Daniels on way out?

Just in case you don’t know, imports may be changed at any time during the PBA Fiesta Conference – even in the middle of the finals. So nobody is assured of playing the next game. A contract may be guaranteed, meaning no problem in getting paid, but there’s nothing set in stone as far as playing out the conference is concerned.

At the moment, the only import whose stay seems to be in danger is Talk ‘N’ Text’s Shawn Daniels who should know what it’s like playing in the PBA as an import because this is his fourth contract since 2005 when he powered Air21 to third place in the Fiesta Conference.

Daniels, 31, is being severely challenged in the Tropang Texters’ best-of-seven semifinal series against Alaska. He’s locking horns with a quicker, younger and more prolific Diamon Simpson and the comparison is like night and day. Alaska leads the series, 2-1, and in claiming a 90-86 win in Game 3 last Sunday, the Aces made Daniels look expendable.

Simpson finished with 31 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and three steals in 46 solid minutes while Daniels compiled only four points, nine rebounds, two assists and five fouls in 39 minutes. Seven locals in coach Tim Cone’s lineup outscored Daniels who went 2-of-7 from the field and 0-of-3 from the line in a woeful showing. It was the sixth game of 21 this conference where Daniels failed to score in double figures.

Daniels’ inability to keep in step with the Texters’ running attack is clearly a cause for coach Chot Reyes’ concern. Talk ‘N’ Text thrives in transition but so far, Alaska has done a solid job of dictating a deliberate tempo to keep the scores low. Entering the semifinals, Talk ‘N’ Text was the only PBA team to average over 100 a game. So far in the semis, the Texters are averaging 91.3 – in their two losses, 87.

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With the Ace of Diamon such a dominant force, Daniels’ limitations are accentuated. If things don’t turn around soon, Daniels might wind up in the can.

It’s too early to give up on Daniels. Game 4 is scheduled tomorrow and for sure, Daniels won’t want to blow his chance for redemption. He’s got to understand that while it’s noble for an import to share the spotlight and get the locals enthusiastically involved on both ends, the buck stops in his tracks. The import is every team’s ultimate go-to guy. If he can’t deliver import-like numbers and his team loses, there’s only one player to blame and it won’t be a local.

Daniels is no slouch. He’s played on two third-place teams in the PBA. But as they say, a player is good only up to his last game. Forget credentials. The bottom line is what it’s all about and the pressure to win is a game-to-game situation.

In Game 3, Reyes desperately tried to compensate for Daniels’ absence (literally and figuratively). With Daniels unable to handle Simpson – or even Reynel Hugnatan – at the post, the Texters gave up fouls more than they would’ve liked to. As a result, Simpson took 17 free throws, converting 15. Overall, Alaska shot 31-of-34 fouls shots compared to the Texters’ 6-of-13. Talk ‘N’ Text committed 28 fouls, 18 with awards, while Alaska only 13, eight with awards.

An import who may be available is former Golden State Warrior Chris Porter but will Talk ‘N’ Text risk disrupting chemistry by bringing in somebody new to Reyes’ system? Porter, 32, suited up for Ginebra in 2006 and while he compiled impressive stats, failed to lead the Kings beyond the quarters. He was supposed to play this conference after reportedly coming to terms with a semifinal team – the problem was when it came to boarding the plane, Porter was a no-show.

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In the other semifinal series, San Miguel Beer came back from 17 points down to edge B-Meg, 74-70, in Game 3 at the Big Dome last Sunday. Derby Ace started out strong but sputtered down the stretch as San Miguel’s depth was evident in the long haul. B-Meg’s P. J. Simon didn’t play and Kerby Raymundo said he won’t be able to get back on the floor until Game 3 of the finals, meaning don’t count him in against San Miguel.

Raymundo is battling groin and knee issues. He sat out the entire double-round eliminations then played two games in the quarters before throwing in the towel. The pain isn’t going away and Raymundo is exasperated because he sorely wants to be able to help the Llamados who are turning into the Dejados. “When I compensate to protect my groin, my (right) knee hurts and when I compensate to protect my knee, my groin hurts,” sighed a dejected Raymundo.

A player who has stepped up in Raymundo’s place is veteran Don Allado. He shot a conference-high 15 points in Game 2 last Friday and his effort contributed to B–Meg’s 95-94 victory in a big way.

Allado was the first player to take warm-up shots at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday – in dim lights, over two hours before tip-off. He went through a dribbling routine with two balls up and down the floor before starting his shooting regimen.

B-Meg import Tony Washam was a marked man in Game 3 as Arwind Santos and Dondon Hontiveros took turns in limiting the former St. Vincent College star to a conference-low 22 points on 10-of-29 from the field and only 1-of-2 from the stripe.