Belasco goes to Tigers for Isip

Coca-Cola and Welcoat struck a trade deal Thursday night, sending veteran forward Nic Belasco to the Tigers camp in exchange for sophomore pro Mark Isip plus two future draft picks.

With the acquisition of Belasco, the Tigers have become a lot more formidable as he is expected to complement well with Asi Taulava, who joined the squad midway in the recent Philippine Cup.

From ninth place at the end of the elimination round, the Tigers rallied to finish sixth in the all-Filipino tourney topped by the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The Tigers were beaten by the Alaska Milk Aces in their best-of-three quarterfinals showdown.

Taulava and Belasco were the league’s top two rebounders in the Philippine Cup, averaging 14.6 and 13.6 caroms a game, respectively. Belasco also normed 15.5 points, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.6 block a game for Welcoat last conference.

Welcoat was Belasco’s latest stop after his stints with Pop Cola, San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk in a pro career starting in 1997. Belasco is 34.

Isip, on the other hand, put in only 3.1 points and 2.6 assists per game with Coca-Cola.

The deal looks one-sided in favor of Coca-Cola on the surface but the Welcoat management believes it would serve its purpose in the future.

“We want to have a  young cast. We want to give Jay-R Reyes and Joe Devance with fellow young players, hoping that they mature all at the same time,” said Raymund Yu, the team co-owner along with Terry Que.

“Secondly, Isip is not a bad player at all. He’s 6-foot-6 and we know him well since he played for our team in the PBL,” said Yu of the former FEU Tamaraw, 27, drafted No. 6 overall by Sta. Lucia in 2006.

In yielding Belasco, the Dragons will also get the Tigers’ second round picks in 2008 and either 2009 or 2010.

Yu believed  his young team, which also counts Ryan Arana, Denver Lopez, Rob Wainwright, Jireh Ibanes, Froilan Baguion and Niño Gelig among its core players, will mature and become a force to reckon with in one or two years.

With two teams floating news that they’re getting Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen as import, Yu said in jest he might as well recruit Michael Jordan.

“If Malone and Pippen are their imports, we’ll take  Michael Jordan. We won’t be left behind,” said Yu.

But the amiable Welcoat team owner said their choices for their two imports in the coming Fiesta Cup are down to four.

Welcoat and Coca-Cola are allowed to field two imports each after finishing 10th and ninth in the Philippine Cup elimination round.