Note: I will be starting a new purely basketball site soon.
Probably at 4 24 20?
Thanks!
-------------------------
Rabeh Al-Hussaini
is one reason why the whole PBA trades
and transaction process is flawed.
According to Yeng
Guiao, the reason why he chose Nonoy
Baclao as the top pick of the 2010
PBA Draft is to check this guy’s attitude. Now I don’t have first-hand
information on how his mind works, but there was a time when he averaged at
least 15 points and 8 rebounds in one conference. This is during his rookie
year and seeing the Al-Hussaini and Baclao combo in Air21 is kind of like an Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera
combo throwback.
As of February 27,
2020, Rabeh Al-Hussaini has played for the Air21 Express, San Miguel Beermen (then called Petron), Powerade Tigers
and GlobalPort Batang Pier, Talk N Text Tropang Texters, Meralco Bolts (two
stints), NLEX Road Warriors, and Blackwater Elite.
As of February 28,
2020, Rabeh has returned to NLEX as part of the JP Erram deal.
DEAL NUMBER 1
BLACKWATER
|
NLEX
|
JP ERRAM
|
ANTHONY SEMERAD
RABEH AL-HUSSAINI
BLACKWATER’S 2020
FIRST-ROUND PICK
BLACKWATER’S 2021
SECOND-ROUND PICK
|
DEAL NUMBER 2
TNT
|
BLACKWATER
|
JP ERRAM
|
ED DAQUIOAG
MARION MAGAT
YOUSEF TAHA
TNT’S FUTURE
FIRST-ROUND PICK
TNT’S FUTURE
FIRST-ROUND PICK
|
It must be driving Al-Hussaini nuts to see all the fuzz for
JP Erram. NLEX gave him up and gained a bench mob and two assets and then
Blackwater gained three players and two first-rounders when they flipped him to
TNT. When Rabeh was traded to Blackwater, he was a one-for-one for Dave Marcelo. In terms of development,
Marcelo never stood a chance in the PBA in terms of scoring capabilities
because he took a backseat to the San Beda foreign exchange students.
Meanwhile, Al-Hussaini had the chance to snub the original Smart-Gilas squad so
he can prioritize in making his pro game great. This may be an unpopular choice
but seeing how the system ruined the careers of Jason Ballesteros, Mac Baracael, Dylan Ababou, Rey Guevarra, and JR
Cawaling, it made sense.
But again, the process is the problem.
Air21 positioned itself as the official conduit of the San Miguel Corporation. Rabeh would
have been in the level of Arwind Santos
and Ranidel de Ocampo in terms of awesomeness if he stuck with the squad
for at least three more seasons. He barely made one… so yeah, way to crush the
hopes of this guy. And then he became trade bait. When San Miguel moved him to
Powerade, they did it so they can obtain the services of Marcio Lassiter.
Nearly a decade later, he can’t stay in a team for more than
two seasons.
I guess it’s hard for a coach to give a damn on him if he
can’t give a damn on himself.
But what can he do?
He has tried hissy-fitting and moving to the Middle East to
play for his father’s country. He has tried his best to stay away from trouble
and he just became a stale character. For so long, he has been a shadow of his
old self and frankly, I think he needs to thank Yeng Guiao for picking him
second because he could have become the worst top pick the league has ever
seen.
Sonny Cabatu and Rey
Cuenco played in a time when established centers like Ramon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Philip Cezar, and Manny Victorino were
still lording the court. In some ways, I am choosing Alex Araneta because Alaska needed
him to play well but he just languished in their second unit. It may be a
copout but Apet Jao had Allan Caidic and later Vergel Meneses munching his minutes
while Araneta could have taken it with Dong
Polistico and Dickie Bachmann as his threats to succeed.
Rabeh Al-Hussaini could have had an elite career if he
played in the 90s… regardless of attitude.
Like I said, it’s the way the player contracts are
structured. I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE I LEARNED HOW TO BLOG! A player can’t
have a Hall of Fame career if he bounces from team to team and gets flanked by
at least eight starter-worthy teammates! A player like Rabeh can ask for a
trade to the small pond teams and at best, have the career of what Manny Paner, Lim Eng Beng, Jimmy Manansala,
Paul Alvarez, Vic Pablo, and Mark Telan had. Heck, add Asi Taulava and Ali Peek on this list! Jun Limpot is a fringe Greatest Player candidate even if he only
had one championship because he also had consistent double-digit numbers.
Just imagine if Rabeh and even Rich Alvarez for that matter, stayed in one team?
Game over.