Despite the roster build-up in the offseason, the Giants had a roller coaster ride in the first round of the Classification Phase of the 2009–2010 KFC PBA Philippine Cup. They struggled to win back-to-back games even with its balanced line-up and an impressive performance by the rookie Rico Maierhofer. They won the season opener (October 11) against Burger King, but lost some games in dismal fashion, including an upset by the Asi Taulava-less Coke Tigers just before the Halloween break. They ended the first round with a mediocre 5–4 record, capped by a win over Sta. Lucia in an out-of-town game.