Painters begin Commissioner’s Cup title defense vs Road Warriors

4:15 p.m. – Mahindra vs Meralco

7 p.m. – NLEX vs Rain or Shine

MANILA, Philippines – The champion team and the champion coach of the last PBA Commissioner’s Cup are pitted right on opening day of the 2017 edition of the mid-season tourney on March 17 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Rain or Shine, with import Shawn Taggart, starts its title defense versus coach Yeng Guiao and his NLEX team in the opening twinbill that also features the Meralco Bolts versus the Mahindra Floodbuster in the 4:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.

Meanwhile, GlobalPort has finally signed an import in former NBA first round draft pick Sean Williams, a huge, imposing inside presence who could very well complement the backcourt brilliance of Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle.

Williams, the No. 17 selection by New Jersey in the 2007 draft who played with the Nets the Dallas Mavs and the Boston Celtics, debuts with GlobalPort versus Alaska Milk on Day Two of the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome. Phoenix Fuel and Blackwater clash in the same March 18 bill at 3 p.m.

The PBA Commissioner’s Cup has released the first seven play dates of the mid-season tourney through March 26. Philippine Cup finalists San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra are not scheduled to play in that stretch, meaning they’ve got at least a three-week break before getting back into action in the second conference.

Rain or Shine defends the crown with an intact lineup as the team ignored feelers for trades for key players Raymond Almazan and Jericho Cruz.

Mert Mondragon, the team representative to the PBA board, said there is no trade.

“If they can offer us a big player (in exchange for Cruz, then we may bite a trade deal),” Mondragon told The STAR.

For his part, coach Caloy Garcia has talked to Cruz, telling the 5-foot-10 guard to concentrate on his training with the E-Painters as there would be no forthcoming trade.

Among those which expressed interest on Cruz were the NLEX Road Warriors and the TNT KaTropa Texters.

With a solid backcourt but wanting in frontcourt strength is GlobalPort. But coach Franz Pumaren is hopeful Williams will solve their problem.

Williams is included in the short list of NCAA Division I players with 13 or more blocks in a game. As a Boston College player, he swatted away 13 shots against Duquesne on Dec. 28, 2006. He left his school as the leading shot blocker in the Big East Conference and ACC.

He showed his inside strength even in the NBA where he averaged 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 137 games.

He’s also a former CBA slam dunk king who last saw action in the Iranian league.