The PBA imports are back
BALIK-imports Justin Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of TNT are again expected to take the limelight in the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup, which finally gets underway on Nov. 5.
Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson had a memorable duel in the recent Asian Games in Hangzhou, China where Gilas Pilipinas ended more than six decades of title drought by winning the championship..
Brownlee led Gilas Pilipinas, while Hollis-Jefferson bannered Jordan.
But the rest of the PBA teams are also bringing in quality imports to match up against Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson in the import-flavored conference.
NLEX is bringing in Thomas Robinson, who was drafted as the No. 5 pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2012 NBA Draft.
The 6-10 American-Lebanese, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016 and four other teams, was supposed to play for San Miguel Beer in last year’s tournament but backed out due to a nagging back injury.
Also flying in to display their wares in the PBA are Tyler Bey (Magnolia), Tyler Stone (San Miguel Beer), Dajuan Summers (Rain or Shine), Jonathan Williams (Phoenix Super LPG), Chris Ortiz (Blackwater) Tom Vodanovich (Converge) and Thomas de Thaey (Terrafirma), Bey, the 6-7 shooting guard from Las Vegas, was selected No.36 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020 NBA draft before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks alongside Josh Richardson in exchange for Seth Curry.
Stone, the 6-8 power forward from the University of Missouri, played professionally in Turkey, Greece, Japan, Israel, Russia and Italy. He is coming off a memorable stint in Romania, where he was named Import of the Year, All-Romanian Player of the Year, and Forward of the Year.
Another journeyman arriving is Summers, the 6-8 small forward who played college basketball at Georgetown University before being selected as No. 35 overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2009 NBA draft.
The 35-year-old Summers averaged 3.3 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.0 block in 88 games with Detroit, New Orleans and Los AngelesClippers from 2009-2013 and 11.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 11 games in the EuroLeague.
Williams, the 6-9 forward from Memphis, played for the LA Lakers in 2018 and Wshington Wizards in 2019. Williams also helped the USA win a gold medal in the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, while averaging 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds.
In 2012, Williams joined the US and won a gold medal in the FIBA U17 World Championship, while averaging 7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
Ortiz, on the other hand, had a solid stint with Puerto Rico in the FIBA World Cup 2023 in Manila before signing up with the Bossing.
New Zealand player Vodanovich will make his second tour of duty with Converge after a one-off for the team as replacement for Jamaal Franklin during the playoffs of the last Governors’ Cup.
Listed at 6-7, Vodanovich delivered 39 points and 10 rebounds in the FiberXers’ 105-121 loss to the twice-to-beat Beermen in the quarterfinals.
Meralco and NorthPort have yet to announce the names of their respective renforcements.
