CONVERGE AND THEIR "GOOD" PROBLEM

The thing about putting players on one team is that they all have to share one goal. For a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, it’s about winning championship after championship after championship. That’s the standard every player should aspire to, especially those nearing the tail end of their careers.

The same can be said about the first “Death Five” version of the San Miguel Beermen. The mere fact that you had a guy like Arwind Santos—an alpha male for most of his televised basketball career—being okay as June Mar Fajardo’s sidekick is a testament to how effective Leo Austria is, not just as a coach, but as a "manager."

Unlike baseball, players outside the starting unit in basketball can only get so much playing time.

And that’s the issue with the Converge FiberXers right now.

When Archie Concepcion hit that clutch bomb in the closing moments of the fourth quarter, Terrafirma called a timeout. One player who didn’t immediately get up to celebrate and high-five his teammates was Justin Arana.

Just two weeks ago, the former Arellano Chief was playing in the All-Star Game. And while the PBA has had its fair share of All-Star duds, Arana is a legitimate star. Ever since he was moved to the second unit, he has been desperately looking for his shots and, at times, forcing the issue.

The guy clearly isn’t happy with his current role.

It gets worse. You have someone like Larry Muyang, who went through a lot, ghosting Phoenix and returning to his old NCAA form with the MPBL's Pampanga Giant Lanterns, to prove he’s a vital cog when given the opportunity. Yet, he has combined for less than ten minutes in two games. If Charles Tiu were coaching Muyang during his time in Phoenix, I’d bet he’d be getting more minutes than he is now in Converge.

And while we’re at it, I’ll defend Mikey Williams against his detractors here. Yes, he’s in a slump, and it feels like more than just a minor dip. It’s like he’s under a magnifying glass due to past events. But he can’t be the player he’s capable of being if others are consistently prioritized over him.

Of course, Delta Pineda will lean on Justine Baltazar, Alec Stockton, and Juan Gomez de Liano. But then what? Jonnel Policarpio and Concepcion are also getting their touches. And again, Arana is eager to get his points. Let’s not forget they also have import Kylor Kelley, who is expected to lead the team in points, minutes played, and ball possessions.

And what happens when Calvin Abueva finally makes his Converge debut? Or when Dave Ildefonso joins the team next year?

CONVERGE FIBERXERS' PROJECTED DEPTH CHART

	STARTERS	BENCH	OTHERS
C	KYLOR KELLEY - IMP	LARRY MUYANG	MJ GARCIA
F	JUSTINE BALTAZAR	JUSTIN ARANA	JOHN LLOYD CLEMENTE
F	CALVIN ABUEVA	JONNEL POLICARPIO	KURT REYSON
G	ALEC STOCKTON	ARCHIE CONCEPCION	JAMES KWEKUTEYE
G	JUAN GOMEZ DE LIANO	MIKEY WILLIAMS	RONAN SANTOS
			JAYMO EGUILOS
			LADIS LEPALAM

Yes, Converge is loaded with talent. But when players don’t get what they want, that team can easily turn into a Petronovela.

Let’s remember that before June Mar Fajardo arrived, San Miguel/Petron went through a championship drought—likely because they had too much talent with too many players unhappy about their roles. The 2000 championship core of Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle, and Olsen Racela was eventually phased out in favor of players like Santos, Cabagnot, and Jay Washington. Yes, they were great on paper, but you also can't have ten players inside the court at the same time.

There was even a point when tensions got so high that Cabagnot and Washington were shipped to GlobalPort, only for Cabagnot to return after a season. When June Mar entered the picture, the team also had Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao. San Miguel was aggressively harvesting talent from Barako Bull to the point that it weakened that franchise.

It took someone like Leo Austria to make everything work by managing egos and defining roles.

That said, Leo Austria also had his challenges—none bigger than Christian Standhardinger, who was never pleased with limited minutes. Over the years, players came and went. But aside from one hiccup when Jorge Gallent took over as coach, it’s safe to say that even if players left with reduced minutes, lower averages, or diminished superstar status, they still walked away as champions.

Terrence Romeo is a perfect example—he struggled to replicate his GlobalPort numbers after being traded to TNT and later to San Miguel. Yet he left the Beermen with three championships and a Finals MVP.

Speaking of TNT, one reason Asi Taulava didn’t have multiple championship runs was that the team often chased superstars instead of building around the right pieces.

Aside from Austria, two legendary figures stand out for building winning teams while keeping players satisfied. This is why the 1970s became one of the most imbalanced eras in PBA history—Baby Dalupan and Dante Silverio had all the pieces to elevate the Crispa-Toyota rivalry into something special.

Imagine having five MVPs on one team. Or consider how Silverio managed to have Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski coexist and thrive.

Over the last 15 years, teams like Ginebra, San Miguel, Magnolia, and TNT have consistently won championships by getting their players to buy in.

So yes, Delta Pineda and the Converge FiberXers have a good problem on their hands. They will have disgruntled stars—that’s inevitable. But if they can manage those egos properly, players might not mind sacrificing for a year or two.

That said, that only works if they win a championship.

Because it’s a completely different story when a team this talented fails to win one.