Magnolia Hotshots can Contend Provided that they Remain Healthy

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Injury problems to a specific player can be amended as long as the rest of the team steps up for the injured player. But injury problems to multiple players? That’s a different story. No matter how good your coach and/or your team is, if your is not physically fit to play on the court, you will definitely struggle even against bad teams. 

And over the past conferences, that has been the problem with the Magnolia Hotshots. In fact, they were consistent on being on the semifinals only to be hit by injury to star players like Paul Lee and Marc Pingris. Paul Lee, for one, missed the latter parts of their Governors’ Cup semifinal series against the Meralco Bolts who swept the Hotshots in 3 games.

After dropping their Christmas Day game against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, the Magnolia Hotshots have been on the surge, winning 3 straight games, the last one being a 97-91 come-from-behind-win over the Phoenix Fuel Masters. That game saw the Hotshots erase a 5-point deficit in the final 3 minutes of the 4th quarter through the combined efforts of Marc Pingris, Ian Sangalang, Paul Lee and Rafi Reavis.

More Healthy Players = Higher Chances of Winning

While there’s no denying the fact that the Magnolia Hotshots have one of the oldest cores in the PBA, they are still among the few teams this conference who have both the talent and the experience to take down the defending Philippine Cup champions, the San Miguel Beermen. They just need to do one thing to remain competitive and hopefully end their semifinal slumps: stay away from injuries especially during the latter part of the conference.  

Why?

With the PBA now allowing a higher amount of physicality during games, we can expect more bodies banging against each other plus a few bodies flying onto the court. While it’s good and fun for the fans to see the league allowing more bangings between players, these are exactly the things that the Hotshots should be careful about because one bad fall could hurt not just a player but the conference of the team. 

Conclusion

With the Hotshots scheduled to face the Talk N Text KaTropa this coming Saturday, Chito Victolero can only hope and pray that none of his players will get not just during their next game but for the rest of the PBA’s 43rd season because no coach enjoys seeing his players not being able to play due to injury. 

Ginebra Loses Anew as Aces Pound on Slaughter’s Absence

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Alaska Uses a Big Third Quarter to Get Third Straight Win

Sometimes, having a bully on your team helps a lot especially when you’re up against the elite teams in the PBA such as the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. The bully on your team will do the dirty works against the opponents’ best player from mind tricks to small antics that will take the focus out of that specific and even, absorb some elbows along the way. Usually, the bully on your team is your team’s main muscle man. Fortunately for the Alaska Aces, they do have their own muscle man and that man is none other than Vic Manuel.

Greg Slaughter is nowhere on the court but on the bench. Joe Devance isn’t playing just yet. Both men were forced to watch as their team got dominated for the second time around, this time by the surging Alaska Aces, 97-83. The Aces of Alex Compton hiked their win number to 3 after starting the season with two consecutive losses. On the other hand, Ginebra has dropped its second straight game exactly 9 days after their stunning loss at the hands of the Blackwater Elites.

What happened in the game? Below are the numbers:

The absence of Gregzilla balanced things out

Greg Slaughter has played a vital role in Ginebra’s Governors’ Cup championship which earned him the Best Player of the Conference award. So it’s no surprise that Ginebra missed him during last night’s encounter against the Aces as Alaska took advantage of the situation. Offensively, the Aces shot 44% from the field which also includes a 43% shooting from the 2-point area. This is precisely because Slaughter wasn’t around to challenge the Aces’ slashers. It also enabled the biggies of Alaska to do their works as Sonny Thoss had 17 points, complimenting the efforts of Vic Manuel who led the Aces with 18 points. The Aces also won the rebounding battle, 45-43.

Vic Manuel’s Efforts

Over the last few years, Vic Manuel has established a reputation as a bruiser, someone you wouldn’t enjoy playing against because of the mere fact that he will find ways to knock the ball out of your hands or worse, to frustrate you and eventually, take away your focus in the game. And we all saw Vic Manuel’s efforts to the fullest last night as he led the Aces with his18 points- 14 of those points came in the 2nd half when the Aces ran havoc against the puzzled Gin Kings. He shot 6 for 15 from the field and made 6 of his 8 attempts from the free throw line. Manuel also added  6 rebounds while playing for 23 minutes.

Conclusion

The good news for the Gin Kings though, they have until Friday to prepare for their game against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. It should give them enough time to ponder on their mistakes. It should give Tim Cone to plan the needed adjustments should Greg Slaughter miss that game, again because despite the Fuel Masters’ 2-2 record, Phoenix has vastly improved. Will Ginebra finally break their losing streak? They better. Why? The league-leading San Miguel Beermen are next after Friday. 

ICYMI: Kia finally Snapped its 16-Game Losing Streak

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

One factor enabled the Picanto to clinch their first win in 8 months

Everybody hates losing and that’s something we cannot deny not just in sports but in life in general. However, it has been said that whenever you lose in anything whether it’s a basketball game or you’ve miserably failed your examinations in school, you will learn something from the mistakes which led to that specific setback and will help you improve the next time around. But, as they say, if you keep on committing the same set of mistakes, then something is wrong with you.

That has been the case for the Kia Picanto. For 8 months, they have endured nothing but defeat. They came closest to a win against the NLEX Road Warriors to open the Philippine Cup but faltered late in the 4th quarter. Then, Chris Gavina reigned as coach, paving way for Ricky Dandan to be promoted as top tactician. However, that move didn’t have any effect as Kia dropped its two games since Dandan took over. Then, came the game against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, a game had the Picanto lost, would have made them own the second-longest losing streak in the history of the PBA.

Fortunately, losing’s over for the Kia Picanto, for now, as they scored 32 points in the pivotal 3rd quarter en route to a 98-94 win over the inconsistent Elasto Painters. Given how close the final score was, Ricky Dandan could only release a sigh of relief. After all, it was a game that was filled with tension and ejections plus the fact that two Kia players were ejected in the second quarter. Still, Kia has other players on its roster who produced notable good numbers to get over the hump, finally.

But if you will ask Ricky Dandan, there was one factor that pushed Kia to their first win of the season: they had no choice but to keep going, dig deep and look for positive things that kept them going. The coach also added that he was overall happy with the fact that his team was able to keep their composure and played for 48 minutes- the first time this season that they actually did that.

Conclusion

With their first win already in the bag, Ricky Dandan is hoping that the Kia Picanto can build up their confidence from beating a team like Rain or Shine and start gaining more W. However, with a game against the Meralco Bolts coming up this Wednesday, Kia needs all of its players aboard because Meralco has been to the Governors’ Cup Finals, twice. And despite its struggles, Meralco is still better-coached. But who knows? Kia has already one game so why stop there, right?  

Ginebra is Over the Stunning Loss to Blackwater- Tim Cone Hopes so

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

9 days should be enough for the Gin Kings to get over the trauma

Whenever the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings lose a game in the PBA whether it’s in the Finals or in the elimination rounds, almost the whole of the venue is quiet. Why? Ginebra is the crowd darlings that’s why it’s extremely painful and maddening for their fans to see their beloved Gin Kings go down. But perhaps, one guy on the Ginebra bench is absorbing all of the pain and disappointment every time his team loses a game and that guy is none other than Coach Tim Cone, winner of 20 PBA championships.

Against the Blackwater Elites who handed Ginebra their first defeat in three games, Tim Cone has all the reasons to be disappointed with the performance of his players. They were limited to 77 points including 14 points 16 points in the 2nd and 4th quarters respectively. They shot 36% from the field and 15% from the three-point territory. They had 21 turnovers and their bench got outscored by Blackwater’s bench, 34-13.

9 days after their horrible game, Tim Cone is hoping that the Gin Kings have already put the Blackwater game behind them as they are up against the Alaska Aces who are coming into this game, riding on their 2-game winning streak. They destroyed the Kia Picanto in their last game when they limited Kia to only 65 points including only 5 points in the third quarter.

While Alaska is leaning on the confidence of Jeron Teng plus the presence of Calvin Abueva, the Aces are still up for an uphill battle against the Gin Kings because we all know that Ginebra could only get meaner and tougher to play against coming off a defeat.

Conclusion

Despite their shakiness which can be associated with the fact that they were still intoxicated by their championship run during the Governors’ Cup, the Gin Kings are still among this conference’s title contenders.

Prediction: Ginebra will win. 

Beating the Still Perfect Beermen is Possible for NLEX. But…

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

SMB looked like a team that can’t be stopped by a Phenom. Alone

Having the best all-local starting five has its perks for the San Miguel Beermen. After 3 games into the new season, they have already converted those games into 3 wins with the last one being against the Talk N Text KaTropa where they needed to bleed for that win before hanging on for an 88-76 victory. And that game also proved that the Beermen are more than just about their super starting unit which is led by 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo.

Against the KaTropa, Brian Heruela and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, a former TNT player, provided the defensive intensity that held the ground for San Miguel before stars Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and sharpshooter, Marcio Lassiter all returned to the floor and delivered the finishing blows. Rosser had 8 points while Heruela had 5 points- both came off the bench for Coach Leo Austria.

If Leo Austria can lean on his bench players the same way he can lean on his starters, then it’s already a big problem for the NLEX Road Warriors as they happened to be the next team who will try to end the Berman’s winning streak.

To begin with, no one among Yeng Guiao’s boys can actually match-up defensively against the Kraken, Fajardo. Sure, the Road Warriors got Asi Taulava who has been as dominant as Fajardo back in his prime years but Taulava is among the oldest players to hit the court in the history of the league so Yeng Guiao can’t risk letting his big man getting eaten by Fajardo.

Another reason why Yeng Guiao will have a hard time working on his strategies against San Miguel is the fact that his guards will have to defend the dynamic duo of Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross, two of the league’s best pick-and-roll guards. Sure, Guiao can send his own dynamic duo of Kevin Alas and Kiefer Ravena to match-against the backcourt duo of San Miguel but we all know that even if Kiefer Ravena goes supernova, it’s not enough. Not against a team like the Beermen.

Conclusion

One thing is certain for now: tonight’s main event between the Beermen and the Road Warriors will be a must-see game because we can expect a high-scoring game from two high-scoring teams who have explosive scorers left and right. 

Question: Can NLEX become the first team to beat San Miguel this season? 

Answer: No. 

Why? The Beermen got 5 stars on their starting 5 and a bunch of reliable players- and a good system that has been installed by a winning coach. 

Jeron Teng Looks Forward to 1st Game against Ginebra

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The son of Alvin Teng embraces confidence boost heading into battle against the giants

After winning their first two games to open the league’s 43rd season, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings looked like the team who is ready to take down the league’s best all-Filipino crew, the San Miguel Beermen. Then, they ran into the path of the Blackwater Elites who in turn, handed the Gin Kings their first taste of defeat this conference, 94-77. While the fans of the Gin Kings are hoping that their team will bounce back from this setback, they are heading into another anticipated battle and it’s not some mediocre team, folks. It’s the Alaska Aces who are now bannered by Calvin Abueva AND their prized rookie, Jeron Teng.

Facing the Gin Kings may be a daunting task but one player is looking forward to it and that player is Jeron Teng. In fact, the son of former PBA player, Alvin Teng, is the welcoming the confidence boost that he gained from breakaway third quarter against the Kia Picanto when outscored the entire Kia team, 13-5. Folks, that’s 13 of his 23 points in the win- Alaska’s 2nd straight.

Question: Can Ginebra defend Jeron Teng?

Realistically, Ginebra has no one on their current roster ASIDE from Joe Devance that can match-up the intensity of Jeron Teng on both ends of the court. As we saw in their previous game against Blackwater, Ginebra struggled to defend Mac Belo who scored 22 points despite making 6 of 17 shots. Aside from Belo, Ginebra also failed to limit Allein Maliksi who added 17 points for the win. 

Having said that, Ginebra will have their hands full on Jeron Teng aside from the Beast, Calvin Abueva. Sure, they can contain the Beast but defending Jeron Teng is another story all throughout. Tim Cone could send out Kevin Ferrer or even start Japeth Aguilar at the 3 spot to try to defend Teng. But then, we’re talking about Tim Cone, ladies and gentlemen, the winningest coach in the history of the PBA. One way or another, he’ll figure things out. But then again, we’re also talking about defending Jeron Teng. 

Prediction: Alaska will stun the Gin Kings in Sunday’s game, January 21.

Physicality is back in PBA: Coaches Pleased

Alex Compton and Norman Black laud PBA’s move to provide more leeway for physicalities

Over the course of the past few seasons, one of the usual grievances that are being voiced out by the players, coaches and even the fans is that referees back then were almost “trigger happy” when calling fouls on physical plays. And we cannot blame them for voicing out such grievances. Picture this, folks. Referees could whistle you for a foul for simply bumping the player whom you are defending. That’s really frustrating and could change the overall pace of the game because the more fouls that were called, the slower the game becomes. And slow games bore fans. They want faster games. They want more physicalities.

Fortunately, things are starting to get better as one of the changes that OIC Willie Marcial wants to implement this year is the reinstatement of the old “No Harm No Foul”  rule for the purpose of speeding up games and also to make the games themselves more exciting especially for the fans. Like it or not, the officiating has been horrible that fans were complaining about fouls that should haven’t been called and fouls that should have been called And the frequent call of fouls have taken away the physicality in the PBA.

Before 2018 came in, Willie Marcial has stated that the league has already started training its referees as they prepare for the reinstatement of the said rule.

Just last January 10, 2018, two coaches expressed that they were overall pleased with the higher amount of physicality that was allowed during their game. Those coaches are none other than Norman Black and Alex Compton- both coaches whose team are relying heavily on their physicality especially on the defensive end.

Norman Black, for one, despite losing to Compton’s Alaska Aces, 103-98, shared his observation that the game was being officiated a “little bit” differently and even took note that more contact between players was allowed on the court.

Alex Compton, for his part, has said that he’s liking the new direction that the PBA is taking when it comes to the officiating of the games. The American coach even said that allowing more physicality to come into play is good for the game.

Conclusion

The best thing about the reinstatement of the “No Harm No Foul” rule is that more coaches and players can do their defensive assignments better because they are now lesser worried about being called for a foul.The only side effect of this is that we’ll see more flopping players but then again, we just have to accept that flopping has been a part of the game, right? And so is physicality.  

Leethal Weapon is still Lethal: Earns PBA Player of the Week Recognition

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Paul Lee adds another recognition after leading Magnolia to back-to-back wins

Paul Lee, despite the tons of injuries that hampered his performance in the last several seasons and even made him miss most of the Star Hotshots’, now known as the Magnolia Hotshots, semifinal series against the Meralco Bolts during the previous Governors’ Cup.

Now healthy and free of injury, Paul Lee is ready to lead his Hotshots as they attempt to end their semifinals upsets over the past season. And he is already making noise early on the 43rd season as he was named as the Player of the Week after leading his team to two consecutive wins after dropping their season opener against the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. 

Just how good was Paul Lee?

Paul Lee, AKA The Angas ng Tondo, averaged 17 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and, 1.5 blocks in their first two games of the new year. His brilliance started off against the winless, Kia Picanto when he scored all of his 13 points in the pivotal 3rd quarter alone which enabled the Hotshots to run away for good. Then, he took the super rookie, Kiefer Ravena to school as Lee scored 21 points to help Magnolia beat Ravena’s NLEX Road Warriors. 

By taking the recognition, Paul Lee just beat some of the big shots in the league such as 4-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo, Stanley Pringle, Vic Manuel, JP Eram, among others. If he can keep on playing this good, we shouldn’t be surprised if he is to become one of the leading candidates for the Best Player of the Conference award for the All-Filipino conference. 

Conclusion

The Magnolia Hotshots are currently tied with the Gin Kings as both squads have a 3-1 record which is good for second place just behind the unbeaten San Miguel Beermen and one of the reasons why the Hotshots are hot is because of the brilliance of Paul Lee. And like it or not, Paul Lee is more than just about “angas”. 

Kia Still Winless in 4 Games, Loses by 37 to Alaska

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Kia absorbs 16th straight defeat- the third-longest losing streak in the PBA

Ugly. That’s probably the best adjective you can describe the early goings of the 43rd season of the PBA for the Kia Picanto. For starters, they threw away their future by trading the top pick who happened to be Christian Standhardinger. Then, just two defeats into the new season, Chris Gavina resigned which promoted Ricky Dandan as the new head coach. Unfortunately, that move didn’t do the Picanto any good as Kia dropped their first game under a new coach.

Things weren’t about to get better any time soon for the Kia Picanto as they sustained one of their worst losses in franchise history as they got blown out anew, this time by the Alaska Aces, 102-65. This, folks, is Kia’s 4th straight defeat and 16th consecutive since last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.  This is also Kia’s third consecutive blown-out loss and they were defeated by a margin of 35 points per game.

What were the things that doomed Kia anew? Below are those nasty things:

5 Points in the Third Quarter

To begin with, Kia was actually in the game after the first quarter as they held a 21-20 to end the quarter. They also managed to keep the score as close as possible despite being down, 49-34 at the halftime break. But when the third quarter came along, that’s when things went further south for Kia as they would have gone scoreless if not to Eric Camson, Rashawn McCarthy and Reden Celda who combined for all of Kia’s 5 points in the 3rd quarter. And that’s the reason why Alaska won the game.

Alaska’s Pressing Defense Worked to Perfection

Alaska has been feared despite their 2-2 record for their suffocating pressing defense and it worked to the max against the Picanto. The Aces only allowed Kia to make 32% of their attempts, 34% from the two-point area and 30% from the three-point territory. They also forced 29 turnovers from Kia which the Aces converted to 32 points on the other end.

Conclusion

Will Kia’s streak break Ginebra’s losing streak which reached 17 back in the 1995 Commissioner’s Cup? They will. Probably. Especially if they continue to play the way they have been playing in their last 3 games.

Magnolia Wins 2nd Straight Game, Beats NLEX

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

The Hotshots use a big 3rd quarter to run away for good.

There’s no denying the fact that Kiefer Ravena has made the NLEX Road Warriors a better team overall since his grand arrival to the team. And he wasn’t all hype either as he backed his popularity with decent numbers as he led the Road Warriors to straight victories to open the PBA Philippine Cup. Then, he was limited to 8 points against the Phoenix Fuel Masters. Everybody had one thought after that game: Kiefer Ravena will come back better.

And that’s what he did. Kiefer Ravena scored 31 points on 12 for 20 field goal shooting but the Magnolia Hotshots came out victorious, 105-94 after running away for good in the 3rd quarter. That, by the way, was Magnolia’s 2nd straight victory as they hiked their record to 3-1, good for second place behind the still unbeaten San Miguel Beernen. On the other hand, NLEX absorbed its second straight defeat.

To begin with, both teams are filled with star power and the talent but what enabled Magnolia to win the game? Below are the things that gave the Hotshots the win:

Paul Lee’s 3rd Quarter Run

To begin with, the Hotshots were already up 51-43 at the halftime as they outscored the Road Warriors, 30-18 in the first quarter alone. Then, with the Hotshots hanging to a single-digit lead, the boys of Chito Victolero went on an offensive onslaught in the third quarter that was led by none other than their star guard, Paul Lee who scored 12 of his 21 points in that decisive quarter which took away the life out of the Road Warriors when the Hotshots scored 34 points while limiting NLEX to only 25 points. 

54 Points from the Bench

Sure, Kiefer Ravena had 31 points and Kevin Alas had 13 for the starting unit of the Road Warriors while JR Quinahan had 22 points while coming off the bench for Yeng Guiao but it was the bench of Victolero who did the better job of taking off some of the offensive load away from their starters as they scored 54 points. Rome dela Rosa had 14 points while veteran big man, Aldrech Ramos had 11 points. PJ Simon and Jio Jalalon had 9 points apiece. Now that’s a balanced effort, folks. 

Defensive Effort

If anything, it was the defensive work of the Hotshots that did the wonders for Magnolia against an offensive-minded team as the NLEX Road Warriors were limited to under 100 points for the second consecutive team. In addition to this, the Hotshots also limited NLEX to only 20% shooting from the three-point line who only made 5 of their 24 ATTEMPTS from deep.

Conclusion

This game proved one thing: no matter how great your numbers are, it’s meaningless if you don’t get the big W. And for the Magnolia Hotshots, this one was definitely a big win for them because according to Chito Victolero, having two straight wins to open 2018 sets the right mindset into their players that they can beat any team no matter what the odds are.

For NLEX, riding on a 2-game losing streak will mean more yells from Yeng Guiao especially during practices but the beauty of it, they can learn from this experience because now that the teams have cracked their weakness, they just need to overcome their horrible offensive performance during their last two games to score over 100 points but they will need more help because Kiefer Ravena can’t lead them to wins every single time. 

Motivated Indeed: Blackwater hands First Loss to Ginebra, What Was the Formula?

Elites use efficient scoring to dominate the Gin Kings

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

When you look at the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings who have Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio and Scottie Thompson, you would think that this has been the best Ginebra team that was assembled in the past years and frankly, this Ginebra core has brought wonders to the league’s crowd darlings as they have won two of the last Governors’ Cup championships against all odds. With Slaughter now healthy and Tenorio free of his injury problems, Ginebra looked like a team that will challenge the supremacy of the San Miguel Beermen in the All-Filipino conference after winning their first two games.

Then, the Gin Kings ran head-to-head against the Blackwater Elites who were STRONGLY MOTIVATED to become the first team to beat Ginebra this season. And that’s exactly what happened, folks. In a stunning turn of things, the Elites beat the Gin Kings, 94-77.

What happened? Here are the things that happened:

Good Second and Fourth Quarters

After both squads ended the first quarter with the score tied at 19 apiece, the Elites locked down on D as they limited Ginebra to only 14 points in the second quarter while scoring 22 points of their own. The Gin Kings managed to fight back in the third quarter as they outscored Blackwater, 28-23 but that was the best Ginebra could come up with against Leo Isaac’s motivated players as Ginebra could only manage 16 points in the final quarter which was a far cry to Blackwater’s 30 points. The two quarters that Blackwater defended well proved to be the difference in the game.

Better Shooting

On paper, Ginebra is considered as a super team in the PBA but against Blackwater, that “super” transformed to “mediocre” as Blackwater was the better team in terms of making the most out of their opportunities and their numbers didn’t lie either. Overall, the Elites made 46% of their 78 shot attempts including a 38% shooting from beyond the three-point line. These were far better compared to Ginebra’s 36% field goal shooting and 15%  shooting from rainbow country. 

The only place bright spot for Ginebra: They outshot Blackwater at the free throw line, 72%-71%.

Conclusion

The good news for Ginebra though, it’s just one game. One bad game doesn’t take away the fact that they among the title contenders for this conference. They will bounce back from this setback one way or another.

On the other hand, Blackwater can use this big win to continuously believe that they can compete against the league’s bests. Can they keep it up? That’s up to them. 

Can Blackwater Beat Streaking Gin Kings?

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Leo Isaac says the Elites are “STRONGLY MOTIVATED” to beat Ginebra

For any team to be able to beat a well-coached, a well-oiled team like the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, you will need more than just a talented team. You will need a disciplined team because you are talking about a Tim Cone-coached Ginebra squad that has won the last two of the Governors’ Cup championships so you’ll definitely need all the help you can get especially if you’re a mid-field team like the Blackwater Elites.

According to Head Coach Leo Isaac, the Elites are STRONGLY MOTIVATED to start 2018 by handling the Gin Kings their first win of the conference. Coming off a victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters to end their 2017 campaign, the Elites are hoping to move to 2-1 record after tonight’s game although Blackwater knows for themselves that they are faced with a daunting task of defending the powerful Twin Towers of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar.

Question: Can the Elites actually beat the Gin Kings fair and square?

Realistically and statistically, the odds are against the Elites but if we are to look at the performance of their notable players against Rain or Shine, you will see that Blackwater MIGHT have a shot at taking down the Gin Kings. Why? Mac Belo played one of his best games since coming into the PBA after leading his team with 25 points which included 5 for 9 shooting from the three-point line. Mike Digregorio added 23 points while rookie Reymar Jose totaled 12 points. Allein Maliksi had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists although he went 3 for 12 from the field while coming off the bench. 

Key to victory for the Elites: Bench Production

While Blackwater has a continuously re-emerging Mac Belo plus a promising rookie in Reymar Jose, the Elites must work as a complete unit meaning the bench players must produce more than 17 points- the numbers they had against Rain or Shine. And they won despite 53 points from the bench of Rain or Shine. 

You can’t just rely on your starters to carry your team and save the day. Especially not against Ginebra. 

Prediction: Ginebra will win against Blackwater. 

What Doomed Meralco against the Aces?

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Chris Newsome and company have lost two straight games

Over the course of the last two seasons, the Meralco Bolts have been dealing with their own inconsistencies. Sure, they have been to the Governors’ Cup Finals for two consecutive seasons but they haven’t cracked the code just yet they have lost twice in the Finals against the same team, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings. And their inconsistencies have appeared to be holding them down again in the Philippine Cup.

After winning their first game to open the 43rd season of the PBA, the Bolts are now on a 2-game losing streak after losing to the lowly Alaska Aces, 103-98. That, by the way, was the Aces’ first win in 3 games. And frankly, it wasn’t an upset win either because Meralco wasn’t playing the same way they did in the Finals against Ginebra. Not even close.

So what exactly doomed the Bolts this time?

They got Murdered Inside

The Bolts got dominated from the inside as they allowed Calvin Abueva and company to outscore them 54-20 in points in the paint. Their shooting from the 2-point area also doomed the Bolts as they only 35% of their attempts from the 2-point territory. On the other hand, Alaska went 31 for 66 from the 2-point area, a 46% shooting. 

Defensive Lapses. And More

Meralco was known as a defensive-minded team over the two seasons but their defense against the Aces was simply acceptable. Sure, the Bolts were able to shut down Jeron Teng who was held to 8 points on 2 for 8 shooting from the field but for the rest of the Aces? Meralco’s defense just vanished. 

Another proof that Meralco’s defense wasn’t working at all was the fact that they got outscored in points off fast break opportunities: 14-4. The Aces were also the better team in terms of getting more points off their missed opportunities as they held an 11-9 edge in second-chance points.

Alaska’s Bench produced 50 Points

As mentioned above, Meralco did contain Jeron Teng but forgot about Calvin Abueva who led Alaska with 19 points on 7 for 10 shooting. Aside from that, the bench of Norman Black failed to match the intensity of the Aces’ bench troopers who combined for 50 of the Aces’ 103 points. Vic Manuel also had 19 points while coming off the bench.

Conclusion 

Norman Black is one of the league’s greatest coaches and it’s only a matter of time until he figures things out with his players. Having a 1-2 record this early doesn’t necessarily mean that Meralco is a bad team and so is Alaska. However, the Bolts need to speed their improvements soon because their schedule isn’t about to get easier. Why? the Talk N Text KaTropa are up next on the Bolts’ schedule. 

Magnolia was Indeed Careful against Kia- Hotshots Rout Picanto by 47

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

A big 2nd half enabled the Hotshots to get win #2 in Philippine Cup

Heading into yesterday’s game, Chito Victolero has said that he was aiming to be careful against the Kia Picanto, even saying that the Picanto has a new coach in Ricky Dandan and has a new system which, according to Victolero himself, what makes the Picanto a dangerous team and if they weren’t careful, the Magnolia Hotshots would have gained the horrors of becoming the first team to lose to Kia this conference.

Fortunately, the Hotshots got their coach’s message, loud and clear as Magnolia made sure that Kia was nowhere near upsetting them by cruising to a 124-77 victory- the biggest winning margin so far this season.

And here’s how the Hotshots did it:

Big 2nd Half

To give credit to Ricky Dandan and his players, the Kia Picanto actually tied the score at 22 apiece at the end of the first quarter and even outscored Magnolia, 27-25 in the second quarter.

Then, things went south for the Picanto come the third quarter as Magnolia erupted for 34 points while limiting Kia to only 11 of their own. Things didn’t get better in the fourth quarter as the Hotshots continued to pound on the points, totaling 43 points while limiting the Picanto to 17 points. When you’re that careful against a winless team, you don’t stop scoring until the final buzzer and that’s what Magnolia did. 

91 Points from Magnolia’s Bench. Alone

The bench players of Chito Victolero actually outscored the ENTIRE Kia Picanto team, 91-77. In a game where Paul Lee only had 13 points while Mark Barroca had 4 points, Justin Melton led the way with 23 points while making 5 of his 6 attempts from the three-point line. Ian Sangalang added 21 points and 9 rebounds. Rookie Robert Herndon had 14 points to go along with 7 rebounds while Jio Jalalon, who made his season debut, had 11 points. 

A Good Game Overall for Magnolia

If anything, Magnolia’s dominating victory against a still winless team can be enough proof that the Hotshots are a better team now than they were during the previous teams. They shot better from the field, making 47% of their shots including a 40% outing from the three-point line. Defensively, the Hotshots stole the ball, 10 times, forced Kia to commit 25 turnovers while converting those turnovers into 37 points. They also outscored the Picanto, 30-5 in points off fast break opportunities. 

Conclusion

Although it’s only one game and it was against a winless team, teams will definitely look at Magnolia’s performance in this particular game for scouting purposes. Why? Winning by that BIG margin can only be done by a team who can score and defend well. This serves as a warning to the other teams. They shouldn’t take Magnolia for granted even though their stars are struggling. 

Magnolia Aiming to be Extra Careful with Winless Kia

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Statistically, the Magnolia Hotshots are the better team heading into their first game of the year against the team which has yet to win a single game this conference, the Kia Picanto. 

Even though they are heavily favored to handle the Picanto their 3rd straight defeat this afternoon, the Hotshots, specifically Coach Chito Victolero has said it that they are aiming to be extra careful against the still winless Picanto who have a new coach and a new system to follow. 

After all, Ricky Dandan, who took over following the resignation of Chris Gavina, aims to follow Joe Lipa’s ways of the playing conventional style of basketball. And if you’re fortunate enough to witness Joe Lipa coach during his heydays, then you know Magnolia is up against a much different team.

After bowing down to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings on Christmas Day, the Magnolia Hotshots are gunning for their second win in 3 games as the 16-day hiatus in between games hopefully enabled injured stars to heal from their injuries, specifically Jio Jalalon who has just been cleared to play. In addition to this, Victolero also hopes that PJ Simon and Marc Pingris to come out better after struggling against Ginebra. If the stars of Magnolia can pound early on, chances are Kia is already in a big trouble.

On the other hand, Ricky Dandan only had 7 practices with the Picanto after taking over at the helm. Installing a new system is among his priorities early on but according to the former head coach of the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP, his number 1 focus, for now, is to make sure that the Picanto becomes a solidified team before they can start moving forward.

Conclusion

It’s good that Chito Victolero and his boys aren’t taking the Picanto for granted as it will be a big embarrassment if they are to lose to Kia today. After all, who would want to be defeated by the worst team in the league right now?

On the other hand, a 0-2 record doesn’t really translate to the amount of talent that Kia. After all, they almost beat the NLEX Road Warriors back in their first game of the new a season. ALMOST. Having said this, Chito Victolero is definitely correct in saying that Kia is indeed, a very dangerous team. 

Expect the Phenom to Redeem Himself after Horrible Loss to Phoenix

Basketball is all about consistency and effort. If you exert a big amount of effort on improving your game to become a more consistent player on both sides of the game, you will be a big hit in the game regardless of your height or what position you are playing. 

However, all basketball players, regardless of how talented he is, are prone to having bad nights especially if they are known as elite scorers. And recently, Kiefer Ravena just experienced one of his worst games in his young career.

After leading the NLEX Road Warriors to 2 consecutive victories to open the PBA Philippine Cup, Kiefer Ravena was sent back crashing to Earth as his Road Warriors absorbed their first defeat of the conference after bowing down to the much-improved Phoenix Fuel Master, 102-95.

To give credit to the Road Warriors, they were actually up, 25-19 after the first quarter but the Fuel Masters outscored their opponents in the next two quarters before holding on to their first win for 2018. Balanced offense enabled the Fuel Masters to win as they had 6 players who scored in double figures, led by Matthew Wright who had 19 points while going 4 for 8 from the three-point line.

Kiefer Ravena had his fair share of the blame as he went 4 for 13 from the field while totaling 8 points after scoring easily during his first 2 PBA games. He did have 7 assists which are his usual numbers this season but one could only give credit to Coach Louie Alas who managed to find a way to shut down the Phenom.

Conclusion 

The good news is: he still got a lot of time to catch for his horrible performance and also got a big game ahead of him against Mark Barroca and the rest of the Magnolia Hotshots this coming Sunday. While having bad games is a norm in basketball, one thing we have seen in Kiefer Ravena even during his decorated stint in the UAAP is that every time he had a horrible game, his next opponent is probably doomed because the Phenom had always come back better.

Prediction: NLEX will win on Sunday.

Twin Towers’ Strength is Too Much for Romeo-Less Batang Pier

LA Tenorio had 17 points and 7 assists for Ginebra. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

GlobalPort Falters in the 4th Quarter

The Global Port Batang Pier dropped their first game of the season without their superstar, Terrence Romeo. And their agony looked to continue as the three-time scoring champion was still on street clothes during their first game for 2018.

Despite Sean Anthony’s 29 points and a double-double from Kelly Nabong, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings fought their way back late in the 4th quarter after falling behind by as much as 9 points to get their 2nd win of the Philippine Cup after beating the Batang Pier, 104-97.

And here’s how the Gin Kings did it:

Twin Towers Displayed Full Strength

If there’s one thing that makes Ginebra a dangerous team to play against at any given game, it’s the dominance of their Twin Towers of Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter. Against the Batang Pier who was helpless without Terrence Romeo, Aguilar led the way with his 21 points on top of 9 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. GregZilla on the other hand, had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. With former versatile forward, Joe Devance now a free agent, it will be expected that Tim Cone will now rely more on his twin giants especially in games against the elite teams in the league.

Tinyente’s Brilliance

What would Ginebra do without LA Tenorio? They wouldn’t have won the Governors’ Cup for two consecutive seasons without him. And when the Batang Pier appeared for an upset victory, LA Tenorio nailed two three-pointers in the 4th quarter to ignite Ginebra’s comeback run. When the smoke cleared up, Ginebra’s Iron Man had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals for another all-around performance.

Fourth Quarter Composure

To begin with, Global Port actually led as high as 11 points in the early moments of the 4th quarter before Ginebra began turning things to their favor. LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar took turns in scoring big basket after big basket which put a smile on Tim Cone’s face. Due to their composure, the Gin Kings were able to score 36 points in the 4th quarter alone while limiting the Batang Pier to only 20 points.

Conclusion

Will Ginebra continue to dominate even against the likes of the San Miguel Beermen? Possibly as long as the Twin  Towers are healthy. On the other hand, people shouldn’t count Global Port out of the playoff picture just yet. They have yet to win a game this season but when Terrence Romeo gets back, things will get better for the Batang Pier, eventually. 

PBA Trades to be Handled by a 5-Man Team

The new PBA commissioner will no longer decide if a trade is to be approved or not. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Approving or disapproving trades no longer in the hands of the commissioner.

Over the past few seasons, the PBA has seen numerous trades that were either controversial and/or one-sided and yet, the league approved these deals despite questions being voiced out by member teams. That was most visible when then PBA Commissioner Chito Narvas approved the deal that sent the Kia Picanto’s rights to pick the top pick to the  San Miguel Beermen in exchange for role players. This season’s top pick happened to be the Filipino-German and Gilas Pilipinas big man, Christain Standhardinger. That deal was approved despite nagging calls for Narvasa to veto it owing to the belief that it could take away the very reason why the draft was being held on an annual basis. 

You all witnessed what happened next. Chito Narvasa is gone for good and OIC Willie Marcial is taking over temporarily until such time when the league has appointed its next commissioner. To begin with, Mr. Marcial has tons of things to sort out but one of the things he first did upon his first few days as the OIC is to assemble a 5-man special team that will have one specific mission: go through all the future trades to see if these trades should be approved or not.

What this could mean?

To simply things out, approving trades will no longer be included in the burdens of the PBA commissioner, saving him/her from the accusations of being biased. Although Mr. Marcial refused to name the members of the team pending the approval of the board, he did say that the 5-men team will have to reach a consensus and if they failed to do, the house will be divided.

In addition to this, there’s a proposal for the league to identify an elite player from each team. In this proposal, any PBA player who is identified as an elite player can only be traded to an elite player- eliminating the possibilities of lopsided deals like the famed Kia-San Miguel deal. 

Conclusion

The proposal of a 5-man team who will handle the approval of trades could bring back the trust of the fans towards the PBA because the banging of the gavel is no longer in the hands of the commissioner, alone. It’s now up to the league to assemble a team of 5 trust-worthy and independent men who will look at no team when making decisions. 

Phoenix is a Different Team- Yeng Guiao

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

NLEX coach stays wary of the Fuel Masters ahead of their encounter

The Phoenix Fuel Masters have come a long way from the way they debuted back in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup. Even though they lost their first game under their new coach, Louie Alas to open the 2017 Philippine Cup, the Fuel Masters bounced back against the still winless, Kia Picanto as the former exploded for 125 points. That’s why one particular coach in the PBA remains wary of what this Phoenix team can do. That coach is none other than Yeng Guiao whose NLEX Road Warriors are scheduled to open 2018 with an encounter against the team who beat them during the pre-season.

And Yeng Guiao has all the reasons to worry about the Phoenix Fuel Masters. After all, it was Phoenix who handed Guiao his first ever defeat in his coaching stint with NLEX although the Road Warriors took the next two encounters. And aside from having a new coach in Alas, the Fuel Masters have a drastically different roster compared to what they had before.

Yeng Guiao took notice that Phoenix has a healthy Matthew Wright and of course, one of his former players in Jeff Chan who played under Guiao during his stint with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. But more importantly, the occasionally hot-headed coach also noted that the Fuel Masters are now bannered by one of the promising rookies in the 2017 draft: Jason Perkins.

Aside from the key players and the new coach of Phoenix, Yeng Guiao has other things to worry about with regards to their first game of the year. The coach is worried that the holiday break took some of the sharpness from the Road Warriors which enabled Kiefer Ravena and company to win the first two games of the new season.

Conclusion

Fortunately for the Road Warriors, Yeng Guiao is someone who always gets what he wants from his players. If he demands 110% focus on the game at hand, he will definitely get it. Why? Who would enjoy being yelled at by Yeng Guiao aside from being benched? Unfortunately for the Fuel Masters, they have no one to stop Kiefer Ravena.

Prediction: NLEX will win.

Greg Slaughter is the Only One who Can Stop the Kraken- Tim Cone

If there’s one Ginebra player who can match-up against Fajardo, it’s Greg Slaughter. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

June Mar Fajardo might be a 4-time MVP but GregZilla got the numbers in his favor.

During the course of the past 4 seasons, June Mar Fajardo has collected 4 MVP awards on top of 5 championships for the San Miguel Beermen which included the first two of the 42nd season. In fact, the Beermen had a chance to achieve a rare Grand Slam if not to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings who denied the Beermen of that chance upon beating them convincingly during the quarterfinals of last season’s Governors’ Cup.

On the other hand, Fajardo’s fellow Cebuano and long-time rival, Greg Slaughter has recently recovered from the injury which made him miss a ton of the previous two seasons and played a vital role during Ginebra’s championship run in the Governors’ Cup which ended with Ginebra hoisting another Governors’ Cup trophy after a full 7-game slugfest against the Meralco Bolts. To cap his successful stint during the Governors’ Cup, he earned the Best Player of the Conference award, an award that was backed by great performance throughout the closing conference of the league’s 42nd season.

On Christmas Day, Greg Slaughter exploded for 24 points and 12 rebounds, leading Ginebra to a win over the fading Magnolia Hotshots. Fajardo, on the other hand, had 26 points and 9 rebounds on December 27 against the Bolts.

While many coaches think that Fajardo is a virtually unstoppable, playing like an import, one coach thinks otherwise. That coach is none other than Tim Cone who said that Greg Slaughter may be the only player who can match-up with his Cebuano rival due to his height plus his ability to engage in a one-on-one battle against SMB’s star center. And Tim Cone isn’t wrong either. Strength-wise and stat-wise, only Slaughter can match up the numbers that Fajardo is putting up nowadays.

Conclusion

While Fajardo and Slaughter have yet to face each other this season, we can expect that there’ll be a war come the game between the two giants. Who will come out victorious?

Prediction: Greg Slaughter. 

But of course, Fajardo belongs to the league’s best all-local starting line-up so that’s something that Tim Cone will have to work around with. 

Jeron Teng: A Gem for the Aces

Alex Compton has nothing but praises for his prized rookie.

The name Jeron Teng isn’t new in basketball. The last name Teng isn’t either. Before Jeron and his older brother, Jeric came into the PBA, there was another Teng in the PBA whose career lasted for 14 years. So it’s no surprise that Jeron Teng is becoming one of the league’s popular players even though he is still a rookie.

And he’s not just an ordinary rookie. Not even close. You see, his own coach with the Alaska Aces, Alex Compton considers Jeron Teng as one of the few bright spots in the new season which saw the Aces failing to 0-2 to open the Philippine Cup.

As Alex Compton said it, Jeron Teng serves as the gem for the struggling Aces. After dropping 16 points on his first game against the Magnolia Hotshots, Jeron Teng exploded for 28 points against the Talk N Text KaTropa when he went 10 for 18 in the field and also grabbed 10 rebounds. He entered 2018 with 22 points and 6 rebounds per game averages- both are team-highs.

While he is definitely one of the promising young stars who will dominate the PBA in the future, you can say nothing negative about Jeron Teng’s work ethic and Alex Compton has been both a witness and a fan of it. According to the American coach, Teng is the team’s gym rat who would stay late in the gym, working on his game despite being told to go home. 

Another key feature of Jeron Teng that Alex Compton liked to point out is that Teng is humble and is always willing to learn unlike other rookies in the past who think of themselves as the bet there were just because they had a stellar collegiate career. 

Conclusion

Don’t be fooled by the Aces’ struggles and their 0-2 record. And don’t forget that the Aces still have Calvin Abueva and JVee Casio on board. Like it or not, it’s only a matter of time until they become a formidable team with Jeron Teng. After all, it has been expected that Jeron Teng will slug it out against Kiefer Ravena in the race for the Rookie of the Year. 

And who knows? Teng might be the missing piece for the Aces to make a return to their winning ways. 

The PBA "No Harm No Foul" Rule: The Pros and Cons

If the “No Harm No Foul” Rule gets reinstated, defense-oriented teams are among those who will benefit the most. (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

Can it actually help bring back the life in the PBA?

Whether you like it or not, basketball is a game that is filled with physicalities and those physicalities are what make the game a bit more exciting and entertaining, to say the least. What’s more exciting than seeing stars attacking defenders on their way to the basket, making the basket despite being defended tremendously? 

Or, what about defenders who successfully defended the opposing team’s primary scorer especially in critical situations of the game? These are the two things which make basketball more exciting than any other sports in the world.

During the early days of the PBA, physicality was at its best. Players were killing each other just to get things done. Of course, there were dirty plays but it’s still part of the game. And whether we like it or not, there will be always dirty players. This led former Commissioner Chito Narvasa implementing stricter rules on calling fouls- removing the “No Harm No Foul” rule in the process. While this move was good in terms of preventing things from escalating, this said move also slowed the game down. And it has made the fans bored and disappointed with the quality of games that they were seeing.

Fortunately, PBA OIC, Willie Marcial said that one of the changes that the league will discuss once the board meets for the time this year is the return of the “No Harm No Foul” rule. According to Mr. Marcial, some members of the board have actually said that they want the games to develop more “color” by allowing more physicalities to come into play.

But of course, it will have both the pros and the cons:

Pro: Faster and More Exciting Games

Assuming that the board agrees to full implementation of the said rule, one of the benefits of doing so is allowing the games themselves to speed up because of the lesser fouls that would be called. With the rule back, fans can now expect more physical plays especially on the defensive end of the game.  This will excite the fans and will encourage them to watch the game live. 

Con: Flops and  Dirty Plays

While the league has said that it will not tolerate dirty plays once the “No Harm No Foul” rule gets implemented anew, there’s no denying the fact that dirty plays from dirty players will always stay. 

Now, since getting fouled will be more difficult with the impending return of the rule, flops will come into play more than often. So, implementing the “No Harm No Foul” rule is a double-edged sword. 

Conclusion

Whether bringing back the old rule will help repair the strained relationship between the PBA and the fans is something that we need to wait and see. 

While it’s  exciting because it will allow more physicalities, the PBA  still has a more important thing to decide on before anything else: Who will replace Chito Narvasa as the PBA commissioner?

Here are the Changes to Expect in the PBA this 2018

Can these changes bring back the excitement of the fans? (Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

2018 is expected to bring new changes in the PBA

The latter part of 2017 was an episode that the PBA probably wanted to forget. Why?

Here’s why:

We almost didn’t have a 43rd season to watch due to the uncertainties that were brought about by the controversial trade involving the top pick, Christian Standhardinger who sent by the Kia Picanto to the San Miguel Beermen in exchange for role players off the bench- a trade that was approved by then-Commissioner Chito Narvasa. 

That decision appeared to be the nail that was needed to seal the coffin for Narvasa as 7 team members elected not to extend his contract. This would lead to the cancellation of the league’s annual planning session in the United States- something that made people ask: Will be there a lockout?

Chito Narvasa submitted his resignation just a few hours before the opening ceremony of the PBA’s 43rd season but was allowed to stay in office until December 31, 2017. While the season did open as scheduled, it wasn’t enough to attract a big crowd to watch the opening game between the San Miguel Beermen and the Phoenix Fuel Masters as crowd estimate was said to have only reached around 5000 fans.

Fortunately for the league and this basketball-crazy country, 2018 presents an opportunity for the PBA to have a fresh start by having the following changes implemented as soon as possible:

A New Commissioner

There’s no better way to start a new year than to select a commissioner who will do everything in his capacity to improve the quality of games that the league is playing. With Chito Narvasa’s contract over and with Willie Marcial only acting as the officer-in-charge to ensure the continuity of the things, the selection of a new commissioner will be among the top agendas when the members of the board meeting on January 26, 2018, for the first time this year. Who will the board select as Narvasa’s replacement? We’ll know eventually.

Faster Games

Willie Marcial has also indicated that they want to develop more color into the games by becoming less strict on physical plays- stating that stricter calls on physicality have been one of the things that have been prolonging games, especially under Narvasa’s term. While team owners agreed that dirty plays won’t be tolerated, they also agreed that basketball is first and foremost, a game of physicality and that is something that both the teams and the fans want. A faster pace of games will ignite the excitement of the fans. After all, who would enjoy a foul-filled game, right? 

Conclusion

Having a new commissioner is the first step towards rebuilding a better relationship between the PBA and the fans. However, having a commissioner who will listen to the fans will help sustain that harmonic relationship. In addition to this, having a better rule in calling fouls in games will not only speed up the pace of the game but will help in terms of regaining the long-lost beauty of Philippine basketball that is full of physicality. After all, that’s the thing that made Philippine basketball famous around the world. 

Chris Gavina Resigns as Kia’s Head Coach

Ricky Dandan takes over coaching duties

Gavina’s resignation came after Kia’ 23-point loss to Phoenix.

The Kia Picanto entered the 43rd season of the PBA fresh from a winless campaign during the 2016 Governors’ Cup. Don’t forget that they also traded their right to pick the top pick in the draft which eventually happened to be the Filipino-German and Gilas big man, Christian Standhardinger. Despite trading their potential future star, the Picanto managed to pose a threat against the NLEX Road Warriors in their season-opener before losing, 119-115. However, their next game,e against the Phoenix Fuel Masters was something that hit them the most as it was a 23-point blowout loss, their 14th straight loss.

Just when things couldn’t get any better for the Picanto, Chris Gavina will start 2018 without a team to coach as he submitted his resignation yesterday- a move that was confirmed by Joe Lipa, the team’s general manager. Ironically, Gavina’s resignation came just two days after Kia announced that he was the team’s head coach. Was.

Gavina started as Manny Pacquiao’s deputy coach- all while the playing coach wasn’t on the court. Despite the stockpile of losses, we can’t argue with the fact that Chris Gavina did his job, leading Kia to its only playoff appearance so far back in 2016 before losing to the Meralco Bolts.

Ricky Dandan is set to take over at the helm in the next games of Kia. Will he be the permanent coach or only in an interim capacity will be something that we’ll have to wait and see.

Conclusion

Will Chris Gavina’s resignation bring good things to the still winless Kia Picanto? It depends on the adjustments that will be made come the games. After all, Kia still has a bunch of quality players who can score at will and lead the team to wins. They just need to rediscover how they started 4-0 like they did back in the 2016 Governors’ Cup under Chris Gavina.

Take a look at our last conversation with Chris Gavina

The Phenom Bags First Player of the Week Award

(Photo by the PBA Media Bureau)

His numbers speak for himself.

Kiefer Ravena’s greatness has been witnessed by everyone since he was playing for the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets. Then he elevated into the collegiate ranks where he spread his wings furthermore. While playing under Norman Black for a team who was in a middle of a 5-peat run, the Phenom made sure that he left his marks as he won multiple awards including MVPs and Mythical Tem selections.

While his last two seasons with the Blue Eagles went nuts as the Eagles faltered in the Final 4, twice, Ravena managed to show that he’s more than ready to enter the PBA but chose to explore playing opportunities in the United States, even joining the tryouts in the NBA D-League. While nothing happened in that scenario, the Phenom returned home and answered the calls of our national team. Soon, he already has 4 SEA Games gold medals under his belt. Then, he entered the PBA Draft and landed under the guidance of one of the league’s fiercest coaches, Yeng Guiao.

Kiefer Ravena wasted no time in making the most of his time as he dished out his PBA assist just a few seconds right after tip-off against Kia Picanto. By the end of the game, the Phenom has totaled 18 points and 12 assists plus 7 rebounds while leading the NLEX Road Warriors to a 119-115 opening day victory. But that was only the beginning, folks.

On Christmas Day, he led NLEX anew to another victory as he scored 20 points and added 5 assists plus 4 steals in another all-around performance against the GlobalPort Batang Pier who had to play without their star, Terrence Romeo.

As a result of his phenomenal start to his career, Kiefer Ravena was hailed as the Player of the Week in the league’s first week. In his first two games, Ravena averaged 19 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds while beating big names for the award such as June Mar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, JR Quinahan and others.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, Kiefer Ravena is just getting started and we shouldn’t be surprised either if he goes on winning more than just the Player of the Week award. After all, he’s the next-best rookie in his draft class with Christian Standhardinger still busy with his ABL stint. Who knows? Ravena might already be the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award.