THE PBA 49th Season will finally unfurl on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum after an offseason like no other.
And boy, it was an interesting offseason.
Aside from player movements, the PBA implemented rule changes that caught the attention of not just the basketball fans in the Philippines, but even sports observers overseas.
The action will finally be on the court once again, and SPIN.ph lists 15 burning questions for the 2024-25 PBA season.
Can Terrafirma make another playoff run with C-Stan, Pringle?
Terrafirma is coming off an excellent showing last season where it made an exciting push in the Philippine Cup, reaching the quarterfinals and forcing San Miguel to a do-or-die match before being ousted.
However, three of the pieces from that playoff run are no longer with the team. Javi Gomez de Liano moved to Korea, while Stephen Holt and Isaac Go were traded to Barangay Ginebra in exchange of Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle.
Terrafirma got an MVP-caliber of a big man in Standhardinger, and is optimistic that Pringle can go back to his usual offensive ways with its system. Will it be enough to make another playoff bid for the Dyip?
Can young Phoenix make it back to the semis?
Phoenix made great strides in the 48th season by reaching the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup with Johnathan Williams as their import. The Fuelmasters, however, missed the playoffs with an all-Filipino roster.
With the 49th season opening with an import-laced conference with Jayveous McKinnis on board, Phoenix is hopeful for another playoff run after the Commissioner’s Cup success last year.
The Fuelmasters also got younger again, adding versatile big man Kai Ballungay through the draft. The future is definitely bright for Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have what it takes to contend.
Is Blackwater a playoff team with Sedrick Barefield?
Blackwater combined for a 5-17 win-loss record last season, but got a major boost by drafting Sedrick Barefield at No. 2 in the 49th season draft.
Judging from his credentials, Barefield, a former Summer League and G League player, is a player who has the potential to transform Blackwater into a playoff team.
Outside of the trade that sent Rey Nambatac to TNT for Kib Montalbo and Jewel Ponferada, Blackwater’s core is intact while also adding Migs Corteza in a trade with Rain or Shine.
Is Dave Ildefonso playing for NorthPort?
The most pressing question for NorthPort right now is the status of its first round rookie Dave Ildefonso. Heading into the start of the season, Ildefonso remained unsigned although the former overseas player have already reached out to the team.
With his versatility, Ildefonso may be the guy that NorthPort needs in a bid to make the playoffs.
Regardless, NorthPort will have to deal with injuries to start the conference. Paul Zamar is out for the season with an ACL tear, while newly-acquired player Jio Jalalon and Fran Yu down.
Can Converge win as it waits for Balti?
The FiberXers hit the jackpot during the 49th season draft by picking Justine Baltazar to finally make it to the PBA. However, Converge will have to wait for Baltazar to finish his contractual duties with the Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the MPBL, raising questions on whether the FiberXers will make an immediate improvement this season.
Converge practically has the same line-up from last season’s campaign where it only finished with a 3-19 win-loss record. A coaching change was also made with Franco Atienza serving as acting coach and Rajko Toroman hired as active consultant.
Is Jong Uichico the answer for NLEX?
NLEX decided to undergo a coaching change during the offseason by elevating Jong Uichico to the head coaching position, replacing Frankie Lim. Uichico is a nine-time PBA champion coach, and his caliber could be the answer to the Road Warriors’ search for that elusive title.
No major changes were made by NLEX, adding Jonnel Policarpio to a team that made it to the quarterfinals during the Philippine Cup, its only playoff appearance last season.
Is Rey Nambatac capable of taking over Mikey Williams’ spot?
When TNT acquired Rey Nambatac in a trade with Blackwater, head coach Chot Reyes said TNT made the trade in order to fill the gap left by Mikey Williams, who is no longer with the team due to a contract issue.
While he may not be as explosive of a scorer as Williams, Nambatac will definitely strengthen its backcourt that can share the offensive load with Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy.
Can Rain or Shine finally contend for a title?
Last season, Rain or Shine made a landmark achievement by reaching the semifinals of the Philippine Cup. And the Elasto Painters are determined to improve on that finish this season, and a performance below its semifinal finish could be considered an underachievement.
Rain or Shine signed its first rounders Caelan Tiongson, a player that head coach Yeng Guiao has described as a ‘Swiss knife’ and Felix Lemetti, an NCAA Division I player that could very well be one of the steals in the draft if everything pans out right. Second rounder Francis Escandor was also signed, while keeping its core together from last season’s campaign.
Can Magnolia go over the top with Glenn Robinson III?
‘Introvoys’ has been the label that some fans have given to Magnolia and the Hotshots can shed that tag with a championship it hasn’t won since the 2018 Governors’ Cup. Magnolia is keen on winning a title by bringing in Glenn Robinson III, an import who has a seven-year NBA career in his credentials.
In another move to strengthen its title bid, Magnolia shook up its roster by bringing in a young big man Zav Lucero in a trade with NorthPort in exchange of Jio Jalalon, whose spot was replaced in the draft by acquiring former UAAP MVP candidate Jerom Lastimosa.
Can RJ, Holt, Go bring Ginebra to the top again?
For the first time since the 2014-15 season, Barangay Ginebra didn’t reach the finals in at least one conference this year, prompting the Gin Kings to make changes. The Gin Kings got younger, shipping their veterans Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle to Terrafirma to bring in last season’s Rookie of the Year candidate Stephen Holt and Isaac Go.
The Gins also moved up to No. 3 in the draft to pick RJ Abarrientos, a player that head coach Tim Cone is very high on. With its youth movement, Ginebra’s legion of fans are definitely expecting a better run at the championship this season.
Will SMB be dominant again amidst other team’s roster movements?
Although San Miguel lost in the Philippine Cup finals last season, people tend to forget that the Beermen captured the Commissioner’s Cup title, beating Magnolia last February, meaning they reached the championship round in all two conferences of the 48th season.
With June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez, the Beermen remained intact from last season’s championship team, and are expected to go deep in the playoffs. However, with Meralco winning the crown in the Philippine Cup and most of the teams beefing their roster, is San Miguel still the dominant team in the coming season.
Can Meralco win another championship?
Meralco hit a milestone last season by capturing the Philippine Cup crown over San Miguel, its first PBA championship in franchise history. Expectations will surely be high this season, with the Bolts expected to vie for an encore.
Only rookie CJ Cansino was added to Meralco’s roster, while also bringing back Allen Durham, responsible for the Bolts’ four previous finals appearance by the franchise before finally winning in an all-Filipino conference. With Durham aboard, can the Bolts also win an import conference this season?
Will the unlimited height bring quality imports to the PBA?
The PBA board has agreed to scrap the height limit for imports during the Commissioner’s Cup that is expected to be held sometime in December.
Ever since the news came out that there won’t be any height limit in the Commissioner’s Cup, one name that has emerged as a possible import is Dwight Howard. The 6-foot-10 former NBA player once indicated his desire to play in the PBA, and the scrapping of the height limit would make it closer to reality.
How will the 4-point shot change the PBA game?
Perhaps the biggest question for the season is not related to the teams but the rule changes that the PBA is introducing this season. In an unprecedented move, the PBA is implementing a four-point shot that was first introduced in the All-Star games, and will now be part of the official games, at least for this season.
The PBA board said the four-point shot was introduced as part of its innovations to help change the way the game is played in order to draw more fans to the league. As expected, the rule change was met with reservations, but league officials are confident that the four-point shot would bring more pros than cons to the league.
Whether you agree or not, a lot of eyes will be on the PBA.
Will fans return to the venues?
At the end of the day, the previous two points were made by the league to draw more fans at the venue. While the PBA reported that it is still the most watched professional league on TV, it also recognized that there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of gate attendance, hence, the rule changes.
Aside from the four-point shot and the unlimited height, the PBA also changed its format for the Governors’ Cup while also scheduling six playdates a week for the elimination round.
Some fans though argued that the PBA is barking on the wrong tree when it instituted rule changes instead of addressing parity in the league, one of the reasons, fans claim, of the low attendance in games.
Only time will tell whether these rule changes will work.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
