#PBA2015 PREVIEW: BARAKO BULL ENERGY vs SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN – BALIKTAD NA ANG MUNDO

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Who would have thought that, at this point, the Barako Bull Energy would be among the top five teams in the league and that the Beermen would be DEAD LAST? It certainly seems like the world has been flipped upside down.

Barako Bull is sitting at 4-3, tied for fifth place, and a win here can put them in a tie with Purefoods and possibly give them a legit shot at a twice-to-beat edge in the next round. A loss, though, might stifle their momentum this conference and begin a downward spiral for the team.

SMB, on the other hand, remains mired at the very bottom of the standings at 1-6. They just haven’t been themselves and even the entry of AZ Reid has failed to really inject life into this squad. With only 4 games to go on their sked and this being maybe the easiest assignment, SMB literally cannot afford to lose if they want to advance to the quarterfinals.

Here are some things to watch in this game:

1. KING SOLOMONS

The two best Barako Bull players right now are, not surprisingly, the two Solomons — Solomon Alabi and Sol Mercado. Alabi has been really awesome. He’s top three among imports in FG%,  top two in rebounds, and tops overall in offensive boards and blocks. Mercado, meanwhile, has rediscovered his offensive punch. He is among the league leaders in scoring, assists, and minutes played. If both guys continue playing at a very high level, Barako should have a great shot at beating SMB.

Alabi stats: 23.4ppg, 20.6rpg, 1.1spg, 4.0bpg, 50.4 FG%.

Mercado stats: 12.8ppg, 3.8rpg, 4.8apg, 38.5 FG%.

2. BOOSTED BY THE ROCKET!

Another local who has really stepped up this conference is JC Intal. The Rocket has given the Energy quite a boost as he is among the top twelve locals in scoring, steals, and blocks. He has scored in double-figures in five of his seven games this conference, and when he does, the Energy almost always win.

When Intal scores 10 or more points, BAR is 4-1.

When Intal scores fewer than 10 points, BAR is 0-2.

3. RUN RUN RUN!

One thing Barako Bull does really well is to run the floor. They are second overall in fastbreak points right behind just the GlobalPort Batang Pier. With a lot of guys who love running the break (e.g. Mercado, Intal, Garcia, Lastimosa, Lanete, etc.), transition offense is one thing BAR should really maximize.

BAR FB pts per game: 12.4 (2nd overall)

4. SECOND CHANCES

Another thing BAR does really well is scoring off the offensive glass. The Energy aren’t among the league leaders in getting offensive boards, but when they do, they make it a point to try and score. Currently, they are #3 in 2nd chance points behind SMB and NLX. If they can compete with SMB on the glass and make the most of their second chances, the Energy might just continue SMB’s frustrations.

BAR average 2nd chance pts: 12.0ppg (3rd in the league)

2nd chance pts vs ROS: BAR – 12, ROS – 0

5. READING AZ REID

Even with the entry of AZ Reid, SMB is still struggling. Though his numbers are still good, the former ROS veteran reinforcement hasn’t been putting up his usual numbers. For the first time, Reid is not averaging a double-double, and he is recording career-low percentages from beyond the arc and from the field. Without a doubt, if SMB is to turn things around, Reid should rediscover his old form, too.

vs PUR: 23pts, 11rebs, 3asts, 4stls, 2 triples.

PBA career stats: 29.3ppg, 13.6rpg, 4.0apg, 1.0spg, 1.5 triples per game

6. WHERE’S MARCIO’S MAGIC?

Marcio is playing the worst basketball of his career this season. He did do well in SMB’s last game, but he has been notoriously inconsistent. If he can rediscover his old form, that should be a significant step for SMB to turn things around.

Comm Cup stats: 8.9ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.9 triples per game, 30.2 3pt%

vs PUR: 21pts, 6rebs, 1ast, 2stls, 1blk, 5 triples, 50.0 3pt%

7. CRACKING THE KRAKEN?

Is June Mar Fajardo still in prime MVP form? No, not really. Yes, he’s still putting up a double-double on a daily basis, but he has been far from unstoppable and, like his teammates, he has been very inconsistent. In seven games so far, Fajardo has scored more than 10 points in just 4 matches, while also grabbing fewer than 10 rebounds in 3. Have other teams figured out how to crack the Kraken, or is he just struggling against imports who are just as big and maybe even better than he is?

Comm Cup stats: 14.0ppg, 13.6rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1bpg, 48.1 FG%

vs PUR: 14pts, 17rebs, 1ast, 0blks, 4/9 FGs

8. BEERMEN GOT NO D!

One huge problem SMB has is that they have just been bad on the defensive end. Right now, SMB is near the bottom in terms of points allowed, FG% allowed, and 2nd chance pts allowed. In seven games, they’ve allowed their foes to score 95 or more points 4 times. In fact, the average point differential for SMB right now -4.6 per game. If the Beermen want to turn things around, it has to start with defense.

SMB Def. stats:

Pts allowed: 95.6ppg (10th); SMB scores just 91.0ppg

FG% allowed: 45.6% (11th); SMB shoots just 39.2% (dead last)

2nd chance pts allowed: 12.7ppg (11th)

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