2013-14 PBA Philippine Cup preview: Meralco, Alaska, and Rain or Shine

The PBA returns starting this Sunday, when the Philippine Cup kicks off another season of local professional hoops. What did your favorite team do during the offseason and what can be expected of them in this campaign? Read on to see how the Meralco Bolts, Alaska Aces and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are expected to fare.


The latest configuration

Meralco Bolts

Last season: 23-24, made the quarterfinals of the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cup, and the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup

Offseason report: ‘El Granada’ has been looking for a team in a winning situation, and he may have found it with Meralco, as the franchise dealt for the top-scoring local to complement its front court of Cliff Hodge and Reynel Hugnatan. The Bolts also made moves to shore up the center position, as they picked up Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Kerby Raymundo.

Outlook: Despite some postseason berths in the past, Meralco looked to rebuild after the 2012-13 Philippine Cup, signaling their intentions by dealing away Sol Mercado. Instead of going for youth though, the Bolts seemingly reengineered their squad on the fly, and come the Governors' Cup, the result was their first appearance in the Final Four of a tourney.

After giving eventual champions San Mig Coffee Mixers a good fight, it seems like the rebuilding is over, as they capped off their efforts by bringing in Gary David. It’s definitely an ideal situation for the veteran guard - he won’t have to be the focal point of the offense, what with the bevy of options at point guard Mike Cortez’s fingertips, pogo-stick Hodge can clean up his misses, and Reynel Hugnatan can command double-teams to get him open looks.

Going two deep at every position, this is a Meralco team that can make some noise, especially if their defense is as stout as last season.

Best case: A rejuvenated David watches his hands catch fire multiple times, Hodge adds a post move or two to his game, and the stingy Bolts defense carries them to their first Finals trip.

Worst case: Father Time and injuries catch up to Cortez and David, while Meralco’s defense takes a nose-dive, especially against the taller front courts of their opponents. More trades!
 

The first tier contenders
 

Alaska Aces

Last season: 35-20, made the semifinals of the Philippine Cup, won the Commissioner’s Cup, made the quarterfinals of the Governors’ Cup

Offseason report: It was a quiet offseason for the Aces. After strong finishes, including a championship in the second conference, the team opted to stay pat and avoid crazy trades. That said, they shocked many by drafting Ateneo’s Ryan Buenafe eighth overall, with he and second-rounder Ping Exciminiano making it to the final roster. The team also added former ABL MVP Leo Avenido for some outside shooting.

Outlook: Under head coach Luigi Trillo, the Alaska Aces were able to flourish in the post-Tim Cone era, with the trade for Jvee Casio and the drafting of Calvin Abueva helping their fortunes immensely.

A lot of it stems from Abueva, who gives this team an edge, and drafting Buenafe signals that the team is doubling-down on this. Both are unconventional players, with Abueva playing much taller than his height, and Buenafe showing gravity-bending powers to counteract his heft. But the duo also brings large basketball IQs to the table, a plus in the triangle offense, and a no-fear, take-no-prisoners approach, which will make their fans love them and their opponents hate them.

Still, this team will only go as far as the Casio-Cyrus Baguio-Sonny Thoss troika will carry them. After getting their feet wet in the All-Filipino Cup, they showed what they can do at full-blast in the Commissioner’s Cup, but despite a long layoff due to the FIBA Asia Tourney, they, along with Abueva, seemed listless and lacking in energy until the latter part of the last conference. The hope is that the new recruits alleviate this problem, giving them more of a punch off the bench, along with the option to play them less minutes to avoid burnout.

Best case: A disciplined Alaska squad goes out, out-schemes, and out-executes their foes. The one-two reserves punch of Abueva and Buenafe eats up the second units of opponents, and Coach of the Year Luigi Trillo makes his case for a second-straight serving of that award.

Worst case: A lack of outside shooting, especially from the reserves, allows teams to clog the paint and deny Baguio and Thoss looks inside. Casio takes a step back, and the newcomers can’t pick up the triangle fast enough, forcing Alaska back to the drawing board.
 

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

Last season: 31-26, made the Finals of the Philippine Cup, the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup, and the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup

Offseason report: The team brought back talisman Beau Belga of Extra Rice Inc., then added rookie big man Raymond Almazan with the third overall pick. They also bolstered their wings with Alex Nuyles (9th) and Jeric Teng (12th).

Outlook: Rain or Shine followed up on their 2012 Governors’ Cup title by returning to the Finals in the 2012-13 Philippine Cup, but they got swept there by the Talk ’N Text Tropang Texters, in what turned out to be the apex of their season.

Injuries and player regression were two big factors that held the Elasto Painters back. Chris Tiu and Paul Lee, perhaps their best playmakers behind Gabe Norwood, missed 13 and 19 games, respectively, while Jeff Chan, after a Finals MVP and Most Improved Player campaign, saw his shooting marks plummet, partially because of fatigue from the FIBA Asia tourney.

This perhaps is where the rookies need to step in and make their mark. Raymond Almazan can protect the rim, something none of the other Rain or Shine big men could do on a regular basis. That allows guys like Ryan Arana to be more willing to gamble on steals, knowing the 6’7” former Letran Knight will be there to reject or alter shots. Meanwhile, Teng and Nuyles give them more shot creation, especially compared to Guiao’s “hugot boys” Ronnie Matias and Jonathan Uloan. The deepest team in the league? They just got much, much deeper.

Best case: With Rain or Shine able to go two-deep, even three-deep at some positions, the Elasto Painters’ are always able to have fresh legs on both ends of the court, outlasting their opponents. The trio of rookies all find niches early, giving guys like Chan, Belga and Gabe Norwood more than enough rest for the postseason.

Worst case: The rookies flop, as Almazan needs extra, extra rice to battle the opposing PBA bigs, while the games of Nuyles and Teng don’t quite translate yet in the pros. Lee and Tiu miss more games, while Chan and the big guys struggle to hit outside shots, as putting points on the board becomes a huge issue for RoS.

- GMA News