The Final Score: Waiting for the PBA's Fast and the Furious

Ginebra fans, even the most die-hard kind, squint, purse their lips and shake their heads. They watch Ginebra trot to a 1-2 record and they know there's something amiss. They cheer each time Mark Caguioa scores. They applaud every JC Intal shot. Yet a nagging feeling stays. So the team wins once and loses twice. There's no reason to panic. This early, however, it appears winning the tournament won't be a picnic either. 72. 82. 75. In its first three games, Ginebra scored 76 points per outing. Not to say Ginebra is immune to slow starts. But Ginebra was built in such a way that it would offer no excuses if it loses. After all, theoretically, it acquired all the tools to win. Champion coaches Jong Uichico and Siot Tanquingcen are on the bench. Former MVPs Willie Miller, Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Eric Menk are on the floor. Sure, age is a factor. So is chemistry. I respect how Ginebra believes collecting an army of accomplished players should work. They were one defensive stop away from making the semi-finals in the recent Fiesta Conference. Who knows how far they could've gone if Diamon Simpson didn't score the go-ahead basket. Perhaps they would look at themselves differently. Or discover that a team (if I may use Survivor Philippines as reference) with too many Jon Halls and not enough Solenn Heussaffs can succeed. For the tribe on the island, there's just one pot of rice to share. For the team searching for its identity, there's just one basketball to go around. In the past, I knew at some point during a game, Helterbrand would find Caguioa on a three-on-two fast-break, Tubid would go for broke on a one-on-three situation, Menk would punish someone at the post and Ginebra would win with rock-star flair. Nowadays, it's difficult to predict how Ginebra intends to win games. Today it's Miller. Tomorrow, someone else might try to score the game-winner. I just know, in all likelihood, Celino Cruz will watch most games from start to finish in his plastic seat. I know. I know. It's early in the race. Ginebra's 23% clip from three-point range and 18 turnovers per game shouldn't prompt a mass revolt. Besides, no team has blown Ginebra out of the building so far. Still, fans expect Ginebra to clobber someone soon the way its lineup was designed to do. It's been just three games. It's been just three weeks. With just seconds to go against San Miguel, Ginebra down by one, Miller has the ball. Trapped in Arwind Santos's tentacles, Miller struggles to create a shot. Uichico sees it happen in slow-motion. Miller dribbles the ball off his left foot. Game over. We're all trying to figure out what Ginebra is in 2010. Fans pray hard. Players work hard. But while the ball rolls on the floor, marking a second Ginebra loss, Uichico ponders on what Ginebra should be and how much more it will take for his players to make it happen. - GMANews.TV