MAGNOLIA Chicken Timplados unfurls its PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup title bid on Friday against Phoenix Super LPG, which made a change at the coaching ranks with a goal to make it deeper this time around.
Also making their debut in the new conference are Blackwater and NLEX, who will clash in the first game of the double-header.
The preview down below:
BLACKWATER VS. NLEX
When: Friday, March 13. 5 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Quest to enter playoffs start
Blackwater and NLEX begin their Comm’s Cup campaigns with hopes of better records. Last season, the Bossing were at 11th with a 3-9 win-loss record to miss the playoffs. The Road Warriors suffered the same fate, losing in a playoff for No. 8 spot against Magnolia to also miss the quarterfinals.
Import match-up
Cady Lalanne and Daniel Ochefu will lock horns for the ball game.
Lalanne was already seen by the Filipino basketball fans when he had a brief stint with Meralco in the EASL, and NLEX is keen that his play will translate to the PBA.
Ochefu once played for TNT, but during the EASL, and will also be suiting up in the PBA for the first time. His height and built surely gives Blackwater a much-needed ceiling this conference.
Winston debuts for NLEX
Schonny Winston is expected to make his NLEX debut after he was shipped by Converge during the offseason as part of a three-team deal that also involved Meralco.
Winston joins an already loaded guard rotation, and his first game could give a glimpse of how he will be used by the Road Warriors moving forward.
MAGNOLIA VS. PHOENIX
When: Friday, March 13. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Ninoy Aquino Stadium
New coach for Phoenix
Phoenix Super LPG will enter the Comm’s Cup with a new beginning after hiring Charles Tiu as head coach. Tiu takes his first PBA head coaching job, although he had assistant coaching duties in the past with Meralco and Converge. The challenge for Tiu is to bring the Fuel Masters back to the playoffs after several conferences of being at the bottom.
Magnolia’s new import
Prior to its debut, Magnolia already made an import switch by replacing Terrell Soares with Nuni Omot.
The South Sudanese national team mainstay has to immerse himself with the team as quickly as possible following the last-minute change.
Dickey very familiar with Phoenix
The Fuel Masters picked up former UNC Greensboro player James Dickey, who is the earliest import to join his mother team for the conference, and the familiarity is hoped for to translate into early victories.
A former teammate of Justin Brownlee at Pelita Jaya in Indonesia, Dickey became known for his rebounding and shotblocking throughout his college and pro career, qualities that are also expected of him at Phoenix.
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