3/20/2008
The 2008 PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup appreciation list
We are now nearing halfway of the 2008 PBL Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup and we have more than gotten a picture of how the teams are faring as of the moment. This early, we have had our share of pleasant surprises, both good and bad, the I-see-that-coming scenarios, and the what-do-they-need-to-do-in-order-to-get-out-of-their-rut moments.
Article is also posted in Coded Mushroom.
1. Harbour Centre Batang Pier – this team is stacked from higher management, to the active lineup, even in the coaching staff. There is no other way to describe a super team when you get to buyout superstars of other teams to become mere cogs in a great machine, hire two champion coaches and turn one into a consultant, re-christen your mega squad as the de facto National Team, and return home virtually like gods with the gold medal hanging around their necks. You can feel the swagger of confidence, the aura of invincibility emanating from them. Enough of the poetry. All I am saying is that it would be short of ridiculous if you do not go for a roster this loaded.
2. Hapee Toothpaste Complete Protectors – they are no Sparklers or Teethmasters anymore for they are already complete. Making them whole is total package Gabe Norwood. Barring major injuries down the line, he could eventually surpass Danny Seigle and go toe-to-toe with Kelly Williams in the excitement meter, the George Mason alum’s elevation to the pro ranks is eagerly awaited. And before I run out of space mentioning just one guy, it would be hard to imagine a PBL tournament without a Cecilio Pedro-backed franchise, but correct me if I’m wrong, it is just that the governors in the PBA need little more cajoling in considering accommodating two more teams in the immediate future, let us say next season.
3. Toyota Otis Sparks – With former Green Archer Cholo Villanueva in the roster, it is by default that Toyota Otis would be one of the favored teams in my personal list. Still, the rest of the names in the roll call are nothing to sneeze at. Chito Jaime has some recall, playing then for Colegio de San Lorenzo in NCRAA, where he and his teammates humiliated my DLSU-D Patriots time and time again, before transferring to St. Clare to run up his eligibility in NAASCU, and Patrick Cabahug is a close acquaintance. Having fiery Aric del Rosario side-by-side with equally expressive Ariel Vanguardia gives the bench much needed cred. With a team record of 0-5, it is easy to spot problem areas and the most noticeable is the point guard position. Having not much options between one-dimensional court generals in “I only shoot from 20 feet” Ronald Bucao, and ahem, defensive ace Eugene Tan, Villanueva is forced to play point, one of the few things he could not do back in high school nor in college. Picking up Aps Cuan from the abundant Harbour Centre reserve list is just an additional warm body at the most. And what is the deal with the three Letran players getting more court time that the triumvate of Vanguardia’s own JRU Bombers? Then again, if the tables were turned, I might have screamed favoritism instead.
4. Noosa Shoes Stars – the opening day surprise package left a good first impression on me. This is apart from the fact that Noosa head coach Leo Isaac overachieved of sorts for Mapua in the last NCAA basketball season and stole the NCRAA cage trophy for AU out of St. Francis’ grasp. And here is an example of out of a few where your enemies yesterday are your allies the next day. Tasked to build a team nearly from scratch at a moment’s notice, Isaac took whatever scraps are left on the table, and in the process ended up with the core of JRU’s miracle squad. Add to that mix Bomber one time in his life Veejay Serios. If not Arellano Chiefs Gio Ciriacruz and Adrian Celada and last minute acquisition Kelvin dela Peña, the former Ginebra player might have felt lonely out there.
5. San Mig Coffee Kings – this has trademark Koy Banal-type of players from top to bottom. Not because they played for him during their college heydays, but because they are most unheralded, if not unheard of. This reminded me one of the times when Banal employed the recesses of his bench to pull off a rabbit of a surprise. In local parlance, that is called “hugot”. He has this propensity of turning role players and scrubs into one-day superstars. At least, if their playing careers did not flourish due to circumstance, they could look back and recall that one time they had a career game. I also owe former Patriot Joel Solis copies of archived photos taken for our school paper.
6. Pharex Medics – everybody loves a winner and Pharex has elevated itself from “who is that?” to “yeah, I heard good things about that team” status. Emer Oreta and Donn Villamin used to be eyesores back in UST, but now, they are playing good music along with new generation Growling Tiger Francis Allera. Who would have thought? By the way, nice to see Jean Alabanza back in basketball although in a different role. The first and last time I saw him prior to this was in a heated UAAP game I was watching on tv. This was back in 1999.
7. Bacchus Energy Drink Raiders – think about this. You have at your disposal three point guards, but the best player in that position is not even in the depth chart. I am referring to eternally playing out of position Christian Luanzon. During the latter part of Aric del Rosario’s tenure in UST, the lineup was so short he was forced to play number four. Sure, he has shown flashes of being a poor man’s Gabe Norwood that has better freethrow shooting, but would it not be more effective if he plays as a tall point guard? Coupled with that uncanny high offensive awareness, maybe things could get brighter for the Raiders. One thing good going for Bacchus though is that it has one of the most imaginative and humorous tv ads in recent history.
8. Burger King Whoppers – finally, I present team UP. Maroons scatter the roster from tactician Allan Gregorio to alumni Mike Bravo, Nestor David, and Abby Santos, to current UP student Woody Co. Add in Khiel Misa from UP… HDS. Santos, Francis Barcellano, and Chris Baluyot should be thankful they are no mere PBA practice players, or worse, languishing in the waivers waiting to be called for duty. What takes the cake though is that Bravo’s game has not matured a single bit ever since I saw him compete with Paolo Mendoza in a shooting contest. Mind you, they were playing for the same team. To make up for it, BK’s chicken sandwich is the best out there.
Article is also posted in Coded Mushroom.
1. Harbour Centre Batang Pier – this team is stacked from higher management, to the active lineup, even in the coaching staff. There is no other way to describe a super team when you get to buyout superstars of other teams to become mere cogs in a great machine, hire two champion coaches and turn one into a consultant, re-christen your mega squad as the de facto National Team, and return home virtually like gods with the gold medal hanging around their necks. You can feel the swagger of confidence, the aura of invincibility emanating from them. Enough of the poetry. All I am saying is that it would be short of ridiculous if you do not go for a roster this loaded.
2. Hapee Toothpaste Complete Protectors – they are no Sparklers or Teethmasters anymore for they are already complete. Making them whole is total package Gabe Norwood. Barring major injuries down the line, he could eventually surpass Danny Seigle and go toe-to-toe with Kelly Williams in the excitement meter, the George Mason alum’s elevation to the pro ranks is eagerly awaited. And before I run out of space mentioning just one guy, it would be hard to imagine a PBL tournament without a Cecilio Pedro-backed franchise, but correct me if I’m wrong, it is just that the governors in the PBA need little more cajoling in considering accommodating two more teams in the immediate future, let us say next season.
3. Toyota Otis Sparks – With former Green Archer Cholo Villanueva in the roster, it is by default that Toyota Otis would be one of the favored teams in my personal list. Still, the rest of the names in the roll call are nothing to sneeze at. Chito Jaime has some recall, playing then for Colegio de San Lorenzo in NCRAA, where he and his teammates humiliated my DLSU-D Patriots time and time again, before transferring to St. Clare to run up his eligibility in NAASCU, and Patrick Cabahug is a close acquaintance. Having fiery Aric del Rosario side-by-side with equally expressive Ariel Vanguardia gives the bench much needed cred. With a team record of 0-5, it is easy to spot problem areas and the most noticeable is the point guard position. Having not much options between one-dimensional court generals in “I only shoot from 20 feet” Ronald Bucao, and ahem, defensive ace Eugene Tan, Villanueva is forced to play point, one of the few things he could not do back in high school nor in college. Picking up Aps Cuan from the abundant Harbour Centre reserve list is just an additional warm body at the most. And what is the deal with the three Letran players getting more court time that the triumvate of Vanguardia’s own JRU Bombers? Then again, if the tables were turned, I might have screamed favoritism instead.
4. Noosa Shoes Stars – the opening day surprise package left a good first impression on me. This is apart from the fact that Noosa head coach Leo Isaac overachieved of sorts for Mapua in the last NCAA basketball season and stole the NCRAA cage trophy for AU out of St. Francis’ grasp. And here is an example of out of a few where your enemies yesterday are your allies the next day. Tasked to build a team nearly from scratch at a moment’s notice, Isaac took whatever scraps are left on the table, and in the process ended up with the core of JRU’s miracle squad. Add to that mix Bomber one time in his life Veejay Serios. If not Arellano Chiefs Gio Ciriacruz and Adrian Celada and last minute acquisition Kelvin dela Peña, the former Ginebra player might have felt lonely out there.
5. San Mig Coffee Kings – this has trademark Koy Banal-type of players from top to bottom. Not because they played for him during their college heydays, but because they are most unheralded, if not unheard of. This reminded me one of the times when Banal employed the recesses of his bench to pull off a rabbit of a surprise. In local parlance, that is called “hugot”. He has this propensity of turning role players and scrubs into one-day superstars. At least, if their playing careers did not flourish due to circumstance, they could look back and recall that one time they had a career game. I also owe former Patriot Joel Solis copies of archived photos taken for our school paper.
6. Pharex Medics – everybody loves a winner and Pharex has elevated itself from “who is that?” to “yeah, I heard good things about that team” status. Emer Oreta and Donn Villamin used to be eyesores back in UST, but now, they are playing good music along with new generation Growling Tiger Francis Allera. Who would have thought? By the way, nice to see Jean Alabanza back in basketball although in a different role. The first and last time I saw him prior to this was in a heated UAAP game I was watching on tv. This was back in 1999.
7. Bacchus Energy Drink Raiders – think about this. You have at your disposal three point guards, but the best player in that position is not even in the depth chart. I am referring to eternally playing out of position Christian Luanzon. During the latter part of Aric del Rosario’s tenure in UST, the lineup was so short he was forced to play number four. Sure, he has shown flashes of being a poor man’s Gabe Norwood that has better freethrow shooting, but would it not be more effective if he plays as a tall point guard? Coupled with that uncanny high offensive awareness, maybe things could get brighter for the Raiders. One thing good going for Bacchus though is that it has one of the most imaginative and humorous tv ads in recent history.
8. Burger King Whoppers – finally, I present team UP. Maroons scatter the roster from tactician Allan Gregorio to alumni Mike Bravo, Nestor David, and Abby Santos, to current UP student Woody Co. Add in Khiel Misa from UP… HDS. Santos, Francis Barcellano, and Chris Baluyot should be thankful they are no mere PBA practice players, or worse, languishing in the waivers waiting to be called for duty. What takes the cake though is that Bravo’s game has not matured a single bit ever since I saw him compete with Paolo Mendoza in a shooting contest. Mind you, they were playing for the same team. To make up for it, BK’s chicken sandwich is the best out there.
// posted by Unknown @ 22:30 
