Ginebra vs. Derby Ace

Posted by Jaemark Tordecilla on June 23, 2010 at 18:35 | Comments (20)

I’m off to watch the game live at the Araneta in a couple of minutes, but first, two things:

Last year, I wrote a well-received post about the two team’s first meeting this season, which drew some 13,000 fans to the Big Dome despite little hype from the PBA. The atmosphere was electric, the game was exciting, and everyone had a great time watching the league’s two most popular teams on a nice Sunday evening.

A familiar refrain among media personalities and message board denizens is how the PBA is a dying league, and they almost never point out what happens tonight: the PBA decided to stick a game between its two top crowd drawers – and a crucial game at that – on a Wednesday night, when fewer people can watch the game live, and there’s more competition for audience eyeballs on television. It’s not an exact comparison, but the UAAP always makes sure that Ateneo-La Salle games are played on weekends, and the NBA makes sure marquee teams always get marquee timeslots. The PBA? It’s like the league is actively working to attract the least amount of fans to its games.

I’m being a totally biased homer, but stay with me here. When we’re debating the season MVP in two months, please make sure to remember how James Yap has been playing in this conference. He’s carrying the offensive load for a team missing its second best local player (Kerby Raymundo), and whose import, Cliff Brown, may or may not be better than Kelly Williams. He goes into each night not knowing whether KG Canaleta and Peter June Simon is going to show up, and he faces constant defensive pressure while playing heavy minutes. While the team is still playing superbly on the defensive end, sure, but at the end of games, it’s usually just him carrying the team on his back – coming through.

And then he has to deal with this:

So maybe there are other players in the league who are playing just as well, but there is no one else doing it with this degree of difficulty. And he’s actually pulling it off; the team is improbably in the hunt for an outright semis seat. Just a thought.

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Tags: B-MEG Derby Ace Llamados / Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants, Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, Basketball, James Yap, Philippine Basketball Association, Video

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#1 The Derby Ace King on 2010-06-24 07:35 (Reply)

don't worry, even if james yap stops playing after the elims, he WILL be the season MVP, even before the conference starts, he is destined to win the MVP, they actually made a short segment, where james yap talking about how hard it is for him to win his first MVP against none other than his teammate kerby reymundo (in my opinion the true and more deserving MVP than j.yap), kerby is carrying all the loads during that season, kerby is so consistent, piling up points, rebounds, and doing everything for purefoods to win, while james only did 3-point shots. how convenient it is for james, kerby did the job, james (since popular) took the MVP.

in short, it is already hyped by the media, by the past election, how can you not give the MVP to MR. KRIS AQUINO, bayaw ni president elect 'NOYNOY' even if he's not even on the top 5 BEST performer of the Phil. cup, he still won BPC, votes will make James Yap season MVP, and not statistics, and please don't challenge me when it comes to statistics for the whole season, James Yap will not be one among those on top.

here's your season MVP, James Yap....

#1.1 The Legendary Skyflakes25 on 2010-06-24 09:24 (Reply)

lol

The MVP race has always been subjective, as in all other awards.

But if James Yap will win his 2nd MVP, he certainly deserves it. It's not because his wife is Kris and his bayaw is P-Noy.

BTW, your comment reeks with biases. lol

And you think Miller deserved his 1st MVP even when he only average less than 10 ppg the whole season? And his second while playing so-so?

Ooops, lest you forget, all the best and brightest players were playing for the NT during those seasons.

#1.1.1 The Derby Ace King on 2010-08-03 13:12 (Reply)

You mentioned Miller's MVP. And the best players in the National team. Let me put a big BS on the National team as "best of the best" because not everyone on that NT you are mentioning is good enough to match up with some of the players not included in that NT. So don't lecture me about NT, if they are at best "GOOD" then why haven't they won anything since the 98 Centennial team won bronze led by Kenneth Duremdes who was also that season's MVP? Or maybe you don't know that a former NT member won the season MVP? So to all those making a big issue about the national team, how can you say that all the best players are included in that NT and left in the PBA are just so-so? National team after the Centennial team are just one big joke. I can mention a few good names on the NT but please, even the PBA all-star are NOT all 'all-star'

Mock Miller if want for all I care. But don't dare cover up for J.Yap, It's a fact that Kerby IS THE TRUE MVP of that season, and this is coming from a Reymundo Crybaby hater. Call me bias if you want, fact is fact, not all but there are MVP/BPC hyped by the media, judged by unfair voting and that includes your darling James Yap's MVP.

But like I said, he is destined to win this season's MVP. But to prove I am not at all bias in my observation, this season I can truly say he deserve it if he does win it. But I will stay firm in my statement, with his first MVP, he doesn't deserve to even be nominated. And last Phil Cup BPC, he is the least deserving to win it among the top 10 players that conference. Know your fact, don't let your admiration towards your darling James make your judgment one-sided.

#1.2 jubai on 2010-06-24 10:46 (Reply)

parang alvin patrimonio at jerry codiñera lang iyan dati,. puwede mo pa ngang isama ang alvin patrimonio-dindo pumaren. hindi maitatanggi na popularity polls kadalasan ang mvp award dahil may history na ganoon ang nangyari.

mas may deserving pa manalo kay james yap ng mvp sa season na ito.

#1.3 jaemark on 2010-06-24 11:09 (Reply)

Actually, during the season when James won the MVP, Kerby played very well during the Fiesta Conference, but missed several games during the Philippine Cup. James had to carry the team for several games, and despite missing Kerby for a long stretch of games, the team kept its head above water.

But yeah, don't let facts get in the way of your arguments.

#1.3.1 The Legendary Skyflakes25 on 2010-06-24 15:56 (Reply)

and he is doing just like that in this conference.

playing through pain, even with a golf-size lump in leg, tired from the campaign, a marital issue that distracts him, still he performs splendidly.

and one thing that everyone should admire about him is that he is not mayabang in the court unlike any other players. akala mo kung sino na kung maka score eh.

but you have this player that it is just a normal thing for him whether it is a game-winning basket amidst a phalanx of defenders, a fadeway 3 to send the game into OT, etc. no emotions. purely business.

#2 Don Pacundo on 2010-06-24 08:31 (Reply)

^^ Agree with this, though Yap has been doing well late this conference. Though I still feel that it's Pingris (and in part to Reavis) who's the main reason why DAL has had a good season.

It's no coincidence that Pingris was magically sent back to DAL despite being instrumental in the SMB-BGK Finals last season. With Pingis' arrival came DAL rise this season.

This has been the way of the Pinoy since time immemorial.

Most Pinoys have the tendency to vote for who we are most familiar with, who's popular, who looks the best & who doesnt come off as arrogant.

Kinda reminds of the time when Asaytono & Abbarientos were disputing the MVP award many years back.

Asaytono was hands-down the statitstical leader & was solely carrying his team; yet Abbarientos won the MVP award.

Not that Abbarientos did not deserve the award - he was equally deserving as well. What stood out was the media & player votes - it was a landslide win for Abbarientos in this category.

#2.1 jaemark on 2010-06-24 11:18 (Reply)

1. You mean the 1996 MVP for Johnny A, when Alaska won the Grand Slam? First, get your facts straight, there was no one in the league who was close to him for the MVP that year. Certainly not Nelson Asaytono, who earlier in the year was traded to San Miguel that season in exchange for Ato Agustin, and just padded his stats on an awful team.

2. Pingris was 'magically' sent back to Purefoods only after San Miguel acquired Arwind Santos. Siot had a choice, Santos or Pingris, and he picked Pingris.

Btw, I wish the people leaving the comments here actually saw last night's game, when James Yap saved the day again for his team. Or was that because of Kris Aquino too?

#2.1.1 jaemark on 2010-06-24 11:20 (Reply)

I meant, he picked Santos.

#2.1.2 workhorse3 on 2010-06-24 11:25 (Reply)

1. baka Asaytono vs. Duremdes yung nirerefer nya, back in 1998 Season. Asaytono led the stats pero Duremdes won the 1998 MVP after winning 2 championships over SMB.

2. wouldn't be surprised if James Yap wins the MVP this conference. Can't think of other players who have consistently played the way James Yap has played since Philippine Cup. He has been scoring double figures since the start of the Fiesta conference. Last player I think who did that feat was Mark Caguioa (or maybe I'm biased haha)

#2.1.3 Don Pacundo on 2010-06-24 13:32 (Reply)

1. I clearly said that Abbarientos was also deserving of the MVP award. The point I was trying to make is the voting tendencies of most Pinoys - Asaytono being the perceived ballhog, large muscular type versus Abbarientos who fits most typical Pinoy males height & has an exciting game to boot.

2. Correct. I've had some opinon with SMB getting Santos for the price of a song, nothing we could do about it. The thing is, the whole trade (AIR21 as middleguy?) was also designed for DAL to get back Pingris.

Like I said, James has been doing well this conference. He will likely win MVP and deserves it as well.

I had agreed on Post#1 on his points that media & popularity does play a large part during awards.

#2.1.3.1 jaemark on 2010-06-24 15:13 (Reply)

i dunno, bud... guess you're just more fond of Asaytono than i am. he IS a ballhog who can't play on a team when he's not the center of the universe. he asked out of Purefoods because Alvin was the star, he got traded out of Pop because he can't play second fiddle to Vergel, and he was shipped out of San Miguel after Ron Jacobs decided to hand over the keys to Danny I. and Danny S.

he's always been the best player in middling teams, who don't have any option other than to give him the ball and get out of the way.

#2.1.3.1.1 Don Pacundo on 2010-06-24 17:17 (Reply)

In no way am I fond of Asaytono as well.

I fully agree that he wanted out of his previous teams so he can become the focal point of a team.

Though know one can deny that he carried that decimated SMB team almost by himself. "I will ride the Bull & see where it takes me" were the words of Jacobs as I recall.

It's just that the talk of MVP awards, popularity, etc had me recalling that particular year when Asaytono & Abbarientos were the top contenders.

It was a classic case of black & white. Though it was completely involuntary - one guy played the heel & the other one played the hero in the eyes of all PBA watchers then.

Hence, Abbarientos' landslide win in the media/players votes.

#3 KG21 on 2010-06-24 15:06 (Reply)

Ryan Gregorio is now looking good for another "Coach of the Year"...with the way his troops performing this season, I guess, he'll be also hands-down to win this award.

#3.1 jaemark on 2010-06-24 15:08 (Reply)

it's quite ironic how he's now the SMC coach with the most stable position, no?

#3.1.1 KG21 on 2010-06-24 18:13 (Reply)

.Luck is just always smiling for RG!

#4 no namer on 2010-06-25 08:27 (Reply)

i know that james yap has played consistently good this conference, but i just noticed one thing: he always seems to get even better when his marriage with kris gets "rocky". hehe... i don't have the numbers to provr it though, but i can certainly notice it...

#4.1 The Legendary Skyflakes25 on 2010-06-25 09:00 (Reply)

korek ka dyan. lol
baka sa basketball niya ibinubuhos ang frustrations at galit niya.
o kaya mas inspired siya kasi walang distraction. lol

#4.1.1 no namer on 2010-06-25 13:30 (Reply)

i'd have to say that its a little of both. lol...