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PBA player movements continue

We all knew some changes would take place in the PBA, especially with the Third Conference still quite far away (August), which would give new players ample time to adjust to their new teams and their coaches’ systems. Just this week, two give-and-takes happened. Simplified, in the first set of transactions, versatile Jared Dillinger (Talk ‘N Text) and veteran big man Don Allado (Barako) moved to Meralco, Barako ended up with scorer Ronjay Buenafe and back-up Gilbert Bulawan (both from Meralco), and hustle guy Sean Anthony transferred from Barako to TNT.

RELATED: Three-team trade sends Dillinger to Meralco

A day later, it was no surprise that jumping Japeth Aguilar (GlobalPort) was moved to Ginebra (this had been talked about for some time), but to pull this off, big guys rookie Yousef Taha (Ginebra) and talented Jay Washington (Petron), together with a first round draft pick from Barako, moved to GlobalPort, forward Elmer Espiritu landed with Barako, and rookie Jason Deutchmann and two second round picks from GlobalPort ended up with Petron.

RELATED: Ginebra scoops up Aguilar; J-Wash goes to GlobalPort

After taking some time to understand who went where, and reading what others have said about the deals, noting the comments about parity and competitiveness and the desire to improve, the bottom line is, certain talented players were moved to other teams in the hopes that they are able to fit in the new systems. If they do, then those who transacted would look like geniuses. If they don’t, the teams involved will need to try again.

In the first set of deals, it was surprising to me that TNT let Dillinger go. At this point, Dillinger is injured due to a car crash that happened during the Commissioner’s Cup, and it is not certain when he will be back. When he does, though, Meralco would have acquired somebody with height who can handle the ball, shoot adequately from outside, and drive time and again to the hoop. They call him the Daredevil for a reason, folks. He was, for me, a must-include on the Gilas Pilipinas lineup. He should be able to bounce back and give the Bolts some needed versatility and perhaps even one of the main men of the team. Don Allado did not get to play much, especially towards the end of the last conference. He adds a reliable jump-shooting big man who is not afraid to mix it up underneath, as well as veteran savvy. Coach Ryan Gregorio should be able to use Allado as part of the regular rotation.

Barako acquired Buenafe to help them score. Everyone knows he is capable of this, but the knack on him has always been his consistency. If given the green light by coach Rajko Toroman, it could be feast or famine depending on the status of Ronjay’s shooting touch on a given night. Ronjay used to drive the ball into the lane and get contact to shoot from the line. He has not done that as often lately. Maybe he should. Bulawan is a tough defender with a reliable jumpshot. Given a larger role, he might be able to do many more things for Toroman.

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Anthony will be a perfect fit in TNT. He is unselfish, a hard worker, with more than enough basketball smarts to complement the high basketball IQ of many of his new teammates. The offense can go through him much the way it did in his first few days with Barako this season, but his forte is hustle points and a lot of the stuff that do not show up on the stat sheet.

Many are up in arms as to how Petron could have let J-Wash go and end up “only” with Deutchmann. Sure, Washington is ultra-talented, can handle the ball, shoot the three, and use his height to his advantage. Deutchmann has not shown much yet, but is a lefty that can shoot from the outside and, many will disagree but I have seen it after covering a bunch of GlobalPort games this season, is very willing to bang inside under the boards. Unfair trade? Well, the main reason for this change is suitability. GlobalPort needed a big guy who is a proven scorer and can do many things – that’s J-Wash. His numbers this season have not been up to par, and he has openly complained about playing time with Petron, but with GlobalPort, he will get to play more minutes for sure and, presumably, produce more. Deutchmann, on the other hand, will not compete with any of his teammates (e.g., Arwind Santos) for playing time, and will be a contributor in spots off the bench on a situational basis. For all we know, he could find his niche with the Blaze Boosters and excel.

GlobalPort also got Taha, who is a tall, aggressive inside player who many feel should have played more in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals for Ginebra to battle the formidable frontline of the Alaska Aces. He provides what Washington does not and, together, they could fit well in a frontcourt in need of a significant boost.

Ginebra is ecstatic to have gotten Aguilar, whose potential has made fans salivate for years. The question I asked on Twitter was how a player of his height and athleticism could never stay for long with one team. Some answered a lack of aggressiveness, heart and/or court smarts, and perhaps all those are partly true. But, to others, Aguilar is still seen as a potential franchise player who can be a game-changer. He lacks a post-up game and forty-eight minutes of fire, but being in Barangay Ginebra might just be the perfect setting for him to blossom. After all, much lesser players have bloomed while playing for this franchise. I think Aguilar just needs to be used to suit his capabilities – forcing him to be the player most of us would want him to be only hampers his performance. Coach Alfrancis Chua will now get his chance to light a fire under Aguilar. Ginebra faithful are hoping neither of them gets burned.

Espiritu was an occasional starter with Ginebra and did enough to be a regular part of the Gin Kings’ rotation. He will be a dependable player for Coach Toroman who can give Barako an occasional big game, with fairly good outside shooting, and leaping ability and athleticism that some of the Barako frontcourt players do not have.

The draft picks involved in these deals could be important in the future. Let’s talk about them when they have been chosen.

The three “main” players in the above-mentioned two sets of deals are Dillinger (assuming he is healthy and ready to go), Washington (who should finally get the exposure he so anxiously wants) and Aguilar (whose potential hopefully comes to fruition ASAP). The others involved, especially Anthony, may also prove to be very valuable to their new squads and my desire is that each player contributes to his new team in one way or another. I expect more player movement in the weeks to come as teams position themselves for the relatively short Third Conference. I will give my take on any further deals when they happen.

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.