SMBeer, TnT teams to beat in Season 41

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer and Talk n Text are the consensus top picks while Rain or Shine, Barangay Ginebra, Star Hotshots and Alaska Milk loom as the dark horses in the PBA Season 41 that comes off the wraps Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

PBA officials themselves pointed to the Beermen and the Tropang Texters as the teams to reckon with during the media launch of the new PBA season at the Diamond Hotel in Manila yesterday.

The season will be ushered in by a lone inaugural game between Rain or Shine and Star Hotshots at 5:15 p.m. Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

San Miguel is considered the top choice with practically the same formidable roster that bagged the Philippine Cup championship and the Governors Cup crown last season.

Talk n Text has got a good review with its own champion lineup strengthened further by its acquisitions of top rookies Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario and veterans Larry Rodriguez, Denok Miranda and Dylan Ababou.

The old SMB core of Junemar Fajardo, Chris Lutz, Chris Ross, Arwind Santos, Ronald Tubid, Alex Cabagnot, Gabby Espinas, Marcio Lassiter and David Semerad stays intact and so does the TNT nucleus of Jason Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Harvey Carey, Ryan Reyes, Larry Fonacier, Kelly Williams, Danny Seigle and Aaron Aban.

“San Miguel Beer is a team with three sets of starting units,” said Blackwater governor Silliman Sy to underscore the strength of Fajardo and his teammates.

Sy, Ginebra’s Alfrancis Chua, Barako Bull’s Manny Mendoza, NLEX’s Ramoncito Fernandez, Meralco’s Ryan Gregorio and Star’s Rene Pardo said the Texters have become a lot more formidable with their good trade moves during the offseason.

The consensus is that Talk n Text has become younger, taller and stronger with Tautuaa and Rosario.

“I can’t deny that we’re a top choice. But it’s just an added pressure for us,” said SMB governor and PBA board chair Robert Non.

The league chair felt all the teams have beefed up their rosters, thus, improving the league’s competitive balance, and promises more exciting games as it enters a new era under new commissioner Chito Narvasa.

The league governors said the Elasto Painters, the Hotshots, the Gin Kings and the Aces can’t be taken for granted.

The E-Painters, the only team that made the semifinals in each conference last year, have got three new acquisitions in Maverick Ahanmisi, Don Trollano and Jewel Ponferrada, and they pitched training camp in Australia in preparation for the new PBA season.

The Hotshots and the Gin Kings could pull off a surprise while playing a new system. In the offseason, Ginebra acquired Tim Cone from Star while the Hotshots elevated Jason Webb to head-coaching position.

Alaska is a top-tier, being finalist in both the Philippine Cup and the Governors Cup last season.

The Aces can be more dangerous in their second full season under coach Alex Compton.

Globalport’s Erick Arejola, the PBA vice chair, is confident they can make an impact with an overhauled lineup now led by Terrence Romeo, Stanley Pringle, Joseph Yeo, Jay Washington, Dorian Peña, Rico Maierhofer, Jonathan Uyloan and Roi Sumang.

The Batang Pier acquired Maierhofer in a trade with the Barako Energy Cola just Monday night. Barako got Jervy Cruz in return.