Dawn of a new era for San Mig Coffee

MANILA, Philippines – After all the name changes during the past five years or so, my dad still calls the San Mig Coffee Mixers as Purefoods. After all these years, he still clings to the old days of the team. Who wouldn’t?

Perhaps a tell-tale sign of this clingy-ness is wondering whether the rookies picked by the team in the draft would turn out to be the next Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera or Dindo Pumaren. Or perhaps, one who would be the epitome of a workhorse like Rey Evangelista. Whatever happens, no matter who they are, as long as they carry on Purefoods’ winning tradition, you go cheering for them.

There’s a different joy I guess, when I watch my dad roaring and shouting at the TV when it is Purefoods playing and it’s a playoff game. He would be randomly heard saying stuff like “yan Pingris kalawitin mo yung rebound parang Patrimonio!,” “WOOOOO! Coffee Prince!” And he would be on the TV’s grill whenever Yancy De Ocampo, Joe Devance, Rafi Reavis (who’s impersonating Kendrick Perkins’ Shaqtin’ A Fool antics) and… James Yap.

See, since Yap married Kris Aquino (a known career wrecker. Ever wonder why Patrimonio never went out with her?), he’s only had one significant conference, and San Mig was known as B-Meg Llamados that time. When San Mig traded for bonafide star Allein Maliksi some time ago, I knew right then and there that they are preparing for the time Yap finally hangs it all up. You can blame the injuries all you want, but you can’t deny the fact that Yap’s efficiency, field goal percentage and overall impact of the game underwent a steep decline. Maliksi was for the future. But his time is apparently fast-tracked to the now when he recovers from injury.

True, he’s made progress in expanding his game from more than just a scorer and volume shooter. He’s rebounding better than before. His assists and assist percentage are higher as well. He learned to move for a catch-and-shoot and run a good give-n-go. But reality bites. Defenses are no longer geared towards stopping him. They just treat him as a pressure-release shooter.

When San Mig made that run in the pay-off period of Game 3 against Ginebra last Sunday, they went with their best five of Pingris, Devance, PJ Simon, Justin Melton and Mark Barroca.

Yes, their best five no longer includes Yap.

It’s the dawn of a new era for Purefoods.

This one belongs to Barroca and Pingris. Slowly, they became the franchise players for Purefoods as they wait for the maturation of Maliksi, Melton and Ian Sangalang. One thing common between the two of them: they are fierce fighters. Even if they are being blown out, they refuse to back down. They have that tough guy attitude. If they throw a punch, they’d never do a Carmelo Anthony.

Yap? Oh, remember that Terrence Leather incident? He drove a vicious kick worthy of a muay thai fighter then scurried away behind his teammates. If for anything, Yap is soft as soft they can get.

Does he have anything left in the tank?

Right now, my dad doesn’t mind not seeing a jersey with the number 18 on the floor when his team is making a crucial run. They’re better off relying heavily on Simon and Barroca to generate offense and tenacity on the boards, for guards, and having Purefoods keep multiple possessions. Even De Ocampo is more of a sure thing than Yap now and that speaks volumes. There’s no need to worry about Pingris since he will always get his. What with those energizer bunny batteries of his and single-mindedness to lock down and chase down every rebound available to him, he’ll get his nightly double-double.

The X-factor to it all is Melton. He seems to have blossomed as a tutee of the Flying A and a fitting partner in probably the peskiest back court in PBA history with the Flying B. Dude is an athletic freak. And that jump shot is looking pretty swell too, making Jeff Cariaso mighty proud.

As with Petron, maybe it’s time to look into another direction. Purefoods’ MVP seems to be over the hill while someone they call Prince is fittingly leading the charge and being the heart and soul of the whole team along with the might of Sakuragi.

Don’t call Mark Barroca the Coffee Prince. It’s a mighty disrespect to the team’s most pivotal player.

Address his highness the right way, he is the Coffee King.

And there’s nothing James Yap can do about it.

Send your letters of complaint, protest and blind hate to @PioVGarcia.