SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
MANILA, Philippines – The PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals is upon us and the games are about to get even more exciting.
Two teams made it to the semifinals outright – San Miguel Beer and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. While 8 more teams battle for the last two remaining semifinals slots.
Our 3-on-3 panel looks at the teams competing for the right to face San Miguel Beer, their thoughts on the match-ups, who should step-up, and who will ultimately face the Beermen.
Thoughts on the match-ups
Jane Bracher: Talk ‘N Text has no business losing to Barako in this match-up. They shouldn’t even yield a game. But that doesn’t mean they should be complacent. Barako is most formidable when they’re underestimated, and that will be the challenge for the Texters.
Ginebra is sputtering mid-conference once again. But going up against a Globalport team sans Alex Cabagnot with a twice to beat advantage similarly gives them no excuse to lose this one. At the very least, this is their chance to build momentum heading into the knockouts where they will likely face Talk ‘N Text – because that is the bigger match-up for them.
Naveen Ganglani: Winners of seven of their last eight games, the Tropang Texters are peaking at the right time, which was most evident when they beat the league-leading San Miguel Beermen last week. Barako has also impressed as of late, as they finished the elimination round by winning four of their last six games. However, three of those wins came against squads with lower records than them in the standings, while their lone win against a top-echelon team was vs. Alaska.
As for the other match, it’s been hard to predict Ginebra this conference. Some games, they can absolutely dominate like they did in wins over TNT and Alaska, but they can also wet the bed in other occasions like they did a few weeks ago, ironically, against GlobalPort. This team is deep and whey they click, they’re very dangerous. But they can be the exact opposite in some occasions as well.
It will be interesting to see how Stanley Pringle does with full control of the ball. Alex Cabagnot has been traded to SMB, which means Pringle now runs the offense and could dictate the flow of the game. He’s already the best playmaker in the PBA, and his offense has the full repertoire: shooting, penetrating, earning trips to the free throw line, and more.
Rodneil Quiteles: Talk ‘N Text can hurt the opposing teams in so many ways. In their last three games, the Tropang Texters was carried to the win by a different set of players – Danny Seigle, Jay Washington, Ranidel De Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag, and Jayson Castro – that’s a pretty darn good combination of experience and firepower. And the Texters know exactly who they are, unlilke the Energy Cola who, no thanks to their revolving door of players, continue to struggle finding an identity. This will be over in a single game.
Can you imagine GlobalPort beating Ginebra in two consecutive games? A GlobalPort team that just figured in a trade. Yes, the BatangPier blew out the Gin Kings in the elimination round but that had more to do with so many things going right for GlobalPort and so many things going wrong for Ginebra.
The only way Ginebra will lose this match-up is if they fail to get out of the funk they got themselves in during the second of the elimination round and play without a sense of urgency.
Which player/s are X-factors, or who should step-up?
For Talk ‘N Text, I think Kevin Alas will step up to the plate once more. Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and his hustle could also be crucial. On the other hand, I think RR Garcia will shine for Barako as they bid for an upset.
Meanwhile, I think Ginebra’s Twin Towers of Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter can spell the difference here. Globalport is heavy on guards, and Ginebra will do well to exploit the mismatch. While for Globalport, who just got back Sol Mercado and found their team captain Cabagnot traded back to San Miguel, it’ll be up to Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo.
For Talk ‘N Text, it’s the rookies. We know Jayson Castro will be solid, and the same goes for the Jay Washington. RDO, Larry Fonacier, and Jimmy Alapag will deliver some key performances as they’re quality veterans, while Danny Seigle showed against SMB that he can provide quality scoring an rebounding when his number is called, regardless of how many minutes he plays.
Truth be told, Barako doesn’t stand a chance even if Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Kevin Alas don’t play that well. But if they do, then the Texters won’t need a game two to put away their first-round opponents, and can maybe earn a few days off before phase two of the quarters.
For Barako, everyone needs a step up. To beat a championship-caliber team like TNT, contributions must come from everywhere. In particular, RR Garcia will have to score at least 20 points in each game.
For Ginebra, they have to pound the ball inside the paint. Mark Isip won’t stop Greg Slaughter nor Japeth Aguilar. The Triangle is great, but LA Tenorio has to make sure the team’s big men get the most shots against GP’s paltry frontline.
GlobalPort, on the other hand, needs to quicken the pace and try to bait Ginebra into entering a shootout. Doing so would play right into the hands of Pringle, Terrence Romeo, and the newly-acquired Sol Mercado.
Not really X-factors but since I already counted out Barako Bull, I’m most interested to see how rookies Kevin Alas and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser will perform in their PBA playoffs debut. Both have shown a lot of promise and exposure to pro playoff basketball should raise their levels even more.
On the other phase one match in this bracket, LA Tenorio needs to take charge because good things happen to Ginebra when he does. I have always believed that Tenorio is at his best when he is aggressive instead of always looking to pass to Ginebra’s bigs. If the GINeral stays active on offense and really looks for his shot, the defense will be forced to stay honest on him, which will inevitably lead to him keeping the defense on him like a magnet and leave his teammates open. Yes, the Twin Towers of Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter are definitely an asset but neither have the takeover gene that Tenorio has.
Who advances to the semis and why?
Ultimately, considering the knockouts, I think it will be Talk ‘N Text. Ginebra is simply crumbling at this point, while Talk ‘N Text is on much more stable ground after beating San Miguel.
Ginebra, after two high-octane and competitive games.
A Ginebra-TNT match-up will test the character of the Gin Kings. The last time they reached the semifinals was also in the Philippine Cup last season. While Ginebra defeated Talk ‘N Text in the opening day of the season, the teams appeared to have gone on different paths since with coach Jeff Cariaso’s squad faltering as the elimination round ended and coach Jong Uichico’s boys slowly picking up their game.
With that, I’m going against my gut and will pick Ginebra to advance to the semifinals despite Talk ‘N Text playing much better at this point in the tournament.
Read the 3-on-3 on the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters bracket.
We are sure you have you’re on picks too. Let us know your thoughts on the comments below! – Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.