Justin Williams, GlobalPort Batang Pier
Williams is one of the more intriguing imports in the upcoming conference. He wrapped up his college career at Wyoming with averages of 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game. He followed that up with a nice stretch with the Dakota Wizards in the NBA D-League where he posted averages of 12-12-3 before receiving a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings in 2007. He played a total of 49 games with two teams in the NBA.
The 6-foot-10 Williams is a nice athlete with length and timing so he’s expected to shine on the defensive end. He has good instincts when it comes to blocking shots, and is a smart team defender. He’s also a strong rebounder with a quick second jump. He looks to have the potential to be a huge presence defensively, something the Batang Pier will surely appreciate.
Offensively, he may be a little limited, but is a decent enough finisher around the rim to make an impact. He probably won’t be coming out and scoring 30 a game like some imports do. He was being asked by GlobalPort’s front office to be more aggressive offensively, but that probably won’t be as much of an issue after the additions of Sol Mercado and Japeth Aguilar to an offensively-loaded lineup that already features Gary David and Willie Miller.
He was put under evaluation by GlobalPort when he first arrived here, but has played well enough in practices and tuneup games to keep his spot. Right now, he’s looking like an excellent fit for a team that badly needs a defensive anchor. He’ll form a lengthy, athletic duo with Aguilar up front, and it will be interesting to see if the newly-rebuilt Batang Pier can make a splash as contenders right off the bat.
Evan Brock, Barako Bull Energy Colas
Brock is not a complete stranger to Philippine soil. The 2012 ASEAN Basketball League finals Most Valuable Player led his Indonesia Warriors past the hometown San Miguel Beermen last year, clinching the title in a tight contest here at the Ynares Sports Arena.
The PBA is a different league from the ABL, of course, but there aren’t a lot of reasons to think that Brock couldn’t replicate some of his success here. After all, he averaged an impressive 21.7 points and 13.7 rebounds in the three-game finals series against the Beermen, a team that featured two of last year’s Commissioner’s Cup imports in Nick Fazekas and Duke Crews as well as PBA top pick June Mar Fajardo.
The 6-foot-8 Brock is a guy that plays above the rim with ease. In the ABL, a good chunk of his highlight reel consists of him flushing home alley-oops from teammates in transition. He likes to get up and down the court and that should make him easy for local fans to like. He uses his athleticism not just on offense, but also to challenge shots and grab boards.
It’s hard to say what the fortunes for Barako Bull will be like this conference. They’ll have a new person calling the shots in team consultant Rajko Toroman, a new system in place, and a bunch of new players from the five-team deal last month. Brock and his teammates will have a lot to learn on the fly but they’ll definitely be an entertaining team to catch this conference.
Michael Dunigan, Air 21 Express
Dunigan took an interesting route to the pros, ending his collegiate career at Oregon after his sophomore season, where he averaged a modest 9.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, to play professionally in Israel.He had nice stints in Europe, recording 12.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in Ukraine and 11.1 points, 8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in Estonia, before receiving an invite to the Memphis Grizzlies training camp alongside former PBA import Jarrid Famous over the offseason. Unfortunately for Dunigan, he was unable to lock down a roster spot in the NBA. He then played four games in Australia where he posted 13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
The 6-foot-10 Dunigan is a strong interior threat who has improved his mobility and athleticism since turning pro after he lost 30 pounds. He’ll be comfortable in a role where he gets plenty of touches in the paint, having already done that with some teams in the past. He’s a nice finisher around the basket, and has shown the ability to draw fouls at a decent rate.
The Air 21 franchise seemed to have turned a corner in the Philippine Cup, finishing out of the cellar in the standings after three straight conferences in the bottom. Dunigan is going to try to keep that momentum going this conference, even after the two teams the Express topped last conference retooled with big trades over the break.
Renaldo Balkman, Petron Blaze Boosters
Balkman likely has the best pedigree among this crop of imports. Local basketball fans will undoubtedly remember the dreadlocked energy guy drafted 20th overall by the New York Knicks in 2006. He’s a legitimate NBA guy who played six season with the Knicks, the Nuggets and the Knicks again. Balkman played about 62 games in each of his first three years while logging around 15 minutes per game. He’s a also a veteran of the international game, representing Puerto Rico alongside guys like JJ Barea and Carlos Arroyo.His numbers won’t blow you away, but like many other NBA role players, the boxscore doesn’t tell much of the story. His best season, statistically, was his rookie year when he averaged a modest 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game.
Bbut for stat-heads who like advanced statistics, that’s actually a near double-double — 11.3 points and 9.9 rebounds — if you extrapolate his numbers to 36 minutes instead of that 15 he actually played).
But he’s not the biggest guy, which is interesting in a conference where there isn’t a height limit. Early in his career, Balkman was measured at just a shade above 6-foot-5 without shoes, although he makes up for it with his 7-foot-1 wingspan. He’s shown he can be a pretty decent rebounder, though, even when playing the 3-spot, and there’s little reason to think that wouldn’t translate to his PBA stint. He has a reputation for being good in anticipating where balls go, which contributes in his ability to track down boards and loose balls.
Balkman is an interesting choice for Petron Blaze, which has more than enough offensive firepower to have an import who might not be a dominant offensive player but will definitely be a major presence on the defensive end. His smaller size might mean he won’t be taking minutes away from rookie big man June Mar Fajardo, whose continued development will be something to watch for this conference.
If Balkman can get the rest of this deep, talented squad to play hard for 48 minutes by leading by example, then Petron should be a real contender this conference.
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