By REYNALD MAGALLON
Tapping NBA caliber talents has become a norm for PBA teams in the import-flavored conferences and the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup won’t be any different in its return after a two season absence.
Tearing a page from the books of the last two teams featured in the finals of the 2019 mid-season conference – TNT and San Miguel, backstopped then by legitimate NBA talents in Terrence Jones and Chris McCullough – a couple of PBA teams decided to pick reinforcements with a good amount of NBA experience.
In total, six NBA veterans, three returning imports and four well-traveled reinforcements who are testing the PBA waters for the first time will comprise a stellar cast of imports for the Commissioner’s Cup which fires off on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Known to bring in some of the most decorated imports in the league, defending champions San Miguel Beer is tapping the services of Thomas Robinson — the import carrying the most impressive resume among this year’s cast.
He was a fifth overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2012 NBA draft – a pick ahead of NBA star Damian Lillard and played for five seasons in the league with stints with the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Also picked in the same NBA draft class are PBA guest team Bay Area import Andrew Nicholson and Converge reinforcement Quincy Miller.
Nicholson was picked 19th overall by Orlando Magic and played for five seasons with the Washington Wizards and Nets while Miller was the 38th overall pick and had stops with the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Kings.
Teams under the MVP group will also be bannering NBA-caliber imports with Meralco signing former Milwaukee Bucks center Johnny O’Bryant and NLEX tapping veteran Earl Clark.
O’Bryant was the 36th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft while Clark was a former lottery pick at 14th by the Phoenix Suns in 2009.
All eyes however are on incoming TNT import Cameron Oliver who despite his short stints with the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, is being considered to be part of the Gilas Pilipinas program as part of its naturalized players pool.
Also a candidate for naturalization for the national team program is the tried-and-tested resident Ginebra import Justin Brownlee who will be playing for his ninth conference with the most popular ball club. He is a five-time PBA champion and a two-time Best Import award winner.
Terrafirma and NorthPort are also bringing in familiar faces with the former tapping Indonesia’s naturalized player Lester Prosper and the latter reuniting with Prince Ibeh who led the Batang Pier to a 9-2 record in the 2019 Comm’s Cup.
Magnolia and Phoenix, meanwhile are placing their bets on young reinforcements in former Serbian U20 national team member Nick Rakocevic and 23-year-old Caleb Wesson respectively.
Both Rain or Shine and Blackwater, on the other hand, picked imports who, although will be playing for the first time in the PBA, are already armed with vast experience in the European leagues.
Steve Taylor Jr. who was signed by the Elasto Painters in place of first choice Daniel Ochefu played in France, Turkey, Hungary and Italy while Cameron Krutwig of the Bossings previously suited up for Telenet Giants Antwerp in Belgium during the 2022- ‘23 FIBA Europe Cup.
