For many players, ending their careers with the teams they want to play for is a good thing.
This is why we cringe at seeing Danny Ildefonso’s first retirement. Unceremoniously discarded by the San Miguel Beermen, Demolition Danny was picked up by the Meralco Bolts but was taken by the Blackwater Elite in the 2014 Expansion Draft.
After a failed negotiation, Ildefonso’s career came to an end.
In Asi Taulava’s case, he went from the Mythical Second Team to benchwarmer when the NLEX Road Warriors signed Yeng Guiao. The fiery coach was a fit in terms of becoming the administrative face of the franchise because he was once the vice governor of Pampanga. However, he is also known to favor up-and-comers over veterans and Taulava, Larry Fonacier, and Cyrus Baguio took a backseat in place of the young-ins. Taulava spent the last seven seasons restricted on the bench by playing just 89 games with less than 10 minutes of playing time.
That said, Taulava was in his 40s at that point.
Also, it feels as if Asi had come to terms with his new role seasons before his retirement. Conferences after Guiao’s exit and even when the coach was still with the Road Warriors, we never heard anything from The Rock.
After six seasons, Christian Standhardinger is about to announce his retirement. This is disappointing, because he went from being number three in the MVP race behind June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez in the 2023-24 season, to this insanely weird situation.
It feels like he’s Chris Ellis – how he dealt with the situation after moving from Ginebra to Terrafirma. In Ellis’ case, Air Force was traded to Blackwater in 2017 alongside Dave Marcelo for Arthur Dela Cruz and Raymond Aguilar. Instead of playing for the Elite, Ellis had an apparent kidney issue and was last seen donning military colors after a stint in the Thailand league.
Standhardinger’s case is a mystery for Ginebra, who needed his presence even at the start of the 2024-25 PBA Governors’ Cup. I guess the rights to RJ Abarrientos are enough? I think Stephen Holt, and in some ways, Maverick Ahanmisi, are with Ginebra just in case Scottie Thompson, Justin Brownlee, Japeth Aguilar, and I guess Jamie Malonzo are in line for rest days after a grueling stint with Gilas Pilipinas. But again, C-Stan is about to retire despite his awesomeness.
Is Terrafirma that bad of a destination?
People forget that Christian Standhardinger’s name has floated around the PBA draft pools since 2012. He has seen a lot of leagues and he has seen a lot of situations.
So if he thinks he’s going to waste his final playing years in a dumpster fire that is the Terrafirma Dyip, maybe he’s looking to retire from the PBA to play elsewhere. Being a Pinoy is a good thing in most Asian leagues. We have seen Alex Cabagnot, KG Canaleta, and Jay Washington become imports despite being on the wrong side of their 30s (or in Crunchman’s case, early 40s.) We have seen the likes of Jerick Canada, Marvin Cruz, Al Vergara, Froi Baguion, and Patrick Cabahug make a living in the Southeast Asian leagues despite their so-so PBA careers.
As of this writing, I just watched a Northport versus Terrafirma game.
Last season, I was a fan of Terrafirma. I thought it would be awesome if the Dyip tried to acquire the top NCAA players that they could get. That said, this was a different Terrafirma team, in all shapes and forms.
For starters, Ryan Richards is out due to back spasms and he just informed his team during the shootaround. I know it could have been a freak accident, but I also know that he’ll probably keep his job because Terrafirma could care less about winning. Vic Manuel and Louie Sangalang were trying to muscle their way to the basket. This is good and all, but Stanley Pringle rarely gets the ball, if not at all.
And Mark Nonoy, the supposed prized find, is a ball-turning hog in this game. I think he’s still stuck with the MPBL feels, but while he’s quick and unfazed by the situation, he also needs to involve his teammates.
Maybe it does help that Manuel is there to grab the offensive opportunities that he lost during his time with the San Miguel Beermen, but you can also see that it could have been C-Stan working the middle.
Standhardinger is going to retire from the PBA to pursue other opportunities elsewhere. As far as we know, the SMC teams are the best teams for him, and not these fans-less punching bag farm squads. The best way for Terrafirma to get something from C-Stan is by trading his rights, although they need to find a team that is willing to acquire him despite his Dec 31, 2024 end of contract.
Of the SMC and TNT teams in need of height and size, NLEX and Magnolia need an upgrade.
But the madness of it all is that Phoenix is one team in need of size. Unlike Terrafirma and Blackwater, Phoenix is just a team without a sick budget. They might be part of the TNT circle, but like Rain or Shine, they would rather do things on their own. The Fuel Masters lost Matthew Wright and most recently, Javee Mocon for nothing and I guess Jason Perkins might look for other opportunities if he can see growth in his position.
The Phoenix franchise is in the genealogy of Tanduay, Fedex/Air21, and Barako Bull. There are a ton of players in this situation who never won a championship in the PBA. Sonny Alvarado, Gary David, Wynne Arboleda, and Matthew Wright finished their PBA careers without a PBA championship while guys like Homer Se, Willy Wilson, JC Intal, and Doug Kramer
Sean Anthony, a player who has been in and out of the Air21/Phoenix system, could join the retired players if he can’t hitch a ride with a championship contender. The PBA is a league with a season consisting of two or three conferences. If a player can’t get a championship in this scenario, not only will they be perennial laughingstocks but expect their fanbase to decrease or remain stagnant.
Again, we go back to Standhardinger. As far as fanbase, Ginebra is the height of PBA fandom. In terms of achievements and championships, the only big award missing in his collection is the MVP award that June Mar Fajardo has almost monopolized.
The imbalanced squads are not just a SMC thing. From the get-go, Crispa and Toyota monopolized the PBA and the 90s is pretty much the most balanced era. But unlike past PBA iterations, these farm squads are eyesores.
Just give the teams multiple team owners, or give them penalties for losing.