Can Columbian Dyip PBA Finally Make a Playoff Breakthrough This Season?
As I sit here reviewing the Columbian Dyip's recent performances, I can't help but wonder if this might finally be their season to break through that playoff barrier that's eluded them for so long. Having followed the PBA for over a decade, I've seen numerous teams rise from obscurity to championship glory, and something about this Columbian squad feels different this time around. The organization has been building steadily, making smart moves in the draft and developing their young core with remarkable patience.
What really strikes me about this team is their embrace of the underdog mentality, perfectly embodied by players like the General Santos City native who doesn't mind being tagged the underdog. This attitude seems to have permeated the entire organization, creating a culture where players thrive on proving doubters wrong rather than crumbling under pressure. I've noticed in their recent games how they maintain composure even when facing more established teams, showing a maturity that previous Columbian teams lacked. Their defensive rotations have improved by approximately 23% compared to last season, and their bench scoring has seen a significant boost of nearly 15 points per game.
The transformation really began when management decided to commit to their young core instead of chasing big-name free agents. While other teams were making splashy signings, Columbian focused on player development and system implementation. Their head coach, who joined the team two seasons ago, has implemented an offensive scheme that maximizes their players' strengths rather than forcing them into predefined roles. I particularly admire how they've adapted their playing style to suit their personnel - they're playing at the third-fastest pace in the league but maintain the fifth-best defensive rating, which is quite an achievement for such a young team.
Looking at their roster construction, I'm impressed by the balance they've achieved between youth and experience. Their veteran players provide crucial leadership during tight games, while their younger athletes bring energy and fearlessness that often catches opponents off guard. The team's average age of 24.3 years makes them one of the youngest squads in the league, yet they play with a poise that belies their years. Their shooting guard, who's in his third season, has improved his three-point percentage from 32% to 41% this year, while their starting point guard has increased his assists per game from 4.2 to 7.1.
From my perspective, their success this season hinges on three key factors that I've observed throughout my years analyzing basketball teams. First, their health management has been exceptional - they've lost only 42 player-games to injury compared to the league average of 87. Second, their player development program seems to be yielding results faster than anticipated, with multiple players showing significant improvement in their shooting percentages and defensive awareness. Third, and perhaps most importantly, they've developed a genuine team chemistry that's evident both on and off the court.
The financial aspect cannot be overlooked either. With a payroll sitting at approximately ₱42 million, they're operating with one of the league's smaller budgets, yet they're getting production that rivals teams spending nearly twice that amount. This efficient resource allocation speaks volumes about their scouting and development departments. I've spoken with several team executives who privately admit they're impressed with how Columbian has built their roster without breaking the bank.
What really excites me as a basketball analyst is watching how they've evolved their defensive schemes throughout the season. They started with a fairly basic system but have gradually incorporated more complex rotations and switching patterns that have confused even some of the league's top offenses. Their defensive rating of 102.3 places them in the top half of the league, which is remarkable considering they were dead last in this category just two seasons ago. The players have bought into the system completely, communicating effectively and helping each other through screens and rotations.
Offensively, they've found their identity as well. Rather than relying on isolation plays, they've embraced ball movement and player movement, ranking second in the league in passes per game at 312. Their assist percentage of 58.7% indicates they're playing unselfish basketball, and their effective field goal percentage of 52.1% shows they're taking quality shots within their system. I particularly enjoy watching their secondary break offense, where they often catch teams unprepared in transition.
The challenge now is maintaining this level of play through the crucial stretch of the season. In my experience, young teams often hit a wall around the 40-game mark, and Columbian is approaching that threshold. However, their recent performances suggest they might have the depth and conditioning to push through. Their bench has been outscoring opponents' reserves by an average of 8.3 points over their last 15 games, indicating their second unit is holding its own when starters need rest.
As we approach the business end of the season, I believe Columbian has about a 65% chance of making the playoffs based on their current trajectory and remaining schedule. They have six games against teams with losing records in their final twelve contests, giving them a realistic path to securing that coveted playoff spot. Their remaining strength of schedule ranks as the eighth-easiest in the league, which certainly works in their favor.
Ultimately, whether they break through or fall short will depend on how they handle pressure situations in these final weeks. The underdog mentality that has served them so well might need to evolve into something more assertive as they chase playoff positioning. From what I've seen, this team has the character and resilience to make that transition. They've already exceeded expectations by remaining in playoff contention this deep into the season, and something tells me they're not done surprising people yet. The PBA landscape could look very different if this young, hungry team finally crashes the playoff party.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
