Top 10 games to look forward to in the PBA PH Cup eliminations

MANILA, Philippines – The opening of the 2015-2016 PBA season is just 8 days away.

It feels weird, doesn’t it? It’s as if the weeks leading up to the opening of the season’s first conference have gone under the radar. To be honest, they really have.

Why’s that? Well, there’s been enough basketball to distract us as of late. 

In what’s become a new tradition this year, the UAAP opened their basketball tournament in September, and needless to say that league always draws attention from hoops fans in the country. 

Of course, the NCAA’s own basketball tournament has also been taking place, and with so many superb individual performances from that league, many headlines have been made.

Let’s also not forget the journey of Gilas Pilpinas over the past few months. They’ve joined a pocket tournament in Estonia, went to Taiwan for the Jones Cup, played against 3 teams in the MVP Cup in Manila, and then finished with the silver medal in Changsha, China during the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

The national team’s quest has ended, but the NCAA is only about to begin its Final Four while the UAAP is only halfway through its elimination round. With still so much basketball to watch, some might find it hard to watch every single PBA game for the next few weeks.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. On Friday, October 10, the league revealed its elimination round schedule for the Philippine Cup, and we’ve singled out the 10 best games that you definitely cannot miss.

So, check the list below out, mark your calendars, and enjoy the best type of pro basketball the country has to offer:

October 18 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Rain or Shine vs. Star Hotshots at 5:15 pm

Outside of this game being the first of the new PBA season, both teams offer intriguing storylines.

For Star, the obvious one is how new head coach Jason Webb will do in his first game following the departure of 18-time champion Tim Cone. We do know he hopes to keep some of the systematics of the Triangle Offense in place, but will also utilize his own way of play. 

Will we see PJ Simon and James Yap play to a quicker type of pace? We know that will favor Mark Barroca and Justin Melton. How about the rookie Norbert Torres – how will he do in his first game as a pro? What does Ian Sangalang have in store for his return?

Over at the other side, the focus on Rain or Shine will be the debut of third overall pick in the 2015 PBA Draft, Maverick Ahanmisi, who was taken much earlier than many anticipated. His natural position is to play point, but we know he can also shift to the SG and SF positions, making this versatile Elasto Painters lineup even deadlier.

Of course, Yeng Guiao’s core is also returning: Paul Lee, Raymond Almazan, Beau Belga, Jeff Chan, and others. 

They again didn’t win a title last season despite getting close every conference. Their mission to finally attain one begins on opening day.

October 21 at the MOA Arena: Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco at 7 pm

This one is obvious: the legendary Cone makes his debut coaching the most popular team in the PBA. Really, it’s a given.

But here’s other things to watch out for:

How much better will Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar be now under the Triangle Offense? Will Cone bring out a line-up that has Devance, Slaughter, and Aguilar playing at the same time? Will Mark Caguioa look rejuvenated by the new system and a better shot at a title? Ginebra is easily the most compelling team entering the season.

Over on the other side, Meralco looks like a dark horse contender. Guys like Jared Dillinger and Cliff Hodge are set to return, while versatile rookie swingman Chris Newsome from Ateneo is set to help the team out. How will he perform in his debut? Also, Rabeh Al-Hussaini is coming back. Will he be in game shape right away against the Gin Kings? He’s clearly got a tough challenge ahead of him with the 3 bigs.

October 23 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Talk ’N Text vs. Alaska at 7 pm

The top two picks in the 2015 PBA Draft – Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario – make their pro debuts, and it comes against the pesky Alaska Aces. 

Many are expecting the Tropang Texters to be one of the top contenders for the title, and rightfully so after how Ranidel de Ocampo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, and Jayson Castro performed for Gilas. Add the two rookies to that mix, and you’ve got a near unstoppable unit.

Alaska, however, will make that tough. They still have both Calvin Abueva and Sonny Thoss – guys who were also called for national duty – plus key players like JVee Casio, Cyrus Baguio, and Vic Manuel. Clearly, going up against each other will be a great early test for both teams.

October 24 in Davao City: San Miguel vs. GlobalPort at 5 pm

The most dominant team from last PBA season plays its first game on the road against one of the more exciting teams to watch out for.

We know what we will get from June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, and the rest of the Beermen. They now also have Ryan Arana and Brian Heruela added to the mix, making the defending champions even stronger. Clearly, they enter the season as favorites to repeat.

But GlobalPort will certainly present a challenge. We know what we will get out of Stanley Pringle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Terrence Romeo, whose legend grew internationally with each superb performance after another for Gilas. The Batang Pier have now also added Joseph Yeo and Roi Sumang to the mix.

Will one ball be enough for those 4 guys? It’s hard to say, but it will be certainly entertaining to see how they manage that issue. Doing so against San Miguel, however, is a very tall order.

October 25 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Star vs. Ginebra at 5:15 pm

It’s Manila Clasico. It’s Cone against his former team. It’s the mentor against his protege. It’s Ginebra vs. Purefoods. Well, in this case, Star.

You get the point.

November 7 in Dubai: Alaska vs. Ginebra at 7:00 pm

The PBA returns to Dubai this year after a successful stint there last season. This season, they have 3 teams going again: Alaska, Ginebra, and Mahindra.

The second matchup is the more intriguing one. The Aces, under head coach Alex Compton, are once again expected to compete for a championship – the same goal Cone and Ginebra have. Both teams are clearly good, so I expect the two to put on a show for the Filipinos abroad.

November 15 at Philsports Arena: San Miguel vs. Ginebra

June Mar Fajardo vs. Greg Slaughter. A Ginebra team that won’t anymore give in to the pressure now that Cone’s calling the shots. A loaded Beermen roster that goes up against a team that’s arguably just as deep as they are. The reigning title holders against the team that wants to take their spot. Don’t miss this game.

November 20 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Talk ’N Text vs. NLEX

It’s a battle between two sister teams that will turn out very entertaining. Of course, the most exciting storyline here is that Kevin Alas, a Tropang Texter rookie last season who’s now with NLEX, goes up against his former team. And don’t expect the Road Warriors to be easy targets for TNT.

They’ve become quite deep with the additions of rookies Garvo Lanete, Simon Enciso, and Glenn Khobuntin, plus Sean Anthony and Alas. The amount of talent the Tropang Texters have needs no introduction.

December 12 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Talk ’N Text vs. San Miguel at 5:15 pm

PBA fans could be treated to an early finals preview when both these teams go head to head, given how talented both rosters are.

What I’m most looking forward to? Tautuaa vs. Fajardo, part one. 

One of the biggest reasons why TNT took Tautuaa first overall was to find someone who could help contain Fajardo, who’s definitely the best player in the PBA today. It’s going to be a very tough test for the rookie, but if he does well by containing SMB’s big guy and making him work on defense, it could give the Tropang Texters the confidence that they can beat the Beermen in a playoff series.

After all, San Miguel did sweep Talk ’N Text in their Philippine Cup semis series last season.

December 16 at Smart-Araneta Coliseum: Alaska vs. San Miguel at 7 pm

The Aces-Beermen rivalry was the best last PBA season. Both teams met each other in two of the 3 conference finals, with the first one – in the Philippine Cup – going all the way to 7 games. Let’s not also forget how physical each game they played was, making for can’t-miss basketball.

I honestly think it’s more than possible the two teams meet in the finals again, assuming both rosters remain healthy. Their game on this day will give indication if that becomes the case. – Rappler.com