THERE have already been plenty of new stars who have emerged in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round, but if there's truly a time for stars to be born – it’s during the playoffs where the stakes are the highest.
The tournament quarterfinals, which kicks off this Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, could just very well be the stage for these players to break out and make a name for themselves.
READ: Without SMB and JMF, PBA's set for unpredictable playoffs
With a wide-open race in the playoffs for all eight teams involved, the championship might just very well be hinged on which team finds a consistent breakout player to support their stars and reinforcement.
And these are the players who could truly be game changers if they elevate their game further in the playoffs.
NorthPort - William Navarro
(Elims averages: 7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 1 block)
Kadeem Jack and the very promising local one-two punch of Arvin Tolentino and Joshua Munzon have been so good for the Batang Pier this elimination round, that they didn’t really need much offensive support from the other players.
But playoff games are a different beast altogether and they’re gonna need more support if they want to extend their historic run this conference.
READ: Lucero warns NorthPort presents a lot of problems for Magnolia
That responsibility falls on William Navarro, one of the most versatile, two-way forwards in the league, and someone who’s always had the capability to score despite being known as a stopper.
With defense tightening on the aforementioned trio, Navarro will get his chance at being more than just the squad’s primary defender and if he takes his offense up a notch, then Magnolia could be up for an early exit.
TNT - Rey Nambatac
(Elims averages: 9.4 points, 4 assists, 1 steal)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will continue to do it all for TNT, while Calvin Oftana and RR Pogoy are expected to get their numbers, but their bid for back-to-back titles will see better chances if Rey Nambatac takes his game a step further.
Jayson Castro will still get his moments. There will still be times wherein we’d forget “The Blur’s” advancing age after a memorable performance or two, but the bulk of the minutes in the guard position will fall on Nambatac and it will be up to him to be the team’s main stabilizer.
The longer rest Nambatac gives to Castro in each game for TNT, the better the bursts will be for last conference’s Finals MVP.
And from the looks of it, the former Letran star has eased into the role of a primary playmaker, in stark contrast to his time with Rain or Shine and Blackwater where he’s expected to get more buckets.
But getting more buckets wouldn’t hurt for TNT as well, though it’s his playmaking which needs to shine for TNT to take another title.
Converge - Justine Baltazar
(Elims averages: 10.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals)
After a slow start to the conference, Justine Baltazar has slowly picked up his game for Converge as the elimination round came to a close. And if he can continue to get better in the playoffs, then the Fiberxers could be up for a deep run.
Regardless of what fans on the internet are saying, Baltazar is right on track in his run with the Fiberxers as he’s gone on and become a reliable four-guy alongside big man Cheick Diallo.
READ: Converge eyes deep run, won't settle for moral victories anymore
Of course, simply being a ‘reliable’ player doesn’t cut it for the No. 1 overall pick but given that he debuted in the middle of the conference, patience should be given to Baltazar.
Now with his feet totally wet, it won’t be surprising to see Baltazar finally live up to his potential in the playoffs.
Barangay Ginebra - Jamie Malonzo
(Elims averages: 8 points, 3 rebounds)
When Jamie Malonzo is in peak fitness, he’s a problem on different levels for opposing teams.
His height and athleticism gives him the ability to play in the paint. He can hit three-pointers. He can run the break. He plays very well off the ball and he’s versatile enough to defend different positions.
Now it’s all a matter of getting healthier and into better game shape for Malonzo after playing on restricted minutes in the past four games.
Troy Rosario has been spectacular for Ginebra so far, and if Malonzo can get back to his old ways then it’s certainly gonna spell trouble for opposing squads given both their length and versatility.
Him getting in better shape also relieves Justin Brownlee of extended time in the power forward spot, and every second that the ultra-talented import spends resting on the Ginebra bench counts for them in this playoff run.
READ: Rebuilt Ginebra more formidable than ever, says Meralco coach
Meralco – Bong Quinto
(Elims averages: 12.4 points, 3.4 assists)
With all the injuries that Meralco has encountered in this conference, an opportunity showed up for Bong Quinto and the former Letran star certainly made the most of it.
Quinto continued to prove his ability as a creator for Meralco with better assist numbers alongside his steady scoring, and the Bolts could use more of that in the playoffs.
Efficiency, however, has been the issue for Quinto – shooting just 39 percent from the field. If he can improve on that while keeping his numbers steady, then the Bolts will certainly be tougher to deal with.
Rain or Shine – Andrei Caracut
(Elims averages: 9.3 points, 41 percent on threes, 4 assistS)
It’s always tricky pinpointing an ‘X-Factor’ for teams like Rain or Shine where any player can break out at any given time.
From Anton Asistio, to Keith Datu to Caelan Tiongson, Yeng Guiao has the luxury of having a bench’s worth of X-Factors just waiting for some burn time to prove themselves on the floor.
READ: Guiao looks forward to fresh start for RoS come quarterfinals
But there’s just something different about the Elasto Painters when Andrei Caracut is at his best.
It wasn’t long ago when he took over for the Elasto Painters in an epic Game Five win over Magnolia in the quarterfinals last conference and if they can get that confident Caracut manning the point consistently, they’d certainly go places.
Consistency will certainly be needed for him as they go up against a very talented Converge backcourt powered by Jordan Heading and Alec Stockton.
Eastern - Glen Yang
(Elims averages: 13.6 points, 5 assists, 1 steal)
If Eastern wants a shot at beating a powerhouse TNT side consecutively, then it must speed up the game and turn this series into a shootout. And Glen Yang will certainly play a big role in it if they want to pull off the upset win,
The numbers will come from Chris McLaughlin and Hayden Blankley, and it’s up to Yang to be that solid, consistent third option for the Hong Kong ball club.
This team has always relied heavily on their starters so Yang can’t afford to let up – in fact, he has to play even better if they want to upset the Tropang Giga.
Magnolia - Zavier Lucero
(Elims average: 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds 52 percent from the field)
It’s not crazy to say that Zavier Lucero is Magnolia’s best local at this point already.
But even if that statement holds true, we’re still putting him in this list because the best is yet to come for him, with a ceiling for improvement as high as those fancy hotel lobbies.
This upcoming quarterfinals encounter against his former team NorthPort, where they need to win twice to advance, might just very well be the series that catapults him to superstardom.
READ: Ratliffe thankful to Magnolia for keeping faith amid early slump
He’s got the length to defend NorthPort’s best player in Arvin Tolentino, and his athleticism and motor would give the Batang Pier frontline problems in the paint.
He can also stretch the floor with his shooting, and if he starts to get more confidence with his offense then he gives Magnolia more weapons on the offensive end.
It won’t be long until Lucero calls Magnolia his team – and a breakout playoffs would certainly fast track it.
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