San Miguel Beer has long held a tradition of success in the Philippine Basketball Association.
An unprecedented 29 conference championships. A grand slam in 1989. More than 1,200 games won. The perpetual Jun Bernardino Trophy for winning three straight PBA Philippine Cups from 2015 to 2017.
Heck, it has stood the test of time, outliving all the other original league members since the PBA was created in 1975.
Name it, the Beermen have had it.
So, it’s only fair for the legions of SMB fans to question why the team can’t catch a break with an import in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Through sheer local talent and a well-stacked coaching staff, the Beermen managed to clinch a spot—the very last, at that—in the quarterfinals.
But if they want to advance further in the race, they will need someone better than the previous imports they’ve had. And, well, they’ve had four reinforcements and counting.
Their last import, Jabari Narcis, a 6-foot-9 natural big man from Trinidad and Tobago, went scoreless the last time San Miguel took the court.
Yes, it was a no-bearing match for the Beermen in the East Asia Super League—a tournament concurrently played here. But still, that was questionable for someone being paid to win games. He had scored 28 points, 10 rebounds, and an assist during his debut with SMB this conference. But it soon became clear he wasn’t a good fit.
Now comes Malik Pope, who stands 6-foot-10 and recently played in Estonia.
Pope is a San Diego State alum who had a stint with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018 NBA Summer League. Among the other teams Pope has played for are the Austin Spurs, Ignite, Wisconsin Herd, and Delaware Blue Coats in the G League.
Yet the true test of Pope’s worth will come on Saturday when the Beermen clash with the Meralco Bolts in Candon, Ilocos Sur. There, league fans—especially those of the Beermen—will watch in anticipation to see whether Pope has what it takes to prop up the most revered franchise, in the way that Quincy Miller, Torren Jones, and Narcis never did.
Of course, scoring heavily won’t be the only core competency Pope needs to display. After all, San Miguel has enough scoring options. But the Beermen, now at 4-4, will need someone who can integrate into the system that has been in place for decades.
Pope has 48 minutes to prove that on Saturday.
