Formerly known as the Macau Black Bears, the franchise first introduced itself to Filipino hoops fans when it faced Gilas Pilipinas in a friendly match ahead of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. At the time, the squad featured several imports, including Quentin Millora-Brown, giving local fans an early glimpse of what the team looked like.
Months later, following the end of their EASL campaign, the club decided to bring its act to the PBA.
Now competing as the Macau Black Knights, the third guest team in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the squad has already added a different layer of intrigue to the league.
With two games under their belt, here are some early impressions of Macau and whether they can be competitive in this conference.
Macau is willing to take the four-pointer
One early trend with the Black Knights is their willingness to embrace the PBA’s four-point line. On paper, they do not look like a high-volume three-point shooting team, ranking only sixth among the nine teams that have already played in the conference with 25.5 attempts from beyond the arc per game. But where they truly separate themselves is their aggression from the league’s newest scoring zone, leading all teams in four-point attempts through two games at 17 per contest.
A big reason for that approach is Jenning Leung, a former Brent International School standout who has quickly emerged as one of Macau’s primary offensive weapons. Currently eighth in the conference in scoring at 21.0 points per game, Leung has not hesitated to launch from deep range, converting 36.4% of his four-point attempts on 11 tries so far. What makes him even tougher to guard is that he isn’t just spotting up beyond the arc — he’s also getting those looks off movement, relocating and coming off actions to free himself for the long-range bomb, adding another wrinkle to Macau’s perimeter-heavy attack.
Is Tony Mitchell the right import?
Through their first two games, three local players have carried much of the scoring load for Macau. Phoenix Shackleford, currently sixth in the conference in scoring, along with Leung and guard Damian Chong Qui, are all averaging over 20 points per game. Meanwhile, import Tony Mitchell has produced a more modest 18.0 points per contest.
Even though shooting at an efficient clip at 72.7% from the field, the concern is less about Mitchell’s efficiency and more about the type of offense he provides. Much of his scoring comes as a play finisher by running the floor, cutting to the rim, or capitalizing on opportunities created by teammates — rather than consistently creating his own shots. For a team that lacks depth and proven offensive firepower, Macau may need an import who can shoulder a heavier scoring load and generate points on demand if they hope to consistently compete and find their way into the win column.
Defense has to be better
As mentioned, for a team that leans heavily on their top players alone on offense, Macau needs to tighten up on the defensive end to stay competitive. Through two games, the Black Knights are giving up 105.3 points per 100 possessions, which places them only fifth among the nine teams that have already seen action in the conference. For a squad that likes to play fast and stretch the floor offensively, getting consistent stops will be key to keeping games under control.
Another issue is their ability to complete defensive possessions. Despite playing at the second-fastest pace so far, Macau has struggled to secure the defensive glass, posting just a 67.2 percent rebounding rate – fourth lowest in the field. When a team pushes tempo the way the Black Knights do, limiting second-chance opportunities and turning rebounds into quick transition chances becomes critical. Until they clean up the boards, opponents will continue to find extra possessions and easy points.
