By Jason Webb

Two teams have taken distinctly different paths to start the 35th season of the PBA.  Alaska is currently perched atop the standings with an unblemished mark while Rain or Shine sits helplessly in the bottom searching for an elusive win.

Parading contrasting numbers, some may still be surprised at the records they sport to date.

Alaska has a flawless mark of 6-0 (the only unbeaten team), leaning on a consistent system and personnel.  Unlike many teams considered to be the elites of the league, the Aces had a tranquil offseason with no major shakeups in their lineup.  They scooped up unheralded Mike Burtscher in the draft and life went quietly along for the Aces.  While many trade rumors swirled around the pieces of the Alaska franchise, the team remained intact and simply let the trade winds sweep by.  The team decided to go with consistency rather than change.

A good omen was seen even during the pre-season.  They felt they were outplaying teams even if the team was not at full strength.   And the Aces have reaped the rewards early in the season.  While some teams tried to figure out intricacies in their team.  Coach Tim Cone already knew the tendencies of his superstars all the way to his ball boys.  While other coaches were busy molding their team, Alaska was tirelessly working on honing the skills of individuals in their team.  Coach Cone has seen huge improvements coming from their second unit, especially guys like Larry Fonacier and Mark Borboran.  

Coach Cone said that starting the season strong was something they had talked about but starting out the season undefeated was not something anyone really expected.  But he is quick to remind everyone that it is a long conference and they have now painted a huge target on their chests.  What he stresses to his players now is that they should continue to improve and avoid hitting a plateau.

Rain or Shine was the surprise team of the PBA last season.  Fueled by the aerial artistry of Gabe Norwood and Sol Mercado, this was the team that was looking for more than just respect.  Although they made great strides last year, there were still noticeable weaknesses that had to be addressed for the team to take another step forward.  While their guards competed fairly with the rest of the league, their frontcourt was still undersized.

Through an aggressive and lucky offseason, they were able to get three big men that could supplant their need for size.  Mark Telan, Mike Hrabak and rookie Jervy Cruz will likely never be part of the greatest big men of our generation but the Elasto Painters definitely got three of the better big men available.

But if they were able to fill holes in their lineups, why is the team still winless?

Coach Caloy Garcia, still recovering from the scars of his accident and the pains of his losses, has a simple answer: chemistry.  While adding new components is supposed to make a team stronger, sometimes these components take time to bond to form a stronger unit.

Just as bruised from their losses is newly installed assistant coach Richard del Rosario who attributes their losses to their tentative style of play.  Tentativeness probably brought about by being one of the worst three-point and free throw shooting teams in the league.  Can’t really go anywhere if you can’t shoot from the outside and can’t drive because you’re afraid to get fouled and have to shoot free throws.

Individually, the biggest letdown has to be the numbers they’ve gotten from both Norwood and Mercado.  It seems that the two have weaved themselves in a cocoon and their aggressiveness is nowhere close to last year.  Both have had sharp declines in confidence and it has manifested with the rest of the team.  And even their third best option in JayR Reyes has not fared any better.

The two teams took different paths during the offseason and have also had contrasting results.  While the aggressive offseason of the Elasto Painters has yet to bear fruit, they’re hoping that their stars can come out of their slumps and impress in time to salvage their season.  Interestingly enough, the next time the two teams hit the court will be against each other.  Coach Tim Cone, as early as Sunday, said that Rain or Shine is due for a win.  But you know he’s hoping that they won’t be due in time for their matchup.

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