Hamed Haddadi and the search for a modern Pinoy NBA player.

With 3:39 left in the fourth quarter of a blow-out game, Hamed Haddadi prepares to enter the game. You can see the score on the photo. Clippers leading Memphis 90-66. The crowd in Memphis cheers because a) they have had to little to cheer about in this game and b) Hamed Haddadi is about to play.

Why is this a big deal? Because Haddadi doesn't play that much. He has played in only 10 games this season. His longest playing time was 16 minutes against Dallas. That won't happen often. He's averaging only 1.3 points and 2.3 rebounds for a playoff team.

I'm not belittling Haddadi's stature as a bench player. We all know how hard it is to make it to the NBA. Ask Japeth Aguilar. You know what's even harder - stopping Haddadi whenever we play against him in the FIBA-Asia Championships. But watching Haddadi enter an NBA game under such circumstances made me wonder.

If someone who once played in the UAAP or NCAA or PBA finally makes it to the NBA, will we be okay to just watch him play around 5 minutes every now and then? I know the dream is to witness a Filipino version of Linsanity. If you are going to dream, might as well dream big. But what if 2013 Haddadi is the only peg available?

I'm assuming that if a UAAP/NCAA/PBA player makes it, that player's talent level must be off the charts. So would it be better for that player to stay in the Philippines, play 40-plus minutes per game and be a superstar OR should that player go to the NBA, play 4-plus minutes whenever possible and watch most games from the bench?

Again, to make it to the NBA is a huge accomplishment for any player. Huge. It's the NBA. Hence, I admire UAAP/NCAA/PBA players who either openly or not-so-openly dream of making it to the NBA someday.

Watching Haddadi today just made me think.

What will this dream lead to: Linsanity or HaddadiNation? Pagmumuni lang.

In the end, my conclusion is this: if you're dreaming of landing on the moon, I suspect it matters little where you'll land. MH