PBA 2009-2010 season

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Texters set to play top Serbian 5s

By WAYLON GALVEZ
August 21, 2009, 5:45pm

After its training camp in Las Vegas, reigning Philippine Cup champion Talk ‘N Text is set to leave for Serbia on September 1 to play tune-up games.

The Tropang Texters, led by guard Marc Cardona and playmaker Jimmy Alapag, will play a maximum of eight games against top-caliber professional teams in Serbia until September 15.

“Ibang experience ito from the team’s stint at the Joe Abunassar camp in Las Vegas,” TNT deputy team manager Virgil Villavicencio said yesterday. “We’ll be playing some of the top teams there in Serbia’s pro league.”

At the Abunassar’s Impact Basketball Training Camp last June, the players were trained individually, but in Serbia, “it’s going to be team training,” according to Villavicencio and it’s going to be a big help in the team’s title-retention bid.

Last season, Reyes credited the Texters’ training at the Abunassar as one of the main reasons in their successful championship campaign. In the PBA’s 35th season, which opens October 11, Talk ’N Text will formally introduce its new recruit in veteran forward Nic Belasco.

The 6-foot-5 Belasco joined the Texters recently following a trade with Coca-Cola. A 12-year veteran, Belasco will be playing for his sixth team in the PBA after stints with Pop Cola, San Miguel Beer, Alaska, Rain or Shine, and Coke.
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Kings still trying to become bigger, meaner
Monday, August 24, 2009 3:46:00 AM | 45 Comments
Ginebra's bid to become taller and bigger in the coming PBA season is far from over.

Kings coach Jong Uichico yesterday told Malaya his team has until early next month to come up with the additional ceiling that will help them contend with the rest of the teams.

"We're still filling up some of our spots and hopefully we can put the finger on the final lineup we want by the end of this week," said Uichico.

What is definite for Uichico is the idea of which teams to keep up with.

"Talk N Text, San Miguel Beer and Purefoods, because they can effectively play big or small. I don't have that luxury yet," said Uichico.

The Philippine Cup opens on Oct. 11 and Uichico hopes to have a contending roster by then, including four major players, Mark Caguioa, Junthy Valenzuela, Eric Menk and Jayjay Helterbrand, who should be completely healed from their injuries.

Caguioa is already practicing with the team after missing the entire season-ending Fiesta Conference due to a knee injury while Valenzuela is already strengthening his own knee that was operated on last February.

Menk suffered from a strained muscle between his calf and Achilles tendon and is set to return next week from a US vacation while Helterbrand has been given until the first week of September to heal his hamstring injury.

Uichico stressed they are closely watching the progress of Caguioa and Valenzuela.

"With Mark, so far so good. He's been reacting positively to intensive training, pero ang tinitingnan namin how his knee will react kapag sunod-sunod na ang games at practices. Baka kasi mag-react negatively, pahinga na naman siya ng matagal," Uichico said.

"Si Junthy naman, question mark pa rin pagdating sa basketball stage," Uichico added. "Any time now, baka maalis na ang sakit, then he can start going 100 percent na sa strengthening. But we're giving him an extra month, to see how it goes."

The return of Caguioa, Helterbrand and Valenzuela, however, can only add on to Ginebra's intrinsic strength, which are its small men that includes Cyrus Baguio, Chico Lanete, Ronald Tubid and Sunday Salvacion.

The team's real problem lies in the frontline, as showcased in its Fiesta finals against eventual champion SMB.

"Once we went big, we sacrificed so much in offense. Once we went small, outmatched naman kami," he pointed out.

Trades with Purefoods have netted Ginebra slotman Enrico Villanueva and forwards Rich Alvarez and Paolo Bugia, as well as playmaker Celino Cruz. Noli Cortez - Malaya Online Edition

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Whopper focused on winning All-Pinoy tilt
Monday, August 24, 2009 3:44:00 AM | 10 Comments
Burger King is focused on ending a seven-year title drought. Yeng Guiao is determined to win the only missing title on his illustrious career -- the All-Filipino.

Putting reports aside that the multi-titled mentor will take a leave of absence after the Philippine Cup, Guiao and his Whopper will work collectively to satisfy their own needs as they try to win the title in the season's opening conference which starts Oct. 11.

Burger King team manager and newly-installed Philippine Basketball Association chairman Lito Alvarez told Standard Today that Guiao has not discussed to him his plans to take a leave once the campaign period for the 2010 elections start.

"Whether there is a plan or none for him to take a leave, I have no idea with that," said Alvarez. "We haven't discussed anything about his political plans because we are both very much focused on winning a championship. He's excited about the chance on winning the All-Filipino because that's the only title he has yet to win in his coaching career. We are likewise excited as a team as we also see this as an opportunity in winning our first-ever championship," he added.

Reports of Guiao taking a leave of absence to campaign for his gubernatorial bid in Pampanga was brought up at the height of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas men's basketball team's stint in the William Jones Cup tournament.

The fiery mentor was quoted as saying he will temporarily leave the Whopper after the Philippine Cup. But once Guiao becomes governor, Alvarez believes that it's a good time for him to step down as coach and assume a bigger responsibility among his constituents.

Standard Today called up Guiao via his mobile phone but couldn't get a response at this time.

The Whopper named 6'9" forward Japeth Aguilar as its top overall rookie pick, then added two more newcomers -- Ronnie Matias and Orlando Daroya.

The Whopper also got talented guard Ronjay Buenafe and burly forward Ken Bono during their off-season transactions. Rey Joble - Manila Standard Today

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Tropang Texters ready to deflect all the arrows

BY NOLI CORTEZ

TALK N Text coach Chot Reyes knows his team will be the target of everybody when the new PBA season opens with the Philippine Cup on Oct. 11.

That explains why, unlike other teams, the Tropang Texters’ preparations are in full gear, in anticipation of threats to their title-retention bid.

"Being the defending champion, everybody will be coming after us and we have to be ready. Iyun ang thinking namin ngayon," Reyes related yesterday, adding his team has been practicing for a month now.

Aside from the acquisition of former Coca-Cola Tiger forward Nic Belasco for Rob Reyes, TNT has remained intact, unlike the rest of the teams Reyes considers as main title contenders, among them squads under the banner of San Miguel Corp.

"San Miguel Beer, Purefoods and Ginebra really did a great job upgrading their rosters, unlike us," Reyes noted. "We had a very boring off-season and other than the acquisition of Nic, all is quiet in our front."

The reason, he added, is because those other teams have a surplus of talents to trade. "Hindi tulad namin," he said.

The Texters drafted Kevin White in the pro league draft but has left him unsigned, with Reyes saying wants his youth-laden team to continue to mature together.

"Nandiyan pa rin ang staples namin, tulad nila Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey and Ranidel de Ocampo," Reyes pointed out. "But we have five to six young guys, like Jared Dillinger, Jason Castro and Mac-Mac Cardona, who can and will continue to grow as a player."

Besides, Reyes added, there are many things they can do to offset their handicaps in height and heft.

"There are other ways to go around those," he said.

As part of their preparations, Reyes has plotted a Serbian stint for his team, similar to the Italian sojourn TNT had before last season.

"No matter how hard you practice, iba ang competition, real game against other teams," Reyes explained. "Timing naman because the teams we will be playing are gearing up for their own tournaments."

The Texters are set to leave for Belgrade on Sept. 1 to play eight games in 14 days.

"We are looking forward to playing against bigger, taller opponents. Duon, magpapa-bugbog muna kami," he stated.

[icon_king]

go gin kings

[raYnooB]

go gin kings

go gin kings jud..the return of Mark "The Spark" Caguioa

[icon_king]

guapo nang line up nila... ateneo kasagaran players

[amamangloy]

rumors swirling around that Ginebra might acquire Joe DeVance of Alaska in exchange for Salvacion, Kramer and Wilson....

[icon_king]

rumors swirling around that Ginebra might acquire Joe DeVance of Alaska in exchange for Salvacion, Kramer and Wilson....

sa ka daghan sa player sa ginebrapwede nila ioffer si wilson ug kramer but not salvacion.... tsk tsk

[raYnooB]

mao ayaw jud intawn si Sunday "sunday special" Salvacion kay gamit kayo..offensive and defensive end