DEFENDING champion TNT and perennial title contender Barangay Ginebra make their anticipated debut in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup when they battle respective foes on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Reinforced by NBA veteran Bol Bol, the Tropang 5G get their back-to-back title aspirations going when they battle the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters at 5:15 p.m.
The Gin Kings, still parading resident import Justin Brownlee, will take on the Macau Black Knights at 7:30 p.m.
The 7-foot-3 Bol’s presence is expected to spice up the midseason conference where the pro league allows each team to be reinforced by an import with no height restrictions.
Bol, son of NBA legend Manute Bol, has been working out with TNT for nearly a month now as he takes the spot vacated by resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Hollis-Jefferson, a three-time PBA Best Import winner, has led the TNT franchise to three league titles, including the Commissioner’s Cup and Governors’ Cup last season.
But Hollis-Jefferson suffered a right Achilles injury last December while playing for the Meralco Bolts in an East Asia Super League game against the Macau Black Bears in Isabela.
With Bol, selected 44th overall by the Miami Heat in the 2019 NBA Rookie Draft, the Tropang 5G expects to benefit from his versatility, inside defense given his long wing span as well as rebounding and his three-point shooting.
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, opened the conference with a 116-109 come-from-behind victory against Macau last week.
Hulking import Jaylen Johnson will be leading Rain or Shine anew against a stacked TNT roster.
The American import had an outstanding PBA debut of 29 points, 24 rebounds and six assists against the Black Knights.
As for Ginebra, the charges of coach Tim Cone will be banking on familiarity with Brownlee, who has led the franchise to six PBA championships since he burst into the league in 2016.
The Gin Kings face a Black Knights side that opened the conference with back-to-back losses to Converge and Rain or Shine.