Where Did Each Team Land in the PBA Standings 2022 Final Rankings?

As I sat down to analyze the final PBA standings for the 2022 season, I couldn't help but reflect on what an unpredictable journey this has been. Having followed Philippine basketball for over a decade, I've learned that preseason expectations rarely match the final outcomes, and this season proved no different. The standings tell a story of triumph, disappointment, and everything in between - a narrative that begins with the most heartbreaking case of them all.

Let me start with what many consider the season's biggest shocker - the complete collapse of the Golden Stags. Honestly, I've never seen anything quite like it in my years covering Philippine basketball. Going completely winless across nine preseason games isn't just disappointing - it's historically bad. The team finished with that dismal 0-9 record, becoming the first squad to be eliminated from contention before the main tournament even properly began. What makes this particularly painful to watch is that this franchise has shown flashes of potential in previous seasons. I remember thinking they had some decent pieces during the offseason, but the chemistry just never materialized. Their offense struggled to put up consistent numbers, averaging only 78.3 points per game while allowing opponents to score nearly 92 points against them. Those defensive lapses became their undoing game after game.

Moving up the standings, we find teams that performed respectably but never quite reached championship caliber. The middle of the pack was incredibly tight this season, with only 2-3 games separating the 4th through 7th positions. I've always believed that consistency separates good teams from great ones, and this middle cluster demonstrated exactly why. They'd pull off an impressive victory against a top contender one night, then drop a winnable game against a lower-ranked opponent the next. If you ask me, the team that surprised me most in this group was the one that finished 5th - they managed to win 6 of their last 8 games, showing remarkable improvement when it mattered most. Their late surge brought their final record to 12-9, just missing the top four but establishing themselves as a team to watch next season.

Now let's talk about the real contenders - the top four teams that separated themselves from the pack. The battle for the number one spot came down to the final week of the season, with the eventual champions finishing with an impressive 15-4 record. What stood out to me about this team was their road performance - they won 8 away games, which is no small feat in the PBA's challenging environment. The second-placed team finished just one game back at 14-5, and honestly, I thought they had the more talented roster on paper. But basketball isn't played on paper, and their inconsistent three-point shooting (hovering around 32% for the season) ultimately cost them that crucial extra victory that would have given them the top seed.

The third and fourth positions were separated by mere percentage points, creating what became the most dramatic storyline heading into the playoffs. I've always been fascinated by how small margins define seasons, and this case was textbook. The third-placed team won their final regular season game by just three points - a victory that ultimately determined their playoff positioning and potentially their championship aspirations. Meanwhile, the fourth-placed squad finished with a 13-6 record, though I personally believe they underachieved given their roster depth and veteran leadership.

Looking at the complete picture, what strikes me most about the 2022 standings is how they reflect the evolving nature of Philippine basketball. The traditional powerhouses maintained their positions, but the gaps between teams are narrowing each year. The league has become more competitive than I've ever seen it, with upsets becoming commonplace rather than exceptions. From my perspective, this bodes well for the future of the sport in the country. The days of predictable outcomes appear to be fading, replaced by the thrilling uncertainty that makes basketball so compelling to follow season after season. The 2022 standings don't just tell us who finished where - they reveal a league in transition, balancing established hierarchies with emerging challengers in ways that will undoubtedly shape seasons to come.