THE TOP FIVE #PBA2015 ROOKIES RIGHT NOW
Early this season, it seemed like Stanley Pringle was a sure thing for Rookie of the Year, but there are other guys who have recently been putting up impressive numbers and even winning Rookies vs. Sophomores Game MVP. At this point in the season and with so many other newbies doing well, is Pringle still a shoo-in for the ROY, or has his competition caught up?
Without further ado, here they are – the top five rookies of the 2014-2015 PBA season as of the All-Star break (as always, this is based on the Player Efficiency ratings).
- Chris Banchero (ALA) – 5.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.7apg, 38.3 FG%, 18.0 EFF
By and large, this hasn’t been the rookie season that Banchero probably dreamt of when he was picked by Alaska in the 2014 PBA Draft, but, hey, with a conference Finals appearance tucked in his belt, I guess he’ll take it. He was projected to be a real impact player for the Aces, but so far he has been Mr. Hot-and-Cold.
- Jake Pascual (BAR) – 5.6ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.0apg, 51.2 FG%, 22.3 EFF
Pascual has been maybe one of the top three hardest working power forwards in the league. So many times this season, the former Red Lion has had to battle against guys at least three inches taller than he is, but he has still pretty much held his own. His hardnosed defense and scrappy style of play actually remind me of one of the best PFs we have right now – Marc Pingris.
- Matt Rosser (TNT) – 9.4ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3bpg, 46.4 FG%, 27.1 EFF
Rosser was pretty dope in the Rookies vs. Sophomores Game, scoring 32 points and winning MVP honors, but don’t overlook how he’s been great over the course of the season for the Tropang Texters, too. Rosser continues to develop into a really good player. He doesn’t really get a lot of plays called for him and yet he finds a way to be a scoring threat while, at the same time, he is able to make his presence felt on the defensive end.
- Brian Heruela (BLA) – 11.3ppg, 5.2rpg, 5.4apg, 1.3spg, 47.7 FG%, 31.3 EFF
Heruela has risen to become not just the biggest threat to Pringle’s probable ROY party but also one of the most productive point guards in the league bar none. With his stocky frame and shifty moves, the Cebu product has been able to impress people with his scoring, rebounding, defense, and league-best playmaking. He’s a sure-fire gem of a player, which makes me expect that he’ll get snapped up by any of the league’s more popular clubs sooner rather than later.
- Stanley Pringle (GLO) – 13.8ppg, 6.7rpg, 4.2apg, 1.6spg, 30.2 3pt%, 46.7 FG%, 33.4 EFF
Not only is Pringle the best rookie so far, he’s also the league’s best guard. Yes, he has been a little inconsistent this conference, but don’t let that fool you – this guy can still stamp his class on any game or team. He doesn’t need to score tons for GlobalPort, especially with Terrence Romeo there, but he does a lot of the little things that matter – rebounding, playmaking, and defending. Heruela is coming along and Rosser has been solid, but Pringle’s body of work should speak for itself. At the end of the season, if I had a vote for ROY, my vote would still go to Stan the Man.
*Jericho Cruz actually has the fourth highest EFF rating of all rookies, but I just couldn’t put him here because he hasn’t played a lick of Commish Cup ball.
Outside looking in:
Anthony Semerad (GLO) – 17.8 EFF
Kyle Pascual (KIA) – 17.7 EFF
Kevin Alas (TNT) – 17.7 EFF
Enzo Flojo has been writing about all things basketball for quite some time now.
He is the only Filipino writer on FIBA.com, and regularly appears as a guest analyst on TV. You can read more of his stuff on his nationally-recognized blog, HoopNut.com, or you can follow him on Twitter — @HoopNut.
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