The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), including other professional basketball leagues such as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and National Basketball Association (NBA), remains suspended indefinitely as the world is currently battling a serious global pandemic that threatens the life, safety, livelihood of everyone. With the way things are unfolding at this very moment, the fate of the MPBL Lakan Season hangs in the balance.
There are still four (4) teams fighting for the National championship trophy when the season was suspended. Up north, the best-of-three series between the defending champions San Juan Knights and the Makati Supercrunch is tied at 1-1 while the battle for Southern Division supremacy is likewise knotted at 1-1.
While the National Champion is yet to be determined, we take a look at the top five (5) passers of the MPBL Lakan Season elimination round.
1. ALLAN MANGAHAS (8.7 assists per game)
Nicknamed "the Snake" due to his superb skill of eluding his defenders, Allan Mangahas topped the league in the assist per game department of the current Lakan Season. He dished out an average of 8.7 assists while scoring 10.9 points and grabbing 6.7 rebounds a game for the Biñan City Luxxe White team.
Allan's impressive numbers, however, were not enough to carry Biñan City into the Playoffs round. His team only managed to win twelve (12) of the thirty (30) elimination games which was good enough for a tenth (10th) place finish in the South Division.
Since the inaugural season of the MPBL, Allan was already one of the elite point guards of the MPBL. He was instrumental in the finals push of the Muntinlupa Cagers but they fell short against the eventual Champions Batangas City Tanduay Athletics.
In his second season in the league, he remained with the Cagers who had a scintillating 8-0 start. Unfortunately for Allan and the rest of the Cagers, they were stunned and upset by the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines in the second round of the Datu Cup playoffs.
2. MARK CRUZ (8.3 assists per game)
Left unsigned in the PBA last year, Mark Cruz brought his talent to the MPBL with the Pampanga Giant Lanterns and he immediately made a mark. In his debut, Cruz posted a triple-double with an impressive 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists against the General Santos City Warriors.
Since then, the diminutive point guard became the main court general for the revamped Pampanga Giant Lanterns who were raring to bounce back from a dismal record in the second season of the MPBL. Mark proved to be a crucial piece of Pampanga's resurgence as he stabilized his team's offense with an average of 8.3 dimes per game.
In addition, his scoring ability made him even more valuable as he can score when needed. As a result, he was able to ease the scoring burden from Michael Juico and Levi Hernandez by scoring an average of 11.1 points of his own each game while grabbing 4.3 rebounds and intercepting 1.8 passes.
The Pampanga Giant Lantern's gamble on Mark Cruz paid dividends as the team notched the fourth (4th) seed in the Northern Division. They easily dispatched the Bataan Risers in two (2) games of the first round of the Playoffs but their championship hopes were dashed after they succumbed in the second round against the defending champions San Juan Knights.
Mark Cruz noticeably and uncharacteristically underperformed in Pampanga's North Semifinals match against the Knights. As such, he was suspended indefinitely pending the result of an investigation for game fixing. While no findings were announced as of this writing, Mark's career in the MPBL remains in limbo.
3. HESED GABO (7.6 assists per game)
A product of the Mapua Cardinals basketball program, Hesed Gabo made a case last season as one of the top point guards of the MPBL after he led the seventh (7th) seed Quezon City Capitals to an astounding 2-0 upset of the second (2nd) seed Makati Supercrunch in the first round of the playoffs. His excellent court vision was perhaps the reason he was pirated by the Basilan Steel from the Quezon City Capitals together with burly big man Jay Collado.
As the court general for the revitalized Basilan Steel team, he averaged 7.6 assists per game to go along with his 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds each outing. His decision to transfer to a rebuilding Basilan team appears to be the right one as his team is onebwin away from reaching the National Championship.
Should Basilan complete a cinderella run, winning the Lakan Season championship trophy could be a morale booster for Hesed Gabo after he was undrafted in the recently concluded PBA draft. And if he can sustain his unselfish play, he may finally get the attention from PBA teams that he deserves.
4. PAULO HUBALDE (7.1 assists per game)
Fourth on the list is Paulo Hubalde who is also known as the "Aquaman" due to the resemblance of his hairstyle to the DC Comics character. Hubalde is not a superhero but he is definitely the heart and soul of the Valenzuela City Basketball team.
His output per game speaks for itself. Not only is Hubalde the team's leader in assists, he also leads in scoring and steals. On top of the average 7.1 dimes that he dished out, he also contributed 14.4 points and 2 steals a game.
It was therefore not surprising that Valenzuela City secured the services of Hubalde for many years to come as they gave him a lifetime contract. Not bad for an ex-PBA player who is now enjoying a new lease on his basketball career.
5. MIKEY WILLIAMS (6.6 assists per game)
The arrival of Mikey Williams, an ex-NBA Dleague and Asean Basketball League (ABL) player, was seen as the catalyst for General Santos City Warrior's rejuvenated push for a championship in the MPBL. True enough, he is the Warrior's leading scorer at 15.9 points per game and top passer with 6.6 assists per game.
Unfortunately, Mikey Williams played only fifteen (15) games due to his commitments with Mighty Pilipinas who won the championship in Dubai. In his absence, the Warriors suffered consecutive defeats which caused their demise from as high as third place down to the seventh (7th) spot.
Although Williams returned in time for the playoffs, his presence was inconsequential as they were whipped by the second seeded Bacoor City Strikers.
There are still four (4) teams fighting for the National championship trophy when the season was suspended. Up north, the best-of-three series between the defending champions San Juan Knights and the Makati Supercrunch is tied at 1-1 while the battle for Southern Division supremacy is likewise knotted at 1-1.
While the National Champion is yet to be determined, we take a look at the top five (5) passers of the MPBL Lakan Season elimination round.
1. ALLAN MANGAHAS (8.7 assists per game)
Nicknamed "the Snake" due to his superb skill of eluding his defenders, Allan Mangahas topped the league in the assist per game department of the current Lakan Season. He dished out an average of 8.7 assists while scoring 10.9 points and grabbing 6.7 rebounds a game for the Biñan City Luxxe White team.
Allan's impressive numbers, however, were not enough to carry Biñan City into the Playoffs round. His team only managed to win twelve (12) of the thirty (30) elimination games which was good enough for a tenth (10th) place finish in the South Division.
Since the inaugural season of the MPBL, Allan was already one of the elite point guards of the MPBL. He was instrumental in the finals push of the Muntinlupa Cagers but they fell short against the eventual Champions Batangas City Tanduay Athletics.
In his second season in the league, he remained with the Cagers who had a scintillating 8-0 start. Unfortunately for Allan and the rest of the Cagers, they were stunned and upset by the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines in the second round of the Datu Cup playoffs.
2. MARK CRUZ (8.3 assists per game)
Left unsigned in the PBA last year, Mark Cruz brought his talent to the MPBL with the Pampanga Giant Lanterns and he immediately made a mark. In his debut, Cruz posted a triple-double with an impressive 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists against the General Santos City Warriors.
Since then, the diminutive point guard became the main court general for the revamped Pampanga Giant Lanterns who were raring to bounce back from a dismal record in the second season of the MPBL. Mark proved to be a crucial piece of Pampanga's resurgence as he stabilized his team's offense with an average of 8.3 dimes per game.
In addition, his scoring ability made him even more valuable as he can score when needed. As a result, he was able to ease the scoring burden from Michael Juico and Levi Hernandez by scoring an average of 11.1 points of his own each game while grabbing 4.3 rebounds and intercepting 1.8 passes.
The Pampanga Giant Lantern's gamble on Mark Cruz paid dividends as the team notched the fourth (4th) seed in the Northern Division. They easily dispatched the Bataan Risers in two (2) games of the first round of the Playoffs but their championship hopes were dashed after they succumbed in the second round against the defending champions San Juan Knights.
Mark Cruz noticeably and uncharacteristically underperformed in Pampanga's North Semifinals match against the Knights. As such, he was suspended indefinitely pending the result of an investigation for game fixing. While no findings were announced as of this writing, Mark's career in the MPBL remains in limbo.
3. HESED GABO (7.6 assists per game)
A product of the Mapua Cardinals basketball program, Hesed Gabo made a case last season as one of the top point guards of the MPBL after he led the seventh (7th) seed Quezon City Capitals to an astounding 2-0 upset of the second (2nd) seed Makati Supercrunch in the first round of the playoffs. His excellent court vision was perhaps the reason he was pirated by the Basilan Steel from the Quezon City Capitals together with burly big man Jay Collado.
As the court general for the revitalized Basilan Steel team, he averaged 7.6 assists per game to go along with his 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds each outing. His decision to transfer to a rebuilding Basilan team appears to be the right one as his team is onebwin away from reaching the National Championship.
Should Basilan complete a cinderella run, winning the Lakan Season championship trophy could be a morale booster for Hesed Gabo after he was undrafted in the recently concluded PBA draft. And if he can sustain his unselfish play, he may finally get the attention from PBA teams that he deserves.
4. PAULO HUBALDE (7.1 assists per game)
Fourth on the list is Paulo Hubalde who is also known as the "Aquaman" due to the resemblance of his hairstyle to the DC Comics character. Hubalde is not a superhero but he is definitely the heart and soul of the Valenzuela City Basketball team.
His output per game speaks for itself. Not only is Hubalde the team's leader in assists, he also leads in scoring and steals. On top of the average 7.1 dimes that he dished out, he also contributed 14.4 points and 2 steals a game.
It was therefore not surprising that Valenzuela City secured the services of Hubalde for many years to come as they gave him a lifetime contract. Not bad for an ex-PBA player who is now enjoying a new lease on his basketball career.
5. MIKEY WILLIAMS (6.6 assists per game)
The arrival of Mikey Williams, an ex-NBA Dleague and Asean Basketball League (ABL) player, was seen as the catalyst for General Santos City Warrior's rejuvenated push for a championship in the MPBL. True enough, he is the Warrior's leading scorer at 15.9 points per game and top passer with 6.6 assists per game.
Unfortunately, Mikey Williams played only fifteen (15) games due to his commitments with Mighty Pilipinas who won the championship in Dubai. In his absence, the Warriors suffered consecutive defeats which caused their demise from as high as third place down to the seventh (7th) spot.
Although Williams returned in time for the playoffs, his presence was inconsequential as they were whipped by the second seeded Bacoor City Strikers.
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