Live is hard as PEA. It was not that long ago when PEA was at the pinnacle of Thailand Basketball. Next thing you know, your top players like Kannut Samerjai, Pairach Sekteera, Chanachon Klahan, among others jumped ship. And then they were sent to rebuild mode.
It would seem like PEA had something to work with last year after getting a nice core of players, but it turned out too good to be true and Coach Krit Pairojpeerapaisarn has been sent back into rebuilding more once again.
สำหรับภาษาไทย อ่านได้ที่นี่
PEA had just lost another game to the Malaysia Dragons. It was their third straight of the Penang Chief Minister Cup in Penang, Malaysia. Even though they had the lost, the players didn’t seem too disappointed about it and neither did Coach Moo.
The team watched the three point shoot out of the event as they ate their dinner. When the team’s two representative’s, Suppanat Ruangrach and Nutchapong Pattarapisarn, took their turns, they stopped eating and jeered at their friends.
Most of these guys were just enjoying their first time playing in a basketball tournament out of the country. When they got on the floor the last three games, sometimes it looked a bit forced and frozen.
“Even though we’ve been practicing really hard and focused,” Tannasit Moolwong says of his PEA team mates. “this is still a very young team in terms of game experience.”
Some of these players may have logged minutes in the TBL in seasons before this one, but with PEA this year, it might be the first time that they’ve had to log serious minutes. Coach “Moo” Krit Pairojpeerapaisarn had lost almost 75% from his players minutes from last season and while he does keep mentioning to me about how young his team is, he seems to have faith in the young guns.
He’ll be putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of his two imports, Raymon Austin (World) and Jeff Viernes (ASEAN), and it should seem that they will be able to carry that load.
It will be a long journey for PEA but that’s going to make the destination much more beautiful once they arrive.
PREVIOUSLY ON…
Regular Season Record: 5-5 (4th)
Playoffs: Semifinals
Points Per Game: 72.3 (3rd)
Field Goal Percentage: 36.4 (4th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 74.6 (4th)
Allowed Field Goal Percentage: 37.9% (4th)
Rebounds Per Game: 26.8 (3rd)
Rebound Percentage: 48.0% (5th)
Assists Per Game: 10.6 (6th)
Assist Percentage: 39.2 (6th)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.0 (1st)
Turnover Ratio: 14.5% (1st)
TBL 2015 ROSTER AND STATS
TBL 2016 ROSTER
Head Coach: Krit Pairojpeerapaisarn
Raymon Austin (World Import)
Brentlee Remington (World Import)
Jeff Viernes (ASEAN Import)
Athiwat Hoom-Art
Arnon Iamlamai
Pantawat Techasamran
Tanasit Moolwong
Aphirak Muangprasert
Phongphon Wongwises
Eaktanat To-Ngiew
Supanat Ruangrat
Nutchaphong Pattarapisarn
Patiparn Krutsorn
Tanai Jansri
TRADING PLACES
OUTGOING
Moses Morgan (Madgoats)
Narongrit Banmoo (Madgoats)
Richard Latham (Madgoats)
Suchon Maithampitak (Madgoats)
Wacharapong Thongsri (Madgoats)
Chalermdech Limsuwan (Madgoats)
Jordan Collins (Free Agent, World Import)
Punwipatch Thornpatcharawong (Free Agent)
Pitchayuth Thabtong (Free Agent)
Anucha Langsui (OSK R Airlines)
Todsapith Langsui (OSK R Airlines)
Incoming
Raymon Austin (Free Agent, World Import)
Brentlee Remington (Dunkin Raptors, World Import)
Jeff Viernes (Free Agent, ASEAN Import)
Arnon Iamlamai (Free Agent)
Aphirak Muangprasert (Free Agent)
Supanat Ruangrat (Free Agent)
Nutchaphong Pattarapisarn (Free Agent)
Tanai Jansri (Free Agent)
KEY PLAYERS
El Capitan
Tanasit Moolwong might not be a good offensive player but he’s found a way to stay on the court by solidifying his role. For whatever shortcomings Tanasit has on offense, he makes up for with his swarming defense.
He has the ideal size to be able to match up well with any 1, 2, or 3 position in the league along with the foot speed and defensive discipline to keep up as well.
His role on offense will be limited to only bringing the ball up the court, getting some passes in the post, and making wide open layups but when you have scorers like Viernes and Austin, you wouldn’t need to do much.
The Rocket
At some point in the season, Viernes or Austin is going to go through a bad game or bad games. When they do, PEA will need someone to step up and that guy could very well be Atiwat Hoom-Art.
While Hoom-Art is a very streaky offensive player, he has an good feel of penetrating to the basket to pull of an acrobatic move for the finish. He’ll hit you with a series of threes if you leave him open, but that’s not the strength of his game.
PEA will need Hoom-Art to step up as the third or even second fiddle in the line up if they are to be serious about making the playoffs.
The Imports
I know that it’s the locals that really strengthens a team but for PEA, their fate heavily relies on how far Raymon Austin and Jeff Viernes will take them.
ONE THING THAT IS SURELY BOUND TO HAPPEN THIS SEASON
Coach Moo will yell something out loud that the TV production team will catch that has to be censored.
ONE THING THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN THIS SEASON
Jeff Viernes getting substituted.
Read the other TBL Previews here:
Introduction
Imports Part 1
Imports Part 2
Imports Part 3
Imports Part 4
Mono Vampires
Mono-Thewphaingarm
Hitech
PEA
Thai General Equipment
Dunkin Raptors
Madgoats
OSK R Airlines
Tones and Definition 