CHICAGO - If you were surprised about former Magnolia pillar Calvin Abueva being traded to NorthPort for William Navarro, you weren't paying close attention.
The tell-tale signs of a departure, both subtle and overt, have been brewing for months before reaching its climax earlier on Tuesday (Manila time).
In the PBA Commissioner's Cup, social media went ablaze with fans wondering why Abueva wasn't getting enough playing time, a curiosity that escalated into uproar when Calvin got benched with zero minutes on December 4 (versus NorthPort) and December 11 (versus TNT) even after recovering from a neck spasm.
READ 'Harvest season': Fans react to Abueva, Balanza, Navarro trade
Coach Chito Victolero then dismissed the anomaly as a function of an import-laden conference and that Abeuva and the other bigs "will get their regular minutes" in the Philippine Cup.
That hasn't happened.
SERVICEABLE.
Although still useful with an average of 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds through eight games in this all-Filipino conference, Abueva has logged only 16 minutes and 43 seconds an outing with zero starts.
He was bartered for a player nine years his junior who is producing 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for NorthPort.
Victolero's notion that letting go of Abueva was a "hard choice" is true from a personal relationship standpoint. But from a business perspective this was as easy as saying "go."
At age 37, Abueva had simply become old and stale, like a rusty, dusty tenement in a downtown district that is being remodeled.
The reinvented Hotshots now play a more fluid offense that tends to leave older legs behind. And while they will miss Abueva's energy and enthusiasm, their defense won't lose much acid without him.
IF YOU SUM UP ALL OF THE ABOVE, THE WORD "DISPENSABLE" COMES TO MIND.
The idea of having Navarro playing alongside Best Player of the Conference candidate Zavier Lucero tickles the imagination. Both bigs are so versatile they can play the 3 and 4 spots with Lucero also able to man the 5 slot if called upon in spurts.
Already a legit contender before Navarro set sail from the piers of underachieving NorthPort, Magnolia just became the odds-on favorite to win the championship.
Make no mistake though, the Hotshots are still Zavier's team. An effortless talent, he has carried them through this sensational 7-1 start by averaging 18.3 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 46.3 percent from 3.
If a zombie apocalypse were to happen tomorrow, Victolero would be wise to have Lucero as his go-to guy because of his ability to score in so many different ways and levels.
I feel awful for Calvin Abueva. The 'Beast' just descended from the penthouse to the outhouse.
But basketball is business. It's cold and brutal.
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