The Final Score: Choosing between Chris Tiu and Chris Ellis

Moments before Commissioner Chito Salud reveals the sixth pick of the 2012 PBA Draft, anticipation builds.  People hear the jet engine buzz inside the Robinson’s Place Manila activity center. There’s an opportunity to pair a celebrity with a celebrated team. An immensely popular team has a chance to become an insanely popular team. All Ginebra has to do is draft Chris Tiu. Write his name on a piece of paper. Wait for the Commissioner to formalize the move. Watch the phenomenon start. It never happens. The tantalizing idea lasts for about five minutes. After Barako Bull selects Aldrech Ramos at number 5 (he eventually moves to the B-MEG Llamados/SanMig Coffee), people looked at one another, with eyes alert and mouths agape, as if to say, “Holy cow, Ginebra can draft Chris Tiu at number six. This is happening. When can we buy tickets for the first Ginebra game?” Then, the moment disappears. Gone forever. I look at people beside me. They’re perplexed. An exciting concept gives way to an even more compelling one.   Ginebra doesn’t need Chris Tiu. They want Chris Ellis. It’s a choice between the man girls want their parents to meet and the man their parents probably know little about. It’s a choice between the man who can sell ice to Eskimos and the man who can break the rim in half. It’s a choice between the man who can make Ginebra a better half-court team and the man who can make Ginebra a better running unit. It’s a choice between the undeniable and the unexpected. Why Ginebra? Why? You know what you’ll get from Chris Tiu. At least, that’s the assumption. The man has marketing magic and international experience. The franchise, then, generates even more fans. The team, then, generates even more wins. Mark Caguioa and Chris Tiu together: September 30, please arrive sooner. But as Mark Titus of Grantland suggests, what makes the most sense hardly ever happens. Perhaps, that’s the enticing aspect of Ginebra picking Ellis over Tiu. Who is this guy? What can he do? If you saw him in the PBA D-League and the SEA Games, you know he runs like a gazelle and jumps over people. Chances are, however, you don’t know what to expect. Ah, the element of surprise. It translates to potential. It’s the wow factor. Forget Tiu. Ginebra says they don’t need him. Just wait and see. You’ll like Ellis even more. With rookies, no matter how talented, success is a 50/50 proposition. Chris Tiu joins Rain or Shine. Chris Ellis joins Ginebra. I have no idea how this works out. Maybe Paul Lee and Chris Tiu can transform first-time champions into constant contenders. Maybe Chris Ellis can turn Ginebra into a legit running juggernaut. Someone decided not to combine the intangible forces of one man and one team. So maybe I’m simply overreacting to a lost moment. Of course, as soon as Chris Ellis dunks on Marc Pingris in the next Manila Clasico, we can pretend this discussion never happened. - AMD, GMA News