Rookies vs Veterans

Beermen will always be beermen!, as a saying goes in our beloved PBA. That's a brotherhood formed by many years of defeat and of course championships. But it came to an end when the San Miguel Beermen management decided to trade a part of the puzzle instead of finding the missing piece. They chose rebuilding rather than enforcing their lineup. And the trade happened, swapping bigtime players like Danny Siegle, Dondon Hontiveros, Dorian Pena and Paul Artadi For 1st round picks who are out still trying to prove  themselves: Baclao, Al-hussaini and Guevarra.

Basketball is business. Keeping a player today who is in his prime and is of great help for the team and then trading them years after when his career is on the way out. That's what happened to the likes of Danny, Dorian and Dondon. We thought these players were a staple in their team. We thought they will just retire as Beermen. They say that's how things work to maintain competitiveness in a prestigious league. Every year a rookie comes. Much faster, younger and maybe much talented. But you cannot replace experience.

For example, the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. They were a dynasty. After acquiring Tim Duncan in the Draft, they built around him. He and David Robinson was the core of the Spurs. Then they added players who were willing to be role players for them to reach that most coveted championship. With Duncan, the Spurs were not an instant hit. They win some , they lose some. But their coach, Greg Popovich, had enough patience to wait for his team to bloom at the right time. In a few years the Spurs became a dynasty, with Robinson and Duncan leading the way. Those were their glory days with Parker and Ginobilli in their prime. But sometimes, champions also lose. They thought that its twilight for the Spurs as they found themselves exiting the earlier rounds of the Playoffs the next season after a glorious dynasty. But the management stuck with their team, their core, their key players. Everyone thought that Duncan will be traded or Manu or Tony, but they decided to keep them. They rewarded their key players who had helped them in many championships by keeping them, not swapping them for "talented" rookies.

I guess, in basketball, Experience really counts.