Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Evaluating the PBA Freshmen, Class 2005-2006
*blog composed last May 11, 2006. Reposting at Eastrombo.
"Masaya ang rookie days namin. Para kaming mga bakang pinakawalan sa kural. Mga batang-bata. Kung maglaro, basta na lang maglaro. Sasabihin mo, 'Mga professional ba ito?'"
- Abet Guidaben
The eliminations of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup is nearing its end, as the playoffs will start at June, and the PBA will wrap up the season after about a month and a half. The PBA has been putting on a show for about seven months now. At this stage, we can safely evaluate how the PBA rookies, who first came into the league via the Rookie Draft back in August 2005, have performed so far for the PBA's 31st season.
First Round:
1. Anthony Washington (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
This former PBL Fantastic Freshman awardee and Rain or Shine player created a lot of brouhaha the moment he stated his intentions of joining the draft. He was one of two amateur aspirants whom National Team coach Chot Reyes included in the National Team lineup back when two Philippine Team squads went up against the Iran National team back in April 2005. Air21 Express drafted him as the first overall pick as a trade bait, since Washington is more of a wingman rather than a post player. Loaded with too much players at the wings, and lacking big men at the post, Air21 traded him to favorite trading buddy Talk 'n Text, in exchange for Yancy de Ocampo, who coincidentally was Air21's first overall pick in the 2002 draft. In a team loaded with big names in Willie Miller, Jimmy Alapag, and Asi Taulava, with a lot of veterans playing for the Phone Pals, Washington was seldomly used in the rotation, and was eventually put into the injured list for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. How ironic. I don't even remember a game when he produced decent numbers for a rookie.
*note: "J-Wash" started playing again for the Talk 'n Text squad just last Friday, May 12, sporting an afro he probably grew while being in the injured list. True to what the analysts say, he is more of a wing player than an inside player.
2. Alex Cabagnot (Sta. Lucia Realtors)
This rookie immediately became popular probably because of one thing: he erased Mark Caguioa's scoring record in Eagle Rock High School. I thought he also came with a blonde, undercut, gelled hair. He almost made a controversy and was almost banned from the league when he supposedly refused to sign up with the Sta. Lucia Realtors and left for the US after the draft. Fortunately for him, it was just a misunderstanding between the team and his agent. On his second game in the pro-league, he showed his stuff against schoolmate Caguioa and Helterbrand, and he owned the two by playing big in the fourth quarter back in October 9, 2005. The media immediately responded to the Caguioa-Cabagnot shaping rivalry as the two were seen trash-talking in that game. In their second elimination game against each other, Caguioa owned him as the glib-talker Caguioa declared, "C'mon men, you can't compare him (Cabagnot) with us. Look at the score. Hindi man lang siya lumaban." Cabagnot was 0/13 from the field en route to an egged game when his team went up against Purefoods back in December 14, 2005. His playmaking skills are still questionable, so is his consistent scoring. His tandem with Paolo Mendoza is something nice to look at. Unfortunately for him, while I may consider him to be at the top five of this rookie batch, his team is playing badly, as they ended up seventh in the PBA Fiesta Cup and right now, they're at bottom in the standings with a 3-10 win-loss slate.
3. Denok Miranda (Coca-cola Tigers)
Denok Miranda, a former UAAP mythical five awardee, flew in for SMB-RP Team's injured Willie Miller in the 2005 Jones Cup. In a team loaded with veterans, he played big in the last two minutes in their game against Japan, completing a three-point play with 18 seconds left. With his impressive stints in the UAAP and the PBL, he was drafted by the Coca-cola Tigers as the third overall pick. He's probably a perfect draft pick for the Tigers, as the Tigers are looking for a pure point-guard in their line-up, especially as Johnny Abarrientos is getting older. Unfortunately for him, he went down with an ankle injury in the earlier part of the Fiesta Conference. In the ongoing Philippine Cup, he has earned Coach Binky Favis' confidence to lead the Tigers five as he is inserted into the Tigers' starting line-up, with co-FEU alumnus Abarrientos coming off the bench. He's had his share of career high games, especially one against Red Bull wherein he registered 21 points and 6 assists. As I see it, he's not creating that much impact with the Coca-Cola Tigers as their offense is concentrated on John Arigo, Ali Peek, and Billy Mamaril. He's on my top 5 list, though, but he hasn't lifted his team enough for him to win the Rookie of the Year award.
4. Jondan Salvador (Purefoods Chunkee Giants)
Jondan Salvador is a veteran rookie, having played in the MBA with the Professional Davao Eagles back in 2002, before the league folded up. He moved on to the PBL with the Monta?a, eventually earning the MVP honors after bringing his ballclub to its first finals trip in their franchise history. He also had stints with the SMB-RP National Team in the Jones Cup before drafted by Purefoods as the fourth overall pick of the 2005 draft. It was most notable that he was immediately inserted into the starting line-up by Coach Ryan Gregorio. I believe Kerby Raymundo and Jondan Salvador could be the next Alvin Patrimonio-Jerry Codi?era tandem in their team. He can play in the paint as well as play good defense. He plays effectively like a center, despite his size. He could have been a hot candidate for the Rookie of the Year honors, if not for his MBA stint and his unfortunate ACL injury in Game Four of the Purefoods-Red Bull Fiesta Conference Finals match. Marc Pingris assumed his starting role and has been playing good basketball in Jondan's absence, and right now is a hot candidate for the Most Improved player award. Meanwhile, we'll probably see Salvador again in the next season.
5. Macmac Cardona (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
He doesn't probably need much introduction as he has established his reputation in the amateur wars in the UAAP with La Salle. We all know about his no-nonesense-attitude, his unorthodox shooting which earned him the monicker "Captain Hook" which earned him the UAAP Rookie of the Year award back in 2001 and the finals MVP award in 2004, powering the Archers into the 2001 and 2004 championships (the latter being nullified about a year later). We all know how much he has learned with his Translation studies degree. He was a scoring champion in the PBL with almost 22 points a game while strutting his stuff with the exciting Harbour Center Portmasters and the ICTSI Archers.
Whoops, I still did introduce him.
His drafting as the fifth overall by the Air21 Express was memorable, not only to him, but to his followers, as ol' trashtalking buddy and Ateneo rival Wesley Gonzales received him to the howl of the fans (Wesley even gave him a hug!) But he never got to play along side Wesley, as he was traded to Talk 'n Text for Patrick Fran, as the Express are overloaded with guards in Ritualo, Tubid, Gonzales, and David. In the Phonepals line-up, he filled in to injured Willie Miller's shoes, piling up decent numbers at about 6 points a game. Eventually Miller returned, knocking his spot at the starting line-up as he rode the bench more. Following Coach Joel Banal's resignation and Coach Derrick Pumaren's promotion as coach, he slowly gained his gungho play, doubling his scoring output with a consistent 13-14 points a game. His intensity and fire is back, plus his new-look hair. His hookshots still eludes the defense played on him. With Willie Miller's depature, he is expected to play more minutes, double his output, and talk more trash on the court. (Gawd, you should have seen that Ginebra-TnT game which I'll blog... after I finish this).
6. Ni?o "KG" Canaleta (Air21 Express)
He didn't play much in the PBL, as he concentrated more on playing with the Cebuana Lhuiller backed National team, which was eventually disbanded due to the BAP-POC mess. He siglehandedly brought the rookie-filled UE squad back in 2004. Even with UE, he brought the house down with his rim-rattling dunks. Air21 is just fortunate to use their 6th pick to choose him, bringing with him his afro styled hair.
The only draft pick ever to suit up for Air21, KG Canaleta has brought his acts with the team, entertaining fans with oohs and ahhs in every slam dunk that he throws down. His popularity rose, following the Slam-Dunk contest in Laoag back in November 2005, as well as a MVP-like performance in the Rookie-Sophomore Blitz game. He also extended his range from inside the paint to beyond the arc. Hopefully, he will not only enter the national consciousness as a dunking king, but also an unstoppable scorer and shot-blocker. With the departure of Renren Ritualo in a stupid move by the Air21 Express, he is expected to fill in the shoes of the "Rain Man." Consistency is one thing he should work on, if he is being groomed to as Air21's next franchise player. He just did score 27 points last Friday against Alaska, but we have yet to see him peak.
7. Michael Holper (Ginebra Gin Kings)
With all the big-name rookies drafted ahead of Mike Holper, I believe he was Ginebra's next-best choice in the rookie draft. He didn't make an impact in the PBL though, as his team, Bacchus-Air Philippines, had a forgettable stint in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup. What can I say? He has solved Ginebra's small forward problem, a position vacant since Jun Limpot's departure. He adds to the list of Ginebra's big men, and he complements Romel Adducul and Eric Menk presence inside the paint. He's so versatile he can play the power-forward, the center spot (a position he's forced to play on Adducul, Menk, and Seigle's injuries), and even the #2 spot (in a game we watched in Cuneta when Ginebra played against San Miguel, in that rare Caguioa-Holper-Lampley-Adducul-Menk line-up). He's an added muscle inside the paint, both in the offensive and defensive side. He emphatically swats shots, and sneaks inside the paint for the putback. He can also shoot from outside, although not on a consistent basis, but if he can work on more outside shots (and actually making them), he can be an inside-outside threat. Another thing he can work on is his post-play, although that post assignment usually goes to Menk or Adducul. The only thing that's preventing him to bloom is Ginebra's star-studded line-up and its guard-oriented offense, that's why he's expected to make the most of his minutes on Menk and Adducul's injuries. A rookie to watch for in the coming years. Truly fit for the Ginebra camp. He reminds me of Nic Belasco's rookie year back in 1997 with Pop Cola.
(Dammit, I wrote a longer write-up for Mike Holper but I wasn't able to save it and my website session expired. Cookies. Gotta code those cookies soon.)
8. Paolo Hubalde (San Miguel)
He was the BIGGEST surprise of the rookie camp. San Miguel pulled off a shock when it drafted the son of the 1977 MVP and one of PBA's 25 greatest players Freddie Hubalde of Crispa. He had a forgettable stint in the PBL with teammate Holper, as their team Bacchus-Air Philippines didn't play big in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup, although he blossomed in the UE camp under Coach Dindo Pumaren, following the departure of Coach Boysie Zamar, James Yap, Ronald Tubid and Paul Artadi. Noli Eala describes Paolo Hubalde as a product of the rookie camp wherein he probably impressed San Miguel coach Jong Uichico.
The only problem he is encountering at the moment is San Miguel's powerhouse line-up. Yuh, that's an understatement. He has to fight minutes with Olsen Racela, Denver Lopez, Dondon Hontiveros, Chris Calaguio, Brandon Cablay, and Wesley Gonzales (whew!). Jong Uichico drafted him as a future pointguard, should Olsen Racela retire in the coming years, but he has Denver Lopez and Cablay now. The only thing I'm seeing is San Miguel releasing him to the dispersal draft soon with Welcoat Paints coming in the PBA soon. I hope that the PBA fans would not remember him only as the winner of the Trickshot challenge in the 2005 PBA All Star Weekend.
9. Leo Najorda (Red Bull Barako)
The former PBL star from Welcoat, and the 2003 NCAA MVP who led his alma mater San Sebastian to the NCAA championship, was picked by Red Bull as the last pick of the first round. Red Bull, I believe, got a quality player in Najorda which he can add to his unpredictable starting line-up combinations. He's a big man who can shoot decent shots from outside, as well as grab those rebounds and score from the inside. Coach Yeng Guiao described him as "a veteran rookie" when he scored 14 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against Ginebra last November 11, 2005 (most of it he scored in garbage time). Unfortunately for him, he was sparingly given quality minutes in the floor in their championship run last 2005-2006 PBA Fiesta Conference. Right now, he's coming off the bench and usually subs Enrico Villanueva and is scoring a good 4-5 points a game. We've yet to see him make a difference in the Red Bull line-up again, but anytime he's given the opportunity, we know that he'll make the most of it.
"Masaya ang rookie days namin. Para kaming mga bakang pinakawalan sa kural. Mga batang-bata. Kung maglaro, basta na lang maglaro. Sasabihin mo, 'Mga professional ba ito?'"
- Abet Guidaben
The eliminations of the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup is nearing its end, as the playoffs will start at June, and the PBA will wrap up the season after about a month and a half. The PBA has been putting on a show for about seven months now. At this stage, we can safely evaluate how the PBA rookies, who first came into the league via the Rookie Draft back in August 2005, have performed so far for the PBA's 31st season.
First Round:
1. Anthony Washington (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
This former PBL Fantastic Freshman awardee and Rain or Shine player created a lot of brouhaha the moment he stated his intentions of joining the draft. He was one of two amateur aspirants whom National Team coach Chot Reyes included in the National Team lineup back when two Philippine Team squads went up against the Iran National team back in April 2005. Air21 Express drafted him as the first overall pick as a trade bait, since Washington is more of a wingman rather than a post player. Loaded with too much players at the wings, and lacking big men at the post, Air21 traded him to favorite trading buddy Talk 'n Text, in exchange for Yancy de Ocampo, who coincidentally was Air21's first overall pick in the 2002 draft. In a team loaded with big names in Willie Miller, Jimmy Alapag, and Asi Taulava, with a lot of veterans playing for the Phone Pals, Washington was seldomly used in the rotation, and was eventually put into the injured list for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. How ironic. I don't even remember a game when he produced decent numbers for a rookie.
*note: "J-Wash" started playing again for the Talk 'n Text squad just last Friday, May 12, sporting an afro he probably grew while being in the injured list. True to what the analysts say, he is more of a wing player than an inside player.
2. Alex Cabagnot (Sta. Lucia Realtors)
This rookie immediately became popular probably because of one thing: he erased Mark Caguioa's scoring record in Eagle Rock High School. I thought he also came with a blonde, undercut, gelled hair. He almost made a controversy and was almost banned from the league when he supposedly refused to sign up with the Sta. Lucia Realtors and left for the US after the draft. Fortunately for him, it was just a misunderstanding between the team and his agent. On his second game in the pro-league, he showed his stuff against schoolmate Caguioa and Helterbrand, and he owned the two by playing big in the fourth quarter back in October 9, 2005. The media immediately responded to the Caguioa-Cabagnot shaping rivalry as the two were seen trash-talking in that game. In their second elimination game against each other, Caguioa owned him as the glib-talker Caguioa declared, "C'mon men, you can't compare him (Cabagnot) with us. Look at the score. Hindi man lang siya lumaban." Cabagnot was 0/13 from the field en route to an egged game when his team went up against Purefoods back in December 14, 2005. His playmaking skills are still questionable, so is his consistent scoring. His tandem with Paolo Mendoza is something nice to look at. Unfortunately for him, while I may consider him to be at the top five of this rookie batch, his team is playing badly, as they ended up seventh in the PBA Fiesta Cup and right now, they're at bottom in the standings with a 3-10 win-loss slate.
3. Denok Miranda (Coca-cola Tigers)
Denok Miranda, a former UAAP mythical five awardee, flew in for SMB-RP Team's injured Willie Miller in the 2005 Jones Cup. In a team loaded with veterans, he played big in the last two minutes in their game against Japan, completing a three-point play with 18 seconds left. With his impressive stints in the UAAP and the PBL, he was drafted by the Coca-cola Tigers as the third overall pick. He's probably a perfect draft pick for the Tigers, as the Tigers are looking for a pure point-guard in their line-up, especially as Johnny Abarrientos is getting older. Unfortunately for him, he went down with an ankle injury in the earlier part of the Fiesta Conference. In the ongoing Philippine Cup, he has earned Coach Binky Favis' confidence to lead the Tigers five as he is inserted into the Tigers' starting line-up, with co-FEU alumnus Abarrientos coming off the bench. He's had his share of career high games, especially one against Red Bull wherein he registered 21 points and 6 assists. As I see it, he's not creating that much impact with the Coca-Cola Tigers as their offense is concentrated on John Arigo, Ali Peek, and Billy Mamaril. He's on my top 5 list, though, but he hasn't lifted his team enough for him to win the Rookie of the Year award.
4. Jondan Salvador (Purefoods Chunkee Giants)
Jondan Salvador is a veteran rookie, having played in the MBA with the Professional Davao Eagles back in 2002, before the league folded up. He moved on to the PBL with the Monta?a, eventually earning the MVP honors after bringing his ballclub to its first finals trip in their franchise history. He also had stints with the SMB-RP National Team in the Jones Cup before drafted by Purefoods as the fourth overall pick of the 2005 draft. It was most notable that he was immediately inserted into the starting line-up by Coach Ryan Gregorio. I believe Kerby Raymundo and Jondan Salvador could be the next Alvin Patrimonio-Jerry Codi?era tandem in their team. He can play in the paint as well as play good defense. He plays effectively like a center, despite his size. He could have been a hot candidate for the Rookie of the Year honors, if not for his MBA stint and his unfortunate ACL injury in Game Four of the Purefoods-Red Bull Fiesta Conference Finals match. Marc Pingris assumed his starting role and has been playing good basketball in Jondan's absence, and right now is a hot candidate for the Most Improved player award. Meanwhile, we'll probably see Salvador again in the next season.
5. Macmac Cardona (Talk 'n Text Phonepals)
He doesn't probably need much introduction as he has established his reputation in the amateur wars in the UAAP with La Salle. We all know about his no-nonesense-attitude, his unorthodox shooting which earned him the monicker "Captain Hook" which earned him the UAAP Rookie of the Year award back in 2001 and the finals MVP award in 2004, powering the Archers into the 2001 and 2004 championships (the latter being nullified about a year later). We all know how much he has learned with his Translation studies degree. He was a scoring champion in the PBL with almost 22 points a game while strutting his stuff with the exciting Harbour Center Portmasters and the ICTSI Archers.
Whoops, I still did introduce him.
His drafting as the fifth overall by the Air21 Express was memorable, not only to him, but to his followers, as ol' trashtalking buddy and Ateneo rival Wesley Gonzales received him to the howl of the fans (Wesley even gave him a hug!) But he never got to play along side Wesley, as he was traded to Talk 'n Text for Patrick Fran, as the Express are overloaded with guards in Ritualo, Tubid, Gonzales, and David. In the Phonepals line-up, he filled in to injured Willie Miller's shoes, piling up decent numbers at about 6 points a game. Eventually Miller returned, knocking his spot at the starting line-up as he rode the bench more. Following Coach Joel Banal's resignation and Coach Derrick Pumaren's promotion as coach, he slowly gained his gungho play, doubling his scoring output with a consistent 13-14 points a game. His intensity and fire is back, plus his new-look hair. His hookshots still eludes the defense played on him. With Willie Miller's depature, he is expected to play more minutes, double his output, and talk more trash on the court. (Gawd, you should have seen that Ginebra-TnT game which I'll blog... after I finish this).
6. Ni?o "KG" Canaleta (Air21 Express)
He didn't play much in the PBL, as he concentrated more on playing with the Cebuana Lhuiller backed National team, which was eventually disbanded due to the BAP-POC mess. He siglehandedly brought the rookie-filled UE squad back in 2004. Even with UE, he brought the house down with his rim-rattling dunks. Air21 is just fortunate to use their 6th pick to choose him, bringing with him his afro styled hair.
The only draft pick ever to suit up for Air21, KG Canaleta has brought his acts with the team, entertaining fans with oohs and ahhs in every slam dunk that he throws down. His popularity rose, following the Slam-Dunk contest in Laoag back in November 2005, as well as a MVP-like performance in the Rookie-Sophomore Blitz game. He also extended his range from inside the paint to beyond the arc. Hopefully, he will not only enter the national consciousness as a dunking king, but also an unstoppable scorer and shot-blocker. With the departure of Renren Ritualo in a stupid move by the Air21 Express, he is expected to fill in the shoes of the "Rain Man." Consistency is one thing he should work on, if he is being groomed to as Air21's next franchise player. He just did score 27 points last Friday against Alaska, but we have yet to see him peak.
7. Michael Holper (Ginebra Gin Kings)
With all the big-name rookies drafted ahead of Mike Holper, I believe he was Ginebra's next-best choice in the rookie draft. He didn't make an impact in the PBL though, as his team, Bacchus-Air Philippines, had a forgettable stint in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup. What can I say? He has solved Ginebra's small forward problem, a position vacant since Jun Limpot's departure. He adds to the list of Ginebra's big men, and he complements Romel Adducul and Eric Menk presence inside the paint. He's so versatile he can play the power-forward, the center spot (a position he's forced to play on Adducul, Menk, and Seigle's injuries), and even the #2 spot (in a game we watched in Cuneta when Ginebra played against San Miguel, in that rare Caguioa-Holper-Lampley-Adducul-Menk line-up). He's an added muscle inside the paint, both in the offensive and defensive side. He emphatically swats shots, and sneaks inside the paint for the putback. He can also shoot from outside, although not on a consistent basis, but if he can work on more outside shots (and actually making them), he can be an inside-outside threat. Another thing he can work on is his post-play, although that post assignment usually goes to Menk or Adducul. The only thing that's preventing him to bloom is Ginebra's star-studded line-up and its guard-oriented offense, that's why he's expected to make the most of his minutes on Menk and Adducul's injuries. A rookie to watch for in the coming years. Truly fit for the Ginebra camp. He reminds me of Nic Belasco's rookie year back in 1997 with Pop Cola.
(Dammit, I wrote a longer write-up for Mike Holper but I wasn't able to save it and my website session expired. Cookies. Gotta code those cookies soon.)
8. Paolo Hubalde (San Miguel)
He was the BIGGEST surprise of the rookie camp. San Miguel pulled off a shock when it drafted the son of the 1977 MVP and one of PBA's 25 greatest players Freddie Hubalde of Crispa. He had a forgettable stint in the PBL with teammate Holper, as their team Bacchus-Air Philippines didn't play big in the 2005 PBL Unity Cup, although he blossomed in the UE camp under Coach Dindo Pumaren, following the departure of Coach Boysie Zamar, James Yap, Ronald Tubid and Paul Artadi. Noli Eala describes Paolo Hubalde as a product of the rookie camp wherein he probably impressed San Miguel coach Jong Uichico.
The only problem he is encountering at the moment is San Miguel's powerhouse line-up. Yuh, that's an understatement. He has to fight minutes with Olsen Racela, Denver Lopez, Dondon Hontiveros, Chris Calaguio, Brandon Cablay, and Wesley Gonzales (whew!). Jong Uichico drafted him as a future pointguard, should Olsen Racela retire in the coming years, but he has Denver Lopez and Cablay now. The only thing I'm seeing is San Miguel releasing him to the dispersal draft soon with Welcoat Paints coming in the PBA soon. I hope that the PBA fans would not remember him only as the winner of the Trickshot challenge in the 2005 PBA All Star Weekend.
9. Leo Najorda (Red Bull Barako)
The former PBL star from Welcoat, and the 2003 NCAA MVP who led his alma mater San Sebastian to the NCAA championship, was picked by Red Bull as the last pick of the first round. Red Bull, I believe, got a quality player in Najorda which he can add to his unpredictable starting line-up combinations. He's a big man who can shoot decent shots from outside, as well as grab those rebounds and score from the inside. Coach Yeng Guiao described him as "a veteran rookie" when he scored 14 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against Ginebra last November 11, 2005 (most of it he scored in garbage time). Unfortunately for him, he was sparingly given quality minutes in the floor in their championship run last 2005-2006 PBA Fiesta Conference. Right now, he's coming off the bench and usually subs Enrico Villanueva and is scoring a good 4-5 points a game. We've yet to see him make a difference in the Red Bull line-up again, but anytime he's given the opportunity, we know that he'll make the most of it.
