(c) PBA Media Bureau
For this article series, let me present to you the 100 best players in the oldest Pay-for-Play basketball league in 2018!
The players were scored according to these four areas:
Scoring (S) - 30
Primarily, this is the ability of the player to score. Their points per game were the primary statistics that was scrutinized but we also give a huge weight on the efficiency of the player. We also factor in the fact that there are a hundred ways to score, so the more ways a player score efficiently will also increase his points in this area.
Defense (D) - 30
Defense represents 50% of the game for a player. This score will take into account the ability of the player to stop someone, man-to-man. Now, the defense is not all about man-to-man but also about the capacity of a player to work in the defensive scheme of a team. Enjoined to this area is the ability of the player to get rebounds and to help his team control the boards.
Offense (O) - 25
Scoring is the only goal of offense but the other factors that will pave the way for good scoring opportunities will reside in this area. Primarily, this is about the ability of the player to break down defenses and make plays for his teammates. Added into this is the intelligence of the player in making the right plays, reads and positions in helping out the team take a good shot.
Intangibles (I) - 15
There are four other elements of a player that basically form this criterion. They are leadership, chemistry, clutch and health. Those four are not part of the first three but actually elevates a player. LA Tenorio is not as valuable as the Tenorio that we know today without his ability to command and his 100% health status.
We will begin with the 100th to 76th rank players.
#100 Gabby Espinas: S(15) D(13.5) O(10) I(9)
#99 Michael Miranda: S(11.5) D(17) O(11) I(8)
#98 Don Trollano: S(10) D(18) O(10) I(9.5)
#97 Gelo Alolino: S(11.5) D(15) O(14) I(7)
#96 Matthew Ganuelas-Rosser: S(5) D(21) (13) I(9)
Gabby Espinas is still in the league and doing his thing. Do not forget that there was a time that he had the best arsenal of post moves in the league.
Michael Miranda solidified himself as a legit PBA player with his length, athleticism and ability to shoot from the outside.
Don Trollano has solidified himself as a good defender. That is also his ticket in being one of the top 100 players in the league.
Gelo Alolino made an awesome impression in the All-Filipino Cup. He averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 48% 3FG per game.
Matthew Ganuelas-Rosser has found a good role for the San Miguel Beermen. He is one of the few players who can competently protect the rim and defend three different positions.
#95 JC Intal: S(12) D(16) O(11.5) I(8.5)
#94 Jervy Cruz: S(11.5) D(15) O(15) I(7)
#93 Paolo Taha: S(14.5) D(15) O(12) I(7)
#92 Glenn Khobuntin: S(13.5) D(15) O(11.5) I(8.5)
#91 Cyrus Baguio: S(11.5) D(15) O(13) (9.5)
The day when Intal finally shoots efficiently will never come already but at least he has transformed himself into an acceptable defender.
Jervy Cruz remained as one of the most skilled undersized power forward. In the All-Filipino Cup he produced 7.8 points,5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 42% FG per game.
Paolo Taha's PBA career has been derailed by injuries. I hope he will be healthy in the upcoming season because he has the well-rounded skill set and the physical attributes to be a starting-caliber player.
Yes, Glenn Khobuntin is still playing in the PBA and he still has room for growth because he is only 27. He added a three-point shot in his arsenal and if he managed to push that to an acceptable level, Glenn will further rise in this ranking.
Cyrus Baguio may not be the athletic freak that he was in the past but he can still do it.
#90 Noy Baclao: S(7) D(22) O(11) I(9)
#89 Justin Chua: S(12) D(18) O(10) I(9)
#88 Jericho Cruz: S(16.5) D(13) O(11.5) I(8)
#87 Roi Sumang: S(16) D(11.5) O(13) I(8.5)
#86 Ed Daquioag: S(13.5) D(15) O(11.5) I(9)
Noy Baclao has settled into the vital role of rim-protecting center in the rotation of Alaska. It doesn't seem like his offense will ever be respectable but with his defense, he deserved the minutes that he received.
Chua has solidified himself as a good quality back-up center. His defense has been his most impressive asset because of his ability to switch and defend in the perimeter.
It seems like Jericho Cruz has been exposed in his stint with TNT. He doesn't look like a starting caliber guard last season. Maybe, it is also related to Terrence Romeo and Jericho's injuries.
One of the reasons why I applauded Blackwater when they managed to get two 2nd round picks for Paul Zamar is the presence of Sumang. Sumang was as good as Zamar last season and may even be more lethal in terms of scoring.
Ed Daquioag had a steady 2018 season. He averaged more than 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.99 assist in all three conferences.
#85 Ryan Arana: S(10) D(15) O(14.5) I(10.5)
#84 Raymond Aguilar: S(14) D(15.5) O(12) I(8.5)
#83 Mark Tallo: S(12) D(14) O(16) I(8)
#82 Ryan Reyes: S(10) D(16) O(14) I(10.5)
#81 Reden Celda: S(14.5) D(14) O(14) I(8)
Ryan Arana always finds a team that will sign him because he does his job pretty well. He is aggressive in going to the basket and his defense is still respectable.
Raymond Aguilar may not be a familiar name for you but he legitimized himself as a PBA player in 2018. That is the result of a bigman developing a long-range shot.
Without Kiefer Ravena and Kevin Alas, coach Yeng Guiao played Mark Tallo and he did well. He did not put up awesome numbers in Governors Cup but the glimpses of a starting caliber point guard are there.
Ryan Reyes is still fighting father time. Reyes had been one of the legit 3-and-D in the league in the past several years.
Columbian Dyip did well in giving Reden Celda an opportunity to show what he has. In the Philippine Cup, he manufactured 9.0 points, 2.6 assists and 32% 3FG per game.
#80 RJ Jazul: S(15.5) D(11) O(15.5) I(9)
#79 Brian Heruela: S(13.5) D(14) O(14.5) I(9)
#78 Ronald Tubid: S(12.5) D(15) O(13) I(11)
#77 James Yap: S(16) D(12) O(12) I(11.5)
#76 Reynel Hugnatan: S(13) D(14) O(14) I(11)
RJ Jazul did not end up as the starting caliber point guard that Phoenix hoped for when they traded for him but he was still a good player. RJ is still a decent outside shooter, averaging more than 1.4 three-pointers made per game in each conference.
Heruela may finally continue the rise that he started in his rookie season. In the limited minutes that I saw him, I still see the lite-version of Stanley Pringle in him.
Ronald Tubid is back with San Miguel which probably ends any hope that he will be back in this ranking next season. Tubid's grit, activity and shooting are still there.
This will make a lot of his fans sad, but Yap has regressed into this rank. James shot worse than 40% in all the three conferences. His age has been pretty obvious when you watch him play. He can still hit from beyond the arc and can still pull defenders toward him to open up his teammates.
Reynel Hugnatan is still vintage just like in the 2017 season. With his ability to hit three-pointers and strength to hold his own against the giants of the league, Hugnatan deserves this 76th spot.
Comments
Post a Comment