Lebanese star: Where is Jimmy?

TAIPEI – Fadi El Khatib, probably the best basketball player Lebanon has ever produced, was surprised Jimmy Alapag is no longer part of the RP team, saying the Talk n Text sparkplug, to him, is Asia’s best point guard.

“Why did the Philippines change its lineup? Why is Jimmy no longer with the team?” El Khatib asked the group of Filipino sportswriters covering the 31st Jones Cup competition here.

“For me, Jimmy is the best point guard in Asia,” said El Khatib, well familiar with the Chot Reyes-mentored RP team which they faced several times in the run-up to the 2007 FIBA-Asia championship in Tokushima, Japan.

El Khatib remembered Alapag outshining everybody in the four-nation Manila Invitational Cup which the Filipinos won over the Lebanese a few days before the Tokushima meet.

RP team coach Yeng Guiao has said their choice for the second point guard spot boiled down between Alapag and Ryan Reyes. In the end, they chose Reyes – the taller player – for match-up purposes.

Meanwhile, Omar El Turk, another Lebanese player, pointed to Smart Gilas’ Mark Barroca as “the next Jimmy Alapag.” Lebanon and Smart Gilas met in the last FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Indonesia

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The Philippine team is getting more and more impressed by Japeth Aguilar as days go by here.

“He’s played only three games so far and he’s improved a lot. He’s blessed with tremendous athleticism and he’s quick to learn. Kulang lang sa gulang maybe because he didn’t get much exposure with his team (Western Kentucky U in the US NCAA),” said RP team coach Yeng Guiao.

“Once he learns the ropes, he can really be a dominant force in the PBA. I think he’s the most athletic big man Philippine basketball has ever got,” Guiao added. – Nelson Beltra