Undersized E-Painters import dispels doubts

MANILA, Philippines - Rain Or Shine’s Alex McLean may be undersized as a 6-6 3/4 import but he’s not fazed by the difference of a few inches and his Elasto Painters teammates like his willingness to share the ball unlike other reinforcements in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The Painters got off to a poor start in the second conference, losing a 110-106 decision to Barako Bull in a game they could’ve and probably should’ve won last March 9. They forgot to play defense, the key that took them to the just-concluded Philippine Cup finals, and tried to outscore prolific import Joshua Dollard and the Energy Cola instead of going for stops. Rain Or Shine dominated the major stats, including turnover points, rebounds, assists, steals, fastbreak points and blocked shots. But Dollard got away with 44 points as Barako hit 46.8 percent from the field, a far cry from what the Painters gave up last conference.

Last Saturday, Rain Or Shine went back to basics, dug into the trenches and crushed Alaska, 92-78, behind a swashbuckling defense that held the Aces to 35.5 percenct field goal shooting and forced 19 turnovers. McLean played his usual workmanlike role in the win, compiling 19 points and 18 rebounds in 37 minutes. Jeff Chan took Best Player of the Game honors with 24 points, including 6-of-10 triples.

Painters guard Chris Tiu said McLean fits the mold of a glue import. “He’s not like (last season’s import) Arizona (Reid),” said Tiu. “When the ball got to Arizona at the post, that’s it. That ball won’t go back out. With Alex, he looks for his teammates. He locates our guards who are open. He’s a team player.”

The problem is whether McLean can defend against bigger imports like Meralco’s 6-10 1/4 Brian Butch, Talk ‘N’ Text’s 6-7 1/16 Richard Howell, Air21’s 6-8 5/16 Herve Lamizana and Globalport’s 6-7 13/16 Evan Brock. But if the theme is to play team defense, McLean can expect a lot of help from Beau Belga, Raymond Almazan and even guards like Tiu and Paul Lee who could provide double coverage. McLean said if it’s a matter of a few inches, he’s not bothered.

Assistant coach Caloy Garcia said McLean’s big test will be against former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Jones and San Miguel Beer tomorrow. “Our next game will be his barometer,” said Garcia. “We’re happy with Alex because locals get to score, too. But he still has to show more. He hasn’t really shown his offensive skills although he’s been rebounding well.” McLean is averaging 20 points and 17 rebounds in two games. He’s shooting 3-of-12 from beyond the arc and 11-of-14 free throws.

McLean, 28, said he’s enjoying his stay in the Philippines, one of the best stops, if not the best, in his globetrotting career. He singled out Poland and Greece as other countries where he had a memorable experience. McLean also spent four years in the Middle East playing in Lebanon, Qatar and Iraq.  There were stints in Paraguay, Egypt, Argentina and China, too.

McLean said he’s all for naturalization as a way to strengthen national teams. “My first cousin (Garnett Thompson) became a naturalized player with Lebanon but they took back his citizenship after a year,” he said. “I once considered naturalization in Argentina. I played with Garnett in Iraq before coming to the Philippines.”

McLean said he plans to bring his wife and their four-month-old daughter over to Manila. “I’ve got to take care of business first in the PBA so my focus right now is strictly basketball,” he said. “We’re getting a passport for my baby so I’m hoping my wife and baby can come over for the playoffs. I’ve been married for only a year so I miss my family. I like it in the Philippines. Culturally, it’s not too different from the US. I love the atmosphere and how Filipinos love basketball. I think Rain Or Shine is a great organization. I enjoy playing with my teammates like Belga. It’s a team game. I’m not out to dominate. My goal is to win games and the championship.”

Curiously, McLean never played basketball in high school. Instead, he concentrated on music. He plays the bass, drums and piano. But he’s always liked playing basketball because of his hero Michael Jordan. When it came to choosing what to concentrate on in college, McLean turned down music scholarships at Hofstra and the University of California at Berkeley and even interest from Julliard to shift his attention to hoops.

“When I get some free time, I’d like to check out the music scene in Manila,” he said. “I hear it’s pretty lively. I know a lot of foreign performers come over to do shows. My favorite band is The Who and I also like Eric Clapton and jazz musician Stanley Clarke. I enjoy all kinds of music. Before a game, I listen to mellow music to get in the mood.”

McLean said he had a brief tryout with the Washington Wizards after finishing his collegiate career at Liberty University in Virginia. “I wasn’t interested in playing in the NBA D-League so I went overseas where the money’s better,” he said. “It’s been a good run for me. I’ve been all over the world and the experience has been great. Before coming over, I heard a lot of good things about the Philippines and so far, everything has turned out to be true.”