Kia to test 7-4 behemoth

MANILA, Philippines - Former Washington Wizards center Peter John Ramos is arriving Jan. 4 to play for Kia Sorento in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup which starts Jan. 27 but a source said the other day another NBA veteran Al Thornton could be tapped in case the 7-4 Puerto Rican isn’t able to carry his weight on the floor.

A Kia official said playing coach Manny Pacquiao has seen a video of Ramos in action and was impressed. “Manny’s not used to losing,” said the official. “He wants the team to be competitive and doesn’t mind putting out his own money for the player we need. Ramos is a big center and Manny’s excited that he’s coming over.” If Ramos doesn’t work out, Kia has two players on standby and Thornton may be brought in to take over.

The last four placers in the Philippine Cup – Barako Bull, NLEX, Kia and Blackwater in that order – are allowed to hire an import with no height limit. The other eight teams may recruit an import with a ceiling of 6-9. Blackwater was the first team to fly in an import with 7-1 Chris Charles of Villanova University the earlybird.

There is talk that at least two teams are pursuing 6-7 Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest. The burly power forward from St. John’s University has a son who is half-Filipino. In his NBA career, World Peace has played for Chicago, Indiana, Sacramento, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers and New York, averaging 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 931 games. He recently saw action for the Sichuan Blue Whales in the China league, averaging 19.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 15 contests before a recurring knee problem knocked him out of the lineup.

Ramos, 29, was drafted on the second round by the Wizards in the 2004 NBA draft and inked a $5.2 Million four-year deal with the franchise. But he played in only six games for Washington, averaging 1.8 points. Ramos got his chance to log minutes in the NBA D-League, averaging 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots in 76 games. Overseas, he saw action as an import in Spain, China and Korea. Last season, Ramos averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in 32 games with the Qingdao Star Eagles in the China league.

A highlight in Ramos’ career was playing on the Puerto Rican squad that upset the US, 92-73, at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Ramos, however, played a minor role in the win with only two points and two rebounds. The US team was coached by Larry Brown and bannered by Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, Carmelo Anthony, Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury and Richard Jefferson. Puerto Rico wound up sixth and the US third with the bronze medal.

Ramos wasn’t invited by Puerto Rico coach Paco Olmos to try out for the national team that played at the recent FIBA World Cup in Spain. Puerto Rican star Carlos Arroyo called out for Ramos but Olmos didn’t budge. Ramos had been sidelined with a knee injury and didn’t seem ready to play in Olmos’ up-and-down system.

At the 2010 FIBA World Cup in Turkey, Ramos averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 boards for Puerto Rico. He shot 65.7 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from the stripe.

Ramos, the sixth Puerto Rican to play in the NBA, was only five years old when he migrated to New York with his mother and siblings after his father abandoned the family. At 14, he grew to seven feet tall and at 19, shot up to 7-3. Ramos learned to play basketball as a teenager and developed into a dominant center in high school. Because of his size, Ramos gained the attention of Puerto Rican scouts and was picked for the national team starting in 2002.

Thornton, 31, has more impressive NBA stats than Ramos. But the downside is he’s 6-8. Ramos is eight inches taller. Thornton played four years with Florida State in the NCAA. As a senior in 2006-07, he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring with a 19.7 clip and averaged 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocked shots while hitting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc, 53 percent from the field and 79 percent from the line. He was chosen on the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007 NBA draft.

Thornton played for the Clippers, Wizards and Golden State from 2007 to 2011, averaging 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 296 outings. In 2008-09, he hit a career-high clip of 16.8 points. Throughout his NBA career, Thornton earned over $8 Million. From the NBA, Thornton played in Puerto Rico and China. Last year, he was the second-leading scorer in the Puerto Rican league with a 21.6 norm and averaged 7.5 rebounds while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor, 30.3 percent from three-point distance and 77.3 percent from the line.

As a Florida State junior, Thornton torched Duke University for 37 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, leading Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski to exclaim, “there aren’t many kids like him, he’s one of the best players in the country.” Writer Al Featherston said Thornton is “naturally a wing with good ball-handling skills and three-point range” but played power forward for the varsity Seminoles.