LOOKS like the Alaska Aces found a jewel of an import in Diamon Simpson. Listed as 6'7" in the NBA Developmental League, Simpson arrived Sunday evening and impressed the Alaska coaching staff in his initial practice at the Reyes Gym, Monday afternoon.

With a PBA-certified height of 6'5 ¾", Simpson was big enough to bang bodies with Alaska bigs Sonny Thoss and Sam Eman. He was also quick enough to beat Alaska wingmen Mark Borboran and Jeff Cariaso with dribble drives to the hoop. And when the lane was closed, he had the touch to sink outside shots, including a few triples.

At the defensive end, Simpson was a tireless rebounder, worked hard to box out and relentlessly pursued every loose ball.

"I am very excited to be playing with the Alaska Aces," said Simpson. "They are very athletic. They are very competitive. I like it a lot. I enjoy working with them and I know we can get the job done."

Simpson said he already had a long talk with Alaska coach Tim Cone and he was aware of the high expectations that everybody has for the team. He said he was confident of being able to help the team achieve its goals.

"He (coach Tim) told me to come in and help them win. So I am going to do my best," said Simpson. "I know that this team wants to win a championship this conference and I hope to help them achieve that goal. I cannot wait to compete at that level."

Simpson hit the ground running almost literally. He arrived in the Philippines Sunday evening. He had a restful sleep then reported for the Alaska practice at the Reyes gym at 12 noon Monday. Simpson attended the players and coaches' meeting and then went on to do the drills and scrimmages from 1 to 3 p.m. in the afternoon.

Cone said he was very pleased with their talented, young new import.

"He is obviously very skilled," said Cone. "He is tall. He is long. He is young. He has got a lot of skills. He has got a lot of knowledge of the triangle, so those are the key things for us in bringing him along."

The Alaska mentor was particularly pleased because Simpson was already familiar with the Alaska triangle offense.

"He is actually the first import we ever had where we went to practice immediately," said Cone. "Usually, we spend about a week telling our imports about the triangle. But since he already knows about the triangle, we went to practice immediately. That saved us a lot of time."

Cone said he hoped that Simpson will have a long and fruitful relationship with the Alaska Aces.

"The most important thing is he is very young and he has an opportunity to grow with us," said Cone. "The fact that he is only 22, he is going to be energetic. He is going to be happy to be here and hopefully he can grow with us and we can develop as a team not just this conference but other conferences down the line. We are really excited about him."

Simpson had a busy Monday. After the practices, he and trainer Gus Vargas went straight to the PBA offices where he was measured.

The Aces have a lot of making up to do after being swept 4-0 by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants who won the PBA Philippine Cup title.

Nothing less than winning the championship of the PBA Fiesta Cup will satisfy the Aces. - www.manilastandardtoday.com