Three key topics on PBA's reboot

Sports in the country is inching closer for a comeback as the Philippine Basketball Association is set for a restart in their bubble in Pampanga by October 11.

The country's premier basketball league had already released their revised schedule of games last Tuesday, with a total of 65 games as it also counts the season opener at The Big Dome last March 8 where San Miguel run rings around Magnolia for a 16-point win.

With those games held daily at the Angeles University Foundation Gym up until November, the margin of error of the twelve teams gets lower with the gap between their fixtures gets tight. Hence their resolve is put to the test.

With the games already set in stone, here are the talking points as we are set for tip off.

1. Unleashing the Beast, at long last (?)

There is beyond reasonable doubt that Calvin Abueva is the reason for Phoenix's rise to relevance since coming from Alaska in 2018. The mercurial out of Baste is no stranger in living up to his alias, which can run riot whenever he needs to.

After having double-double averages of 15.7 points and 12.2 rebounds when he took the Fuel Masters to the top spot and a semifinal appearance in last year's Philippine Cup, it looks that he is a contender to Junemar Fajardo in the MVP race.

Until the Commissioners' Cup fiasco happened, and just two games in he unleashed his clothesline that sent him to figurative hell, with the league having no choice but to banish him, FOR LIFE. Or so would we thought.

More than a year on, it looks like Abueva is on the mend now, as he was just a clearance from the commissioner's office away from allowing to play, with the earliest date is on October 12, in which Phoenix will take on Meralco to open their season inside the bubble.

2. An even playing field with literally no fans around

Because of the pandemic, the sporting scene was one of the worst hit with regulations barring fans from watching their players as it aims to contain the spread. The bubble in Pampanga is meant for that, in which the Pinoys are alien to the concept of games behind closed doors, even when Gilas played Qatar in a FIBA World Cup qualifier in 2018 as a result of a brawl with Australia.

That's bad news for Ginebra fans, as they had the near-monopoly of the watching the PBA wherever they play, be at the Big Dome, MOA or even the Philippine Arena in Bocaue.

Some say that having no fans around would mean a level playing field. And that is a heaven-sent for the players as they have the court all by themselves, with no distractions of course.

But given the NBA's successful efforts in bringing in the spectators virtually, who knows the PBA can follow suit.

3. Next Man Up for the Champions

The quest of San Miguel to win a remarkable sixth straight Philippine Cup will not be a cakewalk, that's for sure.

Even without the Kraken who is out with a foot injury, the Beermen are still favorites for the title, as they still have Chris Ross, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Arwind Santos to take the cudgels after their opening day win last March.

But with a hole as big as the Cebuano behemoth, Mo Tautuaa picked up the slack, racking up a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Beermen.

Even with a squad that is loaded to the last man, coach Leo Austria makes sure that there should be next man up for the league's most successful franchise.

FILE PHOTOS: PBA Images