Todays Matchup: James Yap vs. Larry Fonacier

TODAYS matchup features two of the most talented, young wingman in the PBA today. One is a former UAAP Finals Co-MVP while the other is the reigning Most Valuable Player and a champion in the PBA. Their on-court battle from the UAAP is now revived in the PBA and definitely a fun sight to watch every time the Purefoods Chunkee Giants battle the Redbull Barakos. Please welcome, James Carlos Yap and Larry Alexander Fonacier.



1. SHOOTING

Larry Fonacier may be last season’s best 3-pointer but no one can argue the talent of James Yap from the perimeter dating back to their college days where he used to burn the hoops of the Araneta. Larry is a great shooter but he needs to be properly set up before he can hit those shots. James on the other hand only needs a few inches of separation from his defender to launch his “snap shot” or his “step-back flip” which could range even a foot away from the rainbow. Last season, Larry shot 56.2% on open shots. Good. James, however will nail the shot 62.4% of the time when left open. Great! Edge: James Yap

2. DEFENSE

Even in the UAAP, Larry has been known as a great defender especially from the perimeter. As a guard, he has excellent anticipation because he uses his head to deny his man. James on the other hand, is a natural scorer and doesn’t focus much on defense. Although, we have seen James develop into a more decent defender the last conference by shutting down Ritualo in the Semi-Finals of the Fiesta Conference, it’s still a long way to go for James to overtake Larry in the defense department. Edge: Larry Fonacier

3. PASSING

If there’s one skill James would need to improve on, it is passing. This is the area, which separates him from great players like Kenneth Duremdes and Vergel Meneses. Last season, James averaged just 1.2 assists per game while Larry registered 2.2 dish-outs per outing. Clearly, Larry a very, very slight edge over James but you can count on that as Larry is sometimes used by Yeng Guiao to play the point. Edge: Larry Fonacier

4. REBOUNDING

With his more athletic physique, big hands and high leaping ability, James is the better rebounder compared to Larry. In fact last season, James was able to register a single double-double performance by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds against no less than the Coca Cola Tigers, which boasts of front liners Ali Peek and Raffy Reavis. For the whole conference, James averaged 4.4 rebounds per game while Larry normed 3.6 boards a ballgame. Larry’s numbers are pretty decent for a role player but for a guy who’s only supposed to contribute on the firing end, James 4.4 is a fairly decent number, too. But if they sure go up one-on-one for a rebound, James would definitely have the upper hand. Slight Edge: James Yap

5. SHOT SELECTION

The stats, as far as the total field goal percentage is pretty closed at 42.1-40.0 with Larry having a 2.1 advantage. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. The average minutes played and player roles should also be considered.

As a role player, naturally, it’s imperative on Larry’s part to take the best shot for every second he’s on the floor otherwise, he won’t be able to provide his team some quality minutes. On the other hand, as a designated scorer, James is expected to get the bulk of the shots especially when the middle is too clogged for the Giants big man. But considering his range, no one can simply say that he’s just throwing the ball to the rim because in reality, he can hit those shots. But since Coach Ryan Gregorio challenged James shoot more with accuracy, which for me is an appeal for better shot selection; I’m giving the advantage to Larry. Edge: Larry Fonacier

6. CLUTCH PERFORMANCE

Both James and Larry are great clutch performers because they simply have the instinct to do so not only in the offensive end but in the defensive end as well. Who would ever forget Larry’s go ahead basket in Game 5 of the AFC Finals? How about James step-back jumper in front of two Barakos in Game 6 of the same series? Those are moments that would show how tough they are when the game is on the line.

But the major difference is that, James, as the more athletic and gifted athlete can create his own shots during crunch time while most of the time, Larry due to lack of explosiveness, rely on his teammates for a kick-out pass to drain those big threes. Edge: James Yap

7. ATHLETICISM

Evidently with James bigger stock, big hands and tremendous spring, he is the more athletic player. He is much more sporty because he can hang in the air for a couple of seconds to drain his “separation shot,” his finger rolls and his one-hander. On the other hand, Larry is more of a laid-back player, not very flashy but is very effective at that. He’s a lot less athletic now after suffering from an ACL injury. Edge: James Yap

8. OVER-ALL IMPORTANCE TO THE TEAM

James together with Kerby Raymundo and Marc Pingris are the leaders of the Chunkee Giants. If Kerby is the one taking care of the leadership and Marc on defense, James is definitely in-charge of the point production day in and day out. That is a very, very important role that only he can do as far as Purefoods is concerned. Shall he be taken away from the line-up even for one game, the Giants would perhaps, find it extra-difficult to fare with the other teams in the PBA.

On the other hand, there are a lot of guys in the Red Bull line-up who can assume the role that Larry has been playing. With players like Junthy Valenzuela, Cyrus Baguio and all-star caliber Lordy Tugade, Red Bull is still a force to reckon with at the small forward-shooting guard position. Big Edge: James Yap

9. ACHIEVEMENT

Larry won the ever-precious Rookie of the Year. No doubt, he’s made a believer
out of everybody who thought he might not be able to survive in the PBA after he
suffered a career-threatening injury. In his first season as a pro, he helped Red
Bull to win the Fiesta Conference title where he made commendable contributions.
If there are two things Larry has that James doesn’t, it’s a UAAP and PBL
Championship.

Nevertheless, the advantage should be given to James Yap who in his second year
has become the PBA’s Most Valuable Player beating equally deserving Kerby,
Enrico and Lordy. Not only that, he also helped the Giants bag the AFC Title. He
was also a 2-time All Star First 5, a member of the Mythical 5 and a runner-up in
both BPC award for Season 2005-2006. Major Edge: James Yap

10. MARKETABILITY

With his amiable personality on the court and his mystifying self outside the
court, no doubt James is a good subject for product endorsements.

During the last trimester of his rookie year he almost leveled the stats of Rich
Alvarez. Then, Gov. Pardo was noted saying, “may nagpapadala na nga ng
feelers.” At the moment, if James and Larry were put on the trading block, James
would receive more and better offers not only because of his talent but also
because of his major fan base. Edge: James Yap

In the final analysis and after having weighed the above criteria, I therefore conclude that James Yap is the better, more promising and more marketable player than Larry Fonacier.