Meralco takes so much pride being the country’s lone representative in the East Asia Super League.
At a time when the champions and runner-up of the Philippine Cup are not available, the Bolts are coming out ready to step in and use this event as another way to build up for the coming PBA season.
But Luigi Trillo, head coach of the PBA, who will be assisting Nenad Vucinic, tasked to handle Meralco in the EASL, believes the PBA should give international tournaments such as this one a closer look on how we can equip not just our players, but also our own league.
“I look at their leagues, Japan and Taipei, ang dami nilang mga imports. Marami rin silang coaches coming from different countries,” said Trillo. “In other words, they’re looking for the best, viable choices to improve their ball clubs and it’s working. Their leagues are flourishing. Their ranking had gone higher.”
According to Trillo, these countries had adapted to a new culture when it comes to basketball.
“Japan used to be close-cultured, that makes Japan as Japan. But in terms of basketball, the way they do things, they’re now very open,” added Trillo. “That has allowed the best talent to rise up. The league has gone well and their ranking in FIBA basketball has gone up.”
In the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which the Philippines co-hosted along with Japan and Indonesia, Japan emerged as the top Asian country to crack automatic qualification to the Olympics and avoid playing in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“Taiwan, as small as its country is, you can also see that its league is flourishing. Because of more imports, it kinda opened it up. I’m not surprised that these two countries are bow at the forefront of Asian basketball as their level of basketball had also gone up.”
Trillo had seen how the EASL helped the Bolts’ improvement, proof of it was the team’s first ever championship last season when it defeated San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup finals.
“EASL is well running. The exciting thing is, bringing all the Asian countries, their top-ranked teams to play, so you have FIBA, the national teams, then you have the BCL, which is being sanctioned by FIBA as well and you have professional teams competing, then you have EASL, a private entity that spoke to the governing bodies of each country that runs a professional league, so it’s like the Euro League.” said Trillo.
“You have to qualify to be there or you have to be voted on by the (EASL) board. The high-level teams that won’t make it, they’ll talk about it and they’ll decide. But EASL prepares us in many ways. I don’t think we would have won our championship had we not join the EASL.”
For Trillo, teams from the PBA could benefit from the quality of competition the EASL provides. In the EASL, there are four imports seeing action — two regular imports, one naturalized player and one Asian import — which would certainly make the tournament a lot more competitive.
“In our first year of participation and that was the second year of EASL, we were only third place at that time, but it was a blessing that we participated. I think Ginebra was supposed to go, but things changed and we ended up representing. I think we were excited to go out to do it.”
“When we won the Philippine Cup, we automatically qualified, but in this year, though, we didn’t make the playoffs, but we were voted on to join because TNT and Ginebra are again, not available. We’re very grateful. But the question I have, and it’s not the PBA’s fault, as each league has its own set up, our conference does not align with us having our best chance to win. Simply because the PBA starts around July and it’s the Philippine Cup.”
Trillo is hoping that through their bosses, their representative to the PBA board, could convince the league to align the calendar to the EASL to give any representative of the country a better chance of winning.
“To me, I’m excited and I care kasi hindi lang Meralco dala namin dito, but dala rin namin yung PBA and dala rin namin yung Pilipinas. Sa akin, I’m looking at ways on how can we improve it. The thing that enters my mind, the imports who played with other teams play with them whole-year round. I would like to see that hopefully, our bosses in the PBA can brainstorm at how to align the import conferences with the EASL,” said Trillo.
“Because if you’re playing with imports, at least when you play in the PBA, that would kinda serve as practice games. Your priority is the PBA, but when you get to the EASL, at least it would be an advantage for us already know the system because they’re already playing with the league.”
The PBA calendar, according to Trillo, makes it more challenging for the Philippine representative to the EASL.
“Ang hirap kung all-Filipino papadala, we have to look for imports. Then you’re going to play your first game without enough practice sessions. In the PBA, there’s a rule, you cannot have tune up games while the season is on-going. So we’re tied now. We have a big responsibility because we represent the Philippines, it’s a matter of pride. On Meralco’s standpoint, I think everybody is excited to help, but being prepared and have the PBA schedule aligned with EASL would give us a best chance. I’m speaking not just for Meralco, but whoever will represent the PBA in the EASL,” he said.
“The second and third conference, if they could move that together, and already has a rule on the imports, whether it’s unlimited height or one or two imports, we can plan ahead and get better. But it could be up[ to the bosses in the PBA. It could be first or second conferences that have imports. But my point is, if you have back-to-back conferences that have unlimited height, the teams can go around and sign them up early.”
The Meralco mentor is hoping the PBA board could carefully study at how they could align the calendar for the PBA, Gilas Pilipinas’ participation and the EASL, where Asia’s pioneering professional league is committed to send delegations.
“At this time, the NBA Summer League has just ended and some of the Asian leagues have not started so they sign players now. So the disadvantage we have, most of these teams, will sign them full term, meaning a whole year. They also give very competitive salaries. It’s not only these are nice countries and the salaries are bigger.”
“But if you’re going to look for imports January or February, most of the better ones are already signed up. Although we’re excited, I’m also looking at how can we get better, how can we align. That’s not for us to decide. We have to bring it up to our governor, our bosses . So they can also manage it. We’re also looking at Gilas, we’re also looking at EASL and we’re also looking at the PBA. We have a responsibility because it’s bragging rights around the world. We don’t want na mapapahiya tayo.”
