SMC to tap Warriors coach for Boosters?

MANILA, Philippines - John Todd Purves could become a new addition to the growing list of foreign mentors in the Philippine Basketball Association with the SMC management reportedly keen on tapping the champion ABL coach to work with the Petron Blaze Boosters.

Reports said Purves came in from Indonesia Thursday to have his initial talk with the SMC officials.

Purves has just stepped down as coach of the Indonesia Warriors whom he steered to back-to-back ABL titular showdowns with the San Miguel Beermen. Purves and the Warriors prevailed over the late Bobby Parks and his SMB team last year. The Beermen exacted revenge versus the Warriors a few days back with Leo Austria as the winning coach.

Apparently, SMC’s plan is to bring both Austria and Purves over to Petron.

While Austria is still tied up with the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP, Abanilla would work with Purves in the Petron bench. SMC has just recalled Abanilla from La Salle.

The PBA is currently on break, giving way to the preparation of Gilas Pilipinas for the 27th FIBA Asia Championship set Aug. 1-11 at the MOA Arena in Pasay and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. The PBA Governors Cup fires off Aug. 14.

If he strikes a deal with SMC, Purves will be the fourth active foreign coach in the 10-team local pro league, joining San Mig Coffee’s Tim Cone, Talk n Text’s Norman Black and Barako Bull’s Rajko Toroman.

Sources said in the works are reorganization of the coaching staff of SMC’s three PBA teams in Petron Blaze, San Mig Coffee and Barangay Ginebra.

The shakeup, for one, would bring Olsen Racela over to San Mig Coffee to work as assistant to Cone.

At Ginebra, coming in as replacement to Juno Sauler is University of the East coach David Zamar. Sauler was earlier tapped in to take over from Abanilla at La Salle.

Sources said even team managers Samboy Lim (Ginebra) and Hector Calma (Petron) are not safe in their current posts.

SMC earlier effected major changes in the lineups of Petron and Ginebra.

Jay Washington was dealt from Petron to Globalport so that Ginebra could acquire Japeth Aguilar from the Batang Pier camp.