THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Asia’s first play for pay league, will adopt a wait and see attitude before deciding on a full schedule next year.
A return to the three-conference format is being eyed for the league’s 46th season, although PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the final decision will depend on the current health crisis.
The target date for the opening of the 46th season is on April 9.
The annual Rookie Draft,on the other hand, is tentatively scheduled in March, 2021.
“May mga dates na din kaming tinitignan, pero depende pa din sa darating na vaccine at kung anong klaseng bubble at saan,” Marcial told sportswriters.
The 45th season started with a game between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia last March , but was suspended for seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The All-Filipino Conference finally resumed last Oct. 11 following the approval of health and safety protocols by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) through the help of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).
In other developments:
— The PBA agreed to hand out special individual awards for its 45th season being played at the NBA-inspired bubble in Pampanga.
League officials decided to give the “Best Player of the Conference” award instead of the usual Most Valuable Player award given at the end of the year.
Also to be given is the “Outstanding Rookie” award, which will take the place of the usual “Rookie of the Year” plum.
Another change is the “Special Team” award instead of the usual “Mythical Team” award.
The PBA officials came up the decision to present new awards since the league was only able to hold one conference — the Philippine Cup – due to the coronavirus outbreak,
The “Most Improved Player” and “Sportsmanship Award” will remain.
— The PBA announces that application for the coming Season 46 Draft will start on Dec. 7.
The date gives applicants, both local and Fil-Am players, at least a month to complete their needed requirements before the deadline of submission on Jan.27, 2021.
The league sets the rookie draft on March 14.
The rookie application and draft proceedings were approved by the PBA Board under chairman Ricky Vargas during its virtual meeting with Marcial last Thursday.
Among the potential players who have applied for the 2020 draft are Chooks-to-Go 3×3 standouts Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Troy Rike and Santi Santillan, as San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas mainstay Jason Brickman and La Salle standout Jamie Malonzo.
The league, for this Season 46 Draft, decided to do away the required stint in the D-League.
However, local players should be 21 years old on draft day, a college graduate or four years removed from high school graduation.
Fil-foreign players must secure respective documents from the Department of Justice and Bureau of Immigration
