Manila (Philippines) – There is one more direct spot to the Final 8  of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2019 which will be determined by whichever team wins the Commissioner’s Cup in the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA). Of the 12 teams that have a shot at making it to the final stage, which team would you like to see go up against the other champions of Asia?

Stats and information accurate as of May 23, 2019.

Meralco Bolts

The Meralco Bolts were impressive at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2018, making it all the way to the semi-finals as the first PBA team to ever play in the competition. Could they be on their way back for a second straight time this season?

The Bolts have one of the better guards in the PBA with Baser Amer who averaged 11.8 points, 3.8 boards, and 1.8 assists per contest in the Philippine Cup. They also added a much needed presence in the paint by acquiring national team center Raymond Almazan in a trade before the Commissioner’s Cup.

San Miguel Beermen

Earlier this month, the Beermen won the Philippine Cup in an exciting 7-game series that went down to the wire. It was their 5^th straight Philippine Cup title, a record that could stand the test of time. Can they extend their success to win the Commissioner’s Cup as well and make their debut at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

If they do win, the Beermen will not lack star power going up against some of the best clubs in Asia. The Beermen’s success over most of this decade has been mainly due to the dominance of 5-time MVP, June Mar Fajardo. The big man averaged video game numbers of 22.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game on 63 percent shooting from the field in the Philippine Cup. The adding of national team star Terrence Romeo in the off-season has only made the Beermen stronger and the shifty guard put up 15.7 points per contest in their title run.

Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok

Magnolia challenged the Beermen’s title streak and nearly overtook the throne in the Philippine Cup. This was coming after a run to win the Governor’s Cup in the 2017-2018 season, the first title for the team since 2014. Will they be the ones to represent the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup this year?

 

Their back-court trio of national team guards Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, and Jio Jalalon have wreaked havoc in the PBA and will be a headache to handle for anyone. They all averaged at least 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game apiece, displaying just how versatile they are and how they can step up for each other.

Not to be overlooked is their main big man Ian Salangsang, who is having a career year so far with 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

Until this conference is wrapped up, Ginebra are still the defending champions of the Commissioner’s Cup. Will it be the popular Gin Kings to play in the FIBA Asia Champions Cup this year?

 

The twin towers of Japeth Aguilar (16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds per game) and Greg Slaughter (15.5 points, 8.9 rebounds per game) were tough to handle and it won’t get easier with returning foreign player, Justin Brownlee coming back to play once again. The back-court is an interesting combination of hyper athletic guard Scottie Thompson (11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists per contest) and seasoned floor general LA Tenorio (10.7 points, 4.5 boards, and 5.6 assists per game) round out a complete starting unit for the defending champions.

Phoenix Fuel Masters

Things didn’t go as well as planned for the Phoniex Fuel Masters who finished with the best record in the elimination round of the Philippine Cup, but failed to make it to the finals. Will this up-and-coming team have another strong run all the way to qualify for the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

Trading for Calvin Abueva before the start of the season morphed Phoenix into one of the most fun teams in the PBA. The bullish forward went straight to work for his new club, posting averages of 15.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. This gave more firepower for Matthew Wright to work with, as the Gilas stud quietly put up one of the better statline so far this season. Over the elimination rounds, Wright scored 18.7 points to go with 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. Add in the 2018 Rookie of the Year Jason Perkins (13.0 points, 7.9 boards) and you can see why fans are excited about Phoenix’s future.

TNT Katropa

The Philippine Cup playoffs were unfortunate for TNT who ran into the Beermen instantly in the quarterfinals and lost the series 2-1. Regardless, they are still one of the better teams in the PBA but can they go all the way this year?

 

RR Pogoy has stepped up as the star of the team, putting up 19.5 points and 7.6 boards per game in the previous conference. The flow of the game, however, is still dictated by one of Asia’s best lead guards Jason Castro who was second in the league in assists with 6.0 dimes per game to go with an average of 15.4 points. Their choice of foreign player in Terrence Jones has proved to be rewarding as the ex-Houston Rocket piled up 41 points in his Commissioner’s Cup debut.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

Throughout the years, Rain or Shine have maintained the consistency of being a competitive team despite not being one of the more glitz and glamorous teams in the league. They have not missed playing in the playoffs since 2012 and won the Commissioner’s Cup in 2015. Can they win another one this season and go to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

James Yap and his sweet-stroke shooting is still in form for Rain or Shine and he led the team with 14.7 points per game in the Philippine Cup. He’s had help from Maverick Ahanmisi, who is coming into his own as a main option in the PBA (12.1 points, 5.9 boards per game), and the well-rounded Beau Belga (8.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game).

Alaska Aces

There might not be any team in the PBA that has absorbed the pain of being bridesmaids more than the Alaska Aces in the recent years, with 5 finals appearances only to lose every single time since 2014. Will this Commissioner’s Cup be the time that the Aces claim the trophy and go to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

The Aces have split the first two games of the Commissioner’s Cup so far off strong contributions from FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2017 champion, Chris Daniels. Carl Bryan Cruz has also been an ace for the aces. The sharpshooting stretch forward led the team with 12.7 points on 42 percent three-point shooting and 5.2 rebounds in the Philippine Cup.

North Port Batang Pier

North Port are a top-heavy team that has the potential to keep up with any team in the PBA. Will their star cast land them a Commissioner’s Cup win and a trip to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

There were only three players who averaged over 20 points in the Philippine Cup. Two of them (Stanley Pringle and Sean Anthony) play for North Port. If that’s not enough for firepower, Moala Tautuaa (18.7 points per game) ranked 7^th in scoring in the league giving North Port almost half of the league’s top scorers. Rookie Robert Bolick has also made his presence known, averaging an all-around 10.6 points, 5.6 boards, and 4.1 assists per game in his debut.

NLEX Road Warriors

Under national team head coach Yeng Guiao, the Road Warriors have continued to improve despite not having many big star names to rely on. Can Guiao work his magic and get his team to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup with the team’s first title?

 

Their biggest star of the team is big man JP Erram, who they got in a draft day trade. Averaging a double-double of 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds in the Philippine Cup, Erram is surely one of the Road Warriors’ most important players. Guiao has also turned JR Quinahan from a bruising forward to a bruising forward who rains threes. Quinahan scored 13.2 points while shooting a blistering 51.9 percent from downtown in the Philippine Cup.

Columbian Dyip

This team will have to turn things around quickly if they are to make a Commissioner’s Cup title run. Will they be able to make the right moves and clinch a spot at the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

There is mostly likely no other team as dependent on a rookie as Columbian depend on first over draft pick, CJ Perez. With gaudy averages of 16.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 steals, Perez has proven Columbian right for putting their trust in him.

Blackwater Elite

The youth movement is real. Blackwater Elite are among the youngest teams in the PBA. Can their young core gain enough momentum to win it all in the Commissioner’s Cup and go to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup?

 

Blackwater have not had much success in the PBA, but that might quickly turn around with the group of players they have assembled. Do-it-all forward Mac Belo (10.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists) has been, well, doing it all along with national team vet Allain Maliksi, who led the team with 16.5 points per game in the Philippine Cup. Second overall draft pick, Bobby Ray Parks, finally made his debut in the Commissioner’s Cup and didn’t disappoint with 20 points and 8 rebounds in a win. He is one of the 4 key contributing rookies Blackwater has which also includes big man Abu Tratter, the 6’5” forward that recorded 10.6 points and 6.7 boards per contest in the Philippine Cup.

FIBA