"Big Game" James (right) returns to lead the San Mig Coffee Mixers. KC Cruz
Last Philippine Cup: The first season of the Tim Cone experience was pretty eventful for the team formerly known as the B-MEG Llamados, but the 2011 Philippine Cup was a conference they’d rather forget. After finishing first in the eliminations with a 10-4 record, the Llamados crashed and burned in the quarterfinals, despite having a twice-to-beat advantage, at the flaming hands of Gary David and his Powerade Tigers.
Key Additions: The Mixers were active in the 2012 PBA Draft, wheeling and dealing their way to nabbing defense-oriented big man Aldrech Ramos, who was originally selected by Barako Bull. They also got NU alum and power forward Jewel Ponferrada to shore up their aging frontcourt. The mixers also signed veteran point guard Chris Pacana, which made no sense at the time because they already had three floor generals on their roster, until they decided to trade away one of their starters.
Key Subtractions: Last season's starter Josh Urbiztondo was traded to the Barako Bull Energy Cola for their 2013 first round draft pick and Wesley Gonzales.
Three keys to being successful in the Philippine Cup
1. Point guard rotation - The departure of Urbiztondo may help the Mixers in the future with that precious 2013 first round draft pick inside their back pockets, but it will definitely hurt them in the Philippine Cup. Urbiztondo is a steady point guard who can catch fire at any point of the game. Without Urbiztondo, the point guard duties will (presumably) be handed to sophomore Mark Barroca, with Jonas Villanueva as the back-up. PJ Simon may also end up starting some, if not most of the games, alongside James Yap
2. Finding the balance between the Triangle and their isolation plays - Last year, the Llamados often found it hard to stick to Cone’s Triangle System. At the most crucial moments in the game, they often went back to their old ways, playing one-on-one offense. The key this year is to find a balance. All the players need to buy whatever Cone is selling and play within his system. However, Cone also needs to let his players take over in some cases. A rigid Alaska type offense will not work for San Mig Coffee because James Yap and PJ Simon need their touches on offense.
3. Offense from the centers - Yancy de Ocampo experienced a rejuvenation last season. While with Ginebra, it looked like his career was on its last legs, but after he was traded, de Ocampo played statement game after statement game. If San Mig is to be successful in the Philippine Cup, de Ocampo needs to assert himself even more on offense. Rafi Reavis also needs to contribute on offense especially on put-backs instead of taking mid-range jumpers. It’s also interesting to see if Ramos will be given time at the center position because that guy has a reliable shot from outside.
Marc Pingris (center) is the defensive anchor of San Mig Coffee. KC Cruz
What’s the one thing that could scare B-Meg fans?
I can give you a cop out answer and say it’s the health issue, especially for recently injured players such as Joe Devance and JC Intal, but that’s too easy. I can also say it’s the aging frontcourt of de Ocampo and Reavis but that too is a cop-out answer. But what San Mig Coffee fans need to be worried about is this team’s ability to defend.
Marc Pingris is still one of the best defensive players in the league but he can’t defend against everyone. The frontcourt defense could hold, especially with Pingris and Ramos there, but the Mixers will have a hard time defending guard-heavy teams like Ginebra and even GlobalPort. Ramos is especially important here because he has proven to be a good help defender in the collegiate ranks, but how that will translate to the PBA is another question. While Simon has transformed himself into a good stopper, San Mig fans should be worried about guards scoring at will against their Mixers, when the Super Sidekick is not on the floor.
How this will likely play out: There will be games where the Mixers will just win games solely on their offensive arsenal, but there will also be games when they won’t be able to stop high-scoring guards to save their lives. If everyone’s healthy, this team could match-up well with anyone, even the powerhouse Petron team. A podium finish is a definite possibility for the Mixers but a Philippine Cup championship seems like one or two rotation players away. Don’t be surprised if they pull off a trade or two to further bolster their chances of winning the coveted Philippine Cup championship.
- AMD, GMA News
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