We all saw an awesome SG
war in the 2014 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, with Jeff Chan finding his rhythm
for Rain or Shine and James Yap and PJ Simon alternating for San Mig Coffee. It
was a treat to watch for all die-hard hoop nuts, but, alas, Yap and Simon ended
up with the trophy. Are all those three SGs, though, among the top five in the
PBA? Well, let’s just say will be surprised by what you see.
Without further ado, here
they are – the top five shotoing guards in the 2013-2014 PBA season as of March
2, 2014 (as always, this is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as
calculated by PBA-Online.net):
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| Ladies and gents, the the five most productive SGs in the PBA today. (composite image by Enzo Flojo/HoopNut) |
5. PJ Simon (SMC) – 13.9ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.8apg, 28.2 EFF
- Though Simon is good
enough to shoot from deep, he is the most atypical shooting guard on this list.
He really has two bread-and-butter shots – that nifty 10-15-foot baseline J,
and his patented midrange one-hander. Either one has been known to ignite
spurts for the Mixers or, conversely, douse the flames from opposing teams’
runs. He is maybe the sneakiest scorer in the country today, which is a big reason why he deserves a spot on this
list.
4. John Wilson (MER) – 12.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.4 triples per game,
.392 3pt%, 29.1 EFF
- This fourth year guard
out of Jose Rizal University continues to impress with his range and his
defensive tenacity. He’s the perfect back-up to Gary David for the Bolts, and
looks to form as potent an SG-combo as the one the Mixers have with James Yap
and PJ Simon. Wilson, however, has a penchant to shoot himself, and his team,
out of games, so heat check might the order of the day for the former Heavy
Bomber.
3. Marcio Lassiter (SMB) – 14.8ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.7apg, 2.0 triples per
game, .348 3pt%, 29.4 EFF
- I was elated to find out
that Lassiter returns to the national pool after being named by coach Chot
Reyes. He deserves to be there – plain and simple. He has the size, skill-set,
and the experience to contribute a lot to the cause. He should be a heavy
contributor over at SMB, too, despite the dip in his shooting percentages.
Lassiter can create a lot of match-up problems against smaller guards, and he’s
such a good defender that opposing shooters will tire themselves out just
trying to run away from him.
2. Gary David (MER) – 18.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.5apg, 2.1 triples per game,
.373 3pt%, 32.5 EFF
- I expect El Granada to
put up even bigger numbers in the second conference, what with much of opposing
teams’ defensive schemes revolving around stopping their nearly-7-foot center.
My only worry is whether Gary’s motor will enable him to be competitive in
every game, given how his practice time will double up thanks to the resumption
of Gilas Pilipinas training. If Gary is anything, though, he’s a soldier, so
he’ll go to battle dutifully and with all barrels loaded.
1. Joseph Yeo (A21) – 14.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 6.4apg, 1.6 triples per game,
33.5 EFF
- Unlike in the previous
conference, Yeo won’t have to play much point guard in the Commish Cup should
Jonas Villanueva prove to be a healthy and productive addition to the Express.
Still, with no real gunner and go-to-guy, Yeo should continue to produce
significant numbers. He’s like the PBA’s version of Isaiah Thomas – his team is
so bad, his numbers look so damn good.
Outside looking in:
Cyrus Baguio (ALA) – 28.1
EFF
Terrence Romeo (GLO) –
27.3 EFF
James Yap (SMC) – 27.0 EFF
*For those who are shaking their heads and wondering where Jeff Chan is,
unfortunately, the ROS and Gilas Pilipinas sniper’s EFF rating prevents him
from breaking into this list. He is ninth overall among all SGs.
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