[ad_1]
The same San Miguel Beer team that took an early exit from the Clark bubble last November, in the process losing a five-season Philippines Cup winning streak, will attempt to win back the Filipino conference when the Philippine Basketball Association ( PBA) begins its 46th season tentatively in April.
And it will be a full roster of Brewers caged this year with the return of six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo.
“I don’t know where the word ‘total renewal’ came from. There is no renewal, ”San Miguel head coach Leo Austria told BusinessMirror on Sunday.
“We are focused on strengthening and improving our supporting cast,” he said. “And I feel very comfortable with my veteran players.”
The team, Austria noted, will retain its core of Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Mo Tautuaa, Terrence Romeo and Fajardo.
Austria said that San Miguel Corp.’s sporting director Alfrancis Chua announced the availability of the 6-foot-11 Fajardo for the season. The center spent 2020 recovering from a fractured right shin and missed Clark’s bubble entirely.
“It is a moral boost not only for us but for the entire league,” Austria said, referring to Fajardo, who received the green light to return to action from renowned sports medicine expert Dr. Raúl Canlas.
“Everyone missed him so much. At the same time, he is very confident to return this season, ”said Autria. “His recovery was on the right track.”
Fajardo averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds in the 2019-2020 season before his injury last February.
Romeo, who suffered a shoulder dislocation in a game against TNT Tropang Giga inside Clark’s bubble on October 17, is also expected to return 100 percent healthy.
“Imagine what happened last season? We played without Fajardo, Romeo and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, ”Austria said.
Swingman Ganuelas-Rosser chose to stay in California during the pandemic for personal reasons.
Without three of its productive players, San Miguel Beer was only able to win seven of its 11 games in the only conference Philippines Cup eliminations of the 45th season.
The Beermen gave up their two-goal lead in the quarterfinals to the Meralco Bolts – 71-78 and 68-90 – did not defend the crown and left the bubble. Meralco, however, lost to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the semifinals.
