The Unseen

     With the Sinag Pilipinas Basketball Team running roughshod over their opposition on their way to winning the basketball gold medal in the 26th South East Asian (SEA) Games, it's easy to overlook certain things, good or bad.  Here are just some that may have been unseen.


Cliff Jumping a.k.a. the other Chris

     The least known among the players were Filipino-Americans Cliff Hodge and Chris Ellis of the PBA D-League NLEX Road Warriors, but they won't be as anonymous now.  Both have shown tremendous athleticism which of course made them instantly popular, but it's clear their time with Sinag will do them tremendous credit.  Both need more work, especially in terms of decision-making so that they can harness their athleticism properly.  Hodge plays hard and seems willing to do dirty work, but developing a more steady outside shot and better defensive rotation instincts will make him a PBA star.  Ellis jumps out of the building and seems comfortable scoring from everywhere, but he needs to cut down on turnovers and develop more defensive skills for someone as athletic as himself.  It may serve them in good stead to hold off the PBA first and join Gilas for additional seasoning. 


Ditching Iverson

     Coming into the SEA Games, one of the worries was that both point guards of Sinag, Emman Monfort and RR Garcia, were shoot first guards, or what I call graduates of, "The Allen Iverson School for Non-Passing Point Guards."  Their play in the SEA Games disproved that and made me a believer.  Monfort and Garcia got their shots and points, but made it their first priority to get teammates involved.  Their passing both in fastbreak and drive and dish situations were impeccable and went a long way in helping the Philippines dominate.  This actually makes them better players and makes me wonder why they don't play like this in the UAAP.  Perhaps they should.


Undertaker and Vitor say, "Not Yet."

     Coming in with a wave of success, skills and hype, it's easy to be swept up in calling Kiefer Ravena, "The Phenom."  International ball, however, has a funny way of revealing what aspects players need to work on and Ravena's list is larger than people would like to admit.  At this point Ravena is already a tremendous talent. He can shoot the mid range, step back and pull up jumper accurately which is more than his dad could ever do, he is ultra quick and athletic (a fast break savant)  and he is whip smart (his basketball IQ is tremendous). Yet, his defensive play left Sinag in the cold several times. He can steal the ball but he goes for it too often and his one on one defense suffers because of it.  Many an opponent has blown past him, leaving Greg Slaughter or Cliff Hodge to cover for him. He also needs to shoot better from the 3-point line and he needs to learn the point guard spot faster if he wants to maintain his "status" in international ball and in the PBA.  With all that being said, he is a tremendous talent and asset to any team even at 18 years old.  Perhaps instead of "Phenom," he should be dubbed, "The Prodigy," because that what he really is.  


The Old Hand

      As everyone celebrated the basketball gold, the names of Slaughter, Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks were dropped as the heroes, as well they should.  One name, though, has not been mentioned and it is easy to see why.  Captain Chris Tiu's contributions are easy to overlook as he posted ordinary numbers but his effect on the game was no way near that.  Tiu, who faced infinitely better competition in his last 3 years with Smart Gilas, looked bored at times in the elimination round.  In Sinag's last 2 games, however, when they seemed to face just a tinge of competitiveness from Malaysia and Thailand, the "old guy" perked up. Whether it was assists, steals, lay ups or just plain old words of wisdom, Tiu's mark was indelible.  In both games, Tiu played an average of 8 to 10 minutes per half, and he entered when Sinag needed separation.  In both games, Tiu led Sinag's 2nd five increased the lead and put the game out of reach, leaving the 1st five to clean it all up with the fast break highlights.  In the Malaysia game, Tiu entered the 3rd quarter with Sinag leading by 3.  A few steals, assists and points later, he left the game for good with Sinag leading by 25.  In the finals against a more competitive Thailand, Tiu came in with Sinag protecting a 4 point lead.  10 minutes, a few lay ups, spin moves and passes later, he left with Sinag leading by 20.  Some wondered, but that is why Coach Norman Black never started the Gilas captain.  You send in the guy when the young ones need to reminded on how to play.