MANILA, Philippines – Do you think that the Ateneo Blue Eagles are peaking at the right time?
I cannot still say that the Blue Eagles have fully mastered the system that is run by Tab Baldwin. They are there, but they still make some mistakes in running it or not so good reads.
Of late, they have begun to play better. And the Final Four win over Adamson, 81-61, was the best they played all season long.
Unlike their final elimination round match where they stepped off the gas pedal, this time, they throttled the Soaring Falcons that ended their title aspirations.
What did I like about Ateneo’s win?
- Even before they broke the match wide open, there was a calmness about that I did not see all season long.
- I like that they did not step off the gas pedal and sent the starters back to hold that lead late in the game.
- Chris Koon has been playing better.
- The substitution clicked.
- The defense stopped Jerom Lastimosa early on (he only got his points late in the game when the lead was at 30 points).
What does Ateneo need to be concerned about?
- I still do not like it when Gab Gomez picks up his dribble and is blitzed. He isn’t that tall for a point guard and when blitzed, that it almost always ends up in a turnover. Having said that, I like this kid’s guts. He’s got tons of it.
- Forthsky Padrigao still makes the silliest and most unnecessary of mistakes. I will give him props for constantly looking for opponents trying to set screens but he has make better reads because he oft gets burned by opponents taking those long bombs.
- I am still not a fan of the Blue Eagles using up almost the entire shot clock. They tend to dribble a lot and then in the final seconds pass to a player for a one-on-one or isolation. Yes, they did hit two or three shots at the buzzer but that rarely happens. Why court a turnover?
- Dave Ildefonso was lucky he got going in the third period. He needs to get in the game much earlier so it will ease the pressure on his other teammates to score.
What does Adamson need to work on?
Consistency among their players.
- AP Manlapaz was a non-entity in this match. I have been watching him since he was in high school and this kid is damn good. He was that missing link.
- I am not sure if Lenda Douanga will be back for another year but I really think Adamson has not been fully able to harness him. Whether he is slow to learn or not enough work is done, I do not know. I still think that he could be a potent weapon.
In the case of Adamson, I wonder… does playing an extra game for the fourth or a higher seed take a lot out of a team?
Let’s take a look back.
There have been three fourth seed playoff matches.
Season 75
La Salle beat FEU 69-66.
But the Green Archers lost to Ateneo in the Final Four, 66-63.
Season 77
NU defeated UE 51-49.
NU defeated Ateneo in the Final Four despite Blue Eagles’ twice to beat advantage and then scuttled FEU in three to win their first UAAP title in over six decades.
Season 85
Adamson defeated La Salle 80-76.
Then lost to Ateneo in the Final Four 81-60.
There have been two matches for the second seed.
For the second seed of Season 76, La Salle defeated FEU 74-69.
The Green Archers turned back FEU once more in the F4, 71-68, then trounced UST in the finals in three games.
The following year, Season 77, FEU defeated La Salle 65-60 for the second seed playoff. Armed with a twice-to-beat advantage, the Tamaraws were beaten back by La Salle to send the game into a deciding match.
Then won against La Salle in the Final Four in two games as Green Archers sent it to a rubber match. FEU won 67-64 to go to the finals where they lost to NU.
So based on the data, the team that played the extra game advanced thrice.
And… La Salle has featured in four of the five playoff seed battles. That, in my opinion, shows their grit.
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