Bruno Sundov, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
In last season’s no-limit conference, Rain or Shine opted to go with a smaller guy in Duke Crews. The Elasto Painters are going in a completely opposite direction this time around, tapping the 7-foot-3 Sundov for the Commissioner’s Cup. He spent seven seasons in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, though he’s never played more than 26 games in a season.Sundov will likely be the most compelling import to follow this conference. For one thing, he is huge. He’s the largest import to ever suit up in the league and with some teams opting to go small for their import despite the lack of a height limit, Sundov’s size will be apparent the moment he steps on the floor for the Elasto Painters.
The other thing that makes him interesting is his style of play. He’s a big guy who likes taking jumpers, and if Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao is to be believed, he’s pretty darn good at making them as well. That, of course, makes him an excellent fit with the Elasto Painters, where their centers have the green light to throw up treys whenever the shot is there.
The downside to Sundov, obviously, is a lack of athleticism and mobility. There are few players his size blessed with agility. That means his teammates will have to compensate a little to allow their import to stay in spots where he’s comfortable.
That’s not to say he’ll be a sieve defensively, though. At his size, he’ll definitely be a big presence on either end. But it’ll be up to Rain or Shine to make the mismatches work in their favor instead of against them.
For a team like Rain or Shine that got so close to the title last conference, this is a very interesting import choice. At his size, he’ll very easily get his jumpers off and if he makes them at a high rate, this team will be very hard to stop. It would be to no one’s surprise if the Elasto Painters find themselves very much in the mix late in the conference, and Sundov will have plenty to do with that.
Matt Rogers, San Mig Coffee Mixers
Rogers will be taking on the unenviable task of following the very popular Denzel Bowles, who led this team to a title in last year’s Commissioner’s Cup. There will be inevitable comparisons, which might not be fair to Rogers, but San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone has assured fans that the 6-foot-11, 225-pound Rogers is a guy they’re going to like.Like Bowles, Rogers is a skilled big guy. He led his Southwest Baptist University squad with averages of 18.3 points and 8.7 rebounds as a sophomore. He’s performed well with the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League as well, scoring 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and over a block per game while playing just 17 minutes per game. He also appeared in four NBA Summer League games for the Indiana Pacers last year and moved to the Spanish league LEB Oro to play for Coruna.
Cone has said that Rogers isn’t as physically strong as Bowles, but is athletic and has shooting range that extends to the three-point line. He has the ability to knock down long shots, although he doesn’t seem to take too many of them — which is something you’d like of a 6-11 guy anyway. In 11 games in the Spanish second-tier league LEB Oro, Rogers hit a pretty impressive 44% from three-point range. He only had nine attempts in that span, but made four of them.
So Rogers is looking like he’ll be a nice versatile presence for the Mixers who can do his damage inside but also knock down shots if he finds himself open on the outside, which will happen on occasion in Cone’s system. He’ll be a nice fit and a good replacement for Bowles, although for San Mig Coffee fans, the only Bowles comparison that will likely matter is whether or not he can lead the team to the title.
Keith Benson/Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters
Benson played collegiate ball for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies — one of the so-called mid-majors in NCAA Division I ball — where he set a Summit League record for career blocks and received the Lou Henson Award, an honor given to the mid-major player of the year. He was a late second round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in the 2011 NBA Draft and was able to play in two preseason games before being waived.He is an interesting physical specimen. Benson stands 6-foot-11 and has a terrific wingspan of 7-4 and will undoubtedly be a major lockdown presence for the Tropang Texters in the paint. He averaged 10.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the Erie BayHawks in his most recent NBA D-League stint while playing just 24 minutes per contest. His shotblocking ability should translate well to the PBA, with a quick leap, good timing and his excellent length.
On offense, he’s not the most polished player, but he does have a few reliable go-to moves like the jump hook and a nice midrange touch. He probably won’t dominate offensively, but that won’t matter too much on a talented offensive team like Talk ‘N Text.
Benson makes a lot of sense for the Tropang Texters. With what is likely the best core of local players in the league today — they’ve won the Philippine Cup three straight times, after all — they probably need a dominant defensive presence more than they need a possession-heavy offensive talent that could potentially mess up what’s obviously already working.
And that’s exactly what they get with Benson: a player that’s an excellent fit on an excellent team.
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