We are now down to the last conference of the 2017-2018 season of the Philippine Basketball Association. Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel is looking to keep the Governors Cup title for the third straight year.
San Miguel Beermen is craving to take revenge for another failed Grand Slam campaign. Magnolia Hotshots and TNT Ka Tropa still have loaded rosters, capable of winning the crown.
And how about the other teams? Here is our first power ranking for the 2018 Governors Cup.
#12 Blackwater Elite
Elite has a promising team. But with what they showed in the first two conferences, I will not trust them to do better in this one. Henry Walker is capable of carrying this team to the playoffs but I do not think the management is really looking to get a playoff ticket with the opportunity of grabbing one of the top 2 picks in the upcoming draft.
#11 Columbian Dyip
If you are unaware, Dyip has formed one of the deadliest young backcourt in the league. I am talking about Rashawn McCarthy and Jerramy King. Two athletic and strong point guards who are lights out from the outside. Akeem Wright is a bulldozer who can take advantage of the outside shooting of those two.
#10 North Port Batang Pier
North Port will start their campaign without their one-two punch, Sean Anthony and Stanley Pringle. Their defeat at the hands of NLEX showed that they will not survive without those two. If Rashad Woods can be a good shooter in the PBA, North Port could have a good chance of making a surprising run.
#9 NLEX Road Warriors
NLEX deserves our attention for beating TNT Ka Tropa and North Port Batang Pier without coach Yeng Guiao and their starting backcourt. I think, those two games exhibited the excellence of coach Yeng in building a winning team. Nevertheless, missing coach Yeng and their starting backcourt will be hard to overcome in winning the crown.
#8 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Their decision to help out the national team will backfire on them in this year's Governors Cup. Their very first game in the tournament will be on September 22! Which means they will be playing 11 games in the span of shorter than two months! And for them to bring back Bullock could be an indication that they are punting this tournament.
#7 Phoenix Fuel Masters
Eugene Phelps is a little bit underrated in the PBA universe. He averaged 31.6 points and 17.4 rebounds last year. He has the moves and strength to reach the rim anytime he wants. Imagine him playing with Calvin Abueva and Phoenix may have formed the most energetic forward tandem in the league. If they control the boards and their shooters hit their shots, Phoenix may rise to the top.
#6 TNT Ka Tropa
TNT made a quick decision of changing Mike Glover as their import. I thought he deserves at least another game. Nevertheless, new import means reset in chemistry and cohesion. That will have a negative effect to TNT who is still trying to find the right scheme to maximize Castro, Pogoy and Romeo.
#5 Meralco Bolts
The Hulk will again try to carry the Bolts to the Finals for the third straight time. In their first two games, he was as dominant as ever with his 26.5 points, 21.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 46% FG average. With the continued improvement of Chris Newsome and Baser Amer and with the arrival of Ranidel de Ocampo, Durnham has a better team around him.
#4 Alaska Aces
Mike Harris is bringing the best resume in this tournament. He played in 54 NBA games. In his 2018 stints in the various international league, he manufactured 19.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 38.2% 3FG per game. Alaska badly needs a scorer and a playmaker so Harris will be a perfect fit.
#3 Magnolia Hotshots
Magnolia is becoming an afterthought. They have a good system in place but their lackings in some areas could be hard to overcome. Romeo Travis will try to fill those holes and he has the pedigree to do it. He is a complete player who can score inside and outside, rebound, make plays, defend and hustle.
#2 San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel still has the most loaded basketball squad in the country. But, talent alone is not enough to be the champion. You should be the best team. If San Miguel learned their lesson in the 2018 Commissioner's Cup, this Governors Cup will be easy for them to dominate.
#1 Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel
With smaller import to compete against and with their cohesion at the highest level, Ginebra is the favorite in this conference. Justin Brownlee should have an easier time now that he is not competing against the giant behemoths of the Commissioner's Cup. Jeff Chan will be better also and the fact that they are trying to accomplish something historical will boost their resolve.
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