DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer will cast its lot with two new prized acquisitions, Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig, as it gauges its readiness to keep the title in the mid-season tourney.
Whether the Beermen can hack it in their opening game will be known when they take on the Phoenix Fuel Masters today in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
The match is set at 7:30 p.m. after NLEX tests the resolve of Terrafirma in the curtain-raiser at 5 o’clock.
SMB will parade Quincy Miller as its reinforcement to boost the squad that shipped veterans Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel for Tiongson and Cahilig.
Reigning eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Don Trollano, Jericho Cruz, and Mo Tautuaa will also be counted upon by the charges of coach Jorge Gallent to deliver.
The Beermen ruled the same edition of the meet early this year behind former import Bennie Boatwright.
Phoenix has dropped its first two tiffs, counting a sorry 109-111 loss to Meralco last Friday.
Reinforcement Donovan Mitchell will be hard-pressed to give the Fuel Masters a breakthrough triumph along with locals Kai Ballungay, Tyler Tio, Ricci Rivero, and Jason Perkins.
“Hindi namin alam kung lalaro ang import nila o hindi,” Road Warriors tactician Jong Uichico said, referring to Dyip import Ryan Richards who at press time last night was still doubtful. “Okay lang kung hindi siya lalaro, but we should be prepared for the eventuality na he will play.
“Para ma-sustain namin whatever we have gained so far,” he added.
Richards played for only a second in Terrafirma’s 101-113 defeat to NorthPort last Thursday due to a back injury that crashed the Dyip to 0-2.
Uichico said they will be ready with or without their foes’ import in their bid to hike their 1-1 mark.
“Mayroon naming advantages and disadvantages iyang mga imports,” he said. “Imports have their own strengths, so how you will be able to maximize their strengths ang tanong.
“May weakness din naman so paano mo maitatago weakness.”
While the three other squads have already shown glimpses of what they are made up of at this conference, the spotlight now falls on SMB.
