Updates from Friday?s SCOOP sa Kamayan
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 20 Mar 2010
Defending champion San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk are both determined in their separate bid to win the coming PBA Fiesta Cup to make up for their failure in the just-ended Philippine.
The Beermen, who captured this same tournament at the expense of sister team Barangay Ginebra had, in fact, further beefed up its already formidable lineup to assure themselves of a back-top-back Fiesta Cup crown.
The Aces, who like the Beermen were outright semifinalists in the pro-league?s 35th season opening tournament, but were swept by the then Purefoods Giants in the best-of-seven title playoff, likewise, had streamlined their lineup to avenge their embarassing loss. The Beermen, according to assistant coach Gee Abanilla in yesterday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura, hired back last year?s best import Gabe Freeman besides doing away with playmsker Mike Cortez in favor of Joseph Yeo from Sta. Lucia Realty and Alex Cabagnot from Coca Cola.
Assistant coach Dicky Bachmann of Alaska, on the other, hand, said during the same forum, sponsored by ACCEL, the acquisition of former Beerman Samigue Eman from the free agent market midway through the Philippine Cup, is exactly what the Aces needed to strengthen the Aces? almost intact roster.
The Aces, who actually are eyeing a 13th championship that would pull them abreast with legendary Crispa Redmanizers as the second winningest team in PBA history, will be parading a new reinforcement in Djaman Simpson, whose impressive showing in the National Basketball Development League impressed head coach Tim Cone.
?Let?s me just say that we?ve learned our lessons in the last conference which we believe have already been addressed,? Bachmann said, admitting that the Alaska management was dissapointed by the results of the last conference.
The Barangay Ginebra Kings? team manager Samboy Lim, speaking for coach Jong Uichico who could not attend the SCOOP session, for his part said that the addition of tall man Yancey de Ocampo from Talk ?N Text and Joh Ferriols from Alaska had strengthen the team?s inside the paint rotation, the main reason of their 0-4 sweep of the Aces sin the semifinal round of the All-Filipino. Lim, known as the ?Skywalker? during his playing days, said the coaching staff has also expressed satisfaction in new import Awvee Storey, whose credentials includes being once a teammate of Gilbert Arenas at the Washington Wizards.
?Ang Ginebra naman laging contender ke malakas o mahina ang lineup. This is because of our do-or-die style of play which we will maintain in the Fiesta Cup,? Lim said.
Also at the SCOOP session were Freeman, assistant coaches Cholo Martin of Sta. Lucia Realty, Nash Racela of Talk ?N Text and Junel Baculi of the Barako Coffee Makers, formerly Barako Bull).
Martin said the absence of Yeo, who was shipped to the Beermen, would hardly be felt with the arrival of Bonbon Custodio from San Miguel and comebacking Felix Belano Jr.
Martin added that unlike last year when mainstays Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes were often injured, this year?s lineup is sans injury, which he said the coaching staff hopes would stay that way.
Defense, which Talk ?N Text?s lacked in the previous campaigns is believed to have been solved with the acquisition of Aaron Aban and Mark Yee and comeabcking import Shawn Daniels, all from Air 21.
Baculi, who had just been named new Barako mentor in place of Leo Isaac, who was promoted as consultant, said the former mainstays of the newly-crowned Asean Basketball League champion RP Patriots mainstays Rob Wainwright, Jerwin Gaco and Christian Coronel, whom the team recruited, are hoped to extricate the Gerogrew Chua franchise from the last place finish then then Barakos dug themselves in the All-Filipino.
?Being a last placer in the last conference, the teams, I believe can go nowhere but up,? Baculi, a former assistant of Burger King mentor Yeng Guiao, said rather philosophically.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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