PBA: Barako Bull Energy Cola Philippine Cup preview

Last Philippine Cup: The Barako Bull Energy had something going early on early in conference with the young UST Tigers duo of Allein Maliksi and Dylan Ababou. They changed course mid-way though, swapping out Maliksi for Jimbo Aquino and picks, and as a result, proceeded to lose six of their last seven. Their record was still good enough though to make it to the quarterfinals, but they came two points shy of forcing eventual champs Talk 'N Text to burn their twice-to-beat advantage. Offseason Moves: The Barako Bull Energy Cola are coming into this season with a slightly revamped line-up. It’s clear that the team is moving forward from last year’s “Manong Brigade” theme by trotting out a younger, bigger and possibly more dynamic team. The team needed size and playmaking to compete with the rest of the league, and they addressed those holes with some offseason deals. One of the biggest moves the Energy Cola made was to trade away their main gunner, Willie Miller for burly big man, Enrico Villanueva. Villanueva will bring youth, toughness and low post scoring to a team that needed additional punch from the paint. Another key acquisition by Barako Bull was Josh Urbiztondo for a future first round pick. The former Llamado/Mixer brings championship experience, backcourt stability and firepower from the outside. Draft day additions Sean Anthony, Dave Marcelo and Lester Alvarez round out the new faces of the revamped Barako Bull squad. Anthony will play a key role on the team. He’s built a reputation as a utility guy, willing to do whatever’s needed to help the team win. Marcelo and Alvarez provide additional depth at the center and point guard position respectively. Three keys to being successful in the Philippine Cup 1. Tough defense -  When the names Doug Kramer, Sean Anthony, Ronald Tubid and Roger Yap are mentioned, one thing comes to mind: shut-down defense. That’s the one sure thing Barako Bull will be bringing to the table next season, tough aggressive defense. The Energy Cola isn’t a team that’s loaded with scorers, so for their team to succeed, they’re going to have to be an elite defensive team. The entire team should buy into this new identity to be able to pull-off wins against the top-tier squads in the league. 2. Continued resurgence of Dynamite Danny -  The Energy Cola have no superstars to lead the team. It used to be Willie Miller taking the big shots at crucial stages of the game, but with him gone, it has to be Danny Seigle. He may be older and less explosive, but he’s still a potential mismatch for all teams. Seigle hasn’t been the first option on offense since his heyday with San Miguel, but he now has to reprise that role and come into this season with the mentality of a lights-out scorer. Coach Junel Baculi will have to help Seigle out. He’s going to have to take advantage of any mismatches and openings for Seigle to put his main offensive option in a position to succeed. 3. The Fireball should be in control - Barako Bull trading for Josh Urbiztondo was a “win now" move. On one hand, the spitfire point guard can carry a team’s scoring load with his streaky shooting all by himself, but on the other, he can also fire up questionable “heat check” type shots. Urbiztondo can’t play reckless as the team needs him to run their offense. He needs to be able to set-up guys like Kramer, andVillanueva underneath, and find Tubid and Seigle on the wings. Now more than ever, Urbiztondo will need to be a playmaker rather than a scorer. That being said, Barako Bull will also need the aggressiveness and energy that he’s known for. Urbiztondo has to temper his playing style, pick his spots and focus on making the entire team better. What’s the one thing that scares Barako Bull fans? This is a potentially explosive team, in more ways than one. They can come together, buy into Coach Baculi’s system and play hard-nose basketball which will give other teams trouble. On the flip side, they can also implode. Urbiztondo and Tubid can take this opportunity to be “the man” and play selfish ball. This could lead to hard workers like Sean Anthony and Doug Kramer feeling left out after all the dirty work they do. Strong, enforcer personalities like Villanueva, Tubid, Kramer, Pennisi and Urbiztondo can end up clashing rather than working together. In other words, all hell can break loose, dooming the entire conference, and potentially the season. How this will likely play out: The Barako Bull Energy Cola has the potential to be a good team. Their line-up is younger, tougher and healthier. They have great defenders, a lot of solid role players and young talent to develop. However, they will have to play near-perfect basketball in almost every game in order to break into the upper echelon of the league. A lot is riding on coach Baculi to make all the pieces that they have work together and play within his system. Compared to other teams, Barako Bull is clearly lacking firepower. They can realistically finish anywhere from 9th to 6th in the All Filipino Cup. But teams shouldn’t look past Barako Bull as they can still surprise some teams and if given the chance, make a run for the playoffs. - AMD, GMA News