#PBA2015 PREVIEW: ALASKA ACES vs RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO-PAINTERS – BULIDING MOMENTUM

Both Alaska and ROS are coming off big wins, and both teams, being in the middle of the standings, are hoping to build more momentum moving forward to have a shot at the top spots.

Alaska gained a bit of revenge in keeping the Beermen winless in their previous game. DJ Covington had a decent game in that one, but it wasn’t strong enough for him to be kept as the Aces’ import. With a string of “easy” teams coming up next, Alaska surely wants to gain all the momentum it can by beating ROS here.

ROS was solid in defeating Purefoods in their last game, but import Rick Jackson was far from dominant. With returning import Wayne Chism, ROS is looking to gain some ground to threaten the teams at the top of the standings.

Here are some things to look at in this game:

1. DONDON HOT-IVEROS

Dondon Hontiveros waxed hot in Alaska’s win over SMB, hitting all but one of his three-point attempts on his way to 17 points. He has been shooting well in his last two games, and if he can keep it up then ROS’s defense will be forced to work much harder.

1st 2 games: 2.5ppg, 1.0rpg, 1/8 3pt shooting, 2/11 FG shooting

Last 2 games: 14.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.0spg, 6/11 3pt shooting, 8/14 FG shooting

2. BANCHERO BRINGS A-GAME

Another guy who also stepped up was Chris Banchero, who dropped 14 points on SMB. The rookie has had an up-and-down season so far, but he remains to be a vital part of this team’s future. If he can just be consistent, Alaska can be a true title threat in this conference.

Comm. Cup stats: 9.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.8apg, 50.0 FG%

vs SMB: 14pts, 7rebs, 5asts, 55.6 FG%

3. PLAYING THROUGH PAIN

Despite several players in sick bay and a couple playing through pain, Alaska still managed to beat SMB. In particular, Calvin Abueva and Vic Manuel did well. Both are key cogs in the Aces’ hopes this conference, and if they can stay healthy and consistently play at a high level, Alaska should be in good shape.

Abueva last game: 12pts, 5rebs, 5asts, 1blk in 13 minutes

Manuel last game: 6pts, 3rebs, 1ast in 13 minutes

4. IMPORT WATCH: DAMION JAMES

With DJ Covington proving to be a bit underwhelming, Alaska has brought in Damion James. James plays quite differently from Covington, who’s mostly a big man. James is mostly a wingman, someone who can attack the basket from the perimeter and take long range shots. He should give the Aces a different look, but it might put more pressure on Alaska’s depleted frontline.

James’s latest NBA D-League stats (Texas Legends): 18.3ppg, 10.1rpg, 3.2apg, 1.0bpg, 1.0spg, 30.6 3pt%

4. IMPORT WATCH: WAYNE CHISM

On the other end, Wayne Chism returns to the Painters to replace the underwhelming Rick Jackson. Last year, Chism led ROS to the Comm Cup semis, where they lost to the Texters in three games. He wants a shot at redemption here, and he looks ready as he’s trimmer and more fit than before. He’s coming off a solid stint in Israel, too, so he’s pretty fresh and ready to compete.

Stats with Galil Gilboa (Israel): 9.9ppg, 6.9rpg, 1.3apg, 1.4bpg, 1.3spg

Stats with ROS last season: 22.7ppg, 13.3rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, 3.0bpg, 44.0 3pt%, 48.5 FG%

6. LEE-THAL DOSE

Pau Lee has been playing strongly for ROS this conference, and he continued this in his last game against Purefoods. Lee was hitting from everywhere in this game, scoring a team-high 18 points. He was also doing other things like rebounding, playmaking, and getting steals. He was pretty awesome, and if he can keep on playing that well in this game, ROS should be in good shape.

Comm Cup stats: 18.0ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.8apg, 45.7 3pt%, 3.2 triples per game, 96.3 FT%

Vs PUR: 18pts, 8rebs, 2asts, 2stls, 3 triples

7. FOUR ALL-STAR PAINTERS

In a recent PBA All-Star announcement, ROS received four All-Star selections. Aside from Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, Beau Belga, and Gabe Norwood also got All-Star nods. They are good picks, of course, but some people feel that others got snubbed, too. By the numbers, maybe some of these ROS painters haven’t been playing like All-Stars, but they should prove the doubters wrong if they play well here.

Comm Cup stats:

Gabe Norwood: 7.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.2apg, 33.3 3pt%

Jeff Chan: 9.2ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.4apg, 30.4 3pt%

Beau Belga: 5.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.4apg, 10.0 3pts

8. PAINTERS MAKE PLAYS

One thing that really helped ROS beat Purefoods in its last game was playmaking. The Painters assisted on 20 on of their 29 field goals, and that reflects how willing ROS was to share the ball. In contrast, Purefoods had just 8 assists in that game. If coach Yeng Guiao’s wards can keep on sharing the ball well, they have a strong shot at beating Alaska here.

Last game vs PUR: ROS – 20 asts, PUR – 8asts

Beau Belga – 5asts

Jonathan Uyloan – 3asts

View comments

TAGS:

For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.