Edner (Eddie) Elisma, 28, planed in late Wednesday to take over from Reggie Butler and will play for Purefoods when the Tender Juicy Hot Dogs face Sta. Lucia Realty in a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference game at the Big Dome tomorrow night.
Elisma could be the import of coach Ryan Gregorio’s dreams. He fills the vacuum at center, a soft spot for Purefoods since Lenny Cooke’s unexpected exit due to a torn Achilles tendon.
After Cooke went down, Gregorio waited over a week for Anthony Bonner to fly in but the former New York Knicks forward delayed his arrival thrice until finally deciding to play in Puerto Rico instead. Bonner would’ve been perfect for the Hot Dogs. He’s dangerous inside and outside. He’s fast on the draw. And he knows how to win.
When Bonner couldn’t make up his mind on whether to come or not, Gregorio plucked Butler out of the Jordan (as in the country, no reference to Michael) league. He was the only big man available at a moment’s notice. Toronto Raptors scout and former PBA import Walker Russell recommended Butler. While Gregorio negotiated with Bonner, Purefoods played importless against Barangay Ginebra last Feb. 29 and would’ve had to pay a hefty fine if the Hot Dogs showed up without an import for a second straight game.
Gregorio suited up Butler twice. He turned out to be a giant eyesore on the court. Against Shell, Butler compiled nine points and 12 boards in 31 minutes. Against Alaska, he collected 11 points and 17 rebounds in 40 minutes. Purefoods lost both games. Butler was clearly not in the same class as Marek Ondera and Galen Young.
It didn’t take long for Gregorio to decide Butler wouldn’t do. He considered signing up ex-imports Sean Lampley and Ben Davis but eventually settled for "Electric Eddie."
Yesterday afternoon, Elisma showed up for his first Purefoods practice at the Reyes gym. "He’s bulked up to about 240 pounds since college," Gregorio said. "He told me he plays with a lot of passion and energy and that’s why they call him ‘Electric Eddie.’ I assured him I coach with a lot of passion, too. I hope he’s the right import for us."
Elisma was the Seattle SuperSonics’ second round pick in the 1997 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. The 6-8, 235-pound center never got to play in the majors but saw action as a much-sought-after import in Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Israel, Italy and China.
Elisma polished his act in four years playing for fabled coach Bobby Cremins at Georgia Tech, the school that produced such NBA stars as Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson, Travis Best, Dennis Scott, Matt Harpring, Drew Barry, Duane Ferrell, Matt Geiger, John Salley, Tom Hammonds and Mark Price.
As a senior at La Salle High School in New York City in 1993-94, Elisma averaged 13 points and 16 rebounds. Cremins recruited Elisma for the Yellow Jackets varsity because "he can run (and) has a good stroke." Cremins added, "he’s quick, one of the quickest people I’ve seen."
Writer Barry Jacobs said: "What Elisma brings to the team is mobility, excellent leaping ability, long arms, good hands and a nice touch on his jumper. The word ‘fluid’ repeatedly comes up when recruiters discuss the New Yorker."
In his freshman year, Elisma–who weighed only 204 pounds–came off the bench in 27 of 29 outings, averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 19.5 minutes. Not known for his foul shooting touch, his field goal percentage (50.8) was higher than his free throw clip (48). He blocked six shots against Temple and posted a double-double in a loss to Siena in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
As a sophomore, Elisma started 30 games at center. He averaged 5.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 21.9 minutes. Elisma hit 51.7 percent from the floor and 51 percent from the line. Lack of muscle proved to be a handicap as Elisma couldn’t take the physical banging under the boards. His fast metabolism was a disappointment, wrote Michael Bradley.
Elisma began to shine brightly as a junior in 1995-96. He averaged 10.3 points and 8.2 rebounds in Georgia Tech’s last 27 games. "Electric Eddie" set a school single-season record for field goal percentage at 63.9 and registered 65 blocks, the third highest single-season total in campus history next only to Geiger and Salley. His body weight increased slightly to 210 pounds.
"The gold-toothed fan favorite became adept at converting follow shots and at making layup and dunks often as the recipient of passes from Barry and Marbury on fastbreaks," wrote Jacobs. "He even showed an ability to take a dribble or two, pull up and hit a jumpshot."
Assistant coach Kevin Cantwell said, "He reacts fast. If he’s defending, he can get around in front of people. He’s not strong but he’s quick. And tap-ins. It’s amazing for two years, he would tap, tap, tap and the ball would never go in the basket. But now the taps are going in the basket. Now they’re all going in."
Matched up against Marcus Camby of Massachusetts, Elisma delivered 13 points and five rebounds. Writer Tim Peeler said the basketball Godzilla that Cremins predicted would someday emerge from Elisma’s lanky frame finally surfaced.
As a senior, Elisma averaged 9.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. It was his only year at Georgia Tech when his free throw percentage (72.2) was higher than his field goal mark (51).
Before the NBA draft, Elisma played at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and impressed the scouts by averaging 17 points and 18 rebounds. "He played very well in a fast-paced, wide-open style offense, doing things that he couldn’t do in college," said NBA scouting director Marty Blake. "He’s got great spring and he opened some eyes in Portsmouth."
Will Elisma jolt Purefoods with an electric shock to break it out of a three-game losing streak? Gregorio started with a Cooke and struggled with a Butler. Maybe, his luck will change with "Electric Eddie."