The 2024–25 PBA Philippine Cup is two weeks old now, and action is starting to heat up, with contenders like the San Miguel Beermen and Meralco Bolts already facing off early in the tournament.
Things will only pick up from here, which means fans can look forward to more exciting games in the days ahead. Fans can also look forward to these must-watch players, who are must-see-TV for one reason or another. It could be sheer dominance, the potential to take his game from good to great, or the possibility of a vintage scoring explosion.
Without further ado, Rebanse presents one player to watch for every team in the PBA Philippine Cup.
June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel Beermen
The Philippine Cup is Fajardo’s stomping ground, having won six titles in this conference to go along with eight Best Player of the Conference Awards—including the one he bagged in the last all-Filipino conference, where he averaged 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. He’s off to another dominant start this conference, posting 19.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in San Miguel’s first three games. With no big reinforcements to stop him, expect The Kraken to be fully unleashed.
Calvin Oftana, TNT Tropang 5G
Rey Nambatac will be under the microscope this conference for sure, but Oftana—18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists last conference—might be the main Tropang 5G to keep an eye on. He’s a legit triple threat with the tools to be a go-to-guy but seems content to take a backseat, mostly to super-import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and to Nambatac in the Commissioner’s Cup Finals. He’ll need to be more assertive and aggressive in the Philippine Cup with RHJ not around and Jayson Castro sidelined.
Chris Newsome, Meralco Bolts
Newsome delivered the franchise’s first—and only—title in this same conference last year, and he will need to be electric once more if the Bolts are to defend it this year. Newsome is currently averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 steal per game, but Meralco is only 2-2. He’ll have to pick things up moving forward, particularly on offense, where the Bolts tend to struggle for long stretches.
RJ Abarrientos, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
There’s no denying that Abarrientos can shoot the basketball—and that he can be a difference-maker against any team not named TNT. Part of the reason is that RJ remains a weak link on defense, and it’s something more teams might look to exploit more in an import-less tournament. Abarrientos has also largely struggled to find that right balance between style and substance, often going for the highlight play rather than make the simple one. He’ll need to be better if Ginebra is to finally break through.
Justine Baltazar, Converge FiberXers
This season’s first overall pick showed flashes of brilliance in the Commissioner’s Cup. Now, four games into the Philippine Cup, Baltazar is showing he’s headed for stardom, putting up a double-double of 11.8 points and 12.3 rebounds on top of 3.0 assists and 1.0 rejection. With no imports this conference, Balti’s size could be a game-changer, and his continued improvement could finally put Converge over that quarters hump.
Adrian Nocum, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Nocum was sensational against Converge in the quarterfinals last conference but was largely kept in check by TNT in the semis. But he looks like every bit a star in the making, and his continued ascent could mean the difference between Rain or Shine being a contender or a pretender. He proved in the Commissioner’s Cup he can carry the Elasto Painters to the semis. The Finals is the next step.
Joshua Munzon, NorthPort Batang Pier
By now, it’s clear Arvin Tolentino’s the real deal, and he’s got the hardware to prove it. But part of the reason NorthPort had its best conference yet in the Commissioner’s Cup was the emergence of Munzon as a two-way force. After struggling offensively in previous seasons, the former no. 1 pick put up a career-best 15.6 points last conference on 57.6% shooting overall and 35.4% from downtown. The Batang Pier will need more from Munzon in this Philippine Cup.
Jerom Lastimosa, Magnolia Hotshots
Lastimosa’s even-keeled play and smooth shooting were noticeable in his first conference in the big league. What’s more, the 10.6 points he averaged in the Commissioner’s Cup on 41.4% shooting from the arc hinted at a starter-caliber combo guard who could run point for Magnolia in the years to come. He’s off to a fantastic start in this Philippine Cup, hiking his averages to 12.0 points on top of 4.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He’s getting the ball a lot more as well.
Kai Ballungay, Phoenix Fuel Masters
Ballungay is young, big, and athletic and is in the mold of a Zavier Lucero or Will Navarro—playmaking wings who can play the 3 and the 4 equally well. He’s already showing his immense potential three games into the Philippine Cup, posting a double-double of 18.8 points and 11.7 rebounds for the 1-2 Fuel Masters. He’s far from a finished product, but the athletic gifts are unquestionable.
Kevin Alas, NLEX Road Warriors
There’s no question Robert Bolick is singularly brilliant, but even he needs help. Enter Kevin Alas, who was NLEX’s main man before he tore his ACL and Berto returned to the PBA. Unfortunately, the former Letran Knight hasn’t rediscovered just yet and has looked like a shell of his former self. But Alas is fully capable of being the Road Warriors’ second star, having averaged at least 16 points in two previous seasons. A return to form could propel NLEX.
Sedrick Barefield, Blackwater Bossing
Barefield was superb in the Governors’ Cup as he looked like a cross between prime Stanley Pringle and Mikey Williams. However, injuries derailed the Fil-Am guard in the Commissioner’s Cup, where he played only four games but still averaged 20.8 a game. Barefield appears to still be out of sorts, averaging just 14.5 markers in Blackwater’s first two games. But he’s an explosive scorer nonetheless and might go off any game now.
Terrence Romeo, Terrafirma Dyip
Romeo was once upon a time the PBA’s most lethal scorers, but those days are way past him now. The Imus, Cavite native, though, is still just 33 and has occasionally shown he can still score in bunches. He’s still a handful when healthy and in the zone, and Terrafirma could sure use his scoring prowess in this Philippine Cup, where two or three wins could be considered a successful campaign already.
