With the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) reinforced Conference just a few weeks old, executives of Sta. Lucia Realtors are already familiar who has been waxing hot for the team and who needs some more motivation to perform. As player evaluations move away from the scouting department and into the SLR front office, some changes are taking place from what happened during the all-Filipino Conference.
Some of the changes in player's performance have to do with new rules imposed by the league regarding the hand-check rule. The new rule limits the ability of a defensive player to play a rugged defense on the opposing offensive threat, something that the team thrives on during the previous conferences. Nevertheless, there are still some SLR players who were able to come-up with some early-season surges that makes them worthy to watch out for in the coming games.
While the SLR management are still in agreement that it is too early to identify the strong and weak players, they agree that the differences in talents are worth noting. Here's who's hot and who's not at the moment for the Realtors.
Who's Hot
Anthony Johnson, Forward
Johnson is showing this early that he knows how to pace himself and recognized the time where he needs to step up and carry the whole team on his shoulders. The good news for SLR is that Johnson is getting better and better by the game. A number of scouts and executives from the other teams are already designing plays to try and stop this offensive dynamo who is averaging 34.0 points and 17.8 rebounds per game. He is also spending close to 46.0 minutes on the court, which shows how conditioned to play he is right now.
Johnson has improved his defense to a point where he can disrupt a possession all by himself and his offense enough to where the Realtors can put up big numbers despite being one of the PBA's slowest teams. So far, he has played the best individual brand of basketball in the league since the Conference began.
What Johnson still needs to do is to try to find a healthy balance between trying to win games and keeping the legs fresh for what still promises to be a hellacious season.
Marlou Aquino, Center
Aquino has managed to contribute near-dominant play on both ends of the court in the four games of the Realtors this Conference breaking the 35-minute-per-game barrier. He also tried to maximize his rest at the bench to take over and play for longer stretches later on and make a big contribution to the Realtors target of grabbing another title in a two-year span.
Although Aquino's s production has diminished slightly compared to his dominating performance in the 1990's, he's still working at a near-improved-player-of-the-year level. In the four games so far, he managed to average 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 blocks (league's best) per game. The 36-year old center did all this in just 31.0 minutes on the hard court.
What Aquino needs to do though is try to continue to pace his game, and to be careful not to hurt himself for a possible late-season absence. Also, he needs to sustain the confidence from the free throw line, where he only managed to sink 33.3 percent of his shots so far. Lastly, Aquino needs to keep motivating himself to play hard and contribute significantly even with Dennis Espino back from the injured list.
Dennis Miranda, Point Guard
Miranda has reestablished his case as a premier defensive guard of the league. He may not be the best player in the PBA, but he has the ability to clamp on the opposing team's guards even if they have a MVP belt tucked on their waist.
Even at half speed, Miranda is showing everyone that he can be one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league. He may only average only 5.0 points per game, but he is putting up 3.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists as well. Miranda also knows how to put in points when needed and this is evident by his 50.0 percent average from the rainbow area or 3-of-6 so far in the Conference.
Miranda is presiding over a Realtors team that is designed to put defensive pressure anywhere on the court. He has the ability to play soundly without putting up big numbers or dominating the ball - the usual things anyone can see from an unappreciated defensive player.
However, Miranda still needs to stop taking charges and flopping unnecessarily. He can also stop exhorting his teammates to push the ball after the opponents score on them and make deliberate, but effective decision on the floor.
Who's Not
Kelly Williams, Forward
Williams tailed off a bit after a career year that was followed by a whirlwind summer in which he got married and included in the Philippine national team. He is still running the floor, expertly cut off of screen-and-rolls or when away from the ball, blocked shots, rebounded despite a lean frame, started the break, finished the break, encouraged the break and came to work every day.
However, after winning the MVP plum last year, he fell in love with the three-point shot. Out of the 425 shots that the whole team took outside the rainbow area during the elimination round in the all-Filipino Conference this year, Williams accounted for about 21.9 percent of it or 93 shots. There is nothing wrong with these numbers, but the problem is that Williams only made 23.7 percent of those shots. That’s way below any team’s standard.
What he needs is to work on the elbow underneath his elbow jumper. His ability to hit the jump shot off to the side of the free throw line has diminished this year, mainly because the elbow on his shooting arm seems a little wobbly. This could be the reason why he is only averaging a shade above 14.0 points per game this year.
Dennis Espino, Center
So far, Espino was not much to behold early in the Conference. When he was sidelined by flu during the first 2 games, observers couldn't be criticized for wondering if he can get back to his monster numbers last Conference and reestablish himself as the Realtor’s rock, able to score after working off the ball or down low with the defense keyed in on him.
Espino needs to get back into shape fast and prove to fellow center Marlou Aquino that he can also play the big minutes. The Realtors may have picked a gem of an import in Anthony Johnson, but Espino needs to be playing 36 minutes a night if they want to make an extended semifinal run.
The Realtors need Espino to come back from vacation-land with a purpose and improve on his 2.5 points average and an equal number of turnovers in his last two games. Even his less than 1 rebound per game is a big disappointment for those who treat him as the team’s bonafide leader.
Nelbert Omolon, Forward
Omolon has not been able to sustain his growth as a scoring load down low and has not really been playing aggressive defense lately. The first part is understandable since Marlou Aquino, Anthony Johnson and Joseph Yeo has been stepping up on offense, but the second one is inexcusable. It creates a black-hole down low where the opposing wingmen can easily do damage on the block.
Omolon was effective when the Realtors give him the ball on the shaded area and all he needs to do is either pivot towards the basket or fake once and score. Otherwise, he's hurting the team if he gets the ball in the perimeter and he is expected to go one-on-one or dribble his way inside. No wonder he can only put in 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this Conference.
He really, really needs to try to establish some defensive fundamentals while staying out of foul trouble, especially if the energy of Kelly Williams and Norman Gonzalez are being drained fast from guarding the opposing team’s imports. Omolon sometimes still makes high school-level plays when it comes to weakside rotations or strong-side screen-and-roll defense.
Some of the changes in player's performance have to do with new rules imposed by the league regarding the hand-check rule. The new rule limits the ability of a defensive player to play a rugged defense on the opposing offensive threat, something that the team thrives on during the previous conferences. Nevertheless, there are still some SLR players who were able to come-up with some early-season surges that makes them worthy to watch out for in the coming games.
While the SLR management are still in agreement that it is too early to identify the strong and weak players, they agree that the differences in talents are worth noting. Here's who's hot and who's not at the moment for the Realtors.
Who's Hot
Anthony Johnson, Forward
Johnson is showing this early that he knows how to pace himself and recognized the time where he needs to step up and carry the whole team on his shoulders. The good news for SLR is that Johnson is getting better and better by the game. A number of scouts and executives from the other teams are already designing plays to try and stop this offensive dynamo who is averaging 34.0 points and 17.8 rebounds per game. He is also spending close to 46.0 minutes on the court, which shows how conditioned to play he is right now.
Johnson has improved his defense to a point where he can disrupt a possession all by himself and his offense enough to where the Realtors can put up big numbers despite being one of the PBA's slowest teams. So far, he has played the best individual brand of basketball in the league since the Conference began.
What Johnson still needs to do is to try to find a healthy balance between trying to win games and keeping the legs fresh for what still promises to be a hellacious season.
Marlou Aquino, Center
Aquino has managed to contribute near-dominant play on both ends of the court in the four games of the Realtors this Conference breaking the 35-minute-per-game barrier. He also tried to maximize his rest at the bench to take over and play for longer stretches later on and make a big contribution to the Realtors target of grabbing another title in a two-year span.
Although Aquino's s production has diminished slightly compared to his dominating performance in the 1990's, he's still working at a near-improved-player-of-the-year level. In the four games so far, he managed to average 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 blocks (league's best) per game. The 36-year old center did all this in just 31.0 minutes on the hard court.
What Aquino needs to do though is try to continue to pace his game, and to be careful not to hurt himself for a possible late-season absence. Also, he needs to sustain the confidence from the free throw line, where he only managed to sink 33.3 percent of his shots so far. Lastly, Aquino needs to keep motivating himself to play hard and contribute significantly even with Dennis Espino back from the injured list.
Dennis Miranda, Point Guard
Miranda has reestablished his case as a premier defensive guard of the league. He may not be the best player in the PBA, but he has the ability to clamp on the opposing team's guards even if they have a MVP belt tucked on their waist.
Even at half speed, Miranda is showing everyone that he can be one of the most entertaining players to watch in the league. He may only average only 5.0 points per game, but he is putting up 3.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists as well. Miranda also knows how to put in points when needed and this is evident by his 50.0 percent average from the rainbow area or 3-of-6 so far in the Conference.
Miranda is presiding over a Realtors team that is designed to put defensive pressure anywhere on the court. He has the ability to play soundly without putting up big numbers or dominating the ball - the usual things anyone can see from an unappreciated defensive player.
However, Miranda still needs to stop taking charges and flopping unnecessarily. He can also stop exhorting his teammates to push the ball after the opponents score on them and make deliberate, but effective decision on the floor.
Who's Not
Kelly Williams, Forward
Williams tailed off a bit after a career year that was followed by a whirlwind summer in which he got married and included in the Philippine national team. He is still running the floor, expertly cut off of screen-and-rolls or when away from the ball, blocked shots, rebounded despite a lean frame, started the break, finished the break, encouraged the break and came to work every day.
However, after winning the MVP plum last year, he fell in love with the three-point shot. Out of the 425 shots that the whole team took outside the rainbow area during the elimination round in the all-Filipino Conference this year, Williams accounted for about 21.9 percent of it or 93 shots. There is nothing wrong with these numbers, but the problem is that Williams only made 23.7 percent of those shots. That’s way below any team’s standard.
What he needs is to work on the elbow underneath his elbow jumper. His ability to hit the jump shot off to the side of the free throw line has diminished this year, mainly because the elbow on his shooting arm seems a little wobbly. This could be the reason why he is only averaging a shade above 14.0 points per game this year.
Dennis Espino, Center
So far, Espino was not much to behold early in the Conference. When he was sidelined by flu during the first 2 games, observers couldn't be criticized for wondering if he can get back to his monster numbers last Conference and reestablish himself as the Realtor’s rock, able to score after working off the ball or down low with the defense keyed in on him.
Espino needs to get back into shape fast and prove to fellow center Marlou Aquino that he can also play the big minutes. The Realtors may have picked a gem of an import in Anthony Johnson, but Espino needs to be playing 36 minutes a night if they want to make an extended semifinal run.
The Realtors need Espino to come back from vacation-land with a purpose and improve on his 2.5 points average and an equal number of turnovers in his last two games. Even his less than 1 rebound per game is a big disappointment for those who treat him as the team’s bonafide leader.
Nelbert Omolon, Forward
Omolon has not been able to sustain his growth as a scoring load down low and has not really been playing aggressive defense lately. The first part is understandable since Marlou Aquino, Anthony Johnson and Joseph Yeo has been stepping up on offense, but the second one is inexcusable. It creates a black-hole down low where the opposing wingmen can easily do damage on the block.
Omolon was effective when the Realtors give him the ball on the shaded area and all he needs to do is either pivot towards the basket or fake once and score. Otherwise, he's hurting the team if he gets the ball in the perimeter and he is expected to go one-on-one or dribble his way inside. No wonder he can only put in 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this Conference.
He really, really needs to try to establish some defensive fundamentals while staying out of foul trouble, especially if the energy of Kelly Williams and Norman Gonzalez are being drained fast from guarding the opposing team’s imports. Omolon sometimes still makes high school-level plays when it comes to weakside rotations or strong-side screen-and-roll defense.
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