Archive for July 2012
Talk N Text Tropang Texters: Season Ender / What They Need
Last season, this team was
almost flawless. Sure, they had a failed grand slam attempt – but you know that
they are very productive in all positions.
But then shit happened.
Actually, I call that “shit” the
seventh game of the 2012 PBA Commissioner’s
Cup.
It is here that the B-Meg Llamados exposed the weaknesses
of the squad that terrorized the league during the 2010’s. One weakness in
their roster is their inability to guard bigger players. When Denzel Bowles dominated the Tropang
Texters, it became clear that their size needs to be adjusted. The other flaw
they showed was their injuries. Of the 62 games the Tropang Texters played this
season, only Larry Fonacier competed
in all. TNT fielded 19 men this season (Shawn
Weinstein was a member before moving to Barako Bull) and six of them went on to play 50 or more games.
Note: These players last played
for the Tropang Texters this season – regardless if they were cut or sent to
the reserved list in the duration of the season.
THE BACKCOURT
With Ginebra’s backcourt
getting an unruly decimation, it is safe to say that TNT owns the best
backcourt in the league… when all of their main guns are healthy. TNT’s
backcourt are consistent 3-point scorers and they can also shame their enemies
at both ends when they are in the zone. Larry
Fonacier is slowly getting the praises as the perfect replacement for Macmac Cardona (TNT traded for the Baby-Faced Assassin from Alaska to fill the spot when Piltel moved Captain Hook to Meralco).
Ryan Reyes continues to impress
people with his heightened defense while last season’s MVP Jimmy Alapag might have been slowed down by injuries… but he
still posed as a monster threat especially during do or die games. But this is undoubtedly
Jayson Castro’s team. The former PCU
standout is the combo guard that will lead the Tropang Texters to the future.
ON ROTATION:
|
JAYSON
CASTRO
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
56
|
28.91
|
14.68
|
3.93
|
3.89
|
42%
|
36%
|
|
JIMMY
ALAPAG
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
52
|
28.12
|
10.71
|
2.38
|
5.46
|
38%
|
35%
|
|
LARRY
FONACIER
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
62
|
29.85
|
10.48
|
4.24
|
1.74
|
41%
|
40%
|
|
RYAN
REYES
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
STEALS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
47
|
24.34
|
7.79
|
3.19
|
1.45
|
39%
|
37%
|
SIDEBARS:
|
PAMBOY
RAYMUNDO
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
STEALS
|
BLOCKS
|
|
25
|
7.80
|
1.60
|
1.20
|
0.90
|
0.20
|
0.00
|
|
EMER
ORETA
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
5
|
7.00
|
3.80
|
1.20
|
0.40
|
36%
|
33%
|
|
MAGNUM
MEMBRERE
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
4
|
4.75
|
1.00
|
0.75
|
0.25
|
40%
|
0%
|
THE FRONTCOURT
Small but terrible. While the
frontliners of Talk N Text lack the
size to combat bigger imports, their lineup is almost flawless when it comes to
the All-Filipino matches. Ranidel De
Ocampo can hit his shots near or far from the basket. Ali Peek continues to be a force to be reckoned with despite his
age while Harvey Carey is there to
provide the dirty work regardless of exposure. Jared Dillinger found his range and got the exposure he needs under
Chot Reyes and Japeth Aguilar is a diamond in the rough once he gets his mind into
things. And then there’s Kelly Williams.
I know Ranidel is the only TNT player to score a Mythical Five citation but it’s still fresh in my memory when Machine Gun Kelly stormed the front
with his insane offense and rim-rattling slams.
ON ROTATION:
|
RANIDEL
DE OCAMPO
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3FG%
|
|
54
|
23.98
|
11.80
|
4.50
|
41%
|
81%
|
36%
|
|
KELLY
WILLIAMS
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
58
|
24.14
|
8.97
|
6.74
|
1.22
|
41%
|
56%
|
|
ALI
PEEK
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
BLOCKS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
44
|
21.36
|
7.57
|
6.84
|
0.84
|
56%
|
62%
|
|
JARED
DILLINGER
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
3FG%
|
|
48
|
25.65
|
10.17
|
3.06
|
1.81
|
40%
|
38%
|
|
HARVEY
CAREY
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
45
|
18.27
|
6.36
|
6.33
|
0.98
|
45%
|
65%
|
|
JAPETH
AGUILAR
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
BLOCKS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
52
|
15.42
|
6.58
|
4.12
|
1.35
|
45%
|
66%
|
SIDEBARS:
|
BAM
GAMALINDA
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3FG%
|
|
41
|
8.44
|
2.17
|
0.93
|
38%
|
55%
|
25%
|
|
AARON
ABAN
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
3FG%
|
|
19
|
14.89
|
3.32
|
2.37
|
41%
|
73%
|
21%
|
|
RICH
ALVAREZ
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
STEALS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
22
|
6.00
|
0.77
|
1.32
|
0.32
|
38%
|
46%
|
|
GILBERT
LAO
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
BLOCKS
|
FG%
|
FT%
|
|
20
|
3.45
|
0.30
|
0.45
|
0.10
|
50%
|
50%
|
|
CHARLES
WATERS
|
||||||
|
GAMES
|
MINUTES
|
POINTS
|
REBOUNDS
|
ASSISTS
|
FG%
|
FGM
|
|
1
|
4.00
|
2.00
|
1.00
|
1.00
|
25%
|
1
|
WHAT THEY NEED:
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t
think the Tropang Texters will get anything useful in the draft. Their first
pick is the last pick of the second round of the draft. I know there might be a
couple of nice steals in this round but I don’t know if they can solve their
size problem. One particular player they need to get if the player is still
available is JR Cawaling. Yes, I
know the former FEU standout had a
poor UAAP career finish and his name hasn’t really popped up in most mock drafts
but the guy is still a product of the Smart-Gilas
team. I don’t know how crappy the Smart-Gilas organization would get if they snub
one of their handpicked college standouts. One player who had a poor last year
in the UAAP that managed to surpass the odds in the PBA is Fonacier. Both guys
play the same position and I think they have room for another player in their
SG/SF position.
|
PLAYER
RATER
#20
IN THE SECOND ROUND
|
|
1 JR CAWALING
(IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
2 YOUSEF TAHA
(IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
3 JASON
DEUTCHMAN (IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
4 JEWEL
PONFERRADA (IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
5 PAUL ZAMAR (IF AVAILABLE IN THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
6 RAFFY REYES
(IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
|
7 KARL DEHESA
(IF AVAILABLE IN
THE SECOND ROUND)
|
I know Talk N Text will have a
tough time getting the player they want in the draft. However, Josh Urbiztondo and Jerwin Gaco are a
couple of players that made things possible despite getting the low end of the
stick.
I don’t know if TNT can wield
their luck to trade up but for sure what they are after is the 2013 PBA Draft.
It’s not like their team is
that weak.
Look for TNT to surprise
everyone next season. Surely the last thing Norman Black wants in his return PBA stint is to squander the
winning tradition Chot Reyes
created.
Game over.
