Chemistry & Familiarity Key as Meralco Prepares for Conference Clash

"Meralco is confident heading into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, believing it has an edge over the competition, thanks to its familiarity with its import. That import is Ismael Romero, who will be under the spotlight as the Bolts’ centerpiece in the tournament.

“We’re really familiar with Ismael already,” ChrisNewsome shared with the Inquirer recently, smiling with confidence. “In the EASL, we had the chance to play with him, so we know what kind of player he is and what he brings to the table. He’s ready to come back and play, and that’s going to be huge for us because we already have that chemistry.”

In import-heavy conferences, familiarity often plays a critical role in a team’s success. While other squads scrambled to finalize their imports—San Miguel Beer, for instance, confirmed its reinforcement only days ago—Meralco has had nearly half a year to build chemistry with Romero. The Puerto Rican forward played all six of the Bolts’ EASL games, more than any other import on the roster, including Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Romero’s performances in the East Asia Super League (EASL) were impressive, averaging 20.5 points, 15.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.38 steals per game. He also set an EASL record for most rebounds in a single game with 28 against the Macau Black Bears in November.

However, Romero’s temperament has raised some concerns. He was involved in an incident during a Dubai tournament, where he lost his cool and kicked former Rain or Shine player Nick Demusis twice. Given this, teams are expected to test Romero’s composure by getting physical with him.

Despite these potential challenges, Meralco seems willing to take the risk, hoping that the chemistry and familiarity built over the past months will give them an advantage, especially early in the tournament.

“We have that experience with our import, unlike other teams that are still adjusting their imports to Philippine basketball,” Newsome explained. “That’s the edge we can use going into the season.”

The Bolts will kick off their Commissioner’s Cup campaign against Converge on March 18 at the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo."

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