As expected, Ginebra and San Miguel grabbed Ws after Ws to make sure that they will survive the elimination round.
Now that these two powerhouses are on the thick of things again. Do they deserve a place in the top 3 of our power ranking?
#12 Blackwater Elite
If I am the owner of Blackwater, I will just use the next few months watching videos of the highlights of Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
#11 NLEX Road Warriors
If I am the owner of NLEX, I will just use the next few months watching videos of the highlights of Kobe Paras and CJ Perez.
#10 Columbian Dyip
Even with all the dumb moves that the Dyip franchise had done, it seems like they have stumbled into a capable backcourt for their present and their future. Rashawn McCarthy and Jerramy King could be one of the most electric duos in the next several seasons of the league. But we all know that Dyip will not retain both.
#9 Phoenix Fuel Masters
The Fuel Masters suffered a tough loss in their recent game against Rain or Shine. They shot pretty well from beyond the arc, hitting 14 of their 33 attempts. At least they managed to show that they can actually win the rebounding battle against a big team.
#8 Magnolia Hotshots
The Hotshots are having a hard time finding stability in their import position. They will try a veteran import in Wayne Chism after the passable stint of Justin Jackson. Unfortunately, they are battling for their lives and do not have any game that they can spare to help him learn their system.
#7 Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel
With three dominant victories in their last three games, Ginebra looks like a powerful team, once again. The average margin of those three victories were 22 points!
But they still have a glaring problem. Greg Slaughter is playing like Barney instead of performing his last name against their opponent. In their last two games, he only totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds! If they want to go deep into the playoffs, they need Greg.
#6 TNT Ka Tropa
It is hard to root for a team with a huge disadvantage. Majority of their core players are also playing for the National team. RR Pogoy, Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro and Troy Rosario are part of the 15-man pool that will represent our country in the 3rd window of the FIBA Asian Qualifiers.
Playing for another team disrupts chemistry, provide wear and tear and increase the risks of getting injured.
#5 Globalport Batang Pier
Look out for Globalport. With the departure of Terrence Romeo, another elite producer has risen. His name is Sean Anthony and he is averaging 18.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 44% FG per game.
With two elite players, Globalport should be capable of handling the firepowers of the other playoff squads. The next vital thing is to make sure that they will have the right strategy during the playoffs.
#4 Alaska Aces
In their recent two losses, Alaska's defense was not the issue. It was more about their offense. Their three-point shooting was awful, hitting just 21.1%! Their fastbreak points were also very low, just 15 points in total for that two games.
With their defense still intact, I expect the Aces to be in a good form, entering the playoffs. One guy that also needs to wake-up is Jayvee Casio.
#3 Meralco Bolts
The Bolts has a glaring weakness. Their efficiency from the free-throw line is abysmal! They are only hitting 59% from charity stripes. The worst one was their import, Arinze Onuaku, who is only making 33% of his tries. If they can fix this inefficiency, the Bolts could get a good chance of winning the championship.
#2 San Miguel Beermen
The Beermen are back to the top 3 of our rankings. Even though they are only in the 5th place, the Beermen averages the 2nd most points per game at 107.1. Although, we also need to point out that four of their elite players are shooting below 40%.
Once Alex Cabagnot, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross find their shots, the Beermen will become the favorite again.
#1 Rain or Shine
Rain or Shine should be the favorite to win the title today. They value three-point shots, as they hit the third most three-pointers per game. They are also the best rebounding team and also are the fit best in terms of assists.
I strongly believed that the presence of Reggie Johnson has completed the team of Rain or Shine. He was the right import to anchor their system. His screening ability and space-eating size make life easier for his teammates.
Comments
Post a Comment