There definitely is something fishy going on with this Japeth Aguilar situation. You can say all you want about "wanting to help the country" and "sacrificing a career in the pro league," but all those big words are just secondary to the biggest one of them all: MONEY.
I'm pretty sure there are "forces" out there who led to this (with Ronnie Nathanielsz as your manager, anything is possible), but the poor kid will certainly be the one facing all the rap here. At the end, it's not exactly the decision that will forever be criticized but the flip-flopping involved.
But what's done is done, and there is only one thing left for me to say at this point: Boy, I can't wait to watch Smart-Gilas play Burger King in the All Filipino Cup.
While I imagine that, you can read the rest of the press release here.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
two quick things on the quickest man alive
One: Usain Bolt is damn good.
The fastest man on the planet, Bolt has turned the sprint competitions into a one-man show. And in case you haven't heard of his latest exploits, go google them up. It won't be long before he runs to 100-m faster than Google returns your search results.
Two: Usain Bolt is damn good--and he damn knows it.
Quotes such as "I'm on my way to being a legend" and "I've written history, pretty much" are quotes you can't just throw around without having walked the talk. In his case, Bolt didn't just walk, he breezed through it.
The fastest man on the planet, Bolt has turned the sprint competitions into a one-man show. And in case you haven't heard of his latest exploits, go google them up. It won't be long before he runs to 100-m faster than Google returns your search results.
Two: Usain Bolt is damn good--and he damn knows it.
Quotes such as "I'm on my way to being a legend" and "I've written history, pretty much" are quotes you can't just throw around without having walked the talk. In his case, Bolt didn't just walk, he breezed through it.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
the tianjin report card
For the nth time, the RP Team's campaign ended in frustration and disappointment. And I'm still in a state of shock. Period. But I'm not gonna dwell on the what-if's and what-might-have-been's anymore. That just makes it all the more depressing.
Instead, allow me to dish it like your least-favorite highschool teacher. The make-up of the 2009 NT is arguably the most arguable in years, mainly because of the non-selection of guys like Jimmy Alapag, Dondon Hontiveros, and Homer Se. So I guess it would be nice to look back and rate how the Chosen 12 represented the P.I.
Jay-Jay Helterbrand, PG.
Now I remember why I hated him in Tokushima. He keeps on dribbling outside the arc, rarely drives to the basket, and almost always ends up chucking a desperation trey or a long two. The consolation in Tianjin is that he limited his TO's and actually had an exceptional 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio midway through the tournament. But if you're coming off an MVP season in the pros, you simply have to do better than that. Grade: D.
Willie Miller, PG.
If there's one thing this NT first-timer was successful at, it's making the rest of Asia realize that he's a legit scoring threat even at this level. The knock on "Thriller Miller" though is that he was actually playing pointguard, and his playmaking often left much to be desired. But he compensated for this by being the second best rebounder on the team (discounting the 2 games he was out). Hence, his final grade stays. Grade: B+.
Cyrus Baguio, SG.
Undoubtedly the most maligned member of Team Pilipinas, "Skyrus" (yes it's corny but it somehow works) proved that he deserves the spot if only for his open-court brilliance. I would have given him a higher grade if his defense was not limited to ball-hawking and passing-lane incursions. Grade: B+.
James Yap, SG.
When on fire, Yap showed he can be one of the most dangerous shooters in Asia. He was a marked man a few days into the tourney and not surprisingly led the team in conversions made from behind the arc. Unfortunately, he also led the league in crappiest fouls made and was not too far behind in giving the "pa'no-naging-foul-'yun" look after every stupid foul. Grade: B.
Gabe Norwood, PG/SG/SF.
There were two Norwoods who showed up in Fiba-Asia. GabeV1.0, who played in the first 4 games, was a waste of roster space, firing blanks from all over and was hesitant with the leather. Fortunately, GabeV.2.0 emerged during the Iran game and was an absolute stud thereafter. Who knows what would have happened if that version was present against Korea? When the dust settles though, people will remember him for that all-guts performance versus Jordan (and then maybe for his passionate tweets). Grade: C+.
Jared Dillinger, SG/SF.
He continues to suck from the foul line, but Dillinger's contributions goes beyond the boxscores. He is practically the only guy on the roster who had no second thoughts in challenging the 8-foot-6 Hamed Haddadi and the 9-foot-2 Ha Seung Jin. He provided energy on both ends of the floor, and while he may appear out of control from time to time, there's no questioning this guy's heart. He has earned my respect as well as my Twitter following. Grade: B.
Arwind Santos, SF.
The former FEU star was touted as the do-it-all man before the tourney started. Can shoot, can run, can block, can defend. But a few games in, he appeared lost on the court--was a tad slow against athletic wingmen and was too thin against the bigger forwards. From do-it-all, he eventually ended up doing only one thing: cheering from the bench. Grade: D.
Kerby Raymundo, PF.
If this were any other player, I would have given a passing grade. But this is Kerby Raymundo folks, one of our top 3 players in 2007 and probably the most offensively gifted power-forward we've had in years. In Tokushima, his inside forays resulted in one of two things: free throws or field goal conversions. In Tianjin, it resulted in one of three things: turnovers, wild shots, or even wilder shots. I'm starting to believe his head was never into this at all. He complained about the practice schedules months ago, threatened to quit, and then was seen laughing his way around during the Jones Cup. It's just sad that one of the heroes of the Chot Reyes-mentored squad would go out like this. Grade: F.
Japeth Aguilar, PF/C.
If I were to rate a player's performance by virtue of one's dunk attempts, the former Hilltopper would definitely be tops. But I don't think it would be fair to grade him at all as he was MIA for majority of the tournament. Grade: N/A
Sonny Thoss, PF/C.
There were days when Thoss played like an A. But there were also days when he was a non-factor out there. The thing with him is that although he's relatively quick and mobile for a center, he spent lots of time at the 4-spot, where he was not that effective against versatile power-forwards. And he still needs to be consistent with that outside jumper of his. Grade: C+.
Asi Taulava, C.
There's only so much you can ask from a 58-year old Fil-Tongan center. And generally speaking, we got what we asked for. I would have wanted more playing time for the NT veteran but his non-existent range probably factored in on the coaching staff's decision. Nevertheless, he still had his moments despite going up against bigger and tougher centers. Grade: B.
Mick Pennisi, C.
You know what you're gonna get from this guy everytime he steps on the court: three-pointers and the occasional hard foul. And for the most part, he delivered. I only wish he could jump and rebound, and maybe avoid getting himself into spots he's not comfortable in. But then again, you have to take the bad with the good. Grade: C+.
And so, at the bottom of the ladder are Helterbrand, Santos, and Raymundo. If Ryan Reyes and Kelly Williams were healthy, they probably would have taken the spots of the first two--but I promised not to dwell on the "what-if's" so that discussion ends there.
I just hope this learning experience does not result in another learning experience. I'm sure we've all had enough heartbreakers in the bag.
Instead, allow me to dish it like your least-favorite highschool teacher. The make-up of the 2009 NT is arguably the most arguable in years, mainly because of the non-selection of guys like Jimmy Alapag, Dondon Hontiveros, and Homer Se. So I guess it would be nice to look back and rate how the Chosen 12 represented the P.I.
Jay-Jay Helterbrand, PG.
Now I remember why I hated him in Tokushima. He keeps on dribbling outside the arc, rarely drives to the basket, and almost always ends up chucking a desperation trey or a long two. The consolation in Tianjin is that he limited his TO's and actually had an exceptional 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio midway through the tournament. But if you're coming off an MVP season in the pros, you simply have to do better than that. Grade: D.
Willie Miller, PG.
If there's one thing this NT first-timer was successful at, it's making the rest of Asia realize that he's a legit scoring threat even at this level. The knock on "Thriller Miller" though is that he was actually playing pointguard, and his playmaking often left much to be desired. But he compensated for this by being the second best rebounder on the team (discounting the 2 games he was out). Hence, his final grade stays. Grade: B+.
Cyrus Baguio, SG.
Undoubtedly the most maligned member of Team Pilipinas, "Skyrus" (yes it's corny but it somehow works) proved that he deserves the spot if only for his open-court brilliance. I would have given him a higher grade if his defense was not limited to ball-hawking and passing-lane incursions. Grade: B+.
James Yap, SG.
When on fire, Yap showed he can be one of the most dangerous shooters in Asia. He was a marked man a few days into the tourney and not surprisingly led the team in conversions made from behind the arc. Unfortunately, he also led the league in crappiest fouls made and was not too far behind in giving the "pa'no-naging-foul-'yun" look after every stupid foul. Grade: B.
Gabe Norwood, PG/SG/SF.
There were two Norwoods who showed up in Fiba-Asia. GabeV1.0, who played in the first 4 games, was a waste of roster space, firing blanks from all over and was hesitant with the leather. Fortunately, GabeV.2.0 emerged during the Iran game and was an absolute stud thereafter. Who knows what would have happened if that version was present against Korea? When the dust settles though, people will remember him for that all-guts performance versus Jordan (and then maybe for his passionate tweets). Grade: C+.
Jared Dillinger, SG/SF.
He continues to suck from the foul line, but Dillinger's contributions goes beyond the boxscores. He is practically the only guy on the roster who had no second thoughts in challenging the 8-foot-6 Hamed Haddadi and the 9-foot-2 Ha Seung Jin. He provided energy on both ends of the floor, and while he may appear out of control from time to time, there's no questioning this guy's heart. He has earned my respect as well as my Twitter following. Grade: B.
Arwind Santos, SF.
The former FEU star was touted as the do-it-all man before the tourney started. Can shoot, can run, can block, can defend. But a few games in, he appeared lost on the court--was a tad slow against athletic wingmen and was too thin against the bigger forwards. From do-it-all, he eventually ended up doing only one thing: cheering from the bench. Grade: D.
Kerby Raymundo, PF.
If this were any other player, I would have given a passing grade. But this is Kerby Raymundo folks, one of our top 3 players in 2007 and probably the most offensively gifted power-forward we've had in years. In Tokushima, his inside forays resulted in one of two things: free throws or field goal conversions. In Tianjin, it resulted in one of three things: turnovers, wild shots, or even wilder shots. I'm starting to believe his head was never into this at all. He complained about the practice schedules months ago, threatened to quit, and then was seen laughing his way around during the Jones Cup. It's just sad that one of the heroes of the Chot Reyes-mentored squad would go out like this. Grade: F.
Japeth Aguilar, PF/C.
If I were to rate a player's performance by virtue of one's dunk attempts, the former Hilltopper would definitely be tops. But I don't think it would be fair to grade him at all as he was MIA for majority of the tournament. Grade: N/A
Sonny Thoss, PF/C.
There were days when Thoss played like an A. But there were also days when he was a non-factor out there. The thing with him is that although he's relatively quick and mobile for a center, he spent lots of time at the 4-spot, where he was not that effective against versatile power-forwards. And he still needs to be consistent with that outside jumper of his. Grade: C+.
Asi Taulava, C.
There's only so much you can ask from a 58-year old Fil-Tongan center. And generally speaking, we got what we asked for. I would have wanted more playing time for the NT veteran but his non-existent range probably factored in on the coaching staff's decision. Nevertheless, he still had his moments despite going up against bigger and tougher centers. Grade: B.
Mick Pennisi, C.
You know what you're gonna get from this guy everytime he steps on the court: three-pointers and the occasional hard foul. And for the most part, he delivered. I only wish he could jump and rebound, and maybe avoid getting himself into spots he's not comfortable in. But then again, you have to take the bad with the good. Grade: C+.
And so, at the bottom of the ladder are Helterbrand, Santos, and Raymundo. If Ryan Reyes and Kelly Williams were healthy, they probably would have taken the spots of the first two--but I promised not to dwell on the "what-if's" so that discussion ends there.
I just hope this learning experience does not result in another learning experience. I'm sure we've all had enough heartbreakers in the bag.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
whoever thought of this deserves a pat on the back
And if you haven't noticed, using Yeng Guiao's head as the "sun" is the icing on the cake here.Sunday, August 9, 2009
shooters never die
It's not everyday that you get to play a pick-up game with a former pro--more so, with a former pro who happens to be one of the 25 greatest Filipino players of all time.
You can just imagine when still-in-kick-ass-shape Ronnie Magsanoc joined us in one of our early Saturday morning scrimmages. One of the legendary pointguards of the late 80's and 90's, "Coach Ronnie," as he's more commonly known nowadays, still plays...well, legendary.
And it took a 43-year-old sharpshooter-slash-court general to remind us of how badly, guys almost half his age, are out of shape.
You can just imagine when still-in-kick-ass-shape Ronnie Magsanoc joined us in one of our early Saturday morning scrimmages. One of the legendary pointguards of the late 80's and 90's, "Coach Ronnie," as he's more commonly known nowadays, still plays...well, legendary.
And it took a 43-year-old sharpshooter-slash-court general to remind us of how badly, guys almost half his age, are out of shape.
Monday, August 3, 2009
things i learned from draft day
- Sonny Barrios is like that school principal you never listen to. Seriously, insomniacs could get cured by his talking.
- Mark Andaya, in formal garb, still looks like...well, Mark Andaya.
- You can't judge health conditions by one's biceps. Anyway, it was nice to see Kelly Williams back. Hope he completely gets past his blood disorder soon.
- Edwin Asoro is officially 6'1?!? This guy played the 4-spot for NU (even guarding centers from time-to-time) and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought he was at least 2 inches taller.
- Jong Uichico has a fetish for pointguards. As if Jayjay Helterbrand, Paul Artadi, Chico Lanete, Macky Escalona, and Chris Pacana aren't enough, they drafted another pure PG in Chris Timberlake in the first round, making him the team's 764th ballhandler.
- Good thing the guy is a blogger too.
- You can say "First of all..." to begin all your sentences and get away with it. I know these guys are nervous but you have to hear Rico Maierhofer's interview after being selected second overall (technically third since the 2nd pick was forfeited).
- Subsequently, it seems like the longer the interviewer's question is, the shorter is the interviewee's response. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon asked an equally shaky Japeth Aguilar a three-page question and the top draft pick responded with a Twitter-esque answer.
- Ronald Tubid is the man.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
the hard truth
Ever heard of the saying "the rich keeps getting richer, the poor keeps getting poorer?"
That seems to be the storyline of the current free agent race, as the contenders continue to stockpile on talent while the rest of the league are left with breadcrumbs.
Cleveland got Shaq and his 1.9 million Twitter followers. Orlando had Vinsanity delivered to them from Jersey-land. San Antonio bolstered its line-up with Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess. Detroit inked Ben Gordon and Charlie V for 90 MIL. Boston caught a specie named Sheed. And then, as if they needed help, LAL signed Ron Artest and rights to 42% of his antics.
But who are the teams at the bottom end of the standings getting? Jake Voskuhl? Kevin Ollie? Lorenzen Wright?
These days, it's doubly hard for squads like Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Memphis, to get out of the rut because stars who have already made their dollars are only joining the top teams in an attempt to earn a run at the title.
And you can't blame them for that. You never can blame someone for choosing a winning environment over some additional cash and a 20-62 record.
Strange as it may sound, this appears to be a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. Are these teams losing because they can't get any talent, or are they not getting any talent because they're losing?
The fact remains though that it's a vicious cycle, regardless of how you look at it.
Unfortunately for them, they really have no choice but to start from scratch--live with their draft picks and then build as they go along.
Fortunately for them, the recipe does work from time to time.
And you don't need to look further than the 2009 Playoffs. Portland, and to a certain extent, Atlanta and Orlando, are three prime examples of squads who were able to get out of their losing ways with the development of young talents and some timely pick-ups (the first one does not include you, Greg Oden).
But for now, these teams all have to buy some time. And buying some time may really mean signing Voskuhl, Ollie, and Wright to whatever they're worth.
That seems to be the storyline of the current free agent race, as the contenders continue to stockpile on talent while the rest of the league are left with breadcrumbs.
Cleveland got Shaq and his 1.9 million Twitter followers. Orlando had Vinsanity delivered to them from Jersey-land. San Antonio bolstered its line-up with Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess. Detroit inked Ben Gordon and Charlie V for 90 MIL. Boston caught a specie named Sheed. And then, as if they needed help, LAL signed Ron Artest and rights to 42% of his antics.
But who are the teams at the bottom end of the standings getting? Jake Voskuhl? Kevin Ollie? Lorenzen Wright?
These days, it's doubly hard for squads like Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Memphis, to get out of the rut because stars who have already made their dollars are only joining the top teams in an attempt to earn a run at the title.
And you can't blame them for that. You never can blame someone for choosing a winning environment over some additional cash and a 20-62 record.
Strange as it may sound, this appears to be a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. Are these teams losing because they can't get any talent, or are they not getting any talent because they're losing?
The fact remains though that it's a vicious cycle, regardless of how you look at it.
Unfortunately for them, they really have no choice but to start from scratch--live with their draft picks and then build as they go along.
Fortunately for them, the recipe does work from time to time.
And you don't need to look further than the 2009 Playoffs. Portland, and to a certain extent, Atlanta and Orlando, are three prime examples of squads who were able to get out of their losing ways with the development of young talents and some timely pick-ups (the first one does not include you, Greg Oden).
But for now, these teams all have to buy some time. And buying some time may really mean signing Voskuhl, Ollie, and Wright to whatever they're worth.
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