The Top 5 Centers entering the 2016-2017 PBA Season

Images by Paul Ryan Tan.

*This was written on Nov. 16, 2016.

The opening ceremonies of the new PBA season will commence on Sunday, November 20, 2016, and it will user in another year of amazing and exciting action from Asia’s first play-for-pay basketball league. In a few days’ time, we will finally be treated, once again, to the high-flying and buwis buhay feats of the best basketball players in the country. Before that, however, let’s look at some exciting players to watch heading into the 2016-2017 PBA Philippine Cup. In the previous post, I wrote about the Top 5 Power Forwards, but now let’s look at the Top 5 Centers 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.

#FIBAOQT: Gilas twin towers may finally see light of day in Manila OQT

(image from FIBA's facebook page)

*This first appeared on my weekly column at FIBA.com.

The Philippines have never been known as a country where 2.00m (6ft 7in) tall guys are a dime a dozen. That's why, for the longest time, Filipino fans have been waiting with baited breath to see twin towers June Mar Fajardo (2.08m/6ft 10in) and Greg Slaughter (2.11m/6ft 11in) both put those Gilas Pilipinas kits on and fight for flag and country.

This year, that may just happen.

#PBA2016: Six players who have really improved this season

One thing I watch out for in every season is this: who has shown drastic improvement in his game? Who has really worked so hard on his craft that his production and contribution have jumped significantly from the previous year?

At this point in the 2015-2016 PBA season, here are six players whose improvements have not gone unnoticed. They have really upped their level of play, and, for the most part, their respective teams have benefitted from this.

*Stats accurate as of March 30, 2016.

The Top 5 Centers of the #PBA2016 so far

June Mar Fajardo leads an amazing cast of big men who are among the PBA's finest.
(images by Paul Ryan Tan/Marlon Bernabe/Sports5)

Sometimes I get the feeling that the PBA is no longer the small man or even wingman’s league. Sure, we’ve always had outstanding big men like Ramon Fernandez, Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera, Dennis Espino, and Asi Taulava, but having the league completely dominated by frontliners like June Mar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter is another thing altogether. Seeing guys like JMF, Gregzilla, and Raymond Almazan put up double-doubles left and right just opens my eyes to the reality that the game really has completely changed.

Without further ado, here they are – the top five centers of the 2015-2016 PBA season:

*This is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as calculated by PBA-Online.net. Stats are accurate as of February 7, 2016.

The Top 5 Centers of #PBA2015

The PBA has long been dominated by guards. From 2006-2012, all but one season MVP were guards (James Yap - twice, Willie Miller, Jayjay Helterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, and Mark Caguioa). Kelly Williams was the only exception, bagging the season MVP in 2008. In the past three seasons, however, big men have ruled, what with Arwind Santos being MVP in 2013 and teammate June Mar Fajardo bagging the prized plum back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Aside from the 6’10 Cebuano, however, other marquee slotmen continue to put their stamp on the league, and we’ll list down the best of ‘em here.

Without further ado, here they are – the top five centers of the 2014-2015 PBA season:

*This is based on the Player Efficiency ratings as calculated by PBA-Online.net.

#PBA2015: The Top 10 Big Men Right Now

The Philippines has always been known as a country that produces great guards. Whether it’s in the distant or recent past, it’s clear that guards have really dictated and dominated the landscape of Philippine basketball. In recent times, however, the balance of power has seemingly shifted, what with the entry of guys like June Mar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter, both hulking slotmen who can stamp their class on a game at will. 

In this piece, I will take a look at the top ten big men right now in the current PBA season. Instead of making distinctions between centers and power forwards, I just opted to use the term big men since many of the guys below alternate between the two positions anyway.

These are based exclusively on the Player Efficiency Ratings as calculated by PBA-Online.net, and the stats are accurate as of the end of the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup.