Basketball fans do not take much attention to role players. But if you watched basketball carefully, you will see the importance of these non-glamorous ballers in winning championships.
After passing the half-mark of the 2018 Commissioner's Cup, here are the top five most underrated role players in the league.
#5 TNT: Anthony Semerad
Semerad could be the most lock-in 3-and-D player in the league. If you watch him play on offense, you will see him moving and moving through screens, trying to find the right spot. On defense, he is also moving through screens, trying to keep in front of his man.
Stat-wise, Anthony is having a great conference. He is producing 9.1 points in 51% FG and 54% from beyond the arc, per game. He doesn't contribute much on other stats, which is a great vindication of his 3-and-D role.
#4 BGSM: Joe Devance
If you ask coach Tim Cone, Joe Devance will be his #1 role player. Joe is the definition of the ultimate role player. He can score, rebound, pass, shoot, defend the rim and make plays. Do not forget also about his championship experience.
He is averaging 10.1 points, 1.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 58% FG and 54% 3FG, per game. The most eye-popping is his 54% from beyond the arc. If he can keep that up, Ginebra will have an easier time recovering from their bad start.
#3 MAG: Rome Dela Rosa
Dela Rosa is the 3-and-D player of coach Chito Victolero. This is the first time that Rome was trusted with a very important role and he is delivering.
He is manufacturing 9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 60% FG and 67% 3FG per game. Unlike Semerad, Dela Rosa is also busy in getting rebounds and also have some playmaking responsibilities. One more encouraging stat for him is his 0.8 turnover. The discipline of not turning the ball over could be the key to a long PBA career for him.
#2 MER: KG Canaleta
KG is having his renaissance conference, once again. He started his career as an athletic high-flyer, then added high-volume three-point shooting. Now, he is an experienced veteran scorer.
KG is producing 11.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 46% FG, and 53% 3FG per game. If you equate his production to 36 minutes, you will get 22.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. His 53% 3FG is, of course, the reason why he is scoring that fast and efficient. He is taking 5.4 three-pointers per game and he makes 2.9 of it, per game. All teams today are salivating for that kind of shooting.
#1 ALA: Chris Banchero
Vic Manuel is getting all the spotlight with the current run of Alaska in the Commissioner's Cup. Hiding in the shadows is the flawless quarterbacking of Chris.
He is averaging 9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 40% FG per game. Unlike the first four guys, Banchero is not here because of his shooting efficiency. Chris is a cut-throat slasher. with his speed and strength. He always finds a way to reach the rim.
And of course his assists. He has the 2nd highest average dimes per game. And I think that robust passing and playmaking ability has been a huge factor for the success of Alaska.
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