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| (c) PBA Media Bureau |
2021 is still too far away but looking that far unto the future is also fun, right?
I am pretty "confident" that only one or two of these will turn out to be true but whatever, let us do it and enjoy.
By the way, I ranked them according to their projected overall skill-set in 2021. So, the ranking is not about their current skill-set. So if a player A is higher than a player B, it doesn't mean that, that player A is better than that player B today.
Team - Name (Age in 2021)
#12 RAIN OR SHINE - Raymond Almazan (32 Years Old)
The Dark Knight is slowly rising into the limelight this season. He is contributing 11.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. If you convert that to 32 minutes of play, you will get 16.7 points and 16.4 rebounds. He relies heavily on his athleticism so I expect him to regress at this point of his career.
#11 PHOENIX - Simon Enciso (30 Years Old)
Matthew Wright is a great prospect but Enciso is already playing like a top 5 PG in just his second year in the league! One of the strongest combination for a guard is size and shooting and Enciso has that. He is shooting 36.8% from beyond the arc and that skill doesn't easily regress. At this point, I expect him to be a 18 points, 40% 3FG and 3.5 assists point guard.
#10 MAHINDRA - 2017 1st round pick
Mahindra is an exemption because their roster doesn't have anybody who can be/remain a star, five years from now. So, I need to balance it out. I am willing to bet that they will get the 1st pick for the upcoming draft and if Ray Parks fall to them, they will be the #1 in this ranking. But, the possibility that they will get a bust or they trade their 1st round pick is also there.
#09 STAR - Paul Lee (32 Years Old)
I know, Jiovani Jalalon has a good case for the Star representative but Lee is already a star in the league and I don't think Jalalon has the ceiling that can surpass an in-prime Paul Lee. I expect Paul to learn to rely more on his shooting as his fragile body continue to derail him in his career. That should preserve him enough to remain a very versatile and strong player.
#08 NLEX - Bradwyn Guinto (30 Years Old)
Carlo Lastimosa and Garvo Lanete have good cases to be the representative of the Road Warriors but Bradwyn has the most solid ceiling and the youngest when we reach 2021. Coach Yeng is the best developer of bigmen and Bradwyn already have an explosion this season, 17 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists in 26 minutes of play. I expect him to develop a three-point shot and that will make him a top 5 big in 2021.
#07 ALASKA - Calvin Abueva (33 Years Old)
In terms of longevity, Calvin Abueve had benefited a lot from the minutes distribution of coach Alex Compton. Calvin is slowly developing an outside shot and that should make him an MVP before 2021. But in 2021, there are a lot of risks of Calvin falling out of his prime.
#06 GINEBRA - Greg Slaughter (33 Years Old)
Earl Scottie Thompson will be better skilled than Greg at the 2021 point of their career, but because of Greg's size, Greg's impact to their team will remain to be higher. Coach Tim already knows how to use him in their defense and offense so imagine if he continue to develop his skills, he will be more impactful.
#05 TNT - Troy Rosario (29 Years Old)
This is 80% potential and 20% performance. I love the tools that Troy has. He has the size, athleticism, attitude, hunger, energy and finesse to be the third best player out of this bunch when we reach 2021. I expect 2021 to be his best year and a production of about 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 40% 3FG.
#04 BLACKWATER - Mac Belo (28 Years Old)
I have said it in the past, I was mesmerize by the maturity and calmness of Belo. Even in his worst game this season, Mac was still effective with his 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals performance. Belo is only 23 years old today. So, can you imagine a 28 years old Mac Belo? Maybe a guy with a 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, 57.5% FG and 42% 3FG, statline.
#03 GLOBALPORT - Terrence Romeo (29 Years Old)
It may look like Terrence Romeo is already at his peak but man, we have not seen the best of the Bro! He is only 24 years old and he is already producing 19.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 32.5% 3FG through his first four seasons. I am expecting him to push his career numbers to 21 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 34% 3FG when we reach year 2021.
#02 SAN MIGUEL - June Mar Fajardo (32 Years Old)
This could be the last year of the super dominant Fajardo. Yes, in 2022, he will only be a dominant Fajardo. Fajardo should be a six-times MVP at this point, right? As he continue to stomp his opposition, his effectiveness will continue to rise.
#01 MERALCO - Chris Newsome (31 Years Old)
Please, stop cursing. Ever heard of a guy named Russell Westbrook? Chris could be the PBA version of that guy. Everyone is bragging about the well-rounded production of Scottie Thompson so how about the 16.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 50% averages of Newsome?
This guy will be a one-man wrecking crew in the next few years and the best bet to average a triple-double in the PBA.
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