Converge FiberXers during their official launch as the newest member of the PBA. PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines—Converge officially took the wraps off its squad on Tuesday, inheriting a bevy of personnel from the disbanded Alaska franchise while taking aim at the new PBA season as the FiberXers.
But Chito Salud, who will be serving as governor and manager, knows that the Aces’ personnel, culture and fandom won’t be the only things that the new ball club will be inheriting going into the league’s 47th season.
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“If you study the history of franchises that came in acquiring existing (PBA) franchises … it could take 10 years. It could also take two years,” he told reporters when asked about Converge’s timeline to be competitive.
“What I’m trying to say here is that we will not stop until we get there,” he added.
PBA history has not been exactly favorable toward newcomers. The last time the league welcomed new teams was back in 2014, and none among those clubs—Blackwater, Terrafirma and NLEX—has contended for a title.
Blackwater and Terrafirma, in fact, have yet to make a semifinal appearance.
The last team that immediately showed it belonged to the pioneering pro league was Red Bull. The Energizers, renamed themselves as the Thunder after their maiden season and won the 2001 Commissioner’s Cup under the stewardship of Yeng Guiao.
Salud told the Inquirer that the Red Bull blueprint will serve as “a paradigm” for Converge. But he was also quick to note that much of the FiberXers’ success hinges on how it navigates its first few seasons in the PBA.
“As I’ve said, it will be about constant recalibration,” he said. “No team is idle. No team is stagnant. We will have to evolve. What we want now is stability and that we can expect from the coaching staff. The team performed decently the last conference and we expect that at the very least. Add a few more pieces with our draft picks and some trade, then who knows?”
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Converge reeled in the Alaska coaching helmed by Jeffrey Cariaso. The team presented a bevy of holdovers during the launch, namely former Aces cornerstone Jeron Teng, Gilas draftee Allyn Bulanadi, rookie Ben Adamos, Jaycee Marcelino, and big men Rey Publico and Bryan Faundo. It is worth noting, however, that only Teng, Adamos and Filipino-American guard Taylor Browne had live contracts inherited by the FiberXers.
“We’ve had two meetings, so we now have a plan on how we want to form our team. We have the luxury of options because—you all know this, anyway—aside from three players, everyone is expiring. We have options there. We’re excited about our draft picks. And that’s one thing I’ve been waiting for—one of those picks is from the Vic Manuel trade, so we’ll get to see who we get from him,” said Cariaso.
“Is there a need to tweak and make changes? Of course. We want to be better, we want be competitive, so we’re looking forward to the new crop of players and even coaches for this new team,” he went on.
As things stand, Converge has the No. 3 and No. 4 picks in the upcoming Rookie Draft. The FiberXers will also have the third pick of the second round.
“Like what governor Chito said, recalibration and addressing the team’s few inadequacies will enable the team to catch up (with the PBA’s level of competition),” Dennis Anthony Uy, the team’s owner, told the Inquirer.
“I’m very confident that with the support of management, the people behind it like the coaches and Chito who’s no longer new in the league—that things will be exciting for our PBA fans,” he went on.
“All these strategies, I’ll let the technical people—who probably knows better than me—decide. I give them 100 percent free hand and support. That’s my role here after all,” Uy said.