Star
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
1,000
Offensive Rebounds
500
Steals
Top
10: Rebounding Average
RANKED THIS HIGH:
The
guy played all five positions with ease. Picked fourth in the 1995 PBA Draft
(Purefoods then traded his rights to Sta. Lucia), Jackson proved to everyone
that defense can score accolades. Whenever, he is sent to the scorer’s table,
expect him to give the opposing star player hell. It was in Shell where he
became a household name. He also has a decent 3-point shot that he uses when
the situation arises.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Back
then, high calibre Fil-Ams are known scorers and not supplementary stars. At
some point, people were expecting Jackson to put up massive scoring feats but
that didn’t happen. Jackson’s season best happened in 2001 with him hitting
7.1ppg. Also, Jackson played eleven seasons but retired at age 39 – which means
that Jackson was more or less 29 when he came to the league.
64 ENRICO VILLANUEVA
THE RAGING BULL
2003 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
1x
Best Player of the Conference
7x
All-Star
1x
All-Defensive Team
Most
Improved Player
Top
25: Rebounding Average
1x
Season Champion: 2-Points Made
1x
Season Champion: Total Rebounds
RANKED THIS HIGH:
His
playing style personified what Red Bull is all about. Nelson Asaytono should be
envious at Rico because this could have been Asaytono if Red Bull happened in the
early 90’s. He was bullish in the paint and he will charge at anything just to
score a dunk or to grab a board. Whenever he pulls his shirt after a
devastating dunk, people rise to the feet. He almost won a MVP award during
their storied rivalry against Kerby Raymundo and the Purefoods Chunkee Giants.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Red
Bull’s financial problems proved instrumental as to why Villanueva lost his
edge. He was the third player in the history of the PBA to play in all SMC
franchises (San Miguel/Petron, Purefoods/B-Meg, and Ginebra). It is very, very
hard to maintain a top-notch career by drifting from team to team. Holding the
same distinctions are Cris Bolado, Romel Adducul, and Paul Artadi. Of the four,
Villanueva is probably the most successful.
65 WILLIE GENERALAO
THE GENERAL
1980 – 91
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
Rookie
of the Year
2,000
Assists
500
Steals
Top
10: Assists Average
1x
Season Champion: Total Assists
RANKED THIS HIGH:
It was
evident that Generalao would be a coach someday in both the majors and the
minors because of his commanding presence every time he sets foot in the court.
He is a pass-first player and would rather set up his teammates that devise
scoring opportunities for himself. But that does not mean that he is not a
decent scorer though.
RANKED THIS LOW:
He
finished his career with 7.9ppg and 5.9apg which are productive numbers if you
look at a typical PBA landscape. In the 80’s the league was lucky to have six
teams and Generalao had to share the spotlight with other quarterbacks in their
chores. He was forced at times to become a backup point despite being at the
peak of his career.
66 DONDON HONTIVEROS
THE CEBUANO HOTSHOT
2000 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Ten
11x
All-Star
5,000 Points
500 3-Points
Made
Top 25:
3-Point Percentage
RANKED THIS HIGH:
One of
a handful of MBA veterans who can safely say they enjoyed a great PBA career,
the Cebuano Hotshot has the ability to shoot the lights out from all angles.
And even if he is a scorer, coaches like him because of his impeccable defense.
He has never averaged less than 10 points per season since joining the league
in 2000. Up until his trade to Air21, he was the only SMB star player of the
early 2000’s to retain his starting spot despite the influx of young superstars
joining the team (he has since returned with his mother club).
RANKED THIS LOW:
Hontiveros’
career is quickly winding down and I think he missed out on a bunch of Mythical
selections. The guy is always with a team with a winning season but he can’t
seem to get a break. Sure, in his PBA start, he was a fourth option but as the
years go by, we know the calibre of this ex-Cebu Gem. Like I said, Honti showing
up with one Mythical Second Team citation is just surreal. Can we blame his
frequent National team inclusions?
67 SONNY THOSS
THE BOSS
2004 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2x
Mythical Five
1x
Mythical Ten
7x
All-Star
RANKED THIS HIGH:
Thoss
is a bigger and a more refined version of Poch Juinio. This is why he was Tim
Cone’s main frontline find up until his departure to B-Meg. The Fil-Papuan is a
terror on defense and this is why he is constantly tapped to represent the
country in RP Team events. He is the only Alaska center to win the Mythical
Five award twice.
RANKED THIS LOW:
He is
an almost double-double magnet. While this is good in terms of rebounds, by
this time, his points need to level up. With the Aces, he is a sure 30 minutes
per game player and in the current PBA landscape, he is the perfect combo of
size and skill. Once he develops a consistent scoring formula, expect greatness
from The Boss.
68 GARY DAVID
MR. PURE ENERGY
2004 – PRESENT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1x
Mythical Five
2x
All-Star
1x
All-Defensive Team
Most
Improved Player
Top 25:
Scoring Average
Top 25:
Assists Average
1x
Season Champion: Scoring Average
2x
Season Champion: Free Throws Made
RANKED THIS HIGH:
If
Manny Pacquiao has Freddie Roach, then Gary David should thank Bo Perasol for
coaching guidance. Whenever Perasol coaches a team that Gary David is in, Mr.
Pure Energy becomes the focal point of the offense. But to give acclaim to
Gary’s skills, his ability to find the points in dire situations are enough
reasons why he is placed in this spot. He is also an underrated defender.
RANKED THIS LOW:
Have
you seen David play outside Perasol? David looks lost when placed in a spot he
didn’t like (*cough* Yeng Guiao in Burger King *cough*). Also, David needs to
play for a title contender. He has already played in too many cellar dwelling
squads. When Air21 almost scored a championship, he was voted in the Mythical
5. This is why if he wants to have a crack on another citation, he needs to
play for a winner.
69 TERRY SALDANA
PLASTIC MAN
1982 – 2000
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2x
Mythical Ten
Most
Improved Player
5,000
Points
2,000
Defensive Rebounds
1,000
Offensive Rebounds
2x
Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds
1x
Season Champion: Total Rebounds
RANKED THIS HIGH:
If
Michael Jordan had two comebacks well... so did Terry Saldana! Saldana was a
defensive demon up until an injury prematurely ended his career. Before the
injury though, he had the mold a la Arwind Santos. He returned in the 90’s
where he played for Swift and Ginebra before he went to the MBA. He returned
for a one season stint with Red Bull before folding up his career.
RANKED THIS LOW:
In the
80’s, he was a scorer who did his damage by hauling offensive rebounds and
translating it into putbacks. When he returned in the 90’s, the scoring part of
his game lessened especially since he became nothing more than a reliever. His
scoring also went AWOL. Despite the injuries that ruined a potentially great
career, he finished with career averages of 8.3 points and 5.9 rebounds.
70 YOYONG MARTIREZ
1975 – 84
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Played
in the 1972 Munich Olympics
Played
in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship
500
Steals
Top 25:
Assists Average
3x
Season Champion: Total Steals
RANKED THIS HIGH:
Younger
people should know him as Vic Sotto’s sidekick during his Pipoy and Ritchie D’
Horsie days but when it comes to the league’s all-time best pointguards, he
ranks high on the list. He finished his career with 6.4 points per game but his
claim to fame is in his defense. He has a career average of 2.3 steals per game
– which if the PBA counted it, is perhaps the best steals average in history
(500 total steals and above). He also has a 4.4 assist average which helped
Manny Paner and Estoy Estrada claim points.
RANKED THIS LOW:
A
factor why he is ranked this low is because he played outside Toyota and Crispa
– which alongside with U-Tex, are the only teams that mattered then. Also, had
he played a few more conferences, he could have at least obtained another
achievement award (2,000 assists). And like I said earlier – he only scored a
weak 6.4ppg.
So
hey... I just previewed seventy people.
I know
there are a lot of players that needs to be on the list.
With
that said, the list can only take 100.
Until
the next ten...
Game
over!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment