Uichico wary of Ginebra

San Miguel Beer coach Joseph Uichico said yesterday he expects a tough challenge from Barangay Ginebra in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Finals starting tonight at the Big Dome.

He declined to predict the outcome of the best-of-7 series and wouldn’t speculate on how long it will last.

"Our advantage is size – we’re bigger than Ginebra," said Uichico. "But in the Shell series, they showed they can compete against size with their quickness. Our problem is how to neutralize their quickness."

Ginebra coach Allan Caidic also hesitated to hazard a forecast.

"Nobody expected us to be in the Finals," said Caidic. "The pressure is on San Miguel. We learned a lot in the Purefoods series – we realized we can win the big games. In the past, we were too predictable. Now, we’ve got a lot of options off the bench. We’re not just going to Jun (Limpot) and Vergel (Meneses) at the post. Our players believe in their roles – the young guys are blending with the veterans. In the Shell series, I never doubted the heart and character of our players."

Caidic said he’s excited to be in the Finals. Uichico said he’s nervous.

"Underdog kami so there’s less pressure on us," continued Caidic. "I told the guys to have fun and play their best. We’re out to prove something. We’re playing for pride. We’re hungrier. The crowd is our sixth man. This is the first time we’re playing San Miguel in a series starting from scratch. It will be a battle of our quickness against their size."

Uichico said his players are ready to win.

"Our guys are willing to work hard and sacrifice," he noted. "They work well together – nagbibigayan sa isa’t isa. They don’t think about themselves – they sacrifice for the team. Sometimes, we go to Danny I (Ildefonso), sometimes, it’s Danny S (Seigle), depending on which defender we want to attack – like in the Pop Cola series. Iba na ngayon. They want to win and they’ll do everything possible to win."

Uichico said San Miguel’s championship experience will be a big factor. "Ginebra’s young guys play major minutes," he said. "Can they suck up to the pressure? How will they react to the pressure? But one thing, Ginebra’s a different team now – they’re more confident. Allan has done a great job getting the young players to work with the veterans. That’s a tribute to him. Basketball sa basketball, it’s hard to play Ginebra. We match up well against them in size but they match up well against us in quickness. This series will be tough. When we play Ginebra, we always play hard and they, too. It’s no joke to win the All-Filipino title, mahirap talaga. Ginebra has as much of a chance to win as us. They’re hungry."

Both coaches said they owe their success to management. "Malaking bagay ang inspiration from Mr. (Eduardo) Cojuangco (San Miguel and La Tondeña Chairman)," said Uichico. "Boss Danding means so much to us. And the fact that his brother. Boss Henry, looks after us is special. In fact, Boss Henry told us magbakbakan kami – lumaban ng puspusan for the fans, to do our best."

Caidic said it’s not difficult to motivate his players to win. "We’ll go for it – nobody expected us to beat Purefoods in the quarters and Shell in the semis," he said. "Now, we’re in the Finals. We’ll focus on every game and learn from this experience. This is going to be a great series. We can’t compare this to any other series. This is it. I’m really happy the fans are back – after the transition period, the Barangay is intact."

In last Friday’s game, a rabid Ginebra fan held up a poster with the inscription "Caidic 4 Senator."

"Nakita ko ’yon," said Caidic. "It felt good – it was an indication that the fans are back, that they see me as a deserving successor to Senator Jaworski. We’re dedicating this series to management and the fans."

As for San Miguel and Ginebra coaching consultant Ron Jacobs, he’ll stay away from both benches. In tonight’s game, Jacobs will play a different role – he’s agreed to join the broadcast panel on TV.