Ex-imports in NBA - SPORTING CHANCE by Joaquin M. Henson

Only two ex-Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) imports are hanging on to roster spots in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the season only a week away from opening.

Larry Robinson and Eldridge Recasner are the remaining survivors. Whether they’ll stick or not is still a question mark. Robinson, who played for San Miguel Beer and Mobiline, was signed as a free agent by the Atlanta Hawks last Oct. 2 and is playing in the preseason. Last Saturday, he scored 10 points in 28 minutes as the Hawks lost a 110-86 decision to Milwaukee. It was Atlanta’s sixth setback in seven preseason outings.

Recasner, who saw action for the defunct Great Taste franchise, played only seven games for the Charlotte Hornets last season because of injuries suffered in a car accident. In Charlotte’s 88-78 exhibition win over Atlanta last week, Recasner hit 14 points. The former University of Washington guard has suited up for Denver, Houston, Atlanta, and Charlotte in six NBA seasons.

Like Recasner, Robinson is 32 and a battle-scarred NBA veteran. Robinson has played for the Washington Bullets (now Wizards), Houston Rockets, and Vancouver Grizzlies.

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Several former imports were on NBA training camp rosters this year. Stephen Howard, who led San Miguel to the Commissioner’s Cup title this year, was on the New York Knicks’ 20-man preseason lineup. He was cut last Oct. 7.

Howard recently sent an e-mail to The Star, saying "This isn’t the best situation I’ve been in but you play the cards dealt to you." He’d previously played for the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Seattle SuperSonics.

Ansu Sesay, the recent Second Conference’s Best Import awardee, was traded by the Dallas Mavericks with Dana Barros to Detroit for Loy Vaught last Oct. 17. But a day after the trade, the Pistons waived Sesay.

Harold Ellis was tapped to play for Pop Cola in the Governors Cup but left before the start of the Third Conference. After Ellis asked for a $9,500 advance of his salary, Pop Cola team manager Elmer Yanga found out he had booked a ticket out of Manila. Yanga then confronted Ellis who claimed he planned to inform coach Chot Reyes of his travel plans before leaving. Ellis said he was invited by the NBA to try out for a job in its New York headquarters.

Ellis never made it to New York. Instead, he showed up at the Milwaukee Bucks’ training camp. He played a few games for the Bucks in the preseason. Ellis, 30, was cut last Oct. 20. So much for his front office job.

Sharpshooting guard Donald Williams played for Shell two years ago. Last season, Williams and Howard were among the Los Angeles Lakers’ final cuts. Williams, a North Carolina product like Michael Jordan, was on the Pistons’ training camp roster this fall but was cut last Saturday.

Two more ex-imports got the axe last Sunday. J.R. Henderson, who played two games for Mobiline this season, was released by the Sacramento Kings and former Ginebra recruit Rick Brunson was cut by the Miami Heat.

As the opening of the season draws near, NBA coaches are biting the bullet and making tough decisions to trim their lineups. More and more fringe players are finding themselves jobless – giving PBA coaches a bigger pool from which to choose import replacements.

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San Francisco-based import recruiter Bobby Rius said among the available players are James Collins of Florida State, Rodney Buford of Creighton, and Johnny Hemsley of Miami.

Rius said former Great Taste coaching consultant and new Toronto head scout Jim Kelly described Hemsley "a sure thing" to click in the PBA. "According to Jim, Hemsley can give any team in Manila the championship," reported Rius. Hemsley, a fresh graduate like Tanduay’s Maurice Bell, hit double figures in his last 55 games at Miami. This past season, the 6-4, 195-pound swingman averaged 18.1 points and shot 84.9 percent from the line.

For struggling PBA teams, it’s not too late to change imports. The PBA allows teams to replace imports any time during the conference – even in the middle of the Finals.