Blakely dreams of NBA career

MANILA, Philippines - San Mig Coffee import Marqus Blakely said the other day he still dreams of someday playing in the NBA and stays in contact with Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan who is a close friend.

Blakely, 25, was once signed to a partially guaranteed two-year contract by the Clippers but never got to play in the regular season despite two call-ups. He was also signed by the Houston Rockets and suited up for one game but wasn’t sent in. The close calls were encouraging signs for Blakely to keep the NBA dream alive.

“My friends from the NBA include Blake (Griffin) and Jamal (Crawford),” said Blakely. “But DeAndre is my closest friend. He knows I’m in the Philippines. I’ve told him about the basketball atmosphere here and he’d like to visit someday but he’s busy with his NBA career.”

Blakely applied for the NBA draft in 2010 but wasn’t picked despite glowing credentials in four years of duty with the University of Vermont varsity. He was a two-time Player of the Year and three-time Defensive Player of the Year in the American East Conference. As a senior, Blakely led Vermont to the NCAA Tournament and averaged 17.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.9 blocked shots. He finished his collegiate career with 1,875 points and 1,044 rebounds. No Vermont player has ever made it to the NBA and Blakely might just be the first.

Blakely said playing on the Mixers squad that clinched the Grand Slam was something he’ll always cherish. “It’s huge,” said Blakely. “I played my first conference in the PBA in the Governors Cup in 2012 and we lost to Rain Or Shine in the Finals. I fouled out in Game 7 and felt really bad about it. I owed it to my teammates to come back and redeem myself. So the next year, we won the Governors Cup. Now, we won it again and what made it extra special was the championship clinched the Grand Slam.”

Blakely said he’s played in Germany, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic but his three conferences in the PBA are the highlights of his overseas career. “The atmosphere in the Philippines is great,” he said. “The PBA is a physical league. They let you play. But that’s how it is. It’s the most physical league I’ve ever played in overseas. The fans are a reason why I’ve come back three times. And if San Mig Coffee wants me back again next year, I’ll be back. I love my team and the organization. I love my teammates.”

After the PBA, Blakely said he’ll explore options in the NBA or overseas. Playing in Turkey is a possibility. Another possibility is taking a break to watch the FIBA World Cup in Spain.

“Which team will I cheer for in the World Cup?” said Blakely, repeating the question from The Star. “Hey, if I make it to Spain, I’m cheering for my man Ping (Marc Pingris) and Gilas.”

Blakely said playing in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the recently-concluded PBA Governors Cup Finals was surreal. “In the US colleges, you don’t get that kind of atmosphere, not in Vermont but maybe in Duke,” he said. “In the Philippines, it’s like you get fans in basketball and soccer together. They’re cheering loudly with banners, streamers and drums. That kind of support gets you going as a player.”

Blakely said his familiarity with coach Tim Cone’s system made it easy to adjust this conference. “The team brought in some rookies this season and they’ve made a difference,” he said. “Those guys come off the bench and give the starters a break. Nothing is taken away from the game when they’re playing. So when the starters come back, we’re raring to go. Our second unit played huge this conference.”

Asked about his enormous 85-inch wingspan, Blakely chuckled and said “it’s a genes thing.”  His reach has been likened to the wingspan of taller players like Joakim Noah, Drew Gooden and Al Horford. He used that advantage to win the 2010 US NCAA slam dunk title. His winning slam was called the “double dunk” where Vermont teammate Evan Fjeld jammed it from the right side and he picked up the ball dropping from the net in mid-air to stuff it back in.

Blakely was named Best Import in the Governors Cup last season but failed to take the award this year, yielding it to Rain Or Shine’s Arizona Reid. But for Blakely, nothing beats the ultimate prize with the individual honor paling in comparison. What made Blakely’s contribution more significant in Game 5 last Wednesday was his all-around play. He finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots as the Mixers beat the Elasto Painters, 92-89, before 23,234 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Blakely didn’t shirk from his responsibility as the go-to guy but at the same time, displayed trust in his teammates to get the job done.