Basketball
Scouting the Commissioner’s Cup imports
InterAKTV/Niko Bolante
When the 2012 PBA Commissioner’s Cup tips off, the battles between teams promise to be nothing short of titanic. Much of the excitement comes from the imports, as the league decided to remove height restrictions for the tournament. Who will stand tallest among these giants? Here’s an early look.
Marcus Douthit, Air 21 Express
If there’s an import this year that needs no introduction, it’s the 6-foot-11 former SMART-Gilas Pilipinas stalwart Douthit. He averaged 21.9 points and 12.2 rebounds for the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Championships, both tournament-bests, and 1.7 blocks, good for second best in the tournament. Yeah, in a tournament with NBA players like Yi Jianlian and Hamed Haddadi, Douthit emerged as a certifiable star.
He’s practically a sure two points when he gets it deep enough in the post, and can count on a passable midrange jumper when needed. He’s smart, unselfish, and a real veteran of the game. Simply put, Douthit knows what it takes to win games. He’s also a terrific defender, with good shotblocking instincts and some nice length to complement it. He bothers shots even when he doesn’t get the block and isn’t afraid to bang in the post.
And he knows the PBA game, as well. The guy played a conference with SMART-Gilas where they made it to the semis only to fall to crowd-favorite Ginebra while Douthit struggled with a hand injury.
Douthit will likely be one of the better imports this conference, and he’ll have to be since he’s playing with the former Shopinas.com Clickers. His addition will be very welcome for the winless squad. With Douthit on board, look at them to be more competitive than last conference, and maybe even break through with a win or two.
Adam Parada, Alaska Aces
Parada is no stranger to the PBA, having played for the Red Bull Barako in 2008. He’s a legitimate 7-footer and he knows how to use his size well. From his first game where he debuted with 28 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks to his final game where he posted a PBA career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds, Parada remained impressive throughout his initial stint in the country.
Parada is a prototypical big man who knows his way around the basket. He isn’t the flashiest scorer, but he is reliable from up close. He doesn’t stray too far from the paint, but he does have a solid short jumper. He can dominate a game on the other end, too, having multiple games with 20+ rebounds and plenty of blocks when he suited up for Red Bull.
He’ll also provide some leadership to the team. Parada is a longtime veteran of international ball, playing for his Mexican basketball national team where he’s even been listed as captain of the squad.
Alaska will benefit greatly from having a high-usage post presence like Parada. He was a strong favorite as Best Import in his first stint but he struggled with injuries in the playoffs. If he stays healthy this time around, the big man could help lead Alaska back to relevance.
Denzel Bowles, B-MEG Llamados
Bowles will be one of the most compelling players to watch in the Commissioner’s Cup. The 6-foot-10, 255-lb. center is young and talented; he was considered an NBA prospect, with several teams giving him a look in pre-draft workouts.
He’s said to have NBA-level offensive talent. He can score at will in the paint with a nice repertoire of post moves. He has a reliable midrange jumper, too, which makes him pretty much unstoppable from within 15-feet. His college coach at James Madison University called him the best passing big man he’s coached, which, even if slightly hyperbolic, has to bode well for his fit in B-MEG coach Tim Cone’s triangle offense.
He doesn’t have a great reputation defensively, though, despite averaging 1.6 blocks in college. On an NBA blog, one college scout shared that when James Madison needed a big rebound late in games, they would do offense/defense substitutions and take Bowles out. That has to be cause for some concern on the Llamados’ part.
Bowles isn’t the most experienced guy either. He played just 26 games as a pro with BC Siauliai in the Baltic league. But despite being a bit of an unknown commodity, Bowles is a monster talent that has the potential to be absolutely dominant this conference and will be someone to keep an eye on.
DerMarr Johnson, Barako Bull Energy
Johnson is an interesting choice for Barako Bull. When there is no height limit for imports, teams usually go for big men who can dominate inside the paint. Johnson, for most of his basketball career, has been a wing player despite his 6-foot-9 frame.
But that means he’ll likely be one of the more dynamic offensive performers this conference. He’s a very skilled offensive player. He can shoot, he can be effective in the open court and, with the relative lack of size here in the country, he’ll get points down low. He’s a big-time talent – he was drafted 6th overall in the NBA draft and has proven to be a serviceable backup on the highest level of the game.
He’s been described as solid on defense, which isn’t surprising, considering his length and athleticism. He can guard multiple positions if his team needs him to. But if there’s a question mark on Johnson, it might be his rebounding, something that he’s never had to really focus on in his past stints. He also isn’t the strongest guy, and he’ll have to bang with a lot of big imports here.
Johnson has tons of experience, having played in several NBA playoff games and coming off of a season in the Columbian league where he led his team Bukaros with 24 points in the title game. He should fit in well with Barako Bull, a team loaded with veterans that really should be in in “win-now” mode this conference.
Chris Alexander, Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings
We can tell you all about the 7-foot-1 Alexander, but it might be more fun to let him be the one to tell it:
“I won your last championship, gave you your longest win streak in your team history after you replaced the first two imports with me because they gave you your worst start in team history, I was your last MVP of imports, I was the last import to average 20 points and 20 rebounds with four blocks.”
That was Alexander ranting on his Facebook page after hearing Ginebra was eyeing other options for their imports.
Alexander is an outspoken guy. One minute he’ll be saluting the crowd after making a thrilling play, and the next, he’s ranting about you on Facebook.
But Alexander is big, athletic and dominating. He can score, he can rebound, and man, can the guy block shots. He won the Best Import award when he last played here in 2008. He turned around a bad season for the Gin Kings and led him to the title.
With the aging stars of Ginebra looking like they were being eased out of the rotation, it’s apt that they bring back a talented guy with history like Alexander as they gear up for one last shot at glory with the old gang.
Jarrid Famous, Meralco Bolts
A last minute replacement for NBA veteran Jelani McCoy, Famous is coming into a Meralco team that brought him over just barely a day before the season opener. But it isn’t difficult to see why the Bolts would be infatuated with the 6-foot-11 big man out of South Florida. He not only possesses good size, he’s also reputed to be an explosive athlete.
For a squad looking to run, he’s a great fit. He’s mobile, quick and has the ability to play above the rim. However, he’s not the most dominating player offensively. He doesn’t have a polished post game and has limited range on his shots.
But you never know how that translates on the court. Famous had an extremely productive stint in the NBA D-League after going undrafted this year, posting averages of 21.0 points and 12.2 rebounds in six games with the Iowa Energy before being invited to the Indiana Pacers training camp, where he was the last cut of the team. His numbers dropped to more modest levels when he returned from camp, as he breached the 20-point mark only once in two games with the Energy and eight with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in his return to the minors.
Meralco should be a fun team to watch this conference. And Famous has the physical tools to be a perfect fit for his squad. If he can turn his potential into production, though, then Meralco will be much more than just entertaining – they could be an actual threat.
Nick Fazekas, Petron Blaze Boosters
Fazekas is an intriguing pick for the Boosters. He’s a legitimate big man who has a balanced inside-outside game. The 6-foot-11 Fazekas will likely be one of the more versatile scorers in the league this conference and look for him to put up a lot of points on the board.
He has a nice repertoire of post moves and is skilled in finishing with finesse around the basket, which includes a variety of hooks and floaters. Fazekas also has a decent perimeter game, with a more than reliable jump shot that extends beyond the three-point arc. He’s also an excellent rebounder, taking advantage of his size and his good hands to grab boards.
If there’s a knock on his game, it’s that he isn’t known to be particularly strong or athletic. But Fazekas makes up for it by using his basketball IQ to get into effective position whether on offense or defense. He actually has impressive per-minute numbers in his 26 games in the NBA, showing very good rebounding and blocking stats despite his weaknesses.
His face-up game will surely give many of this conference’s imports fits, and it would be interesting to see how well he’ll mesh with a talented Petron Blaze core. The Boosters already boast many offensive threats, and adding Fazekas to the mix makes them very dangerous in the tournament.
Dwayne Jones, Powerade Tigers
Jones is a big-time talent. He hass dominated the NBA D-League every time he’s been sent there, leading the field in rebounding several times, most recently in 2010 when he normed 16 rebounds for the Austin Toros, while being a productive scorer as well.
Jones has a limited offensive game, but recognizes it well enough to stick to what works – and that translates to very nice scoring efficiency. He’s definitely a big presence defensively, too. He has good physical strength and strong motor, and isn’t the least bit averse to contact.
But where he really excels is on the boards. Jones is a terrific rebounder, and especially so on the offensive glass. He is an exceptional offensive rebounder, even by NBA standards, and that means he will absolutely dominate the glass here in the smaller PBA. Jones has booked more than a few 20+ rebound games in the NBA D-League, and look for him to be around that figure here, too.
Jones is a legitimate NBA vet that’s played in over 80 games and a few playoff appearances as well. Powerade will be very intriguing this conference, coming off the heels of a PBA finals appearance. The Tigers looked undersized in the frontcourt last conference. Jones changes all that. With an elite presence in the middle, and provided they can keep their core intact, the Tigers could make another deep run this conference. And look for Jones to make a run at the Best Import award if they do.
Duke Crews, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
In a tournament full of giants, Crews will be coming in with chip on his shoulder as the smallest import in the conference. Crews stands just 6-foot-8, but will rely on his grit and athleticism to match up with the bigger imports.
Crews is an excellent rebounder and defender, and as a smaller guy, he’s more mobile than many of his competitors. He isn’t known to have the most diverse offensive game, but he did average 23.5 points for Cader in the Uruguayan league, just half a point off of the league’s scoring champ. Crews can get a lot of points, and a lot of them on dunks.
His athleticism will serve him well in the open court, where he should be able to outrun most of the other imports. But Crews has been described as undersized even for the power forward spot in the US. Now, he’ll be going against 7-footers and that could take a physical toll on him late in the conference.
Crews sounds exactly like the kind of guy Yeng Guiao loves: a tough, gritty underdog that isn’t afraid to bang in the paint and fight for rebounds. He’ll make an interesting addition to a promising Rain or Shine team that performed very well in the Philippine Cup.
Omar Samhan, Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters
Samhan is another young import with limited experience, but he is an interesting choice. Samhan got himself on NBA teams’ radar when he dominated the opening rounds of 2010 NCAA tournament, scoring 61 points in two games, both wins for his St. Mary’s squad.
Offensively, there’s plenty to be excited about. He’s said to have great footwork in the paint, and should be effective in the post. He knows how to work for good position and is willing to pass out the perimeter and work for a better repost. He also has a quality short jumper that extends to the free throw line. On defense, he can get a good amount of rebounds but relies mainly on using his size and bulk to box out effectively.
The concerns about Samhan coming out of college were his limited athletic ability and his lack of lateral quickness. Quicker big men might give him some trouble off the dribble here. He doesn’t really play above the rim, either, which might cause him to struggle against the more athletic imports.
He’s been described as a high character guy with a strong work ethic, though, so he’ll likely be a good teammate. He might not be the most natural fit in the motion-heavy TNT offense, but it sounds like he won’t disrupt the chemistry of a team that’s won three of the last four titles — something very important as they gun for another.
