My thoughts on the V-League match between Adamson & St. Louis and a question about the Lady Falcons

My thoughts on the Adamson vs. St. Louis V-League match last Thursday

25-10, 25-10, 25-20

by rick olivares

Heading into this match, I was thinking St. Louis is in trouble. They lost their first match of the first conference of the 11^th season of the Shakey’s V-League to Southwestern University in five sets. And the SWU Lady Cobras are really far from impressive. In fact, they lost in three sets to Arellano University in the opener of the Thursday double header. So what more St. Louis against Adamson?

SWU isn’t a power hitting team. Adamson is.

This Lady Falcons team has talent. They aren’t particularly tall and they’ve got some youngsters on a rebuilding team but they’ve got hops. Plus, they had Pau Soriano back although as a guest player.

However, when I see this Adamson team, I think, ‘Man, Sheila Pineda is A VOLLEYBALL PLAYER.” How many can you say are complete players (Alyssa Valdez is another one)? She can serve, hit, block, dig, and even play libero (hello, Cagayan Valley). In a game where they had control she was chill. She was talking to her teammates providing leadership on the court and during timeouts. In several instances, she was demonstrating proper hitting form or even reading plays to her younger teammates.

After losing in four sets to Ateneo in the league opener, the Lady Falcons took care of business in the first set with a score of 25-10. That was enough to take the fight out of the Lady Navigators (the current Benguet Educational Athletic League champions) that displayed all sorts of problems.

They communication on the floor left much to be desired. Players were running into one another. Players weren’t talking on who would receive the ball. That of course, led to poor floor defense. For long stretches, Krissian Tsuchiya was in the back row as the Lady Navigators couldn’t stop Adamson from holding serve. Tsuchiya is one of their better blockers and spikers and they needed to get her up front.

Aside from Tsuchiya, the team’s former captain and is already working and is far from her playing form, St. Louis has some intriguing players like middle blocker Coleen Rossi, who can be a bigger factor if she works on her condition and adds more power to her spikes or even running shots, and setter EJ Daniel. Ditto with Roxanne Almonte (who is from the University of the Cordilleras).

After taking the first two sets, Adamson coach Sherwin Meneses took out his big guns (Pineda, Soriano, and May Macatuno) leaving a younger team to get some playing time and more experience. Key here was Mylene Paat has yet to be consistent in holding that middle position the way Pau Soriano did for years. Paat did well especially on her serves. Ditto with Jessica Galanza who like Ateneo’s Ella De Jesus is like tiny dynamite. She sure can explode from the open position.

Post-match: good experience for both squads. St. Louis will learn a lot from playing the Manila teams and I can say the same for Adamson’s bench.

On another note, I had a pre-game discussion with a media colleague who asked me if the Adamson Falcons performed much better under (Mommy) Minerva Dulce Pante as opposed to current head coach Sherwin Meneses (who has been at the helm the past two seasons).

I disagreed.

It’s a different time for volleyball. Mommy Dulce (as she is affectionately known in volleyball circles and was coach for Adamson for 35 years! Imagine that!) caught the start of the surge in popularity of the sport. But over the past several years, what has really changed for the sport is the recruitment.

There was a time when it was UST, FEU, and Adamson ruling the sport. Then La Salle started making noises about winning and which they did. The new programs of NU (particularly at NU) and Ateneo channeled the pipeline of players. Even Arellano University over at the NCAA is making strides in its program. They’ve got a slew of tall players that they normally do not get and word is they’ll have some training overseas. And of course, there’s perennial NCAA power San Sebastian.

So recruitment has changed everything.

How does that relate to Adamson?

I think one has to appreciate what Sherwin Meneses has done post-Mommy Dulce. Meneses brought the Lady Falcons to the Final Four the past two seasons. Sure it isn’t like when Mommy Dulce took them to the Finals in consecutive years. But consider the talent that he has and how he made do without Pau Soriano this year. Good job, I say!

  

The endgame: On last night's PBA matches feat. Meralco-Rain or Shine & Air21-Ginebra

This appears on the PBA website.

The endgame

by rick olivares pic by nuki sabio

Last Wednesday’s PBA matches saw the endgame go down to a couple of coaching decisions that told on the results.

The first match of the double header saw Rain or Shine repulse a late rally by the Meralco Bolts, 96-79.

With import Brian Butch suffering from a malady that left him severely weakened (he was retching on the bench and needed help in walking to an ambulance to go to the hospital), it looked like the Bolts were goners. But behind the superb efforts of Jared Dillinger and Gary David, they brought down what was once a double-digit lead down to four.

Butch tried to make a game of it but was clearly not himself. In spite of it, the Elasto Painters double-teamed him at every opportunity to force him to pass out. It was Butch’s cross-court pass to David who was lurking on the right corner pocket for a three that ignited Meralco’s rally. But when Butch could not move much, James Sena was sent in leaving coach Ryan Gregorio with a small lineup.

The small ball tactics worked until RoS counterpart Yeng Guiao sent Beau Belga back to the fray. The Elasto Painters began to pound it inside with Alex McLean scoring on an alley-oop among others. The game was McLean’s swansong as he was set to be replaced for the rest of the club’s Commissioner’s Cup campaign.

Mysteriously, I wondered why go to a small line-up? Why not send back in Rabeh Al-Hussaini or even Danny Ildefonso? On three consecutive possessions, the Bolts didn’t even get a shot off.

Gregorio told me that he felt that his other players weren’t getting the job done and that he opted to go with his smaller lineup that at least gave him quickness.

Wow. If that isn’t an indictment of his centers’ play then I don’t know what is. Furthermore, will there be any changes to this lineup after this conference?

If you root for Meralco, you can only imagine what if Butch was healthy. In his weakened state and playing “only” 30 minutes, the White Mamba scored 11 points and pulled down 13 rebounds (while adding two assists, one steal, and two blocks).

In the second match, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel couldn’t get into a proper rhythm as the rising Air21 Express got stellar performances not only from their import Wes Witherspoon but the local crew.

Coach Juno Sauler went with Japeth Aguilar, Billy Mamaril, Chris Ellis, Josh Urbiztondo, and Jayjay Helterbrand in their final six minutes of play. They had their chances as Air21 missed three free throws that could have iced the match for them with seconds to play. But Aguilar failed to secure a defensive rebound that went out for the Express and led to one of two free throws by Witherspoon.

Then with a chance to tie the match, Sauler made two changes to the five on the floor for their last play with Air21 up, 97-95. He sent in Mac Baracael and import Leon Rodgers who was bench for part of the third quarter and nearly the entire fourth. The inbound went to Rodgers who drove hard but missed on an off balanced drive.

Why bring in a player who was cold up to that point? The drive was well guarded and Rodgers didn’t seem too confident in taking that shot.

On another note, the Air21-Ginebra tussle was – for trivia buffs here – the first match between the last two coaches to lead De La Salle to a UAAP championship. Franz Pumaren has done an excellent job with the Express this season after a tough maiden campaign at the helm.

Maclean concluded his short PBA stint with a win while Rodgers (who is rumored to be on his way out with dissatisfaction from his teammates over his taking too many shots) picked up a loss. That is sour graping for me. Isn’t that what you want – for an import to pick the team up when it isn’t doing well?

When a team losses everyone nitpicks.

Dan Henderson is alive and kicking

This appears on abs-cbnnews.com

Hendo is alive and kicking

by rick olivares

After going 0-3 in 2013, as a Dan Henderson fan, I had to wonder, what the hell do you think you’re doing challenging a 32-year old Shogun Rua at 43 years of age and in his home country of Brazil of all places?

The problem about fighting at an age considered well past one’s prime is that as much as an athlete thinks he’s in marvelous shape, it’s really his pride and will that keeps him going. No matter how much training or simulated fights one undertakes there’s nothing like the real thing when the leg kicks are meant to render your legs dead and the punches are designed to knock you out ‘til next week and maybe for the rest of your career.

Even worse, it’s five rounds of fighting in UFC Fight Night in Natal, Brazil.

I was ready to see Hendo get knocked out by a vengeful Rua and call it quits to what is for sure a Hall-of-Fame career. You know, an athlete who hung around way too long.

What I didn’t remember or even factor in (I suppose one can only do it in hindsight) are: one, Rua is 2-1 is in his last three fights although he is coming off a spectacular first round knock out of James Te Huna in last December’s UFC Fight Night in Australia; two, Rua is 6-7 in his last 13 fights and is definitely not as invincible as he once was; and three, Hendo is 17-8 when fighting overseas so the dude is used to hostile crowds, weird weather, and different time zones.

The match was hyped up as one where Rua was looking to even the score never mind if Henderson is a little over two years older from when they last met.

Nevertheless, 0-3 or not, it was definitely a more cautious Rua who answered the opening bell against Hendo. The Brazilian kept Hendo at bay with some powerful legs kicks. The American looked to have rocked the Brazilian when he backed him up against the fence with a hard right. But Rua answered with a two-punch combination that floored Henderson.

Despite being hurt and on the canvas, Hendo managed to prevent Rua from raining down unchallenged hammer fists that would prompt referee Herb Dean to put an end to the fight.

In the second round, Shogun once more sent Henderson down to the canvass but incredibly the American survived to fight another round.

It didn’t look too good for Hendo as it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Rua finally put him away.

After taking another flurry from Rua, the two were locked together. Just as Shogun broke the clinch, Hendo channeled Juan Manuel Marquez when he sent Manny Pacquiao to dreamland when he connected on a powerful right. Rua tumbled backwards and was clearly hurt. Henderson quickly pounced on him, threw some hammer strikes then looked up at Herb Dean. “Aren’t you going to stop it yet?” he must have asked the referee as Rua was defenseless. Dean didn’t respond and Henderson pounded on. Then Dean pulled Hendo away. If anyone thought that Rua still had some fight in him that was quickly dashed when the Brazilian tried to get up but had spaghetti legs. He was bleeding from a broken nose. Hendo had opened a spigot.

This was one literally where you had to hold the press. If anyone was preparing any copy to honor Henderson’s storied career then he would have to change it for there’s one more chapter left to right.

Both Henderson and Rua needed to win to save their careers. Hendo might have staved off retirement but as a fan, I have to ask, “What else it there to prove? You’ve got the win and why not go out on your terms?”

But from all indications, it looks like Dan is still intent to keep it going until the train comes to a stop.

And suddenly I remembered what Michael Jordan said when he came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards. Many said, you had the perfect ending in Utah. Why risk changing the ending?”

Jordan’s answer was an unequivocal, “That’s for you to write and worry about. This is for the love of the game.”

I’m still a Hendo fan. I’m here for the ride.

But I have to admit that I’ll be crossing my fingers.

Whatever happened to the high scoring PBA import?

Rain or Shine's Alex McLean finds his path blocked by San Mig Coffee's Ian Sangalang and Mark Barroca.

This appears in the PBA website.

Whatever happened to the high scoring import?

by rick olivares

Watching the recent match between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text, there was a sequence when the Tropang Texters’ Kelly Williams was guarding opposing import Leon Rodgers.

The former Northern Illinois Husky tried his best to spin around Williams who gave him no quarter. The 6’5” Rodgers forced up a shot against Williams who is two inches taller.

Brick. Talk ‘N Text rebound and fastbreak. Bucket on the opposite end.

Imagine that. A local two inches taller getting the better of an import. Even Talk ‘N Text’s 6’8” Richard Howell was bothered by the height of Ginebra’s seven-foot center Greg Slaughter. In one instance, the former North Carolina State Wolfpack had his jumper sent back to him by Slaughter after being unable to get around the rookie.

A look at the current PBA Annual, in the top scoring matches in league history, only two locals have cracked a list that has exclusively been for imports – Allan Caidic (then with Tivoli) and Paul Alvarez (Alaska).

In the same list, only two imports have scored 60 points or more since the start of the new millennium – Talk ‘N Text’s Jerod Ward and Shell’s Askia Jones. Both feats were accomplished in 2001. The most recent player to average over 40-points per game was Sta. Lucia’s Derek Brown who chalked up 40.4 during the 2004 Fiesta Conference.

Why haven’t we seen scoring machines like Swift’s Tony Harris, Ginebra’s Carlos Briggs, or Hills Brothers’ Jose Slaughter?

Air21’s head coach (and former San Miguel Beerman) Franz Pumaren points out to two factors: one, the local players are now bigger, taller, and more athletic; and two, the coaching is more sophisticated. “The competence and knowledge about the game has gone up. The scouting reports help you a lot in planning how to stop these imports.”

Luigi Trillo, Alaska’s youthful head coach, agrees with Pumaren. “The players are better today but you have to give a lot of credit to team defense and the double teaming schemes and zone ups. Coaches are very crafty in taking away imports’ comfort zones or go-to shots. Coaches find ways to take away an import’s shot opportunities and get him out of his comfort level.”

But sometimes, even that isn’t enough. Despite Kelly’s heroic stand, Rodgers still managed to score 33 points with quite a few coming in barreling drives.

“A lot of these imports are young, tall as trees, and strong like anything,” related the recently retired Talk ‘N Text forward-center Ali Peek. “When you’re 23, you’ve got spring in your legs and can jump out of a gym. If I were younger, I would be able to match up with these younger imports. When you’re older, it becomes a test of stamina, conditioning, and of course, wits or game smarts. As you get older and you’re nursing all these injuries, it’s harder to stop them so you rely on experience and of course, the help defense.”

Yet for all the science behind the games, imports are still capable of explosions.

In the highest import score this Commissioner’s Cup, Barako Bull’s Joshua Dollar erupted for 46 in a losing effort to San Miguel, 106-100.

Meralco’s crowd favorite, former Wisconsin Badger Brian Butch has had two 40-point efforts this conference. Each time the 6’11” center pours in that many points, the Bolts get a win. Butch first scored 40 against Air21 in a 109-98 and 42 in a 104-99 victory over GlobalPort.

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud weighed in his thoughts about the matter, “The PBA is different now from what it was two decades ago. The style of play and the quality of players is different. Better. Much better. It’s harder for players, imports to produce the output that their forerunners did. But that doesn’t change expectations. The imports are still expected to carry their teams.”

Added Peek, “Teams are more prepared now defensively. Players’ tendencies are really scouted.”

“If you look at the recent FIBA Asia Championships,” pointed out Pumaren. “The Gilas players showed that they can guard some of the best in the world. And some of these players are naturalized players. That was one of the keys in the success of the national team.”

So have we really seen the last of the Jose Slaughters, Carlos Briggses, and Tony Harrises?

Closed out San Mig Coffee team manager Alvin Patrimonio, “Some of the best imports kasi are playing in other leagues where the pay is much higher.”

A Coach In Search of His Soul

This appears on the NBA Philippines website.

A Coach In Search of His Soul

by rick olivares

When Phil Jackson was officially named as the New York Knicks’ president, I wondered if the Zen Master decided to take the “war” to another front.

You know, show the Los Angeles Lakers organization that he can consistently build a winner. Unlike his first two stops in Chicago and LA where he had young and talented rising stars to build and mold, he hasn’t much in New York. Sure there’s Carmelo Anthony but he has all these questions to answer as well.

As terrific a talent he is, when he was traded away from Denver (where he was supposed to be the franchise player), the Nuggets actually did better. There has been a spirited run in the playoffs in New York but you’d have to chalk up a large part of that to Linsanity.

Back to Jackson, I couldn’t help but think of his testy relationship with the Lakers and while he won many battles, he didn’t win the “war”.

A few days after the Knicks’ announcement of the return of the Prodigal Son, Jackson’s fiancée, Lakers President Jeanie Buss, made a statement about “being the boss” on a LA radio show. "In my position, I empower people that are in positions to do their jobs. (Executive vice president of player personnel) Jim Buss and (general manager) Mitch Kupchak are responsible for all basketball decisions. They are empowered to do that. My job is to make sure, as a boss, that I provide them the tools to do the job successfully. But it's up to them to make the day-to-day decisions on how they operate their area of the business. Ultimately I am the one voice. I am that person. I'm at the top of the food chain.”

If she’s the Boss, then why didn’t Phil get the job? In fact, in the light of her comments about her not knowing why Dwight Howard left LA in spite of an off-season courtship, I am all the more convinced that maybe – maybe – it’s best to leave the basketball stuff to those who know it.

Whether she took one for the team or not, I am convinced that LA management wanted to break away from Jackson and write a new chapter. One they could call their own.

Now what scion of a successful businessman or athlete doesn’t want to be able to equal if not surpass his parent’s achievements? Every child tries to put their own stamp on things; some stick to the formula that worked while others do it a little differently from what their parent did.

Case in points: Hal and Hank Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees. When their father, the late George Steinbrenner bought the team in the early 1970s, the team was floundering. In a few years’ time, The Boss, as the father was called, had turned the club around and into a winner. It was under The Boss where free agency in baseball first started and thrived (although I am sure that many owners are loathe to call it that).

As George Steinbrenner grew ill, much of the day-to-day operations of the baseball team were turned over to Hal. By November 2008, he was the man in charge. The following season, Hal did his father proud by providing the Yankees the free agents to help win the 2009 World Series.

It looks like it’s taking a little longer for the Busses.

Their father struck gold in his very first year with the team when Magic Johnson was drafted to join a talented Lakers team that already had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon and Michael Cooper. That LA team defeated Philadelphia for its first title since the Wilt Chamberlain-Jerry West years.

As much as the Lakers have become one of the world’s preeminent sports clubs under Jerry Buss’ watch, there have been low points when the team struggled in the mid-90s. So you know, the father isn’t infallible.

The events of recent weeks means that this the third time that Jackson has been “passed over” under auspicious circumstances.

Following the disastrous 2004 Finals where the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers in five matches, Jackson lost the war with Kobe Bryant when Jerry Buss sided with the young Lakers star. The coach not only wanted his salary of $6 million doubled but he also wanted Bryant out of the team after a season of sniping at each other in the locker room and in the media. As is oft the case in pro sports, it is the coach who loses.

The icy relationship between Bryant and Jackson thawed and when Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen couldn’t get the job done, the Zen Master was brought back.

Incredibly, the Lakers won two straight in 2009 and 2010. They were going for their third straight championship (and second wave of triple titles in the Jackson era) when they ran into a hungry Dallas Mavericks team in the Western Conference semis. The Mavs ousted them in four straight and sent Jackson into retirement.

However, in a situation that eerily mimicked the 2004-05 season when the Lakers saw two coaches in Tomjanovich and Hamblen try their luck, the 2011-12 saw Mike Brown and Bernie Bickerstaff patrol the purple and gold’s sidelines albeit under a lot of duress. Unlike Hamblen who couldn’t get the team to the playoffs as they finished fifth in the Pacific Division, Bickerstaff got the Lakers to the second round of the playoffs. But the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder booted them in five.

After that season, just when it seemed like Jackson was primed for his third return to LA, it was announced that Mike D’Antoni got the job.

In my opinion, as much as Jackson brought a lot of glory to Los Angeles, his looming shadow and tall frame hung heavy over the organization. Eventually, Jim Buss wanted to build his own winner.

Jackson was his father’s pick. Jackson was his sister Jeanie’s (the Lakers’ President) fiancée. If Jackson reprised his winning ways with the Lakers, he and Jeanie would represent one powerful block.

I thought of former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause who feuded with Jackson and wanted recognition for himself (and owner Jerry Reinsdorf) in building a winner in the Windy City. Unfortunately, for them, they were viewed as villains in their own town by the fans who still believed they tore down the dynasty even before they were done.

Krause wanted to build a new winner with a team sans Jackson and Jordan (who was the one player he didn’t draft as the honor went to Rod Thorn). He misjudged the free agent market and players like Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, Kevin Garnett and Eddie Jones snubbed Chicago. The Bulls sank into mediocrity until mid-2000s renaissance.

Unlike frosty Chicago, the Lakers, since Buss took over the team, has been viewed as one of the most desired destinations of players so it was no surprise that Dwight Howard fled Orlando for Hollywood. Steve Nash left Phoenix only he was broken down. This seemed like the 2003-04 season when Karl Malone and Gary Payton joined Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant except that this team bombed big time not even making the playoffs. 

So for the second straight year, the Lakers won’t be making the post-season. Their annus horriblis (with the cross-room Clippers being the toast of Tinsel Town for two years running) won’t be over even when their 82^nd game is played. There’s the off-season and even part of the next until there’s a surefire winner in Lakerland.

But make no mistake, Los Angeles with its bloody divorce from Jackson, is charting a new destiny.

Over in his old stomping grounds of New York, the Zen Master is in for his biggest challenge. He won’t be coaching – at least not yet although there is speculation he will – but he still is looking to build a winner. He has hinted about playing the game the right way, preaching the tenets of the triangle if he can’t help it. But he has also said that he will go with what works.

Jackson’s legacy is secure. But if his return to New York is successful, this will be his biggest act.