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PAMPANGA (Philippines) – The game between San Miguel Beerman and Magnolia Hotshots was the only game of the first conference in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season played so far before the decision was made to temporarily suspend the action. Now, the league is ready to return to action in a “bubble” environment located in Clarke, Pampanga.
The first game of the Philippine Cup in the “PBA bubble” will be between TNT Tropang Giga and Alaska Aces on Sunday, October 11 at 4:00 PM (local time). That will be followed immediately by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel facing the NLEX Road Warriors at 6:45 pm (local time).
It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen the PBA in action, so let’s take a quick look at how teams are forming!
Teams
Alaska Aces (2019 Philippine Cup: 4-7, lost in quarterfinal)
The Aces have undergone quite a few changes, so fans can expect some bumps along the way, but rest assured, the Aces will always play hard. Gone are the top scorers of the 2019 Philippine Cup, Carl Bryan Cruz, Chris Banchero and Simon Enciso, but that shouldn’t be too much of a concern with veteran Vic Manuel and young studs Jeron Teng and Abu Tratter instead.
Aces may not be laden with “stars”, but they certainly aren’t lacking in quality players.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (Philippine Cup 2019: 7-4, lost in the quarterfinals)
Among one of the most popular teams in the Philippines, Geneva have become a constant contender under the leadership of coach Tim Cone. They won the Governor’s Cup to close out the previous season and have their eyes on the opening cup to start this year.
Guinevere has more than enough firepower in every position from Stanley Pringle, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Scottie Thompson and Jeff Chan. They just have to move these pieces correctly throughout the game.
Blackwater Elite (Philippine Cup 2019: 2-9, did not qualify for the Playoffs)
As one of the newer franchises in the league, Blackwater is still struggling to find its way. Coach Nash Racela could do something this season, but he will need his star Mac Belo to step up. Blackwater will also have No. 2 draft pick Maurice Shaw, who makes up for his age (35) with his size and experience.
Magnolia Hotshots National Chicken (2019 Philippine Cup: 6-5, lost in final)
Magnolia were this close to win it all the last time the teams played in the Philippine Cup, losing to the San Miguel Brewers 4-3 in the Finals. Here’s the scary part: what if they’re even better this year? Paul Lee, Jio Jalalon and Ian Sangalang were the key guys in the final race to the Finals and have since added Banchero (from Alaska) and Jack Corpuz. Hotshots are going to be talented Y deep.
Meralco Bolts (Philippine Cup 2019: 3-8, did not qualify for the Playoffs)
The Bolts have been excellent in conferences that allow foreign players to play, but otherwise struggled in the All-Local Philippine Cup. Ranidel De Ocampo’s retirement is a serious blow, but the youth movement is interesting. Chris Newsome, Baser Amer and Trevis Jackson should be a problem in the backcourt, while the draft pick and literal coach’s son Aaron Black is a nice addition. Raymond Almazan and Cliff Hodge can hold it down on the paint too, but it will all come down to how Coach Normal Black can mix it all up.
NLEX Road Warriors (2019 Philippine Cup: 4-7, did not qualify for Playoffs)
This is the Kiefer Ravena team now. Especially after NLEX dealt JP Erram, the team is going to need Ravena, their star, to keep scoring big. JR Quiñahan and Jericho Cruz can help, but make no mistake that Kiefer is the main man here.
NorthPort Batang Pier (2019 Philippine Cup: 5-6, lost in quarterfinals)
NorthPort almost looks like a completely different team this year after trading Stanley Pringle. But they’re still pretty good, which is what happens when you get a guy like Christian Standhardinger back. Standhardinger should be considered a legitimate MVP candidate and his pairing with Sean Anthony results in a very strong front line.
Phoenix Super LPG (2019 Philippine Cup: 9-2, lost in semi-finals)
Matthew Wright has emerged to become the superstar fans imagined him to be when he first entered the PBA draft. He made Phoenix a contender after finishing with the best record in the knockout round last year by averaging 17.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, also with 2018 Rookie of the Year Jason Perkins hitting the paint.
Phoenix also had Calvin Abueva during his last Philippine Cup run, but has been losing him for most of the time due to a suspension from the league. Abueva’s name has been added among the player who attends the bubble with Phoenix this time around and the team surely hopes he will be cleared to play as soon as possible.
Painters Elasto Rain or Shine (Philippine Cup 2019: 8-2, lost in semifinals)
Rain or Shine probably don’t have the flashiest rosters in the PBA, especially after switching to their former franchise star Paul Lee. They do, however, have an intriguing young backcourt jitterbug in Javee Mocon and Rey Nambatac, who averaged double-digit scores in the Governor’s Cup last year. Of course, they’ve also relied on the gentle presences of veterans in James Yap and Gabe Norwood to match it all.
And don’t forget Beau Belga, the big misty guy on the court who is having the best time of his life entertaining everyone in the PBA bubble!
Cerveceros de San Miguel (Philippine Cup 2019: 7-4, Champions)
The San Miguel Brewers have won five Back-to-back Philippine Cups, dating back to 2014. It has never been easy as they made it to Game 7 against tough opponents like the Aces and Magnolia last year. But the Brewers get the job done.
From Chris Ross to Marcio Lassiter, Terrence Romeo and Arwind Santos, the Beermen are easily loaded as the most talented team in the league. The best of the bunch, of course, is 6-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo, whom the Beermen will not be attending this conference due to injury. Still, after winning this Cup five times in a row, it’s theirs to lose once again.
TNT Tropang GIGA (2019 Philippine Cup: 7-4, lost in quarterfinal)
The frustration is being repressed. Before the San Miguel Brewers continued their streak of five consecutive races in the Philippine Cup, it was TNT who were the kings of this conference. He had won four of the 5 Philippine Cups prior to 2014 and three in a row before the Beermen left for the race.
This year, they have a team that could be talented enough to dethrone the defending champs. The back court is packed with national team stars Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy, as well as late-season addition Ray Parks Jr., who is expected to improve it soon. Troy Rosario provides the size, length and versatility to assemble a very solid team looking to finish a draft for the title.
Terrafirma Dyip (Philippine Cup 2019: 4-7, did not qualify for Playoffs)
Keeping track of your team name can be a bit difficult, but don’t worry about it. Just keep your eyes on current Rookie of the Year CJ Perez, who averaged a staggering 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in all three conferences last season. Perez also had some help from Rashawn McCarthy (14.5 points per game) and will get even more from the No. 1 pick in the draft, Roosevelt Adams.
Dyip fans were barely able to cheer on wins last season, but with the pieces they have in their squad right now, that could change this year.
FIBA
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