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| Steal of the 2015 PBA Draft or bust? (Photo credit to the owner) |
*Special mention* Roi Sumang, GlobalPort Batang Pier
If only because this guy was initially expected to be in the first round of the 2015 PBA Draft, all eyes would probably be on Sumang and how he'll fit in 1) GlobalPort and 2) the PBA. Will he get his minutes on the floor and be allowed to score? Or will he be asked to defer to his veteran teammates, who are also scorers by trade (Joseph Yeo, Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle) and "learn" the ropes of being a role player?
10. James Yap, STAR Hotshots
Was Yap shackled by the Triangle, as most would believe, or is he simply on a slow decline owing to all the basketball mileage? Is STAR still his team, or are they moving to another direction with Mark Barocca and Ian Sangalang?
9. Aldrech Ramos, Mahindra Enforcers
Ramos is to basketball as Myrtle is to local showbiz. Whoever this guy's manager is should get a raise. He's everywhere. EVERY FREAKING WHERE. We haven't seen anything from him that would convince us that he's a solid role player at least, and yet we keep hearing all the hype and hoopla from wherever. Hell, he even made it to the Gilas 3 - Jones Cup selection for crying out loud. Now that he is on a bad team, with no one to compete minutes with (unless Coach
8. Junemar Fajardo, San Miguel Beermen
What is next for the 2x PBA MVP coming off 2 titles last season? Well, he's "hurting" at the moment but once he comes back there is still no one in the league that can stop Fajardo one-on-one. There are guys who look like Fajardo, average similar numbers, but when they are matched up in games, fail to really go toe-to-toe with the new yardstick for all big men.
7. Jayson Castro, Talk'n'Text Tropang Texters
The Jayson Castro Era for TNT is off to a nice start, with him leading them to a title last year, #oneforkuyajimmy . This conference, Castro will have plenty of help with veteran playmaker Denok Miranda and a healthy Ryan Reyes at the backcourt. Oh, and his frontline just got deeper with new recruits Troy Rosario, Moala Tautuaa and Larry Rodriguez. All big, all skilled, all versatile.
6. JC Intal, Barako Bull Energy
Is this the year that Intal finally, FINALLY, lives up to the ADMU hype and reward all his amazing fans that stuck with him despite his relatively placid PBA career so far? He's Gilas 3 certified, and he did make a lot of clutch plays and baskets. We're not sure about the "shooter" tag, but he did show flashes of his old self so the future looks bright for him. So bright, that we see him being traded before mid-season even.
5. Calvin Abueva, Alaska Aces
The Philippine Cup has always been kind to Abueva, since it allows him to play his natural crazy, freelancing 4 position and take advantage of the rather "soft" hybrid 4s that have peppered the league in recent years. This conference, we are intrigued at the possibility of Abueva being let loose by Alaska, having showed his ball handling skills and some maturity during his stint with Gilas 3. We wouldn't be surprised if Abueva ends up Top 2-3 in both scoring and rebounding at conference's end.
4. Joe DeVance, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Why was DeVance the guy that Coach Tim Cone wanted from STAR? Alex Mallari's younger. James Yap, Marc Pingris and or PJ Simon are the stars. Mark Barocca is also a stud in his own right, as well as Ian Sangalang. Why DeVance? Because we feel that more than his multi-faceted game, he's the perfect glue guy for an imbalanced roster such as Ginebra's. We all know that L.A. Tenorio and Mark Caguioa are cut-throat. That Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar and Chris Ellis all look like they need a little prodding here and there. That Sol Mercado gets out of track from time to time. DeVance? He's solid. He'll give you the numbers, he'll be the team's "class clown" and even perform during All Star Game half time breaks free of charge. He's good enough to reach through to Tenorio and Caguioa, while being goofy enough for the kids to follow.
3. Maverick Ahanmisi, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Surprise 3rd pick overall in the 2015 PBA Draft. Paul Lee is hurt and will be out for 2 months. Gone are backups TY Tang and Jon Uyloan. Chris Tiu is the only other point guard on the roster. All eyes are on Maverick Ahanmisi for sure.
2. Japeth Aguilar, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
More than Slaughter, it is Aguilar who can really shine under the Triangle Offense given his versatility. Slaughter will be penciled in as a high post, role playing. crisp-passing center, which he truly is (not the dominant kind like Fajardo). He'll get his double-doubles, but it is Aguilar who can take the leap into legitimate superstardom if he can work around the nuances of the Triangle. He has the speed, length and jumping ability to stop anyone from Castro to Fajardo, all he really needs is someone to map out the road.
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| The new face of the PBA? (Photo credit to the owner) |
Sure, his ascension kind of hit a snag with Gilas 3 in the FIBA Asia tournament. But not even a still solid campaign would deter Romeo from rising up the ranks as the next "face" of the PBA after former league MVPs Mark Caguioa and James Yap. For all things nice about 2x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo and his rival Greg Slaughter, the Philippines is still a combo guard's country. Not a lot would idolize big men around here. No one really wants to train into a low post, grind-it-out guy unless they're forced to by circumstances (either they suddenly enjoyed a growth spurt, or were simply too slow to run the floor with everyone else) which makes Romeo, with his ball-handling skills, fearless approach and now growing team basketball IQ, the new idol.
Shout out to Taiwanese CSR Jenny Yu.
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