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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Improved lineups put Blackwater, Converge on PBA coaches' radar

Improved lineups put Blackwater, Converge on PBA coaches' radar

Published Sep 27, 2025 04:33 pm

At A Glance

  • PBA coaches are seeing vast improvements in mid-tier teams during the offseason and most of the bench tacticians are considering Converge and Blackwater as the teams which could pull off huge surprises in the league's 50th Season.
Blackwater and Converge (PBA Images)
Blackwater and Converge (PBA Images)
PBA coaches are seeing vast improvements in mid-tier teams during the offseason and most of  the bench tacticians are considering Converge and Blackwater as the teams which could pull off huge surprises in the league's 50th Season.
Asked about the competition ahead of the opening of the Philippine Cup, coaches seemed to be on the lookout for the FiberXers and the Bossing after they added key pieces to their respective teams.
Blackwater added Dalph Panopio through the rookie draft to form a potent trio with Christian David and Sedrick Barefield who have both proven to be capable scorers in the past seasons.
"Blackwater, they have Panopio, that's third pick, (Sedrick) Barefield and (Christian) David, both second picks and when you build like that may mga pyesa na sila," Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo said of the Bossing.
"Yung Blackwater makikita natin maganda yung nilalaro nila kasi yung right pieces na kailangan nila I think slowly, nakukuha na nila," said San Miguel tactician Leo Austria in a separate interview.
The Bossing even defeated the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 94-93, in a tuneup game on Friday, Sept. 26 – an outcome that further validated the coaches’ observation on Blackwater.
"They looked really good. They are really, really organized and together they have obviously been going at it for a while, their game looks really honed at this time," Ginebra coach Tim Cone commented.
Like Blackwater, though, Converge seemed to have gotten a lot better on paper after picking Juan Gomez de Liano in the draft.
The 6-foot-1 playmaker looked good as advertised based on the recent friendly game but PBA coaches believed that the FiberXers could even be a lot better once they got the core that also has Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston all at the same page.
"Converge obviously has been there a long time. It is their ninth conference but buo na sila tapos because they haven't been doing well, they got Baltazar, De Liano and Arana, Schonny so malalim," said Trillo.
Cone, meanwhile, went as far as saying that the FiberXers have the tools to become the next dominant team in the PBA.
"They just kept getting better all the time. They are well-balanced , size and their great guard play. They are really a complete team out there," Cone said of Converge.
"Just give them some time to continue to jell and mature and they're gonna jump to the next level. If they can stay intact for the next two or three years, they could become the dominant team in the league," he added.
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