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| Images from Paul Ryan Tan. |
*This was written on November 16, 2016.
The new PBA season is just around the corner, and we will be ushering in a new campaign where the best and brightest of the Philippines’ hardwood heroes will take the stage again and battle for the ultimate basketball titles this side of the hoops world. Before we plunged into the action, let’s look at some exciting players to watch heading into the 2016-2017 PBA Philippine Cup. In the previous post, I looked at the Top 5 Point Guards, but now let’s shift the focus a little bit to the Top 5 Shooting Guards heading into the 2016-2017 season.
*This is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as calculated by PBA-Online.net. Stats are accurate as of November 16, 2016.
5. PJ Simon (STA) - 12.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.2apg, 1.5 triples per game, 45.4 3pt%, 46.6 FG%.
- With the departure of James Yap, it seems like Simon has all the green light he needs to be Star’s main option on the wings, but the emergence of Allein Maliksi and the entry of Paul Lee will certainly put a damper in those proceedings. Given his age, and despite posting improved numbers last season, Simon will probably play behind those aforementioned wingmen. In fact, don’t be shocked if he eventually finds himself on the trading block, too.
4. Jericho Cruz (ROS) - 12.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.0apg, .1.2 triples per game, 36.7 3pt%, 49.3 FG%.
- Cruz nearly doubled his scoring and assists in his soph season compared to his rookie campaign, and he was one reason why it seemed like Paul Lee suddenly became a little expendable. It still remains to be seen if the former Adamson Falcon can soar to greater heights in the pros, but the only way for ROS to find out is if they give him the keys to the kingdom, so to speak. With James Yap coming in, there’s also a bit of uncertainty about the amount of minutes and touches headed Cruz’s way.
3. Marcio Lassiter (SMB) - 13.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.5apg, 1.0spg, 2.6 triples per game, 41.1 3pt%.
- Though it still paled in comparison to his rookie campaign, Lassiter played one of his best seasons in 2015-2016. He was among SMB’s top scorers, and he was consistently among the league’s best three-point bombers. Marcio was so good that people were saying he should have been on the 2016 Gilas roster, but, alas, the stars did not align. With RR Garcia now with SMB, it’ll be interesting to see if Lassiter can still get the same looks and opportunities he had last season.
2. Carlo Lastimosa (NLX) - 18.0ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.4apg, 43.6 FG%.
- Lastimosa’s transfer to NLEX is a boom-bust scenario. Given his scoring chops, he may just be what the doctor ordered for the Road Warriors, but his unpredictablity may also prove to be a chink in NLEX’s armor. With Yeng Guiao’s affinity for spreading the minutes all across his roster, though, it stands to reason that the former Blackwater Elite will still get his fair share of chances to tickle the twine.
1. Terrence Romeo (GLO) - 24.9ppg, 3.9rpg, 4.0apg, 3.4 triples per game, 35.9 3pt%, 42.9 FG%.
- There are many good players on this list, but nobody touches Terrence Romeo. He has just been on a different plane, and all signs point to his continued brilliance in the 2016-2017 season. He remains a formidable member of GlobalPort’s vaunted backcourt tandem (together with Stanley Pringle), and he has emerged as one of the league’s runaway fan favorites, especially after a number of impressive performances for the national team. Now if he can just lead GlobalPort to a title run…
Honorable Mention:
Jeff Chan (ROS) - 11.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.8apg, 1.7 triples per game, 37.4 3pt%.
RJ Jazul (ALA) - 10.0ppg, 2.7rpg, 2.7apg, 1.9 triples per game, 38.1 3pt%.
Larry Fonacier (TNT) - 8.9ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.9apg, 1.6 triples per game, 37.5 3pt%.
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