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Welcome to the Mythical Second Team!
In this series, we will be discussing the players who deserve consideration for the PBA's Mythical Second Team, a prestigious honor awarded to the league's best players after the Mythical First Team.
As a stat nut who once dreamt of becoming a basketball league commissioner, I want to find out the top players because I have dreams of making another Top 100 list.
Anyway, the PBA's Mythical Second Team was first institutionalized in 1984, which means that from 1975 to 1983, only the top five players in the league were recognized with Mythical Team honors. Atoy Co had the most Mythical First Team selections with eight and with him fixed in that spot, I believe there are some players who also deserve praise - even on a slightly decreased basis. However, selecting the best players in the league is always a subjective and debatable process, and there are always players who could make strong cases for inclusion on the Mythical Second Team.
In this series, we will be taking a closer look at these players and discussing why they deserve recognition as some of the best players in the PBA. We will be examining their statistics, their impact on their teams, and their overall contributions to the league. So join us as we celebrate the players who could have made the Mythical Second Team spot and recognize their contributions to Philippine basketball.
THE FIRST TEAM
BOGS ADORNADO | CRISPA
Known for his scoring prowess and his ability to create shots for himself and his teammates, Bogs Adornado won his first of three MVP awards in the inaugural season of the PBA. He also helped lead Crispa to a championship in the Open Conference to foil Toyota's grand slam bid as well as runner-up finishes in the First and Second Conferences. Adornado led the league in points, averaging 27.0 points per game in 49 games, and he also contributed 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
ATOY CO | CRISPA
Known for his ability to make plays on both ends of the court, Atoy Co helped the Crispa Redmanizers achieve a 38-19 win-loss record during that season and played a key role in the team's championship in the Open Conference as well as runner-up finishes in the First and Second Conferences. The Fortune Cookie averaged 20.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 49 games.
FRANCIS ARNAIZ | TOYOTA
Mr. Clutch had a strong 1975 season while playing for the Toyota Comets. He helped the team to two championships and one runner-up finish during that season, and his strong play was a key factor in the team's success. In 57 games, Arnaiz averaged 19.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. But in some ways, Arnaiz being the only Comet to make the Mythical Five is a bit puzzling considering that they owned the best win-loss record and it's not like his teammates are patsies.
ESTOY ESTRADA | ROYAL
Estoy Estrada won his first and only Mythical First Team selection playing for the Royal Tru-Orangemen, now known as the San Miguel Beermen. Estrada was second in the league in points, averaging 25.8 points per game in 56 games. He also contributed 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Despite Estrada's strong individual performance, the Royal Tru-Orangemen struggled as a team, finishing the season with a 25-31 win-loss record and failing to reach the finals in any of the three conferences.
MANNY PANER | ROYAL
Manny Paner had a strong 1975 season for the Royal Tru-Orangemen. Dubbed "The Main Man," Paner played at the center position and outperformed players such as Ramon Fernandez, Philip Cezar, Rudy Kutch, and Jimmy Mariano to capture the Mythical First Team spot. Yes, Paner won his first and only Mythical First Team spot against two larger-than-life PBA players and two big-time former Olympians. In 52 games, Paner averaged 21.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
THE SECOND TEAM
RAMON FERNANDEZ | TOYOTA
In the 1975 season, El Presidente played for the Toyota Comets and had a strong all-around performance. With that said, he failed to make the Mythical First Team. Yes, Fernandez ranked fourth in scoring for the Comets with an average of 13.2 points per game. However, he also had 8.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game. His rebounds and blocks ranked first in his team and those numbers helped in their almost grand slam campaign. Despite his impressive stats, he did not make it onto the PBA Mythical First Team for the 1975 season. As mentioned, Paner did enough to win the center spot but if he could just have a couple more points, he could have made the Mythical First Team.
ROBERT JAWORSKI | TOYOTA
Robert Jaworski had a strong 1975 season, averaging 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 55 games. However, I get why he failed to land a Mythical First Team spot. Jawo was competing with other talented players, such as Francis Arnaiz, Atoy Co, and Bogs Adornado, and from his numbers alongside their numbers, you get why The Big J got the First Team snub in the league's maiden year.
PHILIP CEZAR | CRISPA
Also known as "The Scholar," Philip Cezar played in 54 games and had a solid all-around performance for the Crispa Redmanizers, averaging 14.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game. Cezar may not have been selected for the Mythical First Team in the 1975 season due to his average scoring numbers, but Cezar would eventually get his vindication as he would eventually become one of the most decorated players in league history.
DANNY FLORENCIO | U/TEX
Daredevil Danny was the third-leading local scorer of the 1975 PBA season, averaging 22.8 points per game. He shared the spotlight with fellow former Olympians, Rudy Kutch and Larry Mumar, on the U/Tex Wranglers, which finished the season with a 26-23 win-loss record. It appears that Florencio may not have been selected for the Mythical First Team in the 1975 season due partly to the team's record. Sure, U/Tex's win-loss record is decent - but they fail in comparison to what Toyota and Crispa had.
OMPONG SEGURA | TOYOTA
Ompong Segura was a member of the Toyota Comets in the 1975 season. In a team that had the likes of Ramon Fernandez, Robert Jaworski, and Francis Arnaiz, Segura was the team's leading scorer, averaging 21.9 points per game along with 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 57 games. I understand why he didn't make the cut for a First Team mention but he had surprisingly good numbers during the league's rookie year. Besides, with Toyota winning the first two conferences, they should have dibs on multiple representatives because up until today, the PBA usually gets the top players in the First Team and get most of the title-hunting players in the Second Team.
So this ends the first edition of this series. If you're going to ask the next five players on this list, then I'll have U/Tex's Rudy Kutch (17.3 points and 5.8 rebounds), Noritake's Jun Papa (20.6 points and 4.1 assists), Concepcion's Jimmy Mariano (19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds), Joy Cleofas (21.6 points and 4.5 assists), and Royal's Yoyong Martirez (9.7 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.4 steals). While their numbers are great, it's either they have better teammates more deserving or their win-loss records are far from impressive.
Do you like the first installment of the series? Sound off your comments below.