PBA's D-League: Your thoughts?
PBA board to approve D-League
MANILA, Philippines - Expectation is high the PBA board of governors will give today its formal approval to the PBA D-League, paving the way for its initial staging in January.
The league board also tackles the proposed PBA Referees Academy and the TV coverage in a meeting at 12 noon today at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.
Commissioner Chito Salud will present for board approval the mechanics of both the D-League and the Referees Academy.
A good number of PBA teams have expressed interest in the formation and participation in the D-League, believing that a commercial amateur league plays an important role in the development of basketball in the country.
Salud told The STAR theyre proposing that the PBA itself runs its own developmental league featuring players aged 17-26.
Their initial target is a short three-month tourney among eight teams, playing two days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) a week.
It could be farm teams or affiliate teams by PBA member ball clubs and/or outsiders, said Salud.
The San Miguel group, the Smart-PLDT group, Coca-Cola and Air21 are PBA members expected to form their own farm teams. Non-PBA members which may join are Phoenix Petroleum, the Lamoiyan Group, Pascual Laboratories and Toyota-Otis.
Sta. Lucia Realty, which has sold its PBA franchise to Meralco, has said it will join the tourney.
Salud said the proposed league would not entail much cost since theyre pegging the team salary cap to only P1 million. The maximum individual pay is only P25,000 a month and the minimum is P15,000.
The amiable PBA commissioner stressed the idea is to help develop Philippine basketball and encourage greater participation in the game by opening new areas of competition.
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The creation of a Referees Academy, meanwhile, is being proposed to improve officiating in the league.
The academy will offer a four-month officiating course with former PBA technical chief Perry Martinez and former referee Celso Rivera as lecturers.
We target a class of 25 from where we can get maybe four to five to add to our pool of referees, said Salud. Well teach them the PBA philosophy. Referees coming here no longer need reorientation.
The TV coverage has been added to the agenda since Solar Sports has divulged plans to look for a partner in covering PBA games.
The PBA may start the bidding process for the TV coverage for 2011 and beyond. Solar Sports contract with the PBA is only up to the end of the current season.
MANILA, Philippines - Expectation is high the PBA board of governors will give today its formal approval to the PBA D-League, paving the way for its initial staging in January.
The league board also tackles the proposed PBA Referees Academy and the TV coverage in a meeting at 12 noon today at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.
Commissioner Chito Salud will present for board approval the mechanics of both the D-League and the Referees Academy.
A good number of PBA teams have expressed interest in the formation and participation in the D-League, believing that a commercial amateur league plays an important role in the development of basketball in the country.
Salud told The STAR theyre proposing that the PBA itself runs its own developmental league featuring players aged 17-26.
Their initial target is a short three-month tourney among eight teams, playing two days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) a week.
It could be farm teams or affiliate teams by PBA member ball clubs and/or outsiders, said Salud.
The San Miguel group, the Smart-PLDT group, Coca-Cola and Air21 are PBA members expected to form their own farm teams. Non-PBA members which may join are Phoenix Petroleum, the Lamoiyan Group, Pascual Laboratories and Toyota-Otis.
Sta. Lucia Realty, which has sold its PBA franchise to Meralco, has said it will join the tourney.
Salud said the proposed league would not entail much cost since theyre pegging the team salary cap to only P1 million. The maximum individual pay is only P25,000 a month and the minimum is P15,000.
The amiable PBA commissioner stressed the idea is to help develop Philippine basketball and encourage greater participation in the game by opening new areas of competition.
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The creation of a Referees Academy, meanwhile, is being proposed to improve officiating in the league.
The academy will offer a four-month officiating course with former PBA technical chief Perry Martinez and former referee Celso Rivera as lecturers.
We target a class of 25 from where we can get maybe four to five to add to our pool of referees, said Salud. Well teach them the PBA philosophy. Referees coming here no longer need reorientation.
The TV coverage has been added to the agenda since Solar Sports has divulged plans to look for a partner in covering PBA games.
The PBA may start the bidding process for the TV coverage for 2011 and beyond. Solar Sports contract with the PBA is only up to the end of the current season.
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This may mean...
SMB/BMEG/BGK = 1 D-League Team
TNT/BOLTS (Barako Bull?) = 1 D-League Team
Coca-cola
Air21
Phoenix Petroleum
The Lamoiyan Group
Pascual Laboratories
Toyota-Otis
The league board, in a meeting yesterday at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City, will launch the D-League either on February or March which could serve as the transition tourney for collegiate players hoping to play in the pros.
The consensus was that we need a jump-off league for amateurs looking to go up to the PBA. The board made some inputs for the commissioner to consider. The commissioner will re-present the concept in the next board meeting, said Pardo.
A major concern is how farms teams by PBA member ball clubs be treated compared to non-PBA teams looking to join the D-League.
What will be the benefits of the PBA teams interested to put up a farm team? Can they bring up and down players from their PBA teams to the farm teams? What are the restrictions? Those are among things we want cleared, said Pardo.
During the same meeting, Solar Sports formally informed the PBA board that its looking for a TV network partner to air PBA games in the next two conferences since Solar TV has decided to reformat its programming at Channel 9.
In line with Solar TVs decision to realign its programming taking away sports, Solar Sports also disclosed its no longer taking part in the bidding for the PBA TV coverage at the end of their 2008-2011 contract.
Nothing is definite at this time since theyre still talking to a third party. Details of those negotiations were not disclosed to the board, said the league commissioner.
One thing is for sure though, the PBA coverage will remain and PBA fans have nothing to worry about. They will be able to continue enjoying the games on Channel 9 or another network, said Salud.
Studio 23 of ABS-CBN or TV5 as block-timer on NBN 4 could well become Solar TVs coverage partner for the next two conferences.
As this developed, the PBA has decided to advance to as early as January the bidding process for its TV contract for 2012.
Meanwhile, four playoffs-bound teams jockey for position as they clash at the resumption of the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum today.
Meralco and Derby Ace duel for solo fourth place at 5 p.m. while Rain or Shine and Air21 battle at 7:30 p.m. both looking to stay in the fight for the Top Six.
These are important games for positioning purposes, said Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio of todays games.
B-MEG is a very talented team with their guards playing good basketball. With Marc Pingris back, they are serious title contenders. For us, were preparing to compete regardless of the opposition, Gregorio said on their match-up with Derby Ace.
If we can fix our free throws and limit their big men from dominating the paint, we can pull off a win. Our target is to make it to the Top Six, said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.
Sayang yung PBL kung di mag-resume ulit yung operations nila. They've been the primary source of 'future PBA stars'. Even the collegiate players gained playing experiences dito sa PBL, as well as aspiring legit Fil-Ams.
If this PBA D-League pushes through, i hope they would consider to somehow help out and include PBL's legacy to ocme into play.
Paano kaya ang televised format nito, will be it be on the same playdate of regular PBA games? Undercards kumbaga?
parang ambaba naman yata ng sweldo, taasan pa ng mga 5K
15k minimum per month. Halos minimum wage earner lang kung sakali.
Wherein sa PBA 300k ang max.
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During the planning session in Bangkok last September, commissioner Chito Salud informed the media that the board was not too keen on forming a developmental league. Understandably, running two leagues is not going to be that easy.
But now that it looks like there will be no middle league like the PBL to bridge the gap between the collegiate leagues and the PBA, the latter is forced to make a move.
This is actually the item Im most interested in. My colleague said the initial plan is to put the D-League under the jurisdiction of the PBA Commissioners office. Only a different technical director will be hired by the D-League.
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Membership in the D League will be open to PBA members as well as non-members. Interestingly, the costs involved are very affordable. Im not sure I got my figures right but Im told that the players minimum salary in the D-League has been pegged at P15,000 a month and the maximum at P25,000, plus a salary cap of P1 million per season.
Technically, the D-League will be owned by the PBA. A PBA team that also has a Developmental team will have the special privilege of acquiring players from its D-team without going through the draft.
Another special benefit for a PBA ballclub with a D team is that the players in both teams will be allowed to move up and down, as desired by management. Not too obviously, this is one way to attract new PBA franchises.
Right now, the plan is not to have a board of directors for the D-League, but if outsiders far outnumber insiders among the D teams, for sure there will be a clamor for the formation of one.
All the features I mentioned about the D League were only recommendations as of yesterday and was up for approval during the board meeting.
From what I gathered, several companies have been inquiring as to how to join the PBAs D-League and what costs are involved. There are also a number of applicants for the posts of technical director and commissioner, if the board changes its collective minds and decides to get one.
The D-League sounds exciting. Definitely it will be a perfect complement to the PBA.
By adopting the 'D League' model, they are bound to have questions and problems on how the PBA teams can benefit from having farm teams in the D League. For instance, what are the rules in elevating a player from the D League to the PBA? How would this affect the PBA Draft? Will a PBA team just bankroll a farm team without getting benefits?
See, this is the problem. If the PBA allows this, the big boys like SMC and MVP owned teams are going to hoard all the talent their money can buy right from the D-League level. And by doing this, you are virtually defeating the very purpose of the PBA draft. In the end, only the rich will get richer yet again.