PBA All-Filipino Cup semifinals set

Alin kina Jeff, Calvin, Chris, at Jayson ang magwawagi sa All-Filipino Cup?

With the demise of the Purefoods-STAR Hotshots in Phase I of the All-Filipino Cup quarterfinals, the PBA will have a new champion at the end of the first conference.

Four teams are still left standing, and have the right to be the first champion of the 40th season of the first professional basketball league in Asia.

Kicking off the best-of-seven semifinals is the match-up of 2nd seed Rain or Shine and 3rd seed Alaska.

Lone eliminations meeting ended 98-95 for Rain or Shine.

Schedule:

Game 1: December 18, 7pm
Game 2: December 20, 5pm
Game 3: December 22, 7pm
Game 4: December 25, 415pm

The Elastopainters are seeking their first All-Filipino title and have done so in spite of injuries affecting their rotation depth, from Chris Tiu and Ty Tang to rookie Jericho Cruz. However, Yeng Guiao has relied on the Elasto-Gilas quartet of Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Beau Belga, and Paul Lee to become the first team to snag a semifinal berth (although tiebreakers pushed them down to second).

The Aces, on the other hand, have ridden on the shoulders of Calvin Abueva, who is second in the league in the Best Player of the Conference race. Calvin is the "face" of the Aces' seeming grit-grind mentality, with Chris Ross being the only significant PBA player of note with a better defensive rating than the Beast.

Rain or Shine takes pride on their league-best pace, while Alaska puts its lunch bucket on their capable rebounding percentage and their defense (tied with San Miguel in best defensive rating).

Set to take place tomorrow is the other semifinal pairing between the top-seed San Miguel Beer and 4th seed Talk 'N Text.

Lone eliminations meeting ended 107-101 for Talk 'N Text.

Schedule:

Game 1: December 19, 7pm
Game 2: December 21, 5pm
Game 3: December 23, 7pm
Game 4: December 26, 7pm

Head coach Leo Austria's didn't stray away from what worked for him in Adamson and with the ABL version of San Miguel Beer. The Beermen play with the slowest pace among the four teams left in the running, opting to use his biggest weapon, reigning MVP JuneMar Fajardo, to his advantage. Along with the Aces, the Beermen have the best defensive rating in the league as well as the best eFG% defense. Of course, they decided to add a new wrinkle with the late addition of ertswhile Beerman Alex Cabagnot from Globalport.

Meanwhile, the Tropang Texters decided to rebuild on the fly, keeping the core intact, while going out and netting themselves two members of the cadet pool in Kevin Alas and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser. They have an average defensive rating, but what gets them going is their offense, with a 104.6 rating. Keying this version of the DDrM is Jayson Castro, while gunners like Larry Fonacier and Jimmy Alapag lie waiting in the wings to lead the sniping brigade from the perimeter.

TV5 will televise the games, while NewsFM (92.3 in Manila, 101.9 in Cebu and Davao, 102.3 in Bacolod, and 97.5 in General Santos) will have radio broadcast. Sports5.ph offers legitimate online streaming (albeit geo-locked to the Philippines) of the games, as well as certain exclusives that neither TV or radio will have coverage on.

TV5 to air PBA’s 40th Season opener this Sunday

Two of the twelve muses this Sunday

The Philippine Arena is set to be the host for the opening of the PBA's 40th season, with TV5 set to air the opener this Sunday afternoon LIVE, starting at 1pm.

The Opening Ceremonies will have a sense of nostalgia, with the theme "Apat na Dekada ng Nag-iisang Liga." The ceremonies will include the honoring of the members of the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team that participated in international competitions during the offseason.

Sports5 Head Chot Reyes promises "thrilling coverage" for the upcoming season, expressing excitement for the league's Ruby season.

Of course, no opening ceremony is complete without the parade of teams, and their respective muses, which have been revealed as:

Alaska Aces – DLSU Lady Spiker alumna (and PBB housemate) Michelle Gumabao
Barako Bull Energy – 2013 Miss International 1st Runner-Up Natalie Den Dekker
Blackwater Elite – Actress and brand endorser Sunshine Cruz
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – Actress and model Ellen Adarna
Globalport Batang Pier – DLSU Lady Spiker alumna Cha Cruz and FEU Lady Tamaraw alumna and FHM Covergirl Rachel Ann Daquis
Kia Sorentos – Sarangani vice governor Jinkee Pacquiao
Meralco Bolts – Actress Ritz Azul
NLEX Road Warriors – Actress and host Dianne Medina
Purefoods STAR Hotshots - Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2014 Mj Lastimosa
Rain or Shine Elastopainters – Mutya ng Pilipinas Cordillera Glennifer Perido
San Miguel Beermen – Actress Alice Dixson (although Snow Badua on his show made references to Alaina Bergsma and Erica Adachi, who are the foreign reinforcements of sister team Petron Blaze Spikers in the PSL SuperLiga Grand Prix, as possibilities)
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters – Ms. World 2013 Megan Young

After the ceremonies, the basketball action will take place, with Manny Pacquiao expected to make his official debut as a playing coach for Kia against fellow expansion team Blackwater in the opening game. Completing the doubleheader is Barangay Ginebra facing TNT.

PBA Games will take place five days a week, with weekday 4:15pm and 7pm doubleheaders on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; 3pm and 5pm Sunday doubleheaders; and a lone Saturday game at 5pm.

The opening ceremonies and the doubleheader (as well as the upcoming PBA games) will also be heard on the different Radyo5 NewsFM stations nationwide (92.3 News FM in Manila, 101.9 News FM in Cebu and Davao, 102.3 News FM in Bacolod, and 97.5 News FM in General Santos City). You can also access this radio streaming on Interaksyon.com

Interested fans overseas (US, Guam, Middle East, Europe) can check with their cable provider for AksyonTV International, which is the channel to look for the PBA games.

TV5 to air 40th season of the PBA

TV5 is to air the opening ceremonies for the 40th season of the Philippine Basketball Association on October 19.

To be held at the newly-opened Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, the LIVE telecast will begin at 1pm, as they will celebrate the beginning of another season for the first professional basketball league in Asia.

As always, highlighting the opening will be the traditional parade of teams with their respective muses. With the recent achievements of the national team in the different international competitions, the league will also honor the squad.

Afterwards, coverage will begin with the first game of the season involving the two expansion teams in Kia and Blackwater, with the main game featuring Ginebra and Talk 'N Text.

Sports5 head Chot Reyes is excited with the upcoming season, noting that the addition of the two expansion teams "is a tremendous boost to the popularity of the PBA and we promise that Sports5 will give the PBA the most thrilling coverage ever yet."


LIVE PBA coverage on TV5 will be five days a week, with weekday doubleheaders on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 4:15pm and 7pm, then Sunday doubleheaders at 3pm and 5pm. There will also be a 5pm Saturday game. Games will also be broadcast on Radyo5 NewsFM stations nationwide (92.3 in Manila, 101.9 in Cebu / Davao, 102.3 in Bacolod, 97.5 in General Santos City). Streaming coverage of the PBA can done as well on Interaksyon.com

PBA fans overseas (United States, Guam, the Middle East, and Europe) can watch the games via AksyonTV International. Do check your channel listings to find it in your area.

2014 PBA Draft Thoughts.

Okay, this is my first official written piece as part of the Rivals PH network. Some of the answers here made it to the 4x4 on the recently concluded PBA Draft. But this post contains my entire thought process. Feel free to express your agreement / disagreement.

1. Who was the biggest winner in the 2014 PBA Draft?

A. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. SanMig Coffee, fresh from a Grand Slam (and 4 straight conference titles), opted to trade out of the draft once Rodney Brondial was selected by Ginebra (you can thank Y! Philippines' Carlo Pamintuan for that tidbit), netting the chance to switch first round picks with Globalport and a 2018 second round pick.

B. The Gatorade PH PBA Draft Combine Scrimmages. The guys of Gatorade brought back this aspect of the combine this year, and it yielded the necessary impact for a few guys to get drafted, most notably Mike Gamboa with Rain or Shine and Maclean Sabelina for Blackwater.

C. Globalport. They have the top-ranked player in the draft in Stanley Pringle. They added another shooter in Anthony Semerad. They added a big man in Prince Caperal. They added another point guard in Nard Pinto. All four picks might make the team and possibly play vital roles for Pido Jarencio. 

D. Blackwater. The expansion team, even though they have the 12th pick, actually got eight quality selections that can compete for spots alongside their expansion draft picks.

E. Ateneo. The basketball program yields PBA players again with two more picks in Juami Tiongson and Frank Golla. You could make a case for a third with Ateneo HS product (and UP Maroon) Gamboa. You're potentially next, Nico Elorde and Chris Newsome, in 2015.

F. The NCAA. One advantage they have over the UAAP is having their student-athletes not lose their collegiate eligibility if they applied for the draft. 

2. Who was the biggest loser in the 2014 PBA Draft?

A. Only 41 out of 87 players were selected. Among the undrafted guys: the UE swingmen Ralf Olivares and Lord Casajeros. Adamson shooting menace Roider Cabrera. La Salle big man Jovet Mendoza (who has the more impressive college resume than Papot Paredes). JRU scoring machine Philip Paniamogan.

B. Barako Bull. Not surprisingly, the Energy traded their top draft pick, 3rd overall, to a RSA-owned team for a set of assets that when you look at it, don't exactly compare to what San Miguel got in Ronald Pascual.

C. Meralco was devoid of a pick in the draft. And what was odd (for me, at least) was their full representation at the draft knowing that they won't pick at all.

D. Chris Banchero. Because everyone ticketed him to be a top-3 pick. Imagine the surprise of Alaska getting him at 5th overall.

E. Juneric Baloria. A guy many tagged to be a late first round pick goes down to the 5th round (30th overall). Fortunately for him, Blackwater will need someone with scoring capabilities.

3. Who do you think will make the biggest impact in his rookie year?

Off the court: Manny Pacquiao will have the impact the PBA desperately needs, which is to get mainstream attention. To that, the league needs his presence to actually take advantage. His press conference to announce that he was going to be the head coach of Kia got attention from three different media types (basketball media, boxing media, and auto media). All the speculation and "controversy" makes it fascinating and interesting. He is why the league actually is now looking into the possibility of playing at the 55k-seater Philippine Arena on opening day.

On the court: Pringle would be the easy choice, because he can play immediately and instantly take the role of the third guard in Globalport's backcourt rotation, alongside Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo.

However, don't sleep on the Blackwater point guards. They were impressed enough by Tiongson from their Malaysia experience to take him as their first-ever draft pick (because face it, that spot was Jericho Cruz's if not for Rain or Shine snatching him three picks earlier). This move reminds me of the 2014 NBA Draft, when the Raptors picked Bruno Caboclo. If you are that confident in the guy, and you are not sure if he will still be around when you pick again, you go get him already.

They also luckily snagged Heruela at the 3rd round with their 26th overall pick. Considering the expansion draft yielded Paul Artadi and Chris Timberlake, one could argue they are already are better off keeping the rookies. Even Clark Bautista (drafted 34th) has a shot.

4. Who was the most surprising pick of the 2014 PBA draft?

Ronald Pascual going third was one, although it clearly fits a need for San Miguel after their injury issues with Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter. Paredes (15th) being selected ahead of Caperal  (17th) is another, considering their collegiate resumes. Also, Rain or Shine not address their issues on lack of size with any of their four draft picks.

Mocking my own. My version of the 2014 PBA Mock Draft

The 2014 Gatorade PBA Draft will be held later today at the Robinsons' Midtown, and mock drafts are aplenty. Here is mine, and assuming teams will not trade up or down or into next year.

First round:

1. Globalport - Stanley Pringle. The BatangPier have locked in on this guy to be their pick. Now up to them how to juggle the minutes between him, Alex and Terrence.

2. Rain or Shine - Kevin Alas. The latest news on Paul Lee reportedly has forced the Elasto braintrust to rethink their draft plans. I don't buy that. Yeng likes collecting talent, period. Alas will fill in those big Cobra Commander shoes nicely.

3. Barako Bull - Chris Banchero. Knowing how they work, this will be the gateway for the former San Miguel Beer guard to actually join the San Miguel Beermen, eventually.

4. NLEX - Matt Rosser. They are to draft one of their own, right?

5. Alaska - Ronald Pascual. Aces add Calvin's old Kapampangan buddy to groom as the replacement for Cyrus Baguio / Tony dela Cruz / Dondon Hontiveros. 

6. Barangay Ginebra - Rodney Brondial. The man said so himself on FTS 97. Will be a handy bruiser to complement Greg, Chris and Japeth.

7. San Mig Coffee - Jake Pascual. They already have some youth infusion on the backcourt. Next step will be adding quality to their frontcourt.

8. Barako Bull - Rome dela Rosa. For a team starved of winning, they'll need players accustomed to winning.

9. Rain or Shine - Anthony Semerad. He's 6'5" with shooting.

10. Barako Bull - Juneric Baloria. They'll need some scoring punch. This guy gets buckets.

11. Kia - Manny Pacquiao. We all are waiting for this one.

12. Blackwater - Jericho Cruz. Familiarity. Closest thing to a direct hire these guys will conduct.

2nd round:

13. Alaska - Brian Heruela. Aces need an upgrade at the backup point.

14. Rain or Shine - David Semerad. Together again with his bro. He'll be the big man they'll need to shore up that perceived weakness.

15. Barako Bull - Maclean Sabelina. Impressed at the Gatorade Draft Combine scrimmages. 

16. Alaska - Prince Caperal. Adds ceiling. Could be an adequate backup to Thoss.

17. Globalport - Roider Cabrera. Team has holes at the forward spots. He'll fill those nicely.

18. Barako Bull - Kyle Pascual. More size for the Energy.

19. Globalport - Mark Romero. Another good complementary wing piece.

20. Talk 'N Text - Nard Pinto. Jong needs to jumpstart the impending rebuilding process

21. Rain or Shine - Raul Soyud. Here's another big man that can help.

22. San Miguel Beer - Paolo Taha. Beermen need guard depth, and he can provide scoring

23. Blackwater - Cody Tesoro. He'll bolster one major weakness, which is their backcourt depth.

24. Kia - Frank Bonifacio. Impressed with the measurables. And Kia needs many, many more of these.

Game 5 yields top-notch TV ratings

SanMig Super Coffee not only made history by clinching the Grand Slam on Wednesday night, but also helpted TV5 secure high viewership ratings.

Game 5 of the PBA PLDT Home Telpad Governors' Cup match between the Mixers and the Rain or Shine Elastopainters yielded a 34% audience share in the National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM) from 8-1130pm slot. It averaged over 4 million viewers or a 9.5% AMR.

At its peak, Game 5 yielded a 56.8% audience share, with 5.7 million viewers or 13.3% AMR. Such ratings allowed it to be better than some of the primetime soaps on the other networks.

Sports5 Head Chot Reyes remarked that this is a perfect ending to TV5's coverage of the PBA this season, reflecting how much Filipinos love the PBA with this tightly-contested finals matchup.

Gate attendance also reflected the hype, with 23,234 fans witnessing the game at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Projecting the upcoming 2014 PBA Draft Order

The upcoming draft is ticketed to be an interesting one, so just like last year, I have already made the decision to execute the projection on the draft order.

I am basing this still on the explanation given to me last year by Fidel Mangonon III on draft computations.

40% goes to All-Filipino, 30% each for the import-laced ones.

Here are the current finishing positions from the previous two conferences, as well as the quarterfinals of the ongoing one.

10 - Air 21
9 - Meralco
8 - Alaska
7 - Globalport
6 - Barako
5 - TNT
4 - Petron / San Miguel
3 - Ginebra
2 - Rain or Shine
1 - SanMig

10 - Globalport
9 - Barako
8 - Ginebra
7 - Meralco
6 - Alaska
5 - San Miguel
4 - Air21
3 - Rain or Shine
2 - TNT
1 - SanMig

10 - Globalport 

9 - Meralco

8 - Barako Bull

7 - Air21

6 - Ginebra
5 - San Miguel
4 - Alaska
3 - TNT
2 - SanMig Coffee or Rain or Shine
1 - Rain or Shine or SanMig

4
3.6
3.2
2.8
2.4
2
1.6
1.2
.8
.4

3
2.7
2.4
2.1
1.8
1.5
1.2
.9
.6
.3

Air21 = 4+1.2+2.1 = 7.3
Alaska = 3.2+1.8+1.2= 6.2
Barako = 2.4+2.7+2.4 = 7.5
Ginebra = 1.2+2.4+1.8 = 5.4
Globalport = 2.8+3+3 = 8.8
Meralco = 3.6+2.1+2.7 = 8.4
Petron / San Miguel = 1.6+1.5+1.5 = 4.6
Rain or Shine = .8+.9 = 1.7
SanMig = .4+.3 = .7
TNT = 2+.6+.9 = 3.5

Globalport = 8.8
Meralco = 8.4

Barako = 7.5
Air21 = 7.3

Alaska = 6.2

Ginebra = 5.4
Petron / San Miguel = 4.6
TNT = 3.5
Rain or Shine = 1.7
SanMig = .7

As such, my projection for the upcoming 2014 PBA Draft order is as follows:

1 & 2. Globalport / Meralco
3. Barako Bull
4. Air21 (or soon-to-be NLEX? will be NLEX, as the PBA has given it's ok on the sale)
5. Alaska
6. Barangay Ginebra
7. San Miguel
8. Talk 'N Text
9. Rain or Shine
10. SanMig Coffee
11 & 12. Kia / Blackwater

The winner of the Globalport / Meralco draft lottery drafts first in the first (and subsequent odd ones) round, while the loser drafts first in the second (and subsequent even ones) round.

It is assumed that the expansion team that will pick first in the dispersal draft will not be picking eleventh in the PBA draft, as it pertains to Kia / Blackwater. It is also assumed that they will alternate picks as well, much like the two worst teams.

EDIT: It has been pointed out by Job de Leon about this quote from a Karlo Sacamos piece:

The league has also given to the three new teams — apart from the 11th ,12th, and 13th picks — the first, second, and third selections of the second round, as well as the remaining picks from the third round onwards in the Rookie Draft on August 24.

Integrating the trades of picks (EDIT: as well as recently-concluded and controversial Draft Lottery), the draft order of the two rounds are as follows:

1st round:

1. Globalport
2. Rain or Shine (from Meralco)
3. Barako Bull
4. NLEX
5. Alaska 
6. Barangay Ginebra
7. SanMig (from San Miguel via Barako)
8. Barako Bull (from Talk 'N Text)
9. Rain or Shine
10. Barako Bull (from SanMig)
11 & 12. Kia / Blackwater

2nd round:

1 & 2. Blackwater / Kia
3. Alaska (from Meralco)
4. Rain or Shine (from Globalport)
5. Barako Bull
6. Alaska (from NLEX)
7. Alaska 
8. Barako Bull (from Barangay Ginebra)
9. Alaska (from San Miguel via Meralco)
10. Talk 'N Text
11. Rain or Shine
12. San Miguel (from SanMig Coffee via Barako)

As such, the breakdown of the top 24 picks are as follows:

Alaska and Barako Bull will each have a total of five picks in the first two rounds.
Rain or Shine will have a total of four picks in the first two rounds.
The expansion franchises each have a couple of picks in the first two rounds.
Globalport, NLEX, Barangay Ginebra, San Miguel, TNT, and SanMig will each have a pick, while Meralco does not have a pick in the first two rounds.

And with that, you may proceed with your mock draft/s.

Radyo5 92.3 FM to air LIVE PBA games

Starting this Monday with the Air21 vs SanMig game, the PBA will now be heard LIVE on FM radio.

Radyo5 92.3 NEWS FM will be the latest radio station to broadcast RadyoPBA action. Thanks to its sister stations 101.9 NEWS FM in Cebu & Davao, 102.3 NEWS FM in Bacolod, and 97.5 NEWS FM in General Santos City, PBA on FM radio will have a national reach. The broadcast will also be streamed online via Interaksyon.com.

It will complement the ongoing radio coverage that is currently on DZSR Sports Radio 918 on the AM band, which also has a nationwide reach via its satellite stations (DZEQ 999 in Baguio, DZMQ 576 in Dagupan, DWRB 549 in Naga, DYLL 585 in Iloilo, DYMR 576 in Cebu, DZMR 1170 in Zamboanga, DXIM 936 in Cagayan de Oro, and DXRP 666 in Davao.

This move will be especially handy for many PBA fans who are on the go and have their mobile phones with FM radio capability.

Kudos to Sports5 head Chot Reyes for this long-overdue move.

PBA televised schedule for the Governors' Cup elims

PBA six times a week? That's going to be the case with the 2014 PLDT Home TELPAD PBA Governors' Cup.

Basketball will keep your weeknights preoccupied with games on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Doubleheaders will be the case, with the first game to tip off at 5:45 pm. It will be shown on Aksyon TV live, with an 11pm delayed telecast on TV5. The second game will be shown LIVE on TV5 at 8pm.

Saturdays and Sundays will have an earlier time slot, with both games to be shown on TV5. The former will have 2:45pm & 5pm, with the latter having a 3pm and 5pm tip.

The games will also be shown HD at the Cignal Ch. 199, with encore telecasts on HYPER.

Meanwhile, Kuwentong Gilas will now be shown on Thursdays, starting tonight at 9:30pm with the episode featuring TNT forward Ranidel de Ocampo. Entitled "Ang Pamana," it centers on his return to his hometown of Tanza, Cavite.

Team Undrafted, revisited and revised

On From the Stands, Carlo Pamintuan, Chuck Araneta and Polo Bustamante decided to do the 2012 version of the #FTSDraft.

I, as a counterpoint, did Team Undrafted, based on the picks that the three did not make during the process.

This is how they fared:

Team Carlo

Starters: Gabe Norwood (RoSE) / Kelly Williams (TNT) / June Mar Fajardo (PBB) / James Yap (SMCM) / LA Tenorio (BGSM)
Bench: Nonoy Baclao (A21) / Sean Anthony (BAR) / Sonny Thoss (ALA) / Mac Cardona (MER) / Willie Miller (GLO)
Head Coach: Tim Cone (SMC)

Team Chuck

Starters: Mark Caguioa (BGSM) / Arwind Santos (PBB) / Marc Pingris (SMCM) / Ryan Reyes (TNT) / Paul Lee (RoSE)
Bench: Sol Mercado (MER) / Danny Seigle (BAR) / Rabeh Al-Hussaini (GLO) / RenRen Ritualo (A21) / Jvee Casio (ALA)
Head Coach: Norman Black (TNT)

Team Polo

Starters: Calvin Abueva (ALA) / Cliff Hodge (MER) / Doug Kramer (BAR) / Gary David (GLO) / Jayson Castro (TNT)
Bench: Chris Ellis (BGSM) / Yousef Taha (A21) / Yancy De Ocampo (SMCM) / Jeff Chan (RoSE) / Alex Cabagnot (PBB)
Head Coach: Yeng Guiao (RoSE)

This is who I went with:

Starters: 
Chris Ross (MER) - 28 mins. 5.21 pts, 4.19 rebs, 6.6 assts, 1.71 stls
PJ Simon (SMCM) - 28 mins. 12.75 pts, 3.38 rebs, 1.33 assts, 46% FG, 32% 3ptFG
Cyrus Baguio (ALA) - 32 mins. 13.39 pts, 3.8 rebs, 2.67 assts, 1.02 stls, 43% FG, 40% 3ptFG
Ranidel de Ocampo (TNT) - 27 mins. 12.66 pts, 6.32 rebs, 1.64 assts, 43% FG, 36% 3ptFG
Rudy Hatfield (BGSM) - 17 mins. 3.97 pts, 5.73 rebs, 1.3 assts, 43% FG

Bench:
Josh Urbitztondo (BAR) - 25 mins. 8.42 pts, 2.81 rebs, 3.65 assts, 1.07 stls, 32% 3ptFG
Chris Tiu (RoSE) - 17 mins. 5.98 pts, 2.41 rebs, 2 assts,
Marcio Lassiter (PBB) - 29 mins. 12.07 pts, 3.51 rebs, 2.04 assts, 42% FG, 45% 3ptFG
KG Canaleta (A21) - 30 mins. 16.72 pts, 5.33 rebs, 1.28 assts, 40% FG, 37% 3ptFG
Vic Manuel (GLO) - 17 mins. 8.06 pts, 4.14 rebs, 47% FG
 
Head Coach: Olsen Racela (PBB)

For this year's edition, they went with these selections (this time they did not include a coach)

Team Carlo: LA Tenorio (BGSM), Calvin Abueva (ALA), Asi Taulava (A21), Andy Barroca (SMCM), Jay Washington (GLO), John Wilson (MER), Gabe Norwood (RoSE), Kelly Williams (TNT), Willie Miller (BAR), Danny Ildefonso (slotted PBB, currently a FA)

Team Chuck: Sol Mercado (GLO), Jayson Castro (TNT), Arwind Santos (PBB), KG Canaleta (A21), Sonny Thoss (ALA), Ronjay Buenafe (BAR), Jeff Chan (RoSE), Gary David (MER), Japeth Aguilar (BGSM), Ian Sangalang (SMCM)

Team Polo: Junemar Fajardo (PBB), Terrence Romeo (GLO), Mark Caguioa (BGSM), Paul Lee (RoSE), Marc Pingris (SMCM), Jvee Casio (ALA), Larry Fonacier (TNT), Vic Manuel (A21), Mark Isip (BAR), Rabeh Al-Hussaini (MER) 

Now here are my selections:

1. Greg Slaughter (BGSM) - I knew that I would either get Greg or Japeth, so this was a no-brainer.
2. RR Garcia (GLO) - Because I see four offensive weapons, and Chuck, Carlo & Polo took three of them.

3. Jared Dillinger (MER) - Has something to prove. Was *this* close to making SMART-Gilas if not for the accident. Will serve as the back-up / late-game PG on this group.
4. Jervy Cruz (RoSE) - The 2013 Mr. Quality Minutes winner. Yes, I picked him over the 13th Man.
5. Willy Wilson (BAR) - The Swiss Knife.6. Mac Cardona (A21) - Hit the ground running as the top Air21 gunner. Joseph Yeo's numbers dropped immensely when Captain Hook returned.
7. Marcio Lassiter (PBB) - Loyalty.
8. Ranidel de Ocampo (TNT) - Loyalty.
9. Cyrus Baguio (ALA) - Loyalty. However, Gabby Espinas merited a really, really, really long look because of...10. PJ Simon (SMCM) - Note: I really, really wanted Ian Sangalang to drop to me in this slot, because it would set the table for what I wanted to build on Team Undrafted. But since Chuck took him, I had the unenviable task of having to pick either PJ Simon or James Yap. Both guys have been in decline for the past three seasons. However, I went with PJ not only as an act of loyalty, but also on a hunch that his floor is better than James'.

Starters: Garcia, Lassiter, Cardona, de Ocampo, Slaughter
Reserves: Dillinger, Simon, Baguio, Wilson, Cruz

 
Shortlist: 
Barangay Ginebra: Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael
GlobalPort: Marvin Hayes, Enrico Villanueva
Meralco: Cliff Hodge, Mike Cortez, Reynel Hugnatan, Kerby RaymundoRain or Shine: Ryan Arana, Beau Belga, Raymond Almazan
Barako Bull: Denok Miranda, Jonas Villanueva, Dorian Pena, JC Intal, Mick Pennisi
Air21: Eric Camson, Bonbon Custodio, Joseph Yeo 
Petron: Chris Lutz, Alex Cabagnot
Talk 'N Text: Jimmy Alapag, Nonoy Baclao, Danny Seigle
Alaska: Gabby Espinas, Dondon Hontiveros
San Mig Coffee: Rafi Reavis, Alex Mallari, James Yap, Joe Devance, Allein Maliksi

Still lost or confused with PBA on your tv?

Hopefully, this matrix serves as a guide to watching the PBA. As what the #FromTheStands people say, if you can watch it live, do so.

TNT, I'm Dynamite (Danny)

I enjoy listening to old-school hard core rock classics.

Cos I'm
T.N.T.
I'm Dynamite
T.N.T.
And I'll win the fight
T.N.T.
I'm a power-load
T.N.T.
Watch me Explode 

Danny Seigle got lost in the shuffle involving Barako Bull Energy. It happens when the team, at one point, had around 30 players before the start of the season, comprised of the holdovers, the traded assets and of course, their draft picks.

So the Manong Brigade's quest to win now resulted in leaving the Dynamite in the storage room, without a contract.

Technically, Danny Seigle was a free agent that anybody could have had. Until this week. When you think about it, he was actually practicing with them before, so this move was inevitable. It would have been done already if not for Kelly Williams being cleared to play.

This is probably not the only transaction that will be done and completed. As explained by Snow Badua for SPIN, TNT adding the Dynamite would result in the team exceeding the Fil-for limit of five players (Jimmy Alapag, Sean Anthony, Harvey Carey, Ali Peek & Williams are on the active roster, with Rob Reyes in the injured/reserved list). I am very sure they will figure out how to juggle the roster, which has them putting the Dynamite on reserve (h/t to Job de Leon of GMA News).

And then there is this Danny Ildefonso rumor.



So is TNT the new Manong Brigade? Oi. Oi. Oi. Oi. Oi...

PBA Post-draft Deconstruction, Part II AND All-Filipino Cup Preview

Now that I have time to sink into these matters, time to dive in further with the draft additions:

Barangay Ginebra: Greg Slaughter (1st, 1st), James Forrester (1st, 4th), John Usita (4th, 33rd), Alvin Padilla (5th, 39th), Jens Knuttel (6th, 42nd)

Roster: Bryan Faundo, James Forrester, Billy Mamaril, Josh Urbiztondo, LA Tenorio, Emman Monfort, Jay-J Helterbrand, Jay-r Reyes, Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Dylan Ababou, Chris Ellis, Mac Baracael, Mark Caguioa.

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Tenorio, Caguioa, Ellis, Aguilar, Slaughter
1st tier Reserves: Urbiztondo, Helterbrand, Forrester, Baracael, Reyes
2nd tier Reserves: Monfort, Ababou, Mamaril, Faundo

Alfrancis Chua may not be coaching this team in an official capacity, but this team is clearly his vision. If if hasn't happened already, LA Tenorio is seizing control of the operation away from Caguioa. Uptempo aggressive offense, especially if he has runners alongside him like Japeth, James and Chris.

San Mig Coffee: Ian Sangalang (1st, 2nd), Isaac Holstein (1st, 7th), Justin Melton (2nd, 13th), JR Cawaling (3rd, 30th)

Roster: Justin Melton, Rafi Reavis, Isaac Holstein, JR Cawaling, PJ Simon, Ian Sangalang, Alex Mallari, Andy Barroca, Marc Pingris, James Yap, Jerwin Gaco, Val Acuna, Joe Devance, Yancy de Ocampo

Reserves: Lester Alvarez, Allein Maliksi

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Barroca, Simon, Yap, Pingris, Devance
1st tier Reserves: Melton, Mallari, Reavis, de Ocampo, Sangalang
2nd tier Reserves: Holstein, Acuna, Cawaling, Gaco

Tim Cone's triangle continues to get upgrades while infusing a little youth. Sangalang can immediately contribute, and because they got good picks, they used it on projects. But the trusty reliables are still the same.

Rain or Shine: Raymond Almazan (1st, 3rd), Alex Nuyles (1st, 9th), Jeric Teng (2nd, 12th), Gayford Rodriguez (2nd, 19th), Ervic Vijandre (3rd, 29th)

Roster: Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Jireh Ibanes, Jeric Teng, Alex Nuyles, Larry Rodriguez, TY Tang, Jeff Chan, Chris Tiu, Ryan Arana, Jervy Cruz, Beau Belga, Ronnie Matias, JR Quinahan

Reserves: Jon Uyloan, Raymond Almazan (this was released before end of NCAA season, so he is here for now)

Starters: Lee, Chan, Norwood, Rodriguez, Belga
1st tier Reserves: Tiu, Arana, Nuyles, Cruz, Quinahan
2nd tier Reserves: Tang, Ibanes, Teng, Matias

It is a fruitless exercise trying to determine Yeng Guiao's depth chart, because he has interchangeable parts at his disposal, allowing him to have different combinations to field in different situations. He preaches readiness, effort AND defense. Those new additions will definitely allow Yeng to tinker with different things.

Barako Bull: Jeric Fortuna (2nd, 14th), Carlo Lastimosa (2nd, 20th), Darwin Cordero (3rd, 23rd), Jett Vidal (4th, 32nd), Mike Silungan (5th, 38th)

Roster: Denok Miranda, Jonas Villanueva, Dorian Pena, JC Intal, Ronjay Buenafe, Rob Labagala, Dave Marcelo, Willie Miller, Mark Isip, Jeric Fortuna, Willie Wilson, Keith Jensen, Mark Macapagal, Mick Pennisi

Reserves: Rico Maierhofer, Carlo Lastimosa

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Miranda, Miller, Buenafe, Isip, Pennisi
1st tier Reserves: Villanueva, Wilson, Intal, Macapagal, Pena
2nd tier Reserves: Fortuna, Labagala, Jensen, Marcelo

Their management wanted a set of veterans who can allow the team to contend. Pressure on Willie to rekindle the old Thriller Magic? Because other than him, where can they get the offense.

GlobalPort: Terrence Romeo (1st, 5th), RR Garcia (1st, 6th), Justin Chua (1st, 10th), Nico Salva (2nd, 11th), Jopher Custodio (3rd, 22nd), LA Revilla (3rd, 24th)

Roster: RR Garcia, Sol Mercado, Jondan Salvador, Terrence Romeo, Nico Salva, Jay Washington, Marvin Hayes, Leo Najorda, Jewel Ponferrada, Jaypee Belencion, Justin Chua, Kelly Nabong, LA Revilla, Eric Menk

Reserves: Enrico Villanueva, Jopher Custodio

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Garcia, Mercado, Washington, Nabong, Menk
1st tier Reserves: Romeo, Hayes, Salva, Salvador, Ponferrada
2nd tier Reserves: Revilla, Belencion, Najorda, Chua

BroNation has something to look forward to, but the question now is how ready is Richie Ticzon to be a head coach. Also curious will be how he uses Garcia & Romeo alongside Mercado. This is now Sol's team

Alaska: Ryan Buenafe (1st, 8th), Ping Exciminiano (2nd, 18th), Raymund Ilagan (3rd, 28th)

Roster: Sam Eman, Cyrus Baguio, Ping Exciminiano, Sonny Thoss, Calvin Abueva, Eddie Laure, Ryan Buenafe, Aldrech Ramos, Leo Avenido, Dondon Hontiveros, Gabby Espinas, RJ Jazul, Tony dela Cruz, Jvee Casio

Reserves: Paolo Bugia, Raphy Reyes

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Casio, Baguio, Hontiveros, Espinas, Thoss
1st tier Reserves: Jazul, Buenafe, Abueva, Avenido, Ramos
2nd tier Reserves: Exciminiano, Laure, Eman, dela Cruz

Like his mentor Cone, Luigi Trillo needed just minor tinkerings to his lineup, thus grabbing Buenafe from the draft. Exciminiano provides defense that Luigi craves. Otherwise, this is still the same core that gave fits to opponents.

Talk 'N Text: JP Erram (2nd, 15th), Robby Celiz (2nd, 17th), Eliud Poligrates (3rd, 27th), Oping Sumalinog (4th, 36th), Byron Villarias (5th, 41st)

Roster: Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey, Eliud Poligrates, Nonoy Baclao, Ryan Reyes, Sean Anthony, Larry Fonacier, Jai Reyes, Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, John Ferriols, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ali Peek, Aaron Aban

Reserves: Rob Reyes, Robby Celiz

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Alapag, Castro, Fonacier, De Ocampo, Peek
1st tier Reserves: R. Reyes, Anthony, Carey, Williams, Baclao
2nd tier Reserves:  J. Reyes, Poligrates, Aban, Ferriols

The aging core is still present, Norman Black adding some youth juice in Baclao and the rookies, but the biggest addition is the return of Kelly Williams.

Air21: Eric Camson (2nd, 16th), Joshua Webb (3rd, 21st), Angelo Ingco (4th, 31st), Randolph Chua (5th, 37th)

Roster: Vic Manuel, Mac Cardona, KG Canaleta, Simon Atkins, Eric Camson, Bonbon Custodio, Ren-ren Ritualo, Carlo Sharma, Joseph Yeo, Wynne Arboleda, Ogie Menor, Elmer Espiritu, Michael Burtscher, Asi Taulava

Reserves: Mark Borboran

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Arboleda, Cardona, Canaleta, Menor, Taulava
1st tier Reserves: Custodio, Ritualo, Yeo, Manuel, Sharma
2nd tier Reserves: Atkins, Camson, Espiritu, Burtscher

Franz Pumaren basically is getting closer to his dream Green Archer offensive team. Mac Cardona gets the chance to retake his place as one of the top offensive players in the league.

Petron: Sam Marata (3rd, 25th), Nate Matute (5th, 34th)

Roster: Chris Lutz, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Jason Deutchman, Paulo Hubalde, Marcio Lassiter, Doug Kramer, June Mar Fajardo, Chico Lanete, Yousef Taha, Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Cabagnot, Lutz, Tubid, Santos, Fajardo
1st tier Reserves: Ross, Lanete, Lassiter, Kramer, Taha
2nd tier Reserves: Hubalde, Deutchman

Same lineup, but the question is will the offensive philosophy reorient itself.

Meralco: Anjo Caram (3rd, 26th), Mike Parala (4th, 35th), Mark Lopez (5th, 40th), Ron Guevarra (6th, 43rd), Mark Bringas (7th, 44th)

Rosters: AJ Mandani, Nelbert Omolon, John Wilson, Cliff Hodge, Don Allado, Mike Cortez, Paul Artadi, Jared Dillinger, Reynel Hugnatan, Rey Guevarra, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Gary David, James Sena, Sunday Salvacion

Reserves: Kerby Raymundo

Projected Depth Chart:

Starters: Cortez, David, Salvacion, Hugnatan, Al-Hussaini
1st tier Reserves: Mandani, Wilson, Dillinger, Hodge, Allado
2nd tier Reserves: Artadi, Guevara, Omolon, Sena

Meralco underwent a makeover that would be akin to what Ryan Gregorio wants. The key will be when Kerby returns to the lineup. It showed flashes of what they can do in the last conference.

PBA Post-draft Deconstruction, Part I

Update: Two days after the draft, GlobalPort engineers a trade that sends Isaac Holstein to SanMig for Justin Chua and Leo Najorda. Now including in this post.

Before we proceed with the draft discussion postscript, we illustrate the result of the 2013 PBA Draft, first:

Round	Team	Pick	Trade Notes
1st	Barangay Ginebra	Greg Slaughter
1st	SanMig Coffee	Ian Sangalang
1st	Rain or Shine	Raymond Almazan
1st	Barako Bull	James Forrester	Pick traded to BGK in exchange for Rico Maierhofer & Willie Wilson
1st	Barako Bull	Terrence Romeo	Pick traded to Petron in exchange for Mark Isip & Magi Sison, who then traded pick to GlobalPort in exchange for Yousef Taha
1st	Barako Bull	RR Garcia	Pick traded to GlobalPort for Denok Miranda
1st	GlobalPort	Isaac Holstein	Pick traded to SanMig in exchange for Justin Chua & Leo Najorda
1st	Alaska	Ryan Buenafe
1st	Rain or Shine	Alex Nuyles
1st	SanMig Coffee	Justin Chua	Pick traded to GlobalPort, along with Leo Najorda in exchange for Isaac Holstein
2nd	GlobalPort	Nico Salva
2nd	Rain or Shine	Jeric Teng
2nd	SanMig Coffee	Justin Melton
2nd	Barako Bull	Jeric Fortuna
2nd	Alaska	JP Erram	Pick traded to Talk 'N Text in exchange for 2015 2nd round pick
2nd	Air21	Eric Camson
2nd	Talk 'N Text	Robby Celiz
2nd	Alaska	Ping Exciminiano
2nd	Rain or Shine	Gayford Rodriguez
2nd	Barako Bull	Carlo Lastimosa
3rd	Air21	Joshua Webb
3rd	GlobalPort	Jopher Custodio
3rd	Barako Bull	Darwin Cordero
3rd	Barangay Ginebra	LA Revilla	Pick traded to GlobalPort, along with 2016 & 2017 2nd round picks in exchange for 2014 1st round pick
3rd	Petron	Sam Marata
3rd	Meralco	Anjo Caram
3rd	Talk 'N Text	Eliud Poligrates
3rd	Alaska	Raymund Ilagan
3rd	Rain or Shine	Ervic Vijandre
3rd	SanMig Coffee	JR Cawaling
4th	GlobalPort	PASS
4th	Air21	Angelo Ingco
4th	Barako Bull	Jett Vidal
4th	Barangay Ginebra	John Usita
4th	Petron	Nate Matute
4th	Meralco	Mike Parala
4th	Talk 'N Text	Oping Sumalinog
4th	Alaska	PASS
4th	Rain or Shine	PASS
4th	SanMig Coffee	PASS
5th	Air21	Randolph Chua
5th	GlobalPort	PASS
5th	Barako Bull	Mike Silungan
5th	Barangay Ginebra	Alvin Padilla
5th	Petron	PASS
5th	Meralco	Mark Lopez
5th	Talk 'N Text	Byron Villarias
5th	Alaska	PASS
5th	Rain or Shine	PASS
5th	SanMig Coffee	PASS
6th	GlobalPort	PASS
6th	Air21	PASS
6th	Barako Bull	PASS
6th	Barangay Ginebra	Jens Knuttel
6th	Petron	PASS
6th	Meralco	Ron Guevarra
6th	Talk 'N Text	PASS
6th	Alaska	PASS
6th	Rain or Shine	PASS
6th	SanMig Coffee	PASS
7th	Air21	PASS
7th	GlobalPort	PASS
7th	Barako Bull	PASS
7th	Barangay Ginebra	PASS
7th	Petron	PASS
7th	Meralco	Mark Bringas
7th	Talk 'N Text	PASS
7th	Alaska	PASS
7th	Rain or Shine	PASS
7th	SanMig Coffee	PASS

Breaking down the 2013 PBA Draft Pool - Forwards

84 named filed their application to the PBA Draft (of course, the league will whittle that down after vetting the list).

Time to figure out who these are, based on how I remember them / after doing minimal research.

Part II - The Forwards.

The list has 16 players listed as forwards. It does not have the cache like Raymond, Greg or Ian, but a solid group.

Leading the cast is Nico Salva and Eric Camson, two UAAP standouts who became teammates at NLEX. Camson's teammate with the Falcons, Alex Nuyles, is a standout small forward and will be a late first-rounder to an early second round selection.

A key asset in Blackwater's run to their inaugural title,  Robby Celiz could be a possibility in the 2nd round.

Then we have a couple of JRU Bombers alumni in John Lopez and Jeckster Apinan, both of whom managed to average close to 10 rebounds a game in the NCAA at one point. Another solid player would be Dave Najorda.

Meanwhile, while we recognize the rise of the Perpetual Altas now, Raffy Ynion carried them back in their dark ages. Although undersized, he was their best player on the floor.

A couple of notable collegiate names that lost their luster are also in the draft in Joshua Webb and Paul Sanga. One might say that in Webb's case, it was more high school than college.

Breaking down the PBA Draft Pool - Guards

The PBA has officially whittled down the final list of draftees to 79.

Time to figure out who these are, based on how I remember them / doing minimal research.

The Swingmen:

Five players listed themselves as G/F on the PBA Draft database: three of them are of familiar note.

James Forrester is athletic and explosive. He may not be ideal as a top offensive option (see the disappointment of Arellano's Season 89 campaign), but as a complementary piece, he'll be a good addition.

Mike Silungan was one of the biggest name prospects coming into college, but he was unable to elevate the UP Maroons to relevance during his stay. His shooter reputation could get him drafted.

Oping Sumalinog will do whatever is asked. Versatile role player that was hidden amongst the stars of the Blue and White.

Guards:

JR Cawaling feels like he can possibly replicate Allein Maliksi's skill set. Sam Marata tried to carry a UP team in Season 76 in vain. But he can be a contributor off the bench.

Ryan Buenafe is one of the top prospects due to his basketball IQ. If you can work around your initial concerns with conditioning, he will be a major asset.

Jeric Teng's stock rose after his UAAP Finals performance for UST. 

Need size from playmaking position? Carlo Lastimosa and Mark Lopez can give that, with the Benilde product a better prospect on the offensive end.

Then we have the JRU prospects in Nate Matute and Byron Villarias.

The NCAA last season was all about Jett-Sanity. Jett Vidal was a scoring machine for the Perpetual Altas. He could be a possible 2nd rounder.

Need a pass-first PG, Jens Knuttel can give you that. He's among the best PGs in the D-League.

Justin Melton is an athletic freak. But is raw. Similarly, Eliud Poligrates has talent, but needs work on making the right decisions.

The two top guard prospects in the draft played together in the UAAP, in RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo.

Garcia is the more pro-ready prospect. Can play both guard spots. Romeo has a higher ceiling, but needs more polishing. Both can score like heck, especially Romeo.

Sleeper potential? There is a Zamboanga-based draftee named Darwin Cordero who has the guard chops.

Solid PGs also available in Anjo Caram, Jeric Fortuna and LA Revilla. In the latter's case, only his health concerns is the hindrance.

2013 PBA Rookie Draft this Sunday

The local basketball world will once again gaze their eyes towards the Robinson's Midtown on Sunday, November 3, as the opening event of the new PBA season beckons in the 2013 PBA Rookie Draft.

With a promising crop of hopefuls, 79 in all, the league's ten teams look set to upgrade their lineups in time for the All-Filipino conference set to tip off on November 17 in Manila, Cebu & Davao.

Headlining the draft is a trio of big men that carved their name in the UAAP, NCAA and the D-League that could possibly be a foil to June Mar Fajardo for the next few years.

Greg Slaughter, Ian Sangalang and Raymond Almazan are expected to go 1-2-3 in that order for Barangay Ginebra, SanMig Coffee and Rain or Shine, respectively.

Other standouts in the draft include reigning UAAP MVP Terrence Romeo, former UAAP MVP RR Garcia, UST skipper Jeric Teng, LA Revilla of the newly-UAAP champions De La Salle University, ABL standouts Justin Melton and Jeric Fortuna, Arellano scoring threat James Forrester, and stalwarts of the recent Ateneo dynasty in the UAAP in Nico Salva, Justin Chua, JP Erram and Ryan Buenafe.

The draft will be shown LIVE on TV5, starting at 4pm.

1st Round Draft Order:

1. Barangay Ginebra
2. SanMig Coffee
3. Rain or Shine
4. Barako Bull
5. Barako Bull
6. Barako Bull
7. GlobalPort
8. Alaska
9. Rain or Shine
10. SanMig Coffee

2nd Round Draft Order:

1. GlobalPort
2. Rain or Shine
3. SanMig Coffee
4. Barako Bull
5. Air21
6. Alaska
7. Talk 'N Text
8. Alaska
9. Rain or Shine
10. Barako Bull

Succeeding Rounds

1. Air21 or GlobalPort (alternating between rounds)
2. GlobalPort or Air21 (alternating between rounds)
3. Barako Bull
4. Barangay Ginebra
5. Petron
6. Meralco
7. Talk 'N Text
8. Alaska
9. Rain or Shine
10. SanMig Coffee

Breaking down the 2013 PBA Draft Pool - Bigs

84 names filed their applications for the upcoming PBA draft (of course, the league will whittle that down after vetting the list).

Time to figure out who these are, based on how I remember them / after some minimal research.

Part I - The Bigs

Centers.

The pool had seven players listed as Centers. You definitely know five of them. If you are a basketball nut, you'd recall the sixth. And then there's John Usita.

It is expected that the top 3 players of this upcoming draft will be Ian Sangalang, Raymond Almazan and Greg Slaughter, in some order. Ateneans know the importance of Justin Chua during their dynastic run, something Blackwater fans would understand. JP Erram once was thought to be Nonoy Baclao's replacement when he started to wear the Blue & White. He might possibly just take away Baclao's spot on a pro roster as well.

Holstein is 6'9", but also raw, because if he's good, we would talking about him along the lines of the above four guys who have had D-League experience (EA Regen's Almazan and Sangalang, NLEX's Slaughter & Blackwater's Chua).

And then there is Usita. 6'8" and 255. He once was listed as 275 a couple of years ago. If I am correct, Matthew Manotoc somehow found him in Hawai'i. He's also the second-oldest player in this draft (at 28), so he has to be a sure thing to be relevant. He's said to a banger and a low-post player.

Centers / Forwards.

Aside from the players above, there are four more C-F bigs available, with most seasoned by D-League duty. Mark Bringas has the big body to bang around, Mike Parala and Jaymo Eguilos can rebound. As for Vince Tinte, he probably got tired of waiting to be elevated to Team A. Guy needs to play in D-League for seasoning.

Doing a Humble Bola? - The 2013 PBA Draft positioning Part 3

See Part 1 and Part 2 here.

Why do a part 3? Well, this is to integrate who owns which pick. Thanks to Snow Badua's Instagram account, we have an idea.



So this is the status as of the moment.

A21 (in actuality, BGK) and GBP (in actuality, SMC) will be participating in the lottery, with A21 securing two envelopes and GBP having just one.
BRK (in actuality, ROS) then picks third, followed by some order between BGK (in actuality, BRK), PBB (in actuality, BRK) and MER (in actuality, BRK) (depending on subsequent results), then TNT (in actuality, GBP) and ALA, then finishing with either ROS or SMC (depending on subsequent results).

As such, it's pretty much the following.

BGK or SMC
ROS
then three straight from BRK
GBP
ALA
ROS or SMC

You may proceed with your mock drafts accordingly.

Doing a Humble Bola? - The 2013 PBA Draft positioning Part 2

Part 1 is here.

With SMC's 83-73 victory over ALA, let's update the rankings:

Here are the finishes in the previous two conferences:

AFC = TNT, ROS, SMC, ALA, MER, BGK, PBB, A21, BRK, GBP
CC = ALA, BGK, SMC, TNT, ROS, PBB, MER, A21, BRK, GBP
GOV = *, *, *, *, GBP, BRK, ALA, BGK, TNT, A21

* being either PBB, SMC, MER or ROS.

Formula: Number finished in AFC x .4 + Number finished in CC x .3 + Number finished in GOV x .3 = value

The lower the value, the closer you are to drafting at the back end instead of the front end of the 1st round.

TNT = 1, 4, 9 (.4 + 1.2 + 2.7 = 4.3)
RoS = 2, 5, 1 or 2 or 4 (.8 + 1.5 + ? = 2.3 + ?)
SMC = 3, 3, 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 (1.2 + .9 + ? = 2.1 + ?)
ALA = 4, 1, 7 (1.6 + .3 + 2.1 = 4)
MER = 5, 7, 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 (2 + 2.1 + ? = 4.1 + ?)
BGK = 6, 2, 8 (2.4 + .6 + 2.4 = 5.4)
PBB = 7, 6, 1 or 2 or 3 (2.8 + 1.8 + ? = 4.6 + ?)
A21 = 8, 8, 10 (3.2 + 2.4 + 3 = 8.6)
BRK = 9, 9, 6 (3.6 + 2.7 + 1.8 = 8.1)
GBP = 10, 10, 5 (4 + 3 + 1.5 = 8.5)

So, the current computations sees this:

TNT = 4.3
RoS = 2.3 + either .3 or .6 or 1.2
SMC = 2.1 + either .3 or .6 or .9 or 1.2
ALA = 4
MER = 4.1 + either .3 or .6 or .9 or 1.2
BGK = 5.4
PBB = 4.6 + either .3 or .6 or .9
A21 = 8.6
BRK = 8.1
GBP = 8.5

A21 and GBP will be participating in the lottery, with A21 securing two envelopes and GBP having just one.
BRK then picks third, followed by some order between BGK, PBB and MER (depending on subsequent results), then TNT and ALA, then finishing with either ROS or SMC (depending on subsequent results).

Time to go to the what ifs in the semis: PBB vs ROS & SMC vs MER:

If PBB and SMC win,

MER finishes third and ROS finishes fourth.

ROS = 3.5
MER = 5

BGK will locked in as 4th selection, then MER or PBB depending on PBB's finals performance (PBB title means MER picks 5th, while SMC title means PBB picks 5th).
ROS will be locked in as 9th, and SMC in 10th, regardless of SMC's finals performance.

If PBB and MER win,

SMC finishes third and ROS finishes fourth


ROS = 3.5
SMC = 3

Draft positions will be formalized already regardless of Finals result.

BGK will be locked in as 4th, PBB in 5th, MER in 6th, ROS in 9th and SMC in 10th.

If ROS and SMC win,

PBB finishes third and MER finishes fourth

PBB = 5.5
MER = 5.3

PBB will be locked in as 4th selection, BGK in 5th and MER in 6th.
Loser of ROS-SMC finals picks 9th. Winner picks 10th.

If ROS and MER win,

PBB finishes third and SMC finishes fourth

PBB = 5.5
SMC = 3.3

Draft positions will be formalized already regardless of Finals result.

PBB will be locked in as 4th, BGK in 5th, MER in 6th, SMC in 9th and ROS in 10th.