Double treat in All-Star Weekend

It’s not just the culminating All-Star Game pitting the Rookies, Sophomores and Juniors (RSJs) against the rest of the PBA (the so-called Veterans) generating fan interest in the PBA All-Star Weekend in Laoag City on May 10-13.

There’s also a “classic” encounter featuring 10 PBA legends joining forces with active players on Friday, May 11. The regular All-Star Game is set on Sunday, May 13. Both contests are expected to pack the 5,000-seat Centennial Arena. Choosing the starters for the RSJs and Veterans involved on-line and in-venue voting among fans. Initially, fans sent in their nominations via the internet. From the nominations, the PBA staff tabulated the top 12 nominees for a center and two forwards and the top 10 for two guards. About 50 were nominated for each spot, according to PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

The list of 12 nominees for the RSJs’ center and two forwards was made up of Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Dylan Ababou, Japeth Aguilar, Mac Baracael, Rico Maierhofer, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Allein Maliksi, Noy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu, Jimbo Aquino and Rey Guevarra. The list of 10 nominees for the RSJs’ two guards was composed of Jvee Casio, Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Robert Labagala, John Wilson, Josh Urbiztondo, Chris Ross, R. J. Jazul, Pamboy Raymundo and Eric Salamat.

Lutz led the early balloting for the center and forward positions with 34,154 votes while Casio set the pace for guards with 35,544. Lassiter, Ababou, Aguilar and Baracael rounded out the top five in their category while Lee, Barroca, Labagala and Wilson followed Casio among the guards.

Voting ended last March 28 and the final tally showed Lassiter (43,067), Lutz (42,757) and Ababou (38,621) clinching the center and two forward slots and Casio (45,038) and Urbiztondo (39,963) the guard spots. Lee missed the cut with 39,777 votes. Urbiztondo’s advance from sixth to second within a week was the largest leap of any starter.

For the Veterans, the 12 nominees for center and two forwards were Arwind Santos, Marc Pingris, J. C. Intal, Kerby Raymundo, Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Ildefonso, Nino Canaleta, Kelly Williams, Asi Taulava, Gabe Norwood, Joe DeVance and Sonny Thoss. The 10 nominees for guards were James Yap, Mark Caguioa, Gary David, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Alex Cabagnot, Jimmy Alapag, Cyrus Baguio, P. J. Simon, L. A. Tenorio and Willie Miller. Conspicuously missing among the nominees were Jayson Castro, Larry Fonacier, Ronald Tubid, MacMac Cardona, Sol Mercado, Jeff Chan, Ryan Arana, Rudy Hatfield, Mike Cortez, Sean Anthony, RenRen Ritualo, Doug Kramer and Ranidel de Ocampo.

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In the first cut-off, the leading Veteran vote-getters for center and two forward slots were Santos, Pingris and Raymundo. Yap and Caguioa showed the way in the poll for two guard spots. In the final tally, Intal edged out Raymundo, 29,503 to 27,790, for a starting position. Also making the grade were Santos (42,996) and Pingris (41,192). For the guards, Yap topped the balloting with 37,893 and Caguioa took second place with 29,157. David was out of the magic circle with 21,224.

In terms of total votes garnered, Casio was No. 1 with 45,038 followed by Lassiter with 43,067, Santos with 42,996, Lutz with 42,757 and Pingris with 41,192. They were the only players with at least 40,000 votes. The votes were the sum of venue (one ticket, one vote a game) and on-line ballots (one vote, one email address a day). The venue ballot carried a 7/8 proportion while the on-line ballot, 1/8 to arrive at the total vote value.

Four of the five RSJ starters were picked in last year’s draft – Casio No. 1, Lutz No. 3, Lassiter No. 4 and Ababou No. 10. Urbiztondo, 28, was snubbed in the 2009 draft and sneaked his way into the PBA via Sta. Lucia Realty and Air21 before landing at B-Meg. The Fireball is the oldest RSJ starter. Lutz is 27, Casio and Ababou 25 and Lassiter 24.

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The five Veteran starters were among the top four picks when they were drafted. Santos, 30, was the second choice behind Williams in 2006 while Pingris, 30, was the third pick behind Rich Alvarez and Yap in 2004. Intal, 28, was the fourth pick behind DeVance, Samigue Eman and Ryan Reyes in 2007. Caguioa was the third choice behind Miller and Mike Hrabak in 2001. Only Miller and Caguioa remain active in the PBA among the 10 first round picks in 2001 – Kiko Adriano, Norman Gonzales and Roger Yap are in the ABL while Hrabak, Gilbert Demape, John Arigo, Marvin Ortiguerra and Joey Mente are no longer playing.

The league’s 10 coaches then voted to fill the reserve casts of both RSJ and Veteran squads last April 1. Selected as RSJ reserves were Aguilar, Al-Hussaini, Baracael, Maierhofer, Barroca, Lee and Ross. The Veteran relievers are Norwood, Thoss, Williams, Alapag, Cabagnot, David and Tenorio. Chot Reyes will coach the Veterans while Bo Perasol will call the shots for the RSJs. In the “classic” game, two teams – Greats and Stalwarts – will slug it out. The Greats are made up of playing coach Ato Agustin, Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Hec Calma, Olsen Racela, Ildefonso, Hatfield, Danny Seigle, Joseph Yeo, Cortez, Mercado and Miller. The Stalwarts are composed of playing coach Allan Caidic, Kenneth Duremdes, Bong Ravena, Pido Jarencio, Ronnie Magsanoc, Taulava, De Ocampo, Anthony, Simon, Helterbrand, Canaleta and Baguio.