Adjusting to the times

The pandemic has been a test of resiliency and the PBA is no exception to institutions that are severely challenged. But to its credit, the pro league has managed to keep things in order, pulling off the bubble miracle in Clark last year and staging the annual draft last week. More importantly, teams have kept their commitments to pay the salaries of coaches, players and staff without fail. In the NBA, player salaries were reduced by 25 percent although the measure is temporary until the situation is back to normal.

As a case in point, the PBA displayed flexibility in adjusting its rules on tender offers for rookies. Under usual circumstances, teams are given five working days to make a tender offer to a drafted rookie in holding his rights. If no tender offer is made, the drafted rookie becomes an unrestricted free agent. This year, the deadline of five working days fell last Friday but the PBA extended it to seven days as rookies had to undergo COVID testing. The deadline was moved to last Tuesday and yesterday, the PBA released the list of 23 rookie free agents or those who were not given tender offers.  Of 65 drafted players, 42 were given tender offers.

The period to sign rookies with tender offers to a Uniform Player Contract (UPC) has not been set because of the pandemic. As it is, teams are allowed only to conduct individual workouts by limited batches and the IATF has not yet given its go-signal for 5x5 scrimmages. In a memo dated last Monday, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial advised teams that “the effectivity of UPCs for rookies shall start as soon as government authorities allow the resumption of scrimmages in NCR, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.” Marcial added that “in the case of rookies who have not yet signed their UPCs, the drafting team will retain its right over the drafted players until a new deadline is set for the submission of UPCs.” The memo came out as a result of the IATF placing NCR under GCQ last Saturday and provides teams a little leeway before signing rookies to their contracts.

The recent surge of COVID cases has also caused several teams to take a break from practice. Since gyms in Quezon City are closed, a team like Blackwater has decided not to do face-to-face training until conditions improve. There have also been reports of COVID positive cases involving several teams but the situation appears to be under control.  Phoenix, for instance, suspended practice for one batch of players for a while but is back in full force. In Blackwater’s case, four rookies Rey Mark Acuno, Josh Torralba, Andre Paras and Jun Manzo were given tender offers with their UPCs still to be firmed up. Over in Calamba, Gilas continues to train under a bubble but the focus is on skill work with emphasis on injecting the system.

Before the surge, the PBA was close to coming to terms with the management of Ynares Center to hold the coming season’s games in Antipolo after a clearance from the LGU. But with Rizal under GCQ at least until April 4, nothing is certain at the moment and even the planned opening on April 11 may be moved to a week later. The situation is so fluid with the timetable of the vaccine roll-out to the general public still uncertain that the PBA continues to be flexible in adjusting rules and schedules in the best interest of the teams, coaches, players and staff. It’s heartening that the PBA is passing the test of resiliency.