PBA: Alaska Aces 2012 Draft preview

2011-12 season recap:

• Philippine Cup: 3-11 (9th), eliminated in the first round
• Commissioner's Cup: 5-4 (4th), lost in the quarterfinals 1-2 to Barako Bull
• Governors' Cup: 2-7 (9th), eliminated in the first round

What happened? In hindsight, we should have seen Alaska’s train wreck of a season coming. Teams change coaches as often as Beau Belga eats extra rice, so news of a new coach shouldn’t be that surprising. Except when it’s the Alaska Aces. And especially when it concerns arguably the greatest coach in PBA history: Tim Cone. His exit from the Alaska franchise was the prevalent storyline for the Aces not even for one conference, but for the entire year. Due to the emotional departure of Cone, it was clear that this was going to be a rebuilding year from top to bottom. Alaska went with assistant coach Joel Banal for the Philippine Cup, then limped to a 3-11 record, second-worst ahead of just the expansion team Shopinas.com Clickers. The Aces had relatively better success in the Commissioners Cup, making it to the quarterfinals before getting eliminated by Barako Bull. With an improved record, there was hope that Alaska was slowly starting to figure out life after Time Cone. But before the Governors Cup could begin, Alaska decided to ride the coaching carousel again, as Joel Banal resigned and assistant coach Luigi Trillo taking over. It was a curious change at the time, and the proof was in the Aces’ campaign: a 2-7 record, and bounced from the elimination round outright. There just wasn’t enough time to incorporate the new system of Trillo, even though he decided to return to the legendary Triangle Offense installed by Cone. It was a painful end to what was the most frustrating season in recent memory for this proud franchise. Where do they go from here? In the wake of the Governors Cup, the Aces signed Luigi Trillo to a two-year deal, which will give his players more time to get accustomed to his system. With the off-season to work with the team, hopes are high that the Aces will show improvement in the upcoming PBA season. But more than the coaching philosophy of Trillo, the Aces need to begin looking forward, instead of reveling in the success of the past. Their last championship happened two years ago, and the one major move they made since then was shipping out valuable swingman Larry Fonacier, and acquiring the draft rights to Elmer Espiritu, plus Bonbon Custodio during the 2010 Draft. The core of LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio and Sonny Thoss is still a talented trio, now the challenge is surrounding them with complementary role players who’ll be able to provide added dimensions for the Aces on offense and defense. Drafting the talented Mac Baracael was a start, but the rebuilding process for the Aces has just begun. What do they need most? Alaska needs an additional creator on offense Tenorio and Baguio can get theirs, but they need an additional dimension on offense to keep defenses honest and stop them from focusing on the duo alone. Too many times teams have exerted maximum effort to contain Tenorio’s perimeter shooting and Baguio’s penetration, with not a single Ace making them pay the price for doing so. Scoring was never an issue in the past with the Aces because of the system they ran with Cone, and there’s a belief that since Trillo will be implementing a similar system, the issues on offense will be solved. That said, the team still needs help, and they could find that in this draft. Possible trades Since drafting Pascual with the second pick is a reach, Alaska might be better served by trading down and/or acquiring a proven veteran scorer in the PBA. As of the moment, with the former Powerade Tigers and now Mikee Romero-owned franchise still getting on its feet, now would be the perfect time to propose an offer for MVP candidate Gary David, who would provide the exact offensive punch that the Aces need. The second pick would also be enticing for Romero’s new franchise, as they can select a player to instantly be the face of the franchise. The rebuilding process for the Aces won’t be solved in one season, but the seeds of change could be sowed on draft night.  - AMD, GMA News