The PBA all-underrated team

It happens to the best of them. A sparkling collegiate and amateur career, marked with great success. Then a move to the pros and boom! You hit the bench. And stay there.

There are players in the PBA who haven’t earned the praise, popularity — or at the very least — the playing time that they deserve.

Chris Tan. What on earth is he doing on the bench? Norman Black’s stepson has had some of the greatest comeback careers of all time. With the Cebu Gems, Tan helped the team come together and make it to the finals. With Sta. Lucia, he lost weight, worked on his defense, and actually won the franchise its first PBA championship with a gutsy fourth-quarter shot. Was that only two years ago?

A lot of what the versatile former Green Archer has done doesn’t show up on the stat sheets. But if you look at his record, he’s a winner. The times he’s been on the floor, the Realtors have looked good and have won. He’s guarded the top scorers on other teams, whether they were bigger and stronger or smaller and faster. He can play three positions. Chris Tan is buried treasure on the bench.

Ato Morano. For the longest time, this former San Beda Red Lion has gone unnoticed, largely because, as a person, he’s quiet and unassuming. Morano is almost the second coming of Ato Agustin, the kapampangan shooter who won MVP honors after shifting from small forward to shooting guard to point when his San Miguel teammates all went down with injuries.

Morano patiently waited for his time to shine, and, shot when asked to. He endured anonymity, verbal abuse from a superstar teammate when he was on the Pampanga Dragons, and learning how to play the point. Finally, he is receiving his due as a legitimate star in the PBA, and a champion at that.

Bong Ravena. The glory that Ravena reaps today with the Talk ’N Text Phone Pals barely scratches the surface of the suffering he has been through in a long career. Starting with the UE Warriors and the 1991 SEA Games men’s team, he was always in the shadows of more flashy players, though he was more talented. In the finals against Thailand, Ravena scored 17 points to secure the gold medal, on a team that had Marlou Aquino, Jun Limpot and Vergel Meneses, among others.

It all seemed things would go great. Then the 6’3" greyhound hit a wall in the PBA. Spotty playing time, coming off the bench, you name it. The chance to shine came as the franchise player of the MBA’s Pasig-Rizal Pirates, but it didn’t last, either.

Ravena returned to the PBA with the entry of Mobiline (now Talk ‘N Text). But, through all the coaching changes, he was always either benched or placed on reserve. And this went on for years. He thought about giving up, until Joel Banal came along. That’s why Bong Ravena’s success is the greatest untold story in the PBA today.

Cyrus Baguio. The former UST Growling Tiger is probably thanking his lucky stars Red Bull Barako picked him up. Baguio always made UST a contender. He was an enigma in the UAAP, a 6’2" point guard who could dunk in the face of defenses. Strangely, he couldn’t come to terms with anybody after the draft. But, if he gets the playing time (which will be hard to do behind Willie Miller and the returning Jimwell Torion) he will be a valuable tool.

Don Camaso. He’s as tall as many centers in the PBA, and can play four spots. He jumps out of the gym, can take it strong to the basket, and has developed an outside shot he didn’t really have with the Manila Metrostars in the MBA. So why isn’t Don Camaso the superstar he should be?

First of all, he’s playing in a system that values teamwork above all, so it will be difficult to individually shine in Alaska. Secondly, he’s still paying his dues and learning the ropes. The first time Tim Cone taught the triangle, it took a couple of seasons to take hold. Third, with all the size in the paint, driving inside has become prohibitively painful. But make no mistake, Camaso is poised for a breakout.

John Ferriols. Where do old MVP’s go? John Ferriols is slow in coming along in the PBA. Though the FedEx Express have been doing well of late, the MBA’s first Most Valuable Player is trying to find his place in the scheme of things. With the Negros Slashers, the Davaoeño lefty bulked up to spend time at center. But, at a shade under 6’4", he can’t do that in the PBA.

It may be a longer road to superstardom for Ferriols, but the signs are there. He’s gradually improved his range, and, if he loses a few more pounds, he’ll have the mobility to maneuver around other defenders. But does he bulk up and become an undersized power forward, or trim down and become a wide-bodied small forward or shooting guard?

For one reason or another, Chris Tan, Ato Morano, Bong Ravena, Cyrus Baguio, Don Camaso and John Ferriols have not received the complete package of fame, respect and power that they could command in the PBA. It may be a combination of coaching preference, system, strength of their teams’ line-ups, or just a matter of time. But they are well worth keeping an eye on.