Global turns to Sharpe

On the night Justin Williams played a so-so game for Global Port against Rain Or Shine in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup last Friday, his replacement quietly flew in. It was Williams’ last chance to save his job and although there were rumors of his impending release, nobody would confirm the exit to the former University of Wyoming center.

Before Friday’s contest, Global team manager B. J. Manalo said, “Nothing final regarding a change of import but definitely, the game is crucial in our evaluation.” Coach Junel Baculi said an offer sheet was sent to former Detroit Piston Walter Sharpe of the University of Alabama at Birmingham but couldn’t be sure if it was signed.

Williams had little to show in his game of reckoning and didn’t even play in the fourth period when Global’s locals staged a furious rally to put the Batang Pier in the driver’s seat from 20 points down. In the end, the Painters regrouped to regain the lead and won, 103-95, behind Chris Tiu’s heroics. Unlike in Global’s 91-84 loss to San Mig Coffee where only four players logged at least 40 minutes apiece, Baculi extended his rotation to include major exposure for Willie Miller, Jondan Salvador and Will Antonio. 

Six locals scored in double figures for Global – Gary David with 23, Sol Mercado 18, Miller 13, Salvador 11, Japeth Aguilar 10 and Antonio 10 – so Baculi had to be pleased with the balanced effort. The problem was Williams who finished with only six points on 2-of-9 field goals and 2-of-6 free throws, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in 25 minutes. His lack of presence in offense was a handicap and it allowed Rain Or Shine’s defenders to redeploy without bothering to focus on the import. Williams’ poor performance sealed his fate.

Even before flying in, scouts knew Williams wouldn’t be an explosive scorer. Baculi took a chance on Williams because of his rebounding and blocking skills. Besides, why bring in a high-scoring import when Global has David, Mercado, Miller and Aguilar? Williams, 28, averaged 11 rebounds and 5.4 blocked shots as a senior at Wyoming in 2005-06 and made it to the NBA because of his defensive ability. He played for Sacramento and Houston but didn’t stick because of his offensive shortcomings. In the NBA, Williams hit 34 percent from the line. No matter how intimidating you are defensively, you’ve got to show some ability on the other end of the floor, too. That same weakness put an end to Williams’ PBA career.

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Yesterday morning, Sharpe showed up for his first Global practice. He’ll see action against Air 21 in today’s PBA twinbill at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. “I’m hoping he can make things happen,” said Baculi. It won’t be easy for Sharpe to slide in and make an immediate impact. He’ll be battling jet lag, unfamiliarity with playing conditions and a brand new set of teammates. But the potential to contribute in a way that Williams couldn’t is a positive sign for Global. As a senior at Alabama, Sharpe averaged 14.2 points and shot .523 from the field. The drawback was he also hit .523 from the stripe. 

Sharpe, 26, was the second round pick of the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2008 NBA draft. He wound up playing for the Pistons, scoring eight points in 20 minutes in eight games in 2008-09. Last year, Sharpe was impressive as an import with Guangzhou Free Man in the China league, averaging 28.8 points, 19.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 3.3 blocked shots in 26 games. He also hit .520 from the field and .678 from the line. Those stats were a convincing argument for Global to bring him over.

What may be a problem with Sharpe is he is reportedly suffering from narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleeping lapses. Nobody wants an import who takes a nap on the bench during a game. Alabama coach Mike Davis said “some of Sharpe’s problems could be attributed to narcolepsy for which he was diagnosed by University of Alabama at Birmingham doctors.” Sharpe had difficulty adjusting to schedules in two years at Mississippi State and was suspended frequently as a freshman until finally declared academically ineligible as a sophomore. At Alabama, Sharpe played in only 12 games before he was struck out of the team for the spring semester of 2007-08 because of academic deficiencies probably due to his narcolepsy. Despite his reported condition, the 6-9, 245-pound center was picked by the Sonics in the NBA draft – which only affirms his potential as a solid player.

Global has now lost its last four games after a 2-1 start and team owner Mikee Romero, who has a winning tradition, couldn’t be happy. David leads all locals in scoring with a 23.6 clip and is one of only four locals to score in twin digits in every game this conference. The others are Meralco’s MacMac Cardona and Sunday Salvacion and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Mark Caguioa. Mercado is No. 1 in assists with a 9.6 average. But Baculi’s 1-2 punch can’t be a winning combination unless they’ve got an import to bail them out in tough situations. Sharpe is supposed to be the bail-out guy.

Antonio’s emergence is a big boost to Global’s recovery efforts. The Fil-Am hadn’t played this conference until he broke out with 10 points, two rebounds and no turnover in 16 quality minutes against Rain Or Shine. Antonio, 37, has played in the PBA since 1998 and recently said he’s close to retiring. He sat out the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons and played only three games in 2009-10 but came alive the last two campaigns to play a total of 60 games. Antonio has bulked up to play power forward and also has a reliable three-point shot. His leadership and basketball IQ brought him back to the roster and he should be able to contribute. Formerly a Coca-Cola assistant coach and goodwill ambassador, Antonio is playing like retirement is far from his mind.

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Baculi’s other locals can’t be sneezed at either. Salvador is tough under the boards, Miller can still deliver in the clutch, Aguilar’s versatility is uncanny, Mark Yee is a no-frills stopper and Alex Crisano will always be a fan favorite. Against Rain Or Shine, Crisano had an assist, four fouls, no turnover and no shot attempt in four minutes.

“I’m just happy to be playing,” said Crisano. “If coach puts me in, I’ll give it my all. That’s how I am. I’ve been in this league long enough to know how things work. I’m out there to win and please the fans. It doesn’t matter if I’m defending (Bruno) Sundov or whoever else. I’m standing my ground. With or without an import, I’ll be ready to play.” Crisano said he has only positive things to say about Williams. “He works hard, he’s a great guy but in the end, it’s management’s call whom to play,” said Crisano. “That’s pro basketball.”

Global is in eighth spot at the moment with a 2-5 mark above Air 21’s 1-5 and Barangay Ginebra’s 1-5. The last two placers will drop out of contention after the double-round eliminations where each team plays 14 games in the inter-intra format. Teams play groupmates once and teams in the other group twice in the inter-intra system. Group A is made up of Talk ‘N’ Text, Alaska, Meralco, Air 21 and Barako Bull while Group B is composed of Rain Or Shine, San Mig Coffee, Petron, Barangay Ginebra and Global Port. At the end of the eliminations, No. 2 plays No. 7 and No. 1 faces No. 8 where the top-seeded teams enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage and No. 3 battles No. 6 and No. 4 meets No. 5 in separate best-of-three series. Winners advance to play in the best-of-five semifinals and survivors dispute the title in the best-of-five finals.