San Miguel Beer is approaching its Commissioner’s Cup debut with full focus, refusing to take winless Titan Ultra lightly when they square off Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Despite Titan dropping its first two games by an average of 31 points, Beermen coach Leo Austria made it clear that his team will not fall into the trap of complacency.
“Although natalo Titan first two games at an average of 31 points we cannot be complacent. Kasi alam nating may import (Michael Gilmore) iyan at gumagawa siya ng 30 per game,” Austria said on the eve of the matchup.
Austria stressed that Titan remains a dangerous team, especially with Gilmore leading the charge and local players capable of stepping up.
“At siyempre nandiyan din (Joshua) Munzon and some of the role players nila kaya we should compete with them,” he added.
For Austria, the bigger concern is making sure San Miguel starts its campaign the right way, particularly with a demanding stretch looming after the Titan game. The Beermen are set to face Converge, TNT, Macau, and Barangay Ginebra in their next four assignments, making their opening outing a crucial tone-setter.
“We cannot relax against them. I’m sure they’ll come with extra motivation and well prepared,” said Austria.
The opener also doubles as an early test for San Miguel, which only resumed practice earlier this month following its successful Philippine Cup title retention last February 1. Austria admitted the team is still in the process of finding its rhythm and gauging whether its preparations have been enough heading into another tough conference.
“This is our first game and we don’t know yet kung tama ginagawa namin dito sa pre-conference preparations namin,” Austria said.
He also pointed to the lessons learned from the team’s shaky start in the previous conference, when the Beermen opened with two straight losses before eventually finding their form.
“Halos lahat malakas kaya importante to have a good start, unlike last conference na talagang very scary,” Austria said.
“’Yung experience namin doon lahat ng laban naging very close at buti na lang napupunta sa amin.”
Austria believes the level of competition this conference will only get tougher, with most teams bolstering their lineups and still working toward better chemistry. That reality, he said, makes San Miguel’s sense of urgency even more important.
“Lahat nag-beef up and I think it’s just a matter of time bago makuha nila ang good chemistry,” he said.
Still, Austria likes what he has seen from his team so far, particularly the energy in training and the early fit of import Marcus Lee.
“So far naman I think they’re practicing very well, inspired sila and I hope our import is the right fit for us,” he said.
Austria was referring to the 31-year-old Lee, a well-traveled 6-foot-11 reinforcement who has impressed with his athleticism, mobility, and shooting range. For the veteran coach, the early signs are encouraging as San Miguel looks to build momentum from the get-go.
“’Yung mga teammates niya are fine with him and I think he can at least run with all the other imports,” Austria said.
