(c) PBA Media Bureau
We are down to the last day of 2018. To end the year, let us rank the 12 teams in the league. The draft brings a lot of changes and hopes.
Trades shook up a lot of line-ups.
How did the trades and the draft change the fortune of each team? Let us see.
#12 Columbian Dyip
I am not a fan of the Dyip franchise because of what they did in the past but they now have an exciting core in their hands. I am talking about Rashawn McCarthy, Jerramy King, Jackson Corpuz and CJ Perez.
Do not expect the quartet to lead them to a championship. They are not talented enough to do that. Maybe, if they tank it out again and keep the 2019 1st that they have. Playoffs will then become a much realistic possibility.
#11 Blackwater Elite
The departure of JP Erram and the presumed trade of Bobby Ray Parks is an indication that the Elite wants to retool the franchise. Now, if they will be able to retain Parks and their price rookies, Abu Tratter and Paul Desiderio play above expectation, a semifinals appearance in the upcoming year may not be a surprise for the Elite.
#10 Meralco Bolts
Meralco has been a failure in the last three All-Filipino Cup tournaments because of their one big hole in their line-up. They do not have a bigman that can take on the giants that are dominating the league. That is also the reason why I do not trust them to be one of 9 best teams for the upcoming season.
#9 Phoenix Fuel Masters
I am excited to see how the trio of Calvin Abueva, Matthew Wright and Jason Perkins battles in an All-Filipino tournament. If they run the proper system, Phoenix will be an interesting team to watch. Unfortunately, they are also lacking that center, just like the Bolts.
#8 Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
I am having a hard time believing on coach Caloy Garcia. They have a deep line-up but I think I have seen enough already that he cannot form the right system to help the team reach the promised land. Nevertheless, we are still waiting for the breakout season of Raymond Aguilar and Maverick Ahanmisi. If he can unlock the duo, this season could be something else.
#7 Northport Batang Pier
By drafting Robert Bollick, Batang Pier now have a backcourt of the presence and of the future. They also have a credible frontline led by Moala Tautuaa who was impressive in the 2018 Governors Cup with his 12.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. If Tautuaa can continue to increase those numbers in 2019, Northport should be a team to watch.
#6 TNT Ka Tropa
Jayson Castro could be the best Filipino point guard of the 21st century. That doesn't mean though that he will beat father time. The age concern of the Blur and their underwhelming frontline are their roadblocks to a successful season. The good thing is, they will try to apply a system that can cover up those deficiencies.
#5 NLEX Road Warriors
Yes. Just by acquiring one of the few dominating giants in the league was enough to push NLEX to the upper echelon of the league. Actually, Erram will have two big bodies by his side in Asi Taulava and JR Quinahan. By fixing their frontline, coach Yeng will just need to go to work and maximize the other parts of the roster.
#4 Alaska Aces
Kudos to coach Alex Compton in leading the Aces to a respectable 2018 season with a frontline of Vic Manuel and role-playing bigs. They still need that frontliner to face the Fajardos and Slaughters of the PBA universe but in terms of reaching the semifinals, they have enough to do it in each conference.
#3 Magnolia Hotshots
Hotshots found a championship-winning formula in the 2018 Governors Cup. The problem in the upcoming 2018 All-Filipino Cup is obvious, they do not have a Romeo Travis to cover up their shortcomings.
The good thing about their roster is the number of young players. Jio Jalalon, Robbie Herndon, Rome Dela Rosa and their new rookie Michael Calisaan still have rooms to grow. I just don't think their improvements will be enough to overcome the top 2 franchises.
#2 Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel
It seems like coach Tim Cone is contented with his current line-up. Why not? They have a deep and tall frontline. They have one of the most unique weapons in the league in Scottie Thompson. They still have LA Tenorio who will surely play in all their games.
Their biggest problem is shooting but coach Tim had shown in the past that he can guide them to a championship even with that deficiency.
#1 San Miguel Beermen
The addition of Terrence Romeo brought risks of internal dysfunction to the greatest squad ever assembled in the PBA. That is not enough though to discount the fact that they still have the most firepower on both ends of the court. They will try again to accomplish a grandslam but I believe this season will be much tougher than 2018.
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