April 18 ------ THE PBA is just two games into the new season, but there are numerous figures from last year who were already missed on opening night. Five of them were even part of two champion teams in Season 44. Big man Greg Slaughter and Teytey Teodoro of Barangay Ginebra and the San Miguel trio of Ronald Tubid, Yancy De Ocampo, and Chico Lanete are some of the players who were nowhere to be found in the official lineups when the league ushered in the season-opening Philippine Cup last month. A check on the official roster submitted by the 12 member teams to the Commissioner’s Office bared that all five – and more – are not in the 15-man roster ballclubs are required to fill in. Slaughter of course, had some issue with Barangay Ginebra, which the 7-foot center claimed didn’t offer him a new contract when his old deal expired last January 31. Management though, maintained an offer had already been submitted to the PBA office four days before the 30-day grace period expires for teams to make a proposal to any player with expiring contract. Officially, the PBA has ruled that Ginebra continues to hold the signing rights to the seven-footer. Teodoro’s one-year deal with the Kings expired at the end of the season, and the combo guard out of Jose Rizal University has since returned to the Batangas Athletics in the MPBL. Both Slaughter and Teodoro were members of the Barangay Ginebra team that beat Meralco for the 2019 Governors Cup championship. Tubid, De Ocampo, and Lanete won two championships (Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup) with San Miguel last season albeit more as reserve players, although Tubid was given some playing time by coach Leo Austria. All three were not renewed by San Miguel. Lanete is now with the Sarangani Marlins in the MPBL, De Ocampo has retired, while Tubid was let go after being involved in the practice fight with import Dez Wells. He wasn't signed to a new contract when his old one expired. Aside from Slaughter and Co., other prominent names who had constant exposure last season but found themselves out of the league this year include Sol Mercado, Jerramy King, Ping Exciminiano, Noy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Yousef Taha, Louie Vigil, and Ranidel De Ocampo. King was let go by NorthPort, while Mercado was traded to Phoenix for LA Revilla. The Fuel Masters offered him a contract but negotiations bogged down, making the veteran guard an unrestricted free agent. Exciminiano (Rain or Shine) and Baclao (Alaska) are currently recuperating from injuries, while Vigil is currently on loan by San Miguel to Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). Al-Hussaini and Taha were part of the complicated three-team trade that land Poy Erram to TnT Katropa. Al-Hussaini was acquired by NLEX from Blackwater although the Road Warriors no longer appear interested in getting his services as he was in Kuwait when the trade was consummated. Taha still has a live contract which Blackwater assumed from NLEX, but was not included by the Elite in their 15-man lineup. De Ocampo meanwhile, just announced his official retirement from the league last Monday after playing the last three seasons for Meralco. Also not around during the PBA’s opener were Dexter Maiquez, Mark Tallo, Jason Ballesteros, Emman Monfort, Renz Palma, Gabby Espinas, Jom Sollano, Jireh Ibanes, Cyrus Tabi, Ael Banal, G-Boy Babilonia, Rey Guevarra, Julian Sargent, and Joseph Eriobu. Maiquez (Pampanga), Tallo (Bacolod), Palma (Nueva Ecija), Espinas (Manila), Sollano (Zamboanga), and Tabi (Bacolod) are now in the MPBL, Erioubu is with the Hong Kong Eastern in the ABL, while the duo of Banal and Sargent signed up with Marinerong Pilipino in the D-League. Ballesteros (Meralco) is still recuperating from injury, Emman has been added as skills coach of NLEX, Ibanes is now assistant team manager of Rain or Shine, Babilonia has a year left in his two-season contract with Alaska, while Guevarra is a free agent after being released by Phoenix and failed to hook up a spot with San Miguel Beer. Of the 12 teams, only Barangay Ginebra, NorthPort, and Meralco have 14 men in their lineup or less during the opener. The Bolts have since filled the vacant spots by signing rookies Aaron Black and Mike Canete, while the Kings are reportedly reserving a slot for rookie Kent Salado. The Batang Pier originally only had a 13-man roster but signed rookie Renzo Subido as their 14th man. Source: spin.ph
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