Austria: Ginebra biggest threat to SMB's title defense

MANILA, Philippines – Most coaches point to defending Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beer as the team to beat this coming season due to its stacked-up roster led by two-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo.

But coach Leo Austria insisted that sister team Barangay Ginebra looms as San Miguel’s biggest threat to its back-to-back all-Filipino championship aspirations when the PBA’s 41st season opens on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Austria said the entry of multi-titled coach Tim Cone, along with the American’s emphasis on his tried and tested triangle offense makes the Gin Kings a potent team.

“I think adapted na sila (Gin Kings) sa new system because most of their players are very intelligent,” Austria told Philstar.com.

Contributing to Ginebra’s expected rise is the long championship drought that dates back to the 2008 Fiesta Conference when the team was still being handled by Jong Uichico.

“For me, contender itong Ginebra. It’s the team to watch and it seems hungry sila sa panalo,” he added.

Fajardo is coming off a career-best number of 17.4 points, to go along with 12.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 assists last season.

But Austria feels the emergence of Ginebra’s “Twin Towers” Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar under Cone will make things more difficult for Fajardo.

“Actually, hindi mado-dominate ni June Mar ang shaded area because of their (Gin Kings’) Twin Towers kasi lagi silang nandun eh. May help side,” noted Austria, whose team bowed to Ginebra, 92-81 last week in a tune-up match.

“Eh si Japeth above the rim ang laro niya at talagang nama-maximize nila ang potential ng team dahil strength nila is really with the big men,” he added.

For San Miguel, Austria said it is imperative that everyone heals fast from injuries to ensure a good head start in the 11-game, single-round elimination.

Shooter Marcio Lassiter is slowly recovering from his right hamstring injury he suffered last month.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo, on the other hand, is still not 100 percent due to plantar fasciitis on both feet, which has limited him to just two practice games in the offseason.

Even veteran forward Arwind Santos has yet to reach peak conditioning due to the busy Oktoberfest schedule of San Miguel that required numerous guesting appearances the past weeks.

“Mahaba naman ang bakasyon niya (Santos), pero yung one month (practice) namin, nagkasakit siya. And then maraming guesting ang team kaya napupuyat sila (San Miguel players) so we can’t let them practice,” lamented the 57-year-old coach.

“We can’t afford another player to get injured so nasa-sacrifice yung conditioning nila. But then, it’s better to be not in shape than to have a player who has an injury and cannot play,” he added.

“But in the new few days, hopefully, mas mafo-focus na ang team namin at gagaling na sila.”

San Miguel kicks off its title-retention bid on Saturday when it faces a new-look GlobalPort in the season’s first out-of-town game in Davao City.