PBA 37th Season: First Ten

     Whether it's the rich draft class, player and coach movement, the NBA Lockout or the new TV partner, there seems to be more excitement around the PBA in this 37th season.  Here is From the Fifty Peso Seats' "First Ten" Roster.

1. In the battle of "Bringing Back an Old Trouble-making Big Man," the winner is definitely the Shopinas.com Clickers, who brought in Homer Se.  Unsurprisingly, Se was ejected two weeks into the new season. Way to go!


2.  Rain or Shine is off to a fast start and it could be good Feng Shui.  The Elasto Painters currently have the most Chinese-Filipino players in the PBA. They have Jeff Chan, Jonathan Uyloan, TY Tang and rookie Paul Lee.  Why not try to beat Shopinas at #1,  hire Wilmer Ong and have a starting five?



3.  Powerade finally got to parade 1st Overall Pick JVee Casio in their sorry loss to Ginebra.  Casio missed his team's first three games, making him the first number 1 Overall Pick since Rich Alvarez not to play in his team's opening game.  Of course, Casio was actually injured. Alvarez just rubbed his coach, the late John Moran, the wrong way. Sorry Rich.

4.  The Petron Blaze Boosters are off to a great start and picked an awesome rookie in Chris Lutz, but it's not the most interesting story yet.  With Mark Agustin playing this season and father Ato coaching the Blaze Boosters, they have become the first father-son tandem to be in the same PBA team, since the Jaworskis played/coached for Ginebra.  Needless to say, with Mark toting a line of 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block in their game against Shopinas, the Agustins are in no danger of being the worst father-son tandem in the PBA.  That title stays safely on Dudut's lap.


5.  Meralco, even with an intact line up, only has Mark Macapagal as a reliable three point shooter on the roster.  Quite ironic for a team with a coaching staff of Ronnie Magsanoc and Boyet Fernandez, a couple of three point shootout champions.  There will be a three point shooting clinic in the Bolts' future methinks.


6.  In what could be the fastest jersey number change in history, Alaska Aces' rookie Mac Baracael started the season with jersey number 45 and three games later sported a number 10 jersey.  Was that a superstitious change or a logistical one?


7.  Despite the struggles, B Meg Llamados fans have reason to be excited.  Coach Tim Cone has a big game shooter in James Yap, an outside shooting big man in Kerby Raymundo, a slasher in Peter June Simon, a shifty point guard with iffy three-point shooting in Mark Barroca, a streaky three point shooter in Josh Urbiztondo and a serviceable big man in Raffy Reavis.  The last time he had that combination in Alaska (Jojo Lastimosa, Bong Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso, Johnny Abarrientos, Ruel Gomez and Poch Juinio), he won a grand slam.


8.  People are looking for reasons to explain the Barako Bull Energy's fast start.  Some may point to the return of former Red Bull players Willie Miller and Mick Pennisi, but it could be something else.  The Energy are the only team with a singular monicker since the PBA started requiring franchises to have monickers.  With the Beermen out in favor of the Blaze Boosters, they're also the only team whose monicker doesn't end with an "S."  Of course, it could be just the players playing well under Coach Junel Baculi, but you never know.

9.  Jimmy Alapag is the acknowledged leader of the Talk and Text Tropang Texters, and with good reason.  Apart from his leadership and stellar play, Alapag has played the longest for the Texters, never switching teams and playing all 8 seasons for the same team.  He is not alone, however.  Forward Harvey Carey has also played his entire career for TNT, and he was drafted several picks earlier than Alapag.


10.  The Baranggay Ginebra Kings are parading a co-coaching tandem in Siot Tanquincen and Jong Uichico.  The tandem seems to be working well together and they have worked as a tandem in both Ginebra and San Miguel and they have done well in each of their stops.  They obviously work things out well, unlike the only other co-coaching tandem in PBA history, the failed experiment of Mobiline's Tommy Manotoc and Derrick Pumaren.


pictures courtesy of jumpshot.sg, sports.inquirer.net,