Once again, the Philippines will not be part of the East Asia Super League’s postseason. 

The Meralco Bolts fell to the Ryukyu Golden Kings despite playing in the comforts of home. It was clear the Golden Kings were used to international play as they nearly had 50/40/90 shooting splits in the contest, while the Bolts struggled to get going offensively despite some individual brilliance from Cody LaLanne and the controversial Ismael Romero. 

To be fair, Merlaco has progressed with each passing EASL campaign. After earning a breakthrough victory in the 2023-2024 EASL that turned out to be their sole win, the Bolts went on to earn two and three victories in the succeeding campaigns. 

Meralco has become the de facto Philippine representative to the EASL not just because they won the 2024 Honda PBA Philippine Cup, but also because they have been the most consistent team in this current EASL format. As of now, though, the San Miguel Beermen are the only Philippine team to advance to an EASL postseason, but given their current trajectory, the Bolts are not far behind. 

The Beermen, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, and the TNT Tropang 5G may have more stacked squads, but Bolts head coach Luigi Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic have been able to turn their roster into a cohesive unit. Meralco has been a beacon of consistency in the PBA thanks to the leadership Chris Newsome brings on the court and the steady presence of Cliff Hodge. 

Moreover, the development of their talents like Aaron Black, Cj Cansino, and Brandon Bates, among others, shouldn’t be discounted either, as they have stepped up at various points in recent seasons. Cansino, in particular, has blossomed into a playmaker that can take over games when need be, and with many of the Bolts veterans getting up there in age, it’s only a matter of time before the former UST Growling Tiger and UP Fighting Maroon takes over the mantle on a full-time basis. 

With a steady core in place, all that’s needed now is a reliable import. Philippine basketball teams love to put together squads for international competitions at the last minute, and Meralco was the latest instance of that. Putting together Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would have been a great combination if both were completely healthy and if they were given more time to work together. Moreover, having the Philippine Cup to begin PBA Season 50 did not allow for much opportunities to integrate imports so the Bolts were clearly working with the cards they were dealt with. 

Unfortunately, this will be the circumstances the Meralco Bolts, or any PBA East Asia Super League representative for that matter, will encounter every year. The Bolts could make the postseason next year given their current path, but if nothing changes, it may be hard for them to make a dent that would stamp Philippine basketball’s class on the international stage.