JOHNEDEL CARDEL: PUREBLENDS' COACH?

I’ve always believed Johnedel Cardel was bound to leave his mark in the PBA. I was already a fan back in his DLSU Green Archer days, when his high-flying game thrilled the crowd, and later when he teamed up with Jun Limpot for Magnolia in the PABL. When Alaska drafted him sixth overall in 1993, I thought he was a steal — someone who could follow in the footsteps of Jojo Lastimosa, Samboy Lim, or Bong Alvarez. That never quite happened in the PBA, but he eventually found that kind of stardom in the MBA with the Negros Slashers.

After a promising rookie year with Alaska, Cardel’s stock dipped, leading to stops with Sta. Lucia and Shell. But in the MBA, he truly shone. Alongside John Ferriols and Reynel Hugnatan, Cardel helped turn Negros into a powerhouse, appearing in four of five MBA Finals and finally breaking through in 2002 as the only Southern Conference squad to win a title. The twist was that Cardel had already left the Slashers after the 2001 season to suit up for the Olongapo Volunteers.

Still, his MBA numbers showed what could have been his PBA averages had he been given more trust.

JOHNEDEL CARDEL'S PBA STATS

When his playing days ended, Cardel turned to coaching. He cut his teeth with GlobalPort before becoming head coach of Columbian Dyip. His 36-121 record looks brutal on paper, but it’s hard to win when your best players constantly get funneled to SMC teams. By the time Terrafirma mercifully relieved him in 2024, the franchise already looked like it was collapsing. Lo and behold, Terrafirma is still alive and Cardel soon found his way back to GlobalPort, now NorthPort, as an assistant under Bonnie Tan.

That move could set the stage for a second chance. With Pureblends now eyeing a takeover of the franchise, Cardel is lined up to step in as head coach. If that happens, he’ll have an intriguing mix of talent at his disposal: Joshua Munzon, Calvin Abueva, Cade Flores, Chris Koon, Fran Yu, plus the rights to Greg Slaughter, Dave Ildefonso, and Arvin Tolentino. In many ways, it feels like the same kind of opportunity Chito Victolero got with Magnolia — a chance to prove he’s more than a caretaker for a farm team.

Of course, all this depends on Pureblends finalizing its plans. For now, NorthPort is a patchwork roster of unsigned SMC cast-offs. But if the franchise commits resources to be competitive, Cardel could finally get the recognition he’s long deserved. At worst, he’ll be a bridge coach until a “big name” arrives. At best, he’ll defy expectations, steady the ship, and cement his legacy as one of the PBA’s overlooked greats.