Balik-imports take center stage

Two years ago, Red Bull’s Victor Thomas and Barangay Ginebra’s Torraye Braggs were imports for different teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Fans hardly remember how they played because their stints were forgettably short-lived. Thomas averaged 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds in 11 games for Sta. Lucia Realty in the 2002 Governors Cup which featured a two-import format. Braggs played three games for Coca-Cola with Ron Hale in the 2002 Commissioner’s Cup, averaging 19 points and 12.3 rebounds. He was replaced by Carlos Daniel after suffering a hamstring injury.

Neither Sta. Lucia nor Coca-Cola advanced to the semifinals in the conferences where Thomas and Braggs suited up. In fact, both players never played for a champion team in their careers. One of them will break the jinx in the Fiesta Conference Finals.

Thomas, 25, is the leading candidate for Best Import honors this season. He’s Red Bull’s sixth import after Carlos Wheeler, Bingo Merriex, Doug Wrenn, DeAngelo Collins and Cory Hightower. Coach Yeng Guiao’s patience finally paid off as he found an import who’s a perfect fit in the Barakos’ scheme of things.

With the game on the line, Thomas won’t hesitate to take the big shot. The fourth quarter is his exclusive domain. He’s the ultimate clutch performer, the go-to guy with nerves of steel. What makes Thomas dangerous down the stretch is his ability to score from any spot on the floor. He’s comfortable shooting the three, driving to the hoop or posting up. The versatile Thomas can play all five positions, an attribute that Guiao has exploited in creating mismatches.

When Thomas played for Sta. Lucia, then assistant coach Alfrancis Chua said he was miscast. Thomas took over from Johnny Taylor and coach Norman Black used him at the post to complement Lelan McDougall, a small import. "In college, Thomas was a three-point shooter but at Sta. Lucia, he took only two triples because he played out of position," recalled Chua. "Dennis (Espino) was on loan to the national team so that’s why Thomas had to play inside. He was too light for a power player. Now, I noticed he bulked up a little."

In four years at La Salle, Thomas hit nearly 40 percent from triple distance. He scored a total of 1,765 points, ranking 10th in the varsity’s all-time ladder, and averaged 15.8 points in his career at the Philadelphia school. Thomas was once named the most underrated player in the Atlantic-10 Conference, an NCAA Division I league, by The Sporting News. As a senior in 2001, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Thomas made an immediate impact at La Salle. As a part-time freshman starter playing the three-spot, he averaged 11.3 points and shot .398 from three-point range, sixth in the conference. Then, coach Speed Morris moved him to four the next season to fill a gap in the rotation.

"A small forward by body type, Thomas was forced to play power forward because he was the only candidate to do so," wrote Bill Doherty. "Instead of complaining, Thomas just went out and filled up the scorebook with points and rebounds night after night. His good-soldier nature will be rewarded because Thomas will earn a paycheck playing the game after college."

Guiao said Thomas plays his role to the hilt. The stats show proof. Thomas is hitting .643 from two-point range. Nobody comes close to that clip. In all, he’s shooting .547. Thomas is averaging 3.1 turnovers a game, the lowest among imports.

In Game 1 of the Finals, Thomas nearly towed Red Bull to victory by scoring 16 of his 32 points in the fourth period. In Game 2, Thomas scattered 13 of his 33 points in the final quarter and powered Red Bull to a 107-103 win. Thomas also compiled 11 rebounds in a second straight no-relief job.

Thomas was never drafted by a National Basketball Association (NBA) team. He recently played for the Changwon LG Sakers in Korea, averaging 23.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 52 games.

Braggs, 28, was picked on the second round by the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA draft. But it wasn’t until this past season that he played in the majors, suiting up for the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards. Braggs averaged a combined 2.7 points in 15 games for Houston and Washington.

Like Thomas, Braggs wasn’t his team’s original import this conference. He’s the Kings’ third import after Rosell Ellis and George Reese. Braggs is averaging 25.7 points for Ginebra compared to Thomas’ 28.1. He’s shooting .545 from the field, second only to Art Long’s .554 in the standings.

Leadership is what Braggs brings to the table. As an NBA veteran, Braggs has the credentials to back up his game.

A late bloomer, he didn’t start for his high school junior team but dominated as a senior. At San Jose City College, Braggs was unstoppable. He averaged 20.8 points in two years and led the school to a 27-5 record in 1995-96. Braggs transferred to Xavier University at Ohio for his last two years of varsity eligibility. One of his teammates was current NBA player James Posey.

At Xavier, the 6-6 Braggs gained a reputation as an all-around cager. Writer Joe Lunardi said, "While primarily a power guy, he can step out and hit the mid-range jumper on occasion but he remains a low-block enforcer and rebounder first." Coach Skip Prosser said, "He gave us a great physical presence and played much bigger than his height–he’s strong, mature and has inside-outside capability." In a game against Rhode Island, Braggs plucked 20 boards, the first Xavier player to reach the mark in eight years.

Unlike Thomas, Braggs is explosively volatile. In an NBA preseason game once, he trash-talked and almost brawled with Gary Payton. Braggs has played in the Utah, New Jersey, Sacramento and Detroit camps. He also barnstormed in Venezuela, Spain, Greece, Israel and Puerto Rico.

Coach Siot Tanquingcen hopes Braggs’ experience will take Ginebra to the next level in the Finals.