The Meralco Bolts have been the most successful Philippine team in the East Asian Super League (EASL) thus far as their breakthrough victory showed what Philippine basketball can do when it takes the EASL seriously.
Looking at the bigger picture, though, it hasn’t meant much.
The Bolts had quite a number of chances to advance to the postseason, but two victories and a couple of close chances weren’t enough. A mix of talent and execution led to their undoing, but more importantly, Meralco was facing teams used to fielding two imports, and so their opponents had familiarity as another advantage.
With the San Miguel Beermen and the TNT Tropang 5G begging off from this year’s edition (partly because they’ve been playing for pretty much the entire year and maybe because they also don’t want to be embarrassed on the international stage again), the Bolts get another chance and seem to be pulling out all the stops to make sure this EASL campaign will end on a different note.
While nothing is confirmed until both Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are on the court, all signs are pointing to former rivals joining forces to help put Meralco and the Philippines back on the map. So far, the EASL has been dominated by the Philippines’ peers that have only put more focus on basketball in the last few years and that must nag at a country that loves basketball with a religious-like fervor.
In Brownlee, the Bolts have a big-game scorer who has become the embodiment of Never Say Die be it with the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings or Gilas Pilipinas. Defenders tend to only watch as he knocks down shots despite being double and even triple-teamed and his medals and trophies speak for themselves.
Hollis-Jefferson is a reliable scorer as well, but he can definitely take the lead in terms of perimeter defense. Having just turned 30, he still has cat-quick reflexes that not only make him a tough cover, but a pest on the defensive end as well. Look to him to guard the opposing team’s best player. The naturalized Jordanian is also a warrior in how he battles through injuries and while the same can be said for Brownlee, the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup revealed how the Tropang 5G truly missed their go-to import.
However, the addition of Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson seems to have created some overlaps on the perimeter. Meralco’s roster as of this writing is more guard and forward centric, and while basketball has leaned towards being more positionless, there still remains a place for big men that have kept up with the times. Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson can only do so much, and the Bolts’ big man rotation of Brandon Bates, Raymond Almazan, and Cliff Hodge may have to rely on smarts and energy to outwork their taller opponents.
Meralco will also enter EASL with pre-set rotations as the latest EASL campaign will begin during the Philippine Cup and that can affect the rhythm of certain players. Bolts active consultant Nenad Vucinic may consider preparing his lineup in anticipation of this, but it will also depend on how much priority Meralco will give to the EASL. Although their past EASL campaign shows the Bolts give this tournament a ton of respect.
It’s fair to expect the Meralco Bolts to earn at least a couple of wins in the upcoming season of the East Asia Super League, but anything beyond that will depend on how they reconfigure their roster, especially with the potential additions of Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Talent can only take you so far, and so the next big hurdle to overcome will be how they can win the game of wits.
