Scouting the 2013 Governors’ Cup Imports:

 

Elijah Millsap. NBA D-League photo

The 2013 PBA season is set to end with a bang, with high-flying athletic imports under the 6-foot-5 height limit reinforcing each of the 10 teams for the Governors’ Cup.
This year’s class of imports is a mix of new faces and returning favorites. How will the newbies fare against the veteran reinforcements? We’ll find out on starting on Wednesday when the conference tips off.

We take a look at the five faces that should give PBA fans new thrills:

Alaska Aces – Wendell McKines

In college, Wendell McKines was listed at 6-foot-6 and 240-lbs., measurements that could make him potentially a dominant low-post force in the PBA. He averaged 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in his senior season for New Mexico State, numbers that should translate well in the PBA.
Despite his bulk, he has shown that he could run up and down the floor. He also has a year of professional experience under his belt, which could prove valuable for his PBA sojourn.
McKines has big shoes to fill, suiting up for Alaska after last conference’s Best Import Rob Dozier, who led the team to the title. McKines is not nearly the defensive player that Dozier was, but he’s a more accomplished scorer.

Barako Bull Energy Colas – Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary joined Barako Bull in their trip to Dubai for an invitational tournament a couple of months ago, and acquainted himself well enough to get hired by the team.
He averaged modest numbers in college at Texas Tech, although he once scored 43 points, and was a role player last season for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D-League.
But Barako Bull coaching consultant Rajko Toroman isn’t looking for a dominant offensive player for his team, instead looking for an athletic presence who could be a glue guy for the squad.
Singletary could certainly provide that. But would that be enough to get the Energy Colas out of the bottom two?

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – Dior Lowhorn

There are high expectations for any import of crowd darling Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. But for Dior Lowhorn, the expectations are possibly higher considering he’s coming after the beloved Vernon Macklin, who led the team to the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup.
Lowhorn is no stranger to Southeast Asian basketball, having suited up for the Saigon Heat in the ASEAN Basketball League. Though he stands just 6-foot-5, Lowhorn plays much bigger than his size with a 6-foot-10 wingspan.
He is an excellent scorer in the low post even at the US NCAA level, averaging better than 20 points per game for San Francisco in his senior season, which comes as great news for a guard-heavy Ginebra rotation. He was never a great rebounder, however, and he struggled when he’s had to work from the perimeter.

GlobalPort Batang Pier – Markeith Cummings

Like other imports in this list, Cummings was an undersized power forward in college. He was a solid scorer down low, using his quickness to get to the rim against bigger opponents. He was never a great shooter, never making more than 46 percent of his attempts from the field during his four-year career at Kennesaw State, and he was a poor three-point shooter.
Unlike other undersized power forwards, he wasn’t a particularly good rebounder in college, which is usually a concern. Cummings is also coming to the Philippines green, with his PBA stint his first as a professional.
But GlobalPort coach Junel Baculi personally went to the United States to scout and recruit Cummings, and the veteran bench tactician obviously saw something he liked in the 24-year-old forward.

Petron Blaze Boosters – Elijah Millsap

If Elijah Millsap’s name has a familiar ring to it, that’s because he’s the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap.
Like his brother, Millsap is a gifted athlete despite being undersized for his position in the United States. He can play at both the wing and the post, and has been praised by scouts for his physical toughness — a great attribute to have in the battles he’ll endure in the PBA.
He is an excellent defensive player because of his length and athleticism, which allows him to protect the rim and get into passing lanes. His team-up with Petron star forward Arwind Santos should result in an imposing defensive presence for the Boosters, the champion of this very same tournament two seasons ago.

Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/scouting-the-2013-governors-cup-imports-alaska-barako-bull-ginebra-globalport-petron