For the 3rd straight year, we will present a top 100 player list! Even though we only conducted a single tournament in 2020, I think what we saw there was enough to update our current valuations of each player.
To rank them, we used the following criteria.
Scoring (S) - 30
Primarily, this is the ability of the player to score. Their points per game were the primary statistics that were scrutinized but we also give a huge weight on the efficiency of the player. We also factor in the fact that there are a hundred ways to score. So the more ways a player score efficiently will also increase his points in this area.
Defense (D) - 30
Defense represents 50% of the game for a player. This score will take into account the ability of the player to stop someone, man-to-man. Now, the defense is not all about man-to-man but also about the capacity of a player to work in the defensive scheme of a team. Enjoined in this area is the ability of the player to get rebounds and to help his team control the flow of the game.
Offense (O) - 25
Scoring is the only goal of offense but the other factors that will pave the way for good scoring opportunities will reside in this area. Primarily, this is about the ability of the player to break down defenses and make plays for his teammates. Added into this is the intelligence of the player in making the right plays, reads and positions in helping out the team take a good shot.
Intangibles (I) - 15
There are four other elements of a player that basically form this criterion. They are leadership, chemistry, clutch, and health. Those four are not part of the first three but actually elevate a player. A good example is LA Tenorio. LA is not as valuable as the Tenorio that we know today without his ability to command and his 100% health status.
In the case of ties, they will be ranked according to age with the youngest being the highest.
We will begin with the 25th to 11th rank players.
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Rank. Name of the Player. Scoring/Defense/Offense/Intangibles
#25 Chris Newsome 20/18/20/11
#24 Terrence Romeo 28/11/21.5/8.5
#23 Chris Ross 9/29/20.5/11
I hope that Chris is also gaining some respect from the PBA fandom with the consistency of his play as the main guy of Meralco. He averaged 13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 42% FG per game last year. The thing that I think a lot of you are not appreciating is his playmaking capacity. He can pass-on-the-move. His vision is pretty good and of course, he can make acrobatic passes. Add the fact that he can make clutch plays and you have a special player in Newsome.
Speaking of a guy who can knockdown clutch plays, here is Terrence Romeo. Unfortunately for Terrence, his biggest problem now is his health. His shoulder injury may potentially have an impact on his shooting form. That will be a huge blow for an awesome scorer like Terrence. One thing though that I have witnessed was a much better defensive fundamental by Terrence. Can he continue that this 2021?
Ross has a good case for the best overall defender for the point guard position. He is once again a top 3 on stealing the ball with his 2.2 per game, 2nd best. Remember that the ability to steal the ball is equal to the ability to totally shutting down a defensive possession. Other than his defensive playmaking, his passing remains to be topnotch.
#22 Mark Barroca 12/26/19/12.5
#21 Beau Belga 14/24/20/11.5
#20 LA Tenorio 21/10/24/15
Barroca is one of the competition of Chris Ross for the tutelage of being the best defensive point guard in the league. I see both Ross and Barroca as havoc and aggressive type of defenders. Barroca ended up as the top thief in the PBA bubble, edging Chris. He ended up with a statline of 11.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 40% FG per game. His biggest problem is still his efficiency but at this point, what he brings on the defensive end and his overall offense, compensates for it.
Why is Belga a top 25 player in the PBA even though he is slow and he actually doesn't possess any elite skill? It is because he is really good at breaking down defenders. He can stretch the floor. He provides hard screens to open up shots for his teammates. His passing is underrated. He can actually create for others too. Defensively, he can defend giants. And his physicality and size helps a lot in securing rebounds.
Tenorio is the king of intangible. He is arguably the most accepted leader in the league. He can mandate anyone. His run of consecutive games is still alive. He is also capable of hitting clutch shots. In the PBA bubble, he only produced 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 40% 3FG per game. Nothing to mesmerized anyone but he did show up in the Finals and even got the Finals MVP.
#19 Justin Chua 19/23/19/9.5
#18 CJ Perez 27/15/19.5/9.5
#17 Jayson Castro 24/14/22.5/11
What Chua did in the bubble deserved this big of a rise in our ranking. Chua was deadly from beyond the arc last year and that helped a lot the offense of Phoenix. Chua averaged 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.6 blocks, 37% FG and 35% 3FG per game. While his offense was amazing, his defense was actually more impressive. He ended up as the top shot-blocker in the league even though his athleticism is nowhere near average. His fundamentals on rim protection is just so good.
Do we even need to write that much about Perez? Yes. Perez is playing in a very bad team and his back-to-back scoring crown are being criticized as a by-product on playing for a very bad team. But if we think about it, manufacturing 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 44% FG per game for a supporting cast of below-average players should not be happening. Perez is good. Although, we do need to see him in the playoffs before we further push him in this ranking.
At this point, The Blur is not already the Blur of the past. His first step is still one of the fastest in the league but it is not that destructive already. Fortunately for Jayson, the other facets of his offense are still very good. In the bubble, he averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 43% FG and 28% 3FG per game. His overall game is blossoming as his first step is slowing down.
#16 Paul Lee 26/10/24/11.5
#15 Calvin Abueva 18/27/20.5/7
#14 Sean Anthony 21/23/20/9
I see Paul as the James Harden of the PBA. He relies heavily on his outside shooting and that outside shooting is so destructive that an entire offense can be run through it. Lee doesn't have the quickest first step but he has a step back and quick release to create his shots. Paul averaged 19.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 40.4% 3FG and 3.0 three-pointers per game. His playmaking also is good.
It is still risky to trust the Beast that he can remain calm forever inside the court. Nevertheless, his growth is pretty clear that he ended up #2 in rebounding and #4 in assists. His statline in the bubble was 15.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 46% FG per game. I think, coach Topex played Calvin as their point guard in the bubble. It was not that obvious because he played with guys who are point guards in position but we saw him run a lot of plays to create shots for his teammates.
Anthony was considered by the majority of fans and analysts to be the most underrated player in the PBA for a long while. He was not a perfect player as a lot of fans are even aware that he always has a "sabaw" moment during games. Nevertheless, the game of a Sean Anthony is really hard to find. He can handle the ball and make passes like a guard and he is as strong as a bigman.
#13 Moala Tautuaa 25/18/20.5/10
#12 Kiefer Ravena 24/14/23.5/12
#11 Marcio Lassiter 21/21/23/11
At this point. I hope Tautuaa gets the respect that he deserves. Yes, his first few years in the league were underwhelming. Not this year though. He erupted for 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 60% FG and 33% 3FG per game. His passing and vision for a center is pretty amazing. I am also a big fan of his superb ability to finish plays. He cuts very well and his catch-and-shoot three-point shooting is acceptable.
We saw the usual Ravena in the 2020 Philippine Cup where he averaged 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 47% FG and 40% 3FG per game. His efficiency for having the 7th highest points production in the league is evidence of how special Kiefer is. I see Kiefer's scoring as a combination of that of LA Tenorio and Terrence Romeo. A very sneaky player who has an elite handle. His playmaking is also special.
Believe it or not but Lassiter ended up with 15.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 38% 3FG per game. Without Fajardo, Lassiter got more shots and he was effective with it. I still believed that one of the biggest what if of the last decade was, what if Lassiter played in a team where he was a top 2 option on offense? Just look at Matthew Wright now. Could we have seen Marcio doing the same thing?
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