For well over a decade, the SMC teams have relied on their alleged farm teams—Northport and Terrafirma—to get the players they want. It’s the same cycle every time: players sharpen their PBA skills in these down-and-out squads that couldn’t care less about winning championships, and once they’re ready, they’re “promoted” to an SMC team where they finally get what they deserve. Then, four or five seasons later, when they’ve outlived their usefulness, they get sent back to thes

They’ve landed the former Ateneo Blue Eagle and current Abra Weaver while still maintaining one of the most stacked young cores in the league.

Looking at the bigger picture, both he and San Sebastian made the right decision.

As Tim Cone told SPIN.ph, “one wanted to leave, and one wanted to stay” when Mariano was included in the trade that sent him and Maverick Ahanmisi to the Terrafirma Dyip for the team’s Season 51 first-round pick.