The new year is upon us, and it’s time to get ready for new challenges and fresh opportunities. With that in mind, we’ve thought of one wish for every one of our favorite PBA teams so they can take on 2025 and embrace all that lies ahead as best they could—and give fans even better games in the next 12 months. We even have one wish for the league’s guest team for this PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – Good Health
That Ginebra got to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals sans two of its best players—Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray—and backup big Isaac Go missing the entire playoffs is testament to the team’s depth and talent. That being said, there’s nothing like going to battle with a complete arsenal, and the crowd darlings have yet to do that in Season 49. Maybe 2025 can change that for Ginebra.
Blackwater Bossing – Another Star
That the Bossing have the second worst offense in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup even with the explosive pair of George King and Sedrick Barefield indicates a larger issue of lack of talent. It isn’t getting addressed in an instant, but it could happen step-by-step, with the next being another star emerging for Blackwater. Christian David is an obvious choice, having already shown flashes of brilliance.
Converge FiberXers – Continued Improvement
There’s no doubt Converge boasts a complete, talented lineup—versatile bigs in Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana, a scoring wing in Schonny Winston, and superlative playmakers in Alec Stockton and Jordan Heading. But it is also a very young team that just needs a bit more seasoning. With continued improvement, the FiberXers will be contending for championships real soon and maybe even build their own dynastic rule.
Hong Kong Eastern – More Opportunities
Eastern may not be as superb as the last PBA guest in the Bay Area Dragons, but they are a pretty good team themselves. It just needs more opportunities to showcase that unselfish, pinpoint style and unrelenting defense so it can get better and better. And it’s a young team, too, with lots of room to grow. The more Hayden Blankley and company play together, the better they will be.
Magnolia Hotshots – A Youth Takeover
Jerom Lastimosa, Jerrick Ahanmisi, and Zavier Lucero are the future of Magnolia. They might even be ready to be the team’s present, too. But we’ll never know unless Chito Victolero starts giving these three consistently longer minutes at the expense of Paul Lee and Mark Barroca, whose best days are arguably behind them, and Calvin Abueva, whose reduced impact no longer compensates for the distracting antics.
Meralco Bolts – Consistency
Meralco’s breakthrough title in the Philippine Cup seemed to signal bigger things ahead, but the Bolts have looked mid since then. Part of the reason has been inconsistency, where Luigi Trillo’s wards play great one stretch and play just okay in the next. That uneven play simply isn’t good enough, and the Bolts will need to find a way to play their best game in and game out.
NLEX Road Warriors – Kevin Alas’s Return to Form
Robert Bolick’s singular brilliance can be breathtaking and might be good enough to beat lesser teams. But if NLEX wants to take that next step, they need a second star to help Berto. A healthy, in-form Kevin Alas can be the Robin to Bolick’s Batman. He is healthy now, looking fully recovered from his third ACL tear. Now, all he needs is to get back to his pre-ACL form where he was good enough for a Gilas call-up.
NorthPort Batang Pier – A Chance to Grow Together
NorthPort arguably has among the most talented young cores in the PBA led by super scorer Arvin Tolentino, two-way star Joshua Munzon, and do-it-all wing William Navarro. But the Batang Pier are to realize their full potential, they will need to grow together and battle through the good and the bad. That means no harvest season deals where NorthPort trades a vital cog for a bag of chips and a can of Coke.
Phoenix Fuel Masters – A Collective Leap
Phoenix low-key has assembled a talented core that’s relatively young—a reliable big in Jason Perkins, a shooter in Ken Tuffin, athletic wings in Kai Balunggay and Sean Manganti, and talented guards in Tyler Tio and Ricci Rivero. This is a group teeming with unrealized potential, with a leap from two or three of these young studs likely to propel the Fuel Masters to the next level in their development.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – Thicker Skin for the Players
Yeng Guiao’s no-nonsense, expletive-filled approach to coaching is by now well-documented, and it can be grating. It’s an approach that isn’t for the faint of heart to put it mildly. But Guiao’s seven titles suggest this ruthless style works. These current crop of young, talented Elasto Painters just need thicker skin to bear with Guiao’s no-filter coaching and they could be headed for bigger, better things—individually and as a team.
San Miguel Beermen – Complete Faith in Abai
The Leo Austria-June Mar Fajardo pairing was so successful because the former knew he had the most dominant force in the PBA in the latter. Coach Leo made sure The Kraken was his centerpiece and is trying to the same in his second tour of duty. But for that to work, everyone from CJay Perez to Juami Tiongson to whoever import San Miguel signs up needs to trust the eight-time MVP and run things by him as frequently as possible.
Terrafirma Dyip – New Owners
Management that can’t keep good players and instead trades them for spare tires and loose change don’t deserve to be in the PBA. Terrafirma’s 64-195 record in nine seasons only underscores this obvious reality and the need for a major shakeup. Well, scratch that! What’s needed is new ownership—one that actually wants to win and won’t acquiesce to the unfair trades that have been the Dyip’s hallmark.
TNT Tropang Giga – More Offense
The Tropa’s defense, their calling card in the PBA Governors’ Cup, has surprisingly been average this conference, but that’s due for a course correction real soon. The offense, though, remains unpredictable, going from prolific to woeful game by game. A better, more consistent offense is all TNT needs to go for back-to-back titles. That’s not wishful thinking with Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, and Jayson Castro all capable scorers.
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So, how about you, what’s your New Year’s wish for your favorite PBA team? Do let us know!
