PBA sees another banner season

MANILA, Philippines - With a new TV partner, a new member ball club and a host of promising rookies, the Philippine Basketball Association reopens shop Sunday with a promise of another exciting season.

The 37th PBA season unwraps with a grand extravaganza highlighted by the rites honoring the fourth group of outstanding basketball personalities into the PBA Hall of Fame.

Alvin Patrimonio, Billy Ray Bates, Freddie Hubalde, Tommy Manotoc, Mariano Yenko, Tito Eduque and Bobong Velez will be elevated into the Hall, preceding lone opening-day match pitting crowd darling Barangay Ginebra versus Rain or Shine.

Shopinas.com makes its PBA debut versus Powerade on Wednesday, the same day B-MEG begins its journey under coach Tim Cone, taking on Petron Blaze.

Talk n Text, returning to action with an even more formidable lineup after barely missing a Triple Crown last season, opens its All-Filipino title defense versus Meralco on Oct. 7 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.

The Tropang Texters welcome to their fold 6-foot-9 forward Japeth Aguilar and former SSC Stag guard Pamboy Raymundo.

A refined format that calls for knockout match to decide ties – doing away with quotient in the process – could well add excitement and thrill to the new season featuring 22 rookies and 19 mainstays in their new teams.

New TV coveror ABC-5 promised a more extensive coverage to be shown over IBC-13, according to league commissioner Chito Salud during the media launch of the 37th PBA season at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

The consensus is that Talk n Text, B-MEG, Petron and Alaska are the teams to reckon with while Rain or Shine, Powerade, Meralco and Barako Bull can make improvement.

“(Winning) two conferences out of three last season was not bad. It could have been dramatic. We’ll try again this season with Japeth Aguilar joining us after a two-year wait. We’re looking forward to a great season,” said Talk n Text official Patrick Gregorio.

“We can’t be modest because we really have a strong lineup. The Llamados are llamado this season,” said B-MEG governor Rene Pardo, brimming with confidence on the return of Kerby Raymundo, Rico Maierhofer and Rafi Reavis plus the addition of Mark Barocca and John Ferriols.

“The guys have yet to fully adapt into coach Tim’s triangle offense. But even if it bogs down, I think talent alone can bring us to the championship,” Pardo added.

Board chair Mamerto Mondragon of Rain or Shine, Meralco’s Ramon Segismundo and Powerade’s Kenneth Duremdes all believe they have better teams this campaign.

“We hope to be in the finals,” said Mondragon whose team has yet to make it past the semis in all its first six seasons in the pro league.

Coach Yeng Guiao beefed up his backcourt with his acquisition of combo guard Paul Lee.

“We’ve learned a lot and we expect a greater level of passion and ambition,” said Segismundo.

“It’s obvious that we have a better team now. And the hunger factor is there with our team not having been into the playoffs in the last two to three years,” said Duremdes.

The one-time MVP awardee said he’s trying to get back in shape, hoping to come back from a three-year retirement late in the first conference.