Haste makes waste

Did Shell and Alaska make hasty decisions to change imports in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Samsung Governors Cup?

The Turbo Chargers shipped out Derek Grimm after getting off to a 1-2 start and brought in Nantambu (Bu) Willingham. Grimm, who saw action for the Sacramento Kings in the 1997-1998 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, should’ve stayed.

First of all, Willingham didn’t get his Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) work permit in time for his scheduled debut against Barangay Ginebra last March 2. So Shell played with a single import, Askia Jones, and predictably, lost an 80-72 decision. Grimm shouldn’t have been let go until it was absolutely certain that Willingham was cleared to play.

As it turned out, Willingham should’ve stayed home.

Grimm averaged 13.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in three outings. Although his numbers weren’t astounding, he was a constant threat on the court. Grimm shot 58.3 percent from the floor, indicating a high level of maturity for the white import from the University of Missouri. The problem was Grimm preferred to play outside and didn’t like to bang bodies under the basket. Shell needed a rebounding import to complement Jones, not another perimeter shooter.

Willingham has hit at an 11.2 clip in five games so far. Last Friday, he bled for four points and Asi Taulava ate him up alive in their match-up as Selecta trounced Shell, 60-57. Bu was a non-factor on both ends. He threw up bricks, couldn’t stop Taulava from breaking loose for 31 points, and was such an eyesore that coach Perry Ronquillo benched him for several minutes to spare the fans the agony of watching the so-called "Man of Great Destiny" (that’s what Nantambu means) make a fool of himself.

Ronquillo should’ve known Willingham couldn’t produce. In four years at the University of Connecticut, he averaged less than two points a game. Scouts said he played outside of coach Jim Calhoun’s regular rotation and was a poor percentage shooter for a big man. Throughout his collegiate career, he never shot more than eight points in a game. Sure, some of his teammates were stars – Ray Allen, Travis Knight, Kevin Ollie, and Donyell Marshall among them – but the luster never rubbed off.

Before Friday’s game, Ronquillo admitted trying to lure a replacement for Willingham. But with the US minor leagues now in the playoffs, he just couldn’t find a warm body to fly in.

For the record, Shell has lost five in a row since Willingham’s debut against San Miguel Beer last March 10. It has officially been eliminated from contention for a quarterfinals berth.

Alaska might’ve also been a little hasty in releasing Muntrelle Dobbins. The Aces signed up James Head to take Dobbins’ spot. Ironically, Dobbins’ farewell game was his most memorable here – he hit a team-high 19 points to power Alaska to a 68-61 decision over Hapee last March 21. With Dobbins’ and Ron Riley in the lineup, Alaska posted a 4-3 record. Since Dobbins’ departure, Alaska has lost two straight. Ouch.

Head played with Hapee’s Mick Pennisi at Eastern Michigan University. In 1996-97, Head averaged 10.9 points in 25.1 minutes a game compared to Pennisi’s 4.0 points in 15.9 minutes. At Eastern Michigan, Head was known as a steady performer – not outstanding but just consistent.

It remains to be seen if coach Tim Cone made the right decision to pull out Dobbins and bring in Head. Dobbins seems to be a more fitting complement to Riley because he’s a terror inside the lane and Head isn’t.

The good news is not all the subs have been lemons. Coca-Cola, for instance, picked up a gem in Ron Hale who took over from Fred Williams after four games. Mario Bennett has made San Miguel Beer fans forget about his predecessor Keith Hill. Mark Davis is so much more talented than Lelan McDougal as is Victor Thomas than Johnny Taylor. Tony Lang didn’t look too hot in his first game after subbing for Julius Nwosu but he’s expected to come around. And Brian Green finally delivered in his third game after replacing Dez Ferguson who had, in turn, subbed for the injured Bubba Wells.

The PBA allows teams to change imports any time during the conference – even in the last game of the finals. Original imports may be reinstated if they are replaced because of injuries but replacements may not. And imports who are cut may not be signed by other teams until after a year.

Postscript. Is it true that the reason why national pool players are not allowed to suit up against their mother clubs in the First Conference is because of won-game bonus complications? Apparently, national pool players still enjoy game bonuses when their mother clubs win. So to avoid suspicion of playing for bigger money, they are banned from playing against their mother teams unless the national team lineup is depleted because of injuries. What a crass reason. Obviously, mother clubs pay bigger won-game bonuses than the national pool. Does it mean that when money is on the table, the nationals can’t be trusted to play to win?… The Japanese national team will be coached by Kenji Yoshida of Toshiba at the Asian Games in Busan this September. There are 30 players trying out for the squad. Will a spot be reserved for seven-year NBA veteran Rex Walters whose mother is Japanese? Walters, 31, played for Kansas University and is a torrid three-point bomber… Brent sports director Tanny Gonzalez has assembled 18 teams – 10 juniors, 10 seniors, and eight open – to play in the Sta. Ana basketball tournament at Plaza Hugo. Hostilities reeled off last Saturday. Gonzalez, 50, is a Sta. Ana barangay chairman. He underwent a quadruple heart bypass surgery last August. Now, he’s back with a bang… Is it true that Toronto Raptors scouting director Jim Kelly was in town recently to check out Purefoods import Derrik Brown? Kelly flew to Beijing to size up 7-6 Yao Ming, expected to be an NBA lottery pick this year, then came to Manila to watch Brown in action. Kelly, whose wife Lucy is Filipina, also planed in to look into a family matter in Roxas City.