The new PBA season is upon us, and, frankly, this has been one of
the most exciting starts in recent memory. Of course, a big part of that is
having two new pro clubs – the Blackwater Elite and the Kia Sorento – but we
also cannot look past other things that have hogged the headlines, like the
superb play of some PBA playmakers. Not surprisingly, this includes veteran
stars like Mark Barroca, Alex Cabagnot, and Jayson Castro, but it has actually
been Fil-Am rookie Stanley Pringle who has made the biggest splash.
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| It's a rookie sitting atop our PBA Point Guards ladder to start the 2014-2015 season. |
Without further ado, here they are – the
top five point guards of the 2014-2015 PBA season as of November 7, 2014 (as
always, this is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as calculated by PBA-Online.net):
5. Jayson Castro (TNT) - 13.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 5.0apg, 1.3spg, 1.3
triples per game, .333 3pt%, 28.8 EFF
- The Blur started the season well, dropping 19 points on the Gin
Kings, but his scoring has gone down for each succeeding game, culminating in
his putting just 9 markers in TNT’s latest win over ROS. Still, Castro
continues to be one of the league’s deadliest penetrators, and his shooting
from beyond the arc has been relatively sharp, too. He’ll no doubt get into the
groove of things, and once that happens, then watch out.
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| Jayson Castro has had a bit of a slow start this season. (image by Paolo Papa/AKTV) |
4. Denok Miranda (BAR) - 16.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, 1.0bpg,
1.0 triples per game, .333 3pt%, .486 FG% - 31.5 EFF
- The former FEU Tamaraw has blossomed into the de facto go-to-guy
for the Energy, who are not exactly the deepest team in the tournament. He
leads his squad in scoring, assists, steals, and BLOCKED SHOTS. Not bad for a
point guard, eh? Those who have been following him ever since his days in San
Miguel/Petron shouldn’t be too surprised, though, since Miranda has never been
short on effort or passion. All he really needed was time to shine, and now, it
seems, he has exactly that.
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| Denok Miranda has looked like a star for the Energy so far. (image by Paul Ryan Tan/Sports 5) |
3. Mark Barroca (PUR) - 14.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.3apg, 1.3spg, 1.0bpg,
.667 3pt%, 34.2 EFF
- With his team walking wounded, Barroca has had to take on a more
proactive approach, especially in terms of offense. He is norming a career-best
14.7 points per game right now, which is exactly what coach Tim Cone needs as
star shooter James Yap is still nursing an injury. In the Hotshots’ only
victory so far, Barroca was the main man, scoring 25 points on top of 6
rebounds and 2 dimes. He got to the line 12 times and made 11. What does that
say? It’s a testament to the depth of this team, while also showing off
Barroca’s immense star potential.
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| Mark Barroca has taken on the scoring cudgels for the Hotshots. (image by Paul Ryan Tan/Sports5) |
2. Alex Cabagnot (GLO) - 18.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, .409
3pt%, 3.0 triples per game - 37.3 EFF
- Cabagnot is set to turn 32 in December, but he is by no means
over the hump. The veteran floor general has never averaged more than 13 points
per game in his past nine pro seasons, but he’s really showcasing his whole
repertoire here, dropping nearly 19 markers a game as the Batang Pier have
displayed a renewed identity. He also leads the team in rebounding (!) and
three-pointers made per game (3.0). When he was dealt away from Petron last
season, a lot of people saw that as his career’s death-knell, but it surely
seems like the opposite has happened. Look for Cabaggie to continue being fired
up for the rest of the season.
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| Alex Cabagnot has been on a scoring tear so far for the Batang Pier. (image by Paul Ryan Tan/Sports5) |
1. Stanley Pringle (GLO) - 16.5ppg, 6.5rpg, 4.3apg, 2.3spg, .500
3pt%, .481 FG%, 1.3 triples per game - 38.3 EFF
- If you still have any doubts about the talents of this kid, then
you haven’t been watching the PBA. The former Indonesia Warrior is making half
of his threes, nearly 50% of his field goals while also handing out more than 4
assists per outing. In short, Pringle has proven, so far, to be the total package
and the real deal. He has the potential to be the kind of guy who can carry a
team on his shoulders for several games, and is certainly the hands-down
favorite for Rookie of the Year honors. Of course, whether GlobalPort can
actually maximize his potential is another thing altogether.
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| The top PBA PG right now? Look no further than the 2014 top overall pick. (image by Nuki Sabio/PBA) |
Outside looking in:
Jonas Villanueva (BAR) - 27.4 EFF
Kevin Alas (TNT) - 26.1 EFF
Paul Lee (ROS) - 26.0 EFF
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