Intriguing match-up in PBA Finals could bring back excitement to spectators Part 2

We have talked about the match-ups between the coaches and the imports in our previous analysis of the PBA Season 49 Governors' Cup finals between Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang Giga.

This time, we will talk about the battle between the Gilas players, the rookie versus two-time best point guard in Asia, and the athletic veterans of both teams.

First, let's check the match-up between Ginebra's Scottie Thompson and TNT's Calvin Oftana, who both donned the national team colors and will continue to do so in the November FIBA Asia 2025 qualifiers.

Thompson is a seven-time PBA champion (four from the Governors' Cup) and two-time Finals MVP. He was also a two-time Best Player of the Conference and a six-time All-Star. He even had one Most Valuable Player plum in 2021.

Oftana, on the other hand, also had a championship in his resume and it came from the expense of the Gin Kings where Thompson was part of. He was also named two-time PBA All-Star. He might not have a lot of awards yet just like Scottie but Calvin is younger and being molded to be one of the cornerstones of the Tropang Giga in the near future.

The two might have different kinds of play but both bring electrifying energies when they are fielded in the hardcourt. Fans cheered for Thompson when he rebounded the ball emphatically, while Oftana was being supported for his shooting touch that made the net swoosh.

Rookie versus Asia's two-time best point guard

In Game 1 of their series, TNT's Jayscon Castro schooled Ginebra's rookie RJ Abarrientos. Castro dominated their match-up and even drew a lot of fouls from his younger counterpart.

Abarrientos even admittedly said that he was schooled by the two-time best import in Asia and that he is still far from the achievements of his idol Castro.

The TNT point guard might be 13 years older than his younger opponent but he can still show on why he's called "The Blur" and to remind all of us that he is still an eight-time PBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, five-time Best Player of the Conference, nine-time All-Star, and part of the PBA's Greatest Players to name few of his achievements.

The Gin Kings rookie might be so much behind from the achievements of one of the players that he looked-up to but the Abarrientos bloodline in him will say that he's just starting and there's more in store for him like what his uncle Johnny did, who incidentally also played under coach Tim Cone.

Having this match-up in the Finals brings excitement to the basketball enthusiasts because we already know what Jayson Castro can bring to the table but also curious on how a young RhonJay will be able to cope up with him.

Battle of the athletic veterans.

Dunks after dunks always excite the crowd. And that is what a Japeth Aguilar-Kelly Williams match-up can bring to the table.

Williams is already 42 but still has his hop in him, while Aguilar is 37 but can still give that electrifying slam.

But more than the dunks, just the presence of these two veterans already gives an impact to their respective teams. Whenever they are fielded in and produced great numbers, their team usually wins.

Both these veterans have eight championships under their name and both also represented the country on the international stage.

Williams is a one-time PBA MVP, one-time Best Player of the Conference, five-time All-Star, three-time Mythical First Team, four-time Mythical Second Team, two-time All-Defensive Team, two-time Slam Dunk champion and part of the PBA 40 Greatest Players.

Meanwhile, Aguilar is a one-time PBA Finals MVP, nine-time All-Star (two-time Co-MVP), three-time Mythical First Team, two-time Mythical Second Team, and three-time All Defensive Team.

These two pillars have given so much for their team and their supporters and will continue to do so in the Finals series they are in right now as they both search for the ninth championship title.

In Part 3 of our analysis, we will talk about the X-factors of the intriguing Ginebra-TNT finals series.

Part 1

https://dribblereport.com/blog/intriguing-match-pba-finals-could-bring-back-excitement-spectators