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1. Pre-Jaworski era (1979-1983)Players included the likes of Armando Torres, Willie Tanduyan, Ernie De Leon, Gary Vargas, Alex Clariño, marginal talents but with an innovative coach in Arturo Valenzona. They also paraded some of the highest scoring imports in the history of the PBA - Larry McNeil, Dean Tolson, Jacky Dorsey, Anthony Roberts and Lawrence Massey.

2. Ginebra (1984-1988)The original blue collar team of the PBA - no namers but they did their jobs well simply because they played the rough and tumble game of basketball without so much finesse but oozing with brute power. Led by their mercurial coach Robert Jaworski, players who donned the Ginebra jersey in this era include Terry Saldaña, Dondon Ampalayo, Chito and Joey Loyzaga, Dante Gonzalgo, Leo Isaac, Dennis Carbonilla, Cayetano Salazar, Romy Mamaril, Ed Ducut and Rolly Buhay. Imports were class acts themselves, led by the best ever, Billy Ray Bates, Michael Hackett, Jamie Waller, Terry Duerod, Clinton Wheeler, Tommy Davis and Joe Ward.
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National Team

Slaughter and Fajardo can develop at a longer period of time with the presence of someone like CJ Giles to man the slot. Like Vroman and Wright, we expect Giles to be playing practically the entire game anyway and so long as he avoids fouls (which he was prone to in the last FIBA Champions' Cup) and learns the ramifications of the FIBA rules, we'll do well with him inside and have Slaughter and Fajardo undergo apprenticeship from him.

Note that Dennis Still, Jeff Moore and Chip Engelland likewise played extended minutes during their NCC stint. They practically played the entire 40 minutes of the game, with Calma and Franz Pumaren sharing time at the point, Reyes, Caidic and Samboy playing together or spelling each other, Dignadice given a decent playing time help out Moore and Still, and Yturri giving Still a breath spell if needed. Barroca's potential is huge - he can be the next Johnny Abarrientos of the Philippines if he continues to flourish in the Toroman system. He obviously has the trust and confidence of his Serbian coach, which allows him to perform at top level everytime. Ababou, Tiu and Casio would play roles in the team by scoring from the outside. Read More......

...reply to Bugs

Bobby Jaworski and Big Boy Reynoso were not banned by the MICAA. They were banned by the BAP for ganging up on referees Joe Obias and Ting Cruz in the Crispa-Meralco game of 1971 with Crispa ahead, 65-50. Marcos lifted their suspension in 1973 brought about by the appeals made by Messrs. Jaworski and Reynoso. The two suited up once more in the MICAA and were taken in by Coach Tito Eduque to play for the 1973 ABC held here in Manila.

Abet Guidaben joined the PBA in the second round of the first conference of the 1975 season. He wasn't alone - he was with Philip Cezar, Atoy Co, Bernie Fabiosa, Freddie Hubalde, among others who joined Crispa in the second round. Reason for this was they were still completing their duties with the national team. Likewise, it was a deft tactic employed by Danny Floro and Baby Dalupan to make sure that all these players get to join Crispa and not with any other PBA team. By making them join the squad in the second round, they were able to get all these players for the team. Crispa didn't fare well in the first round, but dominated thereafter with the joining of these top players.

I don't think it's fair to assume that the MICAA team owners weren't willing to lend their players. The MICAA has been in inception since 1939 and has lent their players from thereon to the national team. Not once did the MICAA waver on their support.

All the MICAA owners wanted was a comprehensive basketball program from Lito Puyat. They wanted to know what participation they will have to ensure that we will be competitive in the international arena. They also wanted to avoid disrupting the league schedule by making sure that their players would be available for the national team anytime they're needed. They wanted to know what program the BAP has set forth to ensure that young players would continue to come out in the pipeline as this will benefit themselves as well.

The BAP didn't have anything to show. The BAP told the MICAA that they need the players for international competitions like the ABC, the Pesta Sukan, the Asian Games, the Worlds and the Olympics. The BAP will choose the head coach, who in turn will choose the players from the different teams from the MICAA. There was no program like having a pool of players to choose from, practice together, select the best 12, anything that will require continuity. It was the pick-up system that the BAP employed, the same system that they've been doing from day one.

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Philippine national team...PEX

I think Burger King may be amenable to lending Japeth Aguilar to the SMART-Gilas team, especially when Yeng Guiao takes a leave of absence from his coaching job to concentrate on his gubernatorial candidacy come February 2010. We have to remember that Lito Alvarez and Bert Lina are staunch supporters of the national team program dating back to their MBA stint in 1999. They even went to the point of being part of the BAP hierarchy, with Bert Lina's younger brother Joey running the ship.

Also, Air 21 has competed in a couple of international tournaments which earned the ire of the PBA Board back in the mid 2000's. Apparently, prior to them joining any other tournament, they should have sought permission from the PBA Board first. But all these have been resolved already. What I do know is that Lina and Alvarez are more than willing supporters of the SBP and given the fact that they are business partners with MVP also at Burger King, securing Aguilar may not pose as a stumbling block.

I heard the PBA Board is open to the idea of lending a few players to Rajko Toroman as part of a compromise deal. The arrangement though will be dependent on how the players can be able to adjust to the program set forth by the SBP. If part of this would include international stints, regular practices, etc, then the players would have to conform to this.

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...quote from pinoyexchange forum

Coach Rajko Toroman emphasized that he prefers young players to suit up for his SMART-Gilas team. Now assuming a compromise arrangement is made with the PBA allowing some PBA players to suit up for the SMART-Gilas team, I foresee Toroman choosing the following:

1. Gabe Norwood - athletic player who can play multiple positions; great defender who uses his feet more than his hands when defending; can score if he wants to; wears his heart on his sleeve when he plays for the national team

2. Jared Dillinger - gutsy player who can penetrate the lanes; can create various offensive situations so long as he improves his passing; tall and athletic who can play defense

3. Japeth Aguilar - lanky and athletic; if taught well, he can position himself in the low blocks or can shoot from the perimeter; intiimdating shot-blocking presence in the interior; solid 6'9 player with an arsenal of low post moves

4. Ryan Reyes - heady point guard with exceptional defensive skills; can score from the outside and inside; thinking player who can act as the leader of the team

5. Kelly Williams - athletic player; can be the best offensive and defensive player of the team; great fundamental skills with a high basketball IQ; potentially the team's leading scorer

6. Solomon Mercado - great upside on this young player; can score from the outside and attack the interior with ease; his choice would depend on the number of point guards available; another player with a high basketball IQ

The rest of the team may be made up of the SMART-Gilas players that Toroman is trying to develop. Most likely leading the cast would be ace point guard Mark Barocca of FEU, with Rabeh Al-Husseini, Chris Tiu, Dylan Ababou, JV Casio, JR Cawaling as the other contenders for the remaining slots.

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...reply to KevinDurant

KD,

I understand your point. You know very well how much I'm an advocate of the SMART-Gilas program, having patterned it after the NCC blueprint two and a half decades ago.

I've continuously repeated my belief that the SMART-Gilas program would be an effective tool in regaining our previous international success (at least in the Asian level). Note though that I batted for this under the premise that the PBA would be an unwilling element in providing us with a sound program that will include the pro players as part of the national team.

The best option would remain to be the pro players representing our national team. But let me preface this by saying that there must be a program almost similar to the NCC program to ensure that success can be achieved. Since I understand that the PBA's mission and vision doesn't jive with this, that is the reason why I wanted the SMART-Gilas program to fly.

I understand where Yeng Guiao is coming from. The three year program of the SBP for SMART-Gilas may not be enough to make us competitive immediately. Perhaps in five years. Although it is possible that SMART-Gilas can replicate the success of the NCC program - that in two years time, we were already the top Asian team. We would have won the 1983 ABC had we not been disqualified in the tournament where we wounded up 9th.

Of course, what fast-tracked NCC's program was the presence of the naturalized players. We had two players - Jeff Moore and Dennis Still - already playing for us in the 1986 ABC where we won the title. By 1987, Chip Engelland would have been available already after having completed his 3-year residency rule (a FIBA rule back then). Today, there's only one naturalized player allowed. This may be fast-tracked by legislative act - meaning friends from Congress can make this a priority and immediately have CJ Giles or anyone else chosen to be naturalized. But that's only one player.

I believe in the SMART-Gilas program. We can probably achieve success already by the third year. But if the PBA players can be part of the national team, make them play internationally, have them practice weekly, make them adjust to international rules, etc., then the period for success would be shorter.

This is what Guiao is batting for. He hasn't totally disregarded the SBP program. He only wants an interim period to allow the SMART-Gilas players to develop further while the PBA-backed national team continue with what it's doing. Provided though that the PBA-backed national team would be given every opportunity to get used to the FIBA system and allow them to play internationally.

And since the PBA-backed national team would serve as the forefront of things, they should be the ones playing in the FIBA-Asia and other tournaments where they can hone their skills further. The SMART-Gilas team can continuously improve in the Asian Games and other tournaments. I'll retract what I said about the Champions' Cup and the Stankovic Cup - these are tournaments that the SMART-Gilas team can match wits with top Asian teams so they won't have to fear them when they face each other in the future. When the young players are ready, they can now be fielded in the bigger and more prestigious tourneys.

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