The PBA is bringing the action closer to the fans as the league kicks off its pre-season games with a clash between Blackwater and NLEX at the Caloocan Sports Complex on Sunday, May 21.

Expected to attract a good-sized crowd, the 5 p.m. collision between the Bossing and the Road Warriors serves as a prelude to a two and a half month of the preseason tournament made to fill up a two-month lull after the league gave way for the Gilas Pilipinas preparation for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The first of a series of exhibition games, the pre-season tiff would allow teams to assess their current lineups with the squads getting flexibility with its rosters after they are allowed to try out potential draft applicants and free agents during the games.

That should particularly bode well for Blackwater, which is taking a new direction with the hiring of new head coach Jeff Cariaso in place of former mentor Ariel Vanguardia.

Although Cariaso won’t be around for the team’s first game in the pre-season owing to prior commitments in the US, the Bossing will still get a chance to apply and get themselves familiarized to the new system with deputy Jo Silva, one of the two personnel Cariaso brought in, calling the shots in the first game.

Not much has changed so far in Blackwater’s lineup with Jvee Casio and Baser Amer expected to lead the way for the team.

Kevin Alas and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser will continue to lead NLEX under coach Frankie Lim.

The pre-season tiff is also an opportunity for the league officials to try and apply new rules in the games, including the coach’s challenge which is set to be introduced for the first time in the pre-season tiff before the PBA technical committee decides whether it will also be applied in the next season.