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As usual, there are the haves, the have-nots and the will-bes in this tournament, owing of course to the performance of the imports that each team has respectively selected. And with the unrestricted height component of this conference, as it usually is, it will be interesting to see the locals trying to body up and measure themselves against the reinforcements, some of whom have solid NBA experience.
With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown of the teams that are vying to hoist the Commissioner’s Cup:
Global Port Batang Pier
Unlike the regular MMDA, the Tigers’ version of it is expected to wreak havoc in the PBA. Having acquired Sol Mercado, who led the league in scoring and assists in the first conference, along with enigmatic forward, Japeth Aguilar, the future is bright for this young franchise as they add two bonafide studs to the core of high-scoring Gary David and former league MVP, Willie Miller. The chemistry remains to be seen or if there are enough touches to go around for this quartet along with import, Justin Williams. But with Mercado and Miller bringing the ball up, with choices of either David and Aguilar on the opposite wings, this team will be plenty interesting to see.
Meralco Bolts
Life post-Sol Mercado begins now for this middle-tiered squad that has been trying to crack elite status in this league. Mercado brought fire and intensity to a franchise which largely has lacked both. With the bulldoggish guard being shipped out to Global Port, the scoring reins now rest largely upon the shoulders of “Captain Hook” Mac Cardona, energetic rookie Cliff Hodge and recent Gilas member, Ronjay Buenafe. Import Eric Dawson, brings with him a wealth of experience from the NBA D-League, having played 37 games there where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds. But will that, along with a shallow team depth be enough to overcome all odds. It’s wait-and-see mode for the Bolts.
Air21 Express
The beauty of the Commissioner’s Cup is that given the right import, any squad can be upgraded from good to great in a jiffy. Whether that squad can be the Air21 Express remains a huge question mark. The Express have pinned their hopes on former University of Oregon Duck, Michael Dunnigan, and they could not have picked a better choice than the forward who averaged a double-double in his stint in the Australian league. But once again, the onus is on the thin local rotation to deliver. Mike Cortez has had a renaissance of late after reuniting with his former collegiate coach, Franz Pumaren while KG Canaleta remains on-point with his outside shot, showcasing these in his tour with the Gilas Pilipinas over in Dubai and then in Hong Kong. But the buck stops with those two players with inconsistency plaguing the rest of the roster.
Alaska Aces
Cebu got a glimpse of the Aces in action during the recently-concluded Sinulog Cup wherein they placed second. After their fantastic showing in the Philippine Cup, the Aces continue their rise to the top with a nucleus now being pulled by the immense energy and charisma of the indomitable Calvin “The Beast” Abueva. A rookie by status but a warrior by heart, Abueva has elevated this team by his sheer will. Save for the occasional bouts of poor shot selection and temper tantrums, Abueva provides the nitro glycerine to this explosive mix that also includes veterans, JV Casio, Cyrus Baguio, Dondon Hontiveros and Sonny Thoss. Add a sprinkle of import, former University of Memphis Robert Dozier, and the Gatas Republik is good to go.
Barako Bull Energy
What can Rajko Toroman do for this young and inexperienced team? Will his no-nonsense approach to coaching basketball, much like he did for the Iran national squad which he mentored all the way to the Olympics, do wonders or will it break the players’ collective wills? These questions hang in the air like a long-overdue mistletoe as Toroman, handles the coaching duties along with Bong Ramos. Uncertainty rues this squad with the offseason acquisitions of former D-League MVP Allein Maliksi, JC Intal and Jonas Villanueva but it may very well be a blessing in disguise as well with these players getting the opportunity to shine that they never got to have in their previous teams. Import Evan Brock also remains a wildcard that can either make or break this squad.
Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings
Another team that showcased their skills in Cebu during the offseason was crowd-darling, Barangay Ginebra. Although they just managed to win one out of their three games in the Sinulog Cup, they showed plenty of promise and potential especially with their uptempo offense predicated mainly on the quickstrikes of reigning league MVP, Mark Caguioa, Jones Cup hero LA Tenorio and another former MVP, JJ Helterbrand. Size down low remains a problem but the Kings hope to address that with import, Herbert Hill, whose numbers in Korea (22 points, 11 rebounds) belie his seemingly docile exterior.
San Mig Coffee Mixers
The champs are back but without their champion import, Denzel Bowles, who has been replaced by 6-foot-9 import, Matt Rogers. But the Mixers need not worry as they still come locked and loaded with former MVP and arguably, the league’s brightest star, James Yap, sidekick Peter June Simon, Marc Pingris and Mark Barocca. Rookie Alex Mallari also seems poised for a breakout conference as he is expected to get more playing time than in his time in the doghouse of Olsen Racela over at Petron.
Talk N Text Tropang Texters
When it comes to championships in these recent years, no other team is synonymous with the word than the Tropang Texters. Coming off a conquest of the Philippine Cup, their third straight title in that particular conference, momentum is readily on their side coming into this tournament. The pieces to the championship blueprint are all there – Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ryan Reyes, Kelly Williams, Larry Fonacier. All that remains is whether or not import Keith Benson can live up to his lofty billing.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
For two conferences in a row, the Rain or Shine team has epitomized the virtues of toughness and ferocity. When your head coach is Yeng Guiao, it actually isn’t a choice. It’s a lifestyle that is being adopted and is paying dividends. In the Commissioner’s Cup, they are looking for bigger things, as evidenced by their import, Bruno Sundov, who happens to be the tallest in the land at 7-foot freakin’-3! And alongside the Unlimited Rice combo of Beau Belga and Cebuano Joseph Quinahan, the frontline is poised to be as imposing as it is meaty. The guard rotation is also set with Paul Lee and Jeff Chan continuing on their rise while Gabe Norwood and rookie, Chris Tiu provide the steady calm.
Petron Blaze Boosters
The Blaze Boosters will be aiming high on the heels of their disastrous showing in the previous conference and took the first step in doing that when they won the Sinulog Cup 2013 tournament which was held here in Cebu. The major lynchpin of that victory was no other than import, Renaldo Balkman, who boasts of the most impressive resume amongst this crop of reinforcements. A former Knick and Nugget, Balkman impressed with his frenetic energy and showmanship that seemed to compliment the games of old reliables Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos and Jay Washington. Add the mercurial Ronald Tubid to the fold and the recipe for success was complete, well, at least for the offseason.
Jonas Rey N. Panerio
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