The match could be drama-fraught with an intriguing sub-plot that centered on one-time MVP winner Kenneth Duremdes following his celebrated trade.
The lone curtain-raiser to the new PBA season will provide a glimpse on how far the Realtors would go in the league with one of the league’s most prolific scorers now in their fold and how the Aces would fare without the last remnant of their fabled team in the 90s.
Sta. Lucia gained the services of the 6-foot-3 gunner from Marbel, South Cotabato in exchange for two draft picks in a trade deal with Alaska a few minutes before the recent PBA Annual Draft.
Duremdes proved to be the major piece Sta. Lucia got in a massive rebuilding the team undertook starting with former Tanduay coach Alfrancis Chua taking over the reins from Norman Black.
Already assured of a deadly triumvirate in Duremdes, Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino, Chua also took in draftee Leo Bat-og and free-agents Jason Webb, Allan Yu, Wilmer Ong and Jomar Tierra.
The Realtors have shown they could be a formidable team to reckon with their big rout of the Purefoods in an exhibition match at the FEU gym last Jan. 31.
Duremdes erupted for 27 points in that game. The team has another pre-season game assignment versus San Miguel Beer at the Sumilang gym in Pasig tomorrow.
Duremdes said he’ll treat the game versus Alaska as an ordinary contest, stressing he doesn’t feel bad being traded. "In the first place, okay naman ako dito sa Sta. Lucia. Dati kong mga kaibigan ang players at coach dito, " he said.
After releasing Duremdes and a number of old mainstays, including Rodney Santos, Alaska, meanwhile, invested in the future, getting young players, led by draftees Mike Cortez, Brandon Cablay and Eugene Tejada.
Cablay turned out to be the player Alaska got in exchange for Duremdes. The former Vanguard University player, No. 4 pick in the recent draft, struggled on the floor in their tune-up game versus Talk N Text also last Jan. 31 at the La Salle-Taft gym.
Alaska coach Tim Cone, however, said it’s too early to judge what Cablay can do.
But the Duremdes trade is not the only point of interest outside of the initial test of strength between the two teams since the Realtors and the Aces are poles apart as far as the composition of their lineup is concerned.
While Sta. Lucia is one of only two teams with a full complement of homegrown players, Alaska, on the other hand, has the most number of Fil-foreign players in its roster.
Cortez, Cablay and Tejada plus former San Miguel reserve Alvin Castro joined a team that includes fellow Fil-foreign players Ali Peek, Don Allado, John Arigo, Migs Noble, Rob Duat and Jon Ordonio. The only local talents in the team are EJ Feihl, Cebuano rookie Stephen Padilla and free-agent acquisition Don Camaso.
"Actually it’s not by design," Alaska coach Tim Cone said on the huge number of Fil-Am players in his team. "We just went out and got the players which we felt we need."
Meanwhile, the league announced that privilege membership cards are now open for renewal at special prices. PMCs for ringside seats are priced at P6,000; courtside seats at P4,500 and P3,500 for upper and lower box seats.
Two ringside PMCs can be bought for a discounted rate of P10,000 while fans who get two PMCs for courtside, upper and lower box seats can avail of a P1,000 discount. For inquiries, call tel. nos. 636-5320 to 21 and look for Gerry Mesias or Nestor Noblejas.