MANILA, 25 January — FedEx, a new team with a big dream, will have to practically start from scratch.
The ballclub became the 10th and newest member of the Philippine Basketball Association after the PBA board unanimously approved the sale of Tanduay to Airfreight 2100 Inc. recently for 75 million pesos, officially opening the door for its entry into the league’s 27th season.
Since the sale has been considered as an acquisition, FedEx or Federal Express assumed all rights and privileges of Tanduay including the first pick in the recent annual rookie draft. It also automatically acquired all the bragging rights on the Tanduay players, including 1995 Rookie of the Year Jeffrey Cariaso and Bong Hawkins.
FedEx sent Cariaso and Freddie Abuda to Coca Cola for the Tigers’ No. 8 pick and a future second draft choice.
Living up to its reputation in the forwarding business, FedEx wants to form a fast and express team that would immediately make a big impact in its maiden season in the professional league that starts on Feb. 10.
More literally than figuratively, it wants a team that delivers.
Lito Alvarez, appointed as team manager of the squad, said they intend to build a young, very athletic, fast-breaking and slam-dunking squad to compete in their pioneer season.
"We already have a definite style in mind. We want our team to be full of fastbreaks, three-points shots and dunks," said Alvarez, who is also the president of Airfreight, the corporation that owns FedEx.
But while it is bent on forming a team that would best project its image, Alvarez is setting the franchise’s major goal — that is to make an immediate impact in the coming season.
"FedEx delivers fast, so our philosophy would be a fastbreaking game so naturally there should be speed. We will form a team that the fans will surely enjoy watching," said Alvarez.
A young, fast team would mean that Dindo Pumaren, among other former Tanduay crew, is sure of being accommodated, according to Alvarez.
Although prospects of forming a highly competive team appears unlikely with just a few weeks left before the season-opening Governors Cup, Alvarez said he remains optimistic that FedEx will be a force to reckon with in their debut.
The management is currently re-structuring the coaching staff they inherited from Tanduay and is even is seriously planning on taking in a foreign coaching consultant to boost its campaign.
"We want a youthful, dynamic coaching staff who can put up a team that would best typify our company’s image," he said.
Just recently, FedEx assumed the rest of Derick Pumaren’s remaining two-year contract with Tanduay worth 7.2 million pesos. Pumaren is set to receive 3.6 million pesos for each year.
Pumaren is bringing along his brother Dindo and assistants Gie Abanilla, Jun Tiongco and physical conditioning coach Dan Rose.
"I’m very happy with the outcome of the negotiations. We will try to form a competitive team as soon as possible," said Pumaren, who gave Sunkist the All-Filipino and Commissioner’s Cup titles in 1995.
The team, according to Alvarez, was looking more for "young turks who are aggressive" and whose coaching style will fit into the image of the team as a "speedy delivery system."
FedEx will drastically overhaul the former Tanduay team: from the coaching staff to the remaining players.
Tanduay traded away Eric Menk, its acknowledged franchise player, and ace shooter Dondon Hontiveros, Bonel Balingit and Chris Cantonjos to other teams in one shock move that caught, not just the league but everybody, by surprise before heading for disbandment early last month.
The same process will also be applied for the remaining players of the team with live contracts in an effort to build the kind of team that FedEx is noted for and avert becoming the league’s whipping boys.
"We are known for our experience and reliability," Alvarez said. "So most of the players will likely be traded or bought out to enable us to build a team that will fit that distinction."
To start with, FedEx acquired the services of 6-foot-8 slotman Yancy de Ocampo and streak-shooting forward Renren Ritualo from the rookie draft, and the team intends to use them as the cornerstones of their bid to rebuild the team.
The choice of De Ocampo, a prized slotman from the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), as this year’s top pick came about after FedEx’s original pick Romel Adducul failed to make it to the draft.
Adducul begged off because of his failure to meet the requirements set by the PBA to become eligible for the draft.
The 6-foot-flat Ritualo was left available at No. 8 so FedEx grabbed the opportunity to get away with the most high-profiled small man in the draft pool widely regarded as the finest shooter to come out of the amateur league this year.
FedEx was understandably thrilled to have De Ocampo and Ritualo in its fold knowing that it had cornered the top two amateur players in the land.
"We’re so happy we got the best big man and the best small man in the pool. We’ll likely build our team around them in our first year in the league," said Alvarez.
Still, FedEx would dig deep into the free agent market in its bid to build a team with young and energetic players, as well as initiate trades with other teams.
Earlier, its request to hire at least two players through the direct-hire policy was turned down by the PBA board.
FedEx had wanted to bring with it two instead of five players from its MBA Laguna Lakers team.
The PBA said it would not tolerate Airfreight bringing in players directly from the rookie pool since it is a privilege given only to expansion teams. Since Airfreight is merely taking over an old franchise, it could not be accorded the same.
FedEx had wanted to tap in Chris Clay, the 6-foot-4 scoring machine who owns two 50-point games in the MBA, and Jeffrey Flowers, the 6-foot-8 wide-bodied center who holds the rebounding record of 24 in the same league.
One player Alvarez is eyeing is Pop Cola forward Rudy Hatfield who started his career in the county with FedEx’s team in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), the Laguna Lakers
"We knew Rudy when he played for the team in 1999. He is definitely a welcome addition to the team," Alvarez said.
There are reports that FedEx may use Hawkins as a trade bait to get the services of Hatfield.
Alvarez said his wards, who will be known by the moniker Express, hopes to make a good account of themselves, particularly in the first two conferences where there are imports.
"The focus will be on the imports. Coach Derrick is confident his prospective choices have what it takes to make an impact in the league," said Alvarez.
According to the youthful FedEx exec, Pumaren, who vacationed in the United States during the holidays, had shown him the game tapes of their prospective reinforcements.
"He (Pumaren) is upbeat of his American choices whom he scouted personally. One of them stands 6-foot-5 and the other is 6-foot-7. According to his report, the two are fast and talented and are hot commodities in the US," said Alvarez.
Most of the local superstars of the league will leave their mother teams temporarily to play for the two candidates pool of the National Team for the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.
"This sort of levels the playing field, so the success of a team depends on the quality of the imports," said Alvarez, who refused to divulge the names of their choices, fearing other teams may beat the gun on them.
"With the stars of all 10 teams likely to play for RP Team in the Asian Games, the imports will definitely provide the big difference in the first two conferences. And if we can get two good imports I think we’ll have a good chance," Alvares said.
Alvarez said the team is also open to the prospects of getting former Laguna Lakers star Chris Clay as an import.
"It will all depend on his application for Filipino citizenship and the kind of reinforcements which our coach is recommending. If we think Clay is much better, he will be our top priority."
Alvarez said support from FedEx International, which partly owns the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, will come in the second conference, the Commissioner’s Cup.
"The first conference will be a total show of the Bert Lina Group of Companies. There in the second conference, they (FedEx International) will make their presence felt, probably in the areas of player and coaching transfer. The Grizzlies have a pool of players and coaches which they think can help us in our PBA endeavor," he said.
FedEx is lanning to bring in three-point Continental Basketball Association 6-foot-6 hotshot Desmond Fergusson as one of their imports for the Commissioner’s Cup that starts on Feb. 10.
"I have seen the guy play and I think he fits perfectly into our idea of a fast, run-and gun type of team. We have already sent a proposal to his manager and if they agree, we’ll sign him up as soon as possible," Alvarez said.
Fergusson averaged 21.6 points with the Flint Fuze in the CBA, a shade better than the 20.4-point output of former PBA best import Silas Mills. His 43.5 percent clip from beyond the arc is also 6th best in the league, just a shade below the 44 of former Ginebra deadshot Henry James.
FedEx’s other import could come from the players’ pool of the Memphis Grizzlies.
"They are already sending us a list. I’m sure we can get somebody, preferably standing 6-foot-7, who can be a force inside," said Alvarez.
Only point guards Pumaren and Wynne Arboleda, along with De Ocampo and Ritualo, are sure of making the team.
FedEx decided to buy out the contracts of Locsin, Hawkins and Zaldy Realubit after no team expressed interest to hire the three veterans.
Alvarez said there were still no takers for the three players, forcing the new team to buy out the remainder of their contracts.
"We have no choice but to do this because we have very little time left to build our franchise. It’s better for us to build the team at this early," said Alvarez.
FedEx only has eight players sure of making the team — De Ocampo, Ritualo, Pumaren, Arboleda, Crisano, Elmer Lago, Ryan Bernardo and the comebacking Paul Alvarez.
Tanduay remnants Locsin, Hawkins and Realubit are still being offered as trade baits to other teams.
Alvarez also clarified the Bert Lina Group of Companies will honor only the legal contracts of the former Tanduay players.
"We will honor only those stipulated in the Uniform Players’ Contract of the players, nothing more," said Alvarez.
Tanduay was fined a total of 14 million pesos after it was established by the PBA the team had offered side contracts to its players when it rejoined the league in 1998.
"As of now, we only have one big man in Yancy. We want to get another big guy so we could also have our own local Twin Tower like the other teams," said Alvarez.
Airfreight is very much interested also in Jerry Codinera and EJ Feihl.
Asked what is their modest goal in the maiden year, Alvarez quickly replied: "I think a semifinal appearance is not bad at all."
To achieve that, Alvarez said, they need at least seven good players and two quality imports in each of the two import-laced conferences.
