CALVIN ABUEVA'S RETURN TO BEAST FORM - AND THE MILLER-BAGUIO TRADE TOO

I just read an article about Calvin Abueva on Spin.ph, and it reminded me why the PBA should have 12 truly competitive teams. Sure, SMC throws insane amounts of cash at Ginebra, San Miguel, and Magnolia, MVP teams do it too, and now Converge is loading up their roster. But it’s easy to blame the big-market teams and forget that players also have to fight for their place.

Take Cyrus Baguio, for example. He was a star at Red Bull, playing energetic, selfless basketball, creating shots and opportunities for his teammates. But when he landed in Ginebra, things went downhill fast. He barely got minutes to create, stuck behind established stars like Mark Caguioa, Ronald Tubid, JC Intal, Eric Menk, Enrico Villanueva, and Jayjay Helterbrand. Suddenly, the guy who made everyone better was forced to be a part-time starter, chasing his own points.

And yes—he became a ballhog. Not because he wanted to, but because he had no choice. If he didn’t look out for his own game, he wouldn’t shine at all.

Air21 wasn’t much better. Baguio was reunited with Yeng Guiao, but this was Guiao’s no-superstar system. Sure, he was back as a scorer alongside Arwind Santos, Gary David, Wynne Arboleda, and the emerging Beau Belga–JR Quinahan tandem, but he felt he deserved more. He was coming in as a proven player, expecting to contribute at a high level, but instead found himself as one piece of a system that didn’t allow him to be the player he knew he could be.

Back in Red Bull, he was the man. He made his teammates better, thrived in crunch time, and carried the team when needed. In Ginebra and Air21, he was forced into roles that clipped his wings. By the end of his Ginebra stint, he was checking in, hunting shots, and frustrated—not because he lost his talent, but because the system and circumstances forced him to put himself first instead of creating for others.

Meanwhile, Willie Miller was reportedly unhappy in Alaska, wanting more compensation, at the height of Wilfred Stephen Uytengsu’s claim that Alaska didn’t do “under-the-table” deals. Alaska had won a grand slam in 1996 the fair way—picking the right players in drafts and trades, like getting Bong Hawkins for Bong Alvarez, and Jojo Lastimosa for Boy Cabahug. That core, comprising Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso, Poch Juinio, and Johnny Abarrientos, even helped Coca-Cola win titles in the early 2000s.

In the middle of the 2009–10 season, Baguio and Miller swapped teams. Baguio never matched his Red Bull numbers, but he became a key part of Alaska’s starting core for five or six seasons—winning two championships, earning a Mythical Second Team selection, a Finals MVP, and multiple All-Star main match invites. Miller’s superstar trajectory, meanwhile, began to decline, moving from Ginebra to Barako Bull, GlobalPort, and finishing with Talk ‘N Text. The numbers are still there, but it felt like The Thriller was far from what he once was with the Aces.

The lesson here is clear: teams exist to win, but players need the right system and opportunity to reach their potential. Abueva could have quietly settled into a limited role in Magnolia, slowly being phased out—but instead, he’s chasing his old Beast form with Titan Ultra Giant Risers.

Calvin Abueva is taking control of his own story, just like Baguio had to when he refused to be limited by systems that didn’t let him shine.