As a long time fan of SMB's Beeracle Team - the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in a finals match, I would just like to say...
Thank you, Arwind Santos.
Today, the news of the trade between SMB and Northport came out. Arwind Santos for Vic Manuel. I know that Arwind's game has been on the decline. I don't remember if it started when the PBA banned his Spiderman - feet on the backboard - dunk... or when Standhardinger came into San Miguel and started eating away at Arwind's minutes at the 4 spot. And imports during the Commissioner's Cup and Governor's Cup also took away from Arwind's minutes. SMB tried to play him at the 3, like Marcio Lassiter, but Arwind was slower than other players on the opposing team, at this spot.
Santos was really perfect for SMB at the 4 position, especially during the All-Filipino Cup. There was a time when Jun Mar could pick 4-three point shooter spots from the post. Cabagnot, Lassiter, Ross, and Santos all were three-point threats. This strategy has even been copied by TNT, and modified so that their Center can shoot the three. But SMB was so deadly when it's three-point game was on, I really think that this was one of the keys why they dominated from 2014 to 2018. I even heard one PBA commentator say that the only constants in this world are death, taxes, and Arwind Santos threes.
Arwind was also an excellent shot blocker. And with him and Jun Mar manning the post during their prime, you could expect a block party for SMB. Even during this year, 2021, there were glimpses of Arwind's brilliance at blocking during some of the PBA games.
But Arwind was not just good at threes and blocks. His dunks used to give SMB energy, much like Troy Rosario does now for TNT. But ever since his Spiderman dunks were banned, he started going for this akward layup that - in my opinion was too low and blockable. And he would even miss the layup at times instead of it being a sure finish. But this was when his game was already on the decline.
I'm not sure if Vic Manuel will be as good a replacement for Arwind Santos. Maybe SMB tried to make a play for Jaime Malonzo, but failed, so they went for whoever could fill their weakness at the 4 position. Vic Manuel doesn't have a consistent 3 like Santos. Maybe he will develop that at SMB.
But this habit of letting go of good players to become better by SMB... it's something I've seen since the Gabby Espinas trade. The Ganuelas-Rosser trade and the Heruela trade are some of the trades I wish SMB didn't go through. MGR would have been a decent replacement for Santos. Heruela was the best guard against Jason Castro. I guess it's inevitable that SMB ran out of good role players to trade, and now, the members of the death squad are no longer untouchable. Cabagnot and Lassiter might be next on the trading block since they are no longer averaging double digits in their output.
Perhaps this trade signifies the death of the death squad era. And maybe it is time for SMB to invest in good support players that will help prolong the remnants of their aging core. So while we fans await the return of SMB to the finals stage, I can just watch replays of the death squad's glory days on YouTube. And one of the reasons why they were so good was Arwind Santos.
