We were given the opportunity to further breakdown the teams because of this break due to the COVID-19.
So today, we will rank the team according to the strength of their bigmen rotation. Let us define bigmen as the players who can play the center position, in a normal rotation. This is about the Philippine Cup, so the players who are injured during or for the entirety of the Cup will have their value diminished.
#12 COLUMBIAN: Jeepy Faundo-Aldrech Ramos-Joseph Gabayni-Michael Balagasay
The frontline rotation of Columbian is literally a bunch of no-names. Faundo, Gabayni and Balagay all have the size to battle up front but do not have the pedigree. Ramos is a good veteran to have but injury-prone.
#11 BLACKWATER: Maurice Shaw-Frank Golla-James Sena-Marion Magat-Richard Escoto
Blackwater will rely heavily on Maurice Shaw. If he will meet the hype and immediately be one of the top 10 centers in the league, Blackwater should be higher in this ranking. If he fails, the center-depth of the Elite will be a big problem for them.
#10 PHOENIX: Justin Chua-Jay-R Reyes-Jason Perkins-Dave Marcelo
The frontline rotation of Phoenix has been their weakness for a while now. They did not upgrade it last season. So, they will again rely heavily on Justin Chua to stand his ground. This rotation has depth but lacks someone who can withstand the giants of the league.
#9 NLEX: JR Quinahan-Asi Taulava-Raul Soyud-Michael Miranda
I am a big fan of JR Quinahan. He may not be a top 10 center in the league but the guy can shoot, provide excellent screens and defend the tall centers in the country. They also have another guy that they can throw against the giants in Asi Taulava.
#8 MERALCO: Raymond Almazan-Cliff Hodge-Bryan Faundo-Reynel Hugnatan
Even though they have one of the top 10 centers in the league, Meralco was ranked at #8 because that center is injured. Hodge, Faundo and Hugnatan are good names to have in the depth-chart but not reliable enough at the center position.
#7 RAIN OR SHINE: Beau Belga-Jewel Ponferada-Norbert Torres-Sidney Onwubere
I love the depth of the bigmen of Rain or Shine. Belga is the crafty guy. Ponferada is strong and physical. Torres is big and he can shoot. Onwubere is athletic, especially on defense. Unfortunately, they lack the height to defend the giants of the league. That is the reason why I cannot push them to my top 6.
#6 TNT: JP Erram-Troy Rosario-Kelly Williams-Harvey Carey-Jay Washington
Quantity is also important in any rotation. TNT is an example of that. Erram will surely be a good fix to the problems and weaknesses of TNT but it comes with a big risk. The moment he is injured, their entire rotation is destroyed. Troy will be pushed to play in the center position, instead of playing in the perimeter. And then imagine if Troy also gets injured.
#5 ALASKA: Abu Tratter-Vic Manuel-Sonny Thoss-Barkley Ebona-Rodney Brondial
I was impressed with what Abu showed in his first conference with Alaska. He looks capable of becoming the starting center of a title contender. With Vic Manuel there and energetic bigs in Ebona and Brondial, the frontline will not be a weakness for Alaska.
#4 MAGNOLIA: Ian Sangalang-Rafi Reavis-Marc Pingris-Kyle Pascual
Deciding between Alaska and Magnolia was a hard choice to make. I went with Magnolia because of the pedigree of the team. Although, there is a risk that they may tumble down as low as #7 if the game of Reavis and Pingris totally deteriorates due to father-time.
#3 SAN MIGUEL: Moala Tautuaa-Arwind Santos-Russell Escoto-Billy Mamaril
This is one of the reasons why you should not underestimate the Beermen. Even without Fajardo, they still have the 3rd best bigmen-depth in the league. Tautuaa showcased in their first game that he can be dominant with the Beermen. Santos is always there to provide a unique shot in their center position. And then they have a shooter in Escoto and a banger in Mamaril.
#2 NORTHPORT: Christian Standhardinger-Kelly Nabong-Bradwyn Guinto-Jervy Cruz
Northport has the top center in the league. That is the key to any rotation. They also have an interesting back-up in Nabong who will provide a different taste because of his ability to hit three-pointers. And then Guinto is always there. Overall, they have an excellent mix of firepower and impact.
#1 GINEBRA: Japeth Aguilar-Prince Caperal-Joe Devance-Raymond Aguilar
There is a good argument that Aguilar is the 2nd best center this season. The difference between Aguilar and Standhardinger is smaller than the difference between the depths of the two teams. Caperal is equal to Nabong in a way because of Kelly's risky antics. There is a big difference between Devance and Guinto because of the level of skill of Joe. And then Raymond is way more reliable than Jervy.
It is close but I will favor Ginebra over Northport.
How about jackson corpuz is there capable big men in magnolia
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