We are on the brink of closing out the PBA's Commissioner's Cup, and I have to give it to Talk n Text. As hard as it is to say, they actually seem to be getting better. The statistics have speak for themselves. (And I have to give a shoutout to Solar TV's stats team. You finally showed something relevant, Boys!)
TNT is an impressive 9-0 when they hold opponents to below 90 points. Sure, that seems pretty straight forward in this day and age. Good professional teams should be able of scoring enough to get beyond 100. But this is crazy considering the pace that TNT Plays at. I'm not one of the great advanced stats people like the boys of patayangbutiki.net, but the sheer number of increase in possessions should kick up opponents scoring by even just a bit. So clearly, they are a disciplined and hardworking team on defense. That's a testament to their great system in place.
So aside from their system, what is the main reason why they've given Ginebra such a beating in this Finals series? And aside from that, why is it that Ginebra has seemingly dealt them so little damage as well. Two reasons - Ranidel de Ocampo & Paul Harris.
Ranidel de Ocampo was the unheralded member of the TNT roster coming into these playoffs. People were continually saying that he wasn't the same since his injury, and reintegrating him in an import-laced conference would be difficult. In the opposite direction, he has actually found a way to come back, improve his game and even complement their import. De Ocampo has once again shown signs of being a relatively unguardable player in the PBA, Dirk Nowitzki-esque - a great big with a sweet j, who can handle, pass and rebound. His ability to play in the open-court has spaced out the floor for Harris and given them that fast post option they couldn't get with Ali Peek. Ranidel gives TNT so many different "teams" to work with, and that's what has made them so difficult to guard for opponents.
Then, there's Paul Harris. The Texters import has fit the team perfectly. He's fast, long, athletic, smart, relentless and a smart basketball player. He knows their team is loaded with talent, so he doesn't have to shove his skills down their throat in order to succeed. He can do a lot of things well, and he suits that to complement their system, his teammates and his coach.. Perhaps, aside from the skills though, the leadership IQ of the person is clearly remarkable. His teammates are talented, so when he's asked, just just says "he's just doing his part of the job." And when asked about the Best Import Award (which should have been given to him), he said he's out there to win a championship and he's going to be able to do that best by boosting his teammates and how he thinks of them.
The versatilty and overall soundness of these two men's games has given them an edge in comparison to the dragsters over at Ginebra. Brumfield, Caguioa, Tubid, et.al. go at a quarter-mile in 10 seconds. Indeed, when they arrive, they are Fast and Furious. But when the going gets tough, the basket seems to shrink for them, and they can't play any other way. It's stop and have Brumfield or Caguioa create. Unlike their opponent, which can play fast, really fast, slow and deliberate, the Ginebra puzzle has apparently been solved by TNT.
So my vote, Ranidel de Ocampo for Local Finals MVP & Paul Harris for Finals MVP.
