HoopWatch

After watching the various lined-up Philippine Team go to battle in various tournaments, I have pruned down the worthy-15 to twelve. I know the final roster will not be released till the 27th, but barring any technicalities or injuries, here are my players.

The center/forwards are Asi Taulava, Mick Penissi, Eric Menk, Kerby Raymundo and Kelly Williams. The wingmen are Gabe Norwood, Danny Seigle, James Yap and Dondon Hontiveros. And the guards are Jayjay Helterbrand,  Jimmy Alapag and the terrific Mark Caguioa. So I axed out Renren Ritualo, Ranidel de Ocampo and Tony dela Cruz.

Asi has been the mop man of this team, the true warrior. He sacrifices his body, he goes for loose balls, he doesn’t care if he doesn’t score. Too bad, he is just 6-9. If only he is a lot taller, then the team would have been impossible. Penissi, who at 6-9, provides another dimension to the game. He is the only other legitimate center for the team, and he can snipe from the outside. He is also pretty good at that.

And there’s Kelly, he should have been part of this since Day One. He is so athletic, can shoot the ocassional three, can drive to the hole, and he is best in rattling the ball back inside the rim. He reminds me of Shawn Marion, and the Philippines are diminutive, thus, it’s a good thing they play like the Phoenix Suns.

Gabe Norwood provides a outside shooting, versatility and ball-handling when Helterbrand and Alapag are not on the floor. He is a blessing for this squad, and not being drafted in the NBA is a further blessing. Then there’s Dondon Hontiveros. He does it all, he defends and scores. He is all heart and I love it! He’s got the hustle and the talent. I chose James Yap over Ritualo, since James provides more than just the three. Ritualo was never consistent, and he does not play defense. James is as good a shooter, plus he rebounds.

Alapag can lead this team at times specially when the top two scorers struggle. He is extremely quit, and the team can count on him for those pin-point passes. The two leaders are of course, Mark Caguioa and Danny Seigle. They will be tasked to take the last shots, and to dig the team out of the hole when they are slumping. Danny proved it in the first tournaments in SEABA, US and Serbia. Mark was the star in Taipei and Manila. Let’s see how unstoppable they will be in Tokushima!

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