PBA Power Rankings week 2: Ginebra, Petron remain unblemished

PBA Power Rankings week 2: Ginebra, Petron remain unblemished


KING AND TWO TOWERS. Ginebra's leader Mark Caguioa and twin towers Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar. Photo by Mandy Mangubat/The Benchwarmers

MANILA, Philippines – Rappler gives you Week 2 of the PLDT myDSL PBA Philippine Cup Power Rankings. Which team stood tallest last week? Read on.

1. (Last week: 1) Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel (3-0)

Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, and LA Tenorio continue to put up significant numbers for the crowd favorites helping Ginebra with their stellar run this week. Mark Caguioa exploded for 29 points in just 28 minutes against GlobalPort. If they can play like this all conference long, they will be a nightmare for other PBA ball clubs.

2. (Last week: 2) Petron Blaze Boosters (3-0)

Despite the absence of key point guards Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross, the Blaze Boosters managed to stay unbeaten after 3 games. Wingman Chris Lutz acted as Petron's point guard and dished out 13 assists in a 91-78 victory over San Mig Coffee. June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos posted double-doubles. Petron relied on their bench to stay sharp.

3. (Last week: 3) Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (3-1)

Rain or Shine is steadily keeping up with the contenders this conference. Their only loss is a game against Ginebra, which they quickly recovered from beating Barako Bull where Coach Yeng Guiao pulled off a classic move fielding in all of his 14 players for at least 13 minutes apiece.

4. (Last week: 5) Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters (2-1)

Talk ‘N Text’s fearsome backcourt duo of Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro made up for the team’s disadvantage in size. The Gilas Pilipinas tandem combined for 53 points in the Tropang Texters’ overtime win over Alaska. Acquiring Danny Seigle to boost their frontcourt, it seems TNT is dead serious about winning their fourth straight All-Filipino Cup title.

5. (Last week: 4) Barako Bull Energy (2-1)

Barako Bull’s surprise run came to a halt after dropping a close game against Rain or Shine. They managed to claw back from as much as 15 points but did not have enough in the tank to complete the comeback. There’s no letting up for the Barako crew and they still want to prove that they can contend with the rest of the league.

6. (Last week: 6) GlobalPort Batang Pier (1-2)

The Batang Pier got their first real test against Brgy. Ginebra, and they almost scored a scintillating comeback behind rookies RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo. If it wasn’t for a huge hole early in the match and a late game explosion from Mark Caguioa, GlobalPort could have won the game. But this only shows the young team is ready to compete and go up against the PBA’s powerhouses.

7. (Last week: 9) Meralco Bolts (1-2)

Meralco manhandled Air21, 112-79 with leading scorer Gary David finishing with just 7 points. The Bolts’ production came from all over the place. John Wilson and Sunday Salvacion combined for 41 points off the bench while three others scored in double-figures. The big win is a good start for Meralco to get back into the groove. It also showed they do not need to rely on David alone to carry to the offensive load.

8. (Last week: 7) Alaska Aces (1-3)

Save for an 84-80 victory against San Mig Coffee, the Alaska Aces have not yet found their competitive form in the Philippine Cup. They actually fared well against Talk 'N Text but lost steam in the end game. So far, Sonny Thoss has been the only consistent performer with Calvin Abueva and JVee Casio continuing to struggle.

9. (Last week: 8) San Mig Coffee Mixers (1-3)

San Mig Coffee finally got a win, outlasting Air21 after 2 overtime periods. Super sub Peter June Simon is back, but this time it’s James Yap who is injured for the Mixers. There’s no time to panic for the team though; they started the Governors' Cup the same way, but still ended up winning the title. However, Coach Tim Cone must find ways to solve their early slump to avoid getting buried into a deeper hole.

10. (Last week: 10) Air21 Express (0-4)

Air21 is the worst team right now. They’re shooting a measly 39.49% from the field. The Express also trailed by as much as 37 at one point against Meralco and are losing by an average margin of 17.25 points. Their point guard woes continue to haunt them and it seems Coach Franz Pumaren has not yet found the winning combination, even with the return of scorer Mac Cardona. -

Rappler.com

astig ng the king and the two towers

kahit bumalik pa si james yap, di naman xia katulad ni blakely ............. hahahaha