The second week of the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup saw several teams maintain their unbeaten start, highlighted by the Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters, who picked up huge wins over the Meralco Bolts and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to improve to 3-0 in Group B.
Here's what we liked and didn't like from the past week's action as the league heads into the third week of the conference.
Group A
1. NLEX Road Warriors (3-0) -- Rebounding key to ball movement
Previous ranking: 1
The biggest difference between the Commissioner's Cup and the first three games of the Governors' Cup isn't their shooting or total output, but their work on the glass.
Despite fielding one of the league's smallest lineups, the Road Warriors lead the PBA with 64.3 rebounds per game, allowing them to push off defensive boards and create early offense before defenses get set.
Those transition opportunities have fueled the league's third-best assist average (28.3), as the ball rarely sticks and open looks come naturally on fastbreaks.
Now, the challenge is sustaining that ball movement while continuing to find scoring beyond Robert Bolick and import DeQuan Jones, as they head into a tough stretch against the top teams in Group A.
2. Converge FiberXers (3-0) -- Justin Arana is cooking
Previous ranking: 4
The competition has not been the toughest, but Justin Arana has punished every matchup, a sign of his growth as a primary interior scorer.
Through three straight wins over Titan Ultra, Terrafirma, and Macau, the former Arellano Chief has averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 71.7% from the field.
Arana's soft touch in the paint has been nearly automatic, and he has made a strong early case as the conference's top local performer with Juan Gomez de Liaño and Mikey Williams consistently creating easy looks through the pick-and-roll.
3. San Miguel Beermen (2-0) -- Rodney Brondial as starting center
Previous ranking: 2
George King has fitted in seamlessly, and Jerrick Ahanmisi has strengthened San Miguel's depth, but Rodney Brondial's play while June Mar Fajardo works his way back deserves just as much recognition.
With the nine-time PBA MVP unavailable in the opener against Macau, the former Adamson Soaring Falcon filled the stat sheet with 10 points, 25 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting. Fajardo returned off the bench in their second win, but Brondial followed up with another productive start against Terrafirma, averaging 9.0 points, 18.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on 75% shooting through two games.
This relentless work on the glass, highlighted by 11 offensive rebounds over that span, has helped to keep San Miguel dominant in the paint to complement its scorers and shooters.
4. TNT Tropang 5G (1-0) -- Can Nambatac build on solid first game?
Previous ranking: 3
With TNT opening the Governors' Cup shorthanded, Rey Nambatac was handed a bigger offensive role and made the most of it.
After averaging just 5.5 points in the previous Commissioner's Cup, the former PBA Finals MVP broke out for 23 points, three rebounds, and six assists on a 63.6 true shooting percentage in the Tropang 5G's opening win against Macau.
If he can sustain that level of shot creation and efficiency while TNT waits for its full roster to return, he can significantly raise the team's ceiling moving forward and give it more optionality at the guard position.
5. Terrafirma Dyip (1-3) -- Justin Strings is a dependable import
Previous ranking: 5
Mav Ahanmisi and Juami Tiongson have shown they can still be high-usage guards in the PBA, and Justin Strings has also stood out during Terrafirma's three failed comeback attempts.
The Sacramento State product averaged 34.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on a 52.6 true shooting percentage against contenders Converge and San Miguel last week, including a full 48-minute effort against the Beermen.
But individual production can only go so far, and the Dyip need stronger starts and more consistent support around Strings to avoid having to climb out of early deficits every game.
6. Titan Ultra Giant Risers (0-3) -- Atrocious offense
Previous ranking: 7
Titan Ultra can't generate efficient offense at the moment, as the advanced metrics suggest.
They are the only team with an effective field goal percentage below 40% -- at 39.5 -- while also owning the league's lowest offensive rating at 94.0 points per 100 possessions.
7. Macau Giant Pandas (0-4) -- At a disadvantage
Previous ranking: 6
The reality is that Macau's offense revolves around just four players in import De'Vondre Perry, Ramon Cao, Kobey Lam, and Damian Chongqui, which leaves little room for error.
It also won't help if you give up 149 points on 60.4% shooting to your opponents.
Group B
1. Phoenix Super LPG Fuelmasters (3-0) -- BJ Johnson delivering
Previous ranking: 3
Phoenix already had plenty of offensive firepower, especially with the addition of Gian Mamuyac, but bringing in a proven scorer like BJ Johnson has made the attack even more efficient.
The former Orlando Magic forward has seamlessly fitted into Charles Tiu's system, averaging 27.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while adding 2.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.
His all-around impact has helped Phoenix lead the league in both true shooting percentage (62.3) and effective field goal percentage (59.4).
2. Blackwater Bossing (2-0) -- Pat Aquino has found role players
Previous ranking: 4
Import Kentrell Barkley and starting backcourt duo RK Ilagan and Sedrick Barefield will surely drive the offense, but Blackwater's early success has also been fueled by its role players making an impact on the defensive end.
In their win over Magnolia, the Bossing dominated the glass, 52-43, behind Abu Tratter and James Una, who combined for 19 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive boards, but scored just eight points.
Nick Demusis also provided a positive spark off the bench with a team-best plus-8, and Blackwater's collective effort has translated into the conference's second-best defensive rating at 98.4 points allowed per 100 possessions.
3. Meralco Bolts (1-1) -- Giving their second unit opportunities
Previous ranking: 2
Import uncertainty has slowed Meralco's start, with original choice Jordon Varnado sidelined on a day-to-day basis before Antonio Hester was brought in as his replacement.
Even so, active consultant Nenad Vucinic has leaned on his depth to keep the Bolts competitive.
Using an all-local lineup in the loss to Phoenix, Meralco got a strong interior outing from Brandon Bates, who finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Allein Maliksi rediscovered his stroke with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three.
In their win over Rain or Shine, Chris Banchero and Bong Quinto took over after halftime, combining for 29 second-half points to erase a six-point deficit and fuel an eight-point victory.
4. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (0-1) -- Stephen Holt conundrum
Previous ranking: 1
Riley Grigsby impressed in his debut with 42 points and 13 rebounds, but Ginebra's lack of local production ultimately overshadowed the import's strong showing.
Head coach Tim Cone noted that Gilas players RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario, along with himself, had just three practices before the opener, making Stephen Holt's struggles even more glaring, considering he had been with the Gin Kings throughout their early preparations.
Already tagged with inconsistencies over the past few conferences, the former Rookie of the Year went scoreless in 16 minutes as a starter before being benched for the entire second half due to his little to no impact on the floor.
5. Magnolia Hotshots (0-2) -- Lethargic performances from star duo
Previous ranking: 6
KJ Buffen bounced back from a foul-plagued PBA debut with 32 points and six three-pointers, but Magnolia's loss to Blackwater came down to the struggles of Jerom Lastimosa and Zav Lucero.
Former Adamson Soaring Falcon guard Lastimosa managed just 11 points on a 40.7 true shooting percentage while making questionable decisions late, and 6-foot-7 Lucero never found his rhythm, finishing with eight points on 4-for-12 shooting.
It's difficult to win when your top locals fail to produce.
6. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (0-2) -- Healthy point guards must step up
Previous ranking: 5
With Gian Mamuyac gone, Yeng Guiao leaned on Adrian Nocum as Rain or Shine's primary ball handler late against Meralco, and the natural shooting guard responded with 21 points and seven assists.
But with Felix Lemetti sidelined, the burden shifts to Andrei Caracut, Anton Asistio, and Joshua David to provide more playmaking to aid Nocum.
Among the three, former Ateneo Blue Eagle Asistio looked the most comfortable in that role after finishing with five points and six assists in the loss.