What to ask in recruiting imports

Finding the right import for a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team is no child’s play. The scouting process is an expensive proposition and you’re never sure of what you’re getting until you see the recruit in action.

Some teams invest in coaches flying to the US to personally check out the available warm bodies. Others rely on extension scouts with a track record of dependability. Still others check the internet for leads and burn the telephone lines tracking down who’s out there.

I heard Alaska coach Tim Cone hooked up with former import Sean Chambers to bring in Galen Young. Cone’s US trip took only a few days but was worth the trouble of fighting off jet lag. Someone whispered that when Continental Basketball Association (CBA) officials learned Cone and Chambers were on the lookout for an import, league coaches were warned. Is it true Cone and Chambers were even barred from entering a gym to watch a CBA game? Whatever happened to free enterprise in the CBA?

Talk N’ Text coach Joel Banal had the luxury of spending over two weeks in Los Angeles with the Phone Pals training under former University of Nevada at Las Vegas coaches Bill Bayno and Jerry Tarkanian. Several imports paraded their skills before Banal in Los Angeles tryouts. He finally settled on Randy Holcomb who played for Tarkanian at Fresno State. Holcomb came highly recommended by the Shark. The fact that Holcomb was the San Antonio Spurs’ second round pick in the 2002 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft was a stock booster.

Coca-Cola coach Chot Reyes also flew to the US to check out import prospects, among other things. He found a jewel in Mark Sanford who was tapped on the second round by the Miami Heat in the 1997 NBA draft.

Shell coach John Moran got a tip from his player Tony de la Cruz that Marek Ondera would be a perfect fit for the Turbochargers. De la Cruz and Ondera were University of California at Irvine varsity teammates. During the Christmas holidays, Moran and Ondera met in San Francisco and came to terms.

San Miguel Beer coach Joseph Uichico didn’t need to go to the US to hunt for Art Long who’d played for the Beermen in 2002. Paul Howard, who was Uichico’s consultant during the Busan Asian Games, put a bead on Long from his Los Angeles home and locked him in.

So far, eight imports have been sent home—one because of a crippling injury, others because they just didn’t work out. I heard at least two more are on the way out.

The only imports who appear to be secure in keeping their jobs are Sanford, Holcomb, Long, Alaska’s Galen Young, Purefoods’ Eddie Elisma, Sta. Lucia Realty’s Derrick Brown and Ondera if he recovers from his ankle sprain. The jury’s still out on the others.

In looking for an import, here are 15 questions to ask.

• What is his history of team loyalty? It’s important to find out if he has moved from one team to another, the reasons for his transfers. Perhaps, it’s because he’s difficult to get along with. Or he has no sense of belonging.

• Does he play multiple positions? Versatility is crucial for an import who’s expected to do it all—like putting the ball on the floor, slashing, attacking from the outside and playing the interior.

• Can he post up? The ability to draw the double team in the low block is essential. That means he must be a threat at low post. It will help if he can play with his back to the basket.

• Is he allergic to banging? In the PBA, playing physical is a norm. Bodies take a beating. An import must be tough enough to withstand the contact. It goes without saying his physique must be able to take—and dish out—the punishment.

• Can he defend? Offense is usually no problem for an import but the big question is if he can be a stopper, too. It’s useless if a high-scoring import can’t hold his own in defense because whatever points he puts on the board are negated by what he surrenders on the other end.

• Are his college stats solid? A gauge of an import’s potential is his varsity record. A player who hardly logged minutes and couldn’t even average in double figures in college won’t likely make an impact as an import. It also pays to check the quality of his school’s basketball program.

• Was he ever drafted by an NBA team? If a player was drafted, that’s an indication of his talent. It means he was scouted and passed the grade. Never mind if he eventually failed to earn a roster spot. Playing in the NBA is a big plus, regardless of his stats.

• Is he temperamental? An import with a volcanic temperament doesn’t stay for too long. The lack of maturity will tell in end-game situations. In the PBA, an import is given extra attention by defenders. He’s got to keep cool under fire or else his team will pay the price.

• Is he team-oriented? While an import is expected to carry the brunt of the offense, he must realize he won’t be able to win games singlehandedly on a consistent basis. He must know how, where and when to share the ball and with whom. He must get his teammates involved in the flow.

• Is he coachable? If an import can’t take instructions from his coach, he doesn’t belong in the league. An import with a big ego will find himself in the doghouse quicker than he can bark.

• Is he hungry? An import in the twilight of his career may not let it all hang out. If he’s tired and just looking to extend his career, the lack of desire will show in the way he plays. An import must be motivated to play 100 percent.

• Is he injury-prone? It’s inane to bring in an import who has a long history of suffering injuries.

• Is he used to playing 48 minutes? A benchwarmer in college will never get used to playing the full stretch. An import must have a good set of lungs and legs to go the distance, game in and game out.

• Is he a nightowl? Discipline is vital for an import to play like he’s supposed to. Staying out late at night partying or dating is what an import shouldn’t do.

• Is he accessible to media and the fans? An import must realize he’s got an obligation to media and fans as a celebrity in the league.

If you ask the league’s imports today those 15 questions, I wonder how they’ll reply.

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