By REYNALD MAGALLON
A collision between the James Yap-led Rain or Shine and Meralco kicks off the hostilities in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup on Sunday, Jan. 22, with some reinforcements no stranger to the Philippine brand of basketball at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, Jan. 22.
The Elasto Painters look to begin their bid to end a five-year playoff drought in the season-ending conference on a good note against the Bolts in the 4:30 p.m. affair before an equally enticing clash between the Converge FiberXers and NorthPort Batang Pier at 6:30 p.m.
All eyes will be on the expected duel between returning imports in Meralco’s KJ McDaniels and Rain or Shine’s Michael Qualls. The stint with the Bolts is now McDaniels’ second with the team after also playing in the Commissioner’s Cup that saw him average 27.33 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.17 assists and 2.33 blocks per game.
Qualls, meanwhile, is hoping to replicate, if not surpass, his success in his first stint with the Batang Pier who he helped power to their first semis appearance in its franchise history.
Interestingly, the high-scoring import will now be under head coach Yeng Guiao, the erstwhile coach of NLEX, the same team NorthPort hurdle to advance to the semis.
Another interesting storyline in the game is the return of Yap with Rain or Shine after a three-conference hiatus. The game will also mark the reunion between Yap and Guiao who last worked together for the Rain or Shine-backed Gilas Pilipinas team in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
If the old hands are taking the spotlight in the opening game, new faces are also out to make an impression in the second game with the FiberXers parading New Zealand national team forward Ethan Rusbatch and the Batang Pier debuting young and talented Marcus Weathers.
The two of the busiest teams wheeling and dealing in the short break, NorthPort and Converge have also loaded some new weapons to its arsenal and are expected to be deployed in their first assignment in the conference.
The FiberXers have added defensive linchpins in Barkley Ebona and Jerrick Balanza while the Batang Pier got the biggest acquisition in the trade for former first overall pick Joshua Munzon along with offseason signee Christian Balagasay to help new head coach Bonnie Tan who took switched places with now team manager Pido Jarencio.
