It is not always the case that the two
best and most talented teams end up fighting for the championship.
In the current PBA Fiesta Conference, that is exactly what
is about to happen. We will be treated to a showcase with
the best players doing battle in the hardcourt.
Racela and Alapag are still the best
in the land at what they do as court generals and Miller and
Siegle are still the best offensive players in the land. Hontiveros
is the best shooter and Honeycutt for me is the best import
so far. Ildefonso is just getting back to his MVP form when
he was the best player in the league while Yancy de Ocampo
and Nic Belasco have been solid as national team players.
So the stage is set, the teams are ready
and let the finals begin!
07 JUN 2005
A fifth place finish doesn¹t sound
much but if one was able to watch the FIBA Champions Cup like
I was this past week, I say it¹s right on track with
what the PBA and Chot Reyes is trying to accomplish. It was
the best finish for an ³import-less² team in the
16 years of the tournament and none of their losses were decided
until the last minute of the ballgame.
Obviously, with only 3 months of preparation, the chemistry still needs some improvement but the heart, desire and skill are all there. I did like what I saw as I had no doubt that the Philippines would have at least made it to the gold medal game if there were no imports allowed for the other teams. Taking baby steps is very important and we took some small ones that will go a long way towards an Olympic appearance.
What may be seen as grounds for suspension or even expulsion by the POC, may not, in turn, be seen as grounds for withdrawal of accreditation by the FIBA. If the BAP mounts a credible case with the FIBA that this controversy is merely an excuse created by their detractors to undermine BAP's autonomy, then they may gain FIBA's sympathy and retain accreditation, or cause the FIBA to refuse POC's bid to replace the BAP with the Edgar Aglipay-led Basketball Federation of the Philippines as the FIBA-accredited organization in the country.
And it seems the BAP can conceivably mount that case.
While everyone acknowledges that what started this whole controversy was the so-called embarrassing loss of the SEABA - bound team of Boysie Zamar to a "ragtag team of movie actors", we now know that no actors, current or former, played on that infamous Paranaque team, and in fact, as confirmed by both Zamar and Chot Reyes, that "ragtag team" was actually loaded with former professional players and college standouts. The BAP could use that misrepresentation of the facts to bolster their defense. Also, we know that while FIBA accreditation is necessary for the BAP to be accorded NSA status, it is not conversely necessary for the BAP to have NSA status for it to be FIBA-accredited. Therefore, the POC suspension means nothing to the FIBA, and may be cast by the BAP as another form of interference in its affairs.
While many of us may agree that the BAP is no longer helpful, and may even be detrimental to Philippine Basketball development and our quest for renewed regional supremacy, those that seek to correct that problem must recognize, too, that removing the BAP from the picture and installing a new FIBA - recognized body is much easier said than done.
