David, Caguioa top candidates for Best Player of Commissioner’s Cup

Powerade’s Gary David could end up as the winner of the Best Player of the Conference for the second straight tournament.
David stayed at the No. 1 spot in statistical points race after the semifinal round of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
And his closest competitor for the BPC plum could be Barangay Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa.
David’s 34.5 SPs average was still on top of the category even though his Tigers were booted out early in the elimination round.
Ending up second was Caguioa with 31.0 SPs average. He missed all the games in the semifinal round against eventual winner B-MEG due to an eye injury.
Marcio Lassiter, recently traded to Petron Blaze, ranked No. 3 in stats with 30.3 SPs, followed by Alaska teammates Cyrus Baguio (29.1) and LA Tenorio (29.0).
Only the top five in the SPs are eligible for the top individual honor of the tournament.
This will be the first time that the BPC winner will not come from any of the two teams playing in the finals in six years.
The Llamados and Talk ‘N Text are fighting for the Commissioner’s Cup crown with Game One on Monday.
Tropang Texters forward Ranidel de Ocampo ranked No. 9 with 26.1 SPs average.
The SPs comprise 40 percent of the voting. Media votes comprise 30 percent, and players’ votes 25, while the PBA commissioner’s office takes the remaining five percent.
In the Best Import derby, B-MEG’s Denzel Bowles is almost a shoo-in to win the award as he topped the stats with 45.24 SPs. He was followed by Gabe Freeman of Barako Bull (43.57), Talk ‘N Text’s Donnell Harvey (42.09) and Ginebra’s Jackson Vroman (35.73).
Bowles is the only import who has been with the team since Day One of the tournament.


Source:  http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/david-caguioa-top-candidates-for-best-player-of-commissioners-cup

Again, a possible BPC Plum might slip away for Mark Caguioa for the Nth time

A Possible second BPC for Mark "the spark" Caguioa might slip again after he failed to play for the Barangay Barangay Ginebra in their series against the B-Meg Llamados. 

Powerade's streaky shooter Gary David still leads the Best Player of the Conference race  despite his team was ousted just before the quarterfinal, he lead the race with an averaged  of 35.5 stats points(SPs) a game while Caguioa trails in second with 31.0 sps. 

Gary David lead the locals this season in scoring with an averaged of 27.10 points per game, his total of 271 points this conference that he sets in the Battle for Quarterfinal berth is still the highest output of a local this conference. Only four players were able to reach the 200 mark aside from david this conference. Willie Miller(253), Marc Cardona(232), Alaska(218), and James Yap (227) who is the only player that may top Gary David's 271. 

Mark Caguioa ended the conference with a 16.90 points 6.40 rebounds, 2.40 assit and 1.0 steal per ball game. He is expected to be out for three-months after his surgery. 

Can you believe it guys?Whole through out his career, Caguioa only won 1 Best Player of the conference?despite his strong showing every conference?

Source:  http://yourthecatcher.blogspot.com/2012/04/again-possible-bpc-plum-might-slip-away.html

Powerade, Petron agree on new Lassiter trade

Despite Powerade coach Bo Perasol’s earlier declaration of his preference not to trade Marcio Lassiter, the Tigers’ star rookie is once again in a deal that would send him to the Petron Blaze Boosters. The PBA commissioner’s office on Friday confirmed receipt of a five-player trade proposal between Powerade and Petron that involves Lassiter as the centerpiece. In the proposed deal, Lassiter and point guard Celino Cruz will be dealt to the Boosters in exchange for center Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Rey Guevarra, and Lordy Tugade. The trade is not yet final, as PBA commissioner Chito Salud has the right to veto or revise deals which he deems unfair. “Pag-aaralan kong mabuti yung trade,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud. According to the league’s media bureau chief Willie Marcial, the trade papers were signed by Perasol and Powerade executive Ronnie Asuncion, and Petron team manager Hector Calma. Earlier this month, Perasol said he was against trading Lassiter, but added that the decision would be management’s, not his. “Alam niyo naman ang stand ko, kung ako ang papipiliin as much as possible ayaw ko ma-trade si Marcio,” he said. It will be the second time this season Petron will be involved in a deal to try to acquire Lassiter, the top candidate for Rookie of the Year honors. Last February, the two teams agreed on a deal that would send Lassiter to Petron in exchange for Noy Baclao and Rey Guevarra. Salud vetoed the deal, citing its negative effect on the balance of the league. The controversial deal proposal came amid reports that Coca-Cola Bottlers, Inc., which owns the Powerade Tigers, has sold the franchise to San Miguel Corporation, which owns Petron, raising questions from other team officials. Both CCBPI and SMC denied that there was a sale. Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/powerade-petron-agree-on-new-lassiter-trade

Kings ex-import suffers depression

MANILA, Philippines - Former Barangay Ginebra import Chris Alexander confessed the other day that he turned down juicy playing contracts in Korea and Qatar because of depression from being axed by the PBA team that is close to his heart. Alexander, 31, led Ginebra to the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference title and was recalled to lead the Kings in the current Commissioner’s Cup. But his second tour of duty was cut short after three games even as Ginebra got off to a 2-1 start with the 7-1 behemoth averaging 14 points and 20.3 rebounds. From the PBA, Alexander took his sneakers to Korea for a tryout. He was offered a two-week contract for the playoffs but couldn’t break out of his depression. Alexander left Korea after two days and returned to his family in St. Louis. While back home, he got a lucrative offer to play in Qatar and that, too, was rejected. “I was emotionally distraught,” said Alexander who flew in last week to play for the Philippine Patriots as Nakiea Miller’s replacement in the ABL. “For close to two months, I did nothing in St. Louis. I couldn’t get myself to watch basketball on TV. But I kept track of how Ginebra was doing in the PBA. I checked out twitter and facebook, interacting with Ginebra fans. I was hurt. I didn’t think they would cut me. I couldn’t imagine they would let me go after what I did in 2008. Jay-Jay (Helterbrand) was hurt in the finals and it was Paul (Artadi) and I who lifted the team to the championship. I did it before, I knew I could do it again.” Alexander said he found out about his exit from the internet. “We just played in Dubai and I read in the internet that my replacement was arriving in Manila four hours after we left to go back,” he said. “Sure, I was bitter. From when I left Ginebra in 2008, all I dreamed about was going back to play in the PBA. I did two years in Korea. I played in China. I was the last cut at the Oklahoma City camp. But my heart stayed with Ginebra. When I got the call to go back, I knew it would be like old times.” Alexander said he realizes he’s not the same dominant player he was four years ago. “I’m a lot smarter now,” he said. “I’ve become more of a passer. I still rebound and run the floor. I don’t look to score as many points but I get my teammates involved in the offense. It’s a lot more of a mental game for me now.” A consolation for Alexander was he was replaced by former Iowa State teammate Jackson Vroman. “I played nine games with Jax at Iowa State,” he said. “Jax is a heckuva player. At least, I was replaced by a guy who’s a good player. I knew him to be a good free throw shooter before, maybe, he’s not anymore.” Alexander said he wanted to block basketball from his mind but Patriots team manager Erick Arejola and player agent Sheryl Reyes persistently phoned to bring him back to Manila. “They called every day,” said Alexander. “I cried when I was cut by Ginebra. I was emotionally down. Ginebra’s the only team for me in the PBA. I love the Ginebra fans and the Ginebra spirit. But I understand that basketball is a business. I don’t blame anyone for letting me go. I respect the decision. It’s just that I was hurt deep inside.” Alexander was finally convinced to pack his bags and return to Manila. “I’m back alone,” he said. “My wife is seven weeks pregnant with our third child and it’s too far for her to travel, what with the kids and all. It took a lot of convincing to get me back to play but I want to prove something. I’m motivated to play my best for the Patriots. The ABL is a competitive league with guys like Tiras Wade and Steve Thomas, guys I know. My goal is to do everything I can to win it all for the Patriots.” The day after he arrived, Alexander was on the court familiarizing himself with coach Glenn Capacio’s system. He made his Patriots debut two days after his return, compiling 16 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes in a 93-78 loss to San Miguel Beer. Alexander said he wasn’t even supposed to suit up in the game. “Coach asked if I wanted to sit out because I just got in but I wanted to play,” he said. Alexander said he hoped Ginebra would advance to the finals but last Tuesday, the Kings were bundled out of contention by B-Meg in the closer of their semifinal series. “I wanted Ginebra to go all the way,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for coach Siot (Tanquingcen) and Jay-Jay brought me back to church. Throughout my depression, I stayed in touch with Jay-Jay. (Assistant) coach Allan (Caidic) is also a close friend. I remember when I was playing in Korea, he would send me an inspiring message after a bad game and the next game, I was unstoppable. At first, I didn’t want to go back to Manila unless it was for Ginebra. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t just Ginebra close to my heart but the Filipino fans and the country. That’s why I came back.” In his twitter, Alexander lamented Ginebra’s loss to B-Meg. “My insides are burning,” he said. “I saw my good friends fall without me. I hate that they lost. Win as a team, lose as a team.” Source: Joaquin Henson, The Philippine Star

B-MEG BARGES INTO FINALS

B-MEG'S road to redemption is wide open.

The Llamados rode the able back of Denzel Bowles during spirited spurts in handily beating Barangay
Ginebra 108-84 Tuesday and advancing to the PBA Commissioner's Cup finals at the Smart Araneta
Coliseum.

Bowles finished with gamehighs of 34 points and 14 rebounds and totally outplayed the Jackson
Vroman-led Kings frontline in leading B-Meg to a 3-1 victory in the best-of-five semifinals duel.

Joe Devance, James Yap, PJ Simon and Marc Pingris also played key roles but it was the 6-foot-10,
22-year-old Bowles who drew the most praise from Llamados coach Tim Cone.

"A young kid like that, responding the way he did, grabbing every rebound making every tough play,"
relished Cone. "I thought that's what really inspired us."

Dylan Ababou, Vroman, Mike Cortez, KG Canaleta and Jayjay Helterbrand tried their best and did
succeed in giving Ginebra the good start it needed to follow up its 88-79 victory just last Sunday.

But all faded in the face of B-Meg's determined and prolonged charge, with Ababou picking up his
sixth foul just 41 seconds into the fourth period with Vroman following suit in the final 5:56 mark.


As a result, the Kings would wind up either third or fourth, depending on the outcome Wednesday of
the other deciding match in the semifinal pairing between Talk N Text and Barako Bull.

For Cone, his 24th finals stint and the Purefoods/B-Meg franchise's 22nd is just a culmination of
the lessons the team learned from a sorry fifth-place finish in the Philippine Cup, when it emerged
from the eliminations as the top seed, only to be felled by No. 8 Powerade in the quarterfinals.

"When I came into this team we talked about growth and the Powerade thing... that would help us
grow," said Cone.

"That motivated us for this conference and we learned not to take anything for granted."

Ginebra should have had the same mind-set after letting an early 25-11 lead slip away.

B-Meg's charge let up a bit and Ginebra managed to whittle what was once a 59-80 deficit to just
73-86, early in the fourth period.

But Bowles quickly responded with back-to-back baskets and the rout was in full swing again.

Cone may be cherishing his own shot for a 14th title overall, but not after blaming himself for
B-Meg's bad start to the game.

"I had this brilliant idea to go zone," he related. "I thought by giving them something new we would
catch them by surprise. But they started making their shots. I was really embarrassed."

Working mostly behind Bowles, the Llamados worked their way back and used a prolonged run that is
equal to the second-most in franchise history in taking the half 58-46 and the game's control for
good.

Bowles scattered 12 of his points during a 19-0 assault from a 39-44 count, and the Llamados went
into the fourth canto with an 86-71 spread.

Ababou wound up with 17 points with Vroman adding 14 and seven. For the fifth time in the duel, the
6-10 naturalized Lebanese failed to score in the fourth. (NC)

The scores:

B-MEG 108 - Bowles 34, Devance 18, Yap 16, Simon 11, Pingris 7, Barroca 5, Intal 5, Villanueva 5, De
Ocampo 4, Reavis 2, Urbiztondo 1, Acuna 0, Gaco 0.

GINEBRA 84 - Ababou 17, Vroman 14, Cortez 13, Canaleta 12, Helterbrand 10, Hatfield 8, Raymundo 5,
Labagala 3, Mamaril 2, Wilson 0, Villanueva 0.

Quarters: 24-31, 58-46, 86-71, 108-84

Source: http://www.pba.ph/news/entry/1533