I apologize for two straight thread posts (The other one is the birthday thread) but I just have to post this one here, I think this one's a must read article to all Pro-Ball fanatics. This one's a pretty long read though.
I originally posted here http://hoops.blink.ph/2008/07/11/chris-speaks-breaking-the-pros/
Enjoy!
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Hi guys, welcome to another edition of Chris Speaks and today we’ll talk about Breaking the Pros. What exactly is this entry all about? You’ll soon find out.
For many years now, we’ve seen great prospects from the UAAP and the NCAA, dominating the collegiate ranks and turning the whole Philippine basketball world crazy with a variety of moves that gives them a nod in the pro world. People would then go on and make crazy statements like.. this one is the future of Philippine Basketball and this guy will soon overtake this guy in terms of popularity and court dominance. But I’m surprised with how much most of the guys who were “supposed to dominate” the pro league would most likely end up on the team’s bench, a journeyman or to amateur leagues like the PBL, NBL/NBC and now an alternative pro league in Liga Pilipinas.
Sure, there are the likes of James Yap, Arwind Santos, Mac Cardona and Enrico Villanueva who after dominating the Collegiate ranks went on to be an instant superstar in the Pros. But there are also guys like Chris Calaguio (Had a good run in the PBA, but never really lived up to what’s expected of him), Rich Alvarez, Wesley Gonzales, Marvin Ortiguera, Dino Aldeguer, Chester Tolomia, Boyet Bautista and now turning out to be that way is JC Intal.
What’s funny is that the past 2 MVP’s of the NCAA and the last MVP of the UAAP to play in the pros (Since Jervy Cruz is still in the Collegiate ranks) is currently seating on the end of their respective team’s bench. Yes, Ken Bono and Yousif Al Jamal are playing with Magnolia and TNT.. two teams with very deep benches but man, if you’re the league MVP coming into the Pros you atleast have to have the back up role.. not the role of a high five guy.
Now, come draft 2008, do you actually think the league would even have room for local applicants like TY Tang, Jeff Chan, Cholo Villanueva, Ford Arao, Beau Belga and Kelvin dela Pena? Especially with the arrival of Gabe Norwood, Jared Dilinger, Rob Reyes and Solomon Mercardo? No, I don’t think so.
Same goes with the draft class of next year. Let’s say a very good player like Chris Tiu applies for next year’s draft.. does the league still has room for a wingman like him? Will he able to match Mac Cardona, Mark Caguioa, Cyrus Baguio, James Yap and so on to be a superstar in the league? Will he be able to match what guys like Simon, Yeo, Ritualo, Tubid, and Macapagal do to become an effective off the bench guy and gain respectable minutes as a back up? Or will he end up like the rest of the pack.. you know.. destination bench/amateurs.
So what exactly does a player need to possess to break the pros?
First off, the position being played. If you’re a guard then you really have to be something extra ordinary. We’re in a league full of guards, whether it be the point or the two guard, you have to be something special. One thing why I’m very skeptical about SLR’s decision to pick Ryan Reyes at third because he was a guard and I myself haven’t seen him play that much in the PBL. But then again, after a conference, he proved that he has something to show, enough to put him in the starting guard position of a Championship team. Ron-Jay Buenafe was basically a nobody to casual basketball fans but this guy showed something special, that’s why he’s now the starting shooting guard for his team. But how about players like Boyet Bautista and Macky Escalona? Two very good guards from the collegiate ranks but they didn’t even crack a combined 30 minutes of playing time for both of them.
Second, remember the old adage… height doesn’t matter? Well screw that cause HEIGHT DOES MATTER especially in this game. Now, with the emergence of 6′5 Point guards and 6′7 wingmen, do you really think you’d be able to hold your own against those guys? Here’s a question, if you were a general manager of a PBA team and you have the number 1 pick overall and you have to choose between a very talented shooting guard from the UAAP who stands at around 6′2 and a 6′7 Fil-Am two guard who’s not par with the local talent wise but definitely has the tools to improve.. who would you pick? Of course.. the latter. Now do you get what I’m saying? Tickle me, we’re only getting to the good part.
Our game today has improved leaps and bounds. Right now we have 7 footers who can nail three balls and 5′8 guys grabbing offensive rebounds. That’s another plus if you’re playing in the pros. You have to actually do something that’s rarely done by guys who plays the same position as yours. Why do you think guys like Mike Hrabak and Mick Pennisi are getting the playing time in Coach Yeng’s system? Right, because for their position, they can go all the way to the outside and stretch the defense.
With that being said, if you’re aspiring to be successful in the Pro ranks, you have to be someone who can play multiple positions. Take for example, Arwind Santos. Can play the four, can play the three. In that case, you can’t make a good excuse for benching that kind of a talent because if the three position is loaded then you can easily move him in the four spot. If you’re a running team, you can put him on the four spot and if you’re a big team who likes to set up a half court game, you can’t be hurt by putting him in the three spot either.
Well that’s about it. I believe that being drafted is only a ticket for you to break the pros. For you to actually say that you broke into the pro level, you have to atleast have one trait of those that I’ve mentioned above or else you’d end up on the bench or in the PBL.
Thanks for reading.
Post a comment »
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posted by
POi_of_the_dead, 4 months ago
"So what exactly does a player need to possess to break the pros?"
how about a US visa? a lot of those philams made they're way in the pros but didnt really live to the expactaions. holper, walkvist, hrabak, blah blah blah... and oh, EJ the giant!
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
^ Hrabak actually had a good career back in Shell, he was almost heading back to the states after having a horrendous Purefoods stint but had his career resurrected by non other than Yeng Guiao. Hrabak is now one of Red Bull's chief contributers. :D
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posted by
ztrain, 4 months ago
chris... you've gone a long way dude. Congrats! Ginebra! Ginebra! Ginebra!
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
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posted by
ztrain, 4 months ago
^k lang dude. medyo busy the first two quarters of the year. halftime pa. kaya wait na lang ng second half. GINEBRA in 3. hehehe
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
^ Ginebra via sweep bro :D SLR is going to be playing without an import tomorrow.
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
bakit parang napakalaking frustration ang nababasa ko dito? :D
chris, there's also one thing to consider...
"a good manager"
kung wala ka nun, sa kangkungan ka rin pupulutin
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posted by
lakerfan, 4 months ago
more teams in the PBA. that will make them break the pros.
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
^^ Lol @ Frustration. Yep, pero madali nang makahanap nun, especially if you're talented or at the very least marketable :D
^ Yep. I'm looking forward to more teams in the PBA but.. it's easier said than done. The price for a team extension is too high for some businessmen that they don't even consider forming a team in the PBA. However, should the league lower down the prices.. the PBA might turn out to be like the PBL who after a year or two.. the team leaves because the price that they bought isn't that big.
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
anong marketable? yung pwede ibenta sa mga bakla at old maid?wahaha
dapat may connection ka rin talaga kasi kahit gaano ka kagaling kung wala namang tutulong sa iyo mahihirapan ka din
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posted by
POi_of_the_dead, 4 months ago
^ someone like jerry mcguire maybe? XD
additional teams is a good idea, there are a lot of talented players that are capable of leading a team (or would make a good starter) but end up on sitting on the bench and playing thrash minutes just to be "in the pros!".
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
i read in some magazine about coach ryan gregorio...
kaya daw siya gumaling na coach kasi lage daw siyang nasa bench during his college days. lol
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
@Listahan: dapat may connection ka rin talaga kasi kahit gaano ka kagaling kung wala namang tutulong sa iyo mahihirapan ka din
Yep, pero as I was saying, madali nang kumuwa ng managers.. lalo na ngayon na andami nang scouts na naikot sa mga collegiate/hs/commercial games. Take for example. Aries Dimaunahan.. never played in the UAAP, but was able to break into the PBA because of sheer talent and you know, the scouts. Kahit ang coach mo ng college pwede kang ipasok sa PBL drafts, lalo na kung hindi sila mapapahiya. From there, pag nag impress ka sa PBL, marami nang managers dun na nagiintay sayo.
Ryan Gregorio majored in Mentoring sa UP yata.. pero malaking factor parin yung nasa tabi sya ng coach lagi. Another good example would be Siot Tanquincen, played as a back up to Olsen and Mike Mustre in his SMB days.. laging nasa banko kaya ngayon successful coach na.
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
sabagay iba na rin talaga ngayon
and malalaki na mga bata
kayang-kaya nang makipagsabayan sa mga hilaw
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posted by
lakerfan, 4 months ago
you know what, MBA was a nice project sana. kaso kasi nakipag-compete sila agad sa naglalakihang sahod ng PBA players nun. tsk. tsk.
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
^ Yep. That's a slap to the monopolizing ABS-CBN. They didn't get PBA so what do they do? Create something that will try to match the PBA and it backfired.
Right now, I like the concept of Liga Pilipinas. With Noli Eala at helm (My favorite Commissioner) I know that league will go somewhere. He's not rushing things and he's not competing.
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posted by
listahan, 4 months ago
^ and its good for the local talents as well
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posted by
boozelang, 4 months ago
wala lang kasing publicity ung Liga Pilipinas.. sa mga dyaryo lang tpos siningit lang.. mababasa mo na lng c jerwin gaco nakaka 30 pts.. hehe
since wala na sa kanila ung PBA, dapat kunin ng ABC5 ung Liga pilipinas kung meron pa next year.. pede rin sa Makisig channel.. para lang maexpose ung tournament.. sayang din e..
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posted by
MrClean, 4 months ago
This is pure assumption, but just because there's not as much press about liga Pilipinas doesn't necessarily mean that it's not successful. Since they're targeting the provinces with this league, it could very well be popular in their respective provinces, while the PBA still hold court in Manila.
Also, I think that MVPs of the NCAA and UAAP cannot usually be expected to perform to expectations simply because they're the MVP of eight fucking teams. That's not a huge talent pool to pit yourself against. I mean hell, our local village liga every summer and people manage to cobble together 8 teams.
If the NCAA and UAAP could stop being too greedy and have a unified conference then the MVP of that league we might get better players out of it since they have to deal with many different teams and styles of basketball.
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posted by
darthjesus, 4 months ago
this is why i like sports fans, we can talk seriously about things we like but are really inconsequential in our lives. lol
gelow is one source that keeps me updated about pinoy bball. keep it up.
breaking the hymen from haringkopas would also be a good read.
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posted by
Chrisangelo, 4 months ago
Mr Clean:
Point 1
This is pure assumption, but just because there's not as much press about liga Pilipinas doesn't necessarily mean that it's not successful. Since they're targeting the provinces with this league, it could very well be popular in their respective provinces, while the PBA still hold court in Manila.
Yes, Liga Pilipinas could very well be a nice professional league in the future but right now, it's nothing more than the PBL with additional teams and pro rules. I don't even know how much their payrolls are. But the point is, if I'm an aspiring amateur basketball player, my only goal would be to go all the way to the best league in the country and that would be the PBA.
Point 2
Also, I think that MVPs of the NCAA and UAAP cannot usually be expected to perform to expectations simply because they're the MVP of eight fucking teams. That's not a huge talent pool to pit yourself against. I mean hell, our local village liga every summer and people manage to cobble together 8 teams.
Well.. I think 50-75% of the draft applicants every year are from the NCAA and the UAAP. They're the next big leagues before the PBL/PBA so that's why my expectation in them are so farkin' high.
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