A shot of gin or a glass of milk?
This Commissioner’s Cup, two teams performed in contrasting ways, which practically “compelled” me to write about both of them. The first team, in my opinion, was consistently good. Despite a setback here and there along the way, the Alaska Aces showed from the start of the elimination round up to the clincher against San Mig Coffee in the semis just the other day that they were a well-oiled machine, a defensive wall, a group immersed in hustle and energy, and one that had their eyes on the ultimate prize.
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The other, Barangay Ginebra, looked horrendous at times, totally out of sync, but found its groove just in time and, as usual, never-said-die to win in the Quarterfinals where it had to beat the higher seed (Rain or Shine) twice, and was down in the Semis 1-2 to TNT, and won the last two games to make the best-of-five Finals, which start tomorrow (15 May) at the Big Dome.
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You will read countless “breakdowns” of the match-ups, the “keys to winning” and the “X-factors” today and as the series goes on. All I say can say is I expect this to be a close series, a physical one where neither team backs down. There will be hard fouls, there will be stare-downs, trash talk and taunting. It will rain three pointers, but watch the post, where I feel the difference can be found. But, whether you fancy a cool shot of gin or a warm glass of milk, here are five things (among so many other possible talking points) to ponder on before it all gets rolling.
Crowd factor. The Gatas Republik needs to show up in full force. We all see the crowds whenever Barangay Ginebra has a game. We all heard how loud the Barangay can be whenever they begin their chant and react to every “heroic” play from the Gin Kings. Hands down, Ginebra has more loud fans than Alaska. But, Alaska’s faithful cannot content themselves to watch the series on television. They need to march to the venue and show full support, and while in the venue, they cannot just sit around and clap their hands like people do when watching a Concert at the Park – they need to be loud!! So, Gatas Republik, where you all at? Magpakita kayo! Now’s the time. (Just try to imagine Cyrus Baguio or Jvee Casio making that plea.)
The Beast. Yes, we all know the energy, the “angas”, the incredible force with which Calvin Abueva plays. As much as he can bang the opponents and already jaw with the best talkers of all-time, what everyone should be looking at is how the Kings will handle him. How will Ginebra match his hustle? Can the Kings neutralize him to any extent? Sure, get him into foul trouble, right? It’s not that easy. Get into his head? He might get into yours first. How noisy will the boos of the Barangay be each time Abueva gets the ball? How loud will they cheer/jeer when he commits a mistake or sticks his tongue out at the camera? If the referees let him play, and they have to a large extent, somebody has to match up with him. Rudy Hatfield perhaps, or by committee, we’ll see.
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Coaches’ Chess Match. Alfrancis Chua has been around slightly longer than Luigi Trillo. He has been to a Finals before (but that’s ages ago), and he has been a head coach for a longer period overall than Trillo, but there is surely no clear edge in the coaching department for either of them.
Alaska has been called a structured team for so long due to the use of the triangle, but this conference, though still structured (efficiency will give that impression every time), I have not seen a more “free-wheeling” Alaska team in a long time. The Aces change it up from possession to possession, depending on who’s in the lineup. Trillo has gotten over beating his mentor Tim Cone. That’s done. Now he has to outcoach Chua.
Ginebra, on the other hand, plays as though it doesn’t have any plays. It does what it can to get points on the board, whether dumping it in to Vernon Macklin, hoisting up a long shot, or trying to get an uncontested fastbreak before the other team’s defense can set up. LA Tenorio is a master at pushing it up, and he has many who want to run with him. Playoffs, especially in the Finals, can be all about match-ups. Chua and Trillo will be shuffling their men, looking for advantages and trying to counter disadvantages, in what could be a grueling five games. Which players will make their coaches look good?
Imports. Robert Dozier has been with Alaska from the start. He is Mr Consistent, doing whatever he needs to do in each statistical department to help his team win. Some argue he should be more dominant. I think he just has to continue what he’s been doing all along. The best thing about him is that he may be quiet all game long, but he delivers in crunch time. Considering what he has done and where he has led his team, I’ll say it, he should be the hands down choice for Best Import at this point.
Vernon Macklin, on the other hand, is a workhorse who, despite limited offensive moves, puts up awesome numbers game in and game out. His hook shot is predictable, yet effective. When he went baseline for the go-ahead turn-around jumper off the glass against TNT in Game 4, he surprised everybody. Athletic and active, he clogs the middle and intimidates. He has taken and given his share of licks though, and could have easily been thrown out of Game 5 versus TNT after striking Aaron Aban, which might have changed the complexion of that game. I’m sure he realizes how close he was to perhaps killing his team’s chances. That’s all behind him now, but he needs to keep his head on straight and focus.
Pointing in the right direction. Tenorio used to lead Alaska. Now he’s with Ginebra. Casio was with Powerade and went to the Finals there last year (Philippine Cup). Now, he’s back with Alaska and has his hands full against LA. Casio needs to make Tenorio work as well, of course. What I am more curious about, though, is how the backups will respond. Alaska’s RJ Jazul and Ginebra’s Josh Urbiztondo (who would’ve been on extended vacation had he not been traded to Ginebra just before the playoffs) will spell the lead guards and their contributions (or lack thereof) will surely be a focal point. Both can shoot from outside and both are physical defenders. Which one will help his team more? Abangan.
No predictions here as to who will win. My wish is for a hard-fought, well-played, evenly and consistently-officiated series where both teams give their all and the game is won by the coaches and their players on the court.
Ginebra vs Alaska. Kampihan na!
You can follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieC.
Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.
