MANILA, Philippines – The 2018 Commissioner’s Cup kicks off on April 22 with all 12 PBA teams again hoping their imports prop up their bid for the championship.

Here are the reinforcements who will see action in the mid-season conference:

Antonio Campbell (Alaska Aces)

Campbell is relatively young for an import at 23 years old but there is a reason why the Aces brought him to the Philippines. 

The Ohio University product is a wide-bodied slotman who can hit the shot from long range. In his 4-year stint with the Bobcats, Campbell normed 11.0 points, 7.0 rebounds 1.0 blocks per game. 

Campbell then joined the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League and averaged 6.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and .7 blocks in 20 games. 

With Campbell, Alaska seeks to return to the PBA finals for the first time since the 2015-2016 Commissioner’s Cup. 

Charles Garcia (Barangay Ginebra)

With star center Greg Slaughter still sidelined, Ginebra was forced to replace the  6-foot-8 Shane Edwards with the 6-foot-10 Garcia as import. 

After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft, Garcia played two years in the NBA G League where he suited up for the Utah Flash, Iowa Energy, Sioux Falls Skyforce and Fort Wayne Mad Ants. 

In the G League, the 29-year-old proved to be a double-digit contributor who can do damage both as a face up and post up player, averaging 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 96 games. 

Garcia is also a well-travelled cager, having been to Spain, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Iceland and now, the Philippines. 

Jarrid Famous (Blackwater Elite) 

Blackwater will have its own version of Twin Towers with Famous joining forces with Poy Erram, a proven double-double machine. 

The 6-foot-11, who last played in the PBA for GlobalPort Batang Pier in 2015, is famous for being an inside force after he pulled down 37 rebounds in a game once. 

Aside from Erram, Famous will be joined by key cogs Mac Belo, Mike DiGregorio and Allein Maliksi as the Elite look to make their first playoff apperance in a Commissioner’s Cup.

C.J. Aiken (Columbian Dyip)

Columbian Dyip, formerly known as Kia Picanto, will try to redeem their last-place finish in the Philippine Cup with Aiken. 

The 27-year-old is expected to showcase the same premiere rim protection he provided for Saint Joseph’s University when he averaged 3.3 blocks on top of 9.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in his 3 years with the Hawks. 

After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Aiken played for the Erie Bayhawks in the NBA G League and had stops in Canada and Poland. 

Malcolm White (GlobalPort Batang Pier)

White returns for GlobalPort and it will be a new scenery for him after the trade of star guard Terrence Romeo to the TNT KaTropa for big man Mo Tautuaa. 

After getting replaced the last time he played for the Batang Pier under former head coach Franz Pumaren, the 29-year-old aims to stay for the long run under the tutelage of coach Pido Jarencio. 

White will solidify a roster that has offensively gifted players in Stanley Pringle, Sean Anthony and Kelly Nabong.

Vernon Macklin (Magnolia Hotshots)

Another familiar face is back in the PBA with the Hotshots tapping the services of Macklin, who once steered Barangay Ginebra to the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup in 2013. 

The Hotshots, who lost to the San Miguel Beermen in 5 games for the Philippine Cup championship, eye to finally win it all with the 31-year-old’s addition.

Macklin, a former member of the Detroit Pistons, will be instrumental if Magnolia wants to prevent the Beermen from repeating as Commissioner’s Cup kings. 

Arinze Onuaku (Meralco Bolts)

Onuaku is no stranger to Philippine basketball. He led Meralco to the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup in the 2016-2017 season all the while being named the Best Import of the Conference.

The 6-foot-9 big man will be a huge boost for a Bolts side that badly needed inside presence, as proven by a woeful 4-7 record, good for 11th place, in the recently concluded Philippine Cup. 

Onuako, who had stops with the New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic in the NBA, has the space to work down low with him surrounded by outside threats Baser Amer, KG Canaleta and Reynel Hugnatan to name a few.  

Adrian Forbes (NLEX Road Warriors)

NLEX initially was supposed to parade former Philadelphia 76er Arnett Moultrie for the Commissioner’s Cup but had to go with Adrian Forbes for the meantime with the former still held up by his squad in Bahrain. 

Forbes suited up for Auburn University, where he averaged 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks, before serving as reinforcement in France and Japan. 

The Road Warriors are coming off a strong Philippine Cup showing following their first semifinals appearance in franchise history. 

James White (Phoenix Fuel Masters)

White led the Mahindra Enforcer (now the Columbian Dyip) to their first playoff apperance in franchise history and he is expected to provide the same effect as Phoenix looks to make it into the postseason after not making the quarterfinals for two straight conferences.

Phoenix has the pieces to be a competitive squad with key pieces in Matthew Wright, Jeff Chan and Willy Wilson and White may just be what it needs to thrive. 

Reggie Johnson (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)

Johnson is familiar with Southeast Asian basketball, having played for the Westports Malaysia Dragons and the Mono Vampire in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

He took home the ABL World Import Most Valuable Player (MVP) award while leading the Dragons to the championship in 2016, averaging 22.1 points, 12.7 rebounds the whole season.

Now with the Elasto Painters, the 28-year-old burly big man will be conspiring with Beau Belga as the new “Extra Rice, Inc.” tandem. 

Troy Gillenwater (San Miguel Beermen)

Gillenwater is expected to add offensive firepower for an already-fiery San Miguel squad, which won 6 championships in the last 10 conferences. 

With Charles Rhodes still unavailable due to his commitment in the Korea Basketball League, the Beermen chose to have Gillenwater as reinforcement for the Commissioner’s Cup, where they will try to defend their title they won last year against the TNT KaTropa. 

The 29-year-old University of New Mexico product just needs to fit well with the Beermen, who will also welcome top rookie and Filipino-German standout Christian Standhardinger. 

As usual, San Miguel is still the favorite to win it all behind 4-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, Mythical 5 members Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross and marksman Marcio Lassiter.

Jeremy Tyler (TNT KaTropa)

The KaTropa fell short of the Commissioner’s Cup title to the Beermen last year and they target to complete their unfinished business this year with Tyler. 

Tyler, a former NBA player for the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks, will join a TNT side that boasts a talented roster composed of new acquisition Romeo, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Jericho Cruz and Kelly Williams. 

The 26-year-old big man played in the Chinese Basketball Association from 2014 to 2017, establishing himself as a double-double machine, before suiting up for the Sydney Kings in the National Basketball League, where he averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. – Rappler.com