The PBA’s golden season is so close you could almost start the countdown. This also means time is running out for teams to make their moves in preparation for Season 50. Two of these teams are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and San Miguel Beermen, both of whom have been rather conservative in wheeling and dealing players thus far.
Then again, both Rain or Shine and San Miguel are in the upper echelons of the PBA hierarchy, and that’s probably the main reason both have largely stood pat this offseason. San Miguel, in particular, hasn’t done anything of consequence in its build-up to Season 50. Rain or Shine, on the other hand, made one splashy move early in the offseason but has since been quiet.
With that being said, let’s dig deeper into how the offseason played out for Rain or Shine and San Miguel:
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (Grade: B–)
Last Season: 31 wins, 29 losses (Made it to the semifinals of each conference.)
Key Offseason Moves:
- Signed Stanley Pringle from free agency.
- Drafted Christian Manaytay (10th), Arthur Roque (12th), Mark Omega (20th), Vince Cuajao (22nd), Joshua David (24th), Cole Micek (34th), Kyle Tolentino (45th), and MJ dela Virgen (55th) in the PBA Season 50 Draft.
Rain or Shine made its move very early in the offseason by signing erstwhile free agent Stanley Pringle but has done nothing of note since other than draft a cadre of neophytes. Already 38, Pringle showed last season he still has plenty left as he became the Terrafirma Dyip’s best and most consistent player—by a lot.
He was at his best in the Philippine Cup, where he put up per-game averages of 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals on 37.3% shooting from downtown. He’ll be bringing that still-prolific scoring and tons of leadership to that Rain or Shine backcourt that’s long on youth and talent but woefully short on veteran savvy. The four-time champ could also be the Elasto Painters’ much-needed closer, especially in the playoffs.
The Elasto Painters also drafted a bunch of rookies in the PBA Season 50 Draft, though coach Yeng Guiao already made it clear that he isn’t expecting much from whomever will make the cut at Rain or Shine. But Guiao is bullish about his team as he believes Pringle will be a difference-maker. He’s also banking on the return to good health of Season 48 third overall pick Luis Villegas, whose re-entry to the lineup will surely bolster a rather thin frontline.
Guiao is spot-on about ultra-talented Pringle, and his acquisition alone is enough to net Rain or Shine a grade of “B–” for the offseason. But the Elasto Painters also need another big (in case Villegas doesn’t pan out) and a tall, athletic wing to round out the roster. Their failure to address both is the reason they aren’t getting a higher mark.
San Miguel Beermen (Grade: F)
Last Season: 33 wins, 25 losses (Made it to the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup, missed the playoffs of the Commissioner’s Cup, won the Philippine Cup.)
Key Offseason Moves:
- Drafted Chris Miller (9th), Royce Mantua (33rd), Justine Guevarra (44th), Axel Iñigo (54th), and Jacey Cruz (61st) in the PBA Season 50 Draft.
On the surface, it makes little sense to tinker too much with a lineup that just won the Philippine Cup title. Probe deeper, though, and you’ll see the cracks.
San Miguel, for one, is an old-ish team with an average age of 34.4 years. June Mar Fajardo, the team’s centerpiece, is 35 and showing signs of wear and tear, while the Beermen’s old reliables—Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter—are 40 and 38, respectively. Jericho Cruz and Juami Tiongson, both key rotation guys, are 34, while Don Trollano is 33.
Additionally, the Beermen are woefully guard-heavy, often leading to coach Leo Austria going with three- or even four-guard lineups with Trollano at the 4. Fajardo’s dominance, Ross’s savvy, and the playmaking of Perez, Trollano, and Cruz mask this imbalance, but it’s a weakness elite teams like the TNT Tropang 5G can surely exploit.
San Miguel’s search for an Arwind Santos replacement—a stretch 4 who can defend—has also proved futile with Andreas Cahilig proving to be too inconsistent for that role. As a result, Austria has had to play Fajardo with either Mo Tautuaa and Rodney Brondial, in turn scrimping spacing and giving The Kraken less room to operate inside.
That San Miguel won the Philippine Cup title despite these cracks is a credit to Austria’s great coaching and the Beermen’s collective brilliance. But these are flaws nonetheless that need to be addressed—and San Miguel hasn’t done that so far.
Of course, anyone or two of San Miguel’s draftees could change that narrative, with Miller looking like a potential contributor, if not a star-in-the-making. But all in all, this hasn’t been an encouraging offseason for the Beermen as of press time, so they’ll get a grade of “F.”
