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.