NEW beginnings beckon for the eight Filipino players who will see action in the 2021-22 B.League season.
Save for Thirdy Ravena, all of the other Pinoys are bracing for the next chapters in their basketball careers as they all hope to make names for themselves overseas.
But before our kababayans get to touch that leather in the Land of the Rising Sun, Spin.ph is here to dissect what you should know and can expect from these clubs.
Thirdy Ravena - San-En NeoPhoenix
Let's start with the pioneer Filipino to play in the B.League.
Thirdy is heading into his second season in Japan after an injury-riddled first year where he only played 18 games and posted 9.1 points on 36-percent shooting, to go with 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.8 minutes. His presence was sorely missed as San-En stumbled to a 19th-place finish after only ammassing a 12-47 win-loss record.
In response, the NeoPhoenix retooled their roster, bringing in Americans Robert Carter and Justin Knox, as well as German forward Elias Harris to backstop the Branislav Vicentic-mentored squad.
Japanese national team center Atsuya Ota and veteran Shingo Okada are also back in the saddle, but young guns like Kazuma Tsuya are also expected to contribute more for San-En this season.
Kiefer Ravena - Shiga Lakestars
After much controversy, Kiefer has also settled in Japan where he is poised to provide veteran leadership for a relatiely young Shiga side.
The Lakestars finished at 13th place last year with their 23-36 slate and the additions this season should be of big help in turning those fates around.
It all starts with Ravena, who was superb in his four-game run with the NLEX Road Warriors as he posted 15.6 points on 42-percent shooting from deep, to go with 6.5 assists, 3.8 boards, and 1.8 steals in 29.6 minutes on the floor in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup.
But he won't be alone as Shiga also underwent a complete facelift, signing British forward Ovie Soko, Argentinian slasher Novar Gadson, and former Xavier big man Sean O'Mara as its new reinforcements under the guidance of Spanish national team deputy Luis Guil Torres.
Local support, however, could be the difference-maker for the Lakestars, who only brought back Daichi Nomoto and Tomonori Imagawa from last season and got six new faces to rejig their roster.
Bobby Ray Parks - Nagoya Diamond Dolphins
Nagoya came close to making the playoffs last year, finishing with a 32-24 card to end up tied for ninth place with Alvark Tokyo.
Signing Parks should help the Diamond Dolphins break through the proverbial glass ceiling.
The second-generation star was superb in his last go-round with TNT KaTropa in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup, where he nabbed 22.4 points on 46-percent shooting from deep, to go with 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals in 39.7 minutes and a runner-up finish.
Nagoya also added more ceiling to the team, bringing in Shayne Whittington, Coty Clarke, and Scott Eatherton as its imports while also keeping national team player Tenketsu Harimoto.
Former Shiga coach Shawn Dennis will call the shots for the Diamond Dolphins this season.
Kobe Paras - Niigata Albirex BB
Last year wasn't the best of runs for Niigata as it only collected a 16-38 record last season for a 17th-place finish.
The entry of Paras in the Albirex BB should move the needle to the right end, with the versatile winger showing much maturity in his last stint with Gilas Pilipinas despite only collecting 3.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Niigata would surely love to see the Paras which balled out in University of the Philippines, nabbing 16.1 points on 34-percent shooting, alongside 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals to earn a Mythical Team nod last UAAP Season 82.
Lucky for the second-generation star, he will have the chance to learn from decorated mentor Fujitaka Hiraoka, who recently led the Gunma Crane Thunders to the championship in the second division and the club's subsequent promotion to the first division.
Also coming in for the Albirex BB are former NBA center Jeff Ayres and South African banger Tshilidzi Nephawe, both of whom will join forces with holdovers headlined by Hungarian sniper Rosco Allen.
If Niigata rings a bell for some Pinoy fans, it's that the team faced TNT in the 2019 East Asia Super League Terrific 12 in Macau. However, only shooter Yuichi Ikeda remains with the team from that game.
Dwight Ramos - Toyama Grouses
Of the clubs Filipino talent will suit up this season, only Ramos' squad Toyama was able to make it to the playoffs last year. The Grouses finished at fifth place with their 39-21 record, but fell in three hardfought games to four-seed Ryukyu Golden Kings to exit in the quarterfinals.
Ramos should help in changing Toyama's fortunes.
He collected 13.8 points on 46-percent shooting from deep, to go with 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 steals in 25.3 minutes to undoubtedly be the breakout star for Gilas in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Ramos also looks like a perfect fit for the Grouses, who already have a solid frontline led by former TNT import Joshua Smith, Zimbabwean center Julian Mavunga, and American forward Richard Solomon, as well as two-time B.League assist leader Naoki Uto.
Also among the new faces for Toyama this season are Kevin Hareyama, former national team member Keijuro Matsui, and ex-Kyoto Hannaryz mentor Honoo Hamaguchi.
Javi Gomez de Liano - Ibaraki Robots
Speaking of perfect fit, Javi also looks tailor-made for Ibaraki which is aiming to show that it belongs in the first division.
The Robots ended at third place with a 39-16 card in the second division, but took down the Saga Ballooners and the Sendai 89ers to climb the B2 ladder before settling for a bridesmaid finish against the Gunma Crane Thunders in the finals.
Gomez de Liano's precise shooting should boost Ibaraki's first foray in B1, especially with Javi coming off a stellar Gilas run where he had 10.7 points on a sizzling 50-percent clip from threes, along with 3.0 rebounds in just 16.9 minutes.
And he won't be alone in proving his worth, with the Robots also signing former Sendai slotman Eric Jacobsen, Canadian center Marc Trasolini, and American forward Chehales Tapscott to aid in this year's run.
Coach Richard Glesmann also brought in former San-En NeoPhoenix Takanobu Nishikawa and ex-Hiroshima Dragonflies center Daichi Taniguchi to retool his roster for this season.
Juan Gomez de Liano - Earthfriends Tokyo Z
No question, Juan can provide instant impact for the Earthfriends which finished a measly 15th place in B2 last year with their 12-46 record.
But for fates to change in Tokyo, the team will need more from Gomez de Liano, who is coming off a Gilas run where he netted 12.0 points on 47-percent shooting, alongside 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 15.4 minutes in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Fortunately, Juan won't be a one-man show as he'll have the chance to team up with an intriguing core led by Haitian forward Marc-Eddy Norelia, and Americans Joshua Crawford and Pat Andree.
Spanish mentor Hugo Lopez will also be arriving to call the shots from the sidelines as Tokyo Z also welcome newcomers like Japanese-American guard Mark Burton and forward Mie Birishibe.
Kemark Carino - Aomori Wat's
Carino got his first taste of elite competition in his brief run with Gilas, where he had 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in just 13.6 minutes in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
The question, however, is can he capitalize on the opportunities given to him especially as he joins Aomori which ended at the bottom of the second division last year, taking a 7-51 record for a 16th-place finish.
Truth be told, things can only get better for Carino and the Wat's.
In Aomori, Carino will get an opportunity to learn playing behind former TNT import Michael Craig, as well as British-Jamaican banger Ryan Richards and Canadian center Renaldo Dixon.
Also expected to step up for the Takeshi Hotta-mentored Wat's are captain Daichi Shinoyama, as well as Hayate Komasawa and Kiichi Kikuyama to be able to get out of the cellar.
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