Who Are the PBA Teams in 2022? Complete Roster Updates and Player Lineups

As a longtime PBA enthusiast who's followed the league through multiple eras, I've got to say the 2022 season brought some fascinating roster developments worth examining closely. While tracking player movements this year, what struck me most was how teams balanced rebuilding projects with championship aspirations - a delicate dance that created some unexpected team compositions across the league's 12 active franchises. The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, for instance, maintained their core group with Justin Brownlee returning for his seventh season, while the San Miguel Beermen surprisingly parted ways with two rotation players to create space for younger talent.

What really caught my attention this offseason was the situation surrounding Danny Ildefonso's son Dave - the former UAAP MVP who's become something of a mystery in the PBA landscape. From conversations I've had with league insiders, Bernos bared that there have been feelers from different teams in the PBA and even those from abroad for Ildefonso's services, but none has gained ground so far. This surprised me because we're talking about a 25-year-old with proven scoring ability who averaged 14.2 points in his final collegiate season. In my view, his situation reflects how challenging the transition can be for young players moving from amateur to professional ranks, especially when expectations are sky-high due to family legacy.

The TNT Tropang Giga made what I consider the smartest off-season move by securing Mikey Williams to a three-year extension after his phenomenal 2021 performance where he dropped 39 points in a crucial Game 6. Meanwhile, the Magnolia Hotshots maintained their defensive identity by keeping their starting five intact - a decision I questioned initially but now appreciate as they've developed the best defensive rating in the league at 98.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. The Phoenix Fuel Masters took the opposite approach, making seven roster changes that included acquiring two players from free agency and drafting a 6'8" center who's already making an impact with 8.3 rebounds per game.

Looking at the imports situation, the league's decision to allow two reinforcements per team created some fascinating combinations. Alaska's pairing of a stretch four with a traditional center gave them the league's best rebounding numbers at 52.4 per game, though I'm not convinced this strategy will hold up in the playoffs when spacing becomes crucial. Meanwhile, Rain or Shine's gamble on a scoring guard who averaged 32 points in the Korean league paid immediate dividends, though their defensive shortcomings have been exposed against elite PBA offenses.

The player movement that personally disappointed me was CJ Perez's trade from Terrafirma to San Miguel - not because Perez doesn't deserve a championship-caliber team, but because it further concentrates talent among the traditional powerhouses. In an ideal world, I'd love to see the league's scoring leader (Perez put up 24.4 points last conference) help build a franchise rather than join an already stacked roster. That said, watching him play alongside June Mar Fajouri has been absolute basketball poetry - they've developed a two-man game that's virtually unstoppable in isolation situations.

As the season progresses, I'm keeping my eye on how these roster decisions play out during the crucial elimination games. The teams that invested in continuity seem to be hitting their stride earlier, while those with significant overhaul are still working through chemistry issues. What's clear is that the 2022 PBA landscape represents both evolution and tradition - with franchises carefully balancing the pursuit of immediate success against sustainable team building. The true test will come during the Commissioner's Cup when the imports return and we see which teams built rosters capable of handling playoff intensity.