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.

The Sol-Train Departs The Port

Solomon Mercado is not your typical PBA pointguard. He's big, stuffed and strong, allowing him to just overwhelm smaller guys in his position. He's got the body of a Wynne Arboleda yet the speed of a Jayson Castro. He can drive, he can dish, and he can shoot the three.

Rooting against Sol Mercado is tough, because he's just so good. This brings back memories of his Rain or Shine days where he was a nightmare to the Coca-Cola Tigers (and us fans).

Seems like we'll be rooting against him again now.

"Choo-choo!"

And that crossover? Man, what a beauty to watch. Of course I could never forget how he crossed Derek Fisher (twice!) when the NBA stars came here to play. His "Sol-Train" monicker is perfectly fitting. When you see him coming, you better move out of the way or you're going to be run over. He's almost unstoppable at times. He brought "bully-ball" to the PBA.

I've always admired Sol Mercado's exciting brand of play, even before he came to GlobalPort. That's why I was so stoked when he became a Batang Pier last year. He teamed up with Gary David in what figured to be an explosive backcourt. Later on, he would form the "MMDA" connection with Willie Miller, David and Japeth Aguilar. That squad didn't have much success though, or maybe the management gave up too easily on making it work out.

As to why that didn't pan out, Sol is definitely not to blame. He put up great numbers for the team during his brief stint here. Just last conference, he averaged a career-high 19 points per game (3rd in the league), to go along with 5 assists (5th in the league) and 4 rebounds.

The great thing about Sol was that he never whined despite the team's struggles, or at least not publicly. He never demanded for a trade. He just continued to deliver what was required of him, and even more. Last year, Mercado decided to go against the doctor's advice of having shoulder surgery (which would've sidelined him for 4 to 6 months), so that he could join the team in the season-ending Governor's Cup.

When the team decided to rebuild and trade away the veterans, Mercado willingly went along with the plan and even pledged to take the young rookies under his wing. As brief as Sol's stay in GlobalPort may be, he showed that he was a true Batang Pier.

And we thank you for that, Sol Mercado.

Roar out.

Fire and Ice.

Terrence Bill Romeo. Mercurial and exciting, his engine is in full throttle the moment he steps in the court. He torches hapless defenders with his blazing-fast speed. He is explosive, he is exciting, and he's eager to burst into a star in just his rookie season.

Ryan Roose Garcia. Always calm and composed, he plays with the maturity of a seasoned cager. He usually defers to the veterans, but is not afraid to take the big shot when needed. Cool as ice, he's already providing stability to this young team in just his rookie year.

Romeo's game is as fiery as his hairstyle. 

Fire.

Although Romeo won the UAAP MVP plum this year, he did it on 37% FG, 27% 3-point FG, and 73% FT. Cringe-worthy numbers, which led me to believe that although Romeo is oozing with talent, he's quite raw and it might take a while for him to adjust to the PBA.

I'm eating those thoughts now.

Nobody expected him to hit 7 threes en route to 34 points in just his second professional game. Nobody expected him to go head-to-head with Mark Caguioa. Nobody, except Romeo himself. He's full of confidence and he believes he belongs to the PBA. That's the reason he decided to forego his final season of UAAP eligibility. He knows he is capable of balling with the big boys now.

All these things tend to make us forget that he's still a rookie, and he's only 21. He is full of talent, but he still has a lot to learn as well. Just like flame, he's combustible and could easily get out of control. That's why the coaches are cautious in handling him. As awesome as Romeo's one-on-one skills are, he still needs to play within the system, and the coaching staff are doing a good job in making him understand that.

He scored 34 in one game, and scored 1 in another. He's as streaky as most scorers go, and he needs to work on his consistency. But there's no doubt about his immense amount of potential, and he's ready to set the league on fire.

The guy you can count on to hit the cold-blooded trey.

Ice.

The moment Garcia was drafted, I was certain that he is ready for the big league. He's got good size for a pointguard, he can defend, and he can shoot. Although he struggled a bit in his first couple of games, it didn't take long for him to have a breakout game, scoring 20 points against Ginebra.  Since then, he has scored in double-figures in 4 of 5 games. He can indeed shoot the three, evidenced by his impressive 43% shooting from behind-the-arc. He ranks second in the league when it comes to threes made. Even more impressive, most of those threes came in the fourth quarter, just when the team is needing a big shot or when the opponent is threatening to come back.

Garcia plays with a sense of control. His composure is outstanding for a rookie playmaker. In 4 out of the 7 games he's played, he did not commit a single turnover, and only committed 1 turnover in the other 2 of those games. That's uncanny for a rookie guard who's expected to be relatively erratic. Garcia's transition to the PBA has been as smooth as silk.

Green for Life.

Fire and Ice.

Garcia and Romeo has been teammates for 5 years now. They have had their share of success in the amateur ranks, and now they're groomed to be GlobalPort's backcourt of the future.

Fire and Ice, Yin and Yang. Two players with very contrasting playstyles, but both equally vital towards GlobalPort's future success.

Roar Out.

The Fall and Rise of Jay Washington

It's amazing how a simple change in scenery can do so much to a player's floundering career.  Case in point is GlobalPort forward Jay Washington.  Just a year ago, people were dismissing Jay-Wash as washed-up (no pun intended), a has-been.   After all, how many players over 30 get to jumpstart their game again after years of injuries?  Not too many.  It takes special players to do just that.

A player like Jay Washington.

(photo from the PBA)

Anthony Jay Washington entered the league as the top overall pick in 2005. Washington possessed a rare mix of size, athleticism and shooting, and players with those attributes are almost always surefire to dominate (Danny Seigle anyone?). You see, you don't often come across a 6'7" guy with incredible hops and a smooth shooting touch to boot.

However, Washington struggled in his rookie year, averaging 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and only 15 minutes per game in a stacked Talk n' Text team.  He began displaying his potential in his second season, upping his averages to 13.5 points and 7 rebounds.  After 3 seasons with Talk n' Text, he was traded to the San Miguel Beermen, where he soon flourished into a superstar.

In his first couple of seasons in San Miguel, he was named to the PBA 1st Mythical Team 2 times, won Best Player of the Conference twice, and led his team to the 2009 Fiesta Conference title.  Washington was primed to be the new face of the franchise.

Then injuries happened.  J-Wash missed over 50 games in over 2 seasons due to an assortment of injuries. San Miguel also landed Arwind Santos in 2009, and with Washington in sick bay, the Beermen found themselves another alpha dog.  Last season, Washington posted a career-low 8.9 points per game.  Saddled by injuries and a reduced role, the 31-year-old suddenly found his career spiraling down.

But sometimes, for a player that's trying to get back his confidence, all he needs is an opportunity, and that came to Washington when he was traded to GlobalPort.  Like a breath of fresh air, J-Wash rediscovered his old form.  He was finally in a team that really needed him to produce.  He was getting heavy minutes, a big role, and these helped him get back to playing at the highest level.

In just his first conference with GlobalPort, he averaged 13 points and close to 10 rebounds.  He is even better this conference, averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds and 38 minutes so far, all career-highs.  In addition, he also now serve as a leader in a very young team, and he seems to relish in that role.

At 32, J-Wash is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and he continues to showcase the skills and talent that made him the most intriguing prospect in 2005.

Nobody is calling him washed-up now for sure.

Roar out.