A PBA team owner is proposing a dispersal pool for all 12 member ballclubs if the league is to attain a certain level of parity.
Dioceldo Sy of Blackwater encouraged the PBA to adopt the measure and correct the widering disparity in the distribution of talent and players among current teams.
Sy believes the equal allocation of talent will restore balance and competitiveness, and at the same time, help Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league address the waning interest among basketball fans.
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The president and CEO of Ever Bilena Cosmetics Inc. said the dispersal pool will have teams protecting from eight to 10 priority players, and the rest being listed as part of the dispersal pool.
“Mag-protect ng 8-10 players, and the rest put them in the pool and make a draft dispersal,” suggested Sy.
“I think there should be drastic changes to create parity and bring interest back in the PBA.”
Although their respective teams boast of young, athletic players, champion coaches Yeng Guiao and Chot Reyes admitted the San Miguel Beer roster is simply so formidable it is a cut above the rest.
“Tatlong grupo yung first five ng San Miguel,” said Guiao, whose Rain or Shine Elasto Painters were swept by the top-seeded Beermen in the Philippine Cup semifinals.
“Wala namang team na may kakayanang sabayan ang San Miguel. Lalaban lang. Tignan lang hanggang saan makarating. Wala kaming pantapat kay June Mar. Wala kaming pantapat kay CJ (Perez), kila Terrence (Romeo).”
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And Reyes’ take?
“Tingnan mo yung San Miguel, their 12th man is a guy named Vic Manuel. How deep is that deep,” said Reyes, whose Tropang Giga lost to the Beermen in last year’s all-Filipino Cup finals that went the full route.
“Pang-dose si Vic Manuel. Hindi na nga nila kailangan ng 13th, 14th, 15th players because that is really a stacked lineup.”
On the way to the best-of-seven finals, the Beermen lost just two of their 17 games from the eliminations to the semifinals - against Meralco and Terrafirma.
While Sy feels bad about letting go of some of his players by leaving them in the dispersal pool, he’s willing to sacrifice everything if it would be for the good of the 48-year-old league.
“It’s a major concern (parity) that got to be addressed as soon as possible,” he said.
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