#PBA2015 COMMISH CUP FINALS PREVIEW: TEXTERS VS PAINTERS — A SIMMERING RIVALRY
*Writing & research credits go to Carlo Pamintuan.
Two of the best teams in the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup elimination round will lock horns to crown a new champion.
Rain or Shine marks its return to the Finals after a one-conference absence.
The Painters have proven that they are undoubtedly one of the most consistent teams in the PBA as this will be their third Finals appearance in the last five conferences.
The problem is that they can’t seem to get over the hump. They’ve lost all of their last three trips to the Finals including the 2013 Philippine Cup championship series to Talk ’N Text.
The Tropang Texters, on the other hand, mark their return trip to the Commissioner’s Cup Finals after also making it there last season.
After losing that series to Purefoods, TNT has reloaded and retooled as it rebuilt the team on the fly.
Game 1s are always crucial in any series, but that especially holds true against two teams with history.
The Game 1 winner will dictate the tempo and force the loser to adjust.
Here are some things to watch out for in Game 1:
The Demon of Dribble-Drive: Jayson Castro
Jayson Castro made the semifinals his personal party as he almost single-handedly uncrowned Purefoods. Shooting at an unbelievable clip for the outside, Castro kept the defense of Purefoods guessing as he also attacked the paint with drives and found open teammates for easy shots. After the retirement of Jimmy Alapag, TNT wondered if Castro could be the new leader of the team. Against Purefoods, he showed the he’s ready and willing to take this role.
Semis stats: 25.0ppg, 5.3rpg, 6.8apg, 2.0spg, 56% 3FG
Ivan Johnson: Gambit pays off
The Tropang Texters took a huge risk when they ditched the reigning Best Import of the Conference Richard Howell for NBA veteran Ivan Johnson.
With that gambit, TNT hoped that they would turn from title contenders to title favorites. Entering the Finals, it seems that this gamble has paid off for the Texters because Johnson has been exactly what they needed. While Howell provided interior defense, Johnson is a more potent scorer which fits perfectly into TNT’s system.
Semis stats: 22.5ppg, 14.3rpg, 2.3apg, 2.3spg, 1.0bpg
Ranidel De Ocampo: Filling the Gaps
While Jayson Castro took all the headlines in the semifinals, TNT’s win over Purefoods wouldn’t have been impossible without the help of Ranidel De Ocampo. De Ocampo’s potent outside game made it hard for the defense to guess just where TNT was going. He shot an impressive clip from outside, but he also made it a point to pound the ball inside the paint.
Semis stats: 13.8ppg, 8.3rpg, 50% 3FG
Texters’ X-Factor: Jay Washington
After playing spot minutes in the elimination round, Jay Washington has slowly found his role with TNT. Against a mid-range shooting import in Denzel Bowles, TNT used J-Wash as a primary defender. He’ll play a similar role against Wayne Chism who also likes shooting from the outside. His defense will be his main contribution to TNT in the Finals but getting buckets from the former Best Player of the Conference awardee make things easier for the Texters.
Semis stats: 9.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.5apg
Paul Lee: My time is now
In Rain or Shine’s first PBA title, Paul Lee was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Now he wants a championship he truly could call his. After a bitter contract dispute before the season started, it looks like the team and Lee have completely buried the hatchet as they gear up to win the second championship of their franchise with Lee leading them.
Semis stats: 20.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.3apg, 50% 3FG
Said Lee in a recent interview, “Excited kasi nakabalik kami sa Finals. Sana makuha naman namin kasi sawa na kami sa runner-up. ”
Wayne Chism: Worth the wait
Rain or Shine made it clear that they wanted Wayne Chism to be their import, but he was not available at the start of the conference. The Painters were fine with Rick Jackson, but when Chism was finally available, ROS did not think twice about getting their old import back. It paid dividends as his ability to score and his newfound outside shooting gave Rain or Shine enough ammo to reach the Finals. After playing like a decoy in the semis, Chism is expected to be back to his old aggressive self against the Texters.
Semis stats: 15.0ppg, 14.3rpg, 5.3apg, 1.3bpg
Jeff Chan: Missing link
Even though ROS easily handled the Meralco Bolts in the semifinals, it was still clear that they were missing the services of their ace shooter Jeff Chan. Nursing an injury, Chan only played one game in the semis and failed to score. Coach Yeng Guiao opted to rest Chan as he felt they could still beat the Bolts without him. Now that they’re in the Finals, ROS is hoping that its best shooter has had enough rest for the last stretch of the road.
Conference stats: 8.1ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1 triples per game, 28.6% 3FG
Painters’ X-Factor: Raymond Almazan
Raymond Almazan is not stage-shy. He has proven this time and time again as he stepped up when it mattered most for ROS. Almazan’s defense will be important for the Painters as they look to him to contain TNT’s inside scoring and even limit the production of Ivan Johnson. Almazan has also shown he could score off offensive rebounds which is key for the Painters.
Semis stats: 7.3ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.0apg, 1.0bpg, 66.7% FG
Fearless rookies: Kevin Alas and Jericho Cruz
A battle between two rookies will spice up this Finals series. Both Alas and Cruz were gunners in college, and both retained their scorers’ mentality in the PBA. With their coaches showing trust on them by giving them precious minutes in the playoffs, both Kevin Alas and Jericho Cruz could explode at any point in this series.
Alas (semis): 7.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.3apg
Cruz (semis): 8.7ppg, 1.33rpg, 0.33apg
Clone Wars: Gabe Norwood versus Matt Ganuelas-Rosser
Upon entering the PBA, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser was regarded as a clone of Gabe Norwood. After playing very limited minutes against Purefoods in the semis because of match-ups problems, Ganuelas-Rosser is bound to play more in the Finals opposite Norwood. The young rookie will get the chance to debunk the opinion that he is a clone as he’s out to prove that he can be better.
Norwood (semis): 8.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.3apg in 25.7 mpg
Ganuelas-Rosser (semis): 3.3ppg, 1.3rpg in 13.5 mpg
Prove dominance or exact revenge?
The last time these two teams met in the Finals was back in the 2013 Philippine Cup. With then head coach Norman Black, the Texters easily handled the shell-shocked Painters in a series that looked more like a coronation than a competition. The Painters suffered two more Finals heartbreaks after that point and they want to end that Finals slump against the team that started it.
Last Finals meeting: 2013 Philippine Cup, where TNT won 4-0
Finals MVP: Ranidel de Ocampo
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