THAT 99-94 loss to NorthPort really hurts Meralco’s bid to advance to the next round of the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.
The players who did a number on the Bolts are the locals—Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony.
The Bolts’ Allen Durham compiled monster numbers—a near triple double of 39 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists and got some support from Mike Tolomia, Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, but Meralco still fell to 1-6—ninth spot in the league.
The Bolts played NLEX (4-4 won-lost) in a must-win game for both sides on Sunday night. Theoretically, the Bolts must win all four remaining matches for that chance to move on. But that isn’t entirely on them because their fate will also be decided by how other teams fare, as well.
It has been rather difficult for the Bolts who, after winning their opening game of the conference, has been on a massive skid. The team also struggled, as well, during the Fiba Asia Champions Cup where it only won one match.
During the recent Commissioner’s Cup, the team finished with a 7-4 record and lost to nemesis Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals in two matches.
In the season-opening Philippine Cup, Meralco sported a 4-7 record—11th in the league, and didn’t advance to the quarterfinals.
And that leaves me to wonder if this team needs to massively reload in terms of personnel. I know they are handicapped by the draft and players to affect a trade. But obviously, a super import like Allen Durham cannot tow the team to a title. This team needs help on so many fronts—size and solid inside players should be at the top of the shopping list—because right now, they have few top local players.
That is for team management to figure out in the offseason that is rapidly approaching for them.
With regards to other PBA ongoings, one item that has caught my eye is the sudden disappearance of Rain or Shine center Raymond Almazan. According to his agent, Danny Espiritu, Almazan asked him to call his team management that he’d miss practice. Now he has missed three matches. Luckily, ROS handed league-leading Ginebra a shock 104-97 loss.
A win, of course, doesn’t make it any easier for the Elasto Painters. You can ambush teams once in a while, but not all the time.
This isn’t the first time he has pulled this “stunt.” He has done this before when he was playing for Letran when he was literally absent for the entire preseason campaign of the Knights who were then under Louie Alas.
They didn’t do too well and somehow, someway, Almazan was coaxed into coming back right before the start of the National Collegiate Athletic Association season that, if I recall correctly, also turned out to be the last for the coach’s sons Kristoffer and Kevin who opted out the next year. I remember the reason Coach Louie gave why his prized center took off and, well, it isn’t for public consumption.
Recently, as well, Calvin Abueva also did the same with Alaska due to personal reasons.
Unlike the Abueva situation where he was eventually let go by the team, am not so sure that ROS can or even should part with their temperamental center.
Incidentally, his current ROS coach was also his college coach after Alas, Caloy Garcia.
Let’s see where this goes. It could be something contentious or a footnote to an otherwise forgettable campaign.