After the end of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season, most teams go into the season thinking they have a shot at a championship. They try to project to the public that it is their goal and they are striving to achieve it even if it appears that they really are just a ‘farm’ for their more famous corporate partners.
As a result of lopsided trades and questionable deals in the league, basketball fans know that there are only a handful of teams that have a legitimate shot at achieving the championship dream each season. Despite their misplaced confidence on the roster that they have, some teams clearly deserved to be relegated to the PBA D-League.
The following teams do not have a chance to win any of the three championships this year and probably next year as well.
GlobalPort Batang Pier
Losing Jay Washington was a big blow for the Batang Pier and knocked them down a notch in terms of firepower. They may found a gem in Stanley Pringle, but with only Mark Isip as their capable scorer down low, this has sealed any chance of being competitive in the next three conferences of the league. They'll be lucky to make the quarterfinals. They will need big numbers from Yancy De Ocampo, Noy Baclao and Ronjay Buenafe to complement the production of Pringle and Terrence Romeo.
During the season-ending Governor’s Cup, the Batang Pier managed to put up e very dismal record of 1 win against 8 losses. If they can somehow get the best from rookie Roider Cabrera, then maybe, just maybe, they can get 4 wins in the Philippine Cup courtesy of Kia Sorrento, Blackwater Elite, Barako Bull plus one possible upset.
Kia Sorrento
During the pre-season games, the Sorrentos were banged up, bruised, and limped to get some of their unconvincing wins. They may have won a game against Barangay Ginebra and came pretty close to giving the other teams a beating, but everyone knows that nobody takes this pre-tournament practice seriously.
If your team’s defense is anchored on 6-foot-7 Mike Burtscher and offense of 6-foot-6 Reil Cervantes, then you are in deep trouble. Did I mention that Kia also boasts of having the smallest player in the league, their playing coach Manny Pacquiao?
Nobody has yet to admit it, but the new team’s bench is considered as the worst ever in the history of the PBA and all indications point that it will not improve before the season ends. If Kia can beat fellow newcomer Blackwater Elite twice before the start of the 2015-2016 season, then that’s already an achievement in my books
Blackwater Elite
This team has a chance to pick potential starter in Larry Rodriguez without sacrificing anything during the expansion draft, but they did not. Instead they opted to choose veteran Danny Ildefonso. After a few months, they released Ildefonso in exchange for nothing and acquired Rodriguez in exchange for their 2015 first round draft pick. If this doesn’t stinks, then it’s probably the sweet smell of productive farming.
With two head-scratching moves, the Elite showed everyone that it is not serious in winning anything. Without their original draft pick next year, the Elite will not see any improvement in the next two years.
Owner Dioceldo S. Sy must have some real confidence in a young roster of role players. Rodriguez, Alex Nuyles, Jason Ballesteros, Gilbert Bulawan and Paul Artadi will have to do more to improve their chances of barging into the quarterfinals. However, the bench of Sunday Salvacion, Chris Timberlake , Bryan Faundo and JR Cawaling leaves a bit desired. Leo Isaac is going to have put his best coaching foot forward this season and work some incredible magic.
As a result of lopsided trades and questionable deals in the league, basketball fans know that there are only a handful of teams that have a legitimate shot at achieving the championship dream each season. Despite their misplaced confidence on the roster that they have, some teams clearly deserved to be relegated to the PBA D-League.
The following teams do not have a chance to win any of the three championships this year and probably next year as well.
GlobalPort Batang Pier
Losing Jay Washington was a big blow for the Batang Pier and knocked them down a notch in terms of firepower. They may found a gem in Stanley Pringle, but with only Mark Isip as their capable scorer down low, this has sealed any chance of being competitive in the next three conferences of the league. They'll be lucky to make the quarterfinals. They will need big numbers from Yancy De Ocampo, Noy Baclao and Ronjay Buenafe to complement the production of Pringle and Terrence Romeo.
During the season-ending Governor’s Cup, the Batang Pier managed to put up e very dismal record of 1 win against 8 losses. If they can somehow get the best from rookie Roider Cabrera, then maybe, just maybe, they can get 4 wins in the Philippine Cup courtesy of Kia Sorrento, Blackwater Elite, Barako Bull plus one possible upset.
Kia Sorrento
During the pre-season games, the Sorrentos were banged up, bruised, and limped to get some of their unconvincing wins. They may have won a game against Barangay Ginebra and came pretty close to giving the other teams a beating, but everyone knows that nobody takes this pre-tournament practice seriously.
If your team’s defense is anchored on 6-foot-7 Mike Burtscher and offense of 6-foot-6 Reil Cervantes, then you are in deep trouble. Did I mention that Kia also boasts of having the smallest player in the league, their playing coach Manny Pacquiao?
Nobody has yet to admit it, but the new team’s bench is considered as the worst ever in the history of the PBA and all indications point that it will not improve before the season ends. If Kia can beat fellow newcomer Blackwater Elite twice before the start of the 2015-2016 season, then that’s already an achievement in my books
Blackwater Elite
This team has a chance to pick potential starter in Larry Rodriguez without sacrificing anything during the expansion draft, but they did not. Instead they opted to choose veteran Danny Ildefonso. After a few months, they released Ildefonso in exchange for nothing and acquired Rodriguez in exchange for their 2015 first round draft pick. If this doesn’t stinks, then it’s probably the sweet smell of productive farming.
With two head-scratching moves, the Elite showed everyone that it is not serious in winning anything. Without their original draft pick next year, the Elite will not see any improvement in the next two years.
Owner Dioceldo S. Sy must have some real confidence in a young roster of role players. Rodriguez, Alex Nuyles, Jason Ballesteros, Gilbert Bulawan and Paul Artadi will have to do more to improve their chances of barging into the quarterfinals. However, the bench of Sunday Salvacion, Chris Timberlake , Bryan Faundo and JR Cawaling leaves a bit desired. Leo Isaac is going to have put his best coaching foot forward this season and work some incredible magic.
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