Baldwin on PBA Playoffs: ‘I don’t want to see wrestling matches’

MANILA, Philippines – With the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters failing to make the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs, team consultant and Gilas-Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin will be watching the conference semifinals and finals from the stands.

But even with his team out, Baldwin, whose Tropang Texters won last conference’s PBA championship, is excited to see what the remaining squads vying for the Governors’ Cup title – Alaska, Star, San Miguel, and Rain or Shine – have in store for PBA fans over the next few weeks.

However, he hopes the upcoming games won’t have excessive physicality and will be played cleanly.

“The intensity always elevates in the playoffs and it’s going to go up another notch in the semifinals,” Baldwin said to the media after watching the Beermen eliminate the Meralco Bolts in the quarterfinals on Monday, June 29.

“I just really hope that we see the quality of the players and the referees, you know, they keep the game a little bit cleaner. That’s really what I want to see. ”

Physical play isn’t foreign in the PBA, which has had a number of on-court skirmishes and episodes of bravado from its players this season. Just in last conference’s finals, Rain or Shine big man JR Quinahan was suspended for a game after throwing a basketball at the face of Talk ’N Text rookie Matt Rosser.

“I don’t want to see wrestling matches, I don’t want to see guys beating up on each other. I want to see basketball players play basketball,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin also mentioned that he wants PBA players to get used to a less-physical type of play seeing as international competitions Gilas will be part of won’t tolerate the kind of rough and rugged showmanship that’s present in the Philippines’ premier basketball league.

“We don’t see enough of that in the PBA and we should see more of that,” he said about players just playing basketball without the extracurriculars. “I’m prejudice a little bit by the fact as the national coach I know that with Gilas, we’re going to have to play a lot cleaner brand of basketball than [what’s] played in the PBA.” 

Baldwin continued: “But even as a so-called basketball expert, I would much rather see the quality of the players than the quality of physicality.”

The Governors’ Cup semis begins on Thursday, July 2, when Alaska takes on Purefoods. Rain or Shine will face San Miguel the following day. Both series will be best-of-5s. – Rappler.com