New, balik-imports spice up PBA

Five imports are back in the PBA Governors Cup starting today but Barangay Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee won’t be available at the onset to rest and recover from the previous conference and the recent FIBA World Cup Asia qualifiers. Ginebra will bring in an interim import and coach Tim Cone is now in Las Vegas scouting for prospects in the NBA Summer League. Cone won’t be back until July 15 as Ginebra makes its Governors Cup debut against Phoenix at Araneta on July 19.

Aside from Brownlee, the other returnees are San Miguel Beer’s George King (formerly Blackwater), NLEX’ DeQuan Jones (back with the Road Warriors from 2024-25), Rain or Shine’s Aaron Fuller (formerly NLEX, Blackwater, TNT and ROS) and Converge’s Jalen Hudson (formerly TNT). The newcomers are TNT’s Darius Days, Meralco’s Jordon Varnado, Phoenix’ BJ Johnson, Terrafirma’s Justin Strings, Titan’s Tirrell Brown, Magnolia’s KJ Buffen and Blackwater’s Kentrell Barkley. Varnado is no stranger to Meralco as he played three games with the Bolts in the BCL Asia last year.

Three imports show NBA creds. King, who once scored 64 points for Blackwater, played with Phoenix and Dallas. Days saw action for the Houston Rockets while Johnson suited up for Atlanta, Sacramento and Orlando in three seasons. Jones had close calls with Atlanta and Indiana. Hudson played for Cleveland in the Summer League. Every import is checking in with extensive overseas experience.

Hudson has unfinished business. In 2023, he led TNT to a 5-1 start in the Governors Cup and fired 56 in a game against Converge then was replaced by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Now, he’s with Converge and out for redemption. Jones is also determined to show he belongs. He was a late replacement in the previous Governors Cup for NLEX, impressed with explosions of 49 and 44 in the elims but couldn’t deliver the telling blows in the quarters as TNT ousted the Road Warriors, 3-1, in the best-of-five series. Jones has a chance for payback.

The conference format splits the 13 teams, including guest Macau, into two groups using the S-system of finish that determined the order of draft last year. Converge, Macau, NLEX, San Miguel, Terrafirma, Titan and TNT are in Group A. Ginebra, Blackwater, Magnolia, Meralco, Phoenix and ROS are in Group B. Teams in the same group play each other twice then the top four of each bracket advance to the best-of-five quarterfinals in cross-over pairings. The semifinals will be best-of-five and finals, best-of-seven.

Macau, rechristened the Giant Pandas, looms as a mystery contender with 11 new players from last conference’s lineup. The fresh faces are 7-3 Zhao Yi Ming, 6-11 Zhang Yong Peng, 6-11 Jeffrey Ma, 6-10 Zhang Zheng Xin, 6-9 Sun Yang Song, 6-4 Zhang Zu Ming, 6-4 Liu Xu Cheng, 6-3 Kobey Lam, 6-2 Li Qing Xiang, 6-2 Zhao Jun Feng and import De’Vondre Perry. Back on the roster are Jenning Leung (arriving late this month), Damian Chongqui, Chao Xing Zhao, Phoenix Shackelford, Sun Meng, Lu Zi Jie, Ramon Cao and Zhu Zhao Jing. Coach Marcus Elliott is smarting from Macau’s 11th place finish last conference and retooled his lineup with towering height. It looks like another exciting conference ahead.