MERALCO SHOCKS EVERYONE WITH PATRICK GARDNER

I think TNT’s import drama just got interesting.

Hmmm...

So let’s get some background on this. In Game 2, Bol Manute Bol unfortunately suffered an Achilles injury. Even while the game was still ongoing, TNT officials were already scrambling to find a replacement. Among the early names that surfaced were former NBA player Marquese Chriss and Darius Days.

Chriss has since said that he never really considered playing in the Philippines, which once again brought up the issue of PBA imports being in a high-risk, low-reward setup.

I’m going to make a separate blog about this, but honestly, that observation is correct.

Since 1975, imports have been asked to do everything for more than 40 minutes a game. They absorb most of the blame when things go wrong, and worst of all, only a fraction of them can use the PBA experience as a stepping stone back to the NBA.

Anyway...

Eventually, the urgency of the situation prompted TNT to enlist former UP Fighting Maroons FSA Malick Diouf. However, the one-time UAAP MVP’s papers were not ready, which meant TNT had to look for another import on extremely short notice.

Fortunately for TNT, they became the second PBA team this conference to win with an All-Filipino lineup after beating the Meralco Bolts, who became the first team in league history — I think — to lose twice to an All-Filipino lineup in an import-laden conference.

This also means that Marvin Jones may be the only import — again, I think — to lose twice to an All-Filipino lineup.

And thanks to his constant pestering of TNT officials, along with the recommendation of resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris McCullough is now back in the PBA to help the very team he once defeated to win his lone PBA championship, get another shot at defending its conference crown.

And this is where the problem with Marvin Jones comes in.

Marvin Jones is a glue guy, but even after finishing Game 3 with 22 points and 15 rebounds, it still feels like he will never be a true go-to import.

And now, TNT is set to face Meralco with the Bolts parading a new import in Patrick Gardner.

The NBA G League veteran has had stops in Egypt, Angola, and most recently, with the Fukushima Firebonds of Japan’s B.League Division 2. There are 14 teams in Division 2, and none of them featured a Filipino player. Gardner also played in the Philippines while representing Egypt in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in five games.

With the Firebonds, Gardner averaged 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes across 61 games. Yes, he’s a seven-footer, but he also led his team in three-point shooting at nearly 40 percent while posting a 58 percent field-goal clip.

I believe Gardner is an upgrade over Jones. That said, I also believe Meralco may have made itself vulnerable to the Tropang 5G. The familiarity now favors TNT, but we’re basically heading into a Game 4 where both teams are trying to outdo each other after opening a proverbial blind box. Yes, both teams acted out of desperation. Jones could either play terribly at the sight of his replacement on the sidelines — a risk I doubt Meralco wants to take, considering they could fall into a 1-3 hole. BUT Jones could also use this situation as motivation and play his best game yet.

Again, Meralco stuck with Jones throughout the conference, and while he may not have been as dominant as some imports, he still helped the team secure a Top 4 finish. If not for the Game 3 loss, Meralco probably would have continued riding with him against Bol Manute Bol.

Come to think of it, if Meralco was going to replace Jones anyway, then maybe they should have done it at the start of the semifinals. Yes, it feels unfair for Jones to be let go after helping the Bolts reach the semis, but perhaps the biggest reason for the move was simply to give the team a different dynamic against Bol.

Anyway, we now have two teams testing out two new imports in an all-important Game 4 matchup.

And at the moment, it feels like TNT has the edge in terms of local support because while Chris Newsome is still averaging in double figures, CJ Cansino has been extremely quiet throughout the series. Even the offensive production of Jason Brickman, Aaron Black, and Chris Banchero has been nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, TNT has Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Jordan Heading, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser all capable of breaking out at any moment, plus the possibility of a random “magic bunot” from Chot Reyes' bench that could completely catch the Bolts off guard.

And who’s to say TNT won’t suddenly swerve Meralco Bolts by fielding Malick Diouf instead of Chris McCullough?

Will the gamble pay off for Meralco, or will Chris McCullough simply pick up where Bol Manute Bol left off?