THE grind formally begins for several PBA teams as they hold their respective individual workouts to signal preparations for the season-opening Philippine Cup.
Former champion San Miguel, NorthPort, and Meralco are the latest teams to go back to the court by the start of February or about two months before the 46th season of the league kicks off.
The Beermen, looking to regain the all-Filipino championship they lost in the Clark bubble last year, will be back at the Acropolis gym in Quezon City, the Bolts at their homecourt at the Meralco gym in Ortigas, while the Batang Pier train at the Greenmeadows Covered Court also in Quezon City.
NLEX and Philippine Cup runner-up TnT Tropang Giga were the first teams to resume workouts last week. The Road Warriors are working out at their new home at the Epsilon Chi Center at the University of the Philippines, while the Tropang Giga are at the Moro Lorenzo gym at the Ateneo De Manila.
"Inayos na yung venue and dinis-infect na. Alam mo naman yung protocols na sinusunod natin, kailangan gawin yun," said San Miguel coach Leo Austria as he looks forward to meeting the Beermen on the court for the first time since being dethroned as all-Filipino champions last season following a five-year reign.
Sponsored content: Still preparing their respective training facilities are Terrafirma, Phoenix, Alaska, and Blackwater, while Magnolia and Rain or Shine are trying to complete the necessary requirements needed for their workouts to finally begin.
Reigning Philippine Cup champion Barangay Ginebra is tentatively set to start working out by the end of the month.
Teams need to secure clearance from the Local Government Unit where their practice facilities are located before they can start working out. The venues should have likewise been properly inspected by the Games and Amusement Board (GAB).
With the National Capital Region (NCR) remaining under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) for the entire February, conducting five-on-five scrimmages are still prohibited.
But Commissioner Willie Marcial said additional personnel had been allowed per group individual workouts.
Sponsored content: From four players per batch, the number has now been made to five, while team personnel allowed inside the venue had likewise been increased to five from a previous minimum of two.
"Lima-lima na. Hanggang limang players and limang personnel. Sa personnel, bahala sila kung dalawa o tatlong coaches. Kung gusto naman nila puwede yung lima puro utility" said Marcial.
"Basta lima-lima sila. Players hindi puwedeng lumagpas sa lima," the PBA chief added.(RG)
