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The PBA is finally back, with a double title on Sunday (4:00 pm on TV5, One Sports and PBA Rush) kicking off a unique 2020 Philippine Cup to be played inside a bubble in Clark, Pampanga. Games will be played daily for the knockout round without fans, with players and coaches staying in a hotel during their downtime under strict protocols. June Mar Fajardo, a six-time MVP of the San Miguel Beermen, will not be present, along with other names such as Marc Pingris, Larry Fonacier and Cyrus Baguio.
How will teams adapt to this environment? Will Fajardo’s absence affect the odds of the title? What team is built for this? We asked five of our PBA experts, two of whom, Carlo Pamintuan and Noel Zarate, are also in the bubble, for their opinions.
1. Fact or fiction: Without June Mar Fajardo, the field is wide open in the bubble.
Charlie Cradle: It is a fact, but it is not as broad as some might choose to believe. San Miguel is still a formidable team even without the Kraken and any of the team’s stars (and there are plenty) can take over, particularly on offense. Defensively they will suffer a little without JMF, but there are many living bodies that know how to compete and make the right plays. There are three or four teams that will challenge them seriously and perhaps fewer that can beat them in a series. The good thing will be to see those three or four teams try their luck, with greater confidence precisely because of the absence of the six-time MVP.
Paolo Del Rosario: Done. I don’t think this requires much thought, considering that June Mar Fajardo has been the most dominant venue in the PBA for the past decade. This is the time for someone to bet on the crown.
Carlo Pamintuan: Done. If you take away a player as dominant as June Mar Fajardo, the other teams have a better chance of winning the Philippine Cup compared to the last few years where the San Miguel Brewers dominated. This, however, does not mean that the Beermen have no chance of retaining the title. They remain one of the deepest teams in the league with a head coach who knows he needs to adapt without Fajardo. Remember, they managed to win three games in Beeracle’s career without Fajardo, so it’s no exaggeration to say they could retain the title.
Sulit history: Done. Even if June Mar was there, she could still say that it’s fair game for everyone. The league will be in an unprecedented setting. Most of the things players were used to before won’t be there. Not even the fans. At this point, it is difficult to identify a favorite to win it all.
Noel Zarate: Done. San Miguel will have to reinvent himself to have a decent shot at defending the title and could be involved in several close matches where his winning pedigree will be put to the test.
2. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest, rate how much the mental aspect of being the bubble will affect the players.
Charlie: 1. These guys are professional players. They may have plenty of free time to mull over any concerns they have outside of the bubble, but by the time they step onto the court, it should all be a matter and the focus should be on basketball and nothing else. Anyway, if there is a serious family emergency, and it should be serious, that they really need to attend to, they will leave even with the fine and suspension threatened. That is almost a no-brainer.
Paolo: 3. Every player and team needs a level of strength and mental toughness for sure. But at the moment I am more concerned about his physical condition after such a long break.
Carlo: 5. In this configuration, whoever can focus on the task at hand wins everything. At this point, it looks like we’re still in the PBA Bubble honeymoon phase. Players are still having fun as they are finally allowed to play the game they love, but things will be different for a month when they start to miss their families. As we saw in NBA Bubble, the mental aspect of the game can slow down some of the most talented players.
History: I’d say 4. There are so many new and different factors inside the bubble. We have heard so many stories about players and even coaches who are superstitious: they eat the same food every game day, they follow the same routine and all that. I’m not sure how much of that can be kept. On top of that, of course, they are away from family and the people they care about in the midst of a pandemic. And above all, these players are going to be there for two months. The first two weeks may not feel difficult yet, but they will get more difficult as the weeks go by. However, believe that these guys know why they are there and when the time comes for the game, they will be locked up.
Christmas: 4. The teams here are still in the process of programming themselves that this is a totally different environment and the team that manages the best could negate some of their physical weaknesses if they stay mentally strong. Lack of distractions might be the biggest distraction. It’s a 10-week business trip and the time teams subscribe to this fact will be the true barometer of their drive to complete the mission at hand.
3. Other than fans and family, what is the most important thing that teams will lose in the bubble?
Charlie: Time for me individual. Surely many, if not most, of the players enjoy their solitude before and after the game and between game days. They won’t have much of that as there are hundreds of people housed in the same building and they all have a roommate they can’t escape from, even if they want to. Camaraderie is great and loneliness shouldn’t be a problem. Finding alone time surely will be.
Paolo: Probably the ability to leave the “workplace” and log off after games. These guys will literally live and breathe basketball every day for weeks, and they will miss a little break.
Carlo: Have your own time. Everything is measured here in the bubble. Gym time is limited. Free time is scheduled. We saw some of these players working for hours during the ECQ and it is something that could be difficult to achieve with the current setup.
History: Routine. I will return to my answer in the second question. Life in the bubble will be very different than it was for the players at home. From his usual food, to the comfort of his own beds, to his hobbies and leisure activities. You will have to get used to it.
Christmas: The routine of sleeping in their own beds and being themselves, especially since everyone has roommates here. Many have their own ways of dealing with pre and post game stuff and being able to get away from it all, even briefly, is not an option in this bubble environment. Keeping focus in a focused environment could be quite challenging, especially after a prolonged period outside of the usual norms.
4. Is there a particular piece of equipment that you think is built for this environment?
Charlie: None. I’m curious to see how Geneva will play without its usual crowd of fans in the stands, giving the team a boost at the appropriate moments during matches.
Paolo: It will probably rain or shine. They have a badass character that I think will serve them well in this bubbly environment.
Carlo: I can’t explain why, but I think Alaska will do particularly well in the bubble configuration.
History: None. It is a situation that no one could have expected or anticipated. Not until it happened. I’m sure the teams prepared as best they could to be ready for the Bubble Cup. But built for this environment? I’m not sure about that.
Christmas: That’s hard to guess because this has never happened before. Older players will have a harder time recovering if their teams play three times in a given week, but younger players will also be mentally tested. We will know when the competition is in full swing.
5. Your choices for the 2020 Bubble Champion and the Bubble MVP.
Charlie: SMB and TNT. Geneva probably too. Jayson Castro and Stanley Pringle.
Paolo: TNT. Christian standhardinger
Carlo: I’ll stick with the selection I made earlier and say that it will be Jayson Castro or Japeth Aguilar who will become the best player in the conference. As for the champion, I’d say the Brewers beat the odds and win it all once again.
History: Champions: TNT. MVP: Christian Standhardinger.
Christmas: TNT. Christian Standhardinger.
