A Rabeh-lation: My case for Rabeh as MVP

the gut feel by rick
the pix by miggy*

Sorry. Couldn't resist making my own pun there.

Nevertheless, at the end of the eliminations round, the MVP showdown has come to two guys – Jervy Cruz and Rabeh Al-Hussaini.

UST’s main man is tops in statistical points with 75.07 while Ateneo’s tower of power is second at 71.14.

Cruz leads the league in scoring at 19.8, rebounds with 13.7, and field goal percentage at 55%. He had three 20-20 performances and 11 double-double games. In eight of those double-double matches, the Tigers lost.

Rabeh is number two in points with 18.0, number three in rebounds with 9.6, and second in field goal percentage at 49%.

UST finished the season with a 6-8 records (all the wins against the losing teams) while Ateneo finished at 13-1.

The voting is 50% on stat points with the balance coming from players and coaches (15%), referees and table officials (15%), and media (20%).

Here is my case why Al-Hussaini should be this year’s MVP.

1) If I am not mistaken, Rabeh is on the floor longer than Cruz. Meaning he is better able to help Ateneo’s campaign. And he oft goes up against the big men of the other teams while UST uses Chester Taylor, Mark Canlas, or even Mel Gile to guard Al-Hussaini or even FEU's Reil Cervantes. I noticed this since last year and even have taken video to prove it. If one will remember Kirk Long’s game winner versus the Tigers, it started with Ford Arao posting up Taylor and backing him down deep inside. Two other Tigers helped out before the kick out and Cruz was a split second late in running out to cover the Ateneo guard. My guestimate: Pido Jarencio uses Cruz on others to conserve his fouls unlike before where they had the luxury of June Dizon or even Allan Evangelista to guard the wings.

2) An MVP should be able to lift his team at least to the Final Four. Rabeh has done so this year while UST, since their 2006 title, has been on the decline. C’mon, even if Ateneo won the Nike Summer League not too many people thought they’d play this way.

I remember after the Blue Eagles won the Champions League last season, I spoke with Rabeh in the dugout and commended him for his strong and aggressive play inside. I told him that if he should keep it up then the team would go farther than anyone pegged them for. Some might say that the team was very good on the strength of its rookie corps. Not true. Maybe for next season and beyond but not this year. It is only Ryan Buenafe who has significantly chipped in. I discussed this with inboundpass’s Kim Lesaca and we both agree that no rookie has ever been so cool and sure on the floor since LA Tenorio in 2001 (before that I’d have to say it’s DLSU’s Mike Cortez).

Okay, I’ve deviated. But the team still heavily counts on its veterans and Rabeh more than replaced what the team lost when Ford Arao and Zion Laterre graduated.

3) Look at the intangibles, Rabeh is double-teamed (tripled at times if he moves far out from the elbows). That is a sign of respect. Michael Jordan used to be so insulted when he got single coverage. When Ateneo goes up against UE, you see Pari Llagas or even Hans Thiele bodying him up with Elmer Espiritu coming from the weak side for help and a block. Takes two or three men to stop him, huh?

And how many big men run the floor as effectively as Al-Hussaini? Even Ford Arao last year ran the floor (and he did that even in his second year). Rico Maierhofer and Espiritu hardly run and they get their slams from back cuts (you see this a lot in the NCAA), but Al-Hussaini runs each time out.

4) Wins. While Chris Tiu certainly is a factor in Ateneo’s success (he is third in the MVP stat points) and there are moments when he simply takes over the game (see UE second round and DLSU second round), Rabeh peppers the game with points every quarter. And 13-1 should say a lot – wins against quality teams. They should be 14-0 were it not for a missed shot here and there.

Can’t say that UST did not have the material this year. You can’t because they have a very good team that was hit hard by injuries and boners by the coaching staff. If you do say that the Tigers didn't have the players that's only in hindsight. Who knew that Khasim Mirza would take a vacation? If the Tigers were hit by injuries to some of its players, so has Ateneo. Only Norman Black doesn’t like to publicize his team’s state of health lest others take advantage.

So Rabeh is my man for MVP.

Hey, doesn't he lead also in puns? Or is it Chris? Of course, that's something else altogether.

* I thought that was nifty when I saw the Smiths' Mike Joyce credited in their A Hatful of Hollow album as "The Bass Guitar." Jeez, I was in first year college when that album came out (Hey, Omar. I still remember that!. I always wanted to attach something like that to my name. On a non-sports thing aside, if you listened to the Smiths back then, you might want to read a book I bought several years ago, How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz (nope not the swimmer but the writer for Spin magazine). If ya love the Smiths.