#PBA2016 Previews Part 1

Naveen Ganglani

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#PBA2016 Previews Part 1
Previewing the Alaska Aces, Mahindra Enforcers, NLEX Road Warriors, Star Hotshots, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and San Miguel Beermen

MANILA, Philippines – Here’s the first of two parts of Rappler’s preview for the upcoming 41st season of the Philippine Basketball Association:

BEAST MILK. After making the finals twice last season, can Alaska finally win a title soon?

Alaska Aces

Head coach: Alex Compton

Last title: 2013 Commissioner’s Cup

Offseason moves:

Added: Marion Magat (drafted)

Critical losses: N/A

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (8-3, lost in finals)

Commissioner’s Cup: (5-6, lost in quarterfinals)

Governors’ Cup: (8-3, lost in finals)

Full roster: 

Chris Banchero, Cyrus Baguio, Vic Manuel, Sonny Thoss, Calvin Abueva, Noy Baclao, Rome Dela Rosa, Chris Exciminiano, Dondon Hontiveros, Eric Menk, RJ Jazul, Tony Dela Cruz, JVee Casio

What to expect for the 2016 season?

Title contenders: Returning with last season’s roster that made two PBA finals intact, the Aces are once again expected to be in the championship discussion. The team is deep, seasoned with veterans, and has infusion of young talent – qualities that make them very dangerous.

Taking the next step: While some of the older Aces get closer to Father Time, more responsibility will fall on the shoulders of young standouts Chris Banchero, Rome Dela Rosa, and Ping Exciminiano. Banchero was a stud in his first year, getting consideration for Rookie of the Year. Dela Rosa starting coming out of his shell towards the end of the season, while Exciminiano was a menace to deal with defensively and has improved his offense.

SMALL BUT TERRIBLE. LA Revilla is on pace to becoming a household name in the PBA.

Mahindra Enforcers

Head coach: Manny Pacquiao

Last title: N/A

Offseason moves:

Added: Aldrech Ramos (trade), KG Canaleta (trade), John Pinto (signed)

Critical losses: JR Cawaling, JR Buensuceso

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (1-10, didn’t make playoffs)

Commissioner’s Cup: (4-7, didn’t make playoffs)

Governors’ Cup: (5-6, didn’t make playoffs)

Full roster: 

Aldrech Ramos, LA Revilla, Karl Dehesa, KG Canaleta, Joshua Webb, Eddie Laure, Paulo Hubalde, Philip Paredes, Rich Alvarez, John Pinto, Kyle Pascual, Mark Yee, Hyram Bagatsing

What to expect for the 2016 season?

Continued development: Named the Kia Sorento/Carnival last season, the Enforcers improved as each conference went by. Assuming they stay on that path, it should be a matter of time before they finally get a taste of the postseason, which would be a huge step forward for the young PBA franchise.

LA Revilla’s rise to stardom: Speaking of development, one player who improved as each conference went by was starting guard LA Revilla. The former Green Archer proved not only can he play in the pros, but also be a star. It could be just a matter of time before he becomes the face of this franchise, other Manny Pacquiao.

Less Pacman: With Manny Pacquiao expected to still fight and now run for senate, will he still have enough time to coach his Enforcers and see action for them on the court? Likely not.

STILL ROCKING. Asi Taulava has huge responsibilities on his shoulders for this season

NLEX Road Warriors

Head coach: Boyet Fernandez

Last title: N/A

Offseason moves:

Added: Kevin Alas (traded), Garvo Lanete (drafted), Simon Enciso (traded), Sean Anthony (traded), Glenn Khobuntin (drafted), Rob Reyes (traded)

Critical losses: Aldrech Ramos, KG Canaleta

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (4-7, lost in quarterfinals)

Commissioner’s Cup: (6-5, lost in quarterfinals)

Governors’ Cup: (3-8, didn’t make playoffs)

Full roster: 

Simon Enciso, Mark Cardona, Asi Taulava, Rob Reyes, Glenn Khobuntin, Harold Arboleda, Kevin Alas, Sean Anthony, Jonas Villanueva, Eric Camson, Garvo Lanete, Mark Borboran, Enrico Villanueva, Jeckster Apinan

What to expect for the 2016 season?

Talent on the perimeter: By picking up Kevin Alas and Sean Anthony via trades and Garvo Lanete plus Glenn Khobuntin in the draft, the Road Warriors have loaded up on their wing depth and will be very tough to guard on the perimeter. After trading Aldrech Ramos, their lack of bigs is a concern, but if they can improve on that, they should be a consistent playoff team.

A heavy load on Asi’s broad shoulders: Taulava had another impressive campaign last season, but he will have to be just as good, if not better, for NLEX to be one of the higher-ranked teams in the league seeing as he’s their lone reliable frontcourt guy. If he can do just that, plus the wings play better than expected, they may even contend for a title during an import-laden conference.

 BIG GAME JAMES. Will James Yap return to his dominant scoring ways? File photo by KC Cruz/Rappler

Star Hotshots

Head coach: Jason Webb

Last title: 2014 Governors’ Cup

Offseason moves:

Added: Norbert Torres (drafted), Ronald Pascual (traded), Jake Pascual (traded)

Critical losses: Tim Cone, Joe Devance

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (6-5, lost in quarterfinals)

Commissioner’s Cup: (8-3, lost in semifinals)

Governors’ Cup: (6-5, lost in semifinals)

Full roster: 

Yousef Taha, James Yap, Rafi Reavis, Justin Melton, Ronald Pascual, Jerwin Gaco, Allein Maliksi, Jake Pascual, Ian Sangalang, Norbert Torres, Alex Mallari, Mark Barroca, Marc Pingris, PJ Simon

What to expect for the 2016 season?

The beginning of a new era: The Hotshots are expected to utilize a quicker and much different system under Jason Webb. The question is, how can a team that’s played in the Triangle for so long now get accustomed to a new system quickly enough to contend for titles? The onus will also be on the rookie Webb to make big decisions under pressure, seeing as the Hotshots’ expectation remains championship or bust.

The Old James Yap might return: With a quicker pace and a more free-flowing offensive system, it’s possible we will see the return of James Yap’s more dynamic self. He willingly took a back seat in Cone’s Triangle for the sake of winning while his numbers dipped, but with Webb now calling the shots, we may see a Yap that looks more to score as the first option.

 SUPERLEE. Paul Lee is clearly a big-time player in the PBA. File photo by PBA Images

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

Head coach: Yeng Guiao

Last title: 2012 Governors’ Cup

Offseason moves:

Added: Maverick Ahanmisi (drafted), Jewel Ponferada (traded), Don Trollano (drafted)

Critical losses: Ryan Arana, T.Y. Tang

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (9-2, lost in semifinals)

Commissioner’s Cup: (8-3, lost in finals)

Governors’ Cup: (7-4, lost in semifinals)

Full roster: 

Paul Lee, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Jireh Ibanes, Jeric Teng, Jericho Cruz, Maverick Ahanmisi, Jewel Ponferrada, Jeff Chan, Chris Tiu, Don Trollano, Raymond Almazan, JR Quinahan

What to expect for the 2016 season?

Still contenders: The Elasto Painters are one of the rare teams in the PBA that you can call a model of consistency. They’ve been title contenders for each conference over the past few PBA seasons, and that shouldn’t change any time soon. With a superstar in Paul Lee, defensive stopper in Gabe Norwood, enforce in Beau Belga, and a deep bench, Rain or Shine will once again make noise – and maybe finally win their first title in 3 years.

Can the rookie live up to expectations: The biggest shocker of the 2015 PBA Draft was when the Elasto Painters took Maverick Ahanmisi with the third pick. Fair or not, getting taken that high will instantly put expectations to produce for Ahanmisi. His ability to play multiple positions will be vital in Guiao’s system that puts emphasis on versatility, but how quickly he can contribute will be intriguing to watch.

 MISSION REPEAT. Arwind Santos and the Beermen are looking for their third title in the last four conferences

San Miguel Beermen

Head coach: Leo Austria

Last title: 2015 Governors’ Cup

Offseason moves:

Added: Brian Heruela (traded), Ryan Arana (traded)

Critical losses: N/A

Last season’s performance:

Philippine Cup: (9-2, won championship)

Commissioner’s Cup: (4-7, didn’t make playoffs)

Governors’ Cup: (8-3, won championship)

Full roster: 

Ryan Arana, Brian Heruela, Chris Lutz, Jay R Reyes, Alex Cabagnot, Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter, June Mar Fajardo, Nelbert Omolon, Gabriel Espinas, Arwind Santos, David Semerad, Ronald Tubid, Yancy De Ocampo

What to expect for the 2016 season?

Still the favorites: The San Miguel Beermen were absolutely dominant last PBA season. That should still be the case this PBA season. They still have the best player in the league in June Mar Fajardo (when healthy). They still have the most reliable outside shooter in Marcio Lassiter. They have an array of trustworthy point guards. Their depth is second to none, especially now that they’ve added Ryan Arana and Brian Heruela. They’re the team to beat.

Champioship hangover can be an issue: We saw during last season’s Commissioner’s Cup how San Miguel looked lackadaisical on both ends of the floor following their PH Cup title victory. If they start this PBA season with the same attitude, their improved rivals could get an early lead on them in the standings. While catching them shouldn’t be much of an issue for the loaded Beermen, they can’t risk not developing on-court chemistry early into the season for a better shot at a repeat. – Rappler.com

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