Imports back with a bang

The imports are back in full force and they’re out to show up the national team candidates in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Samsung Governors Cup starting tonight at the Big Dome.

Each PBA team is suiting up two imports with a combined height limit of 13 feet to compensate for the 23 veterans seconded to the two candidates squads. The last time the PBA used the two-import format was in the 1998 Governors Cup.

Of the 30 imports listed in the 10 team rosters, 12 are newcomers. They are 6-6 Muntrell Dobbins of Alaska, 6-5 Jarrod Gee of Barangay Ginebra, 6-6 5/8 Fred Williams of Coca-Cola, 6-4 3/4 Rodrick Rhodes and 6-4 7/8 Jermaine Walker of FedEx, 6-5 Leonard White of Purefoods, 6-3 1/4 Joe Bunn of Red Bull, 6-7 1/8 Keith Hill of San Miguel Beer, 6-7 3/8 Johnny Taylor and 6-0 3/4 Lelan McDougal of Sta. Lucia Realty, 6-4 Richie Frahm of Talk ’N Text, and 6-4 1/2 Monte O’Quinn of Shell.

Last Friday, O’Quinn became the first casualty among the imports listed in the original lineups. Shell team manager Bobby Villarosa said 6-9, 220-pound Derek Grimm is arriving today to replace O’Quinn. Grimm played as an import for Hitachi Osaka in the Japan league in 1998-99. He is known for his outside shooting (47.5 percent from three-point range as a University of Missouri junior in 1994-95) and his pet snakes – pythons named Toby and Phelia and anacondas named Etana and Rosemary. Grimm and Frahm are the only white imports in the conference.

The returnees are Ron Riley of Alaska, Bubba Wells of Barangay Ginebra, Rosell Ellis of Coca-Cola, Derrick Brown of Purefoods, Julius Nwosu of Red Bull, Lamont Strothers of San Miguel, Askia Jones of Shell, and Jerald Honeycutt of Talk ’N Text.

Teams are allowed to switch imports during the conference, including the finals. A restriction is an import from one club cannot play for another even if his first team has been disqualified.

The tallest import is Nwosu at 6-7 7/8. Nwosu, Rhodes, Taylor, Wells, Strothers, Jones, and Honeycutt are the only National Basketball Association (NBA) veterans among the imports. Walker played for the Miami Heat in the 1999-2000 preseason but failed to make it to the regular lineup.

It is rumored that Nwosu may be replaced by Tony Lang if he doesn’t deliver. Lang’s contract in Japan expires Feb. 17 and last year’s Commissioner’s Cup Best Import may be rehired by Red Bull if Nwosu falters. There is also talk that Alaska has 6-7 James Head of Eastern Michigan University on standby in case Dobbins fails to live up to expectations.

Taylor, 27, is the preseason choice as the leading contender for Best Import honors. He’s the yardstick, said a PBA insider. Taylor was the Orlando Magic’s first round pick in the 1997 draft and played for two teams in three PBA seasons.

The other NBA first round choice among the imports is Rhodes who was the Houston Rockets’ pick in 1997.

San Miguel coach Joseph Uichico, who has turned over the Beermen reins to assistants Siot Tanquingcen and Art dela Cruz to concentrate on the national team, said the trend is to recruit imports who can play here for two to three years.

"It’s difficult to look for imports year in, year out," said Uichico. "We’d rather look for someone whom we can bring back two or three years so we can be sure of some chemistry."

Hill, a pure center, could be the big import San Miguel missed in the last Commissioner’s Cup. He ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II rebounding in 1991, averaging 11.6 for Shippensburg State in Pennsylvania. In 1995, he averaged 10.5 points for the Chicago Rockers in the Continental league then took his sneakers to France. Hill was the French league’s top rebounder in 1997-98.

Prime examples of top imports in demand are Strothers, Brown, and Nwosu. Strothers, 33, is playing in his sixth PBA season. Brown, 28, is in his fourth and Nwosu, 30, in his third. Wells, Jones, Riley, Ellis, and Honeycutt played here last year and were invited back because of their productive showing. Nwosu, 30, suited up for Purefoods in 1999 and 2000. The Hot Dogs gave up their right of first refusal on Nwosu for opting not to sign him last year.