PBA na ulit... (continued)

**Retz** · March 3rd, 2014 11:04 PM

Tim Cone says San Mig remains very much James Yap's team. He tells us why

HEROES were not in short supply during San Mig's improbable run to the PBA Philippine Cup championship, with players like Mark Barroca, Marc Pingris, Joe Devance, PJ Simon, and even rookie Justin Melton standing out at one point or another during the campaign.

But as far as coach Tim Cone is concerned, San Mig, for all intents and purposes, is still very much James Yap's team.

Despite Yap's conference-long struggle, Cone pointed out that the Mixers still take the cue from the two-time league MVP who he said was professional enough to shrug off injuries and "off-court issues" to lead from the front for the newly crowned champions.

“If it is anybody’s, it’s (San Mig’s) still James’ team because we still play off with James. And the players really respect James and the game,” said Cone, still savoring the team’s title conquest of the all-Filipino conference after a 4-2 win in the Finals over Rain or Shine.

more.....
Tim Cone says San Mig remains very much James Yap's team. He tells us why | PBA | SPIN.PH

Tim Cone says San Mig remains very much James Yap's team. He tells us why | PBA | SPIN.PH

**rukawa11** · March 3rd, 2014 11:44 PM

^SMC fan ako pero hindi maka james yap

si pingris, simon at barroca ang nagpapalakas ngayon sa SMC imo. yung mga struggle naman ni yap puro gawa naman nya yun tulad sa mga babae nya at kay kris

dapat i approve na ang blackwater and kia para dumami team sa PBA

**Retz** · March 4th, 2014 12:22 AM

^

Wala pa bang balita sa phoenix petroleum sir ?

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**SiRbossR** · March 4th, 2014 02:13 AM

The More teams, the happier!

**shadow** · March 4th, 2014 07:49 AM

more teams, more lopsided trades they better make sure new teams can really afford to maintain a PBA team for at least 10 yrs baka front nanamann yan black water.

Mas maganda pa bilhin na lang existing franchise ng barako or air21 ng Isang serious applicant kesa magdagdag kung front lang or kung 2-3 yrs lang itatagal sa PBA.

Parang global port Magiging competitive daw eh front lang pala so Romero ng SMB.

Mas masahol pa nga so Romero eh puro press releases na gusto competitive saka may pera for a PBA team. Supot naman Buti pa barako and air21 hinde Plastik alam ng lahat ng farm team lang sila

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#retzing

**_Qwerty_** · March 4th, 2014 11:04 AM

kinukuha daw nang blackwater si parks at bachetto for their final season sa d-league.. so pag na approved sila sa PBA pwede nila gawing direct hire yung dalawa..

**Retz** · March 4th, 2014 04:40 PM

Game time na ulit bukas. Ang bilis.

**chua_riwap** · March 4th, 2014 07:46 PM

walkout ulit......

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**Retz** · March 5th, 2014 10:15 AM

Alaska coach Trillo hopes reinventing Calvin Abueva's position will lead to reawakening of 'The Beast'

AFTER a lot of soul-searching for both coach and player during the break in between conferences, Alaska coach Luigi Trillo hopes a new role as well as 'renewed commitment' for Calvin Abueva will lead to a reawakening for the player known as 'The Beast.'

Abueva, the reigning Rookie of the Year, is coming off a Philippine Cup campaign where he made more news for the troubles he got involved in that for his play in the season-opening conference where the Aces fell out of contention at the quarterfinal stage.

Trillo, however, see renewed hunger and commitment from Abueva since the Philippine Cup disappointment, which team insiders said had prompted a rethink among Alaska officials on whether the former NCAA MVP should be a part of the organization over the long haul.

“He’s coming into the game with a whole new approach. I see willingness and hunger (from him) to contribute in anyway,” Trillo confided to Spin.ph before the start of Alaska’s practice on Tuesday at the Gatorade Hoops Center.

The Alaska coach also bared that he is switching Abueva from his usual power forward role in the all-Filipino to the off-guard/small forward position, where Trillo hopes the sophomore's brute strength will give him an edge over the guards of opposing teams.

The role switch will also veer Abueva away from constant battles with opposing imports while banking on his quickness to help him keep in step with the guards of other teams.

“He’s (Abueva) playing a different role for us. I think you can put him at a 4 (power forward) anytime, but he has a comfort zone at the 2 (off guard) and 3 (small forward),” explained Trillo. “It’s nice see him with that. I know he wants to do better than what he did last conference.”

Meantime, Abueva has promised to steer clear of 'distractions' and keep his focus on the court.

“Wala na 'yun (distractions) kasi ifo-focus ko na sarili ko sa conference na ito,” said the 26-year-old former San Sebastian Stag, vowing to shake off the so-called 'sophomore jinx.'

Abueva added he’s thankful to the people who stood by him during his conference-long struggle.

“Hindi lang naman ako nage-effort (to get focused again) kundi pati teammates ko, family at coaches ko. Saka sila na rin nagsasabi na kailangang mai-defend namin ang crown,” added Abueva, who averaged 10.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists in just 20.8 minutes per contest in the Philippine Cup.

Source: Alaska coach Trillo hopes reinventing Calvin Abueva's position will lead to reawakening of 'The Beast' | PBA | SPIN.PH

Alaska coach Trillo hopes reinventing Calvin Abueva's position will lead to reawakening of 'The Beast' | PBA | SPIN.PH

**_Qwerty_** · March 5th, 2014 12:56 PM

SCOUTING THE 2014 COMMISSIONER'S CUP IMPORTS
from interaksyon.com

The big boys are back in the PBA for the Commissioner’s Cup, with fans getting a stateside flavor of Philippine basketball with the return of imports. The Alaska Aces will try to defend their crown alongside reigning Best Import Robert Dozier, but the rest of the teams have reloaded with their reinforcements as the new tournament opens on Wednesday.

Here is InterAksyon.com’s early look at the roster of imports competing in the tournament.

Air 21 Express — Herve Lamizana

Lamizana is a big man with a ton of international experience, both as an import for numerous clubs and as part of the Ivory Coast national team.

Express coach Franz Pumaren had the privilege of choosing a 6-foot-11 import, but instead went with Lamizana, who is at least a couple of inches shorter. But what Lamizana may lack in ceiling, he makes up for in quickness and athleticism.

Lamizana is a terror on the defensive end, dominating the game with his weak-side shotblocking. That makes him a perfect complement to Air 21 center Asi Taulava, who is still a solid on-ball defender but struggles as a shotblocking threat because of his reduced mobility at 41 years old.

With his thin frame, Lamizana won’t strike fear in anyone in the low block. He gets most of his points on faceup jump shots, beating his man down the floor in transition, and scoring on putbacks.

In short, he’s sort of the Ivorian Japeth Aguilar.

Alaska Aces — Robert Dozier

Robert Dozier needs no introduction to Filipino basketball fans after leading the Alaska Aces to their first PBA title in the post-Tim Cone era last season.

The top dog of the Commissioner’s Cup last season did not put up eye-popping stats — 20.1 points, 17.6 rebounds, 2.9 blocks — but his value to the team transcended numbers. He had instant chemistry with Alaska center Sonny Thoss, and their frontcourt partnership last season gave the Aces the best interior defense in the whole league.

But perhaps what made Dozier so special was that he gave the Aces exactly what they needed during different junctures of the tournament last year. Shut down the opposing import? Put up big scoring numbers to take the pressure off the guards? Anchor the team’s matchup zone? Dozier was a Swiss-army knife of an import who makes Alaska a favorite anew this season.

Barako Bull — Josh Dollard

Josh Dollard’s promising collegiate career at Auburn University was cut short in 2007 after he was dismissed for violating the school’s athletic policy. At the time, he was leading the Tigers in scoring and rebounding.

Dollard, who is built like a brick house but has smooth perimeter skills, has since carved out a career traveling the world as an import, most recently in Finland.

Even though he plays the small forward position, Dollard isn’t afraid of mixing it up down low to put up major rebounding numbers. Because he plays on the wing, his presence creates an interesting mismatch against opposing teams with bigger imports.

With the choice of Dollard, Barako Bull would be relying on its veteran center combination of Mick Pennisi and Dorian Pena to protect the paint. Two seasons ago, the team made the semifinals of this tournament using the same formula, when it was led by wing imports Rodney White and Gabe Freeman. Barako Bull is hoping the magic still works, this time with Dollard sliding into that role.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel — Leon Rodgers

Leon Rodgers has gotten a lot of hype from the Ginebra faithful because of his scoring performances in the team’s tuneup games. A true wing scorer, Rodgers also measured as the smallest import in the tournament.

A 33-year-old veteran of numerous leagues around the world, Rodgers’ specialty is getting buckets. He has put up big scoring numbers pretty much anywhere he has played, using a combination of streaky outside shooting and crafty moves to get to the basket.

Rodgers’ selection is an interesting gambit for the Gin Kings. It means that the Ginebra brain trust is confident that the twin tower combination of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar are ready to contain the hulking imports of other teams.

Defending bigger imports is something that both young giants certainly have the potential to do, but neither man certainly has the experience of doing that for an extended period of time.

GlobalPort Batang Pier — Evan Brock

Evan Brock is one of just two returning reinforcements to the PBA this conference, with the other one being reigning Best Import Robert Dozier of the Alaska Aces.

With averages of 21.2 points and 16.0 rebounds in 40.8 minutes for Barako Bull last season, Brock proved himself to be a quiet but effective player. He was hugely responsible for the team’s strong start, but a late swoon made the Barako Bull coaching staff press the panic button and hire DJ Mbenga — who brought his Los Angeles Lakers pedigree but showed little else in his short stint in the PBA.

At GlobalPort, the workmanlike Brock is the perfect fit for a young team that’s lacking both hustle and muscle in the frontcourt. With no shotblocking presence, the Batang Pier defense was a sieve in the Philippine Cup, and Brock’s entry into the fray should help address that somewhat.

With proven scorers such as Jay Washington and Alex Cabagnot as well as rookies Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia, Brock won’t be asked to do much heavy lifting on offense by incoming coach Pido Jarencio. That would allow the lefty big man to do what he does best — doing the dirty job for the Batang Pier.

Meralco Bolts — Brian Butch

After finishing at a disappointing ninth place in the last conference, the Meralco Bolts were granted the privilege of tapping an import as tall as 6-foot-11.

Coach Ryan Gregorio took full advantage by bringing in the tallest import in the tournament, NBA D-League First Team member Brian Butch.

Interestingly, Butch is a finesse player on offense despite his size. He has a pretty stroke from the perimeter with range that extends to the three-point line.

Despite being a shooting big man, Butch is far from a softie on the defensive end. He has put up big rebounding numbers against top D-League competition, and while he’s no shotblocker, he knows how to use his size to take up space in the paint on defense.

His lack of athleticism has hampered his career in terms of being an NBA prospect, but his size and skills certainly makes him one of the most intriguing choices in the PBA this conference.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters — Alex McLean

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao fancies his team as an unheralded group full of underdogs. By that token, import Alex McLean. The native New Yorker toiled away at tiny Liberty University before traveling the world looking for basketball gigs.

The lefty big man is a workhorse in the post, while occasionally popping out outside for a perimeter jumper, something he developed after college as his professional sojourn took him on assignments in South America, China, and the Middle East.

The Commissioner’s Cup has been sort of a waterloo for an otherwise extremely successful Elasto Painters squad. In 2012, the team struggled despite tapping the dynamic Duke Crews. Last season, Rain or Shine ran out to a second-seed finish after the eliminations behind Bruno Sundov, only to be ambushed by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

The Elasto Painters, still licking their wounds after a tough loss in the finals of the Philippine Cup, is hoping that McLean will be the answer to their problems.