Just like what they did in the MPBL 2023 Regular Season, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns put the league on notice that they are still the team to beat when they marched unbeaten in the 2024 MPBL Pre-season Invitational Tournament held last 20-27 February 2024 at the Lagao Gym, General Santos City.
Make no mistake, the current lineup of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns is substantially different from last season. Gone from the team are Neil Tolentino and John Lloyd Clemente who both transferred to the Abra Weavers. Archie Concepcion and Louie Sangalang are likewise no longer part of the Lanterns after they were signed by the PBA teams that drafted them.
The other players who opted to transfer are Mitchel Maynes who is now part of the Bataan Risers while Jayson Apolonio took his talent to the Zamboanga Master Sardines. In hindsight, their transfers is a wise move considering their limited playing time with the Giant Lanterns.
While the composition of the team is very different from last season, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns are still formidable given the quality of its recent acquisitions. Justine Baltazar and Encho Serrano remain as the anchor of the Pampanga Giant Lanterns and they will have the task of leading the Lanterns' bid for a back-to-back title.
The other holdovers from last season are MJ Garcia, Kurt Reyson, Kevin Santos, Ronan Santos, Mat De Leon and Raymond Binuya.
Leading the newcomers is prolific scorer Jeff Viernes who holds the MPBL record of most points in a single game after dropping 50 points against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the 2023 season of the MPBL. Bigman Jhaymo Eguilos who battled Justine Baltazar during the 2023 MPBL National Finals will join Viernes in Pampanga. Other notable transferees to the Giant Lanterns camp are Arthur Roque, Miggy Corteza, Carlo Ferreras, Rence Alcoriza, Jboy Gob and Sonny Estil.
Pampanga Giant Lanterns has too much firepower.
In their first game during the 2024 MPBL Invitational Tournament, the Giant Lanterns showed little chemistry. Their seeming lack of familiarity with each other affected their game as they only manage to squeak past the revamped Quezon City Today Aksyon by five (5) points, 73-68.
Nevertheless, the Giant Lanterns eventually learned how to play with each other. In their second game, they demolished the Valenzuela Classic by 23 points, 103-80. They then buried the Gensan Bulalakaws by 34 points, 109-75.
The team kept its foot on the pedal during the semifinals and final games. The Giant Lanterns were just too much against the Batangas Tanduay Athletics, 78-59, in the semifinals. In the final game, what was supposed to be a dogfight turned out to be a masterful display of the Giant Lanterns' power. The younger and much athletic Giant Lanterns simply outclassed and overpowered the South Cotabato Warriors, 93-75.
Just judging by their average winning margin, the Giant Lanterns' firepower is a serious threat against the other teams. The have seen how Pampanga won the championship trophy last season with young players. This season, they added veterans, so imagine how far can the existing lineup of the Giant Lanterns go.
Depth is not an issue for the Giant Lanterns.
Justine Baltazar is a double-double machine. He carried the Giant Lanterns with his averages of 15.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. He is backstopped in the offensive front by Encho Serrano and Jeff Viernes who are the 2nd and 3rd scoring leaders of the Giant Lanterns with 11.2 and 11.0 points per game.
This is why the Giant Lanterns' offensive slaught will not end once Justine Baltazar proceeds to the bench. Even in the absence of Baltazar, Encho Serrano and Jeff Viernes are very much capable of taking over the offensive load. Besides, the Giant Lanterns' bench mob is likewise very potent with Renz Alcoriza (8.3 ppg), Kevin Santos (7.8 ppg), MJ Garcia (7.4 ppg), Jhaymo Eguilos (6.0 ppg) and Arthur Roque Jr. (5.6 ppg) contributing in all possible ways.
Height is likewise not a problem for the Giant Lanterns. The team is not lacking in height with 6'9 Justine Baltazar manning the paint. The Giant Lanterns also boasts the twin towers of Ronan Santos and Matthew De Leon who are both 6'7. Jhaymo Eguilos stands at 6'5, but in the MPBL, such height is already fit for a center. Even Kevin Santos who is an athletic wing man towers at 6'5.
Given the lack of players above 6'7 in the MPBL, battling a 6'9 tower Justine Baltazar is already a problem. The presence of other tall players will definitely be a matchup nightmare for Pampanga's opponents.