As the Fiesta Conference gets near, the Magnolia Beverage Masters engaged in several trade deals that sent some of their stars, notably those who came from Ateneo to other teams in exchange for role players.
Were these good moves by the management? Let our resident Magnolia Beverage Masters insider Than analyze the deals for us.
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Source: Than of PBA Forum
Coach Siot wanted to add some Role/Defensive players.
Its a "One step backward, Two steps forward" for the team!
You released some star players, but you may play your other star players more & re-establish their feel for the game which was lost last conference.
Lets break it down:
Last conference, because of so many big stars in the team, "nag iinit pa lang" ang isang player, kelanagn mo ng ilabas because you still have some stars you need to give playing time also. Then ganun din ang rotation, "nag iinit palang yung bagong pasok, kelangan mo na ulit ilabas because you have another stars waiting to come in".
Basically, hindi ma maximize yung talent ng alam naman nating very talented players ng team because of so limited playing time na paghahatian pa nila.
Eveybody is a star at their own right. Its hard for the coaching staff to transform them to accept a different roll on what they've been brought about when they entered the PBA.
Only Olsen Racela, Danny Ildefonso & Hontiveros are willing to accept a different roles just to accomodate some of their superstar newcomers.
So, changes have to be made. But owning 3 teams in the league doesnt make changing as easy as anybody thought of.
SMC doesnt act or cannot act solely as independent team. They have to think of their other sister teams first in any trade plans & see how they would help each other by their trade deals.
Usually, they dont want their marquee players to go anywhere other than their sister teams.
Only those less heralded or some whom they thought could be easily replaced where being dealt outside SMC teams.
Now with regards to my opinion on the MBM-Alaska trade, its a good trade for Alaska.
Why, they got young talent who can almost approximate what Cortez does with them. But what a plus factor they acquired in Larry Fonacier! He will be the next important player of Alaska.
As with MBM, nothing! Parang wala lang because LA & Cortez would cancel each other out. Hindi rin kawalan si Larry in a sense that he wasnt a factor naman sa MBM last conference because of minimal playing time brought about by having 2 more players ahead of him in his position.
Ken Bono at first i thought will be insignifacant with this team. But, by dealing Willie Wilson, i think Ken will play more & assume the role of Wilson with the team. Wilson & Bono is like the second coming of what happened to Abuda & Belasco years back.
Bono is an upgrade of Wilson just like Belasco does with Abuda when he came to the team from Pop Cola.
Wilson, with his limited height, playing a power forwards position & trapped in the Small forwards body, cannot really guard an opposing teams top small forwards. He became effective last year on garbage points because opposing teams usually left him open because the concentration of their defense is with the other 4 more heralded superstars of MBM on the floor.
Now, Bono is an upgrade in height & heft. What he must learn is how to defend well on his natural Power Forward position. He can also shoot from the perimeter.
Mike Cortez? Well, i hope he'll do an Asi on this team! What i mean is, when TNT traded Asi, a lot of people thought thats an OK trade because judging from Asi's last playing years with TNT, parang wala na siyang gana! Nag sawa na or complacent na sa laro niya. Wala ng challenge for him. Sometimes change in scenery will change a players motivation!
Thats what i saw on that Asi trade & look how he transformed 100%. Ganadong ganado to prove something!
That is what Cortez should do or will do with his new team! He will prove to everyone that he is great PG as being thought of him when he entered the league!
MBM wants to win now while also looking at the welfare of their sister teams especially PF.
Contrary to what others think, PF had the upper hand on the Enrico trade. Its not just players per players but it also has that plus factor: Marketability!
With the Health Problem of Rommel, SMC sacrificed MBMs supposed to be Danny Ildefonso of the future in Enrico Villanueva just as so not let their other teams left behind this coming conference! Well...it needs to be seen in actual PBA games. SMC just made that move for their other teams but its up to the player & coaching staff to transform that ingredient into Championships!
How many promising young center do we have in the league? You can just count it with 1 hand.
The Tolomia acquisition is like an insurance policy in case either Hontiveros, Tugade or Calaguio got injured. He is a talent waiting to explode. That player doesnt carre on how you will use him.
Just give him instructions & little playing time to show what he can do!Remember Mike Mustre?
Ginebra gained what they lost when Hatfield left! A bruiser & doesnt carre attitude in hustle or defense. He will compliment the style of Ronald Tubid! Of course he cannot duplicate what the Hatman can do every game but at least they got the nearest clone!
While only losing Macapagal whom i think is playing redundant position with Ginebra!
To sum it all, all these trade movements means one thing, the fans will be back in the PBA & excitement is Back!
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