PBA Offseason Report Card (Part 2)

A hectic week has prevented me from posting for a while, but I think the schedule's clearing up so I will post away. First is my continuation of my PBA Offseason Repot Card, featuring the five remaining teams, Burger King, Rain or Shine, Sta. Lucia, San Miguel and Talk and Text.

Draft: Japeth Aguilar, Chris Ross

Other Moves: Traded Arwind Santos (for Ken Bono and Marc Pingris), Traded Marc Pingris (for draft picks), Traded Chris Ross and Marvin Cruz (for Ron Jay Buenafe)

New Projected Starters: Wynne Arboleda, Ron Jay Buenafe, Gary David, Beau Belga, Japeth Aguilar

While it may seem like picking first in the draft is an easy job, it really isn't and BK did well. Numerous tempting offers to trade Japeth Aguilar were dangled (reportedly including a package that included MVP Jay Jay Helterbrand), but the Whoppers refused to budge. While Aguilar may seem raw for the pro game, highly athletic and quick 6'10" players with natural shot blocking timing don't grow on the proverbial trees. With Aguilar, the Whoppers finally have a "cornerstone" player to build on, with enough "experienced" veterans to show him the ropes. With another set of draft picks coming next year and the addition of young gun Buenafe, BK figures to be a hot bed for young, developing talent. What is a head-scratcher though was the Whoppers trading away superstar Arwind Santos to San Miguel. Not only does it make SMB stronger, but BK loses their erstwhile franchise player and depriving themselves of what could have been the best shot blocking frontcourt in the league. The only explanation I could find was a possible rift between Santos and Coach Yeng Guiao, as evidenced by the "Spiderman's" very limited playing time in the FIBA ASIA tournament.

BK is slowly investing in the future, so look for the Whoppers to be dominant then. Meanwhile, enlisting loads of young talent while being mentored by the fiery Coach Guiao will ensure that the BK Whoppers will still be highly competitive now. Grade: B

Draft: Jervy Cruz, Marcy Arellano

Moves: Traded Rob Wainwright and Mark Andaya (for Jeff Chan), Signed Mark Telan

Projected New Starters: TY Tang, Sol Mercado, Gabe Norwood, Jervy Cruz, Jay R Reyes

It's always nice when the draft gives you what you need. This year, ROS's biggest need, a rebounder and inside scorer in Jervy Cruz was neatly packaged for them in the first round. Cruz's inside presence as well as Telan's, will be a big help to erstwhile center Jay-R Reyes, as this will allow him to hang out outside, where he is more comfy. Adding Jeff Chan and Marcy Arellano gives an already potent outside shooting team more options from rainbow country. Now, perhaps the basketball gods will finally answer my prayers and have Coach Caloy Garcia not utilize overhyped trigger-happy guard Don Dulay anymore. Hey, a guy can hope right?

It has been quite an offseason for the Elasto Painters. One can already see the potential fastbreaks and boatloads of threes coming the opponents way every time ROS will play. Certainly, the Elasto Painters figure to be both competitive and exciting, good news to all hoops fans. Grade: A

Draft: Mark Benitez, Charles Waters
Other Moves: Traded draft pick (for Gabby Espinas)

Projected New Starters: Denok Miranda, Ryan Reyes, Bitoy Omolon, Gabby Espinas, Dennis Espino

Never considered draft savants, the Realtors did not pick up much in the draft, unless Waters (franchise player Kelly William's bro-in-law), all of sudden becomes a stud. Their best move would have been getting Gabby Espinas, who, albeit undersized, brings a lot of energy in and out of the paint. Espinas will join Williams and Bitoy Omolon in giving the Realtors an energetic and versatile front court, to slowly ease out the aging tandem of Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino, who were never really in danger of being mistaken for enrgy dynamos. With that frontcourt combining with Ryan Reyes, Denok Miranda and Joseph Yeo, look for an all new (and fast) Sta. Lucia. This is not your Dad's Realtors for sure.

It was a so so off season foe the Realtors, but admittedly, as the best move they had done this offseason was probably funding William's medical treatment for a blood disorder. Grade: B

Draft: James Sena

Other Moves: Traded Ken Bono and Marc Pingris (for Arwind Santos)

Projected New Starters: Jonas Villanueva, Don Don Hontiveros, Arwind Santos, Danny Ildefonso, Dorian Pena

What do you do when you're the deepest team in league? Why, get deeper of course! Trading for Santos, arguably the league's most versatile player, for essentially two replaceable players is one heck of a coup. Now, the reigning Fiesta Cup Champions will figure in both conferences with this Mariana's Trench deep line up. Being two deep at each position with two all stars each, the Beermen will be the most feared team of all. Question is, will the power on paper translate into reality?

Another tremendous of season for the Beermen. It probably helps that "Boss" Danding Cojuangco is your team owner. Grade: A+

Draft: Kevin White

Other Moves: Will trade unnamed player (for Nic Belaso)

Projected "New" Starters: Jimmy Alapag, Mark Cardona, Jared Dillinger, Ali Peek and Harvey Carey

An already deep team that won the All FIlipino Cup, Talk and Text tried to augment their forces by offering numerous deals for Japeth Aguilar. Being unsuccessful, TnT turned to the draft to pick relative unknown Filipino American Kevin White. Now the team with the league's longest name has the longest list of Fil Ams in the roster. As Jason Webb pointed out, TnT might exceed the maximum number of Fil-Ams allowed in a roster. This means that trading for Belasco may mean they need to trade a fellow Fil-Am for him.

Overall, all the Topang Texters have done is create a possible logjam with the FIl-Am situation for themselves. In any case, their less that sterling offseason's grades, while I predict to be between B and C, is on hold until the Belasco trade.

So there it is. It has been quite an off season for the PBA and while some teams have clearly gained and some have bombed, the only thing absolutely sure is that the upcoming season will be one to watch.

Breaking (Well-Conditioned) Hearts

     In my recent bowling league night, I bowled a total of thirteen consecutive strikes, and while only twelve is needed to bowl a perfect game, I didn't get one because my 13 strikes were split between two games.  I bowled 7 to finish the first game and 6 to start the second.  To make matters worse, I missed the cash prize given for games over 255 because neither of my games were over 255 (242 and 253)! What a heartbreaker!  

     My own heartbreak got me thinking about sport's biggest heartbreaks.  Here are some that I find to be history's biggest heartbreakers and heartbreaks.

Heartbreaker: Steffi Graf

Victims: Jana Novotna and Martina Hingis

     Both Novotna and Hingis, chasing the prestigious French Open Championships, both played tremendous first sets and second sets to bring their finals match to match point.  Graf, however, refused to wilt under the pressure and displayed the fiery form that won her 22 Grand Slam titles.  In both instances, Graf escaped the second set, and then thoroughly dominated the third set, much to the delight of the crowd and the chagrin of the other finalist.  While Novotna and Hingis both retired with their respectve Grand Slam Titles, I'm betting neither will ever forget how Mrs. Andre Agassi broke their hearts.

Heartbreaker: Los Angeles Lakers

Victims: Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings

     On their way to three NBA Championships and numerous trips to the NBA finals, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by the trio of Phil Jackson, Shaq O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, made sure they broke several hearts along the way.  The first to experience the pain would be the Blazers of the 2000 season.  Leading big in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, it would seem the Rasheed Wallace-Steve Smith led Blazers would get to taste the NBA Finals.  Unfortunately, the ultra-talented squad, which also featured Bonzi Wells and Arvydas Sabonis, went through an inexplicable dry spell in the last four minutes of the game.  This paved the way for a historic comeback by the Lakers, including a tremendous ally-oop from Kobe to Shaq.  That loss turned out to be last hurrah for the Blazers as that same talented team soon began to implode.  In the coming years, that team became known as the Jail Blazers and soon after that, Portland missed the playoffs for the first time in over two decades.

     The Sacramento Kings were also a talented bunch who fell victim to the Lakers date with Destiny.  The Kings, led by Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, looked to have the Lakers number and needed Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals to take the Lakers to the brink.  However, a broken play by the Lakers resulted in a bad shot, a ball tapped to the outside and alas, that dagger three by Robert Horry.  The Kings and their fans never lived that shot down and never really challenged for the title again. 

Heartbreaker: Shawn Michaels

Victims: All wrestling fans in the universe

     It is only fitting that the Heartbreak Kid would be in this list.  While wrestling is entirely scripted, it doesn't mean the fans won't have their hearts broken.  When Nature Boy Ric Flair, a former 16-time World Champion, was punished by Vince McMahon, he couldn't afford to lose a match, lest he be banished to retirement.  Despite this, the Nature Boy still yearned to battle the best, who at that time, he deemed to be Michaels.  So in Wrestlemania 24, Flair fought tooth and nail against the younger Michaels, almost to a tie, until Michaels finished him off with a super kick to the face.  While almost everyone expected the WWE Hall of Famer Flair to lose and retire, his loss that night still triggered tears to fall from the thousands in attendance, including the victor, Michaels.

Heartbreaker: Bal David

Victims: San Miguel Beermen

     Despite a depleted line up propped up only by import Jeff Ward and Nelson Asaytono, the San Miguel Beermen still managed to put up a tremendous fight against sister team, the Gordon's Gin Boars (Ginebra).  The two teams engaged in a fierce semi-finals knockout match, which even went into overtime.  With the Beermen in the lead with just seconds to go and the Boars having no timeouts, it seemed the underdogs were about to steal it.  The Flash, Bal David, however, threw up a seemingly-impossible half court shot that drilled a dagger into many a beermen fan's heart.  While San Miguel and Jeff Ward would be reunited for another go the following year, they never did win a championship together.

     Do you know any heartbreakers more gut wrenching than these? Comment or send me an email at plated_thrills@yahoo.com 

PBA Draft: Grades are In (part 2)

Rain or Shine (Grade: A)

Notable Additions: Gabe Norwood (Draft 1st round), Solomon Mercado (traded from Alaska), TY Tang (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: Joe Devance (traded to Alaska)

Notes: When you're the cellar dweller, there is little room to go down, but this team figures to go up.  Obviously, Norwood will have an immediate impact on the team with his court generalship and athletic abilities, and he will most likely surface as the team's go-to guy.  Trading Devance for Mercado was quite a coup, since Devance was disgruntled with the coaching staff anyway, while Mercado gives them another quick and agile guard.  A potential steal in the draft is Tang, who is, at 5'7", tiny by PBA standards, can give the paintmasters a quick, heady guard to run the team.  A run and gun team with a three guard rotation like Norwood, Mercado and Tang is probably already causing Coach Caloy Garcia to salivate with anticipation.

Red Bull Barako (Grade: C)

Notable Additions: Gabby Espinas (Traded from Air 21) Larry Rodriguez (draft 1st round), Jeff Chan, Mark Cuevas (draft 2nd round), 

Notable Subtractions: Topex Robinson (released to Purefoods), Paolo Bugia (released to Air 21)

Notes:  Red Bull was probably looking for more size upfront, since most of their marquee big men (Mick Penisi, Mike Hrabak, Rich Alvarez) play better offense on the outside, but they took what they could from the draft.  Larry Rodriguez played big in the PBL finals, but he is still not the post threat that would make this team more complete.  Jeff Chan will bring in his outside sniping (just under 40% in the PBL), and could replace the loss of Larry Fonacier.  He will, however find lots of competition behind Cyrus Baguio, Leo Najorda, Kiko Adriano and the like.  Overall, their draft picks don't seem to make the Barakos better, at least on paper.  They will need to magic of Coach Yeng Guiao to squeeze the best out of his players again if they want to contend for the title.

San Miguel Beermen (Grade: B)

Notable Additions: Jay Washinton (traded from Talk and Text), Bon Bon Custodio (draft 1st round)

Notable Subtractions: None so far

Notes:  After dropping their old name (Magnolia), the beermen began to search for a point guard.  While veteran Olsen Racela remains a great player, they are beginning to look towards the future.  They are pinning their hopes on Bon Bon Custodio, a 6'0" guard from San Mig Coffee in the PBL who played well enough in the semi finals to merit a second look from the Beermen.  Custodio will have the luxury of learning from nt only Racela, but also Mike Cortez, so there will be no rush on his development.   The real story of their off season is netting Jay Washington for a draft pick.  Washington gives them size, speed and an outside shot, which they hope would offset the loss of Danny Ildefonso, who is again slowed by injuries.  If Washington can fit into the system right away, the Beermen look to go long into the post season.

Sta. Lucia Realtors (Grade C)

Notable Additions: Kelvin Gregorio (draft 1st round), Chito Jaime, Christian Cabatu (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: None so far.

Notes: Winning the franchise's first All Filipino crown is more than enough motivation to keep the team's core intact.  That's why most of Sta. Lucia's picks are more for upgrading the future rather than add anything significant. THey would have been better served picking a point guard like TY Tang, though, since Paolo Mendoza seems to have a difficult time with the point guard slot.  The Realtor's picks, including first round pick Kelvin Gregorio will face uphill battles to find roster spots, let alone playing minutes.   

Talk and Text Phone Pals (Grade: A+)

Notable Additions: Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro, Rob Reyes (draft 1st round), Pong Escobal (draft 2nd round)

Notable Subtractions: Jay Washington (traded to San Miguel)

Notes: The busiest team in the draft also seems to have benefitted the most.  Giving away forward Jay Washington netted them an extra pick and they used that one and their other two first round picks in the best way possible.  Early picks Dillinger and Castro are athletic and cat-quick guards that will definitely boost an already strong Talk and Text backcourt while Reyes and Escobal will provide a spark in the frontcourt.  There will be no more excuses for Talk and Text.  Management really did their homework in this year's draft.