AS San Miguel Beer awaits its opponent in the best-of-seven semifinal series of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup, Head Coach Leo Austria is concerned rust might set into his Beermen who get to play on Friday.
“Originally, we were scheduled to play on Thursday and then Friday. So we have 10 days off before the semifinals,” Austria told the BusinessMirror.
“Of course, may positive sa mahabang break because players can recover [from minor injuries] but ang disadvantage, baka kalawangin sila, at the same time, 50-50 preparation ang ginagawa namin dahil hindi pa namin alam kung sino ang kalaban namin,” he added.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text dueled on Tuesday night for the right to face No. 1 San Miguel Beer on Friday.
“Ang magiging question sa amin dito, are we in fighting condition?” Austria said. “I think we’re doing well with our preparation for our semis pero like I said, hindi pa kami buhos kasi nga hindi pa namin alam sino ang makakalaban.”
The last time the Beermen won a title was in the 2011 Philippine Cup under Head Coach Ato Agustin, who was then a first-time PBA Coach like Austria this season. And that makes the former PBA Rookie of the Year hungry for the franchise’s 20th title.
“Alam nila ‘yun at napag-uusapan nila ‘yun kaya alam nila na dapat mag-step up sila come semis,” Austria said. “Baka ito na ‘yung chance na hinihintay nila na mag-champion ulit.”
One member of that 2011 champion team was Alex Cabagnot, who was reacquired by San Miguel Beer in a trade with GlobalPort last week.
The lefty Cabagnot gives the Beermen versatility, according to Austria, and his return adds depth to their backcourt.
“Mabilis ang pickup ni Alex kaya hindi masyadong malaki ang adjustment niya,” Austria said. “His familiarity with his teammates is there and he’s really a fundamentally sound point guard.”
Cabagnot averaged 15.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists during the elimination phase with Batang Pier, but Austria expects his offense to suffer a bit as San Miguel Beer is loaded with scorers, led by reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) June Mar Fajardo, former MVP Arwind Santos, Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter.
“Alex is the type of guard who always sets up his teammates first and is very much willing to give up the ball,” Austria said. “Pero hindi mo rin siya puwede iwanan because he’s capable of hitting the outside shots.”