PBA Insider News

With the rumors going around that Terrence Romeo will be traded to Ginebra, the question now is, will he be a good fit? There is no question that he is a solid player capable of putting up the points. But can he run the complex triangle system of Tim Cone? Romeo is a ball dominant player, and his style is so different from Tenorio's.  And Romeo and Pringle already teamed up before in Northport and it was not successful. So tit is unlikely to work in Ginebra especially with Scottie Thompson in the lineup as another guard. And of course will SMB let him go? Romeo is their leading scorer. They will not let him go for any ordinary player. But the biggest question is if Tim Cone will want Romeo at all. His one on one style is just completely different from what he likes. Why nto get Robert Bolick instead, who is a better fit? We will find out soon enough if this report by Snow Badua will happen. But if Coe does decide to get Romeo, he must make adjustments to his system or get players w...

LA Tenorio is playing so well in spite of his age and shows no signs of slowing down. But eventually he will retire and who will take his place? The thinking is that it will be Robert Bolick. Coach Tim Cone runs a complex system, and you need a player with a high basketball IQ to get it. And Bolick fits the bill. He is the leader of Northport and will definitely work well within Ginebra.  But will this actually happen? Tenorio is still in great shape obviously and can play at a high level for many years, barring an injury. So it seems unlikely Bolick will go there anytime soon. Bolick, Tenorio and Pringle will be a solid backcourt, but will Bolick accept being a backup? That might affect his development. And we cannot the possibility of Bolick ending up in SMB, another team that needs a young guard. Cabagnot and Ross will slow down eventually, so it is likely Bolick will be considered there. The one thing that is certain, is that Bolick will not stay at Northport for long. Just lik...

Calvin Oftana has shown flashes of brilliance, including a 34 point outburst. As the no 3 pick a lot is expected of him and he is slowly showing us why. Yeng Guiao is lucky to have him but for how long? The talk right now is TNT might facilitate a 3 team trade to get Oftana in exchange for Troy Rosario. Given the past dealings of TNT and NLEX, we should not be surprised if this happens. Rosario has been a mainstay at TNT for years. But he had a poor performance in the last Philippine Cup finals, and his game has been inconsistent. For this reason he has been the subject of many trade rumors. He was in fact reported to be on the trading block for Mac Belo, but we now that did not happen. Now his name is being linked in a trade with Oftana. Being sister teams the two cannot trade directly. But that is not a problem as Blackwater will only be too happy to help them. The question is what will Yeng Guiao do? He is already unhappy with what happened to Mikey Williams, and now what if they lo...

When Ginebra acquired Christian Standahardinger, hopes were raised that Ginebra would not only be able to defend their crown, but could even win the Grand Slam. Now things have changed, and all the kings want is a chance to get into the playoffs. Even if they beat Phoenix they need to beat TNT twice to make it. That is a very difficult task.  So now the question is, does Ginebra trade or keep Standhardinger? There is no question Christian has the talent, but he does not seem to be a good fit the Gins. Yes it is only one conference, but there seems to be friction already in the Gins camp. For some reason his teammates don't seem to like him. If Ginebra does trade Christian, it will be for a superstar talent as well. But there is also need to look into the Japan factor if Christian wants to play there rather than the PBA. So there is a lot Chua and Cone have to figure this off season.

Whenever the name of Robert Bolick comes up in trade rumors, it is almost always linked to SMB or Ginebra. But now PBA on the Go says that bolick might be traded to Magnoia for Jio Jalalon. Jalalon alone will not suffice, so expect Magnolia to add more players or picks to make trade workable. A Lee and Bolick tandem will create havoc in the league, but does Magnolia really need him? Anyone who has followed Magnolia knows that what this team needs is a big man. Lee, Barroca, Ahanmisi are doing well in the backcourt. Jio will no doubt be traded, but it should be for a big man and not another guard. Melton is no longer getting minutes so expect him to be traded too. Robert Bolick will be a better fit for Ginebra or SMB since these teams have aging backcourts. Tenorio and Ross cannot play forever, so eventually they have to be replaced. And many PBA fans actually want Bolick to stay at Northport. They have a solid lineup with Bolick, Greg, Jamie Malonzo, Sean Anthony, Troy Rike etc. It wou...

The latest report from Snow Badua says that a big man is thinking of going to the Japan B League once his contract expires. And based on the clue, and the response from Greg Slaughter, that player is Christian Standhardinger. Standhardinger has been inconsistent, but more than that it seems like he does not get along with his teammates. This was said to be the same problem he had at SMB and Northport. And now it is surfacing in Ginebra. The rumors say that Standhardinger does not talk much with his teammates and just keeps to himself. But more than that, his presence seems to have affected the chemistry of the team. Caperal is clearly one of the players that has been affected. And the other players like Mariano have been lackluster too. And Tolentino's minutes have dropped as well. And their rookies are not getting a lot of playing time either. We still cannot confirm if the Japan rumors are true. What seems clear is that Ginebra needs fixing right now. Whether they make the playof...

This is the question that a lot of fans are now asking. Asof the moment, Ginebra is in serious danger of being eliminated, and some fans say the team was better off with Greg.  The problem with Christian so far is he does not seem to fit with Ginebra. He plays well enough scoring wise, but there are times when he is inconsistent. But ever since he arrived, it seems to have affected the chemistry of the team. Giinebra did great last year, winning the championship even without Greg. Adding Christian seems to have made things worse. Caperal, who had such a solid season, has struggled. Aguilar has been inconsistent as well. Even so, we do not expect Ginebra to trade Christian unless they get a superstar in return, like a Matthew Wright.  Greg meanwhile, is putting up solid numbers for Northport. But will he still put up those number if he was with Ginebra? From the looks of it, it seems like Aguilar plays his best when he is the only big man on the team. Again, it is unlikely Cone...

SMB has one of the most powerful lineups in the league. Yet they are in the middle of the standings right now. So do not be surprised if management nictitates some trades. The problem with SMB is injuries. Terrence Romeo is injury prone and Alex Cabagnot has been out for weeks. Perhaps it is time for SMB to trade Cabagnot for a younger player who can play longer minutes. It is unlikely they will trade Romeo even though he is injury prone. The name most often linked is Robert Bolick. No doubt he will be a huge upgrade and will form an awesome combination with Perez and Romeo. But will Cabagnot be enough? Or will SMB have to give up Ross as well? Teh other thing they need is a big man. Arwind is playing superb basketball at 40 years young, but he needs help in that position. Austria is basically using three bigs at the 4 and 5, so they need another one. A lot of this will depend on how SMB does in this conference. If they win the championship, management might keep the core. if not, and ...

The latest tweet from Snow Badua says that two point guards will be traded for each in 2022. No names were mentioned except one is a Borat type and the other is crafty. The Borat guard is obviously Robert Bolick, who has been playing superb basketball. The other guard though is the one in question. The only clue is that he is crafty.  This is applicable to both LA Tenorio and Chris Ross. Both are also aging and their teams need a young point guard in return. But will Ginebra really trade Tenorio? It seems to me that eLAwill retire a Gin King, just as Arwind Santos will retire a Beerman. But Tenorio has ties to Bonnie Tan, Northport team manager, so there is that. One thing clear though, is that Robert Bolick will not stay long at Northport. And that is a shame since the Batang Pier have a solid lineup with Bolick, Slaughter and Malonzo, plus Rike, Anthony and Omwubere. If they keep this core, Northport will be a serious title contender. But that is unlikely as these players will fi...

While the PBA Philippine Cup is ongoing, the league is facing serious questions about its future. More players now want to play abroad instead of the PBA.  The problem is that a lot of the top players from college now prefer to go to Japan. The DeLlano brothers, Kobe Paras, Dwight Ramos and others along with the Ravenas and Parks. Their number is only expected to increase. Ramos himself said the decision was made due to the uncertainty of the PBA. He was concerned due to the league starts and stops that have been plauging this conference.  That is understandable, plus the salary is much better obviously in Japan. Now what will happen when other PBA players get offers from Japan and ask for their release? Because TNT released Ravena, it is likely the other teams will do the same. There is no point keeping a player against his will, and that will just affect the entire team. if the top players go to Japan and draftees as well, what will be left of the league? Clearly this is why...

There are now rumors flying thick and fast that Pido Jarencio's days as Northport coach are numbered. After Pido was forced to take a leave of absence due to the league health protocols, team manager Bonnie Tan took over. The result, Northport won 3 straight. There was clamor from fans to retain Tan since the team was doing well. But management brought Pido back. The result, they lost two straight.  The first loss against TNT was not even close. But the second to Magnolia was and ignited controversy. In the last play, Pido pulled out Slaughter who was supposed to guard the inbounds pass. He was replaced by the smaller Sidney Omwubere. Magnolia got the ball inbounds and Calvin Abueva hit the game winner at the buzzer. Jarencio later admitted it was their fault, and it was a mistake. But some people are suspicious since Northport is close to SMC. The thinking is that Northport might have deliberately wanted to lose the game to give Ginebra a chance. But the kings lost later to the Al...

Before the season began, Jio Jalalon was embroiled in controversy, for personal reasons and also for playing in ligang labas. It was widely believed that Magnolia would trade him. Yet here we are towards the tail end of the elimination round, and Jio is still with the Hotshots. So does this mean that he will no longer be traded? Far from it. Sources say management is just waiting for the right time to trade Jio. And right now is not it. All contending teams save those already eliminated, are focused on making the playoffs. Trading right now is a risky proposition. So Jio might remain with Magnolia till the end of this conference. After that he will probably be traded. The question is which team? The leading candidate is still Northport, with a straight swap for Kevin Ferrer. Bolick needs a backup point guard And Chito will find Ferrer useful as he is a stretch four and a solid defender as well. But who knows, other teams might express interest in Jio. It all depends on who they are off...

With Ginebra struggling to make Standhardinger fit in their system, one wonders if Calvin Abueva will eventually be traded there.  Before landing in Ginebra, Standhardinger was widely rumored to be headed to Magnolia. But as we all know, that did not happen. Instead Calving is with magnolia and Christian at Ginebra. While Magnolia is doing well, the kings are struggling. Standhardinger is playing well, but the rest of the team is not. This has raised some speculation on whether he is a good fit or not for Ginebra. So now the question being asked is Christian might be better off at Magnolia and Calvin at Ginebra. Certainly Ginebra will benefit from having an energizer like Calvin, as they tend to be slow off the gates. And of course will all know that the Hotshots need a big man. If this pushes through, they need another team to join the trade since sister teams cannot trade directly. But that will not be a problem as Terrafrma and Northport are all too willing to help. So let us se...

  Jamie Malonzo has become the 3rd leading scorer on Northport, and they are now moving up the standings. While playing well, attention is on how long Malonzo will remain with the Batang Pier. Rumors abound that he will eventually be traded to SMB. Remember those rumors that CJ Perez will go to SMB, it happened. So can we expect the same thing? In all likelihood yes, but not right away. SMB will probably let Malonzo play a few more conferences with Northport to see how well he does. And of course the Beermen have to decide who they will trade in return. The name that comes up most often is Alex Cabagnot. Of course Alex was traded to Northport before for Sol Mercado. But he eventually found his way back to SMB. But now it looks like the new SMB backcourt of Romeo and Perez are doing well along with Marcio and Ross. Ross is a better defender and playmaker than Cabagnot, so he will likely stay. But who knows what Alfrancis Chua has in mind. But one thing is sure. Malonzo will not stay...

Ginebra is teetering on the brink of elimination, and this is not good news for the defending champion. This also means big changes are afoot if this happens. First off Ginebra needs shooters. Jeff Chan is now a free agent, but there are other players they can get like Wright though he commands a high price. Tenorio is showing his age, and Pringle has been struggling as well. Since they are not getting any younger, new players are needed. Ginebra also has too many players at the 4 and 5. Sagulo, Standhardinger, Aguilar, Caperal , JDV, Tolentino, Mariano, Dillinger, Dela Cruz, Enriquez. This is not a balanced lineup. Maybe it is for the better if Ginebra were to be eliminated, as it will serve as a wake up call for management to implement changes. Right now there does not seem to be any untouchable or untradeable here. Even Aguilar and Pringle can  be traded as they are no longer young. Ginebra can still make a run and make the playoffs. But even if they do, it is time for the coach...

With Ginebra shooting guard Jeff Chan now an unrestricted free agent, a lot of teams are still interested in getting him. But which teams will benefit most by getting him? One team that could use him is Rain or Shine. This is the team where Chan became well known. And he will be a good fit given ROS has trouble scoring consistently. Another team said to be interested in the sniper is Magnolia. here is still talk about a Jerrick Ahamnisi trade, but some sources say the Hotshots still want another shooter. Another that will get a boost from getting Chan is Alaska. This team has struggled with their shooting so having an outside threat is going to help. Then there are Blackwater and Terrafirma, two teams that are always in need of a scorer. Blackwater in particular requires scoring punch as their lineup is lacking in gunners. The thing to remember is that Chan is an unrestricted free agent. He can sign up with whichever team he wants, including Ginebra. Recall that Joe DeVance was a UFA b...

There is talk now that three teams are going to do a trade. It involves TNT, Meralco and Blackwater. Because TNT and Meralco are sister teams, they cannot trade directly. But that is not a problem since Blackwater always acts as a conduit, similar to what Terrafirma and Northport do for SMC teams. The question now is who is involved? There are social media reports going around that TNT wants Chris Newsome. But it might also involve a big man like Almazan or maybe Kelly Nabong or Simon Enciso. TNT is a loaded team, and they really don't need a lot of pieces. Same with Meralco ever since they got Mac Belo. They could probably use another big man to help Almazan in the center though. Could the Bolts be looking at Nabong? he is playing well but carries a big risk given his reputation. But if that were the case, there is no need for TNT to be involved as Meralco and Blackwater can do a direct trade. For now these are just speculations. The one thing certain is Blackwater needs to revamp...

There is talk going around that TNT wants Chris Newsome from Meralco. Is this true? We know that if TNT wants something, it will find ways to get it, even at the expense of its sister teams. They took RR Pogoy, Poy Erram and the draft rights for Mikey Williams from Nlex. So if they want Newsome, they can get him. But should they? Right now Mikey Williams is finding his groove in TNT and is playing beautiful music with Castro and Pogoy. While Newsome is also playing well at Meralco with new teammate Mac Belo. Everything will probably depend on their performance this conference. And it will also depend on coach Norman Black. he will definitely want a good replacement for Newsome if this trade ever happens.  Newsome is one of the top guards in the league today. If he will be traded, expect him to command a hefty price. Of course TNT is not the only team interested in Newsome as a lot of teams as well. But for now, coach Black has no intention of letting his prized guard go. At least n...

When Tim Cone announced the return of Jo DeVance, he also made it clear that JDV will be getting a lot of minutes. And that means more time on the bench for rookie Ken Sagulo. Many were surprised when Ginebra drafted Sagulo as they already had a lot of big men. With Aguilar, Standhardinger, Caperal and now JDV, there is little chance for Sagulo to play. So it makes sense for Ginebra to trade him for a shooter. A shooting guard or wing man has always been the main need of Ginebra, so why not trade a rookie big with potential for that kind of player? Of course the trade value of Sagulo is low. But Ginebra can package him with another player or draft pick. That would be a more attractive offer and they can get a better shooter.  The more Sagulo stays on the bench, the more his potential is wasted. It would be foolish if Ginebra lets him become another AVO. Better to just trade him now. And there will be a lot of teams interested in a 6'8" player. Phoenix, Blackwater, TerraFirma, ...

Northport has a stacked lineup, so it is no surprise that many players are said ot be on the trading block. Among them are Sean Anthony, Sean Manganti and Jervy Cruz. Anthony was long part of the Northport starting five, but now coach Jarencio is giving the playing time to rookie Jamie Malonzo. The emergence of Sidney Omwubere has also cut down Anthony's playing time. This has made him an attractive option for other teams,  including San Miguel. The Beermen want someone who can play power forward with Arwind Santos, and Sean fits the bill. He does not need a lot of playing time now, but he can still deliver. And because Sean does not get a lot of minutes anymore, his trade value is low. They can trade bench players like Sena or Gotladera and it will not raise eyebrows. Jervy Cruz is also an intriguing prospect, as he has a reliable outside shot. Then there is Sean Manganti, a young player with lots of potential. So SMB or any team can choose from the three without giving up a lot o...

There are growing calls for PBA commissioner Willie Marcial to step down, as fans are not happy with his performance. But will he, and who should replace him? When Marcial took over, he promised no more lopsided trades, which had been causing an uproar among fans. In particular the one that sent Christian Standhardinger to SMB for bench players. But ever since Marcial took over, there have been no end to these on sided trades in favor of SMC and MVP teams. For these reasons, fans say it is about time for a change. Another issue that has been affecting Marcial is the the way the PBA has been handling the bubble. The inability of the league to keep the games going, with players being repeatedly tested positive, has shown that he is incapable of handling it properly. Then there is the problem of players going to Japan. Kobe Paras is the latest, and if Dwight Ramos and Justin Baltazar follow suit, who will be left for the PBA draft? There is no guarantee that Jason Brickman, Brandon Rosser...

After Juami Tiongson led Terrafirma to two upset victories over SMB and Ginebra, Kings coach Tim Cone revealed in an interview that Ginebra tried to trade for Juami last season, but Terrafirma refused. Now with the way Juami is playing, many believe the Gins will try to get him again. The reason is simple, Ginebra needs a backup point guard.  Tenorio and Pringle are solid, among the best in the league. But Cone usually plays them together, so who will sub for them? There is Kent Salado, Brian Enriquez and MJ Ayaay. But these guys have not gotten a lot of playing time, which could be because Cone is not impressed with what he sees. So now he is looking at Tiongson. Obviously he will be a major upgrade and a fine backup for Tenorio or Pringle. But this is going to cost Ginebra since his value has gone up. And it will look bad for Terrafirm if they trade him. Already they are being labelled a farm team. And if they trade their top point guard to an SMC team, this will solidify the fan...

SMB is one of the strongest teams in the PBA lineup wise. But a closer inspection reveals they need a power forward. And management knows this which is why they are looking now. SMB uses Fajardo and Tautuaa at center and there lies the problem. Nobody will sub for Arwind Santos. Sometimes they use Bambam Gamalinda but he is undersized. Alfonso Gotladera is used as well sometimes, but he is more of a backup center. Mo Tautuaa is actually a good power forward, and he has an outside shot to boot. But coach Leo Austria prefers to have him as center and does not play Mo and Junmar together.  So if Tautuaa will be the backup center, SMB needs a power forward. As good as Arwind is, they need someone to pair with him. The question is whom? A good choice would be Jason Perkins. He is a natural four and will provide more depth to SMB. But that would put SMB over the fil-am limit so they will need to trade one to make room for him. Plus he will command a high price. Other good power forward o...

When Slaughter was acquired by Northport for Standhardinger, few people believed he would stay there long, and few people still do. And there are many reasons why Greg will eventually leave, the only question is which team. Anyone who ha watched the PBA for a while knows by now that Northport is close to SMC, and often provides the players that the three SMC teams needs. So now the question is which SMC team will Greg go to? The first option is SMB. We have known a while that SMB is interested in Greg, especially with the uncertainty about Junmar. But now it looks like Fajardo is all right. So SMB might not have a need for Greg. That means Greg will likely go to Magnolia, which is in need of a big man right now. And the talks of a Jalalon and Slaughter trade continue to get stronger. However is it possible that Greg ends up back in Ginebra? We know that Greg wants to play there, but it is unlikely. First Tim Cone will do everything he can to make the Standhardnger and Aguilar pair work...

After stunning SMB, Terrafirma continued its giant killing ways by upsetting defending champion Ginebra, 95-90.  This dropped Ginebra's record to 3-3 and with competition stiff, the champs need some changes. There are many Ginerba fans who say the kings need a shooter, which has long been the team's problem. This is the reason why they are so lethal in the Governor's Cup since Justin Brownlee fits that role to a T. But here in the Philippine Cup, there is no one to do that. The question is who can Ginebra get? Well there are a lot of shooters out there like Matthew Wright, Chris Newsome, Robert Bolick, Marcio Lassiter, RR Pogoy, but a lot of them will command a high price. What is clear is that Ginebra needs to make adjustments to their game. If not for that buzzer beater by Standhardinger vs. Northport, Ginebra could be 1-4 right now. The fact is a lot of teams have upgraded their roster and Ginebra needs to do the same. They got Mariano and Dela Cruz back, but they are no...

The Phoenix Fulemasters are said to be interested in acquiring Jackson Corpuz, but will Magnolia agree to dal him? Magnolia has been hesitant to change its lineup because they are winning. But once they start to lose, it could be a different matter altogether. Corpuz in fact has been mentioned in the Greg Slaughter trade talks, where reportedly he along with Jio Jalalon and a 1st round pick will be traded. But that has not happened yet. It is easy to see why Phoenix wants Corpuz. They need a tough defender and a reliable scorer. With Corpuz he will make a good tandem with Vic Manuel and Jason Perkins. The question is who can Phoenix offer for this player? We also need to consider that Magnolia might want to preserve Corpuz for that Slaughter trade if it pushes through.  However a lot of this is still up in the air. It all depends on how these teams perform and who Magnolia will get in return.  Whether Corpuz stays at Magnolia, goes to Phoenix or another team, one thing is cert...

Is the loss to Terrafirma a foreboding for SMB? Could this be a sign that the team really needs to change things up? SMB lost to Terrafima at the resumption of the Philippine Cup. The Beermen blew a 16 point lead and lost to the Dyip who played without number on pick Johsua Munzon and their second leading scorer Roosevelt Adams. Many fans were dismayed at how SMB blew the lead, and it is the team's 3 lost in their last five meetings with the Dyip.  The Beermen had a ton of turnovers and they missed many free throws too. They jut collapsed in the end game. While it is still early in the conference, people are asking if this is the right combination.  This is not just about the players but the coaching staff as well. If SMB fail to win the championship, will it be good bye coach Leo Austria?  These are big questions and they need to be answered. One thing is certain though, management has given coach Leo everything he needs to win a grand slam. And if he fails to do so, the...