My PBA All Star Ballot (Veterans)

     The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) opened the All Star Game voting early and they have also brought back the Veterans versus Rookies, Sophomores and Juniors (RSJ) format.  While I disagree with both decisions, I have cast my ballot for the annual event.  Since the PBA has become a guards' league some two or three years ago, I'm not voting strictly by position.  The 14 slots i will divide by 2 big men, 4 forwards, 4 guards and 4 of any position


2 Bigs - Sonny Thoss and Kelly Williams

     While Alaska had their worst conferences in years (maybe a decade), the good thing that has emerged has been Thoss' game.  Thoss has established his post game and made himself a reliable scorer and his rebounding and defense has come around as well. New Aces coach Joel Banal has given Thoss more touches and he has responded with an All Star performance.  Williams, meanwhile, has been the Texters' pillar of strength.  As injuries beset Talk and Text, Williams has scored, rebounded, defended and even brought the ball down the floor for the defending champs.  As much as people talk about Jimmy Alapag being the leader, Williams has shown up to be the team's heart and soul.

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Tiu Tiu Train (of Thought) Part 1

First of all, everyone is invited to follow me on Twitter.  http://twitter.com/fiftypesotweets     

     From the Fifty Peso Seats is honored to have an email conversation with Charles Tiu, one of Smart Gilas' insiders, who took time out to reveal news on Gilas, among other things.  In part one, Tiu finally details the real deal about Gilas, debunking some lies other newspapers have been concocting. (Note: The interview was conducted a week ago and all of the information has since been verified by the news)

From the Fifty Peso Seats: You've become an unofficial spokesperson of Smart Gilas, writing about them in the broadsheets and updating fans on twitter.  How did you get in this

position?  Did you volunteer or were you asked?

Charles Tiu: I don't think I am their unofficial spokesperson. I just happen to know a lot of stuff about the team, since I'm pretty close to coach and i follow them a lot, watch their practices and all that. And I really only update with things that i know are okay to be talked about already. Like (for) example Lassiter being AWOL. (Lassiter has since apologized to Gilas - FFPS) It came out only late last week in the papers but we knew about that a few weeks earlier. I didn't want any of those coming from me, because I am in no position to report that. I just also like to update people via twitter cause I feel that with the generation nowadays, they don't really bother reading newspapers much to get their news updates.

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Betting on Gilas

     Like a young lover spurned by the object of affection, Lito Alvarez, governor of the Burger King Whoppers of the Philippine Basketball Association, scoffed at Japeth Aguilar's decision to play for Smart GIlas.  Then, he went on jilted lover's attack, saying maybe the PBA should continue fielding teams for international competitions, instead of Smart Gilas.  I think this is where Alvarez has broken from reality because unlike him, I believe Smart Gilas will do better than a PBA All Star Team in international competitions.  

      Now, before people start to make preparations to bring me to the looney bin, I do have my points.  Without going into the X's and O's and player by player match ups, I think Gilas will outperform the PBA selections because of three factors.

Certain Tendencies

     The PBA has done its best to change some of its rules (closer 3-point line among others), but it rema

ins a professional league.  That means playing against the same teams while being officiated by the same referees.  It also means playing only the same afternoon and evening schedules.  This means that opponents will play off your tendencies, while referees will call based on certain reputations.  Pro players come into the game performing certain moves that almost always get calls, defend players and avoid fouls  based on their reps, while they can fake off opponents by feigning moves they are known for.  Furthermore, players' bodies all have developed an internal body clocks attuned to playing their best during the late afternoons and late evenings.  This results in players like Kerby Raymundo and Jay Jay Helterbrand who were largely ineffective because they couldn't get the calls and the free throws they needed to get their games going.  Pro players have a difficult time scoring of drives to the basket since they have developed a tendency to wait for calls that would come in a pro game, but never in a FIBA Tournament.

     Meanwhile, GIlas players will spend most of their days training on a system developed by Rajko Toroman, whose system fits the international amateur game.  While Toroman is by no means the greatest coach on earth, his system is still a lot closer to the international game than any of the PBA's greatest coaches.  This means that players will keep playing in

ternational ball, complete with constant movement, outside shooting, and zone defense.  The only tendency they will develop is the tendency to play international amateur style of baskeball.

Shaping Things Up

     PBA players are supposedly in great shape, but "game shape" in international ball is way different from "game shape" in pro ball.  Pro games last 48 minutes, but it's filled with longer breaks, mandatory commercial timeouts, more timeouts and more slow down play.  International games give teams just 5 timeouts and even the halftime break is shorter.  This is why all our PBA teams from Norman Black's 1994 team to Yeng Guiao's 2009 team all shoot poorly.  The players are all out of breath and tire easily.  In international play, most teams play with constant player and ball movement, giving players no room to "pace" themselves to play 48 minutes.  Playing the pro style doesn't prepare the pros to keep up with the pace of the international style of play.

     While Gilas will play as a guest team in the PBA, they will also participate in several c

amps, exhibitions and tournaments with FIBA rules and international amateur opponents.  This will ensure that Gilas players will be physically prepared to run and defend with only five timeouts and a shorter halftime to rest with.

It's Only Natural

      Although naturalizing an American by no means ensures you make a difference, naturalizing C.J. Giles does.  Giles, a former L.A. Laker, is 6'11" with great rebounding skills and a competent low post game.  This is by far more than any of the PBA's top big men can provide.  The soo

n-to-be naturalized player has athleticism that none of our local big men can provide.  Perhaps more importantly, though, is Giles' will.  Even if he is not a natural born Filipino, expect him to give his all in every game.  This was clearly seen when he played for GIlas in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.  Giles, who was injured in a previous game, begged Coach Toroman to put him in the next game, despite being told he was excused.  That kind of dedication on an athletic 6'11" player is quite a game changer, and more importantly it's a game changer the PBA doesn't have.

     On paper, it sounds silly that a team with Chris Tiu, Japeth Aguilar and Dylan Ababou could beat a team with the likes of WIllie Miller, Asi Taulava and James Yap and maybe it is, in a professional PBA game.  In the international game, though, my money (and Manny Pangilinan's) is on Smart Gilas and its bunch if amateurs. 

photos courtesy of delfinek.hu and kansas.scout.com

Liking the National Team

     With the Philippine National Basketball Team coached by Yeng Guiao having played a total of five tune up games already, I thought it was high time to assess this team.  I watched all five of their games, including their series against Australia Hoopdreams, which I caught at Araneta Coliseum's courtside.  

The Good Stuff

Speed - Man, this team is fast and quick.  It looks like Coach Guiao is looking to run opponents to the ground to make up our size disadvantage, and he certainly picked up the right tools.  Players 1 through 12 can all run, and if they keep practicing together, they can form a formidable fastbreak attack.

Athleticism - Speed is not all we need to make up our lack of size and athleticism is that missing link.  With players like Gabe Norwood, Arwind Santos and Kelly Williams, our team has long-limbed, high-leaping bodies that when motivated properly, will be apt to tap loose balls, gather steals, grab rebounds and run.  

Camaraderie - This early, the team seems to have good camaraderie, especially in terms of the players liking each other.  Based on what I've seen during games and even during time outs and lulls, the players do genuinely like playing with each other.

Jared Dillinger - Among all the players, I am most surprised and pleased with Jared DIllinger.  The 6'4" guard has shown tremendous heart and passion, and I am surprised at his quickness, especially on his drives to the basket.  While I thought he might be the first player cut, he looks to be a more complete player than most as he can make long jumpers, drive the ball to the basket, bring the ball down court as a point and defend players from the 1, 2 and 3 positions.  I really wouldn't mind seeing him start for our team.

The Bad Stuff

Tentativeness - This has been, in my opinion, the disease that infects all our pro player-enforced national teams.  When all these unselfish superstars play together, they play like an All Star team, preferring to keep passing and passing, consciously avoiding being a "selfish" player that takes all the shots.  This disease actually makes our teams, including this one, ineffective in the half court game, with everyone passing and passing until the shot clock begins to run out and we are forced into a bad shot.  We would be best served to have a couple of players be the designated "go-to-guys" for half court plays.  Jay Jay Helterbrand, James Yap or a focused Willie Miller would be good candidates for this job.

In Between Game or lack thereof - While our players can all make threes (except maybe Asi Taulava) and finish strong at the rim, it seems none of our players are comfortable taking in between shots.  I know that most teams play zone defense, but having our players take (and make) pull up jumpers could help free up the lane for future incursions or post up plays.

James Yap - My goodness.  Has celebrity gone to his head or is he just going through a shooting slump?  After his first game against the Australians, Yap has been relatively bad, considering the reason why he is on the team is because he is supposedly our premiere three point shooter.  He has been missing consistently, even on open looks and if he can't make those, maybe he should consider playing defense.  And yes James, playing "matador" defense, where you look like a Spanish bullfighter is not playing defense.  If he keeps missing and not break out of his slump, would it be too late to ask Don Don Hontiveros to join the team?

     Overall, the National Basketball Team is on the right track and I think they will look even better with more practices under their belt.  Building a running team will take time as the players need to learn the little habits of their teammates so that they will run the fastbreak like they were a team that has been playing forever.  When the players get the hang of each other, though, Asia better watch out.