Bolts take advantage of relaxed EASL roster rule
The East Asia Super League (EASL) is putting to a test new rules that could pave the way for a more competitive performance by PBA squads against their regional counterparts.
The Meralco Bolts have certainly taken advantage of that new rule that allows the PBA clubs to field a lineup different from the one they have in their local tournament.
“To set a sort of standard for everyone to play that’s equal and fair, I think, is the key,” EASL CEO Henry Kerins said, referring to the new guidelines applicable to all clubs.
The previous season saw the teams complying with rules based on their domestic leagues, namely the B.League, which can field two imports and an Asian player or naturalized player.
The PBA, however, was permitted to have two foreign reinforcements instead of the usual one import being implemented for conferences outside of the all-local Philippine Cup. And now they can add a naturalized player, too.
That prompted Meralco to add not just DJ Kennedy as a second import, but ex-Ateneo star Ange Kouame as the Bolts’ naturalized player, to provide more help for Allen Durham. San Miguel Beer, the other PBA representative to the EASL, has tapped two in its current Governors’ Cup import EJ Anosike and ex-Converge and TNT reinforcement Quincy Miller.
There were unverified reports that the Beermen had planned to have Justin Brownlee as a naturalized player for the EASL, which seemed hypothetical since he is contracted to play for Barangay Ginebra in the Governors’ Cup.
“For us, applying one rule to all clubs is, I guess, difficult, but you got to do it,” said Kerins.
1-1 record
The Bolts are currently at 1-1 (win-loss) for the tournament after Wednesday’s late result, which saw Meralco drop a 77-74 defeat to the Golden Kings, who they beat in overtime last year in Macau.
Meralco opened the EASL two weeks ago with a rout of newcomer Macau Black Bears, 97-85, at Mall of Asia Arena, with Durham and Chris Newsome leading the charge.
There’s a serious intent for the Bolts to chase for a Final Four berth in the EASL, which last year saw the PBA as the only league without a team making it to the league’s culminating phase.
San Miguel, which was facing Ginebra in Game 4 of their semifinal series at Smart Araneta Coliseum, won’t be resuming its EASL stint until Nov. 13.
The Beermen fell to South Korea’s Suwon KT Sonicboom, 87-81, that also came two weeks prior.
