SYDMAN’S POWER RANKINGS (OCT 29 - NOV 2) - RANKS, TOP ROOKIES, WHAT’S HOT AND NOT

SYDMAN’S POWER RANKINGS

What’s to see? For all you James Yap fans out there, I will eat everything I said about the guy. Had I known he’ll erupt, I would have not said the injury lines I said in my previous Pow Ranks. Anywho, let’s dish this F’N UNBELIEVABLE SHOW!

Click this LEGENDARY ARTICLE!

SAY GOODBYE TO:
RYAN REYES (LW # 24) – Like I said, two mediocre games and a DNP caused this multi-dimensional guard to get tossed out of the Ranks. (10PPG, 7RPG, 2.6APG, 2SPG)
HARVEY CAREY (LW # 23) – Ali Peek’s entry did not cause the burly slotman to lose his minutes (Yancy de Ocampo and Rob Reyes suffered… but not him). What Peek did to him was get the stats he should be merited. (9.4PPG, 9RPG, 1.6BPG)
PETER JUNE SIMON (LW # 18) – Wow. Just when I you thought he’ll erupt after James Yap’s injury, he relegated. What a time to score his conference-low 3 points. (17.1PPG, 3RPG)
JR QUINAHAN (LW # 17) – His inconsistency in the PowRanks pulled a serious downslide when Homer Se became a scoring powerhouse. Yes, I said it… Homer Se is now a scoring powerhouse! (8.4PPG, 8.4RPG, 1.6BPG)

LOOKOUT:
JOE DEVANCE – Devance barely made an impact in their first games. Critics are castigating the Aces for being in the bad deal part which wouldn’t have happened if the Aces eventually stuck with Sol Mercado. His 20-point, 20-rebound game against Ginebra says it all. (12.3PPG, 6.9RPG)
PAUL ARTADI – Listed 12th in the Power Rankings’ initial offering, Kid Lightning stat-hunted against Alaska. And yeah, sure he looked like the Artadi of old after shooting that 3-point airball, he needs to help Helterbrand if they want to get out of the cellar (they cannot wait for Mark Caguioa)… and yeah, you saw him dunk, right? (11.7PPG, 3.5RPG, 5APG, 1.5SPG)
ALEX CABAGNOT – It seems like Kenneth Duremdes’ style of coaching is winning the nod of this enigma. Playing many minutes but unable to bring in the stats, he seems to be changing for the better under Captain Marbel’s system. (11.7PPG, 3.6RPG, 4.4APG, 2.1SPG)

THE ROOKIE RACE:
Absent from last week’s Power Ranks, we now hail the 10 neophytes that made PBA viewing pleasing to the eyes.

NUMBER 10 – ROB REYES – Barely making 10 minutes a ballgame, the Fil-Am is drowning in TNT’s deep frontline rotation. (1.8PPG, 1.2RPG)
NUMBER 9 – BEAU BELGA – The PCU Dolphin had 2 DNP’s this conference. The fact that he could have stayed a bit in the minors because he is too raw for the PBA is showing. (2.0PPG, 2.6RPG)
NUMBER 8 – JEFF CHAN – While he plays mainly as a supplement, the FEU firecracker quickly adjusted to Yeng Guiao’s system and he is giving his coach quality minutes. (5.4PPG, 3.4RPG, 1.6APG)
NUMBER 7 – TY TANG – Expect him to be a force next season. His assists have yet to be seen but his rebounding capability is surprising. (7.9PPG, 4.1RPG, 1.3APG)
NUMBER 6 – JASON CASTRO – The 4-time PBL MVP is struggling for minutes with Jimmy Alapag as his main rival. He currently tops the team in assists. (8.4PPG, 1.9RPG, 3.9APG)
NUMBER 5 – BONBON CUSTODIO – Without Mike Cortez, the Beermen are on top of the standings because of this guy’s determination to succeed. (10.1PPG, 4.4RPG, 2.9APG, 1.1SPG)
NUMBER 4 – JARED DILLINGER
(see Power Rankings)
NUMBER 3 – LARRY RODRIGUEZ
(see Power Rankings)
NUMBER 2 – SOLOMON MERCADO
(see Power Rankings)
NUMBER 1 – GABE NORWOOD
(see Power Rankings)

Time for the Rank Proper.
GAME STARTS NOW!

THE POWER RANKINGS FOURTH EDITION

25 EXPRESS – GARY DAVID (NEW ENTRY) – Air21’s Mr. Pure Energy was fabulous since asserting his offensive prowess. This eruption is taking away the defenses that is tracking around Arwind and Ranidel. (16.1PPG, 3.4RPG, 2.1APG)

24 TROPANG TEXTERS – JARED DILLINGER (LW # 16) – Dropped eight spots because of his horrible offensive showing against the Painters. On the plus side, Yeng Guiao wants him to be a part of the RP Team. (13.3PPG, 6.3RPG, 1.1SPG)

23 EXPRESS – WYNNE ARBOLEDA (NEW ENTRY) – The Snatcher has finally debuted in the Rankings. After subpar stints, his last 3 games have truly showcased his talents, most notably was his game against the Giants where he scored 25 marks. (12.4PPG, 4.1RPG, 4.1APG, 1.7SPG)

22 BEERMEN – DORIAN PENA (LW # 25) – The Big Dawg has been turning it up as of late, eating the spot meant for Mark Pingris who has been sidelined. Most of his stats are from his rebounds, which has been his bread and butter since debuting in 1999. (10.1PPG, 9.4RPG)

21 BEERMEN – DONDON HONTIVEROS (LW # 19) – Dropping two spots, Dondon’s other stats has been showing in a pretty deliberate pace. With Lordy Tugade and Custodio taking parts of his minutes, he needs to step up to bolster his bid. (13.7PPG, 4.7RPG, 2.4APG)

20 BARAKOS – LARRY RODRIGUEZ (LW # 21) – He has been doing enough in getting the love in Yeng Guiao’s rotation. The reed-thin forward from a Division 3 school is one of the reasons why Guiao has opted to send Rich Alvarez to Purefoods for a mere draft pick. (12.4PPG, 6.9RPG, 1.4BPG)

19 EXPRESS – HOMER SE (NEW ENTRY) – Yes, Air21’s starting 5 is in the Power Ranks (scroll down to complete the Ranks). Yes, the most hated man in the side of the Gin Kings gets a nod because he played like a dog in heat against the Giants, piling up 25 smackers in their overtime loss. (13.0PPG, 5.6RPG, 1.6APG, 1.2SPG, 1.2BPG)

18 ELASTO PAINTERS – SOLOMON MERCADO (LW # 22) – After scoring 20 points in the rookie-laden ROS/TNT matchup, Mercado has finally reaffirmed his position as an offensive juggernaut. Currently he leads all rookies in points and assists. (14.4PPG, 3.6RPG, 4.1APG)

17 BARAKOS – CYRUS BAGUIO (LW # 15) – Skyrus scored a mere 8 points last time out and the Bulls have been struggling to catapult itself on top of the rankings. While he leads the team in dishes and swipes, he needs to haul down his penetration and sniping. (14.7PPG, 3.6RPG, 3.3APG, 2.1SPG)

16 TROPANG TEXTERS – ALI PEEK (NEW ENTRY) – Was this guy injured? Three games playing and he has secured the top big man spot in the Texters rotation. Although he has displayed dominance, the Texters hasn’t got out of their proverbial hellhole which their inability to win consistently. (13.3PPG, 10.7RPG, 2BPG)

15 GIANTS – JAMES YAP (LW # 20) – Last week Yap played a mere 10 minutes. I was looking for a DNP for this guy and he then he proved me wrong. Not only did he played but he scored 31 points in 41 minutes of action! This was a slap in my face to never count out a former MVP. (18.3PPG, 4.7RPG, 1.1APG)

14 ELASTO PAINTERS – GABE NORWOOD (LW # 14) – While last year’s top pick Joe Devance failed to get the Painters up top, this year’s top pick has been fueling his team to a potential playoff run. One of the reasons why Raymond Yu and Terry Que are giddy, Norwood is looming indeed as the shot in the arm they are hoping for. (11.7PPG, 9.1RPG, 3.4APG, 1.3SPG)

13 BARAKOS – GABBY ESPINAS (LW # 12) – Fantasy league’s most sought after find is putting his past behind him. His benchwarming days have long gone after a stellar stint playing for Yeng Guiao. If only the once-NCAA Rookie MVP could fuel a winning run for the Bulls… (15.1PPG, 9.1RPG, 1.1APG)

12 ELASTO PAINTERS – JAY-R REYES (LW # 10) – The ex-UP Maroon has been the second coming of Dennis Espino it seems (although he needs to add more muscling and veteran smarts to his resume). His days as ROS’ top dog might be of limited run, his current state is making ROS’ lack of inside dominance nonexistent. (15.6PPG, 8.7RPG, 1BPG)

11 GIANTS – ENRICO VILLANUEVA (LW # 13) – When Ryan Gregorio got hold of the Dominator, he hoped he’ll have an inside duo meant to destroy the inside game of his opponents. Fact is, that has yet to factor in. But with Villanueva coming in his second conference as a Giant, things are moving well it seems. (13PPG, 11.7RPG, 1.3APG)

10 TIGERS – NIC BELASCO (LW # 9) – The “inmates running the asylum” gig is making heads turn in favor of Coke. They have annexed a two-game-run by defeating Red Bull’s 3-game win streak. Belasco for one, scored 17 points and 9 rebounds for the surging Tigers. (14.9PPG, 10RPG, 2.3APG)

9 BEERMEN – JAY WASHINGTON (LW # 8) – Taking a backseat for Dorian Pena, and the other SMB players, J-Wash is one of the factors why the Beermen rank high in this tourney. Under Siot Tanquingcen’s deliberate offense, his running big man awesomeness is making him a popular choice for the Best Player plum early in the tourney. (13.6PPG, 9.6RPG, 3.9APG, 1SPG)

8 KINGS – JAYJAY HELTERBRAND (LW # 11) – After sliding out of the Top 10, the Helter-skelter is back in the hunt. Without a consistent offensive option, the Kings had to rely most of their scoring to the non-injured Bandanna Brother. The Kings are dead-last and even his 30 points against Alaska couldn’t save them from sinking (21.3PPG, 3.3RPG, 3.7APG, 1.2SPG)

7 EXPRESS – RANIDEL DE OCAMPO (LW # 4) – Slowly slipping down but still has bearable stats. He had a couple of off games but this could change as it has been unlikely that the former St. Francis Dove would play crap within an enormously long stretch. (13.1PPG, 11.9RPG, 3.6APG, 1.0SPG)

6 REALTORS – KELLY WILLIAMS (LW # 2) – 3 points and 7 rebounds in 38 minutes of action will make fantasy owners erupt! Machine Gun Kelly’s continuing struggles has caused a meltdown of sorts to SLR’s campaign. As the only Realtor in the Ranks, his performances build the confidence of his teammates. This skid should end soon so the L’s would translate into W’s. (15.5PPG, 12RPG, 2.2APG, 1SPG)

5 EXPRESS – ARWIND SANTOS (LW # 7) – In his last two games he has been torching the net with his 21.5 points, 13 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. The Express has been leaning to his antics because they know when he plays good, the team follows up his “thing”. (19.5PPG, 9.2RPG, 1APG, 1.3SPG, 1.5BPG)

4 TROPANG TEXTERS – MACMAC CARDONA (LW # 3) – He has erupted for almost 27 points and 7 rebounds in his last two games. He is currently the league-leader in scoring and he is the first player in the Philippine Cup to score 150 points. Did it translate into wins? Not quite. In his last two games he has also lost his ability to score assists and other stat markers. (23.7PPG, 5.7RPG, 2.9APG)

3 ACES – WILLIE MILLER (LW # 6) – Moving up on the standings, the Thriller has been scorching the net as of late. However Alaska sagged in these outings. Except for the win they had against the Kings, the Aces are suffering from a two-game buzzkill. For fantasy owners though, they love the 2-time MVP because has been moving up in points, rebounds, and assists in great fashion. (18.3PPG, 8.1RPG, 5APG, 1.4SPG)

2 GIANTS – KERBY RAYMUNDO (LW # 5) – The Kid looked like an import in their match against the Express as he led all scorers with 37 marks in their overtime win. This was enough to take the Giants out of the cellar and a beginning of what could be a longer streak. Raymundo prominently ranks in the rebounding ladder with his scoring ranking third in all of the league. (20.4PPG, 9.9RPG, 3.1APG)

1 TIGERS – ASI TAULAVA (LW # 1) – The Rock finished first for the second time in the Rankings… which is a first this season. The most vital cog in coach Kenneth Duremdes’ system, the current leader in rebounds (tied with Williams) also ranks fourth in points. Coke has been dominantly surging up top amidst the struggles of Sta. Lucia and TNT. Taulava is pretty much the reason of this outburst. (20.1PPG, 12RPG, 2.4APG)

Until the next installment…

SURF PORN!