Now that we have witnessed almost all of the teams in the PBA bubble, it is time to give our initial power ranking for the 2020 PBA rookies.
Who has the highest potential to be the Rookie of the Year this year? Let me give my initial top 10 candidates!
#10 Mike Ayonayon (NLEX)
He is playing for coach Yeng Guiao. So, it was not a surprise that he received playing time right away. Although, I do not think he is that comfortable with his current role, and that is to be expected because he has been playing as the main scoring cog in the amateurs.
#9 Barkley Ebona (Alaska)
He is as physical as advertised but I do not think he is that skilled enough to have that impact immediately that will catapult him to serious Rookie-of-the-Year discussion.
#8 Christian Balagasay (Dyip)
He is not that hefty to be reliable against the giants of the league but he did show some flashes of interesting potential. I am talking about his passing and fundamentals in the paint.
#7 Aris Dionisio (Magnolia)
The only guy on this list that I have not watched. But with the injury to Marc Pingris, I think he will have a role right away and I expect him to impress.
#6 Adrian Wong (Rain or Shine)
His debut will be forgotten because he failed to score a single point but he will surely have a role moving forward. He was the off-ball sniper of coach Caloy Garcia and knowing how good of a shooter he is, I expect a bounce-back soon.
#5 Sean Manganti (Northport)
I actually did not expect coach Pido Jarencio to give him a starting spot right away. He produced 3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in his debut. He looks like a credible PBA player inside the court with his physique and athleticism.
#4 Aaron Black (Meralco)
Black received 12 minutes in his debut game and I was happy with what I saw. He finished the game with 6 points and 3 assists. His passing was really impressive. He found his open teammates easily and was capable of opening up shots for his teammates.
#3 Maurice Shaw (Blackwater)
Even though his debut game was forgettable because he is still out-of-shape, according to coach Nash Racela, it was still undeniable that he looks very big inside the court. His size alone was a good defensive weapon. While offensively, he should be able to push his way towards the basket.
#2 Arvin Tolentino (Ginebra)
Coach Tim Cone gave us a shock by giving a starting spot to Arvin. It seems like coach Tim is determined in giving as much experience to Arvin as possible. So, that will surely help him in trying to steal the Rookie of the Year award from Adams. Let us see if coach Tim and his plethora of star players can really maximize the offensive talent of Arvin.
#1 Roosevelt Adams (Dyip)
Another forgettable debut for a rookie but what did shock me was the size of Adams. So, he was actually closer to 6'5 than 6'2. So, his potential to become a very good starter increased in my eyes. He was still out-of-the-loop in their first game. I expect him to have an amazing game soon.
that Adams guy struggled mightily with the physicality inside... I wondered why he was playing the 4 position I don't think he is comfortable playing the 4. Ayonayon played terribly in his first game.
ReplyDeleteHis usage was too much traditional for him to flourish. Actually, their entire scheme was a too traditional compared last year. Same naman ang coach. Tignan natin sa 2nd game.
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