Embracing Adversity

GlobalPort is 1-2 after its first three games in the 2015 PBA Philippine Cup, but they could've easily been 3-0.

Early hot shooting enabled the Batang Pier to control most of the game against NLEX, but the team was caught offguard when the Road Warriors switched to zone defense and Asi Taulava's heroics stole the game away from GlobalPort.

Against Purefoods, after leading by a huge margin in the first half, the team simply fell to a poised championship team towards the end-game.

This is an almost all too familiar narrative for GlobalPort fans. The team shows early promise and wins one game early on in the tournament, and then they'd go on to lose the rest of the way. Somehow, I feel that this particular team is bound to break that. We've got a prodigy in Terrence Romeo, a super talented rookie in Stanley Pringle, a rejuvenated star in Alex Cabagnot and a cast of young talent and veterans that are capable of complimenting our "big three." This team can be really something special.

Sometimes, painful experiences like these can turn out to be good. Winning by 20 points is great, but come-from-behind losses like these are what tests a team's true character. Will the team fall apart and lose motivation or will they regroup and rally to do better?

As this blogsite is aptly called, it's time for the team to show fortitude, courage in pain and adversity. Great teams experience numerous heartaches along the way, but they embrace the adversity with open arms and use it to fuel them even more. When you're faced with adversity, the only appropriate and acceptable response is to get up and carry on.

And we hope that's exactly how this team responds.

Port out.

Preseason Thoughts and Predictions

The Future is Now.

PRINGLE = GOOD AS ADVERTISED.

I knew Stanley Pringle was good, but after seeing the preseason game against Talk n' Text, I was still pleasantly surprised with how good he really is. He basically dominated on the offensive end. He is the complete package. He's got great handles and an explosive first step that allows him to blow by his defenders. He wasn't forcing his shots. He knew when to drive, when to pass and when to shoot. He outplayed Talk n' Text's guards, including Jayson Castro. As I've said in my previous article, Pringle does not have any holes in his game, and this game testified that. It was just a preseason game, but we saw a glimpse of Pringle's tremendous talent.

NEW ROLE FOR ALEX?

Alex Cabagnot wasn't bad either. He adjusted his game very well to accommodate Pringle. Pringle played point and Alex played the 2 when they're together, when I initially thought it would be the other way around. Not often do you see a veteran star guard defer primary playmaking duties to a rookie, but Cabagnot did and I give him credit for that. Alex may not dominate the ball as much next season, but he could still be as effective off the ball as he's also a pretty good shooter.

THE "OTHER" GUYS.

Mark Isip has always been a solid post player and with GlobalPort, he's our best (and perhaps only) option down low. Yancy De Ocampo will start but Kelly Nabong will be getting the bigger share of minutes at the center spot. Keith Jensen will be our 3-and-D guy and he could be the team's X-factor. Ronjay Buenafe, Jojo Duncil, and Roider Cabrera provide lots of scoring off the bench.

GUARD PLAY. WILL IT WORK?

With Pringle, Cabagnot, Romeo, and Buenafe, it's evident that our guard rotation will be the team's biggest strength next season. But at the same time, our lack of post scoring could also be our biggest weakness. Theoretically though, a guard-oriented team could work. The dynamic of the offense would have to revolve around run-and-gun, with emphasis on shooting and scoring on fastbreaks. 

Just three years ago, the Powerade Tigers employed this type of offense and it brought them relative success. The Tigers' also relied on their guards (Gary David, Marcio Lassiter, JV Casio) for offense, and they beat their opponents by outscoring them rather than stopping them from scoring. Of course, coach Pido Jarencio will be stressing defense and we've got some good defensive players in Jensen and Nabong, but if we want to optimize the potential of our guards, a fast-tempo running game would be ideal especially with our team composition.

THE PBA'S PHOENIX SUNS?

Another example of a run-and-gun team is the NBA's Phoenix Suns. Last season, their top scorers were their guards (Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Gerald Green). Most of their big men were role players who excel in either defense or shooting, but none of them were legit post scorers. They surprised everyone last year and almost made the playoffs in a tough Western Conference. This year, they'll be displaying the same dynamic with their trio of Dragic, Bledsoe and newly-acquired Isaiah Thomas. Could GlobalPort be the PBA version of the Phoenix Suns? We'll see.

STAT LEADER PREDICTIONS:

Top Scorer =  Terrence Romeo. This could only go down to either Pringle or Romeo. Pringle is a very capable scorer, but as we've seen in the preseason games, I'll have to put my money on Romeo as our team's leading scorer in the upcoming Philippine Cup. But it will be very close between these two budding hotshots.

Top Passer = Alex Cabagnot. Alex have always been among the league leaders in assists, and he led the league yet again last season. Pringle could be the darkhorse in this category, but Alex is the safe bet.

Top Rebounder = Kelly Nabong. Kelly averaged 6 rebounds despite playing only 18 minutes per game last season. I expect him to play in the 24-27 minutes/game range next season, and it'll lead to an increase in his rebounding numbers as well. Pringle again could be a darkhorse in this category, albeit a long shot. 

Top Shooter = Stanley Pringle. Pringle shot 40% from threes in college. He's got a good shooting form and is big enough to shoot over opposing guards in the PBA. Cabagnot, Romeo, and Buenafe could give him a run for his money here, but after placing second in the previous three categories, I have to give this one to Pringle.

Top Defender = Keith Jensen. At 6'5" and with his length and quickness, Jensen is capable of guarding four positions. Although defense rarely show up in the stat sheet, Jensen's versatility could make him coach Pido's go-to-guy in defense.

FEARLESS FORECAST.

The best thing about the entry of new teams Kia Sorento and Blackwater Elite is that it almost guarantees that GlobalPort won't be in last place anymore next season. LOL. I mean, seriously, on paper, Kia and Blackwater will have to play every game with a huge disadvantage talent-wise given that their respective rosters are mostly composed of "rejects" and 2nd round rookies.

As for GlobalPort, I think we'll be at the middle of the pack, along with teams like NLEX, Meralco, Alaska and Barako Bull. That in itself is an improvement compared to the previous two years. As I've said before, reaching the quarterfinals is to be expected, but a first semifinal appearance for this franchise is now a realistic goal. Barring any major injuries, GlobalPort is bound for an exciting season. 

Port Out.

Roster Preview: The Guards

It's no secret that GlobalPort's offense will rely heavily on its guards: Alex Cabagnot, Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle. They will be eating up the majority of minutes in both guard spots and taking up a significant percentage of the team's shots, in addition to the standard guard duties of orchestrating the offense and controlling the flow of the game. They can create scoring opportunities for their teammates as well as take up scoring responsibilities themselves. These are three very capable playmakers, but each of them brings different things to the team.

Alex Cabagnot

The Cool Whip. The Crunchman. One of the best point guards in the league for the past decade, Alex Cabagnot is the most experienced playmaker in the team. Always among the league leaders in assist, Cabagnot again topped that category last season, average 6 assists per game, and this was despite playing in a new environment with relatively less offensive weapons than his previous team (Petron). When Alex was traded to GlobalPort, he was looked upon to score more than he used to, a role he hasn't taken on since his Coca-Cola days, and although Alex struggled a bit at first, he eventually settled down and even ended the season ranked 11 in scoring, with a 13 PPG average.

Next season, with the continued development of Terrence Romeo and the arrival of spitfire rookie Stanley Pringle, Alex probably won't be tasked to score as much, and he can ease back to his natural role of being more of a floor general. At 31, Alex is still as a good as he's been, and he's still someone that you can count on to make a big shot when the game is on the line. Also of note, Alex is among the top 5 league leaders in steals, and that's to those who say that he can't play defense. 

Terrence Romeo

If his preseason performance is any indication, then it's quite safe to say that Romeo is poised for a breakout season. In contrast to Cabagnot who is a pass-first guard, Romeo is a scorer. He averaged 12.43 points per game last season (2nd among rookies, 15th in the league). Next year though, especially with the departure of Jay Washington, Romeo is looked upon to be the team's primary scoring option. While such responsibility can be quite daunting for someone who will only be entering his sophomore year, Romeo has shown that he belongs in the big league.

There are still a lot of areas he needs to improve on like his shot selection (he shot 34% from the field and 25% from threes), but if he just continues to develop and stay healthy, I'm quite confident to say that it's due time for Romeo to establish himself as a star in this league. And the scariest part is? He's only 22.

Stanley Pringle 

If Alex is a passer and Romeo is a scorer, Pringle is a mix of both. Pringle can also play both guard positions quite effectively, and he couldn't have found a better team to land on where he can immediately make a big impact than GlobalPort. There is much excitement and buzz around this prized rookie. At 27 and having played in various pro leagues around the world, Pringle is no rookie by any sense, and he's very much capable of making noise in just his first year playing in the PBA. Imagine a bigger Jayson Castro with a better outside shot. That's how good Stanley Pringle can be. 

There really isn't too many holes in Pringle's game. He can slash, shoot, pass, defend, and even rebound. Don't be surprised to see a triple-double game or two from him this season. He will ease some scoring pressure off Romeo. I certainly can't wait to see Pringle and Romeo running the floor together and blitzing past helpless defenders.

Triple Threat

Last year, GlobalPort also entered the season with a trio of talented guards with Terrence Romeo, RR Garcia and Solomon Mercado, but this year's version of a three-headed monster is presumably much better. Sophomore Romeo is obviously better than Rookie Romeo, Cabagnot is much more experienced and established than RR, and Pringle is a more all-around player than Sol. 

After two hard luck years as a franchise, GlobalPort believes they've got the pieces now to take this team to the next level. A quarterfinal appearance is a modest goal and reaching the semifinals is definitely achievable, but this team will only go as far as the triumvirate of Cabagnot, Romeo and Pringle will take them.

Port Out.    

J-Wash Out, Mr. Swat In

So after my previous entries previewing the bigs and wings, I was supposed to be previewing our guards next, but as recent rumors surface regarding the San Miguel Beermen's wish to re-acquire Alex Cabagnot back to their fold, I'm going to put that one on hold. Well, nothing's clear at this point, but we all know that whatever SMB wants, more or less they'll find a way to get it. We'll see how that develops.

On the other hand, as had been hinted before, Jay Washington is indeed a goner as he was shipped out in a three-team trade that netted us Nonoy Baclao and Talk N' Text's 2017 first round pick. Given that TNT have always been a contender and will continue to do so, that pick will probably in the bottom-half of the first round.

Personally, I think this deal isn't that bad at all. The first round pick is a nice asset, but the key acquisition here is Siverino "Nonoy" Baclao, a 6'5" 27-year-old defensive stalwart. He is mostly known for being picked #1 in the 2010 draft over more-heralded college teammate Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Some may consider him a bust, although I think it would be a little unfair to call it that way. It's just that in most cases, top overall picks are usually scorers, and people who didn't know anything about Baclao's game were bound to be disappointed.

Mr. Swat may not score much, but he'll make sure you don't either.

Baclao is no scorer and probably never will be. Even in college, when he was a key part of Ateneo's championship teams, he never even averaged in double figures. Baclao may score on putbacks or off drop passes, but you'll never see him post up, throw up a hook, or beat his man off the dribble, at least not consistently. That has never been his game.

Where Baclao does wonders though is on the defensive end. Baclao is a "defensive-specialist" in the truest sense of the word.  Do a quick search of Nonoy Baclao in YouTube and the videos that come up are all rejection/block highlights, even a couple against 6'10" behemoth June Mar Fajardo.

Just in the recently concluded Governor's Cup, Baclao averaged 1.67 blocks per game, good for top 5 in the league. But given that 3 of the 4 guys above him (Fajardo, Hodge and Slaughter) all averaged much more minutes, then Baclao is essentially ranked 2nd in terms of blocks per minute, only next to 6'7" Raymond Almazan.

Some may view replacing Washington for Baclao as a downgrade, but we really don't have to look at Baclao as Washington's "replacement." If Washington really wanted out anyway, the management did a good job acquiring a first round pick and a young big in return. Replacing Washington's scoring will fall on the hands of guys like Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle and Keith Jensen. Baclao is just another good addition, both now and for the future.

In what looks like a new era in Philippine Basketball ushered by the emergence of young dominating bigs, a 6'5" defensive demon is definitely not the worse thing a coach can have at his disposal. If we can't have a Fajardo or a Slaughter, then we might as well have someone who can swat their shots into oblivion.

Port out.

Roster Preview: The Wings

In my previous post, I previewed GlobalPort's big men for the upcoming season. This time, we'll be taking a look at our wing players, which we'll be featuring an entirely new cast from the ones we began the previous season with.

Stability from the '3' spot has been one of the many issues for GlobalPort last season. Marvin Hayes and Mark Yee were good defenders, but don't provide much offensively. Ronnie Mathias and Mark Macapagal had moments of brilliance, but both lacked consistency. Rookie Nico Salva, a talented scorer, just struggled to find his niche with the team. The same can be said about Val Acuña.

A sneak preview of GlobalPort's practice sessions.

This year, the 'swing' position looks significantly better already, especially with the arrival of Keith Jensen from Barako Bull. This 6'5" 26-year-old is your prototypical small forward. He's an all-around player who provides length, athleticism, shooting and defense. He averaged 8 points and 2 rebounds in just 22 minutes last season for Barako Bull. He's projected to start for GlobalPort and he's likely going to be one of the team's key players.

While known for his mid-range game, Jensen also shot a good 38% from threes, and while his 2 rebounds/game average isn't eye-catching, this could be attributed to him playing mostly in the perimeter. He scored 17 points in the quarterfinal game against Talk N' Text.

Another new acquisition is veteran journeyman Jojo Duncil. While this 6'1" 31-year-old is naturally a shooting guard, he could slide to small forward, and is likely to see more minutes there especially with the trio of Romeo-Pringle-Cabagnot taking up the majority of minutes in both guard spots.

Duncil is tough-as-nails. Every team could make use of that type of player, and we had Hayes and Yee last season. The difference is Duncil being a much better scorer than both Hayes and Yee. Duncil is another solid addition.

Ronjay wowed Coke fans back in the day with his acrobatic moves.

Ronjay Buenafe was one of my favorite players back when he was with the Coca-Cola Tigers. This second-round pick was the steal of the 2007 draft and Tiger fans loved him for his exciting plays and clutch moments as a young rookie. Even after Ronjay was traded, I still continued to root for him and follow his career.

Now 31, Buenafe continues to be a solid contributor for every team he played, especially on the offensive end. He's a streaky shooter who could heat up at any moment, and once in a while he still pulls out those spectacular lay-ups that earned him the nickname of "The Red Dragon" when he was a rookie.

Buenafe's role in this team will probably be more of a spot-up shooter than a go-to shot creator. He could start at shooting guard or play as a sixth man, and just like Duncil, he could slide up to the '3' spot at certain situations or when GP go small-ball.

I can almost hear GlobalPort's lady fans rejoicing
when the team drafted Anthony Semerad.

Model-looks aside, Fil-Aussie Anthony Semerad is a talented young player who like Jensen, has the size and skill set perfectly suited for a small forward. I admittedly haven't seen much of Semerad in the NCAA aside from his rookie year, in which I likened his game to Tony Dela Cruz.

He'll be taking up Nico Salva's spot in the team as a project wing, although I hope he'll be a much better fit. While not quite as good a scorer as Salva was, Semerad is a better defender, and he could find his role as a 3-and-D guy for GlobalPort. He was frequently matched-up against Calvin Abueva back in college, so he'll be no stranger to physical play. He'll have much work to do, but he's got all the tools to become a very good player for the Batang Pier down the road.

There are still other players trying out for the team, and we could probably see another wing player added to the roster, like Adamson's Roider Cabrera.

Next up, I'll be previewing our guards.

Port out.

Roster Preview: The Bigs

In each of its first two years in the league, GlobalPort fielded an almost entirely overhauled roster at the beginning of the season. It won't be the same this time, as half of the team will be holdovers from the previous season's squad, although the team will still be welcoming new faces to the team.

First, we'll take a look at the bigs in the roster. Apparently, there's been a hold-up with Jay Washington re-signing with the team. J-Wash led the team locals in rebounding last season, so his possible departure could be quite significant. Despite that, the team still have quite a solid cast of bigs that should be able to hold down the post for the Batang Pier.

Yancy De Ocampo / 6'9" / 34 y.o. - An 11-year veteran, Yancy brings a lot of experience and savvy to a relatively young squad. If he's healthy, he'll be playing significant minutes for GlobalPort as the man in the middle. He still is a pretty good shooter and has been a decent rebounder throughout his career. He's also a big body who we can throw on the Fajardos and Slaughters of the league.

Kelly Nabong / 6'5" / 25 y.o. - I just love Kelly Nabong. He's not afraid to do the dirty work for the team and he plays hard every time. He crashes the boards and he defends well. Kelly has put up good numbers last year despite limited playing time. His minutes and role will likely increase next season, especially if Washington leaves.

One simply does not mess around with Kelly Nabong.

Mark Isip / 6'4" / 33 y.o. - An 8-year veteran, Isip will be playing for his 9th team. He's a good mid-range shooter and a decent rebounder. Isip is a solid addition to the roster.

Jewel Ponferada / 6'5" / 26 y.o. - Despite not given consistent minutes last season, Jewel has shown flashes of skill whenever he's on court. He'll have to earn his minutes again next season, but he's a young big who is proven to contribute whenever his number is called.

Carlo Sharma / 6'6" / 33 y.o. - Another veteran big. The main reason that Sharma has stuck in the league for almost a decade now is his soft touch from the outside. As a good mid-range shooter, he'll be a likely recipient of kick-out passes from GlobalPort's aggressive guards.

Sharma played for Shell; that's how
long this guy has been in the league.

Prince Caperal / 6'6" / 21 y.o. - Barring significant injuries to the other bigs, I don't see this rookie cracking into the rotation, but he'll have a chance to learn from the veterans.


Final Word: GlobalPort's got size now. We've got a good mix of veterans and young bigs. Guys like Yancy, Isip, and Sharma will add another element to the team's offense with their outside shooting. Nabong and Ponferada provides muscle. The main weakness I foresee is our lack of a reliable post scorer, although I hope that Isip, Kelly and Jewel will work into that role as the season progresses. On the other hand, we'll have lots of scoring from the wings and the guards to offset that deficiency.

Hopefully Washington's issue eventually gets resolved, but this group of bigs will be ready to bang bodies next season, with or without J-Wash.

Next post, I'll be previewing our wingmen.

Port out.

Is Pringle The Answer?

Stanley Pringle probably has the most impressive credentials for a draftee in the history of the PBA (maybe with the exception of Manny Pacquiao if you count non-basketball related achievements, but that's another story).

Pringle played college ball in the US, suited up for pro teams in Belgium, Poland and Ukraine, and led the Indonesia Warriors to an ABL championship. He averaged in double figures in all those stints so he's not just any role-playing journeyman.

So when he decided to finally enter his name in the PBA draft, GlobalPort, who owned the top pick, couldn't be more ecstatic. Pringle had already been meeting up with GlobalPort staff and working out with the team even days before the draft. GlobalPort had no doubt that Pringle was their guy.

GlobalPort has had a nightmarish first two years in the league, as they finished last in four out of the six conferences. With the top pick, the franchise is looking to turn their fortunes around, and when they picked Stanley Pringle in the 2014 PBA draft, they look for him to be the catalyst for that change.

But is Pringle really the answer?

After stints all around the world, Pringle is now looking
to bring his talent (and his beard) to the PBA.

Stanley Pringle is a very explosive combo guard. He's big, he's fast, and he's strong. He can penetrate, drive, dish, and shoot.

Do those qualities remind you of another player? Last year, GlobalPort also had an explosive combo guard, who's big, fast and strong, who can penetrate, drive, dish and shoot. His name is Sol Mercado.

But despite all of Mercado's brilliance, the team still struggled to rack up wins. That's because in basketball, as cliche'd as this may sound, one guy can't do it all. And it's too much to ask for anybody, nonetheless a rookie, to turn things around overnight. No single guy can do that. Not Mercado, and not Pringle.

Expectations for Pringle will undoubtedly be very high, and for good reason, but we shouldn't expect him to dominate right away. It may take some games for him to adjust to the team system and the style of play in the PBA. He will have nights where he will struggle from the field and shoot 1/9, similar to how spitfire Terrence Romeo, in his rookie year, would score 30 one night, then 3 the next.

But there's no doubt that Pringle is the best talent in the recent draft. At 27, he's at the prime of his career and is ripe enough to be able to contribute right away.

But will he be the franchise-savior? The one who'll lead GlobalPort to greater heights?

No, but we don't need him to be, at least not immediately. What we need is for him to create a positive impact for the team. We need him to play his heart out every game, for the team and for the fans. We need him to play to his strengths and to work on his weaknesses. We need him to be a Batang Pier.

Is Pringle the answer?

No. But he'll be an important piece of the puzzle.

Port out.