Analysis: Adamson impresses in opening day win over UP

MANILA, Philippines – This was an impressive win for Adamson and a very disappointing loss for UP. I didn’t think UP would win this match up, but I was still disappointed in seeing how they performed.

In their first five possessions, they had three turnovers, including two 24-second shot clock violations. That is horrible. Don’t give me opening day jitters as an excuse. This is a veteran team, not a bunch of rookies. Opening day jitters are for froshes and Team B call-ups.

Adamson has more newbies, and they were solid.

My thoughts about the UP Fighting Maroons:

Head coach Bo Perasol says it’s winning small battles en route to the big ones. Despite the 19-point opening day blowout, was there any improvement?

Sure there was.

In their three previous UAAP seasons, UP averaged 9.9, 11.6, and 9.9 assists. During the summer, they “regressed” to 9.0 assists per outing. Against Adamson this UAAP, despite playing a lot of isolation — what is it with this pro-style offense — they finished with 16 assists. So that’s good, right?

However, there’s still the rub. Their three point guards – Henry Asilum, Diego Dario and Jarrell Lim – each had one assist. That is a terrible stat. Dave Moralde had the most assists with five and he played the two and the three. And speaking of Asilum, he played well in the first quarter then just as he was getting hot, I was surprised to see him rotate out in favor of Dario. I felt they should have left him in the game. But that’s just me.

Moving on, the Fighting Maroons finished with 13 steals yet they gave up 104 points. That is way too much to give up. I expect that total from pro basketball teams but not college squads playing with 10-minute periods.

UP had more second chance, turnover, and fastbreak points so what happened? How did they still lose? Adamson started out well and finished strong in the first and third periods. In the even numbered quarters, they started out poor but finished strong. If you root for Adamson, you have to like that they finished strong in every quarter. So you see some form of consistency.

And more to that, the Fighting Maroons got killed from the perimeter as Adamson scorched them for 53 points from the outside. So for me, its defense and their team play.

Still a lot to fix on this team!

My thoughts about the Adamson Falcons:

First and foremost, it was their team discipline. When a play broke down, they kicked the ball out to the point guard to reset. As for their offense, no more staggered screen to free a shooter. Instead they ran some side screens for cutters towards the basket. Depending on what the defense gave them, they decided on what to do with the ball whether to attack the trim or pass the ball out. I also thought they took a lot of shots in rhythm and in the flow of the game. Remember that part where after forcing a UP turnover, point guard Rob Manalang found an open Jerrick Ahanmisi? Bang. He recognized who was hot and who was open.

Furthermore, they didn’t force too many shots.

Second, they answered every run by UP with one of their own. They lost focus at times. JDee Tungcab and Terence Mustre come to mind but they came back and played better. This is a hallmark of a good basketball team when you trust the system and answer all the runs and bombs thrown at you.

Third, that back court of Rob Manalang and Jerrick Ahanmisi is impressive. Splash Brothers, all right! It looks like they have been playing together for some time now. Look at that stat line:

Ahanmisi: 28 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal vs 2 turnovers.

Manalang: 16 points, 1 rebound, 9 assists, 1 steal vs 4 turnovers.

You’d think that Ahanmisi had a lucky debut. Er, no. Did you watch the preseason? He started slow and finished strong, hitting at a 35 percent accuracy rate from trey-land. Against UP, he drilled 6 of 7.

I was impressed with the use of the bench that underscored their depth. I love how Dawn Ochea has really developed as a player in the past two seasons. Good moves in the paint. Sean Maganti looked lacking in confidence early in the game. When he glided into the basket, that meant he had his confidence going. And that baseline dunk? That last dude to impressively jam from that baseline was JC Intal also versus UP during the 2006 season.

I like the contributions of Jimboy Pasturan, Harold Ng and Simon Camacho. Especially Camacho on defense. As soon as he came in, he rejects someone’s shot. That is making an impact.

In spite of this huge win, what do they need to work on? Defense.

Last season, Adamson was the worst defensive team surrendering nearly 79 points a game. During the summer, they still gave up 79 an outing. This match, they gave up 85. That is not a Franz Pumaren-team. His teams are always stingy on D surrendering points in the low 70s. But that’s something they are working on.

Furthermore, they only played token full court pressure. I thought that at the 8:08 mark of the third period, they threw their best full court pressure D at UP that seemed surprised.

Still a long ways to go but a huge morale boosting win over a quality opponent that tells them they are on the right track.