IT was only 15 months ago when Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle played side-by-side in neon green jerseys, flying the colors of GlobalPort but representing the future of the PBA as the league's brightest rising stars.
That time seemed ages ago as the once-explosive backcourt tandem ended up on opposite sides of a great rivalry between San Miguel and Ginebra, two teams which have built a treasure trove of talents in a veritable Cold War-style arms race.
It's no longer a surprise that these two teams are automatically brought up whenever the term "powerhouse" is mentioned. After all, the two have won seven of the last eight conferences over the past three years. (The other went to Magnolia, another team in the San Miguel Corp. umbrella.)
A case can be made now that the two sister ballclubs under the San Miguel Corp. umbrella have evolved into the PBA's super teams, but that is getting ahead of the story.
But for sure, both the Beermen and the Gin Kings didn't build their powerhouse teams overnight. Their recent moves were a warning to the rest of the league that these two teams mean business. All the other teams can only hope to keep up.
San Miguel, without a doubt, remains the barometer in Asia's first pro league. The bar. The standard. You don't rule the prestigious Philippine Cup for five straight seasons and not be the yardstick by which all PBA teams will be measured.
But the recent blockbuster deal that brought NorthPort star guard Stanley Pringle to Ginebra in exchange for Sol Mercado, Jervy Cruz, and Kevin Ferrer has undeniably tilted the balance of power in the pro league.
So the question begs to be answered: Has Ginebra caught up with San Miguel in terms of talent?
Let's see.
One big reason, literally and figuratively, for the Beermen's success over the past half-decade and counting, has been the behemoth June Mar Fajardo, who has constantly evolved his game en route to five PBA MVP awards.
But as dominant as the Cebuano giant has been, San Miguel has never been a one-man team. Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, and Marcio Lassiter are two-way players that make the Beermen's backcourt as good as any in the league while Arwind Santos rounds out a starting five that is the envy of many.
That's just for starters.

Drafting Fil-German Christian Standhardinger last year following a controversial trade with Columbian bolstered the Beermen's frontline, giving coach Leo Austria an unorthodox big to pair up with or back up Fajardo.
Kelly Nabong's improved offense complements a bruising defense, making him a valuable part of the San Miguel bench, which, to many, is one of the deepest seen in the league's 44 seasons.
Consider this. There's Terrence Romeo who found a new lease on life at SMB after a chaotic end to his stay at TNT KaTropa. There, too, is Paul Zamar who has shown that he can score baskets in bunches and make big plays, if given the chance.
What about young gun Von Pessumal, currently the hottest shooter in the league today, and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, who has recaptured his thunder after dealing with a shoulder injury that kept him on the bench late in his TNT career.
That, right there, is what talent and depth is all about.
And how about Ginebra?
Tim Cone's side has always been loaded. but Ginebra has never been as stacked as it is now following the arrival of Pringle, a multi-dimensional scorer who can hurt opposing defenses in a variety of ways.
Pringle's arrival from NorthPort only bolsters the argument that Ginebra now owns the best guard rotation in the league as the Fil-Am guard teams up with the tried-and-tested LA Tenorio and the dynamic Scottie Thompson.

Up front, Greg Slaughter is a force to be reckoned with and is a perfect dance partner for Japeth Aguilar's multi-faceted inside-outside game that made him a staple to the Mythical Teams for the past three seasons.
Don't forget Joe Devance, an underrated do-it-all point forward who serves as the catalyst for Ginebra - and all other Cone teams he has played for - with aplomb when healthy.
The Ginebra bench remains formidable, even if the team had to give up sixth man Mercado, Cruz and Ferrer in the Pringle trade.
The quick return to form of Art dela Cruz after a long injury layoff and the arrival of Jared Dillinger as an unrestricted free agent from Meralco has a lot to do with that, giving the Kings two versatile players off the bench.
That's not all. Jeff Chan is 36, but no team will dare leave him open from shooting distance. Mark Caguioa is 39 but is still good for quality minutes off the bench. Aljon Mariano has slowly gained Cone's confidence with his improved play.
There is no doubt that these two teams are the strongest in the pro league, but championships have never been won on paper. Their success will still hinge on a lot of other factors like imports, pairings, and of course luck.
But for the sake of argument, who has the edge, man for man, between these two loaded teams?
Ginebra appears to have the better backcourt, thanks to Pringle. And give the Kings the edge in terms of coaching, with all due respect to the impressive run Austria has put together and all the chips he won for SMB over the past five seasons.
San Miguel, however, still owns the better frontline - Fajardo and Standhardinger are heads and shoulders above any other tandem in the league. The Beermen also have the deeper bench between the two.
So let me just put it this way.
San Miguel remains the league's blue bloods in the PBA until someone topples it from its throne. But if there is one team that can do that, it's Ginebra.
Agree?
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