Short-handed South the underdog

RR Pogoy, Scottie Thompson and Jericho Cruz are unavailable to play for the short-handed South as the North is expected to take advantage with a solid 12-man lineup in the PBA All-Star Game at the Candon City Arena in Candon, Ilocos Sur, tonight. It’s the 33rd edition of the All-Star extravaganza institutionalized in 1989 and the league welcomes back the North-South format that was last used in 2019.

This year’s All-Star Game gathers 12 first-timers, six on each side. Making their debut are the North’s Juan Gomez de Liaño, Stephen Holt, Justine Baltazar, Adrian Nocum, CJ Cansino and Justin Arana and the South’s RJ Abarrientos, JB Bahio, Santi Santillan, Alec Stockton, Caelan Tiongson and Rey Nambatac. JGDL’s the only freshman among the All-Stars. He was a finalist in both the Obstacle Challenge for guards and 3-point shootout and would’ve gone full circle but skipped the Rookies/Sophomores-Juniors Blitz-3 game last Friday.

Pogoy was excused to attend his grandmother’s funeral in Cebu while Thompson and Cruz are recovering from injuries. Their withdrawals came too late to find replacements. Zavier Lucero was initially picked to join the North but his early notice to withdraw due to injury allowed for a replacement in Gian Mamuyac. Cruz and Lucero, however, made the trip to Candon to participate in the off-court activities.

The three vacancies will leave South coach Chot Reyes with only nine players, including two of his TNT stalwarts Calvin Oftana and Nambatac. But his squad will be led by nine-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and 2024 Co-MVP Robert Bolick. North coach Leo Austria will be up against his San Miguel Beer star and that’s a switch. SMB’s CJ Perez and Don Trollano, however, will be on Austria’s side. Japeth Aguilar, 39, Calvin Abueva, 38, and Chris Newsome, 35, are three of six North players over 30 while JMF, 36, is the oldest of six South players over 30, excluding Thompson, Pogoy and Cruz. North’s average age is 31 compared to South’s 30.1.

Reyes is expected to press from the start with guards Bolick, Nambatac, Stockton, and Abarrientos but how long he can sustain it is a question mark considering his depleted cast. Oftana, Santillan and Tiongson will carry the load at three/four to back up JMF. If Austria coaches like he does at San Miguel, it’ll be a deliberate halfcourt offense for the North with Baltazar and Arana replicating JMF in the middle. Austria has greyhounds to pick up the tempo in case the South tires out with Perez, Newsome, De Liaño, Holt, Abueva, Nocum, Cansino, Trollano and Mamuyac. A dunk will count for three points so expect a lot of alley-oops and transition breakaways. The team with fresher legs down the stretch and more players who’re out to win, not just showboat, will prevail.