No favorites in skills contests

The slam dunk contest and three-point shootout are the events to watch at the start of hostilities in the PBA All-Star extravaganza in Digos, Davao del Sur, tomorrow with no favorite in sight for either title.

Five-time slam dunk champion KG Canaleta is giving way to others to ascend the throne so the competition is wide open for anyone to become his Air Apparent. Kelly Williams, the 2011 titlist, won’t be around to threaten as he’s back in the US attending to health issues. Neither will Gabe Norwood and Japeth Aguilar contend as the Gilas players are excused to concentrate on practicing for Sunday’s All-Star Game. Last year’s runner-up J. C. Intal withdrew and another contender Rey Guevarra also backed out so there isn’t an odds-on choice to bag the crown.

Only five players are entered in the jam session. They are Petron’s Arwind Santos, Meralco’s Cliff Hodge, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Chris Ellis and Elmer Espiritu and Alaska’s Calvin Abueva. Santos and Espiritu competed in last year’s joust in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and didn’t make it past the first round – they’ve back with a vengeance to prove a point. The previous year’s top three finishers were Canaleta, Intal and Norwood – none of those three is competing in Digos.

Ellis likes to be called “Air Force” and has incredible hops to back up his claim to the moniker. He could be the most athletic of the five entries and is certainly the most flamboyant. Ellis plays to the crowd and will no doubt try to generate an extra lift from the Ginebra fans in the stands. He’s a legitimate high-flyer whose ability to elevate allows him to play above the rim. Ellis can do 360s but to outshine the four others in the derby, he’s got to display a lot more creativity. He won’t bring a car onto the court like Blake Griffin did but what about a kalesa to jump over?

Hodge is another phenomenal leaper but isn’t as exciting or explosive as Ellis in attacking the hoop. Santos has Spiderman-like arms to accentuate a throw-down, as in a tomahawk dunk, and could rattle the rim with ferocity. Espiritu can jump and may surprise as an underdog. Abueva has to be the darkhorse of the group. Like Ellis, he’s a crowd pleaser and super athletic. Abueva isn’t scared to try even the most challenging move on the court.

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In the three-point shootout, eight riflemen are lined up to fire away. San Mig Coffee’s James Yap, Rain Or Shine’s Chris Tiu, Canaleta, Petron’s Marcio Lassiter, Alaska’s Jvee Casio, Ginebra’s Josh Urbiztondo, Barako’s defending three-peat champion Mark Macapagal and Globalport’s Willie Miller make up the firing squad. Meralco’s Ronjay Buenafe was a late withdrawal. Talk ‘N’ Text is not represented in the contest as the Texters’ top gunners Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier and Ranidel de Ocampo are with Gilas Pilipinas and they’re focusing on the All-Star Game on Sunday.

Lassiter has the quickest release of the eight gunners but wound up only fourth in last year’s competition behind Macapagal, Canaleta and Urbiztondo. Gone from last year’s cast are Jeff Chan and Gary David (both with Gilas), RenRen Ritualo and Cyrus Baguio.

Yap was a flop at the 2011 edition in Boracay, scoring only seven points to tie Joe DeVance in last place among nine contestants. But Big Game James is capable of stringing up threes in a hurry. If he’s in the zone, Yap could sizzle all the way to the top of the ladder. He didn’t participate in last year’s event and is due for redemption. Tiu is making his first appearance in an All-Star event and should be pumped up. He’s got a fluid stroke from long distance and Tiu might just upstage the others.

Canaleta came close to winning last year, losing to Macapagal by two points in the finals, and will be out for revenge. He has long strides to negotiate each shooting station more easily than shorter players like Casio, Miller and Urbiztondo so that may be an edge. Urbiztondo has a three-point shooter’s mentality and that can only be a plus. In a game, Urbiztondo lofts it up at a moment’s notice – he’ll do the same in Digos.

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The other skills contest is the Obstacle Challenge where Barako’s Jonas Villanueva is the defending three-peat champion.

The climax in tomorrow’s bill is the Legends game between Team Stalwarts and Team Greats. Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao may drop in to join the Stalwarts whose players are Benjie Paras, Bong Ravena, Dickie Bachmann, Topex Robinson, Ronald Tubid, Tiu, Intal, Miller, Macapagal and Jervy Cruz. The Greats are made up of Bong Hawkins, Jerry Codiñera, Vince Hizon, Noli Locsin, Johnedel Cardel, Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Mike Cortez, Hodge, P. J. Simon and DeVance.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud issued this statement on Pacquiao’s participation: “The PBA is happy to provide Pacman the cross-training opportunity as he awaits confirmation of his next fight. Our basketball legends and stars will surely give the ultimate boxing legend the workout that he’s craving for. Game on!”