CHICAGO - Season 48 of the PBA is seven days old , and while many fans believe the Commissioner's Cup doesn't really start until Ginebra plays, I've been watching a lot of games.
Here's what I've seen so far.
Blackwater looked good in its debut, stunning Converge with unusual ease, 103-84. In its second game, though, the Bossing went back to their old ways and scored just 84 in a loss to Meralco.
I guess winning back-to-back games is just two good to be true for Blackwater. But hey, I'm rooting for them solely because I like Jeff Cariaso, a good coach and an even better person.
After taking a wire-to-wire beatdown from Magnolia last Sunday, the Tropang Giga deserve a lot of credit for holding off the FiberXers yesterday despite losing import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson via ejection.
With 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in relief play, Jayson Castro still has some sauce left. But without that riding-in-tandem scoring storm that is Mikey Williams and Roger Pogoy, TNT is just different, like Chicago without the Bull.
NEW COLORS. SAME LOSING VIBES
Terrafirma paraded new uniforms on Media Day, sadly though, the Dyip were the same bunch who couldn't drive themselves to the destination called victory. And the hype about having the No.1 pick came to a screeching Holt in a 108-103 defeat to NorthPort.
Despite an underwhelming 11 points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field in his PBA debut, I'm still high on Stephen Holt. Once he gets his footing, he'll be fine. Terrafirma would still suck, though, because even a great court general cannot win with an army of none.
Quietly, Meralco has won two straight at the expense of Blackwater and Rain Or Shine. Thanks to the power duo of active consultant Nenad Vucenic and coach Luigi Trillo, the Bolts are winning as if Norman Black never left.
Sister team NLEX, meanwhile, looked like weary Road Warriors in a 113-101 setback to Phoenix, who by the way, has emerged pretty well after losing coach Topex Robinson.
NLEX shot well, but they got outrebounded 54-35. Getting pounded like that on the boards is an expressway to the bottom of the standings.
Enough of the stinky and dreary. Here's something really pleasant.
Magnolia is looking good. Again, as always. Thanks largely to coach Chito Victolero who squeezes the most out of his players like only a Yeng Guiao can.
Holdovers Mark Barroca, Jio Jalalon and Ian Sangalang are back while Calvin Abueva is expected to suit up on December 1. An added, super sweet bonus is import Tyler Bey, an NBA-pedigreed talent .
WHERE ARE THEY?
Because the PBA is a star driven league, multitude of fans are talking about two guys who have yet to show.
Mikey Williams and Robert Bolick.
Williams' contract has been terminated by TNT while Bolick is supposedly trying to return to NorthPort after walking away from the Japan B League.
Guess who's missing, too?
Chot Reyes.
Even those who aren't his fans can easily agree that he is PBA royalty.
Hope he comes back to the sideline. TNT, and the league in general, is better with him.
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.
