Will McCants lead Tigers to the top?

MANILA, Philippines - Powerade coach Bo Perasol said yesterday highly touted import Rashad McCants has the mentality, ability and experience to bring the Tigers all the way to the top of the PBA Governors Cup but a concern is the former University of North Carolina hotshot may feel out of place playing in a league below the NBA level.

“Honestly, he has what it takes to play in the NBA or at least in Europe,” said Perasol. “I thinks sometimes, he wonders what he’s doing here. He’s coachable and outspoken. He talks a lot to his teammates on the court, basically affirming what we do in practice. He’s very vocal. We want him to couple that with action. He’s got to walk the talk. We want him to make sure he does what has to be done on the court. He is very knowledgeable about the game and it shows in the way he talks to his teammates. I’m just hoping we’re all on the same page, that we understand where he’s coming from so we can be productive.”

Perasol said McCants’ showing so far at practice has been more than encouraging. “It’s a positive sign,” he said. “Maybe, the reason why he’s not in the NBA or in Europe is he’s misunderstood. But it’s a plus for us. He’s definitely not arrogant. He’s a very intelligent and skillful player. I want him to transform us into a championship team and I know he can do it.”

McCants, 27, played three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels and led the varsity to the NCAA title in 2004-05. He was the Minnesota Timberwolves’ first round pick in the 2005 NBA draft. McCants averaged 10 points in 249 games in four NBA seasons with the Wolves and Sacramento Kings. In 2007-08, the sharpshooting guard averaged 14.9 points in 75 games for Minnesota.

Perasol said McCants’ entry numbs the impact of losing Marcio Lassiter. “We won’t miss Marcio’s offense until the All-Filipino conference,” he said. “At the moment, Rashad will play two or three with Gary (David). Jvee (Casio) stays as our starting point guard. At four will be Sean (Anthony) backed up by Jondan (Salvador) and at five will be Rabeh (Al-Hussaini) backed up by Romel (Adducul).”

During the conference break, Powerade underwent a facelift, losing Lassiter, Doug Kramer and Celino Cruz and picking up Al-Hussaini, Lordy Tugade, Salvador and Rey Guevarra.

“We’ve got a new face on,” said Perasol. “We’re still undersized at the four position but we’ve upgraded our middle with Rabeh who’s one of our most hard-working players at practice. I think there was too much pressure on Rabeh coming out of Ateneo. Expectations were too high. But I think he’s maturing. He has heart, he plays tough, he can score, he’s strong, he’s got moves. I don’t care about what happened to Rabeh in the past. We want him to prove himself with us. He’s going to be one of the best big men in the PBA.”

As for Tugade, Perasol said he had his eye on the former National University star for years. “I really wanted him long ago but I couldn’t offer anyone in return,” he said. “He’ll contribute in a big way. He’ll need to rebuild his confidence and we’ll give him time to do it. He’s got a lot of playing years left.”

Perasol said Alex Crisano will likely miss the entire Governors Cup recovering from surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. “His foot is still in a cast,” said Perasol. “I don’t think he’ll be able to catch up this conference.”

Perasol said if Casio continues to play steady, David is as explosive as before and Al-Hussaini lives up to his billing as a premier big man, the Tigers will be tough to beat especially with McCants in the mix. Others in the Powerade roster are Ricky Calimag, Josh Vanlandingham, Francis Allera, Will Antonio, Rudy Lingganay and James Martinez.

“We’ll miss Doug’s rebounding but Rabeh is a legitimate big man and Jondan can help off the boards, too,” said Perasol. “We’re taking a chance with Rashad. We could’ve gotten somebody else. But we wanted a player who can take us all the way to the championship. I know Rashad can help us get to that level. We’ll miss (former Powerade Governor) Mr. (J. B.) Baylon’s presence but Mr. (Ronnie) Asuncion assures us of his support. We went to the All-Filipino finals this season. I think we’re ready to go back to the finals in the Governors Cup.”