All eyes will be on the rookies as Philippine Basketball Association independent teams in Rain or Shine, Converge, Phoenix Super LPG and Blackwater compete in a pocket tournament starting Friday at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.
The four teams are going to take turns playing against each other for three days — Friday, Sunday and Tuesday — as part of their build up for the coming PBA season which unfurls 5 November.
Rain or Shine will be bringing in National Basketball Association veteran DaJuan Summers as import and will also have returning two-time Most Valuable Player James Yap.
Still, focus will be on the rookies — Keith Datu and Sherwin Concepcion — who just inked deals with the Elasto Painters after getting selected in the recent PBA Rookie Draft.
A 6-foot-8 center, Datu was selected fourth overall by Rain or Shine.
Luis Villegas, another big man picked No. 3 overall by the Elasto Painters, also signed a three-year pact, but is still on his way to recovery coming off a knee injury.
Blackwater and Converge had developed some sort of a rivalry and just recently, they got involved in a controversial tune-up game where Jeff Cariaso was caught stepping into the path of Aljun Melecio while complaining about a non-call by the referee.
Meanwhile, Phoenix is also on the rise after it signed up its rookie picks in Ken Tuffin, Raffy Verano, Ricci Rivero and Matthew Daves.
