Kings vs B-Boys in opener

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association takes a short two-week break and returns with the import-flavored Commissioners Cup which fires off with an out-of-town tussle between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco on Feb. 18 in Laoag City.

Barako Bull, the last team to rule the Commissioners Cup in 2002, will not be around to defend the crown after yielding its slot to Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas.

Talk n Text, the Philippine Cup winner, goes for back-to-back championships with Syracuse’s Paul Harris as reinforcement. Harris was measured at 6-foot-3 3/8.

The other imports are Rain or Shine’s Hassan Adams at 6-3 5/16, Derby Ace’s Robert Brown at 6-2 5/16, Ginebra’s Nate Brumfield at 6-3 9/16, Meralco’s Anthony Dandridge at 6-3 14/16, Air21’s Jajuan Smith 6-1 15/16, Powerade’s Russel Carter at 6-3, and Alaska’s Larry Williams at 6-3 5/8. The height limit is six feet and four inches.

San Miguel Beer’s prospect is Gonzaga’s Ira Brown.

Meralco, Rain or Shine and Air21 will show up with new players in their respective rosters following a recent trade. The B-Boys have Sol Mercado, Renren Ritualo, Paolo Bugia and Eric Rodriguez, the Elasto Painters have Ronjay Buenafe, Beau Belga and Ronnie Matias while the Express have JayR Reyes and Reed Juntilla.

Another trade deal was called off after the teams concerned opted to focus on the Commissioners Cup instead.

Unlike the all-Filipino conference, the Commissioners Cup will be a short tournament with only six teams advancing to the playoffs after the one round-robin elimination phase.  

The top two teams automatically advance to the best-of-five semifinals while the next four move to the best-of-three quarterfinals.

Results of the first conference (60 percent) and the second conference (40 percent) serve as basis for the handicapping system in the season-ending Governors Cup.

The top four will be allowed an import with a height limit of 6-foot-2, the next four 6-foot-4 and last two 6-foot-6.

Among the imports playing in the Commissioners Cup, Adams and Dandridge appear to have the most impressive credentials.

Adams is an NBA veteran with stints with the New Jersey Nets, the Toronto Raptors and the LA Clippers.

He was Andre Iguodala’s teammate and regular roommate at Arizona and was part of the US under-21 team in 2004.

Dandridge, 24, was the 2009 US NCAA slam dunk champion while playing for New Mexico.