Why nationals are struggling?

It’s not surprising that the national team aspirants – split into two squads – are struggling in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Samsung Governors Cup. But fans shouldn’t be alarmed. Their performance so far is no indication of what they can or will do as a unit at the Asian Games in Busan this September.

Four teams will drop out of contention after the single-round eliminations, leaving eight qualifiers for the quarterfinals. One of the two national teams is in danger of getting the early boot. Selecta is hovering near the bottom of the barrel although it recently broke a five-game losing streak. The other national entry, Hapee, looks like it’ll make it to the quarters but probably not among the four top seeds.

The positive sign is both Hapee and Selecta are making progress. Selecta, for instance, showed toughness in stifling the league’s no. 1 fastbreaking club FedEx to post a 76-67 decision last Sunday. And Hapee has won three of its last four assignments.

Fans shouldn’t be too impatient in expecting immediate results from coach Joseph Uichico. Assembling a cohesive unit from a pool of all-stars is no joke. The process is long and arduous. There’s more than enough pressure on Uichico’s shoulders. Fans shouldn’t add to his burden.

After the conference, Uichico will trim the candidates’ pool to anywhere between 15 to 18. The remaining hopefuls will form the 11th entry in the Second Conference. The unpicked national pool players will then return to their mother clubs.

According to PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino, it’s still not certain what import format will be used in the next conference. An option is to allow teams with over two players in the pool to recruit two imports with a combined ceiling of 13 feet and teams with less than two players in the pool to recruit a single import of unlimited height or some kind of handicapping formula.

Apparently, some – if not most – teams are feeling the pinch of hiring two imports. While it was informally agreed to set a maximum monthly salary of $18,00 for an import, the cap seems to be more a guide than a rule. The scuttlebutt is some imports are paid more than $18,000 a month. But even assuming a team keeps within the limit, two imports will mean $36,000 a month or the equivalent of P1.84 million. That’s a lot of dough, any way you look at it. With business the way it is these days, not too many teams may like to spend that kind of moolah for imports.

So why are the national teams struggling? Here are 10 theories.

• Incomplete lineups. Selecta is missing Ali Peek and Hapee, Noy Castillo.

Both Fil-Ams are in the US undergoing therapy. Jimmy Alapag sat out four games waiting for his Department of Justice (DOJ) clearance then fractured his right hand in his debut. Eric Menk skipped five straight games for Selecta before he was activated. The Seigle brothers are still hurting.

• Too many stars. Selecta and Hapee are loaded with go-to guys who start for different teams. It’s not easy reorienting the stars to their new roles. The problem isn’t ego. The problem is adjusting to what is expected of a role player in the national team.

• Mother team rule. There is an unwritten covenant that prevents national players from seeing action against their mother teams. That’s why when Hapee lost to Red Bull, DaVonn Harp and Mick Pennisi didn’t play. That’s why when Selecta lost to Sta. Lucia Realty, Dennis Espino watched on the bench. Clearly, the rule stinks because it implies that national players won’t give it their all against their mother clubs. Isn’t the PBA supposed to be a professional league? If the idea is to get the national players used to playing as a unit, they should be permitted to suit up at every possible opportunity – even against their mother clubs.

• Experimentation. Different combinations of players are being sent in as Uichico tries to find out which click and which don’t. He’s also constrained to use as many players as possible. Note that in the Hapee roster, there are 14 players and in Selecta, there are 13. If Jeffrey Flowers and Chris Clay were cleared by the DOJ and Romel Adducul released by the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), Uichico would’ve had to contend with three more stars.

• Internal competition. Like it or not, there is intense – and healthy – rivalry going on beneath the surface of the team. Of the 27 aspirants, only 12 will be wearing the national colors in Busan. Of course, everyone’s hoping to be chosen. In the end, 15 won’t be.

• Anxiety. Let’s face it. The focus of the national pool is regaining supremacy in Asia, not winning the Samsung Governors Cup title. It’s a daunting task that the nationals face. They’re feeling the pressure. And they’re probably thinking beyond the PBA.

• Playing to train. While both Selecta and Hapee are out to win, it isn’t their real calling. The national pool is training for a bigger competition. They’re looking at the bigger picture. Not that they couldn’t care less about winning in the PBA. It’s just that at the end of the day, what’s crucial is the national players are honed for Busan. Winning the Samsung Governos Cup trophy isn’t as important.

• Fans can’t relate. Because Selecta and Hapee are selection teams, fans can’t seem to relate. In the PBA, fans like to cheer for their favorite teams. Take Barangay Ginebra, for instance. The team has undergone a lot of player changes through the years. Robert Jaworski came and went. So did Marlou Aquino, Noli Locsin, and Vince Hizon. But rabid Ginebra fans remain fiercely loyal to the club. Fans are a team’s sixth man – Hapee and Selecta don’t enjoy the luxury of that advantage.

• Unreal opposition. The presence of National Basketball Association (NBA)-caliber imports may be a damper for the national players. After all, there won’t be Derrick Brown or Julius Nwosu or Jerald Honeycutt types in Busan. Perhaps, the players aren’t too motivated to slug it out against the Ron Hales and Jermaine Walkers for that reason. The opposition in Busan will be of a different class.

• Period of adjustment. Obviously, the national players are still feeling their way through. They’re adjusting to the international rules–the shorter periods, the team and personal foul limits, ball interference above the rim, the weight of a technical foul, the zone. They’re adjusting to the officiating. They’re adjusting to each other. They’re adjusting to their new roles. They’re adjusting to the coaching staff’s system.

So let’s all be patient. The national players are sacrificing a lot. Uichico and his coaching staff, too. They deserve our unqualified support.